Blood & Sympathy (FFVII: Vincent x OC)

Ch67 - Drinking Buddies

Jocasta looked at the glass that used to be hers but Reno had snatched it and drank from it with no second thought. She shrugged and she refilled the same glass and took a sip of her own. She didn't really care. Geostigma wasn't infectious like that and any other decease that Reno -doubtfully- carried, her body could handle it. The smell of cigar still lingered on the glass. It reached her senses and she was not surprised that the young Turk smoked. It didn't bother her, though. It merged well with whiskey.

The Turks returned no long after and loud voices came from upstairs. Jocasta raised an eyebrow and Reno let out a chuckle. "Lovebirds' are havin' a fight," he said.

Jocasta nodded "About time," she stood behind the bar while Rude and Reno settled on the benches on the other side of the counter, across her.

She grabbed two more glasses, settling one in front of Rude who nodded and when she turned to settle the other one in front of Reno, she'd realized he'd already grabbed her glass, drinking her whiskey.

"Reno, that's my-" Jocasta tried to say but her cut her.

"No shit,"

She raised an eyebrow and she filled the glass that she was supposed to give him and kept it as her own. Cloud walked out, heading towards the door hurriedly. Reno and Rude spared him two looks.

"So, you're going?" Reno asked.

Cloud gave a silent nod as he turned and looked at the three. Jocasta sat straight and she let down her glass. She tried to walk towards him "I'm coming with-" but Reno grabbed her hand keeping her in position.

"No, you stay, we keep you safe," Reno said.

"President's orders," Rude added.

"Fuck the President, the kids are in danger and Cloud's in no condition to-"

"It's fine. I can handle it, Jocasta," Cloud said before he exited the bar with no further words.

Jocasta snapped her hand away from Reno's grasp and glared at him "I can fight, I don't need any protection,"

"Whoah, relax, babe. You forget you're important," Reno said with a cocky smile, raising his hands in surrender.

Jocasta groaned irritatingly and she pointed a finger at the Turk who was effectively getting on her nerves "First of, don't call me 'babe', and second, when the hell did I get important?!"

"You're the only one who knows how to cure Geostigma, Professor Ernchester," Rude answered.

Jocasta chuckled as she took a sip from her new glass "It's no biggie,"

"Yeah, no biggie, the best of Shinra's scientists been workin' on that crap for two fuckin' years, and it took you- what? Ten minutes?" Reno raised an eyebrow. His hands reached for his pack of cigarettes that were settled somewhere on his outfit.

"I've been researching on Geostigma two years too, you know," Jocasta grinned.

Reno placed a cigarette between his lips and his hands searched for his lighter. He let out a curse, not finding it, and Jocasta shook her head. Her hands reached for the drawers of Tifa's bar and she spotted a lighter. She pulled it out and switched it on. Reno let out a chuckle as he leaned close, bringing the cigarette close to the flame.

"I- uhh... I'm gonna... go... check up on... Tifa," Rude said awkwardly as he cleared his throat and left the bar.

Reno chuckled knowingly and Jocasta gave Rude a weird look while he vanished upstairs. "Why would he-?" Jocasta tried to ask but Reno cut her.

"Rude's been havin' the hots for Tifa ever since the fall of Sector Seven Plate," Reno said puffing out his cigarette.

"Oh right..." Jocasta had heard the story from Barret. She turned and rested her elbows on the counter, facing Reno "...your company destroyed her home twice. So romantic," she said sarcastically.