Phototropism
A/N: I blame ShinigamiMailJeevas for this story because I got the idea while talking to her. Haha…all the science part btw, is quoted from my memory from 9th grad biology…so who knows if I remembered it correctly.
The summer heat having invaded all the halls in Wammy's House, each child had taken to employ his or herself with some small pleasure in the wonders of the outdoors. Even the natural hermits, Near and Matt, had been persuaded to leave their puzzles and pocket games aside for the sweet scents of flowers and the spastic laughter of their comrades. A few ventured to kick a ball around the yard, until Mello stole it half-way through the game and chucked it clear over the roof, rendering any attempts at further play useless. Linda was busy creating an exact image of Roger, although pastels were far from flattering in capturing his age and elderly physique. Beneath the half shadows of a gnarled and crooked tree, Matt had retired, gazing up at the sky, his goggle-free eyes lost in the simplicity of youth and complexities that plague boys of that tender age.
It was beneath that tree that Mello joined Matt, looping himself through a neglected tire swing. They remained silent for some time, until Matt sat up abruptly and disturbed the serenity with his voice.
"Mello?"
"Mmm?"
"Why do you think the grass grows towards the sun?"
The blond boy crinkled his nose. Sometimes his redhead companion asked the strangest questions, questions that had Roger and others speculate how Matt had merited 3rd ranking in Wammy's House.
"I believe you already know that it's the chemical hormone auxin in unequal distribution throughout the stem, Matt. You learned that in plant physiology. Auxin is a growth hormone with a tendency to pack itself on the part of the plant that receives sunlight. Therefore, if a plant receives equal amounts of sunlight, the distribution of auxin will affect its growth in that it grows vertically or horizontally in the direction it receives the most photons. "
"Really Mels? That answer was a little to textbook for my taste. Sometimes I think it's something different."
When Matt did not expand the topic, Mello's curiosity overtook his logic.
"Oh? Care to explain what you're thinking?"
"Well, I think that the grass grows that way for another reason. The grass loves to bask in the sun's warmth, and would like to thank the sun for—"
Mello cut him off, "Matty, what the fuck have you been smoking? The grass cannot feel. The sun provides photons that power photosynthesis, the process by which a plant uses sunlight and abuses hydrogen electrons to create pyruvate. "
The gamer sighed heavily. The blond had a knack for living in the tight constricted world dictated from textbooks and schedules. Sometimes, Matt wished he could pull his friend away from it all, wished that they could always live the simple lives of normal children rather than needlessly claw their way into being the perfect clones of L. Sometimes, Matt was able to distract Mello from it all. And sometimes, defying logic was what it took. Thus, he continued his petition.
"I think that the grass reaches out to the sun to give it a hug. The sad part is that the sun is so far away and never sees the grass' futile efforts of appreciation. So the grass stretches fruitlessly all day long and into the night. I'm sure you have seen the dewdrops on the grass as you walk to class in the morning."
"That's because of transpiration," Mello interrupted, yet again.
"No, there's a better explanation. At twilight, the moon comes out, shines, and the grass mistakes the moon for the sun. And the moon is so mean, it teases the grass until the grass cries and cries and cries...and the grass only stops crying when the beautiful light of the sun comes to dry up all the prismatic pearls. And then the cycle continues. The sun provides the essence of life for the grass...and the grass loves the sun for it." Matt paused, letting his naked eyes drink in the light as it glittered off of Mello's golden halo, "Yes, the grass…loves the sun."
"Your mind is one scary playground, Matt," contemplated Mello, completely oblivious to the intensity of the gaze that Matt was now fixing him with.
Matt didn't give him much time to think on the matter, however, as he slid one hand across Mello's cheek and closed the distance between their lips. Startled at the unexpected contact, the blond gasped and lost his balance, slipping out of the tire swing and falling completely into the lap of his friend. Yes, sometimes Matt did the strangest things to distract Mello. Sometimes he succeed and those time, usually, Mello resented him.
But as Mello leaned in closer, fingers gripping the grass in response to the tongue that ghosted across his teeth, he decided that for once, he really didn't give a fuck.
Yeah…so that was a little weird, eh? But…I liked it hehe ^^".
