Drabble #53: Library

Summary:

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

Cloud stopped at the entrance to the library upon looking in and seeing Aeris buried in a pile of books. She didn't even seem to notice that he was staring at her, her eyes were fixed on the pages before her. The Avalanche leader glanced at his watch, raising an eyebrow when he saw it was almost one o clock in the morning. Cloud was used to not getting much sleep but he was surprised the flower girl was up at such times. Normally, she went to bed before eleven.

"Aeris?" he whispered, stepping inside the quiet room. She jumped at his voice and then relaxed upon seeing who it was, giving him her trademark smile. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Her smile faltered a little and she gave a sigh. "Not really."

Cloud frowned and moved a little closer, peering at the titles of the books she was reading. They all seemed to be about the Ancients and their powers. His frown creased further as he glanced at her but she had turned her gaze away.

"It's just...I've found out so much about the Cetra tonight," she sighed and slowly rubbed her temples. Cloud scratched his head.

"Yeah...you mentioned something about being alone?" he recalled from earlier in the evening. Aeris nodded slowly, tears building behind her eyes. Cloud noticed.

"Aeris? What's wrong?" he asked, a little frightened of the fact she may start crying on him. He was terrible when it came to dealing with emotions. Aeris harshly wiped her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm fine," she insisted, slowly standing up and setting the books in a pile. "I don't know what came over me."

Cloud watched as she picked up her books and started placing them back on their shelves. He knew that the Cetra was hiding something from him but he didn't ask. If she had wanted to tell him, she would have.

Aeris reappeared and gave him a small smile as she neared him. Cloud watched as she grabbed her jacket and then she started walking towards the door. Before he knew it, Cloud reached out and grabbed her hand, forcing her to stop and give him a questioning gaze.

"You're not alone Aeris," he whispered. "I'm always here."

The flower girl blushed and gave a small smile, nodding slightly. "I know, bodyguard." She nudged him playfully in the arm before she returned to a serious expression. "Thank you."

It was Cloud's turn to blush. "No problem," he whispered, following her outside.