Title: Blind Charm

Rating: G

Summary: Matt sees. Near is a bit more childlike than everyone thinks.

A/N: Well… I was bored and so I decided to try my hand at focusing on these two. Plus… yeah, I was kinda eating a banana.

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It was something about the texture, Matt guessed. The starchiness of the banana and the blinding sweetness of the vanilla ice cream rolling around together in his mouth calmed him in sort of the same way videogames did. Only there was less mind work involved when he was eating chopped up bananas in ice cream at two-something in the morning. He was seated at the table in the kitchen where none of the orphans were allowed without permission, but of course, who needs permission when there's no one around?

He sat there with the box of ice cream sitting across from him and his bowl and a bunch of bananas - and quite a few empty peels - sitting at his elbow. He had been enjoying the silence, just the hum of the refrigerator in the background instead of the electronic noises he was so used to in the daytime. Then, as he got down to the middle of his bowl, he heard another sound, something like shuffling.

Looking up, hoping it wasn't Roger, he relaxed instantly, seeing it was just the little fluff ball.

"Hey, Near," he said.

The boy stood in the threshold in his pajamas and socks, a blank expression on his face as per usual. He stared at the rather odd scene before him before taking a step foreword. Matt took in a spoonful of the ice cream he was eating.

"Any reason you're up at 2 AM staring at me?" Matt asked casually between bites.

Near looked up. "Yes. I think I left something in here."

"Something?"

"A toy."

Without getting up, Matt looked around on the kitchen countertops and then on the floor. He finally spotted a red and blue robot on the floor by a leg of the chair he was sitting in. He pointed downwards. "Over here."

Near came over and found it, picking it up and keeping it safe in his arms. He was standing right next to Matt as he ate enthusiastically. Matt noticed him standing there but didn't say anything against it. Though, after about thirty seconds, with Near showing no signs of leaving, he spared him a glance. "Yeah…?"

"Is that really good?" he asked, twirling a lock of hair. "It looks like it would taste a bit odd."

Matt, not used to Near saying much of anything to him, blinked. "Uh. If it wasn't good, I wouldn't be sitting here, scarfing it down now, would I?"

"I guess not."

Near still didn't budge.

Matt wasn't at all liking having an audience while he ate. "Look," he said, "if you want some, you could just ask."

He hesitated. "Mello would never give me any…"

"Well, last I checked, I was Matt." He pulled out the chair next to him. "Sit."

Near complied, standing his robot upright on the tabletop next to the bunch of bananas. Matt walked over to one of the drawers and came back to the table with another spoon. He dipped it into the ice cream and came out with a big banana slice sitting in the ice cream. He tried to hand the spoon to Near.

Near just sat there.

"… Um? Here you go?" Matt nudged him.

Near looked down slightly and then, beginning to twirl that lock of hair even faster, he slowly opened his mouth.

Matt was all eyes. The hell is this? he thought, but when Near's mouth still hung open and the ice cream began to drip from the spoon onto the table, Near stretched out his pale neck and came up to the spoon, taking all of the sweetness from it and Matt blinked when Near sat back and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth.

"It is pretty good." Near cleared his throat. "After all," he added quietly.

"Yeah…" Matt said and put the spoon back into the bowl.

Near's facial expression didn't change from that emotionless state too much but Matt noticed a slight lilt of his lips which was a nice change of pace for the pale boy. He didn't seem to be moving anytime soon. Matt thought quickly, Okay… well… I'll do it… but I won't tell Mello. Good plan.

Matt reached for the spoon again and Near opened his mouth.

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A/N: XD Yeah, so… review?