Dreamless

This fic contains Yomiel, Sissel and plenty of angst.

Oh, and major spoilers for the game, of course.

The moon shone brightly, casting its light through the window panes and illuminating the form of a curled up black cat sleeping soundly atop the bed. Next to the cat was a blonde man clad in red, lying on his back with his arms folded beneath his head. Unlike his feline companion, he wasn't asleep.

Yomiel hadn't slept in over a year. Not since the day he had died. His body didn't grow tired and he never even needed to sleep. In fact, he couldn't. No matter how long he closed his eyes and waited, he would never drift off to sleep. It was just impossible.

He wanted to be able to dream, just so he could see his beloved fiancee again, to hear her laugh and see her lovely smile once more. The dreams would at least be a temporary escape from this living hell. But there was no escape.

Yomiel missed being able to do all the simple things in life. He couldn't feel the heat of the sun on his face during those long summer days or the bitter winter cold. Whenever he ate or drank anything, it was tasteless. He could gulp down a cup of scalding coffee and not even feel it going down. Not being able to feel anything at all was maddening.

How long would it be before he forgot what it was like to live?

The man in red sat up, sighing in frustration and burying his head in his hands. It didn't do him any good to keep thinking like this and welling in self-pity. He would never have that past back no matter how much he longed for it. His life had changed forever when that meteorite pierced his back.

A soft mew broke the silence. Yomiel looked down into Sissel's bright amber eyes.

"Did I wake you?" Yomiel gently lifted the cat into his lap and stroked him. He wondered if cats did dream when they slept. "Were you having a nice dream, Sissel?" He exhaled and raised his head, looking up at the moon with a wistful expression.

How he wished he could dream.