No votes? No votes! HOW DARE YOU ALL?

*Sighs*

*Smiles, speaks cheerily* Okay, okay. I'll take this in my hands seeing as you're all so busy with your lives and stuff. Whatever. I get that. I've been busy a lot myself lately.

So, yea, please understand I wish you all a merry Christmas & VERY happy New Year!

83

X3

~Still Luffles, Fairylust~

The next few days went something like that. They would get up, Mello would display 'affection', Near would run back to the room sometimes barricading himself in (like it was a freakin zombie apocalypse or something), and then Matt would have to coax the small boy out. Eventually, he did so with promises of taking him out for something, usually to buy him a new toy. The first time worked perfectly so they just stuck with that one, until Mello found himself buying a toy chest for the younger boy and realized it was already halfway full when they first got it. Matt was told to find a new coaxing method or he'd be strangled.

It was safe to say that Near already had too many toys for the apartment to handle. Near didn't see a problem but then again he was also the one who dumped the toys out and threw them about, sometimes 'forgetting' where he put one or two of them, until someone (usually Matt) slipped or tripped over one.

"We've got to get rid of some of those things." Mello said, one night after taking a fall due to a toy train being randomly left in the middle of the kitchen doorway. "It's that or you tell him to stop leaving his playthings about."

"Yeah, well, I've tried that and he threatens, I think, to kill me in my sleep if I try to get rid of any of them."

"Like he'd know if one or two is missing."

"He said he had a total of sixty-seven toys, not counting cards or the dart board. And that he arranges them in a specific order in the toy box, so yeah, Mello, he'll notice and I bet you know that he will blame me."

"This is all your fault you know." Mello sighed shrugging like it was no big deal if Matt took a fall for the team, again. "What was ice cream not a good bribe?"

"He didn't go for it when I offered." Matt sighed. He looked over to the door where Near kept himself locked in nowadays messing around with his toys. "By then I think he had forty-two toys in his possession."

"You think we should call L? I mean, this seems like an addiction type thing. You know, him asking for more and locking himself in that room for days on end just to play with those things. I have been sleeping on this damned couch for who knows how long now because he discovered Legoes. Do you even realize how stupid and babyish that is?"

"You mean considering he's seventeen? Yeah."

"What the hell do you think he's doing, exactly? I mean with all those Legoes you bought for him?"

"I think his real joy is Tarot cards. I saw him stacking them in there the other day. He was pretty pissed when I knocked his tower over."

"Go figure."

Matt was about to say something else to his friend when Near came out of the room eyeing Mello warily. He was holding what appeared to be a die in his hand, rolling it between his spindly fingers. Ebony eyes locked with blue in a silent, yet enraged demand that Mello sensed, but was curious as to why Near had to question him. Seeing the two more or less glaring at each other Matt sighed making a quick escape in case they got into a fistfight or something. "What do you want, twerp?" Mello asked, fixing him with an unsympathetic gaze. His sympathy for Near wore out the same time his patience had. The same could be said about Near's compassion, save that it was years before that moment that he lost that.

"I have just finished a scenario of my break in at the asylum, Mello. And from my calculations I should have been able to free Beyond without much hassle, so what stopped me?"

"We've done been over this, Near. You were overconfident and overlooked the idea that there were cameras. You were spotted on some hidden cameras and guards were sent after you. End of story."

"No. That isn't the end, Mello. Something else happened. I-I remember holding keys in my hand. And I remember using them…to unlock B's cell…and that would mean that I did succeed in letting him go."

"Near, that was a dream. You had a panic attack, went into shock, and dreamed all of that stuff up. I've told you all of this before."

"Yes, yes, you have but my scenario says different, therefore-"

"What's your scenario based off, Near, some stupid toys?" He snapped watching as Near opened his mouth to argue but Mello gave him no chance to reply. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Poor, little Near made a make-believe scenario out of his stupid, babyish toy collection, which holds no real properties in any way."

Clenching his teeth Near felt like a baby as tears or rage welled up in his eyes. He glared at Mello angrily. The chill of the look seeping into Mello's resisting mind, before stomping off, and then slamming the bedroom door behind him as he fled to his only means of escape from Mello and Matt when they made him angry.

Lying on the bed he buried his face into his pillow too angry to think straight. He wished they would just say he was better and let him go wherever he wanted. He hated living there with them. They were always treating him like he was some delicate infant that just had to be under constant surveillance. Lying alone, however, gave him some time to think and calm down. He was able to think of how his situation was good, rather than bad, which really helped him cool off. Sighing he eventually got up and looked around the room, tears starting to slide down his pale face.

Falling to the floor he started to play with some of his toys. Lining three soldier men up around a mostly white stuffed hamster. The only thing he didn't like about said hamster was that it wore blue bows. He was able to ignore that, though. Bringing forth a purple red-eyed monster-like figurine he thought things over and with a smile thumped over a soldier before thumping over another.

And with a dour expression slapped the monster to the side staring dejectedly at the soldiers.

Later that night around ten or so when Mello went to check in on Near he ended up tripping over the younger boy, who had fallen asleep, hidden halfway under the bed with only his socked feet showing. It was sort of comical not that Mello would admit it, however. Sighing, unable to hold back a smile as it grace his face he moved forwards on his hands and knees like some sort of predator stalking his prey.

Grabbing hold of the boy's ankles he pulled Near out, stunned when spindly pale fingers entangled in his hair tugging so that his head went down and his lips met with Near's. Eyes widened greatly and gasping in surprise Mello soon found the kiss turning more intense as Near tried to get his tongue inside of his mouth. Groaning at realizing this Mello scowled, shoving Near away causing him to pout in disappointment.

"Why did Mello do that?"

"I should ask you the same!" he spat. Grabbing Near's shirt collar he hoisted the boy up from where he lay so their faces were only inches apart. "What the hell did you think you were doing?" He shouted angrily, despite the fact he was grinning at the mischief Near had just carried out. "You can't just hide and snog somebody when they pull you out from hiding that's just sick and not in the good way, mister!"

"Well, seeing as I had time to think I decided that Mello has been rather nice and if he wants to show his affection then I should get to show mine. Or is there something wrong with me doing that?"

"Well, yeah…I mean, you can't just smooch someone without warning, Near!"

"Mello did."

"That was different."

"How so?"

"Well, it…it was…umm…it just was!"

"Oh. You mean because Mello is superior?"

"No! I mean, well, you know!"

Near looked at Mello in confusion not sure what he was meaning. "I am confused." He admitted looking rather perplexed. "What is it that I should know, Mello?"

"That…that…you are my equal…and that you deserve to do stuff that I do…and that…I HAVE BOUNDRIES, NEAR!"

Looking stricken Near nodded, feeling a bit ashamed to have done as he did, while also a little happy. Mello smiled a bit, wrapping an arm around Near's shoulders noting that the albino didn't tense up like usual and instead blushed a light color of pink. He looked so adorable and innocent that it was hard to believe he had committed mass murder, kidnapping, torture, and rape prior to that moment. It was sort of creepy, like Mello was seeing a side he had never let anyone else see before. In a way, it made Mello feel very important, as though only he could do something that nobody else could possibly conceive.

Smiling Near cuddled up against the blonde timidly, not feeling too bold to do much more after having Mello yell at him. He liked being close to Mello. It made him feel safe as well as contented, even more contented than he had ever felt before in his life. It brought up a memory that he did not know existed. It had been buried in the deepest part of his mind and until then he had no idea it was still important.

It was a thunderstorm. The place seemed unfamiliar in his mind but he was running down a long stretching hallway, panting quietly scared of waking someone up.

Who am I afraid of waking? Near wondered back in the present feeling a bit disturbed, Mello took notice of this as Near shrank away from his touch, though he still cuddled up against him.

Time to sing!

Joy to the world this Christmas year

May joy fill all who inhabit it!

and also

May your day not suck

Too bad!

Lol. Sorry if this was offensive to anyone, but seriously have a nice Christmas holiday and hope to hear from you guys sooner or later.

~Luffly Luvs, Fairylust~