It's 12:45, October 31. I can post this now.

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It was a time to be very careful. This particular holiday was a dangerous one, as far as Watari was concerned. He glanced at the calendar warily. Everyone in the orphanage knew this day. It was double trouble, as they all knew very, very well. Today, October 31, 1997, was going to be a pain. And it was all a certain teenager's fault.

Well, it was also partially Mello and Near's fault. It was going to be their last Halloween with the one person they truly looked up to as family, and they insisted that he take them trick-or-treating. Watari knew this wasn't going to end well, but between eight-year-old Mello and six-year-old Near begging him, complete with big, innocent eyes, he wasn't about to refuse. If L could just maintain his control over his desire to consume more sugar than anyone else on the planet, things might be fine… This was even excluding the fact that L turned eighteen today. He had always considered Halloween the world's gift to him, since complete strangers gave him free sugar on his birthday. He should, by all rights, have grown out of it by now, but it didn't seem that way.

Watari ushered the two costumed children out the door, informing L sternly that he expected them back by nine. Matt would have gone, he explained, but the nine-year old was being punished for setting a potted plant on fire. L nodded, grinning and sucking on a lollipop, and reached for Near's hand. Watari watched them go, suspicious. He decided to follow along, just to make sure no more 'incidents' happened.

A seven-year-old L, dressed up as a panda, rang the doorbell of the lady down the street's house. She opened the door, smiling as the cute voice proclaimed, "Trick or treat!" She brought out the candy bowl, saying hello to each Watari and L, but the greeting fell on deaf ears. L had snatched the entire bowl of candy and was contentedly putting as much of it into his pillowcase as he could. Watari apologized profusely, trying to pry it from the child's stubborn hands, but L refused to let go.

L had a tendency to go after candy first, and think later. Watari sighed. It would be a long night.

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When they reached the house of the lady down the street, the first house after leaving the orphanage, L let Mello and Near run ahead to ring the doorbell. The tail of Mello's costume dragged the ground as he raced Near to the door. Mello was a tiger, his blond hair streaked with black, and fluffy ears pinned to his head. He was wearing an orange sweatshirt, sweatpants, gloves, and boots, all with black stripes painted on them. L followed them up the sidewalk, noting how Near let Mello win. He began repeating a mantra in his head as Mello rang the doorbell. I will not react to the candy. I will not react to the candy. I will not react…

The door opened. The lady smiled at them.

"L! What a pleasant surprise!" I'm glad I bought an extra bag of candy… "And Mello and Near! Don't you two look adorable!"

Near rubbed at the sheer sleeve of his outfit silently. He was dressed all in white, with shimmery sleeves adorned with pearls. He twisted a slim flute with a spiral at the end delicately between his fingers. His bare feet, mirroring L's own, were careful to stand on a smooth part of the sidewalk.

The lady brought out the candy bowl, and L's eyes lit up. "Candy!"

"Sorry, dear. Trick-or-treaters only." She smiled at L, who looked absolutely crushed.

"But it's my birthday!"

Mello elbowed L in the leg, since it was as high as he could reach on L's tall frame. "You're not in costume, L! Move!" He hurried up to the door, inquiring "Chocolate?" in a cute voice.

The lady pulled out a package of chocolate bars, but before she could open it, Mello had swiped the whole thing, busily pulling one out while putting the rest in his bucket. The lady blinked, looking over at L. "A miniature you, hmm?" L only frowned, deprived of his sugar.

"Mello!" Watari stormed up the walk, taking the package of candy bars away from the blond. "Do you have no manners?" He returned the package to the lady, apologizing, "I'm very sorry. Did they cause you any trouble?"

"No." she replied. "I'm used to them. Ever since he was little…" She indicated L.

Watari too glanced at L. "I might have expected this from you. I didn't know Mello had a chocolate addiction."

"Do not." Mello grumbled around the chocolate bar he was devouring.

Near stood silently in the background, still twirling his flute. The lady noticed, telling Watari, "But this little one is a perfect angel." She gave him a large handful of candy, and Near smiled.

"Thank you!"

"We'd better go…" Watari said. He motioned to the three boys, who meekly followed him down the walk. The lady pressed a bag of candy into L's hand as he left. "Happy birthday, dear."

L grinned. He felt someone tugging on his sleeve, and looked down at Near.

"My feet hurt." Near said. L laughed, swinging him up into his arms.

"You're the one who didn't want to wear shoes!" He looked at Watari. "Hey, Watari… Why did you follow us, exactly?"

"To stop such things as that from occurring. Although I expected it from you, not Mello." Watari said. He frowned down at the blond-headed tiger next to him, who was looking properly abashed.

"Oh." L said, smiling. "I'm just a terrible influence, aren't I?" Near giggled, and even Mello smiled.

"Yes." Watari grumbled, heading back in the direction of the orphanage. L chuckled behind his back, plotting. With the addition of this to his other 'birthday presents', he had enough candy to last him two weeks, at least.

Maybe. With L, one could never tell.

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Aww… Halloween! It's L's b-day, AND favorite holiday! Hehe…

Yes, their neighbor has no name. She's just the Lady down the Street. What can I say? I'm lazy. Also, I don't know Matt's age, so I made it up.

Near is dressed as Peruru, from Sailor Moon, because that was the first mental image I got when I saw him. Forgive me, all who love Near and might want to hurt me right now! I love him too, just not as much as L.

Not to be depressing, but on November the fifth, I will be putting up a poem in the V for Vendetta section, dedicated to our favorite letters of the alphabet whom both decided to die on the same day. Check my profile if you're interested.

So, without further ado…

Happy Birthday, L!!!
Happy Halloween, everyone!!!
Li