A Gift For Near

August 24th (2004)

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or any of its characters.

Warning: This story includes shouta, which is the shipping between an adult and a minor, so if that offends or triggers you somehow, I suggest not reading this story.

They only had an hour at their disposal. And at that moment, time seemed like the worst possible human invention to Near. An hour. That was it. And then they would return back to the hotel where they would prepare for their departure tomorrow morning, along with everyone else. Near would return to Wammy's House, ready for the new school year, and L would return...well, wherever there were new cases to solve and would stay for God knows how long.

That unavoidable turn of events didn't seem the least bit attractive to Near.

Those were his thoughts while he gazed at the sea from his place at the beach. He didn't have a chair. He wouldn't need it for (just) an hour. The sea was churning. It depicted his internal mood just fine. Foamy waves hit the coast with rage and wet the bare toes of his feet. He was sitting that close to the sea, although he had no intention of swimming. The sun- now only a half-circle hiding behind the seemingly endless horizon of the sea had an indefinable colour. Perhaps it was a fiery orange or a rosy colour mixed with a vague golden shade. Near wasn't 100% certain, but in the end this wasn't his major concern.

"I don't think the swimming lessons paid off all that much". Said Near, not to himself, neither to thin air, but to the hunched figure that he knew, was standing behind him.

"Indeed". Agreed tonelessly the hunched figure that was L.

Silence fell between them for a while, which however, wasn't awkward. Silence between them was never awkward.

"Let's hope that the next time, you'll look less like a dog coming into contact with water for the first time". L added after a few moments.

Near wasn't offended by the comparison. He knew better than anyone what his pathetic attempts at learning how to swim looked like. Swimming, like running, was a sport Near didn't indulge much in. Perhaps "at all" would be a more appropriate word. Nonetheless, L insisted. He claimed that it was "necessary knowledge a detective ought to have", but Near suspected that his mentor was holding a grudge against him ever since that one time his blood sugar was quite elevated, and Watari assigned Near with the task of supervising his diet. For as long as L stayed at Wammy's House he wasn't allowed to eat anything but fruits and vegetables.

"Is there going to be a next time?" The boy asked.

"Since we didn't complete the process the first time, yes".

"Are you sure you don't just want to be even with me for the healthy diet period?"

"Near!" L exclaimed in a pretentiously over-dramatic way. "No such thing even crossed my mind".

They looked at each other. L had a mildly-amused smile and his index finger was close to his mouth.

"I'm certain". Near said and turned to gaze at the horizon again. "And when do you estimate the next time will be?"

L crouched beside him, so that he could be at his height and whispered at his ear:

"Sooner than you think".

Suddenly Near felt hands grabbing him from underneath his armpits and lifting him with extreme ease- as if he didn't weigh a kilogram. He panicked and started trashing his arms and legs around, not knowing what he was doing, and not caring. Anything but L taking him to the sea!

"L, swimming lessons are over for this year!"

Instead of trying to escape, he clung to L as tightly as he could, so that the other male wouldn't be able to throw him in the sea at any moment.