Chapter 1:
"At this point many of the children are too young to make any significant predictions," Mr. Roger smiled. "Still, many of them show incredible potential, it'll be a pleasure to introduce you to them."
The dark haired teen sitting curled on the chair before him gave a small smile, "I'm looking forward to it, although I have never spent much time with children before."
"There's nothing to know, really," the old man chuckled, "A bit of kindness and good humor goes a long way."
"Mr. Roger would definitely know," the young man nodded.
"Well," Mr. Roger said, standing from his seat, "Shall we move along then?"
The teen nodded, then slid out of his chair. His horrible posture became apparent as he stuffed his hands into his jean pockets. He walked to the door where Mr. Roger was waiting, and the old man couldn't help chuckling at his guest's rather strange appearance.
"By the way, Master L," Mr. Roger said, his hand on the doorknob, "By what name will you be going by?"
The young man rolled his eyes upward, considering the question briefly, before answering aptly, "Ryuuzaki will be fine." Mr. Roger nodded, opened the door, and led the young detective down the hall toward the sound of children's playtime.
-
He lay on his back, his eyes gazing absentmindedly at the ceiling above as his arms waved around the two toy airplanes in his hands. The planes flew in circles over his head, but he only watched the flicker of shadows above him. The planes crashed against each other, then he rolled over onto his stomach, the papers around him crinkling under his weight.
"What are you doing?" an unfamiliar voice asked. Without moving his head he looked up at the questioner who was squatting just outside the ring of papers. He showed no particular sign of emotion, but he sat up, his legs bunched beneath him, so he could study the strange man more comfortably.
They stared at each other, two pairs of wide black eyes mirrored in each other as Near twirled one of the planes in his hands and the man sucked on his long index finger with an amused expression on his face.
"I'm Ryuuzaki," the man finally said, introducing himself.
The boy shrugged, breaking eye contact as he picked up the other plane, "I'm Near." They sat in silence for a minute, Ryuuzaki studying the child as Near pointedly ignored him.
"Should you really be sucking on your finger when you're so old?" Near asked.
"Should you really be in your sleep clothes so late in the day?" Ryuuzaki echoed. Near looked up at him, his eyes narrowing. "What case is this?" Ryuuzaki asked, looking around at the scattered papers.
Near remained quiet, looking to his left as his hands continued to play with the planes. He had been deep in thought, on the brink of something, but now this man had interrupted him and he couldn't concentrate anymore.
"The death of Eric River… the death of Ijou River…" Ryuuzaki read from a paper he was holding by the tips of his fingers. Near looked up in surprise from his reverie.
"That's not yours!" Near exclaimed, reaching for the paper. Ryuuzaki held it out of his reach as he kept reading. "Suicide? Murder? Hard to tell from this…" He looked down at Near, who was flailing his arms in an attempt at reaching the report. "Who are the River's?"
Near let his arms drop to his sides as he huffed angrily, "No one. Now give it back!" Ryuuzaki finally complied, lowering the paper into arm's length of the child. Near snatched it out of his hands, his face in a furious pout.
"How old are you?" Ryuuzaki asked, smiling beside himself at the child's obvious irritation.
"Four," the young boy muttered. "What do you want, anyway?" Ryuuzaki shrugged.
"It's impressive for a four year old child to be reading police reports," he said.
Near narrowed his eyes at him, then turned around as he began to gather all the papers. "I don't like you," he said abruptly.
"Eh?" Ryuuzaki's eyes widened. Admittedly, no one had said that to his face. He guessed that was the difference between children and adults.
"I'm sorry," Ryuuzaki said, looking up at the ceiling, "I don't believe I dislike you."
Near said nothing as he continued to pile the papers together. Ryuuzaki took the initiative and began to help, building up the stack of papers as he plucked them off the floor. By the time all the scattered documents had been gathered, Near had grabbed a nearby folder and was already in the process of putting the papers back in. Ryuuzaki watched silently as the small child closed the thick folder, heaving it up (as it was nearly half as tall as he was), then shuffling to the bookshelf by the window. Without a word he took out a heavy book, let it fall to the floor, then placed the folder inside. He closed the book and was about to heave it back up when Ryuuzaki walked over and replaced it in the shelf himself.
Near was silent, gazing up at Ryuuzaki through the white curls of his hair. He showed no sign of thanks, but he didn't seem perturbed, either. Ryuuzaki smiled down at him.
A bit of kindness and good humor, right?
Near suddenly stood up, and without a backwards glance ran out of the room. Ryuuzaki remained standing by the shelf as his eyelids lowered in exasperation. Children were difficult…
He walked out of the empty library as well, leaning against the railing of the balcony as he watched the white headed child make his way down the stairs as fast as his short legs could take him. The front door beneath him opened, and in walked a young girl, probably around Ryuuzaki's own age.
Her eyes fell on the child and she quickly dropped her bag as she exclaimed happily, "Neats!"
Near ran to her open arms and she scooped him up happily. Ryuuzaki's round eyes widened in mild surprise as he made his way down the stairs himself.
"Hey, Lali," Near said, sounding much more cheerful than he had in the library. "How was work?"
"Not bad, not bad," she smiled in reply, "And how was your day, love?" He shrugged, and that's when she caught sight of the young man standing at the foot of the stairs. Near followed her line of vision and made eye contact with Ryuuzaki.
Near turned back to her, then said, "He's Ryuuzaki."
"Oh," she said, glancing at Near with a hint of surprise in her expression, "You know him?" Near shrugged once again, making the girl's smile widen.
She turned to Ryuuzaki, then walked up to him and held her hand out, "Hello, my name's Lara. I suppose you've met my little brother?"
Ryuuzaki's wide eyes stared into her own as he took her hand with a small smile, "I did. Little Near's an interesting boy."
She gave a small laugh as Near wrinkled his nose at Ryuuzaki, "I hope he didn't bother you too much."
"He's the one that bothered me," Near said, turning to his sister with a frown. She arched her eyebrows at him, a grin still on her face.
"Oh? Well did you ask Ryuuzaki to apologize?" she asked, giving a small wink at Ryuuzaki. Near didn't reply, silently considering how Ryuuzaki had thankfully helped him shelf the large book.
She smiled at her brother's silence, then turned back to Ryuuzaki, "Ryuuzaki's an interesting name, where are you from?"
"Japan," Ryuuzaki answered, "Though I did live here in England a few years back."
"Really?" she said, "Our mother was Japanese. I took some classes on the language a few years ago, but I'm afraid I've forgotten most of it."
"It is a simple language to speak," Ryuuzaki nodded, "Although a bit harder to write."
"Lali," Near cut in with a frown, "I'm hungry."
She sighed and turned to look at him with half-lidded eyes, "Neats, you shouldn't interrupt like that."
"But I am," he pouted as he buried his head into her shoulder. She sighed, smiling at Ryuuzaki who was rather intrigued by the young boy.
"Ryuuzaki, would you like to join us for supper?" she asked, a small smile on her face.
He looked at her, rather surprised at the offer, then nodded as he stepped back and hunched over a bit shyly. She grinned at him, but then Near grimaced up at her.
"Hey, don't look at me like that," she said, raising her eyebrow at him, "At least Ryuuzaki's not dressed in his pj's. Maybe we should just leave without you." Near pushed himself away from her rather angrily and she was forced to put him down. He turned and ran down the hall, disappearing around a corner.
"I'm sorry," she said as she turned to Ryuuzaki, "He's being rude."
Ryuuzaki smiled, his index finger on his bottom lip as he shrugged, "It's all right, I'm rather impressed by little Near."
She nodded, "He is impressive, isn't he? He can already read and write, and he talks just about perfectly. I often wonder if he's a genius…"
"Probably," Ryuuzaki replied. She looked at him with intrigue, "he's got an 85 chance of being considered a genius throughout the rest of his life."
"Really?" she asked, feeling her curiosity of the man tickle the back of her mind, "Would you mind me asking just why you're here at the Wammy's House?"
"Not at all," he smiled cheerfully, "I used to live here before I moved to Japan. I'm visiting for a few weeks before I head back to school."
A flicker of emotion crossed her features, "So you're an orphan too?"
Ryuuzaki shrugged, "I never knew my parents and never really thought of them, but I suppose I am." She smiled with a nod and was about to reply when she felt something wrap around her leg.
Near was standing behind her leg, as if hiding, now dressed in a t-shirt and pants, tiny sandals on his feet. She smiled, placing her hand on his head as he let go and she kneeled in front of him.
"Ready to go?" she asked. He nodded silently, obviously still miffed. She brushed his hair out of the way as she kissed him on the forehead. "Hey, Neats? You can't stay mad at me forever." He didn't reply as he pointedly avoided her eyes, twisting his hair around his fingers. She rubbed her nose against his until he finally did look at her, then grinned wildly back at him, looking goofy enough to urge out a small smile from the boy. She kissed him on the forehead once more before standing up.
"All right," she said, taking his hand as she looked back at Ryuuzaki, "Shall we?" Ryuuzaki nodded, then silently followed as she led the way out the door, vaguely wondering if she was always this cheerful.
Half an hour later they were all seated at a small restaurant within walking distance of Wammy House. Near had ridden piggyback on his sister's back as she and Ryuuzaki walked along, discussing what they liked about the Wammy's House on and off along the way.
Now, Ryuuzaki had slipped out of his shoes, hunched in the chair as he usually was with his toes curled around the edge of the seat. He was reading over the menu, oblivious to the amused expression on Lara's face and the puzzled one on Near's.
"Can I take my shoes off too?" Near asked, looking up at his sister. Ryuuzaki glanced up, surprised at the child's question.
"No, you can't, Neats," Lara replied lazily as she scanned the menu herself.
"He gets to do it, why not me?" Near mumbled.
"Ryuuzaki's an adult and not my little brother, he can do whatever he wants," she replied.
Near looked at Ryuuzaki for a moment, who returned the inquisitive stare, then turned back to his sister, "But shoes are uncomfortable!"
"I have to agree with little Near," Ryuuzaki said as he looked back down at the menu, index finger on his lower lip, "Shoes are frustrating." Near was obviously pleased at the agreeable backup, but Lara was unconvinced. She shot Near a quick look which promptly silenced him, then turned to see a waitress coming up to their table.
The waitress cast a bemused look on a preoccupied Ryuuzaki, but looked at Lara with a smile, "What'll you be having tonight, miss?"
"I'll have a plate of spaghetti, and he'll have some fish and chips," Lara said, closing her menu as she motioned to Near.
"And you, sir?" the waitress asked Ryuuzaki.
"I'll have a slice of chocolate cake," he said, closing the menu with the tips of his fingers. The waitress took the menu from him, not bothering to hide her disapproval of the young detective.
As soon as she was gone, Near turned to his sister, "I have fifteen years until I'm an adult. I can't wait."
"But I'll be your sister for the rest of your life," Lara replied with a coy smile, "So don't get your hopes of, love." Near frowned, narrowing his eyes and twirling his hair as he considered ways to be able to live without shoes and with plenty of cake regardless of his sister.
Lara turned away from the thoughtful Near to Ryuuzaki, "Do you always eat cake for dinner?"
"Not necessarily," he answered, his round eyes looking upwards as he considered his past meals, "I don't usually have set meals, I eat when I'm hungry. And I have plenty of tea and hot cocoa throughout the day." She silently wondered if you could get dark circles around the eyes through malnourishment. "Why?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.
She smiled, finding herself enjoying his strange mannerisms, "I suppose I've just never met anyone with your kind of diet."
"Sugar boosts my brainpower," he explained with a small smile, "Without it I'm only 40 as efficient."
Near looked up to his sister, "I could live by myself, you know, then you wouldn't be able to tell me what to eat."
"How would you buy the cake?" she replied with a cocked eyebrow, "Where would you get money? It's illegal to hire a four year old, Neats."
He snorted impatiently, deciding it was impossible to rush things. He'd just have to wait until he was at least sixteen.
He turned to Ryuuzaki, "I'm the same way. Without my toys it's hard to think." Ryuuzaki nodded, understanding what he meant. He watched as the boy shifted his gaze, twisting his hair with his fingers.
The corners of the dark haired youth's mouth curled up in obvious contentment as he studied his surroundings with his finger on his lower lip.
Lara studied the boys seated by her. She covered her grin with her hand as she realized how alike they looked, looking around with round black eyes while their fingers did their respective subconscious ticks. Ryuuzaki's disheveled side-swept hair even resembled her little brother's messy curls, besides the obvious polarization of colors and texture.
Their food finally arrived and they all dug in. Lara cut up Near's fish as Ryuuzaki devoured his cake bite by bite. By the time she was finished, he was already stabbing into the last piece of cake. He called the waitress by for another slice, and she came back soon enough with a similar slice of chocolate cake.
As he was halfway through the second slice, his large eyes settled on Lara's. His mouth was full, but his ability to talk around the chocolate cake was remarkable, "So is there any particular reason you choose to call little Near 'Neats'?"
She shrugged as she wrapped the spaghetti around her fork, "I can't call him by his real name, and I don't like calling him 'Near,' so I settled for something in-between."
"That makes sense," Ryuuzaki nodded as he stabbed another piece of cake, "What do you think of the Wammy House's goals?"
She shrugged once more, but her furrowing brows betrayed her false indifference, "I couldn't care less. At least we have a roof over our heads. I'm working full-time now, though, so I can support Neats and myself soon. He can still attend the school there if he wants, but I don't want to commit him to anything he may not want."
"What do you think, little Near?" Ryuuzaki said, turning to look at the child. Near was staring at him with narrowed eyes, his fingers twisting his white locks more quickly than usual. Ryuuzaki and Near stared at each other silently, neither blinking for what felt like minutes. Lara watched, unsure if she should snap her fingers in their faces. They seemed to be gauging each other, for reasons she was unsure of.
"Miss Lara, your brother is impressive indeed," Ryuuzaki said, still not breaking eye contact as he grinned at the young boy, his thumb by his lips. Near turned away, picking up a piece of potato and nibbling on it silently. He seemed to be lost in thought as his gaze fixed itself on the street outside.
"Why do you say that, Ryuuzaki?" she asked.
He only smiled cryptically as he swallowed another bite of chocolate cake.
Five pieces of chocolate cake later, Lara had ordered Near a slice of his own. He was eating slowly, enjoying the treat as he tapped his feet on the booster seat beneath him.
"Would you like any more?" Lara asked Ryuuzaki.
"No, thank you," Ryuuzaki replied politely. "Although I'll probably have a cup of tea once we get back." Lara nodded with a grin. She looked at Near just in time to see him scooping the last bit of cake off his plate and into his mouth. She took her napkin and wiped the chocolate frosting off his face, ignoring the squirming protests as he tried to turn away. Ryuuzaki watched, his large eyes seemingly far off in thought as she finally finished cleaning off the four year old's chin.
Ryuuzaki reached into his pockets and took out a mess of bills. He picked some apart with the tips of his fingers, then placed them on the table.
"Oh, no, really, I can pay," Lara said hurriedly.
"It's alright," Ryuuzaki replied as he slipped back into his tennis shoes and stuffed the bills into his jeans, "I have no problem paying for your dinner."
"Thank you," Lara smiled as she lifted Near from his seat.
Soon they were walking back to the Wammy's House, Near on Lara's back once more. Ryuuzaki glanced at him to see that his eyes were drooping and he was nodding off.
"Little Near seems tired," Ryuuzaki noted.
Lara nodded, "Little kids can't stay up too late, but I have a feeling he'll be impossible to get to bed once he gets older."
"Why do you think that?" Ryuuzaki asked.
She glanced at him, not having expected that question, "Well... I don't know, just this feeling, I guess. He seems like the kind of person that would think there are more important things to do than sleep." Ryuuzaki nodded, smiling happily. He hadn't anticipated meeting a child like Near so quickly…
Lara watched him, feeling that he wasn't telling her his true motive for being at the orphanage. She couldn't remember anyone ever visiting before, unless they had friends in the House. Did the idea of being an orphan really not perturb him? Maybe because he hadn't known his parents it wasn't so much of a big deal…
"What's wrong?" Ryuuzaki asked of her troubled expression.
She blinked and turned to look at him, "I'm sorry, I must've wandered off there." He stared at her, and she found herself staring back, mostly out of a desire to see him blink first. The night was dark, with only the moon and stars providing a fluorescent sheen to her surroundings, but his eyes stood out vividly. They looked even darker than usual in this light, truly pitch black irises surrounded by a ring of sheer white, which were then surrounded by dark circles of sleep depravation, all partially covered by choppy bangs. She couldn't help feeling mesmerized as she continued gazing back steadily.
"Is there something the matter?" he asked, his voice softer than usual. She felt her breath catch in her throat for a second, then shook her head in embarrassment. She hoped he couldn't see her reddening face in the half-light.
She hadn't realized she stopped walking. She laughed abashedly, glancing at him, "I'm sorry, I really don't know what's the matter with me. I must be tired."
"Probably," he said with a small smile. "It seems that Miss Lara works very hard." She blushed harder at the compliment, though she couldn't understand why she did to such a typical comment.
They walked in comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Soon enough they arrived at the Wammy House.
The house hummed with the sounds of sleepy children getting ready for bed. The lights were soft and the air cozy. She couldn't help smiling to herself. Sometimes this place wasn't half bad…
"I suppose I'll be going to bed," she said in a whisper.
He nodded, his lips set in a relaxed grin, "Have a good night, Miss Lara."
She smiled, "You too."
She headed down the hall, but stopped at the corner and looked back. He had disappeared, probably off to have his cup of tea. Near shifted on her back, making a small, half-asleep noise. She sighed contentedly, then walked off to their room.
Notes: Well, yeah... I'm really trying to build a relationship between the three of them, instead of lumping them together and going "whoo, they like each other!" Right now it may not be very exciting, but...
Blah, I don't like defending my writing, because if I were to write an acutal book I wouldn't get to do that. My opinion doesn't matter as long as you enjoyed it.
But please, please, leave a review. PLEASE. Your opinion does matter, dammit, so yell at me or something!
Cheerio, love! ;)