Title: Thunder
Author: Tian-san
Pairings: None.
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Humor
Rating: G
Summary: A day full of surprises for Near. And it's all thanks to the thunder.
Near didn't bother to look out of the window. From the rumblings outside he can figure out it was raining. Hard. The thunder strikes and he shook from the surprise before falling into his usual rhythm of puzzle piecing.
He didn't fear thunders. He likes to pretend they didn't exist. Of course he heard them, and he was reminded once again that was the thunder storming, but he thinks it's fine. There was no reason to fear something like that, he thinks. Fear is just an illusion, completely illogical.
And as Mello barged in to the room they shared Near sighed – right now Mello's acting on complete impulse, very illogical. Mello sits on his bed, and he glanced up to see the blond shivering. A rare sight indeed. Near paused, unsure of what to do, before standing up and sit beside Mello who was now curling into a ball, sobbing lightly. Another rare sight.
He curled his fingers in his hair. White, just like his clothes. Mello didn't like him for being white all over. But he thinks Mello's opinion is complete nonsense. A nonsense that leads to him dressing in all black, complete opposite of him.
Mello sniffled and all he did was silently hoping the blond didn't wet his blankets with those tears. Then he sat up and his eyes widen – and it happened all too sudden Near thinks it's impossible – as big as L's.
"Wh- what are you doing here?" Mello asked in a low voice, eyeing him carefully with those big, cerulean eyes.
"I was here all along, Mello." He replied in an equally low voice, tugging a lock of his ivory hair. It worked, his focus shifted from the blond to his hair. Anything to avoid eye contact with him. Anything.
Mello blinked once. Twice. Then smiled sheepishly at him. Smiled. Without any malicious stares or angry threats or fists balled up ready to be launched. "Oh" is all he said. Near tugged his hair slower, what the hell is wrong with Mello today?
Then he shifted away from Near, and hopped off the bed. Standing on Near's half completed puzzle, he smirked.
"Don't think I'm getting soft, especially on you sheep." He taunted and stomped harder on the pristine white puzzles.
Near raised a silver eyebrow before turning away and twirled his hair softly. Bipolar. Maybe Mello suffers from that disorder, he thinks curiously.
The room was filled with silence. Mello prefers to glare at Near, who had his back turned on him. And Near was thinking of the possibilities of whether Mello is bipolar or not, or he's just plain weird. The silence mentioned was broken when the bed creaks softly and the sheets rustled as Mello made himself comfortable sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall.
"Why did you cry?" Near asked, still having his back turned on Mello.
He heard something that sounded like Mello holding his breath. He's probably furious right now, Near thinks. And perhaps he's too angry to answer his question.
Minutes passed. Near, who was bored with nothing to do, slumped back to his position on the floor, putting back the puzzle pieces.
He felt something warm beside him, and he glanced lightly to see Mello sitting cross legged beside him. Near can only raise an amused eyebrow. The blond picked up a piece and placed it, not meeting Near's grey orbs.
"Do you remember your past?" Mello asked suddenly.
Near frowned. The only thing he remembered was a woman with pale blond hair screaming, her bright blue eyes widen in horror. And a man with dark brown hair, coughing out blood. And glasses breaking.
"Perhaps. "
"Do you ever see or hear something that made you recall them?"
So the thunder brings out a bad memory for Mello. Interesting.
"No."
A sigh. Something heavy weighed on him, and Near looked absolutely confounded as Mello closed his eyes and snuggled to his shoulder.
"The thunder makes me remember my father."
Near didn't say anything. For he was far too stunned to react to anything at the moment.
"I was afraid of thunderstorms. Terrified of them. When I was three, father would calm me down and tell me everything will be alright. And I was okay then. But he had to move away for a job across the city, and when he came back three years later he's nothing but ashes.
"Now every time I hear the thunder, I would remember him. Papa…"
Mello sucked in air to breathe and Near remembered her mother who did the same thing every time she went swimming.
"But the past is in the past. Look forward, there's nothing left behind."
Mello nodded. Mello actually agreed with something he said. Well, this is a day full of surprises after all, Near thinks.
"Yeah. Wanna let me help you with that?"
Near's eyes only widen for a fraction. But inside his jaw dropped.
"S-sure."
Mello smiled at him, smiled. Without any malice or evil smirks or threats. His long fingers picked up a piece and placed it, bright blue eyes locked on him.
Blue eyes that shine like his mother's every time she tucked him to bed.
Perhaps Mello would actually be nice to him. This time.