For Day 8, how about some nice Team Sloth fluff? Yes? I thought so.

"Oooh! Remember this one?" Nora held up a tattered reindeer ornament that was missing an antler.

Ren looked up from his box of ornaments and smiled. "Sure do."

They had found that particular ornament a few years ago on the day after Yule. They had been looking at the old decorations that people had tossed onto the side of the road, hoping to find something they could use to make their rooms in the orphanage slightly more cheery the following year.

A chance look at a discarded tree revealed something small and brown in the branches. Nora had pulled out the sad-looking reindeer and immediately pocketed it.

Now, she skipped over to the small plastic tree that sat on their side of the room. They had bought it a few days ago, deciding to take advantage of actually having a place that felt like a home rather than a cell. They also had a second one for Jaune and Pyrrha, though they were waiting for the right moment to surprise them with it.

As the reindeer was given a spot near the top of the tree, Ren withdrew a rusty bell on a ribbon from the box. "Here's the one from the parade."

When they were ten, the two had snuck out of the orphanage to watch the annual parade in Vale. A bell had fallen from one of the floats and Ren picked it up and used a bit of old ribbon to make it into an ornament.

Nora giggled at the memory as Ren put it on the tree. "You nearly got run over by those horses when you went to get it."

"I didn't, though." Ren watched Nora with a small smile as she ran to get her old teddy bear from her bed and place it at the foot of the tree. "There's still one more."

"Huh?" Nora tilted her head. "I thought that was all of them. Is there a new one I didn't know about?" She watched her teammate go to his desk and withdraw a small, silver ornament from the drawer. It was brand new and in the shape of Beacon's symbol.

Ren's smile widened at the excited gleam that entered his friend's turquoise eyes. "I thought we should get something special to commemorate our first year out of the orphanage." He held the new ornament out. "You can do the honors, if you want."

As Nora took the silver trinket, she stood on her toes and lightly tapped his nose. "Boop!"

Ren blinked as a light dusting of pink rose in his cheeks. As usual, he was able to hide it by the time his teammate turned to look at him. "I think it's ready now. Hit the lights."

Once the dorm was dark, Ren flipped the switch that turned on the tiny string of pink lights that was wrapped around the small tree's branches. A rosy glow was cast over the room as Nora hugged him tightly.

"Sometimes I can't believe we're actually here, you know?" she murmured, resting her cheek against his chest. "I mean, we're really here and with people who care about us and not in a stupid dingy cell and we can stay here over break so we don't have to be all miserable over the holidays. Not that I'd ever be miserable with you, but I mean less bummed out than we were before. Know what I mean?"

Ren chuckled fondly, gently hugging her back. "Yeah, I know what you mean." He rested his chin on top of her head and let out a contented sigh. After a few moments, he sat down on the bed, pulling Nora with him so that she was curled up in his lap. His heart melted at the sleepy hum she let out.

It was moments like these more than anything that made Nora wish that they were together-together. If they were, she would probably be pushing him onto his back and peppering his adorable face with kisses at this point in time. Instead, she snuggled against his chest and rested her head on his shoulder, making a quiet, happy noise when he started stroking her hair.

There had been many holiday seasons in the past that had consisted of cuddling like this, though they had been significantly less happy. Ren remembered hiding their small treasures under their mattresses, holding Nora as they watched through the dirty windows as the snow fell, and stroking her hair as she fell asleep shivering because of the broken heaters.

Now, he couldn't remember a happier time. They were in a warm building, in the process of pursuing their dreams, surrounded by friends, and looking at their own tree for the first time. The only thing that was the same was Nora, and that was perfectly fine.

On impulse, he leaned down to touch his lips to her forehead. It was a gesture he hadn't done since they were little. Doing it now definitely felt different. He watched as Nora looked up at him, her eyes wide and curious. She blinked before scooting closer and quickly kissing his cheek.

Nora could feel the upward twitch of Ren's mouth as her lips brushed his cheek. Feeling daring, she kissed the very corner of his mouth before curling against his chest once more. Her face was bright red and her heart was pounding like crazy. She started to feel a moment of doubt. Had that been too forward?

Then, Ren's arms tightened around her. His cheek rested on top of her head and she knew that everything was fine. She closed her eyes, smiling as the pink of the lights glowed faintly against her eyelids. This was definitely shaping up to be the greatest holiday season of her life.

I like the idea of them maybe coming from a difficult neighborhood or a crummy orphanage and having to fend for themselves at an early age. It really strengthens the already-strong bond between them, don't you think? See you tomorrow! Peace out.