Drabble #26: Storm
Summary: Storms normally scare people but they can also bring them together.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot. Characters and places belong to SquareEnix
The thunder roared again, jerking Cloud awake from his slumber. Groaning, he flopped his head back down again, his eyes slowly beginning to droop closed when another flash of lightning occurred, illuminating a figure by the window in a pale, terrifying manner.
"Holy!" Cloud cried, jumping up. The action caused him to fall onto the floor with a large thud, his limbs tangled in his sheets. The window opened and giggles reached his ears as a figure entered, switching the bedside lamp on and then there was a flash of a camera. Shielding his eyes, he frowned as the woman in pink giggled more before placing the camera down.
"Aeris?" he cried, blinking up at her disbelief. "What are you playing at?"
"Sorry," she replied, her smile still evident on her face. "It's just Tifa said you weren't afraid of anything and I wasn't about to lose fifty gil over such an easily won bet!"
"You know," he sighed getting to his feet and throwing his covers on the bed to reveal his well-toned chest and abs to her widening eyes, "Scaring me yourself doesn't actually count!"
"Ha! You just admitted you were scared! Though I guessed from the screaming," she teased, folding her arms across her chest and raising an eyebrow. Cloud glared at her words.
"I didn't scream!" he retorted defensively, his eyes flashing a little from anger and his cheeks turning a small tinge of pink. Aeris just giggled and shook her head.
"I thought your reaction was…cute," she admitted with a shrug, smirking as Cloud's cheeks turned redder. "I much prefer the reaction you have on now though," she added.
"Are you going back to your room any time soon?" he asked but his voice was not angry, it actually held a more amusing tone to it. She smiled wider in answer and shook her head in an almost innocent manner.
"Someone's got to protect you from any other weird women who may climb into your room," she replied. "They might molest you or something," Cloud raised an eyebrow and shook his head as he lay down on the bed again.
"Thanks for your concern," he muttered with a half-smile. "But I thought I was your bodyguard."
"You are but I'm giving you a night off," she answered, sitting on the edge of the bed, grinning slightly before thunder echoed again, bringing her attention to the still open window. She quickly leapt up and pushed it down, stepping back when lightening flashed with another roar of thunder.
"I used to be scared of thunder, especially after my mother died but Elmyra told me that so long as you're safe in your bed, in the arms of someone you love, you'll always be safe," she explained.
"I guess you would be," Cloud agreed, slipping under his sheets and laying his head down. "If you love someone, you'll do anything to protect them," he glanced at Aeris when he said the words but she did not notice since she was so busy looking out of the window.
"I better get going and let you get some sleep," she said suddenly, turning to face him with her trademark smile before she made her way to the door.
"Sure that you're not scared of the thunder?" he asked, sitting up a little to watch her hand lightly grasp the doorknob. She raised an eyebrow before she clasped her hands behind her back in an innocent manner.
"Why? Are you going to protect me from it?" she asked, flashing a flirty smile. Cloud smirked a little and shook his head.
"Can't, it's my night off remember," he replied in a serious tone. Aeris put her hands on her hips in mock anger.
"Some bodyguard," she teased, leaning against the door and folding her arms again. Cloud shrugged.
"You said it before," he said, rolling onto his side and propping his chin onto his hand to look at her. Aeris laughed and brushed the hair from her face.
"I really should go, Teef will be wondering what was taking me so long," she sighed, giving him a quick smile. He nodded a little and watched her leave before rolling onto his back, a little disappointed that Aeris wasn't staying with him.