A/N: Sorry my updates are sporadic! My life is chaos... and mostly I'm lazy. But I'm mostly done with the next chapter and it should be up by Friday at the latest. Thanks for reading & I'd love to read your reviews:)

Disclaimer: I own nothing:)

~Matt~

What can you say at a time like this? I wanted to laugh, crazy as it seems. There we were, standing in the commons yard, before us stacked high a huge pile of Near's various plush toys and action figures, arguing about whether or not to torch Near's shit because I didn't want Mello in any trouble and of course all of the people who could kick Mello out of the House happened to be walking across the commons yard at this godawful hour in the morning.

"Matt! Mello! What are you doing out here at this hour? You should be in your dorms." Roger peered over his glasses at the sight of two teenaged boys with a truly gigantic pile of toys.

Mello stood stony faced and silent. Would he admit what he was planning on doing? I wondered. I searched his face for any signs of what the blond was about to do.

Near cocked his head and softly stated in his matter-of-fact manner, "Those are my toys. Why do they smell of gasoline?"

I couldn't meet Near's eyes.

Roger eyes widened as he connected the dots. I could feel the glare he was giving us bore through my skull into the back of my brain, back to where the good guy buried deep inside me was screaming tell the truth. I couldn't meet his gaze, but out of the corner of my eye I could see typical Mello. He was looking right back at Roger looking impassive as could be. It was Mello's move.

"Would you like a chance to explain?" Roger's face was red. Strangely, Near seemed indifferent which infuriated Mello, I could tell, though try as he might to keep it hidden. The question hung in the night air. Roger's eyebrows were bobbing on his face, and it reminded me of a giant fuzzy caterpillar, which was very inappropriate for the moment. I almost let out a chuckle.

~Roger~

Oh GOD. Why can't these two behave? They pull something like this while L and Watari are here? And while Watari is evaluating my position? Could they have worse timing? I'll have to deal with this quickly…

"Well?" I huffed. "Whose idea was this? I'll give you this one chance to be honest. It'll be better for you if you tell the truth I promise." My tone lacked sincerity. Oops.

The blond child in front of me rolled his eyes and shrugged. I knew he was the instigator. He always was, and up until now either his red headed sidekick had taken the fall or Mello had charmed his way out of trouble. Though childish and prone to fits of rage, he could be quite the little snake. Up until now of course there hadn't been much serious trouble he had had to talk himself out of. Up until now his idea of a prank was such as: hiding Nears toys or clothes, unscrewing halfway salt and pepper lids on Nears table in the dining hall so that if he were to use them the seasonings would spill everywhere, and tripping Near in the hallways. But this was different, and cruel in a way. Everything of course would have been replaced, but the damage Near's precious psyche would have received would have been tragic.

I fixed Mello with a harder glare, almost forgetting that Matt was there-as one tends to do- so I was astonished when Matt was the one who spoke first.