I wasn't happy with that ending, but I had to cut the chapter short or it would have been TWICE as long. The role-play flowed directly from here, into...well...chapter six. ;) You MxN fans'll LOVE that chapter.

Review please! ('o')

Chapter Five - Pawns

Near nodded solemnly at the closed door, sighing softly and glancing at the shower. Dimmed lights...didn't cut it. He turned them off.

As he stripped, his fingers still tingled from the mark on Mello's skin, so cold that it had burned, and he wondered, vaguely, how it had been Branded onto his shoulder, how much it hurt...

The blood on his hands, arms, and face had already dried, and he turned the shower on as hot as he could stand it...the burning water washed away the burning ice. The blood broke and ran down his pale skin in rivulets, and he bowed his head beneath the hot spray, his eyes cloudy with the mist, his hair dripping. He wondered briefly if L's bills would be added to their inheritance as well...it didn't matter. He didn't care. Right now, he felt a cold fury for the famous detective.

Besides. He didn't want to get out. He leaned a pale cheek against the cool, wet wall and sighed, the hot water slowly washing away his pain and fear.

Only reluctantly did Near finally shut the hot water off, more to save it for Mello than anything. He stepped out into the darkness; the only light came from the cracks around the door, and that was just fine for him. As he dried himself, his fingers brushed against his shoulder briefly and he shuddered; humans were humans, and though he was built differently than Mello, the familiar feel of his own skin seemed foreign under a hand that had touched Mello's.

He was unsure what he felt just then, as he got dressed into the clothing L had provided for them (the creep). Maybe he was just exhausted. He hadn't slept in too long. Maybe he was afraid, for himself, or for Mello...yes, for Mello. What he felt was a mixture of fear and concern. He ached to hold a stuffed rabbit, and settled for hugging the towel to his chest when he was fully clothed; he bowed his head to shroud his eyes with his hair before exiting, and half-closed his eyes to block out the dim light. It was still too much. It hurt.

"Mello, your turn," he said. "And if it's alright with you, I want you to take the bed." Even as he said it, he was setting the bundled towel on the ground and resting his head against it. He wasn't open to debate.

"Fine with me, if you really want to."

Mello stood up groggily and pushed the chair in, stalking into the bathroom and casting a glance at the dresser before closing the drawer. He had to literally peel his clothes off of his body, as they were sticking to his skin. He noted the hamper and cocked his head in confusion. There had to be a passageway into the wash room. Otherwise, this would not be here.

He logged the fact away for later and started the shower, turning the water to the hottest temperature possible. He stepped into the water, shuddering and clutching the stinging mark as the needles of water drove into it. Mello rubbed off the film, watching as the floor turned a light pink with blood. Soap and shampoo were already provided, and a thorough scrubbing of his body later, Mello flipped the water off and massaged the water off with a fluffy towel. He opened the dresser drawer and blinked at the freakish sight. God...L was just plain creepy at times. Mello quickly dressed himself and dug deeper into the dresser. Blankets.

"Hm..."

He gripped a soft blanket and pulled it out, throwing it over his shoulder and quietly opening the door. Near was still curled on the floor, his eyes closed. Mello watched him silently for a moment. Then...

"Near. You awake?"

Near opened his eyes to stare at Mello, the icy blue refracting the light for only a moment before the albino averted his gaze again.

"Yes, Mello."

The floor was soft and inviting, but sleep didn't call to him. His mind was too active. If he'd known they wouldn't be going back down to Wammy's, he would've brought some of his toys to comfort him; nothing here smelled like home, and he was in a state of discontent. No, sleep would not come easily...Mello seemed to sense this.

"I found you something," the older boy said calmly. He walked over, bending down to his new ally and sitting beside him upon the floor. He held up the blanket in a silent offer.

"You can't sleep?"

He could perfectly understand any reason why, as he felt exhausted as well, but not wishing to fall into darkness. Near's gaze flicked to the blanket, then up to Mello's eyes. In the moment their gazes locked, Near shivered once, violently, and tore it away again.

"No. I am...confused. And I don't like it. My body is tired, but my mind is too active."

"Then let your mind slip away."

Mello felt so dirty uttering those words. They'd been used on him once before, hypnotism of a sort, and he was using it on Near. The latter shook his head slightly.

"Look at my eyes, Near..."

Mello gently turned Near's chin until they made eye contact, and he began to massage Near's neck with one finger. "There is nothing to think about, nothing at all, no confusion, nothing..." The trick had been used upon him before by Hope, and it had sent him spiraling into the most dreamless sleep. "Sleep, sleep, close your eyes..."

Near blinked rapidly, his eyelashes fluttering, his gaze locked with Mello's, ice-blue against sapphire, a glacier in the midst of an ocean. Mello's voice was intoxicatingly gentle, laced with the hypnotic tone that Hope had taught him. He continued the gentle motions along Near's neck, careful and calming.

"Just follow my eyes into sleep. Forget your worries."

Just then, Near was hit with the crushing blow of reality; he was a pawn. This wasn't a game to him, no, he wasn't playing...he was just part of the game, part of L's game, and Mello...he didn't know if Mello was playing or being played with, but he knew he couldn't help, and he forced his gaze away from Mello, unwillingly, tears prickling at his eyes. He was confused, and that bothered him...but the only thing he'd really, truly known in life, the one thing he really believed, was that L was a perfect model, his hero, and everything he aspired to be.

But...as of that moment...Near couldn't think of a time where he'd hated anyone more. Mello's gentle hand both comforted and burned him, and Near was tense beneath it, afraid and longing, hesitant and eager...Mello was trying to comfort him, and the thought of it pleased him...but if he was just a pawn on a chessboard...Near inhaled shakily and forced his head back onto the towel.

After a moment, he rolled over, his back to Mello, his eyes glistening with the tears that he wouldn't allow to fall...not with Mello there.

"Vymm ehdu crytuf cfaad uha...vun oui crymm yfyga du mekrd..."

The foreign words crooned out of Mello's mouth quietly, spoken as a lullaby, asnd he draped the blanket over the younger boy.

Mello had caught the look in Near's eyes, and he knew why it was there. It was a tragic thing to show someone the true face of their idol, and the poor little one seemed so confused, so vulnerable and depressed. It tugged at his usually hideously angry heart, and he couldn't ignore the ridiculously powerful feeling of protectiveness. Mello entwined his fingers with Near's small hand, massaging the back of it gently.

"It's alright..."

"If my skills could have been of any use to you when you were in agony," Near whispered, his fingers squeezing Mello's lightly, "I wouldn't mind being a pawn...some pawns stay on the board until the end, and some even participate in the formation that traps the king..." His fingers subconsciously clenched tighter. "I'm not that kind of pawn..."

"You're right; you are the pawn that becomes the fallen queen...don't dwell on it. Just sleep."

He was going to wait for Near's eyes to close. He'd already had his little nap anyway; he could last awhile. Mello's fingers continued their massaging movements while his other hand snaked to the side of Near's neck, gently rubbing the soft skin. The hypnotism technique was simple, and effective, forcing one's body to relax their mind with words and movements.

"I am fine. It's alright."

Near didn't want to sleep...but Mello actions were comforting, his words soothing, and his mere presence, the warm aura, made it almost impossible for Near to fight it any longer. Sighing softly, he closed his eyes.

For the first time, he was grateful for someone else's touch on his skin...

He doubted he'd have fallen asleep otherwise...

Mello watched him until his breathing evened out, and even then he was reluctant to let go. Why was he acting this way anyway? Near was supposed to be his rival... The obstacle to his...but...Mello nipped his lower lip. What was this little boy doing to him?

No...

What was the Eye doing to this little boy, through him?

It had caused so much instability, shaking both of them out of their usual modes. Mello found that this was a bit better than the burning anger always torturing him. Whatever it was, felt nice.

In this place, they were alone, away from eyes, away from pride. Who cared, anyway, if he didn't let go, instead lying down beside Near, the bed totally ignored, maybe slipping closer to him, maybe closing his eyes, maybe still holding Near's hand...

(NS)

Though he felt secure in his sleep, the unfamiliar surroundings and the rushing tempest in his mind made Near wake up sooner than he'd have liked. The pressure on his hand startled him before he remembered last night...last night.

Near glanced back at Mello's sleeping face, and for the first time, saw not a rival, but a teenager, not much older than himself, but with a soul that had suffered enough for a hundred years of life. Near's fingers ached to brush golden hair from his closed, but he restrained himself.

Pawn or not...he'd remain Mello's ally as long as the boy would allow it...

Mello awoke in a way that could scare anyone, and Near flinched to reflect his mild spook. Mello's eyes flew open with a start, exposing two orbs, showing one thing. Terror. Utter paralyzing fear. It was so intense, so sheerly immobilizing. It was then Mello realized he had been holding his breath. With a shuddering sigh he regained himself, the fear thrown away and replaced with an odd mixture of acceptance and content. The nightmare had been pretty bad, and it was perfectly understandable why.

Mello stared at Near, eyes groggy with sleep. Without a word Mello shifted his weight, pulling his legs closer to his body. He felt slightly embarrassed by the position, but it also felt...right. Mello tilted his head downward and blushed slightly.

"...morning."

"Good morning, Mello."

At the greeting, Near couldn't help but smile. He knew better than to ask "How did you sleep?" and as such, he didn't. He'd seen the fear flashing through Mello's eyes, and even though that fear had vanished behind quiet walls of content, it lingered in Near's eyes, and Near's eyes had absorbed too much...

"How is your arm? Any better?"

"Yeah, I'm alright."

Near's smile made Mello's eyes brighten, a small and content smile appeared on his face. Near was apparently so comfortable with the entire situation, and it was almost flattering.

"I don't think I've said 'I hate you' once yet since a couple days ago. And I don't think I will. Not yet at least."

Mello smirked playfully and prodded Near's cheek with a gentle finger, finally realizing he still gripped the boy's thin hand. Mello dropped it and sat up, massaging his head and looking around for a clock. An old fashioned alarm clock stared back at him, reading the time '7:32.' It was still early, and no one bothered on a Sunday to find anyone.

"So much for no sharing, eh? I can't complain though. The floor is comfortable."

Near sat up and rubbed a pale palm into his eyes tiredly. "Yeah, it is. So...are we just going to stay up here for the day? Or are we going down to Wammy's?"

He paused, thinking. The heightened security the night before couldn't have been a coincidence. Which most likely meant...

"Mello, Roger knows. He has to. Maybe...we're not expected to go back any time soon."

"I was thinking the same thing. But what do we do here all day? And we need to eat sometime... Perhaps somewhere there is food in this place?"

Speaking of food...right now he craved a nice bar of chocolate. He pushed the thought away. Near's eyes glimmered, as though he sensed the boy's thinking pattern. Mello glanced down.

"Are you hungry?"

"No," Near answered, shaking his head slowly.

Mello stood up, stretching and yawning a moment before looking around. He browsed the many books with his eyes. One of them was titled, "Mysteries of the Supernatural: Hauntings." He found that seriously odd that L, of all people, would put books not following a logical train of thought into the collection.

Walking over to the desk, he grabbed the handle of the top drawer and snagged the two keys and the map, bringing all articles to the pale creature and sitting beside him, placing one key at his feet and slipping the other into his pocket. He spread the map out between them.

"There are five ways to get here, and these are the keys to open the doors and such. Consequently, there are about fifteen ways to get out, but once you go out you can't come back in the way you went. They use the ventilation system as a cover-up. These are actual tunnels above the system, way more sturdy than the vents. There is a path to the cafeteria, the library, and to the outdoors...and...a garden?"

Mello traced the line way past any of the others. Even the tunnel leading outside didn't go as far as this one. At the end of it was a drawing of a pond surrounded by a huge of a hedge, flowers surrounding everything and trees sheltering the secluded area.

"A secret garden, eh? Wonder if he expects us to grow something. I'm sure there's something about this somewhere in these books. Well, first thing's first, breakfast. I'll go grab something for us and you look for something on this garden. I have to admit, L definitely makes things interesting..."

Near shook his head.

"Over-elaborate is not interesting. And I'm not hungry. I'm too anxious to eat. I don't like this." Pale eyes traveled over the map. "The enclosure...looks more like a place to meditate than to grow anything..."

"I'm guessing he doesn't want us to get too stressed by all of this," Mello replied. "I say we spend the day exploring, finding out how thoroughly prepared our mentor was for us."

Near raised a small hand to entwine his finger into a lock of hair. Though he was calm, his hands were shaking. He didn't know what L had planned, but he didn't trust him anymore. He was still nervous, but that was mostly hidden. He sighed softly and took the key, slipping it into his pocket.

"We can't be up here all the time, Mello. The other students...Linda, especially...will talk."

"Simple solution," Mello said, laughing. "We feed them other stuff. It's so easy to start rumors with Linda that everyone's still talking about how I somehow have AIDS. Honestly, AIDS? Where the hell did she get that idea?" He shook his head, golden locked whipping his face slowly. "No. You shouldn't care about what they say, anyway. It's none of their business. What the hell do you think they are gonna say? What, that I am dragging you off and raping you or something?"

Mello scanned the map again and mused to himself, ignoring the fact that he had mentioned rape and Near in the same group of words. Near's eyes were memorizing the map, taking in every detail hungrily, carving it into his mind. Mello's soft movements behind him made him cease tugging at his hair, and he sighed.

"Linda," Near said quietly, "is one of the most idiotic human beings I have ever met."

"We don't have to come here together, and we don't have to come all the time. That is why we each have a key. And for the record, I am not a rapist."

"Too long has L worked on this, I'm sure. L spends about as much time developing needlessly drawn-out plots as Linda does spreading rumors. And for the record," he added with a soft snicker, gazing up at Mello with something like a mischievous twinkle in his eye, "I'm not a rape victim."

Mello couldn't help it. He burst into laughter. THAT was amusing. He laughed at Near's response, forever going to remember that one.

"Well then, looks like I haven't raped you then, despite you being a natural rape-magnet, no offense. You are just too cute for your own good when you want to be."

Mello smirked back at Near. Yes, he'd just called him cute. He was aware of that fact, but it was only the truth. Near was the most likely person in the entire freaking house to be raped. And the most likely rapist would have probably been Mello, for all his aggressiveness and total inferiority complex, not to mention his mental instability.

"Now that we've straightened that out, are you sure you are not hungry?"

Near stopped tilting his head, in the middle of rolling his eyes, and simply nodded at Mello. A smirk had painted itself over his pale lips without him noticing.

"Not hungry. Mello. Me being called a cute rape victim is ironic, coming from the one who several of the students still believe is a female in disguise."

Might have been pushing it, but his lips spread into a wider grin. He was enjoying himself. He was going to savor it.

"Well I am positive that you know I am not a lady...maybe I should walk around topless tomorrow just to prove that fact." He imagined the look on the other kid's faces' if he were to run amok without his shirt on. "I honestly doubt anyone would try to rape me, considering if they did it I'd take a big fat double-bladed saw to their genitals and carve them out."

He seemed particularly passionate about this topic, for reasons unknown to Near, but the vicious and insane light that had flickered in his eyes was enough to tell anyone that the sadistic things he had just mentioned were replaying in his head.

"Possible Rape Victim, where should we go today? We have all day to do whatever the hell we want to, and I'd love to see how intricate all these tunnels are."

Still donning a bemused grin, Near shook his head, blue eyes glinting. "Wherever you want, Mello. You wanted to check on the garden, so we could always head there. However."

He extended a hand, very lightly brushing Mello's shoulder with his fingertips.

"That needs to stay hidden, and safe, doesn't it? So no running around with your shirt off."

"Bah, I'll just bandage it up and we'll have no problem, although the rumors start about how I got into a massive bar fight and was smacked with a glass bottle or something of the like." Mello gathered up the map and folded it into his pocket carefully. "Not now, I'd actually like to dig into these books first. I have a feeling L put something in here specifically about this thing. Maybe he found something to nullify it, although I seriously doubt it. Nevertheless...well, maybe not books. Maybe I should answer your questions first since I am kind of leaving you in the dark about the whole thing. Go ahead and ask me whatever, I won't lie."

He leaned back on his palms and waited for a question. He was the type of person who put the past behind him and didn't usually dwell on it, and talking about it didn't phase him much. Slightly shocked, Near's smile faded, and he continued to gaze at Mello introspectively, his mind working fast. He was afraid. Not of the answer, not of the question, but of Mello...though he trusted him, at the same time, he couldn't help but feel endangered by asking such horribly personal questions...

Because deep in Near's mind, he was still afraid of Mello as a person. His rival, and the person who made him human...who made him alive.

And who he was almost certain would, someday, take his life...

Near, you have no fucking idea. xD

OOPS, I said the Fuck-Word. :x