Disclaimer: Kingdom Heart doesn't belong to me.

Sort of pre-game, I guess. May not always make sense to you. Reviews are nice.


Hi.

It's me.

Will you love me?

They never spoke of the nights she spent in his arms weeping. They never spoke of the nights she spent in his arms falling asleep with red puffy eyes. They never spoke of it to each other and they never spoke of it to the others. But it happened – often – and if she hadn't been crying herself to sleep, she would have enjoyed it.

She had been too young to ever take any notice of back in Hollow Bastion. She must have been seven or so (he wasn't even quite sure) when everything happened; when they had lost everyone and everything they cared for. Before that, she had been small, tiny, short, nothing but a kid and always around.

She had followed him around and more than once had he gotten mad.

He had to take care of her after it happened and when they got to Traverse Town. He tried hard to take care of her but she knew she could take care of herself and that made his attempts to comfort her harder. She didn't need help from a boy. No freakin' way.

But he took care of her and Aerith took care of him, Cid was just around and none of them knew where Cloud was or if he was still alive at all.

Life after Hollow Bastion was easy. Just a casual shrug every now and then. They were like broken records. "Hey – I'm fine. Stop asking, please."

It was easy to forget and it was easy to learn how to cope with everything and it was tiresome. But they had each other. Even though she was only about seven or so and he was already sixteen and Aerith was the oldest at heart. Aerith even beat Cid in that department and Cid was happy to admit it. He didn't want to grow old. Not yet.

Yuffie was still short but she was not a child anymore.

Leon tried to get away sometimes – just to be alone – and she would always find him so he had given up on hiding. He went to his usual cave. He went to his usual cave where he knew she'd find him quickly.

She knew him too well. That had to be it and he didn't understand how she had gotten to know him so well for he didn't know himself or her that well. He could never find her when she left to find some peace and quiet (that was rare though) and he could never find her when she was hiding from the others to weep in solitude.

"Squall?"

"Leon."

Correction, please!

Over and over and over again. Yuffie had not known him back in Hollow Bastion. She had never gotten the chance to call him Squall and she wanted to. Squall and not Leon. He was not a Leon! He was a Squall and would always be Squall to her. But Squall was reserved for another girl and not for her. Leon would have to do. To Squall, she was still the little girl that followed him around.

"Squall," she insisted. She's stubborn and he's weak. "What are you doing?"

"Training." Simple. Truth. Stupid. Just like him.

"How are you?" A short painful pause. "I mean, really?"

"I wish you'd stop asking. I'm fine."

Over and over and over again.

They never spoke of the nights she spent in his room but Yuffie was almost sure Aerith knew. Aerith always observed and always knew everything but for once it wasn't like Aerith thought. Squall did not love Yuffie while Yuffie was dying for him to love her. Sometimes there was squalling in the nights and Yuffie wept and wished that Squall would love her.

Squall did not. But Leon did.