Everyone was having fun watching the many combinations of reels on the slot machine, along with the seemingly frequent bonus rounds. However, it wasn't long before the bonuses stopped appearing so regularly, and the credits meter started to dwindle. Soon enough, it was back to zero, and the excitement had run its course.

"Is that it?" Aerith asked with a pout.

Biggs nodded. "Yeah, unless I want to put more money in."

"Aww bummer. Well, it was fun while it lasted. I can't believe you were up to almost a hundred dollars, too. It just goes so fast, huh?"

Biggs sighed and reluctantly stood up from his slot chair. "It sure was fun, but the casino giveth and the casino taketh away. It's okay, though. I only lost twenty dollars, and I had such fun with all of you. So, to me, it was money well spent."

Cloud didn't have the heart to point out to Biggs that had he walked away earlier, he could have taken all that money home. Then again, Cloud knew he had fallen for that same trap too, so he kept it to himself. After all, these fancy fountains and shows don't pay for themselves.

A lull fell over the group as everyone pondered their next move. The night was still young, but after the epic rise and fall of Biggs's wager, no one seemed in the mood to play any more machines.

One particular activity that would excite Aerith came to Cloud's mind, but the tough part was getting the courage to say it, especially since it wasn't a typical night time activity. He had enjoyed being on the sidelines for most of the night, observing everyone and not having the attention on himself. However, he wasn't quite ready for the night to end, so he decided to speak up.

"H-how about the conservatory?"

Aerith's eyes widened at the mention of the word. "That's right! The front desk agent said it was a great place for flower lovers. How could I forget? I guess it's just too easy to get distracted in this town."

It was easy to get distracted, Cloud agreed, but he was not thinking of the colorful city's entertainment. He turned to his friends to see their reaction.

Biggs was the first to speak. "Great idea, Cloud."

"I agree," Wedge added. "Follow me. I think I know where it is."

Cloud was silently relieved his friends were willing to go along with it; perhaps they also knew of his ulterior motive.

Wedge took the lead once more, snaking the group through the casino with his newfound sense of direction, even though they all had only been here for just a few hours. The tables and slot machines that were relatively tame and subdued before in the daytime were now packed to the brim with people and full of excitement.

Aerith didn't seem as intrigued by the frantic activity as she had before, since her mind was most likely preoccupied with her new floral focus. Once the group finished making their way through the casino, they rounded the corner and their destination finally came into view. A wide open space was bustling with flowers and colors. Giant windows appeared overhead showing off the night sky. The group turned as one to Aerith to see her reaction; it made Cloud feel better knowing he wasn't the only one.

Her eyes opened wide and glistened as she stared into the distance. "Look at all these flowers. It's even more amazing than I thought it would be."

Aerith made her way into the flower-filled area and Cloud followed her pace. At first, they were walking in as a group of four, but when he turned back towards his friends, he noticed they had purposely paused, allowing Cloud and Aerith to move ahead. Cloud gave his friends a puzzled look, but both of them stood fixed in place. Biggs gave him a shoo-ing gesture with his hands, and Wedge shot him a sly grin. His heart sank upon realizing what they were trying to do.

He had hoped it was going to be the four of them, taking the pressure off him. But now, since he had already started following Aerith, it was too late to back out without drawing more attention. He tensed up again once he realized he was on his own.

He turned his attention back towards Aerith, who was lost in a maze of flowers. She craned her neck trying to take in every single detail. All around them stood dozens of different animals, all made entirely of real flowers, their floral scents captivating the senses. Cloud wasn't really a flower guy, but even he had to appreciate quite how amazing the whole exhibit was.

They stood for a few moments in silence, and then Aerith turned to Cloud, pointing her finger upward. "See that bird over there? That's a white hydrangea. It's great for lighting up a garden, and it also has tones of green and pink, which can be perfect for adding color."

The bird in question was quite the feat of horticultural engineering; its wings spread in flight, it seemed almost ready to fly away. Cloud took a second to observe the white flowers he wouldn't otherwise know the name of, and then he turned back to Aerith. She was still entranced, looking off into the distance, pointing her finger to another spot. "And that hot air balloon there—those red stripes are made with the Secret Lust Coneflower."

Wait.. secret what-now? Was Aerith toying with him? Cloud's heart fell for a second in his chest, and he worried he had exposed himself. He looked away, unable to make eye contact.

Aerith, as if suddenly realizing what she had said, turned a delicate shade of pink. "Yes, that's what the flower is called. Such a weird name, right? It's of the Echinaea variety and they are known for being extremely fragrant."

"Oh," Cloud muttered, unsure of what to say next. He was trying so hard not to comment on the "secret lust" part, but his mind was still fixed on that. Did she mean to say that ? Was Cloud being painfully obvious? He probably was.

The pair stood in silence for a bit and he searched his brain for something—anything to say. Whatever didn't involve the words "secret" or "lust". Think, Cloud, think!

"What flower is that?" Cloud blurted out, pointing to a random yellow flower in the distance. Please don't let this one have a sexually suggestive name, too.

"Oh!" Aerith exclaimed, "That's a yellow daffodil. Perfect for spring and relatively easy to grow, which is probably why they are so popular here."

Cloud breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the ubiquitous yellow flower to help lighten the mood. The tension seemed to be lifted, and Aerith was back to her old self as she recited more flower facts with each new display that came into view.

While Cloud didn't imagine his first night in Vegas would involve learning so much about flowers, he could listen to Aerith talk all day. He was actually finding it interesting observing all the natural details he would otherwise take for granted in his day-to-day life. With Aerith looking away, he snuck a glance at Biggs and Wedge who were off in the distance near the corner. They had their eyes on Cloud and appeared to be saying something to one another, but Cloud was too far away to hear any of it.

He turned back to Aerith and their eyes met. She furrowed her brow. "I'm not boring you, am I?"

Cloud realized he had to speak, now, even though it was difficult. "No. I'm learning a lot."

He was learning a lot. Besides the tidbits about flowers, he was enjoying learning about Aerith, too. He knew she cared about flowers before, but up until this moment he never realized how much it was truly her passion. It made sense the more he thought about it. She worked in a flower shop for so long—why wouldn't she be passionate? But Cloud realized he did not share the same sentiment about his job. While he liked computers, he wouldn't talk endlessly about them with the same wonder that Aerith did just now.

"Good," Aerith continued with a smile. "I'm sorry, I just get so excited by flowers. I know it's silly but I just can't help talking about them. They bring me so much joy."

Cloud wanted to tell her that she didn't have to apologize for having a passion. He wanted to say he wished he could feel the same about his line of work. But the words didn't come out, and before long, Aerith had moved on, making her way through the conservatory to another spot.

This time, she bent down towards flowers closer to the ground. These were yellow, too, and they appeared in a sort of star shape. Aerith reached out toward the flower, and used her hands to waft the smell towards her face. She closed her eyes and breathed in the intoxicating fragrance, a pleased smile appearing.

After a few moments of taking it all in, she got up and turned once again to face Cloud. "These are lilies and they're probably my favorite flower. It symbolizes reunion. They can live a long time in a bouquet, so they're quite popular in the shop, although I might be a little biased. They really are the most magical of the flowers I know."

Cloud took a second to admire the yellow flowers once more, while also trying to make a mental note of what Aerith had just told him. She broke her gaze from the lilies, and turned her attention towards her purse, retrieving her phone, and handing it to Cloud. "Do you mind taking a picture of me? My mom is gonna get kick out of this display."

Cloud nodded and grabbed the phone from Aerith's grasp. He positioned the camera in a few different angles, taking an assortment of pictures, hoping one would meet her approval. He didn't mind being a photographer, as it gave him an excuse to stare at Aerith more without seeming like a weirdo.

All of the sudden, he heard Wedge and Biggs come up behind him.

"Want me to take a picture of the both of you?" Wedge asked. Cloud's pulse quickened at the thought.

Before he could think of a response, Aerith replied, "That would be great. Thanks so much."

Wedge stepped forward to take the camera from Cloud's hand, and Cloud realized he could no longer hide behind it. He reluctantly put the camera in Wedge's hand, and then he turned to face Aerith, inching forward to take his place next to her. Her smile was inviting, but every step was so difficult. Why was this so hard?

After what seemed like an eternity, at least to Cloud, he finally made his way next to her for a photo. He looked at her for a moment, debating what to do and how best to pose. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and rest his chin against her shoulder, like he had seen other couples do as they posed for pictures. He would take in a moment to breathe in the smell of her hair and whisper a random fact about lilies to make her smile.

But he knew he couldn't do any of that right now outside of his head. His feet barely took him next to her, and that was hard enough. Resigning himself to simply standing next to her, he turned towards Wedge and faced the camera. He put all of his attention into the best half-hearted smile he could muster for Aerith's picture.

After lots of pictures, poses, and flower facts, the group started to get tired and eventually made their way back up to their respective rooms. They found themselves standing in the hotel lobby and saying their goodbyes.

"Get ready for our first full day in Vegas, tomorrow," Wedge enthusiastically said.

"I can't wait!" Aerith cheered. Even when she was tired, her enthusiasm never dwindled.

They all said goodnight to one another, and Cloud and Aerith headed back to their room. As the door closed behind them and Cloud realized they were alone, he tensed up once more. Aerith turned to him, not seeming to notice his hesitancy. "I'm going to get ready for bed."

Cloud nodded, and Aerith made her way into the bathroom. He was still getting used to how forward she was with everything, but part of him did like how she took charge, too. Now that she was absent from the room, he used the opportunity to collect his thoughts. With his head resting on the cooled off-white wall, he stood still at the doorway recounting the events of the day. He had been so close to her, and it had been at times magical and at times nerve-wracking. But he also realized that as long as she did most of the talking, Cloud could feel more at ease. He'd have to utilize this knowledge in the days to come.

He could hear the clanks, clunks, and rushing water sounds coming from the bathroom, and he came to the realization he had been standing in the doorway, lost in thought, longer than he should have. He didn't want Aerith to get suspicious, so he pulled himself from the wall, and made his way down the marbled entryway, toward his nightstand. After a few minutes, the sounds stopped, and Aerith emerged in a gorgeous but modest pink nightgown that almost ran to the floor. It was simple and functional, but somehow just seeing her made Cloud's heart skip a beat.

He tried not to stare. Their eyes met for a brief moment, but then her gaze shifted elsewhere. She now had a look of determination as she made her way across the room.

"Let's listen to the fountain music again!" Aerith said, reaching for the remote. She turned to Cloud briefly, giving him a small window to object, if needed.

He nodded again, still unable to say much. He was impressed that Aerith still found it as entrancing as he did, and there was no way he would try and ruin her fun now. She tuned the TV to the familiar hotel channel, and a smile played upon her lips as the melodic tunes played throughout the room. She glided towards the window and stared at the fountains dancing along to the uplifting melody. When the song ended, she reached for the remote once more and turned the TV off with a satisfied grin.

As she snuggled into bed, she turned to Cloud. "Thank you for everything. I had such a great day today." Before Cloud could think of how to react, she turned over to her side and closed her eyes. "Goodnight."

And just like that, Aerith drifted off to sleep and Cloud stood in the room in silence, as though he was all alone. He paused for a moment as he gathered his thoughts, and then eventually he made his way into the bathroom to try and get ready for bed. The sound of the faucet helped fill the silence of the room and the tile floor cooled his warm feet. He felt tired, kinda, but his mind was still racing; his attempts at a nighttime routine were failing at calming him down like he had hoped.

Finished in the bathroom, he slowly headed towards his bed, being careful not to wake Aerith. He climbed into bed and switched the lights off, leaving him in the darkness that he hoped would be the magical solution to falling asleep instantly. The glow of the night fountains shone on the floor by his bed.

He tried to close his eyes and surrender to sleep. He really needed to be fully rested if he wanted to be able to enjoy tomorrow's events. But his heart was still beating so fast and he was having a hard time reconciling the fact that a beautiful girl was sleeping in a bed next to him. A girl he so badly wanted to caress and hold, but instead could only utter a few words to at a time.

He tossed and turned for a while, trying to find a comfortable position that would be what his body needed. But soon he realized that sleep was not going to come easy tonight, no matter how much he wanted it to. He sighed and reached for the reading light by his nightstand. He kept his eyes on Aerith as the faint light filled part of the room, hoping it wouldn't wake her. Luckily, she did not even move; she must have been really tired. Cloud reached over for the book that he tried, and failed, to read earlier in the day. If he wasn't going to sleep, at least he was going to try to make something of the night. He opened to the familiar pages once more and began to study the important casino strategies, hoping it would be the dry reading he needed to eventually lull him into sleep.

A/N: As mentioned in an earlier chapter, the Bellagio Conservatory is a real (free) place in Vegas and the display rotates every season. It's also open 24 hours which is really handy if you want to visit after a show. And it is made with REAL legit flowers, which is really impressive.

Thank you to everyone for the kudos and comments :)