A/N: Hey guys, check it out. This is going to be my first serious fiction that is more then a oneshot (and that I have passion for). It's going to be AU, It's all first person, and it won't be following the manga or anime. Alright, let's get this started then shall we?

Ch1. Shattering

I was hiding. I'd been hiding all day. I couldn't let anyone find me, because if they found me, I knew what would happen. They would ask what happened, and for that, I had no answer. Sure, I did know why there was a dark bruises forming on my back, but I would never tell anyone. If I did, then there would only be trouble. Alcohol and abuse. Just like last night. Besides, was there anyone worth telling? I couldn't trust anyone. I had no friends, not by the normal definition at any rate.

What was I thinking? I had almost forgotten that there was someone in my life I could go to for comfort and trust not to pry. With him in my mind, I got up, put on a brave face, dried up all my tears, and made my way to his house. The walk there was calming. There was something relaxing about the still night air, slightly chilly air, and the ability to feel myself move forward despite the horrors that had commenced the night prier.

I took my mind away from thinking about that night. Instead, I thought about him. He was truly my best friend. And so it was that I walked up his front step's feeling comforted just by the idea of seeing him open the door with open arms. At that point I was feeling tremendously exerted and I just wanted to sleep. As it was, I knocked on the door to hear footsteps coming closer, and when my knee's gave out, I was caught by gentle hands.

There he was, his snowy white hair, his passionate red eyes, and his gentle arms. That's all I cared to register. I knew he was trying to talk to me, but his soft skin holding me close was kind of shadowing out my ability to register words in my brain. To describe how I felt at that very moment was just pure relief. After only 30 seconds of heartbreak, I was broken enough to kill myself. It took only his presence to push that all away. Even while I was walking, the agony and pain was lurking like a monster, ready to strike should I display the opportunity. Now it was gone, vanquished, all thanks to my closest friend.

"Maka! Would you please answer me? Are you okay?" A worried voice struck through to my eardrums. With that, I snapped from my trance and looked at him for a few seconds before replying.

"Soul...I need you." I knew he wasn't stupid enough to take that the wrong way. Soul knew that I had a boyfriend. I supposed he knew not to pry, as I assumed he would, because he led me to the room in his apartment that had spent many a night in. Yes that's right, I had stayed here on the nights that my father had forgotten to pick me up. That was often, mind you. Sure soul had offered me many rides, but I always refused, preferring to spend my time away from that horrible excuse for a dad.

Soul waited until I sat on the bed before he grabbed some blankets and tea, handing me the warm, sweet smelling cup of liquid and placing the blanket over my shoulders. With that done, he watched as I slowly sipped the tea. I was fine for only a few seconds before the glass began to fall. Soul caught it and set it on the end table in a swift movement before quickly crawling under the blanket with me and holding me tightly.

At that point there were rivulets of salty tears cascading down my cheeks and increasingly loud sobs were erupting from my mouth. My whole body began to shake and I could feel the delicate pieces of me start to detach. Suddenly I was shattering all over again, only this time the hands on my body were telling me everything was going to be okay. These hands held me gently, and I couldn't thank Soul more for being there at that moment.

The night progressed, and I sobbed and yelled for about two hours before my voice gave out entirely and I could only heave raspy sounding gasps of oxygen into my lungs. Tears were dried on to my skin and I was still shaking mildly, but Soul was still holding me and it made me feel much better. I ignored the agonizing pain in my now raw throat and heart, and pressed closer to him, drawing comfort. I was still breathing heavily, but I somehow felt very relaxed after crying my pains out. It was probably due to those very gentle arms and the strong warm body that belonged to Soul.

I wondered only for a second if he was going to get up and leave when I let go of him to lay down and sleep. But I knew it was stupid of me to wonder, he was my best friend for a reason. As I laid down, partly curled up, and facing away from him, I felt the blanket move away from his body. He got under the blanket again and shuffled closer to me, then gently tapped my shoulder. "Maka, turn over okay?"

Normally after the night prier, I would have rejected sleeping in the same bed as anybody, but tonight I really needed Soul there next to me or there was no telling what might have happened. I rolled over slowly to face him, and was comforted even more by the unending depths of tenderness and love in his eyes. I knew he was in love with me, but I also knew that wasn't why he was so keen to share my bed. He truly was my best friend. My head found it's way under his chin and his arms snaked around my stomach, those hands of his resting on my back and pulling me as close as they could.

It was in that position, his warmth giving me comfort and hope, that we both fell asleep. I had thought that would be the only time that I would be at his house in such a state. I was so terribly wrong.

I don't know what time it was when Soul and I had fallen asleep, but I woke up at 11:38am the next day, comfortable in Soul's arms, and unwilling to move. I felt agonizingly stiff and sore, especially my back which seemed to be on fire at the time. I attempted to move only slightly, to readjust my position, and the movement sent a bolt of pain right along my entire spine. This of course made me let out a loud scream, which naturally caused Soul to jump up in fright, almost having a heart attack.

"Soul, I-I can't m-move!" I gasped. Tears were back in my eyes and he was back at my side, offering his full support. Offering those hands, those gentle hands.

"Maka, what's wrong? Where does it hurt? Are you sure you can't move?" God his voice was so incredibly gentle and soothing. I loved it. Except for the worry that was perverting it all. It made me nervous. There was the question...'what's wrong?' Could she trust him with the answer? No. Well, he had just held her broken pieces together all night long. Maybe...and his hands were much kinder then...his.

"S-Soul...My back...look at my back..." I could barely whisper. I watched as he leaned over my side to pull the back of my shirt up. I listened, waiting for his shock, his anger, and his hatred. His shock was imminent almost as soon as the fabric of my shirt moved, his loud gasp serving as proof. His anger and hatred did not, however, come as I had predicted. He merely stayed there in that spot, looking at the story my skin told.

I told you, Soul was no stupid boy. I knew he could piece together what happened. I knew it was a big blow to him as well, which was why I did not get angry or object to answering when he asked, "Maka, what happened to your back...?"

He let my shirt go and leaned back to sit up in the bed, facing me. I struggled for only a minute before I too was able to sit up. Soul watched this with wary eyes, but allowed me to do it, knowing I'd argue till he let me. When we were both sitting facing each other, I looked at him and all I said was "Closer."

He knew what that meant. Soul pulled me close, letting my head rest on his chest, before I went on to tell him the story.

I was at his house. We were going to have a movie night. Seemed innocent, for we'd had them often enough before. In fact, we tried to watch a new movie every week just so we could tell others if one sucked or not. I was on his couch, waiting for him to come back with the movie and some snacks, maybe a few drinks, but when he finally showed up at the door, he wasn't holding a movie, nor any snacks. There was a drink in his hand though. Alcohol. I didn't know enough about drinks to tell one from another, but the smell of alcohol was strong, and my boyfriend was looking extremely drunk.

He had told me to wait on the couch while he ran to get the movie and some snacks. I'd assumed the hour he was gone was due to trying to find a promising movie. With all the bad ones out today, I knew it could take time. So I'd made myself comfy. But it seemed that he wasn't out looking for a movie at all. It appeared he was looking only for alcohol. He was so drunk that he swayed over to the couch before dropping down on it next to me.

At that point I was nervous. I'd never seen him drunk before, let alone this far in. He looked very angry, which put me off even more, and I began to edge away from him, which unfortunately, he'd noticed. "Maka.." He'd said my name in such a creepy way. I looked at his dull blue eyes before tilting my head a little in question."Don't leave me now Maka..." his speech was so slurred.

I gasped in pain because suddenly, he had thrown me to the floor. As panic spread through my nervous system, my fight or flight response kicked in, and I was up and running in an instant. But I was never the athletic one, I was too slow. He quickly overtook me and knocked me to my stomach. I remember I thought it hurt when my chin hit the hardwood floor. I thought that until his boot slammed into my back. I knew it would bruise. God it hurt so much. Not just the physical pain, but the pain of being hurt by him of all people.

We were supposed to be in love. Or so he had told me every night for the last three months. But his boot came down more then once, it hit me twice, three times, four times, five times, and finally, six times, and each stomp hurt more and more both physically and emotionally. I was crying so hard at this point, as I'm sure you could imagine.

But it didn't end there. He lifted me up very roughly, slamming me against the wall, luckily face first, i don't think my back could have taken that pain too. The last thing I remember was my scream as i felt him punch my back with all his might.

"I said...DONT LEAVE ME!"

"BLACK*STAR, NO!"