Drabble #27: Happiness

Summary: It was a feeling that happened around her, and her alone

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Characters and places belong to SquareEnix

It was an understatement to say that it had been, and still was, a miserable day. Cloud sighed as he watched the rain slide down the cool glass and listened to it pounding on the hotel roof. If it kept up, there was no way the group would be able to move out in the morning and continue their journey. He sighed again at the thought of getting held up even more than they already were. They really couldn't afford to waste much more time, especially since Sephiroth was already so far ahead of him.

He wasn't sure how long he had sat by the window, staring at the bleak sky when Aeris tapped his shoulder. He jumped slightly and glared in her direction before he realised it was her and his gaze softened slightly. She smiled and knelt by the armrest of his chair, placing her cheeks in her hands.

"What are you doing up Cloud?" she asked in her motherly tone.

"I was just admiring the view," he replied, throwing a bored glance at the window. Her smile grew into a small grin and she slowly shook her head.

"You should get some sleep you know," she answered. "It won't do for our leader to be too tired to make reasonable desicions."

"Yeah," He agreed standing up and stretching. Aeris smiled gratefully at him and clasped her hands behind her back as she watched him. He felt his cheeks heat up at the intense look she was giving him, as if she was daring him to sit back down. He probably would have, if it had been anyone but the flower girl. Whenever Aeris asked him to do something, he would do it almost instantly, no matter how many times the others had asked him to do the same thing, Aeris was the one that got the instant reaction out of him. And he knew exactly why. His feelings for the Cetra had become stronger recently and it was a thought that both excited and frightened him.

"Well, are we going?" she asked, interrupting his thoughts about his feelings for her. He grunted a yes, giving a quick nod of his head and followed her upstairs. Her door was the first one, directly opposite the stairs. She turned and gave him a smile.

"Sleep well, Cloud," she whispered as she turned the handle and walked inside.

"Yeah, you too," he replied as she gently closed the door. He gave a deep sigh, staring at the door for a moment before he snapped out of his daze and made his way back to his room, feeling genuinely happy in the first time he could remember. It had once been such a foriegn emotion to him but ever since he met Aeris, he found himself experiancing it everday.

His last thought before he fell into slumber were ones of a happy future that he hoped they could have one day, if he ever gained the courage.