Near sat down on the couch, playing with his toy robot, while Mello watched him from across the coffee table. Near knew he was being watched but he chose not to address it. He didn't want to start that fight again, so he just sat there and continued to play as if he had no idea that Mello was in the room.

Mello watched the small boy silently, occasionally taking bites from his chocolate bar. He tried not to smile but as he watched the boy wave his robot in the air, making it fly. He had always had strong feelings for the boy, but he always expressed the exact opposite of what he felt. Mello had loved the boy for all of the seven years that they had known each other, but he chose not to show it until two days ago.

** Two days before**

It wasn't the first time that Matt had beaten him, but it was the first time that he had advanced upon him without permission. Mello was so black and blue that he had to wear a hooded black sweatshirt to hide the bruises. Of course – when they saw that he wasn't in his normal attire – people asked questions, but he wasn't prepared to answer them with lies – much less the truth – so he just told them to shut up and leave him alone and they did. Mello sat down in the dining hall while Matt slept peacefully in his bed in their room. He felt no shame, no remorse. He didn't feel anything at all while Mello tried his best to not explode into tears. Mello convinced almost everyone that he was fine, but nothing could escape the all-seeing eyes of Nate River. As Mello sat there picking at his food, Near was watching and analyzing his every move.

When Mello had finished eating had got up to deliver his dirty plate to the kitchen staff, Near got up also and followed him with his half eaten bowl of rice. He followed behind Mello as silently as could be, but Mello already knew he was there and stopped dead in his tracks.

"What is it, Near?" Mello asked angrily.

"Why do you assume that there is a purpose behind me getting up at the same time as you?" Near asked in return. "It could be purely coincidental."

Mello turned around to face the shorter boy. "It could be, but you didn't say that it is."

"No. It's not," Near confessed.

"Then what do you want?"

"I would like to know why you have a bruise in the form of a hand around your neck." Mello gasped and moved quickly to hide the mark with his hand. "The hand print is bigger than your hand so I know that it's not self inflicted," he said "but I didn't think it was anyway." Near's eyes moved to Mello's forearm which was slightly uncovered by his sleeve. Near quickly pulled the sleeve down to Mello's elbow and examined the bruises that were there. "This one is also in the form of a hand," he commented, referring to another bruise that wrapped around Mello's wrist. "Who did this to you, Mello?"

Just then, Matt entered the room through the door that was behind the blond. When he saw Mello he smiled and approached him as if nothing had happened just an hour before. "Hiya, Mels," Matt said kindly. "Are you leaving already?"

"Yeah. I already finished eating." Mello's voice was filled with nervousness and a little bit of fear.

"Well I'm starved," Matt replied. Near took this moment to examine Matt's hands. His eyes widened when he saw the size – it seemed identical to the mark around Mello's neck. Without a word he took the gamer's hand and wrapped it around Mello's bruised wrist, it was a perfect match. Both Matt and Mello were too astonished for words so instead of saying anything they just gawked at him as if he were growing another head.

Near let go of them both promptly. "I see. Carry on." He quickly delivered his bowl to the counter and exited the room.

"What just happened?" Matt asked as Mello replaced his sleeve and pulled the hood of the jacket over his head to hide the bruise on his neck.

"I have no idea," Mello lied.

"Okay then… Go sit down at the table, I'll be there in a minute."

Near made his way toward the library with his toy robot tucked under his arm for safekeeping. He had nothing to study this time, but he knew that Mello did. Mello came to the library every night to do just that. The library was almost always empty at that time because students liked to go to their rooms and hang out at that time, so no one would be there to disturb Mello.

When he reached the library, Near opened the doors and turned on the lights. The librarian was probably up in her room already, but that was okay. Near approached the nearest bookshelf and pulled off a random book, settling down into Mello's usual seat. While he read he kept his focus on the door, waiting for the creak that would announce its opening. Mello had to come, he just had to. If he didn't then it would mess up the whole schedule of events that Near had created. He knew that was the only time that he could speak with Mello alone, and the time would be essential. Matt always used his free time to play video games in his room so he wouldn't be present, which was also essential for his plan to fall into place.

As he silently turned the pages of the book, he tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for what he had seen. This is what he knew:

1. Mello had been harmed.

2. Matt was more than likely the person who had harmed him.

3. He didn't like it one bit.

He didn't know why he cared at all – Mello had never shown him the slightest bit of kindness- but he felt as if it was his duty to help the blonde. He had no clue why.

When he heard the door open he looked up from the book silently. When he saw that it was indeed Mello, he looked back down and continued to read. When the blonde saw Near in his seat he became irate.

"What the – "he began, approaching the small boy. "You're in my seat."

"Am I?"

"Don't act stupid. You know that's my seat. What are you in my seat?" Near closed the book and looked up at Mello.

"I was hoping to get your attention. It seems that I was successful." Mello looked at Near, utterly stupefied.

"You wanted my attention?"

"Yes."

"What do you want now?"

"Will you promise to answer all of my questions truthfully?"

"The hell I will!" Mello snapped. "I didn't come here to be interrogated."

"Then I guess you'll have to find a new seat." Near opened the book again and pretended to read. Without warning, the book was snatched from his hands and thrown across the library. Mello lifted the boy by the front of his collar and threw him to the ground roughly, and then he sat down with a smug smile on his face. Near looked at the chair and saw his robot, but before he could move to grab it Mello picked it up and snapped its neck.

"No!" Near shrieked. Mello sneered and laughed diabolically. Near's eyes began to water but he quickly hid this from Mello by turning his head until he had composed himself. "Why did you do that?" Near asked monotonously. Mello bent down until he was face to face with the boy on the floor, their noses nearly touching.

"To show you your place." Mello's chocolate scented breath blew over Near's face.

"My place?" Near was confused.

"Your place, that's what I said. What? Are you deaf or something?" Mello grasped the back of Near's hair and yanked on it, making the boy look up at him. "You do not sit in my chair." Near turned his eyes away and Mello slapped him across the face. "Say it."

"No." Near held his hand against the burning cheek.

"No?"

"No." Mello's eyes widened and fury began to boil under his skin. He lifted his hand to slap Near again, but the boy didn't move. He didn't shrink away, he didn't even blink. 'Why won't he flinch?' Mello thought. He became frustrated and brought his hand down quickly, stopping just before his fingers reached the albino's cheek. Near just looked up at him as if he could see right through him. Mello growled and shoved Near to the ground.

"Are you finished now?" Near asked after he sat back up. Mello just grunted and looked away. Near got onto his knees and touched Mello's knee gently. "I just want to help you… Please let me."

"Help me with what?" Mello asked through his teeth. "There's nothing for you to help me with."

Near took a deep breath and sat back on his feet, looking down at his hands which were placed in his lap. "I know what matt did to you." Mello whipped his head around and looked at the albino.

"Matt didn't do anything to me," he lied.

"He beat you, Mello."

"And how would you know that?"

"The size of his hands matches that of the bruises on your neck and wrists," he said softly. "Matt is the only person that you wouldn't kill and he knows that."

"And if that were true, what do you intend to do about it?"

"I want to help you. I'll do whatever you need me to."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Because I love you." Near's eyes widened when he heard himself. He had no idea where the words had come from but it wasn't his intention to speak them.

"What?" Mello didn't know how else to respond at the moment.

"I mean…uhm… "Near blushed and tried to find a way to correct his blunder. "I just want to help…"

"That's not what you said," Mello replied, standing to his feet. Near got up and backed away when Mello began to walk toward him. With every step Mello took, Near took two back. "You said you love me. I heard you clearly." Near backed up so far that he bumped into a bookshelf that was located on the opposite side of where they started. He was trapped and he knew that whatever Mello had in store for him was going to be painful. Mello stopped walking when he and Near were but two inches apart. Near could feel and smell Mello's breath as it blew in his face. Mello's bangs fell over his eyes, casting a strange shadow on his face. Near didn't know what to do. He thought of running but Mello had him pressed against the shelf so he couldn't. Mello could feel the boy tremble as he gently placed his head on Near's chest. His heart was beating way too fast to be considered healthy. Mello paused for a moment before pressing his lips gently onto Near's. Near's eyes widened and his breath hitched. It took him only a second to relax and kiss back, and his thoughts slowed to a halt as their mouths moved in sync. After a moment Mello realized what he had done and pulled away.

"Near...I- I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"No, it's fine. I enjoyed it."

"You did?"

"Yes." Both of their faces crimsoned then and they both turned away from each other. Mello cleared his throat and an awkward silence began. After two or three seconds, Near broke the silence. "Mello," he called softly. Mello turned his head and looked at him with tenderness in his eyes.

"Near?"

"Why did you do that?" he asked softly. Mello was silent for a moment, deep in thought.

"You said you love me," he commented.

"I did," Near said softly. "But that doesn't explain why you did that."

"You…didn't mean it?"

"I did," Near stated his voice barely over an audible whisper. "But why did you do that?"

"Because… because…" Mello backed away, turning around when he was about five feet away from the other boy. Near watched him grip the edge of the desk that was there, holding the large dictionary. He began to feel rejected, thinking that Mello's actions were caused by anger and not from nervousness.

"Because you like to tease me." Near's eyes filled up with tears again. "Because you like to toy with my emotions."

"What? No. That's not it," Mello said, turning back in the trembling boy's direction.

"Then what is it?"

"It's because… I love you too." Mello blushed and looked down as Near walked toward him slowly and Mello reached out and pulled him into his chest, holding the small, trembling boy. He rubbed Near's back and gently kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," Near said softly. The tears went down and the younger boy buried his face into the older's shirt. Mello bent down to gently kiss the boy's forehead.

"Near," Mello whispered softly into his ear.

"Yes, Mello?" Near replied softly.

"Can I sleep in your room tonight?" Mello was slightly embarrassed to admit that he was too scared of Matt to go back to his own room. Near nodded, smiling a little.

"Of course you can." Mello kissed the small boy again. "Now, go sit down and study."

a/n: I'm sorry if this sucks… I'm crawling my way out of the pit of post-writer's block funk. Hopefully this gets better in later chapters… . Help me out a little… review? Please? I'd love you forever.