"We aren't talking about Zero anymore," Naveen snorted. "Keep up, Mello."

"So we're talking about...wait..." Mello frowned. "Matt?"

"You and Near!" Naveen snapped. "We're talking about-"

"I can hear Naveen and Mello," Near called from the bathroom door as he pushed it open.

"Gah!" Mello tensed up- his eyes going wide.

Near lifted an eyebrow, slowly. "Would they like me to leave so that they can keep talking?"

"Mello has something to ask you," Naveen informed, pushing his brother-in-law forward.

"I do?" Mello blinked before he was stumbling into the bathroom. "Ah! Thanks Nene!"

Mello huffed and straightened his shirt.

"Don't call me Nene!" Naveen huffed, crossing his arms and turning away.

"Matt called you Navi because you never shut up!" Mello shot back. "You want that one instead?"

"Hey, listen!" Naveen began, before he grinned and burst into laughter.

"Yeah, no shit you annoying-" Mello turned and blinked. "...He's gone."

The area behind Mello was completely vacant- no traces of Near anywhere.

Naveen's laughter died and slowly his smile did as well. He glanced at the closed door... no traces of his brother having gone through it. "Is he training with Ninja or something?"

"Ah, damn it!" Mello snapped before turning and heading out of the room.

--Scene Break--

"Feel better?" Matt smiled over at Next fondly.

"Is that an ego I see on that face, mister?" Next chuckled, before he stuck out his tongue. "Just because you know that Mario Kart is my one weakness and you exploit it often..."

They'd spent hours playing it online and Next had taken pride in beating about 80% of their opponents, along with Matt himself most of the time.

"Next...did you know...that shinigami..." Matt smirked. "Love Mario Kart?"

"I'm not a Shinigami!" Next said with a frown. "You're a jerk, Matt."

It was just a joke." Matt blinked.

Next gave him a huff and turned away, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." Matt said- scooting closer.

"Well you-"

Next was cut off by a knock on the door. With a frown, he got up and moved over to the door, pulling it open. "...Near?"

The younger boy was surprised as Near slipped in and moved over to the closet, climbing into it and pulling the door shut.

"...Um?" Next offered, giving Matt a confused look before he closed the bedroom door and moved over to the closet one, knocking lightly. "Near...?"

"I'm not here," Near informed.

"Then my boxers at the bottom of the closet have suddenly started talking." Matt hummed as he came over.

"I told you to wash those!" Next snapped before he sighed. "Near, what is wrong?"

"Nothing," Near informed. "I just don't want Mello and Naveen to find me."

Giving his love another look, Next pulled the door open. "What happened?"

Near blinked up at him. "Nothing happened."

"Then why don't you want to be found?" Next pressed.

"They need a few moments together," Near informed. Next gave him a confused look and so he explained, twisting his fingers into his curled hair. "There is a tension between Mello and Naveen that needs to be solved. It grows so bad when I am in there that they can't hope to solve it with me around."

"Did you tell them that before you took off?" Next pressed, having a hunch that if Mello was going to come looking, Near hadn't bothered to explain his absence.

The older albino blinked up at his friend. "...No."

"Then don't you think that if you disappeared on Mello and Naveen, they'll assume that you're upset that they were sharing any kind of moment and think they're getting back together?" Next pressed.

After a few moments, Near frowned. "That is a highly illogical and irrational conclusion to come to."

"Which is why it's exactly the kind of thing Mello would do?" Matt sighed- placing his hands on his hips and leaning over Near.

"...Matt has a point," Near sighed.

"Yeah, I do all the talking and Matt has the point," Next snorted, glaring at the redhead.

"What?" Matt frowned. "I was enforcing the idea."

He looked to Near for some backup.

"You heard me agreeing with Next, right?" He asked pleadingly.

"I would prefer not to be put in-between Matt and Next's fake fights," Near informed, lifting an eyebrow. "And I am disappointed in Matt, as it is. Matt has been with Next long enough to know that when he is really mad, he refuses to speak... he does not act mad."

"Okay... I admit that it is a little sad that he remembers that and you don't," Next scoffed.

"But it's so cute when you get all pouting like that." Matt laughed and leaned over to nuzzle Next's cheek with his own. "So any minute now, we should expect our door to be kicked in and Mello to be all worried and fire and brimstone and dogs and cats sleeping together...all that jazz?"

"I have seen plenty of felines and canines sleep together," Near informed. "And why would Mello be worried about them doing so-?"

"...Oh wow." Matt replied blankly. "So if Mello shows up are you gonna be in the closet still?"

Near stared at the redhead for a few moments before he said, "I do believe I came out of the closet some time ago, Matt."

Matt blinked behind his goggles a moment- completely dumbfounded.

"...Near...did you just make a joke?" Matt tilted his head.

"The concept of humor is not completely lost on me, Matt," Near said as he climbed out of the closet.

"Shocking." Matt replied as he watched Near get out. "Well, now what's your plan? That big brain have any better ideas for how to hook up your brother and you husband?"

Matt moved over to the bed and took a seat- pulling Next into his lap.

"My intention is not to hook them up," Near reminded. "Its to ease the tension between them that comes from their failed relationship and the fact that they haven't seen each other in some time... at least in Mello's case."

"At least he understands why there's tension," Next whispered to Matt.

Matt sighed.

"You think the only tension comes from their not seeing each other and the fact that Mello dumped Naveen?" Matt asked Near as gently as he could.

"Of course not," Near informed. "But I would prefer to not go into detail of things that are painful for me to think about."

He turned his face away.

"I just wanted to be sure you're not completely disregarding your own feelings Near." Matt sighed. "Now that I know how you feel about it..."

He trailed off.

There was a moment of silence before Next cleared his throat. "...Anyone else wondering why Mello hasn't kicked in the door yet?"

"He probably checked your room first." Matt offered. "You're closer and a friend?"

There was a sudden pounding on the door- making it rattle in the hinges.

"Why on Earth would Near hide in my room?" Next asked his lover, ignoring the pounding.

"Not hiding there, but maybe you would have passed him or something?" Matt shrugged.

"Matt, Next!?" Mello's voice came through. "Hey! If you're in there and not fucking, I need to ask you something! Have you seen Near!? Hey!"

More relentless pounding on the door.