Drabble #19: Sofa
Summary: Cloud can be a caring guy really.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Characters and places belong to SquareEnix
Cloud gave a sigh as he stared up at the ceiling, sleep still not taking his body no matter how much he willed it. A dry feeling was present in his throat, indicating that all his tossing and turning had only achieved a thrist.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes with his arm and then stood up, stretching until he heard his back crack before relaxing. He was in a room by himself so didn't have to worry about being quiet when crossing the room and stepping into the corridor. His foot jerked when it met the cold surface of the wooden floor but it got used to the feeling almost immediately and he proceeded down the stairs.
Once he got to the entrance hall, he turned left into the louge area, knowing their was a vending machine inside but he stopped in his tracks. Curled up on the sofa, breathing softly and a gorgeous, peaceful expression on her face, was Aeris the flower girl.
Cloud stared at her before glancing around the room, as if he could find an answer as to why she had chosen to sleep in such an odd place when she had her own room. Then he remembered. The group hadn't had enough gil and ended up having to share. He assumed the whole group had been there but now that he thought back, Aeris had been busy exploring the town and didn't know about the situation. Cloud wouldn't be surprised if she had went to her room to find that Yuffie and Tifa had already taken the beds, probably thinking Cloud had done something for the Cetra.
He felt guilty about leaving her in such a place where she had no way of warming herself when the temperature dropped later on in the night so that left him with one last option. He crossed the room, gently kneeling in front of her and whispering her name in a hope that it would awaken her.
It didn't work and instead, she gave a dreamy sigh and rolled onto her back. With a sigh, Cloud moved his right hand under her shoulders while his left hooked their way under her knees. With little effort, he had lifted her into his arms, his hand on her shoulders immediately moving to support her neck. She moaned softly and turned in his embrace but still didn't wake up.
Carefully, he carried her up to her room and gently placed her on his bed, lifting the sheets over her body. He smiled softly as his hand traced her cheek and combed back her hair. He continued to stare for a moment before he snapped himself out of it and left the room.
When morning came, Aeris was confused as to how she had ended up in the room. Her puzzlement only grew when, on further inspection, she realised that she was in Cloud's room with no sign of the blonde anywhere.
She exited the room and looked up and down the corridor but could see nothing that indicated the blonde's presence. She stepped down the stairs slowly and peered through the glass doors into the lounge area. A small gasp escaped her as she saw Cloud curled up on the sofa she had been sleeping on during the night. She made a mental note to thank him for his kindness later on, perhaps she could treat him to two dates instead of one? She sniggered at the thought as she made her way back to his room to have a shower.