Near plodded all the way to Mello and Matt's house feeling a bit sick.
How could he lie to Matt's face? The redhead had been so kind to him, but what if Jace was right? What if Matt and Mello really did hate him? His walk must have been slower than usual, because night was upon him before he even got half way there. Swallowing he hoped that Jace wouldn't get the idea that he ran off. That would be bad, real bad. When he finally got there he knocked on the door, but it came open with a small squeak. This confused him, but he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, anyway.
The next thing he knew someone was hugging him from behind. Who was it? He had no idea. All he really knew at the moment was that they were hugging him and saying that he felt like a stuffed animal and looked like one too, cuddly and cute. He quickly learned that it was Mello who was anything, but sober. His breath smelled of alcohol and so did his skin and hair and, well, everything! "Where-where is M-Ma-Matt?" Near sputtered.
"I don't know!" he shouted still hugging him. Near jumped and whimpered. "Alls I knows is Matty went there then here and over up there!" The blonde then burst out laughing letting Near go. The albino moved away from him fearfully and watched as the blonde stumbled backwards and landed on the couch giggling. He was definitely wasted. "Why did Matt leave Mello like this?" he asked feeling more composed. He felt almost certain from the way the blonde was acting that he couldn't stand, let alone, hurt someone, so that made Near feel somewhat safe.
"You!" Mello said in an unnecessarily strident tone. "He's all about you! You. You. You. And I am too. It's all y-your fa-fault. It's my fault too, so it's more mine than yours, but it's all yours!"
"Mello isn't making sense." Near said quietly.
He was still hurt by what Mello said, though. He hated to think he done anything bad to Mello or Matt. "Mello needs to-" He was cut off when he found Mello's lips pressed against his. How did that happen? Wow, Mello moved fast. Near knew he should have pulled away, probably even tried to run, but instead he kissed back. Mello pulled away and almost fell because he was laughing so hard. Near wondered what he should do then. Mello was quick to grab the albino's wrist and drag him upstairs.
"Mello wha-" he started but stopped when he realized that the blonde wasn't going to listen. He understood though as soon as he was shoved down onto a bed. "Mello?"
"You're real special." Mello said rubbed his head against Near's chest and planting kisses up and down his body. It didn't take the blonde long to strip them. Near closed his eyes and wondered just how badly it'd hurt.
The next morning Mello woke with a headache that hurt like a bitch! He held his head and groaned as he sat up. What happened last night? He wondered. Mello suddenly recalled having a brief argument with Matt and then remembered the redhead stormed out after he smashed his game boy. He then remembered calling and apologizing. Matt said he'd be out late, so Mello began drinking. Things went all blurry from there.
A soft groan and some movement from beside him made the blonde turn and stare wide-eyed at Near who was sleeping fitfully. He immediately felt as though he couldn't breathe at all. He got up and got dressed as quickly as he could all the while all he could wonder was if he raped the boy who was in the bed. He felt so upset! So Mello gathered all of Near's clothes and put them beside the small boy so he could get dressed when he woke up. He then went downstairs and found Matt passed out on the couch. He was out drinking! Mello realized and felt furious.
"Wake the hell up!" he shouted bringing Matt from his sleep. The redhead looked at him with confused, pained eyes. "What?" he asked groggily. Mello exploded on him immediately after his green eyes opened and he asked his question.
"If you were gonna get drunk you could've stayed here where the three of us could have had a nice, big drunk orgy!" he snapped angrily. "Gods, Matt why the hell did you run off and get drunk when I have enough vodka and whatnot to make ten to twenty people drunk! Now I am officially a sex offender, no worse, a rapist and it's all your fault!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Near!"
"Near?"
"I don't know what exactly happened, but I woke up and he was there beside me and I will only guess that we were both naked. It sure seemed that way with just about all his clothes being everywhere."
"You raped Near!"
"Maybe. I'm not too sure."
"How can you not be sure?" the redhead asked in disbelief. "You can't forget something like that, at least, you can't easily forget, I think."
"Things are blurry, okay?" the blonde said with an edge of irritation. "You know how I get when I'm wasted. What's your excuse?"
Around that point in time Near came down the stairs acting surprisingly casual. He gave both Mello and Matt a blank look, before heading for the door. The two elder teens stopped him. "Is something wrong?" he asked seeming confused. Matt put a hand on his shoulder and led him over to the couch where he forced the boy to sit.
"Near," Matt said carefully, yet shakily, "Mello is afraid that he may have done something, something perverted, that he will regret, but he can't remember exactly what happened last night, so could you please enlighten us about the events, which happened."
"Nothing bad happened, so there is no need to worry." Near said calmly. "Mello was drunk, so I know he didn't really mean anything he did or said, because being intoxicated just brings out one's bad side as well as their true nature. And I must say that what happened last night wasn't at all abnormal or deviant."
Hearing this made Mello and Matt both relax and exchange relieved expressions. The albino didn't know what made them do so. Smiling Mello felt so much better to know that he hadn't hurt Near, but that ended soon after he heard Near speak both Matt and Mello gaped. "Wha-what did you say?" Mello sputtered.
"Mello and I just had sex." He repeated quietly.
"That's exactly what we thought happened!" Matt exclaimed. Near winced slightly making him change to a more gentle, but still upset and worried tone. "Did he hurt you at all Near?"
"No. It was just sex."
"Wait, wait, when you say that what do you mean exactly?" Mello asked wondering what the albino classified as 'sex'. "Were you telling me to stop or did you just let me do whatever I wanted or what?"
"I mentioned stopping once or twice, but Mello ignored me and after a while he managed to convince me to relax enough to where I found that I liked what Mello was doing, so I didn't do anything at that point, but Matt-"
"Near!" Matt interrupted before Near could mention anything he said about Mello. "I think we know enough."
"Okay."
"No, I wanna hear what he had to say." Mello said giving Near a quizzical look. "What were you about to say?"
"I was about to say that Matt was right. Mello is rough."
Mello's eye twitched and smile played on his lips. "I'll show him rough later, but for now I just wanna know why you didn't fight back and why you had come here in the first place."
"I-I wanted to assure Mello and Matt that I am perfectly fine and don't want them to worry over me. I don't like to think I am tearing you apart."
It wasn't a random visit. Mello thought with narrowed eyes. He wouldn't just come over to say that. He could just call. Jace must have sent him, but why? Oh, yeah right, he must have sent Near over because we saw the bruises.
"Don't worry Near we're fine." Matt said with a grin. "You're fine." He said this more sarcastically. "Everything is just fine."
Near stood up with his hands on his hips. "You don't believe me at all!" he accused with tears building up in his eyes. "I thought you were my friend, Matt!"
"I am. That's why I don't want you going back to that house."
"Wha-what?" Near sputtered suddenly feeling confused. What did Matt just say? Surely he wasn't serious! Didn't he know how much trouble he would get in if he didn't home as soon as he could? Jace would simply be furious! He might be mad enough to hurt Matt if he found out that Matt was the reason he wasn't home yet. "You're staying here until I think things are okay." Matt said firmly.
"No!" Near protested suddenly wilting like a dying flower. "Matt can't tell me what to do I am seventeen years old and I can-"
"Trust me."
"Why? You don't trust me."
"It's different." The redhead said with a grim frown. His eyes flashed with concern, but Near didn't bother to notice. He was afraid and upset and didn't really know what to think or do at this point, except try to win the argument. "I have good reasons and you don't." Matt said with determination to get Near to see his side of the argument and make him stay, but the albino was very stubborn. "I won't listen to Matt! I am going home."
Mello took hold of Near's wrist stopping him. The albino froze and stared at Mello in silent shock. He let the blonde shove him down onto the couch feeling like his brain was malfunctioning he kept as still as he could. The headache was bad, but his predicament seemed to just be getting worse and worse. "Please, let me go home." He quietly begged.
"Why do you need to go home so badly?"
"I just have to."
"Why?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
Near shook his head and tears started to roll down his face. The elder teens felt bad for the boy, but they wanted to help him so much. Tiny cuts and bruises of varying sizes soon shown through the smeared makeup and chills went up and down both Mello and Matt's spines when they saw. "Near, just tell us what we want to know and we'll let you go home all we want is the truth and nothing less than that, okay?" Mello spoke softly hoping to coax Near into talking, but the albino could only shake his head in reluctance.
"Matt leave us to talk." Mello said. "I'll call if I need you, kay?"
The redhead nodded before leaving.
"You have to get home don't you? If you don't Jace will get mad, won't he? And you have no idea what he'll do to you or anyone else when he gets mad, right? He may beat you up or he could do something worse. You don't always know, right?"
"No."
"You're scared aren't you? He's always belittling you and making you feel worthless, isn't he? I bet he even goes as far as to beat you until you can barely walk. Does he even care enough to acknowledge you as a person, Near?"
"No."
"Then why do you keep going back?"
"I-I don't want to be alone anymore."
"Stay here and you won't be."
"I can't! Jace will get angry!" Near said breaking into even more broken sobs.
"Tell the police and they will take him away to where he can't hurt you anymore."
"I-I can't!" Near sobbed. "If I do…if I do…."
"What? What will he do that could be worse than what he already does now? He beats you and forces you to say and do things you don't want to and he's got you all covered in bruises and cuts. It's just disgraceful, Near. You can't let him keep doing this or else he may go too far and-"
"Mello doesn't know anything, Mello, he just doesn't know anything!" he yelled feeling a mixture of fear and sadness. He had to get out and fast. "Near!" Mello called, but the albino jumped up and bolted for the door. He ran ignoring the call of his name. Matt ran into the room wide eyed and concerned. "What happened?" he asked Mello who appeared sad as well as angry. "Mello what-"
"That bastard he did something."
"Huh?"
"To Near, that boyfriend of his, Jace." Mello said with narrowed blue eyes. "Near said he threatened to do something, it must be something horrible, if Near were to tell us or anyone about what he does. Near just freaked out, and then made a run for it."
Matt ran out the front door and managed to catch the small albino half a block from the house Matt wasn't surprised to find that Near was bent over and trembling trying to catch his breath. He studied his friend and was saddened to see Near was sobbing hysterically and shaking his head and sputtering nonsense that Matt didn't understand at all.
"Near, please calm down." He said as he knelt beside the boy who let his knees buckle beneath his weight, which was very little, and fall to the ground. "You have to calm down and listen to me Near. I just want to help you. I want to make you happy. That's the only thing I want from you, you need to realize that, Near."
"Why? Why? Matt gets nothing and I get something. Why?"
"Because it's what friends do." Matt said with a stern frown. Sobbing Near rubbed his face feeling pathetic. "Mel-Mello and M-Matt ha-hate me! So don't pre-pretend to care!"
A blow landed across his face making him go silent.
Near looked up at Matt who was glaring at him his face full of anger and disgust. "Hate you? Hate you? You honestly think I hate you? Near I have been working my fingers to the bone trying to figure things out so that I can make you happy! So that I can make sure you don't get hurt and you have the nerve to say I hate you?"
Near felt so, very hurt and confused by what was being said that he didn't know how to respond. Jace said one thing, yet then Matt said something else and that something else made Near feel so perplexed. Who could he trust? He had no clue, not anymore.
"Mello and I have been worried sick, Near, because of your bruises and cuts and the other stuff we've heard about! We've been looking into important stuff and still, we are confused, but not so confused that we're blind to the fact Jace is using you as his own personal punching bag! Gods, Near, why can't you ever-"
He stopped upon seeing tears spilling from Near's eyes even more. "M-Matt…I-I am so-sorry…please…don't…."
"Don't what?"
"Don't hate me!" he practically screamed. "I am so sorry, but please don't hate me!"
Matt wrapped an arm around Near's shoulder hoping to comfort the smaller boy. "Shhh, it's okay now. I don't hate you I just lost my head there for a minute. I didn't hurt you too badly did I, Near?"
"No."
"That's good." He said quietly before helping the boy to his feet. "I'll take you home."
The walk home was silent, almost painful for Matt, who really didn't want to take Near back to that abusive jerk. While they walked the redhead noticed that Near seemed real out of it and Matt had a suspicion that it was because he was acting as he was because he knew what would happen as soon as he got home. The redhead was honestly scared for him. He wondered if the ginger would be waiting for them. The answer was yes. Near entered the house and Matt followed suit. Jace was standing just in the doorway to the living room appearing rather grim and displeased.
"Where were you?" he asked furiously. "You were supposed to be back yesterday evening. What distracted your undersized brain? Was it something shiny?"
Near stared at the floor shrugging. Matt hated the ginger for talking to Near like he was but also felt some anger towards Near for just taking it. It was right, he deserved better and as much as he wanted to just punch Jace out he didn't. Matt wanted to see what would happen. If things got bad he'd stick up for his friend.
"What? Can't you even find your way home?"
"Sorry." Near mumbled, and then shrugged some more.
"How can you be so stupid as to not remember the way back here?"
"It isn't his fault." Matt said stepping to Near's defense seeing that Jace was starting to seem rather threatening. "He was going to come back yesterday, but I stopped him and told him to stay with Mello and me. I didn't think it'd be safe for him to wander outside after dark."
Near gave him a look of surprise. How could Matt lie so well? It must have been an essential skill he learned while he was away. The albino felt not only admiration for Matt at that point, but he also felt extremely grateful. Jace narrowed his eyes. His hand slapped the side of Near's face a moment later shocking both Matt and Near, who had lost his balance and fell to the floor with a small pained cry. He wanted to get up and stand strong just so he didn't look so weak in front of the redhead, but his common sense told him to stay down. Hoping to avoid any further punishment he obeyed that bit of rational thinking.
"What did you do that for you jerk?" Matt snapped angrily. "He didn't do anything!"
"Dogs need to know when to obey and when to do flips." Jace snapped back giving Near a light kick. "He disobeyed so he deserved to be corrected. Ask him yourself."
"He isn't a dog!" Matt snapped ready to just hit this creep. "He's a human being and should be treated like one, instead of like some mongrel mutt."
"Well, you certainly act like one don't you?" Jace sneered. "How he can associate with foolish idiots like you I may never know."
"Shut up you stupid bastard!"
"You're under my roof, so don't tell me what to fucking do!" he growled. "Besides, it's called a SM relationship, but seeing as you don't know him as well as you'd like to think you do, you wouldn't know that he likes that kind of stuff. And since he likes it I make sure he gets it. And being the little horny bitch he is he begs for more all the time."
"Get off it he isn't a masochist!" Matt snapped feeling his anger start to boil over. How stupid did this ginger think he was? He may not have known Near for a little while, but he knew Near well enough to know that he hated pain and had always hated it. Near would never want to be tortured. The way he acted and looked after Mello spoke to him was proof enough to Matt. Even now as Near lay on the floor frightened and still the redhead knew that Jace was trying to get him to believe in a bunch of freakin lies.
Near yelped as the ginger stomped his foot. "Ask him if he likes it." He hissed menacingly seeing that the redhead before him was most unconvinced. Matt looked down to Near who was nodding his agreement clearly ready to go along with whatever Jace wanted him to. Matt could see he was more than reluctant, but still felt revulsion that the albino would be so spiritless and just give in. Then again, Matt didn't know the situation as well as Near did. He sighed dismayed and shook his head slowly, but without a single doubt that his friend was lying.
Matt shown off a blank face moments afterwards, as he was refusing to believe Near actually agreed with what had been said. "It wasn't his fault." Matt insisted hoping to change the subject. "It was my entire fault, so if you have to be pissed at someone, then it's me. Just leave Near alone."
"I can't punish you," he replied tartly, "but I can do whatever the hell I want to Near, here, because he's my property."
"You better not harm him anymore." Matt said with a glare that could kill if looks were able to. Jace rolled his eyes uncaringly and threw Near a look of utter disgust. "I'm going now, but I'll be back later." Matt said, not as a hollow sentence, but as a promise to his agonized friend.
"We'll see." Jace muttered. "If you really cared though you'd be a real friend and trust that he'd be safe in his own home with his lover. If you truly cared for him you wouldn't cause him so much pain. You're not his friend and I can assure you that I will make him see that one way or another."
He sounded threatening and Near seemed to be trembling upon hearing the malice in his voice. Matt stood firm, however, ready to challenge Jace at any moment. The ginger seemed snooty and ready to pounce on Near if Matt tried such a thing, so the redhead simply worked up a retort and ignored his lurching stomach. "It isn't him I don't trust." He said with narrowed eyes. Near saw the looks of hatred they exchanged and trembled from how icy the room suddenly felt. Was that just their hatred or was hell freezing over? He couldn't tell, but hoped Matt left before Jace decided to rip his head off and vomit down his throat. It was a threat the ginger used for his most hated foes.
"Near," Matt's kind, warm voice said shaking a bit, "I-I'll visit you later, okay? If he does anything you just call, kay?" The snowy white child could just feel Jace's glare on him. Bile burnt his throat as he managed to speak.
"Okay. I will."
The words were hollow and meaningless. What could he do though? If he meant what he said Jace would know and that would just worsen matters for him. He wasn't going to deny being a coward, but he sure as hell wasn't about to admit to being a mixture of courageous and stupid. Matt gave a sigh of sadness and Near caught his pitying look, before he walked out of the room and soon out of the door. That left him at Jace's mercy.
But of course he showed no mercy.