~Update!~

Hope ya likee! ;^P

~Luv, Fairylust~

"Don't worry. You're safe now." He said softly. He placed a kiss to the boy's bloody forehead. Near looked up at the familiar face, but couldn't place who it was immediately, but the voice was without a shred of doubt familiar. The master of the voice was ordering kids to give him tools of some sort. There was pain, but Near knew it was just because they were patching him up. It didn't stop him from feeling an intense ache though.

He just felt like he had to sit up. Near groaned trying to move, but was stopped. Near didn't resist and let the people above him repair his broken, beat-up body, which had undergone horrible mistreatment. He felt skin being cut and sewn and burnt closed. He felt herbs and salt being rubbed into open wounds. Near watched that specific face that reminded him of BB, but was not BB. He knew that BB didn't have dark gray, almost black eyes, but he did have blood red eyes that seemed to convey hate in their depts. As soon as everyone left Near felt his ragged breaths grow heavier.

Near felt tears run down his face.

A cold, wet rag was rubbed over his face. Near looked at the young man who washed his face off. His kind, almost black eyes never once left Near's dark orbs, which were tired and fighting the urge to slip shut. Near let out a small groan of pain. He struggled to sit up. He hurt all over. The pain was just so intense that Near felt like he was going to die or something close to it. He struggled to sit up, only to fall back down. Near struggled again falling to the floor. Looking up to the elder male his arm rose up and his fingers stretched out towards him. Near watched as the young man gave him a look of sympathy. Near was in agony and wanted help. He didn't know why, but Near honestly expected the familiar looking man to get up and walk away, to leave him in pain.

He blamed the mistreatment he'd received over the years.

Understanding the elder lifted him up bridal style and carried him to a room, which was dimly lit by candles. Near whimpered feeling lips place a kiss to his left temple. He watched as the elder, whom he suddenly remembered was his brother and known as, L left. He heard soft breathing nearby. Looking beside his bed he saw a sleeping Matt who was bandaged up and had a wet cloth lying across his forehead.

"…Matt…."

There was no response.

"…Matt…." he rasped once more. "…Matt…."

Still there was no response. Near let out a choked sob this time, as fear washed over him. He was worried that the redhead was dead, despite the fact he disliked him he knew that Matt was important to Mello and if Mello weren't happy, then Near felt that he couldn't be happy, either. He was quick to let himself be taken away by a river of dreams when sleep proved too much for him fight off any longer.

It was pleasant dreams that overtook him, luckily.

When he opened his eyes he was surprised to feel someone was next to him, looking he was surprised to see Mello, who was bandaged, battered, bruised and unconscious. Matt was also unconscious. Near licked his lips as he moved the blonde so that he was lying on Mello's chest. Not long after he got into that position arms wrapped around his frail body protectively. Mello seemed to be semi-conscious and then drifted into unconsciousness.

"…Mello…Mello…Mello…Mello…."

The blonde was awoken by the strange chant. He looked to see Near was softly murmuring his name as he slept, but it sounded more like he was saying 'Merro' instead of 'Mello'. He looked over to see Matt, who looked to him and Near sleepily, looking quite jealous. "H-hi, Mels." The redhead mumbled wearily.

He chuckled. "Hi-i, Matt."

That was pretty much all that was said between them. They were too tired to speak much, yet too restless to sleep properly. They lay there for a long while just looking at each other and mouthing brief sentences and replies to each other. They felt trapped and didn't know if they were going to survive or not. It was quite a frightening situation. The main question, which taunted the two teens was one that had taunted them since the first time they encountered horror and cannibals in those damned woods: What will happen next and will we survive to see tomorrow?

One time Near awoke, but didn't really do or say anything. He just lay quietly letting Mello run his fingers through his hair. At different times of the day different people came in to do something or another to one of them, normally it was to give medication, food, or water. The thought that the food might be poisoned never really occured to any of them, well, not until Matt got really sick and began to throw blood up. He later caught chills, an intense fever, he started to breathe shallowly and he began to speak in gibberish.

After a few days of this he was taken from the room for a total of three weeks, strangely enough Mello swore he heard screaming someplace far off. Each day the blonde wondered if he were dead, but quickly turned his attention to something else. Something positive that would make the situation that he was currently in seem not so bad. Then one day Matt was brought back in and he seemed to be healthy and stronger than before.

One evening Near was taken from the room and wasn't brought back. Later that very same week when Mello and Matt were speaking in whispers about what could have happened to their albino companion they were shocked and inturrupted by the door to the room swinging open. A tall, lean young man walked in followed by Near, who was much to their surprise, looking healthy and happy. When the young man took a strange seating position in a chair, which was across the room both Mello and Matt watched as Near took his odd sitting position beside the young man who gave him an affectionate pat on the head. The boy gave a contented sigh as the patting turned to affectionate petting. Mello couldn't help but to feel a bit jealous.

Okay, a lot jealous.

"Who're you?" Matt asked before Mello could say anything. "Why did you bring us here?"

"My name is L." the young man said with a smile. "I brought you here so that you wouldn't die. And I suppose that I apologize for letting you get shot full of arrows. It was a mistake."

"Yeah, well, I'm surprised you didn't kill me."

"That wasn't my aim." L replied. He turned his attention to Near who was leaning against him slightly. "I thought that you were trying to harm Near. So, naturally, I shot first, before asking questions. Sorry." He didn't sound sincere or like he really cared, but that was okay, because neither Mello nor Matt cared about his apology, whcih had came way too late. "I am just glad that your injuries have healed so well."

"We could've died." Mello deadpanned. "Do you even care?"

"Of course." L said smiling hollowly. "You've helped me, so I must help you."

"How in hell did we help you?" the blonde asked not remembering doing anything for the panda-eyed man. "All we've been doing is killing and trying to survive out here in…in…um…"

"Cannibal Land." Matt chuckled without much humor. "We've been surviving Cannibal Land and that's all."

"You've protected Near and for that I thank you." L said softly running his finger through the younger boy's hair. Near purred like a cat, which didn't help Mello's jealousy die down any, as he knew that meant Near enjoyed the touch. "You see, Near is very precious to me, because he is my baby brother and perhaps the last living family I have. If anything happened to him I do not know what I would do."

"He's precious to us too." Mello said with narrowed blue eyes that hid his envious feelings very well. "He's our friend. Maybe, just maybe, Near means a bit, if not, a lot more to…some of us…." he mumbled the last part, but everyone heard it all the same.

L smiled. "I am glad to hear that. Near deserves someone who can love and care for him properly."

"Yes. Yes, he does" Matt agreed, much to the surprise of everyone. "What? Can't I be nice to the twerp?"

Ignoring him L turned his attention back to Mello. "Look, helping you, if I must be honest, isn't the only reason I brought you here."

"What other reason did you have?" he asked.

"Kill BB." Near said darkly, quietly.

It surprised both Mello and Matt who hadn't herd him speak all too much since they met. L nodded in agreement. "Near summed it up very well. I was just wondering if you two are willing to help me out with that little endevor."

"Why?"

"Because people have been dying and Aizawa has only been able to cover things up. I want to stop the killing. Me and some others. So, will you two help me? Near has already agreed. I just need you both to agree and then I will tell you my plan."

"Yes." Matt said.

"Yes." Mello said. L smirked pleased that they agreed. "Soon you'll all be able to move." L had said. "And when that happens," he paused to look at each of the three faces, "we'll make our move and stop the others once and for all."

All three boys exchanged solemn smiles.

Yea, this was an incredibaly short chappie, but it could have been shorter.

Misa: Look on the bright side of things and you'll be filled by sparkly juice and rainbows!

Me: Well said. Well said, my friend.

Lol.

Sorry, about that, but, hey, at least I updated. Hope this was good.

R&R pretty pwease!