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Setting is still within the Claymore universe, so this is non-AU, but I cannot really give u a specific time and date on when this happened. Just a short fic I suddenly had the inspiration to write after watching the anime.

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Author's disclaimer: I do not own Claymore. In other words, I do not own the original intellectual property.

She stole a quick glance at the figure before her. He was weary to the very core, yet, after all that traveling, he had acted fine on the surface for her. All these actions just so that he could continue the journey with her together. She felt quite touched at his gestures, and it seemed to remind her of her younger self back then, with a certain Number 1 Claymore. She shook her head, clearing all thoughts of her, it still hurt after all these years.

She diverted her attention back to the ever vigilant fire separating her and her charge, and tossed a few more firewood into it. Nothing could be heard except the crackling of the fire, and the songs of the cicadas in the distance. All was peaceful, and she was grateful for it.

However, under the clear starry night sky, one's thoughts tend to wonder, and she was no exception.

She thought back to the time she spent with her, and she absently smiled to herself. During that precious time, she discovered feelings she thought she had long lost, and it essentially turned out to be a path of discovery for her, as well as her. Those were wonderful times, and it all seemed like a dream to her. Yet, it ended like all other dreams, and she soon found herself living in a hellish nightmare shortly afterwards.

Then, as though fortune smiled upon her, she found him. A little worrisome at times and troublesome too. In fact, if she were to write down what faults that he had, she would fill up at least 2 sides of an A4 sized paper. She sighed, her eyebrows furrowed, and unconsciously returned her gaze back to her charge. He was sleeping soundly, and seemed to be having a dream at the moment, a nice one at that. Surprisingly, she found her mouth curving into a smile.

Ever since he appeared in her life, it had taken a drastic change, for good or for worse, she had yet to decide. However, despite all her complains, and all his faults, she felt that she shared a special bond with him, one that was strengthening everyday. If this continued, who knows? Maybe they would...

Out of the blue, rustling of leaves could be heard behind her back. She jumped to her feet, with muscles tensed, and her trained eyes scouting to pick out anything out of the ordinary in the dark. Her grip tightened on her claymore, and she braced herself for whatever was coming her way. Whoever it was, it was surely a skilled adversary, as it seems that it was able to suppress its yoma powers to the extent that even she was unable to detect. A skill she prided herself on and constantly refined.

Then, something leapt out in a blur, and it headed straight towards the boy, ignoring her completely. She swung her claymore down, hard, to block its route, and for a moment it succeeded, as she felt it collide with her claymore. She took a quick look at the boy before returning her attention to the creature. It was only a rabbit, and a stunned one at that. She heaved a sigh of relief, and gingerly carried it up before releasing it back to the wilds.

Settling back down, she looked fondly at her claymore. It had served her faithfully throughout all these years, and it had went through thick and thin with her. It was her confidant, her only friend, during those darks years after she was killed. No one would bother wasting time with the weakest of all Claymores, not to mention one that was anti-social in the first place. Yet, despite its' special place in her heart, a certain young man was quickly catching up, or maybe, just maybe, had surpassed its' place already. She felt warmth at that thought.

Then something struck her like a full blown tornado. Just what was he to her? She found it difficult to answer that question. She may find herself increasingly attached to him, but if someone pointed at him and asked her what he was to her, she had no clue. A friend? A companion? A comrade in arms? A cook? She honestly had no idea. Just how much of a value was he to her? Just how much does she feel for him?

Her chain of thoughts was broken when the said boy started to tussle and fidget violently in his sleep, punching the air, mouthing silent screams. It was happening again, those nightmares of his, probably of his family getting slaughtered by the yoma. The occasional 'Papa...Mama' seemed to confirm her suspicions, and her silver eyes softened. Silently, she impaled her claymore into the dried, hard soil, and moved over to her young charge. She embraced him tenderly, before placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. She stroke his hair fondly, and muttered words of comfort into his ears. Slowly, but surely his nightmares slowly disappeared, as he calmed down and his breathing returned back to normal.

She peered at his face, taking in every feature. A few years down the road, she could vision these features being replaced by those of a handsome, young man. She intend to survive till then, to watch her vision come true, and to make sure his promise to her is fulfilled.

'I will protect you, Clare.'

Till then, she will make sure, with every ounce of her strength, that they both will survive come hell or heaven, and that, one day, she will discover her true feelings for the boy, as well as the special bond they share.

She lifted her head, settling her eyes on that claymore of hers once again. For a brief second, she could have sworn that she saw an apparition of Teresa of the Faint Smile nodding her approval. For the second time that night, Clare smiled to herself, which was rare in itself. She tenderly whispered to the sleeping figure in her arms.

"Sweet dreams, Raki."

Clare closed her eyes, but not relinquishing her hold on the boy. Somehow, Raki had managed to wrap his arms about her waist undetected, not that she mind of course. His grip on her then tightened considerably, and it confirmed her suspicions that he was awake after all that commotion.

Steeling herself, she boldly kissed him gently on the lips, and when her eyes opened, she found herself looking at a smile she had often seen, yet the one significant difference was that is was a genuine one, and not a forced one that she found herself looking at throughout all their travels and his fatigue. She smiled, glad to have made the right choice. She then proceeded to close her eyes once more, and let herself drift off to sleep, abandoning her duty of keeping watch.

After all, if something happened, Razi would be there to protect her, wouldn't he?

A/N

There, all done! Just a short story and insight on my part on Clare's and Razi's relationship, as well as Teresa's opinion on them. As always, please Read and Review. Depending on the responses, I just might write another one-shot...

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