Work Text:
“Do you see now, Near?” Light Yagami shouted arrogantly as he stared at the tied-up, completely helpless Near across him. “I am true justice! Not only have I achieved in creating a perfect world without crime, but I now have the assistance of someone very dear to you as well!”
The young serial-killer stepped aside, only to reveal the hunched-over figure of a man with wild raven-like hair. Near knew that man. But he never actually believed that it would be him who joined Kira’s side. He didn’t want to believe it.
The dark-haired male gave Near (who was even unable to speak, to protest, to try to reason with his idol, due to him being gagged by a dirty handkerchief ) a disgusted look and then turned to Light, now smiling.
“Kira…My Kami…” He started slowly in a hypnotized loving tone, taking Light’s hand and kissing it. “…Of course you have my assistance…I would do anything for you…I love you, after all…”
Near was forced to watch the utter humiliation and downfall of his idol with tears prickling out of his eyes. The degradation of the one he thought so highly of and even cared about more than he should. He was forced to watch, as he could do nothing to help him, to bring him back to his senses.
“Ryuuzaki, why don’t we have him watch as you worship me, before we get rid of him?” Light proposed, smirking, before focusing on Near again.
Instantly, Near’s eyes widened. He was reduced to making desperate and incoherent muffled noises, only an animal or someone with no logic at all would make.
“Certainly, my Kami…”
The young boy awoke with a startle, causing himself to sit upright on his bed. He nervously inspected his surroundings. He was in his room a Wammy’s House. Alone. Not locked-up in some abandoned dark basement accompanied by a serial killer. The tears he had shed, however, and the sweat dripping down his chin and his back, were, despite his distaste for open emotional displays, were pretty much real. He could have sworn he had felt them in his dream as well.
Near threw the covers off him violently, as if they were on fire, and buried his face in his knees, wiping the tears remaining on his cheeks with the oversized sleeve of his pajama.
Ever since the day L told him about his main suspect, he had been unnerved, to say the least, without even having seen the criminal’s face. Both by the fact that L would be in grave danger 24/7 and that it was necessary for the detective to be close to his suspect. Near of course couldn’t know what ‘close’ actually meant, but his mind just had to create the scenario of L either being threatened by him, or falling in love with him. (Even if Near was aware how stupid both these scenarios were.) In both cases, they worked together to prove how ‘just’ they were.
This dream had been a culmination of those worries.
Near sighed and his hand started twirling a lock of his snow-white hair. According to his calculations, there was only a 0,001% chance that L would join Kira. But even so, he needed to make that o,oo1% chance zero. Now that L was here, at the orphanage. Before he left in the morning. Besides, Near knew it was the only way to get some sleep. He had been plagued with similar kinds of dreams way too many times before. And it wasn’t like he could talk about this to someone else, either. Not even Mello. L told him it was strictly confidential information. And he definitely wouldn’t be one to betray L’s trust.
The young albino slowly let his bare feet touch the carpeted floor and got up from the bed. As quietly as he could, he opened his bedroom door and started making his way to L’s room. For once, Near cursed the wooden floor at Wammy’s and prayed that no one heard the creaking sounds his feet made as he walked.
Thankfully though, he soon arrived at the third floor, where L’s and the caretakers’ rooms were located, successfully without waking anybody.
Suddenly, a thought crossed Near’s mind.
“Children are not allowed on this floor”.
He was breaking a rule right now. Something he had never done before in his young life. He was starting to have second thoughts about this.
“However, if I am able to do this without getting noticed, no one besides L will know of it. Thus, there will probably be little to no consequences”.
(Without this implying that L was one to be taken lightly. He was just less strict than the caretakers about certain things. Mello had once told Near that L found him devouring his chocolate in the middle of the night, outside his room, and didn’t even tell Roger!)
Near was now in front of L’s door, at the end of the hallway. He hesitated to knock though. An awful lot.
He was seriously thinking of backtracking to his warm, comfortable bed and try to sleep. The boy was actually thinking about it for over a minute when the unexpected happened. The door of L’s bedroom slowly opened.
Apparently, the startled boy’s mind had no time to consider his options, so he just stayed frozen on the spot. The door, which was now fully opened, revealed the skinny figure of the eccentric detective, in his signature bad posture.
“Near?” The detective questioned curiously.
Putting aside the fact that Near wouldn’t be able to answer L because he was still petrified from shock, he didn’t have the time to, as they both heard (what Near presumed was) Watari’s bedroom door open as well.
With a swift movement, L covered Near’s mouth, (so that he wouldn’t yelp or make any noises) and pulled him by the shoulders to his own bedroom, closing the door just before Watari glanced at the hallway.
The light-sleeping caretaker looked around the hallway with curiosity.
“Strange…” He muttered quietly to himself. “…I could swear I heard footsteps just now…”
But, unable to see anybody, Watari assured himself he had been wrong and retreated back to his bedroom.
Near’s face was tainted with the lightest of blushes. So light, it was almost not visible. The reason? The movement L used to pull him inside his room made him end up with the back of his head touching L’s upper abdomen, just below his chest, while his hand still remained in front of Near’s mouth. And Near found this closeness to be rather comfortable.
Once L made sure Watari was in his room again, he removed his hand from Near’s mouth and backed away from the boy.
“Excuse me”. He apologized in his monotone voice. “It’s just that Watari tends to take the matter of sleep rather seriously when he believes I should be resting”.
Near, in the meantime had managed to regain his composure and his cheeks had returned to their natural cream-white.
“That’s perfectly understandable”. He said, twirling a lock of his soft, white hair. “And I don’t intend to be a bother but,…aren’t you supposed to be asleep right now? To save your energy for tomorrow, I mean”.
“So are you”. L stated, sitting in his office chair, in his usual crouch, his thumb grazing his lips.
Near found himself staring at the detective’s lips, so his often unblinking eyes blinked, and he looked away.
“And since you always follow the rules according to Roger, I presume you have something of importance to tell me”. L continued, his large, black eyes gazing at his successor. “Isn’t that right?”
Near bit the inside of his cheek and felt disappointed with himself. What kind of genius was he if his mind even dared to compose the thought of bothering L with something as trivial as his nightmares? It was obvious the detective had much more important things to do.
Nonetheless, he managed to tear his gaze from the floor and look back at L’s panda-like eyes.
“Well…” He started and the slight nervousness in his voice would go unnoticed by anyone but L. “…I am not sure if what I have to tell you is actually of importance, but…a feeling kept nagging me that I should tell you”.
“A feeling?” L wondered aloud.
Near wasn’t one to be controlled by his feelings. Whatever it was he wanted to tell him had to be serious.
“Go on”. The black-haired man encouraged him. “Even if what you wish to speak about may seem unimportant to you, it would be a pity if you went through all of the trouble of getting here and ended up telling me nothing, wouldn’t it?”
“If you put it that way…” Near agreed. “…What I wanted to tell you concerns a nightmare I’ve been having constantly these days”.
L was fascinated by his successor’s words. Near had never complained about having actual problems with nightmares in the past years.
“A nightmare?” He repeated and bit his thumb.
Near nodded.
He prepared himself for the worse. L would scold him for bothering him with his dreams and would kick him out of his room as any normal adult, with as many tasks to do, would. But then again, since when had L been ‘normal’?
“Please sit down on the bed, Near”. L told him.
The albino put his small hand away from his hair and sat obediently on the bed with one knee folded in front of him. L jumped off his office chair and sat across Near, yet again in his own unusual way.
“What was your nightmare about?”
“I believe a worry of mine has transformed itself into this nightmare”. Near explained. “But I’m afraid my worry is somewhat of a laughable matter…”
“I don’t think so”. L countered. “A worry or a concern isn’t something to laugh about. Whatever that worry might be”.
Near found the courage to continue in his mentor’s words.
“All my dreams have something in common. Basically… at some point in each dream, you… join forces with Kira”.
Of course though, Near let aside the fact that in some of his dreams L fell in love with his suspect. It was a matter that was ridiculous and one that he would be at least uncomfortable to discuss with the detective.
L just kept staring at him intensely, his expression remaining unchanged.
“Do you think that there is a possibility of me doing that?”
“Only a 0,001% chance”. Near answered sternly.
“I see…” L muttered. “Since when did you start having those nightmares?”
“Ever since you shared some pieces of information with me about your primary suspect”.
Everything started falling into place. L realised his mistake. It was wrong of him to talk about the Kira Case to someone who was not a member of the Kira Task Force, much less, a child. It was not because he didn’t trust Near. Quite the opposite, really. It was just that he didn’t need to put pressure on the boy yet. He wanted him to have a mind cleansed of worries. This was definitely his most difficult case so far. L knew he would put his life in a great risk. In case he died, he wanted at least his successor (whoever that would be) to start without anything else occupying their mind, so as to avoid ending up like A.
L sighed almost inaudibly and then said;
“I’m sorry Near. Had I known it would have caused you trouble with your sleeping schedule, I wouldn’t have told you about this at all”.
“I disagree”. Near argued with a steady tone in his voice. “Now I might be able to help you. The jeopardy in this case is too much, even for you. Besides, I would be content to assist you in any way”.
L smiled and put a hand on his successor’s shoulder.
“Near, I knew the danger I would be in when I took up this case. And I understand that you want to help me, but it would be best for the both of us if you stayed here”.
As much as Near wanted to support his opinion and convince L that he could be useful in the investigation, the way L had said those words…it felt as if there was no room for arguing in his voice.
So he just nodded sadly, as L’s hand left his shoulder.
“I understand”. Was the only thing he told L before he got up from the bed and turned his back at him.
L himself got up too, and seemed like he was about to say something, but Near suddenly turning around and putting his arms around his upper waist, wrapping them together in some kind of hug, surprised him. Not necessarily unpleasantly.
“L, is it really necessary for you to return to Japan tomorrow?” Near whispered, clutching the detective’s shirt tightly.
A thin smile made its way to the older male’s face as he pushed Near away gently and kneeled in front of him, so that he could be almost at the same eye level with the boy.
“I’m afraid so”. He replied.
“Will you visit again?” Near asked.
“You know I can’t say for certain”.
Near looked away from him. A hint of disappointment was stuck in his eyes, even though he tried very hard to hide it.
“But I can promise you this”. L said and made Near look at him by grasping his chin gently. “No matter what, I promise you that I will never join Kira. I will capture him and bring him to justice”.
“Really?” Near questioned, a glimmer of hope shattering his otherwise emotionless mask.
“Yes”.
Near really wanted to hug him again, unsure if he would let go this time, but decided against it in the end. Like himself, L wasn’t a very big fan of physical contact.
“But… I believe it’s time for you to go back to bed”. L commented before getting up from his kneeling position.
“You’re right. I’m sorry if I bothered you”.
“Don’t worry about it”. L assured him.
Near was ready to turn his back to L and leave his room, but his mentor’s voice stopped him.
“Would you mind me accompanying you for a while longer, though? I was actually going to get something to eat before I saw you in the hallway. I could, maybe, walk you to your room and visit the kitchen afterwards”.
“You don’t have to go through all the trouble of walking me back to my room”. Near said with an indifferent tone.
“Not to worry. Watari won’t scold us as much in case we’re seen together, I think”.
Near couldn’t even have imagined that someone like his idol, the great L, would be afraid of an old caretaker’s scolding. However, the boy did find it…lovable… in a way…
“Alright then”. Near nodded. “Let’s go together”.
Not a single step further was taken, and Near was lifted up onto the air. From his mouth escaped the smallest of gasps and he looked around, to find himself in L’s arms.
“It would be better if only one of us walks. Two pairs of feet would cause more noise”. L explained.
Near tried his best to keep his face as stoic as possible, but he really hoped that the faint shade of pink currently colouring both his pale cheeks would go unnoticed by the older male.
“I suppose you’re right”. Was all the boy said before his fingers grasped L’s hunched-over shoulders, to make sure he wouldn’t fall.
Once they were out of L’s bedroom, the detective made sure he walked causing the less possible noise by tip-toeing. Fortunately, they ended up in Near’s room without drawing any unwanted attention to themselves. They got inside, closing the door behind them and L finally set Near on the floor.
Although, Near had to admit he was a little reluctant about having to let go of L again.
“Thank you”. Near spoke in a soft tone.
L simply nodded.
“I will be off then”.
“W-wait!” Near stuttered and pulled at his mentor’s shirt gently.
He felt so weak at the moment. He felt weak for stuttering. He felt weak for letting L know how helpless he felt the moment he said he’d leave. He felt weak for letting his emotions be displayed in front of the great L. Because emotions were a weakness, after all.
To Near’s surprise though, L didn’t get angry for holding him up.
“What is it?” He asked softly in his monotone voice.
The younger of the two realised that he was still holding the other’s shirt and let it go, with his right hand going to twist one of his snowy locks.
“Do you think you could perhaps read me a bedtime story? The caretakers usually read one to me after I have a nightmare”.
L seemed to think about it for a brief moment before answering;
“Yes, I suppose I could read you a bedtime story”.
A ghost of a smile was formed on Near’s lips as a sign of gratitude.
“Which book do you prefer?” L asked as he was looking through his successor’s bookshelves.
“It doesn’t matter”. Near replied. “I was never picky”.
So, L simply caught the first book that caught his eye through the big collection of math and science books that Near possessed. ‘The Snow-White And The Seven Dwarves’. He remembered that book. When they had first found Near at the young age of six, it was Watari who had suggested they bought it for the child as a gift.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s a mathematical genius and one of your possible successors. Every child needs fairytales”. Watari had said.
The eccentric detective grabbed the book from the shelf between his thumb and index finger, in his own strange way, and sat on the head of the bed, taking Near to sit on his lap. The young boy leaned back almost unconsciously, resting his head on L’s shoulder, finding comfort in being this close to him.
L briefly cleared his throat before opening the book on the first page and beginning to read;
“…Once upon a time, long, long ago, a king and a queen ruled over a distant land…”
When L was finished reading, he turned to look at the child resting on his shoulder. He was fast asleep. The detective’s lips curled into a small smile and he set the book quietly on the floor.
He was not surprised Near needed a bedtime story after a nightmare in order to sleep. After all, Near had many habits that could be considered childish for his age. Without that meaning that his habits made the detective think any less of his heir. On the contrary, he found Near’s calm and collective way of solving a problem as if it were a puzzle, particularly fascinating. Sometimes, L wished he had more time on his hands, to observe Near closer.
L tried to gently move Near off him, so that he could get up, but a small whimpering noise escaping the still sleeping boy stopped him. A frown began to cloud the child’s face as he clutched L’s sleeve, like begging him to stay, even though Near was asleep.
After analyzing the situation in his mind, L concluded that there was only a 7,5% chance that he could leave without Near waking up almost immediately after from another nightmare. So, he was left with only one choice; he had to stay here until the morning. Tomorrow was Thursday and Near had to get up early so that he wouldn’t miss his classes anyway.
L exhaled and leaned back on the pillow. He wrapped his arms around Near’s waist loosely and eyed the sleeping child. He seemed completely relaxed and peaceful right now. As if…he liked L holding him like this…
After a good twenty minutes, without having anything else to do, and with the warmth emitting from the other’s body, L decided he might as well sleep, even forgetting that he wanted to go to the kitchen.
The next morning, Watari woke up early as usual, got dressed and prepared L’s breakfast. (A breakfast that, of course, was comprised only of sweets and different kinds of pastries.) The caretaker went in L’s room carrying the tray, expecting to find him either still working on his laptop, or taking a small nap in his office chair, which lasted no more than approximately five hours. But much to his surprise, L was nowhere to be found in his room.
Watari left the tray on L’s desk and made his way to Roger’s office. He hoped that at least the headmaster of the orphanage would have an idea about L’s whereabouts.
He knocked at the door gently, twice.
“Come in”. He heard Roger say from the other side of the door.
Watari entered and closed the door behind him.
“Good morning, Roger”. He greeted.
“To you too, Watari”. The headmaster greeted back. “Is something the matter? Shouldn’t you and L be getting ready for your flight?”
“Well, actually…what I came to talk about to you concerns L. He wasn’t in his room when I brought his breakfast and I was wondering if you had an idea as to where he might be”.
Roger was about to answer, when a knock on the door interrupted him. The person on the other side of the door did not wait for permission to enter. The door opened, revealing Mello.
“Morning Roger, Watari”.
Watari nodded with a smile.
“Good morning Mello, what is it?” Asked Roger.
“Near”. The boy answered. “He didn’t show up for the first period today and Miss Coleman sent me to ask you to find him”.
“That is highly unusual for Near!” Roger exclaimed, obviously worried. “Maybe he is sick… Was he alright yesterday?”
“Yes. Yesterday when I last saw him he was as alive and kicking as Near can be. Unfortunately…” Mello muttered the last part quietly, only for himself to hear.
“Then we’ll take a look at his room. He might be there”. Roger suggested. “Watari, would you like to wait here until we return? We shouldn’t take too long”.
“No, Roger, thank you”. Watari kindly refused. “I think I’ll come with you. I am starting to have an idea about where L might be…”
“Wait! L disappeared?” Mello asked, worry and surprise being both evident in his voice.
“We’ll discuss this later, Mello”. Roger replied.
The three of them arrived outside Near’s bedroom. Roger opened the door slowly, letting himself and the other two peek inside. Their eyes widened in surprise at the sight before them.
There they were, both of them asleep on Near’s bed. L with his thumb in his mouth, and his other hand around Near’s waist, who was sleeping peacefully on his lap with his head on the older male’s chest.
Mello’s expression transformed into what one could describe as comical, looking like he could explode at any given moment, and he slowly backed away.
“E-excuse me…” He stuttered and ran away, presumably to find Matt and tell him about what he had just witnessed.
“Well, it looks like we killed two birds with one stone”. Roger stated. “Don’t you agree, Watari?”
The other caretaker folded his arms in front of his chest and sighed.
“Yes, it would appear so”.
After L left the orphanage and the classes were over for the day…
“Do you see him?” Mello exhaled angrily as he took another bite from his chocolate bar. “He has the audacity to appear in front of me!”
His friend next to him rolled his eyes.
“Technically speaking, from the angle you’re sitting, he’s more beside you than he’s in front of you”. Matt commented calmly without lifting his eyes from his PSP.
The two boys were of course talking about Near who was sitting in another corner of the common room, completing a one-thousand-piece puzzle quietly. The fact that the puzzle had been a gift from L himself for the younger boy’s tenth birthday wasn’t helping Mello calm down at all.
The blonde growled furiously.
“I’m being serious, Matt!”
“Look, you and Near are L’s most probable successors, right? It’s inevitable that he will like someone more. It’s just common logic”. Matt shrugged.
If Mello had taken his friend’s words seriously, it was certain that Matt would have been running for his life now. But fortunately, he knew when Matt was serious and when he was semi-joking. So he just took another bite from his chocolate just as angrily as before and answered;
“Of course it’s common logic. Since that little stupid sheep-devil seduced him!”
Matt fought the urge to roll his eyes a second time.
“You’re still going on about that?”
“There is no doubt”. Mello said firmly. “Why else wouldn’t he react when I crushed his tarot card tower earlier? It’s because he’s happy he’s seduced poor little L!”
“I’m positive he never does anything when you destroy his creations over and over again. He just… builds them again…?”
“Fine, but what about his face? He’s not as pale as usual! Because he’s blushing!”
“Honestly Mello, if I didn’t have a boss to beat right now I would totally join you in the ‘Near Observation’, but I can’t, sorry”.
Meanwhile, Near decided it was time for him to return to his room. His puzzle was not complete yet, but oddly enough, he didn’t mind. There was a far more important task for him at hand. He put his incomplete puzzle back in its box and got up, walking slowly, while partly supporting himself on the wall. Walking long distances was becoming easier for him, if only a little.
While he was in the common room he overheard some of Mello’s hateful comments towards him, but he didn’t let any of them affect him. Last night was special for him. It was one of the very few chances he got to be closer with his idol.
He got in his room and closed the door behind him. Setting his puzzle on the floor, Near quickly grabbed whatever tools he would need. Whatever tools he would need to expand his collection of finger puppets. L would be his latest addition.
Whilst he was making the puppet he thought of his predecessor’s face. He had silk raven-like hair, a really pale face, and eyes with an endless black void in them. Near thought they resembled his own eyes in some ways.
Near smiled as he thought about L.
“L is undoubtedly a special person to me. Making just a puppet of him wouldn’t be enough. I also have several ideas about a mask and perhaps a domino construction…”
The making of the finger puppet made him feel relaxed. Like he was in L’s arms again. For the time being his worries about his mentor were reduced. There was no way L would ever join Kira. He felt 100% certain about it now. L had promised him, after all.
And there was no need to worry about L actually losing to Kira.
L was the best.
And he would bring Kira to justice, as he promised.
…………………………
…Wouldn’t he?