Disclaimer: Ender's Game belongs to Orson Scott Card, Death Note to Ohba-sensei and Obata-sensei
AN: This is one of my early attempts at M/N as well as Death Note fanfiction in general, so please let me know what you think. Originally written for the 100 Themes LJ community, though I don't plan on finishing all 100 themes.
100 Themes
28. Children's Games
"Ender, you never played me. You never played a game since I became your enemy."
Ender didn't get the joke. He had played a great many games, at a terrible cost to himself.
Near knew what Ender felt like. The only difference was that, like Bean, Near already knew that the games weren't games. All the riddles, the brain benders, mind teasers were not games, but ways to test their logic skills. The whodunits had the worse disguise of all.
But Near had to play. They would never let an unknown quantity be L. That was the prize in these games. So Near kept solving the puzzles, kept answering the riddles, and kept putting together the pieces of the world, so that when they handed him the final game, he could win and get the prize.
It wasn't that simple, though. Every time he got back a better than perfect test, every time he solved the puzzle while every one else was still analyzing the pieces, he was resented a little more. That didn't matter to him much. Except for the one person who seemed to be the most enraged whenever Near set the curve.
The triumphs of perfect papers and riddle skeleton keys faded away when the blonde's eyes started to gleam in that malicious way. Near knew he would be in for it outside of the mental realm, where he was defenseless. And there was nothing he could do, except to try and outsmart him. The self-defense books he read didn't help because he had no strength or muscles. The older boy could still overpower him easily.
And he was smart as well. Near may be the light everyone looked at, but he was right behind Near. He knew how to inflict pain without marks. It was never anything major, just enough to make Near dread the next time. The long term paper he got back with a 101 meant trouble tonight.
He finished the book and grabbed the sequel. It was bedtime, so he checked it out and took it to his room. Near didn't bother to turn off the light before getting into bed. It was better when he could see.
The door opened. Near didn't flinch. The black clad boy strode into the room and plopped onto the bed over Near's legs. He still didn't move, pretending that he didn't expect a pinch, or a slap that would fade by morning. He didn't expect what happened next. Lips brushed his cheek, and the light was turned out on a shocked Near, holding a hand to his face.
"I don't want to beat Peter."
"Then what do you want?"
"I want him to love me."