Stripes
Chapter 7 - Death and rebirth
Ice-Puppet
--
Mello typed away at L's computer, looking through all of his old case files and everything he had on Kira. Some of the things about the Shinigami were highly interesting, as well as his findings on the Death Note.
He came to a folder, which requested a password. When 'L.M.N.' did not work, Mello faced a problem.
"L has a separate password," he said to Matt, motioning for the redhead to join him. Near had fallen asleep on the floor after building a city from a pack of cards they had picked up from the front desk, as well as the TV remote and the bible that was in one of the drawers. He was playing with the lego version of Matt, and had fallen asleep with it clenched tightly in his hand.
"Strange," Matt agreed, chewing on his nails. He thought a moment, before leaning over Mello and typing. Mello watched with interest.
"N-A-T-E R-I-V-E-R," Matt whispered as he typed. Mello was surprised when the folder opened, however his shock rose ten fold when they realized what was in the folder.
There were separate folders, fifteen of them, each dated with a year. Upon opening the first one, they found several typed documents. The first one was a date and a time, the word 'born' at the top. The next few were merely dates, labeled things like 'first roll over' and 'first smile.'
The second folder was also full of word documents. There was one titled 'first word' with a date and a '"Dada"' noted. After that was one dated the same as 'born' stated 'one year old'.
The third folder popped open and the first thing they saw was a photo. Matt and Mello's hearts nearly stopped. It wasn't a professionally done photograph, but none-the-less it was a picture of L and a baby boy with white hair, light skin, and toneless eyes.
The word documents contained such things as 'first sentence' and 'first steps.' The last one was 'two years old.'
The folders up to the fifth were like this one, although none contained photographs. The fifth one, however, was empty save for one file.
It was dated January 7th, and it read 'Wammy house.'
The rest of the folders were empty up until the tenth.
The last five contained dates in which L visited the orphanage, none of them saying more than 'saw Near' or 'saw Near and Mello.'
Closing the file, Mello sat back in the hotel chair, closing his eyes.
Matt was still a few moments, before he stated something about needing fresh air and went out to the balcony, closing the door behind him.
Mello sat in silence, staring at the computer screen until a noise caught his attention. He turned toward Near, whose eyes were clenched tightly in his sleep. A nightmare. His curiosity got the better of him and he stood up.
"Near," he breathed as he knelt beside the boy. "Near, wakeup…"
Near gave a soft noise, his eyes slowly opening, unfocused. He looked up to Mello, a bit confused, terror still in his half-asleep eyes.
"You were having a nightmare," Mello explained.
"Oh," Near replied, slowly sitting up and rubbing his eyes.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Mello asked, despite how stupid that question always seemed to sound.
Near paused for a moment. "I… don't remember it. I never do…"
Nodding in understanding, Mello suggested, "You should get back to sleep. On a bed, this time."
"Where's Matt?" Near asked, still half asleep as he crawled onto one of the two beds.
"He went outside to get some fresh air," Mello explained, helping Near climb under the layers of blankets. He saw the other shiver lightly. "Cold?"
"Still a little shaken up," Near admitted tiredly. "The nightmares always get to me, even though I can't remember them."
Mello hummed a bit, before he finally gave in to his will and climbed onto the bed, beside Near. He didn't get under the covers, but instead laid down beside the other boy, carefully pulling him into his arms. Near, still half asleep, didn't resist, resting his head against Mello's chest with a small yawn.
After laying like that a few moments, Mello let out a whisper without even thinking. "I love you, Near."
Near, however, was already fast asleep.
--
To say Near was surprised when Nadine opened the front door and pulled him into her arms was an understatement. Mello and Matt shared a look as Nadine cried into Near's shoulders, mumbling and sobbing about how much she had missed him, how she wished he could forgive her, and how sorry she was for leaving him.
"Mother?" Near breathed, and Nadine fell silent.
"Nate, my sweet little Nate…" she whispered, petting his hair softly and rocking him back and forth. "I've waited for this day for years…"
Near slowly raised his arms, wrapping them around Nadine's waist and returning the hug gently.
Mello and Matt couldn't help but share a smile.
--
The numbers ticked away, the ends spinning wildly. Lower and lower they flew, each second like blood dripping toward the ground.
It was torture. Why him? That's what everyone always wondered. Why him? What had he ever done?
He was special, unlike any other she had ever encountered before. He had a draw about him… something different, something addicting.
Something that could make even a Shinigami fall in love.
--
Mello gave a small sigh of content, leaning back against the sofa in one of L' planes. He lifted a chocolate bar to his lips and bit off a chunk before glancing toward the other two occupants of the plane. Matt was hunched over, game boy in hand, his fingers clicking away at the buttons. Near was seated on the floor, hunched over a puzzle they had bought. He had it turned upside-down, doing the pieces as he often would one of his blank puzzles.
Despite the joyful reunion between Near and his mother, the three were happy to be headed back to the Wammy house.
He watched Near silently out of the corner of his eye. That's all he had ever done, watch. That night at the hotel, when he had held Near after another nightmare… he longed for that feeling again.
Holding back a small amused noise, Mello wondered just when he had gone from hating Near to loving him. After the fire that had killed his mother and her fiancé, he had been passed around until ending up at the Wammy house around the age of Seven. Near, who had been there two years before him, seemed like a stuck-up brat to Mello's young mind. He constantly felt like Near had singled him out, if only because he always did better in school assignments.
And then they had met L, and Mello felt ten times worse.
Back then he had merely thought L liked Near better because he was smarter. Now he knew the real reason, but that didn't change the past. L would often come to visit them both, but at some points he would come and only speak to Near. He also brought Near things – puzzles, mostly.
The first one was when he turned eleven. Mello remembered over-hearing the conversation.
"Why did you bring me a present?" Near had asked, his usually toneless voice light with emotion he showed only to L.
"It's your birthday," L informed.
Near asked a surprised, "Really?" and when L confirmed he carefully opened the wrapping paper. Mello could hear the puzzle pieces rattling around inside the box. After a moment he stated, "The pieces are completely white."
"There's only one way to put together a puzzle," L explained, as Mello peeked around the corner. Their mentor reached out, placing a hand on top of Near's head. "If you can figure out which piece goes where before-hand, you can solve anything." Near's toneless eyes stared in a bit of confusion, before he looked down to the box before him. "Don't get to frustrated over it. It's okay to feel anger, but if you let the emotions control you then you become a victim to yourself."
As L made to leave, he added in a quiet voice, "Near. Don't become to much like a puzzle, or you will lose who you are and the pieces will never fit."
Mello had never realized it before, but L had always acted like a father to Near. He naturally favored the albino boy, even if he didn't mean to.
Over the years, he had finally come to find (just as Matt did) that hating Near was next to impossible. Although he barely showed emotion, when he did he seemed to have some sort of addicting pull.
Mello continued to watch as Near laid out the pieces, thinking about growing up and Wammy house. With a sigh, he leaned back, biting into another piece of chocolate and letting it melt on his tongue.
Matt switched his game boy off, leaning back against his chair and closing his eyes. The three of them sat in silence, enjoying their time together without saying a word.
--
They reached Wammy house early the next morning, the car pulling up to the driveway. It was a sunny day, so most of the kids were gathered in the front. When the car drove up, they stopped what they were doing and watched. It was probably obvious that all three were missing, so the kids were probably expecting L with them in toe.
When they all stepped out with no L, whispers began going around.
Ignoring them, Mello, Matt, and Near all stepped inside.
Roger approached them as soon as the door closed behind them.
"Welcome back, boys," he greeted, his voice full of hope that they would tell him L was actually quite alive and it was merely a test.
"Roger," Mello greeted.
Roger sighed lightly, before looking to Near and Matt. "I've switched your rooms around. Mello, you will be staying in the room L used when he was here. Near, Matt, the two of you will be using Watari's room." His eyes gave a slight gleam. "I would prefer the two of you have separate rooms, but because L agrees with you, I will do as he asks."
Mello nodded. "Thank you, Roger." He glanced at the other two. "Could you show us the rooms? I don't know about those two, but I think a long rest is in order."
Roger nodded and motioned for them to follow him as he began walking.
He showed them to Mello's room first. It was bigger then the room he and Near had shared, with a large bed and a desk. All of his stuff was placed in there.
After dropping Mello off, Roger took Near and Matt two doors down. He left them there, assuring them that all of their things had already been transferred over.
Both boys stood in front of the door after Roger had left, not quite sure what to do.
The room was the same size as L's. Just like the former detective's, it only had one (rather large) bed.
Although they had slept in the same bed in the hotel rooms, sharing a bed at the place they considered home was much different. They were young, yes, but they weren't stupid – sharing a bed was a big step in a relationship.
"Near," Matt breathed, catching the albino's attention. He turned, placing his hands on the other's small shoulders. "I love you."
Near gave a soft smile. For some reason, whenever Matt said those three words, his worries seemed to disappear.
"I love you too," he replied, leaning in and stealing a quick kiss.
Matt grinned, wrapping his arms around Near's waist. As Near smiled back, he leaned in and gave the other a soft kiss. It slowly deepened, and he felt Near wrap his arms around his neck, holding him close.
When they broke apart, Matt snuggled into Near's soft hair and gave a sigh of content.
"I'm going to go lay down," he said after a moment, pulling away to look at the shorter boy.
"I'll join you in a moment," Near confirmed. "I need to get something from the playroom."
Matt nodded, giving one last small kiss before he headed into the room.
--
She watched, her fingers twitching as he turned from his lover and began to walk down the hallway. The numbers fell away with every step, twisting and spinning at rapid speeds.
"Is that him?" an amused voice asked behind her.
"Yes," she replied, not sparing the other a glance. They were 'friends', if a Shinigami could have such a thing. Before, they would always make fun of those who fell in love with humans and lost their lives. But now…
"His son?"
She nodded.
He hummed, leaning in and taking a look. "How strange. To think both of them would die so soon."
Her eyes narrowed. "Don't remind me."
He looked toward her, his bright colored eyes seeming to stare deep into his soul.
Near bent down, scooping up the lego men he had left behind. He pocketed the Near, but paused when he held onto the little Lego Mello.
"Hey, Near," came a voice from behind him. Turning, the toy still in his hand, Near spotted Jay standing in the doorway.
"Yes?" He asked, standing up.
Jay rocked back and forth on his heals, his hands behind his back. "I… I found something really weird, back in the chapel… I think it might be something that L left, or something."
Near hummed lightly. "What kind of weird thing?" None the less, he followed Jay out the door, walking beside him.
"Its… a book," Jay stated, quite obviously making it up on the spot. "And its full of strange stuff. It's uh… its in Japanese, and I'm really bad at it so I was wondering if you could read it."
The two walked the short walk to the chapel, side by side.
"He's really falling for that?" He asked, glancing toward her. "Either he's sickly sweet, or sickly stupid."
She shook her head. "Silence, I want to hear this."
With a snort, he crossed his long arms and continued to watch.
As they entered the chapel, Jay motioned to the cross at the front, stating that it was behind it. Near walked toward it, glancing behind it in question.
Nothing there.
He froze when a rough hand grabbed hold of his left wrist, pinning it behind his back. He was pulled back, his back pressed against Jay's chest. A flash of metal caught his eye before it was placed against his throat.
She hissed lightly. "He pulled a knife…"
"Jay?" Near couldn't help but squeak.
The numbers all began to spin out of control. She cursed.
"Don't do it," he warned. "You'll mess everything up."
"I can't stand your kind, Near," Jay hissed into his ear, the knife shaking in his hand.
"Wh…" Near stopped speaking when Jay pulled the knife closer to his throat. He felt it split a slight bit of skin, not enough to do much damage but enough to draw blood.
"I saw you and Matt," Jay hissed. "I saw you kissing him. It's disgusting. Your kind doesn't deserve to live, let alone follow the name of someone as respectable as L."
The number on the very right suddenly stopped.
Four left.
"Jay…" Near gasped, his fist clenching tightly onto the Lego version of Mello.
The number on the left stopped.
Three left.
She hissed, gripping her pen tightly.
"Don't," he warned.
Jay twisted Near's arm tighter, watching as the boy cried out in pain, his eyes clenching tightly.
The number in the middle stopped.
Two left.
"Don't," he warned, watching her hold the pen just above the paper before her.
The blade was removed from his throat, and Near almost sighed in relief. However Jay twisted it around and held it above his chest.
The second left stopped.
One left.
One number.
The pen was on the paper before he could stop her.
Near's breath caught in his throat. His hand unclenched, the Lego falling to the floor soundlessly.
Jay let out a gasp, the blade slipping from his fingers. He released Near, stumbling backward, his hand grasping at his chest. After two painful gasps, he fell to the floor, and ceased movement.
Near couldn't move. The only sound in the chapel was his deep gasps for air. He couldn't turn, couldn't see Jay's dead body.
The sound of something hitting the ground to his right made him jump, and he slowly turned to look.
A black notebook lay there, opened to the first page.
Jason Rathen
After a few moments, the words faded away.
Near's eyes widened and he managed to let out a terrified scream before the fright got the better of him and he fainted.