A/N: This is it! Thanks to everyone that has stuck with me throughout this...especially since I went through a lot of time away. lol. I hope you all enjoy the last chapter!

Mello slid into the open chair beside Near, reaching out instantly to still the other boys hand and wrap their fingers around each other. "Mello should release my hand," Near commented. Mello rolled his eyes as his boyfriends lips twitched. "Professor Johnson will yell at Mello again."

"Professor Johnson can-"

"Careful, Mells," Matt teased as he took his usual seat at the table behind Near and Mello. "Don't you two have plans after class tonight? It would suck if you got held back. Again."

Mello sighed in irritation and lifted his hand and quickly pressing his lips against Near's knuckles before he released the teenager completely. Near's lips twitched once more and Matt groaned. "Disgusting. You two are so disgusting. I think I liked it more when you two couldn't be in the same room as one another."

"Bite me."

"I think that's Near's job."

"Matt-!"

"Mello, I will not be putting up with any of your drama today!" Professor Johnson snapped as she stepped into the room and closed the door firmly behind her. "Now, we will continue with our lesson from yesterday…"

Mello rested his chin on his hand as he stared vacantly at the professor. He was still bitter about L's demand that he returned to Wammy house. He was, mentally at least, old enough that he shouldn't have to attend classes but L had argued that Mello had left Wammy's at fifteen and he wanted him to complete his education.

That was one of his conditions for naming him, as well as Near, officially as his successors.

The other was that he would never speak of what had happened during those two months in Japan.

A familiar hand tapped against Mello's leg and Mello slid his eyes over to Near. They younger pointedly looked at their professor and Mello scrunched up his nose. Near's eyes narrowed and Mello sighed lowly as he sat up properly and picked up his pen to take notes. Not that he needed it. Even if Mello did somehow manage to outscore Near on their next exam, Professor Johnson would find something to count him off for. He was second, would always be second, but the thought didn't bother him as much as it once had.

Afterall, he had the title he had always wanted.

Even if he did have to share it.

Professor Johnson continued to drone on until the hour was finally up and Mello gratefully stood as the class ended. "You two working on something?" Matt questioned as Near slowly got his things together. Mello sighed as the smaller teenager meticulously stacked his books with one hand and held the rubik's cube he had been fiddling with throughout class in his other. After a moment, Mello stepped toward the other boy and grabbed Near's books, quickly placing them under his arm with his own, before grabbing Near's hand and leading him out of the classroom.

"We have a new case," Mello told his best friend as the redhead fell into step beside him. "Well, one that we're focusing on. We got hired to find out L's identity again."

Matt laughed loudly. "How many times is that now?"

"Too many."

"Seven," Near muttered. Mello shot a fond smirk over his shoulder as Near shuffled along behind them.

"Well, I have another meeting with Roger," Matt sighed, scowling as they came to a stop in front of Rogers office. "I'll see the two of you at dinner tonight."

"Have fun," Mello grinned.

"Shut up, Mells."

Mello laughed obnoxiously as Matt knocked sharply on Roger's door and stepped inside. As the door closed, Mello squeezed Near's hand and the two made their way toward Near's bedroom. "Any thoughts on the case?"

"Many," Near replied tiredly. Mello shook his head. As usual, Near didn't bother to explain his thought process and Mello was okay with that. He pulled out the key he had to Near's room – something he had insisted on when he realized just how often Near's things were messed with when he wasn't in his room – and quickly opened the room. His hand fell from Near's as the seventeen-year-old sank down on the floor in the middle of his room, already reaching toward a dice to add toward his tower. He had begun to build the dice monument shortly after they began working on this case the night before and, though Mello had no idea why it was important, he knew it was.

Mello himself walked toward the desk that had been set up after they returned from Japan almost four years ago. After Yagami's confession, L had sent Near and Mello home, officially declaring them his successors and officially handing over the persona of Eraldo Coil. He said it was a way for them to get used to being given difficult cases and he would still be able to keep an eye on them to stop any mistakes. After the first year, L had almost completely stopped contacting them though they were aware that he would check on them occasionally. Mello believed that, eventually, L would hand over his Deneuve persona as well.

Near disagreed.

Mello sighed as he noticed the broken-down boxes sitting in the corner of Near's room, unusually dark against the white design. "Are you going to start packing anytime soon?"

Near didn't respond and continued to build his tower. Mello sighed once again. It had been decided by L, Wammy, and Roger that the top three at Wammy House would officially complete their education after their next exam. Usually, Wammy would help whoever was off age and graduating with further education outside the institute or help them set up the next part of their life. But that wasn't what was going to happen to the three of them.

While L didn't return to Wammy House often, there was a house off of the main institution that was off limits to the orphans designated for him alone. However, it had been decided that the house would now also be home to L's successors as well.

He was expecting them to be there as often as he was.

So not often at all.

But they needed to move their things so the institute could take in some new orphans.

And Near would not start packing.

"Near, you need to-"

"Mello and Matt will pack when it becomes necessary," Near exhaled as he continued to build his tower. "I do not want to leave."

Mello knew that. But he was impressed that Near admitted to it.

"We're just leaving the main building," Mello said to try and comfort the other teen. "And Matt has made sure that your new room is exactly the same as this one. We just need to move your things."

"Matt will see to it."

Mello shook his head. "Near, Matt might be our Watari but you have to take care of somethings on your own."

Near pouted. It was slight and most people wouldn't usually notice it, but Mello had spent more than enough time examining Near's facial expressions. He was definitely pouting. "This is my room."

"And your new room is exactly the same. Besides," Mello flashed Near a grin, "won't it be nice to be away from Roger and the other workers? I won't have to sneak into your room anymore." Mello felt a rush of satisfaction as a light blush spread across Near's face. "Now, let's solve this case so we can start packing your things."

"Mello-"

"I'll help but I'm not doing it for you," Mello told him firmly. He turned his attention toward the computer and began to read the report out loud, noticing Near grabbing his finger puppets from the corner of his eye.

Yeah, this wasn't going to take very long.

Two hours later found Mello sending off the conclusion to the Tulsa police department in the United States and Near knocking down his dice tower. "What are the new case requests?"

"Packing."

"No."

"Yes," Mello declared, grabbing one of the chocolate bars from the corner of the desk. "Up." He stepped toward Near and reached under his arms, pulling him to his feet. Near sagged back against Mello's chest and Mello laughed as he tightened his hold around Near's waist. "Tell me why you don't want to move into L's house."

Near paused in his struggles for a moment before he turned in Mello's arms and buried his face in the other boy's chest. "Because it isn't just L's house."

And, suddenly, Mello understood.

Four years ago, L had officially named Mello and Near his successors, and Matt as their handle, and then promptly sent them back to Wammy House. Mello had been furious that he hadn't seen the conclusion of the case. He wanted to see L turn Light over to the authorities, he wanted to see the justice.

It was almost two years later that he realized what L had done.

Unlike in the original timeline, no one beside them had known of the existence of Kira or that the deaths were anyway connected. There was no country on the planet that would charge Light Yagami. So L had decided the other man would be taken into custody by L himself.

They were together.

And L was suddenly taking twice as many cases as he had been before the Kira case.

It was something they didn't talk about.

"L hasn't even been to Wammy House in two years," Mello said softly, leaning his chin on Near's shoulder as he pulled the boy even tighter against his chest. "And even then, no one saw him or his…guest."

"If we're in that house…"

"I don't want to see him either," Mello growled. In truth, he would be happy to give Yagami the punishment he deserved if he ever saw him again. "You know that we'll be traveling often with cases. Hopefully, we won't have to deal with him."

"Hope is not something to rely on," Near protested.

"But it's what we have," Mello countered, pulling away from his boyfriend and reaching over to grab one of the boxes. "Now, pack."

Near merely sank onto the ground once more as he watched Mello pack away the contents of his old life to prepare for the new.