I just wanted to try something a little different. Angst is a hard thing to write, and I hope I did alright in my first angsty one shot.

...

"Wait..." Near spoke softly as he watched the blonde in front of him tremble with anger. His pale white hands fumbled with Mello's palm awkwardly. Mello growled as he pulled his arm away and hugged his torso tightly; fearing that if he let himself go, then his world would crumble away. His soft blue eyes watered at the pitiful look that was painted on the albinos face.

"Don't pity me." He choked out; his throat contracting when Near clicked his tongue at him. How dare he act so high and mighty after what he had just done!

"Mello I'm sorr-"

"Fuck off. You're such a liar Near!" Mello bit his lip hard, the pressure drawing blood from the abused skin. He hated Near. He hated him! Near's black eyes were blank. This was the problem with Mello, always letting his emotions get in the way. It would get him killed one day.

"Please Mello calm down." Near's soft voice was cold.

Mello laughed in spite of it all. How could he even think that Near would give a crap about him.

"I should have known that it was useless talking to you, it's always been like that hasn't it Near?" Mello laughed again, his teeth clamped firmly together.

"Once again Mello you have not given me the chance to explain myself, have you?"

"I don't want to hear it! You always have to have the last say on everything don't you! Why can't you just leave it? Why! " The albino was effectively killing him from the inside out. First his heart would go, then his mind...

"You should know by now that I am egotistical and enjoy having the last say isn't that right?"

"Damn straight you have to!"

"So let me explain myself!" Near's obsidian eyes narrowed.

"Go on then. Make everything worse!"

"I guess I have to then."

"Then explain!"

"I don't feel that way about you Mello. Simply you are my rival, and far from ever being my lover." Near stated monotonously. Mello's jaw dropped in shock. He knew what he was going to hear, but still. He hadn't expected Near to say something like that so bluntly.

"You bastard..."

"It's the truth. Simple as that." The albino almost smirked at the look of anguish on Mello's face, it was comical the way he quivered and shook. Near tsked. As he stood to walk out of the room, Mello's room, Near felt a terrifying force pull his back roughly, throwing him to the floor.

"Ah-!" Near cried as Mello sat on him aggressively, effectively winding the younger boy.

As he wheezed for air, Near felt a sudden wetness on his cheek. Mello's tears were dripping from the bridge of his nose and the very point of his chin. Mello's fist flew into the air before he struck Near in the jaw, a loud crack echoing around the room.

Mello repeatedly thumped his closed fist into Near. He wanted to break him. He wanted to make him feel the pain that he was feeling right now, the pain that he had caused!

"How could..you be so cruel! You're a piece of shit!" Mello wept as he continued to punch, earning the occasional squeak and moan of pain.

"Mello...s-stop..please..." Near groaned. His pleas were unheard as another hard blow struck his jaw. Mello had just broken it. That much was clear. His mouth hung open limply, choked whimpers escaping his throat. Mello wanted nothing more than to hurt Near.

As Near had explained, they were rivals after all.

And now their newest game can be, who can hurt the other the most?

Blood had begun to dribble from Near's mouth. He coughed and spluttered the foul liquid from his mouth, trying to rid himself of the bitter taste of iron. There wasn't much that the boy could do to fight back. Mello's weight was too much for his upper body, his arms pinned under the tracksuit pants that Mello was wearing.

"Hngggnn." A faint protest from Near's broken mouth once again was ignored. Mello was lost in his own mind. He just wanted Near to know...just to know.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that everything was slipping away from him. His fingers were tingling, and his head was suddenly light. Near could even see a black fuzziness blur his vision, but only out of his left eye. His right one was tinted red and stang mercilessly. There was no way that he could get Mello off him. He was too small as it was, let alone having the strength to fight when he has almost been beaten to death.

To death? He was so close to that?

If he was going to die now, than he may as well use his last breath to do something productive. Mello wouldn't have hurt him like this if there wasn't a reason. And he knew what that reason was. Only ten minutes ago, he had just been confessed to. Mello had confessed it all to him.

And he had so coldly turned him down. He really was a robot. A hot trickle of blood ran down his cheek from under his eye. The pressure under his eyeball was immense. It was as if his brain was going to explode.

"Mello...Mello" The blonde boy snapped from his daze. Was Near speaking?

Blood sprayed from Near's broken mouth as he spoke, his words almost unintelligible.

"I'm s-sorry. I didn't want to hurt you." Near tried to smile with his lopsided jaw. Mello made a strangled noise as he watched blood ooze from so many places, places that were not meant to bleed! Why was Near bleeding!

Breathing was becoming a real challenge for Near, his eyelids also feeling heavy as another warm dribble of blood dripped from his ear.

Mello froze in fear, his shoulders trembling violently. 'This couldn't be happening. It just wasn't right!'

Near's weak smile faded as he whispered "I do love you Mello .I just didn't want to look stupid over something that-" he paused as he spat out a broken tooth. "-something that could have gotten me hurt."Mello choked as Near's soft, spidery fingers brushed against the back of his neck. Near stretched his arms as high as he could, desperately trying to clasp his fingers around the other boys neck. As his fingers intertwined with each other Near sighed loudly.

"Thank you Mello..." He whispered into Mello's ear.

"F-for what?" Mello's voice lowered as much as he could bear it without his voice breaking.

Another soft chuckle.

"For being able to tell me your true feelings...I would have never been able to..." A spray of blood erupted from Near's broken mouth, a violent coughing fit overtaking his body. Mello's head shook in disbelief as he watched the crushed boy who held his neck with all of his fading strength.

Near's last sight was of Mello, his hair shabby and clotted with blood, his mouth open in a silent scream.

Near lost himself to the darkness.

...

".!" Mello screeched as he held onto Near's limp body. He brushed his hands through the curly white locks that were stained crimson with blood. Near couldn't be dead, could he?

Mello pulled himself against the wall, dragging the lifeless boy with him, leaving a trail of blood behind him. A cushion sat on the ground next to the plain bed and Mello looked at it sadly. He picked it up and rested Near's head on the white pillow, it's pure white becoming a deep red on contact.

He didn't want to think that Near was dead. His beautiful, broken face was just resting, asleep from the cruelty of the world.

...

Matt was so tired. All he had done all day was play his video games in the bright sunlight as he watched the other children play together. At one stage he was almost tempted to play a game of soccer with the energetic boys. But as the sun had started to go down and as the air began to cool, he decided that dinner was unimportant. He just needed to go to bed.

His room was at the end of the hall. It was terrible at how far away it was for his listless steps.

"I hope Mello won't keep me awake tonight." He rubbed his temples as he recalled the night before when his roommate had sat up all night staring outside and humming. Sometimes Mello drove him mad just sitting awake all night doing something random and noisy. Matt had even woken once to Mello smiling and spinning the wheel of a toy car.

Matt reached his door and brushed his red hair out of his eyes. His hand clasped around the doorknob and he pushed.

"Oi Mels?" Matt yelled as he threw the door open. A loud intake of breath came from the teen as the chaos that awaited him was unveiled.

The blood!

There was so much blood everywhere that it was psychotic. The pools that had gathered on the floor had obviously stained, and the track of blood that led to the wall-

Led to Mello, holding an extremely pale and still Near.

Mello was covered completely in blood, his head resting on his shoulder and his eyes closed. Whose blood was it!

Matt's silent plea was answered as he stood over the two boys and saw Near's shattered face.

"Get out Matt." Matt's heart almost stopped as a bright blue eye opened and glared at him. Mello was alive!

"Mels what the hell happened here!" Matt cried out. He retched as the rank smell of blood invaded his nostrils.

"I said get out Matt." The blue eye narrowed as he spoke. Matt backed away. The smell, the blood, Near dead, it was all too much for him.

Matt pulled the door open and threw up.

"Matt could you please close the door." Mello asked softly as he nuzzled his head into Near's hair. Matt's wide green eyes watched the still boy who supported the limp figure of Wammy's former number one. He closed the door cautiously and felt like throwing up again when a soft,kind smile spread across Mello's face.

Mello ran his hand through Near's curly locks again. He leant and placed a tender kiss on the dead boy's forehead.

Mello always had had a habit of breaking everything he loved.

...

Thank you teB360 for the title idea!