A/N: Yay, we are at the end at last! (Except for the alternate ending. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten.)

For how short this chapter is, it actually gave me a lot of trouble. I wasn't expecting that, since it was 90% written before I had even finished chapter 3. Even now, I'm not entirely happy with it. Meh, you guys tell me what you think. I've been looking at it too long to tell if it's any good or not anymore. Although I will say that I like the very last little scene. It's cute. :)

One more 'chapter' to go after this, then we're officially done, and will move on to the next fic in line. (I finally updated my bio page, which has a little bulletin board at the bottom for anyone who's curious.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or any of the characters. If I did, this would happen.

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In the Library

Epilogue, "Matt"

Raven Ehtar

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"Son of a bitch!"

For the seventh time in a row, Matt missed the same ledge jump. It was a personal worst that he was glad no one else was around to see. Frustrated, he got up to put a different game in the consol, something that required less precision and more zoning out to really enjoy.

As Matt navigated through the opening menu and called up an old saved game, he reflected that at least the overall mood at Wammy's was improving. For a little over a month the rising tension had been getting to everyone, not just the top two students, which was where it had been generating from. No one had felt the need to step between the two and try to resolve it for them, though. There was something about the albino and the blonde that made even Roger hesitate before interfering. It had been particularly irritating for the other orphans, who not only had to deal with the aura of foreboding from Near and Mello, but with the teachers' method for relieving their stress, as well… which happened to be tougher and more frequent quizzes. The exam right before winter break had been particularly brutal.

It might have been surprising to anyone on the outside that two adolescent boys could cause so much trouble without actually damaging property or each other, but no one who knew them were surprised, least of all Matt. He had known that it was only a matter of time before the two really went at each other. They'd fought about every single day since they had met. Well, Mello had fought, Near had sat and watched.

Matt dealt with the whole situation in his usual manner: he found a game and pretended it didn't exist. Higher intensity or not, this was just another spat between the top two, and would resolve itself quickly enough.

But days stretched on, and nothing really changed. Mello's mood had become fouler each day, and he never confronted Near or took out his frustration on some other target, like he sometimes did. Personally, Matt was glad for that last detail, since sometimes he was the secondary target. Still, Matt had ignored it. Near and Mello were creatures of habit when it came to each other, things would calm down soon.

Then, about five days into it, Mello had told him that Near was following him. Matt had scoffed at first. The very idea of little Near turning stalker, the boy who still played with action figures and stuffed animals, was laughable. The fact that it was Mello he was supposedly stalking only made it more ludicrous. But Mello had been serious, blue eyes daring the redhead to disbelieve him. So Matt had agreed with him, hoping that doing so would speed the process of returning to normality along.

Small hope, Matt thought as a particularly large explosion sounded from his game. Mello's chocolate addiction had skyrocketed, and he began avoiding his favorite haunts. To avoid Near, Matt had to assume.

It was all too weird; Matt had had to check it out for himself. He already spent a great deal of time with the blonde, but for a few days he stuck with him like glue. Mello didn't mind; in fact Matt doubted he even really noticed. He was too distracted by the pale shadow that trailed after him.

It was incredible, but Near actually was following Mello around. He was inconspicuous about it, he didn't follow Mello every step, and sometimes he was where Mello was going to be rather than arriving afterwards, but he was there. Even more interesting was what Matt saw under the combined blind of a handheld game and his goggles. Every now and then Near would look up from whatever activity he was absorbed in – cards, toys, a book, whatever – and just watch Mello. Not occasional, furtive glances, but full on, unblinking stares. Matt had been surprised. For the little albino to show any interest in another human being wasn't something he thought he'd ever see. But there he was, staring fixedly with that blank expression of his for a solid minute or two before looking away again.

Even odder was Mello's response to Near's attentions, or rather, lack of one. He was aware of the stares, Matt was sure, because whenever one was turned on him, he would slowly tense up like a wire until Near looked away again. Normally something like this would have Mello on his feet and in the smaller boy's face in a moment, but beyond the body language – and some complaining sent Matt's way – there was no reaction.

Matt was tempted to ask the blonde what had happened to set all of this off, but he refrained. He knew better than to pry into Mello's business. Besides, they were best friends. If Mello wanted to share, then he would when he was ready.

After that, he'd stuck close to Mello for two reasons. The first was because he recognized the storm warnings, and while the chocoholic was calm enough for the time being, he was set to go off at any time. He was Mello's best friend, and shared no special connection with Near, but he didn't want to see the younger boy hurt. So he stuck close to break up any potential scuffles. The other reason was simple curiosity. It wasn't often – or ever – that Mello was so tolerant, or that Near broke from his retiring habits, and he wanted to know why. While he wouldn't stoop to prying, that didn't mean he couldn't investigate on his own. He was third in line to the title of 'World's Greatest Detective' after all. That had to count for something.

So he'd continued to watch, in his usual laidback manner, waiting for anything that could give him a clue. At first there was nothing special to notice. Besides the already noted behaviors, nothing was out of place. Neither boy made any move or dropped any hint why they acting so out of character, nor why the tension was fairly crackling between them. By the fifth day Matt had almost given up on his investigation. There was no progress being made, and he was getting bored.

Until he'd had his epiphany. To be fair, he'd overheard a couple of the younger girls talking girly talk, which gave him his little clue. They'd been talking some mush about a crush on some boy, Matt doing his best it ignore it and think why Mello was being so patient with Near. The annoying conversation and his musings had collided with a clang in the gamer's head.

He laughed, like he had at the time, scaring the living daylights out of the girls. Mello was infatuated with Near, his hated rival! It explained everything beautifully, and relieved some of Matt's worries about finding a pulped Near some day. The danger wasn't gone, but it was lessened. What made it entertaining was the fact that Mello was quite obviously oblivious to it. Some genius.

When there had been a break in the weather and an outing into town arranged, Matt had jumped at it. By then, two weeks had gone by, and the air inside the orphanage felt incredibly stuffy and close. It was getting hard to focus on his games. And anything that took time away from his game play was intolerable. Two weeks was more than enough time to spend worrying over someone else's problems, thank you.

Matt had tried to get Mello to come with him into town. He had even tried bribing him with the promise of deluxe brand chocolates, but Mello wouldn't budge. You could tell by the look in his eye that he had something planned. Matt could only hope it wasn't violent as he escaped the orphanage in search of some relax time in a nice, noisy arcade. Maybe by the time he got back, the two of them would have everything figured out.

No suck luck. On his return, Mello was acting sullen, and Near was nowhere to be found. Somewhat panicked, Matt had practically sprinted upstairs to Near's room. When the door had opened, revealing a Near that was both whole and uninjured, he'd had to invent some excuse about needed clarification on a lecture days before. It was a lame excuse, but Near was so distracted that he didn't notice anything out of the ordinary with Matt's improvised question. Matt had been even more tempted than ever to ask what had happened, especially later, when he noticed the dramatic dive in Mello's chocolate consumption.

The new atmosphere had lasted almost a week, and instead of going to Near, who had taken to hiding in his room, or to Mello, who was just scary to talk to in his new state, anyone who couldn't contain their curiosity came to him asking what was wrong… including the teachers. That was just irritating, being called into Roger's office and asked – in a roundabout way – why the top two were acting so strange. Matt had shrugged it off, saying it was just some argument that neither had gotten over. He'd made no mention or given any hint what his own ideas on the matter were.

When he thought about it, it started to worry Matt in a new way. If this had been a normal situation of contained violence between the two of them, then Matt's concern would have been entirely with the albino. Near was not built for fighting, whereas hardly a day went by without Mello getting into some scrap or another, and he wasn't in the habit of holding back. If Mello ever became earnest in his thrashings on Near, then the albino could be seriously hurt. If Matt took action then, it would be in defense of the younger boy, against his best friend. It would be awkward, but fairly straightforward.

But with Mello in love with Near… that changed things a little. Mello was a highly emotional person by nature; in fact that was probably why he was considered number two in line of succession, and not one. Matt doubted that a couple of points were what really made the difference. It was probably taken from a broader overview. The point was, though, that while one would think because he was a more feeling person than Near, he would be better equipped to deal with emotions. However, he was also more susceptible to their effects. He experienced everything intensely, every up and down, and it made him vulnerable. He could easily be hurt by rejection or indifference.

And he loved Near, the world's forerunner in all things bloodless and deadpan. Great.

The more Matt thought about it, the more he wondered if Near was aware of the effect he was having on his friend and was exploiting it. He wouldn't put it past the albino to plot some kind of revenge on the chocoholic. Mello might believe him completely void of feeling, but Matt wasn't sold on the emotionless façade Near was constantly trying to sell. He wouldn't consider himself friends with the boy, but he wasn't an enemy either. At least Near acknowledged his existence and spoke to him on occasion, which showed some desire for interaction. He wasn't sure why Near had chosen him to… 'befriend', if that's what it could be called, and he didn't really care or read anything into it. That was the major difference between Wammy's top two and its top third. Matt didn't analyze everything into oblivion. That's probably what knocked him out of the running, but really, sometimes things were just the way they were with no underlying design. That attitude may well have cost him the title, but it made it easier to talk to folks.

In the end, Matt gave up the "Near plotting revenge" theory. It didn't seem his style. If anything, he was probably even more clueless than Mello.

Or so Matt had thought, until Near had finally come out of his room after five days. The conversation he had initiated had been… more than a little odd, and made Matt think the albino knew something was out of place. After living around dozens of highly intelligent children for years, you hear a lot of strange topics, but Near's choice of the day had just been bizarre. What a person smells like wasn't a normal question, even for Wammy's.

It made Matt pay attention to the younger boy, who had looked surprisingly apprehensive to be talking with Matt. Near didn't like personal interaction, but just speaking with Matt shouldn't have made him nervous. Once again, the proverbial light bulb had gone off in Matt's head. If Near was so nervous all of a sudden over a conversation, that meant something had changed. Something like discovering a new emotion, like love.

A suspicion was no good without something to back it up, though. Thankfully Near provided the perfect evidence gathering opportunity himself by asking about his own scent. Matt had grabbed the opening – and Near – and had pulled him close, deliberately breathing on the sensitive skin at the crook of his neck and just below his ear, seeking a reaction.

He hadn't been disappointed. Near had tensed just at being so close to Matt. The intimate tickling had almost sent him through the roof. Once released, he had bolted from the room. Matt didn't think he had ever seen the boy move so fast in his life.

So, the new situation was this, as far as Matt could make it: Mello was in love with Near, his self-imposed archrival, and was unaware of it. Near, for how bloodless he seemed, and against all expectation, loved Mello back, and actually did seem aware of it. He was clued into his own emotions, anyway, if not Mello's.

Now Matt just had to figure his own place in the action. He no longer felt the desire to pry, but something had to be done. At the rate the two of them were going it would be months before they figured everything out on their own, and Matt was seriously losing patience. If one more person asked him what was wrong with the top two he would chuck a TV at the unfortunate questioner.

The idiot geniuses needed a push.

So he'd pushed Mello. It had taken so little that it was hard for him not to laugh in the blonde's face, or shout in it: 'Was that so hard?'

After that, Mello had become withdrawn, and Near had resorted to pretending everything was normal. He didn't know what the blonde thought of Near's apparent disinterest, now that he knew his own mind, but Matt's fear was starting to be realized. Mello was being hurt, intentionally or not, by Near's callousness. He hardly spoke, and his chocolate intake dropped again. It was a good thing there were no tests to take or Mello would have been failing them.

Matt stuck to his games, trying to stay out of it. He'd dipped his oar in once, which should be more than enough.

One afternoon while playing on his DS, he had seen Mello through the window walking out to the gardens. It was cold outside, and late enough that it would be getting dark soon, but Matt didn't worry about it. It was another one of those things that Matt never questioned about his friend: why someone so addicted to adrenaline needed quiet time in a vegetable garden. It was Mello's business, not his. He'd turned back to his handheld game, not thinking anymore about it until another movement out the window had caught his attention.

Much harder to make out against the white background than Mello's blacks had been a slightly less white smudge. It was Near. A close face-first flop into the snow as he tripped over his own boots proved it if the clothes didn't. And he was going the same way as Mello. What was he thinking? Heading out after Mello where there was no one else around to watch over them was not the safest option. In Mello's current mood, who knew what would happen?

Matt almost went after them, to watch and make sure nothing catastrophic happened out in the snow, but stopped halfway to his coat and boots. No, this was what they needed to figure out what was going on, to sort through their changing roles. They deserved privacy for that. He'd glanced at the clock. Give them half an hour, and if they still hadn't come back, then he would go out.

Half an hour had come and gone, and there was no sign. Matt fidgeted with the all but forgotten game. Fifteen more minutes, he'd thought. Fifteen, then I go out.

The minutes dragged by, and passed. Reluctantly, Matt began putting on his outdoor gear to hunt up the two boys when he heard the front door open and close. One boot on, the other still dangling from his left hand, Matt rushed to the stairs in time to see Near shucking off his boots by the door. There was no blood, a good sign. No visible bruises or limping, either, although when he turned Matt saw that the front of his pants, from the knees down, were soaked through. What did that mean?

As the younger boy passed him on the stairs, presumably on his way to his room, the redhead almost stopped him to ask if he was all right. There was a vivid red mark on one cheek, and Matt thought he knew where he had gotten it. But Near's expression, combined with his more than usual slumped posture prevented him. The boy passed him by with no sign that he was even aware of another human presence.

Matt frowned. So Near was okay, at least physically. Give it awhile before any conclusions could be drawn on anything else. But what about Mello? Where was he?

Worried, but no longer apprehensive about breaking up a fistfight, Matt ignored his videogame and waited by the ground floor windows for the return of his friend. Another ten minutes passed before he caught sight of Mello's black form cutting a slumped silhouette in the snow. He walked in the front door quietly, and without removing his footwear, made his way upstairs as well, the picture of depression.

Well, whatever had happened out there, it didn't look like it had made things any better.

For the first few days following that outing, the mood didn't lighten, and it looked as though things would remain as they were for even more weeks. But then there was a particularly difficult exam – a nice little reintroduction after a break – for which, predictably, Near received a higher score than Mello. Mello had blown up at Near and tossed the puzzle the boy had been working on across the room. After that, the old routines that had been missing for so long began reasserting themselves. Mello slowly came back to his aggressive, explosive nature, and Near kept to his corners.

By the end of the month, it was as though nothing at all had happened. To everyone else it must have all seemed like a brief peak in the normal rivalry between Near and Mello, which had now resolved itself.

Except Matt knew better, knew that things weren't as normal as they seemed. All thanks to two little inadvertent glimpses into the private lives of the boys.

The first had been while passing Mello's room one night on the way to his own. Matt didn't make a habit of eavesdropping, but he could hear the boy through the door speaking to himself. Curious, Matt scooted closer and listened carefully. Faintly, he could make out the measured rhythm of a prayer. Well, Mello was catholic. He supposed that he must pray at least once in a while.

The gamer was about to move on when he caught a certain name in Mello's chanting. Near. Matt had frozen in the middle of his turn towards his room. Mello was offering prayer for Near? It certainly didn't sound like a request for the deity to smash the albino with holy fire. The tone was wrong. Maybe Mello wasn't over it yet.

And Near didn't appear to be, either. The next day, Matt made a wrong turn on the way to the bathroom without noticing – sometimes that happened when you played as you walked – and walked into one of the libraries instead. There was Near, making one of his countless towers as he sat on the floor.

Matt muttered an apology and left almost before he noticed what Near was using for his newest balancing act.

They were chocolate bars.