#34 Play
Roger, bless his dear old heart, always maintained that the children in Wammy's house needed to stretch themselves creatively and on teamwork as well as focusing on their own individual talents. Watari had been against this.
This had caused some problems for some time in the running of the house until finally L had stepped between them and with his usual flawless logic suggested they give it a trial run, and see what happened.
And so it ended up that there was going to be a school play.
But of course, it being wammy's house, nothing ran smoothly. Even picking which of the traditional school plays to perform was difficult, Roger wisely chose to avoid Annie or Oliver, in a house full of orphans this would have only produced a lot of sullen faces.
As it happened, it was Near who made the winning suggestion of perhaps staging a simple story, a fairytale, in fact.
So it happened that the play would be Cinderella.
Roger didn't even consider that perhaps none of the girls in the house would audition. (In reality, there was a plot being laid, and all the girls had been told specifically not to audition, under pain of large spiders in their beds) So finally the weary old man agreed that perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if some of the boys played the female roles, after all, not many of them had broken voices yet, and they hadn't got to the point where acting as the female roles would label them as horrendously gay for the rest of their time at Wammy's.
Besides, it couldn't be denied that Mello, with his dainty but deadly features, did make a gorgeous little Cinderella, and none of the boys would dare call Mello names.
And Near did make an adorable little fairy godparent, (they at least changed that role, no-one ever said it had to be a godmother, after all), even Roger had to admit it was a novel idea, they'd ended up with a male Cinderella and fairy, and girl ugly sisters, the roles usually handed over to the boys.
And now, on the night of the performance, Roger was watching from the back of the hall, beside him Watari and L, and he was grinning, because for once his idea was working, and Watari would have to admit he was right.
Upon the stage the evil stepmother (Linda, as it happened) cackled and shoved forward one of her own daughters towards Prince Charming, who blinked behind his yellow goggles and took a step to one side, sending the sister flying. The audience laughed.
The sister arranged herself upon the seat and offered one foot.
"Matt looked scared out of his mind." L muttered. "But I suppose it suits the prince to look scared."
Roger smiled a bit, "He's just nervous, he was struggling with his lines, but he'll be fine." Mentally he added or else.
The first sister scowled and flounced off the stage, and the second was shoved forwards to her seat with another cackle. The lights dimmed on them and lit up one corner of the stage, where poor Mello-ella, in rags was begging for one more favour.
"Oh, please, help me get out of this prison!" Mello squeaked, and Roger marvelled at how he managed to sound exactly like a girl in tears, not a pre-pubescent boy.
Near appeared in his pure white costume, which was merely his pyjamas with some frills sewed on, and a pair of white wings devised out of netting and bent coathangers.
"All right, Cinders, I can help you but one more time." He answered, and pointed his twinkling wand to the locked door.
The lights flickered off of this scene and once more to the hapless red-haired prince.
"N…no, this isn't the girl… give me the slipper back, or your… foot is going to shatter it." Matt stumbled a little, and took the plastic shoe back. "If you don't have any other daughters, I'll go…" He turned, as though to leave…
Roger crossed his fingers, if it was going to go wrong, this would be just the place.
Mello hurried into the scene. "Wait! Let me try it on!"
Matt turned, and a small smile spread across his face. Slowly he walked over to Mello and took his hand, leading him to the little chair.
Roger was amazed. Suddenly they really didn't look like a mis-matched pair of boys acting out some fairytale that had been done to death. They really did look like a prince leading the love of his life towards their happy ending.
Slowly this prince knelt before the poor girl, put-upon by her family, and lifted the glass slipper to her foot.
It slid on, and fit perfectly.
Linda stomped her foot, a perfect picture of rage. "No!! Your highness! It can't be her! She wasn't even at the ball!"
Mello's head shot up, and he scowled. "Yes I was you daft tart!"
The audience roared with laughter, and in the back, Roger winced.
The laughter seemed to snap Mello back into character, and he coughed, "I mean… I can prove it!" he reached to the pocket of the rags he wore, and produced the second slipper, "See? I have the other slipper."
And with a grin and barely suppressed laughter, Matt took it and placed it on Mello's other foot, getting to his feet and offering his hand.
Mello took it, and hugged his best friend, appearing to mutter something to him. Matt grinned and appeared to force back another laugh.
Roger wondered with sudden horror what those two little monsters were planning.
Linda, apparently remembering she was supposed to say something, squeaked out, "But sire! Look at those ragged clothes and her filthy face!"
Matt looked up from Mello's shoulder and nodded, "Hey, I didn't fall in love with the dress, and she's still hotter than you with muck on her face." He lifted Mello's chin. "It's Mell- uh, Cinderella I love."
Mello blushed slightly. Roger wondered where he'd learnt to do that on cue.
"I love you too, Matt…" the blonde blinked, then stammered out, "I mean, my Prince."
And then they kissed.
And while the kids watching squealed and made cat-calls, and Roger gritted his teeth and debated how long he'd be punishing those two for wrecking the play like that, the curtains fell.
Roger turned, about to start making his apologies, and realised suddenly that L was giggling, and Watari actually smiling.
"You know, old friend, I think you should make this play a more regular occurrence… at the very least, it's amusing."