Look My Way

Mello did not come back that night, nor in the morning before class started. Near sat in the same place, staring at the door, awake. Finally, when he knew everyone was up and that Mello was for sure not coming back to his room today, he stood slowly and grabbed the comforter off his untouched bed. Wrapping it around himself tightly, starting at his chin, he walked down the hall. Everyone was awake but no one was really out and about yet. Step by step he made his way down the stairs until until he got to the level below and went to a room he knew to be owned by a kid about his size. Knocking lightly, he made sure the blanket did not leave him.

A boy a year younger than him and about his size answered the door. They looked entirely different but they were both around the same height, and both skinny. The person inside the room, however, looked strong - where he looked frail. With black hair and blue eyes, the boy looked at Near in a surprised fashion. "Near? Hi!" It was obvious the boy felt elated that the legendary Near would be standing at his door. Near looked at him with a deadpan look but that did not seem to bother the kid.

"I am not feeling well today, and I am cold." He said, indicating the blanket with a slight shrug. "I was wondering if I could borrow some warmer clothes. Today's lesson is important so I cannot miss it." This, of course, was a lie. Everything was a lie. It seemed ironic that one of the many reasons he didn't make an effort to be social was that people would only lie to him, and yet here he was lying yet again. However the kid nodded and welcomed Near in excitedly. "Thank you." He said distantly, quietly as the boy rummaged through his belongings.

"No problem. I could see why you wouldn't have anything warm, you're always wearing those pajamas that work fine since you're not really someone that goes outdoors when it's chilly." He brought out a white turtle neck sweater and white jeans. Exactly as planned. "Here, I figured you'd like to keep wearing white." The boy said, smiling.

"Thanks." Near murmured as he took the clothing. "I better go now, I don't want to get you sick as well." With that he left, leaving the child to his own devices. What he could probably guess, but didn't really care to know, was that the child was smiling tremendously at the thought that Near cared if he got sick from him.

The white haired boy reached his room and immediately got dressed. Sighing apathetically, he fidgeted as he stood before the mirror. Constricting. Perhaps they weren't tight clothing but they were not the loose hanging layer of light cotton he was used to. Taking it all the way, he got out a pair of tube socks he wore only when forced to go outside with shoes on and put them on. There was no reason for people to question him now. He stared at the mirror again, twirling his finger in his hair. His eyes looked at the turtle neck as he pulled a portion of the shirt down to reveal his neck to himself for the first time since he had been clung so tightly. As he had already known just fromt he pain, dark red bruises were revealed as he moved his finger from one side to another of his neck, revealing slowly a dark circle cut off only in the middle, where due to less holding there, was only a faint pink that nonetheless stood out against his alabaster skin.

With that, he left his room, already late for breakfast and knowing he would just make it to class - since he refused to run.

Mello sat in the class, glaring at his desk, fuming at the existence of Near. Near hadn't come to class yet, which surprised him because Near was generally already here, playing with toys, when he got here. Pulling out a chocolate bar, he opened it roughly and snapped off a peice with his teeth.

"No food in the classroom." Reached his ears, making his head snap to Matt who wasn't even looking at him.

"Shut the fuck up." Mello growled, kicking Matt's desk and throwing it off kilter. Matt didn't care to notice. Looking around, he noticed that everyone was here except Near. This should have made him happy, instead it made him suspicious. He could even hear the two other kids except him and Matt in the room asking where N was to each other and discussing the possibilities. Near was important even when he wasn't there. Another bite of his chocolate snapped into his mouth.

This class only had five people in it. The top five currently in lead to becoming the next L. All these children had 'letters', such as M and N, except Matt - who surprised everyone by saying that the only letter he would take on was L's. To many, it seemed like a pact of determination but Mello knew he just didn't see the point in having a letter if he someday became L and already had the alias of Matt. Matt was perhaps smarter than all of them in that, he didn't let his excitement get the best of him and take on a letter because it was similar to L's situation. He did not need unnecessary things like that.

It was in that moment, where he had been thinking about Matt instead of Near, that the snow-like being walked into the room. Everyone in the room looked at him, even the teacher who had just recently arrived. Despite the fact that he was wearing white like usual, he wasn't wearing his usual pajamas. Everyone stared at him with wonderment as he sat at his desk. The other two was concerned, quite suddenly proclaiming that he must be feeling under the weather and cold, or else he wouldn't be wearing such warm clothing inside during the fall months.

Mello caught on when Near shifted uncomfortably in his heavy white clothing, the twirling finger leaving it's spot at the side of his head to momentarily touch his covered neck before quickly reaching into his notebook and slowly ripping out a page, folding it into a frog. Then another. And another.

The blonde had to smile to himself, so Near actually had to endure this one. He was in pain, and not only that, he was in discomfort from having to hide the taint on his pearly skin. Generally, it upset him when Near tried to hide that he was hurt by Mello, but this was different. Near could make it hard for other people to see he was in pain, but the white hair boy couldn't forget it himself and what's more, despite his efforts, he couldn't hide it from Mello either. No one knew but Mello. The blonde smiled evilly as he nibbled his chocolate, the action much different than the barbaric munching he had been doing earlier.

"What did you do to him, moron?" It was Matt again. Mello looked at him incredulously. "Don't play stupid, just because there's never been proof you haven't done anything doesn't mean I don't know you did it." It was in this moment, that Mello was glad that only him and Matt sat at the back end of the class, whispering to each other often. Now, however, it was only bringing Mello down from his elation.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Whatever." Matt responded, giving up. But Mello knew that this was taken to mean that Matt was angry at him for the moment. They'd never stop being friends, and they never fought. But that didn't mean Matt would have to talk to him. Back in a foul mood, Mello looked at Near, who had successfully lined up an army of white paper frogs across his desk. He started a new layer, stacking them on top of the previous paper amphibians. Mello shook his head and began to actually listen to the teacher, who now had started actually talking about the lesson.

Mello always had to pay attention in class, unlike Near. Near could retain information without listening intently. In fact, it was better off if he was keeping his hands busy. One leg was painfully held between himself and the desk portion of the seat, however it wasn't because of the cramped area, which he was used to, but because of the jeans he wore. That and the previous night's swift kick to the hip made sitting this way painful enough. However, Near did not really have a choice in the matter. Changing his attire was one thing, changing his mannerisms was another.

So for four hours he sat like that, by which time he had moved to the left two desks. The first one was covered in frogs, the second in cranes, and was now, instead of making any more oragami animals, was simply folding them into small boxes and towering them into a cityscape. This was normal for him, so much so that there was a dedicated row in the classroom so he could just move over when he had gotten bored of the last activity. He, in his inattention, had not brought any of his own toys with him today and was getting bored of paper at all when it became lunch time. As usual, the white tipped boy waited until everyone else filed out of the class, Mello passing by him with a smirk. Near simply watched with a blank look, wondering if it meant that Mello was satisfied with the beating he had given Near or if it meant that more was on it's way. Either or, he decided it would be best not to be around people now so he got up and directed himself to the library, leaving the handmade toys behind and slowly making his way down the hall.

Despite the dead look in his eyes, and the quirky way he did things, people could not help but notice that he was a serene creature. He never seemed clumsy at all, which made the injuries he obtained all the more suspicious. One hand twirled in his hair while the other one tugged aimlessly at the hem of his shirt as he made his way to the library. The library was cavernous and cathedral like, books lining multiple rows around a sitting area. It was ironic, though, how what was possibly the most expensive and expansive part of this orpahnage was also the most desolate and unused. It made sense. Kids would take a book, read it in no time, put it back and never return to it. They were geniuses who didn't need to read the same thing twice, nor did they really have the time or desire for luxury reading. So it was here that he came during most lunches. Despite missing breakfast, he wasn't hungry. In fact, Near barely ever ate. Even when he did show up for meals, he'd poke around at his food, eat a few bites, start stacking them, and then throw it away when most people were done. However, his lack of appetite wasn't the real reason he had come to the library today. No, in fact you could say that the reason he had come to the library had made him lose his appetite.

And that reason was because Mello was now sneaking in through the door. He found Near sitting on the ground working on a puzzle that had been set out by him days before. Already one fourth of the way done, Mello approached, boots clomping on the ground next to Near. "Near, do you know why I followed you here?"

The answer was simple. "You're not satisfied." It wasn't a question. In fact, unless Near was in fact looking for information, he never had a question in his tone. There were never any guesses. "You plan on hitting me, kicking me, choking me. Whatever it takes to beat me..." The last part was a murmur, but Mello heard it nonetheless. Swiftly, his fist hit Near's jaw and sent him crashing to the ground.

By the time Near looked up at the blonde again, the punch had been flung back and was again reeling towards his face. Near looked Mello straight in the eyes as the punch landed on his own right eye. The hand not assaulting Near's face had grabbed his shirt and pulled him up off the ground and threw him sideways. It was in that moment that Near noticed, but Mello did not, someone in the doorway suddenly disappearing back into the hall. A leather clad foot met Near in the already injured hip and that brought out a gasp of pain from the white haired boy. Groaning as his body was lifted by the kick and thudding back onto the floor, his fingers grasped to the ground under him, which immediately cracked. This caught the attention of the young genius and made his head snap downward to see that he was now atop his white puzzle, which already unfinished had been torn apart from the struggle and had some blood on it. Near winced as his hair was grabbed and his head pulled up, making the rest of his body follow. Near caught a glimpse of Mello then, eyes ablaze and staring at him, brow furrowed, mouth slightly open and in a frown as he panted from the fight and from uncontrollable anger. Near could even feel the anger making the blonde shake. A blow to the stomach made him double over slightly, hair still in Mello's fist.

And as another hit darted into his abdomen, Near's hands moved on their own, grabbing ahold of Mello's vest. Clinging to the black clothe. Mello seemed to stop, hair being loosened though not let go of. Near looked up to Mello, eye black and swollen, and for a moment their eyes met. Mello's gaze back to it's usual hate but not as angry and out of control, Near's eyes just as blank but somehow less distant.

Then there were people on them, pulling them apart. It took even Near a moment to realize there was no reason to still cling to Mello's shirt. Had there been a reason in the first place? Older children held Near protectively, and he suddenly felt trapped and nervous. He didn't want to be touched by these people. Mello was being pulled back by people around his own age. When successfully pulled apart, Matt came between the two of them, faced Mello, and slapped him square on the cheek.

"You're a real fucking idiot."