Fractured Ties (A Death Note Matt x Reader)

Plastic Heart

Your sneakers barely make a sound as they meet the granite floor, never signaling your presence to your co-workers-which is exactly why you chose to wear sneakers. (Obviously, Near's sock-feet does a better job of not clicking on the floor and drawing unwanted attention, but who doesn't wear shoes outside?) Anyway, you plainly walked over to the meeting room, preparing for a long-ass discussion about a new case. You sigh heavily and opened the room door.

"Greetings, agent (l/n). You are late, again. Remember to be more punctual next time or were you "doing something" with Matt? He sure does like having you as his girlfriend. Or perhaps, Mello is involved with this too?" Near smiled his creepy child, pedo-grin.

Near was sitting on the carpet beside the table, playing with his "action figures", decapitating their heads, or something.

Your face started heating up, as the whole room cracked up, laughing. Who knew that the kid had a sense of humor?

"Dammit, Near. You really like pushing me to the limit, don't you?"

"Well, maybe I can call both Mello and Matt over here to BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU!" You snapped.

"Well, that doesn't sound like a wise decision as Mello will blow the place up and there won't be a CIA headquarters nearby for you to work at and you won't have the money to pay the rent for that apartment of yours." Near smartly stated.

"Well, THAT'S IT!" You slammed your hand on the meeting table.

You preceded towards Near, snatched the action figures away from his hands, and stomped on their plastic bodies, until they break, like Near's plastic heart. Near just stared at you with his cold, grey eyes in contentment. He seems to enjoy watching you make your scene.

"(f/n), Near, that's enough!" Commander Anthony Rester held you back from creating any more havoc and supplied Near with another set of plastic figurines.

You slink back to your seat, embarrassed that the commander has to separate you two from bickering like children. You begin wondering why you forgot your own advice, and acted blindly, without thinking. Curse this autistic, albino kid!

"Anyway, agent Stephen Gevanni will introduce the new case to us, this time." Anthony beckoned Gevanni to come forward and introduce the case.

"Thank you, commander. Now, I have a new case, involving Roger Ruvie's abduction."

You perked up at the name.

You got up from your seat. "Roger, from Wammy's house? How? Why?" You asked, shocked.

"(f/n), please let Gevanni continue." Ordered the Commander. You sat back down.

"Anyway, I don't know the details of the case, but I did find out that he was abducted and held hostage for something of L's that he hid right after L died."

Gevanni handed everyone a case file provided by the LA police force. You glanced at Near, he remained emotionless, staring blankly at his toys. His state, blank eyes, were as cold and calculating as ever. His slender, pale finger curled a tiny, delicate wisp of white hair. Hair curling-another one of his annoying little habits. The kid creeps you out. Even his heart valve is made of plastic, if you listen intently to his heartbeats, you can hear the bit of plastic flapping in his delicate chest (or so he claims, back at Wammy's house).

(Flashback)

It was a cold, rainy day in Winchester, England. The four of you were huddled under the blankets of your bed, with the only light source being the warm glow of Matt's flashlight. Your primary school-aged selves were scared, bored and cowering away from the frightening sparks of lightning, and the terrifying booms of thunder. You were trying to keep an interesting conversation going, distracting yourself from the horrors outside.

"Near, do you have anything interesting about yourself you'd like to share with us?" You asked.

You wanted to know more about Near, as he was always so antisocial and refused to talk to anyone. He was just there.

"Well...." He began with his cold, monotone voice.

"I've been having heart problems, recently. They say, my heart's smaller and weaker than the average child my age, so I had an open-heart surgery. They replaced my heart with a plastic pump. You can literally hear the plastic flapping whenever my heart beats." He finished.

"No, way!" Mello Exclaimed.

"Let me hear."

He pressed his right ear directly on Near's chest, listening intently to his heartbeats.

"I can hear it, it's so creepy!"

Then, it was Matt's turn to listen. He pressed his left ear to Near's chest.

"Wow. So, you're technically made of plastic now."

"I guess so." Near shrugged.

"Umm, can I listen?" You shyly asked.

"Sure." Said Near.

Your right ear rested on Near's fragile chest.

"Thump, flap. Thump, flap." You hear his heart beating.

You pulled away from Near's chest.

"That is so creepy, Near." You remarked.

The four of you spent the rest of the stormy night sharing your deepest, darkest and most interesting secrets among yourselves, promising not to tell anyone, or use it against each other.

(End of Flashback)

"I'm glad that none of us decided to use it against ourselves. I'm glad that our secrets, are still secrets to this day." You thought aloud.

"It's amazing how we still can remember a promise that we've made so many years ago."

You observe Near for a longer while. You've always wondered, what feelings are conjured inside that plastic heart of his? He seems to enjoy pissing people off, and he has the guts to do so knowing, that there will always be someone to protect him from harm. You shake these thoughts away, and resumed listening to the case discussion. At exactly 12:00 pm, the team decided to break for lunch. (You had to eat the crappy cafeteria's Thursday Meatloaf.) You spent the rest of the day brainstorming ideas on what object of L's would Roger have risked his life to have it hidden. The day finally came to an end, and you were eager to head back home, and discuss the case with Matt and Mello.