He had noticed the way she stumbled into the living room, her hand clutching her stomach which leaked a red liquid. He had perceived how her usual pig tails had fallen out, her wrist having three indistinguishable slashes; that resembled,

Self-hatred.

Her forest green eyes were a cloudy pastel lime; her usual soft, plump pink lips were chapped and split. Her lips parted in a silent scream, words incapable of coming out and beg for help. She had faltered from the bathroom like that, a horrid wreck from her own verbal and physical abuse. He watched her for another half second, his heart clenching in disbelief of what he witnessed. He raced up to her, catching her feeble and delicate body from shattering on the ground. Her eyes dropped in an almost lazy stare, her breath weak with a trace of blood loss.

"Maka! Maka! Stay with me…oh god…oh…god...Maka, look at me… keep breathing…" Soul cried, tears threatening to fall from his crimson blood red eyes.

Maka's breathe dithered, her head tilting to the side as her sight turned black, herself falling into a bottomless pit of unconsciousness. He watched in dreadfulness as the scene unfolded in from to him. She grasped for light, trying to climb up from the darkness that was engulfing her. The last words she heard were his, his begs, his pleads, his shrieks of confused despair.

One Month Later

She hadn't said anything, not a word since they returned from the hospital. Oh he had tried to get her to talk, for her to clarify how she had ended up with a bath full of blood, and a huge stitched up scar on her stomach. She didn't reply to him, or anyone. Of course the school had been informed of her injuries, sympathy going out to her every day in class. She wore the same blank, distant stare on her face, broken smiles, if she even did find a reason to be cheery. His voice the first week and had been calm, patient with her and not asking any questions. The next week he had begun pacing, back and forth, his patience growing weaker…

Until' he snapped.

"That's it Maka! What the hell happened to you?" He growled at her limp body, her shoulders hunched in a slight shrug.

Her voice came out in a whisper, her eyes floating to the window beside her, viewing the trees blowing freely in the wind. "I have no reason to be me, only to become the girl in his dreams-."

His eyebrows furrowed a sweat forming as his frustration exploded.

"WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?"

Her eyes flickered to his, narrowing in an intense glare.

"I'm becoming stronger, don't you see? My life is a revolving door, spinning in a 3rd degree…"

"That's it!" Soul grasped her shoulders tight, his anger growing higher than a mountain peak.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? WHO DID THIS TO YOU? Who cut you... who hurt you… who stole you away from me…?" His voice grew soft, staring straight into her eyes with vulnerability, though her voice returned cold.

"Me."

He dropped her shoulders, his eyes widening, mouth opening and closing, only one word leaving his lips.

"Why?"

"Because no when will ever love me."

"…That's not true."

"It is too! You shouldn't speak! You have all the girls in the world in love with you!"

"I don't care about them, god damn it Maka!"

"Oh yeah, making sure I know when every girl hits on you, batting their eye lashes just to get your attention!"

"I told you, I don't like them! I don't care, why are you so frustrating?"

"Prove it you arrogant jerk!"

"You know what? I will!"

Soul grabbed her shoulders once again, tugging her closer to his chest. His breathing was hard, his mind somewhere else. His head tilted, crushing his lips against hers. His ruby eyes closed, as her emerald one's widened. He pulled away, his heart pounding louder than it ever has before; he was almost scared she could hear it.

"I…I can explain."

She went limp, her breath matching his.