Dropped

They watch the building for two days, taking shifts with sleeping, eating in restaurants around the area, browsing, making like it’s natural.



It is completely unnatural; three people who technically qualify as ‘brilliant’ cannot solve a problem. They have come this far, are practically at the gates, and are stumped.



“We could set the building on fire,” proposes Mello, flicking through a comic strip and ignoring Near, who’s curled up on the bench next to him, leaning against him, with his hands in Mello’s hair.



“Mello,” Near mutters, “you have proposed six solutions thus far, and three of them have involved flames.”



“I’m just saying. If we set the building on fire, then they’d have to evacuate, right?”



Matt just ignores him. It’s a stupid idea. That’s not to say he doesn’t think about it seriously, but if there was that kind of offensive movement, Watari would probably have L evacuated by helicopter, the explosives would be too difficult to plant, and gasoline is expensive if they were to go that way. Also, not subtle. It’s a sad day when Matt begins to seriously consider one of Mello’s ‘lets just blow it up’ plans seriously, but that’s what they’ve come to.



He sighs, leans gently to the side, and rests his forehead against Mello’s shoulder.



“I wish I had my gameboy. I’d think better with my gameboy.”



“None of us are thinking very well right now,” Mello assures him, with a verbal shrug, in lieu of a physical one, so as not to dislodge him, “I’m thinking it might almost be worth it to let Near put his pyjamas back on.”



“I would think better if I could be as I was,” Near agrees, only sounding mildly reproachful. He was in blue jeans, and yes, his pyjama shirt on top of them, but the jeans poked and were tight and made curling up uncomfortable for him. The key here was not to get noticed, and a child on the road in their night things would be talked about. A child on the road in their night things camped outside the headquarters of a genius detective for prolonged periods of time, even more so.



Near acknowledged this was true. That didn’t mean he had to like it. But if Matt had forsaken his goggles, and Mello was wearing a blue polo shirt, then he supposed he could make the sacrifice.



Even if his heart nearly beat out of his chest when he caught glimpses of himself in the glass. He wanted his order back again, and badly.



“I think there’s someone coming out.”



There was.



“Oh, it’s her.”



There was only one female visitor to the building. A blond woman would arrive infrequently, and would generally leave either skipping, or miserable. Or furious. She seemed to occupy her emotions very completely...



Matt thought she was kind of cute, and said as much. Mello instantly decided he hated her.



“We’re going to have to get her, or one of the officers to let us in there.”



Near nodded, thoughtfully.



“It is a matter of making them feel like they have to, rather than convincing them to let us. If they are in L’s service, he will have inspired utter loyalty into them.”



Like he does with everyone, all of them think, privately.



“I think we should follow her,” Near says, abruptly, climbing to his feet. “Now. We can—” he isn’t sure what to call it.



“Plant seeds,” Matt suggests. “Good idea. Near, here’s what you’re going to do.”



“Excuse me! Excuse me, miss!”



Misa turned around, looking for the source of the voice.



“You dropped this.”



And glancing down, she found it. The most adorable child on the planet was at her feet. He was small, and frumpily dressed in a white shirt that needed to be burned, and sneakers, and he had a mop of white curls and great big eyes, and she nicknamed him ‘Bambi’ in her head immediately.



“Oooh, sweetie pie, are you talking to Misamisa? Would you like an autograph? I have paper in my purse.”



Near, drawn up short, only nods once.



“And I saw you drop this.”



He holds up a pink cell phone with hearts on it.



“Ai! It must have fallen out of my purse!” Misa snatches it immediately, and Matt, around the corner, snickers into his hand. ‘Fallen.’ Right. “Thank you, what is your name?”



“Near,” says Near, sounding shy and sort of nervous, and it helps that he’s flushed from chasing after her. She coos at him and it makes him want to gag, but he accepts the autograph with a smile when she gives it to him.



“Thank you, Miss Misa. I have to go home now, but I’m glad I could help.”



Misa pinches his cheek (it hurts) and heads off, and Near walks back towards Matt and Mello. Both of them are looking at him kind of sympathetically, and when Matt talks he sounds startled and proud, both.



“You’re getting really good at this, Near.”



Mello snickers, and says,



“If you’d been like this before, we’d have had to recruit you ages ago.”



Near rolls his eyes. Matt grins at Mello again.



“Now. How about you two head home and sleep. I can stay the night.”



Matt smiles at him, thankfully, which pretty much gets rid of the slight distaste at his own suggestion that he had been feeling, takes Near by the hand, and heads off. Leaving Mello to wait on the street for the night.



Let it never be said that they are not determined.