A few months passed since Near came to Whammy's House, and while their friendship had been strained before, the younger boy's coming had turned B's and Matt's dislike for each other into full-blown LOATHING! They both liked the kid, and he liked being around both of them, but he didn't like waking up to a fight breaking out outside the bedroom every morning, just because Matt wanted to visit him.
"B," Near said, after one such fight had occurred. "I can defend myself, I'm not helpless…do you have to fight him?" He leaned over B's book and looked him in the eyes.
"Near, we were fighting long before you showed up." He put the book aside and pulled him close, so the white-haired boy was lying on his chest. "You just made it worse." He kissed his cheek and smiled, stroking his hair. "So, don't fret, Cottonball." He poked his nose and then rolled over so Near was lying on his back under him. "It's." He kissed his forehead. "Not." He kissed his cheek. "Your." He kissed his nose. "Fault." He moved to kiss his lips, then stopped and instead nuzzled him. He knew how sensitive the boy was about being kissed on the lips, although he couldn't tell why. Must be something that happened back in Thailand, he reasoned.
Near blushed and wrapped his arms around B's neck. "Still, I can't help but be concerned about my part in your battles. I mean…it feels weird, being fought over like this." He snuggled against him and lay his head on his chest as B rolled over onto his back again. "Don't you think you'd feel weird, B?"
"Hmmm…maybe." He grinned and rolled him over again, looking down into his shaky, gray eyes. "But, then again, I've never been adorable enough to merit ever being fought over like you do." He kissed his forehead and then nuzzled him again. "You ever gonna tell me about what happened to make you not wanna be kissed, Cottonball?"
"I'd rather not remember it at all." He rolled to the side and sighed. "It's just…one of the bullies back at my old school. He didn't do much, just pinned me down and kissed me. It was still scary, though." He shivered.
He nodded and nuzzled him. "Poor little Cottonball." He stroked his cheek gently. "Well, I don't plan to do anything to scare you." He kissed his cheek and then sat up, glancing over his shoulder as he heard knocking on the door. "What?"
"Can I talk to Near?"
"No, get lost, Matt!" B snapped, holding the little boy close.
The person at the door, Matt, sighed and spoke again. "Near, can I talk to you?"
"No!" B cut Near off. "Just get lost, Matt!"
"Not until you let me talk to Near! I haven't been able to get a word in without your interrupting for MONTHS!" They heard another loud bang on the door.
"B…" Near looked at him. "If it's just to talk, I should be safe. Let him in."
B frowned and then sighed before he slid off the bed and walked over to unlock and open the door. "Alright, talk." He glanced over his shoulder as Near came up behind him, then smiled as Near's hand slipped into his. "We're listening."
"I didn't mean to hurt you, that time." Matt glared at B, then looked at Near. "I'm sorry I scared you, but I honestly didn't mean to hurt you. Please, can't we hang out again, like before?"
"Why can't we all just hang out together?" Near asked softly. "Why do I have to pick one or the other at all?"
"Because I hate his guts." B and Matt said in unison, glaring at each other.
Near sighed and looked at them with an exasperated expression. "Let's just at least go to lunch together, and maybe we can build up from there." He said, suggesting a compromise.
Matt frowned. "I guess…I could do that." He glanced at B.
B looked like he'd rather eat an entire package of nasty soap, or something else equally disgusting. "…Fffffine." He finally said, then held Near's hand tighter as he walked out of the room. "Let's go to lunch together."
Near looked over his shoulder and smiled at Matt, who grinned and followed along, pulling out his Gameboy. When they reached the cafeteria, they saw A sitting by himself before he smiled and waved to them. B grinned and led the group over, sitting next to A with Near between him and Matt.
"Hey, guys. Nice to see you two not at each others' throats." He said, looking at B and Matt. "Or, did Near make you two stop fighting?"
"I told them that I wanted to go with both of them and suggested going to lunch together. No one's dead yet." Near giggled slightly at the end of his sentence. "I'm hoping to help them be friends."
"Yeah, like THAT'S ever gonna happen." B scoffed, and Matt silently nodded, still typing away.
Near frowned, then blinked when B pulled him close to him. "B, why don't you go get us some food?"
B blinked, then stood up. "Alright, but you better still be here when I get back." He dashed off.
A smiled. "It's nice to see B so close with someone. He used to be so distant, and never really talked to anyone." He placed a hand on Near's. "Thanks for being there for him."
"Actually, he's the one that was there for me." Near nodded. "Otherwise, I'd stil be lost and wouldn't understand a word you were saying!" He laughed.
A nodded. "Hey, can I show you something tonight? It's really cool."
Near blinked. "Me?"
"All three of you!" He grinned. "It's my special place, so you can't bring anyone I don't ask you to, okay?"
Near smiled. "What time tonight?"
"Just after dinner, I'll be in the lobby." He went back to eating as B came back.
B sat down and passed Matt his food before setting Near's in front of him and then eating his own. "So, what'd I miss?"
"I'll tell you later." Near said, nodding as he dug into his food.
That night, Near, B, and, much to B's dismay, Matt, went to the lobby and found A by the stairs in the lobby. "A, we're here." Near said softly.
A nodded. "This way." He led them up the stairs, humming to himself as he walked, and then he pushed open a door that led up. "C'mon, up here!"
B shrugged and scooped up Near before he climbed out of the hole that served as a doorway, coming out to find himself on the roof, under a vast, shining sea of stars. Near gasped and stared up in awe, then got out of B's arms to go sit next to A. "It's…beautiful!" Near breathed, the stars reflecting in his gray eyes. And it was beautiful; he'd never seen anything like it!
A nodded. "This is my special place, but you guys can come here whenever you need a place to go to." He looked at them all, grinning. "It's our special hideaway!"
Near nodded and leaned back into B's chest, sighing contentedly. "I hope…things don't change." He whispered softly. "I hope that…we can all be together like this…forever."
"What could stop us from it?" Matt reached over and gently squeezed Near's hand. "We're all best friends, and nothing will change that!"
Near smiled and nodded. "Even you two, I'm sure, will put aside your jealousy and be friends."
B laughed and ruffled the white-haired boy's hair playfully. "We'll try, Near. We'll try.
-*N-*A-*T-*E-*N-*E-*A-*R-
Yes, he got them to get along for the day! Hopefully he can get them to get along more often, since the who tension and stuff is scaring him.
Review, please!