idk if the B.S.A.A. would even have banquets, but this was just an excuse to write cute dance scenes and i regret nothing

more pairings will appear in their own oneshots as well, specifically chris/piers, claire/jill, leon/ada, and helena/agent (it's an inside ship between me and my friends and i swear i can explain)

also writing jake is fun and i need to do it more often

Six years ago, Jake remembered going to bed without eating, spending the last of his meager earnings to buy some sort of medication he hoped would at least alleviate some of his mother's pain even if it meant not having a penny to himself. Barely getting by, drifting from place to place to be where the work was, leaving for days or even weeks at a time away from the only family he had to load bullets into strangers he knew nothing of for conflicts he cared nothing for. It was the only life he had known.

So being here, in a lavish banquet hall with fancy centerpieces on every table and booming music ringing in his ears, surrounded by people dressed in the most formal of attire… was more than enough to make the mercenary feel out of place.

Staying clear of the dance floor, Jake sat by himself at a circular table with a flute glass of wine (although he wished it were something stronger), having already taken of his suit jacket to drape it over the chair next to him, wondering why exactly he had agreed to come in the first place. He knew only a handful of the people that were also attending this event, and they were all off doing… whatever it was you did during these kinds of things.

The fact that the B.S.A.A. was running this was the whole reason why he had been formally invited to come – despite the fact that his father had been a mortal enemy of the organization for years until he finally died off. It was because of your participation in the eradication of the C-Virus that the outbreak ended at all, Mr. Muller. He could still remember the words written on his invitation. And this banquet is to celebrate all the people who played their parts in saving the world.

But that wasn't the real reason why he was here. In fact, if it weren't for the presence (and insistence) of a certain someone, Jake was planning to just toss the letter entirely. He still had work to do, and to him, parties were just a waste of time and money that could both be spent on better things. Liking cracking J'avo skulls and a nice cold beer. Or ten. And a whole orchard of apple trees.

Shifting his eyes from tables of decadent hors d'oeuvres back to the crowded dance floor, it was easy for him to spot the certain someone he had been thinking of. Sherry looked beautiful (or, as Jake had said to her earlier when he met up with her in front of the banquet hall, "fucking amazing") in the pale blue dress she had chosen to wear for the occasion, but he thought that the broad, dazzling smile she hadn't lost since the beginning of the night was really the best part of being there. Laughing and moving to the rhythm of the song, he watched her dance with a grinning redheaded woman in a matching red dress (the woman he now knew was Claire, having been introduced to her by Sherry after the end of their mission in China).

He didn't think he'd ever seen her so happy.

Just from watching her, he felt his own lips twitch upward, although he noticed the effect her smile had on him long ago. It didn't matter how strange he felt in a crowd like this one, not when he got to experience Sherry having such a good time firsthand. She offered to stay at the table with him multiple times, but Jake waved her off every time, not wanting to hold her back just because of his own reluctance to socialize. Being alone didn't bother him, not like it ever had in the first place.

As she once again faded into the sound, disappearing behind the waves of other dancers milling around, Jake noticed a sudden movement far from the edge of the dance floor. When he focused his attention on it, he realized it was the B.S.A.A. soldier that had saved him and Sherry along with the jarhead Redfield back in the underwater facility. Piers. The puppy who he had heard the bark of, but never felt the bite.

Although looking much better than Jake had last seen him, when he had been covered in grime and BOW remains, his now lack of a right arm still made a bitter taste of guilt rise in the back of his throat. Guess they had to amputate it. He also still had very obvious scarring across the side of his face, but if anything Jake supposed it was better than him being stuck in a watery grave. He might not have liked the guy, but even he didn't want him dead.

At the moment, he didn't have the best look on his face. Barely sparing a glance for the other party-goers, Piers hurried to the double doors leading to the hallway, shoving them open without hesitation and slipping out. Jake furrowed his brow at the sight, but he didn't make a move to go after him. Somehow, he had a feeling that he wouldn't be the most welcomed presence if he was upset about something. Plus, after a moment, the mercenary realized that the song had ended. Out of the corner of his eye, he was able to pick out Sherry's form heading toward the table, and he turned to face her as she approached.

"Still sitting here by yourself?" She sounded almost disappointed as she sat beside him on the chair he had placed his suit jacket on, scooting herself so she could look him in the face.

Shrugging, Jake leaned back a bit, taking in all of her features not for the first time that night. She was wearing makeup (although even when she had had traces of J'avo blood on her skin, he still thought she was beautiful), and the gemstones of her earrings sparkled from the lights shining above them. When he first saw them, he had been confused – with her virus, he thought that having pierced ears would have been impossible for her – until she explained that they were just clip-ons. "It's not like I mind. I gotta glass of booze in my hand, and I can see you shake those hips of yours from here. I'd say this is a sweet deal." He smirked at the last bit, and Sherry shook her head in fond exasperation, lightly smacking his arm.

"Honestly." She tilted her head, her eyes still retaining the same brightness they had when she was dancing with Claire. "I hope you weren't staring at Claire too – Jill would have your head if she noticed."

Meeting her pale blue gaze with his own, Jake leaned in closer to her face, waiting until he saw the faintness of a blush on her cheeks before he spoke. "Why would I have my eyes on anybody else when you're here, supergirl?" Giving her a peck on the cheek, Jake moved away again, enjoying the now slightly flustered expression Sherry wore. He didn't think he'd ever tire of making her get like this.

As more music started to blare from the speakers, Sherry head turned back to the crowd of people gathering once more on the dance floor. Smiling, she rested the side of her face against her hand, now watching the other banquet attendants as well. Jake wondered if she wanted to go back out to be among the people, and was about to ask until she suddenly spoke. "When I was a teenager, I always imagined that this was what high school dances must have been like." He knew she was speaking from the time she had been a test subject for the government, day in and day out, and simply listened to her. "I was given schooling by the assistants of the scientists that studied me, and through online classes, so I never got to go to prom or anything like that. Although… maybe I was exaggerating things a bit in my head if I actually thought those dances would be like this."

A breath of laughter escaped her, and Jake found himself chuckling a little too. "Whenever I thought about big events like these as a kid, all I could think about was the bigwigs that musta been running them." He admitted, Sherry's attention turning back to him, her curious blue eyes making him speak further. "All the money they had to put into luxurious parties like this. I suppose I was envious… you know. But I never thought I'd actually end up going to one. If kid me were here right now, he'd probably be amazed..."

He trailed off, wondering if he should have said anything at all. Sure, he may have not been having the best time before Sherry came back over to sit with him, but the last thing he wanted was to bring down her mood. Sherry was happy, so he was happy too; it was the only thing he needed to enjoy this night.

When her fingers grasped one of his hands that rested on the table, he looked back up at her. She had a smile on her face, but the tiny bit of guilt in her eyes was unmistakable. "You don't like being here, do you." It wasn't a question, and the tone of her voice was apologetic.

Jake wasn't going to lie to her; dishonest was something that he learned she hated in their time together. "Well, I can't say that this kind of thing is my style… but when has that ever stopped me before?" He squeezed her hand, getting to his feet. "I'm glad that I came here with you – and I mean that."

At his words, that look came back in her eyes, the same one that she wore when he had been watching her on the dance floor only a little while ago. Her sky-colored gaze was as warm as sunlight as she followed him, standing tall in her heels beside him. Her hand was still softly holding onto his. "How about a dance, supergirl?" He offered, leading her back to the dance floor.

"How could I refuse?" Sherry murmured in reply, tightening her grip around his fingers.

Resting his other hand around her hip, Jake pressed his lips to the crown of Sherry's hair as her arms folded around him, forgetting the dozens of people around them as they swayed to the music together.

They had both felt out of place enough in their lives. Tonight, this was their time to enjoy what they had missed.