HH_mirror

"Perhaps it is like being born. Although by that analogy, Mello would be the midwife, and the image is a perverse one."

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"Whether or not your relationship with him goes well, I could not say. He is volatile, Near, you know that. You are both moving very quickly. I hope it does. But even if it does not, Near will still be there. Maybe a little sadder, but not lost. He is only helping to coax you out."

That was... surprisingly tiring. He closes his eyes, momentarily.

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"I... never would have imagined you concerning yourself with this. Unless it is merely a worry that it might compromise my effectiveness."

Because, really, what else would it be?

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He opens his eyes and stares at Near, flatly.

"Of course."

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"It seems... outside your sphere of interests."

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"If you are to succeed me, you must be able to at least approximate emotional stability."

What else could it possibly be?

"Since I die soon, and you will be needed, it seemed appropriate."

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"My stability wasn't an issue." Agitation eroded what little tact Near possessed. "I succeeded where you failed."

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"Then I failed."

He climbs to his feet. His knees crack; he's been sitting here too long.

It's difficult to breathe and he isn't sure why.

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"My detachment served me well," Near murmured.

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He has nothing he can think of to say, and he's too shaken to really say goodbye.

He probably could have been twenty, and living under a death sentence, and everything if he was going to pretend it might mean something, but this...

The walk from the bed to the door isn't exactly slow, and he picks up speed quickly as he passes through it.

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I'm about to open the door when it suddenly opens before I can touch it. Before I can fully comprehend what is going on, I'm in a tangle of limbs on the floor. I really don't need this now. I look down, relieved to not find white hair attached to the head of the body that attacked me. "You can get up, you know."

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"Excuse me, Mello."

L's voice is as flat as ever. Perhaps a little quieter. He sits up, and offers him a hand.

"I should have been watching where I was going."

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I frowned. This didn't seem like the L we'd come to know. That L didn't make stupid mistakes. And why was he leaving our room? What mess am I going to have to clean up now? Like I didn't have enough already. "Yes, you should have, Ryuzaki. Why weren't you?"

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"Near was explaining the circumstances of my death to me."

Mello will learn as much from him, he might as well try and make the best of it by reacting and admitting it calmly.

"I am not yet accustomed to the idea."

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I eye him. "Right," I drawl out. "And when you feel like not wasting my time." The only thing that stops me from pushing him out of my way is a life time of the 'L is next to god' crap we got at Whammy's. I may not look up to him, but it is drilled into me to at least pretend to respect him. I put my hands on my hips, waiting.

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He steps out of the way, so that he can pass by freely, and inclines his head politely.

"Near is in."

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"I should hope so." Fuck, this was going to be a mess. I step past him, growling as I do, "If you did anything to him..."

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L laughs. He can't help it. It's sharp, quick, unkind, and entirely unlike him, with his quiet mannerisms and lack of inflection.

He hopes Near heard that, and is as amused as he is.

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I stop, turning to glare fully at him. "What did you do, Ryuzaki?" I can feel my fists curling at my sides. I take a step closer. He may be taller than I am, but I learned how to loom over those taller than me in the Mafia. "What did you do? What mess did you leave for me to clean up?"

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"You are selling Near short, Mello. Although I am glad that you feel the urge to protect him, your efforts are unnecessary in this situation."

He looks utterly calm, and utterly unimpressed with the attempt at looming. He stays in his slouch.

"We merely talked. Go on, ask him."

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Merely talked? Fuck. "Go away, Ryuzaki. Just go away." If L was messed up enough to run into me, Near is going to be worse. Shit. I push past him and into the room.

Fuck. And how long can I really put off telling him about... Shit. Fuck! Damn you Ryuzaki!

"Near..."

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"Mello."

L catches his elbow, from behind, and puts the other hand on the opposite shoulder. His grip is too tight to break easily. His voice is pitched far too low for anyone but them, and he is leaning in close enough that his breath might stir the hair by Mello's ear when he whispers.

"I meant it. He only told me that I died, and that it was in failure, and it frightened me. I promise, that is all."

Louder, and giving him a small nudge in the direction of his room, as he lets go.

"Go on. I will see you soon."

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Bastard. I glare over my shoulder at his retreating frame. If I find out he's lied to me... I can feel my fingernails digging into my palm. I shake my hands loose. "Near?" I repeat, moving into the room.

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Back in the windowseat, Near looked up. He really didn't feel like talking further with L, not just then...

But it wasn't L. It was Mello. Near smiled.

"You're back," he said happily, reaching out his hand.

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