Near was twelve when it hit him.

Mello was lying on the floor beside him, being Mello-ish and eating a chocolate bar. Matt was next to the foot of the bed, across from Mello, throwing a ball against the wall and catching it as it bounced back to him. He had been sitting on his bed, his head against the window, reading a book, when the window next to him exploded.

Fourteen-year-old Mello reacted instinctively, grabbing Near's right arm and pulling the white-haired boy towards him when the glass shattered. Something rammed into Near's arm, making him cry out in pain as he landed on Mello, who fell backwards onto the floor with a CRASH! (Mello shuddered to think that if he hadn't moved him, where would Near have been hit?) Blood began to stain Near's white clothes, and when they were sure nothing else was going to come flying through the window, Matt threw it open and began to scream bloody murder at whomever it was until Wedy and Aiber came thundering up the stairs.


Near watched as Mello gave short, clipped answers to the gunman at the door. He had explained that there was a battlefield not very far from here, and that the bullet that had went into Near's arm was a stray. Mello snarled a reply that Near couldn't hear, and that was when the gunman looked up and noticed Near, standing on the stairs, one hand on the rail to keep himself up. Wedy had just finished bandaging him, and he had changed his clothes (with some help from Mello, because Wedy had told him not to move his arm too much). Something resembling a glare passes over his face as Near attempts to straighten up to present himself better, despite the pain in his arm. Mello glances over his shoulder when he notices, and is vaguely surprise to see Near---he hadn't heard the paler boy come down the stairs. His answers became more clipped and rude as he moves slightly, in the direction of Near.

He watches, stunned, as Mello stops protectively in front of Near (after all, he was fighting on the North's side, hated slave-owners, and had a long rifle in his hands. Mello wasn't taking any chances) and crosses his arms, blue eyes becoming icier and icier the longer they hold onto the black ones of the gunman.

"Are you happy here?" He asks suddenly, and Mello is so thrown off by the sudden question that he blinks and takes a while to respond. He glances at Near, as if asking permission to answer the random question. Near stares back impassively, and suddenly Matt appears. He bows at Near.

"Nate-sama." He says faintly. Near tilted his head in Matt's direction. Smirking lightly at Mello, Matt then turns his green eyes to the man in the doorway. "I'm not quite sure about Mello, sir, but I for one am very happy here." He says clearly, his eyes daring the man to contradict him. The man gapes at them.

"I am as well!" Mello inputs, glaring at Matt out of the corner of his eye. Matt sticks his tongue out at him and Mello curses him out in Russian (he got more fluent in Russian---well, when it came to curses anyway). They forget the genuine surprise of the man at the door until he speaks up.

"Really?" He asks, surprise evident in his voice. Mello rolls his eyes and glares at him.

"Yes, really." Mello snaps, and Near places a small hand on Mello's shoulder to calm him down. He reaches up slowly and lightly touches the pale fingers with his fingertips, and then man stares at them. "What?"

"Nothing. It's nothing." He says softly, shaking his head. "I apologize." And then he left, making Mello roll his eyes and stomp down the stairs to shut the door after him. Matt leans on the railing behind Near, staring up at the ceiling.

"Now what the hell was that all about?" Matt asks finally. Near and Mello look up at him, and he continues. "Why was he even here?"

"To explain that he hadn't meant to shoot Near-sama." Mello scowled. "Evidently, there is a battleground a bit close to here---that's the weird noises we keep hearing at night, Matt---and the bullet was a stray."

"Are they fighting to---what was it---'keep us together' this time?" Matt asks lazily. Mello shrugged.

"How the hell should I know? I'm in here with you guys all day." Matt chuckled.

"Well, what was with the stupid question?" He asked, irritation in his voice. "'Are you happy here?' What the hell?" Mello rolled his eyes.

"The other reason he was here was because he heard some kid screaming and he wanted to be sure that everything was all right."

"Oh, how stupid." Matt muttered. Then he blinked, and realized that he was the only one who had been screaming lately, so Mello meant him. He laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with his hands. "Haha, oops. Sorry."

"Idiot." Mello spat at Matt good-naturedly. He turned to Near, a worried look in his eyes. "Вы совсем правые?(1)" He asked softly. Near sent a small smile his way.

"Я отлично, Mello. Не потревожьтесь о мне так много.(2)" Mello smirked as Matt turned and walked upstairs.

"I'm gonna go bug Raito, if anyone cares." He called from the top of the stairs, knowing full well that Mello and Near were ignoring him.

"Я должен потревожиться о вас, Near-sama, я ваш невольник, вспоминаю?(3)" Near gave Mello a small smile and reached out, touching the blonde hair that framed Mello's face softly.

"Я знаю.(4)" He said softly. Mello chuckled softly.


Near grabbed Mello's sleeve as he placed him into his bed.

"Не выйдите пока, Mello.(5)" He whispered softly. Mello smiled gently at him.

"All right." He said softly. Near smiled and buried himself under his blankets.

"Спейте к мне?(6)" Near requested softly. Mello laughed lightly.

"All right." Mello tilted his head back and thought before smiling lightly and taking a deep breath, beginning to twirl the younger boy's hair between his fingers.
"Вечер приходит,
Раковины солнца,
Грачонк полностью дом летания прямой к их гнездю.
Цветки все закрывая, маргаритка уснувшая,
Хоронят первоцвет В бездействии настолько глубоком
Бабочка, дремотная складывала свои крыла,
пчелы возвращающ, не больше птица пеет
Доброй ночи, маленькие люди, доброй ночи,
немногая одни, Сладостные сновидения к вашим векам пашут рассветы утра светлые.
Вечер приходил, Не больше, котор нужно сказать,
люди давно пора маленькие Пошл положить в постель.(7)" Near's eyes drooped shut and by the last line, he was almost asleep. Mello smiled softly.

"Спокойная ночь, Mello.(8)" He said as he fell asleep.

Mello sat by Near's bed, watching him intently as the pale boy slept silently. He took a deep breath and slowly, leaned forward and kissed Near's forehead softly. Near tilted his head, unconsciously, towards Mello as he pulled away.

"Сон наилучшим образом, Near-sama.(9)" He said softly.


1---Are you all right?
2---I'm fine, Mello. Don't worry about me so much.
3---I have to worry about you, Near-sama, I'm your slave, remember?
4---I know.
5---Don't leave yet, Mello.
6---Sing to me?
7---The evening is coming,/ The sun sinks to rest,/ The rooks are all flying/ Straight home to their nest;/ "Caw, caw," says the rook/ As he flies overhead,/ "It's time little people/ Were going to bed."/The flowers are all closing,/The daisy's asleep,/The primrose is buried/In slumber so deep;/And closed for the night/Are the roses so red,/"It's time little people/Were going to bed."/The butterfly, drowsy/Has folded its wings,/The bees are returning,/No more the bird sings;/Their day's work is over,/Their nestlings are fed,/"It's time little people/Were going to bed."/Good-night, little people,/Good-night, little ones,/Sweet dreams to your eyelids/Till morning light dawns./The evening has come,/There's no more to be said,/"It's time little people/Were going to bed."
8---Good night, Mello.
9---Sleep well, Near-sama.

Haha, a lot of people like my song? XD

Thanks to methegirl (i'm glad my song is a new favorite of yours XD), Hikari Yagami, MyColdHeart (who also likes my song, yay!), and Chocolate Flavoured Robots (uh, obsessive stalke fangirl? O.o should i be worried about waking up to find you staring at me one night? XD kidding, kidding... haha)

Special thanks to LordOnEarth for the story alert.