Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out, and I'm sorry it's pretty sucky but I figured I'd better put this up now rather than wait for how ever long the next bit takes.

While Near was setting himself to rights in his room, Mello was leaving his own. He quickly made his way out of Wammy's House and onto the grounds. Mello found a nice tree to sit under, and sipped his rum. He kicked back, putting his superior intelligence to work. After two ounces of rum, Mello was starting to be honest with himself (an unusual thing for the blonde).

'I probably scarred the brat for life. What was I thinking, dammit? Ah, hell, I wasn't thinking. Damn Near and his rosy, soft, perfect- ARGH! I need to stop this! Why am I suddenly so hot for him?' Mello ranted to himself in his head. He realized what he'd just thought, and promptly choked on his rum.

"I am NOT hot for that little albino sheep!" Mello reassured himself loudly.

Matt walked up behind Mello. "You are too, Mello," he snorted. "You're so hot for him that you've gone and gotten drunk off your ass. I mean, you're wasted even for your shitty standards." Matt chuckled.

Mello looked up at the redhead and sneered. "I'm not drunk. I'm thinking, if you must know."

Matt shook his head sadly. His friend was so dense sometimes... "How? Your brains are practically dribbling out your ears from all the rum you've had! Mello, getting drunk isn't going to fix this, and you know it."

Mello looked away. He gazed into his half-empty coke can and sighed. "Well, it got me my first kiss, didn't it?"

Matt nodded. "I'm sure it did. But do you really want every kiss to be soaked in rum? And you know damn well you want more, so don't even start arguing with me."

Mello nodded and slowly turned the can upside-down. He winced slightly as the amber liquid hit the ground, and seeped into the dirt.

"Why do you have to be right, Matt?" Mello whined. "The kid's gonna think I'm a lush. Don't want him thinking that... He annoys the hell out of me, Matt! Always beating me in grades and never showing any emosh... em... feelings. He's driving me nuts!"

Mello only ever whined around Matt. But Matt only ever cried around Mello, so they were even.

Matt turned, and started walking back to the front door. "Okay, now you're thinking. That's my cue to leave."

It was a good hour before Mello heard the soft sound of footsteps nearby.

"Not now, Matt. I'm still thinking."

"I am not Matt, Mello," came the soft response.

Mello almost gave himself whiplash, he turned around so fast