Month 03 – Day 10 - Friday

There isn't a particular occasion tonight, other than the fact that their friends are all celebrating yet another reunion together. It's no one's birthday, and it isn't Christmas; rather, it's just a night to spend together as friends. Usually, he wouldn't be there, but for once, he actually stays and enjoys the dinner with them. Although when dinner is over and they talk and drink, he moves to the other table and sits with the kids. He holds a cup of water in his hands as he watches them draw idly. His eyes gaze outside the window, and quietly he sips his water and watches as the world goes by.

The vampire that sits opposite him occupies the seat with a steady gaze at their now slightly drunk friends. The company of the vampire makes him feel somewhat less uneasy as he sits in the room filled with happy laughter and conversations of his closest friends and family. But the vampire doesn't say much, and he reasons that maybe silence is their best conversation.

His little booth seems suddenly un-empty a he listens to the serious colouring of the two children beside him. Denzel is sitting beside him and Marlene next to the vampire. They talk sometimes, about little nothings and even once, he would join in their conversation. But his words are always simple, one worded yet meaningful. They always smile at him now, and he wonders why, but he decides it doesn't really matter, as long as they're happy that's all that matters.

His eyes move to the woman standing at the other table serving their friends another round of drinks with a happy smile plastered upon her face. She seems totally oblivious to the world around her as he watches her. She looks happy for once, and he smiles quietly because she deserves at least that.

But as he watches her laughing with their friends, he can't help but take notice of how beautiful she actually is. He feels his heart beating at a thousand miles per hour, and his chest tightening. He feels that the world suddenly stops around them, and all that matters right now in this moment is her.

"I'm just going outside for a while," he says quietly to the occupants of the table. They give him a nod and he quickly makes his way to the door. Although, as he walks he catches her eyes and she looks somewhat questionably at him. He gives her a reassuring nod and exits the room in a swift manor.

The night air is cool as it touches his skin, and he glances to the sky for a brief moment. He doesn't really know what to make of that picture he saw earlier. But he wonders whether the kids think that there should be more between their surrogate parents. He swallows briefly and wonders if she even feels in that kind of way towards him.

He doesn't know what to make of it; the feeling within his chest that tightens every time he lays his eyes on her. Or his heart beat that suddenly increases when her hands brush against him. He doesn't really understand it, but he feels as if he owes his entire life to her. And he feels that if the question ever came to his survival or hers, he would rather let her live. He feels he would give his life for her in a split second without a second thought.

And it's strange, because even though he's felt this since they were kids, he feels it stronger now. As if everything that ever mattered to him was her.

The door slides behind him and he turns to see the vampire walking to stand beside him.

"You seem distracted," the vampire began mildly as he leaned against the pole.

He glances at the stars again and looks to the ground guiltily. "Just a bit," he murmurs.

The silence grows around them as the minutes tick by. It isn't until another large laughter spills from the house does the vampire comment again. "Is it sins again?"

He turns to the vampire and shakes his head. "No, no more of that," he says. "I uncovered that the day we defeated Kadaj and his gang."

"Burdens?"

He shakes his head again and says simply, "More like confusion."

The vampire's eyes narrow as he ponders his friend's thoughts. "Confusion?"

"Yes," he says as he glances inside the bar. He watches as she sits amongst their friends and enjoys the friendly laughter as they converse loudly.

"Maybe you just don't understand it fully."

He turns to the vampire and looks questionably at him. "Understand it?"

"It takes a while sometimes," the vampire says simply.

His eyes narrow as the blonde spiked man asked, "To understand it?"

"Yes."

He glances toward the moving cars, and he wonders just what exactly the vampire is getting at.

"Love, Cloud."

He turns his eyes to the vampire again. "Love?"

"Emotions," the vampire adds.

"But, love is so..."

"Unnatural."

He tilts his head to the side as he mumbles, "Unexplainable."

"You never lived a normal life..."

"I didn't live a very good life."

"Battles, wars, experiments."

His blue eyes sharpen slightly at the memory of experiments he endured. He glanced toward the twinkling starlight and tensed his fist. "Memories are best left unspoken of."

"Let go of the past, Cloud."

"But..."

"You cannot hang on to it forever."

"It is still a part of who I am."

"You are Cloud Strife."

"An experiment."

"No," the vampire says sternly. "A better man."

"Better?"

"Conversation is the key to lessen confusion in situations like yours," the vampire says quietly before turning and heading into the bar.

"But talking to her is-"

"Difficult."

"Yes."

"Then use your heart."

"But-"

"Let me know when you do."

And the vampire walked away, leaving the man with armoured clothes and a piercing stare gazing toward the open sky.

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A/N: Still not a very long chapter but a fast update none-the-less :)