[Maybe teasing is how affection is shown in children under the age of twelve - then again, considering the emotional maturity quotient each of them has, maybe that's accurate. In any case, Mello's expression sours, but it's more of an exaggerated show of souring. Dryly, he remarks:]
So you're just a sadist, then. I see how it is.
[But the answer Near gives and the answer he doesn't give are illuminating all the same. Mello never imagined Near wanted attention from anyone - he was quiet, almost reclusive, always rebuffing any invitation from the other children to join them in their activities. Mello has always been borderline-obsessed with Near, but he always thought it was entirely one-sided. The idea that what Near wants is for Mello to pay attention to him makes for a startling realization. Quieter, gaze dropped to the stairs again:]
You don't really have to work that hard for it, you know.
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Date: 2016-09-07 02:15 am (UTC)So you're just a sadist, then. I see how it is.
[But the answer Near gives and the answer he doesn't give are illuminating all the same. Mello never imagined Near wanted attention from anyone - he was quiet, almost reclusive, always rebuffing any invitation from the other children to join them in their activities. Mello has always been borderline-obsessed with Near, but he always thought it was entirely one-sided. The idea that what Near wants is for Mello to pay attention to him makes for a startling realization. Quieter, gaze dropped to the stairs again:]
You don't really have to work that hard for it, you know.