Blood & Sympathy (FFVII: Vincent x OC)

Ch78 - Threat

Vincent and Jocasta walked back to their table, arm in arm, just as they had left before. Cid and Shera were dancing, and it looked like Cid's parents had already retreated for the night, because nobody was at the table. Some people had already left. The crowd was smaller, and the chatter was not as loud as it was before. The sky was clear, and the music was soft when Vincent and Jocasta sat back down to their seats on the lonely round table.

Cid and Shera were slow dancing no further away. Tifa and Cloud were there as well, with Sephiroth and Hester. All the lovely couples were just enjoying each other's company and finally Jocasta turned her attention on her food. Her stomach growled hungrily and she began eating. She couldn't tell if her hunger was depicted in the way that she ate, but she was sure that at some point, she could even feel Vincent's eyes focusing on her.

Her mouth was stuffed with a large bite of pie when she turned and looked at the smile that he had on his face as he stared down at her. "Wha-?" Jocasta asked with her mouth stuffed.

Vincent chuckled. He almost had a smile on his lips as he watched her swallow down that pie. His hand reached for his handkerchief and he wiped that little bit of tomato sauce that lingered at the corners of her lips. He could tell that she was blushing. A lot. And he could only feel his smile growing, and growing. It was getting harder and harder to suppress it.

She giggled cutely "Thanks, Vince,"

He made a hum. She hadn't called him that in such a long time. He remembered back when he acted like he didn't like it, even though he did. He pulled his hand away and nodded at her. His hand slipped around her waist from behind and he brought them closer. Jocasta rested her head on his shoulder and her hand found his chest.

She felt the weight of his cheek, pressing on top of her head as they both took a moment to cherish each other's company. His hand found hers, the one that she had on his chest, and he took it into his, lacing their fingers together. He looked down at her. She was smiling. She had closed her eyes. He kissed her hair and for once he felt happy. He had almost forgotten that feeling.

It was almost hard to believe that everything was okay. That they had finally fixed this. Themselves. He would no longer have to live alone. He would no longer have to be scared of closing his eyes, because he was with her, and he had no voices in his mind, no nightmares, no feelings of pain. Not anymore.

When Jocasta saw Cid and Shera approaching, she tried to fend away. She was in no mood to start explaining why she had been lying her head on the shoulder of the man that she'd been trying so hard to avoid. But Vincent's hand was tight around her, trapping her against him. A sweet trap that she didn't want to escape from anyway.

"Vinnie, Joe! The hell have you two be- Oh," Cid cut himself when he watched the two sitting like that and he suddenly forgot what he was about to say.

"Oh my-! Looks like you two worked things out," Shera said as she sipped her champagne after she settled on her seat beside her husband.

"Fuckin' FINALLY!" Cid cried out and he settled on his own seat. "Ya got any idea how many fuckin' bottles of my great-grandpappy's whiskey she drank broodin' about you?!"

"It was only one," Jocasta tried to defend herself but Vincent grabbed her glass of whiskey off her hand and pulled it away.

"No more drinking," Vincent said, almost sternly.

She lifted her head off his shoulder and her hands reached for her glass, but Vincent had placed much further away from her on the table, and his hand was tight around her, keeping her from moving. She groaned and gave up eventually. Her head landed back on his shoulder, wearily.

She sighed "C'mon, Vinceeee!"

"No," Vincent insisted, but softly this time. His hand caressed her bare back and she shivered.

"Fine," she gave in. Her hand reached for his and he responded immediately, closing his fingers around hers. Both their hands rested by his thigh.

"Good! Keep her on check, Vincent," Shera nodded approvingly.

"Hey!"

"I will," Vincent agreed.

"Holy crap! I'm so fuckin' happy for you two!" Cid said as he stuffed food in his mouth and munched loudly.

"Me too, guys. I mean, it's been two years!" Shera agreed.

"Indeed..."

"Yeah, we just needed to talk,"

ₒₒ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ꕥ▫ᵒᴼᵒ▫ₒₒ

They would all stay at the hotel for the night. Jocasta and Vincent agreed to sleep together. The room was big enough to be comfortable. The Hotel was a good one. One of the best ones that lied in front of the beaches of Costa del Sol. There was a small table in front of a mirror. Jocasta rested her bag on it and she set off to get herself cleaned up and change into the gown that she'd brought with her. She had brought just enough clothes and things that would get her through the night.

She was tying her hair into a braid when Vincent entered with his own identical key card, or at least she thought it was Vincent. Who else could it be?

But before she was able to turn around and greet him with a smile, a hand slipped around her. It trapped her hands together and the other hand of the intruder pressed a soaked cloth by her mouth and her nose. Jocasta recognized the sweet smell of chloroform right away. She fought against the intruder. Her arms were trapped, but her feet were still free. She stepped on his foot but he didn't bulge, nor grunt, nor scream in pain. She elbowed him hard on the stomach but that didn't work either.

She instantly regretted not bringing her weapons with her. But how could she have known that it'd be crucial to bring daggers to a wedding? She still fought against him and she knew she had at least five minutes before the chloroform would react. But there was another smell besides that. It would make sense that it would be mixed because alone it wouldn't keep her passed out for long. She tried her best but it got more and more difficult to move, to think, to react. She knew she was losing all senses and she was falling, but the last thing that she heard was an unfamiliar voice whispering in her ear.

"Hail Weiss,"