Near x Reader- Collaboration

Happiness

"In my all of my years, concise yet long, I have never quite struggled with stating a thesis on the abstracts of life. Such is that I have never spent much of my time worrying of such things. My days of ignorance and play were primordial, and I never wondered to myself whether or not I was happy. I knew it existed, and, fundamentally, it was the drive that kept the human race in pursuit of it. Pleasure moments for me were always associated with successes in my work, with little to no correlation of my own mental or emotional state. Logically, the absence of happiness would be sadness, but I was never clinically saddened. Jaded is a harsh, but fair, term as to describe my emotional standing as I lived my life. It wasn't until I was already a grown man that I began to wonder what happiness really was."

"I beg your pardon," asked the girl.

Nate lowered his hands from the girl's eyes, "I never promised you a rose garden, but you still deserve one."

Her heart fluttered, her eyes watered, and her hands covered her gasping mouth and smile. She stood upon a stone within a walkway forged within a decent size garden lacking a fence. Rather, the rose bushes served as walls, ultimately divided by a white wash arch encased by climbing roses. At the very center stood a simple bird bath, and a wooden bench resided along the flowered wall.

"It's so beautiful... There are so many colors! Why did you do this?"

"I believe the setting of the confrontation can greatly dictate its outcome," he shifted his feet as he spoke.

"Confrontation?" She cocked her head a bit, watching as he awkwardly wiped his hands on his shirt. He released an exaggerated sigh as he bent down, onto his knees. Immediately upon kneeling the girl laughed and demanded he stand again, or risk staining his pants from the grass and the dirt. She was silenced when he made a bold move by taking her hand in his own.

"The short years that I've known you..." His voice had trailed off. He could see the girl flash a cute and endearing smile, but was unaware that he, himself, was beginning to blush a stronger shade of red than that of the roses. He looked down, frustrated. He weakly clenched his fist, internally coaching himself to continue with his plan. It took a few moments, and his attempt to restart was halted by laughter.

"Oh no, did she get out again?" The girl sighed, smiling.

Nate turned around, and true to the sound, Nora followed it. The little girl ran into the garden and found herself within her father's arm shortly. The stoic man relaxed from his conflict and indulged in a hug with his daughter. Of course, her mother had to join in.

"Nora, did you run away from Roger again?" She asked.

Nora didn't even need to lie; the older man followed suit, panting with his hands on his knees. He looked ready to pass out, and given that he chased their toddler yet again, it came as no surprise. Nora enjoyed the open yards and massive mansion, so much that she did not cause a fuss when she moved there with her parents not so long ago. Roger had been utterly dumbstruck when Near arrived at Wammy's House yet again with a beautiful young woman holding their child right behind him. The young genius left Roger no warning nor context.

"The young lady thinks herself to be impervious to punishment, it seems."

"I don't see a need for disciplinary action, so long as she expresses remorse and apologizes," her father suggested.

Nora held onto Nate's shirt a little tighter before he nudged her forward. She approached the older man, fiddled with her hands, and simply said, "Sorry."

"You are forgiven, Nora."

"Now, how about you go back with Roger and continue your lessons? Your mother and I have an important matter to discuss. I will be with you afterward. Alright?"