***
B ran away from the orphanage at sixteen. Only then did he find out that Nate was at Wammy’s all this time.
***
There is an unspoken rule in the Wammy’s House: to never speak of the summer when Near went missing for three days. No one knows for sure, but there are rumors and speculations that Beyond Birthday, former ward of the Wammy’s House, might have been involved.
To other orphans it remains a mystery as to why Near, a quiet and diligent kid, just up and left that day, let alone with someone like B. Some think that he might have been threatened.
***
One day Near went outside for a walk on the playground and disappeared. No one realised he was missing until lunchtime, and, strangely enough, it was Mello who noticed first.
Three and a half days later, Near showed up at the main gate, completely unharmed, though his clothes were dusty, like he had been sleeping somewhere that hadn't been cleaned in a long time. Near was always tight-lipped about where he was during that time.
Not long after, a string of brutal murders occurred in Los Angeles, drawing the attention of L. After that case, he kept a closer eye on Near.
A little-known fact: there was one person who knew where Near went—Linda. She covered for the boy; that's why it took a few hours until orphanage staff noticed that one kid was unaccounted for. If it wasn't for Mello, it probably would've taken even longer.
***
Nate has jumbled memories of his early childhood. He remembers his father’s piercing blue eyes, but not his face. He remembers his mother's lovely hair and kind smile but can't recall her voice.
There are memories of his father going out somewhere for days and then him coming back—bandaged hands, deranged eyes, and a gun in a holster at his back. Mother was always upset after that, asking Father to quit something, then looking resigned when he said he couldn't promise her that.
He recalls Mother giving Father a silent treatment, which in turn upset him. She always forgave him after some time, until the moment it happened again.
But amongst all this, more clearly he remembers an older boy with red eyes and brown hair just like his father’s, though the boy’s hair was a bit darker. The boy was odd and, at times, as unpredictable as his father. He remembers him spitting cruel words, though not at Nate, but at others around them. Nate remembers pale hands pushing other kids to the ground, and then the same hands were catching him when Nate stumbled on the playground.
B… B-something? His name is… What was his name? He couldn't recall.
He had a brother; of that he was certain.
That’s why when outside the gate he saw an odd teen with familiar red eyes, Near went up to him without hesitation.
At the time Nate only told Linda about these scattered memories—the one and only friend he made at that wretched place.
***
Though BB was a ward of the Wammy’s House at the same time as Near, he stayed in different dorms for older kids, so they never crossed paths. Near had no clue B was there; he could barely remember his own family.
***
Story Timeline
1983 - B is born.
1991 - Near is born.
1995 - their parents die; the boys are sent to an orphanage and are separated.
1999 - B left Wammy’s House.
Early June, 2002 - Near went missing for three days.
July 3, 2002 - start of the B’s Los Angeles murder spree.
August, 2002 - B was caught for the LA murders.
Jan 21, 2004 - B was killed by Kira.
---
Author's Note: I couldn’t find official info about when Beyond was born, but I saw a non-canon date of birth somewhere and used it here. B left Wammy’s a bit earlier than in canon. My headcanon is that Beyond Birthday is not his real name, but it does start with B, and he is a River.