Stone Children

A/N: Demon’s Sinner- Can any of you Lovelies figure out who the Sun of Wammy’s is yet or do you need more hints?

A/N: Karaage- I love the interactions between Matt and B! *squeal*


Ch. 21 How To Catch The Sun


Beyond was lying on Matt's floor when the redhead came in from the nurse. "Blondie is cute isn't he?"

Matt blushed and shut his door. He had a bandage across the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, he is."

"So you got hit huh? How is the guy with a fork in his leg?" The dark haired boy grinned at him as he licked his lips.

"Oh, no the nose is from Mello. I didn’t get hit. J got sent away." Matt said as he put his books down on his desk and sat down next to B on the floor.

"Spunky little thing. Why'd he hit you?"

He grinned as he laid down next to him. "First I thought he was a girl then proceeded to hit on him. It worried me a bit till he told me he was a guy."

"Cause your gay?"

"Yeah." Matt said as he started to play with the bandage.

"Lucky he didn't break your nose."

Matt stop picking at it. "Nah, I would have known if he did. It’s just a little bruised." He turned his head and looked at B. "So what do you think my chances are?"

"With him? You'll have to consider your competition. I mean he may have interests in someone else."

"Who? Do you know something? Tell me!" Matt said, rolling over on his stomach and laying his chin on the other’s chest, looking at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Everyone wants the pretty blond."

Matt scoffed. "Fuck everyone else. They got nothing on me." He said with a determined smile.

"What about your little sheep?"

"Near? What about him?" He asked confused

"He clearly likes you."

"What? But we're just friends.... He never said anything or shown any interest in me that way.." He said shocked

"Maybe you just don't pay attention to him."

"I do. I see him everyday and we play games and battle over the swing set when he drags me outside at dusk, when the sun goes down...." He trailed off sitting back with a frown. Beyond just smirked at him, watching him.

"But.. But.. It’s Near.. he's my best friend.. there is no way he can like me like that..." He said looking up at B. "Why are you smirking?"

"Why can't he like you?"

"Cuz we're friends and I like Mello." The boy said desperately.

"And so because you like Mello, Near's feelings are suppose to change? Believe it or not I fell in love with my best friend."

"No, because I don’t want to hurt anyone." He said frowning, "Near was my first friend, he helped me a lot when I first got here. I don't want to hurt him, he's just so sweet." He looked up at B.

"You did? Really? Tell me."

"You keep asking me about him..." This wasn't the first time Matt had asked about A. Ever since he let it slip that he loved someone greater than L the kid wouldn't stop. "You know the rules, I'm not allowed to reveal anything about the last generation."

Matt sighed. "Okay." He laid there, completely bummed about Near. Shit.

"Tell me Matt, What if L wanted him too?"

"L? Why would he? He has you, and he's old." Matt said knitting his brows, confused.

Beyond just started to laugh. "I'm nothing special. Plus if Roger and Wammy get their way I'll be gone soon."

Matt looked at him. "L will never let that happen. I heard him talking to Hannah. He likes you."

"L can only control so much. If they see me as a danger then I'm gone."

Matt nodded. "Yeah, but he'll fight it tooth and nail." The other shrugged.

"He would, that was his exact words. ‘I’ll fight it tooth and nail.' '' The redhead said trying to convince him.

"No one would fight for me." He relaxed on the floor.

In two weeks, the ranks were posted for the first time. Older kids had been taken out and placed in other homes while the younger ones were kept. Out of the remaining 15, Matt scored the highest as number 1 with 100%, Near was second with 97% and at the bottom was Mello with a 34% as his over all score. The relationship between Mello and the other kids had wavered greatly. Everyone thought he was fun to be around but when the scores were posted, they snickered that he wasn't cut out for Wammy's house.

With the other children pushing him away, he sought comfort with another outcast, Beyond. Mello was in his room with B tickling him and teaching him to read and write. They would talk well into the night. Matt had been shocked when the ranks where posted. Everyone wanted to be his friend now and wanted to talk to him. He shied away and stayed in his room, playing his playstation most of the time, coming out only for meals, classes and tutoring sessions with Mello in the library. He hadn’t seen much of B, but he continued to play with Near everyday and they had become closer.


After a few lessons with Matt, he had made it so Mello was able to read. After the first rankings, the teacher told them that Mello would be fine to study on his own. On October 31st, the blond was in his room studying for an upcoming test. Beyond was in the kitchen baking a strawberry cake. It was L's birthday and he wanted to at least be nice to him.

L was working in his room like any other day, becoming frustrated. He had been working since early that morning and had been stressed and tired for a couple of hours now. He sat back thinking for a moment. He wanted some company. He got up and walked out going to B's room.

Hannah walked over to B with a smile. "What cha making sweet heart? Do you need any help?"

"I'm making myself a snack," B said. "If L comes here keep him away from the kitchen."

Hannah chuckled knowingly. "I bet he's going to love it." She smiled at him.

Matt stopped outside of Mello's room and nervously knocked. The blond opened the door and looked at Matt. "What?"

Matt nervously scratched the back of his neck. "Um... well there is a test coming up and I was wondering if you wanted to study together?" He asked hopefully.

"I'm working on something. I have too much to catch up on."

"I could help." Matt said smiling; he just wanted to spend time with the blonde.

L couldn’t find B. He sighed. Maybe Mello would like to join him for tea.. He set off for the blonde's room.

"Why are you always here? Shouldn't you be playing with that other kid?"

Matt looked taken back. He frowned. "Sorry for bothering you, I just wanted to see if you needed help." He bit his lip. Mello sighed and brushed back his hair. "I need to do it myself if I want to get better."

Watari was walking by and spotted the two "Oh Matt, I would like to speak with you a moment."

Matt was about to say something but turned around and looked at Watari. "Yes, Watari?"

"For doing so well on your tests I've gotten you a playstation 2 and an assortment of games for you to play."

The boy's face lit up. "Awesome! Thank you so much!" He hugged the elderly man tightly around the waist.

"Please keep doing well. As the number one you will also be given a free period and also a few extra things as well."

He let go and looked up at him. "I will! Thank you!"

"Have a good day."

Matt smiled. "You too!"

Watari walked off back to his office.

Matt turned back to Mello. "Sooo... Well I can still help you, you'll only frustrate yourself if you keep trying to do something yourself that you don’t know how to do very well."

L rounded the corner and walked up behind the redhead with a smile. Mello glared and was about to tell the guy off when L walked up. His face brightened and he smiled like the sun. "Hello L. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Matt saw the immediate change and frowned. B was right, the blonde liked L. Fuck it!

"Well I was going to invite you to tea but it seems like you and Matt were in the middle of something and I don’t want to interrupt, so I guess I'll go." L smiled at him and turned and started to walk back to his room. "No wait!" Mello pushed past Matt and hurried after him. "I'm not busy at all. I mean I'm never to busy for you." He took hold of the teen's shirt with a smile.

Matt raised a hand and rubbed his shoulder, frowning more. He silently turned and walked off to Near's room.

L smiled. "Are you sure?"

"Of course." He even turned and saw Matt walking off. "See? He's going to play."

"Okay." He said as he grabbed the blonde's hand and led him back to his bedroom.

Matt banged on Near's door, close to tears. "Near! Open up!" The boy opened the door and looked at Matt. He moved aside and let Matt into the room. "What happened?"

Matt walked in and sat down on the edge of Near's bed, yanking his goggles up on the top of his head. "It's true. Mello likes L. B was right!" He said miserably looking at Near, his lip quivering like he was about to cry.

"But L likes B so there is no reason to worry about. He's more than likely just stressed because the other kids are being mean to him," Near said sitting beside his friend. "I don't know why you even like him... I mean he's so mean to you."

"You weren’t there. I saw it!" He paused, "I don’t know why I like him, I really don’t." He said leaning into Near, as two tears ran down his cheeks.

Beyond was walking by when he looked into the room. He placed the cake down before speaking to Matt. "Mello is like the sun in a garden of stone children. Everyone wants to have his attention but only a few can get it at a time. Not even our beloved Ice Princess will be able to hold onto him."

Matt looked at him. "So I should just let it go?" He asked miserably.

"Not give up, just remember that when tanning in the sun you have to move with it or you'll be left out in the cold." B picked up the cake and walked off. Matt hugged Near close to him. "That sounds like 'give it up kid' to me."

"He said that if you want Mello you have to try harder," Near said. Matt looked up at him. "He hates me, I don’t know if I want to try."