Dark and Light

Chapter 20

Matt was shaking Mello, whisper-shouting,"Mels! What's going on in your head? Why are you just standing there?" He hasn't noticed he had zoned out,"H-huh? Sorry.." Matt, though it was dark, the blond boy knew his best friend was rolling his emerald green eyes at his tendency to get distracted so easily. "Rog had the newspaper in a drawer with a lock on it.. I uh-kinda already picked the lock and.." He waved the papers I front of Mello's face. "Sweet, lets go tell, Near."

"You got it?" Platinum eyes began to glimmer with an immense hope and joy. The two boys nodded and then the three were off running to Near's room. "So-" Matt panted as they reached the safe haven,"What the.. What's the plan after this?"

Near's eyes darted around, focusing on any object in his room other than Mello or Matt's eyes,"Matt? Do you think you can hack into police files?"

His eyes, the look in his eyes could have frightened the Grinch himself. "Can I hack into the polices files? Can I? Well, fluffy head, I'll have you know.. I can." So the redhead set to work, using Near's laptop, and defiling the system.

Mello pulled his boyfriend aside,"So after he hacks, then what? What're you going to do?"

Near took a deep breath, yet again centering his eyes on the floor,"When we find out who the police suspect, we figure out more about this person and go from there."

He was lying, so obviously lying, and even though in Mello's gut, he knew that Near was fibbing, he ignored the feeling.

'He wouldn't lie to me.. Right?' Mello thought to himself as he nodded and walked back to Matt.

"Have you-" Mello didn't even get to finish his statement as Matt interceded, glaring at the black screen with green letters on it. He furiously typed at the keyboard,"Yeah. Almost."

And in that moment, Matt exclaimed,"W-We're in!" Mello and Near both rapidly scrambled to the bed, where Matt was smugly seated at. "Here.." The redhead mumbled,"Let me just pull up the reports on the.. Uh.. Incident."

Three pairs of eyes, three unique boys held their breaths and stared as the screen loaded. Most of all, Near. Throughout this entire time, his emotions were so spread out and confusing, he had a massive headache. Was he happy his plan was working? Was he scared? Why was he trembling? From the fear.. Or from the joy? From the boiling rage in his body, threatening to erupt and bring all else down with him?

The page had loaded and Matt skimmed through until in bold letters, they found what they were looking for.

Suspects.

This. This is what they had been searching for. Risking their reputations and chances of staying at the orphanage. Their decision it had lead to this. And what did they find?

There were no suspects.

"Just as I suspected," Near began to rub his temples. He turned away, his pale face, grey eyes, beginning to transform into a shade of pink. He held his teddy bear to the point where if it were alive, it would have easily suffocated.

"Matt... Mello. I would like to be alone for a moment." He had said barely above a whisper, yet they caught it. Matt immediately scrambled to his feet, setting the laptop down, while Mello stood up, highly perplexed. "You want to be alone?" The blond asked, slowly processing this. "The Near I know, wouldn't want to be alone. He would want comfort, not solitude. Why do you really want to be alone?"

Near stood his face to the wall, his back in their direction, then turned, his eyes cold and calculated,"Then you obviously don't know me."

"I can't-" Mello's hands had begun to tremble again and his rage was dominating all other emotions. Even the feeling for keeping Near safe, and loved. He was losing it and Near wasn't making things better. "I can't believe you!" He yelled and inched closer with each word,"Your parents died, Near, you ran away from home, meaning you cut your ties from them, and you didn't look back! Now they died and you can't bring them back, but you decided to practically invite death to your doorsteps, and look for their fucking killer! Seriously who does that?"

Matt nervously spoke up,"Mels, I think-"

"You, shut up." He snarled and slammed the palm of his hand against a pale, cool cheek. Near's vision blurred and his face jerked to the opposite side where Mello had struck at him. Near rapidly regained his posture and did not attack Mello with his fists, but with his words.

Mockingly the white haired boy exclaimed,"Because I'm going to be here for you. I'm going to stay right here and make things okay." Deep breath,"Yet here you are, hurting me even more. Get out, Mello. Just get out."

"Fuck. You!" He growled and angrily marched off. Matt stood, not quite comprehending what was going on, mumbled a sorry, and scrambled out the door, following his fierce blond best friend.

Near sighed, quietly shuffled to his desk and pulled out a letter. He placed it on the wooden surface, fighting tears. He had told them he trusted them, he had said he needed then. Yet, he knew deep in his heart he would always be alone. Near could only face his problems alone.

From the moment he stepped out of his parents home, to finding Wammy's, to this. He knew it was only him.

Only him.

That's why Mello and Matt couldn't come with him. He was going to the still brick house where his father and mother had been slain in the night. He was going to see firsthand the crime scene and hopefully catch something the police didn't.

But what Near would find out, is that a killer always returns to the crime scene. 

-----

Nate, Near, names didn't matter to him anymore, was dressed in all black. He had taken the opportunity earlier when Mello had gone off to retrieve Matt and ransacked the blondes clothing, acquiring the proper attire for his mission tonight. He had a bit of trouble, lying to his lover like that. He had played his card just right, gotten Mello upset enough to leave so abruptly and Near was almost more than certain he wouldn't be back for a while. It hurt, deep in the albino's heart, he knew it was wrong and he should have asked Mello and Matt to accompany him but they had already done so much, surely he could handle this simple task alone. Right?

What he was going to do was going to make up for it.

Near had also taken the liberty of stealing the only photo ever taken of Mello, and written a letter to him, in case he didn't come back.

He took one last look at his quarters. The white sheets, plain pillows and walls. How the room was so neat.

Near took a few steps, his heartbeat quickening. Was he seriously going to do this? Was he actually- it's not like Mello cared anyways. It's not like anyone cared.

And he was out his door, speeding up his tempo, Near rushed down the hall as silently and fast as possible.

Then out the main doors.

He was out. The sun had not yet risen, the moon and the beautiful stars still out to play. Nate ran, ran as fast as he could to the city to find a cab at this hour willing to take him to his destination.

Home.

Nate would finally be home again. Or what was left of it.