A/N: This was inspired by the 13th book. Basically, Near and Mello's character designs were switched when they were sent to the artist, so MELLO was supposed to be the one to catch Kira at Yellowbox, not Near. XDDD So... this is what I imagined would happen had they been forced into working together. Enjoy! ^^ As always, commentary is welcome.

87. Hunger

It began in an unorthodox manner. There was little decorum, and even less preamble. Though given the participants, it could only be expected. It came one Sunday morning with little warning. He sauntered into the vast room, a little stiffer than was strictly necessary. "Near." His tone was clipped, possibly hesitant. His stance was aggressive.

"Yes, Mello?" His voice was soft and airy. He spun in his unusual chair, one knee hugged to his frail chest. Slender fingers nestled in his wavy locks. Everything about him screamed a feminine innocence. The blonde wasn't fooled.

"I will be staying here for an extended period." He said through gritted teeth. His words held no question. Just a statement. Near raised a delicate brow.

"You request lodgings?" he posed.

"I'm staying here." Mello rephrased, eyes narrowing to dangerous slits.

"You intend to work with me?" the other asked, tone dusted with something undeterminable.

"I said nothing of it. I'm staying here, and that's final." The blonde replied tersely, aching to leave the humiliating situation.

"You make me out to be so horrible." The pale detective commented lightly. "If you needed my protection, all you had to do was ask." He sighed, swiveling back around in his chair. There was a baited silence. Mello glared daggers at the back of the white hair presented to him. Turning away from him like he wasn't worth his full attention! "Second door to the left, third floor." Near said. There was a grunt and the heavy stomp of boots.

"Running, I suppose?" slate orbs looked up innocently over a bowl of soup, spoon poised at small lips. He peered down the long, otherwise unoccupied table.

"I don't run, Near." The blonde replied shortly, forking a piece of chicken viciously.

"Of course not, Mello." The other consented mockingly.

"I'm not running, jackass." Turquoise eyes snapped up to look at the other ex-Wammy resident.

"You need my protection from the law. Otherwise you wouldn't be here. I know you better than that, Mello. You're not always so mysterious and difficult to read." He resumed eating, as if indifferent.

"So I blew up a building, so what?" the blonde snorted, hackles rising. "It probably killed a few people, but they were mafia-men. Pawns. I did the world a favor and eliminated some scum. So sue me."

"…How uncharacteristic of you…" the other mused, pushing a slice of carrot around his plate.

"Bull."

"Mello…" Near's voice was soft, tentative.

"What?" the blonde barked, glaring suspiciously. The other shook himself in an almost unnoticeable gesture, straightening decisively.

"If you've destroyed your supporters, your headquarters, and are requesting lodgings here as well as my protection, then it is simply impossible to run your own operations any longer. You do realize that by seeking me out you are accepting my authority and submitting to the proposal set down by Roger that we work together?" he paused, looking up over his fork. A light of curiosity danced behind the surface of his ashen eyes. There was a stiff silence in which Mello stared his rival down, daring further comment.

"Yes." He admitted at last, feeling the bile rise in his throat. The taste of defeat. He growled to himself.

"That's wonderful!" the pale detective perked up, suddenly ecstatic. The blonde felt leery. "While it may be difficult at first, we shall soon bridge beyond this childish rivalry that we've established, yes?" Near continued, ignoring the other's distrustful expression. He asked questions which awaited no answer.

"Don't get too carried away." Mello interrupted roughly. "I'm not doing any more than necessary."

"So you deem me more responsible?" Near posed slyly.

"I'm not saying that." The blonde answered crossly. "I just want as little to do with you as possible. Why would I work with a prick like you when it can be avoided?"

"If we're working together at all, I must insist the name-calling stop." Near pouted slightly, brow creasing in momentary hurt. "Perhaps you are uncomfortable in operating in a new environment?"

"No, just uncomfortable with you."

"That is most unkind."

"Fuck you."

"That is quite compromising." Near sighed lightly. "I suppose I should have expected no less from you." The rest of the meal was spent with a heavy tension and hateful glances.

It turned out that the second room to the left on the third floor was joined with the third room to the left on the floor. This fact in of itself was inconsequential, or would have been, had it not been to the room's occupants. The connecting door flew open. The room beyond was slightly more spacious, if not more vacant. Near looked up guilelessly from his perch at the foot of his bed. "Is there a problem, Mello?"

"A problem?" the blonde seethed. "Ya, I'd say there's a fucking problem! Why the fuck are our rooms connected?!"

"Hmn?" a pure white sock slid off of an equally white foot. "Ah, that. I figured you'd take issue with it." He sighed woefully. Clearly an act. "The other rooms are being renovated. It's a new building you see, and we are remodeling it to fit our needs. I had hoped the union wouldn't bother you too horribly – after all, if we're going to be working on this case together, then I know we have a better chance of protection and confidential means of processing and passing information."

"Oh, so I see how it is. In the end, it's you who needs protection of me, is it?" Mello sneered.

"No, but it would be welcomed." Near answered honestly, satisfied in the awkward change of expression on the blonde's face.

"I'm not offering protection." He revoked too late.

"I'm not either." The detective conceded. "Unless you wish to see it that way, of course, in which case you may."

"'Course not. I'm not incompetent!" the gunner huffed, feeling slightly ruffled and not at all in the upper hand.

"Of course not, Mello." The other said in the way that made his tone seem dubious.

"I'm NOT." The blonde spat. "I'll run my own damn show then! Fuck this! I don't need your forced hospitality either."

"I'd really rather you stay." Near frowned.

"Tch, and why's that? Can't cope without my protection or something?"

"I've survived long enough without it, Mello." The other said quietly. "I just doubt you're in the financial position to be doing much more than existing at this point."

"I'm not doing this Near. There's just no way I can work with you. I'm kidding myself if I could think for a second that this would be okay – EVER. I shouldn't have ever fucking showed my face 'round here." He turned on his heel and strode to the door, stopped mid-stride when the detective spoke again.

"Then what do you intend to do, Mello?"

"Whatever I need to do. I've lived on my own since I was fourteen, haven't I? Piece of cake." The blonde snorted, moving again. "I'll take on the Kira case myself and beat you to the finish line, just as I intended from the beginning.

"…You'll die out there, Mello. You came to me because the police will hunt you down. You don't have anywhere else to go. You don't have any funds to escape anywhere. You're stuck, aren't you?" Near asked softly, already knowing the answer. He didn't expect or need one.

"I'm not staying in this hell-hole and working with you either." The blonde growled, turning back to face his old rival.

"Then if you won't work with me… you'll work for me." The detective said decidedly.

"W-What?!" the gunner sputtered, eyes grown to the size of saucers. "Where do you figure that I'd-?!"

"I'm offering you a place to stay – food and refuge. If you won't work with me as an equal, then you'll work for me. It's only fair, as far as I can see."

"You're right Near." Mello glared. "We aren't equals. I'll beat you in the end. I'll work for you, but I guarantee that in the end, it will be my name that is known for the capture of the infamous killer Kira."

Thus the bargain was struck.

"Please pass me that folder." Near's voice carried back to the blonde as a pale finger pointed vaguely behind the high-backed chair.

"When I said that I'd work for you, I had no intention of becoming your personal servant." Mello spat, shoving the indicated folder roughly forward. Near extracted it from him without a comment and continued on with his theorizing. Annoyed at being ignored, Mello decided to push the issue a little further. "I don't see how this is supposed to be conducive at all to either of us, what with this whole twisted sadomasochism act you've got running." A dark grin erupted onto his lips as the distinct squeak escaped his boss' lips. A surprised cough harrumphed behind him and the blonde spared a single raunchy smirk in Lester's direction before returning to his query.

"I'd rather you didn't discuss our personal lives in front of the others Mello." The other narrowly recovered. This time the blonde flushed.

"Idiot. I only said that to get at you." He grumbled, turning to the flow chart he was compiling. The other members said little, but he could feel their eyes dart questioningly up at him, jumping away so as not to be caught staring. Not that it mattered much. "He's bullshitting back, alright?!" he snapped, catching all three members staring at once. They looked around awkwardly. Gevanni nodded curtly and excused himself for a cup of coffee. Lester ignored him, but his lips were drawn into a thin line. Halle continued to eye him from time to time, more out of curiosity than disgust from what Mello could tell. Not that it really made a difference in the end. The next few hours grew only more awkward for him. It didn't help when he heard a slight whisper of, "…explains all that leather…" from some unidentifiable portion of the room.

"Look! I wear whatever the hell I want, God damnit! If you've got a problem with it, then too fucking bad. If you've got anything to take up with me, then fucking say it to my face. I'll make sure you get real nice and cozy with this otherwise." He threatened, brandishing his glock before the others.

"Mello, please don't attack your co-workers." Near said placidly from his seat.

"You're the one who fucking antagonized the whole damn situation!" Mello hissed, glaring over at the immobile figure.

"Need I remind you who you've agreed to work for?" the other asked in slight irritation. "I'd appreciate it if you honored your own agreement."

"Oh fuck no! Your ass is so fucking mine, you prick!" the blonde growled, storming from the room.

"Impeccable choice of wording there, Mello."

By the third day, things hadn't improved. The blonde sat in his own swivel chair, brooding. His brow was drawn in an irate downward curve, eyes smoldering with contempt. Already in his second day of enslavement and Near was annoying the shit out of him. It wasn't like Near didn't always annoy him; it was just that it seemed the detective was making a concentrated effort to be just that much more obnoxious.

"Damn it." Came a soft swear. White hair swayed, covering Near's inclined face. He stared motionlessly at the dropped paperclip. Seconds passed. "Mello…?" The blonde was still, pretending to take intense interest in the CPU beside him. There was another short lapse of silence. "Mello?" the other piqued, louder this time. The gunner remained in his false coma. "Mello?!"

"What?!" the blonde spat, unable to ignore the annoying little shit any longer. He was certain his eye was twitching – it had a tendency to do that when presented with extreme aggravation – but couldn't bring himself to give a damn.

"I dropped my paperclip." Near said innocently. Mello scowled. The detective could act like such a little kid sometimes. Then the next second he was transformed into a sadistic bastard. 'Bipolar freak.'

"Good for you." He rolled his eyes. There was a pause.

"Would you retrieve it for me?"

"You have arms. Use them!"

"… Can't you just…?"

"No, do it yourself!"

"Please, can't you just –?"

"NO, Near."

"Please just –"

"FINE! I'll get your freaking paperclip. You happy now?!"

"Quite." A furtive smile poked out between wisps of hair. Darkened eyes narrowed to slits.

"You bastard." Mello growled.

"Problem, Mello?" the other asked faultlessly, eyes wide and blinking with faux curiosity. He had turned more fully to look at his former classmate. It made the blonde's blood boil.

"What is it with you?!" he erupted, standing violently. His chair skid away and toppled, drawing the attention of the other members.

"What… with… me?" Near repeated, brow furrowing. He pointed slowly to his chest as if he couldn't puzzle out the gunner's words.

"Yeah, with you." Mello spat. "You and your presumptuous little attitude like you're better than everyone else. You're always trying to act so innocent like I don't know what you're playing at. And I know you know I know."

"You're completely right." The façade parted like a curtain being swept across a stage. An amused smirk fell across the detective's lips as he eyed his query. "It's just too fun to play with you though, Mello." He sighed lamentably. "You're simple enough to bait, and you stay riled for so long."

"What the fuck is WRONG with you?!"

"That's up for negotiation, I suppose." Near shrugged. "Consider this payback, Mello. You went out of your way to show your hatred for me back at Wammy's. You were the closest thing I had to a friend, you know." Ashen orbs dropped to the floor. "And it's thanks to you that the other kids started hating me."

The blonde shifted awkwardly, waves of raw emotion hitting him full force. When Near looked up once more, the gate was closed again, as if the gatekeeper, appalled, had run to close it. "You're such a kid, Near." He replied lamely.

"You're the one holding the grudge."

"You're insufferable!"

"You're childish and ridiculously violent."

"You're a sadistic, twisted FREAK."

"You're still in my debt and protection." Near reminded him triumphantly.

"So why don't you just fucking claim me then?! Am I your bitch now or something?! Please, Near, do tell."

"Is that a challenge?" a slender eyebrow quirked.

Mello found that his mouth had suddenly run dry.

He fingered the tight material at his neck. Shocking cold spread from his fingertips through his body. "It's… metal…" he breathed, looking up slowly. Aquamarine swam with incredulity. "It's metal." He echoed.

"Yes." A faint smirk played out on pale lips. Slender fingers reached out and tugged at the collar. They hooked around the band, causing Mello to choke a little. "It's tight too." The other continued, tone pleased.

"Too tight…" the blonde responded, looking overly hopeful.

"Not a chance." Near refused, drawing away. "You'll wriggle out of it." He straightened, his waist becoming parallel to Mello's hung head. "It's durable as well, as I'm sure you'll find. The chinks fit together so that way it flexes without breakage. Water won't corrode it, and it's too strong to break with pliers or other cutting implements. Anything that might work would only serve to severely wound or kill you in the process." Satisfied, he strode to the doorway, trailing a hand over the frame.

"But…" Mello groped, still dazed. "How the hell does it come off?"

"Oh, I have the key." Near assured him, producing the small silver piece from his shirt pocket.

"Key…?" the blonde blinked. Slowly his fingers snaked back to the nape of his neck, brushing against an obtrusion. "A lock?!" he choked, eyes darting back up to his captor.

"Mn hmn." The detective nodded, unfazed. "A padlock, actually, to be precise." There was a pregnant pause.

"Near…" the blonde pulled off simultaneously paling and blushing in embarrassment. "This is a sex collar." He whispered in a disbelieving rush.

"Yes. For bondage apparently." Near said blandly. He twirled the key between his fingers. "Have fun with that one." He added vaguely. Mello could have sworn he saw a brief smirk creep onto the other's features seconds before he turned and exited the room.

The fourth morning Mello spent scowling into his half-empty mug of coffee. A tingling sense of disbelief had settled into the back of his mind, making everything feel fuzzy and decidedly annoying. He quickly checked the other members – all eating quietly, each lost in their own world. He growled and pushed away from the table. Ignoring their raised brows, he stalked to the headquarters' main room. Despite the heat, he pulled the thick feathers of his coat closer around his neck. The backs of his fingers brushed the metal band and he hissed, recoiling in disgust. The blonde plopped into his seat, turning to glare at the screens. They were already running – and recording, he presumed – the day's news. NASDAQ had dropped 400 points overnight, China had a minor earthquake, and there was a ring of robberies in Venice. After a while Mello found himself staring into nothingness, the colors and sounds of the monitors blurring together.

"…alright?" the blonde snapped to attention.

"Huh what?"

"I asked if you were alright." Near came into his peripheral vision, toying with a strand of hair. His expression was, as usual, unreadable.

"Like you care." Mello replied snidely.

"Are you embarrassed?" the detective assessed, sitting in a chair beside the blonde.

"Of?"

"You know very well what." Near cocked an eyebrow. "You hadn't been wearing your coat before now – as a sign of acceptance of the rest of us, that you're comfortable here. Safe. Now you wear it again. It sure isn't cold…"

"What's it to ya?" Mello growled, rounding on the smaller male.

"You're clearly bothered."

"Ya, well I didn't think you'd take me seriously."

"I take everything you say seriously, Mello." Near blinked truthfully. An awkward silence spread between them.

"Y-You went too far with this Near." The gunner protested. "It didn't have to be… you didn't have to get… for God sakes Near it's a sex collar!"

"I thought you'd appreciate it more."

"How is this –?!"

"I could have bought you a dog collar."

"You didn't have to even GET a collar!"

"You asked if you were my 'bitch'." Near smirked.

"Oh, ha ha. Very clever Near. Now get this damned thing off of me!" his eye was twitching again. It was apparent.

"I don't think I will." Mello looked up in shocked silence.

"What?" he asked thinly. "What do you mean you don't think you will? What the Hell?! Take it off!" It was at that precise moment that Lester, Gevanni, and Hal chose to walk in.

The fifth evening Mello wasn't faring any better. The SPK were gathering their notes and briefcases, packing for home. He himself sighed and reclined in his chair. He had accomplished next to nothing that day and things had only digressed. The other members didn't seem to have much faith in his integrity any more – not that he minded any – but they were of the assumption that he was Near's… well, his bitch. The collar surely wasn't aiding him in those protests either.

"Well… have a good night then, you two." Lester offered awkwardly by way of parting. His light blue eyes skipped between the ex-Wammy's students, as if trying to reading something deeper in the air between them. He shook himself and forced a smile before exiting the room. Gevanni came over to hug Near goodbye and shot Mello a look of mixed contempt and warning. Hal stood by the door and waved before leaving with the young male, looking over her shoulder at the remaining two as she went.

Near continued tinkering with his toys on the floor, his back to the blonde. He held up a single tarot card between his fingers, turning it in the light of the monitors, before tossing it aside and picking up another. Mello rolled his eyes and looked away. Typical Near. Present him with a puzzle and he would go to any length to solve it. Irritatingly enough, no matter how abstract the means, he always managed to do so. The blonde leaned forward, cradling his chin on a bridge of laced fingers, staring into space. "Have fun with that one." The words still echoed in his head. What had Near meant by that?! He tried to recall the inflection they were said with. Teasing? No, not quite. Condescending? No, not nearly. His tone was too light… almost as if he were laughing. Not at him exactly, but more at something… infuriatingly unknown. He sighed and closed his eyes. No matter how many times he tried to question Near's intent, he just ended up going around in circles. Typical Near. Typical puzzle.

He had mentioned something about it being a bondage collar specifically… Could he be a kink? Mello mentally smacked himself. The point being?! Whatever fetishes Near did or didn't have weren't any of his business, but at the same time, he had to wonder…

Soft fingers danced across the exposed nape of his neck. "Mello?" An involuntary shiver ran down his spine. The fingers toyed briefly with the collar, smoothing the skin around its edges. "I'm done now." Near continued. He continued to dance against the milky white canvas. "You tired?"

Shiver.

"Come on Mello. We should get some sleep."

This sudden obsession couldn't be healthy… Mello shivered against the slender fingers again. Standing, he followed Near up to their rooms. He didn't sleep well that night.

The sixth night Mello paced in his room, head a whirl. What did Near mean? Why had he reacted to him that way last night? Why couldn't he focus on anything anymore? What did Near want? He growled and threw himself across his bed, turning to his side. After a few seconds he felt uncomfortable and rose once more. By all rights, he should have been exhausted. In ways, he was. Mentally, he just wanted this torrent to end. All he thought about all day long was Near. Sometimes more than he wanted to readily admit to himself. It wasn't as though Near had done anything to close those avenues of thought, but the fact remained that they'd been dabbled in. Mello turned, feeling uncomfortable with himself. So why had Near allowed him to think that way?

"You act like you actually enjoy my being your bitch!" he exclaimed, scuffing his boot against the floor, aggravated. '..like you actually enjoy-' the words echoed back to him. As their full meaning hit him he froze. "Your…" he sat down heavily on the floor. "Wow. Oh… wow…" So that was it, was it? 'Have fun with that one.' It was just a taunt to get him to think about it. 'I take everything you say seriously, Mello.' He sighed and brushed his hair back with a hand. "Everything, huh?" After a moment's debate he stood and strode to the dividing door, stepping carelessly into the adjoining room. All of this had been intentional. In the end Near had manipulated him, just as he should have predicted.

"M-Mello!" the shocked gasp came to the right of him, drawing his attention. Near stood clutching a white towel around himself, eyes wide. Water dripped lazily from his body, looking flushed against the snowy fabric of the towel. He attempted to recover his poise, but the drum of his pulse made him uncomfortable. Mello grinned. "Wh-what do you require, Mello?" the other asked, carefully arranging himself on the bed so that he sat in a semblance of modesty.

"It's over, Near." The blonde shrugged.

"…Over?"

"You win. You did it. You manipulated me." Mello shrugged, looking hatefully at the carpet.

"Manipulated…?" the word rolled slowly from his lips, as if he had trouble pronouncing it. Dark orbs flickered up at the blonde, trying to gauge the gravity of the situation. "What –?"

"I told you already – there's no point in trying to play the innocent card. You bipolar bastard… you win, alright?!" he growled, pushing the toe of his boot into the carpet, leaving a small crater. His eyes flicked back up to Near. "You say these things, do these things. Nothing you ever do is for nothing. It's all devised and planned. I keep thinking about you. I can't concentrate anymore. You're so fucking infuriating, and yet you're the only thing I can think about. And that only makes me more pissed off. I mean, shit!" he hooked a finger around his collar, giving it a rough tug. "You fucking claimed me even when I was joking. It's like you don't want me to risk forgetting."

Near watched him in stunned silence, and when he was done ranting, he listened to the shallow intake of Mello's breath. After a second, he parted his lips to respond and closed them once more, uncertain of himself. "Mello… I didn't manipulate you. At least, I didn't mean to. And I'm not trying to put up a façade this time!" he added, cutting off Mello's unspoken attack. "I did, of course, factor in that you would be suspicious of my intent here. So in a way I did plan my words and actions. But Mello… you did all of this. You came to all of these conclusions on your own. All I did was play along with your jibes and gave you a small push in the direction your mind eventually arrived at."

"But… why?" Mello blinked, dumbfounded. How much had he over-analyzed?

"Because…" the detective looked at the twiddling fingers in his lap, letting an unusually bare foot play with the bed skirt. "I…" he gulped and shook his head slightly.

"You what?" the blonde's bark was surprisingly softer, even to his own ears.

"I…" Near looked up, and fear swam in his grey pools. Anxiety, and crushed hope. Even after blinking, the emotions remained, and that alone was worrisome enough as it was. Mello shifted his weight, an awareness dawning on him that Near was about to bare his private mind. It was just so…

"I wanted you to like me, Mello." The other admitted, crimson rising to his cheeks. "I… I did those things because I wanted you to see things from a different perspective. You're… you are so violent and… I was afraid that you'd hurt me. I know you don't like me very much…" he looked almost pleading. The blonde felt an odd twinge in his chest. "I… I just wanted for you to treat me well and respect me on some level. I-I don't expect much! I just… " A soft sigh escaped his lips. "I want things I shouldn't and hope for things that are impossible." Perfect lips sloped into a forced smile, orbs laced with inner pain.

"N-Near…" 'Why does this hurt me so damned much?!'

"It's fine. I… I'm sorry I said anything. Please, Mello, just leave me and allow me to change."

"Near!" a hand suddenly encircled milky skin. Both looked to the other, shocked.

"Me…Mello?" the detective whispered, looking over his shoulder to his captured wrist. Pausing, he turned and resumed his seat on the bedside.

"I…" the blonde found it suddenly hard to talk. He didn't know why he was still holding onto Near either. "I… was confused about what message you were trying to send. I thought…" he laughed off his embarrassment. "I thought you were trying to tell me that you wanted me."

"N-No!" the detective gasped, tingeing. "I want you to want me." His cheeks flushed a definite pink, shocked by the boldness of his own words.

"B-But the collar…"

"No." Near shook his head fervently. "I wanted to allow your mind to come up with whatever you wanted, but I could never…" a small squeak escaped him as he hid his face. The blonde paused, sudden electricity coursing throughout him. A single gloved hand reached out and pressed; the detective falling back against the pressure with a soft gasp. Without thinking, Mello climbed forward, sliding into an easy straddle, back bent forward so his head hung perfectly above his rival. "M-Mello?" the other whispered, voice catching as his eyes searched the veiled blue abyss staring back into him. Dark lashes fluttered, heart on fire as the gunner brushed his lips against Near's. He could feel the frantic pace of the other's heart beneath him, the flushed skin, the way Near faintly arched into him… and deepened the kiss with greater ferocity. He pressed the detective into the plush comforter, tongue lapping at the other's lips. He reclined further, pressing on one elbow, allowing his hand to weave through still-wet white locks. His palm cupped the base of Near's skull, drawing the other closer to his touch. Tentative hands drew around the blonde's neck, tangling in his hood. A soft moan escaped the younger's lips as he allowed Mello access. After several breathless moments, the two broke apart, panting.

"Mello…" dark irises swam with ascending hope. He gently pulled himself upwards, kissing the blondes lips with a growing desperation. Shivers spiraled through the mafia man's body. He wanted, he needed… "More?" Near begged breathily, a flush spreading across his milky skin. More.

Mello smirked and peeled off a glove with his teeth, never moving his gaze from Near's. Now free, his palm began to smooth across the other's bare décolleté. The quivering body rose to meet his touch, shivering as skilled fingers slipped across the pale canvas. Mello traced imaginary patterns down over Near's chest, sweeping across his sides. "Nng…" a suppressed moan floated back to the blonde. Intrigued, he repeated the ministration, dipping lower along the barely exposed hip. Instantly, Near's hips punched forward, another breathy moan escaping him. Mello laughed amusedly, bowing his head until his hair tickled the successor's body. He rose his eyes exotically to take in Near's, running his tongue sensually over the other's chest. "UHN!" Dark orbs widened, unprepared for the electric tingles that ran through him… down him…

Passionate kisses rained down the detective's neck as the fire burned more intensely. "AH!" Mello smiled against the crook of the other's neck, rolling his palm harder against the bulge forming underneath the bath towel. Small hips surged forward to meet him. The blonde pulled back, eyes raking over a much less composed Near. Spread beneath him, the successor looked… breakable. Hands fisted needily into the comforter, eyes squeezed shut, head rolled to the side, exposing a delicate path of skin. "M-Mello?" eyes hazed over with lust blinked up at him.

"Y-Yeah?" both of their breaths came in small pants. He was suddenly very aware of the way Near's hips rocked up against his hand, begging.

"Please… don't stop. I want you… to be the one to…" he gave into a gasp of pleasure, cutting off his own words. Warmth ensnared his senses as Mello captured a peaked nipple in his mouth, smoothing over the bud and encircling it.

"I know." He smirked, something other than triumph stealing over him. This was the Near he had wanted to see – vulnerable, open, baring his private mind. But… it wasn't enough. His hands continued to work subconsciously, trailing ghostlike across equally pale skin. He skated back over Near's side almost… tenderly?... and pressed his lips to the center of the heir's chest. Slowly he began to kiss and lick across the other's shoulders, down over the smooth planes of his stomach, biting softly at still bucking hips. "God you're tense." The blonde whispered, cupping Near's bulge. Instantly, the detective ground against the hand, whimpering. Mello shivered, the pleading sound burning down to his core. Unable to contain himself, he crashed his hips down over Near's, rotating forward sharply. The friction hit them simultaneously, twin moans reverberating through the room. The detective stilled as the gunner began to twirl his hips, pushing down, shifting the pressure from side to side. One of the small reminders of his darker solitary life.

"Near…" the blonde panted, gasping as the leather of his pants rubbed.

"Mel- nng!" eyelashes fluttered madly as the other struggled to return the look.

"What…" Mello shrugged off his coat, moving to cup the younger's hips, pulling them into rhythm with his motions. "What is your true name?"

"N-Nathaniel." The pants were coming quicker now, the friction up to a maddening speed.

"Nathaniel." The blonde whispered, capturing Near's lips in a swift kiss. His weight shifted forward, pressing…

"Ah! AHN!" Trembling legs spread further, pushing desperately upwards. Close, so close…

"Not yet." Mello mumbled, slipping from the other's small frame, leaving him gasping and shaking.

"Mel-!"

"Mihael." The gunner whispered, hands sliding to untie the soft towel. "Only Mihael." There was a strange, urgent strain to his voice. The towel fell open within seconds, revealing Near to him fully. The detective shivered against the rush of cold, his need flushed and weeping.

"Mihael…" he whispered experimentally, propping himself up on his elbows. The blonde shuddered, fumbling with his belt buckle. He suddenly gasped as small hands replaced his, working over the silver. It unclasped fluidly and the whole belt came sliding from its perch with a slight tug. Near's eyes darted up to Mello's incredulous gaze, resting his palms over the hollow of the blonde's hips. A faint blush dusted his cheeks. "Please…" he lowered his delicate mouth, tugging at the lacing of Mello's pants. Using his tongue, his unwound the knot, slowly unlacing the leather bonds. Freed, the tight garment pooled around tanned hips, sliding off smoothly with an eager tug. "Ah!" Pink painted the smaller male's features.

"Surprised?" Mello posed cattishly, trailing a hand over his bare lower half. "Boxers and leather just don't mix." He smirked, pushing Near back onto the mattress. "Not that you seem to mind any."

"Mi-Mihael! I…" an indescribable look flashed before the detective's face, hands already wound into the bedding. The blonde's breath caught. Poised above this trembling, eager Near, his senses were on fire. 'Don't make me stop… I won't stop…'

"Na-"

"I-I've never… um… and…" Near interjected. For a split-second the gunner could see it: fear. The pale male shifted, emanating guilt and anxiety. "I… please…" he swallowed hard, lowering his gaze. "Show me." Pinpricks of excitement crashed over the blonde, lighting his senses on fire. He descended on the detective, kissing at the base of his neck reassuringly. He itched to enter. Take. Force. He drew his fingers to Near's mouth and pressed the first two digits to his lips. Dark orbs flitted to him in question before he enveloped the fingers into his hot little mouth. Awkwardly his tongue lapped at the protruding skin, slipping over, under, and between them. Then… his eyelids fluttered shut as he began to suck, groping up the press the hand further into his warmth. Mello watched, transfixed, growing painfully hard.

"N-Nathaniel." He growled, not wanting to end the show. He withdrew his fingers and circled Near's entrance heatedly, slipping a hand beneath the arch of the boy's back. The heir shivered, spreading his legs, jarring his hips against the growing pressure at his entrance. Impatient, Mello slipped inside, stretching and rubbing, spurred on by the frantic whimpers spilling from the detectives parted lips. Extracting his fingers he lowered himself, grinding sensually against his old rival.

"Mihael, please." The other panted, lifting his hips upwards. "Please?"

"Nathaniel…" the gunner fought to get out. Need clouded his vision, yet he found his fingers twining themselves with Near's. "I won't hurt you… I'm not going to teach you pain." He spread the shaking legs with his knees. "I'll…I'll be gentle." He whispered.

"Mnn…" Near mewled, bucking into the pressure. "Mi-HAEL!" he gasped, pleasure shooting through him as the blonde gained entrance. He spasmed at the intrusion and moaned, grinding his hips.

"Feisty." The gunner smirked, bowing to brace himself. Near was ridiculously hot and tight. The blonde bit his lip fiercely, slowly backing out and re-entering the detective. More. Near gasped with each lengthening thrust, meeting Mello halfway. The blonde moaned loudly, rising to the needy tempo Near had set for them. His lips crushed harshly onto the heir's neck; biting, sucking, licking, kissing. "Mine." He panted possessively. "All mine." The other nodded ecstatically, eyes screwed shut as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through his small frame.

"I've always been yours… Mihael." He gasped. Fingers tangled themselves within the matted blonde locks, pulling the passionate lips to his own. This time Mello entered in unison, dipping his tongue into Near's willing mouth, dominating the other's tongue and mapping the contours of his mouth. His hands trailed down the length of the other male's body, cupping his raised ass and bringing the porcelain-pale legs over his shoulders. He thrust again. Deeper. "AHH!" Near moaned, shaking. His eyes batted open. "Something… different… AHHH!" his body arched sharply upwards as Mello found the prostate. The blonde smirked and continued to ravage the detective's neck as he writhed in pleasure beneath him. "MI-MIHAEL!" He was almost screamed now, and was shaking violently.

"You're close now, huh?" the gunner whispered huskily. Bracing his weight, he slipped one hand down over rocking hips between Near's legs. "Here?" Elegant fingers wrapped around the detective's throbbing manhood, spreading precum along the shaft, pumping.

"NNG!" Near threw his head back, senses in overload. His breaths came in short pants, clamping his thighs towards each other, screaming as his walls choked Mello inside him. The blonde gasped, feeling a coiling tightness in his stomach.

"Oh… God…" His eyes screwed shut as he buried his face in the crook of Near's neck.

"Mi-Mihael! I! I! I'm g-goin–g t-! AH!" With a final thrust, he rammed himself back upon Mello's shaft, sending sweet friction rocketing through his own cock. "MIHAEL!" he moaned, giving into the building pressure. His walls tightened, sickeningly sweet, and the blonde's body convulsed. Release.

"NATHANIEL!" he choked out, gasping as he came harder then he had ever imagined, pulling Near tightly to him. His vision bled white and all he could hear was the panting of his and Near's voices. Within that ivory world – as lily white as Near himself – something beautiful clicked. Something… laughably impossible but wholly true. He had made Near feel this way. He had given him this pleasure, taken his most precious gift. More than that, he was the first to ever show the detective these things, to see him this way. And Mello knew, in an instant, that he would never allow anyone else to have this either. Near was wholly and completely his. His vision bled back to reality as he rode the last waves of his orgasm.

He shook, suddenly drained of all energy, drinking in the sight beneath him. Subconsciously he pulled out; rolling heavily to his side, curling up beside Near's shaking form. A tanned arm snaked across the pale planes of Near's stomach, drawing him closer. "Mihael?" the other whispered, exhaustion setting in. The blonde pulled him against his chest, cradling him.

"Nathaniel." He sighed contentedly, nestling his face amongst Near's soft, damp curls. "I may need your protection, but you need mine too. You… need me." He pulled away to meet loving dark eyes. "I… I need you. I need you to be mine and no one else's… always. I…" the strange twinge in his chest from earlier that evening appeared again. His heart began racing, though his orgasm was long over. Just peering into those intense eyes, feeling that body pressed to his, even innocently… "I love you." He whispered, filling with euphoric wonder. A tired smile spread across Near's lips as he nuzzled into the blonde's chest.

"I know. I've always belonged to and loved, solely, you. These passing days have been like poison to me… you… affect me like no one else can." He placed a tender kiss on the tanned flesh before him. "You're my poison, Mihael."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way." He blonde smiled, gently kissing the forehead of the already-sleeping Near.