Hello everyone, I'm back...Let's see if college has done much to change me...

(A/N : Story influenced by Paramore's 'The Only Exception' and Rob Thomas' 'Someday')

~L~L~

The Lit Room

At the end of the hall, there used to be a room, where the lights never go off.

It's three in the morning, he lays flat on the table, arms wrapped awkwardly behind his head, his face buried behind the veil of iron-straight blonde locks, heaving and murmuring softly. He feels defeated, he feels like crap, he feels like he's lost all direction, he feels like he doesn't know what his doing anymore, he can't even remember what he's doing awake at this late hour. Is this it? He suppose it is, because he doesn't think he can't go any further than this, it's over, time to call it quits, but yet he doesn't want to accept this plain fact and so he struggles even as the words on the pages start to swirl and blur and make no freaking sense, or maybe that's just the tears messing with his vision.

It's a little over three in the morning, the lights along the corridor were out hours ago, he's been in the dark, on his knees, little hands pressed lightly against the wooden door, quietly looking through the keyhole with big, black, obscure orbs for at least half an hour. He couldn't be sure of what he was seeing, not that he had in the past, day or night, he suppose he could never fathom much of the blonde either way, not in the way he acts, not in the way he speaks, not in the way he is. He clutches his toy robot closer to his chest, eyes ever focus on the black-clad teen sitting at the table enclosed in the stacks of thick books. It's so out of character for him, he muses about himself, he wasn't doing anything in specific, unless you count making observations in which one can't come up with a solid analysis or satisfying conclusion for a worthwhile activity, but it felt strangely significant, it was important to him. It's not one of those sleepless nights he often had, he was truly tired tonight, heavy lids threatened to take him off to some other place and also the fact that he had yawned thrice in the passed five minutes. He rubbed his slightly reddened eyes to counter it, he couldn't afford to fall asleep in front of Mello's room door again like he did two weeks ago, thank goodness he woke up earlier than the blonde that day, unfortunately later than the blonde's redhead best friend, Matt who had gave him suspicious look for the whole week but utter nothing of the matter to Mello, another thing worth showing gratitude for.

You need to sleep, the sensible part of his brain spoke, pressing him to go to bed already. He would've did as told, one doesn't just ignore the sensible part of one's brain unless you enjoy facing detrimental consequences, but not today, he said to himself. Not when the blonde lips was curved downwards into the saddest frown instead of a tight closed line from determination, not when his eyes were hidden behind the thick bangs instead of blazing blue with his usual competitive spirit, not when he could see the blonde shaking ever so slightly, not when he could have sworn the corner of those blue eyes were stained with some fresh unshed tears, not today, not like this.

He wished he could do something, even if he was more of an introvert, but alas he stayed as a silent bystander, watching the blonde as he would any other thing or person, void and distant. Day or night, some things never change.

So tired…His breathing slowed some more, his body felt like jelly, unsteadily tilting to the right or left every now and then, and for the first time in his life, he thinks he might be having a migraine. Maybe just a short doze, he offered himself, laying his head gently on door.

Blue eyes blinked, causing the brimming tears to fall which he quickly wiped before they barely made it down his cheeks. He turned to the door, sure that he just heard a thud, not a loud one but he was sure he heard one. Without much thinking, he went to open the door, anything was better than trapping himself between those books, his brain needed some air. But what came stumbling into his doorsteps was the last thing he'd ever expect to find.

"Near?"

He grunted, both from the fall and from being woken so abruptly. Groggily, he sat up, leaning his back against the wall, too tired to even bother that he just got caught red-handed.

"Near?" He called again upon seeing the boy fall back to sleep at his door. When that didn't work, he went down on a knee, prodding Near's shoulder a few times and sighing when that failed as well. Rubbing his temple, he spotted the toy robot lying on the floor.

"Near, wake up or I'll flush your robot down the toilet," he threatened. At that, two pitched black eyes snapped open, glaring at the blonde, "You wouldn't dare."

Mello chuckled, "Yeah, you're right," he said, looking to the white robot in his hand, "It'd never fit down the toilet, maybe I'll just send it to an incinerator or something," he joked, making Near narrow his eyes at the blonde. A smirk curled onto his lips, and he let out a small laugh, ruffling the head of platinum white hair, tousling it even more than it was before. Near was not amused, looking dully at Mello, causing a sigh to pass the blonde's lips.

The hand on his head slid down, tracing circles on his cheek then down his jaw line. He tensed, trying to pull away from the touch, a light pink dusting his usual pale cheeks. "What is Mello doing?" He blurted out, in third-person by accident since his brain couldn't convert it to first-person in time.

"Hmm…Are you tired? You look tired," the blonde's face softened. "I'm not a child," Near answered flatly, just a little bit defensive. A smile graced Mello's features, "You're thirteen," he stated the matter of fact.

He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Mello had gotten up and went back to his desk with his favorite toy robot. "You can come in," he said, blue eyes back on his books, "and close the door." He'd always wondered what it'd be like to be in Mello's room, although he always made it clear to himself of how impossible it was since the two could not get along, to put it mildly. Never did he think he would see the day, he'd get an invitation, and from Mello himself, what more.

"Can I have my robot back?" he placed a hand out to the blonde, trying not to look at anywhere else, even though he would've like to study Mello's habitat in further detail now that he was in the lion's den itself.

"Come here," Mello gestured for Near to get closer. "Can you do something for me?" he cocked his head, averting his gaze to the pale boy. Now there's something interesting, "What is it?" Near asked curiously. He reached for the baggy pajama sleeve, pulling Near closer, and finally tugging the smaller onto his lap.

Near blinked his slightly widened eyes, surprised at what had just happened, but before he could process it further, Mello spoke, "Read to me." Once it sank in, he turned to the book, Raymond Chang Chemistry ninth edition, he recognize it almost immediately.

"Nine point five, Electronegativity," he began, seeing as there was not much to object to, "A covalent bond, as we have said, is the sharing of an electron pair by two atoms. In a molecule like hydongen, in which the atoms are identical, we expect electrons to be equally shared-that is, the electrons spend the same amount of time in the vicinity of each atom," he paused waiting from a response from the blonde, affirming that he was doing the right thing. "Go on," he nodded, continuing where he had left off.

After a good five pages, he wasn't reading from the book anymore but from memory since he eyes were getting sore. He stole a glance at the clock on the desk, it was already nearing four, even on the restless nights he would've been asleep by now.

His eyes were already closed, slouching with weary, the words he was mumbling started to sound unintelligent to himself, but he was sure he was still reading, and reading right too. "Are you tired?" Mello interrupted. A pair of arms wrapped around his thin waist, Mello placing his chin at the crook of his collarbone. "Mm," he managed, lifting his eyelids a little.

"I'm tired too, so very tired," his voice became uneven, holding Near even tighter, "I can't do this anymore." The tears started to roll freely down his face, he didn't bother to do anything about it this time.

"Please…I can't…I can't do this…I'm tired, I'm so tired.." he whispered weakly, tears falling and wetting Near's pajama shirt. "What's wrong Mello? I don't understand," Near turned to faced the blonde, tired eyes looking into glassy ones.

"..I just can't…I can't live like this…I don't want to do it anymore…it's not worth it.." his breathing hitched, hugging Near even closer. "I don't understand," he said again, truly at a lost, what was he suppose to do to help?

"You're such a twit," the blonde gave a painful laugh, "What don't you get? It's too difficult for me, I can't handle it…I-I can't do it anymore."

"What am I suppose to do?" he asked, internally worried for his fellow schoolmate. "Nothing," he sighed, calming a little, "Don't do anything…just stay…I just, just need to…" He didn't finish before sobbing once again.

"Would you like me to get Matt instead?" Near finally asked after an uncomfortable ten minutes of hearing the blonde cry. "No, I don't want to make him worry," that made Near's expression darkened, "I'm worried about you."

"Are you really?" the older chuckled, tears beginning to dry. "Lying is wrong," Near was fast to comeback. "Hmm," he hummed in reply.

It's half passed four when he finally fell asleep right in Mello's arms. Carefully, the blonde cradled the sleeping boy onto his own bed. Looking over Near's sleeping form and adorably peaceful face, he tentatively curled a lock of white hair as what Near would routinely do, feeling its softness. Tenderly, he pushes the thick white bangs away from Near's forehead, kissing it, trailing more kisses down to his cheek, the cute little nose, and hesitantly brushing their lips together. Stirring in his sleep, two dark orbs suddenly snap opened, looking at the blonde who was staring down at him. "Mello?"

"Can I ask for another favor?" the blonde asked in a whisper, leaning down to his ear, nuzzling at his neck, "stay with me tonight."

~L~L~

Hallelujah! I got the scholarship...and guess what?...I'm going to...INDIA!...Tada!...gonna be home for one week to settle paperwork...hopefully I get to write more since I'll be doing A-level instead of the 10 month rushing program...So tell me what you think...REVIEW!