Mello storms into Near's playroom. Without looking up, Near asks in a monotone. "Has Mello come to break my toys and make me bleed again?" He doesn't
even say this sarcastically. He's asking a legitimate question. "Shut up sheep." He snaps moodily, pushing the smaller teen to the floor. "Mister Frye is making
us do some lame-ass school project together. Pack enough of your shit to last for a week. We're taking a field trip." He snarls spitefully. "May I ask the details of
said project?" Near asks, pulling himself up and tugging at his white hair. "We have to go visit our first home." Mello answers quietly. "Is Mello referring to our
orphanages?" Mello kicks at Near, and his boot toe connects with the target's left shin. Near doesn't even flinch." No. Mello does not mean the orphanages."
He says back, mocking Near's odd dialect. He looks down at his feet then, fingering the rosary around his neck. "I mean they tracked down our birth homes
Near. They're making us go see them." Near peers up at Mello. His grey eyes are wide and piercing. "Why?" He asks, sounding lost and small. "Fuck. I don't
know." Mello stoops to pick up a toy robot. and aims at Near. Near's eyes are, for the first time that Mello has ever seen, filled with emotion. He hesitates,
then puts the robot gently down on the albino's lap. Near looks up, pretending to feel nothing, but it's too late. Mello already saw him. "Pussy." he spits
halfheartedly. Near's dark eyes blur and begin to fill with tears. "Shit. Hey. Um... I didn't mean to- Goddammit!" Mello finishes, kicking a domino across the
room in frustration. He slumps down beside him, dropping his strawberry blonde head into his leather-clad hands. A tear spills over Near's white cheek. The
blonde looks at him. He wipes Near's shining cheeks with the cloth fingertips of his leather gloves. Near takes this as an unspoken okay, and flings himself
upon Mello, wrapping pale arms around the skinny waist and nuzzling into Mello's chest. Mello bristles and holds very still, as if the boy is a wasp crawling up
his bare arm. Near looks up, eyes full of hurt, and Mello loosens up, wrapping Near's fragile frame in a leathery hug. The cross around his neck falls on Near's
white head, shining silver through his hair. They stay like this for a few minutes, the boy in white crying softly in the arms of the boy in black (although neither
of them were quite sure why). When the younger teen's sobbing had subdued, and he gave a final shuddery breath, they disentangled. Mello's face
hardened back into the scowl, and the pink receded from Near's cheeks and eyes, leaving his face as pale and emotionless as usual. "This never happened
Near. You hear me?" Mello barked. Near nodded, unreadable as usual. "Good. Pack your shit up and meet me out front." He growled, leaving the room and
taking care to slam the door hard behind him.