I am fond of Near, so here is this oneshot I created.
Near sat-no more like crouched- in a relatively large booth and hugged his thin, bony knee to his chest. Ebony eyes were racing speedily across a dimly lit laptop screen. Pale fingers were pecking almost as quick across a noiseless keyboard.
He paused momentarily when a young teenage waitress delicately placed fine china in front of him. He nodded his thanks at the girl and proceeded to sip his tea. He did not add any sugar.
Near had turned 19 this day, or so he had been told. Most people would be celebrating but he had no use for such trivial matters. He was L. L never had stopped working on a case if he could help it and Near wasn't going to let him down.
He stared at the screen until his eyes blurred, words and letters scattered across page after page of documents. Closing his laptop, he reassessed his surroundings.
Pale brown booths: twenty in the whole place in fact. Not counting the ones in the break room.
White walls: on which two servers, including the one who had served him, rest upon.
A large window: viewing the front of the café with prepubescent children running amuck outside it, barely dodging a feeble woman who resided on the bus bench adjacent to the window.
The café had three exits: the main entrance, the emergency exit, and the back entrance in the kitchen. The male and female bathrooms contained 10 stalls each with a small window in the handicap stall. As soon as Near walked in, he had established a plan to immediately leave the premise should a crisis erupt.
Nothing of interest pricked his interest so he rested his gaze out into the rainy afternoon sky. Thick and tall thunderheads promising incoming thunderstorms had everyone rushing to get off the streets. Most, in fact, were crowding the entrance to the train station across from his café.
Except for the woman on the bench.
Her long brown hair fell raggedly past her shoulders, which were currently slumped over her frame. Her head was tucked down into her blue jacket, almost as if she were asleep.
Well, that is if you didn't notice how fast her chest was moving and the streaming tears down her pale complexion. As if to match her mood, the sky started to release a torrent of water. Near noted this and withdrew most of his attention within the café. He took his phone from his pocket and sent Roger a message to pick him up at Sterling's Café and Bakery. Near had been craving nostalgia. That was the only reason he had left headquarters and ventured out into the real world.
Near's phone vibrated, a responding Roger agreeing to meet him in ten minutes. He hadn't inquired as to why Near had been out in such weather.
Near rested his chin upon his palm while the other hand absentmindedly tapped the table in a soft, rhythmic pattern. He had actually been to this café before, once that is. Finishing the Kira case had left him a sense of victory but things had started quieting down again. Nothing new really had occurred, as if besides the weather, nothing changed.
At least that day hadn't been one of his ordinary ones.
The Kira case had been finished, Light Yagami and the Death Note disposed of. All paper work completed. The Japanese Taskforce that had previously worked for L the First returned to the police. Life was tranquil and still. Crime rate was down. Near should have been basking in his largest victory.
Instead, he was miserable. Silently, of course.
At the tender age of 18, he had solved history's greatest case, something L hadn't even accomplished. The only problem was, how he could top that? What could challenge him like that case had? What could stimulate him intellectually to the point he couldn't sleep? Life had topped on its rollercoaster and all Near could see was down. Way down. Like he solved the hardest puzzle and was then downgraded to simple one hundred piece puzzles compared to the hundreds of thousands he had completed.
He, Nate River, was afraid of becoming bored.
He had left the hotel he was currently staying at without anyone being aware. He wanted to feel something different. A new adventure, where he stowed away on his own for the very first time. Of course, the café he was currently at was a few streets from the hotel. He wasn't ready to stray too far.
He sipped the tea he had received. The taste was almost overbearingly sweet. He continued to drink it. Near wanted a challenge, but it was likely to be a while before that would occur again.
So right this second, drinking his tea would be his challenge.
"Shut up! He soooo doesn't like me like that!" Two giggling girls staggered in, eyes bright with laughter and glee. The brunette was shoving the blond away, blushing profusely. They sauntered behind an annoyed waitress to a booth in front of his.
Near ignored them, sulking on the inside while his outer appearance seemed cool and collected. He sipped his tea again. The brunette shrugged her jacket and hat off, revealing her face.
Near didn't physically react, he just continued to drink his drink. He was good at that, swallowing what he felt. Which was a good thing considering-
"Sayu Yagami! Tanachi-kun definitely likes you! I promised him I wouldn't tell
you but he wanted to ask you out as soon as you got back from your trip," the Blond sighed dreamily. Sayu just laughed and picked up a menu.
"Uh, Sayu-chan? Where were you? You missed class for quite some time," She inquired softly. Abruptly the light-hearted atmosphere changed into a tense, uncomfortable presence. Sayu visibly went rigid from Near's perspective and muttered quietly, " I was in America, my dad was in the hospital."
Sayu Yagami. She was a very jovial and smart girl. Actually, if her brother hadn't overshadowed her, her intelligence would be noticed for her being an advanced student. She was currently attending university here in Tokyo. She was kidnapped recently and held hostage by Mello, just a few weeks prior. Evidently she enjoys concerts and is mediocre at piano.
Near pondered her situation. She had been kidnapped recently, so why is she so normal? Near glanced back at Sayu, whose façade was strengthening as she and her friend renewed their conversation on a non-serious topic.
Perhaps she is still in shock and hasn't allowed herself to grieve yet. If Near's calculations were correct, she would most likely have a break down very, very soon. Near pressed a few keys on his phone. He had a plane to catch in a few hours, and it would be problematic if he were late. So he messaged Roger to pick him up.
Of course you would have me drive when the weather is bad! Near, you mustn't run off like this! Why did you leave? I expect an answer when I arrive in ten minutes!
Near merely glanced over the scornful message. Roger hadn't fully accepted his duty of being Watari and was treating him as the same orphan boy he raised. Eventually, even Roger would crumble and would become even easier to out maneuver. No challenge.
A thud brought Near's attention back into the café instead of his phone. He openly stared towards Sayu Yagami. There was no sight of the Blond friend of Sayu Yagami's. Meanwhile, Sayu Yagami was hunched over on her table, face down.
Near was correct in the timing of her breakdown. But what else was new?
He just stared at her, waiting to be noticed. Why? He didn't really know or cared to know. He just wanted to.
After a few moments, Sayu Yagami unknowingly allowed Near to view her tear-stained face. Near gazed back, making no move to look away. It was a competition. Who would turn away first?
Brown eyes stained red versus blank black eyes. Sayu Yagami choked back more tears and made a dash from the table. Near turned his attention from her wandering frame and gazed outside.
Clouds were swirling slowly in the sky, emptying their load onto anyone and everyone. Despite the torrential downpour, Near could see the bright lights of the city around him. The drops of rain made streaks on the signs, making them look as if they were dripping the neon they were made from. Dripping light.
Suddenly a rush of air swarmed Near's booth. Across from him was Sayu Yagami who looked broken beyond her carefully reapplied makeup. She frowned at him.
"Hey, uh, are you okay?" Her words were full of cheer and concern. Near cocked his head to right, pondering this.
"I'm sorry! I thought you were-"
"Shouldn't I be the one asking if you are okay, Sayu Yagami?" Near cut her off and watched her react. Her skin paled and eyes widened. Tears threatened to fall but she managed to hold them back. Near couldn't blame her for being upset.
After all, the last unknown person who had addressed her in such a way kidnapped her.
Sayu recognized the question after a few moments of staring horrifically at him. He was asking if she were all right?
Near blinked exaggeratedly, waiting for an answer.
"H-How do you know me?' She tensed, adrenaline racing for her fight or flight decision. She stood up from her side of the booth.
Near cocked his head again, twirling a piece of white hair. " You're friend said your name." Sayu visibly relaxed, sitting back down dejectedly.
"I'm sorry…I just haven't been myself lately.." She stared at the table, refusing to meet the eyes of the stranger she had reacted rudely in front of.
"It is quite alright, Sayu Yagami," Near replied politely. He didn't want her to break down in front of him. Plus, he genuinely did not care that she almost ran away. She was a fragile person so of course she would want to run from someone who seemed dangerous, like a person who shouldn't know her name but does. The comparison reminded him of the Second Kira, actually.
Sayu Yagami sighed, "Please, call me Sayu. I have had too many people trying to address me formally lately. It makes me feel like I'm being interrogated."
Very astute of you, Sayu Yagami. In fact, he was one of those who interrogated her and read her file.
Sayu Yagami brightened, "Oh, what is your name? The least I could do to apologize correctly by using your name."
Near kept silent. Over the past few years, her older brother was asking the same question to many others, searching for his victims online. Her brother was a killer, a murderer. Until recently of course.
Sayu Yagami looked a bit saddened, " I'm sorry, you mustn't want to tell me a thing because of the whole Kira thing-"
"Nathan. My name is Nathan," Near lied. Sayu Yagami perked up at this information.
"Hello Nathan-san! Please forgive me for all the trouble I have caused you," Sayu stood and bowed deeply, and just as abruptly as she stood, she sat.
Near just sighed in response. She wasn't trouble with him, she was just not very good entertainment.
"It's fine…Sayu. You caused me no trouble." It was strange for Near. To address her so casually, as if they knew each other well. Near took that back. He knew people well, he was a detective after all. He knew the profiles of most of the people he met before he met them.
This was different. She was treating him like a colleague of hers. She was treating him and whatever he felt above herself. Like she valued his comfort over hers.
This is intriguing, Near thought. He would get to the bottom of this. As to why she seemed to value him so.
"Um, Nathan? You got very quiet. Are you okay? Are you sure it isn't because of me?" Near unabashedly stared right into her clear brown eyes. She blinked and offered him a smile. He kept frowning.
She seemed genuine. No gestures or absentmindedly moving body parts indicated anything but the truth. She cared. Near felt very uncomfortable by this discovery. For now, he wouldn't analyze her.
"Sayu, what should someone do if they have nothing live for?" Near asked bluntly. He was challenging her. He wanted to see how she'd react to his little test. Maybe he would find out that he really wanted to know the answer.
Sayu stared past him and gazed out the window. How was she supposed to answer something like that?
"Well, Nathan, it's just that I can't believe that there is nothing that a human being would live for," She said matter-of-factly.
Near chose a new lock of her to twirl as he listened.
"I mean, life can get hard. Very difficult to even want to keep going sometimes. I ask myself the same question occasionally. But that's when I think of my mother," She smiled fondly at the wall above him.
"My mother is so unbelievably strong," She hesitated before carrying on. "My father and brother...were both…killed on a police mission," Saya Yagami paused, wiping a few stray tears away before hurrying on, "but right before that happened, I was kidnapped. I had always wanted to go to America, but not like that," she chuckled.
"My dad came and rescued me. No one told me this, but I think that mission was where they were killed." Sayu buried her face into her palms and shook. Near just sat emotionless.
You were very close Sayu Yagami. Luckily for your sanity, not close enough.
"Anyways…I came back home after that horrid event, " Sayu Yagami's face twisted into an expression of anger, "I found mom just lying face down on the kitchen table. She seemed so broken; I had thought she killed herself. So when she was lying there I rushed over to her," Sayu Yagami's eyes were glazed over, just recalling her story. It wouldn't surprise Near to find out that she had forgotten he was there momentarily.
"My mom jumped up and grabbed me in her arms. She had thought she had lost her entire family. No one confirmed me being alive to her. Actually, she thought Light was all she had left, but a few weeks ago it had been confirmed he had died, " Sayu Yagami was on autopilot now, eyes heavy-lidded. "We just sat on the kitchen floor. Mom was sobbing and for some reason, I couldn't shed a single tear," Sayu Yagami sighed.
"It sounds like you were trying to be strong for your grieving mother," Near commented for the first time during the story. Sayu blinked, as if just realizing where she was. She smiled weakly at him, "I sincerely hope so. Where was I?"
"You and your mother were in the kitchen."
"Oh, yes. She just cried. We sat there for hours just holding each other. Over the course of a few weeks, she started to get better. Just yesterday was when she was singing while doing the laundry. Life seemed to get better. It's just…I felt so sick. I would bathe multiple times a day because it felt like my kidnapper's hands were covering my skin," Sayu Yagami shuddered, "Mom notice something was up. I tried to be fine," Sayu Yagami's face crumbled as she whimpered a bit.
"Mom would rarely leave me alone. She even wanted me to go to therapy. I actually came here tonight because I felt smothered," Sayu Yagami threw up her hands in frustration, "How could I feel so upset at someone who lost everything, yet is the one who has to comfort someone else?" She shook her head at herself and took a deep breath.
"Sorry. Back to your question. The answer is that you haven't," She paused, "no one has. Things change..you just have to find it again. Chances are that what you find will something utterly unexpected. I learned that from my mom. Though I-"
Near stopped paying attention to glance at the vibrating phone in his lap.
Near, I am outside. Hurry now, the roads are getting worse.
"-It's about believing," she concluded. She appeared to have taken all the weight off her shoulders.
Near stood and slid out of the booth. Sayu Yagami glanced up, out of her reverie. She had a dazed expression on her face.
"Goodbye Sayu Yagami. I must be somewhere," Near stated simplistically. She nodded and quietly mumbled, "Goodbye Nathan-san."
Near stepped out of the café and saw a door to a black vehicle open. The car was about half a block from his current location. He started towards it, until he abruptly stopped. He glanced through the large window and saw a glum Sayu Yagami furiously wiping tears from her cheeks. Near sighed and opened the door. He lazily crossed back to Sayu. She glanced up at him in surprise, "Nathan-"
"It's okay for you to cry. It is okay for you to be upset. It is okay for you to grieve. Believe, Sayu Yagami." Near left the establishment again and made his way through rain in his white pajamas to make his voyage into the sky.
The answer was friendship. Near stood from his booth and after paying for his tea, he left. He buttoned his coat around his tall frame. Gusty wet winds surrounded him and the woman on the bench. Near started walking left towards the car parked down the block until a white hand shot out and clenched his jacket. He didn't spare a glance towards the perpetrator.
"It's okay to cry, Sayu. Just take your time to find what you believe in and chase after it with all your might," He stated as if it were obvious. He started walking again when his coat was released from the grip of pale fingers.
Her thank you was carried on the wind and was heard by non-deaf ears.
Please let me know if you like it. Is anyone interested in a Near fanfic?