It was stormy that night. Dark clouds rolled over the stars as a lone, pale figure sat on the ground. Lego pieces covering the papers that laid disarray, making them seem less important than they really were. One side of the room was completely exposed, floor to ceiling walls of glass to better take in the skyline that is forever changing, yet still unimpressiveto the detective. It's original purpose to let in natural light is wasted at night and doomed it's inhabitants of privacy. The only solace was that no other towers were as tall here.
Near sat to his back to the elevator entrance, content on focusing on matters that a rare few can comprehend. A cellphone buzzed by his foot, showing a young blonde man in a crisp suit. People found Near to be very strange, but Near thought of how strange most were for being so similar. With 26 chromosomes and the possibilities of having more or less, the new mutations and hundreds of cultures upon millions of interactions amongst billions of people, and yet most were so easy to read. To understand. Except for a few.
The man now leaving him a text message was one of them.
Even as the little light on his phone blinked with yet another notification, Near continued to build. The one trying to reach him didn't regard this case, so there was no reason to stop and waste further time talking to the man. Perhaps afterwards Near will inquire about this reach out towards him.
Only the young detective didn't know he had no such luxury.
Approximately forty minutes later the elevator chimed. He was not expecting company nor ordered any food so the disturbance was unwelcomed. Near didn't feel like moving let alone acknowledge this new distraction. Only he wouldn't have that luxury either.
As the door opened one person stepped out. The shoes sounded fashionable, given the way they touched the floor. The person wearing them must be both light weight and held some grace because they hardly made any noise upon entering.
"I would think being this high up you would have ample reception. Did you no receive my messages?"
Near recognized that voice, and with a new curiosity spared the blonde a look over his shoulder.
"Evening Mr. Seguchi. What did you come here for?"
"I had the most interesting idea and I thought I should share it with you.
Near turned back, returning his attention to the tiny bricks at hand.
"Why not email it to me? We are both busy people. That would have saved you both time and energy." It was with that they could both tell Near was at least a little bit annoyed. Even if Tohma Seguchi is a fellow abnormal, Near had other matters to attend to then play more mind games. As fun as they could sometimes be.
"It'd be too long of an email. I wouldn't even know how to properly word it without seeming mad." Tohma stepped closer to Near but wanted to appear respectful, so kept a fair distance away and to his back. He wasn't going to put himself infront of the boy if he didn't want to give him attention in the first place. He needed Near on his side and to do that meant having patience and playing by his game.
The blonde took the silence as a sign to continue.
"Since the day I met you I've been wondering about people like us. Individuals who learn things quickly and execute matters, if not, then next to, proficiently. People call us over-thinkers but really it's all just a strategy to get what we want. We tend to be so determined and thorough some dare to call us god-like." Tohma didn't have to explain it all since Near understood. Near is one of the only ones who do understand. "I'm not here to pursue a title like that though. The last thing I want to end up as is a suspect in one of your case files."
With that sort of introduction Near spared him another glance, this time shifting around to look at him and properly asses the other.
It looked like he'd just come from work, coat draped over his elbow and a brief case in his other hand. His must have recently gotten a haircut because the light blonde locks framed his face better than the last time Near saw him. His green eyes seemed darker but it could be the lax lighting.
Near moving was all the prompting Tohma needed to go on.
"With our sort of minds and personalities, what kind of spawn do you imagine would come from us?"
There was no change in Near's facial expression but one hand came up and began playing with a strand of hair. There is no way two men could reproduce and it wasn't sex Tohma was asking for.
"Given our ages wouldn't it make more sense if you'd adopt me? I have less than a year left until my eighteenth, but it is doable."
"As much as I would love to do that you already seem quite established without a guardian. I'd rather not get in your way but instead, possibly expand our minds a little. What do you think about doing an experiment?"
"I'm a detective, not a scientist. Isn't your wife already expecting?"
Tohma laughed at the dry response, knowing he'd say something like that.
"Yes but that is a separate matter. While I am excited to be a father in the traditional sense, there's an inner curiosity to create more than what I am myself."
"Why can't this current child be you're experiment?"
"Because my wife isn't like us. As brilliant and lovely as she is, she's just short of being like us. A hair away from being so completely abnormal."
Near unfurled the curl he was making before speaking up.
"It sounds like you're attempting to achieve perfection. You're pretty close to that yourself, aren't you? Your only 'downfall', so to speak, is your emotional attachment to Eiri Yuki. Otherwise you're intelligent and charismatic enough to get your way nearly all the time. Whereas I lack almost all social moralities."
Tohma cocked his head to the side in thought. What Near said was almost flattering but he knew that's not the other's intention and thus would be a silly way of taking it.
"They don't need to be perfect. I just want them to be different. If I only used my DNA it would be a clone and I don't want that. I could go to Wammy's and adopt a gifted child such as yourself, but none of my biological traits would be tested in their growth. I also don't know if they'd be as mentally advanced as you are."
There was no denying Near's extensive testing and training. After first meeting the younger Tohma did his own investigation, not unbeknownst to Near, and became further peaked by the boy. While most would shy away from what they learned, it only made Tohma more interested in him and after some time spent together, Near enjoyed the discussions and debates. But most of all, the paler enjoyed the mystery of Tohma and where he fit on the spectrum of good and evil.
". . . So then what exactly are you proposing?"
Tohma's smile broadened, glad that he's got the other's full attention now.
"That we combined our assets."
With that said Tohma threw Near a polite smile. The younger knew better than to take that as a good sign. But he couldn't find himself completely against this idea.