The first time it happened, he shot up in the dark, instantly reaching for his sword. He dashed to her room — where he had heard her scream.

He burst in through the door, and it was dark inside. His eyes adjusted to the darkness but he saw nothing amiss, or out of place. She was just there. She was sleeping on the bed but she was tossing and turning. He stepped closer and saw tears streaming down her cheeks. She was having a nightmare.

He was alarmed, because even if she's sleeping, he can't stand to see her cry.

He put his hand on her shoulder gently, and called her name to wake her up. Those green eyes, rimmed with tears focused on his face. "Cloud?" She asked sleepily. "What's going on?"

"You were having a nightmare. I heard you scream and came in."

She didn't say anything but looked down towards her midsection and started pressing at her stomach, like she was feeling for something. He was puzzled by the action…it pulled on his memory, it felt like something he knew or should know. He couldn't place it.

She looked back up at him, fear plain to see in her eyes.

He hated seeing that even more than the tears.

He watched her quietly a few minutes longer before telling her to move over. She complied. He laid down, in bed with her, and pulled her to himself. He'd learned by now that comfort for her involved touch, it involved closeness, so he wrapped his arms around her, tightly. Selfishly, he did it for himself too, because he knew then he already loved her, even if she warned him away.

She didn't have anymore nightmares that night.

This cycle repeated itself every night that week and every night he heard her scream, he ended up in her bed. Always the same action of checking her stomach — he asked her what she was looking for, and she said it was just part of the dream. She's hiding something, but he won't press her.

Now, he doesn't wait for her to wake him up. When she's tired, he goes to bed with her. He'll sit up, watching her sleep sometimes, but she doesn't have nightmares when he's with her.

He likes to think he keeps them away.