Work Text:
At 29, Near was the epi-centre of the world's most potent detective agency, and older than L had ever been.
While the truth of this didn't sadden him per-say, it would strike him from time to time, sometimes in the middle of a sentence, leading to a subtle dent in his brow forming, too slight for the other agents to notice.
A furrow of that nature was present when Near received a phone call from Wammy's House one evening, right as the other SPK members were packing up their things. He held the phone like other people did, not in the bizarre manner Roger had once described L as doing.
"Near?"
"Hello Roger. What is it?"
"Ah- well. You are familiar with how Linda has become quite renowned in artistic circles since her departure from Wammy's?"
The furrowed deepened. He couldn't fathom what that opening sentence could insinuate about Roger's meaning for the phone-call. He began to fiddle with his hair as he said
"Of course."
He had seen an online ad for an exhibition her work was part of once. He still remembered the way the kids at Wammy's would crowd her for portraits, leaving her bashful and busy with the requests whenever she was free. She never had the heart to turn any of them down. Her approach was precise colour inversion, meaning she could look at a gradient of 100 colours on someone's face for example, and reverse the order, giving her paintings a freakish unique selling point and the kids had found it novel. So had Near.
"Well she suggested that, seeing your success in following L's footsteps in investigation," He frowned at that. L's legacy was the judicial gravel that Roger hung over him. "-that Wammy's house should have a commemorative painting of you."
The lack of continuity in anonymity following L, especially at Wammy's made sense. While L had guarded his anonymity fiercely, he had also the luxury to do so, not having attended Wammy's as an institution, and instead as a privately funded project of Watari.
Whilst with Near and the other kids, many of the staff and fellow children already knew how he looked, rendering attempts to prevent his face being known at the house rather useless. He brought down the finger that had been threading his hair.
"Alright then. I have no problem with that."
In the ensuing seconds of silence, he resisted the urge to hang up. Apparently Roger had failed to mention something. Hesitance is a vice. "Is there... something else you wish to discuss... ?"
"Well um, you see, she's requested that you come to the house in person to stand model for it."
"..."
That triggered an entirely different silence in Near. One much closer to surprise. Why... Why in person? If he didn't have assured faith in the security team for Wammy's, he'd think it a trap. The idea that Linda, with her eidetic memory, wouldn't simply draw from memory, making some age-appropriate tweaks, or base it off a description, was not quite adding up. But, perhaps there was another reason he was being summoned. One Roger daren't talk about over call.
"I see. I have plenty of work I can do over long distance, so that shouldn't be a problem. When would this be?"
"Is this Saturday suitable?"
"I'll see you then."
He hung up, not waiting for Roger's response, and blew out a breath he had been holding.
Peculiar.
The cross glinted slightly at the top of the house.
Near always thought the cross somewhat ironic, seeing as the religious members of Wammy's were the minority. Perhaps Watari thought all the catholic guilt might make them more pliable. Not that Mello's (plentiful) Catholic guilt made him pliable in the slightest. He never got to ask him if that was a joke or not.
There were four teens waiting for him outside the doors.
Four of his most suitable successors.
He always got the impression that the fact he was managing to keep living was a constant source of resent for his successors, who had no doubt heard of his early childhood rise of succession. He had managed to outlive L by five years already, and unfortunately for them, he had no intention to die.
After the age of 12, most of the children's rankings within Wammy's solidified, and they had been dubbed letters a couple years ago in the order of their potential, in direct continuation of N.
The first, O, stepped up, and Near realized with exasperation he was going to have to shake all of their hands. Apparently being touch-aversive did not carry much weight when arranging House Formalities. He could only hope his successors were worth the trouble.
N found little worth in learning to tell his successors apart. They wouldn't be helping him in cases for another couple of years, so he had dismissively categorized them as: Roman nose, Girl, Small ears, and Exophthalmos in order of ascension. The four main types of people.
Thankfully, the handshakes were the extent of it, and he saw them being herded back into their classes. Except for the O, roman nose.
"Are you to be my adjutant." Near asked flatly.
"I am." The boy replied, equally flatly. Hope for him yet.
"Lead the way."
They passed open doors of children at lessons, and several of them looked up with plaintive eyes.
Still alive are you?
The room O brought him to was one Near had never been in as a child, on the second level.
The room was bright, and crowded, save for a long rectangle of plain cloth at the back of the left wall that presumably served as a background reference for the painting.
Small pick-me-up possessions were scattered everywhere, from the window shelves, to the many thin metal bookshelves that Near saw housed artbooks. She was busy organizing her supplies by the canvas.
Her hands were trembling slightly.
"I brought him Linda."
Linda looked up sharply.
"Oh! Very punctual of the both of you. Thank you Olive."
Near noted with approval that O took his leave as unceremoniously as possible. Perhaps it was a comment of vanity but he thought the boy's manner was quite satisfactory.
"Do you like him?" She asked, breaking the slight silence that had held the room, tilting her head slightly. Near flicked his eyes to her in surprise at the... unexpectedly personal question.
"I think he'll be perfectly suitable as a detective."
She looked at him with a somewhat shy humour lightening her eyes.
"Was that a yes?"
Ah. she noticed the avoidance.
"I don't know enough about him to say whether I approve of him as a person on the most genuine level, if that's what you mean."
"It was, and you have a point. I suppose it's been quite a while since you've been back here, talking to the kids."
Near was puzzled by the somewhat sad tone in her voice. The tone seemed to insinuate that she was of the opinion he should have been back for a visit. Near filed the possibility that it could have something to do with the unspoken reason he suspected he was brought here for.
But Linda was motioning for him to sit down on the chair she had picked, and he set the thought aside. It would be unnerving for her if he asked while she was supposed to be painting. She would either bring it up in her own time , or he'd be able to ask at the end, when she would be hopefully more relaxed to questions. He swept his hair to the front, to avoid it catching on the chair when he sat down, and noticed Linda looking at it with a curious appreciation. She bit her lip, visibly pausing for a moment in her thoughts, before coming around the front of the easel to where he was sitting.
"Do you mind if I touch you to move you into position for the painting?"
Near looked up at her with slight surprise. She had remembered his touch aversion from their childhood? It wasn't as if he went around saying it aloud at any point. But she was looking at him so directly, he quickly looked off center again.
"I would appreciate if you did so... firmly... when you do."
He saw her smile agreeably in his peripherals.
Her personable warmth hadn't diminished with adulthood. Although, her manner was just adding to the growing pile of confusion and unanswered questions he had. He intended to find some. Linda had set to work, decisively setting and turning his limbs and hands till she was satisfied, and stepped back to confirm her contentment with the position.
If he asked her now, while she was distracted, he had a better chance of getting an answer than when she was safely set behind her easel.
He should get the question out now if he wanted it before the the painting was done.
"Linda?" He began, quietly, so as not to disturb her with the... potential enormity of his question.
80 out of 100 worlds
He noticed that she still flinched a little, like she wasn't expecting him to talk to her.
94 out of 100 worlds
"Mhm? What is it?"
"Can you tell me something?" He continued, looking at her. She shuffled a little, and took a small step backwards that was definitely nervous.
"Yeah, sure Near, what is it?" Her voice was welcoming. Or rather, it was saturated and energetic enough to feign welcome of questions. Near sat back in his chair a little, as if he was sizing her up. Better to unsettle her more.
"Why did you ask that I be here in person for this portrait. Isn't it obvious that you have the memory and skill to do a portrait without my actual presence here?"
He saw her lithe shoulders stiffen a little, and her face freeze in indecision. She stalled with her hands and started teeter-tottering on her toes ever so slightly.
"I... well... I was meaning to get around to that. You see I've wanted to ah.... tell you something for a quite a while. Do you... do you remember that week you came back to Wammy's immediately after the Kira case, when you were dealing with questions about your line of succession and visiting the children as a guest speaker?"
It was one of the most exhausting weeks of his life. He was good at control during situations that demanded it, but the case had gone on for so long, and been matter of life or death for so long, that it took him practically the whole week to sleep it out. The relevance this had, however, to the problem in front of him remained ambiguous.
"Of course."
"And do you remember the morning you almost overslept for one of the classes, and I was the one who came to wake you up?"
He did. She had been half-awake herself, and her hair had been hanging loose and shaggy around her shoulders. There was a guarded look on her face.
He had no idea how either of them had regularly woken up for the early classes at Wammy's.
He nodded.
"Well I didn't wake you up at first. I took a couple of seconds. When I was looking at your face sleeping, the way you had tossed the blankets half to hell, the way you were so obviously exhausted by the Kira Case, even after it had been closed. It made me realize something that I've been wanting to tell you ever since we were 13 and you left Wammy's to take up the case."
She turned to him, and knelt. And when she spoke, her voice was low and resigned "That I... I'm in love with you."
She said it like she was confessing a sin.
Near looked at her, the answer to the mystery of the past few days falling into place with a relieved certainty.
"So that's why." He replied simply. She was shaking slightly. "And what are you planning to do if I don't return your affections?"
She whipped her head up at that, and got up with a burning tremble on her face.
"Then I'll just get on with the painting." She said dejectedly, turning to go.
Near grabbed her wrist, aware of the unintentional affect his words had had, stopping her in her path.
"I never said I didn't." He whispered.
She looked at him. She looked at him and she saw him.
"I... I know you live a very different life to me. I know you are busy, and can't afford emotional attachment in your line of work. But ever since we were kids I've wanted to be able to stay near you. And... it just... it just seemed like no matter where I looked, or when I tried, I was out of time to tell you."
Near let go of her wrist, and stood up.
"Linda, if I offered you to stay in the complex that I live in, would you come?" He all but whispered. She drew back a pace, eyes wide, shocked.
"You're correct about something. I can't promise you attention. My work... doesn't allow it."
"I wouldn't ask it." She exclaimed suddenly "Honestly I'm overwhelmed just by the thought that you've offered such a thing... Give me a moment." She took a step backwards again and closed her eyes. When she opened them she seemed much calmer. "You know one perk of being an international artist is the fact I have contacts and friends everywhere. I wouldn't feel lonely wherever I was, and quite honestly, the idea of having the peace and quiet of a private complex to paint in all day sounds wonderful for my work ethic."
"I'd give you the best equipment money can buy." He said like a promise.
Linda choked back a laugh that sounded like a sob
"You're making me feel like you have to bribe me for permission." She said mock exasperatedly. "You don't have to-"
Near kissed her. He had been moving aside his hair covertly for the seconds leading up to it, or else he would've done it sooner. She asked to stay with him in the least invasive manner possible, she offered to accept his work, and she offered to see him unconditionally, and she acted like he was doing her the favour. She melted into it, cupping his face, carting her hands through his hair with the exact amount of pressure.
Knocking on the door broke them apart, and they both tried to brush the corners of their mouths discretely. Near did not believe in God, but this timing was making him consider Satan.
It was Roger.
"Yes Roger, what is it?" Linda said, and Near took a moment to acknowledge her ability to keep her cool. In fact his mind was rather irrationally preoccupied with sentimentality of all sorts.
"Just wanted to make sure you had everything before you started, Linda."
"Yes we're... I'd say we're quite alright."
"Alright then, good luck." He said, mercifully closing the door with a click seconds after.
They looked at each other for a loud few seconds.
Linda was the first to crack, as she brought a hand to her mouth and burst into chuckles.
Near cracked a reciprocal smile.
"Maybe you should actually do my painting now." he pointed out. She came around to the painting side of the easel still laughing.
"I certainly should Near." She said, and there was something in the contented final smile she gave off that made Near's heart swell.
"And Linda?"
"Yes?"
"If you're going to offer yourself to live with me and move your life, you should know that my name... is Nate"