Thank You

Disclaimer: I do not own Claymore.

A/N: This story is a one-shot and I wrote it on a whim. Please read and review. It's my first Claymore fic so be nice! lol

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Nightfall crept up on the day, chasing away the last remnants of light as a group of former Claymores set up camp near the river bank. It wasn't long ago, four days to be exact, Clare finally reunited with the boy she'd been with years ago. But he wasn't the boy she once knew back then. Eight years had passed since their cruel hastily departure from one another.

The boy she knew from the past, was now a young man. It was hard to believe at first, during that fateful reunion. Clare thought she'd been seeing things until she was finally able to say his name. Deep down, she already knew it was him but was too afraid to admit it. He confirmed it when he looked her way and saying her name in return.

Raki must have been thirteen when they last separated, but was now, at the age of twenty one. He'd grown all those years and was the same height she was or maybe a little taller. Although, it'd been only four days, he never did say a thing. The only time Raki spoke was when he needed to, or when asked a question. But a simple yes or no took care of that.

This saddened her because she already knew who made him this way. This cold exterior of his that he wore expertly like a shell was all her doing. If only she'd told him something before they separated, something useful and concrete like a rendezvous point in some small town or city, it wouldn't had end up this way. Clare felt foolish for sending him away, without planning anything and truly regretted it ever since.

But here he was, right in front of her. Sitting by the fire motionless, quietly gazing at the fire as if mesmerized and calling him forth. Clare was sitting against a tree and her arms were folded across her chest. She carefully studied him from there. Raki showed an aura of confidence which he never had when he was with her and no longer sported that boyish face of his, but instead was replaced with another face.

It was a face of a handsome young man which she had to admit, found it hard to look away from. The scar above his brow was no longer visible, thus making him even more handsomer. His chestnut brown hair was well-kept and smelt of wildflowers and daisies when he was near her.

He blinked slowly and his eyes suddenly met hers. Clare's eyes never faltered nor looked away. She held his comely gaze, not caring she'd been caught looking at him. His face was expressionless, but spoke volumes even without saying a single word.

She finally broke their intense stare when she heard someone laughing. From across the river, she saw Helen prancing around near another campefire, holding up three fishes saying she caught it with her bare hands. Behind her, Tabitha, Uma, and Cynthia were all shaking their heads no. Their leader, Miria tried feverishly to waved her off, but sadly it was no avail. She didn't want to be near Helen when it was her turn cooking, mainly because, they end up being burnt.

Clare sighed and hugged her slender legs together. Ever since Raki came back, Miria and the group respectfully stayed their distance. They probably didn't want to intrude or get in the way. Miria might have ordered the others to steer clear from the two, since seeing Raki and her being apart far so long.

She looked back at Raki. He wasn't sitting up anymore, he was lying down and well away from the fire. The sword he got from the holy city of Rabona was right next to him, but she no longer could see his face. Clare gripped her legs tighter as sadness filled her whole once more. He didn't know she prayed and prayed for him for all those years and was extremely thankful when her prayers were answered.

But still, she felt her answered prayers weren't enough. Clare wanted something else entirely, something more important than some answered prayer and that was forgiveness. She wanted Raki to forgive her. She'd go to the ends of the world and back if needed to. Or better yet, fight hordes and hordes of Yomas by herself just to hear those words of forgiveness.

Clare stood from her resting place and slowly made her way to the fire. She sat next to him and looked at his lying form. Her hand reached for his sword and gave it an appraising look. For all these years, the sword was still in excellent condition and sharp as ever. She wouldn't be shocked to learn if he'd already mastered his sword skills. Maybe, that was the reason why he admitted an aura of confidence now.

Since joining the group reluctantly, he hadn't yet displayed any of his sword skills. Perhaps him seeing there were seven strong Claymores in the group, there'd be no reason to unsheathe that sword of his. She put the sword back in its holder and gently place it back down.

The fire he had made burned strongly but had a gentle calmness to it. Clare remembered only Raki made fire this way. She was quite certain his spirit burned in the exact same matter as the fire's, strong, persistent and calm.

Clare looked at him again, lying motionless. She wanted to say so many things to him but she couldn't. He was already preoccupied in his own world and isolated himself in that hard exterior of his. She then, did what she never did before and laid beside him.

She grabbed the blanket next to her and covered Raki and herself. The fire behind her, cracked and sizzled as she gently put her face against his back. Drinking in that wildflowers and daisies smell and daring herself to get much closer to him.

"I hate you," he finally said. "I hate you."

Clare curled up next to him, after hearing him speak. She tightly grasped onto the loose blanket in her hands, fighting back those hot heavy tears. "I know," she replied. "I know... and I'm truly sorry." This time, she sobbed a little. "Forgive me, Raki. Please forgive me."

She gently wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, not wanting to let go. "But in spite of it all," he continued as if ignoring what she said. "I still love you. You know I always will. And yes, Clare... I forgive you."

Tears came streaming down her face when she finally heard what she'd been longing to hear for so long. Clare responded by hugging him more passionately and letting her hands intertwine with his, never wanting to let go of it again. "Thank you."

fin