Dark and Light

Chapter 25

They were walking home in the gloom of the morning, the sun beginning to rise and spread it's light throughout the sky. Near marveled at how pretty it was, the sunrise and Mello of course, how they were both so soft and so beautiful. Mihael Kheel looked straight forth and trudged forth, still obviously pissed at Near for just leaving him and demeaning him, treating Mello as a puppet, as part of his little puzzle. He was tired of manipulation, he wanted the truth, and no more lies, but Near didn't understand that. He thought it was alright, Mello wasn't getting hurt so it was okay to lie to him and twist his feelings so they could accommodate to his needs, such as leaving him alone for a period of time so he could escape to his parents home. 

"I'm sorry," Near was looking down while he softly apologized. Mello continued to stare forward, utterly ignoring him. "Mello, please I said I was sorry, why MUST YOU CONTINUE TO NOT NOTICE ME, SENPAI?" Mello could not help but crack a smile and didn't turn his attention to his boyfriend. He was dead tired and Near seemed nowhere close to shutting his eyes and calling it a night. He groaned and looked to his left to see a very guilty Near staring down at the floor,"You realize what you did wrong? Do you even know why your apologizing?" Near immediately snapped to the right,"I-I of course know why I-I'm apologizing.. It's because... I.." Mello gave him the Yeah-I-Thought-So look. 

"I thought it was for the best.." Near started out softly,"I figured you did not have to be there and that you would never approve of going to my father and mother's home in the dead of the morning all because I was highly curious.. Of what.. It might- of what changes- of what.." His voice was breaking and tears flooded his eyes, his vision blurry and Near stared at the sky, hoping the water gathering in his eyes would not leak. 

I will not cry.

That is a form of weakness. 

I will not cry.

Crying is for the weak.

I will not-

Then tears spilled, without even intending it, they spilled from his orbs of grey and ran down his face, breaking every inch of Mello's heart. "Look, fluffy head," Mello sighed and pulled him close, forbidding them to take another step and ruffled his silky white hair. "I want to be able to trust you, because without trust, this whole relationship is pointless. And we both have fought to keep this functioning, against all odds and my insane behavior and your monotone self, we made it this far." He lifted Near's chin up so they were both staring each other in the eyes, light, azure eyes with a unblemished face staring hard, yet lovingly into circles of a steel grey surrounded by pools of white, white face, white hair, the only difference with this Near to the normal Near, was he was dressed in all black, and wearing a black beanie. Mello wasn't quite sure how he felt about this Near, though he actually really was infatuated and mesmerized by how tightly his clothes clung to the albino, how rebellious and cleverly he had acted, putting his feelings before logic and just going against his nature in general made Mello... Confused. Did he like this Near, the one who showed his emotions more or the cuddly, cutesy bunny Near?  

Mello decided he liked both, he loved Near for who he was, even if he told him millions of lies or hurt him beyond repair until he was only a withering, broken version of the person he used to be, he would still love Near to the moon and back, nothing would ever change that. Because from the moment he saw the pale boy, clutching his stuffed animal and facing Roger, completely unaware of his forever standing merely feet away from him, from the moment Mello laid eyes on him, he decided that Near was some abnormal freak and not worth a second thought, but once that damn fluffy head proved himself better than the Mello, he had once again regained the attention of the blonde chocoholic. He became a threat, always scoring better exam score than him, getting work doing faster, and he didn't even seem to be trying to outscore Mello! That infuriated him probably the most, the fact Near barely paid attention in class, always was in his dorm by nine o'clock sharp and never a minute late, no doubt snoozing his cute little ass away while Mello scrambled to cram every ounce of the textbook into his brain. No matter how hard Mello studied or took notes or even went to tutoring for gods sake, he never could out shine Near. His title as the successor was within his reach until this little brat walked in and took it all...His threat transformed rapidly into an obsession then before Mello could grasp what was happening, he developed a crush on Near. A crush that would lead to this, a tiny crush that would take Mello to a place he never imagined he would be, cloud nine. Because Mihael Kheel was too far in love with Nate Rivers to ever walk away breathing. 

"And I love you, Near, Nate, whichever name you prefer, I love you and every fiber in me adores you and all your little faults, but you have to trust me, confide in me as I do to you... Alright? I don't ever want to lose you, I just want you to stand by my side, forever, and fuck all this L bullshit, we can run away or, or.." he inhaled deeply and struggled to find the words he was desperately searching for until they slipped quietly from the tip of his tongue. "Maybe we could.. Work together?" 

Near was at a loss, for words, thoughts, he wasn't quite sure he had heard what his lover just announced, work together? The both of them? Like as a team? He was ecstatic about this, he and Mello would make the ultimate team, they would be like Batman and Robin, like Pete Wentz and Mikey Way, the Watson to his Sherlock, the companion to his Doctor. They would be absolutely perfect together, solving mysteries and unraveling crimes like there was no tomorrow. "I-I would like that very much, I would be honored if we were partners, Mello." Near tried for a smile and miserably failed, but it pulled a smile out of the blond boy and that was all that mattered. Mello's happiness was all that would ever matter to the small toy addict. 

"You are beyond amazing , in every way, how did I not realize it sooner?" Mello leaned in and placed his lips, chapped and thin as they were onto Near's irresistibly smooth and semi-plump lips, he stroked the back of his neck and they stayed like that for a rather long while. Kissing under the streetlight, not giving two shits about the time or place, only thinking of each other and how love had found it's way, and how damn of a good kisser Mello was.

And that's how it happened. How the wolf had ended up with the sheep. How fire and water mixed. How the ying to the yang corresponded. How dark and light collided, how Mihael Kheel and Nate River had fallen in love.