A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers. Also, I put up a new poll on my profile and would be very pleased if everyone could find the time to vote.

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Escort to Happiness.

Fourteen.

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"You didn't have to do this," Near almost had to shout over the beat of the music - the resonating bass made his drink ripple in its glass and his feet shake on the ground.

Raito eyed him over the table, the small candles that lit up their space and the fancy, over-the-top Sex on the Beach sprigged with a flower and fruit. "What do you mean?" he asked, taking a sip and Near looked down at his plain red wine - his fourth glass that night. He felt that he might tip over.

"I mean, take me here. I was under the impression many liked to drink alone."

"What? You must know a bunch of alcoholics, Near," Raito said, pointing at him. "Regular people like to go drinking with friends."

Near's eyes lighted up and he paused for a second, staring into his drink, and then smiled. "You know, L called me his friend too."

"Is that so? L's such a busybody, he doesn't need too many friends."

Near continued to smile, his upturned face even paler under the light. "You're jealous of Mello."

Raito snorted and some of the drink dribbled out of his nose. Raito hurried to dab it up and Near laughed, more like a giggle really, and turned his head away.

"Just what do you mean, jealous?" Raito asked, slightly embarrassed.

"I mean what I said. You don't like that Mello is around L all the time. It's all right though. I don't much care for Mello either."

"… Oh. Well, then you understand my frustration," Raito mumbled.

"What?" Near asked.

"I said, you can understand my frustration."

"Oh. Yes." Near nodded and, flushed slightly from all the liquor, downed the rest of the glass. "But if it makes L happy, then I will not intervene. I feel almost childish for having pouted about it before."

"Are you calling me childish, Near?"

"Yes," he said, dim gray eyes turned to the brunet. Raito seemed about to make a fuss and Near held a hand out limply. "But even though you're a child, it's… cute."

"Cute?" Raito echoed, an eyebrow raised.

"I think that's the word. Because…" He tapped his fingers on the stem of the empty glass and smiled softly. "Because when I was little, my dad used to go off for days. And usually I wouldn't care but I had just gotten a new toy and asked if he would want to play robots with me but he had to go. I guess I was really upset because I tried to follow him to his car with my toy and my mother picked me up and told me I was cute, because I didn't want him to leave. So… I think that's the right word. Cute. Right?"

Raito blinked. "Near, you might've had too much to drink…"

"And thank you for giving L my proposal," he said, ignoring Raito's declaration.

"What? He told you I did that? I was just doing it because you seemed so desperate about the whole thing…"

"Mmhmm. You might actually have a hand in saving the company."

"What's that mean?"

"Nothing," Near said and giggled again and Raito looked on, confused, and wondering if someone so small should drink so much.

-

"You don't have to do this."

Somehow, Mello was down against the mattress, his hair fanned out beneath him and curling around his cheeks. The bit of moonlight that came from the only window in the bedroom lit up Mello's mouth and chin and neck and L's fingers that lingered there. L was sitting rather upright, one knee on the bed, the other foot planted on the floor and they were both probably a little tipsy. Mello hadn't drank much of Near's coffee and L had continued to sip red wine, to get his courage up, and it was up, it was enough for him to have held Mello in place on the bed.

"What do you mean?" L asked, running his fingers along the scar line on Mello's neck.

"I mean be nice like this," he murmured, closing his eyes. "Just because of him." Mello pointed upward, towards the top bunk, like Matt was still up there.

L's hand moved up to touch Mello's cheek, cupping it briefly, and then moving on to tangle in blond hair. "It's not just because of him. Mello… listen. I take you as my friend. And because you are, I can no longer deceive you."

"Huh?"

"I value you, Mello." L wasn't sure if Mello knew what he was saying and for a split second he wasn't even sure if he knew what he was saying but Mello smiled and L took that as a good sign. He continued, "And Raito… he never stalked you."

Mello blinked. "What do you-"

"Please do not interrupt. I sent you the flowers. I bought you the clothes. I sent Raito to give you the money because I didn't want you to see me," L said calmly and he found that as he spoke, it opened up the floodgates and everything came pouring forth, "And I have done it all with no intention of bringing you pain. It was always with your happiness in mind. But I put Raito in a horrible position and Near as well, putting them both where they don't want to be and it seems that I have failed."

When L looked back at Mello, he was surprised to see not anger but bewilderment. Mello searched for something to say in the face of L's confession and could only come up with: "But why? What in hell would you do all that for? Was it because you liked me? I don't-"

"Because I saw your face at the crash."

"… What?"

"The look on your face when Matt died and I was… I was the one behind the wheel."

A thin cry followed, something like the sound a rabbit would make as a bear trap clamped on its frail leg. Mello turned away, his hands rising into his hair and gripping there.

"What?" he asked and not to L in particular. He was out of the path of moonlight and up against one of the bedposts, no longer touching L.

"I'm so sorry-"

"No, L, you can't tell me… you… God, L."

"Mello-"

"You've been lying to me since the day you met me and you… Get out, all right? Just go." Mello's voice cracked like it had during puberty and he stayed in the shadows as L rose from the bed. L looked at him for a moment and then left quietly, slightly afraid he would hear that horrible cry again. The front door shut softly behind him and as L heard some glass shattering and then, faintly, that voice from downstairs shouting, "Stop making racket up there!"

-

What was I supposed to say?

"I forgive you, L. I forgive you, I forgive you."? I couldn't do it. Not after all the lies he told me. Everything that's happened these past weeks, it's all been an illusion L created for me, just to keep himself from being found out.

He should have never done anything for me. I never needed it. I wish he would have just LEFT ME THE HELL ALONE.

… But he didn't. And I'm not alone anymore. Even though he's a bastard and Raito's a bastard and Near's a bastard, I just don't feel…

So lonely anymore.

-

Near didn't show up for work the next day.

Rosie walked into the front room with her hands on her hips, looking out into the dismal day. "My! Near's never been even a minute late before, much less an hour… I wonder if he's sick?" When Mello didn't answer, she turned to look at him, slouching all over the counter and not looking too well himself.

"Oh, no, not you too," she said, coming over to him and putting a hand over his forehead. "We can't have two sick workers!"

"Ah, Rosie, cut it out. I'm not in the mood," he said lamely and pushed her hand away.

She frowned worriedly, hands clasped between her bosom. "Oh… you don't feel good, do you? Did we keep you out too late last night?"

"You knew, didn't you?"

"Hmm?"

Mello's gaze rolled to her. "You knew it was L that sent me the flowers all along. Because you knew his name and credit card number, right?"

"Oh… I see. He told you finally, huh?" She nodded solemnly and turned to go into the back room. Mello followed her, leaning in the doorway, watching as she trimmed some of the flowers. "Well, it had to happen sometime… I thought of telling you, but, it just seemed wrong."

"Wrong? How can you say that, Rosie? Do you know what he did? He was… well, Matt…"

"I had a hunch it was something he'd done but didn't want to say… But, as I remember you telling me, Matt walked out in the middle of a busy intersection."

"Yeah, yeah, Matt was a retard. But L lied to me."

"Only to try and help you, Mello."

"Well, I'm not being helped. I never asked for help, either. This is stupid. He's about as stupid as Matt is, too."

"Oh, Mello!"

Mello folded his arms, scowling. "I'm serious. I mean, hell, the guy I thought was my friend… I don't even know him. All those things he said to me could've all been lies." Mello paused, taking in what he just said and thought that, yes, it could have all been lies, just for the attempt at making him happy. But L was right about one thing – he had failed. Mello didn't think he was any happier now than he had been the day he received those flowers.

Distantly, he heard the bell rang, and Rosie walked past him, sparing him a small pat on the shoulder. She called to the customer, "Hello, sir, how are you today? Mello, could you come out here and help this man, please?"

"Yeah," he sighed and turned to see a young man standing at the counter. Mello walked up and began to transaction: "How can I help you?"

"Well, I'm looking for some sunflowers for my girlfriend…"

Mello's eyes sharpened and he jerked his head up. "What's that?"

"Uh… s-sunflowers?"

"You bastard! You're from L, aren't you?" Mello shouted, shaking his fist at the young patron. He backed away from Mello, looked to Rosie for help and she sighed heavily.

"Mello, please don't harass the customers!"

"He's from L, I just know it," Mello cried, glaring at the man. Then, he looked towards the stand of sunflowers in the back left of the room. "L got me all those sunflowers."

"Look, man, I don't know anyone named L, I just-"

"Get out of here! Go!"

The bell rang as the customer scuttled out hurriedly and went down the street and Rosie didn't even bother to scold Mello. She only shook her head and turned away, grabbing the broom from the wall and handing it to Mello, with the look of a displeased master. "Go outside and sweep, Mello. Shoo."

Mello took it, knowing that Rosie wasn't exactly in the kidding mood. Even without Near around, he had still managed to scare off some business and so being banished outside came as little surprise. He walked out of the shop with the broom in hand and began to sweep around the corners and mildly glaring at those who threw Subway wrappers and used handkerchiefs to the ground. As his pile of swept up trash grew higher and higher, Mello had to bend to get it all straight and out of his pocket fell a black cell phone.

It fell to the ground with something like a sharp crack.

"Shit," Mello hissed and dropped the broom in his hurry for the phone. He scooped it up and examined it, bending on one knee as people passed him by. He turned it over and found a small chip in the back corner. He ran a thumb over it, eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I hope it isn't broken… Wait, why the fuck do I care?" He frowned and held the phone tightly. "I don't. I don't care. You can just go to hell, you hear me?" he shouted at the mobile device he held and pedestrians hurried to cross the street and get away from him.

-

Raito hummed to himself, the tune of some pop song that was on the radio earlier that morning. The fourth floor had been quiet all morning, mostly because of the sleepiness the oncoming storm brought. In all the break rooms, the weather channel was on and the anchors were losing their minds over the rains that were due to last a good day or two. The skies outside were darkening and Raito tilted his head and wondered if there would be a flood and everyone could just take a few days off.

He sighed, turning back to his work and his fingers began to fly over the keys once more. There was too much to get done to be thinking about vacations and if he wasn't careful, he thought, he would soon end up like lazy L. Walking about the office in a daze, thinking of boys too young and immature.

But if Raito was being truly fair, he wouldn't have judged L so harshly. After all, it wasn't like he didn't think about cinnamon bun creamer every now and again. All flavors of creamer, really, swirled together into some mixture that was no longer a light brown but an oceanic gray.

Raito's eyelids drooped and he sighed tiredly, looking away from the monitor. It seemed he could hardly keep awake. There came a knock at the door and Raito yawned, "Come in."

It opened and Near came through with two cups of coffee, one in each hand. He closed the door behind him with a small kick of his heel. "Raito," he greeted and sat one of the cups on Raito's desk.

"N-Near, what are you doing here?" Raito asked, ignoring the coffee. His cravings from the past few days were forgotten at the sight of that face back in his office and the mussed white hair. Near seemed hung over once more and Raito thought as a mental note that he would have to tell Near the secret of eating something before bed that would soak up the liquor.

"I can stand that flower shop no longer," he stated firmly. Then, quieter: "I belong here."

"… In my office?"

"In front of your office," Near said and motioned towards the glass at the wall that showed Near's station all set up.

Raito blinked at him and then sighed, settling back into the chair. He took his cup and sipped slowly, feeling the liquid running down his throat and warming him. It was quite a surprise to see Near back but somehow, Raito would have been just fine if Near never showed up to work again - after all, he could always pick him up for drinks.

"And I never thanked you for giving L my proposal," he said.

"What? Yes, you did… last night."

"I did?"

"Yes."

Near looked aside, confused. Then, took a larger slurp. "I wonder what else I don't remember…"

Raito grinned then, realizing the situation. "Right. What else? You called me cute."

Near almost dropped the cup in his shock. He held it tightly, securely, and stared at Raito in some knowing dismay. "I did not."

"You did so. I have the recording."

Near's eyes grew.

"Ha, I'm kidding. There's no recording."

He deflated, frowning. "You're despicable."

Raito waved him away. "You're 'cute'."

Near blushed and turned away. "I don't know what you're playing at but it isn't funny and I'm-"

The door opened once more and L walked in, uninvited, and paused at seeing Near's small form in front of Raito's desk. "Ah," he said, smiling, and without surprise, "so you've returned to us."

"Oh, Mr… um." He lowered his gaze. "What should I address you as? Anymore… I…"

"I meant what I said, Near. Call me L."

"All right…" He raised his eyes. "L. I'm not going back to work at the flower shop. Mello is a miserable soul and I believe we will never get along. I belong here."

"In front of my office," Raito clarified.

"Thank you," Near intoned, groaning.

L ruffled Near's hair a bit and then looked over him to Raito. "Do you have a moment?"

"What's wrong? Is it something that can't be overheard by young ears?" Raito asked, finishing the last of his coffee.

"I'm ignoring you," Near said mildly.

"Near can stay," L said. "I just wanted to tell you that you no longer have to worry about being violently attacked by Mello on the street."

"Really?" Raito perked up and then stopped, scratching his head. "Wait a minute, why not? You two aren't eloping to Mexico, are you?"

"No."

"Aruba?"

"You've had too much coffee already."

"I agree," Near stated.

"Oh, you two are such killjoys," Raito droned, sighing, but eyed Near and smirked. "Anyway. What have you done now, L?"

"I told him," L said off-handedly.

"You… you did? The truth? The entire truth?" Raito asked, almost unbelieving and Near looked at the older man, too, out of dubiety.

"Yes," L said gratingly, maybe a little annoyed. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets and the rings around his eyes seemed deeper than usual. "The whole truth. He did not take lightly, as I previously thought, and threw me out."

"Harsh."

"Thank you, Raito, for your input."

"I'm just saying… well, what are you going to do?"

L directed an interested glance at him. "What do you mean, do? I can do nothing, Mello does not what to see me any longer. It is his choice."

"Oh hell. This is your problem L, you are completely indifferent about everything."

"I am not indifferent about him."

"Could have fooled me. Mello is like a prissy schoolgirl; if you tease her right, she will be putty at your feet."

Near huffed, blushing. "How vulgar."

"I don't mean it like that… L, you need passion."

"Passion?"

"See, you don't even know what it is."

"It is any powerful or compelling emotion, such as love or hate," L said, ticking the definition off on a finger. "And you're not making any sense. I'm tired. If either of you need me, I will be in my office, sleeping." With that, L turned and shut the door behind him.

Raito blinked and said into the silent room. "He's being emo sans emotions. Interesting. Near, was this cinnamon bun creamer?" He asked, pointing to the empty cup.

"Um… yes."

"More, please."

-

To be continued.

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A/N: 'Sans' of course means without. Comments? Questions? We are fast approaching the end. Hit me.