Zack watched from the shadows as the girl known as Rox left the cathedral with an escort, probably one of the official vampire hunters that she convinced to keep her company after the incident the other night with Feng. Zack was sure Feng was going to be a pain to deal with as he continued on with his official duty of finding the mole and who they reported to. The two looked about, Rox hugging the arm of the stern looking woman.
He didn't need the vampire hunters dead just yet with the investigation in progress, and especially not Rox since Aerith seemed to have such a soft spot for the teen. Cloud explaining how little a threat she truly was had Zack pitying her more than anything, and he'd rather see her out of that guild than dead. He wondered how exactly he would spirit her away, possibly to Junon before the inevitable flare up between guilds.
Zack went on his way, certain Feng wouldn't make a move on the two of them if he was around tonight. Feng was a crabby vampire that had his lair somewhere near the cathedral's district and had no ties with Zack's guild. Zack couldn't help but smirk at the thought of being an unseen thorn in his side, keeping Rox safe from the maws of that utter grouch like some silly game. At least, Zack thought, Rox was easy to push suggestions into. It saved her life.
Walking through the shade of an alley that lead behind the cathedral he stooped down, waiting. One of the living members of his guild had spotted a strange person being led through the back, someone that didn't look like the type to be found in churches. The assassin agent should still be within the cathedral, posing as a member of the clergy that came in to visit from the North Continent.
Soon enough a woman in bright robes appeared from the back of the large, stone construction, heading towards the alley Zack waited in. Dark haired and brown eyed she glanced about as she entered the shadows. The vampire stood up excitedly and gave a short wave as he quickly left his hiding spot, noticing her eyes widen a moment before scowling. He grinned and scratched the back of his head.
"You're supposed to scare your prey, not your associates!" she hissed.
"Sorry about that, Hanna."
Hanna rolled her eyes and approached Zack. "Shadows fearing shadows..." she huffed before looking up at her partner. "I can't be gone for long. One of their guild members was almost killed the other night so they're on high alert."
Zack nodded, all too familiar with the situation. "Find anything out yet?"
"There's some strange man that came in the night I infiltrated the cathedral, as you already know from the note. He hasn't been back since, but this afternoon I got a name for his face: Scotch Longen."
Zack rubbed his chin. "Scotch Longen...anything else?" he asked, hoping she found out more. Last time they spoke there was worry among some of the vampire hunter's guild of an ambush and trickery, though it had been smoothed over with an unheard discussion.
Hanna shook her head. "Not yet. Come back in a couple of nights, maybe he'll be back...the kid they have here said she's seen him at least once a week for the last several weeks, so Scotch should be by around in the next two nights."
"Any particular time he shows up?"
She sighed, narrowing her eyes as she thought. "He came in before sunset and left an hour later, so try and get here in that time frame. He has particular hair, so if you decide to follow him he's easy to make out. It's dark and curly and thick, pushed up by a black bandana. He was wearing army green shoulder pads, too, though I'm not sure if that's armor or style." she added. Hanna looked around and sighed. "I better get back."
Zack nodded and leaned against a wall. "Thanks a lot, Hanna. Stay safe in there."
She gave him a wry grin. "It's not like I'm gonna burst into flames."
He gave her a playful pout. "We do not catch on fire."
Hanna's grin grew before she turned around and left, Zack watching until she was safely inside the cathedral again. They had a name now, but it wasn't the mole, just someone the mole was in contact with, possibly. He was going to have to keep a close look out in the early evenings.
For now he decided to visit Aerith before she closed her shop and escort her home. With a hungry Feng around he wasn't going to take chances with her safety. He took off towards her flower shop, flying off after making sure no one was watching him; people didn't turn into bats, after all.
He flew above the street Rox had been seen on and watched the two before continuing on, feeling eyes on him as he passed them by. A few minutes later he landed in the shadows next to Aerith's shop, then waited for her to close as he leaned on the wall near the door. He didn't have to wait for long, Aerith appearing and locking the door without noticing the vampire leaning there.
"Hey, Aerith!" he greeted in a cheerful voice.
She jumped and tsked. "Zack! I didn't see you there."
Zack grinned, taking her hand. "Guess I'm good at hiding in plain sight, huh?"
"You have an unusual set of things you're good at. Like hiding where I should see you, or falling into my shop from Planet knows where." she playfully teased. Aerith supposed that his mysteriousness added to her infatuation with the man, though she had begun wondering if he worked for a mob or an underground orginization. After all, why else would there be danger afoot?
He scratched the back of his head. "I'm troublesome, I know."
Aerith smiled. "Just a little." She looked forward and let out a small sigh. "I wonder how Cloud and Tifa are getting along?"
"Spike's probably draggin' his feet as always." Zack knew it was the first time in years they had seen each other, but he would have jumped at the chance to date Tifa in his friend's shoes. He was going to have to send him a few messages about that.
"He can be a bit shy."
Zack nodded. "A little. But I think Tifa's been good for him." She had been. 'If it weren't for her those deadbeats woulda killed him.'
They walked in silence afterwards, enjoying the evening air. Zack looked to the side and noticed the pair from earlier, Rox carrying a bag with her in the darkness. They were on the other side of the street, and the teen eyed them both warily as her escort watched elsewhere and Aerith turned onto her porch. He gave her a thumbs up and winked before following Aerith into her house.
"I wasn't expecting you, mind if we dine in?" the flower girl asked.
Zack nodded as he headed for her couch. "I'm not that great of a cook but I'll help out if you need me."
Aerith laughed. "I'll try not to scold you too much, Zack." She headed upstairs, leaving Zack by himself for the time being. He took his phone out and began texting Cloud. After a few minutes he received a message back.
Hey. Everything okay?
Yeah, I'm at Aerith's. How are you and Tifa doing?
Fine. We moved into the house a few days ago.
Zack rolled his eyes. That's not what I meant! How are you two doing? Did you make a move yet?
There was no response for a minute. I can't do that, Zack.
And why not?
She deserves a normal life after everything is done and over with.
Spike, I think she can choose what kind of life she wants. Tifa didn't take a normal path in the first place. It's not about deserving, it's about what you two want from each other.
I don't even know what she could possibly want from me, besides friendship.
Maybe you should ask. She went through a lot of trouble finding you for all the wrong reasons, didn't she? Zack sighed, wondering how his friend could be this dense.
A few more minutes passed, and he heard Aerith descending the stairs. She smiled at him before entering the kitchen and he followed, his phone buzzing in his hand. She did.
So stop dragging your feet! You can figure out everything else later.
Maybe you're right.
I know I'm right!
I'll phone in the verdict.
Zack smiled as he put his phone away, Aerith motioning towards a head of lettuce. "Can you chop that?"
He nodded as he found a large knife and started chopping, silently rooting for his friend as he helped prepare dinner with Aerith. Zack glanced at the florist, who was bent over and checking the stove. 'There's always a way to make things work.'
Washing dishes in the sink Tifa huffed, wondering why Cloud had avoided her all last night, not even escorting her home. She was agitated with his immaturity. Was he still upset about Domino? It wasn't like she was actually going to date him, Tifa mused, she only ever had eyes on one person and it wasn't someone she had just met.
It was just a problem because he wasn't technically alive anymore. But...
She glanced at the clock in the bar's kitchen as she finished cleaning a plate. Cloud might show up, and maybe he would finally talk to her, maybe he wouldn't. Maybe she should initiate the conversation instead. Tifa picked up a glass from the soapy water and began to mindlessly clean it. She shouldn't have to, because she wasn't the one that made it look like there were maggots of all things crawling through Domino's food. No, that was Cloud, because he didn't like him flirting with her. 'Then maybe he can make a move if that's such a big deal.'
Finishing, she washed her hands and returned to the front, the establishment beginning to fill with people. They were short handed, one of the girls running late, so Tifa had to do whatever dishes had been left by a loafer during lunchtime and whatever trickled in when she could. After mixing a drink for a customer she took a look at the entrance to check for both the late employee and Cloud with a hawkish gaze. Shrugging, she went back to focusing on the customers, ignoring her nagging, irritable thoughts as best she could.
Tifa hadn't checked the clock in a while but glanced towards it; it was a little past nine now. She heard the door to the establishment open again and her eyes narrowed when they came across Cloud talking to the late employee as they entered, the vampire holding his phone in one hand and holding the door open for the teen with the other.
He smiled at her.
Tifa pretended she hadn't seen him yet and continued on with another drink and sent an order to the kitchen, but she could feel her chest and face heat up. The teen that came in late appeared in the door, a silly grin on her face that made Tifa simmer even more. "That blonde guy escorted me here when he found out we were goin' to the same place." she said. "You know, the one from the other night. Says his name is Cloud."
"Yeah, I know him." Tifa said flatly.
"He's really cute, don't you think?"
Tifa snorted. Of course she did. "Careful, he bites." she mumbled before going back to the counter. Cloud was sitting at the same stool the night he decided to cause trouble, and Tifa came up to greet him with a sour expression on her face. He raised a brow, his mouth a thin smile. "Escorting other girls?" Maybe that's where he went last night, fooling around with other girls, trying to teach her some stupid lesson because he couldn't stand her flirting with a customer.
Cloud shrugged. "We were both coming here. Don't tell me you're jealous."
"I'm not," she lied, "just like you aren't jealous of Domino."
Cloud looked away. "Right." He tapped his fingers on the counter, glancing back. "How have you been?"
Tifa shrugged. "Just been wondering why you avoided me last night." She pretended it hadn't bothered her, but she wasn't sure if it was very convincing, her voice thinly hiding her anger. They were interrupted by a customer order, and Cloud asked for a drink so he wasn't just taking up space. After a few minutes Tifa came back to him, brows raised as she looked to him for an answer.
He put his drink down, face tense. "I wasn't feeling myself."
"You weren't?"
Cloud shrugged. "I'll tell you later." he said awkwardly. Tifa nodded after a moment and turned away to look after a group of four customers who needed orders taken. Turning back to give the orders to the cook her eyes narrowed as the teen that was supposed to be in the back as the dishwasher was again speaking to Cloud, her elbows on the counter and butt wiggling. Did she have any idea what kind of trouble she might be getting herself into?
Taking the orders to the back and then returning she interrupted them when she took Cloud's glass, refilling it and placing it down a little harder than she meant to. The other girl seemed to get the point and fled to the back again, and Cloud calmly sipped from his glass, phone next to him. Tifa put her hands on her hips, fuming. "Staying this time?"
He nodded, and seemed to have an almost amused glint to his eye. She turned around with a huff to fix more drinks, occasionally feeling Cloud's eyes on her as she went about her business. She had arrived some time before opening because of the late employee and wouldn't get off until midnight, a few hours away. Occasionally Cloud would flag her for another drink as he played with his phone, Tifa figuring he was messaging Zack. 'He could have messaged me last night.' she thought bitterly.
Compounding her night was a surprised Domino, and Tifa took a quick look at Cloud before returning her gaze to the tanned man. Cloud glared at him out of the corner of his eye as he took a long gulp of his drink before returning his gaze to his phone. Domino looked at them both as he sat at the counter, arms resting on the cool surface.
Tifa greeted him with a smile. "Welcome back, Domino!"
"Hey." His voice was quiet and his eyes studying her. She raised a brow, but after the night before last he was probably surprised she wasn't dead.
She cocked her head and feigned concern. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah, it's just...it's been a weird couple of nights."
Tifa nodded. It had been. She heard Cloud snort despite the noise in the bar and she glared at him before returning her gaze and smile to Domino. "So, what can I get you?" she asked in a flirty voice, getting a glare from Cloud.
"A beer would be nice." His smile seemed a little strained.
She giggled a little. "Alright." Tifa gave Cloud a 'don't you even dare' glare as he looked up with narrowed eyes and went to fill a mug for Domino. Afterwards she refilled Cloud's at his request, making her raise a brow. The other night he had two whiskeys and caused a subtle scene. He was on drink five and even though it wasn't whiskey it still should be strong enough to get him past tipsy.
"You aren't gonna cause a scene, are you?" she asked quietly as she leaned close to him. He looked up at her from his phone, his eyes dilating as he focused on her face. He shook his head, a slight blush on his cheeks, and she pat his hand in thanks.
"Tifa." he called out to her before she went back to the kitchen. She returned to him with a raised brow. "I...D'you wanna hang out tonight? We haven't really had a chance to do anything fun yet, and..."
"Not going out with the girl you escorted?" she jabbed, not as playfully as she wanted it to sound.
Cloud rolled his eyes. "If you're gonna be a sourpuss, maybe."
"No, I'll join you." They hadn't actually had a chance to really relax since coming to Junon, now that she thought about it. Between finding a home and cleaning it out, buying furniture, and returning to some semblance of normalcy in a new city. 'Yeah. We should do something fun.'
He smiled as he put his phone away and returned to his drink. Tifa went back to the kitchen to take out fresh orders to customers then wiped the counter of any spilled drinks. She noticed Domino nursing his beer while talking on the phone, frowning. After a final gulp he placed some gil on the counter, gave a small wave and headed out the door.
Tifa went to collect the money, and she wondered what had Domino in a rush tonight. The establishment slowly emptied over the next hour, and she shooed Cloud out the door to wait for her as she helped clean up. Sending some plates to the back the infatuated teenage gave a lopsided grin. "Wonder if he's dating anyone."
"Don't know." Tifa said curtly as she returned to the front. She began sweeping and wiping down the tables, then with a sigh she took the cleaning supplies to the back. The next two nights she would be off, and then maybe this girl could forget about her friend, unless he decided to visit. Tifa sighed, agitated. She left with the teen and the cook, the teen looking about as she popped her head out of the door, then traveling off into the night.
Tifa glanced outside and groaned quietly to herself when Cloud was nowhere to be found. 'Of course he isn't here. So much for hanging out.' Huffing she made her way down the street with angry steps, the vampire ditching her again. She sometimes wondered what she saw in him as he acted like an aloof brat, so different from the attentive and fretting person that greeted her after seven years. Then again, she mused to herself, she wasn't exactly happy to see him then. Maybe it was cruel karma.
Tifa jumped as a hand grabbed her shoulder. "Boo." Cloud snickered. He was obviously still plenty buzzed from earlier.
She tsked as he smirked at her in the dark, but relief washed over her that he hadn't forgotten about her. "Very funny." Tifa looked back towards the street in front of her. "I was worried you changed your mind and went chasing after the dishwasher." she said quietly.
"Why would I do that when I've got you?" He cleared his throat. "Uh, I mean, you and I are friends. I just...ran into her on my way to see you."
She raised a brow as she played with her fingers. "I couldn't tell after last night. I was worried you were getting bored of me."
"I wouldn't ever get bored of you." Cloud rubbed the back of his head, blush visible under the streetlight they passed. "I avoided you because I didn't wanna hurt you, Tifa."
"Hm?"
"My mark isn't until tomorrow night. I needed blood." he sighed before continuing. "So tonight, before I came to visit you I had to hunt..."
Tifa's heart dropped. "You had to kill someone."
He nodded. "I couldn't take it anymore...I tried, Tifa." Cloud looked back at her with a searching look.
Tifa sighed. She had to remind herself that that was what he had to do, whether he liked it or not. He tried not to, didn't he? "Next time...just ask me, okay?"
He stared at her as they turned onto their street. "Ask you what?"
She swallowed hard and nodded. "If you need a little...and it keeps you from killing someone..." She lifted her forearm. 'I don't want him to kill unless he absolutely has to.'
"I can't take from you." he said in a quiet, somber voice.
Tifa scoffed. "You already did once." He looked down and she put her hand on his shoulder. "I trust you, Cloud."
Cloud looked back up, a small smile on his lips. "You didn't seem to trust me earlier with that girl." Tifa's jaw tensed, and the vampire couldn't help but chuckle. "It really was just a coincidence. She noticed me as I made my way to visit you." His face became bashful. "She kept flirting with me."
"I noticed." she said flatly.
"At least I didn't flirt back." He was slapped on the bicep and he chuckled. "What? I didn't."
"You're such a jerk." Tifa said, trying not to smile as they came to the door, the vampire noticing her lips twitching upward. Cloud opened it and they both entered, Tifa heading upstairs to shower and change. Cloud sat on the couch after taking a book from the sparse bookshelf to wait for her, petting Squeak as he lay next to his master.
He looked over the book for a minute, thinking about Zack's messages. Was he right, that it wasn't about deserving? Cloud bit his lip as he flipped a page. 'Tifa was jealous.' Just like he was, and it felt good deep down he had to admit. He sighed and bounced a foot, still feeling indecisive. He would rather think of something else right now and deal with that later.
"I need to get you a bigger buddy, Squeak." he said after several minutes of petting and glancing at a page in the monster manual he had resting in his lap. The rat looked up and squeaked. "I want something that'll keep you two safe." More squeaks, and Cloud rolled his eyes. "I know you're capable but last time was pretty close. What if some hunters show up a little earlier in the day?"
Squeak seemed to raise a brow, then squeaked some more.
"I dunno. How about a snake? I'm kidding!" Cloud chuckled. He still felt a little giddy from alcohol and just being with Tifa. "I thought maybe some kinda monster would work." Squeak gave him an incredulous look. "It wouldn't be hard to sneak into the city...it's not like I'm thinkin' about a Nibel dragon."
The rat squeaked some more, head cocked. Cloud rubbed under the rodent's chin.
He thought for a few minutes. "I dunno. Something scary. Maybe a Sahaguin?" Protesting squeaks. "Okay, maybe it would smell like fish..." Cloud mumbled. He flipped a few pages. "Not a Behemoth...Goblins aren't even scary..." He narrowed his eyes at the next entry. "There's gargoyles outside of the city." Cloud looked down at Squeak. "I want one of those." The rat rolled his eyes. "I'm not being cliche."
"Want one of what?" Tifa came down the stairs with an inquisitive stare. She was wearing a white blouse and jean shorts, and Cloud noticed the ring hanging around her neck, as always.
Cloud pointed at a picture in the book he was holding. "I want one of these."
"A gargoyle? For what?" She studied the picture, concern in her eyes and her face a frown.
He stood up and put the book away. "Extra security. We can talk about that later, right now let's go out and do something fun."
Cloud took her out to eat at a late night food establishment, then took a walk on Junon's boardwalk. His buzz was long gone, but he still wanted to do something enjoyable with Tifa, whatever that would be. 'What would we do back home?'
Tifa pointed at the moonlit beach. "Do you think we could find some shells?" She grinned at him, a glimmer in her eye he hadn't seen in so long. He was sure he held the same expression she did as he looked back and nodded.
They combed the beach together, muttering about any strange creatures that crossed their paths, like little crabs and bivalves trying to dig back into the cool sand. Cloud pulled at what looked like a large shell, but his triumph turned to disappointment as the shell turned out to be broken. Tifa laughed as he tossed the piece, and she began to comb the moist sand for something to bring home with her.
Tifa's sandals rested nearby as she wadded into the shallows up to her shins, Cloud huffing as she motioned him to join her in the clear waters. "I don't wanna get wet."
She looked over her shoulder before bending over to look for anything the tide brought in. "Big scary vampire afraid of the water?" she teased.
He crossed his arms as he crouched down in the sand, looking back at her. She looked over and snorted at his narrowed eyes and tense jaw and went back to her shell hunt. After a minute she felt hands under her arms lift her up and she let out a shout before she floated towards deeper water, and she was promptly dunked in up to her head. Tifa gasped, the water cold. "You were saying?" Cloud's voice dripped with humor.
Tifa thrashed in Cloud's grip. "Oh no you don't!" She twisted about and maneuvered her upper arm around his neck, earning a surprised grunt from Cloud. She pressed her weight onto his upper body, and his head went under the water followed by Tifa, then the rest of his body as she gripped the back of his shirt.
They both came up, Tifa taking a fresh breath of air as Cloud gave an unconvincing pout to his friend. He took his time looking at her, how pale her skin was in the moonlight, how her eyes sparkled from the ripples in the gentle waves, how her hair clung to the sides of her face like inky vines. What little of her chest was above water shuddered from cold and laughter. He swam a little closer, taking one of her hands. 'It's okay...Zack said it's okay. We can figure out everything later.'
She was watching him too, and she loved how the pale light almost seemed to make his half lidded blue eyes glow underneath his soaked bangs. His freckles were splattered with shining droplets and his mouth slowly curled into a smile as he came closer. Her breath hitched in her throat as he took her hand, her eyes searching his. "Cloud?"
"Tifa, I-"
He dodged a projectile that was aimed at his face, and he turned to glower at whoever interrupted his special moment on the beach. The woman was relatively tall by female standards, the hair light in the moonlight and wearing a little leather armor here and there. She held a scowl on her face and another arrow knocked into her bow. There was another next to her, about the same age with darker hair and similar apparel. She was a head shorter than the bow woman. Cloud rolled his eyes. "Could you two maybe go somewhere else?"
"Aren't you cocky." Her voice was husky and snarky. She stepped back a few paces as she aimed again. "You shouldn't have showed off with such high visibility tonight."
Cloud brought Tifa close then raised them both up from the water effortlessly as the arrow flew at him, grazing his pants. Tifa yelped at the sudden movement and looked down, estimating they were a good twenty feet in the air. "I'll fix that, I promise." he said.
"That's not going to work." She whipped out a sigil and placed it on the sand by her feet as the vampire's mists appeared, leaving the area around her clear for another shot before it could congregate above her. Cloud dodged as best he could, the arrow tearing at his ear.
Cloud grunted from the pain as the sacred metal tore his flesh. "Are you tryin' to kill her, too?" he shouted. "Let's see you dispel this." He focused on the creeping mists, the fog churning about the vampire hunter's circle of clarity and smothering both combatant's visibility as he flew off towards the boardwalk.
He heard their pursuers running roughly towards their direction but the mists poured over the area in a thick blanket. Cloud let go of Tifa as they reached the empty boardwalk, and gave her a soft push before looking back towards the hunter as she found her way through the fog. "Tifa, go home." An arrow flew several feet away and he let out a dark chuckle. "Not so sure where to shoot now, huh?" he taunted. Cloud disappeared into the mists before Tifa could protest and she looked about, unsure whether to listen to her friend or not. In the end she stayed nearby but behind a trashcan in case an arrow came her way, ready to bail Cloud out of trouble if she could.
The vampire hunter took out her sword after placing her bow down and turned about the mists in her clearing, faces and eyes watching her in the churning clouds. Her partner took out a whip, and watched the edges of the clearing. The vampire had completely encased their sphere, and the lack of moonlight put them in a dangerous predicament. It wasn't something they hadn't dealt with before in their years of service, but it made it no less dangerous.
Predictably the vampire attempted to strike one from behind and she blocked with her sword, the creature glaring at her in the darkness before melting back into the swirling mists. She raised her weapon again only to be blasted by an invisible force, her paper sigil floating away and cutting a hole in the mist towards the sea before the fog rolled over them.
Another predictable move.
She sliced through the mists, and heard a grunt as she tore through the invisible demon. The illusion of snakes slithering on her legs caught her attention just a moment, something sharp cutting her exposed arm before her sword again blocked. Her partner's whip shot out and connected to something, and the woman yanked hard enough to make the vampire tumble. They both heard a snarl in the opaque mists, then the second vampire hunter felt something slice into her shin as she brought down a dagger. Two shouts, one male and the other female, issued out of the churning fog filled with disturbing faces and grasping hands.
The younger woman pulled with her whip again, then felt her quarry pull back hard, making her stumble forward. She brought out a hand and focused on the materia in her bracer; flames shot out in the direction of the vampire, and it hissed in pain as its grip on her whip weakened. She released the whip, the fira buying her and her superior some time, who's blurry silhouette was thrusting her sword downward in the misty arena at another dark form. Talons swiped at her face a moment later, and she barely dodged the attack, swiping with her dagger and catching his hand with the tip of the blade. She heard him growl in agitation, then the feeling of something crawling on her skin and then a harsh kick throwing her hard into the sand, knocking the wind out of her. Before she could look up and defend herself his presence was gone from her, but she could hear her superior fighting the monster now as he turned his attention to her as she attacked him from behind.
The other vampire hunter swung again in the general direction of the skirmish and connected to the night demon's body, his hostile blue eyes boring holes into her before disappearing again. She could see it here and there, the mists getting weaker as the vampire was further injured by the encounter. He tried to attack again and she blocked, his ichor smeared on her blade; a talon of his stabbed into her wrist and she got a clear look at his face, nicked here and there with a scorch mark blemishing his cheek. He brought the blood soaked finger to his face, licking the red fluid off while staring at her with hate filled, hungry eyes before disappearing again.
The mists seemed to strengthen just a little and she again turned about, listening for him. Her partner was beginning to recover if the heavy breaths from her direction were any indication. After a tense moment her sword pierced something solid as she felt talons tear deep into her face, then felt a foot shoving into her chest. "You missed your mark," he hissed as she fell to the sand, blinded and screaming from the pain. She couldn't see, but she could hear and feel him as he harshly kicked her weapon out of her hand. A hand lifted her up by her shirt and she could feel his fangs begin to pierce the skin of her throat as he tugged on her hair.
The vampire yelped as her partner bashed a vial of holy water onto the side of his face and he released her, her neck and face bleeding as the creature fled into what mists were still hanging about again but not after he clawed blindly at her approaching partner. She heard the other woman run up, shooting off another fire spell; the heat of the blast strung her injuries. Stopping in front of her, her partner sounded like she was crouching down and she assumed it was to look over the injuries to her face.
"Should I go after him? He's hurt pretty badly."
She shook her head. "He'll be as dangerous as a rabid dragon..." she muttered out, turning and spitting blood out of her mouth as it flowed from the deep lacerations. "I guess...lending you that materia saved your life." She tried to smile.
After a few moments she felt the worst of the wounds begin to close up, the soothing sensation of the Cure materia washing over her. Kedime always had a way with materia. "He wasn't alone, Nahki. That strange woman..."
"Probably a servant." Nahki sighed heavily, her face and wrist still in considerable pain. She sometimes wondered if it was a losing battle with the vampires of Junon. As she laid there in the sand she could hear Kedime call up another of their guild for assistance in transporting their injured comrade. After she hung up Nahki tried to relax, listening to the waves as they lapped upon the beach.
Tifa held Cloud in her arms, insisting he turn into a bat or something small so she could quickly take him home. Begrudgingly the limping, injured vampire had done so and she had scooped him up and cradled him by her chest as she jogged home; despite his injuries he decided that perhaps it wasn't tarnishing his pride as much as he would have thought. Tifa sneaked about the shadows as she made her way home and nearly burst through the door as Cloud unsealed it.
She took him up to his bedroom with Squeak trailing behind them both, obviously wanting to know what happened. "Cloud had a fight with a vampire hunter." Tifa explained. Many squeaks issued from the concerned rat, and Tifa wished she knew what he was trying to say.
Tifa placed her friend on his bed, the bat soon replaced by a bleeding, scorched, and cut up vampire. Cloud opened his eyes and gave a pained smile to his friend as he sat on the edge of his bed, who only looked at him with worry. "I'll be fine, Tifa. I just need to rest." The blood he had tonight would see to it, his injuries slowly healing. "They missed my heart."
She sat next to him, looking him over. "You should have just escaped with me."
"I know, but she saw us both. I didn't wanna take any chances." He sighed. "I guess it didn't matter in the end. I couldn't finish'em."
Tifa nodded, a sad look on her face. She left his room and fetched a few towels to soak up any ichor that hadn't dried yet, and began peeling off his now ruined shirt, tearing the at the collar and ripping downward so he wouldn't have to make unnecessary movements. Underneath the shirt were some more burn marks and scars on his pale chest, marring lean yet powerful muscles.
He noticed where her gaze landed. "That night, five years ago. I got them then." He noticed her face become more despondent, as if reminded of something sad. "It's in the past, Tifa..."
"Yeah..." she sighed, looking about. Tifa took a towel and pat his face of any holy water residue while he placed a few towels under his bloody shoulder as he laid down. The slash across his chest was already closing up and the bleeding had stopped from his shoulder. 'If I hadn't had any blood tonight this would have been a lot worse.'
Tifa sat next to him, still soaked and shivering slightly as she cleaned him up. He looked up into her eyes. "If you wanna get cleaned up, I'll be fine."
She nodded after a moment and left, and he closed his eyes as he rubbed his face. Forever hunted, forever some nightmare in the shadows, and now the local guild might know what he looked like. He thought back to Zack's messages. He had come so close to telling Tifa, but now he wasn't sure if he should again. Surely Tifa would get tired of this, wouldn't she?
But she chose a profession that was filled with risks. Looking for him.
He laid there with a hand over his abdomen and the other stretched out, Squeak rubbing against it. After some time had passed he heard Tifa come up the stairs and then come back into his room. He opened his eyes slightly as she entered and sat on his bed again, looking over his injured ear and the burn marks on his face. "Are you sure you'll be fine?"
Cloud grinned, eyes closing again. "Yeah."
"Okay. If you're sure." He felt her bring her feet up on his bed, and he peeked again. Tifa's knees were drawn to her chest and she was looking down at him. He raised a brow. "Don't want my company?" she asked, uncertain if he wanted anyone near him as he recovered.
He snorted. "I do. Stay if you'd like." 'Please.'
Cloud looked over at the clock on his nightstand. It was nearly four, and the sun came out earlier and earlier every morning until late June. He looked back at Tifa, her back to him as she laid down on the other side of the bed in her night clothing. Slowly her breath evened out, and then she very softly snored.
She was concerned for him, and it brought that feeling back into his chest he had earlier as he looked at her in the water. Cloud looked away, a small smile on his face. "I love you." he whispered to the sleeping woman. He still wondered if she felt the same way.