An Unexpected Visit

Chapter 3

  Near awoke to the feeling of someone softly poking his side. His obsidian eyes opened slowly. His vision was blurry for a few seconds. However, he instantly recognized the figure above him. Unruly black hair and large dark onyx eyes. A skinny, tall silhouette crouched in the bed with him.

L.

Somehow, this situation seemed strangely familiar to him, yet completely new at the same time.

"Forgive me for interrupting your sleep, Near. I only wanted to remind you that your flight will be leaving in a few hours". L said and moved away from him so that Near could get up

"How kind of you". Near muttered sarcastically in a still sleepy voice

He received no answer from the detective.

Their identical eyes met.

"Do you want me gone that badly, L?" he asked, the boy's voice betraying no emotions

His predecessor remained silent. He simply stared at him for a few seconds before getting off the bed and walking to the door.

"Once you are ready, we are expecting you downstairs for breakfast".

And he left. Just like that.

Near never had the urge to throw his toys at someone as much as he did now.

Near did not go downstairs for breakfast. He wouldn't follow every single one of L's orders! Because, contrary to Mello's belief, Near wasn't L's dog.

He stayed to his room, keeping himself busy by completing a puzzle (that wasn't given to him from L) until noon. L, of course, didn't come searching for him. Not even once. Near wondered how the man himself kept busy, when he was not working on the Kira case.

"Perhaps he found himself a partner..." Near thought "It could be a logical excuse for him to want me to leave so badly..."

Yes, maybe L had found an ideal partner.

A social, beautiful, tall, young woman at L's age.

Everything Near was not. His polar opposite.

He was an anti-social, not necessarily handsome, short, very young, boy.

Near knew that he could never compete with someone else to L's heart, and especially with the imaginary rival his mind had formed. L would inevitably choose the other person, and Watari would give his consent too. In the caretaker's eyes, everyone was more suitable to be in a relationship with L than Near.

They were not two equal individuals to compete.

Near was lost in his thoughts for a period of time. Once he stared at the clock he realized it was almost time for him to leave. He put his finished puzzle inside its box, before also putting the box in his luggage and got up.

He put on his tennis shoes and walked to the door, carrying his luggage with him. The moment he opened the door, he was met with a pair of big, onyx eyes. Hadn't Near been as calm and collected, he would have surely taken a few steps back from the man in front of him.

"You did not come downstairs for breakfast". L stated

"I was not hungry". Near said in a distant tone

"To be honest, I anticipated that". L bit his thumbnail in a thoughtful and calculating manner

"What exactly? The fact that I was not hungry?" the child asked sarcastically

"No". the detective answered simply "The fact that you would be too angry to come downstairs. By an 89% chance".

Near gave the man an icy stare and tried to get past him. L let him, but before getting far, Near felt a skinny hand grab his wrist.