Chapter Text
Mello starts awake as his phone vibrates to life in the confines of his bedside table. He grunts in frustration, rubbing the grit out of his eyes before he slips an arm out from under the comforter to wrench the drawer open. His nails scrape against the wood for a few agonizing seconds until he manages to slap his palm over the incessant buzzing. He burrows further into the comfort of his sheets as he cracks an eye open to glare at his work phone.
For a brief moment, he debates throwing the damned thing out the window as he tries to identify the unknown number flashing back at him, but before he can give in to the impulse the phone goes still. He waits a beat for the voicemail to come through, frown deepening as the seconds tick by. It wasn't entirely uncommon that an unsaved number would attempt to contact this phone. He has a vast backlog of clients who'd been referred to him by various agencies, or even Near himself, so Mello typically never thought twice about caller id. However, this number gave Mello pause for two reasons; one being that it was a number from the UK, and more concerning, this particular number had called him six times within the past two hours.
A small pang of unease settles in his gut, so he sets his phone down as he tries not to jump to conclusions. He shakes his head once before craning his neck to glance over his shoulder. It seems that the buzzing had not woken Matt, who remains plastered against Mello's side as he snores softly into his upper back. His long arms are loosely wrapped around the blonde's torso and Mello lets out a pleased hum at the sensation of sleep-warm skin brushing against his body. Mello takes a moment to lightly trace a finger down his forearm, heart catching in his throat as he rests his hand on top of Matt’s palm.
The tungsten engagement ring gleams against his pale complexion even in the dimness of their bedroom, and Mello can’t help but admire it for a few quiet moments. The novelty of it had yet to wear off, seeing as Matt had proposed only days prior. Yet Mello couldn’t help but marvel at how effortlessly the new piece of jewelry hugged his finger, almost as if it had been there for years.
His stomach flutters as memories of the past week flash through his mind; Matt singing along to the radio as they drive beside the coastline, the small collection of shells Matt had gathered during their walk along the beach, the way the moonlight shone so brightly as they lay curled into one another atop the sandy shore. Mello feels himself flush at the image of Matt turning to him, eyes crinkling as he holds a small velvet box-
His phone buzzes to life against his thigh, startling him out of the pleasant memory. He fumbles with the phone, trying to collect his nerves as the slow churn of anxiety begins to settle in his stomach. His dread increases as he realizes the caller failed to leave a single voicemail, which indicates this mystery number is most certainly not a new client. He squints at the phone for a moment longer, then sighs heavily before answering the call.
"Mello speaking, who may I ask is calling?" he answers formally.
His heart sinks as his intuition is confirmed by the familiar sound of a throat clearing on the other end.
"Ah, hello Mello, it's been quite a while. I've been trying to reach you all afternoon."
Roger's curt yet polite tone had not changed in the nine years since he’d last heard it, and Mello has to steel his disappointment before speaking up again.
"Well Roger, it's nearly six in the morning in California so you'll have to excuse me for sleeping in."
Mello isn’t quick enough to prevent the flippant remark from passing through his lips. He’s not surprised in the slightest that after nine years of no contact, one of the first things Roger does is nag him.
"California? What on Earth are you doing back there? Last I'd heard you were in Italy."
He hasn't stepped foot in Italy in over a year. After the conclusion of the Kira investigation, he and Matt resided in Italy for what was meant to be a much-needed vacation. They hadn’t intended to stay for as long as they had, but it didn’t take long before they found themselves wrapped up in another pressing case. Near had been the one to get him involved with that investigation, so Mello wasn’t surprised about Roger’s knowledge of their last known whereabouts.
"I live in California,” he responds, unable to mask his dry tone.
He feels Matt's hand twitch slightly beneath his and mentally chides himself for not getting out of bed before picking up the phone. Although Mello doesn’t hear the telltale sounds of Matt slipping into consciousness, he knows it won’t be long before the redhead begins to stir.
"I see..." the old man trails off for a moment, which does nothing but make Mello's skin crawl.
It had always been like this with Roger. Stilted conversations with unpredictable pauses, as if he were dissecting every word Mello had said. He recalls how furious and uneasy it made him as a child; he’d wasted so many hours endlessly analyzing his choice of wording and constantly feeling as if he'd said the wrong thing.
Mello’s frown deepens as he senses the familiar feelings of inadequacy rise through his anxiety. These were feelings he hadn't felt for years, feelings he nearly killed himself trying to get rid of. Feelings that were now worming their way back to the surface after seconds of speaking to a man halfway across the planet. Mello’s teeth grind together as said man clears his throat yet again before continuing.
"Well then, I apologize for the wake-up call, I suppose I could call back later. However, I do have something important to tell you."
"Alright, what is it, Roger?"
"I'm sorry to say that Lewis Wallen died last night."
Mello blinks dumbly as he processes that information; he certainly hadn’t expected this kind of news.
Wallen had been a professor at Wammy's House specializing in humanities and theology. He was popular amongst the children due to his passion for teaching and genuine respect for his students. Arts and literature had not been regarded as a top priority within the successorship program, however, Mello had quite enjoyed studying them in his free time. Wallen had been the one to notice his potential and encouraged him to pursue his interests. He had even become somewhat of an unofficial mentor to Mello a few years before he had run away.
Despite his best efforts, Mello can’t prevent the past memories that hurtle to the forefront of his mind; countless hours spent in the library reading books Wallen had recommended, Wallen's neat handwriting in the margins of his written work, Wallen being the only adult to comfort him after hearing the news about B...
Mello closes his eyes and takes a breath as he forces the memories away.
"I'm sorry to hear that..." he mumbles, letting his voice trail off in hopes Roger will provide more information.
"Yes, he will be greatly missed. He was an excellent instructor, the students adored him and he was well respected amongst the faculty."
"How did he die?"
Mello surprises himself by asking the question. He supposes it stems from the residual paranoia left over from the Kira case; more concern for the cause of death rather than the actual loss itself.
"Ah. Fortunately, he passed peacefully in his sleep. It appears he had a stroke in the middle of the night, it's common with men his age."
Right, Wallen had been quite old when Mello was a boy...
"Alright, thank you for telling me, Roger. Wallen was a good man, may he rest in peace."
"Yes, he was," he replies before slipping into another agonizing pause. "His funeral will be held on Wednesday. I was calling to ask if you'd like to attend, but seeing as you're in the States I understand it's rather late notice…"
Mello blinks again as he wrestles with the concept of attending a funeral for a man he hasn’t seen nor thought about for almost a decade. Looking back, Wallen had been a prominent figure during his childhood; not only was he an exceptional man, but he’d also been a quintessential part of Mello’s education as he rose the ranks at Wammy’s. Mello supposes attending his funeral would be the respectful thing to do; a simple way of paying homage to the man that supported him during his turbulent adolescence.
"Two days isn't much notice… However, I think I can manage it. Could you give me the address of where the funeral is being held?"
"Why it's here at the orphanage of course," Roger replies in exasperation, as if Mello were supposed to have known.
As if Mello even knew Roger was calling from the House to begin with.
Mello immediately tenses at the thought of going back. When he ran away all those years ago, he swore to himself he’d never go back, and had since never felt any desire to return. In fact, he avoids thinking of the orphanage as much as he can help it; too many complicated feelings attached to thousands of forgotten memories- it was easier for him to move on.
Matt shifts in his sleep again, ripping Mello back into the present. Right, he wasn't exactly alone anymore, perhaps he wouldn't have to make this decision on his own.
"Look Mello, I know my input has... little impact on your decisions, but I think you should attend. Wallen always thought very highly of you- you were his best student, after all… He was deeply saddened when you left."
Mello sneers as he listens to Roger attempt to guilt him into coming, but his words do little to help Mello make up his mind.
Normally he wouldn't have debated paying his respects to Wallen, but the fact that it was being held there, at the House, gave him pause. The uneasiness that presented itself upon hearing Roger's voice was quickly developing into queasy anxiety. The churning feeling in his stomach was enough to drive him crazy in his own bed, he can’t imagine what it would evolve into if he were to return to England.
"I'll have to get back to you Roger, as you said it's very short notice."
"I see. Well, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know once you've reached a decision. Oh- and Mello, one more thing. You haven't by any chance kept in contact with Matt these past few years have you?"
Mello flushes at the choice of wording, then shivers as Matt stifles a laugh into the back of his shoulder blade, limbs tightening firmly around his midsection. The bastard was definitely awake and enjoying every second of this agonizing conversation.
"I have, why do you ask,” he manages to bite out.
The pause on the other line indicates his clipped tone has not gone unnoticed.
"Well, in that case, I was hoping you'd pass along the information to him. I would myself but I discovered that I have no way of contacting him. Near mentioned the two of you had been working together. It's good to hear that you have kept in touch."
Matt was laughing in earnest now, his warm breath tickling Mello's skin and making him squirm despite his best efforts to ignore him. Mello makes a face due to the sheer absurdity of the situation and pinches Matt's thigh, silently willing the redhead to shut up.
"Yes, I'll let him know," Mello practically hisses through clenched teeth. "Goodbye Roger, I will speak with you later."
He doesn’t bother waiting for the old man’s farewell and promptly ends the call. Mello then turns, forcefully shoving Matt off of him. He’s met with more laughter as the redhead rolls over and pokes his head out from beneath the blankets to grin up at him.
"Yeah, yeah laugh it up. Thanks for nothing, asshole. You're lucky I didn't give him your number," Mello huffs as he settles back against the pillows. Matt's giggles eventually subside enough for him to scooch over and place a hand on Mello's chest.
"Thanks for not selling me out, Roger still sounds like a tool. I definitely wouldn't have handled that as gracefully as you did. Freaked me out enough hearing his voice while I'm only wearing my tighty whities, I've had nightmares about that."
Mello can’t help but snort, and moves to trace Matt's fingers with his own before interlacing their fingers atop his chest. Matt returns the caress and strokes his thumb along the soft skin of Mello's wrist.
"Sorry about Wallen," Matt whispers after a beat, then shifts closer to his side. Mello wraps his free arm around his freckled shoulders and sighs, entirely unsure of how to feel about the situation.
"Yeah, it's strange…after all that's happened I'd nearly forgotten about him."
Matt hums in agreement and presses a soft kiss into his collarbone, fingers twisting against his own to thumb at his engagement ring. They lay together silently for the next few moments, so still that Mello wonders if Matt’s drifted off again.
"So...are we going?" Matt asks suddenly, startling him.
"I don't know, what do you think? I mean you're not obligated to go. I know Roger invited you, but I'd understand if you had no interest in attending, you barely interacted with him when we were kids."
"I go where you go," Matt replies with a small shrug, causing Mello's heart to skip a beat.
He doesn’t think he’ll ever stop being amazed by Matt's easy-going nature. To know Matt was forever on his side; always there to stick it out with him no matter what made him ache with a love so intense it was dizzying.
Mello closes his eyes as he breathes through his nose, contemplating his options.
"I'm not sure. Yes, ideally, I'd like to pay my respects, but...it means having to go back..." Mello trails off, unsure of what to say next.
He hates talking about the orphanage, mainly because it makes him think about what he did; what he did to Matt, specifically. Knowing that he’d caused him so much pain and confusion by leaving him behind without a warning or goodbye filled him with enough guilt to last him ten lifetimes.
They talked about it briefly a few weeks after they had reunited. Well, fought about it, then cried about it, then pushed it aside because they had jobs to finish and a case to solve. In the months following the Kira investigation, they were able to speak about it in a healthier way, but it hadn't made it any less painful. To hear how devastated Matt had been after he left, how he'd hoped Mello would come back for him, how he'd searched and searched for him, for years.
Mello doesn’t think he’ll ever forgive himself for doing that to him, no matter how many times Matt reassures him. Knowing that he'd betrayed Matt in such a terrible way would forever break his heart.
So, it’s easier for them not to bring it up. Sure, they like to reminisce about the good times- all the trouble they got into as kids, all that time spent together. They even look back fondly on the awkward stages of their budding romance in the months before L died. But they try to avoid the subject of Mello leaving, so the thought of returning has never crossed their minds.
In the three years after the Kira case, neither of them has even considered the possibility of going back. They’ve simply been content in the life they've begun creating with one another. Besides, before today, there’s never been any reason for them to go back. Even Near once mentioned that he rarely visited the orphanage, claiming he was too busy with casework to bother revisiting their childhood homestead.
Now that the opportunity has presented itself, Mello’s entirely uncertain of what to do. Going back would force him to face his past. Not to mention all of the unpleasant memories it could inevitably drudge up. And he knows he can't face the memories without dealing with the swarm of emotions that seems to always swallow him up the moment he lets his guard down. And of course, the idea of seeing Roger in person again was enough to ward him away forever.
The choice should be easy; a clear and definitive no. And yet... For whatever reason, he feels an odd sense of obligation, for Wallen's sake. Aside from loyalty to his old mentor, Mello feels another, less obvious reason for wanting to attend. He supposes, in its simplest form, it’s curiosity. The genuine curiosity about what he would find when he stepped onto the property. Had it changed much? He imagines that L and Watari's deaths, or even Kira himself, must have had a significant impact in some way…
He also wonders if they held on to any of his things after he'd left. Matt once mentioned that after a few weeks, someone had come around to collect his stuff from their room. Mello assumes they were boxed up or thrown away, most likely the latter, but if there was a chance that some of the stuff remained, he would like to at least take a look. Not that he’s particularly attached to that stuff, he could hardly remember it anyway. It was deeper than that- a peek back to a simpler, yet equally complicated time. A time when he was learning, growing, becoming. Despite his best efforts to deny and move on, that place was still very much a part of him.
"I mean we could just go to the funeral. Like we don't have to stick around."
Mello turns to face Matt, shaking his head at his statement.
"I don't think it will be that simple. You know how Roger is. He'll want us to stay so he can pry and ask questions. Hell, he may even insist we stay the night."
Mello can’t suppress the shudder that rips through him as the words come out of his mouth.
"So we'll get a hotel. We're adults now, who gives a fuck what Roger wants."
"Right, okay..."
He slips his hand from Matt’s grasp and begins absentmindedly toying with his ring, the smooth metal turning heavy and cold against his finger.
"What about...um, what about us?"
Mello can’t stand the uncertainty lacing its way through his tone. It’s always been difficult for him to be vulnerable, even in front of Matt. Being so uncertain makes him feel weak and stupid, so he slides further down the mattress until he’s half obscured by the comforter. Matt blinks down at him, clearly confused by the question.
"What about us?"
"Should we...would we have to- goddammit. Are we going to have to pretend we're just friends?"
Matt pulls a face like he’s trying not to laugh and Mello feel’s his face heat up.
"Why would we need to do that?"
"Well because nobody knows about us, our relationship I mean,” he emphasizes by wiggling his ring finger. “Won't it be awkward?"
"Since when do you care about what other people think?"
"I don't! Of course, I don't care. It's just that I'd like to avoid the attention. I don't think I'll be able to control my temper if we get a bunch of dirty looks or stupid questions. Could you imagine if we show up after all this time only to be kicked out when I throw a punch at some sheltered orphan? That'd be humiliating," Mello laments over Matt’s increasing laughter. "Stop laughing at me, I'm serious!"
Matt doesn’t stop laughing and pulls the blanket away before Mello can disappear beneath the bedsheets.
"Dude, of all the things I thought you were going to worry about, punching a homophobic orphan was not one of them."
Mello glares up at him and crosses his arms.
"Whatever. It's not even them I'm worried about, how the hell do you think Roger will react? I physically will not be able to bear the awkwardness of that conversation in person."
"C'mon Mel, it won't be that bad. Who cares what Roger has to say, we never listened to him when we were kids. What does it matter now?"
"Easy for you to say, you weren't the one Roger had a vendetta against. He was always picking apart everything I said and did back then. As I said, I don't care what he thinks I'd just rather not deal with his fussing, it's exhausting."
"That's fair, he was always hard on you, but a lot has changed since then. I mean you certainly have."
Matt smiles beatifically as he bends down to poke his nose.
"Oh Christ, I can't imagine what kind of comments he'll make about the scar. I mean, Near must have filled him in abo-"
"Dude, I wasn't talking about the scar. I meant you've changed in general, like temperament and stuff. You're hardly the same bratty kid Roger remembers."
"Oh shut up, as if you were any better."
"Well duh, I'm just trying to say that maybe you're overthinking all of this. It's clear that you want to go to the funeral, if you didn't you would've said no and moved on. I get the idea of going back is uncomfortable for you, but I think we can manage it."
Mello sighs and rolls over to bury his face into Matt’s pillow. After wallowing for a moment, he flops over again and lets his head fall onto Matt's shoulder, closing his eyes as he takes a minute to collect his thoughts.
After moments pass of agonizingly tedious deliberation, Mello comes to the conclusion that Matt’s right, he’s entirely overthinking this. In the end, he knows it won’t matter how much he tries to logic his way out of the situation. The steady feelings of uncertainty and dread associated with his youth were steadily gnawing their way through the foundations of his psyche, threatening to eat him alive. Though he'll never admit it aloud, he knows deep down that the only way to face these feelings is to get some form of closure. He doubts going back to Wammy's is the solution, but maybe there’s a chance he’ll be able to walk away feeling better about himself.
And he has Matt; sweet, thoughtful, loving Matt, who always has his back, no matter what.
Who wants to marry him, even.
He sighs again as Matt's fingers begin tracing patterns into his skin, trying to soothe him.
"Yes, I do want to go. I'm just not sure what to expect, you know?"
"Yeah, who knows, I wonder if Roger's fully bald by now."
"God, I hope so. I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from laughing if he's still got that weird curl thing going on."
"So we're going then?"
"Yeah, we're going. Let's book the flight and hotel now, I'll wait to call Roger back."
---
Hours later, Mello finds himself sitting at the kitchen table having a staring contest with his work phone, wondering not for the first time how much he was going to regret this decision. Their arrangements have been set, now all that’s left to do is to phone Roger and inform him of their arrival.
He feels himself getting worked up just thinking about how the conversation may go. He'll have to tell Roger that Matt would be coming with him, and he figures that in itself with prompt some questions. He still isn't sure how comfortable he feels about disclosing the nature of their relationship, especially with the more recent developments of their engagement. Obviously, they aren't going to hide anything, and he seriously doubts anyone will notice in the first place. But still...if there’s a chance that they’ll have to make an announcement, he'd rather get it out of the way than deal with it in person.
Mello hears Matt fumbling around in the other room, unpacking from their previous trip and repacking for the next. Mello sighs and decides to get it over with. He hits the redial button and wills the voicemail to come through.
"Well, you've certainly taken your time in getting back to me, it's starting to get late you know."
Mello rolls his eyes as he bites back a rude response. It’s barely seven o'clock in England for Christ's sake.
"Roger, I've decided that I will attend the funeral."
"Ah excellent, I'll inform the staff to set up accommodations for you-"
"No, that's not necessary. We'll be staying in a hotel."
"We?"
"Yes, Matt and I."
"Oh, I see. I’m glad you were able to get a hold of him so quickly."
"It’s not like it was that difficult. We…live together,” Mello holds his breath as he resists the urge to smash his face into the table.
He cannot believe he wasted so much time fretting over what he would say just to land on something as pathetic as that.
"That's nice Mello, I'm glad the two of you were able to remain friends. Lord knows you were practically attached at the hip as children…"
"No. That's not what I meant."
"Oh?"
Was he being difficult on purpose? Mello thought for sure Roger had his suspicions back when they were teenagers. With his permanently furrowed brow and piercing gaze, Mello had been sure the old man had known something.
"We are together...romantically."
There’s a long pause on the other end, so Mello checks to see if the call’s been disconnected.
"Roger? Are you still there?" He asks anyway, needing the conversation to be over with as soon as possible.
"Yes," he mutters, followed by another pause. "This wouldn't happen to be another one of your pranks, would it? I’d hoped you two would have grown out of that by n-"
Mello hangs up, then slams the phone on the table with enough force to nearly send it clattering to the floor.
He doesn’t know what he'd been expecting, but that certainly had not been it. He figured Roger would have been indifferent or unamused as he always was. But Mello had failed to predict that the old man would entirely dismiss him like that.
He feels anger burn through his veins as he attempts to regulate his breathing.
He doesn't care what Roger thinks, he truly couldn't care less, but the man’s blatant disrespect was enough to send him on a rampage. He’s always loathed being dismissed and talked down to. In his early Mafia days, when he was still trying to establish himself, Mello had made it clear he wouldn't take that kind of bullshit.
People will always try to undermine you. Let them, but make them come to regret it. If they disrespect you, they're as good as dead.
B's words echo within his head like a forgotten prayer, a ghost from the past. Those were words he used to live by. Anyone that so much as looked at him funny would be sure to never look at him again.
Mello's hands twitch at the thought as he digs his nails into the wood beneath his fingertips. He feels ridiculous for letting a few sentences get under his skin, but he simply can't help it. Years of having the Mafia under his thumb had spoiled him, and the dismissive tone Roger used brought up too many memories he'd much rather have forgotten. So much of his childhood was spent being talked over and shut down. Just the thought of it makes his blood boil.
A few minutes pass before Matt finds him silently seething in the kitchen.
"I take it the conversation went well?" He asks, stepping past Mello to reach into a cabinet above the fridge.
"Just peachy.”
He hears Matt sigh from behind him before he joins him at the table. In the next second, a chocolate bar miraculously spawns in the space between his hands.
"Here, if you're going to break something start with that. Leave the poor table alone, those claws of yours will rip through anything and I have the scars on my back to prove it."
Mello sends him a glare that would have most men running, but Matt doesn't even blink.
"C'mon, don't keep me waiting. What did the old bastard have to say?"
Before Mello has a chance to reply, the phone buzzes precariously by the edge of the table. Matt quickly snatches it before it falls and answers the call.
"Yo, this is Matt."
Mello raises an eyebrow at him as he turns on the speaker and places the phone between them.
"Oh," Roger says, sounding genuinely surprised. "Hello, Matt. I...hadn't realized you had access to this phone."
Mello snatches the chocolate bar off the table and begins ripping it open. He needs something else to focus on before he loses his temper.
"Geez, eight years since you last saw me and all I get is that? Pretty lame, even for you man."
And just like that, Mello feels his anger start to dwindle. Matt’s always been great at diffusing tense situations without even knowing it. He never feels the need to put up a facade or follow certain etiquette; he just does and says whatever he pleases and never cares about how others perceive him. Mello wishes he could be like that, but for now he'll settle for watching. Roger certainly had never known how to deal with Matt’s mild indifference when they were kids, and in the years since, Matt had only gotten weirder. This was bound to be interesting.
There’s a slight pause before Roger clears his throat.
"Pardon me, it is nice to hear from you. I was just surprised to hear you pick up. I was under the impression that this was Mello's phone."
"I mean I guess it's his but that doesn't stop me from taking it to play Candy Crush, I have a pretty high score you know."
"Oh, that's...nice."
Mello resists the urge to laugh at how quickly Roger's authoritative tone had turned weary. There’s yet another awkward silence as the old man clears his throat.
"Well, I was just calling back to confirm your arrival, the line cut off as I was speaking with Mello."
Matt flashes him a grin, knowing firsthand about Mello’s habit of ending conversations whenever he feels like it.
"Weird, dude. Must be the connection in our apartment. I keep bitching at the landlord to do something about it, but so far nothing, I'm pretty sure this counts as a hate crime."
"Erm...how so?"
"I dunno, I'm just speculating. He's a pretty strait-laced guy. Probably doesn't like that a couple of homos are living under his roof. Makes me wonder how we even got the keys in the first place, I mean Mello's outfits alone should've had him running for the hills. You should see how awesome he looks now- Oh wait, you will actually. We'll be in England by Wednesday morning, right babe?"
Between his ramblings, Matt turns to look at Mello, who hides a smile behind his half-eaten chocolate as he nods silently.
"Cool. Yeah man, we'll be there in time for the funeral. Sucks about Wallen, he was a cool dude. Good on him for living a full life."
"Yes, Wallen was very accomplished. He will be dearly missed..." Roger trails off again, sounding completely exhausted.
Mello’s previous dread evaporates instantly; he forgot how much fun it was to mess with the old man.
"Alright then, I will see you two on Wednesday..."
"Yup, bye dude."
They both stare at the phone waiting to hear his response, but Roger opts to end the call without a proper goodbye. Matt begins sniggering as the tone dial echoes through the speaker.
"Man, what a pill, I forgot how fuckin easy it was to knock him off his game."
Mello nods in agreement and stands to throw his chocolate wrapper in the trash, then stops in front of Matt. He smiles at him and leans down to kiss him softly. As he returns the kiss, Matt's hands slowly make their way to his hips, gently pulling until Mello settles on his lap.
Mello feels the anxious tension that had been building within him finally dissipate. Although he’s uncertain of what to expect in the days to come, knowing they’ll be together was enough to put his mind at ease. He knows that whatever awkwardness he'll have to endure will be bearable with Matt by his side. For the first time since morning, Mello feels his shoulders relax as he allows himself to get lost in their embrace.
They beat the devil himself and survived despite the odds; he’s certain they’ll be able to handle this too.