Sucking in a shallow breath, Near sat up and rubbed his eyes. Slowly he looked the twins over before whispering, "...Trick and Treat, right?"

"That's our names," Trick confirmed, looking at his brother in confusion. "Is Next your brother?"

Near's response was to let out a small sob.

"Of course," Next assured, giving Matt another gentle kiss before he left to find Linda - to tell her to go to Near - and then Mello.

"...Thanks...Trick." Treat sighed- his shoulders slumping as he watched Near cry. "...This just feels...bad."

"What did I say!?" Trick whined, frowning deeply. "I didn't say anything! I just asked about Next-! They look alike-!"

"Near...Near!" Treat scooted closer. "Can you stop long enough to tell us what's wrong!?"

Taking a deep breath, Near glanced at the twins. He calmed himself down for a moment - he was very skilled at doing so, after all - and slowly told them, "I used to have a twin... a brother. He... died. A year ago..."

Trick's eyes widened in horror, his entire body going still.

"...Died?" Treat repeated- looking just as shocked as Trick.

"He was... he was murdered..." Near continued, his voice shaking a little. "By someone who loved him and... and someone that I thought he loved. But I... I just found out that... that..."

He fell silent and after a long moment, Trick reached out and took Near's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Near glanced at him, before he quietly whispered, "He was in love with my husband. They were... in love with each other."

"Mello!?" Treat burst.

Near slowly nodded and Trick reached out and hugged him just as the white-haired boy burst into another round of small sobs, burring his face into the boy's shoulder.

'That must be Naveen,' Trick mouthed to his brother as he looked over his shoulder, his eyes wide and sad.

Treat sighed and reached out- patting Near's shoulder and blinking. He really was warm like Next was.

They sat like that for some time before the door came open and Linda stepped in, looking surprised.

"Near?" She whispered, coming over. Trick moved away and let her scoop the boy up into a hug. "What happened?"

"His brother died...that's what he said anyway." Treat scooted back from the two- coming to his brother's side.

"And he was in love with Mello," Trick added, making Near sob harder and Linda look at him in horror.

"Mello was WHAT!?!?" She shrieked and the twins could have sworn her pigtails swooped up to look like horns for a split second.

"Ah, loud and shrill!" Treat covered his ears and cowered a bit with his sibling.

Linda calmed down after a moment and began to rock Near, speaking to him quietly in what sounded like French.

"...I don't know those words." Treat told his brother hushly.