Mello couldn't quite help cracking a grin at Near's immediate, stumbling and passionate reaction. There, that was more like it. He didn't appreciate the annoying, clinical coldness that Near had been treating him with up 'til now, and even a remarkable fit would be preferable to simply being treated like a piece of furniture.

"You don't?" Mello queried lightly, completely ignoring the obvious backpedaling because that was clearly what it was: an after-the-fact attempt to save face for his initial commentary. The candid reactions were always the more interesting ones... "So, theoretically, I could just take off my vest and you'd be no more or less comfortable sitting next to me?" The suggestion that he would go ahead with it was a bit... weird, since that was a bit of an extreme leap into uncharted territories so far as simple teasing went. However, Mello rather enjoyed the fact that Near was reacting and he couldn't help smirking quietly to himself, reaching a gloved hand up and tapping it against the silver ring pull for his vest's zipper, cocking a brow at Near as if awaiting his reaction.