Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, LIVE WITH IT!

Summary: AU Taito. Beaten and abused he did the only thing he could think of, he ran. Out into the storm, where someone found him, and took him home. But how can he ever learn to trust again after everything he's been through? Will his best friend be able to show him the meaning of friendship, or even love?

Warnings: TAITO! So Standard warnings apply there, SM (Self-Mutilation), Abuse, Rape, Suicidal Thoughts, and all round Nastiness caused by the hyperactive author.

WARNING (again): I'm sorry about the obsession I have with MINTS! I tend to go about them a lot, so you have been warned!

A/N: This chapter was quite hard to write, because of the angst here, as we start to find out more of what happened. I called Tai's dad Takuma and his mom Ami, because, one I like the names, two I don't like their TV names, and three it's my ficcy and I'll do what I want! MMMMWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Also I don't know what other pairings are gonna be in here, but I think its safe to say there are gonna some hints of Sora x Matt. Might turn out to be a Dai/Keru/Ken triangle, not surethough.

Replies to reviews:

Krixel: CONGRATULATIONS! You guessed correctly! Have one of the last five MINTS! from the even bigger bag I got this morning! WOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOO! Sorry…

Anyhoo! Thank you for complimenting me on my writing style, putting this story on your HUGE favs list and saying you enjoyed the first chapter, I don't think it was any good, but hey it was only the prologue-y type thing… please review again, if the chapter doesn't scare you away that is… sorry I tend to go on when I'm hyper… HeHeeeeeee

InfynitiStar: CONGRATULATIONS! You guessed correctly as well, have a MINT! Sorry… you must be kinda insane to keep on like that, but hey that's pretty average for my friends, we tend to have weddings in our lessons at school, or set fire to teachers' hairstyles, or have disturbing conversations about potatoes, so… yeah…

Well at least you didn't have to wait to long for the next chapter! And thank you for putting this ficcy on your favs list and for the huge compliment, saying I'm a good writer, hopefully I'll become a professional author one day, so it's nice to know there's someone out there who thinks my writing is good. But you've got a longish wait to find out exactly what happened.

Mikin Ishida: I've continued! Here's the next angsty-ish chapter. Thanks for putting this ficcy on your alert list.

Amethyst Bubble: WOW! I love your pen name, Amethyst is my birthstone, and purple is my fav colour, sooooo, Anyhoo. I'm glad there are people out there how like my stuff!

YugiYamiforever: SORRY! You didn't guess right, but have a MINT! anyway!

Towennar: Shame you don't know who's who, but I'll still give you a MINT! You'll find out who's who in the chappy anyway, so DO NOT PANIC! I repeat DO NOT PANIC! Sorry…

DarkMetalAngel of Destruction: Thank you for reviewing this story, and saying you like it! Is this soon enough? I hope so. Also thanks for putting this ficcy and me on your alert lists, (Yes I do look and see who puts my stuff on their lists)

I'm Safe With You

He was warm, and someone held him in a gentle embrace. The memories of the night before had blended together and mixed into a confusing tangle of thoughts. His head was resting against something warm and solid, a deep thudding rhythm underneath his head made him guess that he was resting on someone's chest.

Hang on… embrace! Resting on someone's chest! What the fuck! He shot upright, then wished he hadn't because waves of dizziness and intense pain shot through him. Curling over in a ball he let a tiny whimper of misery escape his lips. After yesterday he could allow himself this one moment of weakness. A few crystal tears fell onto the hands he had folded in his lap. Pretending they weren't there the boy took a deep steadying breath and tried to calm his ragged nerves. He watched as his whole body shook from lack of food and the residue fear. But he felt strangely apart from it, as if all these things were happening to someone else. Taking another shaky breath the boy ran a hand through his hair. After the soaking it got last night he wasn't surprised to notice it had gone all frizzy and tangled as it dried. A bitter smile twisted his lips as he wondered why he had once cared so much about his appearance.

There's no point any more. No point in anything. But despite his newfound resolution not to care the teen once again found tears stinging his eyes. It hurt. Fuck it hurt so much to realise… NO! I can't go there. I can't think about it. He gave a choked sob as against his will he saw the events of the night before flash through his mind. Why? Why did it happen? Usually he had done something wrong, and deserved to be punished. But this time… what had been done to him went beyond that; it was so… wrong, so… degrading.

He must have been drunk. But there had been no sent of alcohol in the mouth that had been pressed to his in a stolen kiss. I must have made something he doesn't like for dinner. But he'd made Black bean Stir-fry, his favourite. He must have had a bad day at work. But he had been glowing with happiness when he came home. He must have… STOP THIS! I can't dwell on it, all I know is it happened. And I wish it hadn't.

"Morning 'Mato." A sleepy voice mumbled beside him. Looking down he found a pair of soft chocolate eyes watching him with concern.

&#&#&#&#&#&#

Yamato was sitting curled up on the edge of his bed, soft blue eyes filled with tears, the bruises stood out very clearly in the sunlight streaming through the window. His golden hair had tangled and knotted itself into a mess, but the blonde didn't seem to care, he was staring blankly out the skylight, his expression was one of intense pain. Taichi saw that his friend was shaking badly, hands clasped in his lap. Yamato gave a soft sob and fresh tears fell from his beautiful ocean blue eyes.

Eyes like diamonds, with many faces that reflect the light in different ways. Eyes every shade of blue seen in water and ice. What am I thinking! This is too weird, even for me.

"Morning 'Mato." The blonde twisted round to face Taichi and for a moment all his emotions showed plainly, then with a flicker they were gone leaving just an icy uneasiness. Taichi yawned widely and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, grinning at his best friend the soccer athlete launched himself out of the bed, jumped over to the dresser, pulled out some clothes and bounced out the room, leaving a very confused Matt.

Sitting up hurt, standing hurt, breathing hurt, being alive hurt but Yamato did all of these things. He was unsteady on his feet and had to lean against the desk to stop himself from falling. Everything hurt, but at the moment the throbbing in his skull threatened push all the other pain aside. This was gonna be a killer headache.

Maybe it will finish me off. I hope so. Despair reached up to choke him, but the blonde pushed it all away forcefully. What am I going to do? Tai's mom will probably call home despite what I might say. But she mustn't! I can't let that happen.

"…oh gods…" he whispered half to himself, not thinking there was anyone else in the room.

"Oh gods what?" Taichi asked. Matt spun around firsts raised. The brunette's eyes went wide as he saw pure terror in the blue-eyed gaze.

But then Yamato grinned and joked: "Oh gods Tai don't sneak up on me like that!" Tai laughed and let a huge smile break out on his face.

"If you feel well enough to joke, perhaps you feel well enough to eat?" Tai's mom asked kindly. Yamato watched with a smile on his face as Tai went pale at the thought of his mother's cooking. "So what do you boys want for breakfast then?"

"Bacon!" Takuma called from somewhere else in the apartment. Yamato nodded and let a small smile grace his lips at the suggestion.

"Right bacon it is then! Ami laughed before returning to her kitchen. Taichi turned to his best friend, a pleading look on his tanned face.

"Please Matt, help my mom cook. Please!" Yamato glared. Taichi pouted.

"PLEASE! Unless you want to be eating charcoal for breakfast, please help her cook!" Yamato sighed in mock defeat and walked out of Tai's bedroom with said brunette dancing behind him.

"Morning you two!" Tai's dad said from over the top of his newspaper. The brunette pulled up a chair beside his dad and looked over the older man's shoulder to read the sports section. Ami was busy in the kitchen trying to slice up the bacon while Yamato hovered at the edges, apart from this scene of family life. Inside his heart bled, he had never had a family like this, one where everyone got on well, a family of normal people, well as normal as you could get with Tai as a relative.

Yamato's personal Flashback

SLAP! The sound rang sharply through the small apartment. The small boy's head was jerked to the side, reaching up a trembling hand to his sore face Yamato looked at his mother in shock.

"It's all your fault! If you acted like a normal person we could be an ordinary family. But nooooo! Just look at you!"

SLAP!

"I don't want to see you again today. Just make breakfast and get to your room!"

End of Flashback

Yamato shook himself away form the painful memories, it was a long time ago but the pain was still as sharp. He walked over to where Ami was cutting… something with a knife. She grinned apologetically to her son's blonde friend before trying to work out what the hell she had been doing. Matt reached over before he realised what he was doing and grabbed Ami's wrist before she cut her hand off. Twisting his grip slightly so she dropped the knife Yamato walked around to stand beside her.

"Here, go sit down I'll do this." Brown eyes that were paler than her son's widened and she gaped at him in shock.

"You can cook!" he blushed and nodded before turning away and trying to salvage some of their breakfast. Realising that she must have embarrassed Yamato Tai's mom put a comforting hand on his arm and smiled gently.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have assumed that you couldn't cook because you're a boy." Yamato smiled at her humble admission, and felt strangely grateful that she had accepted him so easily.

Hang on… why should I care about what she thinks of me? It doesn't matter to me. The last thought was more of a command than a fact. He didn't want to care any more. He didn't want to do anything, just stop. A few tears fell from his eyes, but luckily for him no one saw them.

Soon the Yagami household smelt of frying bacon. Takuma had gone to change ready for work while his mom was tidying Tai's bedroom for the fourth time that week. Tai was standing behind Yamato, an arm slung comfortably around his shoulders. The touch hurt Yamato, resting a little too near that injury, but he kept the pain hidden behind his mask. He was glad that Tai hadn't noticed it yesterday, when the blonde had changed into some of Taichi's clothes. If he had Yamato knew the questions would never stop. Tai's arm around his shoulders was a warm and comfortable weight, but then the brunette suddenly rested his head on Yamato's right shoulder.

The scream of agony brought both adults shooting back into the kitchen. Yamato had braced himself against the counter, right hand curled protectively to his chest, his whole body shaking with pain and the shock of its strength. Taichi had had enough sense to turn off the cooker, and was now standing beside the blonde, confusion and concern all over his face.

"Matt? What happened?" the blonde just shook his head and took another gasping breath. Tai. Please. Just. Go. Away. We. Promised. Remember? No. Questions. Fuck. This. Hurts. Yamato's breathing was ragged and uneven from pain and his vision was fading. Shit. I'm. Going. To. Faint. The pain was so intense, radiating out from his shoulder in waves. On the back of his shirt there was a spreading stain, like someone had spilt liquid there. Tai was standing beside his friend, resting a hand on his left arm; very gently he reached up his other hand to lie against Yamato tear-stained cheek.

Matt felt Tai's hand against his face and leaned into the comforting touch; here was something solid and safe, Tai could be trusted, Tai was Yamato's best friend. He was going to pass out and he knew it. Yamato was loosing his grip on consciousness fast, and hated himself for that, fainting was weakness and he couldn't afford to show weakness.

"Matt? What did I do!" Tai wailed. You didn't do anything Tai; it's all my fault.

"You. Didn't do. Anything. Tai." The effort of talking made his headache and his vision swim. He felt Tai's arms curl around him protectively, leaning against the brunette Matt finally felt safe and gave up his fight with consciousness.


A/N: I know Matt faints a lot in this, if only you knew what I done to him… you couldn't blame him. Luckily you won't know for a long-ish time what I did, well not what I did but what one of the characters did. I bet you've all been scared away by the disturbing comments I make. Oh well, SHAMELESS BEGGING SECTION! PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! I'LL WRITE YOU INTO THE STORY (MAYBE, ONLY IF YOU SAY SOMETHING NICE, OR CONSTRUCTIVE) ! Tami.