A/N: Just something I had in my head and felt like putting down. Yes, I'm aware of the age difference between Yuffie and Leon but I really don't care, lol. Well, at least for the sake of this short story I don't care. This is a one shot Leon/Yuffie. I don't own the characters although it wouldn't be so bad to own Leon, lol. Anyhow, enjoy the short read.

In Your Dreams and in Your Sleep

"I had that dream again," Yuffie said with eyes wide open as she hugged her pillow tightly.

Leon groaned from his place on the bed, "Would it kill you to sleep in your own room, Yuffie?"

Yuffie knew that he was sleep deprived and that Squall treasured his privacy but she couldn't bear the thought of sleeping by herself at the moment. So, instead, she found herself curled up on Leon's bed trying hard not to get kicked out. She rolled her eyes at Squall's comment but said nothing. Instead, she tried to turn the conversation to her earlier comment.

"Why do I keep having these dreams, Squall?"

Leon's face was smothered by his pillow but he still managed to correct her in a groggy tone, "Leon."

Yuffie rolled her eyes once more and then a thought struck her, "You don't think I'm gonna die do ya?"

It's was his turn to roll his eyes in the dark bedroom, "Don't be stupid, Yuffie. You're not going to die at least not from a dream.

You'll die if you don't let me go to sleep."

Squall's words didn't reassure her. Why on earth had she been having the same dream for weeks now? It was really starting to bother her, but she seemed to be the only one distraught by it. Even Aerith, who usually worried for others, didn't really pay much attention to Yuffie. But then again Aerith was having her own problems with Cloud so Yuffie couldn't blame her much.

Squall's soft snoring made Yuffie snap back into reality. In a swift movement she got on her knees and began beating him with her pillow.

"Hey! I was talking to ya! Wake up! Wake--"

"YUFFIE! STOP!"

Leon was trying to shield himself as Yuffie repeatedly beat him. In the most inopportune moment Yuffie missed Leon and hit the bed, and Leon took the pillow from her at once. He glared at her hard enough to send shivers down Yuffie's spine.

"Yuffie, I am trying really hard to get some sleep and you're not making this easy! You're welcome to stay in my room as long as you stay still. Not a word and not one single movement. Understood?"

Yuffie felt a bit defeated as she sighed deeply and slumped, "I can't sleep, Squall. I just want someone to talk to."

"I'm not the person you're looking for then."

"Yeah, but everyone else is asleep."

"Exactly! I should be too." Leon rolled over making sure to throw all of the pillows of the bed and at a distance away from Yuffie.

Even moments after Squall had rolled over to fall asleep, Yuffie remained in the same position deep in though.

"You're a lot different in my dreams, Squall." Yuffie muttered to herself. Leon had already fallen asleep beside her.

Yuffie peered over Leon's shoulder to make sure that he was completely asleep and as a test she said "Squall" out loud but he didn't correct her.

"Oh, good you're asleep. At least now you can listen without protesting." Yuffie smiled excitedly, "Do you wanna hear my dream?

I've never told you it because I was too embarrassed."

Only the silence answered her and Yuffie was sure that he was asleep. She began in an excited whisper, "Okay, I'll tell it to you then! It goes like this:

Remember the tournaments at Olympia? Well, I keep dreaming that we're there again and that we're fighting side by side just like we always did. But this time the heartless are bigger and stronger just not any smarter. Cloud and Aerith are there too, but they're not big on the fighting so they just sit on the stands and watch. So there we are, just you and me fighting all of these bad guys that not even Sora could've defeated. So we're fighting all of these heartless and we're winning I mean I'm throwing shuriken out like I've got a life time supply of these things. Left and right as you go around slicing people in half, and we're working non stop... until this big hideous thing steps into the fight. I mean, he's huge! Kinda like 15 feet tall or more. He's got these huge arms and-- and.. well, he's just huge! So, there I am staring at this guy wondering where the hell he came from and you don't even miss a beat. You just pick up your gunblade and attack it like there's no tomorrow. I join you after some hesitation and for once you're actually telling me that I'm doing good. I think that's what throws me off and I let it go to my head so much that I stop paying attention to the damn thing. So I stand there like an idiot staring at you as if you've just told me you love me or something. Anyhow, the point is that I get whacked! Hard too! You go crazy and start slicing this guy until he falls dead at your knees and only then do you run to check up on me. I think you reach me before Cloud or Aerith. Anyhow, you're holding me and for once I can see some emotion in your face. You're scared. You're scared that I'll die. I can feel you gripping me tighter telling me to stay and that you're sorry for pretending that you didn't care. And there I am half dying and just enjoying the feel of your arms wrapped around me. I could swear it all felt so real. For some reason you lean in closer as if you're going to kiss me, but everything becomes dark for me at that point."

Yuffie brushed her fingertips lightly over her lips as she finished as if upon them lay traces of Leon's kiss. She seemed to be in a trance; enjoying the visuals she got from telling her dream. But she sighed shortly after in disappointment.

"A girl can dream, can't she?" Yuffie asked herself. Leon was still asleep snoring softly. "I just wish you were more like that. If you could only see how much I care about you. I'm sure you'd hold me like you did in my dreams."

The room's silence was overpowering and Yuffie was beginning to feel foolish for having confessed her dream. "Stupid dream,"she muttered under her breath. Reluctantly, she tugged some sheets away from Leon's sleeping form and wrapped herself in them, only to fall asleep after some minutes.

Leon finally let out the sigh he had been holding and turned to find Yuffie's back to him. He had heard everyone of her words

and had only pretended to be asleep for Yuffie's sake. He had never meant to give Yuffie the impression that he didn't care about her. It was nothing like that at all. He cared for her and loved her and that's why he was strict with her. He didn't want her to get hurt because of her childish antics. If only she could understand that Leon couldn't bear the thought of losing her because he loved her so damn much.

An idea struck him and he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck. Maybe Yuffie wasn't aware that he was

holding her at the moment, but if she had that dream again then at least in her dream she would get the message.

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