Title: Midnight Embrace

Disclaimer: If I owned FFVII do you think Aeris would be dead?

A/N: I've always felt so miserable about how Cloud lost Aeris, so I wanted to do something all angsty.

"Cloud?" her sweet, melodious voice reverberated through the ex-Soldier's mind, shattering his sanity into millions of pieces.

"Aeris?" he choked out, tears swimming in his eerily beautiful glowing blue eyes as he searched through the blinding white light for the emerald-eyed angel.

"I'm here Cloud," she whispered and the young man felt her cool touch against his cheek. He brought his own hand up to hold hers, tears rolling down the side of his face as he found nothing.

"I'm sorry Aeris," Cloud wept, shaking uncontrollably. But all he felt were those slim fingers against his skin.

"We can be together again Cloud," she spoke softly, her voice fading, "Together..."

"No! Aeris come back!" he cried pitifully and slumped to his knees.

Cloud woke with a start, sweating and glancing around wildly. It took him a moment to realize Aeris wasn't there, and he was in his small solitary house. Cloud slowed down his breathing, taking a moment to calm himself, before discovering it was ten minutes to midnight.

Shirtless but ignoring the cold, the man swung his legs over the side of the bed and got up, folding his arms across his chest angrily as he walked over to the window. The ice frosted its way across the glass, but Cloud could still see the swirling white darkness and hear the wind moaning in sorrow.

Why had she left? It was the simple question that had driven him to the brink of madness during the past few weeks. Ever since he and the others had stopped Sephiroth, he had 'disappeared'. He knew they were still frantically searching for him, believing something terrible had happened. Something terrible had happened in fact. He had lost himself in misery, screamed ever night in grief until his throat was raw, wept until his eyes were dry and red. And every night he endured the torturing dreams.

Her life didn't have to end that way. It could've been different. But Cloud, her protector, hadn't been able to save her as Sephiroth's blade ran through her as she knelt, praying to the planet.

Cloud sneered bitterly as he remembered how he had 'saved' her from Shinra Headquarters. Yes, he saved her all right. And just given her the death sentence instead. Perhaps if he hadn't she would still be alive. She wouldn't love him, but she would still be breathing air instead of water at the dark depths of the lake.

But he had not only let Aeris die, he had failed. Cloud had promised to keep her safe and he practically delivered her life to Sephiroth on a gold plate. He had deliberately made himself suffer because of it, deliberately made himself live in anguish.

But that night it was going to be different.

Cloud gazed into the distance without seeing, then turned and retrieved his sword, still shining even though he hadn't used it since the last battle. The young man ran a hand over the blade, almost hypnotized by the reflection.

And he made his decision to end it.

"I'm coming Aeris," he murmured and the ticking clock reached one minute to midnight, "And then we'll be together Aeris. Together."

Cloud drew the sword back, holding it pointed against his stomach as he realized with grim irony it was the exact opposite way to Aeris's death.

And he was dead as the clock's hands pointed to the twelve.