A/N; I feel you deserve something special this chapter, and do you know why?

818 reviews.

That is something I truly never expected, honestly every time I gain another hundred I sort of sit and stare at the total for a few minutes smiling in stupefied happiness because I am so surprised. Thank you so much all of you for taking the time to read my story and liking it enough to review.

I shall stop now because I am running the risk of sounding like an actor at an award ceremony; not a good thing. Particularly as in Word I have the chance to edit it down.

Anyway, I still love hearing from you, heck at times a few of you have given me ideas as you well know. I know where the plot is going, but I have always let you play a little with the private life, only a little but you know that it is there.

Right, I also asked people for dress styles, and boy did you reply! Many interesting suggestions, in fact they all were. Here, in no particular order, are the winners;

As it was suggested twice a clingy red number shall be worn by all; as it was suggested for both Near and Mello. Now they all get stuck with it. Thank you Lillyankh and Seliphra

School uniforms; I hadn't actually thought of this, which shocked me when I read the suggestion and realised I hadn't thought of it. This will be accompanied by pigtails, after all should always go for the complete look. Thank you Aimee and losethemask and nameless14 for the pigtails.

Granny dresses; I assume this means something overly floral and not the least bit appealing, if it's not please tell me otherwise! (I wouldn't know as my granny's don't wear dresses.) Thank you xxbeyondxbirthdayxx

Gothic Lolita; black for Mello, White for Near and Red for Matt. I suppose this had to be included at some point, I suspect this was one costume that couldn't be avoided. Thank you NicotineGum and Aimee

Low cut, backless ball gowns; this is an amalgamation of a few suggestions, many of you wanted to see one or the other of them in backless dresses; Nameless14, Josie Jo, and Seliphra once again.

Well this one is a surprise :D

Many of you have multiple thanks as you see, because in some instances I have combined ideas, so I hope you are all still happy :D

I promise all reviews that I have received for the last chapter will be replied to, you know I always do, but I have to go help with tea, I am at home at the moment you see. I am trying not to be the layabout student, even though I am recovering from a bad bout of flu (it was the reason you got an 8,000 word chapter by the way).

So, please read and review you wonderful people!


Chapter 54

Mello flopped down onto the bed and buried his face into the pillow, he couldn't believe he had given away his first kiss so lightly. He had just been so annoyed and then had seen red when E had wolf-whistled. He had much better ideas as to who he could have kissed first, but that was all ruined now, and all because he couldn't keep his temper.

"Piss off," he murmured as a gentle hand was laid on his head.

"Mello don't," Matt sighed, "at least tell me why you suddenly are upset, his actions can't have been that aggravating to you."

Mello shifted to glare up at Matt.

"How the f-," Mello began loudly, but paused when he saw Matt's warning look about swearing, "How the hell would you know just why I am feeling upset, who says I am feeling upset anyway? Why would I let someone that insignificant get to me?"

"You certainly sound upset," Matt said calmly as Near sat down on the floor next to him, one hand playing with his hair as usual.

"Well it's not about that alright?" Mello murmured, covering his eyes with a hand. "That was my first kiss, and I just had to use it as a weapon didn't I?"

Matt was never sure why he did what he did then, just Mello looked so forlorn and in need of comfort. He leaned down and after capturing the hand covering Mello's eyes and after pinning it to the bed, he moved closer and kissed Mello softly on the lips. Almost immediately Matt regained his senses and pulled back, a heavy blush colouring his cheeks.

"I'm sorry I-"

Matt was cut off as a hand gripped his jaw in a vice like grip and forced him to look back at Mello.

"What was that?" Mello asked, his voice was soft and he too looked stunned by Matt's actions.

"I thought because you had lost your first kiss," Matt whispered, attempting to smile, "I- I would give you mine."

Matt felt his heart go into his mouth as Mello stared up at him for what seemed an eternity, then he gave a small yelp as the hand shifted to the back of his head and pulled him down. Matt gave a startled, happy gasp as Mello kissed him and all thought ceased as Mello's tongue used his sigh as a way to worm into his mouth and deepen the kiss. He couldn't help but respond with fervour.

Matt panted for breath when Mello's hand finally untwined from his hair and let him go. He stared down at Mello in shock a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"I hope you meant that seriously," Mello murmured, his fingers running along Matt's neck, "because I am never letting you go now."

There was a small somewhat involuntary hiccough from the other occupant of the room. Matt felt his heart sink as he turned to look at Near, the one other person in the world he truly loved and he had just done this in front of him; Matt felt awful now, he had just upset the fine balance their little group had. Had he gained Mello only to lose Near?

"W-what about my first kiss?" Near whispered.

Near's voice had been so quiet that Mello or Matt barely heard him, then as the question sank in… In the stunned silence that followed Mello forced himself to sit up, his eyes fixed on Near. Slowly Mello raised an arm and beckoned Near closer, somehow this seemed to bring Near to his senses and he turned towards the door as if to flee, his normally emotionless face showing clearly that he was horrified at what he had just said.

Mello was obviously not about to let Near leave and with lightening quick speed leaned forward and pulled Near towards him and onto his lap. Anyone who didn't know the trio well would have assumed either Near or Mello had gone mad.

"What about your first kiss?" Mello said smirking, even if his eyes were kind.

Near glanced between Mello and Matt and a second later his emotionless mask had slipped into place, one hand reaching to pull at the hem of his trousers.

"Let me go Mello," Near murmured, "it's obvious you both want each other, if I stay I will be in the way."

"That's not true," Matt said hotly before his brain could stop himself, he looked up at Mello with a worried expression, but surprisingly Mello was only smirking at him.

"Do you know how long I have waited for you to actually make a move Matty?" Mello said, "It's been rather obvious for the past couple of months how you felt about both of us. I was waiting for you to choose, and I was only doing so because Near here hadn't made any sign of who he liked. I think it's fairly obvious now though."

Matt stared at Mello open mouthed, his breathing ragged; he wondered just how he had been so obvious, he had always been so careful.

"What twisted line of reasoning brought you to that conclusion?" Near said coldly, his words made much less harsh by the colour that adorned his cheeks.

"I think it's rather safe to assume that each of us has feelings," Mello smirk broadened at use of the word, "for the other two present in this room."

Near jerked his head up to stare wide-eyed at Mello, and this it seemed was just the opportunity Mello had been waiting for; he leaned down and captured Near's lips with his own. If it was possible it seemed the white haired genius' eyes widened further.

"Please tell me this isn't one of your pranks," Near whispered pushing away from Mello.

Mello rolled his eyes and shook his head. Near's eyes turned towards Matt questioningly.

"Do you really?" Near asked, he sounded oddly hopeful.

Matt glanced between Mello and Near, his mouth opening and closing uselessly.

"Well kiss him then," Mello said sighing.

Matt tentatively leaned forward and kissed Near on the cheek, somehow with Mello watching he couldn't bring himself to go all the way. To his surprise though Near's arms suddenly encircled him and his face shifted so their lips met. They separated immediately as Mello chuckled above them; both were blushing furiously and refusing to look at each other.

"After all we have seen you would have thought you wouldn't have difficulties with that," Mello laughed, "you both looked so scared."

"You were watching us," Matt said loudly.

"That sort of thing doesn't help matters," Near added quietly.

Mello still laughing pulled them closer once more until their heads rested on his chest, they gave in as they knew they would. It was always difficult to fight Mello on such things. Matt smiled at Near though as his hand wandered close to his and he gripped it tightly.

Were things really going to be okay between them? It all seemed so precarious somehow. Matt found he didn't really care.

The trio weren't sure how to act for the rest of the day, it seemed this most recent revelation of just how deep their relationship actually was had shaken them all. None of them had any idea what to do next. They certainly didn't want to emulate L and Light, none of them felt ready for that yet.

First they had to come to terms with the fact that there were three of them in the relationship.

Light was stunned that on the second morning there was no real argument with the trio on the second day of their punishment, perhaps it was because they thought the clothes they had to wear today were far less upsetting than the ones they had worn before. Though Light couldn't see how, he had put them in school uniforms, each one different.

Near, well he was in the Japanese school uniform for a girl, a sailor suit with a very tasteful pleated skirt. In white of course, Light knew Near felt much more comfortable in white and was not about to make him wear something other that white two days in a row. Well it was mostly white; the bow on the front was light green, a colour mimicked on the collar that was edged in two narrow bands. Light had even finished off the combo with loose socks, and slip on black shoes. He had been very accurate in his set up, Near even had the matching traditional bag, not that Light thought he would use it.

Mello was in the basic British school uniform. A grey pleated miniskirt, a white blouse and a red long sleeved jacket. Oh, and a tie, a nice red tie that matched the ribbons in his hair. This was why Light was surprised he wasn't being argued with. He thought Mello would have complained about that, it was one of the reasons he had wanted Mello's hair in pigtails.

Mello just stood there for inspection and said nothing; Light was bemused, but made sure not to show it. He only supposed it was because of how Mello had reacted to E the day before; that he probably suspected he was in for more punishment if he argued again as the incident would be brought up. Light wasn't about to tell him he was mistaken, Light thought Mello's reaction to E had been perfectly valid, even if it had been damaging to E.

Matt though just looked completely stunned, he had good reason to be though. Light had put him in trousers. He was in a school uniform yes, but it was the matching male version to Near's costume, the Gakuran, in black though not white. It seemed that even though he was grateful to be out of a skirt, Matt was not appreciative of the high collar, a hand kept reaching up to tug at it. Light could understand that though, Matt had never worn anything at all like a formal dress before, so it had to be a new experience for him.

Light had a sneaking suspicion that Matt was going to get jumped on by the other two, because he was in trousers, but Light knew Matt had not been a willing participant in the whole debacle. It was Mello and Near that truly needed to learn that their actions had consequences that affected more than themselves.

"So you are not going to get angry that I am in trousers?" Matt murmured as they walked to class.

"No it's not your fault is it," Mello sighed, then his eyes swept over Matt, "besides I think you look cute."

Much to Matt's annoyance he blushed at this, frowning as Near chuckled from next to him.

"Oh," Matt replied, it was all he could think of to say. Despite his great intellect he couldn't grasp this new aspect to their relationship at all; he had wanted it for so long that actually attaining it didn't seem quite real.

The children at Wammy's were fast learners, and despite the surprise at the trio's new outfits there was no crowd following them and, much to Mello's delight, D and E were nowhere to be seen. However, and this was not to Mello's delight, the day passed without any incident whatsoever; it annoyed him despite how much Matt tried to tell him that they should just be grateful that no action had been taken over his attack of E.

"Gah," Mello growled as he tugged the red ribbons from his hair, finding his hair decided it wanted to continue to attempt to be pigtails. "He just had to decide my hair looked better up today didn't he!"

For a brief second Mello glowered at himself in the mirror as he attempted to flatten his hair, finally he gave up and threw the ribbons at the mirror, he was glad Matt and Near weren't here to see him throwing another tantrum. He had good reason though, there was no way he was going to meet the mafia in a dress, it would be like showing up to a rock concert in a tutu, it just wouldn't work.

In haste he pulled off the uniform and rather grateful shoved on his black jeans, it felt wonderful to be in trousers again, he felt all too vulnerable in a skirt and he definitely preferred seeing other people vulnerable. A moment later he was clad in his usual attire, he felt much more comfortable now he was wearing his leather body warmer, he wondered whether he should invest in a pair of leather trousers too.

Mello was just shoving on his fingerless gloves as Near and Matt entered the room, he frowned; Mello hadn't wanted them to see him go. This meeting was with the upper echelons of the mafia after all, not just with the usual underlings. He didn't want to mix them up in that world, both of them were both to full of the need for justice to really cope with it.

Near and Matt took one look at Mello and his expression, before looking at each other and nodding slightly.

"There is no way you are going without us," Matt said calmly.

"I don't want you there," Mello growled, not looking at the other two.

"A year ago I would have thought you didn't want us there because of how you felt about us," Matt said quietly, "but now I know different. Don't you dare protect us when we don't need it."

Near had already started pulling off his uniform and tossing it onto the bed.

"Do you have any clothes I could borrow?" Near said quietly, "I don't think mine are quite right for sneaking out."

"You can't come," Mello said, trying desperately to stop them.

"Just how exactly to you plan to stop us?" Matt asked, tossing some of his clothes to Near.

Mello stared at them his mouth wide open, they weren't meant to act like this!

"Mello," Near said calmly as he pulled a shirt over his head, "you look like a goldfish."