Hi everyone! It's been years since I've written a story, and let alone actually planned to complete it. Most of the time I write a few chapters and delete it because I feel that it is not good enough, but I really want to get out of that habit. Hope this isn't too terrible haha! I will also be including TW in all chapters if applicable.

TW: discussions of death, addiction, abuse.

Maka ran down the winded path of the woods, it had been five years since the defeat of Asura and for a long time she never thought things would return to normal, and while other people seemed to recover, Maka felt she never truly did due to the passing of Lord Death. Kid was one of Maka's very close friends, so she felt every emotion he did while processing his father's death. Maka could never truly feel how Kid felt, but she did understand the ache he felt.

Maka continued to keep her pace as she ran back to her apartment that her and Soul continued to share after all these years, she stopped and looked up at the dark window before entering the building then checked her watch.

It's 2pm…..maybe Soul is still asleep. Maka thought to herself. She was hoping that she was right as she entered the building.

Maka shook a bit as she approached the door of their apartment, she unlocked the door and slowly opened it, and on the couch, sat Soul with a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand, with nothing but the natural light shining into the apartment.

It had started a few months after the battle, it had just started with a beer here and there, then it became several beers every night, then after that wasn't enough Soul eventually graduated to hard liquor. Maka had tried over and over again to help him, but because he still retained a job and functioned properly while at work without needing a drink, he deemed himself as fine, that he did not have a problem and that she was just being a bitch. Maka tried to get outside help from Tsubaki and BlackStar a few months ago, but after they had left the apartment that night, that's when the abuse began.

Maka and Soul made eye contact before she scurried into the kitchen to make herself a glass of water, she hated to admit it, but she was scared of him, she tried to avoid him as much as possible. Maka pressed her glass up to the water dispenser and watched it fill, once it was full she turned around, only to find Soul standing right in front of her, startling her and in the end, dropping the glass right on their feet, she watched in horror as the glass shattered, watching shards and water fly in all different directions. Before Maka could even gauge a reaction Soul had already pushed her small frame into the fridge, the side of her head slamming into a magnet and breaking the skin.

"What the fuck Maka! How stupid can you be...clean this shit up before I step in it or something." Soul hissed, she could smell the liquor on his breath, she wanted to gag but her body wouldn't allow it. Maka slowly bent down and began to pick up the glass. Soul watched her for a minute and then stepped on her hand, pressing the shards of glass she was holding into her hand, drawing blood from the wounds. Maka's breath hitched in pain and Soul pulled on her ponytail to get her to look at him.

"Next time, don't do stupid shit and you'll be fine." Soul said coldly as he released her hair and walked back into the living room.

Maka continued to clean up the mess while holding back tears, she would not let him hear her cry, mostly because when he hears her doing so, he gets more angry, not understanding why she gets so upset. When she was done she slowly walked to the bathroom and closed the door, remembering the days when she was allowed to lock in behind her, but that was a thing of the past, now she would be punished for doing such a thing. Maka pulled a small first aid kit out from under the sink and gently set it on the counter and looked at herself in the mirror. The magnet from the fridge had cut her pretty good, considering the blood that had dripped from her temple to her chin, she sighed, cleaned the wound and put a bandage over it. Now it was onto dealing with her hand, she did the same routine as she did with the wound on her head, but wrapped her hand in gauze, not a lot, but just enough to subdue the bleeding and keep the wounds from getting infected. Maka cleaned everything up and put the kit back under the sink.

Once she finished in the bathroom she stepped out into the hallway and peered into the living room to see what Soul was doing. He still remained on the couch and she watched as he threw his head back and gulped at least a fourth of the bottle of Jack Daniels down while some mindless show she didn't care for played on the television. Maka quietly retreated to her room and shut the door, sat on her bed and allowed herself to cry silently. Eventually she laid down and fell asleep.

Maka's phone began to ring, pulling her out of her short but satisfactory nap, she checked the ID and it had been Kid, her now boss, it was still weird getting used to that, even though he had taken over his late father's position five years ago. Considering it was a Saturday, she had wondered what Kid could have been calling her about on her day off, she tapped the screen, accepting the call and pressed the phone to her ear on the uninjured side of her head.

"Hey Kid, what's up?" Maka answered.

"Hello Maka, I apologize for calling on your day off, and I hate to ask, but I am drowning in paperwork from last week, and I was wondering, and feel free to say no, but if you could possibly assist me in this mess?" Kid asked nervously. He hated asking for help, even after five years he still got behind on paperwork, he did not understand how his father had kept up with so many responsibilities.

"Well yeah Kid, it's really no problem, I'll be over in twenty, how does that sound?"

"It sounds perfect, thank you again Maka, you're a lifesaver." Kid replied, then hung up.

Maka looked at her phone and smiled, she really cared for Kid, even before the Battle of Asura they had been really close, he admitted to her once that she calmed his OCD down when she was around, which in these past years, he has done a great job of overcoming the compulsive tendencies.

She stood up and changed out of her running clothes from earlier and into a denim skirt that hit mid thigh, and tucked a lavender 'V' neck shirt into it and slid on a pair of Birkenstock sandals. Maka walked over to her mirror and looked at her disheveled hair and sighed, remembering how it got this way. She brushed it out and did a simple braid, then looked at herself again, wondering what excuse she was going to come up with to explain her bandages...but she would figure it out, she always has.

Maka opened her bedroom door and slowly crept out, she prayed to whoever was listening that Soul had passed out on the couch, just as he does everytime he drinks. She tiptoed into the living room and saw him doing exactly that, she quietly sighed a breath of relief, grabbed her keys off the key hook and ever so quietly left the apartment.

Maka practically flew down the stairs of the building, trying to get out of there as fast as she could so she could attempt to forget today's events, she got to the sidewalk and started walking to the young reapers home. She was thankful that it was still as nice outside as it was earlier. After the battle, there was a lot of rebuilding that had to be done, but the people of Death City came together and made it happen, and as she looked around Maka was at peace, seeing how with hope and teamwork, her city was put back together.

There was a small coffee shop that Maka stopped at before arriving at Kids, she knew out of all the big named coffee shops in Death City, that this Mom and Pop shop was Kids favorite and always put him in a better mood, so she usually stopped there before going to his home for any reason.

Maka finally reached his home, and let herself in, there was no need to knock at this point, Kid always knew when she had arrived, thanks to soul perception. She knew that he would be in what used to be his father's study, but had been inherited to him. Maka tapped on the door twice and pushed it open.

"I brought coffee." she smiled.

Kid looked up from his stack of papers and smiled, but that smile quickly faded when he saw the state of her body. "What happened to you?"

Maka went and sat down across from him, handing him the coffee, trying to think of something, but not taking too long to do so. "I went running this morning in the woods, tripped over a tree root and fell, just wasn't paying enough attention I guess." she shrugged, trying to be as nonchalant as she could be.

Kid took the coffee and sipped it in silence, he didn't know if he believed that story as Maka is usually one to pay attention to things like that….hell she even remembers how he takes his coffee. He set the coffee down and handed her a stack of papers. "Will you go through these and make sure all the information is correct?"

Maka nodded taking the stack of papers from Kid, she should've known that he wasn't going to fall for that bullshit story, he was Death the Kid, it's not like it was BlackStar she was talking to, she mentally slapped herself, she should have known better. Maka knows that Kid is just looking out for her, he wants what's best for her, but she can't tell him, she has to figure out how to fix this herself.

A few hours passed and they had finally finished the paperwork, Maka leaned back in her chair and stretched, looking at her watch, it was almost seven, Soul was more than likely awake and also more than likely pissed that she wasn't there to start dinner, but he was also a grown man and there were leftovers in the fridge, he could figure it out himself, but that wouldn't change that she is going to be in trouble when she gets home.

Kid studied her, noticing all the thoughts racing through that head of hers. He was worried about her, she had been acting differently for a few months now, he liked Maka, hell, maybe even loved her, but would he admit that? He wasn't quite sure of that answer.

Kid broke the silence, "So, are you going to tell me the truth?"

"Kid...I don't know what to tell you, just know that I am handling it." Maka said sternly, as she reached across the desk and took his hand into her non injured hand and gave it a small squeeze. "Don't worry about me."

Kid gave her a soft smile, "Okay Maka. I trust your judgement, but if you need me, please call, or come by."

Maka smiled back and nodded, releasing her hand and standing up. "I better head home, I'll see you on Monday!"

"Yes I will see you then." He replied as she walked out the door of the study. Kid leaned back and put his arms behind his head.

Kid was worried for her.