A/N: .Throws off straw hat and pulls off flowered shirt. Ahhhh!… back from vacation and back to work. So… did you guys miss me? Or die trying to figure out what I'd put in this re-write? Because, you all know I can't just SIMPLY do a re-write as that. There has to be more to it. So, yeah, there will be parts in this that weren't in the first one –for obvious reasons. But enough of my teasing, on to the first chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Death Note or anything else that is in the series.

Title: Kiss Away the Pain

Chapter 1: I Hate Him

It's days like these that make me hate winter even more -days when the snow's falling and the entire world seems cold and utterly silent. These are the days that remind me of him and why I loathe him so much.

It seems that no matter what I do, somehow he still finds a way back into my mind; especially now.

For a while now, a couple of times a week, L calls Near to meetings with him; and every single time he goes willingly. But that's not what gets to me.

It's the look on his face as he cleans his stuff up and leaves with Watari, that makes me want to hit him. He holds that blank look of indifference for all to see, every single time.

I always want to shake him and ask if he even realizes the rare opportunity he's getting. I'd switch places with that ungrateful twit in a heartbeat if only L would let me.

It's not fair that Near get's to go to meetings alone with L just because he's number one. Our scores aren't that far apart and I work my ass off to make sure it stays that way, so I should get the same kinds of perks he does!

And yet every time I ask to be included, L always says no.

I wonder what goes on at those meetings… I bet L teaches him different ways he can be better. Or maybe he shows him old case files and lets Near try and solve them out for himself.

In any case, it still isn't fair.

Today feels as boring as ever, since there's really nothing to do. We can't go outside to play, since it's too cold, Matt's too caught up in his games to want to do anything else, and a certain albino isn't even around for me to mess with.

The very thought of boredom creeping up was frustrating and made the need to find something to do more prominent.

I walked into the room that I shared with Matt to find him lounging on his own bed with a game in his hands. I flung myself onto my bed and commenced in staring at the ceiling. My mind drifted off somewhere, but I was unable to follow it.

"What's up, Mello?" Matt asked without looking up from his fame.

"There's nothing to do, Matt. Entertain me." I told him.

"You want to play one of my games?"

"No." I said with my voice trailing off at the end.

"Why don't you go pick on Near, or one of the girls? You like doing that."

"Near's not here. He's at one of those meeting with L again."

"Oh." I could hear him losing interest in the conversation quick; there was no doubt I was probably breaking his focus. I didn't care about that though –he's my friend, and because of that he's entitled to listen to what I have to say.

"What do you think they do there, Matt?" I asked with my eyes still focused on the ceiling.

"I don't know, why don't you talk to Roger about it? Or, better yet, talk to Near whenever he gets back." He suggested, pressing furiously on the buttons of his game system. I supposed he was only trying to get me to leave so he could get back to his game, instead of really answering the question.

But I couldn't help but look over at him… what he had said was a good idea… to talk to Near whenever he got back. Of course, I didn't like the idea of having to interact with the little albino, but I was also desperate to know what I was missing out on… and thus, I could throw it all away just for that.

"That's a good idea." I told him, looking up at the ceiling again. I then began to formulate a plan as to what I would do and how exactly I would go about doing it. Near was complicated, especially when it came to confidential stuff, I would need a good plan that would drag it out of him if I wanted any chance of getting at that information.

-

I waited by the window in the common room for the remainder of the day, I was anxious to figure this out by drilling it out of Near. But, at the same time, I desperately tried to keep the wonder of what he would say off my mind, knowing that it would drive me insane if I continued thinking about it. I knew that Near was smart enough to probably see what I was doing, and at that point he would attempt to change the conversation, or find any other way out of it. I couldn't let him do that.

I pulled out an unopened chocolate bar from my pocket and snapped off a piece, letting it melt on my tongue. The sweet taste that came with chocolate seemed to be the only thing that would hold my sanity at this moment.

But then, right as I was beginning to give up on this, as my patience wore thin, the familiar lights of Wammy's car began driving up the path towards the building.

I moved away from the window instantly, my heart beginning to race in my chest as I quickly went over my plan and tried to hold it firm in my mind. If I didn't I know it well, and keep to it, then Near would find a way to break it all down without me even noticing.

I waited in the entry way, snapping off yet another piece of chocolate.

I heard the car door shut, and knew he was coming.

The door opened a small bit, and when I saw the white cloth of Near's clothes, followed by his being, I didn't give him the time of day to notice me before I pounced.

"So, back from your meeting with L so soon?" I asked, biting off another piece of chocolate before pocketing it once more. If I didn't save the sweet treat, then surely I would be forced into eating more and more just to keep my composure around him.

"Yes." He replied with absolutely no emotion in his voice.

For one reason or another, that was what made me snap and I lashed out. Perhaps it was because of his lack of emotion, or it could be because in the back of my mind I was imagining him being alone with L and his teachings. But, in any case, my plan began to fade away from me and my hatred for him began to find it's way back to the front of my mind, controlling every action that i made, and every word that i said.

"How come he only requests meeting with you? It's not like you're really better than me! I work a hell of a lot harder than you; that should count for something."

When I stopped we were both left in silence and I could hardly believe the tension between us. I knew that both of us were planning ahead at exactly the same speed. Calculating what each other would do next and what our response would be to what the other said.

That was just how we were.

But I didn't need to think as far ahead as he probably was. I needed to hear some kind of comment from him so I could make my retort. Otherwise, I'd be working off of nothing, and that was not the best idea.

His dark grey eyes, that were otherwise called intimidating to those who didn't see them all the time, moved over to me, and although they held absolutely no emotion in them, I could still feel the intensity there. He had something planned.

"He requests the meetings with me because he knows that I am the better candidate to succeed him than you. He knows that because I'm not as reckless as you I am best fit for the position. I would not make a stupid mistake during a case, unlike you."

That was not what I had planned he might say.

I tried to hold myself back and not let his words reverberate around in my head… hitting at every sensitive nerve that he knew was there. I had to keep my composure… I had to come out on top this time, somehow, and if only in the smallest way.

"Near." I said through gritted teeth, trying to show him what he was already doing to me.

"You'll never even have the hopes of surpassing me, let alone L, if you continue down the path you are now. You simply look like a fool attempting in vain." He continued on as though I had given him no warning at all.

I was blind to everything else around me except for him. I watched his eyes divert away from me for only a split second before they moved back to me, and the look this time said he had found another vulnerable spot within me, that he had not touched upon yet, that he could hit.

"Oh, and your chocolate addiction is disgusting, quite frankly."

That was it, fuck holding everything back and coming out on top in our verbal battle. I could just as easily destroy this frail kid with my fist; that could put my point out for me instead.

My fist drew back and before I could second-guess myself, I hit him with enough of a force to send him to the ground.

I watched, contemplating for a moment on whether I should continue hitting him or not. That was when I noticed a small expression slip past his stoic façade that had always been plastered onto him. I focused closer, trying to see what it was that I had finally brought out of him.

But, before I got the chance to say anything about it, a new voice brought me out of our own world, "Mello, what are you doing now!" I looked over, spotting a group of girls standing there… they had witnessed my attack on him. And that's when I finally understood what his plan had been.

He had known that! He had probably seen them coming, that bastard!

"He provoked me!" I shouted at them.

"What are you talking about, Mello, he wasn't doing anything more than just standing there. We all saw." The girl said.

Anger filled me once more and my narrowed eyes moved back to him, I wanted to kill him now, and for a second I contemplated doing it.

"You bastard!" I grabbed his collar, yanking him up off the floor and instantly throwing him hard against the nearby wall. "You know you provoked me! What the hell was the point? To show that you're better than me? Because you're not!" I shouted, not caring who heard me or what those stupid girls did now.

"You're right," He whispered, just loud enough for my ears to catch, "I did provoke you."

"Tell them that! Or is it just your goal to get my in trouble today?" I demanded out of him firmly, my eyes narrowed intensely. I hoped that they clearly showed how much I wanted to hurt him now.

"No, I won't." He said, "And it was not my goal to get you in trouble either. You already completed my goal for today." He suddenly struggled against my grip, and while I knew I could continue to hold him there if I wanted to, something in his words surprised me enough to make me drop him.

He righted himself and walked right past me without another look, but did say in the same low level, "Thank you, Mello."

I was stunned into silence as he continued on, up the stairs and out of my line of sight –I suspected he was going back to his room.

The annoying girls were yelling something at me, probably something about going to tell Roger about what had happened, but I wasn't listening at all.

Near had caught my attention now, and now I wanted to know more. My plan to get the information out of him had completely failed, but in exchange he had told me something more; given me a mystery worth my attention.

I moved to the stairs slowly, as to make sure Near had enough time to get to his room before I walked up. The last thing I needed at this moment was for him to think I was following him or whatever else nonsense his mind could come up with him.

I wanted to know more behind the meaning of his words.

A/N: Ah, so that's the first chapter. You would think it would be easy but it took me almost the entire month of vacation just to write that! I'm not sure why other than that my will to do this was destroyed near the beginning of my vacation and also because I got distracted with many other projects. Anyway, let me know what you think of this first chapter! Trust me, it'll get better later on. Things are just a little difficult now, but it'll get better!

Please review!
-Forbiddensoul562