#event2024

She was lucky that Takada Kiyomi couldn't write her name right. Heavens know what would happen if she managed to do that, probably, Mello would die. She didn't want to: dying without seeing Kira disarmed and defeated wasn't in her plans. She knew that it might happen but she is grateful that it didn't. Matt, she is sure, thinks the same. He lies in another private hospital room recovering after twenty four bullets went through him. Well, technically, only seven or so: Near insisted on bulletproof vest under Matt's clothes.

Near's mind and money are saving them once again and Mello doesn't like the slight, warm gratitude that she feels thinking about her rival. Nothing to be ashamed of, after all, they both knew that without collaboration they wouldn't excel. Be bigger than L.

Still, old habits die slow — Mello could do better. She doesn't want Near to be her personal guardian angel as if she was not capable of doing all of this herself. Near saved her life by taking action, Mello doesn't want to owe her any favours. Still, she owes.

"What are you going to do now?" Near asks looking at the opened door of the warehouse. She never looks at Mello when speaking and Keehl doesn't know why. Now it's clear, she has an ugly scar halfway down her face, but at Wammy House Near never looked at her as well.

Somehow Mello still wants her to look, watch with those grey eyes that seem apathetic and almost dead but hide so much more under the iris that it feels like an ancient puzzle worth to solve. Mello never gets a chance to solve it. "I don't know", honest answer.

"Neither do I", sudden respond with the same level of honesty. After succeeding as L's successors and defeating Kira, what should they do? Solve cases, like L did? It doesn't feel so grand after what they've done, what they've sacrificed for achieving the Main Goal.

Mysterious and creepy fairy asked for less in exchange for a life-changing wish than Wammy's system required from them for the dream that was programmed into their heads with with fierce persistence. "But I would like to have you in my team."

Mello catches a quick glance from Near and curses herself for feeling happy about it, for her heart skipping a beat. "I think we could do a lot together. The possibility of it is thirty-nine percent." Mello rolls her eyes: Near's habit to measure everything in percent never fails to annoy her. Why being so automatic and so cold?

Because it's Near's love language, Mello suddenly realises, finally cracking the part of the code presented in front of her in human form. Wammy House taught them analytics, statistics, critical thinking, they had to teach emotions and relationships themselves. Near was never good in this, though yet had an inexplicable charisma that lent itself to people she didn't need to be close to: the SPK, the FBI, and the rest. What to do with friendship, L's first successor never learned.

"Sounds okay to me". Exhausted after years of fighting and achieving something, Mello surrenders easily not wanting to continue the battle forced upon them by ambitious greedy spiders, known as Roger and Watari. Well, maybe only Roger, she didn't know much about Watari anyway.

Near raises her hand, apparently wanting to start fidgeting with her hair like she always does, but changes the direction and changes trajectory and instead touches Mello's hand with her fingertips, the very middle of her palm. The touch is light and... shy?

Near wants to feel somebody next to her, Mello realises once again and gently squishes thin fingers. Near could be a fairy with such graceful hands. A fairy said "some luck and no burden to carry one your shoulders". Did she mean all of that?

Being alive, survive, standing next to Near who finally doesn't feel like a machine in human's skin but a human being on her own, with feeling and the same inner void as Mello's? Understanding her? "You know, I asked for a wish." Near nods without a doubt. "Was it granted?" "I don't know. But I feel like it was." After all, the languages they speak are the same: hints, innuendos, and riddles. Only now they understand each other pretty well. THE END.