Title: Blurry

Rating: M

Summary: A relationship and hickey are examined in the mirror.

A/N: Well, this is just a little something before I go to bed. I had this idea stuck in my head and it wouldn't leave me alone so…

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Even after his shower, he was sore. He guessed that was why he had always heard people saying that taking a long, hot bath was the best way to relieve the pain of a first time. But there was too much hassle involved in a bath. He would have to get out all of the rubber ducks and then the bubble bath, pouring in enough to wear the bubbles came up to his neck so he could hide in them. Much too much trouble. Besides, he…

Wanted to get back to bed.

Near stepped out onto the linoleum of the bathroom, his bare feet wet and cold. He hopped over onto the small rug in front of the sink and waited for the water to run down his legs. Leaning over, he grabbed his towel from the rack over the toilet and began to dry himself off with it, rubbing over his slick arms and torso. His gray eyes were empty as he did this, his mind a million miles away. He raised the towel and dried his hair, the fabric running across his face and he only came back to Earth when part of the cloth moved out of his eyesight and he caught a glimpse of himself in the fogged over mirror.

His motions slowed to a stop. He moved part of the towel off of his right shoulder and saw the rest of what appeared to be a bruise on the side of his neck. He breathed in a little and exhaled, squinting, trying to make out every detail of it in the blurry image of himself. He ran his fingers over it. His first hickey. Now that he thought about it, he had a lot of firsts last night. It was surprising, how… spontaneous they had been. And how natural it had felt.

The towel was used up and down his legs - he squinted and flinched at the pain of bending - and then between his legs and all the while, his eyes never left the mirror, never left that blotch that had turned an odd mixture of colors. He could see the faint marks of his lover's teeth there and as he dried his chest, he saw in the mirror, the angry red mark just left of the center of his chest, right over his heart. The jagged teeth-marks were vibrant and noticeable and Near wondered how many other marks he had on him. As hard as he tried, he just couldn't remember everywhere Mello's mouth had been last night.

He stood on his tip-toes and looked down the reflection of his body. The imprints where Mello's fingers had been on his hips and wrists. And all the invisible licks and nibbles that hadn't lasted the night. Near suspected they were everywhere, hiding, lurking, willing to stay for as long as they could clutch to Near's pale skin.

"Hey."

Near gasped and tried to jerk around but was prevented from doing so by Mello's arms coming around him, holding him across the waist. Near calmed immediately, watching Mello's expression in the mirror.

"I didn't hear you get up," Near said, his eyes unintentionally traveling down to that hickey.

Mello shrugged. He was watching Near in the mirror as well, his overcast eyes lost in a daze. He grinned and it went unnoticed by the other boy. He thought of all the people over the years who had called Near an emotionless robot, himself included. But they had never heard the boy in the middle of the night when the lights were off and his body was slick from sweat and semen, screaming for more. Mello laid his head into the groove of Near's neck and breathed in the fresh scent of him.

He really had no idea why he asked the next question. Probably because he felt that was what he should do. "Now that the lights are on… do you regret it?"

Near looked sorry to be taken out of his thoughts. "No."

"You answered too quickly."

"Would you want me to take forever?" he asked, raising his finger again and tracing it around the mark.

Mello watched his movements. "Do you like it?"

"It's different."

He smirked slightly. "You're really passionate."

"You make me that way."

Mello looked at him and Near returned the stare, only for a moment, before returning his gaze to the mirror and to whatever thoughts he was keeping secret. Mello tapped his index finger over the hickey. "What do you think of it? You look really interested."

Near blinked. He breathed in and out, resting his head back onto Mello's shoulder. "It irritates me."

"Does it?"

"Yes…" He paused. "I feel asymmetrical."

Mello laughed.

"I require another one," Near said and tapped on the other side of his neck.

Mello nodded, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You know, Near… you're a very different lover than I thought you would be."

"Would you like me to be the way you thought I would be?" he asked, looking up.

"Hell no."

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Drop me a review, won't you?