The silence in the room was pressing down like a weight against Mello's ears. It was awkwardly quiet right now; mostly awkward because he didn't want it to be. Usually he loved the silence, letting himself get drawn into his studies or sketches, and that was technically why he'd come in here. Yet the harshness of the silence was grating against his thoughts.

He looked down at Near casually over the top of his book. The boy was still sitting in the middle of the room, leaning forward slightly over his building tower of cards. Mello noticed the stack of reserves he had next to him; the piles held at least a good ten decks.

"How high do you plan on making that damn thing?" He asked suddenly.

Near didn't look up. Instead he grabbed a few more cards and started to draw out the tower into an arch around him, "As high as these cards will allow."

"I'm bored," Mello said with slight exasperation. His mind couldn't focus on the pages of his book; it seemed too trapped in thoughts equally awkward to the silence.

"I'm sorry?" The younger boy asked cautiously. How was he supposed to register that? It wasn't exactly his fault, but he suddenly felt slightly curious as to Mello's reasoning to the statement.

Mello turned in his chair, pulling his legs down from over the armrest and setting his feet firmly on the ground. He slouched back a little with a sigh.

"Where's Matt?" Near inquired, his hands moving fluidly, almost as if in a preset pattern, to build more levels. "He's usually pretty good at entertaining you. I'm sure you two can create some new scheme to obliterate something of mine or Roger's composure. Possibly both."

The older boy smirked slightly, but he wasn't really interested in that right now. Matt was great, but he wasn't really in the mood for destruction like that and Roger was the farthest thing from his mind right now. "Nah, I'd rather stick around here with you."

Near's hands paused briefly from their routine, but picked up pace almost instantly. He knew exactly where this conversation was going; he'd automatically picked up on the tone of Mello's voice.

"On the bed." The command came suddenly and yet not really unexpectedly.

Near looked up then. The older boy was still leaning back in his chair, his crooked smile never faltering as his eyes remained locked on to Near's face, trying to read his expression. Or lack thereof. Just a second ago Mello had been completely passive, bored, unmotivated… and now? For anyone else that would have been a surprisingly quick change of attitude, but for this boy it was actually completely normal.

"Right now?"

"Yes now!"

Standing up, the younger boy found himself unable to move any further. He couldn't decide right away if he was trying to protect his now rather large tower or if he was hesitating. His mind was registering the whole situation quickly, exploring all the possibilities, the probabilities.

"You do know that it's barely three o'clock and there's a large amount of people awake and alert right now."

"Yes, I'm aware of that." The danger of it is part of what made it fun. "Besides, we're in your room. You and I both know that no one bothers you when you're up here."

Still Near hesitated. That wasn't the only reason. There was something about this new habit that tore at his serenity, breaking the seal on his small, blank world. That would have been enough to make him nervous to begin with, but the fact that bothered him most of all was that he couldn't help but find this all… addictive? Was that the word? It definitely wasn't one he was used to associating with himself.

Mello stood up and began his graceful jaunt across the room, "Well?"

"I'm not sure about this. If we continue at the rate we've reached the probability of breaking the habit is significantly less. You can create a habit in only-"

"We've discussed this before. You talk too much when you're scared."

Near tried to make himself stand up straighter, "I'm not scared, Mello. In fact it's quite the opposite. I believe we are becoming too comfortable."

"On the bed," the older boy commanded again. He knew Near well enough to know that he was trying to rationalize and calculate his circumstances. His mind was getting in the way of his emotion. I can fix that.

Mello advanced further forward and Near backed up slowly until his knees collided with the bed, causing him to sit down automatically. His blank eyes were locked on the older boy's, either from intense attraction, drawn in by Mello's alluring expression, or maybe he was just trying too hard to keep the thoughts from clouding his mind.

Before he could even consider any possible causes Mello was in front of him. The older boy straightened to his full height; standing tall, looking down at Near, in control. He mentally shook his head, trying to pull his eyes from the gaze, trying to hide his own captivation. He didn't want to lose that control.

Slowly he began to kneel, placing a hand on Near's chest as he went, forcing the boy to lie flat on his back, "Don't move."

Near would've nodded, but he knew the command was quite literal. He really wasn't allowed to move. Instead he forced himself to be as still as humanly possible, lest receive… well, the consequences.

Smirking slightly at the automatic obedience, Mello reached both hands underneath Near and grabbed the back of his pants. Slowly he pulled them downward, letting the tips of his nails rake gently across the soft flesh of Near's backside.

The younger boy felt his body shiver instinctively at the first touch.

"Oh, Near," Mello whispered, pressing his nails further into the boy as he continued to pull the pants down. He felt Near become rigid in an attempt to stay still again and he looked down to see the skin become slightly pink, "Can't make your body as expressionless as your face?"

He placed the pants perfectly on the bed, "You can answer, you know."

Near struggled to find his voice in his sudden nervousness, "…The body has automatic responses due to outside influences. The face tends to be at the command of the person when it comes to expression, due to inward influences…" He was trying to force the unwanted emotion from his voice, from his mind.

Mello placed a firm hand on Near's thigh then, in the groove where his leg met his pelvis, as his right hand traveled under the boy's shirt. He returned to his gentle nature for now, barely grazing the skin so that his touch tickled slightly.

"Is that so?"

Move Near, his thoughts demanded, Come on. I know you feel me.

The soft touch of his hands made Near's heart begin to pick up speed and he tried to force his body to obey him. It didn't seem to be working as he felt his lower half begin to react against his commands. He continued to try and resist any other movement that he could.

Mello's left hand registered a change and he instantly slid it to the right, grazing overtop of the boy's forming stiffness and this time Near did shift slightly. It was more of a twitch actually, like he hadn't expected the feeling.

"Come on now; you're stronger than that, aren't you?" Passed smoothly from his lips, but Mello's mind snickered inwardly. "I told you not to move."

Near waited for it and as expected a hand grabbed at what little flesh it could find on his chest, leaving marks where it could. He felt the heat rising to the new scratches and the other hand cross over his member again. He breathed out harshly to keep himself calm, but Mello could tell he was cracking.

There was a sudden sound outside of the door and Near's head snapped instantly in that direction. He noticed when the sound faded away, a false alarm, that the other boy hadn't even flinched.

"You moved again."

"But-"

Too easy, Mello thought as he moved forward to bite roughly at the soft skin of Near's thigh. His prey jerked slightly at the pain.

"M-Mello," Near called out meekly.

"Hmmm?" The older boy murmured, his face still so close that Near could feel his warm breath against the sweat building there.

"I-I-" His voice cut out as Mello climbed onto the bed overtop of him. Trying to ignore the sudden presence so close that the blonde hair was brushing against his cheek, he attempted to continue, "Do y-you…?"

Mello smiled wryly again. He braced himself effortlessly on one hand as his other combed through Near's hair. When he had enough in his palm he grabbed it, pulling the boy's head backward slightly and tipping his face upward to him.

Near gasped instantly.

"Shut up."

The younger boy nodded, feeling the tightness against his scalp. He tried to force the tension in his body away as he felt the older boy press down, laying against his side. Noticing the hardness he suddenly felt against his hip only made his own begin to throb. His body begged desperately for release, but he knew Mello was dragging it out. Making him suffer.

Mello pressed his face into the crick of Near's neck and breathed warmth onto the skin. He'd long since given up on making the boy be still. Moan for me, Near. Tell me you like it. His right hand released its grip on the stark white hair and slid slowly down the boy's neck, chest, stomach, hips…

He slowly began to run a finger, just the one, around the hardened member, making sure never to actual touch it. He loved the feeling of Near twitching beneath him. Shivering beneath him.

Finally he wrapped a hand around the stiffness and moved it quickly down the shaft. He was sure the friction would hurt, burn, and he pulled slightly at Near's neck with his teeth.

"N-Nnh!" Near groaned almost inaudibly.

Thank you; that wasn't so hard, was it? Taking that as his cue, Mello slid down to Near's erection, wrapping his lips lightly around it, running his teeth softly over it.

"U-Uhn," Near's voice escaped, coming out choppy as he tried to keep it in. He moved to sit up and felt a hand reach out instantly to press him back onto the covers.

"Quiet," Mello pulled himself forward slightly, pressing his chest against Near's member to keep a constant teasing touch, "Now then… seme or uke?"

The answer was already obviously clear. He reached the hand still on the boy's chest forward slightly, pressing his fingers into Near's mouth. When the fingers were wet enough he lowered himself back down onto his knees.

Without a word, he leaned in close and just as his mouth pressed down over Near, wrapping him completely, he forced two fingers roughly into the boy.

"U-Uh!"

Mello ignored the sound as he pumped against Near with his mouth, stretching the boy out with his fingers.

Near's hands gripped tightly against the sheets to keep them from reaching for the older boy. He squirmed a little in reaction and felt a hand grab at his hip, holding him steady. Torn between the pain and the pleasure he could do nothing but gasp slightly, taking in air.

After a moment, Mello pulled away, wetness from his mouth reflecting the light as Near lifted his head to look down at him, "Ready?"

Was it a question? An actual one? Near couldn't decide.

"Well?" Mello asked as he stood, his hand traveling slowly over the boy's lower regions. Near felt his hips raise in response to the touch.

Hesitating slightly, Near nodded. Mello leaned forward again, pressing his own hips into the other's.

"Speak. Tell me what you want."

"I-I," Near managed in confusion. He wanted him to talk?

Mello's crooked smile only widened and he tilted his head in question.

The pressure was building harshly and Near almost couldn't take it. Finally words passed through his lips, "Please… Do it."

"I'm sorry?" Mello asked, cupping his hand over his ear, "What was that? What do you want?"

"M-Mello!" He'd almost shouted it.

The older boy threw Near's pants over his frail hips before he grabbed the younger's legs, lifting them roughly over his shoulders. Quickly, because his own needs were almost too harsh to bare as well, he unfastened the latch on his belt, pulling his pants down just far enough.

Near took in a breath sharply, feeling the tightness in his chest just as Mello finally penetrated, forcing himself deeply in. He began to work himself in and out in, watching the younger boy's face contort, as if he was trying to make it placid again.

His hands ached from the strength of his grip on the sheets and as his body rocked against the bed Near could hear it creak against the pressure. When he suddenly arched himself backward, Mello reached out to pull him upright a little, Look at me. Tell me you like it.

The stronger boy picked up the pace, pulling Near awkwardly closer to him. He wanted to see him clearly, to feel his heart racing. The boy was so untouched. His and his alone.

A loud moan finally ripped from the pale boy as the pressure in him released, his pants catching the proof. Mello felt the friction against his erection as Near tightened suddenly, causing him to reach his own peak. He felt a shiver run down his spine as he came.

Near fell backward onto the bed, his eyes closing weakly, and Mello let his own eyes wonder over the boy. His white hair was now matted to his face and yet sticking up a little from where it'd been pulled earlier. His undershirt clung to his chest, the sweat helping it stay in place, as it heaved up and down with each uneven breath.

Mello withdrew himself from inside Near, letting his legs fall slowly onto the bed. He pulled his pants back into place and fastened them, his gaze never flickering from the pale face as he finished dressing.

Then he reached out and put a hand around the nape of Near's neck, gently forcing the boy's head slightly toward himself. Near's eyes flickered open and the two seemed locked in a trance for a moment. Finally Mello leaned forward, pressing his face in close.

Stay mine, his eyes insisted intensely as he whispered, "Until next time, Near,"

And his lips pressed in against the younger boy's; Mello felt his heart miss a beat when he found the kiss suddenly returned. He pulled away then, turning a searching look on the form so close to his.

Near was laying there, weak and worn, his lungs calling out for breath. His eyes had closed again, but lips were still slightly open, as if hoping for the soft touch to return.

As Mello turned away slowly, making his graceful walk to the door, he heard the ragged whisper, "Until then..."

And with his crooked and reveling smile on his face, Mello walked through the door, pulling his teeth against his bottom lip, just to taste the last of the kiss.