A/N: What's up yall it's me! I decided to write this story for the heck of it. I will have fun doing this.

The orphanage was overcrowded. It was drab and boring and a downright awful place. The orphanage that Issei Hyoudou was in was Understaffed, underfunded, under kept, and overcrowded. Personally, Issei didn't mind anything much because everyone left him alone, and in return, he left them alone. In the orphanage, his room was crowded with a lot of people so there was no sense of privacy which at times was pretty annoying and if you weren't fast enough or strong enough you don't get food because the others would take it from you honestly life sucked but it was better then the streets. Issei was not happy or angry or much of anything until SHE came along. She was small, quiet, shy, lonely, and easy to tease, People like her die here. Akeno Himejima was new to the orphanage, she was physically small, always seemed scared, in addition, she was not the best at talking to people nor dealing with them, in general, she was doomed from the start.

~meal time~

At mealtimes you had to come to the kitchen and receive your food which at breakfast is always a bowl of plain oatmeal and some milk, then at lunch, it was a sandwich maybe an apple, and a glass of water, and then at dinner, it was always some kind of meat, sometimes potatoes, a small bun and a glass of milk. then you were free to go anywhere in the house even in the yard and that's how meals got stolen. Akeno always went to the same corner to eat her food and Issei always went to a chair near that corner and quickly scarfed down his food but Akeno was too slow to eat her food and always had it taken from her, Issei always felt bad when he saw this and decided to do something about it this time. Issei had just gotten his food and went to his usual spot but this time he hid his bun that came with his meal.

"Hey Akeno we're still hungry!" said an older kid as he and another approached her

"Yeah give us your food!" He says the other one as they grab her tray and quickly eat the rest of her food in front of her "UGH! I'm still hungry! Next time leave us more!" The first one says

"Yeah you pathetic little girl, leave us more next time or else." the other says before he throws the cup at here and then his accomplice hits her over the head with the tray then they walk away laughing and as they do

Akeno whispers "sorry" then tries not to but in the end begins to cry, she was hungry from all her meals being stolen, she was scared because everyone was mean to her, and she was lonely because she had no friends.

"Hey," Issei said to the crying Aken who didn't notice him till he was over her. In response, she cowered in the corner as far as she could looking scared, Issei was pretty tall for his age so he typically scared the younger children and even some of his own age group.

"I'm sorry I don't have any more food," she said quietly, trying not to make eye contact.

"I don't want any, here," he replied, holding out the bun to her, she just looked afraid to take it.

"Here, it's okay you can have it," he said with a smile trying to make her feel safer. she slowly extended her small shaking hand and gently took the bun never losing the terrified look on her face. She waited a moment before eating it quickly and hungrily not even leaving a crumb.

"Thank you." She said quietly and shyly

"Don't mention it," Issei said with a smile before walking away to let her be.

After that day it became a thing, every mealtime Issei always saved a little bit of his food for Akeno, and in turn, Akeno would always get her food stolen. Although he helped her out with the food issue she was still not eating enough and was staying small in relation to that, but nevertheless he always saved her a little food from each of his meals and on good days Akeno would be able to eat some of her own food before the bullies came and ate her food. Their relationship was not a talking one but a nice one nonetheless whenever Issei saw Akeno he would always smile to reassure her so she would trust him and after a while, she started to smile back.

One day, after the bullies came and stole her meal and Issei gave her some of his food, the bullies for some strange reason, came back and then the real shit hit the fan…

"Hey, you little Creep!" Said Bradly, the leader of the gang who stole kids' food. "You stupid little bitch!" he said as he stormed over to her raging while the other kids in his possie even seemed a bit afraid of him. "Did you actually think you could hide food from us!"

"No, I wasn't trying to hide it from you!" Akeno squeaked as she Desperately tried to get away from him but she was literally backed into a corner

"Well, I'll teach you to never hide food from me again!" He Screeched as he charged her

Issei was sick of this bullcrap the big picking on the small it made him so angry but he never did anything about it but this, this was different Akeno was getting the punishment for something he started doing and that absolutely would not fly with him so he got up from his chair and got between her and the charging Bradly who Abruptly stopped and stared at the boy between him and his target.

"What are you doing Hyoudou?" He asked as if the boy in front of him was a total idiot.

"I'm telling you to stop." He replied with a stern look on his face.

"Why should I listen to you?" he said with a snicker " this little brat here hid my food from me."

"No she didn't that was my food I gave it to her," he said defiantly

"You act like that matters I'm still going to take it!" Bradly said with a look of pure hatred on his face "and she is supposed to give me all her food so I'm going to have to teach her how to obey! And then you'll start giving me all your food too!"

"No I'm not and Akeno isn't going to give you her food anymore either" Issei retorted "now back off," he said taking a step forward

"Or what?' Bradly chortled "Is Issei gonna beat me up?" he continued in a mocking tone

"Only if I have to," he replied, not once losing his cool.

"You know I really hate you…" Bradly says quietly seething in anger

Issei quickly looked back at Akeno and saw she was still frightened and he, to be honest, He hated that look, it reminded him of himself when he first came to the Orphanage. He was so lonely so afraid but unlike Akeno he had no one to help him, he had to grow up so fast that he felt robbed so he now told himself he would save Akeno from his life path so she could be possibly happy.

Issei and Bradly just stood there and stared for a while nither wanting to get hurt first.

Bradly was almost a foot shorter than Issei but thanks to his habit of stealing food he had more muscle mass than Issei with addition to that he was older so he had more time to grow tha Issei had But Bradly was a brute and was neve very clever he was also surprisingly clumsy. In contrast to Bradly, Issei was tall and skinny but not Scrawny and he was fast much faster than Bradly.

Suddenly Bradly rushed at Issei and managed to knock him in the gut to which Issei retracted quickly and rushed forward fighting through the pain of another gutshot before slamming his forehead into Bradly's face which Made Bradly Stumble back grasping his face only to Issei to kick him in the knee sending him to the ground but then Bradly Grabbed Issei's leg and Pulled him down to the floor too before Climbing on top of him and pummelling him with his fists while Issei did his best to defend himself especially his face thinking as quickly as possible Issei moved his head is such a way that Bradly missed and hit the ground hurting his hand as he reeled back in pain Issei once again used his head to bash his attacker's face which made him fall off of Issei and Issei used this to end the fight he aimed his kick well and sent his foot right into Bradly's gut finishing the fight as Bradly no longer had it in him to do so. Both boys bruised and bleeding looked terrified as they say their caretaker came in with some other children to find out what the commotion had been.

"ISSEI! BRADLY!" Lady Failester Screamed at the top of her lungs " THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!" she continued to yell as she marched up to the boys and roughly grabbed them and brought them to her room Retrieving a black leather belt and began to beat them leaving Red marks and when the strike was angled right drawing blood, sometimes even using the metal part of the belt to beat the two boys, who as strong as they were could not help but cry all while Screaming repeatedly "YOU ARE NOT SINNERS YOU WILL NOT FIGHT!" over and over again, the entire house was quiet as all the children listened to the punishment being given, Akeno sat crying in her corner. then after a what seemed like hours of punishment they were brought to the closets oh how all the children hated the closets they were in the darkest part of the basement in the corner the were actually more like lockers, made of metal and small each one had a sign on the door that read "I am a sinner" she shoved them in the Closets and locked them in. Then she turned off the lights. It was cold in the basement and the cold metal against his Aching and bleeding back only seemed to make the pain flare-up even worse, to make things even worse they would be left there for the rest of the night and until dinner tomorrow. Because the closets were so small they had no choice but to stand it really was the worst punishment that could happen. To be left alone in the basement in the dark and cold with nothing but the mice and spiders for company. Issei stood there and cried, he could hear Bradly Crying too. But then he heard something he hadn't expected it was Bradly quietly whispering.

"I'm sorry…"

"I'm sorry too."

"I'll leave you and the girl alone now"

"Thanks"

After that, they both just stood there and waited for when they were allowed out. It must have been around lunch the next day when they heard someone coming down the stairs and turn on the lights

"Hello Boys." said a deep baritone voice softly

It was Mr. Failester he was almost always gone but when he was around he was always much kinder than Lady Failester and took care of the children under his watch. He opened the closets and set each boy on a stool and removed their shirts then took out a washcloth and some water and cleaned up their cuts and bruises then proceeded to bandage their backs. He then gave them both a small lecture on why fighting is never the right option.

"Now I believe you boys have had enough punishment and don't fight again please," he said in his soothing voice. Before they went back upstairs he gave them each a small piece of candy as a way to make up for lost meals before putting his finger to his lips and winking then letting them go back upstairs. Almost the moment he got upstairs He went outside to regain a sense of freedom after being locked in the closet. He didn't expect a small girl to come barreling into him sobbing apologies and muttering how his punishment was all her fault as she sobbed into him.

"Oh Issei I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to get caught with your food and then you fought Bradly and got punished by Lady Failester," she said tears streaming down her face then Issei Hugged her and patted her head telling her he forgives her

"Its okay Akeno I will be here for you now," he said with a smile as the smaller girl looked at him sobs stopping

"Really?" She whispered with a hopeful look

"Yes."

"You Promise?"

"Yes."

"Issei, I hope we'll be together forever," she said hugging her newfound friend and protector.

"I promise I will take care of you from now on," he said

And with those words, a great Adventure started for these two children one that would Certainly be the greatest tale ever told.