Wings of an Angel
By Henrika

Henrika- Finals were horrible. Enough said.

She'd woken with a start upon realizing the space next to her on the bed was empty. She had been sleeping in his room since that night (in his bed actually, once he finally convinced her that it was smarter than sleeping in a chair). She sat up, willing her eyes to adjust to the dark.

He was standing next to the window, eyes focused on and beyond something outside. "Go back to bed." And apparently focused on her as well.

"You should be getting some rest." She said, glancing over at the clock that proclaimed 1:52 in soft red lines.

"Not tired."

"Cloud…"

"Really, I'm not." She glanced out the window, trying to find what he was looking at. It appeared through the darkness, a great stone angel. She had a funny feeling of déjà vu then, remembering that they had been in almost the same positions, she waking up from her fight with Loz and he staring out the window at that statue.

She stood, walking over to him. She didn't say anything, just wrapped her arms around his neck. They stood like that for a long time.

"It's not real." He said finally.

"What?"

"It's not real. Sephiroth had no use for failures. He would have no reason to take me over."

"Last chance." Tifa murmured his own words against his bare shoulder, feeling the rough bandages around his chest through her thin t-shirt.

"But Jenova is gone. Kadaj had the last of her cells."

"You had his wing."

"I'm a failure. I can't. I can't become him."

"It was real." There was a long pause before he spoke.

"I think…"

"Hmm?"

"I think I'm afraid."

"Of what?" She asked. She tried to face him, but he place his hand over her clasped fingers and prevented her from letting him go.

"I wasn't afraid to die. Before, when geostigma hit. I was ready to let go, to give up and die. But I was afraid of disappointing you. All of you. Marlene, Denzel, you. I left because I was ready to die and you wouldn't be able to let me. I knew you'd be disappointed in me either way, but I thought I would hurt less if you didn't have to see me like that. I'm staying this time, but…" He choked on his words for a moment. "I need to know that it's okay to die. If I fight and lose, I need to know that you knew I tried."

"You're not going to die." Tifa desperately wished she could see his face, but his grip had tightened slightly as he spoke.

"Please Tifa." He was pleading. He never pleaded. She felt something wet against her hand.

"Cloud."

"Please."

"I'll forgive you." He sagged in her arms suddenly and she struggled for a moment to support his weight. "Cloud?"

She lowered them both to the ground, realizing Cloud was unconscious. And that the wet stain on her hand that she thought came from his tears was a deep blue-black. She glanced down at his torso, the same stain spreading across the once-white bandages. She felt her own tears begin to splatter over her hands and mingle with the thick tears his body was crying.

Geostigma had returned.

Henrika- Haha! Bet you didn't see that one coming! And don't worry, there is an excellent explanation. Hope you enjoyed. Please review!