It's Mello's birthday! Happy birthday our favorite chocoholic! And this fic is my gift for him. And yes, you got it right, it's a Meronia fic!

Enjoy, friends!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

It wasn't the warm sunlight shining through the slightly opened curtain, nor was the cheerful chirping sounds of those little birds outside that woke him up from his deep slumber. Nope, not at all. It was the feeling of delicate fingers playing with some strands of his blonde hair, as well as warm breaths against his neck.

So gentle, so soft...

Still, he kept his eyes close, waiting for more.

"...Mello..." Ah, there, that voice, childlike, but just as soft and warm as the being that was lying beside him. It still made him shiver ever since the first time he'd heard it.

"...Mello..."

Silence. A comfortable silence.

"...Mihael..." This time, it was his name, his real name, along with a light weight on his chest and fingers still in his hair. Finally, he gave in and opened his azure eyes, only to lock them with those beautiful dark grey orbs of a young male in white pajamas.

"What are you doing?" He heard himself asking.

"Waking you up." Near answer shortly. That was Near for you: always simple and straight to the point.

"Then maybe you should get out of the bed first." Despite his reply, Mello drew the boy closer, wrapped the blanket tighter around them, and inhaled the familiar cinnamon scent from his wavy white hair.

At this, Near only shrugged and buried his face deeper into the blonde's clothed chest. "...Comfy..."

They stayed like that for a moment, letting time tick their lives away, as if they had all the time in this world, and they were in no hurry.

It was Near who broke the silence with his monotone. "I think we should really get out of the bed."

"Why? It's cold. And you're adorable." Mello said lazily, not really paid any attention. He was busy focusing on Near's warmth, and leaving kisses along his pale neck.

The albino closed his eyes, and sighed contentedly. "Because it's a nice day, and we should hang out."

At this, the blonde stopped abruptly, his face was full of questions. "Why?" Near had never liked outdoor activities, or crowded places, really. This made Mello puzzled.

"Just." With that statement, he went into the bathroom, ending their conversation. Near always had the last say in any circumstance. With a heavy sigh, Mello got up and followed his partner.

"So what would you like to do next?"

Okay, now Mello was feeling really uncomfortable. First, Near had taken him to a cafe, where they played rock music and screamo and heavy metal, to have breakfast. Of course the blonde had quite enjoyed the hot chocolate with marshmallows and his favorite songs, he couldn't help but noticed how the white haired boy had fidgeted and squirmed subtly and twirled his hair faster than usual.

After breakfast, they went to a carnival. All the place was packed with people, with loud funny theme songs, children running, winner screaming,... Mello knew that these were too much for Near, and he still couldn't understand why Near suggested going out in the first place. Said boy kept asking Mello what he wanted to do, where he wanted to go, despite his nervousness.

Although his eyes showed nothing, Near's whole posture showed uneasiness.

"We can try the roller coaster, or watch a 4D movie, or maybe you wa-"

"Okay, that's enough." The blonde grabbed Near's thin wrist and dragged him to a quieter spot. He then grabbed the boy's shoulder firmly.

"You have a lot to explain, Near. Why the hell did you do all the things I like but you don't? Why do you have to force yourself like that?" He tried to find those dark eyes, but Near was now staring at the ground, his body tensed.

"...Because it's your birthday..." Came a small reply after a long minute of silence.

Mello was shocked. His birthday was today? He himself didn't even remember it. Now he felt... What? Happy? Relieved? Angry? Confused?

"...You don't have to do all of these for me, you know..." He said gently, his eyes softened.

"...I just want you to be happy." Near whispered back, almost impossible to hear.

Mello observed the boy before him closely. Dressed in a pair of black jeans, a white buttoned up shirt and Mello's black sweater (which he found it cute), Near looked so small, so fragile. To strangers, he was a weird and shy teenager. To people who had meet him briefly, he was an emotionless bastard with a sharp tongue (and sometimes he still was to the blonde). But Mello knew better.

He scolded at himself. Sometimes, Mello forgot that Near had trouble in expressing his feelings, in showing that he cared. And somehow, Near always forgot that Mello knew that he cared.

He took the boy's face into his hands, stroking his cheeks tenderly.

"Nate, look at me..."

Azure met grey. Mello pecked his velvety lips.

"For a genius, you're such an idiot sometimes. Doing what I like to do is not the only thing that makes me happy, you know..." He grinned. Near said nothing, but his eyes shone with relief.

"How about this: We will go to a nearby park for a walk, eat some ice-cream, have a nice dinner at a small and quiet restaurant. After that, we can, oh I don't know, go home and 'warm up our bed'. What do you say?" Mello smirked and winked his eye.

Near's face was now a crimson, heat invaded his cheeks and ears and neck. He smiled that odd but cute smile of his and agreed.

"That sounds nice."

FIN

A/N: Again, happy birthday Mello! And Mels, go easy on Near, okay. He's still 'innocent' to some point *Wink wink* XD