Blood & Sympathy (FFVII: Vincent x OC)

Ch73 - Chance Meeting Under the Moonlight

Jocasta barely had anything to wear. Believe it or not, going out in such occasions was a rare thing, and buying a dress wasn't really needed until she held the invitation in her hands. The invitation to Cid's and Shera's wedding. Jocasta smiled. She felt happy for them. They had found their happiness in each other and it made her content to watch her friends being happy.

Most people were just meant to have this, and some others just weren't. Jocasta knew it was stupid to think like this. It was stupid to be all depressive about it. She was so done being depressed. She was so done brooding over the past. She had stopped that, but it didn't mean that she had also stopped feeling sad about her and Vincent. She wanted to have this. This normality. She hated herself that she was almost jealous of Cid and Shera. But then she had to remind herself, that jealousy was wrong. She just smiled when Shera told her the news, but there was that pit in her stomach and that tightness in her chest.

Vincent had hugged her that day. It had almost been a week. But he had hugged her so tight and it felt like he needed her there in his arms. His fingers had clutched, and pulled on her shirt. Pulled on her to bring her closer.

But then she apologized. She felt like she had to. She didn't care who was right, and who was wrong, she was just so tired of not having him there. She was just tired of this. She wanted things to get back to normal. She wanted him to love her, because he wanted to. At least, it felt like he wanted to. He wanted to pull back and tell her that it was okay. Tell her, that he was ready to move on. But instead, he just fended away, and said nothing. She wasn't expecting him to say much anyway.

She knew that a simple apology was not enough, but he didn't let her know what he needed. What would be enough to make up for lying to him? What did he want her to do? She'd do anything.

Jocasta's thoughts snapped away from that when her phone's ringtone reached her ears. She flipped it open, seeing a message that she had just received from Tifa.

We're waiting.

Jocasta chuckled. She passed her bag by her shoulder. Her keys hung from her fingers as she exited her apartment and locked her door. Tifa hadn't missed the chance to take her and Yuffie in the shops of Edge to look for a proper dress for them both to wear at the wedding. Jocasta never really liked shopping, but maybe that was because she had never done it before. Going out shopping with friends was something that Lucrecia used to do with her own friends. Jocasta was the older child of the family, and since she was being adopted, she knew Lucrecia's parents couldn't afford to send her to a university, so she had to work hard for a scholarship. All Jocasta ever knew, in her teenage years, was studying, studying, studying. She needed the good grades.

And so, she'd never tried shopping before. She was pretty much sure that the only one excited about this, was Tifa, though. What could be so fun about running around in stores and trying new clothes? Yuffie was probably there only because she wanted to buy new shoes and oils that she used to care for her Shuriken's blades. Yuffie never seemed to care too much about looks anyway.

"There you are!" Tifa's voice came and Jocasta looked up, meeting her doe-brown eyes. Yuffie was standing behind her, with a finger tucked in her one nostril. Marlene was there too. She looked excited. The young girl ran over to Jocasta, and she pulled her into a tight hug with her little hands.

"Joe!" Marlene cried out excitedly and Jocasta hugged her back.

"Marlene, how're you doing, sweetheart?" Jocasta asked as she pulled back.

"I'm great! Tifa says we're gonna have lots of fun!" Marlene said.

"We will!" Tifa said as she pulled Jocasta into a tight, brief hug.