Work of Art

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of the character used in this story, or any subsequent art that may be used on this piece.

Title: Work of Art

Near was his work of art. He was a pure white canvas laden with the potential to exhibit nearly every color of the rainbow upon his skin if Mello worked hard enough to place it there. But it was the deep, vibrant shades of red, blue and purple that he particularly liked above all.

Seeing the sheer contrast as it flowed from a stark base to one color and the next was like watching the most beautiful of watercolor portraits come alive before his eyes alone. It never ceased to pull at every creative thread in his mind.

Near was his masterpiece. A perfectly white slate in both form and composure that always inevitably reverted back to that same immaculate form, no matter what Mello did. But it was in the transience of his work which lay the appeal, for it allowed him as a creator the opportunity to perfect his craft with near abandon.

Through Near, he could paint the entire world that was locked within his head, and depict the reality he wanted yet lacked the proper words needed to express it.

It was for that reason that he followed this routine, beginning only after each miserable exam, conducted through the guise of anger and frustration that Mello sought out his medium for escape. The quiet click of the door closing separated their realm from the rest of humanity for just long enough for both of them to realign their own positions within the grander scheme.

Steel, icy cold eyes locked onto ones as blue as the heavens, letting nothing escape the opaque windows for the older blonde to read, yet in its own way working only to show him just how much capability lay beneath those gray pools. "Mello." Near greeted simply, customarily.

"You know why I'm here." He responded back, the blonde's own level of composure never ceasing, for while Near may have intellect on his side, Mello had crudeness and initiative on his, and in perhaps just these instances, those were what won out. "I want to fuck you."

The words hung between them, seeming to set the atmosphere around them, for only but a moment before Mello crossed the space between where he had been in the doorway and where Near sat upon the bed... as though he'd been waiting for this.

For only a spare few moments had Mello ever stopped to let himself consider just what it was Near could be getting out of this arrangement. All that seemed to make sense was that these moments all came down to a matter of control, for Near, of letting his own barriers fall long enough to trust Mello to tear him down and sculpt him into a form of grand passion and euphoria he otherwise would never experience.

It was letting someone else take the lead for even just a few seconds, to hold the reigns and tell him what to do, how to act, practically down to when he should breathe. There was no need for composure when situated between Mello's skilled hands. And for the blonde, that in itself was a fair enough reason as any other.

He grabbed a fistful of the soft white locks, pulling the younger up from his spot to push their lips together into a heated, intense kiss. Near hardly tasted of anything other than toothpaste, but even this Mello found himself wanting to strip away, to substitute anything and everything that was entirely opposite to everything Near was outside of these moments.

He bit at the younger's bottom lip once before demanding entrance with his own tongue, exploring the cavern of the other and feeling Near's own tongue melding with him in an attempt to match his every action.

His hands moved down from Near's hair, trailing over his body to feel every subtle curve in his slim form through the loose fabric obscuring his touch. He spared no time in blindly fumbling to unfasten the buttons of Near's shirt, reminding himself of this necessity, as there were only so few of times he could justify merely ripping the shirt apart before Near would need to get more, and that would no doubt raise questions both of them would rather avoid.

The cotton material slipped open and he pushed it down off the younger's shoulders to the floor; only then breaking their kiss long enough to quickly glance at the blank canvass that had been revealed to him. His skin was immaculately unblemished, seeming only to beckon him to create his own marks where there were none, to color him with signs of ownership in ways that only he knew how, and only he could.

His lips moved down to Near's neck with vigor, feeling his elevated heart rate beneath the warm, taut skin. He bit down on the area, his teeth holding the skin while he sucked hard on the area, feeling and practically tasting the way his blood was pulled to the surface.

"Mello…" He heard muttered with just an ounce of pain evident to signal that it hurt, yet consciously leaving out any indication for him to stop. Therein lay the key.

Mello's movements only shifted to the other side of his neck, but not before letting himself momentarily appreciate the deep blue mark he'd left on the area, and the way the surrounding skin was tinted a subtle shade of red as Near flushed under the attention. "Don't even try to say you don't enjoy it." He breathed out, moving to trace the pulse in Near's neck with just the tip of his nose.

Not a single word was uttered by the younger successor, but the grip he held on Mello's black shirt tighten and that was all he needed.

His lips wrapped around the pale skin of Near's neck once more, repeating the process to leave another mark much like the one on the other side. He listened as just the slightest of pained gasps was released from Near, while his grip on the material of his shirt increased until the blonde could feel his rival's short nails cutting into his back.

Finally Mello relented, pulling back to observe his own work; the beautiful hickeys now adorning Near's alabaster skin, and the way those gray eyes looked up at him with no longer the impenetrable front about him, now instead showing the subtle tinge of desire. The knowledge that it was Mello which had caused this set his body aflame and made him all too desperate to see more.

"Lie on your back." He commanded. Though even as Near complied, as their looks broke from one another and in his slight movements Mello could feel Near's residual embarrassment of what he was allowing himself to be put through. All that signaled to the blonde was that the logical side of Near's mind had not sufficiently been pushed away and covered over, and he was more than happy to remedy that.

He crawled on the bed and over Near, connecting their lips once more, though this time the feeling behind it more of guidance rather than his previous assault, but as he did so he worked at the front of Near's pants, stripping him of all remaining clothing in one quick motion.

"Ah!" Near broke the kiss as the chilled air struck his body.

Mello pulled away just enough to look over the body lying beneath him, taking note of the hardened member between Near's legs. He smirked, "You're already so hard, Near. You must want it pretty bad." With one hand he teasingly dragged his fingers down Near's body and up the length of his member with but the faintest of touches.

Near's body trembled beneath him, his teeth clattering together as his hips rose upwards almost against his will. "T-that is what you want, isn't it?" Were the words meant to demonstrate doubt in himself, or accusing of Mello's forceful actions? He wasn't willing to figure it out, for this was his moment, and he'd be damned if Near was allowed any opportunity to ruin it.

"Clearly it's what you want. But you'll just have to wait." His tone was low and seductive as his lips moved down Near's body, to his chest and stomach where he licked and nipped at the porcelain flesh, leaving in his wake various shades of flushed red, subtle blue, and deeper purples in accordance with the amount of attention he paid to each spot.

Truthfully, Near's stomach was one of Mello's favorite parts of Near's body, save for maybe his milky thighs, in part because he knew that with every mark sewn that they would be the ones to remain visible the longest, and be the most prominent of them all.

Within just a short amount of time Near's once pure flesh was meticulously dotted with blue and purple marks of possession, and from there he moved down, sparing but a second to exhale a warm breath over Near's erection and listening to the way the younger exhaled a melodious moan in response.

"I bet I could get you to finish without even having to touch you."

The lids covering Near's eyes that had been screwed shut immediately shot open on Mello. "Don't." Hearing the utterance made Mello's grip on the younger's hips tighten. For it was not a denial in Mello's ability, but instead conceding to his skill and, rather, practically pleading in the only way that Near knew how for Mello to spare him such a torturous process.

And for now, Mello was willing to concede, for even he could not deny his own burning desire to feel every single part of Near's body. He could save that for a later time.

He moved to Near's thighs, his nails trailing the sensitive skin as his lips continued their work, as though leaving even the smallest of areas untouched by his assault would negate the entire venture.

"Mello," He heard escape from Near, drawing his attention, "Please."

His expression turned positively devious, "Please what?"

Near's face flushed a beautiful shade of rose with embarrassment, his look moving away. This was just too good. He pushed himself up a bit, "Tell me." Still Near was quiet, persistent in allowing his pride to be the factor to come between him and his own pleasure.

But if there was one thing Mello had made his business to know, and his art to compose, it was Near and the workings of his body under such stimulus. He knew how to pull whatever response he wanted from the younger genius. He leaned down and let his tongue dart out to swirl around the head of Near's member, immediately eliciting a wonderful moan from him. "If you don't tell me, then I don't know what you want." He teased him.

He could feel Near's body tense under the frustration, and again his eyes shut tight. "Touch me more."

The devious smirk on Mello's face only grew as he slid up Near's body, nipping gently on the lobe of his ear, "There, was that so hard?"

"Unbearably." Even at that moment, where his body was shivering with want beyond his own control, still Near's sensible mind rang through and as complicated as that often made this, it was just another factor that Mello had come to love. For it made the end result, when he'd finally broken Near down, all the sweeter of a victory.

With one move he shifted to turn Near over onto his stomach, revealing yet another fresh canvas for him to work with. He trailed a line of feather kisses all the way down Near's spine, then drew back and quickly coated his fingers in saliva, momentarily cursing himself for overlooking bringing any real lube with him.

Regardless, he placed one digit at Near's entrance, teasingly swirling around the ring of muscles, "This what you want?" There was no response from Near other than the feeling of his hips pushing back against Mello's waiting finger; in a way his own subtle answer.

But that wasn't good enough for Mello. He moved up, gripping Near's hair with his free hand to drag Near's ear to his lips, "We could go back to me making you finish without touching you if you'd prefer, but I promise that will be much more excruciating for you then this."

Near's brow knit together, chewing on his own lip to hold back all sounds. "No, I-"

"Then tell me you want this."

"Please do it, Mello."

It was all he needed, and in the next moment he pushed his first finger through the tight ring forcefully. "Mello!" A loud moan escaped from Near in response, fueling the fires in the blonde's belly. The younger's body shuddered in pleasure as Mello worked him, his head bowing forward to bite his pillow in a desperate attempt to combat the volume of his sounds.

Once Mello saw this he immediately stopped, in a way loving the disgruntled groan it brought out of him. "Let go. I want to hear you. It's your own damn fault if you're so loud that people outside hear you."

Near begrudgingly did as he was told, releasing the pillow and thus bringing the continuation of Mello's work to prepare him. He added in a second finger, listening to the beautiful composition being played because of him.

With each move he made back and forth he rocked his own hips into Near's, steadily unable to withhold his own subtle moans from breaking forth as their bodies perfectly formed around one another and his own aching member was given just a bit of much needed attention. But it wasn't enough, as everything hardly ever was when dealing with Near.

"God I want you." He breathed out.

"Mello, please…"

Plunging his fingers deep inside Near once more he held them still in that position, "No, say it." He demanded. "If you want me to fuck you then you'll have to say so." Near's hips continued to move of their own accord, shifting back against Mello and his own hips, but not a word escaped him. "Say it!"

"Fuck me, Mello."

Hearing Near swear was like biting into the sweetest of chocolate the world had to offer. It was divine in its own right, and never had Mello ever imagined that something so entirely mundane would ever turn him on as much as it did.

He pulled away from the younger just long enough to pull off his own clothes which had long since begun to feel uncomfortably confining. But once that was done he pulled Near up into his lap, turning him so that they faced one another so that Near's marred legs were on either side and he could better look at the colors he'd slung across the front of Near's body, and the veil he'd thrown over his otherwise perfect composure.

He grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him down into a passionate kiss, feeling Near's body shiver and their erections grazed one another while Near's fingers traveled to the blonde locks and interlocking in them to perfectly meld stunning white with heavenly golden.

Mello finally had to breathlessly pull back, "You'd better prepare me if you don't want it to hurt."

Near's already flushed face seemed to somehow darken, yet still he complied with the demand, coating his hand with saliva and reaching between them, beginning to stroke Mello from the base of his shaft to the tip with movements that were slow, unsure, but persistent nonetheless. Mello's eyes rolled back and his hips moved in time with Near's actions, counting all the ways that this was better than anything he could do himself. "Near," He exhaled, "Don't… think that this puts you in control."

He felt Near's fingers tug on his hair to pull his head back, his skilled tongue darting out to trace its way up Mello's neck, "I wouldn't dream of it."

This was all too much and Mello knew if he didn't stop Near now he'd never get them as far as he wanted, so he finally pushed Near's hand away from him, grabbing Near's hips and shifting him up closer. "Go on," He urged, "Do it."

Near's look snapped to Mello with an expression that was as confused as it was shocked, "I…"

"Don't tell me you can't take what you want. And after you were doing such a good job of getting me off, too..."

Near, not to be outdone or showed up, seemed to immediately become more determined, though the awkwardness of his actions betrayed the truth of his own skill in this area, but that too was all part of the fun and Mello reveled in just watching Near shift to position himself over Mello, holding him in place as he finally lowered his body down.

His brow knit together in visible pain as his lips parted in a silent gasp. This wasn't about pain, and as such Mello had no intention of letting it continue for Near longer than it needed to. He took hold of the younger's hips, the gentle scratching of his nails into his sides providing a means to focus him on something else as he kissed an indiscriminate line across his chest. "Relax." He urged, beginning to move Near's hips in a simple, gentle rhythm. "You're doing fine."

He exhaled heavily and almost at once the guided actions became more controlled by Near, generating more of a bounce as his hips moved up and down, quickly finding the areas within himself that were most pleasurable and keeping that rhythm with an off-timed consistency that illustrated his desperate need for the pleasure, and that finally any shreds of his logical side had been entirely over-ridden.

"God, Near." Mello moaned out, consumed by the heat of the younger genius's tight body encapsulating him.

Foggy, steel eyes opened on the blonde, "Touch me."

He shook his head, "Touch yourself." he demanded, and with that command and his head filled only by pleasure, Near needed no other incentive as he reached between their bodies to grab his own member, biting hard at his lip as his stroked in time with his own thrusts.

The image before Mello was the most erotic and intoxicating appearance he'd ever beheld, let alone experienced. To be the sole witness to Near lost to the euphoric pleasures of his own body, all composure or grasps on control were gone and for once the only way that he was using Mello was to reach his own end, but even then it was not for himself so much as it was because Mello had told him to.

He drank in the sight, his masterpiece, covered in all the well-placed marks and colors of ownership, broken down to nothing but the barest visceral needs of his own body for no one but Mello to bear witness to.

The thought, the sight, the heat of Near's body pushed Mello until he could feel his own end closing in, but he intended to take it for himself. He pushed Near's hand away from the work it'd been doing, pumping up and down with increasing speed while simultaneously taking back control of the guided movements of Near's hips, crashing them down against his own with the vigor of one determined to make this experience just as powerful for Near as it was for him.

"Mello! Ah! I can't-"

"Shh." He hushed as Near's moans were growing louder, into cries of pure bliss that even the blonde couldn't justify allowing anyone on the outside to hear.

But suddenly Near leaned forward, his lips crashing against the junction between where Mello's shoulder met his neck, sucking the taut skin up and between his teeth to hold himself together and quiet. "I-I'm going to…" He strangled to mutter against the blonde, who only pushed him onwards.

"Good, come for me, Near."

A few subdued, breathy moans escaped Near against the skin of Mello's neck a few octaves above his usual range, and finally his body clenched tightly, his teeth gripping onto his burning flesh with enough force that Mello swore he'd cut through the skin.

But at the moment it didn't matter as Near came into Mello's hand, the sticky fluid coating his hand; the tightening of his body enough to send him careening over the edge, releasing himself completely inside Near.

The two successors remained silently in that position for a precious few minutes that seemed to span into an entire lifetime, each of them drinking in the feeling and essence of one another through the cloud of the post-orgasm high.

"Come on." Mello finally whispered to him, urging him up off his lap and to instead lie back on the mattress; letting himself rest beside him after cleaning off his hand. However, almost as soon as he lay down and let his eyes close did he feel the other watching him. "What?" He questioned with an air of annoyance about him.

"Isn't this the part where you leave?" Near questioned.

"I am leaving." Mello stated, though he made not a single move.

Near shrugged, "You don't have to." Blue eyes slipped open again and landed incredulously on gray. "I just figured you should know, to curb any sense of guilt you may feel tomorrow when you realize you fell asleep."

Mello's look narrowed on him. "Shut up and turn around." When Near complied, rolling on his side away from Mello the blonde shifted closer, draping an arm over his waist, "There's hardly enough room on here. Your bed's too small." He justified outwardly as best he could with the fog of fatigue descending over his thoughts.

"Well it is only made for one person."

"If you don't shut the hell up I swear…" There was a brief chuckle of amusement from Near before the room fell quiet, a peaceful after-bliss atmosphere looming over the space that Mello found himself quite content to relish in, considering it was generated out of his own design. As far as he was concerned he was proud of his work.

"Mello." Near started again, but Mello fought back the urge to sigh, telling himself that if Near thought him to be asleep, then perhaps he would finally stop talking. Instead, it was Near who exhaled when there came no response, "I thought it only fair for you to know that I've begun to consider the notion that I may be falling in love with you."

That was the moment everything in Mello's world came to a screeching halt. Perhaps he had not had nearly as much control over this arrangement as he'd previously believed...

A/N: So yeah, I'm just... gonna carefully leave this here and slowly back away from it. Because I don't even know what to say for myself about this. I've been meaning to give smut a real attempt, so I guess you could consider this my one true honest attempt to force myself slow down with these types of pieces and take the time to appreciate details throughout the entire project rather than getting bogged down in my own awkwardness. In any case, I've designed the ending of this piece to be open. Meaning that it can stand alone as a one-shot, or it could be continued into multi-chapters. Which one happens I'm ultimately leaving it in your hands. So I would greatly appreciate hearing any thoughts you had on this, as well as whether this left alone or continued further.

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-Forbiddensoul562