Chapter 9:

Mello was on top of the world.

His life had moved up from being a lowlife scum who starved on the street to a respectable man with countless branches of gangland personnel.

His daily life was routine. He had to: deal with people who owed his men money, observe the incoming criminals, watch the men who dealt with the drug influx, and maybe even relax and think about Kira for a while.

And then he would obsess over beating the most irritating person in the world, Near. Wammy's number one. Although, now that he came to think about it, he highly doubted that Near was still at Wammy's. He would have left only days after he himself had. Stupid boy.

Mello sat on a ragged sofa, dilapidated thanks to the constant use of his men who also had a strange habit of breaking their other couches. Mello covered his mouth as he yawned loudly. He was sick of Kira. If he even had to think about it again he might just blow of somebody's head.

"Sir!" A rough voice called through the rundown hallway. The blonde rubbed his eyes in frustration.

"Alright. I'm coming."

...

"I'm terribly sorry, but I don't particularly understand your request Rabbit." The white haired boy's voice was as cold as ever. Rabbit grumbled in annoyance.

"Are you stupid or something?" Rabbit groaned as Near's icy gaze fell on her. She placed the arm of her sunglasses in her mouth as her eyebrows rose questioningly.

"Well? Did you lose half of your brain in the three years we didn't see each other?" The loud click of a gun being cocked echoed in the background.

"I am not brainless Rabbit. I just do not understand your demand. "

"Well, considering the fact that I am legally homeless and a poor, vulnerable teenage girl, I think that maybe you should look after me right?" Rabbit twirled her long brown hair around her index finger and bit her lip dependently. She even winked, just to get her point across.

Near didn't take the bait.

"Rabbit, if this is the game you are going to play, then I will be forced to ask Lidner to escort you out." Near gestured around the room.

"Hmm? Which one is Lidner?" The teenage girl asked curiously.

The blonde woman who had held the gun towards stepped forward, her blue eyes burning into Rabbit's.

"Shit! You look familiar!" Rabbit stepped towards the older woman with interest. "I'm sure I've seen your face around Ms Lidner."

Lidner's face remained stony, even as the younger girl pushed herself closer, The blonde woman refused to make way.

Rabbit pouted. That wasn't the reaction she was hoping for.

"Back away now please."

"Fine. Whatever." Rabbit slid across the floor towards the crouched teen. He didn't move either.

"None of you are any fun. What happened to the boy who could expose his feelings to me, the naive young man who hesitated at leaving me behind?" Rabbit bent down, her lips just brushing against the older boys ear. She could feel the shiver that ran down the back of his neck, even if he didn't show it on his face.

"So Near, where did that innocent little boy go?" Rabbit pulled away, even brushing her hand along his arm for good measure.

"Oh Rabbit, where did the caring and respectful young girl go? Do you remember her?" Near didn't mind that he was being rude. He hadn't expected to see this girl ever again. Not in this situation.

"She grew up and dyed her hair." Rabbit replied briskly, lighting a cigarette.

"That's quite a shame then." Near's cold tone made Rabbit tremble. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and she bit down on the cigarette hard. She threw her arms out wildly, pointing at every agent in turn.

"Don't you idiots have a fucking home to go to!" She growled.

Each agent turned their gazes towards Near, who shook his hand in dismissal.

"You may all leave. Have a good afternoon. I will see you all tomorrow."

As they left Rabbit threw her head back in disbelief as each of their eyes fell onto her.
"I haven't got a gun, so go ahead! I ain't gonna kill him!"

"Speak properly please Rabbit. Do not degrade yourself to using slang."

"Oh for Christ sakes. Fine. I have not got a gun, and I am not going to kill him. Are we all pleased?" Rabbit rolled her eyes back as Near mentally did the same.

They others all left without a fight.

"Well Near, am I able to stay here for a while? Y'know sleeping on my friends couch for the past month hasn't exactly been a luxury, if you catch my drift."

"..."

"Well~?"

"I don't see that that is a problem. If this is a temporary arrangement of course."

Rabbit frowned. "Will it be a problem if I stay here longer than planned?"

Near stared. "It depends on how long you are planning to be here. Will this be a week or so?"

Rabbit froze. He was seriously giving her a time limit? Well that is very friendly now was it? Her face fell as Near's attention went back onto his toys.

"Near?"

"Yes Rabbit?"

"Aren't you happy to see me at all." She whispered her voice full of emotion. She didn't want to fall apart in front of Near's employees. If she did, she would be the bipolar nut who somehow can stalk someone who she hadn't seen in years, and somebody who would have preferred to remain hidden.

"I cannot say that I am particularly pleased that you found me. I wouldn't have expected you of all people to find me." Rabbit's eye twitched.

"What! Is it because I wasn't in the top three at Wammy's house? Or is it 'because I'm a girl?"

"No I am not being discriminate. I was just saying that I didn't expect you to find me. Not right now."

"What do you mean right now!" The brunette crossed her arms angrily across her chest.

"Because I expected to see you earlier."

Rabbit stopped.

"What?"

...

"Sir, would you like me to untie him?" The balaclava that obscured the man's face was useless in the darkness.

"Mmm. Hurry up with it. I have other shit to deal with right now." Mello hadn't bothered with a balaclava. No need for it.

The man whimpered as Mello's callused hand brushed his damaged face. Mello made a sound of disgust and brushed the blood off onto his pants.

"Now mother fucker, can I ask how much money you owe us?" Mello yawned as the man shuddered and tried to open his swollen eye.

"I-I-I don't owe you guys anymore! I paid it all before!" The male screamed as the blonde man above him smacked his knuckles with the butt of his gun.

"I'll ask again, how much is it you owe us?"

"R-roughly a hundred grand?"

Another crack and a squeal of pain.

"Two hundred grand!"

"That sounds about right." Mello swung his revolver and landed it square in the man's temple, knocking him out.

"Get rid of this shit and make sure he pays us back." Mello grumbled as he chewed on a bar of chocolate. He was sick of this crap.

...

"What do you mean you were expecting me sooner!" Rabbit bit her lip nervously, and Near replied with a soft smile.

"Rabbit, you may not have ever gotten the best grades, but you were always extremely clever."

"...I don't know what to say..."

"Thank you."

"What?"

"You can start by saying thank you for the room." All of the formality had dropped from the albino's voice. An almost friendly air hung between the two.

"Wow Near..I didn't expect you to let me stay!"

"Then leave."

"Hey! I never said that I wouldn't take you up on your offer." Rabbit's hand fumbled nervously with her pocket. She didn't like this. They may share a previous bond, and may have even gotten to open up to each other.

Near always had a purpose. What the hell was the point of this then?

...

'Rabbit...why did you have to do this? Why did you have to come back?'

Near watched the other teen walk from the room after he directed her to the room she was being given. He had almost forgotten about her. He had even figured out how to push everyone away. And then the only person who could tear him apart from the inside out had to arrive. Why?

A loud scuff sound echoed from the hallway that Rabbit had just begun to walk down. Near perked his ears in curiosity as the sound of footsteps suddenly started coming closer.

Rabbit burst through the door breathless.

"Rabbit what is the problem?" Near began, until his breath was cut off as the girl, the girl who he hadn't seen in three years, the girl who almost knew how he functioned, the girl who really cared about him, threw herself onto his lap and embraced him.

"Oh Near...I've missed you.."

...

Yay :D

And the plot thickens!

Okies, R&R!

Ambie-lee-smiley-chanX3