[That flat look gets him a neutral expression in return, as Near makes his way to the kitchen.]
Is it really that odd for him to not want anyone else to overhear?
[He knows that Mello doesn’t believe the answer Near gives him, but that’s irrelevant, right now. He can keep on playing this game for as long as it takes: he isn’t about to confess what they really talked about.
Even though Near can’t see him directly, he can still hear the sound of Mello dropping onto the couch, and the slight noise of fabric against fabric tells him that his partner is, without a doubt, sprawling like he always does. Which would have been fine, under normal circumstances, but these are anything but, because this means that his partner is staring directly at the tarot cards Near left on the table.
His Meister is quiet for a moment that feels longer than what it actually is, but it’s a clear sign that his attention is focused on the cards, and more than enough reason for Near to worry. When Mello finally speaks, Near is placing the tea cups and saucers on the sink, and his fingers twitch so suddenly that it’s a wonder he doesn’t let the cups slip from his fingers at all.
He knows their meaning? Sure, Near was aware of that possibility, but it never seemed likely, because he never thought Mello would waste his time with trying to learn what each card traditionally stands for.
(Is it his imagination, or did Mello’s voice sound a little quieter than usual, when he mentioned The Chariot?)
This isn’t good. It isn’t good at all, but he can’t stay in the kitchen forever and avoid facing this situation entirely, because that, along with that specific card placement, would make his troubled thoughts even more obvious. With this in mind, Near walks to the living room and kneels down by the table, his back turned to Mello.]
No, I did not, but I do agree that The Chariot suits you, just like The Hermit suits me.
[The lie comes smoothly, seamlessly, like he is so used to doing when communicating with practically everyone.
(It’s funny, how he’s no longer used to lying or hiding his true intentions and meanings from Mello, so much that saying no, I did not actually feels like a much greater lie, like something he is no longer allowed to do.)
He reaches for the cards on the table and begins to order them, so he can gather them in their respective decks, and leaves out the two cards Mello touched, as well as the deck those two cards belong to.]
I wasn’t aware you knew what they stand for.
[Casually, without betraying anything except a flicker of curiosity, while in reality he is only testing the waters, to know just how much Mello saw, and what Near needs to brace himself for.]
no subject
[That flat look gets him a neutral expression in return, as Near makes his way to the kitchen.]
Is it really that odd for him to not want anyone else to overhear?
[He knows that Mello doesn’t believe the answer Near gives him, but that’s irrelevant, right now. He can keep on playing this game for as long as it takes: he isn’t about to confess what they really talked about.
Even though Near can’t see him directly, he can still hear the sound of Mello dropping onto the couch, and the slight noise of fabric against fabric tells him that his partner is, without a doubt, sprawling like he always does. Which would have been fine, under normal circumstances, but these are anything but, because this means that his partner is staring directly at the tarot cards Near left on the table.
His Meister is quiet for a moment that feels longer than what it actually is, but it’s a clear sign that his attention is focused on the cards, and more than enough reason for Near to worry. When Mello finally speaks, Near is placing the tea cups and saucers on the sink, and his fingers twitch so suddenly that it’s a wonder he doesn’t let the cups slip from his fingers at all.
He knows their meaning? Sure, Near was aware of that possibility, but it never seemed likely, because he never thought Mello would waste his time with trying to learn what each card traditionally stands for.
(Is it his imagination, or did Mello’s voice sound a little quieter than usual, when he mentioned The Chariot?)
This isn’t good. It isn’t good at all, but he can’t stay in the kitchen forever and avoid facing this situation entirely, because that, along with that specific card placement, would make his troubled thoughts even more obvious. With this in mind, Near walks to the living room and kneels down by the table, his back turned to Mello.]
No, I did not, but I do agree that The Chariot suits you, just like The Hermit suits me.
[The lie comes smoothly, seamlessly, like he is so used to doing when communicating with practically everyone.
(It’s funny, how he’s no longer used to lying or hiding his true intentions and meanings from Mello, so much that saying no, I did not actually feels like a much greater lie, like something he is no longer allowed to do.)
He reaches for the cards on the table and begins to order them, so he can gather them in their respective decks, and leaves out the two cards Mello touched, as well as the deck those two cards belong to.]
I wasn’t aware you knew what they stand for.
[Casually, without betraying anything except a flicker of curiosity, while in reality he is only testing the waters, to know just how much Mello saw, and what Near needs to brace himself for.]