Near almost jumped, his body quick to straighten out with a flinch. "M-me?" His eyes widened and a blush over his face. Had Mello told Matt that Near was.. No he wasn't like that. That's sick! .. Rodger had told him that he was just curious at the time, that Near really didn't like boys.. Near had thought he did, he was pretty sure he did.. And he still felt like he was.. But Rodger knew so much more about that subject the Near did, afterall Rodger had been dealing with kids far before Near was born..
"You thought I was-.. That I'm-.." His blush deepened. He really did think he liked Matt like that.. But Rodger said it was only a phase and not to feed into it. His heart pounded against his chest, he could hear it clearly and worried whether Matt coudl hear it too or not.
Near hadn't remembered when the last time he felt a rush of emotion like this, and it scared him seeing as he didn't know what to do. Near really did want to say yes, but if he fed into his want to be with another boy then Rodger said he'd just become sicker. Near didn't want to be sick, he wanted to be a normal kid.
Two clothed hands covered his face as he brought his knees up to his chest, resting his head in his hands on his knees to hide the red blush on his pale face. "Oh god.. I'm so sorry.." He still wanted to be Matt's friend, but he didn't want Matt mad at him for it..
Matt's heart sunk when Near reacted like he did. Of course Near didn't like him like that! He thought of him just as a friend, if that now. It hurt to see Near try so hard not to show the redhead just how disgusted and embarrassed he was by the question. Atleast, that was how Matt took it. The recent events with Mello had more or less proved to him that upon admitting you had feelings for someone of the same sex things would go wrong.
"It's... it's alright," He mumbled, voice the tiniest bit shaky. "I mean, I didn't expect you to or anything, but I figured I'd try. I really like you, you know? Ah, but you don't want to hear that... I was just worried cause I didn't want you hating me too." The redhead continued to ramble, eventually standing up, face almost as red as Near's. "I... I should go, right? You must feel really uncomfortable now. Sorry, you were all nice to me and I had to go ruin it."
Did Near still have a thing for Jeremy? Or maybe Mello had been wrong and he wasn't gay. That would suck even worse, the redhead decided. Being rejected by a gay guy was one thing, being rejected by a guy who turned out to be straight was even worse. It pretty much sealed the deal that there was no chance in Hell that they were going to get together.
It hurt to see Matt disappointed.. Near really did want to be with Matt, but he couldn't--it wasn't natural. His heart only provoked him more. Near lashed out and grabbed Matt's sleeve, pulling himself up to crash his lips into Matt's.
His stomach fluttered as if a million butterflies were trying to escape, but his mind yelled that he was just giving into to his illness and he was making it worse.. His head felt like it was spinning around, the feeling in his chest grew more with every second he spent with his lips to Matt's.
When Near pulled away he placed his hands on Matt's shoulders, holding himself at arm's length away. "I'm not like that!" It was more to convince himself then Matt. His eyes were desprate, his breathing a little heavier and he was nervous that he was showing so much emotion in front of someone else. "I-i'm not... gay..."
Matt's eyes widened when Near kissed him, the theory that the albino didn't like him instantly flawed. But if he liked him then why was he acting as if he didn't? When you had feelings for someone you couldn't just ignore them. And yet there was Near kissing him although Matt could have sworn he was being rejected.
Still, despite the confusion Near's lips felt wonderful pressed against his own. They were soft, softer than Matt had expected. It made his heart leap in ways that he was sure weren't healthy for it at all. However just as he had closed his eyes and was getting into the kiss, Near pulled back and pushed him away. It was probably the most cruel thing Near had ever done to him.
Listening to Near claim that he wasn't gay -not to mention seem desperate to do so- added anyother layer of confusion on Matt's mind. If he wasn't like that then why did he kiss the gamer? Why did he kiss the boy who had worked here before? Surely Near didn't enjoy teasing people in such a way. Even Mello wouldn't sink as far as that.
"Wh-what?" He stuttered, thrown off-guard by Near's actions. "But you kissed me, right? Why do that if..?" Then something struck Matt, Mello's words from earlier making him think that he had figured out the source of Near's problems. "It isn't wrong to like me, you know..."
"Of course not, you're probably the kindest person in the entire building." Near nodded, breaking eye contact after finishing his sentence. He looked around the room as if there was an answer somewhere in there. There wasn't, but he hoped something would be able to explain. "I-I can't... I'm not allowed to.."
Near's eyes stopped on Matt's chest, his hands moving down to touch the area on the gamer. A smile came over his face as he did.. Matt seemed stronger than the other boys at the orphange.. He felt Matt's heartbeat through his developing male chest, and the feeling in his own chest only intensified. He wanted to rest his head against Matt's strong chest, close his eyes and let Matt hold him..
--No he didn't! He didn't want any of that! Near pulled his hands from Matt quickly, almost as if something stung him. "Matt you're a good friend--I-I want to be your good friend." 'I want to be your good friend.. Great choice of words!' Near mentally killed himself for bad grammer, but he couldn't change it now. The whole sentence had sounded weird..
A small smile appeared on Matt's lips when he heard Near call him kind. Atleast he knew that hanging out with Mello hadn't effected the way that his crush viewed him. The words that came after that, however, quickly pushed that small smile away. What did Near mean, he wasn't allowed to? Just because Mello and most of the others weren't very accepting didn't mean anything! It wasn't like it was a law that you couldn't like someone of the same sex.
"Why not?" He asked, only getting a little distracted by Near's hands on his chest.
The boy was so cute like that and seeing him in that light only made it even more terrible that he insisted they couldn't be together. He was seriously considering holding Near against him and not letting him go until he admitted his feelings when the albino jumped backwards. It looked like Near had been in pain and made Matt wonder -though only for a moment- if he had aqquired some kind of super ability to sting or shock others.
"Near..." Ouch, now Matt knew how it felt to be one of those guys who got rejected and then got to here 'we can still be friends!' "I want to be more than that..."
Near shook his head, placing his head in his clothe clad hands to hide his blush again. "We're not suppose to give into our illnesses..." He whispered, peeking above his hands for a moment to look at Matt.
There was a moment of silence between the two boys before Near calmed himself down enough to break it. ".. Who told you I was like that, and what did they tell you...? ..." He didn't want Matt to get the wrong information.. He wanted to make sure Matt knew exactly what was going on, and exactly why they couldn't be together.. even if Near wanted nothing more to kiss Matt again..
"A blonde with a big mouth," Matt said dismissively. "He told me that he saw you kissing some boy who used to work here and then, like the jerk he is, he told everyone and made it seem like you were some bad guy or something." That didn't seem right to Matt and, now that he had calmed down a bit, he was dying to confront Mello about it. "How is us liking each other an illness?"
Near was smart, surely he couldn't really believe that he was wrong for having feelings for other boys. That was just stupid! The redhead thought that only people like Mello, the uber-religious, would really believe that. Didn't Near know that love was love no matter what form it manifested itself in? He could see Near being apalled and thinking he had an illness if he had a thing for say, animals, or something, but this was different!
Near sat on the edge of his bed, a hand flat on the bed at either side of his hips. His feet didn't reach the ground by an inch or two, leaving his feet to twiddle with themselves. Near looked down at his twiddling feet, watching them rub each other. ".. His name was Jermey.. I had a crush on him.. Mello told Rodger eventually, and Rodger confronted me on it.. He told me that I was just going through a phase every boy goes through, and that I shouldn't give into the feelings because it was only making the illness worse...
..You shouldn't give into them either." Near looked up at Matt, fully convinced it was truth what he had been told. "I don't believe there's a heaven or hell, but even if you don't believe you'll go to hell you don't want to make your illness worse." He gave a small smile, his blush lightening up finally. "I don't want you to end up in a mental institute."
Hearing Near speak, seeing the way that he looked at Matt, it made the gamer want to start crying again. This time it wasn't because of his own pain, but because of Near's. The albino had been convinced that he was a sick person for what, a year or so now? No one would speak to him thanks to Mello which only made he believe he was wrong even more. Was he too far gone to convince? Matt was still going to try.
"You can't end up in a mental institution just because you like someone." He insisted calmly, taking a seat next to Near on his bed. "Liking another boy isn't an illness. It doesn't mean that you're sick or that you have any problems..."
Hesitating for just a second, Matt put his arm around Near and pulled him closer. Even if the younger boy didn't think that they should be together it still felt nice to have him in Matt's arms. Even if it were just for a moment the redhead would be pleased.
Just as the blush had disappeared it reappeared. He stiffened because his first reaction to Matt's touch was to melt in his arms. Matt was just making the battle inside him worse by trying to convince Near that he wasn't sick. He liked Matt, he thought Matt would make a perfect boyfriend.. But they couldn't.
This only meant another visit to the school therapist. He had his biweekly appointments with the therapist, but Dr. Lucerio had told him to visit whenever he had an episode. It was alright, Dr. Lucerio made things better once he walked out of the office.
For now.. Near let himself loosen just slightly in Matt's arms. "I used to think that too before someone told me it was wrong.. Now I'm getting better.. Maybe you should see Dr. Lucerio too, he's really good you know."
It took all Matt had in him not to shoot off some annoyed comment about how the doctor Near went to was a fool. Instead he settled for glaring at the carpet as if it would effect everyone's mind. How could someone be a good doctor if they were lying to others? Sure he'd go to the doctor's, if only to yell at him.
"How is it a sickness, Near? You can't say that it isn't natural. There are a lot of animals that show homosexual tendancies you know." That was true, humans weren't the only creatures in the animal kingdom that were known to go with same-sex couples. Stating such a thing made Matt glad that he had paid attention, if only once, in class.
Though Near had stiffened up in his arms he seemed to be relaxing. What would it be like if there wasn't any hesitation on the albino's part? Maybe it would be too much for his heart to handle. Even being this close to Near made him feel as if he was either going to burst into song or have a heart attack.
Near looked down, wondering why Matt was trying to convince Near he wasn't sick.. Maybe no one told Matt.. Well, Mello did, but Mello was also.. Mello. ick.
Hearing Matt say that animals could be gay too made him blink in confusion. He was told that animals were only attracted to members of the opposite sex..
"... How long have you felt like this.. Like you wanted to be with another boy?" Near had felt like that his entire life. Girls were never pretty to him. Of course he never acted on his feelings before Jermey.. even then Jermey wasn't gay. He sympathised with Near, told him that he wasn't like that but that he was alright with Near being like that.. That moment had hurt, and this moment hurt. It was almost the same thing, with role reversal. The only difference was Jermey said it was okay to be like Near, but that he didn't feel the same way. Jermey liked girls.
"I don't know..." Matt said with a shrug, "I guess I always thought a couple boys here and there were cute, but then when we were talking... I just really felt like I wanted to kiss you or something." He blushed a light pink, "And I don't think that it's a bad thing at all."
Matt felt like he needed to add that last part just so Near knew that no matter what he said the gamer wasn't going to change his mind. Now that he thought back on it, Matt realized that there had been times when he had feelings for other boys, yet never really thought too much into it. Link was cute with his blonde hair and elf ears, and hell, Leon was pretty sexy too! Of course, all of them didn't even compare to the things he felt for Near.
So long with people telling Near he was sick for feeling things for other boys, it was hard to think that it would be okay now.. He looked up to Matt and let his eyes drift down to Matt's lips.. He wanted to kiss Matt again.. The first time was only a sample.. He wanted more. But Near was good at resisting his urges, afterall he resisted them for a full year.
".. If we're together.. Would we be able to keep it from everyone else?" That seemed like the only way Near could have a relationship with Matt. He really wanted to have one, they sounded so luxurious in the books he read about them.. He wanted Matt to be his boyfriend.. But he couldn't let it get out.. He'd be scolded again for it. For impure thoughts.
Truthfully it made Matt sad that Near wanted to have their relationship be a secret, but if that was the only way... Despite disliking it immensly, Matt wasn't going to say no. If Near was going to agree to them going out then the redhead was going to take it. Even if he didn't understand why Near should care what the others thought, besides Mello, Matt sure didn't.
"Yeah... If that's how you want." He tried his hardest to keep the reluctance out of his tone. The last thing that he wanted was for Near to think that he didn't want to go out with him. "But you never answered my question, Near, how is it wrong to have a crush on another boy?"
There had to be some incredibly convincing argument for Near to agree with it. To Matt he had always seemed so logical, so precise... They had to have used his weakness for facts against him.
Near looked away, nervousness building in his chest. It felt awkward to be discussing the subject, since he was told not to bring it up with anyone else.. "You're suppose to fall in love with a woman.. Have children.. How can you have a normal life with another man? It's impossible.."
Near rubbed his arm, feeling uncomfortable about the subject. He knew it was wrong, why did Matt have to make it sound so right? "I.. I really think it's wrong.. Why are you so sure that it's right? You can't make love to another man because males don't have a-... You know.." The whole subject made Near turn another shade of red. He never ever talked about this anymore..
Matt watched as Near turned an attractive shade of red and laughed quietly. He was so cute, so innocent... How could someone as smart as Near not know what two men could do together? For all the anatomy tests and health classes he had passed he sure was clueless. The gamer figured that it had something to do with the rest of the orphange pressuring him to avoid such things.
"I'm sure it's right cause, well, I like you. Liking you doesn't do anything to harm my health, therefore I shouldn't be worried. Unlike alcohol and junk food you aren't going to make me overweight or kill me or anything." 'Or, you know, the cigarrettes undereath my bed.' "And you know, Near, two men can have s- make love." He quickly changed his wording to better suit the younger child. "Plus they can adopt children, it isn't that strange."
What did Near think? That being gay was an epidemic spreading across the country? How confused would he be if he went to a gay pride parade? Mentally Matt made a note to see when the next one would be held and figure out a way to take Near there.
Near grew tense. "I don't know Matt.. I don't want us to end up in a psychiatric ward.." Which was something Near feared the most. He had seen his father in one before he was sent to live at Wammy's. Once he got here they told him that it was his father who killed his mother, and a few months later Near had gone to visit his father, who took his life in front of Near. His father had said something about the place was worse than something death would bring.. He said it made the most tangable man a psyomaniac. Near didn't want to end up like his father, so he stayed away from hospitals.
"How do you know so much about it?" That had been a question from the start. Near wondered why a guy who let hentai sprawl open on his floor knew so much about how two males could live together. Matt already admitted that he didn't like reading, so it's not like he could have read about it.
"We aren't going to end up there," Matt assured, bringing Near closer to him. He could tell how scared the albino was of that fate and wanted to comfort him. "You can look it up on the 'net, nowadays people aren't as stupid as they used to be. Gays are common-place and the only people in psychwards are the real crazys."
The next question was one that Matt had to think about. How did he know such things? It wasn't like he was secretly a yaoi fanboy, though he did watch a lot of porn. Knowing how two men, and two women for that matter, would go about having sex was something he hadn't really recalled remembering. It was as if the information just popped into his head one day. Eventually he said the first thing that popped into his head.
"Porn." Matt replied simply, "I watch a lot of porn." Why be embarrassed about such a thing? "Sometimes I click related videos and curiousity gets the best of me." If Roger knew half of the things that Matt watched he'd have a cow.
Near's eyes widened on the answer, blushing yet again. Near hadn't seen porn exactly, but he's seen pictures of what a male and female body looked like.. Medical book pictures. He was told what happened during intercourse between a man and a woman during sex-ed, but that was strictly a man-woman thing in sex-ed.
Near wasn't clueless to why people watched porn. He understood people liked to pleasure themselves to it. Near had touched himself a couple times before just to see what it was like, so he wasn't baffled by how an orgaism felt. But, then again, he wouldn't really know why porn was attractive because he never watched any.
"Sorry," Matt said, apolgetic grin from earlier on his face. "That makes you uncomfortable, doesn't it?" He wanted to avoid stressing out the cute little albino boy in front of him at all costs. The calmer Near was and the more relaxed he felt around Matt the happier the redhead was.
That blush was just too cute though! Matt had a hard time resisting temptation unless he had something to distract himself with. Therefore he was having a hard time stopping himself from kissnig Near. The longer he had to hold out, the harder it got. Maybe Near would be okay with it? Matt figured he should make sure. Surprises didn't really seem welcome when it came to Near.
"Hey, Near? Would you mind if I, like, kissed you again? I don't wanna stress ya though...'
Near looked up at Matt with a smile. Thank god for a warning. Near knew his instinct with contact he didn't make first was to shove the other person away and back off. Goddamn Mello, if it hadn't been for the violent blonde Near would probably welcome touching. Aw well, the jerk was still number 2.
He nodded, "Thank-you for asking first." He leaned in and kissed Matt softly. Again his head spun, his heart beating in his ear.
Soft.
That seemed like the perfect way to describe Near. His kisses were soft, his skin was soft, not to mention the adorable little boy seemed like he would be more suitable as a child's plush toy than a living, breathing person. He wasn't fragile though and, despite what Mello said, he was warm in Matt's arms. So much for Mello's theory on him being a robot or a cold-hearted alien.
The gamer was careful when he kissed back, trying not to apply too much pressure or seem like he was going too fast. Despite the worries he had when it came to kissing his boyfriend -thinking of Near like that pleased him to no end- he was still incredibly happy. Kissing Near was hard to describe past soft and warm, but it made Matt forget all of his problems for the most part.
Near placed his hands on Matt's chest again, roaming up to his shoulders. He actually liked being able to touch Matt, feeling the other boy's structure relaxed him. Matt still needed to grow out his shoulders, but they were broader than Near's.. Which made him worry whether he was under developing for a moment. Then he remembered that Matt was older than him, although he wasn't sure how much.
Matt's response had put Near at ease. Matt didn't jump in and push him back against the mattress. Near wasn't glass, but he wasn't a brick house either. He didn't like rough things, and Matt being gently with him really made him more comfortable. Near was still a bit afraid of letting Matt take over the kiss, but so far Matt had been nothing but kind to him.. So he took a position giving Matt a bit of dominance.
When Near relaxed and let Matt be more dominant the redhead made sure not to press too far. Though it was tempting to go crazy with his new-found position - in fact, his hormones demanded it - Matt held himself back. If he gave in and pressed himself against Near as badly as he wanted to it would scare the cute albino away. After finally getting Near to calm down a bit he didn't want to ruin all his hard work.
Carefully Matt moved one hand slowly up to Near's face. Gently he cupped the boy's cheek, pulling him forward into their kiss just the slightest. Even Near's skin was soft, though Matt had been sure it would. He didn't go outside and despite Mello's many beatings there had never been any permenant scarring.
Near closed his eyes slowly, even if he didn't want to. He wanted to watch Matt work, make sure he paid attention. But Matt was so soft with him, he had never gotten attention like this before. The little space between them was enough to keep Near at his comfort zone. Even if Matt had brought him a bit closer there was still that little bit of space. As long as Near wasn't crammed he'd be comfortable.
Near wondered if Matt was able to tell he was inexpirenced. Matt seemed like he had practice before.. But Near had only ever kissed someone on the cheek before. He had see pictures in manga on kissing, and Linda talked about it all the time.. She had offered once to teach Near, because Linda was so expirenced.. But Near declined. He didn't like the girl at all.. All she ever did was ask him his opinion on things. Drawings, books, animals, paintings, food, and yes occasionally men. Near neevr gave her an opinion on men though. Not like she would take it into consideration.
Near wondered who would be the boy in thne relationship... Well they were both boys, but in every relationship there was a male character and a female character. Near had always known himself to be a boy. He didn't ever want to be a girl. Girls were too stressful. They complained, clung, and cried. He was worried he'd end up being the girl in the relationship. It was hard to picture Matt as the girl, and it was easy to picture himself as one.. But.. He didn't want to be looked at as feminine.. So instead of continuing to let Matt have the dominance, he decided to fight for it.
Matt's eyes shot open when Near fought for dominance. Though it was actually quiet pleasant the redhead pulled back. He had been caught off guard by the sudden change in Near's behavior and, for some reason, it struck him as funny. Chuckling quietly Matt used his free hand to hold his mouth and try and calm his laughter. When he had finally stopped he looked up at Near, grinning once more.
"Damn you're cute," He mumbled, not even blushing this time. Why should he? Just like the fact that he was bi, Near being cute wasn't something that would change. It was just there, no matter what he said it wouldn't be different. Besides both Matt's sexuality and Near's appearance had turned out to be a good thing.
The redhead was positive that Near had never actually kissed someone before, but truthfully he didn't think that Near's inexperience showed through too much. He fumbled here and there, but it was still more pleasant kissing him than the girls that Matt had done so with before. It wasn't that they weren't attractive or good kissers and, unlike Near, Matt liked women, it was just... He hadn't had a crush on them like he did on Near.
Another part of him insisted that the fact that being with Near was 'forbidden' made it better, but he ignore it. Thinking like that wouldn't do either of them any good. Matt wasn't planning on keeping the two of them a secret for very long. He placed a chaste kiss on Near's lips before backing away to let the albino have his space. With Matt's reaction there were bound to be questions heading his way.
When Matt pulled back Near couldn't help blushing. It just came to him, not like he could control it. Matt's comment that followed only kept the coloration there at his cheeks. Near could only assume Matt broke the kiss because he didn't like Near trying to gain dominance.
He wondered why Matt had thought he was cute.. Near didn't think of himself as hideous, but he didn't think he was cute either. Maybe in Matt's eyes he was cute.. But he couldn't think why Matt would see it like that. Near thought of Matt differently though. He found Matt very handsome and attractive. Cute wouldn't be the best way to describe Matt's appearances, but Matt had a cute personality. Of course, other adjectives would fit with Matt's personality, but cute could be one of them.
"Was I horrible?" He spoke behind a clothe clad hand. Curiosity killed the cat. He really wanted to know. If he was bad he'd take up those lessons Linda offered.
"Horrible?" Matt repeated, blinking as if he was confused. "No, why would you be?" It was obvious from his tone of voice that he hadn't been expecting Near to say that. Would adding that Near was the best kisser he'd been with be too much information? Probably, so he'd keep quiet for now. No need to bring up things that didn't even happen at Wammy's house. If Near asked him then he wouldn't lie, but he wasn't going to just blab about his entire past.
"You're a very good kisser," Is what the gamer settled with. It was followed by another grin, one that Matt was sure was going to split his face open. Had he ever smiled this much since he'd gotten to Wammy's? No, not in this way. These were those rare smiles that made you feel as if you were lighting up from the very inside.
Why did Near always insist on covering his mouth? That question had made itself known once more in his mind. Matt liked seeing Near's expressions, liked knowing what the albino was thinking. Though he did have to admit, seeing Near like that was adorable. Matt just hoped that when it came to smiling Near would let him see those once in awhile.
Near smiled, his blush lightening up. He had been worried he was the worst Matt had. Near just knew Matt had kissed a girl once or twice before. He couldn't have just learned everything at birth.
He removed the hand from his mouth and placed his opposite hand on Matt's jaw, running his thumb along Matt's skin. Near didn't know when boys grew facial hair, he knew it was sometime around puberty but he had no clue what age it came at.. Near still didn't get pubic hair, so he guessed he wouldn't get facial hair anytime soon. It was fine though, he wouldn't keep facial hair.. But he thought Matt would look good with a bit of stuble. Nothing big. No, a beard was out of the question. Near remembered when his father got five o'clock shadow. He had forced Near to watch him shave, just in case he started getting facial hair early.. Although Near never understood why he had to watch. He was only seven at that time. Might have been a night his father was drunk. He remembered cuts and knics on his face, but Near assumed it was a bad blade.
"Do you get facial hair yet?" He tilted his head to the side, curious. But curiosity was Near in a handbasket.
Matt closed his eyes for just a moment, enjoying the feeling of Near's hand on his cheek. Had he ever thought that Near would do this with him? Sure, it was just a few simple caresses and a kiss or two, but this was Near. The pale little boy he didn't seem to want to be touched by anyone. Then again, before Matt would have sworn that Near didn't want to speak to anyone. Maybe he did want physical contact, but thanks to everything that had happened was shy?
"A little," Matt replied, opening his eyes at Near's question. He wasn't going to grow a beard anytime soon, but thanks to his lazy tendancies and his age he'd often end up with a chin full of stubble. Of course, the only time he really bothered to shave was when Mello bitched at him. "Hmm how long have you been here, Near?"
If Near got to ask questions then so did Matt. He wouldn't go as far as asking why Near was here, but he was curious as to how long.
Near looked up to the side at the question, withdrawing his hand to count fingers with. "I arrived here when I was nine.." He was twelve, almost thirteen now. Nine, ten, eleven, twelve. "Five years in a few months." He nodded as to confirm this. "No foster families or adopted parents, so five years all spent here." He knew that wasn't part of the question, but Matt seemed to add a few extra details to his answers so Near figured he would too.
When Near pulled his hand away Matt started to regret asking his question. He liked having Near's hand on him, even if it was only somewhere as innocent as cheek. If he hadn't known that it would freak Near out, Matt might have grabbed the boy and pulled him closer again. If there was one thing that Matt could tell about their relationship from the beginning it was that he was going to have a hard time not hugging all over his adorable little Near.
His? Ah, he shouldn't get so possessive. Inwardly he scolded himself for acting like that. Insisting that Near was Matt's was just asking to unnerve the boy. Being so possessive so quickly sounded more like something that Mello would do. If Matt ever reminded Near of Mello then he wasn't sure what would happen. Obviously it would be awkward.
"S'weird..." Matt commented, observing Near. "Normally kids like you are adopted pretty quickly." He hadn't meant anything insulting by it, but Matt had been from orphanage to orphanage, not to mention quite a few foster homes. The younger, sweeter children like Near usually went with a family before someone like Matt did.
Near smirked a bit. "I agree, but they do a background check on the child with the potential parents. I never make it to interveiws anyway." He smiled and shruged.
"I guess it's better that way. Not being a potential child for a couple of desprate parents means I am able to reside here and finish school without switching acedemic buildings.." And it meant he was able to be close with Matt. Although he wouldn't say anything about it. "I'd rather not be a son again though. I like the solitude Wammy's provides me with."
