Pieces and Bits: Always have and always will


"Shit." Mello cursed as he leant his body on the doorway of his ridiculously disorganized bedroom.

Used week old clothes scattered on the floor, foil chocolate bar wrappers and crumpled papered piled up on one side, textbooks splayed on the bed and his closet overloaded with other junk.

Normally Mello wouldn't have cared if his room was a chaotic mess he never had the reputation of being neat freak, unlike some obsessive-compulsive, extremely spick and span albino bastard. But today was the dreaded (for Mello) monthly cleaning day, and all the orphans are obliged to clean their respective rooms, no exceptions, not even that overly big-headed top ranked, N-E-A-R.

The fair-haired boy gritted his teeth at the thought of his white-haired rival. He always feels his blood boil that it could almost evaporate within seconds whenever the younger boy invaded his mind without even putting so much of an effort.

"Ah, to heck with him!" Mello growled under his breath as he tried to brush the thought of his self-proclaimed arch enemy out of his mind "I have a room to clean, better to get started now than be reprimanded by that nitpicking old man."

And so, starts the impossible quest of Mello: cleaning his own room.


The cerulean eyed preteen wiped a patch of sweat that collected on his forehead with the back of his hand and gazed at his now immaculate room, he couldn't even recognize it anymore without all the clutter. A smug smirk pulled at the corner of his lips at his achievement.

He plopped down on his now newly sheeted mattress to take a well-deserved break. After a moment's worth of staring at the dirty white ceiling his eyes landed on a box that rested on top of his cabinet. Since when had that been there?

Mello slid out of his bed and walked over to the wooden cabinet staring at the black box sitting on atop it. He stood on tiptoes and reached up his arms and took hold of the dusty old box.

He blew off the excess grime that was coating the cover of the container and watched for a brief moment as millions of dust particles danced in the air. He shifted his gaze again at the mysterious black carton in his hands. He had forgotten that it had even been up there all this time. Then again, Mello never was one to take notice of such petty objects lying about in his room.

He took off the lid and browsed through the articles inside it

There was an old chocolate wrapper of his favorite brand, well that wasn't surprising. Another was his favorite book, entitled 'The little Prince'. It was a gift sent to him by L himself, and he loved it. The message behind it is to 'see with one's heart instead of one's eyes', to look deeper than just the surface of a thing or a situation. It was the only story book that touched Mello's heart, at least.

There were lots of other stuff jammed inside the box; the old digital alarm clock that Matt had given him for his 9th birthday that had a personalized theme of Mario Cart, a picture taken of him when he was younger, lyrics of a song he wrote himself about bunnies, and to think that he wrote it because bunnies reminded him of Near, (how embarrassing) written on a ripped page of a notebook and his favorite pair of black socks.

But the one thing that really caught his attention was a framed photo of him and his rival and a toy plane given to him by Near himself during his 6th birthday, he recalled it was Near's favorite. Giving it to Mello must have taken a lot for him it was completely a selfless act.

A small smile crossed his features at the thought.

Then it struck him. He remembered why all these things were placed inside the box it held all the things most valuable to him. His most prized possessions.

Mello's gaze affixed firmly on the photo in his hands, it was a picture taken a long time ago when they were just kids. Mello remembered quite clearly of the time when the photo was taken.

It was the day after L's arrival at Wammy's and was also the blonde's birthday. Near had just given him his birthday present, a chocolate bar and his favorite brand too! Mello had finished eating his chocolate in less than three minutes and decided to put the neatly folded wrapper in his pocket for safekeeping, it was after all, from Near, it was the same wrapper that he had kept hidden in the box.

"Thank you Neechan!" the vivacious blonde grinned as he hugged his best friend.

Mello like calling Near 'Neechan' he thought it was cute just like Near. The platinum-haired boy didn't mind it if his friend addressed him as such, in all honesty, he liked it too.

"You're always welcome Mello." Near said, a smile on his face

"Say cheese!" L suddenly yelled and appeared out of nowhere holding a Polaroid camera in front of both the equally startled boys.

Finally snapping out of their stupor, both boys stared straight at the lens of the camera and smiled. Mello's holding a vibrant grin on his face and Near a timid cute half-smile.

And just in time the camera snapped-shot Mello turned and kissed Near on the cheek making the younger boy turn all shades of pink and red.

Mello can't help but let a chuckle erupt from his throat, he remembered all the silly times he had with Near as a kid. They would always do everything together, wherever Mello was Near would be there and wherever Near was Mello would be there. Which gained them the reputation of the 'inseparable duo'. They used to have each other's backs. They were an invincible together each has the trait the other doesn't,the perfect team. It was a unique friendship that lead to something much, much more deeper… love. Pure and innocent love.

Well, right before the competition for L's title began, that is.

It was the only thing that broke them apart. Their once beautiful relationship torn down and ripped to shreds over something so trivial. Mello couldn't deny that he yearned to go back to those times again, but it hurts him every time to think that he can't and never could. Because of everything at stake and because of his need to be number one.

He placed the framed photo gently down on the floor and picked up the toy plane Near had given him.

They were in the empty common room one summer afternoon, lying down on the floor in corner farthest from the door. Near was lost in his own little world, absentmindedly zooming his toy plane in the air and making all kinds of sounds that resembled an engine. All the while Mello was just lying there idly.

Suddenly he felt something warm snuggle up to his chest, he looked down and his eyes met with the familiar soft white locks that he loved so much.

"Is my little Neechan sleepy?" He asked, voice full of fondness

Near only nodded in reply.

Mello leant down a bit to kiss Near's petal soft pale pink lips, he knew Near loved it when he does that.

"Mello, we'll always be friends forever right?"

The blonde chuckled "Of course we will Neechan."

Soft grey eyes looked up at icy azure ones as dainty pale fingers played with the hem of the older boys' shirt "We'll always be together won't we?"

"Forever and Always, Neechan." The chocoholic leaned a little bit more to rub tip of his nose on Near's petite one.

"Promise?"

"Promise." Mello smiled as aninkling hit him "Hey, why don't we get married someday? That way we'll never ever get separated!" he announced with glee

A small smile tugged at the sides of Near's lips "It would make me very happy to be with Mello forever."

"I'll never leave you Neechan, promise."

"I love you Mello." Near softly said, his voice laced with drowsiness

The smile on the blondes' tanned face turn into a grin. He's never felt so euphoric in his life as he pulled the younger boy closer to him and wrapping his arms protectively around the white clad boy, placing a light kiss on his forehead.

Mello stopped moving the plane around and snapped out of his thoughts as a piece of paper hidden on one of the seats of the toy plane fell onto the floor.

The blonde curiously picked it up and opened the folded piece of paper.

It was a drawing. It was utterly a plain and simple drawing, but it had a great effect on him. He felt his heart clench at the sight.

It was a drawing of him and Near, Mello was holding a chocolate bar in his hand and was smiling widely whilst Near was clutching a toy robot and they were both holding hands, there was a heart drawn in red crayon right above them and written in neat cursive below their figures read; Neechan loves Mello.

A cross between a sob and a warmhearted chuckle escaped from his lips.

"I love Neechan too. Always have and always will." Mello said, his voice shaky as a single tear streamed down his face and fell right in the middle of the heart drawn on the feeble paper.


Unbeknownst to Mello, Near had been standing outside his room, partly hidden behind the semi-opened door. All he anticipated to do was to return the textbook Mello had left in the library, he didn't foresee however that Mello would've said something like that, not that he was complaining... but still.

'I love Neechan too. Always have and always will.'

Those nine words, those nine precious words kept playing in his mind.

Those words that came from his old friend and now rival's own lips yanked roughly at his heartstrings. He missed the blonde, he missed him dearly. All the laughs they used to share. All the daft and fun moments they used to have. The way they just spent time with each other with no opposition to worry about.

Near wanted things to be like they once were. When they were allowed to just be kids with no worries whatsoever. To the time before the whole rivalry for L's title began. To the time when Mello called him his best friend. But that was never going to happen, so he stopped hoping.

Hearing those precious words from the blonde however, sparked up some of the hope he had left, maybe... just maybe, their old relationship isn't really lost after all.

He clutched the photo to his chest, right where his heart is supposed to be. He felt a smile curve on his lips, the first genuine smile he's had in years.

"You too Mello. Always have and always will."


A/N: ok that was just a little drabble… Tell me what you think. And if you can suggest some things, please do so.