A/N: Phew, finally, the week's over... (well, school week, anyway)

I have been dying these past few days. From stress. Because I only just realised I don't know anything about Biology and I have an exam in...three weeks. And a week of that is holiday. Crappp...

Also, I failed my English assessment, probably. I went two hundred and sixty four words over the words limit, so I think they might notice...

And before you ask, my teacher said we'd get penalised. Double crapp... DX

Oh well! Let's get off the subject of exam season! In case you didn't know, I am English. (Well. Half.) I live in England. And I am currently wearing short shorts and a tank top. IN ENGLAND. It's boiling here! And sunny! Global warming is...immense. It's about the same temperature as Cape Town! But more humid. Ick.

A better response to the last chapter (Yay!), so I am a very happy bunny right now. X3 Bunnies ftw!

People to thank:

chana080310

DarkAngelJudas

meefgal

Rainbow Fruit Loop

nearmatt

Xo-Yume-oX

and CodenameOokami! XD Luv ya!

Disclaimer: ...Do I need to say more?


Chapter Four: Trusting Smiles

"Why does Mello look so depressed this morning?" Near asked, not completely sure why he even cared.

"…I told Matt why we're following you."

"…Ah. I see. And what did Matt say?"

"Nothing. He just started pissing himself." Mello ground out, obviously irritated. "And then, when I asked him why the fuck he was laughing at me, he said, 'Mels, you're so oblivious'. The fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Near didn't answer. It was obvious Mello was going to continue without any prompting whatsoever.

"And then he goes and says he's not going to hang around with us anymore, because apparently, we need our 'alone time'." Mello spat, gesturing quotation marks into the air.

Near remained silent.

"I mean, what the fuck? Does he still think that we're shagging, even though I already told him everything? I swear, what a dumbass." Mello rolled his eyes. "So now I've got to spend the entire time alone with you, of all people, until you decide to show some fucking emotion. And tell me who's bullying you!"

Near kept his eyes on the ground. "As I have already informed Mello, no one is bullying me." he stated calmly, successfully igniting the Mello Rage.

"Oh my fucking God! Are you still trying to convince me about that? Because it's obvious that—"

"It was a one-time thing." Near interrupted him evenly.

"So? I don't give a shit whether it was a one-time thing or a habit; I'm gonna kick their asses for—" Mello broke off, realising where his sentence was going.

Near eyed him curiously. Mello wanted to protect him. That was a first.

"For…For picking on weak twerps like you," Mello finished lamely, averting his eyes from Near's dark, searching orbs.

Though his curiosity was piqued as to why Mello was suddenly being protective, Near decided to let it go, as it was obvious that Mello was not comfortable with the current conversation topic. Also, Near didn't want the Mello Rage to evolve into Mello Wrath. The blond was decidedly pissy today, what with his best friend 'abandoning him'.

"Look, Near, just tell me who did it. I won't make a fuss or anything, I swear, but I want—I need to know, okay? Just so that they can't hurt you anymore. I need my reconciliation, dammit!" Mello scowled at the floor of Near's bedroom, practically burning a hole in the younger's favourite robot.

Near sighed in defeat. It looked like Mello had finally won an argument.

"It was Jacques," he admitted quietly.

Mello predictably exploded. "That motherfucker! I'm gonna rip his balls off and tie them to his forehead!" He jumped to his feet and attempted to storm out of the room, but Near attached himself limpet-style to his leg.

"Mello promised that he wouldn't make a fuss, remember? Just leave it," he tried to convince the blond. "It was definitely the first and last time it'll happen—Jacques even apologised afterwards."

"He did?" Mello's anger deflated visibly, and he stopped trying to kick Near away. "Well, in that case, I guess I'll only wish for him to burn in Hell. But seriously, Near, if he or anyone else tries something like that again, you tell me and I'll—"

"Yes, Mello, I know," Near sighed, trying to suppress a chuckle at Mello's hotheadedness.

Mello stared at him in disbelief. "Near, did you just smile?" he asked incredulously.

The corners of Near's lips dropped back to their original place again. "No…" he tried, not really expecting Mello to believe him.

Mello grasped his chin, tilting his head up to get a better look. "No, that was definitely a smile. Fuck, Near, I didn't even realise you could smile!"

"I am flattered." Near deadpanned.

"Well, you can't blame me; I'm just telling the truth!" Mello grinned.

Near looked away, flustered for reasons beyond his understanding.

"Hey, I just smiled at you. The least you could fucking do is smile back!" Mello huffed, smile vanishing as he frowned at the other boy. "Come on, let's see you smile again," he demanded, though Near had absolutely no clue why the blond was so eager to see it again.

"No." Near bluntly refused.

"Smile."

"No."

"I said, fucking smile!" Mello yelled. Then, he grinned evilly. "If you don't smile, I'll tickle you."

Near blinked, saying nothing.

Mello looked at him incredulously. "Are you…not ticklish?" he asked, as if he couldn't quite believe it.

Near shrugged. "I wouldn't know; I have never been—"

"You've never been tickled?" If Mello was shocked before, he was downright flabbergasted now. "How? Is that even legal?"

"This is a genius farm, Mello. We aren't very legal people." Near informed him in a monotone.

"And now you've made a joke. Jesus Christ…What the fuck happened to you overnight?"

Near didn't answer.

"Well, never mind. I just can't believe you haven't been tickled. Ever. Are you sure Matt and I didn't, once?" the blond asked.

"Very sure."

"Well, then, I'll have to remedy that!"

Mello jumped on him. He thrust his hands under Near's shirt, running his fingers up and down his pale stomach. When Near didn't react, Mello narrowed his eyes and moved his fingers to beneath the boy's arms, scrabbling at the skin there.

This went on for at least five minutes, with Mello sporadically changing the positions of his fingers, each time not getting so much as a smirk out of Near.

Eventually he gave up. "Okay, fine. You're not ticklish." he concluded finally.

Near stared at him. "It took Mello so long just to deduce that fact?"

"Hey, I wanted to make sure." Mello rolled his eyes, still feeling the bizarrely pleasant sensation of Near's smooth skin underneath his fingertips, even though he'd removed his digits a while back. "You're bruises have healed up, though; I can barely see them anymore. The scars will take a bit longer, but none of them seem permanent." Mello seemed quite cheerful at this observation.

"And then Mello will be able to leave after the evidence of his guilt is gone." Near said. It wasn't a question.

Mello looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"The only reason Mello is here is because he feels remorse over the abuse he has inflicted on me," Near ignored Mello's wince at his brutal description of the blond's previous deeds. "and because he, for some reason, wishes to make me show my emotions, a goal that has already been achieved."

"It has?" Mello's brow wrinkled in thought.

"Mello saw my smile, did he not?"

"Well, yeah, but…I dunno. I guess… you have shown emotion."

Near froze. Was Mello just going to pack up and leave now?

"But…I still feel incomplete, you know? Like there's something missing." Mello sighed, running a hand through his hair, messing up the neatly-combed bob.

Near resisted the strange temptation to run his own fingers through the silky strands as well.

These random impulses were getting to be a nuisance.

"Your trust," Mello suddenly blurted out spinning around to look at Near.

"Excuse me?"

"You don't trust me, not completely. I think that's what's missing," Mello told him musingly.

"And what does Mello propose to do about it?" Near asked sceptically, raising a pale eyebrow.

"Uh…to get you to trust me?" Mello said slowly. The 'duh' in his voice was practically palpable.

"And how does Mello think he'll do that?"

"I don't know. It's a thing that'll come with time, I guess."

Near breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. That implied Mello wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

Although Near still had absolutely no idea why that realisation relieved him so.

Near contemplated briefly, then decided to ask the blond the question that was buzzing around in his mind. "Do Mello and Matt trust each other?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course! We're best friends. We tell each other pretty much everything." Mello revealed airily, shrugging as if it was no big deal.

Near chewed that over for a while before asking another question. "Do Mello and Matt know each other's real names?"

Mello looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, he told me when we were ten, and I told him right after."

Near inhaled sharply. In their world, a name was a very dangerous weapon; in the wrong hands, it could kill a person. And yet Mello and Matt had bestowed the other with the knowledge of their actual names, believing without a doubt that neither of them would use it for the wrong reasons.

So that was trust.

After a long silence, Mello spoke up again. "So…does anyone know your name?" he asked curiously.

"Only L," came the quiet reply.

"I see. Do you think you'll tell anyone else?"

"…I'm not sure. Possibly, but I do not have anyone I trust that much yet." Near explained.

Mello nodded in understanding. "I hope you find that person soon, Near," he told the other boy quietly, "It's like a huge burden has been lifted off your shoulders when you know there's someone you can talk about everything with."

Near remained silent, twisting his snowy hair around and around his finger.

"Oh, come on, I'm sick of this." Mello declared, grabbing Near's hands and dragging him to his feet. "Let's go see Matt and convince him that we're not fucking."

Near obediently followed Mello out of the room, tilting his head downwards so the other could not see the small smile that now graced his lips.

He had a feeling he'd be finding a person he could trust very soon.


A/N: Aw, sweet...

Was that cute enough for you? Probably not...but oh well!

I always envisioned Matt and Mello's friendship to be one of undying trust. So this came in! XDD yay.

Does anyone think Near's OOC in this one...? I hope not. But don't flame if you do. I will...um...make you do all my homework for me! Now THAT'S a fate worse than death!

Please review!