Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kingdom Hearts. (Darn it)

Comfort

Sunlight streamed through the open curtain, landing on the face of a seventeen year old Yuffie.

Yuffie groaned and cracked her eyes open. She could've sworn she closed those curtains last night.

Mumbling she buried her head into her pillow. She had gotten in late last night and could easily have slept another three hours.

Sighing she sat up. Might as well get up, Aerith will be in here soon. She thought, pushing the covers off and getting out of bed.

She grabbed some cloths from the dresser and went to take a shower.

When she'd finished and dried her hair she walked out and saw Aerith putting a pile of clean and folded cloths on her bed.

"It's about time you got up." Aerith said, smiling at her. "It's 11:30 and I was about to wake you."

Yuffie yawned. "I would have just rolled over and slept some more you know." She said, grinning.

Aerith nodded, "Yes I know. But then I'd have to use a spell to wake you up wouldn't I?"

Yuffie snorted. "As tired as I was it wouldn't have worked."

"Well we'll find out next time won't we." She asked grinning, summoning a small fire ball to prove her point.

Yuffie rolled her eyes. "So what are we doing today?" she asked. They had all been working hard, night and day, to restore Radiant Garden. Last night had been no different.

"Oh, I thought everyone could have the day off. We've all been working so hard that I think we could all use the rest." She sighed. "Leon protested of course. Says there is too much work to do. But everyone else agreed so he was overruled."

"Ah, Squall needs to lighten up a bit. Not everyone has the strength he does." Sitting down on the bed she smiled slyly "Though I don't think you have to worry about being tired since half the time your watching Cloud." She grinned at Aerith's blush.

"Don't worry. I won't tell." Aerith gave her a grateful smile.

"So since he can't do the work by himself, Where'd Squall go?"

"I think he said he was going to train at the Bailey." Aerith said

Yuffie jumped up, "WHAT! And he didn't tell me! I'm his partner, he's supposed to tell me." She walked to her closet and grabbed her shuriken from inside. "Guess I'll just have to go over there and knock some sense into him." She grinned to show she was kidding.

Aerith smiled. "You know he's gonna be annoyed with you if you bug him." She said already knowing the reply she would receive.

"So. When has that ever stopped me before?" she asked. Leaning her shuriken against her shoulder casually she walked to the door. "Well I'm off. See ya." She gave a quick wave and walked out.

She saw Cloud in the hall and said a quick "hello" before running past.

As she left the castle she saw the three fairie creatures Pain, Yuna and Rikku whispering to each other. "Hi Yuffie." Rikku said cheerfully, waving. Yuffie waved back and kept going.

As she arrived at the entrance to the Bailey she could hear Leon inside. She also heard a few childish giggles.

Curious she poked her head around the corner and was surprised at what she saw.

Leon was indeed in there but he wasn't alone. A group of maybe ten children or more surrounded him many of them holding little wooden swords.

Leon was telling them the different attacks and stances there were in sword fighting. He told them the things you mustn't do when handling a sword.

Yuffie grinned and fought back a giggle. She never thought Leon to be the teaching type.

She noticed that most of the kids surrounding Leon were boys with only a few girls. Then she saw a group of kids leaning against the wall of the Bailey, watching the others. Mostly girls with a few boys among them.

She turned her attention back to Leon who was now showing them how to hold a sword properly. This time she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips.

Leon turned her way and she ducked her head back around the corner.

"I know your there, so you can stop hiding Yuf." He said, sounding irritated.

She walked around the corner and faced Leon who had his arms crossed. But before he could say anything the kids leaning against the wall ran towards her. They stopped in front of her and they all started talking at once.

"Whoa, Whoa. Hold on there." She said, raising here arms. The children quieted down and a girl stepped forward. "Lady Yuffie." She looked like she didn't know what to say.

Yuffie knelt down so she could talk eye to eye with her. "Just call me Yuffie. Kay." she smiled warmly and the girl smiled back.

"Yuffie. We were wondering." She began and Yuffie nodded her head for her to continue. "We-We were wondering if you'd teach us to fight. Like a Ninja." She shuffled her feet and didn't meet Yuffie's eyes.

Yuffie smiled. "Can I ask you a question before I give you my answer?" she asked. The girl nodded. "Why do you want to be a Ninja?"

Another girl in the group answered, "'Cause we want to be like you." A boy yelled in agreement, "Yeah, your cool."

Yuffie shook her head. "There is more to being a Ninja then just cool moves. You need heart and determination. You need to be willing to commit to the training and stay with it."

All the kids nodded. "We will!" they said in unison.

Yuffie smiled. "Then sure I'll teach you." The children's faces brightened. "Really!" a girl up front asked excitedly. Yuffie nodded.

All the kids around her cheered and jumped around in excitement. Yuffie looked towards Leon and swore she saw him smiling but a moment later she was sure she imagined it. Holding up her arms she yelled, "HOLD IT!" the kids stopped jumping and looked up at her.

"Ok, here's the deal. You go and ask your parents about this." Many of the kids groaned. "Becoming a Ninja isn't easy and the training can be dangerous, you could get hurt so I want to make sure your parents are ok with this."

"Did you have to ask your parent's permission when you became a Ninja?" a boy asked. Yuffie's face fell and she fought back the tears that instantly came to her eyes trying to escape.

"My parents were killed before I became a Ninja." She said sadly, trying to keep from crying.

That's when Leon stepped in. "Alright guys, you heard her. Get permission and come back tomorrow." The kids nodded, seeming to sense Yuffie's sadness, and left. Leon turned to his charges. "Lesson's over for today. Come back tomorrow at the same time." The rest of the children left, talking excitedly amongst themselves.

When they were gone Leon laid his hand on her shoulder. "You alright?" he asked in a gentle voice Yuffie had never heard him use before.

She nodded. "It happened so long ago. But I can still see their faces. Screaming at me to run." She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes as memories overtook her.

Flashback

A four year old Yuffie was running around in circles laughing, her father chasing her and her mother laughing at their antics.

Her father catching her and lifting her over his head as she pretended to be a bird.

Flash

A year later she's five and sitting on the lowest branch of a tree with her father standing below her on the ground.

"Catch me Daddy." She yelled.

She jumped and he caught her, twirling her around as she laughed in glee.

They fell in a heap. "We'll be together forever. Right Daddy?"

She asked.

"That's right Pumpkin." He said, kissing her forehead.

Flash

Three months later on the eve of Yuffie's sixth birthday. She was playing horse back with her dad by the fire in their little house by the palace when they heard screams outside.

Her father took her off his back and placed her in her mother's arms.

"Stay here." He said as he walked towards the front door. He opened it and looked outside then he slammed it shut again.

Running back he grabbed his wife and daughter and headed for the back door.

"Those monsters Ansem The Wise was studying are out there. We have to leave. Now!"

He flung open the back door and broke into an even faster pace, dragging his family with him.

"Daddy. Rosie is still inside." Yuffie screamed. Her dad ran back into the house and grabbed her red dressed bear off the couch.

He ran back out, gave Rosie to Yuffie and they broke into a run again.

Yuffie was sobbing and trembling, holding onto Rosie for dear life.

As they reached one of the gates that separated the city from the palace, the monsters caught up.

Yuffie's mother put her down and pushed her through the gate and started to close it.

"Yuffie, you need to run. Find Aerith and stay with her. She's most likely with Squall trying to get people out. Help in any way you can. NOW GO!" Her father yelled, taking out a small laser gun and starting to shoot out the monsters.

Yuffie cried harder. "But I wanna stay with you!" she screamed. Her mother blew her a kiss. "Good bye love." She said before slamming the gate shut.

Yuffie pounded on the gate. "Daddy, Mommy." She screamed. But the only answers she received were their shrieks from the other side.

She backed away from the gate in horror then turned around and ran.

End Flashback

Yuffie was fully crying now. She slid down the wall to the floor and wrapped her arms around her knees. Laying her head against them.

Leon knelt next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. She threw her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. He in turn wrapped both his arms around her and pulled her close.

As she cried he rubbed her back in small circles, trying to calm her. When her crying slowed and her breathing didn't come in gasps he held her at arms length to look at her.

She looked like hell. Her eyes were red and puffy and still held unshed tears and her lip was trembling. "Feel better?" he asked.

She sniffled and nodded. Then she blushed. "Sorry about that." She said, wiping her eyes and standing up. She started shuffling her feet and looked just like the girl she'd talked to earlier.

"It's fine." He said, standing as well. "I know how you feel. And I guess everyone needs to cry at some point."

"You never do." Yuffie pointed out.

Leon shrugged. "I haven't cried since my parents died when I was a kid."

"Well you said yourself that everyone needs to cry at some point. Maybe you should."

"It would take something big to make me cry." He said, not meeting her eyes.

"Oh? Like what?" she asked curiously.

"Like if I lost you." He said it so quietly she almost didn't catch it.

He turned his back to her and crossed his arms.

She walked over and turned him back around to face her. "You mean that?" she asked quietly. Leon nodded curtly. "I'm not sure when it happened. But I know this." He uncrossed his arms. "I would do anything for you."

Yuffie smiled. This was like a dream come true. She'd held feelings for Leon for years but had always been to scared to tell him, afraid he wouldn't feel the same.

"Well that's good." She said. "Because I feel the same way."

And this time Yuffie was sure he smiled before he bent forward and kissed her.

This surprised her for a moment but then she melted into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer.

He put his arms around her small waist and pulled her even closer and she noticed how perfectly they seemed to fit together.

They broke apart for air and Yuffie looked into his eyes. "I love you Squall." She said with a smile.

"I love you too. And it's Leon." He said before their lips met again.

End

A/N: Ok this may not be one of my best but it's my first Squall/Yuffie fic so take it easy on my pride ok. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it and would love to hear from you so pleas PLEASE review. Kay. Alrighty then. And criticism is welcome and flames will be paid in turn, you flame me I flame you so there. Okay then. Toodles.