AN: Here's the next chapter, up on Monday just as planned. Enjoy!

[Playlist: "Global" by Carl Cox on Sirius Area.]


Chapter Nine


The next morning woke the two sleeping lovers in a bright and happy way, birds singing outside the window, warm rays of sun teasing their flesh, the smell of each other tickling their noses, it was a perfect morning.

Near gave a shudder of happiness, and grinned, when he noticed something strange.

Why am I on the other side of the bed? he thought, raising a pale hand to scratch his head. When he felt short locks instead of long blond ones, he gave a cheer filled whoop, and shook Mello awake.

"Mello! We're normal again! I'm me!" he cried, as Mello mumbled about sleep, and needing rest. Then as the words took their sweet time to sink into his mind, he realized what he had said.

"We're... normal?" he asked, lifting a hand to see that it was his own.

"WE'RE NORMAL!" he shouted, jumping out of bed and looking at himself in the mirror.

He hugged himself with glee, and then ran back to the bed.

"Let's get dressed! I'm so excited!" he said, running jubilantly to his closet, and pulling out some clothes.

He tugged on his favorite black shirt, and a pair of his jeans, grabbed a chocolate bar, and ran to the bathroom, where Near heard him give another whoop of joy before he heard the telltale snap of the chocolate bar.

Mello came bursting into the room, and said, "It's all there! Everything! I missed my body! But you left a bruise on my hip... Why weren't you careful like I was!" he said, eyeing Near with amusement.

"Sorry... I did that when I was chasing after Jarid... He can run fast for a sixteen year-old," Near replied, glad that he didn't come seeking vengeance upon him, his body was still a little worn out from last night.

"Well at least it isn't that big. If this ever happens again, be more careful!" he said, waving his chocolate bar in Near's face.

"I hope it doesn't," Near replied.

"Your baggy pajamas and those damn socks are the worst I've had to live through, no offense."

Near stared at him with utter disbelief.

"You say that after what happened last night?" he said teasingly.

"Uh... Yeah... It's just... Never mind," he said, noticing the glare he was receiving.

"That's right! You won't be saying that after I'm though with you!" Near said, his eyes narrow, but full of mischief.

"Now? I'm not recovered from the last time!" Mello cried, his eyes wide.

Near smiled, and shook his head, reaching up to play with his lock of hair he had so missed.

"No, not now, but soon," he answered, and then he pulled on his pajamas without another word.

Mello stared after him, still shocked at what Near had said to him.

Then he decided that he should go get some breakfast, his stomach was grumbling and he wanted to eat.

Near swapped his current pajamas for some clean ones, shook out his hair a little, and opened his door, only to find Matt standing there with a smile on his face.

"Congrats Snow White! How was it last night?" he asked, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

Near stared at him, and then at his room, noticing that it WAS awfully close to Matt's room, and they DID make a lot of noise last night.

"Uh... Good, I suppose?" Near said, trying to avoid Matt's gaze.

"Just good? It sounded like a pack of rabid animals in there! 'Oh Mello!' and all that!" Matt continued, his grin getting broader.

Near flushed slightly, and mumbled something about needing to go to the bathroom and fled.

Matt just continued to smile, hoping to tease Mello about it too.


Downstairs, Mello was eating breakfast, when Matt came in with a grin on his face and plunked down opposite him.

"Hey Mels! How'd ya sleep last night...? Judging by all the noise I heard, it sounded like it was pretty difficult. What was going on in there? Did you buy a herd of elephants or something? It sure sounded like it," he said in a nonchalant manner.

Mello dropped the fork he had in his hands on the floor, where the large portion of his omelet made a satisfying 'Scraplat!' sound.

"Elephants? It sounded like elephants?" he asked, turning to Matt with a look of shock on his face.

"Yeah, and a dying cow that had a thing for Near... 'Oooooh NEEEEEEEAR!' " he said giggling at the older teen who was blushing a brilliant red by then.

"You were... Up?" Mello spluttered, trying to come to grips with what Matt was saying.

"Yeah... Unfortunately..." Matt said, shaking his head.

Mello's eye twitched, and he frowned at the gamer sitting before him.

"I'm glad you finally told him how you feel about him... Good going!" Matt said with another grin, and then he left the table, and went and got himself some of his own food.

Mello sat in shock, as his omelet went cold, finally catching his attention when it stopped steaming.

"Oh ! That was a waste!" he muttered, taking the plate off the table and dumping the cold omelet into the trash.

After that little incident, breakfast went fine without any unnecessary interruptions.


At breakfast many kids watched Mello and Near, wondering if they would do anything strange again.

Finally, Matt broke the silence with a chuckle, and turned to face Mello and Near.

"So guys, guess what?" he asked the kids at their table, grinning with a gleam in his goggled eyes.

"What?" the others said, still watching M & N.

"Mello and Near finally admitted their feelings for each other!" he cried, laughing at the faces that he received from Mello and Near.

The others gasped, and Jarid clapped.

"That's great guys!" he said, laughing.

Mello glared at Matt as he bit into his chocolate bar, while Near smiled and played with some of his hair.

"That's right... We finally told each other," he said, smiling at Mello.

It was as if the group both expected and didn't expect this to ever happen, they all wore expressions of shock and joy, a combination that left Jarid looking more like he was either going to kill someone or had to go to the bathroom.

"So you asked him, finally!" Linda said, patting Near on the shoulder.

Mello continued to glare at Matt, who was busily eating his breakfast.

"Yes... I asked," Near said, Mello's gaze still on Matt, who looked up, noticed him glaring, and gave him a cheerful smile.

"Atta boy Mello!" Linda replied, patting him on the shoulder, too.

"Okay... enough! Let's just eat in silence!" Mello muttered, glaring around the table now.

The others at the table fell silent, and ate, but they kept glancing at Mello and Near, and grinning.

And that's how the morning went.