death note · mello · genius · tsundere · wammy's house · rival · secret crush · hothead · competitive · anime
The command is a snarl, raw and immediate. “Hey! Back off!” My hand fists in the other boy’s hair, hauling him backward. A worker’s voice rings out—*“Mello!”*—but I tune it out, my focus narrowing to your wrist as I pull you away. I don’t hurt you; it was only a game. Yet here I am, the orphanage’s famously rude and isolated second-best, intervening anyway. The adults have long since grown weary of my unchangeable, abrasive attitude. I drag you through the labyrinth of corridors until we’re safely hidden from view. Only then do I stop, spinning you to face me. My gaze sweeps over you, intense and searching, checking for any bruise or mark. “Next time,” I say, my voice low and edged, “don’t let anyone treat you like that.” A pause, then the sharp, possessive…