DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SOUL EATER

AngelofFluffiness: Nope, I don't own Soul Eater either! Haha, here's a challenge! Try to separate my part from raelynn's! Can you? Huh, huh? Lol. We'll have to see. I challenge you all to try!

Here for You

Chapter 1: Beginning of a Friendship

Six-year-old Soul Evans stared blankly at the black piano in front of him. His parents had ordered him to practice until he learned to be nicer. It was their fault in actuality due to only teaching him to say a few words and only when spoken to. Suddenly the door to the music room burst open.

"Soul, have you seen my music sheets for tonight's concerts?" a white haired boy asked franticly.

Soul shook his head his red eyes shining with fear.

"Damn it mother is going to kill me if I can't find them in time." He yelped.

Soul suddenly remembered the picture he had drawn earlier. Without a word, the young Evans handed the papers to his older replica.

"Brother it's for you. Do you like them?" he asked as his brother took the drawings. Anger crossed the elder albino's face in seconds.

"Soul what have you done! Where did you get these papers from?" Wes asked. Soul trembled in fear unable to answer.

"Well answer me." The older boy spat as he made to slap his young brother.

"I'm sorry." Soul managed to whisper.

With one last slap to the young albino and Wes left the room. This was why he never spoke or left his room. Nothing he ever did or said was good enough for his family. Shaking he snuck down to the main floor of his home before leaving for the pond. It was always peaceful when he got away from the overbearing family surrounding the social elite. He longed to leave the horrors that this life gave. Repeatedly he had tried to run away and hide from the people who he feared.

"You're being awfully thoughtful as always Rabbit," came a low ruff voice behind him. Soul spun around to face the man who smiled brightly at him. A giant smile spread across the young albino's face.

"Well, come say hi to your grampa," The older man said as he held out his hands for a hug.

Soul darted forward as he was engulfed in his grandfather's arms.

"Still not talking, huh bunny?" He asked as Soul shook his head.

The older man sighed as he ran his thumb over a faint scar on the boy's cheek.

"Come on kiddo. It's time you and I left this place." His grandfather sighed as he picked up the six-year-old grandson.

Soul giggled as he closed his eyes and inhaled his grandfather's scent.

Two years later an eight-year-old Soul stared blankly at the pigtailed girl who was animatedly yelling at a blue haired fellow neighbor. A young black haired Asian girl smiled as she watched the two friends fight over the small book in her hands.

"I'm surpassing god so I get to pick the story." Black Star yelled as he pointed stubbornly at the small yellow book.

"You picked yesterday Black Star, it's my turn today," Maka Albarn said in her usually commanding voice.

Soul smirked as he eyed the blonde female. The girl had been his friend since he had moved here with his grandfather. Suddenly said blonde was on the ground being pulled on by her pigtail. Soul acted on instinct as he tackled the blue haired boy to the ground.

"What the hell soul?" Black Star yelled as he tried to fend off the albino mute.

Tsubaki quickly checked over her young friend. After deciding that she was indeed okay, she called Soul over. It was no secret that the albino was protective of the pigtailed girl. It was also no secret that Maka herself came from a troubled background. Her father had cheated on her mother so many times that they had finally divorced leaving Maka to remain with the red haired politician while her mother left to travel the world. Soul only spoke to Maka usually but he had gotten comfortable with speaking around the other two friends. Maka eased herself into Soul's hold as he made his once over inspecting her for wounds. Not many people knew of the young girl's abuse from her father. Soul had found out by accident one time when he had fallen asleep at her house only to wake up to Maka's painful screams.

"Hey Soul want to hang at my place tonight?" Maka asked as she cuddled her face into his soft neck.

Soul nodded as he rubbed soft circles in her lower back. The two were always like this. Maka asked the questions and Soul gave his silent reply.

"Whatever. So Tsubaki, since I'm the better god why don't you pick?" Black Star said as he tossed the book to the silent girl.

Tsubaki nodded as she began flipping through the thick pages to her favorite story. Once she found the one she wanted, she handed the book towards Soul.

"Do you like this story Soul-kun?" she asked.

Soul nodded as he held Maka tightly to his chest. All three children listened intently as Tsubaki began the story. Halfway through the story Black Star and Soul had fallen asleep on Maka's lap. Both girls laughed at the two boys as they slept. Maka noticed Tsubaki close the book and gave her a strange look.

"Why did you stop?" Maka asked as she combed her fingers through the small albino's hair.

"We should let them sleep Maka-chan." Tsubaki smiled as she took the snoring blue haired boy.

"So Maka, are you going to tell Soul about your letter from your mom?" Tsubaki asked as her young friend stopped her movements.

She shook her head as footsteps stomped towards them. Maka knew instantly whom they belonged to. Soul woke to his friend's sudden movement and glanced at the cause. Maka's father towered over the small group his eyes showing false love that only Soul and Maka could place.

"Papa?" Maka asked as she and Soul stood up.

"Mr. Albarn, how can we help you?" Tsubaki asked as she bowed awkwardly trying to restrain an angry Black Star.

"Oh, nothing Tsubaki, I just came to retrieve my lovely daughter. Please tell your family I said hello and I'll be in Friday to get the weapon I ordered." Spirit said as he grabbed his daughter's wrist.

Only Soul noticed the tight squeeze that was given to be a silent warning of behavior. Soul watched sadly as his friend was taken home where he was more that positive she would be hit.

"Well I guess we should be off as well, right Black Star…..Black Star?" Tsubaki wondered as she searched around for her friend.

Soul wordlessly tugged on her sleeve before pointing to the tree limb above them. There a short Blue haired boy was jumping up and down proclaiming random things about being god.

"Black Star come down here this instant! Your parents will kill me if I call them from the hospital again," Tsubaki yelped anxiously.

Soul shook his head waved a silent goodbye to his friends and made his way to Maka's. His grandfather usually worked late at the music store so he would always find himself sneaking around Maka's home. The young girl didn't seem to mind as her window was always unlocked for easy access. Once he was sure that it was safe to enter the dark room, he began the task of shimming his eight-year-old body through the now open window. Maka's small whimpers met his ears as he crept to his spot to hide in her closet. It didn't take long for the small girl to appear in the room. Soul waited until she turned on her light before making his appearance. Her small body was covered in light bruises. She winced as he began cleaning and inspecting her wounds.

"Don't worry Maka it will get better soon," Soul whispered as he hugged her.

She smiled as they both lay together in her bed. Soul gently ran his fingers through her ashy blonde hair, a trick learned from watching his grandfather comfort him after his mother yelled at him.

"Papa is still mad about what happened between him and mom," Maka whispered after a few minutes of silence.

Soul nodded as he stifled a yawn.

Six years later, a fourteen-year-old Soul was currently stuck in a tree. Such a cool guy like him was not about to let anyone know that he was stuck. Maka on the other hand had that ability to read his emotions though.

"You sure you don't won't me to get help?" she asked again as she stared up at him.

Soul sent her a glare as he attempted once again to get down on his own. Just as he was about to grasp the branch his foot slipped sending him plummeting to the ground below. Maka squeaked as she jumped from the danger zone. Soul whimpered as he landed on his back.

"Are you okay?" she asked worried as he once again glared at his female companion.

As Maka tried to help him up, he pulled her to him. Now both teens lay haphazardly on the dirt.

"Soul, that's not funny," She yelped as her friend began chuckling deeply.

"Don't you have work to get to?" she asked as she sat up.

This stopped Soul's laughing fit as he joined her in attempting to stand.

"Yeah, gramps said I needed to work over this week so Friday night plans will have to be moved up to Saturday," Soul said as he helped her to her feet.

Maka tried not to let her disappointment show as she followed her friend to the record store his grandfather owned. Soul smiled as they stood outside the store.

"If I find anything you would like, I'll get it for you," He said before kissing her cheek.

Maka nodded as she watched the albino enter for work. True when they were little Soul barely uttered a word; still, had not changed much, Soul only spoke when he needed to and Maka still avoided her parents. She had moved in with Soul and his grandfather just two years ago.

Now here she was roaming the streets of Death City bored. The library would be closed soon and she had visited the bookstore earlier that day. Tsubaki and Black Star were training, and last time she interrupted that Black Star had ignored her. She had no need for shopping so the twins and Kid were off her list; was there really no one left?

It was true. There was nothing left but going back to Soul's home and doing something else. Sighing softly, Maka walked on back along the streets of Death City until she made it to Soul's grandfather's nice home where she now lived with both. After locking the door behind her, she wandered into the soft white linoleum kitchen and ran her hands over the smooth blue countertop as she headed over to the white refrigerator. This countertop…it held an interesting memory for her as it made her recall just how much of her first year here was spent getting her out of her broken hearted mind from the torture she had sustained for so long.

"Maka," Soul pleaded as he placed her on top of the blue countertop in order to look up at her, even as she sobbed from her pained memories.

She sobbed harshly, "I'm so scared Soul….so scared…."

"I know, I know. It's not fair what you had to suffer, but I was scared and broken too. It's okay Maka, you're safe here. Grampa and I are never going to let Spirit hurt you again."

She smiled to herself as she recalled that, carefully walking from the fridge with a bottle of water before carrying herself to her bedroom in the house, a room dressed in soft purple and light pink, the floor a checkerboard of both colors and the wall in the solid purple. Maka rested herself on her bed and put on her headphones from her music player, sipping the water as she lay there and soon fell away into sleep.

"Dammit Maka, you stupid daughter!"

"B…...but it's not my fault!" Maka wailed.

"It's always your fault, who else's fault would it be?"

"But your secretary organizes the files, not me!"

"Yes s..sir…not Maka," pleaded the secretary at his side.

"Shut up and get out! Maka, get over here!"

She quivered helplessly as Spirit didn't take kindly to her not getting her twelve year old hind end over there. He towered over her as he ripped her from the couch by the throat and tossed her into the bookcase of his home office. She screamed perilously as he tore her from the floor and slapped her repeatedly before slamming her into the filing cabinet. After all was done to her that he was going to do, he dragged her beaten body, nearly dead as she almost was. He tossed her and locked her into her room, leaving her to lie bleeding on her floor as she sobbed. She was damned tired of this crap she had to take every single cursed day of her pitiful and broken life.

Carefully but still harshly whimpering in pain, Maka struggled to her feet. If she wasn't wanted here, she wouldn't stay. She opened the window and looked at the short distance down, being that this was the first floor and Spirit didn't want her upstairs since she 'didn't deserve the view of beauty since she had none.' Maka inwardly moaned in pain as she slipped out. Two maids and some of the other staff saw her as she staggered up the street; none said a single word. Staggering up the street was a direction Maka's body knew and loved because it was the direction to a sanctuary where she could rest, feel good about herself, and feel loved again. Today, she found that she hoped that it would become her permanent sanctuary, where she could feel as happy as she did there for every day of the rest of her life. She made it to the familiar and welcoming cherry oak door as she saw a streak of red at the side of her eye, reminding her that her head was bleeding. She began feeling weak as the door opened.

"Maka! Oh my…."

"S…Soul…please…please help me…."

She fell forward, straight into the twelve year old Soul's arms.

"Maka! Grampa, help! Help me, Maka is hurt really badly!"

It was the loudest he ever had been and it was as loud as he's ever been thus far in his life.

He heard his grampa coming as he pulled Maka inside, looking her over. Inside, he vowed to himself that someway, somehow, Maka would never suffer this again. And if someone dared treat her like this again, he would personally kick their hind end for it.

"Never again Maka, I'm never letting you get hurt again."

With those words in her ears, Maka fell unconscious.

Sighing in her napping rest, Maka rolled over contently as she dreamed her memory of how the ensuing court battle had gone. Grampa, Soul, and Maka's lawyer had enlisted a doctor to help as a witness along with some of the people also in the Albarn home every once in a while. Maka had not enjoyed the prodding she had to take from the doctor as she had checked every inch of the twelve year old girl's skin, but at least Soul had been there to sit by her through it all. Since he wouldn't hear any other way, the professional doctor was touched, so she worked around it. There was a point during court where Grampa, when called on for his turn during closings, had stood up and called Spirit something that still made her laugh;

'Spirit, red whippersnapper, you are just a stupid snapping moron. You have to be, why else would you beat the wonderful little girl you should cherish as your flesh and blood?'

Even Soul had broken into laughter at this and suddenly, the whole courtroom was rattling with some form of agreement to the statement. Spirit, the politician, was shredded in terms of reputation forever on, never to be credible or reputable ever again. In fact, if Maka recalled, he was still either in jail or on probation, somewhere along those lines. Plus grampa had him on a restraining order from all three members of his household, including Soul and Maka both as well as himself. Yup, they had gotten Spirit good alright. This memory made Maka smile in her peaceful and softly safe resting. No matter what, she had a home now and that would never change. She had a life she could enjoy and live, no matter how rocky it got at times because she had a family and friends, especially a friend named Soul.

"Tiny tits, dinners ready." Soul called as he sorted through her diary.

He was unprepared for the book colliding with his skull a moment later.

"Don't read girls diaries shark bait!" she screamed, jerking the book from his unconscious grasp.

Soul moaned, this is why he stayed quiet.

"Maka that hurt!" he whimpered, recovering from the light chop.

The blond ignored him as they walked to the dining room.

"Grandpa Maka hit me," Soul tattled as he pointed an accusing finger to the teen.

Maka rolled her eyes before stating her comeback.

"He was reading my diary," She whimpered, Soul calling her bluff.

"Soul, it's not polite to read peoples things. As for both of you, stop tattling, it's not nice," He instructed.

"Yes sir," they replied still glaring at one another.

Grandfather sighed as he began to eat. Both continued a silent glaring contest until bath time in which the two now stood facing each other.

"I'm a girl so I go first shark bait," Maka growled.

"Sorry you look like a boy from here tinytits." He insulted back. Both had a hand on the knob.

"Move Evans," she hissed.

"I was here first!" he growled back.

"Well we can't both bathe in here." Maka said as she tried to move the albino aside.

"Well, we could but I can't guarantee you'll stay dry, if you catch my drift," he smirked.

"Perv!" she yelled, shoving him fully to the ground.

"I liked you better when you couldn't talk," She pouted as her friend laughed.

Once Maka was inside the bath, door shut, he closed his eyes. He felt safety for the both of them as he sat against the door. He had done this even before she moved in, watching in silence as people whispered about them or teased them. He still watched in silence. He never spoke in public. Even at work and with friends he spoke very little. Only saying what needed to be said and when he had to.

"Soul, I know you're out there, I need to borrow one of your shirts!" she called from inside.

Soul smiled, Maka needed one of his shirts which meant permission to go into the bath. True, he had seen her naked before. Each time had been on accident of course, though each time he had received a silent nose bleed and two cold showers. He went and collected one of his larger shirts for her. With Maka, he was different. Only to his girlfriend could Soul truly speak up, so long as he avoided setting her temper off. Even if he did set her off, he just had to wait for her to cool off and he'd be in the clear. Soon enough, he was knocking on the bathroom door and entering with the shirt in time to see Maka finishing up as she wrapped her favorite towel around herself. Blushing and bleeding from the nose, Soul passed her the shirt before running out, much to her amusement. Soon enough, Grandpa was calling them for the bedtime ritual.

"Soul, Maka, you two ready?"

"Almost!" called Soul.

"Yeah!" responded Maka.

The two soon came into the living room, Maka in the oversized shirt and pajama pants while Soul just wore a blue pajama set. The two curled up side by side on the large blue loveseat and Grandpa sat in his blue armchair. The ritual was for Grandpa to read from a novel, something more age fitted for now than Tsubaki's stories from when they were eight, although those had been wondrous stories too. Meanwhile, Soul and Maka would sit up and listen to him while soft and non-distracting background music played at a narrowly noticed volume. Grandpa would stop the instant one fell asleep and the other one would carry that one to bed before heading to bed then.

The words flowed and the music played as Soul and Maka slowly melted into one another on that couch, wordlessly forgiving one another for the day's tiffs and fights as they always did. Both knew they had nowhere else they'd rather be, Maka knew she was safe, and Soul knew he was safe and truly alive in this home. Both hearts internally joyful and contented, comfortable with the one at their side, Maka rested her head on Soul's shoulder and he rested his head against her own, both sighing softly with blessed content. Grandpa continued reading, the story forming brightly and wonderfully, soothing all three souls in that very living room. Slowly, two pairs of eyelids drooped and before either one could help it, Soul and Maka fell to sleep at the same time, clasping one another's hand in their own.. The instant Grandpa noticed, he laughed.

"Well I'll be darned. That's a first."

He stood up and got a blanket, covering both up gently before planting a small kiss to each one's cheek as a goodnight. Slowly, the smiling and fulfilled old man headed back to his room to go to sleep himself.