Mello rushed out of his rival's room and into the hallway. He was surprised to find Matt waiting for him.

"M-Matt?" he stuttered. "I thought you had detention!"

"I did" he said over the beeps of his video game. "But I ditched."

Mello nodded. He'd done it before.

They walked back to Mello's room. It was quiet, but not awkward. It was never awkward between them.

Matt collapsed on the bed, and Mello followed suit, dropping down beside him. Mello stared at the ceiling while Matt continued to play the game.

"You like him, don't you."

Okay, sometimes it was awkward.

"Who?" Mello asked, his heart rate quickening.

"Near."

Mello rolled over, hoisting himself up using his elbow, his face set into an evil glare.

"I do not!" he protested.

"I mean, I don't care. I just thought that you would tell me instead of lying to your best friend." Matt countered, his face reflecting nothing more than boredom.

"Matt!" Mello hissed, "I do not like him!"

Matt turned to look at Mello, a veil of sorrow over his eyes. Mello leaned back, away from Matt.

"Stop lying, Mello."

Mello swallowed. "I..."

Matt looked away and Mello silently sighed in relief. He felt better now that Matt, although his gaze soft, not necessarily penetrating, and disrupted by a pair of purple goggles, had looked away.

"You like him." Matt said again.

"I do." Mello replied.

It was quiet once again. The only sound was the clock ticking. Neither boy had to voice what was being thought. That Mello liked him as more than a friend.

- - -

The days passed, and the weather continued to warm. Mello spent more time outside. Near, however, stayed indoors, shying away from the windows. Today. He sat under a desk, building a Lego fortress up around him. The desk was long, spanning the length, and connected to, the wall.

All the chairs had pushed been out from under the computer table and were stacked neatly in the corner of the room. The Lego wall was built up in front of the desk, enclosing Near on five side, the walls on either side and behind him, the desk above him, the Lego's in front of him, blocking out the world. Windows big enough for Near to put both hands through were spaced evenly throughout the color-coordinated structure, letting in sunlight and peeks of the inside. Lego men and woman fought to the death on ledges and balconies, the plastic people dangling enemies out of the windows, threatening them with death.

Near the wall, a segment of the Lego wall was detached. His own secret door, only big enough for him.

As Near sat in the dark, he realized he needed to use the bathroom. Pushing gently on the "door," he let himself out and into the blinding light. Straightening his pajamas, he walked briskly through the empty halls, on his way to the restroom. He pushed opened the door and took a few steps into the bathroom before he stopped.

He heard retching coming from the stall farthest from the door.

He quietly let the door close behind him. Slowly, he crept along the tiles and to the stall. From under the door he saw two bare feet, covered slightly by black pants. Near stood, staring at the feet as the boy got up off his knees and to the feet Near had been watching. He flushed the toilet, turned, and opened the door.

Mello's eyes were red and watery. A few stray tears had escaped his emerald eyes. He stopped.

Near looked up at him.

He looked down at Near.

And they both knew they had to talk.

After the blonde had washed his hands and face, the two boys sank to the ground beside the sinks. Near sat as he usually did, his knee near his face. Mello spread his legs, sinking down and looking deflated.

"So," he sighed. He knew Near was going to ask him questions. He knew he was going to answer them truthfully, whether he wanted to or not. He knew he was going to get closer to the younger boy.

"How long has this been going on?"

"A few weeks."

"How long." Near repeated. Mello scoffed.

"Three and a half weeks."

"Do you think about purging after you eat?"

"Not all the time."

"Mello..."

"Okay, okay." the blonde said, blatantly looking away from his temporary counselor. "Usually I don't, but there are rare occasions."

"Why? I thought you didn't care about your physical appearance."

"When I've had a especially bad day, I can't wait to puke."

Near paused. "Why do you do this?"

Mello thought about giving Near some vague, smart-alec answer, but decided against it. He was trying to help him, after all.

"Because I'm an orphan. Because my life is hectic and I don't want to deal with it. Because I like someone who doesn't, and will never, like me. Because bulimia and the pain it causes offers me an escape. When I have my fingers down my throat or my head in a toilet, I don't have to think." Mello choked out, keeping back tears that were threatening to overflow. He brushed his hand across the outside of his thigh when he mentioned pain. Near didn't let this small movement go unnoticed.

"Mello, have you been cutting yourself?"

Mello swallowed, looking straight ahead.

"Once." he said, his voice thick. One lone tear escaped and traveled down his cheek.

"Mello..." Near said softly, his eyes wide with worry.

Mello hastily wiped away the tear, sniffling quietly to himself. He was going to leave when he felt the light grip on his arm, keeping him where he was. Mello looked over at Near.

Near stared up at Mello with unreadable eyes. He was holding onto Mello's arm, his other hand raised, as if unsure what he should do with it. Slowly, he crawled onto Mello's lap, timid and skittish as if he were afraid the blonde would kick him off. Mello had half a mind to do so.

But he didn't.

Instead, he let Near wrap his arms around his neck and settle comfortably on the blondes chest.

"N-Near?!" He gasped, finally able to speak.

"It's okay." the other whispered, warm breath ghosting the skin of Mello's neck. "I know how you feel."

Mello gulped and found he could no longer hold back his tears. Tentatively at first, he embraced Near back, his arms settling around the boys lithe body. When he heard the lighter haired boy crying, he held him closer, hugging him tighter, and knew that he wasn't alone.

- - -

Near walked down the hallway by himself. His tears had dried, but his eyes were still red and puffy. He hated crying.

After Mello and his' sobfest, Near forced Mello to show him his self inflicted injuries. They weren't too deep. They were scared cuts. Cuts that were a question. A question of something new and frightening. They were just a call from a boy who didn't know what he was doing.

Mello had promised that he'd stop the bulimia and the self injury. He had also mentioned Near's eating habits, bringing up the possibility of anorexia and turning the tables on Near. Mello left after Near assured him that he wasn't starving himself. He heard the blonde meet with Matt in the hall and waited for silence before he emerged and made his way to his Lego fort.

He walked into the room housing his great building, but found that he no longer wanted to play in the hideout. Instead, he gathered up a handful Lego men and went to his room.

He dumped the plastic people on the desk and sat in the lone chair in the room. He began rummaging around in the drawer for what he was looking for. When he found the item he had sought, a box cutter, he set it too on the desk and began to roll up his sleeves. He carefully removed the blade from it's casing.

Taking the razor in one hand and a Lego man in the other, he began to carefully scrape away the paint, mindful of not gouging the plastic.

When all four Legos were stripped of paint, he reached his model paint and brush and got to work precisely decorating the toys to his
design.

The first one got blonde hair and black clothes. The second one red hair, goggles and a stripped shirt. The third one had black hair, a white shirt and baggy blue jeans. The last one he made had white hair and white clothes.

The people he knew best-- Mello, Matt, L and himself.

He set the repainted Lego's in a line, gently blowing on them in hopes that the paint would dry faster.

After awhile, he picked up the L one and placed in directly in front of him. The he grabbed the one representing him and set it beside L's, all the while narrating mentally as he went.

"I like L. I doubt I can ever have L." Near grabbed the Mello Lego. He placed in the same line as his and L's, but at a distance.

"Mello likes someone he can't have too." Near then grabbed the Matt Lego. "The closest person to Mello is Matt. Matt looks up to
Mello as if Mello is the greatest thing to ever grace this Earth. If Mello wanted Matt, he could probably have him. Unless Matt doesn't swing that way."

Then Near stopped.

He had never considered the thought that had just invaded his mind.

He'd heard of the different sexual orientations-- heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual, and he knew what they meant.

But did liking L make him gay?

Here he was, merely 10 years old and thinking about his sexuality and of those closest to him.

He stared at the Lego's aghast.

How did he know? Was it something one just came to realize?

Oh God, what if L was as straight as a board?

Forgetting about Mello and his crush, Near started worrying about his own love interest.

Twirling his hair, he thought hard about this new obstacle.

If L wasn't homo of bisexual, he was screwed.

He sat there, contemplating until dinner. He was walking through the hallways, staring blindly ahead of him, pushed by the chattering crowd
of children.

He entered the mess hall and stood in line, still zoning out. He got his dinner, sat down alone and began to eat, still lost in thought.

"Hey," Mello said, smiling. "You're going to eat all that?"

"You're going to keep all that down?" Near spat angrily.

Mello looked taken aback.

"I was just kidding." he replied under his breath, looking away.

"I'm sorry Mello." Near sighed sadly. "I'm not in a good mood."

"I can tell."

"Hey!" Matt called from across the room. Mello waved. "We're eating the The Ghost today?"

"Do you mind?" Mello inquired.

"Nope."

"'The Ghost'?" Near raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. You have white hair, skin as pale as a Geisha's, and you wear white all the time." Matt cocked his head. "Why, do you not like it?"

Near shook his head. "I just wasn't aware I had a nickname." he explained quietly.

Matt smiled oddly at Near before turning to Mello. "So Mello," he started, "Have you confessed to your crush yet?"

"Shut up, Matt." Was all Mello said in reply.

"Oh, come on, what's the worst that could happen?"

The glare that Mello shot Matt would force most people quake and maybe even bolt. But Matt didn't stop.

"I mean, I'm sure they like you too--"

"--Matt--"

"--They've been hanging out with you more--"

"--don't make me hit you--"

"--I bet they're heels over head for you--"

"--Matt, I swear to God if you don't shut up I'm going to shank you!"

Matt stopped and smiled evilly.

Near poked at the lifeless, tasteless green beans.

"So whoever Mello likes has gotten closer to him?"

While the other two bickered (Mello attempting to stab Matt with a fork while Matt defended himself with a spoon), Near got to his feet and left. He wandered the halls, considering the outcomes for his dilemma. There was so much that could happen, so many things that were unpredictable.

It all depended on L.

- - -

Mello watched Near leave but didn't do or say anything to stop him.

He stopped fighting with Matt and continued to eat his dinner.

"Wanna play a game after dinner?" Matt asked, taking out his Gameboy.

"Which one?"

Matt shrugged. "A racing game, a fighting game, an RPG. I don't care."

Mello thought about it. "No," he decided. "I need to study."

"That's cool." Matt said, eating and tapping.

Mello pulled a chocolate bar out of one of his cargo pockets and started eating it. The table was quiet once again.

Matt leaned over and whispered in Mello's ear. "Do you think he likes you back?"

Mello sighed. "Doubt it."

"If it doesn't work out, I know someone who likes you."

"Really?" Mello gasped. "Who?"

Matt gave Mello a shy smile. "I can't tell you."

"What does their name start with?"

A look of sadness crossed his face quickly before being replaced with a wide grin. "I promised I wouldn't tell."

Mello "humphed" and went back to his chocolate. Mello sighed and went back to his game.

"Near will never like you, Mello. So why can't you just like me?"

- - -

The next morning, Near sat in a play room watching the news. Sometimes, the teachers and caretakers give the kids breaks from class.
They're not as long or frequent as a normal schools, but not even L's successors want to learn everyday. Near watched emotionlessly as the anchorwoman told them that a story about a sequence of unexplainable heart attacks would come on after the break.

Near carefully designed a robot out of marshmallows and toothpicks, waiting patiently for the show to come back on.

He reached into the bag and impaled another marshmallow with a toothpick and ate it, paying little attention to the commercials.

Finally, the show came back on.

The woman looked at the camera gravely, shuffling a few papers before she started to speak.

"50 imprisoned criminals died from unexplainable heart attacks yesterday in Japan."

Near looked up from the marshmallow man and to the T.V.

"Authorities have no idea what is happening, but they are doing everything in their power to discover the reason of these mysterious deaths. This is all we have on this story at this time."

And that was it-- they didn't talk about it anymore.

Near just stared at the T.V., not seeing it.

People did not just drop dead from cardiac arrest. Someone or something was killing them.

Near heard footsteps in the hallway and soon Mello entered holding a plate.

"Good morning." He said, sitting down beside Near.

"Morning."

"You skipped breakfast."

"I wasn't hungry"

"Oh. Well, I brought you this in case you were hungry but you were to busy doing something like making models out of marshmallows to eat." Near could hear the smile in Mello's voice as he spoke and looked away from his project to see Mello offering him a plate.

It was an English muffin, cut in half, toasted and covered with melted cheese. He looked from it to Mello.

"I noticed you had it for breakfast the other day. I thought you would like it."

"Thank you." Near said and took the plate, and starting to nibble on one of the halves.

"I have good news." Mello continued. Near cocked his head to show that he was listening. "L is coming here tomorrow, and he said he is
going to stay for an undetermined amount of time."

Near swallowed what he'd been chewing. "Why is he staying?"

Mello shrugged. "Dunno. But I'm looking forward to it."

Near nodded.

L was staying with them.

This was almost too good to be true.

I had an English muffin for breakfast this morning. It was good. So I had another one. :D

Meh. It's a pretty short chapter. But this was a relatively quick update, so that should hopefully make up for it.

And there-- the talk of eating disorders ends here. Well, maybe not. They might show up again.

Aww, Matt likes Mello. But Mello likes Near, who likes L. And L likes... ? Maybe L should like Matt. Then it would be like... a love square. XD

Oh, and things might not follow the manga. Like, L might work on the case for fours years, not two. Cause Near was 12 when L dies, and L was like... 24, and in this story L is 10 years older than Near. And I want it to stay that way. So everything else is changing. Is that cool with you guys? (Oh noes, am I killing L?!)

I hope you liked this chapter, fluffy boy angst-drama and all. Cause once again, I didn't. I feel like I could have done a better job writing it, but ah well.

(Whoa. Severely long A/N O.O)

-Hybrid