Disclaimer: You know what goes here. Fill it in yourself. I own nothing. Fine. There. I said it.
A/N: Again, this one-shot can be taken as yoai (sorry, spelling might be wrong) OR a platonic friendship story. (This one was actually written, just to let you know, as a friendship ONLY story. ^^)
-----------------------------------------
"Matt?"
Matt looked up from his gameboy. "What?"
"You like me, right?"
Matt studied Near for a few moments, their eyes locking. Then he turned away, feigning disinterest. "Of course I do." he unpaused his game.
"You like Mello too."
Matt nodded, not looking up this time. He inhaled a puff of smoke and blew it out slowly, from one corner of his mouth.
"You seemed today as though perhaps you were feeling some disdain for us." Near observed in his pompous way. For being only fourteen, the kid sure had a large vocabulary. Just like L. Matt sighed, pausing his game again.
"What do ya mean, punk?"
Near was crouched around a ever-growing tower of un-opened mustard and ketchup packets from the dining hall. "I mean," he said, placing yet another packet on the pile. "that you seemed annoyed that we were enjoying one another's company."
Matt thought that over for a few seconds, chewing on the end of his cigarette. "You guys like to chill together, what's it to me?" he asked around the smoke.
"That's precisely what I want to know." Near agreed.
Matt set his gameboy on the bed and rolled over, into a sitting position. He looked down at Near, crouching on the floor. "I just think you guys ought to branch out a little more. Socialize." he descended from the bed, sitting cross-legged beside Near.
"You feel left out." Near corrected.
Matt said nothing, and apparently, that was confirmation enough for Near.
"Mello likes you more than me, you know."
"He spends all his time with you." Matt argued. "He totally likes you more."
"He spends time with me, yes. But he doesn't enjoy it." Near tugged at his bangs thoughtfully. "I think he'd be happier if he made a habit of spending time with you instead."
Matt nodded. I know I would be.
"I get the feeling, actually, that he hates me."
Matt removed his cigarette from his mouth, surprised. He hadn't expected Near to confide in him. "Mello? Hates you? Nah, come on, Near."
"Yes. He hates the competition." Near said, placing his last ketchup packet on the tower before them. "I've thought so for a while now."
Matt placed a tentative hand on Near's shoulder, and, when no negative reaction was made, he left it there. "Everyone gets frustrated about. . .well, quite frankly, losing all the time. Sometimes I feel like Mello hates me too, because, let's face it, there's some things I'm way better at than he is. But I know he doesn't really hate me, or you."
Near didn't answer, but became engrossed in staring at his tower.
"Mello will realize what I did. . .we're good at some things he's not, and he's good at things we might suck at."
"Like what?" Near looked up, his eyes glinting, daring Matt to challenge him.
"For instance. . ." Matt took a puff from his cigarette. "target practice."
Near shrugged. "I suppose."
"But you know Mello likes you. And he's figure it all out eventually. You see."
Near nodded, leaning back, onto his butt, and stretching his right leg out, leaving his left bent. He leaned back on his hands. "I hope you're right."
"Of course I'm right." Matt grinned. "Man, I never knew you were so damn worried about it. Here I thought I was the one no one liked." Near only smiled knowingly, twisting his bangs around his finger as he stared at the tower. Matt wondered what he found so amusing.
-----------------------------------------------
Review? :o -waves ketchup packets in face-