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rainbowserenity · 7 years

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I’ve decided to attempt to do 50k words of random fics for NaNoWriMo this year, so here’s 7912/50000 of self-indulgent vampire fic to start off~

Centuries.

For centuries, she had waited for this moment. She'd listened to the tug of her heart, anticipating when his existence would torture hers again. A few times, she'd missed the mark and there hadn't been any space to put plans into motion.

But now, it was finally time.

Lightning glanced at the locket down in her hands. It was open to show the miniature portrait inside. Quite honestly, it was an impressive piece of work, something that people these days would claim had been edited or was fake.

Though it'd been so long, she could still recall every tiny brushstroke, the look in his eyes as he dared to catch her glance, the little smirk...

She made an unimpressed sound and snapped the locket shut. That was in the past. Now, finally, she would get her revenge.

Finally, she would destroy the man that had ruined her life.

–

Hope Estheim ran a hand through his hair, his brows scrunched at the formula in front of him. Normally he was a whiz at this sort of thing, but today, he felt weirdly distracted. Usually number-crunching was a good way to keep his focus, but right now he felt detached from it.

“Hey, Hope. You okay?”

With a startled noise, he glanced up to see his friend Noel, who had on an easy smile of concern. It was a face Hope couldn't help but return.

“Yes, I'm fine. It's just hard to concentrate today, I guess.”

“I bet. I mean, hell, look at this weather.” Noel gestured towards the nearby windows of the library. The sun was shining, but the trees rustled in a soundless breeze that Hope knew was crisp and cool. “It's basically perfect out. So how come you're stuck in here?”

“I just wanted to get some work done.” At least that was partially the truth.

“Pfft, it's the weekend. Leave it for later.” Noel gave Hope's arm a little tug. “Yeul got invited to a Halloween party someone's having and we're coming along.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because nobody's going to party on a Tuesday, so all the parties are happening tonight.” Noel paused and gave Hope a careful look. “...You have no idea what day it is, do you?”

“Not a clue,” Hope admitted sheepishly.

Noel stared up at the ceiling for a second, like asking for help from some deity, then stared at Hope. “You're gonna get home and find some kind of costume, and then Yeul and I will come get you so we can go to this party. Got it?”

“Uh, yeah.” A pause. “Wait, a costume?”

“It's a Halloween party.”

“Oh, right. Of course.”

Somehow, Noel managed to swipe all the books and papers scattered across the table into Hope's bag in one swoop. “Does that help?”

It appeared he had no say in the matter. Hell, it wasn't like he was going to get any work done anyway. He sighed and grabbed his bag.

“It helps immensely.”

–

Somehow, Hope hadn't really thought about the social aspect of this party until he trailed into the house behind Noel and Yeul. It wasn't some wild blowout, but there was already music thumping despite the late hour and he spotted a keg off to the side.

He sighed under his breath. He'd never been a big drinker, nor was he party person. Sure, he could be social at times, but that was because people tended to flock to him for some reason and not because he sought them out.

Noel seemed to notice Hope's sour expression and arch a brow. “You okay?” he asked loudly to be heard over the music.

Hope nodded. “It's just...not my thing.”

“I figured that.” Noel grinned and readjusted the horns on his head. He and Yeul were dressed as a devil and angel, respectively. It was sickeningly adorable. “Hey, at least you look great.”

“I do?” Since he'd been given such little notice about this shindig, Hope had been forced to ruffle through his closet for something acceptable. In the end, he'd thrown on an old suit and a masquerade mask an old friend had left at his place from her brief stint in theater. He could barely see out of the thing, but at least it camouflaged how awkward his expression must have been.

“Yep.” Noel waggled his eyebrows. “Maybe you'll find someone to...hang out with.”

“Noel.” Yeul, who'd just been quietly listening, gently nudged her boyfriend's side as Hope's face turned red under the mask. “Don't embarrass him, okay? Let's get a drink.”

“As my angel commands.” Noel grinned, then glanced at Hope. “You wanna come with, or hang out by yourself?”

“I...”

Find me.

Hope blinked a couple of times and scratched behind his ear. Had that been a part of the song? Whatever, it didn't matter. All he knew was that he had some sort of weird impulse to actually mingle. “I'll catch up with you guys later.”

If Noel found this strange, he didn't comment. “Okay. We'll see you.”

“Yeah.” He watched Noel and Yeul wander off into the crowd of people hand-in-hand. A weird thought occurred to him just then – whose party was this? Whose house, for that matter? He tried to think if Noel had mentioned it, but was coming up blank.

Come and find me.

Hope's feet seemed to move for him as he wandered through the crowds. His peripheral vision was somewhat obscured by the mask, but he somehow managed not to step on any toes. If anything, people seemed to automatically move aside for him without even acknowledging him. He couldn't understand why until he came to a large area that'd been turned into a dance floor. The music was pumping far more loudly here than elsewhere, but it all hushed to silence the moment he looked across the crowd and spotted her.

A thousand emotions hit him so hard it nearly gave him whiplash. He couldn't explain it any easier than he could count all the stars in the sky, but the sight of that rose-haired woman both settled and unsettled him with familiarity that made absolutely no sense at all. There was fear and despair, but excitement and intensity all at once, just from meeting her eyes across the room.

He blinked a couple of times, trying to get control of his suddenly pounding heart. There was a part of him screaming to run, but a much more intense one telling him to...

Come closer.

Hope obeyed.

The rose-haired woman didn't look at all surprised when he was suddenly in front of her. In fact, it almost felt like she'd expected it. There was no hesitance in the way her hands rested on his arms. His automatically rested on her waist, like a motion he'd practiced thousands of times.

“You're here,” she said, voice practically a purr.

“I'm here,” Hope agreed, though he had no idea. He'd never seen this woman before in his life.

Right?

“I knew you wouldn't resist my call.” She smirked, sliding her hands to his shoulders in a motion that should really not have been as sensual as it was. “You never could.”

Though he still felt a little hazy, the fog cleared somewhat at those words and he blinked a couple of times, his hold on her waist loosening somewhat, though he didn't let go completely. “I-I'm sorry,” he stammered, “but have we met?”

“We have,” she replied in the same low voice. “Though I don't suppose you'd remember.”

A flash of something that felt like a memory pulse through his head, but it was gone before Hope could even comprehend what it meant. “Um...”

“Dance with me?”

She was already dragging him out in the crowd of people, so Hope felt like it would've been rude to refuse. He went along with a dazed nod, feeling drunk as their bodies pulsed to the music even though he'd yet to take a sip of anything tonight.

“Hey,” he murmured close to her ear – mostly to be heard over the music, but also because some part of him just wanted to be close to her. It was a bold move, but she didn't seem to mind at all, and in fact smirked again like she'd been expecting it. “What's your name?”

There was a weird pause before she answered, but she turned to murmur her reply. “Lightning.” He felt rather than saw her smirk, which sent a shiver down his spine. “Call me Light.”

“Light...” The name felt familiar and wrong all at once. “What are you doing here?” It wasn't what he'd intended to ask at all – it was like his words were being spoken for him.

“I told you,” Light said in that same low tone. Her hips were moving against his in a way that should've been illegal. “I just knew you couldn't resist my call.”

“But I don't even know you.”

He stilled when her lips suddenly skimmed the side of his neck, his breaths trembling against her ear. Again, he felt her smirk. “Are you sure about that?”

Even though he was quite sure that he would've remembered meeting someone like Lightning – unless he'd been drunk or something, and he actually hadn't had any alcohol in months – the answer came from him immediately. “You're right. I've been waiting for you, haven't I?”

I have...?

“Yes,” she said. The music seemed very far away when compared to her voice in his ear. “You've been waiting a very long time.” One of her hands cupped the back of his neck, fingers threading in his hair in a tantalizingly pleasurable fashion. She tugged a bit and he went with it, his eyes fluttering closed as he exposed his neck to her.

“I have,” he murmured in agreement. “I've been waiting.”

A shiver went down his spine as Lightning kissed his neck. “And so have I.”

Hope's eyes shot open at those words, wondering at the stab of fear that accompanied them, but there was a sudden flash of pain on his neck and everything went black.

–

“Mr. Estheim, you really must hold still or this will be hardly be identifiable.”

“It's a bit difficult.” He smirked, but resumed his original pose of looking to the side to show off his profile...and what a delightful profile it was, Lightning mused. She stopped painting for a moment and simply stared, the way he had been just now.

“Difficult how?” she asked, despite knowing the answer.

He chuckled, daring to dart his eyes to her again. “Must you ask?”

She smirked back. “I'm afraid I indeed must.”

“You bring me great embarrassment to admit such a thing out loud.” Despite this, he seemed amused.

Lightning rolled her eyes. “We are the only ones here, last I looked.”

He made a show of looking around. “So we are.” A dramatic sigh. “In that case...” Now he was staring directly at her. “It's difficult to think that you're still creating art based on me, when you are the most beautiful thing I've ever laid my eyes upon. I can hardly bear to look away even for a moment.”

“Don't be foolish.” Despite her words, there was a pleasant smile on her face.

“Oh? You would dare to argue?”

“Hmm...” Lightning set her brush down and crossed the room to where he sat, her the layers of her dress swooshing around her legs with every step. When she got close enough, she merely leaned in, taking his profile – the slightly upturned nose, his strong jawline, those sea-green eyes – and cocked her head in contemplation. “I could say the same of you, Mr. Estheim.”

Though he'd held still at her inspection, at those words, he finally turned to look at her, arching an eyebrow. “Is that why you insisted on my portrait for your own?”

“I feel as though I'm the only one who could paint you the way you deserve.” She smiled and cupped his face, tracing his perfect skin with the pad of her thumb. “And it's why I insist. I'd rather hold you close to my heart when you're away.” Lightning tapped her collarbone with her free hand as she said this, indicating where the finished portraits would go – stowed inside a locket that would appear as a mere brooch, never to show the lovers pictured inside.

He hummed under her touch, slowly meeting her eyes. “Perhaps you can capture my elegance, but...who could dare to capture yours?”

She smirked. “Maybe you could try and paint my portrait as I am with yours.”

“I wouldn't dare insult you like that.”

“It would hardly be an insult if it came from your hands.”

He covered her hand with his own, the other one lightly grasping her waist with a wicked smirk. “You know, Miss Farron...I could think of a thousand better uses for my hands.”

“Is that so?” She chuckled, glancing over her shoulder to make sure the door was closed...not that it would have deterred them any.

He stretched his ridiculously long legs out on the lounge chair as he pulled her onto his lap, that smirk still on his face. “Let me prove it to you once again.”

–

Hope sucked in a ragged gasp as his eyes flew open. His head felt foggy and clear all at once with...dreams? Memories? Honestly, he didn't know what to think at this point.

Wait. Step one. Where was he?

He slowly sat up, feeling oddly drained like he hadn't gotten enough sleep, and glanced around. This wasn't his room, but it was familiar, at least. He'd stayed in Noel's guest room many times.

Okay, step one down. Step two – how the hell had he gotten here?

And...what the hell had happened last night?

Luckily, he got one answer when there was a knock at the door, though it opened before Hope could say anything.

“Oh hey, you're up,” Noel greeted, flicking his eyes over Hope. “You look like shit. Aspirin?”

“Y-Yeah,” Hope managed to croak out, surprised that his throat felt so raw and dry, like he was thirsty, though he honestly didn't feel particularly hungover. Not that he knew what that felt like. Noel produced two aspirin and a glass of water, which Hope gladly knocked back. “Thanks.”

“No problem. And here I thought I wouldn't have to worry about watching out for you.”

Hope stared at the glass of water in his hands. Though he rarely drank alcohol, during the few times he had in his life, he'd never had enough to warrant a hangover. This was honestly all new to him, which was why he was so hesitant when he finally asked, “...What happened last night?”

Noel raised his eyebrows. “You don't remember?”

“I wouldn't ask if I did.”

“Got me there.” Noel plopped down beside Hope. “I wish I knew what you drank, because you were kinda funny.” He laughed. “You were talking in an accent and saying weird stuff, like you were a completely different person.”

“I was?”

“Yeah. And you kept going around asking for someone named Claire.”

Nausea, fear, and need slammed into Hope so abruptly that it felt like someone had physically whacked him with something. He doubled over, hand covering his mouth as his eyes went wide.

Noel scooted aside. “Don't tell me I need to get you a bucket.”

Weirdly enough, that calmed him down some. Hope slowly let his hand fall and sat up. “N-No. I'm fine. I just...” He looked at Noel. “Are you sure?”

“Sure about what? That you're not going to puke all over me?”

“That I was asking for a...” He had to brace himself. “...A Claire?”

“Yeah.” Noel relaxed a bit when it became clear that Hope wasn't gonna get sick all over him. “Ask Yeul if you don't believe me. You were relentless about it.” He raised an eyebrow. “I'm guessing you met someone last night?”

Instantly, the rose-haired woman popped into his head. Lightning.

“I did, but...” They'd been dancing and then...what? He had absolutely no idea. The only clear parts of last night involved her, but even those thoughts were hazy. “Noel, where'd you find me?”

“Outside, actually. It looked like you were yelling at the sky. Probably screaming out equations or something, I dunno.”

“Sounds like me.”

“Nerd.” Noel chuckled again. “But you were so out of it that you didn't even recognize me and Yeul. You kept asking who we were. So we just said we were gonna take you home and...” He gestured to the room. “We did. You're lucky we found you, dude.”

“Yeah.” And truly, he knew that he was extremely lucky to have friends that looked out for him, despite how weird he must have been acting. The excuse that he couldn't recall having any alcohol at all wouldn't go over very well here, so he decided to let that go. “Thanks.”

“Don't mention it.” Noel patted Hope's shoulder and stood up. “I'm gonna go help Yeul make breakfast. Come on out when you're ready, okay?”

“Sure.”

After Noel left the room, Hope finally had it in his head to gather his thoughts somewhat...not that there was much to gather. He was still in his dress shirt and pants from last night, though either Noel or Yeul had taken off his shoes and suit jacket. And the mask...

The mask had been tossed on the bedside table. Hope picked it up and stared, like it was going to give him answers. Maybe the stupid thing had obscured his vision so much that he's somehow just...conjured her.

Lightning...

If last night had actually happened, why had he told Noel in his apparent drunken state that he was looking for someone named Claire? He was pretty sure he didn't even know anyone by that name. Maybe he'd heard wrong or it was part of a song or something...

Come and find me.

With a sigh, he tossed the mask onto the bed and ran a hand through his hair. Whatever the hell was going on, maybe it could wait until after breakfast.

–

Over the next few weeks, the party gradually slipped from his mind in lieu of all the work he had to do, but Lightning remained. Everywhere he went, he kept his eyes peeled for a shock of rose-colored hair, but always came up empty.

However, he got a shock of a different sort one day.

“Oi, you!”

Hope blinked and looked around. He'd been so lost in though that he'd barely realized that so much time had gone by – he'd spent nearly half the day in the library, and already, the sun was beginning to set. He sighed and started packing up his stuff.

“Hey! I'm talking to you.”

“Huh?” Hope looked up in surprise, only to come practically face-to-face with a beautiful woman with dark, wild hair. She cocked her head and smirked at his confusion, seemingly finding it amusing.

“Silver hair and no right to be so damn handsome,” the woman murmured. “Yep, gotta be you.”

Hope's face erupted into a blush. “E-Excuse me?!”

“You're Estheim, right?”

“Huh?” Hope was at least eighty percent sure that he'd never seen this woman in his life. “Well, I mean – that's my last name, yeah, but...”

“Good enough for me.” She hoisted him to his feet with an unreal feat of strength. “Follow me. I've got someone who's dyin' to see you.”

“Wait a second!” Despite his protests, Hope had already gathered his bag and was following the woman out of the library. “I don't even know your name!”

She barked out a laugh and, weirdly enough, put on some gloves and covered her head with a hood before they stepped outside. It was chilly outside, yes, but the sun was still beating down brilliantly despite the incoming sunset, at least for this time of year. “Name's Fang.” She was still chuckling at this, as though at some private joke.

“Oh.” Hope followed her down the block, through some twisty side streets, and finally to a cluster of homes that looked to be in dire need of TLC. The area seemed weirdly familiar. “Wait, is this...?”

Fang ignored him – as she had the whole time they'd been walking – and walked into one of the houses, calling into it, “Hey! You up yet, sunshine?”

Hope stood in the doorway, shell-shocked.

This was the house from the Halloween party – empty from all the guests and oddly quiet without the music pulsing, but unmistakably the same place.

Before he could even hope to process this, he heard footsteps come from another room, recognition slamming into him like a physical being.

“Light...?”

“Hmmm.” Lightning tilted her head with a little smirk, keeping her eyes on him as she walked up to the doorway. “Thanks for finding him, Fang.”

“Yeah, yeah. I'm goin' back to bed for a couple hours.”

Hope didn't question why Fang was supposed to find him or why she was going to bed before sunset. All he could see was Lightning.

She smiled – though it didn't quite reach her eyes – and tugged him inside. “Are you surprised?”

“Extremely,” he managed to croak out. “How...? What's going on?” Answers. That was what he needed. “What happened after the party?”

“Why does that matter?” Lightning continued tugging on his hands, threading their fingers together in a way that seemed totally instinctual. “You're here now, aren't you?”

“I...”

“I've been waiting for this.” The smirk reappeared on her face as she pulled him onto the couch. Somehow, he knew exactly how to hold her in the perfect way before even acknowledging what he was doing. “You have no idea just how...long I've been waiting...”

He let out a trembling breath as she leaned in to kiss his neck. His thoughts immediately went back to the party. Hadn't something like this happened then? She'd been kissing his neck like this and then...

Miss Farron...I could think of a thousand better uses for my hands.

“Farron…?” he mumbled in a daze, but then something sharp and soft and painful and pleasurable stung his neck and darkness overcame him.

–

“Mr. Estheim, may I have the pleasure of introducing my sister, Serah?”

“Pleasure's all mine.”

Lightning couldn't blame the little smile that formed on Serah's face. “Oh no, it's certainly mine.” Too late, she curtsied, but it was a bit clumsy. Luckily, no one seemed to mind. “It's an honor to meet the man who has my sister so flustered.”

“Serah - !”

There was a low chuckle. “No need for such an outburst. In fact...” His eyes met hers over Serah's head. “I'm honored that I continuously garner such a reaction from you.”

Lightning narrowed her eyes, sure that he was teasing her, but he only smirked in that annoyingly smug and handsome way of his. “An honor, sir? I'm not sure I would call it that.”

“I would,” Serah interrupted with a smile. “Claire speaks of you quite highly...especially when she's certain I'm not listening.” Before her sister could interrupt, Serah continued as she curtsied again, “And I do apologize, but I promised a friend I would meet with them today. I believe my escort is here.”

Lightning tried not to be annoyed at the twinkle in Serah's eye. “Would you like me to walk you?”

“I'm certain I could find the way,” she teased, though her tone was slightly more neutral as she addressed him again. “Very lovely to finally meet you, sir.”

He bowed his head. “You as well, Serah.”

Lightning could have sworn that Serah winked as she passed, but left the room too quickly for any comment. After the last rustle of her gown had completely vanished, Lightning turned back around to face the man who was smirking at her.

“Pay her no mind. She's still young.”

“The young have a way seeing things a way others don't.” He slid his hands onto her waist, while she was helpless but to touch him back, her hands resting on his arms. Improper conduct, yes, but...certainly not the first time. “Perhaps she knows you better than you believe.”

“I might agree.” Lightning slid her hands to his shoulders, then wound her arms around his neck. “Serah is...” She looked over her shoulder. “She's everything to me. There's little I wouldn't do for her.” A pause. “...Little that I haven't done for her.”

And, she didn't add, little that she wouldn't do over and over again, given the opportunity.

“It makes me wish I had sibling.” He pulled her a bit closer. “To have someone so devoted to you without question.”

She looked back up at him, a little smile quirking the corners of her lips as her fingers thread into the silver hair at the nape of his neck. “You don't need a sibling to experience such devotion, sir.”

He smiled like a cat that had captured the canary. “Exactly what I was hoping to hear, Miss Farron,” he murmured before capturing her lips in a frenzy of passion that made her grateful that Serah had already left.

–

When Hope woke up this time, he had no idea where he was. The room was bright – too bright – but it wasn't because of the sun beating through windows. The entire room, including the walls, the bedspread, the furniture, everything, was completely white.

Which only made the spots of blood on the blanket and his pillow all the more noticeable.

He sucked in a breath, remembering the last thing that'd apparently happened before he'd blacked out – Lightning kissing his neck.

Had she only kissed it...?

He scrambled out of the bed, his clothing such stark contrast to the whiteness of the room that it honestly made him dizzy for a second. Still, he stood up on shaky legs, trying to look for a mirror so he could see and make sure...

When he didn't find a mirror in the room, Hope stumbled to the door instead and yanked it open...only to be met with Lightning's gaze.

She didn't look at all surprised to see him upright. Instead, she seemed almost angry about it, though how he knew this, Hope had no idea, especially since she wasn't saying anything. The look in her eyes, thought...that storm of betrayal...

“I've seen that look before,” he gasped out before he could stop himself, even though the words made absolutely no sense. Every time he'd seen Lightning until now, she'd been nothing but a shadow of mystery. He had no idea who she was.

Did he?

“I would think so,” she replied, and there was a noticeable accent in her voice he'd never heard before. “The question is, do you remember why?!”

She gripped the back of his neck and yanked him towards her, forcibly tilting his head. He gasped, instinctively grabbing onto her arms.

The last thing he felt before everything went dark again was a sharp pain that felt suspiciously like fangs.

–

She hummed in contentment as his fingers traced her bottom lip, smiling lazily as his journey continued down over her jaw and neck. Her eyes fluttered opened when they traced her collarbone, if only because Lightning knew she could allow him to go no further.

“I didn't think you to be awake,” he teased as she took his hand, moving it to her naked waist instead. It was safer that way.

“How could I sleep, knowing you were right next to me?” She slid her palm over his chest, moving her hand upwards until she was able to run her fingers through his hair.

“A fair point.” He seemed oddly pleased with himself...but then again, he usually was when she spent the night with him. Lightning had to attribute it to the typical male ego. Perhaps...in time she would see a change.

No, no. Best not to think about that. She'd did what had to be done. The only thing that would make it perfect would be...

“I have a question,” she said, adjusting herself a bit more comfortably under the covers.

“Yes?”

Lightning hesitated. She had to preface this the right way. “It's just a bit of my mind wandering, but...have you ever imagined what it might be like to live for an eternity?”

She'd expected him to laugh off such a notion and answer her question in a teasing manner, perhaps list off the things he'd do with an eternal life, but to her shock, he instead stiffened and sat up a bit, looking down at her in a way that he'd never done around her.

Wary. Suspicion.

She instinctively pulled the covers around herself a bit more. “I...don't mind me. It was just a silly question.”

“Hmm.” To her further surprise, he suddenly slid out of bed and started putting his clothes back on. “Silly indeed.”

“What are you doing?” Lightning sat up, holding the covers to her chest. “I thought you were free from engagements today.”

“I just remembered one I need to take care of.” She watched him dress, looking as impeccable as always, even without the aid of a servant. “Don't worry. I'll come back for you.”

“All right.”

He swiftly left the room after he was dressed without kissing her goodbye...nor had he looked her in the eye.

–

Lightning pulled away for a second, and Hope knew he wasn't imagining things when he saw the blood dribbling out the side of her mouth. His blood.

“I...will make you...remember,” she hissed, and he didn't have the strength to push her away as her fangs sank into his neck again.

–

She was numb.

As her sister's only family, she should have been the one making arrangements, visiting with friends, and seeing that everything was running smoothly. It was her job, after all.

But she couldn't move.

For nearly a week now, she'd felt as though she were paralyzed with sadness. No, sadness wasn't even the correct word for it – she felt distraught, hollow, empty.

Serah was dead.

This wasn't supposed to have happened for decades. Serah was the one who was supposed to live for the both of them, to wed and have generations of children and grow old as anyone should have.

But the other reason Lightning felt completely wrung out was because of how Serah had been found.

With a stake in her heart.

Which meant that someone knew...only they'd gotten the wrong sister.

She wasn't just numb from sadness – she was also paralyzed with fear. Had she been smarter than this, she would have left right after the burial and fled town. What else was here for her any longer?

There was a gentle knock at the door, a familiar sound that made Lightning glance up when the door opened a bit.

He was the reason she hadn't ran.

The moment she saw him, Lightning forgot all decorum and got to her feet, the layers of her black gown rustling as she rushed to him and fell into his arms. He hugged her back tentatively, as though she were made of glass.

“Are you all right?” he murmured.

“Not in the least,” she admitted, not ashamed to do such a thing in front of him. Her voice was a bit muffled by her mourning veil, so she raised her head a bit so he could hear her properly. “I just don't...I don't understand. What could have driven anyone to do such a thing...?”

He sighed, stroking her hair a bit, though she barely noticed that the motions were halfhearted. “Perhaps someone got suspicious.”

“Suspicious? Suspicious over what?!” Now she pushed away from him and started to pace. “Serah has never hurt a soul, nor would she ever. What could she have possibly done that would give cause for someone to wonder if she were a...a...” Lightning shook her head, unable to bring herself to say the word that was her reality...not Serah's.

“I wonder,” he said, and there was something in his tone that made Lightning look up at him curiously. For a blessed moment, she was distracted by Serah's death in favor of wondering what was going through his mind.

“What do you mean?”

“I've been hearing some strange things lately,” he said, not quite looking at her. “Rumors from those who dare to leave their homes at night.” He fiddled with something in his pocket. “There have been traces of death in town, followed by blood.”

A knot formed in her stomach, but she managed to remain calm. “Really?”

“I didn't think to believe it, but the rumors have been growing – talk of a phantom that led those who would not be missed to their deaths.” Only now did he finally look her in the eyes, and the knot in Lightning's stomach erupted into fear. “A rose-haired phantom.”

Though she'd been warned that humans would figure out what she was at some point, hearing the one person she'd ever loved at a level comparable to Serah all but confirm it shattered her heart into a thousand pieces.

“I can explain - ”

“I'd rather not hear it.” He was smirking again, that same face he always wore when his ego was getting the better of him. “How long before this...monster stops with the ones that don't matter and goes to the ones that do? How many will she kill?”

“I don't - ”

He slammed his hand down on a glass goblet. The shards pricked his skin into a bloody mess and he held it up, fear and satisfaction on face when the scent lured her to bare her fangs at him with a hiss.

“At least there's only one of you now!”

Everything froze.

Though she had a potential eternity in front of her, Lightning knew that nothing would ever compare to that moment of clarity when realization dawned. It was as though everything was suspended in time just for a second as she struggled to believe it.

But the truth was as clear as anything.

“You did it,” she whispered, eyes wide. She still couldn't move. “You killed my sister.”

He let out a laugh unlike anything she'd ever heard before – it was the sound you would hear coming from an asylum late at night; a noise that sent chills down your spine. “I had to, Claire! I couldn't very well let vampires kill us all! Were you going to get me next?! Drink all my blood after I sold my company and steal my riches?!”

“No,” she replied, still unable to do more than whisper. “Of course not. I lo-”

“Don't say it!” he screeched, finally bringing out what he'd been fiddling with in his pocket – a wooden stake.

Had she been in control of her emotions, Lightning would have laughed. As it was, all she could do was tell him the truth and hope that, somehow, he would snap out of it.

“The stakes are a myth,” she said. “You cannot kill a va – a vamp...”

“You're lying!”

“I'm not.” She wrapped her arms around herself, inwardly kicking herself when tears started to fill her eyes. “Serah was human. She was human and you killed her.”

He paused. Lightning knew she should have run or knocked him out – maybe even killed him. Something. But her love for him kept her feet planted firmly on the floor, hoping against hope that he would understand.

For what, though? He had murdered her sister. For that, there was no redemption.

Not even for him.

This thought came to her mind a second too late. While everything moments ago had felt like it was suspended in time, now the world spun too quickly as he dropped the stake and his hands closed around her neck.

“Then I'll do better with you!” he hissed, and she was too shocked and full of despair and love to fight back.

–

“Hey! You – damn, what's your name? Ah, forget it. Just wake up, damnit.”

Everything was dark.

How could he see this? He was no longer a part of her life, convinced he had done the world a favor and disposed of a monster. Though she'd only passed out at his hands, it'd given him enough time to bury her alive, sure that she would never escape the coffin he'd fashioned just for her.

When he thought of it as a good deed to the world, it was easy to forget their love, and easier still to forget how the look in her eyes had cursed him before she'd passed out.

He was better than a vampire. He would survive – no, thrive in all of his lives after this one, always learning more and bettering himself. Never would a vampire best him. Not even her.

Not even -

“Claire!”

Someone's hands flew off of him into an 'I surrender' position. “Well, damn. Never know how you humans are gonna wake up half the time, I swear.”

Hope gasped for breath, his chest heaving like he'd run a marathon. He saw the woman who'd introduced herself as Fang to the side of his bed, her expression annoyingly amused, though she seemed a bit concerned as well.

Luckily, he was out of that white room and in a much more normal-looking one, which helped stabilize his breathing somewhat. Once he'd finally calmed down, he ran a hand through his hair, surprised that it was damp with sweat.

“Claire,” he said breathlessly. “I mean – Lightning. Light. Wha – where is she?”

“Off somewhere pouting.” Fang quirked a brow. “You're actually concerned about her?”

“Yes. I – I mean, I saw - ”

“Finally remember, eh?” If she noticed his confusion, Fang didn't care. “Never thought she'd actually pull it off. At this rate, I was pretty sure she was gonna kill you, even though we're tryin' to avoid that this time around.”

Hope stared at her, his head still spinning. When he was finally able to speak, he asked the first thing that came to mind. “How do you and Cla – Light know each other?”

Fang arched a brow again, like she couldn't believe he was asking that. “We go way back.” She chuckled. “Way back, really.”

“How...?”

“I did her a favor, she decided to stick around.”

“You mean you're the one who...”

Fang held up a hand. “Ain't my story to tell. If she's done pouting, get her to tell ya herself.”

“I'm pretty sure she wants to kill me.” Literally.

“Well, yeah,” Fang replied, as if it was no big deal. “But she won't. Not right away, anyway.”

If that was supposed to scare him, it didn't work. Hope just had the strange urge to...apologize, of all the crazy things. Nothing made sense anymore. “Where is she?”

“Second door on the right. Careful, she's in a mood.”

–

The first thing Lightning did when he finally managed to get to his feet and find her was bare her fangs at him with a hiss. It was eerily reminiscent of the...dream? Memory? ...that had just plagued his mind earlier.

He held his hands up. “I'm not here to hurt you. I promise.”

“A likely story.” She waltzed up to him with venom in her eyes, and even though he probably should've run, he remained where he was. “That's what you said back then!”

“That wasn't me, Light.”

She hissed again. “I thought that this generation was supposed to be more open-minded. You've never thought of the possibility of reincarnation?”

“No,” he admitted. “How do you know?”

“I would recognize his soul anywhere.” Her hands clenched into fists, her eyes flashing with pain again. “And if for some strange reason you didn't believe me at my words, the fact that you saw his memories when I drank your blood is proof enough.”

Hope immediately touched his neck. Until now, he somehow hadn't quite connected 'vampire' with 'drinking his blood' and suppressed a shudder as he dropped his hand. “That wasn't me, though,” he insisted. “Maybe I am this guy's...reincarnation or whatever, but I'm also me.” As he said this, he was sure that it was the rawest, most vulnerable he'd ever been in front of another person. “And I would never hurt you.”

Her eyes flicked over him in disbelief, though something in her expression softened somewhat. “Why do I have the feeling that you're one of those disgustingly honest people who are so diplomatic that everyone can't help but love?”

“Was he like that?”

Lightning flinched. “...It's probably why I was drawn to him.” She pulled a chain up from over her head and opened the antique locket that'd been hanging from it. “That's how I saw him.”

Hope looked at the portrait, impressed at the level of detail and uneasy at how similar the painted profile was to his own. They looked remarkably alike, right down to their hair part, although there was something in the portrait that was...sharper and more dangerous. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

“You painted this, right?”

Lightning put the locket back on. “Yes.”

“That's really impressive. I don't have an artistic bone in my body.”

“It was one of the more 'acceptable' pastimes for ladies.”

“At least you took advantage of it, I guess.” Hope paused, knowing his next question was treading on dangerous ground. “...Was Serah also an artist?”

Lightning made a sound that was almost like a growl, baring her fangs again before backing down. Was she realizing that he and her past were not one in the same? “...Not so much. She wanted to be a nurse.”

This time, it was Hope's turn to flinch. Nursing had always be a position to be proud of...and yet Serah had been robbed of that. “Why?”

That question was met with a glare, but something inside of Lightning seemed to finally break. Despite the numerous places to sit in the room, she leaned against the wall and slowly sank down to the floor, visibly swallowing. After a pause, Hope gingerly sat down next to her, wondering if he would get an answer.

Eventually, Lightning spoke. “When she was younger, Serah contracted a disease I now know is tuberculosis.” Hope's eyes widened. “Back then, there was of course no treatment, no cure. Our mother had died giving birth to Serah, so she was the only family I had left. I couldn't let her die from it as most did.”

Even though he was starting to put the pieces together, he needed more. “What happened?”

“I took Serah to every doctor I could reach. I exhausted what little money we had to try and save her, but she came closer to death every day. I was at the end of my rope.” She stared at her hands. “One day, someone I didn't know came to visit her. I thought she was a nurse, or at the very least, a woman of the cloth who'd come to bless Serah. She was so close to death that it was that obvious. But she told me there was a way. If I wanted, I could save Serah.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Lightning clenched her hands again, then released them. “She told me that vampire blood could cure anything, and it would only work if I was one to do it since we were family. I could become one and give my blood to Serah to save her life.”

Hope was stunned. He'd read stories before suggesting a thing, but of course, he never once in a zillion years thought that vampires were real. “And...I assume it worked?”

“Of course. Don't be an idiot.” She huffed. “The woman who'd found me was actually Fang's girlfriend. They lived together in secret, for obvious reasons.” She sighed. “Fang turned me into what I am, and I was able to save Serah...at the price of my mortality.”

They fell into silence. Hope was honestly impressed – even though he was sure that a lot of people would jump at the chance to be immortal, there was the actual practice of it. Even though she'd saved Serah's life, eventually Lightning would have had to move away or watch Serah grow old and die anyway. Had she stayed with him, she would have been forced with the same situation...over and over again, for all eternity.

“That's why you asked him about immortality,” Hope said as comprehension dawned. “You wanted to turn him into one, too.”

Lightning nodded slowly. “He ran a very large and profitable company that bought and sold various good overseas. It was easy for him since he was so charismatic. Initially, he commissioned a portrait from me that would hang in his office, but...” She trailed off, obviously recalling old memories. “It became far more than that. I just didn't know he thought of himself of the unofficial protector of the town, who kept phantoms at bay.”

Though there were people in his life that he didn't really care for, nobody had ever deliberately hurt him or anything. Even his father, who he usually didn't get along with, was okay at times. Hope couldn't believe feeling something for someone so deeply and then the sting of their betrayal.

“Before I woke up a little bit ago,” he said carefully, “I had another...dream, I guess. He...” He shifted around. There was no comfortable way to say this. “...He buried you alive, didn't he?”

She was silent for a full minute before speaking. “I had to drink my own blood to survive. It nearly drove me insane. It was fifty years before I was able to break free.”

“Didn't Fang and her girlfriend look for you?”

“They tried, but there were already enough whispers around town. They couldn't risk themselves more than necessary. I wouldn't have wanted them to, anyway.”

Hope nodded a bit, understanding that. It still blew his mind that all of this was...real, and that he wasn't back in some crazy dream or memory or whatever, not to mention that he was apparently the reincarnation of someone so awful. “Are you going to kill me?”

Lightning went quiet again. Whatever murderous rage she'd had when he'd first come to her door seemed to have vanished. “Do you want me to?”

“Not particularly.”

“I've been waiting centuries for you.” Finally, she looked at him, hundreds of years of pain and regret and patience in her gaze. “I thought it would be so easy once I finally had you where I wanted – that I wouldn't hesitate to kill you once I made you remember what you'd done to me. I wanted you to suffer with the agony of your choices the way that I have for so long.”

“I can understand that.” Truly, he did. It was easier now that he'd seen those memories. “But it's like I told you, Light – I'm not him.”

She continued to stare at him with an unreadable expression and he didn't move the whole time, only letting out a breathe when she murmured, “No. You're not.” She paused. “He wouldn't have come to find me like you did just now.”

Something compelled him to reach out and rest his hand on hers. Though she tensed up at the touch, she quickly relaxed into it, now looking at him curiously as everything stilled again.

“Maybe you could get to know me as me,” he said. “I only knew you as Claire back then. Maybe now I can know you as Lightning.”

There was a long pause, but the world finally flowed into motion again when she smiled. “What'd I tell you? Call me Light.”

He smiled back and squeezed her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Light. I'm Hope.”

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