Ok...this was suppose to be a oneshot...but I decided to make a small continuation, courtesy of Zizi, or is it Zanny now??....anyways written specially to celebrate my own birthday also..yeah that's right I'm 18!!...finally legal for credit card!!...hehe...what else am I legal for?...dunno...anyways...I think this story should be worth reading base on my 1:3 ratio...this should be one of my better works...please enjoy and REVIEW!!

A Cruel Irony

Mello's POV

I'm not sure if I heard right with my head so messed up in a pile, but I think I heard him say 'I love you'. This freak, this abomination, he had no right to ever use such words, then why, why did it give me so much comfort to hear him say it? I think I might have missed a few words that came after that sentence but those words, coming from Near, it was like the best medication for the very unpleasant ordeal that I've just been through.

I must be the biggest fool, ever. Near…he's made a fool of me again.

Near's POV

To be quite frank, I had absolutely no idea what Mello could possibly do after what I said, and I had to wait quite some time before he actually responded.

"I need a shower" he said simply, his voice void, giving nothing away.

"The bathroom…" I pointed to a wooden door. He got up slowly, it seemed he might have been in pain, another theory confirmed. After he went to take his shower, I picked up our clothes, setting Mello's just outside the door, in a neatly fashion as always, and adjourned to take a bath myself, in a different bathroom, of course.

After cleaning off, I took a short pause, thinking what would be the best course of action next, whether or not to return to the room, how should I dealt with Mello, if he was even still in the building, however, if not, it would make things for me a lot easier, though I wish that wasn't the case. I'm never one to leave things hanging, every puzzle and problem had to be settled as quickly as possible.

My heart almost started beating a little faster, as I turned the knob, for whatever reason I couldn't comprehend, but I quickly forced myself to be calm and more…well, myself. My eyes immediately fell to the black-clad figure leaning against the table, it felt very de-ja-vu, one of my first time experiencing such. Mello had his gun in hand again, clicking and checking it, I supposed he might have disassembled and reassembled it, he snapped it right again, fully loaded and ready for a kill.

"Near" He looked at the ground, two hands holding the gun, which was aimed downwards towards the tile he was apparently focusing on. "Come here" he said, a little too calm and also a hint of fatigue. He seemed slouched, relaxed even, but his blue eyes, there were so many things in them, even if they weren't looking at me, I could tell he was in…dismay.

My feet began to move, with each step, I started calculating the possibilities and how to face each of them, until I was no more than a foot away from him, did my mind settled, clear of any calculations for once.

I've made a decision.

Mello's POV

"Stand here" I pointed towards the tile I had my gun aimed at, Near did so, very obediently. I felt a tinge at the bottom of my stomach. He must've been looking at me. I breathed in deeply, making it as silent as possible, I needed to act calm, not for Near, but for myself.

Blinking, realizing the slight burn in my eyes, I finally looked up at him, moving my gun along, trailing it up until it rested on his chest, right on his beating heart. I pressed hard, feeling the organ that signified any life at all in this emotionless twit, watching as the gun moved back and forth in the rhythm of the beating. So controlled, timed, perfect, as everything was about him.

How could this thing be a human? Near, he wasn't human, nothing in the sense but the fake exterior he wore.

"Is Mello going to kill me?" He speaks in that strange manner again, it made him seem very child-like, immature and vulnerable. Innocent…but I know better.

I kept my silence, I knew he was calculating me right now, any course of action, the smallest flicker would give him an upper hand in this…whatever this was we were doing. Silence took over, we could have gone like that forever, and knowing how passive Near was, it could very well have.

…until he decided to act out of character…

"Where did you go?" his voice was blank. Silence, that was the only answer I was willing to give him, he didn't deserve anything else.

"For three years, where did you go?" he asks again, trying to make himself clearer to me. I almost felt insulted, did he not think I would comprehend his question?

Another long moment passed, and he spoke again, "Why did you come back?" How much more will he say if I could keep up this silence.

"Why didn't you come any earlier? Why now? Why bothered at all?" His voice was flat, but the question he voiced was so out of place and not to mention how desperate they seemed to be intended. What was this kid trying to do?

Two pale hands reached up, hesitantly placing themselves an inch away from my own hands which clutched the gun, still pressed against his heart. My eyes widened a fraction involuntarily, what was he trying to do?

So very carefully, in a way that only this inhuman Near could pull off, he places his hands on mine, I almost let my reflex take control, the urge to pull away so strong, but I wouldn't lose like that. Whatever you do Near, I won't…

Near's POV

I watched as his eyes grew very wide, his hands shaking now, but I still held them, holding them in place, between my eyes. If he wanted to shoot, let him at least have the pleasure of certainty that it would not miss.

"What…What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he lashed, words very quickly flying out of his mouth.

"Kill me" I breathed. To have Mello kill me, I think that might have been my secret desire, strong, impulsive, rambunctious, as close as I would ever get to understanding any part of the beautiful blonde. I don't have much to live for, put aside the title of L, the legacy he left, justice, some occasional selfish urges to satisfy myself, I have nothing, or at least not enough for a want to continue.

Mello, do this for me, lose just one more time.

Placing my life in his hands, that makes me happy, to be in his hands. Mello, I almost felt sorry for him, if I could feel remorse I would, but alas, I was nothing more than a hollow shell, it doesn't take a genius to figure out I don't belong. Mello, I've always caused you torment, and after you do this, you'll probably continue to be tormented, for the rest of your remaining time in the living, but you know, and you know so very well, you won't win.

Mello's POV

What was he trying to pull? Why does he need to confuse me over and over? Why does he do these things to me?

I don't know, I can't understand anymore, I can't figure this out, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I can't deal with this, I just can't.

I give up.

Click, I release the safety, pressing the gun down on his forehead, in between those eyes. Black, empty, nothing…

Flashback

"Heyo" the little white boy says, he's so young, although I would guess he wasn't too much younger than me and yet he was left in this place. His voice, he sounds very strange, despite the fact that he can't even pronounce 'hello' properly, his tone of voice was like an old man, like my grandpa, on his dying bed.

"Hello" I said in return, shaking the weird thoughts out of my head.

"Whya shake hea?" he speaks again, I didn't realize it, but I just shook my head literally in attempt to get the thoughts out.

"Sorry"

"Sordi?" This kid was weird, but I still wanted to continue speaking to him, something was pulling and reeling me in to him. So many other kids around, why did I choose him?

"My name is Mello" I changed the subject.

"Maeo?" he says it like Mayo, kinda funny (and cute, really cute). That was the first time, anyone had called out my new name, besides the strange dark figure that had came up with it for me.

"Neaa..rr" he says his name with some difficulty just like every other word, probably because his two front teeth were missing.

"Near" I repeated, trying to make sure I heard it right. He just nods, looking at me. Black, empty, nothing…

"Yo! New kid, over here!" I turned looking at a certain redhead waving eagerly at me.

And time passed…

I was sitting on him, seeing the blood ooze out from his hair, staining the carpets. How? Tell me how, how does he always beat me? At everything!

Another punch landed on his chest, I aimed for his heart, pounding way too hard on it, until blood filled his mouth. Suddenly, I leaned down, tauntingly close to his face, and unexpectedly, even to me, I licked the blood that dripped a thin line down to his chin. It tasted…like blood, rusty and salty, like any other person's would. He was…human?

Despicable thoughts started running through my head, things that I never thought I could be capable of thinking up, all the hurt I could possibly put Near through. I stared straight into those eyes. Black, empty, nothing…

I ran…as fast and as far away as possible. I felt so disgusted by myself, eventually coming up with the excuse that it must've been the hormones…yes, hormones, I was after all a tender age of fifteen.

"L is dead"

"If you can't solve the puzzle, you're nothing but a loser"

"I'm leaving"

"It's a race"

"We're both heading for the same destination, I'll see you at the finish line"

I can't believe after all those years, my whole life, I persevered, working so hard, having nothing and never ever getting anything, and even Matt was gone. I survived.

Three years, what was I doing, don't I ever learn? Am I not clever enough to know that there was no good that could ever come out of returning? Returning to Near…

"I hate you"

"I love you Mello"

"Keep thing interesting for me, will you?"

Why? Why did I come back to this? To those eyes, black, empty, nothing… I'll never have anything. I looked, stared, searched for something inside those pools of darkness that drowns me, suffocates, and pulls me into hell. All I saw, was myself, reflecting back, guess that was all he could offer to give.

Near's POV

This sure has been interesting but looks like the cards are coming together and the game coming to an end.

Mello, you sure were the worthy adversary in this game, you've made me unable to stop, unable to ever give in, never lose, but now it's time to "Finish it"

No game can last forever, it's just not fun anymore if it does. This must end before I get bored again. Wonder if we'll ever get the chance to play each other again?

Mello's POV

I stood myself up, perfectly straight, despite the fact that he had grown taller, I still managed to tower over him, even if just a little. I freed a hand, another still holding the gun, never once faltering from its place.

Slowly, not hesitantly, I place my free hand on his hair, stroking it gently as a father would with his son. There might not have been anything inside him, in spite of all I saw and felt of his exterior but I wasn't like that, I didn't want to be like that. I wanted my soul. I would do anything to save it.

"How good was I?" I had to ask.

"The best" he smirks, devilish. Near, I shudder to think of what would happen to Hell if that were the place you were going, it almost seemed cruel to hell that they had to let you in.

"I hate you" the corner of my lips twitched.

He just smiles and I pull the trigger.

Near's POV

Mello, you were always so predictable. Even with it aimed so perfectly, you missed. "I love you" The emotionless voice was misplaced, my hands shook as I wrapped my arms around him. Suddenly, I leaned down, close to his face, and unexpectedly, even to me, I licked the blood that dripped a thin line down to his chin. It was rusty and salty. Is this what all humans taste like?

I pulled my face up, to his eyes, my hands trembling terribly gently caress his bloody face. He was starting to get cold. His blue eyes were gone now. Black, empty…nothing. Was this how it was for him when he looked at my eyes?

Looks like I miscalculated, but it was also so predictable. Mello, he would have never let a win like that slip his fingers, he couldn't lose, not to me, not for just this one last time.

"It would seem the cards are turned" I muttered softly next to his ear, "Mello wins"

Ooh...this feels a little pointless now, but it also gives the first chapter more depth...so maybe it's not a complete waste...I hope you guys enjoy it...this is my first attempt at a very short fiction...I'm planning to write another story of Mello and Near soon if I get the chance...I'm getting tired of AU...so it'll probably be a Wammy house story...let's just see how that goes...anyways for now..please REVIEW!!