Disclaimer: Don't own DN, doesn't happen. Placebo, you rock and your cover of the song is incredible. YAOIYAOIYAOI. If you're here, you already knew that and welcome back.

Summary: Mello finds out Light has been lying to him in more ways than one. The volatile blonde has a murderous plan, but what will happen when darker forces at play act on their own agendas? MelloXNear, vague LXLight, implied MelloXLight. Character death.

Running Up That Hill

Chapter 2: There is Thunder in Our Hearts

He was alive for only one reason.

A reason that put the very fear of God into the human race, the reason he had left his life behind and become something slightly more than a ghost. The reason he had lost all the power and control that he had once wielded over the world.

To the eyes of the world, L, the greatest detective was dead and he could never come back. And in truth, L was dead and gone along with Ryuga, Ryuzaki, Eraldo and Deneuve. The only one left behind had been Lawliet.

Lawliet lived.

Lawliet was the man and the soul of that dark-haired and bony body L and the others had occupied. Lawliet was the humanity that had been pushed aside by L and the others to make an automaton out of him. An automaton with no regard for feelings and a fixation of justice that was nothing short of obstinate. When faced with the dreadful possibility of L capturing Light and handing him in to justice, Lawliet made up his mind to assert himself and push all those other bullying presences aside. Thus Lawliet was the only one left.

He was the only one left because he was the one who was in love. Lawliet the man was absolutely and irreversibly in love with Light Yagami the man.

How Lawliet was able to love someone whose alter ego was none other than the dreaded Kira was beyond reason. Logic could attempt to explain, but its reasoning is often limited in the ways of love and circumstance.

Just as Lawliet had his many masks and aliases, Light had his own mask. They could love each other because they could detach themselves from their assumed names and behold each other in the barest of essentials. It was not easy, but the two geniuses had managed.

Kira had sought to destroy L. Ryuga, L and Ryuzaki had sought to uncover Kira. L had detested Kira's justification for his killings. Kira had detested L's meddling in his divine judgment. Those aliases had battled on and accomplished their goals. The history of L's personas had run its course, but the history of Lawliet and Light had not - theirs was just taking flight.

Kira, the persona that lived somewhere within Light, still existed and continued to wreak havoc upon the planet; however, that mask was slowly taking a back seat to the scene and only surfaced when Light was away from Lawliet. Just because L and the others were dead it didn't mean that Lawliet didn't think Kira a terrible murderer. Lawliet didn't like Kira one bit, and because Light knew this, he made it a point to leave his mask outside their sanctuary. In their room, he was Light and Light alone. Outside of the room, his personality fluctuated to suit his goals, which meant that Kira was virtually free to come and go as he pleased.

Lawliet thought Kira a killer like all the others had thought so once upon a time, but that dull and misguided mask of Light's was not who Lawliet cared for. Lawliet loved and lived for the thoughtful and sensitive young man that Kira had taken a hold of and turned into a despicable assassin. Lawliet no longer felt oppressed, repressed or depressed by his lonely existence - Light had brightened up his life and shown him the myriad worthwhile aspects of life. Light had shown him life was beautiful and worth making sacrifices.

L's heart had stopped beating just as Lawliet's had begun to do so; L had died so that Lawliet could live.

It was an even trade-off as far as Lawliet was concerned.

Lawliet was every bit the intellectual L and the others were, but he held none of their hang-ups and issues. Lawliet was unhindered and very much free to feel and be more human. Not normal, but certainly human. Lawliet's freedom of the spirit and body allowed him to show and say how he felt; he could act on his feelings. L was no longer there to stop him and push him aside. L had been just a shell of Lawliet, a tough exterior trapping the tender inside. The best thing Kira could have ever done had been to get rid of that vacant shell. Still, this admission did not justify the killing of those hundreds of people, regardless of their guilt.

Light was Lawliet's most precious treasure, he was Lawliet's only savior. How could they not belong with and to each other?

Lawliet didn't mind living in the shadows - he had always lived in the miserable shadow of L and the others who had lived in the shadow of secrecy and anonymity. The life in itself wasn't very different, except for Light. He was the only one who piqued Lawliet's interest; he was the only case Lawliet wanted to work on. The only thing Lawliet was interested in investigating was how much effort and breath he could devote to cherishing the Light shining through him, in him, with him.

As long as the guilt stained Light, Kira would live on somehow. Lawliet had chosen to ignore Kira in favor of Light - Lawliet didn't care what the killer did to the world as long as his Light came home every night to love him and care for him. As long as his Light was safe, there wasn't a lot that he would worry about.

Why should Lawliet care for the world if he was no longer part of it? The world negated his existence because L was dead… why bother with it if he wasn't part of it? Lawliet had given up on the world wide world in exchange for some rooms in a building somewhere in Japan to spend the rest of his days in them.

It was yet another even trade-off. Some would call them sacrifices, or even selfishness, but Lawliet called them trade-offs. That is what these exchanges were at the core, all good, bad or misguided intentions and contexts aside. They got him closer to Light, his only goal, and whether he was L, Ryuzaki or just himself, Lawliet got what he strove for.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Light had wanted to part with Kira the moment he realized he had fallen for Lawliet: that defining moment had led him to see what Kira was and was turning him into. So far, Light had failed to sever ties with his other pseudo self, but at least he had managed to keep the notebook-wielding murderer from taking over his body, mind and soul completely. Light didn't like being Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at all, but it was all he could do. He could not take back all of those countless murders or the sick satisfaction they brought - he couldn't take back what had been said and done; he could not bring L or anybody back. He didn't want to bring anybody back; much less L. Things happened for a reason and Light was comfortable where he was - in Lawliet's arms.

Every night, Light came home to Lawliet. The "Second L", as he was dubbed, would drop all pretenses at the very door of their room and step into their abode as he truly was - a simple man. He would make a beeline for the bed or the kitchen - the usual places where Lawliet hung out while he waited for Light - and he would kiss his beloved sweetly and spend some time with Lawliet until sleep overtook them and they gave in to oblivion in each other's arms.

Sometimes before bed, they would have nice healthy dinner together (made by Lawliet), then they would have some coffee and a light dessert while they discussed a wide arrange of topics that had nothing to do with Light's line of work and the investigation. The length of their discussions varied according to the topic, but they were always engaging and passionate. Or sometimes they would watch television instead of talking and they watched until Light heard Lawliet's cute little yawns and the dark haired man fell asleep leaning against Light's chest. Then the brunette would carry his sleeping lover to their bed and lay him to sleep.

Or sometimes they would crave each other to the point of not even speaking, favoring to explore every corner of each other to remind themselves of all the happiness they had found and the sacrifices made for their findings. Their lovemaking would vary according to whatever was on their minds and by the time they could no longer embrace climax, their minds were laid to rest and all that was left in them was an urge to lie beside one another, basking in the heat of their ebbing passion and their ever-growing comfort.

When Light had a weekend off the investigation, Lawliet and Light would do fun things together like a normal couple and they even risked going out in public to places where Light knew no one was watching them. They were usually in disguise just to be on the safe side, but the open space and the fresh air renewed them. Walking in the park or going to a shop had a new significance to them and they tried to enjoy their moments outside the concrete confines to the maximum. Lawliet liked the outside world and the simplemindedness of the average folk didn't bother him so much anymore. The simple things in life looked a lot brighter to the both of them.

Not many things bothered Lawliet nowadays – his newfound enthusiasm for life had bought out major changes in him: lust for life was slowly cleansing Lawliet from his past. His habits and behavior had changed dramatically. His posture was a lot straighter and his face reflected a healthy, lovely glow, blooming with emotions. Lawliet had no problem wearing shoes with socks when the occasion called for it and his sense of tact and social interaction had improved greatly despite the fact that Light was the only person he interacted with on a daily basis. Lawliet did not resemble L or any of the personas left behind to die. His true self was finally free of the binds that had held him back. Lawliet slept at night and his conscience did not haunt him.

Though confined to be forever invisible to the world, Lawliet smiled and thanked the heavens for Light – though the road was paved with the blood of criminals and obscured by countless sins, Lawliet had followed Light into the absolute and become himself. Even though he did not worship Kira, he was indebted to Light for showing him the path to self-discovery and the ultimate freedom of the heart. L had found a God, but Lawliet had found a wonderful man as well as himself.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Another Friday night, another day of an endless search for a phantom murderer. Light was very aware of how useless the whole search was, seeing as he was the very individual he was hunting, but no one else but him and his chosen few needed to know that for reasons that were more than obvious. As this was the weekend that was designated for the task force to rest, one by one the members of the team took their leave and exited the building. The last person out was Touta Matsuda, given that, besides Light, he was the only one who was unmarried and did not have the obligations the other members of the task force had outside their jobs.

Light was currently chasing a lead on Kira that indicated he was operating from Switzerland and that he was planning to gather followers to continue his rampage of righteous murder. Matsuda had offered kindly to help Light look into the lead, but thirty minutes into the search, the young man's brain had given up and he had1 left, not without apologizing to Light profusely for not having been of more help. Light politely waved goodbye to the overly eager rookie and braced himself for another hour of following the trails of the goldmine he was currently sitting on.

The whole situation with him being both the target and the hunter was always amusing, but in nights like these when he could be enjoying himself and relaxing next to his beloved, the idea of following a fabricated trail meant to go in circles was not very amusing, especially when it had been him who had fabricated and laid out the trail in the first place. But to keep suspicion from poking its nose into his business, he tinkered with the computer files and pretended to analyze the information until he surmised it was time to give up on it and turn in for the day. He had worked hard enough.

Slowly, he pushed his chair back from the desk and stretched languorously, trying to wake all those body parts that had numbed out due to prolonged boredom and disuse. He let his mind wander and purge itself of all work-related thoughts one by one until he was left with the simple notions that he was tired, hungry and that he yearned to go to the home he had made for himself several floor above in that same building. Stretching his arms, he glanced at his watch and decided to speed up his systematic stretching. It was late and quite the ungodly hour to be at work on a Friday night.

Light gathered himself and his belongings – suit jacket, briefcase and a box of chocolates – and began the process of powering down, setting aside and locking up the task force's offices. The only sounds and flashes of light were coming from the computer monitors winking, blinking and settling down into their technologic slumber. The brunette detective switched off most of the lights in the investigation rooms and walked through the main door. The door shut itself behind him and the noise it made signaled Light's freedom in more ways than one.

Light sighed and smiled contentedly – he was off from work and finally going home.

A part of Light wanted to take off running down the hallway up to the elevator and then run some more toward his room, but the iron self-control he had harbored and cultivated throughout the years refused to allow him to cave to such childish and primitive impulses. He kept his leisurely pace unaltered and counted the steps he was slowly taking toward the elevator. He wasn't a big fan of mortifying himself, but he got a twisted thrill of prolonging the wait for something he wanted badly. His footsteps almost dragged along, but for a person of such grace and poise it was nearly impossible to drag his feet along in a manner that was less than dignified.

Thirty-seven.

Thirty-eight.

Thirty-nine.

Forty.

Forty-one.

Forty-two.

Light stepped into the elevator and suppressed the urge to laugh out loud and settled for the ghost of a smile as he took his sweet time pressing the button of the elevator that would take him to the desired floor. The elevator was designed to cover the distance between floors in a matter of seconds, but at the end of the day, Light always felt like it was taking a couple of seconds too long – seconds that could always make a difference. Seconds he could use to gaze upon the face that had launched such a ruthless battle between him and the world he was so desperately trying to improve.

That face…

Seventeen. Six floors to go.

Eighteen. Five floors to go.

Light's eyes were drawn to the ornate box of chocolates he was grasping with his right hand. He had picked the sweets out on one of his few lunch outings that week and had been keeping the box hidden until today. The box seemed to be hand-made and the edges of the box were artfully decorated with thin golden silk ribbon and the rest of the box was a striking crimson tastefully devoid of flashy logos or designs. The box was simple, elegant and heart-shaped. Light had spent his whole lunch hour trying to pick out the perfect box of chocolates for Lawliet, and although the heart-shaped box of chocolates was a run-of-the-mill idea, the shape of the box, the items it contained and the person giving the box to Lawliet had more meaning than just a token of love and appreciation.

It was both an inside joke and a commemoration of their story. Light smiled and clutched the box affectionately and turned his eyes back at the button panel of the elevator. He drew in a forceful breath and tried to keep he eagerness he felt from showing on his face, even if there was no one to see it.

Twenty. Three floors to go.

Controlled breaths, controlled movements, and controlled heartbeats. For the umpteenth time since he had joined the task force, Light scanned every corner of the steel box, taking inventory of every light, every nook, cranny and edge inside the box. This inspection killed time while he was taken up to his destination, but it also kept his mind sharp in the off chance that there was something in the elevator that did not belong there – like a surveillance camera he wasn't aware of and that he hadn't tampered with. There never was, but it was better to be safe than sorry – especially him, of all people.

Twenty-one. Two floors to go.

Light tried concentrating on the slight hum of the elevator ascending, but his mind was wandering to what was waiting for him on the twenty-third floor past the fifth floor on the left of the elevator. The thought of the raven-haired man inside that room made the starched fabric of his shirt feel scratchy against the skin of his arms. Light steadied his breath and reined his mind back into calm blankness. He commanded each and every muscle of his body to remained still and impassive as he faced the reinforced steel doors of the moving cage. He eyed the numbers displayed in bright red with rapt attention.

Twenty-two. One floor to go.

Light glanced back down at the box and then at his briefcase – its weight and feel reassuring and solid against the grip of his left hand. The audible ring of the elevator alerted Light and his eyes were back on the doors.

Twenty-three. Ground Zero. Home.

The doors parted and the partial view of the hallway before him did nothing to curb his enthusiasm. He stepped through the steel threshold and took a deep breath before heading left toward his room. The first four doors were all a blur to him even though his steps were slow and measured. He had to concentrate in not running – his pride would not allow him to seem eager until he absolutely had to. With Lawliet, he could be as eager as he wanted to be, but for now, he would keep his cool and release all that pent up excitement when the time was right.

Light stopped a few steps short of the fifth door. Inexplicably, his heart beat was quickening and his breath wasn't as calm and collected as before. His self-control seemed to be slipping against his will – all he wanted to do was knock down the door and run to his Lawliet, but he would never allow himself such an embarrassing performance.

Instead, Light opted for taking a few seconds to regain his bearings. His eyes turned to the wall across the door and he followed the patterns on the wall paper. The faint lilac tint of the wall paper and the vine-like pattern were strangely entrancing to Light, who not moments ago had been considering plowing through the door in a barbaric manner. Light's hand came forward and his fingers moved toward the bas-relief to trace the trail his eyes had already traversed.

Before his fingers could touch the wall, the fifth door swung open and the trance was broken.

"Staring at the walls again, koi? What? I'm not pleasing to your eyes anymore?"

Light turned his head to the source of the words.

Leaning against the doorframe stood Lawliet with his arms crossed, head cocked to the side, wearing an old pair of Light's jeans and a frilly pink apron that Light could identify as having belonged to Misa at some point in time. The ravenette's bare feet were rubbing against one another in an almost cute manner.

If Light had known Lawliet was going to look like that when he got home, he would have definitely dashed to the room at the speed that only Light could manage. Breath-taking didn't begin to cover the simple beauty of Lawliet standing there looking like that.

"Never, love. Just bracing myself for what I was about to see…"

Light felt the urge to complete his sentence with 'and, boy, did I need to brace myself', but he felt it was too early in the evening to be that crude. Maybe after dinner.

Lawliet chuckled.

Light would have continued to think and mentally drool if the sound of Lawliet's chuckle hadn't interrupted his musings. To this day, Lawliet's laugh did not sound like a completely human expression of mirth , but he was getting better every day – after all, the particular sound of Lawliet's voice was dear enough to Light; it was the voice that could easily make him waver in his resolve.

Lawliet untied the apron at his waist and slipped the garment off over his head.

The raven-haired man was no longer the malnourished waif L had once been. His Lawliet had put on a healthy weight since had been living with Light and his body had filled out beautifully – his arms felt and looked stronger, his face was no longer peaky and spectral, his chest was more defined and sturdy, and Light's fitted jeans clung nicely to his bottom and legs. Even the sickly pallor of his skin was slowly ebbing away and being replaced by a rosy sun-kissed glow (and light suspected Lawliet was sneaking out to the roof during the day to sun-bathe). The new peachy tint did wonders for Lawliet and Light had to say that the man before him had never looked so alive.

A man that lived and breathed only for him.

Lawliet broke yet another one of Light's moments of silent admiration of him by asking the brunette

"Are you coming in or do you plan to spend the night out in that hallway?"

The amusement in Lawliet's voice propelled Light until he found himself inches away from the raven-haired man. Tucking the bundled under his arm, Lawliet took the briefcase from Light and turned on his heel to retreat further into the suite. Light followed him in and toed off his shoes by the door. Light closed the distance between himself and Lawliet and watched as the bare-chested man bent forward and put down his briefcase next to the couch.

Lawliet's spine peeked shyly underneath the newly-developed muscle and flesh, leaving Light no other choice other than to trace the spine with his fingers and bring his free hand to roam up and down Lawliet's side. A shiver shook Lawliet slightly and he straightened up gradually, turning to face Light with a soft smile playing on his lips.

"These are for you, Lawliet love," Light whispered and handed the heart-shaped box to Lawliet who was both flattered and amused at the small present. In turn, Light took the apron from Lawliet and fingered the fabric, searching for a hint of Lawliet's essence he could touch and soak up.

Lawliet's eyes were brimming with mirth, and he pouted mockingly,

"But I made dessert…"

Light let himself laugh at the comment and touched his fingers to Lawliet's cheek before he said

"Oh, like that's ever stopped you."

Lawliet giggled sweetly and Light smelled the apron, all the while keeping his eyes trained on Lawliet's face. Light smiled against the bunched up fabric and let it drop away from his face.

"You made cobbler."

To the untrained ear, it was a simple statement with no obvious inflection, but to Lawliet, it was a confirmation of Light's appreciation, excitement and gratitude at Lawliet's gesture. Light was not a fan of sweets as much as he was, but if there was something he liked to eat, it was cobbler. Especially…

"Apple." Lawliet offered, his voice as free of any inflections as Light's had been. Lawliet set the box on the coffee table in front of the couch and embraced the brunette tightly. Light's arms snaked around Lawliet's waist and encircled the dark-haired man, holding him as close to his chest as his grip and his clothes would allow him.

Lawliet was thoughtful and gentle. Gestures that made Light's chest tight with emotions and his mind reel with thousands of images, words and past actions.

He was really lucky to have found Lawliet amongst the defeated remains of the mighty L.

Light closed his eyes and let his face press against the other man's neck as he Lawliet kissed his temple softly. The scent of Lawliet combined with the scents of baking and cooking lulled Light into a sphere of comfort that only being home could achieve. Light snuggled closer to the other man and he heard Lawliet whisper against his temple.

"We can have those with the coffee."

Light pulled away and carelessly threw the apron in the direction of the couch and walked toward the kitchen, following the heavenly smells emanating from there.

"What's for dinner?" Light stopped at the entrance of the kitchen waiting for Lawliet to catch up to him. The dark-haired man stood behind him and whispered the specialty du jour.

"It's Thai night, koi…" Lawliet trailed off and his lips settled on the back of Light's neck. Light inhaled sharply at the contact, but Lawliet mistook it as a sign of displeasure. He quickly spoke,

"If you don't want it, I can make something else…there's some leftover rice I can heat up for you if you like…"

Lawliet's voice sounded like that of a heart-broken child eager to please, and Light made quick work of reassuring Lawliet that there was nothing wrong with his immaculate dinner set-up. Light took Lawliet's hands in his and brought them up to his lips where he kissed them several times. He stopped kissing Lawliet's hands but held them close to his face. His maple eyes bore into Lawliet's polished obsidian ones and he whispered into Lawliet's hands with the utmost sincerity:

"It's perfect, my love. Thank you."

Lawliet's face lit up again and he quickly ushered Light into the kitchen where the table was set up. Two plates, two glasses, cutlery, a steaming bowl of vegetable stir-fry, and an ice cold pitcher of some drink that Light couldn't quite place.

It really was a perfect dinner. It smelled great, it looked great, he was sure it would taste great, and it had been prepared by the person who knew Light best, inside and out. Perfect indeed.

Courteously, Lawliet helped Light out of his jacket and pulled the chair out for the brunette. Light thanked him with a bright smile and he sat down comfortably. The brunette detective waited for his partner to come back and sit with him before he began eating. It wouldn't be fair to start without Lawliet after the man had so painstakingly spent God knows how many hours in the kitchen making sure dinner was exactly the way he wanted it.

Lawliet returned shortly and took his seat in front of Light. Lawliet served his Light a good portion of the meal and piled some onto his plate as well. Light served them the drinks and when they ready to eat, Lawliet shot Light a blinding smile and dropped his voice to a sultry murmur.

"Dig in, koi…"

Light licked his lips and began to eat.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Light hadn't exactly wanted to end up bedding Mello, but the opportunity, meaning Mello, had presented itself at a time and a circumstance where any information on L's heirs and their whereabouts would have been vital to Kira's cause. It was Kira who had initiated the affair without any regard for Mello's feelings, much less Light's own feelings. If it had been up to Light he would have found another to gather the same information that could be gathered out of sleeping with Mello, but Kira liked to do things in a more drastic and malicious manner.

Aside from that, Mello had made a conscious choice and every choice had its consequences. He had always a choice to stop seeing Light but he had never taken that step; thus, Light couldn't really be blamed for that.

Lawliet did not know of the situation with Mello, but in a way, Light and Lawliet benefited from the strange and dangerous ménage a trois – the more Light bamboozled Mello and sent him running after 'juicy' leads that led nowhere, the farther the blonde would stay away from joining forces with Near. It was important to Light and Kira that the feuding heirs did not pair up to catch Kira. Lawliet and Light could only stand divided as long as Near and Mello were divided; if that changed… it was only a matter of time before things started falling apart.

Their ruse would be inevitably exposed and who knew how people would react to the findings.

Light knew he could be defeated if those two kids paired up, and Near knew it too. Thus, Mello's infatuation with Light and sheer hatred of Near was useful – this let Light keep his loved one close and his enemies even closer… and who knew, Mello might even hate Near enough to find out his real name and reveal it. Kira was more than pleased with the prospect, but Light still had his doubts…but sacrifices had to be made and if Near had to die so that Light, Lawliet and Kira could live, that would have to be it.

So far, so good, as far as Light knew, but he was indeed wondering why Mello had been absent lately. Perhaps he had been busy screwing up Near's efforts or trying to dig up information on his own. But Light didn't waste much time wondering about Mello's whereabouts – He had Lawliet to think about, and God only knew that man gave Light plenty to think, feel, and dream about.

If only circumstance would hold off long enough for Light to fake his death at the hands of Kira and disappear from the investigation altogether and go somewhere with Lawliet. Perhaps that would be an idea worth considering – it would provide a chance at normalcy for Lawliet and Light, and it would also offer Kira more leeway to continue his judgment and keep the task force and anyone investigating going about in circles.

The idea wasn't completely ideal, but it was ideal enough for Light. After all, a young man needed something to believe in, didn't he?

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

If Near wasn't so hell bent on winning the game, he would not have watched L's interactions with Light Yagami that night. Just as Near had thought those two would have a normal night together, L had brought out desert and the stickiest display of foreplay he had ever had the displeasure of watching had ensued. Both men had slathered themselves with some sort of cake and ice cream and had eaten the desert off each other. As if that wasn't enough for those two, they had upped the antic by having loud sex in the tiny shower cubicle of their bathroom.

Near would have rather watch an axe murdered slaughter a room full of infants than have to watch that again. But he'd probably have to put up with other acts of a similar nature until Mello was ready to put their plan into motion.

The snow haired youth was intently watching Light and L slumped at the foot of the bed wrapped up in towels and feeding each other what appeared to be chocolates from a box. It was interesting the box was in the shape of a heart – as if to confirm the suspicions that Light was Kira, but taunting him because that alone could never constitute evidence of any kind…just a reminder of the elusive goal he was so desperately trying to achieve.

Near did not feel the need to prove himself as Mello did, but he did feel the need to secure his position. Once that was done, he would have virtually nothing to worry about, save for cracking down on crime in the way that only L could…

Except that he would be better. Indubitably.

Near quickly switched off the feed he was watching and began to watch an old feed he had rigged to appear as a live feed. This feed currently showed Matsuda and Light bent over three computer monitors analyzing and categorizing information. Near wasn't exactly lying because something of the sort had indeed happened earlier that evening.

He had swapped feeds because he could distinctly recognize who was approaching in the near distance.

There was only person whom Near knew would have confident, swaggering footsteps heavy with steel toe boots. In addition, the sound of tearing foil serving as an interval to the footsteps made it very clear it was Mello who was approaching.

Being raised in such a hermetic and sterile environment, Near could easily pick out the sounds of footsteps and foil as well as the distinct smell of chocolate mixed with gunpowder and sweat.

Near knew the owner of that heady scent and those loud noises like he knew his own strengths and weaknesses. Calculating the sounds and the distance at which it was coming, Mello would be walking into the surveillance room in 6.8 seconds and asking what he was watching. The blonde would walk in 0.3 seconds before Matsuda decided to go home for the day.

Mello and his perfect timing.

Exactly, 6.8 seconds later, the doors to the surveillance room at the SPK base in Japan swung open to allow Mello to stride in, munching away at a chocolate bar, as was the blonde's custom.

"Hey," Mello mumbled through a mouthful of chocolate.

"Hello, Mello." Near responded nonchalantly and did not bother to turn around and face Mello. Soon enough, Mello's face was next to his facing the screen where the feed was playing. The pungent smell of cocoa and Mello's wild pheromones mingling together made it difficult for Near to concentrate, but the smaller boy managed to stay calm.

"Whatcha watchin'?"

Near had been much closer to Mello physically before, but the proximity of the blonde's face almost against his was making the goosebumps on the skin of his arms and neck worsen by the second. Once again, his senses were succumbing to the onslaught of stimuli that was Mello.

"I'm watching Matsuda because I suspect him of aiding Kira. That man fulfills the criteria for the kiraist profile Commander Rester and I were working on last week. My suspicion isn't higher than one percent, but I would like to investigate Matsuda-san further. His close bonds with Light make him even more suspicious to me. Not to mention, Matsuda-san has been known to make remarks that portray Kira in almost positive light."

"If you say so, Near…by the way, have you seen the C-4?" Mello drifted off nonchalantly and walked away from Near to look around for the small pallet containing the C-4.

"It's in that closet at the end of the hall, under the fake bottom."

Mello headed in that direction immediately, wrenching the door open and lifting the plank of wood in one swift move. The blonde got a grip around the package and heaved upwards with all his strength. The package was heavy – 14.5 kilograms – but he managed to lift it out of the hole in the closet floor and set it on the floor next to him.

"What about the boosters, the cords, and the cord clips?"

""Those are in the third drawer to the left in that desk you're standing next to," Near rattled on without even looking. He knew where everything was because he had put most of the stuff away himself; except for the package of C-4, which he had had Rester place inside the closet.

The explosives were too heavy for him to handle.

Mello found the rest of the stuff in the drawer Near had pointed out and checked that nothing was missing. Naturally, nothing was, all thanks to Near's careful planning and vigilance. Mello was going to take the stuff out and take it somewhere, but opted for leaving it in its place for the time being.

His head was all over the place and he didn't want to lose the cords or anything. It had been hard enough to get a hold of those items as security was tight enough everywhere and the black market wasn't seeing much of these items for some reason. Besides, Near was the only one who spent a lot of time in that room, so he could trust the younger boy that nothing would happen to his precious equipment.

Near kept his eyes on the screen, pretending that what he was watching was new to him. His finger was tangled in his hair as usual and his other hand was resting stiffly on one thigh. His other leg was propped up against his chest and his toes were curling gracefully over the edge of the black couch.

Needless to say, Near looked like prey just sitting there, so pure and white against the dark enormity of the couch. Delicious prey.

Mello stalked forward and circled the couch like a graceful panther about to strike; the movement of his feet and his poise looked like they belonged to both the hunt and a complicated dance. Both concepts did nothing to undermine the allure of Mello looking every bit as predatory as he felt.

Near's natural response was to tense and await the hit, but the more primal instincts in him propelled him to flee; but his mind-boggling logic and self-control kept him rooted to the spot, watching Mello as hungrily as his hardened eyes would allow.

The leather whirlwind was a sight to behold when he thought he was in control. And to think that soon enough the whole empire would be his along with this voracious consort.

Mello finally approached Near from behind and rested his face on the top of Near's head. The throaty whisper trickling from the crown of his head all the way down to his lower back wracked Near's lithe body and made it shake with tiny tremors.

"Whatcha thinkin'?"

If Near's mental stability hadn't been stronger, he would have surely stuttered. But his self-control saved him from the slip and he was able to formulate clearly and expressionlessly

"Nothing much…just why you need so much plastic explosives – half of that would be more than enough to achieve the results we expect."

Mello eyed the white-haired boy condescendingly.

"Near, my dear, you never know when that stuff might come in handy. Call it a 'reserve', if you will. Besides, who knows how much longer until I can get more of that plastic again – the markets haven't seen much of it for a while now and who knows when it'll be seen again."

Near remained silent and kept his eyes glued to the cobalt ones above him. The younger boy was stock still as Mello's countenance morphed yet again into a different emotion, but just as explosive.

The blonde brought his gloved hand to the back of Near's neck and pulled his head back slowly, reveling on the smooth planes of the younger boy's face. Angelic was a good word to describe Near's features, but not the rest of him. It was pretty obvious why.

Near let out his breath slowly and braced himself for whatever was about to come. He saw Mello's tongue peek out from his lips and he closed his eyes before he could see where the tongue was going. Feeling it on his skin was enough torture – he didn't need to watch it.

Mello traced Near's lips with his chocolate-covered tongue and left an imprint of the sweet wherever he licked. The feel of Mello's tongue dragging over such sensitive nerves teased Near and made him uncomfortable. Mello was the epitome of sensory overload; Near had no other choice than to open his mouth and hope Mello didn't kill him with that chocolate-laced kiss.

The blend of flavors brewing in their mouths coupled with the heat of their breaths made Near rethink his view on L and Light's previously disgusting dessert antics. There was something very arousing and novel about mixing food with sex – two undeniable human needs being satisfied simultaneously did indeed bring about a rush that was different to anything else – it kind of made Near wonder if that was part of the reason why the black widows ate the male spiders after mating with them.

When Near opened his eyes he noticed immediately that the old feed he had popped on before Mello came in had played itself out and the live feed was back on showing L and light laying in bed under the covers kissing tenderly. Slowly, one of his hands crept up to Mello's neck and holding the blonde's head where it was in case he decided to turn around, and his other hand reached for the remote to turn off the screen.

His hand reached the tiny black box and pressed the biggest button inconspicuously. Near brought the sneaking hand to rest on Mello's shoulder and his slender fingers dug into the flesh there as he held on while Mello brought the assault to his frayed senses.

Mello and his timing.

Goodbye to the backup, hello to the real thing.

Near smiled as Mello pushed down into the couch and the blonde mistook the grin for an expression of acceptance and pleasure.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Author's Note: I apologize to the readers for the massive delay in this chapter. I mean, I had it planned out two months ago, or even before that, and it was turning out to be awesome, but my computer malfunctioned and I had to scrape up the bits left behind, my memory and new trains of thought to bring this story back from its ashes. Some things aren't as good as I had written them out before, but others turned out to be even better than before. Not to mention that I barely had time to write this summer seeing as I was all over the place, traveling everywhere. But I offer this chapter as a peace offering.

Okay, so Mello is very sexy in this chapter…so sexy that even Near can help his reaction to the blonde.

Light isn't really the bad guy…fine, he sort of is, but his devotion to Lawliet has to count for something…I mean, he kind of is the most affected person in this story (read until the end and then recall Ryuk's words about the misfortune that befalls those who use the death Note).

Lawliet, oh sweet Lawliet is absolutely delectable…especially all healthy and filled out…and that apron…drools Please, anyone here who wouldn't pay good money to see that man with the apron? I would…and the drooling writing partner in the corner would too points at Chip. I wonder if he makes good cobbler…

And Near, the smug little bitch that he is…I hate him, but I have to admit he's a smart little conniving bitch. I hope he swallows some C-4 and gets sick. And on his sense of hearing and smell, I made it sound like Hannibal Lecter. I just realized that…Lol. Even Hannibal is more likeable.

The bit about the explosives was added in about twenty minutes ago… I was going to use nitroglycerin as Mello's explosive of choice but that shit's way too unstable (like Mello) and it'd probably blow up before he detonates it)like Mello). C-4 is like putty so he could just stick it in nooks and crannies and whatnot; not to mention it has more firepower. No, I do not have any more knowledge about explosives other than the Wikipedia knowledge I acquired twenty minutes ago, so don't think I'm crazy or dangerous.

I'm sure I've forgotten to mention some things, but I'll probably mention them as I go along. The good news is that chapter 3 and a bit of chapter 4 are already in the works, and it's gonna get spicy up in here with the next chapters. I'm wondering if it'll fit into the four chappies I had predicted or if it will expand to five. Dunno yet, will see when I get there.

Okay, enough ranting. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are appreciated, as always. See you at 3!

-Dale.