A/N: Okies, this story is for my friend Amishqueen (ChocolateWolfie on here). It proves that I can write FLUFF! 8DDD YEEEEY!!! I had this idea rolling around in my head for a while, and itched to write it out. So I did. :P I conisder this to be (until the VERY end) in-character, which fills me with fangirlish glee. I own nothing, and I hope ya'll enjoy! ^^ As always, commentary is welcome.
71. Obsession
Sunday mornings at Wammy's always managed to be peaceful. Too worn out from the freedom wrought by the previous Saturday, the children slept in these mornings. The grounds were empty; streaked with warm sunlight that dappled the trees and tickled the tall grass. A comfortable quietness enveloped the otherwise chaotic school. Yes, it was just as he liked it best.
Near sat alone in the common room in his unusual fashion, admiring the early morning. Sun streaked in through the diamond-patterned windows, the concave glass intensifying it. Everything within the white room glowed, Near included. He looked at his pearly sleeve, rolling his wrist back and forth to make the band of light dance. Early Sunday mornings was his time. The time when no one else was up and awake to bother him, to distract him (or attempt to), or annoy him. Asides from the birds beyond the window, it was silent. A perfect moment in time that few ever took time to appreciate. Near smiled to himself, twirling a snowy lock around his finger. After a moment's observation, he slid a piece forward. Think! The little white object slid in flush with the beginnings of the puzzle. He had already placed the pieces with black markings on them to the side – a reward for fitting all the white pieces together correctly.
Yes, in this early-morning world, all the pieces aligned perfectly. He smiled. Then a loud crash shattered the silence. A second later, a tall blonde emerged from behind the doorway, looking over his shoulder. He rubbed the back of his head, glaring darkly at the floor. "Fucking area rug…" he grumbled. He took notice of the room's other occupant and started. "Oh… hi Near." He said, looking glum.
"Good morning, Mello." The white headed boy answered, not looking up from his puzzle. He did this partially because he was intent on beating his own personal records, partially because he was grudging the lost perfect stillness, but mainly because it seemed to piss the blonde off so damned much. Near almost smiled to himself at this. Mello was presently thirteen years old, just a year older than himself. The blonde had hit the stage were his body grew in quick spurts and he had a knack for tripping over absolutely nothing. Gravity and Mello were not so very kosher. Not recently, at least.
"That puzzle again?" the blonde drawled, cocking an eyebrow. He stalked forward, looking skeptically down at his rival. Near gave a slight nod.
"I like this puzzle."
"You've solved it more than a hundred times by now!" the darkly clothed teen exclaimed. "And quickly too. See! You're already starting over. What can be so great about that?!"
"Perfecting what is already acceptable is not a bad habit to be in." Near responded, slipping pieces together so that the cardboard backing was the only thing visible.
"And solving a literal puzzle will get you where, exactly?" Mello challenged, peeling back the foil of his chocolate bar. The pale boy below him looked up and made a face. "What?" the blonde frowned.
"Meiji in the morning? Ugh, Mello, that's just sick."
"What's wrong with chocolate?!" the other exclaimed, not sure to be insulted or surprised. It had been a long while sense someone had criticized his eating habits. Mainly because said person ending up in the hospital wing with a broken nose. That had been fun. "You probably eat your toys or something!" Near paused, this time looking the older boy straight in the eyes.
"Eat… my toys?" he echoed.
"Well… yeah…" Mello nodded, suddenly awkward under the other's intense gaze. "I just figured…"
"Pray tell." Near blinked. "Tell me why the hell I'd ever be so inclined to eat my own toys."
"Well…" the blonde began, taking a healthy bite from his bar. "To be frank, most everyone here at Wammy's has some sort of oral fixation. Everyone who's much of someone at least." He paused to gather his thoughts, lowering himself to sit cross legged across from Near. "First of all, there's L. He's infatuated with cake and black tea – mainly sugary foods and sweets. He's always eating something. Or playing with his lips or putting spoons in his mouth. Case two, Beyond. B had an obsession for jam."
"Strawberry jam." Near interjected, finishing his puzzle once more.
"Right. Then there's me. Well, that's obvious enough in itself."
"You're always eating chocolate, even at ungodly hours of the day, such as this."
"…more or less…" Mello conceded, moving on. "Lastly is Matt. He's not supposed to, exactly, but… he smokes. So he always has cigarettes. Which go in his mouth. See the connection?"
"Naturally." The younger of the pair nodded. "But how does this have to do with me, exactly?"
"Well, seeing as you're a higher up here at Wammy's, it only makes sense that you'd follow suit in the pattern. Your thing is toys, and seeing as there aren't bite marks on anything you possess, the only option left is that you eat them." Mello resolved. He shifted under Near's incredulous stare. "It's infallible logic, really!" Near proceeded to look at him as if he would sprout antlers and a tail at any moment. Then again, if the consumption of plastic action figures and rubber ducks was being construed as infallible…
"You really shouldn't get up so early, Mello." He said at last, returning to the third puzzle attempt.
"Gah, shut up already." The blonde huffed, still embarrassed by his own ramblings. "I don't even know what you find so fascinating about all that shit anyway. And you have the gall to call others infantile… God, I wish you'd just eat one of those rubber ducks. At least you'd be more interesting if you squeaked upon contact." A small sound escaped Near's lips, catching the other's attention. "What're you…?"
Another giggle ushered out. The smaller boy looked up, humor dancing in his normally expressionless eyes. "I think you'd be more interesting if you squeaked too, Mello." He laughed softly.
"Heh, I think it'd be too unbecoming." The blonde snorted, shrugging off the joke. He didn't want to be friendly with Near. Not really. "But really… what do you find so great about puzzles and… Optimus Prime?" he asked, looking around the corner of the room that Near had reserved as his.
"Matt likes Optimus." The white haired boy defended lightly. "But those toys are kinetic, see?" he added, picking up one of the action figures, moving the arm in full rotation. "Like a Rubix cube is kinetic. It's just another puzzle, and a representation of other things. They're very helpful for visualizing a situation – using them as props to reenact how I see it in my head. Much easier to work out flaws that way."
"So it's all just logistics then?" Mello quipped, rolling a pair of die in his palm.
"Sometimes." Near nodded. "But I'm a kid too… I just get… I find the need to occupy my mind." He finished awkwardly, covering the words he wanted to say. "Here." He said, redirecting the conversation before Mello could question him. He shoved the scrambled puzzle pieces towards the blonde. "Try and solve it. You'll see why I like it so much." The older teen hesitated, not sure if the challenge was supposed to be belittling or not. Enable to resist, he reached forward and plucked one ivory piece out from among the others. He turned it around to inspect, then pawed for another piece that might match it. He examined three pieces carefully before selecting a fourth, sliding it into a groove. It almost fit. He frowned, turning it and trying again. No avail. He tried a different groove. It fit flush. Setting the joined pieces aside, he quickly assembled the marked parts, unveiling the capital 'L'. After several more moments of toying with the white pieces, he gave a frustrated grunt and tried to squeeze parts together.
"Addicting, isn't it?" Near asked pleasantly. "We're too competitive to just give up on a challenge. Yet even when we finish, we have the drive that tells us we can do better. That's why I love puzzles."
"Guess that makes sense." Mello nodded grudgingly, still fidgeting with the chunks of assembled pieces. "I can see why you're so obsessed."
"So…" the other prodded, taking up a curious tone. "Why do you love chocolate so much?"
"…Why...?" Mello frowned, looking uncertain. "Because…" he thought a moment. "Because it tastes so good, I suppose. The sugar's good for my brain too." He added hastily, eager to show his similarity to his idol.
"It can't be that good. Not to eat all the time. Even the best of things get old with overuse." The younger argued, slipping one of the pieces into the correct place while the blonde was distracted.
"Meiji is!" he insisted. "Meiji chocolate is the best ever." He dug in his pocket for the remaining half of the candy bar. "Tell me you've ever had any better kind, I dare ya." He smiled broadly, shoving his favorite treat in Near's direction. The white haired boy looked dumbfounded. Mello couldn't possibly be sharing… with him no less… could he? Tentatively, he reached out to grab it, even more surprised when he was allowed to draw it close to him. He nibbled the corner, afraid he would be yelled at for taking more. When Mello said nothing, he took another bite. The chocolate quickly melted on his tongue. It was sweet, but not unpleasantly so, and extremely smooth tasting. He could see the blonde's smirk deepen as he took another bite. "God Near, you're so messy!" he chided jokingly, rising up on his knees. He reached over, thumbing the smeared chocolate off the edges of the other boy's mouth.
Near froze, surprised at the affectionate action. "So I suppose your obsession would be Meiji then?" he asked, blinking slowly.
"No." Mello refuted. His head lowered, soft lips grazing gently across Near's. Then he pulled away. "You are."