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Chapter Text

Vampires were monsters was what Cloud's mother Claudia had instilled in her as she grew up. And she believed that to be true one day when a vampire attacked her mother, but Cloud was powerless to protect her. Claudia had survived the incident, but it somehow scarred the Strifes with the blonde vowing to grow stronger so that she would get her revenge someday. On one fateful day, a much older Cloud Strife went out scouting, checking out the surrounding area to see if any threats had lingered nearby. Only silence had enveloped her and Cloud had learned that if something was too silent, trouble was possibly brewing somewhere. Cloud's heard rumors about this part of Nibelheim. Deserted, dilapidated buildings dot the place making it look abandoned. The only residents so far were bandits and whoever else weren't able to find a better place to live.

She remembered that she got dragged here by her friend Tifa often as children, as it was the favorite spot of those who felt brave enough to prove something. Apparently things hadn't changed even with the next generation, as children were the ones to give the alarm since there is something bad living here, something that wasn't human. There have been rumors of people coming back in a pallid state mostly due to a lack of blood, and there's only one kind of creature that could cause this. Whatever vampire decided to take up residence around here was going to get evicted permanently.

It was reason enough to be here after all.

The blonde had the necessary tools at her disposal to dispatch the creatures of the night. If anything moved, she'll be ready immediately, and there'll be no way for them to avoid her. The beast wouldn't have a chance if doesn't notice her first, and the town will be freed from the menace haunting it. Cloud didn't like acting as the savior of the town, but Tifa was currently caught up in her own vampire hunting business in Midgar so someone else had to do it.

But first she had to look for a coffin since every vampire had one. If she could find one, there's a chance she'll find the vampire along with it and destroy them both. If she doesn't find anything, she'd make the vampire talk after waiting for nightfall of course. She liked the challenge since it would be pretty pointless to defeat a vampire while they were asleep. And vampires moved around at night anyway, hence being nocturnal creatures after all.

The manor was still as she remembered it, old and in ruins. It's a mystery for her how anyone would rather live here in this derelict building than in any other place, but she's not one to judge. At least by deciding to haunt this place instead, the vampire has managed to air it out, as if anyone in their right state of mind would want to live so close to a monster. It wouldn't last long, but Cloud would rather kill the creature instead of leaving it to its own devices.

She started inspecting the inside of the manor, one hand on her sword while the other usually held a lantern, flashlight, gun or a stake. Cloud's eyesight was sharper than any normal human's eyes, courtesy of her training but it's still not enough to see completely in the dark. The blonde wasn't able to find anything in one of the rooms, which meant that she'll have to look for the coffin in another, much to her disappointment.

She'd have to cast some of the old spells that her mother had taught her growing up. Cloud never liked resorting to magic in any given situation, but for times like this it's absolutely necessary. She suddenly felt that she's not alone and sensed movement right outside her field of vision. Only one kind of being can move this fast, but Cloud was no slouch herself since she's able to keep up with the figure that was trying to sneak up on her and catch them in the act.

She didn't even care if she dropped her flashlight on the ground or not because she needed both hands to unsheathe her sword. As quick as a flash she stabbed the being, and managed to pin it to the wall. A cry of pain escaped the vampire's lips, and now Cloud can observe the beast better.

Red eyes reveal themselves under chocolate brown bangs on a masculine face belonging to a male vampire. This man's skin is snow white but there's some strange crest or emblem hanging from his neck. She perished the thought by sinking her blade even deeper into his flesh. She's not here to look at vampires, but to kill them instead.

"Tell me where you hid your coffin, and I swear I'll make this as painless as possible."

The vampire doesn't respond to the threat, but there's a hungry look in his eyes. Too hungry to listen to her it seems. Cloud gritted her teeth in frustration since she hated repeating herself, instead opting to twist the sword further into the wound. The brunet vampire let out a grunt, but still doesn't respond.

Cloud then noticed that there's a gash across the creature's abdomen, a bit on the left side from where she stabbed him, which appeared to be another wound of some kind. She didn't strike him there so that meant he must've gotten wounded before their encounter. But the wound was still open, something unusual for vampires who heal quickly.

It seemed a fellow vampire must have hurt him and apparently to the vampire hunter, he was using the blood he took from his victims to heal himself. So wouldn't the wound be healed by now?

Now that she thought about it, he didn't suck anyone dry. The townspeople had ended up sick, sure, but they weren't dead. Why was that, especially considering that he'd heal quicker if he had gotten more blood?

What was this creature? And why did Cloud care so much? This was just some foul beast imitating a human and she should get rid of him immediately.

The other wound seemed to hurt more, and all the blonde had to do is exploit that to her advantage by stabbing the blade through it. Instead she made a mistake by underestimating what was right in front of her. As soon as she pulled the sword out of the wound the vampire lunged at her with such strength and speed, it caught Cloud completely off guard. Her back hits the ground, but the impact isn't as strong as one would think. She soon realized that the creature was holding her to cushion the blow, but right now she has more important things to worry about.

The vampire is close and now that she's caught in his grasp, Cloud's futile attempts to struggle free are in vain. She even let her own weapon fall out of her reach, carelessness on her part.

"Forgive me," he whispers.

Cloud had a moment to blink before she felt a pair of fangs sink into her neck.

When Cloud opened her eyes, it's still dark out. Rolling over on her side, her first instinct is to look for her blade which was laying right beside her. It made her somewhat curious if the brunet did this.

She felt a bit nauseous but managed to get up by using her sword as support. Reaching a hand to her neck she feels a bite mark of where the vampire bit her. Cloud glared as her hand tightened around the weapon.

The sheer and pure nerve of him!

"Sorry," the creature said before feasting on her and the blonde couldn't help but sarcastically think he must've been so very sorry.

The worst part about this is that he left her alive, and now Cloud will have to live with the fact that she got tricked by a vampire. As soon as she finds him, she'll make him pay for what he did to her. Even in this disgraceful situation there is still hope however, because now that the creature has her blood, she can trace it back to him.

She pulled out a knife then poked her thumb with the sharp tip. Cloud remained stoic and didn't even flinch from pain as blood began to seep from her now injured finger. The vampire hunter waited until a few droplets fall to the ground before pronouncing the words of a spell she never thought she'd ever get to use. It's an ancient tracking spell, useful if the vampire hasn't managed to extract their victim of all their blood like this time.

The blood on the ground began trembling before moving toward its intended target, leading her to what will be the spot where she will find and kill the beast. Surprisingly enough, she doesn't have to travel very far. He's right outside of town.

Cloud spots him from far away, which gave her an advantage because it doesn't seem like the vampire has noticed her yet. He instead seemed more focused on limping his way through the woods. Apparently, not even Cloud's blood was enough to heal him entirely, but then why didn't he just take her life? He must have seen that she was a danger to him, and yet he spared her.

Perhaps he may have underestimated her.

Cloud sprinted in his direction and tackled the beast once she's close enough. It's such a crude thing to do and she knew that, but she wanted to look at his face when she killed him, wanting to see the fear in the brunet's eyes. And indeed she found fear in the way the monster looked at her, taking a moment to revel in it.

They're both breathing heavily but neither of them move, and kept staring at each other. The vampire looked afraid but also tired, like he's on the verge of passing out. Cloud didn't think she'd ever see one of these monsters do that, she didn't even know if they were capable of doing so.

And for some odd reason or another, Cloud is wondering about this creature's identity. She's never seen anything like this in all the years she's been out hunting monsters. Just who was this merciful vampire? She buried that thought deep in her hatred for vampires, this accursed species that has plagued the world ever since their conception.

Her hands are firm around her sword, ready to stab the monster. Except she can't bring herself to do it. Why is honor stopping her now? Vampires were dishonorable to begin with and she shouldn't feel remorseful in slaying them.

And yet she was spared by the very thing she swore to kill. Due to her good conscience, she can't kill him now, which only made her angry at herself. But unfortunately she has an honorable heart. In the end this vampire hasn't killed anybody, at least that the blonde already knows about.

"Why do you do this?" She asked him.

She wanted to understand before she killed him first. The vampire looked perplexed but seemed to have caught her words this time.

"What...?" His voice sounded so weak, but Cloud still grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Why didn't you kill me?"

He turned away, "I can't..." 

She simply scoffed at those words. "Yeah right! As if I'm going to believe that, beast."

Her tone was harsh, and the creature winced at those words or maybe it's because his shoulders are beginning to hurt. Still, his eyes seem sincere when he spoke again.

"I'm not," he paused, "I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You're a vampire, a monster. You exist to hurt people."

"I don't kill them."

Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. The reason why this vampire seemed so strange to her is that he acts like a human, yet he's a monster. He doesn't seem bloodthirsty, and he's only taking what he needs in order to heal without endangering his victims. She doesn't believe she's about to do this, but this is what her heart tells her, and for once she's going to listen to it.

"Scram."

The vampire looks at her with bewilderment.

Cloud puts some distance between them, her gaze doesn't leave the creature for not even for a second. "I said scram, so get lost already."

The creature seemed incredulous, beginning to crawl past her.

"Thank you, thank y-" he gratefully muttered but the vampire hunter interrupted him before he can finish his sentence.

"Next time I might not be nice enough to let you go if I see you around here again," she spat venomously.

The vampire shook his head, "I promise I won't stay around here any longer."

"You damn well better. I don't need to hear about you lingering around the village anymore."

With one last glance the brunet vampire scrambled to his feet and began limping away, disappearing deep in the woods as Cloud's hawklike gaze followed him at least until she can still see him. Once he is out of sight she sighed to herself and massaged her temple, knowing already that she's going to get a massive headache sooner or later. Bile rose in her stomach at the sole thought of having to lie to the townsfolk that the world is safe from yet another vampire. At this point she can only hope that he's going to keep his promise and if he has to feed, he'll at least go somewhere where there aren't any vampires, Cloud or other vampire hunters nearby and it's not her problem to deal with.

Someway, somehow, she's going to regret this sooner or later.

Chapter Text

Cloud stepped out into the woods and went about her vampire hunting business when she heard a growling sound nearby. Turning her head to look around for any monsters, she didn't find anything but still kept alert of her surroundings. The growls were growing in intensity, getting louder as if whatever that was making the noise was getting closer to the vampire hunter.

In Nibelheim there were many legends swirling around the woods and mountains surrounding it, one of which was about vampires. The parents would often tell their children about them being bloodthirsty beasts who would snatch ill behaved kids from their homes just to scare them into behaving properly, and to stay away from the woods and mountains either to the north or south of town as the vampires inhabited those areas along with some other unsightly creatures as well. Cloud grew up believing those legends and tales, trying to not wander outside the village for fear of being snatched up herself. She wasn't a bad child, per se, but her mother Claudia had told her this to make sure she wouldn't get out of line.

Monsters were no exception either which the previous vampire hunters took care of if some had also neared the town. Cloud had been trained with decent combat experience with a knife, sword, gun or bow in case she ran into any monsters besides vampires. Her job as a vampire hunter made it hard to stay in the town as the woods had special materials needed to craft things, causing her to sometimes venture further away from Nibelheim to collect the stuff in the forest for the folks in town. But instead of running errands she was out hunting today, on the lookout for monsters or vampires.

It wasn't until Cloud glanced and saw out the corner of her eye what appeared to be a creature that was a mix between a frog, gargoyle and dragon snarling directly at her. She drew her sword and attacked as soon as the monster rushed at her, managing to score a direct hit into the monster's side and draw blood. In an act of retaliation the frog-beast slashed her right pant leg, ripping it open and tearing into her skin with its sharp claws. She grit her teeth and bit back a grunt as blood started leaking out of her thigh, glancing at her injury then glared at the frog-beast.

The vampire hunter readied her blade again then stumbled over in pain from her wound and dropped her weapon on the ground. Cloud's vision began to blur and the girl’s consciousness gradually faded away from her. Then the monster moved closer as if to finish the girl off...

Suddenly a hooded person appeared out of nowhere and quickly dispatched the creature in one fluid motion before turning to the blonde, a concerned look on their face.

Cloud was fading in and out of reality when she heard an eerily familiar voice that sounded much different than the townspeople. At the sound of it she winced and tried to lean herself up against a tree she was laying nearby, cursing for the first time that Cloud forgot to bring antidotes with her to cure her poisoned state and for being so careless for letting her guard down. Damn monster, it just HAD to use poison.

Gentle hands brought her closer to a lean chest and she felt the man start to walk away from the area to an unknown location. She didn't have the strength to stay awake when the land of unconsciousness rose to grab her once again.

Cloud soon found herself awake inside a cabin of sorts as she took in her surroundings before lifting the sheet up to look down at her thigh and noticed that it was bandaged up. The last thing she remembered was that the spiky haired blonde was out in the forest making her rounds until she was attacked by a monster, and saw a hooded man approaching her before passing out. Perhaps that man brought Cloud here to someplace safe then tended to her wound and gave her the antidote? Her unasked question was soon answered as the vampire hunter heard footsteps coming towards the room she was in. The door opened and in walked a man who was wearing the same blue hood Cloud saw before slipping unconscious, holding a baby blue tray with two cups full of tea.

“Oh, good you're awake,” he smiled at Cloud while setting the tray down on a nearby table.

Reaching for a mug, Cloud took a sip of tea which tasted mildly of vanilla before putting it back on the tray. “You gave me an antidote and bandaged my leg?”

The man nodded, “Yeah I did, I couldn’t sit there and watch that monster kill you. The smell of blood had lured me to where you were.”

Never meeting the man before in her life, she narrowed her eyes then suspiciously raised an eyebrow at him. “Who are you?”

Taken aback by her not recognizing him he blinked in surprise, “Wait, you don’t recognize me?” He removed his hood to reveal a familiar mop of brown hair. “I’m the vampire you chased out of town some time ago.”

‘Wait...’

Then the gears in Cloud's head began to turn as she soon remembered the person sitting in the room with her.

“You!” The vampire hunter hissed. “You’ve been up to no good again, haven’t you?!”

He frantically put his hands up in front of him just as she stomped towards him. “W-Wait a minute! I haven’t done anything since then!”

“You haven’t?”

“No, ma’am. Not at all.”

“You sure about that?”

A nod. “Positive.”

The blonde relaxed a little, but still kept her guard up just in case. “Where are we?” She asked while looking around the cabin before turning her gaze back to the brunet. He was also kind enough to leave the her sword in a spot where she could reach it. Good for her, bad for him.

"We're in a spare room of the cabin that I keep in the forest clearing," the vampire took a swig of his tea. “My name’s Bartz. What’s yours?”

Cloud frowned at him but gave her name, “Cloud... and thanks for the antidote.”

Bartz seemed to brighten at that even though she clearly disliked him. With nothing else to do currently she grabbed her cup and downed the tea then set the cup back down on the tray. The blonde soon stood up to retrieve her sword, alerting the vampire.

“You’re leaving already?”

“Yeah,” Cloud replied, fastening the sword back on her hip. “I have to go back to the village.”

Bartz looked out the window to see that dusk had nearly fallen, “Well, ok. Be careful on your way back to town. I hear the monsters become more active after nightfall and that it’s dangerous to be wandering around the woods at night.”

‘No shit,’ Cloud thought sarcastically as she stepped over to the door. Just when she was about to reach for the handle, the brunet spoke again.

“Try not to hurt yourself too much,” Bartz said with concern, causing Cloud to look at him. “Human blood from a fresh injury attracts beasts and other vampires, and it’s kinda hard for me resist if the smell is too strong. If you need a place to stay just in case you can’t make it back, you’re welcome to come back anytime.”

Then it finally clicked that he was wearing a hood himself to keep people from noticing him. That's why Bartz stayed away otherwise he would've been targeted and ultimately killed. Cloud was taught that vampires were bloodthirsty beasts who were no different than the monsters that inhabited the forest. Why did he care if she got hurt or not? It wasn’t any of his business but he was different and he was kind enough to save her.

She didn't take her chances to start a fight over her beliefs and perished the thought, even though Bartz was a vampire he was still human and never yielded to his thirst for human blood ever since that incident. Instead, he had subsisted on animal blood despite the flavor being radically different. Wordlessly, Cloud opened the door and shut it behind her.

Cloud checked her pouch to see that Bartz had generously given her some antidotes just in case she ran into another one of those poisonous frog-beasts again. She did admit that it was a kind gesture to do, but it still wasn’t any of his business to look out for the blonde. Cloud didn’t understand why he was being nice to her despite the vampire hunter nearly killing him the last time they met. She would have to ponder these thoughts another time, getting home before the sun had set completely was more important right now.

Cloud carefully stepped through the woods, maneuvering her way along the paths she’d crossed earlier before getting attacked, eyes and ears trained for the slightest hint of danger. So far the coast was clear at least for now, which meant that she didn’t have to fight but still kept her guard up regardless. It wasn’t long before she reached Nibelheim, the day’s events had drained her and Cloud wanted nothing more to sleep them off in the comfort of her bed. The sky had darkened as she reached the safety of her home. Once inside her house, Cloud took off her boots and went upstairs to her room, changed into her pajamas then collapsed on her bed while being extra careful of her wounded thigh.

The last thing the vampire hunter needed was to agitate it and cause it to bleed again. She sighed and pulled the covers over herself, mulling over Bartz’s earlier actions and words. Unfortunately, her sleep addled mind prevented her from thinking about this any further and so the vampire hunter had no choice but to sleep for now. She would get answers from him some other time but not tonight.

Chapter Text

Bartz was out hunting in the woods one day when he saw Cloud on her daily patrol. It had been a few days since he last saw her so it made him somewhat happy to see her out and about despite her injury. Speaking of which, he'd have to ask her about that.

"Hey there, Cloud," the vampire greeted, prompting her to look at him. "How's that leg of yours doing?"

"It's fine," she replied. "I used a potion on it to speed up the recovery process."

"Thank Cosmos that beast didn't hit an artery, otherwise it'd be too much of a hassle to deal with."

Cloud shook her head, "I don't get it..."

Bartz inquisitively tilted his head to the side, "Hm?"

"Why do you care so much about me? I nearly killed you."

"Well to be honest..." the vampire rested his chin in the crook of his thumb and index fingers, "You let me live as long as I didn't terrorize your town and harm any more humans that came my way. I've been hunting animals instead to satisfy my craving for blood. Plus you don't seem too bad for a vampire hunter."

Said vampire hunter bit her lip. Now that she thought about it, Bartz wasn't a bad guy himself. He was just trying to survive away from any hunters that passed through the woods with the exception of Cloud of course. Plus true to his word, Bartz hadn't attacked any humans during his hunts and may have guided some lost souls either back to Nibelheim or somewhere beyond the woods so they could continue their journeys elsewhere.

"Well, I've haven't had any reports of you attacking anyone recently so I guess you're the only vampire to prove me wrong." She turned away as a light pink blush stained her cheeks.

He smiled gratefully at that. It seemed that she was finally starting to come around and see that not all vampires are bad just as he realized the same for vampire hunters. Although it might take a while for Cloud to warm up to him, despite his friendly demeanor.

"I've got some tea inside if you want some," Bartz offered, "It's still a bit warm. There's also snacks in case you're hungry."

Cloud shrugged nonchalantly, "I guess I can settle for tea."

Bartz seemed to light up at that then gestured for her to follow him inside. She sat down then waited as the vampire wheeled the little tea cart to her before sitting in a chair opposite the vampire hunter. The tea cart had chocolate chip cookies to go with the tea. Cloud grabbed a cup and some cookies just as Bartz did the same. To break the ice they began talking about various subjects about this or that, making the atmosphere friendly overall. A few hours had passed before dusk started to settle in, prompting the vampire hunter leave for home.

Over the next few weeks the two would occasionally meet up near Bartz's cabin to hang out. They couldn't go to Cloud's house otherwise it'll rouse suspicion as to who the hooded person following Cloud was which wouldn't be good for either of them. Especially if Claudia or the other hunters decided to corner Cloud and press her about Bartz's identity.

She had joined in some of the vampire's hunts, knocking down targets that Bartz couldn't reach despite his speed.

"Thanks, Cloud," he said gratefully after catching a very fast rabbit that was giving him quite a hard time.

"You're welcome," she replied as Bartz snapped the rabbit's neck, making sure to silence it so it wouldn't suffer anymore than it already did and drank his fill.

The blood had a slightly sweet taste to it, much like when he drank Cloud's blood during their very first encounter with each other. As much as he'd like to drink her blood again, Bartz would rather not be on the receiving end of a stake, sword or even a fist for taking it without permission like last time. She'd still say no even after he asked so he wasn't going to take his chances doing so. Cloud had definitely warmed up to him over the past few weeks so she possibly wouldn't mind it, although it would probably have to be saved for more intimate moments together.

It wasn't long before the vampire and vampire hunter grew closer and closer to the point they became close friends or maybe something more. Bartz eventually noticed that he had feelings for the blonde hunter, it took Cloud longer no matter how much she tried to deny it. He also realized that humans couldn't live as long as vampires and would die as their lives were short. As far as he knew she still disliked vampires and even thinking of extending her lifespan would be an absolute betrayal on Cloud's part, so there was no point in asking. He decided to respect her wish to remain a human even if it went unspoken. Vampirism did have its upsides to eternal life, super strength/speed, regeneration and extreme durability, but it had disadvantages too. They couldn't be outside in the daytime in direct sunlight, hated garlic, holy water, ash stakes and bright lights. Even silver acted as kryptonite to them as vampires hated silver as much as their other weaknesses.

Cloud had noticed that whenever she walked inside Bartz's home, he always had the curtains closed due to his aversion to light. She had figured as much since vampires were nocturnal creatures and Bartz was no different. After all, vampires were more active at night than they were in the daytime - they could carry out their activities under the cover of darkness instead of broad daylight.

It was a crisp summer day when Cloud approached Bartz's doorstep and knocked on the door. There was a rustling sound on the other side before the house's lone occupant appear, holding the doorknob in one hand and a cookie in the other.

"Heya, Cloud," the vampire greeted then stepped aside to let her in.

She looked at him with a serious expression on her face. "We need to talk."

He blinked while closing the door, "Okay, is something wrong. Did I do anything I shouldn't have and need to move away?"

Cloud shook her head, "No it's not that, Bartz. It's something else."

"Then what's is it? What's got you like this?"

The blonde chewed her bottom lip almost enough to make it bleed.

"Bartz, I... I don't know how to explain this but..."

Her nostrils flared as she sighed through her nose, "I think I hit rock bottom."

"Huh? What do you mean by that, Cloud?"

"This what I mean," she replied, cupping the brunet's face in her hands before sealing his lips in a kiss.

He put a finger to his lips, his pale cheeks heating up slightly. Although the kiss lasted for only a second it left a bit of a lingering sensation behind. Cloud in the meantime, had turned away blushing wildly. There was no point in denying her feelings any further - she had truly fallen in love with Bartz.

"As much as didn't want to admit it, I've fallen for you so much that I hit rock bottom and didn't know what to do about it until now. I didn't think it was possible for me to even love a vampire, let alone like one."

"Cloud... you love me? Awww I love you too."

Bartz grinned as he wrapped his arms around Cloud, startling her. Before she could protest however, he tilted her head towards him and kissed Cloud back. It was enough to make her settle down and relax into the kiss. She subconsciously threw her arms around his neck while Bartz's encircled her waist. They eventually pulled away from the lack of air.

"I promise to make you the happiest woman on Gaia."

"You better not cheat on me or that'll be the least of your problems," Cloud huffed.

"I won't I swear."

She kissed him again. "Good. But I'm worried about how this will work between us, Bartz. I can't take you to my mom or walk through Nibelheim holding hands, it'll just put a target on your back as well as mine. Not only that, a lot of guys have been lining up to win my hand even though I'm not interested in any of them."

She sighed again, this was hard. A vampire and a vampire huntress falling in love with one another. If she didn't soften up to Bartz, Cloud would've found the whole situation both laughable and sickening at the same time, and wouldn't even dare entertain such a thing. Most romantic relationships between vampires and vampire hunters always ended in tragedy - the vampires were killed on the spot(sometimes by their own kind), while the hunters were executed in the town square and made an example to future hunters who dared to get with a vampire. It was seen as a traitorous act in their eyes as vampire hunters were supposed to hate vampires, not coexist with them.

Cloud shuddered at the thought, the last thing that she needed was people finding out and executing them both. She thought about telling Claudia but was afraid that her mother would be punished along with her, as the townspeople did to people whoever sided with the either the vampires or hunters who fell in love with them. It would not end well with either of them dead due to zealots wanting to perpetuate the cycle of hatred between the two groups.

"Cloud..." Bartz held her tightly against himself as if reading her thoughts. "I don't know how but we'll make it work. I promise."

"I just wish that things weren't this way..." She sighed.

"I know."

Then suddenly an idea came to Bartz. Although foolish and risky, it was an idea regardless. One that Cloud might not approve of but it could benefit both of them.

"Maybe we could run away together?"

Cloud blinked at him, "What...?"

Bartz held her in his arms, "Think about it, Cloud. We could go somewhere where no one would know or hurt us just because of what we are. You wouldn't have to worry about hunting other vampires unless they're evil and just like to hurt others for the hell of it."

"Bartz... I..."

"Even if you can't decide now, just think about it, okay?"

Cloud hesitated, another rare look that the vampire saw on her face besides smiling. Usually she didn't hesitate whenever there was a target in sight but this was an exception. She felt torn. On one hand, if Cloud ran away with Bartz, she wouldn't have to fear getting executed by the townspeople for falling in love with a vampire. But on the other her mother was still in Nibelheim and not only that, the village needed protection against any rogue vampires who dared to enter its gates. And as far as she knew, her friend Tifa was still in Midgar exterminating vampires there.

"My mother, she's still in the village. I can't leave her there by herself."

"Why not bring her with us? It'll be safe for her too."

Would this be a good choice for either of them? Now that she thought about it, most of the villagers in Nibelheim didn't really like her or Claudia all that much. The only exceptions were a few others, Tifa and her family included but they moved away leaving Cloud and her mother to protect the town, even if they were being ungrateful bastards who should thank Cloud and Claudia for keeping the town safe.

When Cloud's father died in a war, the townspeople barely spared them a glance and muttered halfhearted apologies. Some had even talked bad about him regardless of whether she or Claudia were around them. It made both mother and daughter bristle but didn't pay it any thought as they had other things to worry about besides ill mannered gossipers.

"You don't have to decide right now, but give it some thought, ok."