Near's POV

"What do you think you're doing Near?" he cried out in surprise.

I watched as his eyes became wide in surprise and horror, his hand shook, but he let me hold his hand anyway, in place, between my dark charcoal eyes. Two empty, emotionless pits of absolute nothingness stared at the blonde. If he wanted to shoot me dead, then I'd let him. At least I'd be letting Mello have the pleasure and satisfaction knowing that his shot would not miss.

"Kill me," I said softly. "To have Mello kill me…I think that it's been my secret desire, my own personal choice of death, since I first met you at Wammy's House, since you first hurt me, since you last saw me. It is an emotional and impulsive action, it'll allow me to become as close as I will ever get to being anything, at all, like Mello."

Mello gave me a look of utter disbelief. He shook his head scowling at me. He studied my soulless eyes for what felt like an eternity before he decided to speak to me, but his voice was filled by doubt and I knew that he was questioning my words. My choice.

It was insulting.

"No…why…why would you want to die, Near?" he demanded angrily. "Is this a trick?"

"I don't have much, if anything to live for." I told him sadly. "Please, end my misery. Do this for me, please, do this one, little thing for me, Mello."

"This isn't one little thing!" the blonde protested his blue eyes widened.

"What about L? You've got his title and his legacy! What about Watari and the remaining SPK members? You've got them and you've got all those toys of yours." He paused. "You're one of the most intelligent people in the world! How is all that nothing?" He demanded.

"None of it means anything to me." I replied, my voice void of any emotion.

"Why me?" he demanded. "Why must you put your life in my hands?"

"Placing my life in your hands, Mello, is the only way I'm willing to die. Suicide is for the weak and this way I'll die quickly. I know you despise my existence. You've always hated me. So it should be a joyous thing for you to take my life. I've already calculated that my death rate chance of doing this is extremely high. So, please, Mello, kill me."

Mello stood silent for a moment. "You really want to die Near?"

I nod to him solemnly.

"Fine, then I'll be happy to oblige." He said through clenched teeth.

Click.

He released the safety on his gun, pressing it down on my forehead his hand still shook. He clenched his free fist as he prepared to pull the trigger. I could see tears building up in his beautiful, azure eyes. That struck me as…interesting. I couldn't help, but wonder what the blonde was thinking. Why wasn't he pulling the trigger? What made him hesitate? I felt baffled and was amazed when Mello's whole body started to shake. His tears were threatening to spill over, he wiped at his eyes pressing the gun into my forehead, determined not to let the weapon fall even the tiniest bit off target.

"Finish me." I whisper.

Instead of pulling the trigger, Mello clicks the safety back on and lets the gun fall to the ground at his feet. I was truly puzzled. Mello should've killed me, but he didn't. That made me ask myself if I'd miscalculated, but I knew I didn't…I didn't miscalculate anything.

Mello simply acted out of character.

My dead, dark eyes stared at Mello's lively, blue orbs and I felt that dead feeling that was accompanied by a bitter hollowness inside of me, once more. It'd been gnawing me inside out, for several months, now. I wanted to end the dead feeling, end the misery I felt knowing I was nothing more than a demon in human skin, an awkward, abomination that nobody would ever love or care about, but Mello, my Mello, the only chance at achieving that goal couldn't or he wouldn't pull the trigger to put it more bluntly.

"Isn't Mello going to kill me?" I ask looking at the gun longingly.

"Near…I…I don't think I can." he sputtered weakly.

"Mello…please, kill me." I whispered.

Mello's POV

Flashback

"Mello…I love you." The small albino said shyly.

A few orphans started to giggle and whisper as Near waited for my response. I begun to tense up and looked at him awkwardly. It was like I didn't know how to respond. That was a first for Near. Considering that I always had something to say to him whether he replied back or not. I felt anger rise up in me as I studied the albino. I studied him and his damaged body. That beautiful, little eight year old body that I broke beating on him.

He had matching bruised cheeks and blood ran down over his eye from his right temple, which he held and he had two bleeding bite marks on his left hand and blood was starting to dry from below and around his nose, which had only moments before been spurting out fresh blood. The albino's entire body shook, but his words were calm and honest. How could Near say that to me after I just beat him up?

Kids started to make kissing noises and a few left seeing my face turn beet red. I wanted to punch the little albino's teeth out, but I restrained myself from doing so and instead punched Near in his gut. He stood his ground firmly grimacing awaiting my answer.

Suddenly, it was all too much…and I snapped.

"I hate you Near!" I shouted in his face.

"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you, Near!"

He didn't appear phased, but from the way he started to whimper I knew I'd hurt him more with my words than I ever could with my fists. The orphans around us grew silent for a few seconds, and then burst out into fits of laughter as Near fell to the floor weeping. He sounded so broken and hurt, but I didn't care, I didn't care at all.

Some of the boys insulted him, others jeered, few appeared sympathetic and kept their mouths shut, a couple whispered to each other, very, very few of them left before things could get any uglier, but most of them were laughing.

Laughing at Near's pain.

The pain I caused him. The boys who were enjoying watching him suffer, didn't take long to ask if they could hurt the albino some. I simply shrugged and looked to Near who'd curled up into a ball, no doubt trying in a vain attempt to escape from the real world. The boys were quick to pull him to his feet and start hitting on him. I began to walk away and didn't care whether Near came out alive or dead. He was worthless.

"Mello!" he cried out as he was beaten.

As I stepped into the hall I froze upon hearing my name. How could he be calling me for assistance? I was the one who left him to be beaten after beating him up myself!

I stumbled some as Near ran past me wailing loudly and bleeding freely. Before I knew it I was chasing after the albino. Turning around a corner I saw Rodger holding him and asking him some questions appearing rather uncomfortable even though Near was the one in horrible pain. Rodger saw me before I could duck back behind the corner and scolded me. He blamed me for Near's condition and told me to meet him in his office in the next hour to receive a punishment or two…or three…more than likely four or more.

Present

Near held the gun in his hands offering it to me. I gulped as I took it, I stared at it blankly. What was I going to do? I couldn't very well kill him, I lost my nerve, the hatred that had burned in me for so long had died out and I felt…I felt…what was this feeling? I felt strange, I felt sort of nervous and a little light headed. Those feelings quickly died away, though. I gripped the gun in my hand tightly, looking into Near's eyes.

Those dark, glossy, empty pools of hollow nothingness, no emotion, no feeling, all in the depths of those pools were numbed, cold and unfeeling.

"Finish me," he repeated. "Finish me, now, please, finish me now."

"I can't." I choked out. "I can't do that Near."

He tilted his head to one side staring at me sadly, curiously. "Why?"

He spoke so sadly, his words sounding broken and dismayed. His eyes flickered with a curious light that I used to see back at the orphanage when we were kids. I couldn't believe that Near the sensible one, wanted to die, and at my hands. The one who'd never been wrong, the one who'd always been ahead of me, the one who was always in control was asking me, of all people to end his life. I couldn't do that, though.

Near was asking for a permanent fix to whatever temporary situation he was in and I couldn't kill him when he may snap out of whatever delusion he was in. How could I kill him knowing that?

He is so beautiful. I thought studying him.

He'd changed a lot in the past three and a half years. He was, now, my height shorter by maybe two and a half, or so inches. His white hair had become longer and messier than what I remembered it to be. His white curls seemed to have sharpened themselves and his eyes were beginning to get bags, though they were hardly noticeable from a long distance.

The changes his body underwent were subtle, yet once noticed up close they made him appear…menacing, almost dangerous. I could sense something malicious and evil residing within him.

Was this really Near?

Yes, I knew, that the young man in front of me, the twenty-year-old man in front of me was, in fact, Near. He was, still, so youthful, appearing more like a sixteen year old rather than an adult. Perhaps, it was to disguise his true nature, whatever that was. I never got to truly, know Near personally, so I never got to know what his true persona was, though I had a feeling it was something evil.

"I don't have any reason to want to kill you." I replied curtly.

"I stole L's title from you. I'm emotionless, cold, unfeeling, evil, and cruel and you're not. I caused you to grow an inferiority complex. I nearly got you killed three and a half years ago when Matt and you went after Takada. Need I continue?"

I shook my head. "I mean at this moment."

"I cannot comprehend nor can I explain your unending desire to provoke me, I honestly like you, Mello." He paused as if thinking of what else to say. "If you need a reason, Mello, then I'll give you a reason to hate me, to want me dead."

I wanted to protest and tell him that he meant something to me. I wanted to confess my newfound feelings and ask that he not try to anger me, but I quickly found that my lips were locked with his, muffling any words I tried to get out of my mouth. Near was stronger than I remembered him to be all those years ago.

He shoved me to the floor and we lay lip locked for several long minutes, neither of us wanted to break apart. We parted lips and he looked down at me with those vacant, dark orbs. His skin, eyes and hair seemed to glow beautifully in the dim light as he tried to catch his breath.

"Was that enough to anger Mello?" he asked twirling a lock of that snowy white hair.

I responded by shoving him off me and tossing the gun across the room. I grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him close to me and returned his kiss. Within mere seconds I was lying on top of him ravaging his lips with my own, enjoying every second it lasted.

Near's POV

How could Mello do it to me? How could he shove me aside, toss away the gun like it was insignificant, like it was not capable of doing anything important and finally kiss me?

It wasn't like Mello at all. I was almost positive he'd have been angered and would've killed me if I kissed him. I stared at him panting once he removed his lips from mine to look me in the face. He appeared a bit confused, yet at the same time, pleased by my shocked expression.

He nibbled on my earlobe, which made my body tense up. To be frank I did not enjoy the feeling of Mello gnawing at my flesh as if it were his precious chocolate. I did not enjoy the feeling of Mello sucking at the skin on my throat. I honestly disliked it when he moaned my name and I moaned his. And I despised the sensation that shot through me when Mello trailed kisses down the sides of my face. I hated these feelings he made me feel…they were pleasant, yet at the same time unwanted.

I squirmed a bit under him, as we became lip locked again.

Mello's POV

What was Near's problem? He didn't seem to enjoy anything I done to him. He didn't seem to flinch or breath faster or slower. It was as if what I done to him had no affect whatsoever. He was totally emotionless! Or at least that was what I thought.

As I licked his lower lip his mouth opened wide allowing me entrance.

I smirked as Near moaned loudly while my tongue licked around the inside of his mouth tasting mint, a weird metallic taste and something close to bubblegum. Man, he tasted pretty good!

Not as good as chocolate, of course, but it was close enough.

Near's POV

I felt something warm and slick run itself along my lower lip, knowing Mello wanted entrance to the inside of my mouth I obediently opened, nice and wide. Mello inserted his tongue and tasted around the inside of my mouth making me moan against my will. I could feel him smirking. He moaned shortly afterwards as my tongue touched his. Soon I was inside of his mouth tasting chocolate.

No big surprise there.

I moved my hand to the back of his neck, and pulled him closer to deepen our kiss. I watched with half lidded eyes as a light pink color dusted Mello's cheeks. I grinned for a full second, before allowing the grin to vanish entirely.

Mello ran his hand gingerly, along my jaw line. He made me feel like he actually loved me. He made me feel like I was worth something, if anything, but I knew that neither of those things were true, I knew that he'd never love a disgusting thing like me. Mello was too perfect. He could never love somebody like me that was why he tormented me before wasn't it? I could only hope, that Mello would remain as beautiful as he'd always has/had been in my eyes once he finally decided to kill me.

He, quickly, unzipped his leather vest then he unbuttoned my pajama shirt without any struggling from me. I simply watched as he warily undid the buttons. He appeared afraid that I was going to hit him, or yell at him…or do something to make him stop, but I done nothing except watch his every moment curiously.

"What are you doing?" I asked as one of his hands moved along my exposed chest.

"I…I don't know." He muttered bringing our lips together, again. "I just want to make you feel good, Near. You deserve to feel good." He said softly after breaking the kiss.

Why did Mello say such foolish things?

I didn't deserve to feel good.

I didn't deserve to feel anything. I especially didn't deserve to receive anything such as 'feeling good' from Mello. He was so perfect…and I was not. If he had sex with me, then I'd be ruining his life. It was wrong of me to want him to do as he was. I decided that this was wrong…wrong and unpleasant for us both.

Whatever Mello done for me was too good for me. I didn't deserve Mello's touch or his loving movements. I didn't even deserve his kisses. I didn't deserve anything from him, except death that was the only thing Mello could offer me that I would accept.

"Please, stop." I whispered.

"Why, Near? Aren't you enjoying this?"

"No. No, I am not. Mello may continue if he wishes, but he'll be raping me and he won't receive any affection from me." I said showing no emotion to the blonde. He shrugged his shoulders and removed my pajama shirt, then his vest.

Mello's POV

This is totally wrong isn't it? Duh, yes! I already know it is, but I am confused as to what I really want to do. What are my true intentions, here? To rape Near? Do I want to make him cry out in pain as I thrust into him or make him scream my name in ecstasy? I feel so confused and wondered how Near managed to puzzle me again, without even doing, or saying hardly anything at all. I looked at his milky white chest admiringly.

"Near, I won't beat you anymore, for no reason." I whispered in his ear.

Near didn't respond.

"You'll like this, Near, I'm really good, I promise." I whispered again.

He still didn't react, it frustrated me and I'm certain he saw it, too, but that time I didn't care if he responded or not, I smirked, sliding off Near's pants and undoing the laces on mine. After a hesitant minute I tugged my tight leather pants off with little ease. Afterwards I took off my boxers and surprisingly noticed that Near didn't wear any undergarment. Now the two of us were exposed to each other. I stared down at the albino who didn't seem to be phased by any of my actions.

I licked the edge of his milky lips, in return he shuddered for me, and although I was certain that it was involuntary, I didn't care in the slightest.

I could see the excitement in his eyes; I could feel his heartbeat as it sped up. It was easy enough to see that Near was serious about what he'd said, but what did I care? He'd change his mind…he couldn't wear that emotionless mask through this entire thing, or could he? I shook away that thought as he tried pushing me off. I pinned his wrists above his head and he didn't fight me any further than that.

"Ready?" I asked.

He shook his head slowly.

With a sigh I glared down at him. I looked away for a brief second to wonder about his behavior. Why did he have to make this so difficult for us both? Was he trying to get on my nerves? What was making him act like this? I turned my attention back to him after what felt like an hour or so in my mind, but was really a few or so seconds.

I was very surprised that I could see tears brimming his eyes. I never knew he was still capable of crying. It'd been years since I'd last seen Near cry. Than again, Near was only human…or at least as human as he could get. I released his wrists, but he made no attempt to move or fight back. He didn't beg me to continue my actions or ask me to stop them for several heart shattering moments. I looked down at him with excitement. He simply looked back at me with those dark, teary eyes.

Near's POV

"Mello, please don't…" I begged.

He ignored me.

I felt my legs being pressed apart and something pushed inside of me.

"AHHH!" I shrieked as loud as I could. I felt like my insides were on fire and I felt warmth as blood oozed out of me. Needless to say, it hurt like hell. I squirmed underneath him for a few minutes, but made no other attempt to escape from him.

"Aahhh! Mello! Stop! Mello! Aahhh! Please stop! It hurts! It hurts! Mello, please stop! Aahhh!"

I shook violently as more blood oozed out between my thighs.

I silently begged my body to release, then Mello would stop, maybe he'd be merciful and kill me after he was finished. Not a very dignified way to die, but I'd die, at least. I screamed at the top of my lungs until Mello finally stopped his thrusts. Panting, breathing deeply I looked up at Mello hoping that I'd see the same blonde who used to beat me up at Wammy's House, the same blonde who always said he hated me. I wanted to see that Mello, that chocoholic, but I didn't. I saw the current, scarred Mello, who had been thrusting into me mercilessly, until I bled and whimpered in agony.

"Kill me!" I screeched. "Kill me NOW!" He ignored my cries, cupping my cheek in his hand, speaking ever so lovingly.

"I love you Near."

"I…I…" I struggled to find the words in between my pants. "I…I…I…" The words never came to me, so fresh tears fell.

Mello smirked and started his thrusts again. After a while he released inside of me and I released a little after him. Panting in pain I let my body go limp. He pulled himself out of me I let out a choked gasp as he did so. Mello was quick to get dressed. He dressed me too, I made no attempts to stop him. The blond grinned at me appearing more or less smug. Running a hand through my hair he kissed me tenderly.

I felt so helpless, and so vile, ashamed, angry, violated and (worst of all) humiliated.

"I love you." He cooed.

"I hate you." I said through clenched teeth.

My words seeped with hate making Mello cringe away from me. He looked hurt, but I did not care in the least. I knew that he didn't expect me, of all people to tell him that. He shouldn't have expected anything more or less from me…he'd just finished raping me…denying me death, I'd lost to him, at long last, and he took joy in that fact. In the fact he wounded me worse than he ever did in the past, that he at last took whatever shred of reason I had to keep living and murdered it.

He won.

I lost.

That's the end of the story, no need to make it a huge deal.

Mello's POV

What was Near's problem?

I was just trying to show him I cared, that I loved him as much as he had loved me. Did he truly not care about me, anymore? Was he just toying with my emotions for fun? Was that how he got his sick kicks? Has he always done that?

Toying with my feelings…disgusting…

Sadly, I knew the answer was no. He was seriously depressed. Normally, if I was in a hating mood I'd ignore it, but I was concerned…concerned because L (our mentor, no duh!) died a while after falling into a depression…L never planned it out while depressed, no, he was murdered.

Near's intent, however, was suicide.

He didn't want to live and had probably been trying to decide how to finish himself off for the past few days…or maybe the past few weeks. For all I knew, it could have been months ago that he contemplated that he needed to die.

I looked the albino over and wished that he were still a squirt that I could easily push around, without him telling anyone, but surly he'd ask someone for assistance if I laid another hand on him...around his hips…or his thighs...or his crotch

"Near…" I started, but stopped as he raised a hand to twirl some of that snowy white hair, I was silenced by the action, he took this as an opportunity to speak, not caring of what I had intended to say to him in the first place.

"Mello, you have exactly ten seconds to leave before Rester and Gevanni come to investigate the screams." He said, voice monotone. "You'd better start running." He added as footsteps were barely heard beyond the steel door.

"I'm not running, Near, I've always ran and I'm sick of it. I'm gonna face whatever will happen head on. I don't care what damage your goons will do to my face, because you know I can do worse to them. Right Near?"

He didn't respond.

"Right?" I demanded impatiently.

Near's POV

I gave him a faint nod.

"Mello is being very foolish." I said forcing myself to stand.

"Why?" He demanded angrily. "Because I care?"

I shook my head sadly. He seemed puzzled by this action. I couldn't believe I was puzzling him so much. It was odd. I didn't intend to confuse him, but it seemed that I did so, anyway. Mello watched my movements and concentrated on everything that I done. Suddenly, I felt so light headed, like I was going to faint, but I forced myself to ignore it.

Mello's POV

"Mello…you do not care…you feel no love towards me…it's all…pretend." He said with a faraway look in his eyes and his voice soft, yet low, it too, sounded like it was faraway. "Yes…Mello I've just figured this all out." He said starting to sway his body side to side as if he were dancing to the beat of a nursery rhyme.

"Figured what out Near?" I questioned curiously.

"This is all…a dream." He said with a sad smile.

"A dream?" I questioned with a crooked smirk.

"Yes…we're not really adults…we're just dreaming we are…" he replied.

"Oh? Then how old are we?"

"I'm probably ten…that'd make you twelve."

"Near…are you certain about that…?"

"No, I'm not certain about…anything." He said sounding less and less like the Near that I had always known. "But…I had a steamy sex dream when I was ten...it happened after I read up on reproduction…in the library…after you beat me up…remember?"

"You did?" I asked surprised that Near would admit something personal like that to me. "What was it about?" I asked curiously.

"I was kissing you and you were kissing me…I wanted that dream to be real…although I knew it wasn't…one thing went to another in my dream…and…we…made love…" he let his voice trail off.

Giving a happy sounding sigh he turned, looking me in the eye I scowled at him whilst he frowned at me. He stopped his swaying. Looking me in my cold, icy eyes he seemed to be very, very sad, but I saw that his lonely, dark orbs held no emotion within them at all. It was such a depressing sight. Someone so beautiful, looking so miserable, it was upsetting to me to say the least.

"I want to die, Mello." He said not long after he stopped swaying his body. "I simply want to deny all of this pain, that I'm feeling, but I can't. I can't deny all of this pain, please, Mello, please, end this horrible pain. I can't take the feeling of it gnawing on my insides any longer. I can't take it, Mello, not anymore. Please, Mello, please finish me."

"Near, I cannot, nor will not even contemplate killing you, not right now." I shook my head defiantly, with my arms crossed in front of my chest.

Near's POV

I raised my hand to twirl a lock of my snowy hair when Mello grabbed my wrist; my heart skipped a beat as he looked into my eyes for what had to be the thousandth time. I opened my mouth to speak; Mello took this as a chance to steal a kiss. When he broke away, we were both panting and both Rester and Gevanni stood behind him guns raised ready to shoot. I made no move to stop them if they decided to shoot.

Mello appeared angry and… a bit sad. "Tell them to lower their weapons, Near." He ordered me through clenched teeth. "Near you know the reason that I'm here." He said loud enough for my underlings to hear.

"I'm sorry Mello, but I haven't the slightest idea as what you are referring to...I have absolutely no idea as to why you have entered my head quarters other than to verbally insult me, whilst physically abusing me."

Mello looked at me in stunned silence, I looked back to him, my expression hollow.

Mello's POV

Flashback

"Leave me alone!" I snapped as the annoying albino looked up at me. "I hate you! I despise you, Near! How many beatings do you need to get that through your thick skull?"

"I-I…l-love you…Mel-Mello."

I punched him in his jaw.

He spit out a tooth, which wasn't surprising since eight-year-old kids' lose their teeth easily. It hurt him, however, blood dribbled down his bottom lip and he spat it out as he coughed, choking on his own bloody saliva. I wasn't satisfied though.

Being the bully I was I kicked him in his ribcage, accidentally breaking a rib, but I didn't care, I heard Rodger coming to see what tattletale Linda was whining about. Running off I heard Near breathing irregularly in loud gasps. I didn't feel bad, though, I felt happy, happy that Near was the one in pain and not me, I was ahead of him for once, for once I was his superior, but that taste of superiority didn't last long.

A couple of days passed and Near seemed to have completely disappeared from the face of the planet. I couldn't find him anywhere in the orphanage or outside in or around the woods. I wasn't too worried about him, though. He was just a worthless whelp. Wasn't he? Yeah, that's what I convinced myself, but I know it was only to drive away the guilt.

After about a month, on Near's birthday, he appeared as if by magic. I found him playing in his room with a few of his toys. He was wrapped in bandages and had a cast on his right arm and a splint on his left ankle. He appeared nervous by my sudden appearance and twirled a lock of his hair with his left hand. He let out a shaky sigh as I closed his door behind me and stood over him with a look of disapproval.

"Why are you wearing that?" I asked eyeing his bandages, cast and splint.

"Mello broke me worse than he intended to." Near replied in that emotionless tone he always takes. "It would seem that I had serious fractures and bruises within me that were not seen without an X-ray. I am sorry, Mello."

"What are you sorry for you idiotic twit?" I snapped. "I'm the one who beat the snot out of you. Now tell me what those quacks said was broke…or whatever."

"They said that I had a cracked wrist bone and that the tendons in my ankle had ripped themselves from a strain…" He hesitated. "I was also informed of my broken rib and bruised appendix, which the doctors were able to remove without any trouble, and I was also informed of…my blood pressure…"

"What about your blood pressure?" I demanded as he looked away from me and to his toys, his little, wind-up toy robots and dinosaurs.

"They said it was too high…they said that it needed to be lowered…or I'd be at risk of having…a heart attack, Mello."

"That all?" I snorted uncaringly. "You've been missing classes and in a hospital for that? It sounds unfair, Near." I sneered. "I've been stuck here, bored to death and you've been off, doing whatever…you know, it's as bad as homicide in my book!"

He nodded. "Would allowing Mello to break my body even more atone for such a sin?" he asked looking away from me.

"Look at me!" I snapped.

He winced as he turned to look up at me.

"Yes?" he asked with a timid voice.

"You tell on me?"

"No, Mello, I told Rodger nothing. He insists I tell him, but I refuse each time."

"Good!" I said feeling slightly satisfied. "Now, you should hurry up and get better soon. Things aren't fun for me without you to hit on, got that you albino faggot?"

Near nodded, sadly. "Will Mello please apologize for hurting me?" he asked as I turned to leave. He looked at me sternly and truly expected me to apologize. I snickered at that. I grinned before leaving.

"I'm sorry, Near, but I haven't the slightest idea as what you are referring to…I never harmed you." I lied casually.

Leaving the room I stalked down the halls smiling.

Present

Now, here stood Near, playing the same card with me, but I knew that I deserved it. Both of his underlings were ready to shoot me dead. I was, needless to say, nervous. Why…oh, why did Matt have to be right?

Another Flashback

"Mels, you should be nicer to Near." Matt said as we studied together in the library. "He really likes you, ya know."

"Why?" I snorted looking up from my book. "I don't like him! He's a worthless, little scum fag! Things would be easier for me if he disappeared…permanently."

Matt chuckled, but shook his head firmly in disagreement.

"One day all this bad stuff your doing to him will come back to haunt you with a soul sucking vengeance, man, that'll leave you either really, really, really angry or…dead."

"Ha! Don't be overly dramatic!" I laughed.

"I'm not. Take it from a drug addict's kid, you don't wanna get your body polluted with something that's addictive, enjoyable and hurts other people when you inhale or exhale. In your case, though, Mello, I'd say you should ease up on Near, a tiny bit."

"Nah, the baby should know how to take a hit like a big boy." I joked.

"For cripes sakes Mello he's only nine!" Matt yelled jumping to his feet. "You should set an example for him or something! What you do to him affects how he'll treat you in the future…and from what I can tell…the kid's gonna leave you to die someday."

Matt was always a nice guy…always nice to those younger than him, but he usually forgot about being nice when it was time to prank Near or Linda or one of the stupid teenagers. We usually had fun, but when we had fights both of us were totally serious.

"Whatever!" I snarled slamming my book close, then stomping off.

Present (Again)

Near was leaving me high and dry…just like my late best friend had said he would. Kudos to you Matty. I thought to myself. He was right and I was wrong…not too surprising, but he was still considered my inferior being number three. Oh, what am I talking about I was number two! That left Near…number one. How I had hated him for being ahead of me…smarter than me…I hated it!

Looking at the albino sympathetically I grimaced in pain as something sharp buried itself in my shoulder. Near appeared fairly calm…no, big surprise. I turned to see that one of them had fired and nicked my shoulder in the process.

"Relax!" I snarled. "I'm not gonna hurt him, I just wanna talk."

Rester looked to the albino for instruction. "Near?"

I held my breath waiting for him to speak and his words shocked me. "I am not interested in speaking to Mello." He said glaring at me coldly. "You may shoot." He added after a short silence. Both Rester and Gevanni nodded, but didn't fire.

Near's POV

Mello seemed to be shocked by my words.

Well, what did he expect me to say?

My feelings were only natural…he did after all rape me when I requested that he not continue with his actions. I felt Mello's grip tighten on my wrist. He was defiantly nervous. I don't know why this upset me, but it made me want to cry, I wasn't used to Mello being the one on edge, than again I was not used to being on edge either. Mello seemed to notice my discomfort and he released me. I sighed relieved that he released that bone-crushing grip on my wrist.

"Mello may leave now." I said coldly. "If Mello won't kill me, than do not bother coming back, do not bother even thinking of me." I whispered so that only Mello could hear. He gave me the nastiest glare that I'd ever seen (not counting one of Kira's glares) in my life. He released me. Stomping past Rester and Gevanni he turned back to me for a brief moment, just glaring.

"Don't think it's over Near, it's just got started." He growled.

I felt angered by that statement. Before I knew what I was doing I ran and pounced on him. We fell to the floor in a heap. I pulled at his blonde hair while he tried to pull away from me. He made a mistake around that part, as he tossed me off his body I tugged out some of his hair from the roots.

He let out a howl of pain followed by a couple of swear words. He lunged at me and we rolled on the floor swearing, threatening each other and beating on each other with whatever strength we had left.

Rester and Gevanni stood staring at us in shock.

Finally, Rodger entered the room and after recovering from his shock, ordered the two to take action Rester pulled me off of Mello and Gevanni restrained Mello who attempted to attack me again. Rodger who was now known to me as Watari glared from Mello to me and back to Mello. He tsked us both and then chuckled before turning serious again.

"Neither of you have changed." He said. "You should both act your own ages. Near act like you're twenty and Mello act like your twenty-two, I swear you both are like explosive chemicals when you are put together. Even after all that's happened."

Mello stuck his tongue out at me and I (childishly) done the same.

"Stop it!" Rodger snapped slapping us both. "Will you two behave yourselves?" he demanded as we both lowered our eyes to the ground. "Well?" he demanded as we both thought of what to say.

"Whatever." Mello eventually mumbled.

"Yes." I agreed reluctantly.

"Very well, then, Rester, Gevanni you should be able to release them now." Rodger said with a thin-lipped smile.

The two men let go of us at the same time. And without another word said I stomped from the room heading for my bedroom. Mello deserved to suffer. I hoped Mello got into a ton of trouble for all of his sins against me, which would take a lot of punishment.

More punishment than death could offer.

More than what hell could offer.