Author's Note: I'm tired of having simple or complex ideas to write and spending months or years without putting them down in words. That's all.
Written on paper at candle light, as usual.

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note nor any of its characters.

December 13th, 2014

"Commander Rester."

The tall and quiet former SPK member turned his face away from the screen and to the young man sitting on the floor surrounded by costumized dolls he'd been playing with. He expected to hear some breakthrough on how to catch the killer duo they had been investigating recently, but Near's mind was momentaneously adrift.

"Will you remember me after I die?"

Rester blinked, taken aback by the sudden question.

"What do you mean?"

"It's hardly difficult to understand what I mean, Commander, my question is straightfoward."

"I... of course I'll remember you, but we're more likely to have this conversation from opposite sides."

"Wrong. Just because you're older and get out in the field more frequently than me, that doesn't mean you'll die before I do."

"I'll remember you, Near," he repeated, finishing the strange topic of conversation. Unless he was planning something for the investigation...? But this case definately didn't provide any risks for him, no one knew of L's involvement. "We'll catch these murderers soon and no one else will die."

"I'm not worried about this case. This subject has been bothering me since early morning and I wanted to get a reply."

Again, Rester blinked. Something was definately wrong.

"It's an undeneably necessary measure, but looking back at it, wouldn't common people think of it as sad that we have to erase our existence from the world? When we die, there's no proof we existed."

"What's wrong, Near? This doesn't sound like you."

"I am allowing myself a different view on the subject. I don't believe it's an emotional approach, simply a new one." Near rearranged the dolls in front of him, but Rester couldn't see them. "It occured to me that being alive is one of the only ways to prove the existence of other people who are now gone. When I die, they won't be remembered anymore and no trace they ever existed will remain."

There was a small pause.

"I don't want to die and erase those people forever. So I realized the same situation applies to me. With your reply, I can be assured I will be remembered as Near and as L, since other parts of me are already gone with the people who could remember them."

Rester listened to the words that felt so unfamiliar coming from the white haired man and nodded in acknowledgement.

"I'll remember you, Nate."

Near didn't turn to him, but he saw how the doll in his hand stopped midair for an instance before returning to whatever play he had been arranging.

"Thank you."

...

Near saw the warm yellow toned background in his mind, how it still allowed the blond hair to stand out. He could see the trademark black shirt and how the image framed in the piece of phtographic paper that had been the only physical remembrance left.

He wondered if Mello burned his photo on this very day, one year ago. They might be both visualizing the same image, one year apart from each other.

Near picked up the crafted doll he made and alligned it again with the other replicas of the people he had known.

"Happy birthday, Mello."

~おわり~

Author's Note: A nod to my 4 year old fanfic of Mello where he burned his photograph on his birthday (only that story took place in 2009 and not 2013).

Thanks for reading.