AN: This story means an awful lot to me. These topics are not to be taken lightly. Hence the M rating. This story has Intimacy (the good kind), Struggles with mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Domestic Violence. Some of the inspiration for this story comes from personal experiences I have faced in my life with domestic abuse.

Arthur's inner thoughts are in BOLD.

Abby's inner thoughts are in ITALIC.

Please read, and enjoy :)

As a child, my mother always told me that the world was full of monsters. I spent most of my life looking for a protector, to save me from the darkness of this world. I never knew that darkness could be a good thing. And that all the monsters; were mostly human.

Rain falls down outside of Arthur's bedroom window. It's beautiful in its own simple way. Touching the glass, the cold seems comforting as an earth shattering scream echoes in the thin walls of the apartment complex. Not again...

Abby Willows and her boyfriend moved in a month ago. She was sweet to Arthur. When her boyfriend was working at night, she'd stop by, listen to Arthur's comedy sketch. She was genuine. Probably the only genuine thing in his life. If happiness was really a thing and not an illusion, than she was the only happy thing in his broken world. They'd watch the Murray Franklin show with his mother. But Arthur would catch her smiling at him. Watching him. He hated, loathed being stared at. Abby staring at him, he didn't mind so much.

A thud against the wall made Arthur pause. Pulling back from the window, he sat against the wall. He heard the apartment door slam shut. Good, he was gone to work.

Standing, Arthur looked out the window, seeing her boyfriend get in a black car. Shaking his head, Arthur walking into the kitchen. Grabbing ice, clean towels, gauze and some Band-Aids, he grasped the spare key Abby had given him. They were friends, she trusted him. Checking to make sure Penny was asleep, he snuck out into the hallway.

The door creaked open as Abby reached for the knife that slide under the table. Her tongue ran across her lips, a small attempt to ignore the metallic taste in her mouth. She for sure thought it was David, coming to finish the job. She looked up at the busted mirror. Red streaked her face. Blotches of dark purple bruises began to form. No. Never again. Holding the handle tight in her hand, she forced herself to stand. In the mirror reflection, she could see a figure standing behind her. Rapidly, she turned as she met Arthur's eyes. "Arthur..." she breathed, dropping the knife to the floor. Reaching out to him, she dropped to her knees.

Arthur grabbed her before her knees hit the floor. This was bad. Worse than it ever was before. Sweeping back a lock of her red hair, he pressed his lips to her forehead. "It's okay." he stroked her hair as she cried. He glared at the photos that hung crooked on the wall. No more. He wouldn't let him touch her again. Arthur didn't care how gang affiliated the bastard was. Even if he were to kill him, dying for her seemed almost worth it. It wasn't long before the crying ceased and the manical laughter began. She sat back and watched as Arthur tended to her wounds. He found peace in caring for her. Her eye was bruised and swollen; handing her a bag of frozen peas from her fridge, he turned his attention to the cut on her hand. Did she try to stab him or did he try to stab her? Either way, he thought she was fearless for grabbing the blade.

"What would I do without you?" she whispered. A small smile formed on Arthur's face. Reaching up, his hand cradled her fragile face, thumb rubbing gently back and forth across the bruises. He wasn't used to this. To someone caring for him. "Why don't you let anyone see the good in you?" she asked.

"Well," he paused to wrap the bandage around her hand, "When people see good, they expect good." Hence why he hung around in the shadows. Hence why he stayed out of the spotlight. Hence why he spent hours kicking his own ass for getting involved with her problems. Arthur was messed up, mentally impaired as the pyschward put it. But he wasn't without morals. He was against men abusing women, in any form. "I don't want to have to live up to anyone's expectations." He continued to bandage her hand until she spoke up to him again.

"Just be yourself, Arthur." She smiled at him, running her fingers through her red hair. His smile in return brought pain as his cynical, haunting laugh kicked in. Quickly, he brought his hands over his mouth. Trying his best to silence his inner demon. His eyes pleading his apology.

Abby only smiled, leaning forward to kiss Arthur's cheek. But suddenly change of movement caught Arthur's eye. Dropping his hands quickly, he turned his head. Causing his lips to brush against her own.

Fire. Warmth. Heat.

They were trapped. Like a moth to a flame in each other's eyes. Abby stopped and looked at him. Really looked at him, before pulling back. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." Standing up, she walked over to kitchen counter.

Cold. Empty. Alone.

Uncomfortable? He felt anything but uncomfortable. He felt actually quite normal. Standing himself, he watched her grip the counter for support. "I'm not uncomfortable." it came out no more than a whisper. But it was enough for her to hear. Smiled as she glanced to the phone on the wall.

"I need to make a quick call. I'll be right back." Walking over to the phone, she picked it up and dialed a number. Arthur took it as his cue to leave. Picking up the gauze and whatnot, he went to go check on his mother. He was more then grateful to find her still asleep.

The bathroom light flickered as it came on. He leaned his head back against the wall and stared at himself in the mirror. "As if she would ever want you." he told himself. But the memory of her lips brushing against his ignited something in him. He felt himself pulse between his legs. What was she doing to him? The sudden knock on his apartment door both relieving and aggravating.

Abby stared into her bathroom mirror. David really did a number on her this time. Lifting her shirt over her head, she exposed the damage Arthur couldn't see. The damage she didn't want him to see. The slash marks were only skin deep but they bled. They were complimented by the dark purple finger tip bruises on her upper arm. Trying her best to cover it up, she bandage herself and threw a new black shirt on. She never realized that Arthur had left.

Abby packed a bag and left David a note. Not telling him where she was; she didn't want him going after Arthur. But she needed him to think she was gone. She made the call. It would be easier, cleaner if he wasn't home when the rival gang found him. Consider that a gift, she told herself. But Abby had no where else to go. She had to hide, and she wasn't going to leave without saying goodbye.

"Abby," Arthur sighed in relief as she stood in his doorway. Relief bled into concern as he glanced at her bag, "Where are you going?"

"Away." she whispered. The concern and disappointment in his voice pulled at her. Tendrils of good intentions lost among the madness, echoed to her. Help him find them. "I have to leave, Arthur. He can't find me here and I have no where to stay."

There was a long pause that seemed to stretch out more and more over time, as Abby watched the gears turn in his head. " You could stay with me. " his suggestion was genuine. Arthur wanted her safe. And what's the worse David could do to him? His ass got kicked on a daily basis, and death? That was a prayer for him.

" Arthur if he found you coveting me.. " she tried to argue but only stopped when her eyes met Arthur's. There was a deadliness in them she had never seen. Something deeper and darker scratching his surface.

" Abigail, " he hissed, opening the door wider, inviting her in. She nodded to him, stepping foot inside as he shut the door. " I'm a fucking nobody to both him and you, he's not going to suspect me."

Abby nodded and walked into his bedroom, placing her bag on the floor. She sat on his bed as he came and sat beside her. "You're wrong though," Arthur looked at her, his eyes were angry but he was trying to stuff his darkness back inside himself, "You're not a nobody to me." Abby crawled into his arms and leaned her head against his chest. The tragic lullaby of his broken heartbeat, wisking her away.