The pair were no strangers to struggle. To gritting teeth through harsh nights and sleeping underneath hollow porches. They weren't welcome, they were rats, cursed to hunt for their food in less than pleasant places.

Ren had promised to take care of her. That's all that mattered.

She was always optimistic, her bright blue eyes never shaking their hopeful glow and she never let his demeanor dim. She was a beacon in the darkest night, a flashlight in the darkest cave. She was sometimes the only thing keeping Ren going.

He had never meant for this to be how they were spending their lives. He had sworn to protect Nora, to give her a better life than the one she had been leading.

So why did nothing change?

She never complained, she just remarked on the state of the weather, or the interesting crunch of the bread. Even when they had to pick out more mold than bread, she just smiled and thanked him.

He didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve this.

Ren stared at Nora from underneath their most recent shelter. The rotting and weakened floorboards of the porch did little to protect them from dirt and mud, but it provided a hiding place from prying eyes and ungrateful people. Nora was wrapped in a blanket, his own was wrapped around her legs to keep her from getting cold, her shorts providing little warmth by themselves.

Winter was harsh and brutal. Fruit was scarce, the food Ren had managed to collect was almost always in poor condition and he longed for his mother's cooking. She always made the best meals and he remembered all too well the pleasant dinners they had as a family.

Passed days and painful memories.

"Are you getting any warmer?" Ren asked, his voice barely above a whisper to avoid the residents of the building they were under hearing them. Nora was shaking, her entire body wrapped up in the blankets as far as they would go, her face and few strands of hair being the only sign of her. Nora cast him a tired smile, her eyes blinking fatigue at him and Ren felt like someone just twisted his stomach.

"Yep. Warmer by the second." Nora lied, her tone betraying her as she gritted her teeth together. The chattering had revealed the truth far too many times over the winter, she was getting better at trying to conceal just how cold she was. Her teeth were clattering and body shaking, grit her jaw and shake off the shivers. She was hungry and her stomach growling? Cough over it or talk faster than a crack of lightning.

Ren could always see past it. He was never blind to her discomfort, it tortured him and reminded him far too often. Stealing away precious hours of sleep and poisoning his thoughts. It was a brutal reminder that he wasn't doing enough. She was still struggling.

They were still struggling.

"Are you hungry? I can go get us food?" Ren offered, pulling his dark green shirt tighter around him trying to bring back circulation in his fingers. The snow bit back at him, crushing around them as it provided little exits for their little home. Their poor, sad, excuse of a home. He had dug out a tunnel in the snow with his hands, the blue tips had faded but he felt like he had his hands in ice.

"Nope. Not hungry at all." Nora said, the lie breaking into the air as she coughed and squirmed, the ruckus a fighting attempt to hide her stomach's protest to the notion. Ren didn't bother hiding the sadness and defeat that clouded his pink irises, breaking him inside and out as he stared at the girl before him.

"Nora."

"Yes, Ren?"

"You are hungry, and you are cold." Ren said, a quiet sternness in his voice as Nora pulled her hand out of the comfort of her blankets and brushed it away, a nervous smile overtaking her expression.

"What? Nah! I'm fine, Ren." Nora grinned, the cracks of deceit in her voice and expression only made Ren sigh. He had failed. He'd broken his promise to her and to himself. He wasn't going to be weak again. He had to keep fighting.

If not for his sake, certainly for Nora's.

"No you're not, Nora." Ren said, defeat running rampant through his voice as he looked to the girl. Nora frowned, disappointed her words failed so miserably against the boy. Nora curled herself further to protect herself from the harsh winds whipping through the tunnel in the snow and breezing past them.

Ren ignored the stinging of the air, his hands clasped around the dagger his father had given him. The last gift he had received before disaster had taken his life and his family from him. His past was gone, he could only think about the present and future. That was what was important.

"What about you? You don't exactly look toasty." Nora reminded as she frowned from her tower of blankets. Ren cast her a sideways glance, his eyes tracing over her visage as he tried to come up with a good excuse.

"I'm warm. My shirt provides enough heat." Ren informed somewhat quietly, hiding the shiver in his voice as he took a deep breath and placed his hands on his knees. The callouses and blisters were unfelt through the fabric, but he knew they were there. Scouring the small village was costly, he hid the bruises from unhappy store keeps who didn't appreciate a child running through their compost.

But he always came back with food. He always would. He wasn't going to be left aside, forgotten by the people because he wasn't important or clean enough to be considered. He was strong, he was a fighter.

He wasn't giving up.

Nora didn't believe him, and he could see it far too clearly. Her eyebrows were bent to form a disapproving frown as she glanced at the boy with a knowing stare. He didn't like when she looked at him like that, he knew she didn't believe him and he knew she was doing everything she could.

"No, you're not, Ren. You need to get warm. Take one of the blankets." Nora said, compassion swelling in her voice as concern dripped onto her face. Ren shook his head firmly, unwilling to take her offer and the only provision of heat. Fire was out of the question since they were underneath a porch and the flames would lick the eager wood.

"Absolutely not." Ren said sternly, his eyes warning her that she shouldn't offer again. He wanted to protect her, to give her everything he could with their current state. He was tired of feeling like he wasn't doing enough. Like he wasn't able to and was forced to watch as the world profited without him.

"Ren.." Nora insisted as she began to shrug off her blanket. Ren's eyes widened and he bolted forward, placing the blanket back in it's place to keep her warm. Nora gave him an upset look, he hated that look, too, but he'd get over it. She needed to keep herself free of the cold for as long as possible.

"Don't do that, Nora. You'll get cold."

"But you're already cold!" Nora protested before her mouth was covered by Ren's hand. Nora frowned as Ren looked up, anticipating the residents of the house to barge through and rip them out from underneath the porch by the collars of their shirts.

Once again, they'd be tossed out to the streets.

Seconds ticked into a minute and Ren breathed out a sigh of relief. Anticipation washed away from him and he was let himself relax.

"Not so loud, Nora. They'll hear us." Ren warned as he pointed above them. Nora nodded, but the glint of determination didn't fade from her eyes. Ren gave her a calm glance before sitting himself behind her and curling her towards him, letting her lay her head on his chest and relax to fit into the space provided.

She let her back rest on his stomach as she placed her head on his chest, her breathing quieting as she permitted her eyes slip shut. Ren smiled and tucked a stand of offending hair out of her face and behind her ear.

"I'll keep you safe."