It actually took a week for Mello to understand what was happening. At first, Mello had just thought Near was becoming the insomniac L was. The younger boy had been going to sleep later and later and he always seemed to be awake before Mello. More than once Mello had to force the other boy into the bedroom and tell him to sleep. He had even tried sitting up with him during the night – but he always fell asleep before Near did.

It was a week after the new development that Mello, who had been sleeping deeply, was shaken awake roughly. "Matt, I swear-"

"It's Near," Matt said, cutting Mello off mid-sentence.

Mello sat up instantly and turned to look at the other bed – only to see Near shaking his head back and forth madly, his eyes closed. His hand was clutching one of his action figures so hard that his knuckles were white. Mello stood quickly, only taking one step before the boy began to speak. "No…Mello… please don't…. put the gun down…. Dear Mello…"

Mello froze. Was Near having a nightmare about him? Why? He hadn't even done anything! They had been getting along and Mello had been-

Wait.

Dear Mello?

…Dear Mello…

Mello jumped forward, grabbing the younger boy's shoulders and shaking him until his eyes flew open. Near stared at Mello in a panic as his head still shook back and forth frantically. "What were you just dreaming about?" Mello asked frantically, his eyes flying over Near's pale face. Near just continued to shake as he slammed his eyes shut and refused to open them. "Near? Near! Fucking answer me! What the fuck were you just dreaming about?"

Near continued to shake his head and Mello was shocked to find himself pulled off of the boy. "Let me go!" Mello snarled as he fought against his best friend.

"Not a chance," Matt snapped back, his hands holding onto Mello's shoulders tightly. Mello winced as Matt's grip became more forceful. He just knew he was going to have a bruise there in a few hours. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"He needs to tell me," Mello said desperately, the words still echoing in his head. Dear Mello. "Needs to tell me what he saw! Why did you say that?" Mello screamed, once again trying to force his way out of Matt's hold.

Near shifted and his legs came up to his chest as he pressed against the headboard. His eyes were still shut and his head continued to shake.

"Near!"

"Why are you yelling when you should be sleeping?" L asked, his hunched form standing in the doorway. Mello stopped fighting against Matt, his eyes following his mentor as L stepped further into the room and took in the situation. Mello winced at what he knew great detective would see.

Near, hunching in on himself, trying to hide from Mello. Mello fighting to get to him with Matt holding him back. With their past record he knew what he obvious conclusion was going to be.

But L didn't go for obvious. "Mello, please explain why you are bellowing at Near."

…Dear Mello…

"He said something," Mello finally replied, not wanting to explain exactly what Near had said and why it had impacted him the way it had.

L's eyebrows rose. "I see. And what was it that Near said that caused such a reaction?"

Mello clenched his jaw shut and stared at the ground. How exactly was he going to explain this?

"Near wasn't even awake," Matt explained, breaking Mello's train of thought. "I woke up Mello because I thought he might… the two had been getting along well and it sounded as if Near was having a nightmare. He was talking in his sleep."

There was a moment of silence. Mello didn't look up from where he was staring at the ground. This was it. L was finally going to send him away. The only person that had stood beside him the last week had been Near… and he had just completely screwed that up.

What else was new?

"Near, do you remember the nightmare Matt is speaking of?"

Mello's head flew up at the question and his eyes snapped to Near. Near, who was slowly nodding his head. His eyes were still shut but his right leg had moved to stretch out in front of him.

"And do you know why Mello reacted the way he did?"

This time Near hesitated. His eyes slowly drifted open. He stared at L for a moment before letting his gaze shift to Mello. The two stared at each other. Near obviously looking for something, while Mello stared back, demanding answers.

…Dear Mello…

Near finally shifted his gaze once again to stare at L, who had not moved or looked away from the younger boy the entire time he was staring at Mello. "I am…unsure as of this moment. I do not have enough facts to form a logical conclusion."

L nodded, "And would speaking of the nightmare in question help to alleviate this confusion?"

"I do not believe so."

"Then I will allow you three to retire once more," L turned his attention to Mello, "if you cannot contain yourself until Near is ready to speak about whatever it is he is contemplating, you may use my room. I will not be needing it tonight."

Mello shook his head and narrowed his eyes at Near. "No, I'll stay here."

"Very well," L sighed, moving to the door and allowing it to close behind him.

Mello felt his shoulders loosen as the door clicked shut. Matt slowly loosened his grip before moving to stand between Mello and Near. "Go to bed, Mells."

Mello glared at his best friend, but did as told and turned back toward his bed, slipping under the covers and turning on his side to face the wall. Matt didn't join him, instead grabbing his pillow from beside Mello and a blanket from the dresser. Mello knew what he was doing. He was going to sleep on the floor between their beds so he would know if Mello made a move against Near.

He wasn't planning on it. It was obvious that whatever Near had dreamed about had actually…scared the younger boy. Scared. A word that Mello had never thought to use when speaking about Near. What had Near seen? And those words…Dear Mello…those words were something Mello had never heard before. Never heard, but he had seen them. Once. Written by Near.

But Near couldn't have known that. For him, it had never happened. So what had Near been dreaming about to make him utter those words? Not to mention the pleading. Put the gun down. He didn't have a gun. Not here. Not now. Hell, he was pretty sure Near had never even seen him hold a gun.

Was it just because of the fact Near knew what Mello had done? They had talked about it enough. Maybe his subconscious was just trying to make Near understand exactly how dangerous Mello had been. Maybe Near was afraid of him.

But that didn't explain those two words.

He must have been contemplating longer than he thought because he could hear Matt's snores growing louder and louder, a sign the boy had been asleep for a while. Sleep, something Mello should be doing so he didn't look, and act, like one of those zombies from horror movies in the morning.

He had just closed his eyes and was about to drift off when something brushed against his face. Mello's eye flew open and he stared up at the white haired boy. "Near? What are you-"

Mello cut off as Near's full hand came to rest against Mello's cheek. He then moved his hand and began to trace over half of Mello's face, going over his cheek bone, his eye, his forehead… "Mello should take care of himself more," Near said quietly as he moved his hand away and retreated toward his bed, somehow making it around Matt without the other boy waking.

Mello would never admit it, but it took him almost twenty minutes to realize Near had been tracing the path on his face that once held scars.