Thursday, December 25th

When Mello was a young, he had been the type of child who would wake up at four in the morning on Christmas day. This was partly from the anticipation of all the presents that he knew he would be receiving, and partly because everything in their house was a competition and he wanted to assure that he was the first awake. (His rank in the contest ended shortly after L reached the age where he decided that sleep was not necessary for him to function, and simply spent the entire night camped out in front of the tree.)

This particular Christmas morning, however, Mello had decided that he was going to sleep in. Well, it was less of a decision and more of the fact that he did not want to drag himself out of his warm and soft bed and into the cold and (surely) chaos-filled living room. His body clock had woken him up at six, but he told himself that he would stay in bed for at least two more hours. Unfortunately this brilliant plan was short lived, when Mello heard a timid nock on his door.

"Mihael?" Mail sheepishly called for the other side. "Your brother told me to tell you to wake up."

"Tell L to tell me himself," Mello shouted back, not moving.

"He said there's no guarantee you won't shoot the messenger if anyone else talked to you," Mail answered back.

Mello sighed dramatically, but was unsure if Mail could hear in through the door.

"You can come it, I'm not naked or anything," Mello told him, thankful that he had chosen to wear pajamas the night before.

Mail hesitantly opened the door.

"Hey," Mello said, pulling himself out of bed.

"Hey," Mail sounded shyer than Mello had ever heard him. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," Mello didn't resist the urge to roll his eyes as he spoke.

"Right, I forgot you're not a holiday person," Mail read the eye roll.

This wasn't entirely true, but Mello didn't understand the fuss that was always made over occasions such and Christmas and Easter. It surprised Mello that Mail remembered this, he had only briefly mentioned it the day that they had talked at the bowling alley.

"I'll pretend to be cheerful if you do," Mello suggested as he pulled a shirt from his closet.

"Or we could be semi-depressed together," Mail offered.

"That's the Christmas spirit," Mello said with mock enthusiasm.

"Hey, since we're alone right now I was wondering if I could talk to you," Mail's voice was laced with sheepishness.

"You are talking," Mello pointed out.

"Yeah, but, that's not what I meant," Mail was stammering now.

"Okay," Mello directed his attention away from finding clothes and to his friend. Obviously this was something that Mail deemed serious (maybe it was about what had happened with his parents the day before) and he could wait to get dressed afterwards. He took at seat at the edge of his bed and gestured for Matt to join him. "Shoot."

"I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go on a date with me."

This was not at all what Mello was expected Mail to say. Not in the slightest.

"What?" Mello heard his voice say, although he had no recollection of informing his mouth to speak.

"Not now, I mean," Mail's speech spend to a quicker pace. "It's Christmas and you guys probably have plans. Although I guess I'll be a part of that anyway, since I'm staying over and all. But I meant a date later, maybe in a few days or something."

Mello knew that he was staring, no, gaping at Mail. He knew that if he didn't say something Mail would get the wrong idea. Mello was at a loss for words, but he was innerly jumping for joy at what Mail had just asked him. Well, he would be innerly jumping for joy if he wasn't

in a state of utter shock. Shock that could surely be misinterpreted by the boy sitting next to him. Yes, speaking was definitely a good idea if only Mello could get his voice to work.

"But it's fine if you don't want to," Mail babbled. "I guess this is sort of coming out of the blue, and I'm more than okay with being friends. I mean, we are friends and I don't-"

"Slow down," Mello was able to say.

"Okay." A blush appeared on Mail's cheeks, which Mello couldn't help but think was the single most adorable think he had ever seen.

"What about your online boyfriend?" This was not what Mello had meant to ask. This was not what Mello wanted to be thinking about, but now that the question was out there he needed to know the answer.

"Well," Mail's eyes found the floor. "I guess don't really know him, and who knows if I was ever going to find him."

You have without trying. Mello thought.

"But I like you," Mail was still blushing. "I like talking to you."

"You're asking me out because you like talking to me?" Now that Mello had gotten his voice to work he could not get it to stop. He didn't want to focus on ever negative yet rational flaw in what Mail was saying, but he couldn't help himself from pointing them out.

"No," Mail tried to correct himself. "I'm asking you out because I'm attracted to you and I like to talk to you."

"I'm attracted to you." Mello caught himself and quickly added: "And the talking part. Yeah, that too."

They both laughed.

"How about tomorrow?" Mello said.

"What?"

"We can go on a date tomorrow," he suggested.

"I'd like that," Mail smiled.

"Me too," Mello added, ignoring how incredibly cheesy this sounded.

"So do we hug now or something?" Mail asked sheepishly. "I'm not really sure how this works."

"Now," Mello smirked. "I kick you out of my room so I can change."

"Right," Mail stood up off the bed.

"You're going to have to wait until after the first date before you see me shirtless," Mello added.

"Is that a promise?" Mail teased.

"Nope, now get out."

"Okay."

"So what is the point of this game?" Mail asked for the third time.

Half of Christmas day had passed, meaning that the family had finished their traditions and were now finding was to entertain themselves. L had taken charge or this task, deciding that they were all going to play the game Murderer.

"The point of the game is to find out who the murder is," Near answered for the third time.

"I got that," Mail said.

"L only want's to play it because he likes to sound like Sherlock Holmes," Mello explained with not small degree to attitude.

"Yes, I am Sherlock Homes," L responded with an expression of complete seriousness. "Are we going to play now."

Mello folded the five pieces of paper that L had set on the table, making sure that the star he had drawn on the murder's card was not visible.

"You'll get the hang of it," he said to Mail, not stopping to add: "Well, they'll probably kill you off first, but after that you'll get the hang of it."

"You know, normal families play monopoly," Mail stated.

"We played that once," Near chimed in. "It was very boring."

"Mihael flipped the board upside down," L added dully.

"You did?" Mail asked.

"In my defense, it was the fastest way to end the game," Mello explained. "Plus if I hadn't B probably would have."

"You guys are so weird," Light remarked.

"You're just noticing this now?" Mail asked. "At least I knew what I was getting myself into."

Mello could feel a smile forming on his lips at that comments.

"I'm assuming that was an inside joke?" L inquired in a monotone.

"Yeah," Mello's grin only widened. "I'll tell you after the game. If you win, that is."

"Deal."

Neither L nor Mello won the first three rounds.

"You did tell him, did you?" L asked Mello the first moment that the two of them were alone.

"No," Mello admitted, knowing exactly what L was hinting to. "Why should I? Things are fine right now."

"They've only been fine for a few hours," L pointed out.

"How'd you know he asked me out in the first place?" Mello redirected the conversation.

"You're usually not this happy on holidays," L replied thoughtfully. "It's kind of sweet."

"Shut up," Mello rolled his eyes but could not suppress his smile.

"You shouldn't start things out with skeletons in the closet," L advised.

"It's a complicated-"

"I know," L held up a hand to silence him. "And I'm not telling you what you have to do. I just want you to know what I would do if I were in your position."

"You mean that, if this were you relationship and not mine, you would tell Light that you were lying to his face since you first met?" Mello channeled as much attitude as he could into this question.

"Well I did give him a fake name when I first introduced myself," L said thoughtfully.

"Really?" There were times when Mello seriously didn't understand his brother.

"I told him my name was Ruyga Heideki." Mello gave L a questioning look. "That's a Japanese actor. When Light didn't believe me I told him that my real name was Ryusaki. Although, I'm not sure he believed me that time either."

"That's not lying," Mello was now irritated. "That's just you being weird and him playing along."

"Were you lying to Mail?"

"I don't know," Mello thought this over. "I wasn't being honest."

"Why?" L already knew the answer to this.

"Because I like him," Mello said anyway. "And I wanted him to like me for me."

"Okay," L smiled. "I think he'd understand that."

"Maybe," Mello sighed. "I might tell him. Just stop badgering me about it, okay?"

"Fine," L replied neutrally, but couldn't stop himself from adding: " But I wouldn't call it badgering exactly."

"I would," Mello informed him. "Although I know you mean well."

"I always mean well," L muttered.

"Whatever," Mello laughed.

"Mail, can I talk to you?"

It took less than five minutes for Mello to take L's advise. He knew he was going to have to tell Mail at some point, and it would be better to get the conversation over with.

"Sure," Mail's tone was as happy-go-lucky as Mello had ever hear it.

Please let it stay that way, he silently prayed as he led the way to his room.

"Is something wrong?" Mail asked after Mello shut the door behind them. "You seem anxious."

"Nothing's wrong, exactly," Mello had no idea how to Segway into his confession. "I just need to tell you something."

"Something bad?"

"Bad isn't the right word, but it's not something good." Mello knew that he could spend at least two minutes dancing around the subject, but that would only heighten his anticipation for Mail's reaction.

"You're killing me with suspense," Mail remarked.

"Sorry," Mello laughed nervously. "I'm stalling."

"Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"I know," Mello took a breath. "Just promise that you won't freak out, okay?"

"That's a little unfair since I don't know what I'd be freaking out about," Mail pointed out. "But, alright. I promise I won't freak out. Now tell me what's bugging you."

"I'm your Cinderella guy," blurted Mello.

Of all the ways you could have said that why the fuck did you choose those words? Mello mentally face palmed.

"What?" Mail looked more shocked than confused. It was as if he didn't want to believe what he was hearing.

Fuck. Mello had to admit that he was beginning to regret his decision to be honest. To late to turn back now.

"I'm the boy from Halloween, the one you've been messaging," he continued. "I'm Mello."

One. I understand that most of you will want to murder me after that chapter ending (just know that a shinigami is in love with me and ready to kill you the moment that you try).

Two. I know, I know, it's November and Christmas is over a month away (but if department stores can sell santa hats right now then I can set my chapter on December 25th).

Three. Thank you to brightnight003, Lala the Screaming Fangirl, Carley-Carley-Carley, Ern Estine 13624, alishawow01, Anonsass, Corliss Kat, and Lunacat247 for your reviews!