A/N: Last chapter for today. Going out tonight and won't be able to write anymore until tomorrow.

Hope you all enjoy though!


(Near P.O.V)

Mello and Matt came back to the house almost immediately after securing L's payment. After today it was a free holiday in Hawaii for a full week. The three of us would be taking up half the beach house while L and Light took up the other half for their own little vacation. In a sense, L's mission was just a reason to go to Hawaii for a few days and get away from the Wammy house. It was a great plan… if it was for having to share part of the house with Matt and Mello.

Not that they weren't a good couple, but I was more than tired of having to deal with Matt draping himself over Mello like he owned him. Not to mention the nights I'd be kept up because the two were fooling around. I can rest easy knowing Mello hadn't fully given himself to the gamer though. It meant I still had my own chance to convince him to give up on the red head. However, the blonde didn't seem too keen on letting go of him any time soon.

A guy could still try, though.

Once Mello and Matt had walked through the door, Mello slumped into a chair right away, the leather he wore making an odd squeaking sound. Matt only stood near the door.

L grinned at Mello. "Nice job, blondie. I'm just a tad richer, and you proved you can handle yourself on a mission. You really have grown up a bit since that incident with Beyond."

"Aside from the tantrum you threatened to throw when we told you no at first." Light commented, making me chuckle a bit.

"Hey, I proved myself to be trustworthy didn't I?" The blonde stated. "Maybe now I can go on more serious cases with you guys."

"We'll discuss it after our vacation here." L said as he stood from his chair. "It's late, and we should all go to bed."

I shook my head. "I'm not tired. If you need me to I'll finish the paperwork for Light and he can go to bed."

"I'll stay, too." Mello offered. "Near can't type as fast as I can anyways."

"Well, I'm going to bed." Matt announced. "It's one a.m. and unlike some people I like to sleep."

"Time hasn't stopped you from playing video games until sunrise." Mello added. "Why let this stop you now?"

Matt shivered. "Because unlike you, I'm not married to my work. Goodnight family." And with that he walked out and to his bedroom.

L and Light thanked us before heading off to bed as well. Normally L would have done this himself, but Light had been making him go to bed despite his insomnia. At least the brunette knew he was getting some kind of rest, even if it was just lying in bed and doing nothing.

Mello got to work right away and asked me to read out what he had to type out. I did so without hesitation and I was glad to have the help. He was right to say I wasn't fast at typing, because I wasn't. With Mello I could read at a comfortable, steady pace and he could type it all out without problem. It came from his years of typing out stories and such for his literary class at Wammys. Some of the stories L had even offered to publish, but Mello turned him down. He never found any of his works good enough and therefor turned down the opportunity to have them published by anyone. He'd said that he'd want to be recognized for spectacular work instead of mediocre writings. In that I could respect his wishes.

I finally read out the last paragraph to him and took a breath. For a moment or so I glanced at him, making sure he couldn't see me back.

L was correct about the blonde. Mello had grown up much since the Beyond incident a few years back. In that time of him growing up he'd found out so much more about himself. He loved and respected who he was, had the confidence to strut his stuff and not care who said what, and he more than earned his achievements at the Wammy house after graduating to the adult courses. A black belt in martial arts, top of the literary class, and an incredibly close second to being L's successor. He never bragged about any of it either.

In my opinion, Mello had become a man.

As for Matt… well… he was Matt. Lazy and uninterested in the detective business, but had the heart of gold he always carried. Maybe there were times he showed a very uncaring side to him, but I suppose that was just me looking for things to complain about him. I sometimes wished Mello saw them as much as I did.

But the blonde still loved him. For reasons I could never seem to find, Mello still loved him.

'So why not me?' I thought to myself. 'I've always cared about him, so much more than Matt did. So why doesn't he like me in that way?'

Mello finished typing and saved the documents.

He leaned back in his chair and took a breath. "Finally we can start our vacation. I think I'm gonna try my luck at surfing tomorrow. You?"

I shrugged, knowing he wasn't looking at me. "I think I'll just stay indoors. I don't see anything I might find fun here, anyway."

He swiveled around. "Really? Not even lying on the beach?"

I huffed out a laugh. "My white hair and pasty skin might blind everyone."

Mello chuckled at the thought. "Well, it's a good defense mechanism."

Now I was downright smiling at the mental scenario, and when I'd started to laugh the blonde before me had to ask me what was up.

My laugh died down to a giggle. "I just got the mental image of someone trying to mug me, so I flash them in order to get away."

The leather-clad man before me nearly lost it himself. When he spoke next his voice was strained and squeaky.

"Please don't send that image to me, I can't take it!"

I pouted. "Hey, I am a very sexy seventeen year old, with a very sexy body. You just can't see it under the pj's."

"No offence," his voice returning to normal, "but I kinda don't want to see it."

"A decision you shall regret the rest of your life."

It was then that he pushed me over with his foot, making me giggle a bit.

"There are times where you're sick in the head, Near."

"Look who's talking." I backfired.

"What thing did I ever say to you that you consider sick?"

After a quick second or two to think, I decided he was correct. "Okay, but the noises coming from your bedroom definitely should stop in the next few days. I can't get any sleep anymore and I have my own room now."

The blonde grinned cheekily. "Now, Matt isn't really into sharing too much, but if I drugged him enough would you be us to joining? At least if you're awake then it won't be such a nuisance to you."

"Right there! That's pretty sick-minded of you to say!" I pointed out. "Not to mention it's pretty close to cheating on Matt."

Mello rolled his eyes. "I can't help but notice you didn't say yes or no."

I rested my head on my hand. "I still don't get why you do that."

"Do what?"

"Say asinine stuff like 'joining us' or last week when you straight up asked Matt if he'd be mad if you gave me a handjob or vise-versa. It doesn't make sense."

Mello shrugged. "It's fun to watch the reactions between the two of you."

"But, did you actually tell him that I had… have a crush on you?"

"Nope. But I don't care if you do or don't."

"Gee, thanks." I said rather irritably.

He smiled. "I didn't mean it like that. What I mean is, I respect you for telling me and for the fact that even though I'm in a relationship with him you don't fight with him about it. It's a refreshing thought to know that you have a crush on me, but don't fight with Matt about who I'd pick between you."

I smiled comically at him. "Oh well, that makes me feel just peachy."

The blonde only scoffed as he got off of his seat and leaned down to kiss my cheek, sending shivers down my spine.

"You're a sweet kid, Near. And maybe if things don't work out with Matt I'll consider you." He kneeled down to where I sat then. "But I still love Matt. I have for a long time, and you know that. I'm sorry if I don't feel the same for you, but you'll find someone who does someday."

I groaned a bit. "I know, you've told me this before. Although nowadays you aren't so weirded out by my affections."

He shrugged again. "You're weird, but the fact that you actually have feelings is adorable."

I growled, watching him stand up and make his way to the door. Before he left though, I had to ask, however playfully it might've been.

"So, if you can't love me like you do Matt, could a possible one-night-stand ever happen?"

"Don't you start up now to. Matt's been driving me crazy asking when we were going to start doing more in bed, and I'm tearing my hair out in frustration."

"Aw, don't do that. I like your hair."

"Still not happening, kid."

I shrugged. "Worth a try."

The blonde rolled his eyes again and soon was gone.

I was alone in the room again. And I felt my heart sink to my stomach. Maybe in the future I'd find someone I liked as much as Mello, and maybe this wasn't anything more than a crush, but I still had my doubts that my feelings for him would end soon.

Mello, despite his initial reactions, doesn't mean to be a tease when it comes to dealing with people. He just ends up that way. I knew he wasn't trying to lead me on or tease me in any way. He just wanted me to know he accepted my feelings for him, but couldn't return them.

And maybe that was why I liked him so much. He couldn't find it in his heart to break mine.