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 ^{(it's beta!)}

    "Well, I'll see you."

    She blinked, then started. "Y-Yes!" She said with slightly more force than was necessary.

    He smiled, then turned around.

    Her heart fluttered, then sank.

    The leaves whispered and sighed, and she watched as he started to walk away. She reached out a hand as if to grab him, to stop him, to make him stay.

    She didn't want him to leave.

    But...what could she say?

    What words could she possibly utter that would make him turn around, to come back, to smile at her just one more time?

    She dropped her hand and watched him until he crested the hill, the beautiful hues of autumn swirling about him in a gold-laced vortex of crimson as the wind twisted the leaves around him, caressingly, it almost seemed. She stood like that for what seemed an eternity, unable to move, to take her eyes from the spot.

    How would she ever tell him?

    The moonlight fell in silver streams across her bed. She loved this time, when everything was gentle and dreamlike, so far from the harsh realities of the day. She stared at her ceiling, her thoughts inevitably wandering in his direction. The blood crept slowly to her cheeks, giving her pale face a soft pink glow in the silver light. Her long dark hair was splayed beneath her in a fan shape and there was a small curve in her lips. In her head, a story was unfolding...

    They were standing as they had been before, but it was night now, and the swirling leaves were but shadows in the darkness, their shapes highlighted by silver. He once more turned to leave, but this time she grabbed his hand, pulled him back, asked him to stay in a voice no more than a whisper, and then, shocked by her own audacity, turned to flee. He smiled slightly, and grabbing her other hand, pulled her close. Her hair flew behind her, caught in the wind, and he whispered her name...

    The crystalline blue of her eyes disappeared behind her lids as they closed, and she drifted off into her dreams.

    The same moonlight fell in the same silver streams across his bed. He too preferred this time, when he could think without the disturbances of everyday life. Everything had a surreal quality at night, and he could think about what he wanted to, could think about who he wanted to...

    Her hair flew behind her, caught in the wind, and he whispered her name, told her how much he loved her, how much he had always loved her, how hard it had been to live without her. How he never wanted to be without her again, how he would never let her go, how he wanted to just hold her like this forever...

    He slipped away, caught like leaves in the wind, and was carried away by his reveries.

    She woke with a start. She looked warily around the room, moving only her eyes, keeping her body on the bed despite her almost overpowering urges to jump up and scream, 'Who's there?!'

    When she was satisfied that she was alone, she tried to go back to her dream world.

    It didn't work.

    Eventually, she sighed and got up, changing into a black shirt with long sleeves. She pulled on a pair of black pants, some white socks, and sandals.

    She walked outside and disappeared into the night.

    How had he wound up here again?

    It must have been those dreams. They had led him here.

    He had woken up and been unable to go back to sleep. Upon leaving his home, he had unconsciously wandered to the exact spot his dreams had taken place. The wind was even blowing the leaves around.

    He shook his head.

    What was he really expecting?

    Her to just turn up, here of all places, in the middle of the night?

    No, that wouldn't happen. She would be sleeping now.

    But he could still wish...

    He turned to leave.

    "Wait!"

    "Is this...real?"

    She whispered the words, unbelieving.

    It was so much like her dream...

    No.

    She was imagining it.

    She closed her eyes. Surely when she opened them, he would be gone, and she would continue her walk, maybe even go home.

    She opened her eyes.

    He was leaving.

    "Wait!"

    He didn't hear. Even if he had, he would have dismissed it as wishful thinking.

    But then he felt her soft hand close around his, tug him back gently.

    He turned and saw her standing there, her eyes pleading with him, begging him to be real.

    "Please don't leave..."

    Her voice was soft and incredulous. Her eyes grew wide, and she turned to run.

    He grabbed her other hand and squeezed, trying to prove to her that she was not dreaming.

    Why, he didn't know, as he was scared to believe it himself.

    "I won't...I won't leave you ever again...You have no idea how precious you are to me..."

    He pulled her close.

    Her hair flew behind her, caught in the wind, and he whispered her name...

    They stood together, bathed in the moonlight, their fingers entwined and hearts beating fast, and the leaves swirled and fell about them, their shadows highlighted in silver as he held her.