Nate focused on the rose on Light's nightstand and looking down to his sketchbook before flicking his eyes quickly back up then back down. He used his finger to shade in and careless pencil strokes. Light leaned over Nate's shoulder silently and observed his drawing. "You're ridiculously good at drawing, Nate."
He snapped his book shut and glared at him, "Light… You're terrifyingly silent until you speak."
He shrugged, "I'm just saying. You're very good. Sorry." He sat on his bed and pulled the book from his nightstand.
He sighed and sat next to Light, "Want to see them?"
Light smiled brightly, "Yes, please."
Nate gave a tiny smile and a light blush, "Okay, you're the first person I've ever shown my work to, and um… You might be one of many subjects I've drawn." Light only smiled warm heartedly and nodded.
He opened his book, his first picture was a drawing of the back of L at nighttime haunched at his computer with a glow of his laptop screen lighting his silhouette. Nate's eyes quickly landed on Light who seemed quite interested in his work. He smiled slightly and turned the page. The next picture was Matt playing his DS in class underneath the desk. Light chuckled at the picture.
He turned the next picture, it was of a bird sitting in a bush next to a bench that had a lonely book left on it. The next picture was Beyond haunched over on one of the lunch tables smoking a cigarette. Light smiled, "Great likeness." Nate smiled and happily turned the page.
The following picture was Mello curled up in a chair, reading a book in the library, with a wide smile on his face. He pulled the page again and it was Beyond laying in the grass with L staring at the sky. Nate nervously looked up, "The next one is you…" Light nodded and smiled.
He turned the page and it was Light sitting on one of the hall benches surrounding the courtyard. He had a slight smirk, looking outside. Light tilted his head, "You capture emotion very well."
Nate smiled and turned the page, it was Light and Beyond talking on Beyond's bed. They were facing each other laughing. Nate grinned again and turned the page, the picture following was a picture of Lorita sitting with Sachiko both smiling at the dinner party at L's house.
The picture on the next page was Light smiling playing his guitar on his bed. The picture behind that one was, Beyond playing his violin, his face was concentrated but happy. Nate turned the page to reveal L teaching Mello how to play the piano.
He turned the next page to reveal L sitting in his usual manner on Nate's bed, his hands resting on his knees with a tiny smile on his face. The picture following that one, was Mello feeding three small birds from his hands, he had a compassionate smile on his face.
"Nate, you're something else, no joke. You're really a great artist." Light smiled and Nate blushed a little.
"No one has ever seen my work, nonetheless, complimented it." He shifted a glance back to his book and ran his finger along the textured page.
He turned the page to reveal Beyond watching the rain from his bed, he had a slight frown and his eyes looked lost in thought. The next picture was L asleep in Light's lap, L was hugging his waist and Light had fallen asleep slightly slouched over. Light laughed, "That's the night he had a bad dream and refused to sleep in his own bed. I thought I was the only one awake."
The picture after that was of a fresh snowfall, a small rabbit and the pine trees in one of the courtyards. The following picture was the serving attendant smiling brightly.
Mello walked into the room and set his bag down, "What are you guys doing?"
Nate snapped his book shut, "Nothing."
Light gave Nate a disheartened stare, "You have nothing to be embarrassed about… You're a great artist."
Mello stared at the both of them, "I wanna see!" Mello jumped on Light's bed behind the two, "Please, Nate?"
Light smiled at Nate, "He's even saying please."
Nate rolled his eyes and opened his book again, "Just don't be mad at anything, I draw what I see." Mello nodded and gave him a thumbs up.
He turned the page to show Matt and Mello laying on Matt's bed both engrossed with the tiny screen. Mello had a chocolate bar in his hand and the bar in his mouth, his eyes wide, watching Matt play his game. Nate twirled some of his hair around his finger and Mello grinned, "Light's right you know, you are very good."
The next picture was of Beyond smiling with a quote under it, 'Nate… Friendship isn't tangible, you can't reach out and touch it. It reaches out and touches you, you can't study or analyze it, but you can feel it's warmth.' Nate smiled at the picture. "I have one of everyone like that."
He turned the page to show a picture of L sitting in his chair with his thumb to his lower lip, 'Sometimes the most unfathomable, is the most likely.'
The next picture was of Mello scowling at someone, 'You can't call any of my friends names, for one, because they don't care, for two, they're MY friends, and I'll kick your ass for even looking at them wrong.' Mello started laughing loudly.
The next picture was Matt looking up from his game with a serious expression, 'Sometimes, my closest friends freak me out the most, but I love them anyway.'
He turned the page to show Light looking off into the distance with a contemplative stare, 'I'd do anything for any of my friends. Friends are just family that you don't have to put up with… But, yeah, I'd do anything for them, so, if you need anything, ever, just ask.' Light smiled at Nate.
Nate smiled and turned to the newest page of the rose that was in a vase on Light's nightstand. Nate smiled and opened the back cover to the book to show the picture of them all together when they first started school together. "That's my favorite of all my pictures." Nate looked up and gave a tiny smile.