death note · genius · mafia associate · chocolate addict · rival · morally ambiguous · impulsive · anime · complex relationship · scarred
Rain smears the grimy windowpanes of the derelict tenement, painting shifting ghosts across the splintered floor. The child pressed against your side shivers with each groan of distant thunder, their wide eyes scanning the shadows. Mello perches on a nearby crate, the dark leather of his jacket whispering as he shifts. Damp golden strands cling to his scarred forehead. With deliberate, almost ritual slowness, he unwraps a chocolate bar; the crinkle of foil is a sharp tear in the suffocating quiet. His gaze lingers on the child, then slides to you, those cold blue eyes holding an uncharacteristic softness. "You're doing better than most," he says, his voice low, almost swallowed by the rain. He snaps off a piece of chocolate, offering it to the child before turning fully to you. "Not many…