Yeah, If you couldn't tell, I was kinda depressed this Christmas... Sorry for further destroying the characters you treasure so dearly! But, please enjoy!!!

A soft glow resonated from the strings of lights surrounding the bushy evergreen. White frost blanketed the crisp night earth. Everything seemed perfect through the snow-frosted window from the street; nothing outside the beautiful, decorated house would have hinted the frightening agony felt inside. Not a ripple escaped what was held beneath.

Together, two teenage boys held each other within their arms. Silent tears leaking from their eyes fell like lead, each one staining the already water-soaked cheeks of the pair. The bigger of the two, a white-haired, pale boy; continuously whispered to the other; trying his best to convince him that everything would be all right, they would be okay. His strong hand gently stroked the spiky, orange head of his slight friend. Yellow-black eyes looked down upon the broken body of the once joyous teenager. All the life that he loved so dearly had gone. He couldn't protect him.

Why the hell did this have to happen to Ichigo? It was just so freaking screwed up. He didn't deserve it. He didn't deserve that screwed up father of his and all that crap he had to take. First, the beatings, and now this. Something had to be wrong with the world for it to allow everything that had happened to him.

And still, he lived on. Covered up the bruises and cuts and went on with out telling a soul. If it hadn't have been for Hichigo, he truly would have had no one. Every day, he'd go to school and smile; faking it better than anyone. And it seemed like they'd known each other forever, and known Ichigo's secret for even longer.

Since they were young, Ichigo would run to him through everything, praying that he could save him from his personal hell. Deep, bleeding cuts would flow as Hichigo held the crying child to his protective chest. His soft arms would encircle Ichigo for what seemed like an eternity; the darkness in his eyes disappearing for an evanescent moment.

The shivering creature lying in Hichigo's arms cried out sharply, twisting suddenly within his grasp. Eyes vacantly staring into nothingness, the movement had caused Ichigo's steady gaze to divert into the waiting eyes of Hichigo. This wasn't his love. It was nothing more than a dried husk of the remnants of a cowering child, long since broken. But, Hichigo held him close; the warmth seeping into his frozen heart.

Seeing Ichigo like this hurt him worse than a dagger to the heart; the sight further confirming that he no longer possessed the power to protect him. Funny thing was; that night had started out like any other Christmas Eve, glowing warmth flowing electrically through the air. Hichigo ran about fixing garland and stringing up lights. Every thing had to be perfect when Ichigo arrived. Pause. A faint ding-dong sounded as the door-bell tolled, a radiant smile following closely behind on the lips of an excited Hichigo. His joy was cut short once turned the knob and opened the front door. Standing there, disarray and distant, was an injured, beaten Ichigo; his breaths coming in long, hard drags.

"Hichi-Chan! Please, you have to help me…. H-He's coming and-d he's really mad…Please…" Without even speaking, the message had been conveyed through Ichigo's soft, brown eyes, reflecting unimaginable fear. A second later, he had collapsed into Hichigo's waiting arms. This was odd. Never before had Ichigo come running to him before his father's abuse; he would always wait patiently for his beatings to come to an end. What had scared him enough to make him reach out just this once? Hichigo's answer came shortly in the form of Ichigo's raging father. The ballistic man charged up to the front door, confronting an equally-glaring Hichigo.

"Hello, sir, what can I help you with?" Hichigo's polite tone only achieved to further anger the boiling man, his defiance an uncommon act; compared to the submissive Ichigo.

"You know good and well what the hell I'm here for." His head nodding toward the cowering figure clinging desperately to Hichigo's broad back. Hichigo's slight smile caused his creased mouth to fall open abruptly.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't allow you to take Ichigo with you. You see, he's now on my property, meaning you have no right to take him away."

An answering amount of swears followed," The hell I don't! He's my son!! I have the right to do any thing I wish with hi-"

"No. He is staying here with me. You will not take him." Their eyes held each other, knowing the first to break contact would lose. And, then.

A swift punch to Hichigo's head quaintly knocked him out, leaving Ichigo unprotected and alone. Ichigo's father, stepping over the unconscious body of Hichigo, proceeded toward his son, wrath glaring in the depth of his eyes," Now there's no one to protect you, heh."

Ichigo's screams pierced the silent night sky as his father threw him to the ground; bent down and ripped off his clothes," No! No! Please, Please, don't to this…" His voice was drown out by the sound of his own sobs as his father roughly entered him. After every thing had done, never once had his father done this to him. No, he saved this pain for last. Oh God, and the pain. The awful act indeed entitled pain, as his father was trying his hardest to break him. But, deep inside, Ichigo knew he had to live. Had to go on to be with Hichigo.

His sinful task finished; he stood up, leaving his crying son shivering and naked in the blinding-cold. "You deserve every thing you got. Just like your mother…" With this, he turned and walked away; his form disappearing into the frigid winter night.

Once Hichigo awoke, he wished he could go back to sleep, leaving this entire hellish nightmare behind. Ichigo's small body still lay as it had, his eyes lost somewhere between the realm of conscious and unconscious. Then, Hichigo noticed Ichigo mumbled inaudible words.