Blood & Sympathy (FFVII: Vincent x OC)

Ch27 - The Northern Crater

Jocasta began to stir when she felt the leather of a gloved hand, cupping her cheek. She hummed in response and she leaned on his touch before she opened her eyes, and her gaze met Vincent's for a short moment.

She realized they'd slept in that very same position the entire night. She smiled up at him as she felt his thumb sliding over her cheek. She felt that tightness on her chest. That warmth that spread beneath, a feeling so beautiful, but a feeling she hated. It let her know that she was growing feelings and that she knew she'd be too powerless against them if she lingered on that moment any longer.

Vincent just stared at her. For a moment, his eyes rested on her face. The peacefulness of it while she slept, and her grey eyes that gazed up at his. They used to be brown, hazel. A color he recalled. Then his attention fell on the tips of her pink lips that curled up in a warm smile. A smile he only wished he'd seen on Lucrecia's lips the last time they talked.

Her face snapped back in his mind, and the guilt spread like a wildfire beneath his chest. He shook his head "We need to wake up the others and get going," he said, pulling his arms away from her.

Jocasta nodded as she too fended away, something that brought both relief and longing for more. It was pointless to avoid admitting herself that she liked sleeping beside him, and not just because of the nightmares that ceased. She felt safe with his arms around her, even though the longer she thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded.

She shook the thoughts away, as she turned at Cid that slept beside them on the same couch, and placed a hand by his shoulder.

"Old man?"

He hummed in response, pausing his endless snoring for a moment.

"Wake up, we gotta get going,"

"Fuck off and lemme sleep, kid,"

Jocasta tried to hold back a chuckle "You don't want me to punch you, do you?"

Cid groaned irritatingly "Aight, aight, gimme a few more mins for fuck's sake," he said before grabbing a pillow from the couch and placing it on top of his head, to shelter his eyes from the morning light that came from the window.

Jocasta chuckled "Just a few," she then got up and walked towards Tifa and Cloud, who were curled over each other, sleeping peacefully. She almost hated to interrupt their sleep, but she knew she had to. She placed a hand on Cloud's shoulder. Bright blue eyes found her.

"The sun's up," Jocasta informed him.

Cloud nodded before his hand reached for Tifa's to wake her up. Jocasta turned around to see Cait Sith being switched on and waking up Barret and Red. Vincent turned at Yuffie, placing a hand on her shoulder. The sixteen-year-old didn't wake up right away, but with a little more convincing, she eventually did.

Once the team was up and ready to go, they waved goodbye at the old man, as they exited the house. Cloud gathered them around, to let them know what they would be facing once they'd get on that crater. But before he had the chance to say anything, Barret spoke first.

"You know I've been thinkin', seein' a place like this, makes you realize how awesome nature is. But, if anyone ever told me to live here, I'd tell them to fuck off," Barret said.

Jocasta shrugged "I don't know, I kinda like snow,"

"Y- you're kidding?! I- it's so cold!!" The Wutaian girl said. It looked like the extra layers of clothes she'd bought from the village, weren't enough.

"I can live wherever they got cigarettes and some GODDAMN TEA!" Cid said "And apparently this place's got none of these so no fuckin' way,"

Cloud sighed before he spoke, drawing his companions' attention "Vincent, Jocasta, and I are the only ones who can handle the cold. We will secure the route and the rest of you will come once we've done that,"