Title: Dear

Rating: PG

Summary: It's what Mello does to him.

A/N: Well, I was told by some girls in this fandom that they really liked LxMello so I decided to try and write something for that pairing, since it is very small. The title is in reference to what Near wrote on the back of the picture.

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"Please fetch Near for us. Then we will leave."

L shut the door as Roger must have complied silently although Mello didn't hear. Sitting on the bed, his black clothes in deep contrast with the white sheets and blankets all askew from a night of L's tossing and turning, Mello felt nervous and his stomach felt achy but at the same time, he felt calm. He had a bar of chocolate with him, that was probably the reason why. Only have one though, he told himself, so I have to make it last.

He nibbled silently as L turned around.

"Where're we going?" Mello asked.

"Out. I'm taking on a new case and have to cut my visit short but I wanted to let you two in on it." Blunt, to the point. Much like L himself.

Mello sighed. Always cut short, no visit ever as long as he'd like them to be. Nothing ever to go Mello's way. He scowled at his chocolate and thought of asking L if they could leave Near out of this for once. But he knew the man wouldn't go for it.

L sat down on the bed next to him in his odd position, scaring him out of his thoughts. Said nothing. Just bit his thumb. Mello wished his might-be predecessor had more people-skills. In the quiet - just Mello's chewing - he thought this might be the perfect opportunity to ask. Something he'd been wondering the past few weeks since he had gotten into yet another fight out on the baseball field. He mulled this over while taking another bite.

He sighed. "Um, L?"

"Yes?"

"Well, can I ask you something? I mean, just…" He knitted his eyebrows together. This might be easier if L would look at him for once. "Why did you give me the name… Mello?"

"Hmm. Why?"

Mello fumbled. "I-I just wondered. Some people say there's nothing mellow about me."

"Some people are idiots. Don't listen to everything they say."

Mello blinked. Though, he supposed, he shouldn't be surprised. "So you think there is?"

"Is?"

"Something mellow about me. I mean, that's my name, right?"

L's eyes changed slightly. So slightly Mello barely noticed. He chewed and L pulled on his bottom lip thoughtfully. "It's because you make me mellow. Not because you're mellow yourself," he said finally.

Mello looked up at him, eyes wide.

L continued, seeming to be talking to himself. "The way you are calms me down and I assure that although I may appear to be calm most of the time, I am really very tense. Being around you takes all that away from me, all the pressure I feel. Everyone looking to me for answers. I enjoy what I do but sometimes… I like to just cool out." L smiled, giving Mello all the attention of his obsidian eyes. "The first day we met, I could almost immediately feel the weight come off, like I had just gotten a nice massage. Though, now that I think of it… it might not be wise for me to be telling you this." He regarded the almost dreamy state of Mello's blue eyes. "It might be deemed inappropriate," he concluded.

"Inappropriate," Mello repeated. His chocolate was drooping in his hand.

"Yes. Telling you my feelings like this isn't prudent." He paused. "Sometimes I want to take you with me whenever I leave Wammy's."

Mello didn't say anything. Was that considered less prudent?

"I… I'd like to come," he croaked.

L stared again, taking in all of Mello this time. The way he had subliminally scooted over closer, his hazy eyes, the slight perspiration on his forehead and the way his blond bangs clung there.

"Yes, I know," he said dimly.

"Can I?"

"No."

Mello inhaled sharply. "But you just said-"

"What I just said shouldn't have been said."

"Then why did you-"

"Because I'm hungry."

Mello blinked.

L leaned over, his wild bangs nearly coming into contact with Mello's straight blond hair. Mello, not wanting to seem like a child who couldn't handle grown-up things, kept his ground and thought this would be like the movies Matt was always watching when he thought no one was looking. A passionate kiss and a love confession to follow. Mello wasn't concerned about anything else other than wondering about where his nose would go. Instead of a kiss, L opened his mouth to take a chomp out of Mello's bar of chocolate that had been forgotten about.

"You don't mind, do you?" L asked, mouth full.

Mello shook his head dumbly.

L finished chewing slowly and then sighed. He looked at Mello with what the boy thought were very sad eyes for someone as emotionless as L. "Sometimes I think I might be a bad person."

"… Huh? Why do you-"

The door opened and Near peeked in. His gray eyes were light and happy when they saw L, totally ignoring the fact that he and Mello were so close together. "Good afternoon," he said quietly.

"Ah, Near." L got up from his seat hastily and greeted the boy.

Mello sat there, mildly agitated. He looked down at the large chomp taken out of his chocolate bar. It was something to think about.

-

A/N: Well, if you liked it, tell me your thoughts in a review, please!