The day was over. Near sat in his room, like he always did in the evening, gazed out the window, and sighed. L had left that morning, and now he missed him terribly. He didn't think that he would be so lonely.

Near yawned. Life was so much more difficult with L in it. How was he supposed to know that he would like him so much?

Near got up and walked to his bed. He hadn't touched it since L and he had slept in it together. He smiled, the memory was so sweet. He lay on te bed and buried his face in the pillow, inhaling deeply. It still smelt of L. With a smile, he snuggled deeper. L smelled like sugar with a slight hint of strawberries. He remembered the first time he'd met L. At that time, being nearly force fed cake was so shocking he thought he would die. Even now, months later, he could still taste the saccharine treat. He wondered if L would take them back there next time he visited.

Gradually, Near's eyelids grew heavier, and he drifted off to sleep.

When L arrived the next time, Spring was well under way. It was nearly Summer when the detective showed up, unannounced.

It was a fine day, and Near was in a playroom, building a city of cards. The boy reached for a thin playing card, and with delicate, precise fingers, he gently went to place the card upon the elaborate stack.

Before he could place the card, however, long, thin, pale fingers gripped the card and pulled it away from him.

With a small gasp, Near looked up to see L placed the card in a different area. The castle shivered, but stayed put.

"Where you were going to put it," L whispered, his breath hot on Nears ear. "Would offset the balance and the whole thing would fall over."

"O-oh... Thank you."

"No problem." L said, leaning back up. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine. You?" Near asked, twirling his hair.

"I've been better." L admitted, sitting down beside the boy.

"I think we all have." Near replied, pulling card, a King of Hearts, out of the tower. The intricate tower collapsed, cards flying in every direction. Near looked at the one he now held.

"Why did you do that?" L asked, fishing in his pocket for a cherry flavored sucker.

"So I can rebuild it." Near said, already rebuilding the tower.

"Why would you want to do that?" L inquired through a mouthful of sugary goodness.

"If I do it enough, I'll know it by heart." Near placed another card on the tower for emphasize.

Near was reaching for more of the scattered cards when L removed the candy from his mouth, leaned forward, and blew the few standing cards over.

The cards once again flew around, some floating softly to the ground, others falling with a mastered grace and a quiet plok as they landed. Near watched, wide eyed, as the cards
formed messy piles, dominating a part of the floor.

L leaned back and placed the red candy back in his mouth. "Lets go find Mello." He said.

Near glanced back at the abandoned deck before getting to his stockinged feet and following L out of the room.

They were at the end of the hardwood hall when they heard the yelling. It was two boys, coming from up ahead. They seemed to be having fun.

As they neared Mello's room, they could make out a few of the words, but it was mostly laughs and screams. Then, from Mello's open door, an auburn haired boy burst from the room and started running toward the pair walking up the hall.

Around his neck hung a pair of orange tinted goggles. He was wearing the most fluorescent yellow shirt that L had ever seen. It hurt his eyes just to look at it. Poking precariously from one of his many pockets was a handheld video game, threatening to fall out at any moment.

He was laughing, running at L and Near with his head turned, most likely so he could watch Mello. In his hand he held an unopened chocolate bar. L watched the quickly approaching boy curiously.

"Matt!" Mello yelled, running to his door. "Get back here!"

"So this is the infamous matt." L thought to himself. Matt, who had no idea who he was about to run into someone, let alone that they were there at all, just kept running. Only when he saw the look of terror on Mello's face did he turn around.

He only saw the two people for a split second before running right into them.

L had side stepped the boy and caught him around the torso, sparing all three of them quite of bit of pain.

"Oof!" Matt gasped, dropping the chocolate. He looked up at L, his eyes on fire with childish defiance and anger. He opened his mouth to speak when Mello came running down the hall.

"L!" He yelled.

Matt, L's arm still around his stomach, stared at L with wide eyes. L looked back emotionlessly.

"L?" Matt breathed.

"It's nice to finally make your acquaintance."

Matt continued to stare at L, awestruck. L released the boy and opened his arms to Mello.

"L! I'm so sorry!"

"Nobody was hurt." L replied, letting go of Mello and turning slightly to Matt. "Right?"

"I-I'm fine." Matt stuttered, still a little dazed.

L bent down and picked up the abandoned bar of chocolate and gave it back to the blonde.

"I guess I'll be going now..." Matt said, pointing down the hall. L nodded his goodbyes, where as Mello waved vigorously. The kid half shuffled, half walked down the hallway, until hewalked down the stairs and out of sight.

L turned back to his possible successors.

"Well then, what would you two like to do today?"

Mello opened his mouth, but Near was faster.

"Cake." He said, "I'd like to go out for cake."

Mello flashed Near a quick glare. "Sounds good to me." He said with a smile. "But after that we have to do something I want to do."

They were in the car for only a short period of time when they arrived at the cute cake shop. Near felt sick from the butterflies of anticipation, restless in his stomach.

He climbed out of the car after Mello, waiting patiently for L to unfold his legs and emerge from the car after them. Back hunched, he followed the two into the shop, left unvisited by
them since the day they met, months ago.

Mello ran up to the counter and eagerly ordered the triple chocolate fudge cake.

L ordered his beloved strawberry, and they both looked over at Near expectantly. Near faltered under their gaze.

"I... Uh..." he murmured, looking down.

"Strawberry?" L asked, his smile evident in his voice.

Near nodded.

Once again, like last time, they sat down, cake slices in hand. Unlike last time, Near started eating his confection quickly.

He was watching the two sitting in front of him, seeing but not registering. Hearing but not remembering. He was too lost in thought, thinking about the last time they were here. He reminisced about the warm feeling that spread through his body. The pounding of his heart. The fluttering in his stomach.

He was only half paying attention to Mello and L. They seemed to be deep in conversation. What were they talking about? He didn't know. All he knew was that L was pointing his fork at Mello, trying to emphasize a point. Upon his steel utensil was some cake– cake that Mello was eying hungrily.

Point made, L was about to take the cake and eat it when Mello opened his mouth wide and devoured the strawberry flavored delicacy.

L stared wide eyed as Mello released the fork and swallowed the light pink cake. He licked some of the frosting from his lips.

"Mmm..." he hummed, a light blush adorning his cheeks. "Good."

L blinked. "Very." He said.

Mello flashed Near a triumphant glance. Near swallowed his angry jealousy and did all he could to keep himself from punching the smirk off Mello's face.

Instead, he snaked his fork over to Mello's cake and shaved off a slice. He stuck the cake and fork back in his mouth before Mello could protest.

"Hey!" Mello exclaimed. "What do you think you're doing?"

Near did his best to not cringe when the chocolate invaded his taste buds. This was, and he believed to ever be, the most chocolate laden thing he'd ever eaten. With a gulp, the
creamy confection slid down his throat and he licked the fudge off his fork before smiling at Mello.

"Since you two were sharing, I felt that I should be a part of it too."

He smirked at Mello.

"Take that, bastard." Near mentally taunted.

Neither boy saw it, they were too caught up in their silent skirmish to notice, but a small smile had crept across L's face.

"Where else would you two like to go before I must leave?" L inquired as they finished their cake and left the shop.

"How about the toy store?" Mello suggested, as sweet as the chocolate he regularly consumed.

L looked at Near, and after a moment of hesitation, the boy gave a small nod of approval.

L told Watari where to go, and they arrived at the toy store sooner then expected, as least for Near. The troupe piled out of the car and into the store.

L looked around uneasily. The store was echoing with children's laughter and shrieks of joy. Exasperated mothers vainly told their kids to behave. There were so many people, so
much noise.

Near didn't seem to be enjoying himself either.

L could tell that if he were younger, and if L was his mother, he would be clinging to his pant leg and hiding from the other children.

"Go find something you want." L urged.

Near looked up at him fearfully before nodding and scurrying off.

L hated to admit it, but the boy pulled at his heart strings.

Near wandered through the high shelves, scared that the numerous toys would topple over and crush him.

Shrugging off his childish fears, he hurried to the aisle with the toy Gundams he was so fond of.

He saw the picture at the end of the aisle. The last one in a series he was collecting. The last one he needed. He rushed down the aisle, searching every shelf intently.

He came up empty handed.

He came to the conclusion that the model was on a higher shelf, one he couldn't see, let alone reach.

Backing up, even standing on the bottom the shelf behind him to gain himself a few inches, he cursed his shortness as he stretched out his body to see the shelves above him.

Near was a small boy– 4' 2" and 40 pounds. He could barely see the bottom of the boxes. But then his eyes found it. Red letters proudly proclaiming the words he so desperately wanted to see.

Now was the obstacle of how to get it.

Near was just contemplating climbing up the shelves when L appeared.

"Ryuuzaki!" He gasped. L walked over to him. "Can you help me get that down?"

L looked at the shelf, scanning the boxes for the one Near wanted.

"Which one?"

Near pointed in the box's general direction, and once again L looked for it.

"I'll just pick you up," he said, "and you can grab the one you want."

Before Near could say anything, L bent over and took the boy in his arms, hoisting him up so he was level with the shelf. Almost instantly Near reacted in a way L wasn't expecting.

He inhaled sharply, grabbing onto L's arms painfully tight. His eyes were wide, his mouth open in a silent scream.

"Put me down!" he gasped.

L didn't now how to react to the withering kid in his arms. He considered his first instinct– dropping him, but realized that would only make matters worse. Instead, he brought Near closer to his chest, holding the boy tightly as he lowered him slowly to the floor. Near clung to L's arms, his knuckles turning white with the force he was using to hold onto L's wrist.

"Near?" L asked, "Are you okay?"

"I-I..." Near stuttered, breathing hard.

"Will you be alright?" L asked again, kindly stroking the boys arm in an attempt to calm him down. Near nodded.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I have a desperate fear of heights."

"It's not your fault." L murmured.

Obsidian eyes met with translucent blue, damp with scared tears left unshed.

"I didn't know you were afraid of heights– I'm sorry." L appeased, breaking the eye contact and standing up for the model.

"Yeah." Near said, wiping his eyes. "If I'm up high for too long, I lose consciousness."

L made a noise of understanding and grabbed the box. He handed it to Near and made his way out of the aisle. Near basked in the happiness the toy filled him with before following L.

For the third time that day, the three sat in the car, heading back to the orphanage. There was no need to fill the silence that hung over them. It wasn't awkward and suffocating.

Near hugged the boxes to chest, staring out the window. Beside him sat L, staring at the roof of the vehicle as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. Mello sat on the other
side of L, quietly eating a chocolate bar as he too watched the scenery go by.

It ended as all of L's visits ended. They stopped. Got out of the car, Mello hugged L first, then Near, then L got back in his car and drove away.

Near walked back into the brick building. He was just inside the door when he started coughing.

The fit passed quickly enough and he started to walk again when he had to stop for another round of coughing.

"Odd," he thought, "I must be coming down with something."

He continued on his way to his bedroom. He set his two new boxes– the Gundam and a puzzle– on his desk a pondered which one he should start first.

He was reaching for the Gundam when he began to cough again. He brought a hand to his mouth, hacking into his cuffed palm.

He tasted it before he felt it.

The metallic tang.

Blood rose in his throat and he coughed it up and into his pale hand. He stared wide eyed at the crimson mess. he didn't have time to think about it before another wave of convulsions
racked his body.

"Okay," Near thought, turning to the slightly open door. "It can't be too bad. I don't feel any excruciating pain, and it's just a little blood. I'll just walk down to the infirmary, and they'll do... something. Worse case scenario is that I'm sent to the hospital fighting for my life."

Decision made, Near stumbled to the door.

More coughing, more blood.

Near sank to his knees, his body shaking violently.

He looked down at his hands. They were covered in blood. It stained the front of his shirt, rolled lazily down his wrists and was undoubtedly smeared across the light skin of his face,
his lips and chin dyed ruby. There was so much blood. It was everywhere.

He heard someone talking. "Good God, Near. Die already. You're hacking is pissing me off."

Near watched through tear blurred eyes as the partially open door swung open. He saw Mello, angry at first, then shocked, lastly, scared.

"Near?!" Mello gasped, taking a step back before rushing forward.

"Near? Near! What's happening? Near?!" Mello yelled, distressed.

Near coughed again. Was there more blood? He couldn't tell.

"Oh God, I'm going to die."

He was vaguely aware of Mello screaming shrilly, of the blondes hands on him, holding him. The wetness on his face from the blood and tears. Who's tears? His or Mello's? Was Mello crying?

"Roger! Roger, Near's dying!"

"Just as I thought," Near said to himself, "this will be the end of me."

Then, the safety of blackness, his world going dark as he willingly forgot the blood and coughing and phased into the nothingness.

I HATE this chapter. I had writers block for most of it X(. There are so many things that I just don't like about it. One: It took me FOREVER to update. Two: I think it's poorly written. Three: IT' SHORT!! UGH!

I do, however, have an excuse for it lateness. We sent my computer back so they could fix it. They said we'd get it back in two to three weeks.

It's been five.

I have to fight my Father and my mom for the "main" computer, so I rarely got on to type. Ugh. Just ugh. I'm sorry for this chapter. Oh so sorry.

Oh noes! Poor Near! What is happening?! Well, you'll find out next time! Which, thankfully, will be up much sooner than this one was. All I have to do is get over this stupid writers block.

Now, for things I couldn't put in the story!

-Yes, I've made Near have a mortal fear of heights. "But Hybrid, what about chapter five when he was on the swings? He went really high then!" Yes, I know that. Unfortunately, when I wrote that part, I forgot. So, the new reason that Near passed out that night was from his fear. The original unwritten reason was that he got really, really cold. "But why would he get on the swing in the first place?" Because he wanted to pass out? Because he's secretly masochistic? He was trying to wash out his feeling of loneliness with fear? I don't know, use your imagination. "Why did L pick him up? L wouldn't pick him up!!" I thought it would be cute. Don't hate me.

Anyway, (Now that I'm done talking to myself) leave a review or two! Tell me if you're liking the story, if it's starting to suck more, or whatever. And why don't you go ahead and take a guess at what happens in the next chapter?


-Hybrid