Um…wow. Heh heh. Look, I realize that this chapter is a lot later than any of us anticipated. The sad part is, I had it finished two weeks ago, beta'ed and everything, and then I suddenly got the urge to rewrite the ending (which was crappy). So, I deleted the nastiness that was there and started to revise it a bit…and THEN, I suddenly realized that I was going to be taking midterms the next week and I needed to be studying, not writing fanfiction.

So, I studied. (And got 100 percent on my incredibly difficult Algebra II midterm, so it was worth it.) Unfortunately, after I was done with this, I spent about three days catching up on the sleep I had missed. And then, I procrastinated. Like mad. Watched some terrible movies (anyone here seen "Dark Floors?" Go on, we're not judging you), spent some time drawing and translating things into Spanish for my own nerdy amusement.

But now, as my tapioca pearls (for bubble tea) boil silently in the kitchen, I am posting this new chapter. As a kind-of reward for your patience, it's a bit longer than the previous ones! Thanks so much for sticking with me while I lazed about, or at least I hope you stuck with me. Hahahah.

Thank you SO BLOODY MUCH, Forbiddensoul562. You're an awesome beta, and without you this chapter would be kind of lame. Well alright, totally lame. Thanks, o fabulous one!

REVIEWS? Yes, I know I've totally betrayed your trust, but REVIEWS? I still live off of them.

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I do not own David Bowie either, which is good since this chapter does not mention him. At all.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Near shifted restlessly in his seat as the Wammy House's black car rounded another perilous Winchester corner. Plucking at the seatbelt that prevented him from assuming his customary crouch, he glanced out the windshield in irritation. The trees and remote cottages that surrounded Wammy's had begun to give way to the outskirts of town, the occasional local store or doctor's office flashing by as the occupants of the car wound their sedate way towards the town center.

Roger, having remained silent for five minutes or so, tilted the rearview mirror to observe his charge in the backseat.

"It's a surprise to see you going into town, Near. I thought you preferred to spend your weekends otherwise."

Near glanced with slight irritation at Roger's eyes in the mirror. "I find it beneficial to occasionally leave Wammy's," he said lowly, his knees once more twitching uncomfortably at his unaccustomed posture. "Besides, I have accumulated a fair amount of pocket money over the last year or so. I thought perhaps that I would stop by the bookstore or toy shop and make a few purchases."

The car pitched slightly, encountering one of the potholes that could often be found en route to the town. Roger's eyes, the only part visible in the mirror, crinkled cheerily.

"Well, it's good to know that you're not too dedicated to your work, Near. I'm sure it'll be great to escape from Wammy's for a bit, eh?"

Near smiled falsely in return, eyes trained on the upcoming road.

It was customary at Wammy's to allow the orphans three days each month to visit the town. Although Winchester was by no means a booming metropolis, it was a pleasant enough place in which to shop and stroll about with friends. The main attractions consisted entirely of the movie theater, several clothes shops, and a small café, the latter being the preferred place to lurk after a full day of blowing one's money on jellybeans and cheap clothing.

It had been fortunate for Near that Roger was visiting Winchester on this particular day; most of the children simply walked or took the bus to town. Near regarded both of these activities with equal scorn, and so had persuaded Roger to take on a passenger for this particular trip.

Near had visited the town only twice before in all of his years at Wammy's. This was the first time he had gone willingly; the previous two visits had been to the doctor, after he had somehow managed to contract pneumonia one summer and a hacking cough the year immediately after.

He supposed it would be interesting to see Winchester through eyes that were, for once, not bloodshot or crusty. Unfortunately, most of his time here would be spent with one goal in mind. Matt, after eluding his new boyfriend the night before, had stopped by Near's room with the message that he and Mello would be seeing a movie at three-thirty the next day, and that it would be much appreciated if Near happened to coincidentally attend the same showing.

Obviously, Matt had now decided that even the phlegmatic company of Near was vastly preferable to spending the duration of a movie alone with Mello. The ginger seemed to grow more agitated with his new relationship every time Near saw him, and it hadn't even been a week since he and Mello had started dating.

Matt had been willing to help Near in his unfortunate attempts at seducing Mello all along. Recent events had only heightened his desire to help the albino; if Near could somehow manage to deflect Mello's attention from the gamer, then Matt would cheerfully give his dying breath to the cause.

After a few more silent minutes of driving, Roger finally reached Winchester's main street, which featured a grassy lawn and decorative fountain at the center. As the car came to a stop, Near unbuckled the cursed seatbelt and opened the door.

"Near," Roger said firmly as the boy slowly began to clamber out of the backseat.

The pale boy stopped, looking curiously at the older man.

"Don't forget your shoes, you can't walk around the town in just socks," Roger reminded him gently, gesturing to the shoes that he had insisted Near bring along.

Nodding, Near reluctantly reached beneath his seat for the white track shoes that usually rested at the very back of his closet. "Thank you for driving me here, Roger," he said, shoving awkward feet into the shoes with a grimace.

Roger smiled again, this time turning to face Near. "It's no trouble; I had some business in town today as well, as you'll recall. I'll be back to get you at seven, so please be here at the fountain by then."

"Certainly, Roger," Near agreed, tying the laces of his shoes with a final lopsided flourish. After patting his oversized breast pocket in confirmation that his money for the day was still secure, he hopped out of the car. "I shall see you later this evening, then."

As the black vehicle set off for a different part of the town, Near stood at the edge of the street, toeing absently at uncomfortable shoes. He was forced to confess that he had absolutely no idea of where to go now. The movie theater was at the east end of town, he knew that much, but there were a few places he had to stop by before three-thirty.

The candy shop was first on his list. After rummaging once more through Wammy's secret candy stash in the pantry, he had discovered that there was really no worthwhile chocolate left that he could potentially give to Mello. The Winchester candy shop, while famous primarily for its peculiar variety of jellybeans and marshmallows, also sold fairly decent chocolate. This was according entirely to Mello, who occasionally gave loud lectures during dinner about what local food was utter crap and what was worth trying. Near, at the most recent of these diatribes, had listened closely and taken careful note of Mello's preferences.

It was unfortunate, really, that his skills as a detective were being put to such a base use. Near could not imagine that regular people required such extensive skills at observation when they wished to attract someone.

Near recalled all he had heard about the candy shop, wondering if someone had mentioned its location in passing. The name of the place was, as he recalled, Primrose Confections. While the unfortunate moniker would usually be enough to cause him to keep his distance, Near was nothing if not dedicated when it came to his own, personal projects.

However, where on Earth was Primrose Confections? All anyone had ever said about the subject was that it was 'next to the stationery shop.' This would only be helpful if Near knew where the stationery shop itself was, which he certainly did not.

From his location at the fountain, he could see a small book store, the café, and a couple of the cluttered little gimcrack shops that tend to spring up in every reasonably populated town on earth. Which of the quaint side streets was more likely to contain both a candy and a stationery shop? He wasn't entirely sure of the criteria for such things.

His dilemma was quickly solved when he spotted a familiar face crossing the street towards him. Ordinarily, the sight of Linda would cause him to steadily proceed in the other direction, but at this particular moment she was a valuable source of information.

Seeing Linda here was not actually surprising; after every trip to Winchester, she would invariably come back to Wammy's lugging great armfuls of art supplies and clothing. Near had originally planned to avoid her if he happened to spot her during the day, but he supposed that it couldn't be too painful to simply ask her where the candy shop was.

Near waited patiently until Linda spotted him, raising her arm in a cheery wave as she did so. She inevitably veered towards him, several of her bland Wammy's accomplices in tow.

"Near! I've never seen you in town before," she exclaimed, face bright but surprised. Shifting a newly-bought stack of drawing materials to her left arm, she gave the small boy an entirely unwelcome hug.

"So, what are you doing here?" she asked, plopping down on the side of the fountain and beaming up at Near's expressionless face.

"I have a bit of money to spend, so I thought I would perhaps buy a book or some toys. However, I have a question to ask you." He also perched on the side of the fountain, keeping a safe distance from the brunette girl to his right.

"Yes?" Linda asked brightly, motioning for her entourage to sit. They complied, starting an inane conversation amongst themselves that Near was completely unable to follow.

"Could you possibly tell me where Primrose Confections is? I need to buy a gift for…someone, and I've never gotten the chance to see the town properly before."

"Sure!" Linda said in delight, standing up again immediately. "Hey, what a coincidence! we were just going there! See, they have excellent jellybeans…" The other girls (whose names Near could never quite get straight) nodded in enthusiasm, sounding a chorus of vague agreements.

Gripping Near's arm, Linda strode off towards a cheery side street, leaving no room for complaints from her companion. "You know, Near, if you're not doing anything else today you should come shopping with us! I bet you'd have fun."

Picturing, with horror, an entire day spent with Linda, Near replied hastily. "I've got to go see a movie at three-thirty. After that, I must return to Wammy's."

Linda giggled. "Well, it's only eleven-thirty right now! How long do you plan on being at the candy shop, anyway? Come on, Near, just go to one store with us. We need a masculine eye, after all! It's no good trying on clothes without someone to tell us how we look!"

This was an utter flattery on Linda's part, as Near's masculinity was middling-to-nonexistent. In fact, his features were decidedly more feminine than some of Linda's friends'; this example quite notably including the unfortunate girl with the lantern jaw and flat feet.

After weighing his options carefully, Near sighed with reluctance. "I will accompany you to a single store, Linda. Afterwards, I wish to be left alone."

Entirely accustomed to Near's bluntness, Linda smiled sweetly in agreement. "Awesome! Maybe we can even get you some nice clothes."

"What precisely is wrong with my clothing?" Near asked, looking blankly at the girl next to him.

"Oh, nothing," she said, waving him off. "Look, we're here already! See, it's pretty easy to find!"

It was indeed easy; only five shops down the nearest road. Near was beginning to wish that he had set out in search of it himself instead of relying on Linda. At the very worst, it would have only taken him about twenty minutes to find alone, but now Linda had attached herself to him due to his lack of independence. Really, he had to start planning these things more precisely.

Primrose Confections looked exactly like the sort of shop that should be named "Primrose Confections;" small, bright and cluttered, and painted a soft pastel purple that clashed oddly with the brown shops on either side.

As Linda and Near's group strolled in, an obnoxiously adorable-sounding bell tinkled in an endearing manner. Just to complete the picture of festering, oozing preciousness, the woman behind the counter was a matronly sort wearing—much to Near's disbelief—a bona fide frilly apron.

"Hello, Linda!" she greeted them. "And girls, how do you do…oh, who's this?"

Near remained silent, eyes mapping out an escape route in case the woman suddenly transformed into a death-dealing automobile robot. You never knew with strangers.

"This is my friend Near!" Linda replied, shaking his wrist violently for emphasis. "He's going to buy candy for someone!"

"Oooh, a girl?" the woman asked, winking in an absolutely horrifying manner at the pale boy.

Realizing that the retort, no, he only looks a bit like a girl would probably not be well-received, Near shrugged in an entirely ambiguous fashion.

"What sorts of chocolate do you have?" he asked quietly, hoping to distract from any questions about his love life. It worked, judging by the way he could nearly see the gears switching in the woman's head.

"Ah, we have lots of chocolates! Caramels, buttercreams, truffles…what were you looking for?"

Near narrowed his eyes at the quickly rattled-off list, not entirely sure what each item actually was. After all, he was the sort to subsist on porridge and the occasional apple, not fancifully-named chocolates for six dollars a pop.

"Do you have some regular chocolate bars?" he ventured, staring with vague confusion at the display of multicolored jellybeans decorating a far wall.

"Of course we do! Green and Black, that's a favorite, but we've got some local things as well and even some gourmet stuff! Here, take a look!" Shuffling out from behind the counter, the woman beckoned Near over to a basket display.

Linda, who had lost interest a minute or so ago and was now shoveling jellybeans into a clear plastic bag, flashed him the thumbs-up. Near winced. Why were those of his age group so reliant on pitiful hand signals?

There was indeed an excellent variety of chocolate bars; although tempted to purchase something exotic just to earn points for effort, Near settled on three bars of Green and Black dark chocolate. Gathering them in cautious arms, he approached the counter, where the cheerful woman was now rearranging a bowl of small mint chocolates.

"Got all you need, dear?" the woman asked jovially, ringing up the purchase; Near hoped that she wouldn't wink again. He had no contingency plan for excess winking.

"Yes, I think that this will be suitable." Remembering a halfhearted lecture from Roger, he added, "thank you."

"Of course, dear! Now, what'll it be for you?" Linda stepped forward, depositing her sack of jellybeans and a bag of pretzels covered in what appeared to be baby teeth. To his relief, the bag proclaimed them to be coated with peppermint and white chocolate, nothing more.

"Just this, thanks!" Linda said brightly to the saleswoman, beaming at her purchases in they were carefully bagged.

Near attempted to walk out of the shop, but Linda's head snapped around with the unnerving accuracy of a python's. "Wait for us, Near, it will only be a second until we're done!" Behind her in the queue, the nameless girls shot accusing glances at him.

Nodding in mute agreement, Near located a twist of curly white hair and firmly ensnared his fingers in it. The troupe of girls finally finished with their purchases, surrounding him in a shampoo-scented wave.

"Ready, Near?" Linda asked, once more seizing him by the wrist "So, I thought we could stop by that shop with the nice dresses first, then that other one with the shoes, and then maybe even the sort of punk one with all of those ancient T-shirts…."

"Linda, I only agreed to go to one shop." He paused, not seeing any sign of Linda having heard his statement at all. "Linda? One shop. That's it," he repeated, bewildered by his companion's sudden deafness to his words.

Shaking her head at Near's naivete, Linda continued onwards. "Sure, Near. One shop."

With little confidence, Near followed her, the death grip on his wrist leaving him no choice.

XXXXXX

Matt stared blankly at one of the movie posters decorating the lobby of the theater. Across from him, Mello chattered eagerly, devouring a cheap hot dog with alarming gusto. Occasionally, Matt would twitch as he felt a slender hand rest itself on his thigh, and glare at his friend—now boyfriend—which had the effect of doing absolutely nothing to impede Mello's efforts.

This was unbearable. Mello following him about, monopolizing his time—that he was used to, thanks to their long friendship. Even the kisses and hugs and subtle gropes weren't so terrible, as all he really had to do was close his eyes and wait for Mello to lose interest. No, it wasn't any of these things that had fed up Matt so entirely.

The trouble was, the blond boy had criticized his games. Now, Matt was an easygoing type, but if there was one thing he was truly defensive of, it was his addiction to videogames. Previously to this ill-conceived "relationship," Mello had obviously been irritated by the games but had chosen to ignore them. They had only been dating for four days, for god's sake, but now Mello was accusing Matt of choosing his games over the chance to be groped furiously against a wall. Of course, that was exactly what Matt was doing, having absolutely no interest in a romantic relationship with his best friend.

In fact, he made a point to mention how much he didn't want to date Mello at least twice a day, always to the blond's face. Somehow, Mello managed to interpret this as bashfulness on Matt's part, and had been sticking to Matt like a particularly horny sort of glue for the past six days.

Matt looked up from his ridiculously large soft drink, noticing that Mello had fallen quiet. The absent grin that had graced his friend's face for the past hour or so had disappeared and a thoughtful scowl had taken its place.

What had caused this reaction was the sight of Near, standing at the ticket counter and peering dully at the list of shows.

Matt internally rejoiced. He had strongly believed that Near wouldn't come, and had resigned himself to being relentlessly hit upon for the entire duration of the movie. But it appeared the urge to see Mello had overpowered Near's innate hatred of the public world and lured the ghostly child from Wammy's, thus saving Matt from two hours of incredible awkwardness.

"Why is that here?" Mello asked in an irritated tone, slamming down what remained of his hot dog with surprising grace. "The little creep never leaves Wammy's. Just our luck…"

Near had bought his ticket, and having spotted Mello and Matt, he shuffled slowly over towards their table.

"How surprising it is to encounter you here," he muttered in a hurried monotone, taking a precarious seat on the chair to the side of Matt. Mello scowled flatly at him.

"Why are you here, sheep?" the blonde demanded, leaning across the table to glare at his rival. Near stared back.

"I was supposed to meet someone," he said coolly. "But I'm afraid it appears as though they are not here." Picking up Matt's ticket with delicate fingers, he added, "How coincidental…we are going to the same showing. Perhaps I shall sit with you both?" This question was delivered with all the subtlety of a punch to the face, but Mello appeared not to notice the awkward transition.

Matt nodded eagerly, not even flinching when Mello's vicious gaze landed upon him. "Yeah, I don't see why not," the gamer contributed, even as he saw Mello forming an unpleasant retort.

"Actually, Near, Matt and I were on a date. You might not be familiar with the concept, but basically it means that you're not welcome. I'm sure you can find another seat…away from us." Mello said this last bit in a highly pointed tone, raising nonexistent eyebrows at the paler boy.

Matt mentally applauded. Mello hadn't even raised his voice…his control was only getting better and better. But unfortunately, he was going to have to test those boundaries a bit more if he wanted to keep Near's plan running smoothly.

"Come on, Mello, we've spent the whole day together. So what if Near sits by us? If we leave him alone, he might get raped or something."

Near's eyes widened at this. Mello, noticing something peculiar, leaned in further.

"What the hell do you have on your eyes?" he asked suspiciously. "Is that makeup?"

Near frowned slightly. "Yes. Linda persuaded me to accompany her to the drugstore, and insisted that we all make use of the free samples. I'm not entirely sure of how to wash mine off." He stared flatly at them both, only the slightest tint of embarrassment washing across his features.

Matt and Mello somehow managed to snort in tandem.

Come to think, Near was looking a bit peculiar. For one, he was wearing shoes, and it appeared that Linda had also managed to switch his normal baggy shirt to what seemed to be a similar shirt made for a young woman. As Near decidedly lacked breasts, the shirt fit him quite strangely. He was attempting to counteract this with an even more pronounced slouch than usual. If this was Linda's idea of a makeover, then it appeared her talent for art did not extend to men's fashion.

"You look like a transvestite," Mello said bluntly. Unfortunately, Matt had to agree.

Near, refusing to react to the statement, simply stared at the sticky surface of the table. "I believe we have twenty minutes or so before they allow us in the theater…"

"That's why we're sitting here," Matt volunteered. "Do you want to go get something to eat?"

Near glanced at the chewed remains of Mello's hot dog and Matt's gigantic beverage, and quietly shook his head. "I don't believe that's necessary. In fact, I brought some food of my own."

Reaching into one of the two shopping bags that accompanied him, he pulled out an assortment of sweets and deposited them gently on the table. There was Mello's chocolate, of course, and Linda had given him a massive amount of jellybeans and several peppermint-chocolate pretzels as a farewell gift. Even without looking at the boy, he felt Mello tense.

Picking up a pretzel, he crunched down gently and tried to ignore the cloyingly sweet taste. Mello's gaze was fixed firmly on the chocolate, a hungry gaze flitting about his blue eyes. Near gave a tiny smile.

"Would you perhaps like some chocolate, Mello?" he asked innocently, pushing an unopened bar towards the blonde. Mello scowled at him.

"I didn't ask for any."

"I was only offering," Near replied, finishing the pretzel and immediately regretting the act. "Linda decided that I needed a vast amount of sweets, and you seem to be much more interested in them than myself."

Matt winced. This was obviously Near's idea of flirting, and it was incredibly ineffective. Any moment now, Mello would throw that chocolate in his face.

Wait. No, Mello was…picking it up? Amazing.

"Fine," Mello said harshly, quickly unwrapping the tempting food and snapping off a large chunk with shiny teeth. "I guess since you haven't touched it, or anything."

"I am glad that Mello is able to enjoy the sweets," Near murmured. "I have never been particularly fond of them, myself."

Mello scowled again, but didn't comment. Chocolate always put him in a good mood, regardless of the company.

Roughly ten minutes later, after a session of hideously awkward conversation between the three boys, they wandered over to their theater. The previous show had just ended, and crowd of bored young people poured out of the theater only to rush to the restrooms.

Mello, Matt, and Near filed in, with the slowly shuffling albino bringing up the rear. Realizing that they were the first in there for their showing, Mello promptly plopped down in the rough center of the theater. Matt sat down next to him, nearly sprawling on top of the blond when a discarded nacho container caught under one booted foot.

Near, much to Mello's horror, proceeded to sit right next to his moody rival. The seat creaked as the pale young man hoisted his thin body into its customary crouch, setting his shopping bags carefully on the empty seat next to him.

Mello glared, the effect slightly dimmed by the darkness of the theater. "If you're going to sit next to me, at least sit normally," he hissed. "I don't want people leaning down to complain that you're blocking their view."

Near slowly nodded, reluctantly slipping back into a normal sitting position. Uncomfortable with such a pose, he immediately started to fidget.

Mello clenched his teeth. "Near, will you just…" He stared at the silent teen, whose eyes were fixed coolly on him, and sighed. "Just give me some more chocolate, damn it."

Near complied, handing Mello the second of the chocolate bars. Matt, leaning back and peering around Mello's slender shoulders, tipped his goggles up and winked at Near. Slightly confused, Near widened dark blue eyes at the other.

Matt, sighing in amusement, lowered the goggles again and scootched slightly to the left as Mello's hand attempted to befriend his thigh.

Eventually, the movie started and the three sat in relative silence for the full one hundred and twenty minutes. As it was a horror movie, Mello would occasionally attempt to pull the old "pull-your-date-closer-with-every-scary-part" trick, but Matt soon grew wise to this and expertly ducked Mello's arm at every try.

It was, he reflected, truly amazing that Mello still thought Matt was interested in him. After nearly an entire week of running away, flinching, and twitching sporadically every time Mello tried to touch him, one would think that the blond would finally get the message.

Near, while mostly ignored by the other two, spent much of the movie casting envious glances at Matt and Mello. Certainly, Matt didn't actually want Mello's attention, but it was still irritating to see the affection that the blond heaped upon his ginger boyfriend.

At one point during the film when the onscreen heroine was suddenly attacked, Mello jumped and grabbed Near's wrist. After a moment, he realized his actions and promptly withdrew his hand, grimacing as though Near's flesh had suddenly caught on fire. Near, who seemed to be blushing more and more easily these days, was glad of the darkness surrounding them.

The terrible movie finally ended as the last of the main characters met his fate. As the three boys left the theater—Near was quite stiff due to sitting in an unfamiliar position for the second time that day—Mello attempted to grab Matt's hand. Matt rather quickly snatched the appendage out of harm's way, leaving Mello's own hand to smack into Near's.

"Near, get out of the way!" Mello muttered angrily, shoving the pale boy aside.

Matt stopped suddenly, turning to look at the other two. "So, we've got some time before we have to go back to Wammy's… do you want to walk around a bit and look in the shops?"

"Sure," Mello said, then stopped dead. "Wait. You want to bring Near along, don't you?"

"What, you want to leave him here?" Matt asked, looking rather hurt on Near's behalf.

Near, for his part, examined the exchange with interest. It appeared that Matt was once again trying to help him lure away Mello. Even if it was only a gesture to save Matt's own skin, Near supposed that he appreciated the thought.

"Fine," Mello snapped, striding out of the theater and into the still-bright afternoon sunlight. "Near can come. Now, let's go."

"All right," Matt said, "Where are we going? Near?"

"Why are you asking him?" Mello growled, bouncing on the balls of his feet in impatience.

"I think we should go wherever Mello wants to," Near supplied, ducking his head as sunlight washed over them.

"Well, Mello wants to go to the café," the blonde retorted, already walking in that direction.

Matt shrugged, beginning to follow. "The café it is," he muttered to Near, motioning for the albino to walk next to him. "So, how goes the plan?"

Near cast a careful glance to the boy in front of them, but the blonde appeared to be focused only on the sidewalk under his feet. "It is not going particularly well, Matt," he supplied, a faint frown coloring his round face. "I had expected it to be rather easier than this, quite honestly," he continued. Matt snorted.

"Since when has anything to do with Mello ever been easy?" he asked dryly, watching as Mello viciously kicked a rock out of his path of movement. "You'd probably be better off just watching soap operas."

Near looked at him in irritation. "I don't believe that's what you said earlier."

"It was a joke," Matt muttered, grinning at the other boy. "Not a very good one, maybe, but definitely a joke."

"Oh," Near said softly.

Looking again at Mello and realizing the boy was paying absolutely no attention to his two companions, Matt frowned. Leaning over, he whispered to Near, "You really ought to just tell him."

Near stiffened, casting an incredulous look at the ginger. "Why would I do that? I've gone to a ridiculous extent to avoid doing precisely that."

Matt sighed. "Look, Near. I may not be the most charming person in England, but I know a damn sight more about these things than you do. Mello's never going to pick up on any affection you may have for him; he's spent far too many years convinced that you are, in fact, out to get him. Flirting with him is kind of obviously not working very well, as he now seems to be even more annoyed with you. Do you see my point, here?"

Near listened patiently to the explanation, then frowned. "I suppose you might be correct, but I'm rather weary of abandoning each course of action as soon as it begins. You don't believe that Mello will ever be convinced of my integrity if I continue to seduce him?"

"No," Matt said darkly, raising an eyebrow at the paler boy. "Although I'd hardly call what you've been doing 'seduction.' Look, you should just tell him. Even if he completely and utterly rejects you, is that so terrible? I doubt you're the type to be heartbroken."

Near considered these words as they continued to walk, his fingers twisting into his hair as he thought. Matt stared at him, waiting to see what strange response the quiet boy would produce.

"Fine," Near said flatly, hand dropping to his side once more.

Matt gaped, then closed his mouth as Mello turned to regard them with a suspicious look. "Really? You'll tell him?"

"It's what you suggested, isn't it?" Near replied, looking at the other with an unreadable expression.

"Yeah, but…I kind of expected you to not listen," Matt said uncomfortably. Near stared at him for an awkward moment, then nodded.

"While ordinarily I would simply trust my own opinions on the matter, you were right when you said that you have more experience. Whatever you advise me to do is quite likely more practical than any of the actions I have considered." Much to Matt's surprise, Near smiled at him, although it wouldn't have passed for such on any other face.

"Um…thanks, I guess." The ginger grinned back, rather pleased at the show of confidence from one of the most arrogant people he knew. "So, you going to tell him today or what?"

Near's eyes widened. "Today? Wouldn't you consider that rushing things a bit?"

"Nah," Matt replied cheerfully. "See, he's already suspicious of you, so if you don't tell him today he's just going to skulk around and bother you until he learns the truth. And of course, there's the obvious reason."

Near stared curiously at the other boy, nonexistent eyebrows furrowed. "The obvious reason? I don't think I quite understand."

"Well," Matt said, smirking a bit, "we're in town right now. So if he tries to kill you after you tell him, at least you'll have somewhere to run."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Welp, that ends this installment. So, will Near confess? Will Mello kick his skinny whitebread arse to the curb? Will Matt finally be free of Senor Gropey-fingers? Find out next time, I guess. And I promise that I will have the next chapter up a bit more promptly. For real, this time! Remember to review, ja? Love you forever if you do.