Mmhmm. So I discovered that I really enjoy MattxNear... it makes me happy. So when this idea struck me I had to write it down. Drabblish.

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, or Yagami Raito would probably still be alive... same with L. And Mello. And Matt.

Only very finely attuned ears would be able to make out the creak of the floorboards as Matt crossed the room. It didn't make a difference, however, as no one was awake, anyway. That wasn't to say that one wrong step wouldn't wake them. Almost there…

Squeak! Matt stepped on an exceptionally squeaky floorboard, sending what seemed like an incredibly loud whine throughout the room. Wincing, he turned, avoiding the floorboard, and continued his trek backwards.

He bumped into something that was not normally there. It was soft, and it was short.

"Aah!" Matt jumped back in surprise, crying out without realizing what he was doing. He turned to see Near, his hair mussed, who was probably just getting out of bed. He was twiddling a doll in one hand, and the other held a small mug. All he would need was a newspaper and 5 o'clock shadow, and he'd look like your average American husband.

Err… except he'd need to be taller. And lose the doll.

Near looked up at Matt briefly, his face only faintly looking annoyed, before he turned and walked into the kitchen.

Matt straightened himself out as he struggled to even out his breathing, slowing the rate of his heart which had sped up with the surprise. What a strange little boy…

Calm enough now to walk, Matt followed Near into the kitchen.

The young, white haired boy was now sitting at the small, square table in the kitchen, propping his head up by his cheek with his hand. With his other, he stirred whatever was in the cup.

He looked considerably huggable in his little two-piece matching pajamas.

"Since when are you so displeased to see me?" Near mumbled as Matt walked past him to the coffee pot. So someone had made coffee. Matt poured himself a cup. He wasn't complaining.

"I'm not," Matt said. And he wasn't. There was never a time he didn't enjoy spending time with Near, especially moments like these when they were alone, and the rest of the world seemed silent. "But you do look like a bit of a ghost first thing in the morning. What with the white hair and—"

"So I've been told," Near cut him off, sulkily.

There was a moment of silence as Matt sat across from him. The only sounds that could be heard were those of the clunking of Matt's mug on the table, and the whining of Near's spoon as he dragged it around in his own mug.

He looked down into his mug, and then back up at Matt, and then down at the mug again. "This is revolting. I can't understand how you drink it every morning," he remarked, standing up, and walking towards the sink. So Near had made the coffee. Matt chuckled. Again, such a strange little boy. Near dumped the brown coffee into the sink, and then returned to the table, his head drooping.

Matt put his hand under Near's chin and lifted up so that their eyes met. "Why are you so droopy anyway? What did you stay up all night doing?"

Near drew back, away from the older boy's touch. He curled a lock of his hair around his finger, smiling sleepily. "Su…" he yawned. "Sudoku."

Matt wasn't listening. He was too busy watching the way that the young boy's fingers wormed their way through his snow white hair.

Near pulled his hand away from his hair, pulling the doll out of his pajama pocket. He looked at it, his eyelids sinking down. If Matt didn't do something, he would fall asleep right there, on the table.

He leaned over the table and planted a small kiss on Near's lips, and then leaned back, a tiny smirk painted on his face. There was no better way to wake up Near.

Near looked down, his cheeks growing pink as they always did when he was taken by surprise like that. Again he twisted a lock of hair between pale fingers. "Good morning, Matt," he mumbled, but it was obvious he was more alert than he had been seconds before.

Matt propped his head up on his hand, unabashedly staring at Near, who was raising the arm on his doll, studying it contentedly.

Near dropped his fingerful of hair.

"What are you staring at?" he asked, looking up at Matt, looking as interested as he would be if he had just been bought a new set of toys.

"You."

Near's cheeks pinkened again, only slightly, and he looked down at his doll.

Matt continued staring at him.

And then, without even realizing what he was doing, he lifted his arm and reached across to Near's head, where he plucked out a lock of snowy hair and started twisting.

Near looked up at him, his eyes filled with annoyance. "Matt—"

"I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about," Matt said, twisting the lock of hair around his finger. And he could see where this could get addicting. Near's hair felt like a cloud, it was so soft.

"Matt," Near said firmly, the tone of his voice causing Matt to draw back.

"Come on, Near. I've touched every part of you—why should your hair be any different?" Matt pouted.

Near continued twirling a lock of his hair in his fingers, driving Matt crazy without even realizing it. "I don't know," he admitted. "It feels like an invasion."

Matt stared at him for just a moment.

"Is that so?"

Near nodded, not meeting Matt's eyes. "Yes."

"I see," Matt said, taking a sip of his coffee, and looking pointedly away from Near.

Frowning, Near looked down at his doll again. What was wrong with him anyway? Why was he like that? Even he wasn't completely sure. He reached for a lock of his hair again, but caught Matt's eyes following his hand, and abruptly lowered it, flushing once again.

For a while, the only thing that penetrated the silence were Matt's occasional slurps out of his mug, and the sound of plastic on wood as Near tapped his doll on the table.

"I'm sorry," Near said, quietly.

"Mmm," Matt grunted, feigning disinterest.

This time, the silence was longer. It lasted for at least half an hour—maybe even a full hour. Near was impressed that Matt could go that long without some form of video game controller in his hands.

And then Near looked down at his doll once more, as if asking for it to give him confidence, stood up, and walked across the table, sitting next to Matt.

"Hi, there," Matt said.

"Hello," Near answered, moving his chair closer to Matt's, and snuggling into the older boy's chest. This was where he felt most comfortable, the warmest, the safest. The most Near.

Matt readjusted himself so that his arm was around Near's shoulder, giving the young boy more room to worm his way into Matt's grip, which he did, using Matt's arm as a pillow. So warm…

Unable to help himself, Near lifted a lock of his hair, looping it between his fingers. Again.

And then he turned to Matt, still holding the lock of hair as if in an offering.

"Would you like to try once more?" he asked, quietly.

Matt looked at Near, confusion on his face for a moment, and then it melted into understanding. "You sure no how to make things awkward," he remarked.

"If you don't want to, you don't have to, Matt. Honestly…" Near huffed, dropping the lock of hair like it was on fire.

Matt was quiet for a moment as Near looked away from him.

And then he cupped the surprised boy's face with one hand, kissing him gently, and with the other, slowly snaked his way upwards, using only two fingers to twirl, twist, and coil Near's hair.

He drew back, his fingers never leaving Near's soft, pallid hair. Near's eyes sunk closed and his eyebrows knit together as they always did when he was trying to figure something out. Matt ignored this, continuing to weave his fingers into Near's hair.

And finally, Near sighed airly, leaning into Matt's chest once more. His mouth curled into a faint smile as Matt gently snaked his fingers through Near's hair.

"That actually does feel… rather nice," Near sighed. "Once I get past the whole fact that… someone else's fingers are in my hair," he mumbled. Coming from such an intelligent boy, to Matt, this was probably the statement that made the least sense.

"You just get more and more unusual by the second, don't you?" Matt mumbled, the happiness obvious in his joking voice.

"To you, I probably do. To me, it's just… life." He yawned as Matt stopped moving his hands, letting his fingers stay knotted into the jungle that was Near's hair.

"Near?" Matt said, quietly.

"Yes?"

"Don't ever stop twirling your hair, okay?"

Near chuckled happily. "Anything you say, Matt." But Matt, the weak coffee obviously having no effect on him, was already nodding off.

Chuckling again, Near held a different lock of his own hair in his hands, snuggled deeper into Matt's chest, and let sleep take him.

Mello smelled coffee.

He followed the trail into the kitchen, blinking, his vision dangerously blurred. Any minute now, he was going to walk into a wall. Especially if he didn't get coffee. Soon.

But the sight in the kitchen woke him up fairly well, too.

Near's gentle, even breaths could barely be heard over Matt's snores. Matt's hand was invisible in Near's white hair, which Near also had a grab hold on.

Mello shook his head, filling a mug to the brim with coffee. What a weird couple, he thought.

He only briefly considered taking a picture for blackmail. Nahh, he decided.

They were too cute.

Mello seemed kind of ooc there at the ending, but he's allowed to have emotions every once in a while, innit he?
Anyway, review, please, it helps. Thanks!

-Moony