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Barret’s usually pretty calm about things. Well, except for anything to do with Shinra, or – Gaia forbid- if the slightest thing’s happened to Marlene. Cloud can’t blame him for that, the corporation poisons anything it touches. The kid being too precious to lose needs no mention – even Cloud can admit she’s as sweet as they come and sharp to boot. When she mentioned the reactor blowing up straight to Daddy’s face, Cloud nearly chucked at Barret’s flustered expression before he remembered his place. He took part in that too. Did the most.
He was their hired help, after all. Right: money. Wasn’t that the reason he was here in the first place? Not to watch a father and daughter like a deadbeat uncle.
It then struck him how long it’s been since he’s seen a kid with family. Not of blood, necessarily, but someone who wasn’t just a teacher or some mysterious benefactor. He doesn’t have one, after all.
‘No, that’s not right. My mother was with me when I was younger, got me up on my feet whenever I was stupid enough to start fights, believed in me when nobody else would, and drilled into my head I could make SOLDIER. She got me here. I had enough.’
He can’t dwell on it. It wasn’t fair to compare himself to the orphaned kids he’d seen around. At least he had a parent at some point in his life, and besides, he doesn’t need a family. He’s not a kid anymore.
It irritates him that Barret hasn’t wised up to that yet. He always joins him at the bar now when nobody’s here. Tifa being at home base meant enforced drinking limits, meaning Barret was lucid enough to stay the hell away from a patented Shinra SOLDIER. Still, he insists on a chaperone for Cloud to do anything but to take a piss, several Canyons down or not. It isn’t like when he was first checking out the slums with Tifa, he’d proven he wasn’t a homicidal maniac by now and he knew his way around (for the most part).
Now an actual kid, in a place bordered by trashed Shinra-branded fence and overrun with monsters, is his caretaker. Barret’s already asking for him to “keep watch” and ‘”look after” Marlene for a bit today and has convinced him to consider doing it again next week. The kid takes care of herself.
Cloud’s not asking for heaps of trust – didn’t expect anything but contempt after getting several preachy earfuls and aims to the head in that first mission – but he thought he’d proven why his rate was high. He’s got a sword and he’s capable with it. The idea of Marlene fending off monsters with his latest weapon instead is a funny one, if more than a little worrying. The sword and Binding Materia stays (what if people ask him for the wanted gun-armed man again?) but the Fire and Long Range Materia goes. A kid is better seeing monsters put to sleep than sliced. Or impaled. Or burned .
Barret lets out an open guffaw at him sorting and re-sorting his gear near the front and settles in an expression Cloud can’t place. Annoying. Would be it be a dick move to leave Seventh Heaven right now and run straight for the door?
Nah, not really. All the same, Cloud edges towards Marlene. He’s following Barret’s eyes.
“You better not get her into any trouble, now, or there’ll be consequences. We clear on that?”
Cloud stiffens, the gun-for-an-arm AVALANCHE leader looking oddly perplexed after making an in-your-face threat. The mercenary knows better than to believe people won’t act on their words. After all, ex-company man Cloud Strife hadn’t made the best first impression with the staunchly anti-Shinra environmentalist.
He shouldn’t have insulted his entire belief system straight to his face, in retrospect. What would he have done in Barret’s position on that elevator? Gotten pissy, even if the alarms went off as before. Especially if Barret had taken one look at his spiky haircut (Chocobo-ass was a nickname in Nibelheim) and less than impressive frame (Chocobo Legs was another) and decided Cloud wasn’t up to the job. If that happened, Cloud would not have been able to keep a grip on his temper, and everyone would’ve died.
How he gets rattled so easily is more than embarrassing.
He’s still weak. Immature. Not wanting to lose face, Cloud stows away his words and crosses his arms. If he can’t even act composed in front of the guy with the money, he might as well kiss this shit goodbye. Silence rules before Barret’s eyes lighten. A smirk? A smile.
“Both of you get yourselves an ice cream on the way to see Tifa. Don’t be gone long – besides, you need your money. Don’t you, merc?”
He’s floored.
“Sure, I guess? C’mon Marlene… We’ll go get some at the edge of town. What flavour you getting?”
She’s near reverent. Why? Cloud isn’t the one paying for it.
“Gonna get strawberry! Daddy and me always get strawberry.”
If Cloud had any balls, he’d ruffle the kid’s head.
“Guess I’m getting that too, then.”
He can sense her father chuckling at him after making one or two many a wrong turn.
But, strangely enough, he doesn’t feel a need to second guess this. Something just tells him the guy isn’t looking to start anything. Not anymore.
Cloud doesn’t fully understand what he’s up to, but for some reason he trusted Barret would pay up this time.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It’s on his mind for a while. He’s proud to say he went directly to Barret about it when the guy started his bi-weekly liquor binge over the static noise of the jukebox. Shitty taste on both, for the record.
“Tifa, known her for a while. She could be my girlfriend- my mom always said to go for someone mature, you know. You think I’d play babysitter with Marlene next week too when I’ve got a date lined up for the same day?”
Barret raises an eyebrow and lets out a small chuckle. If Cloud didn’t have that pep talk to himself beforehand about ‘keeping it cool’, he would’ve glassed him.
“No doubts about it, but she’s got a lot on her plate already. You’re getting her out of wack, the way you dance around everything. You could learn from Marlene about being more mature”
Cheeky shit. Cloud gives him a bit of a push for that. Looks like the Mako didn’t give him as much physical bulk as he’d thought. Barret doesn’t budge an inch.
Cloud scoffs. “What’s mature about a kid?”
“It takes maturity to even survive as a kid, nowadays.”
In Shinra’s world, he means. Cloud can’t argue with him there.
“Yeah, that’s why it’s good she’s not alone. She’s safe. Lot of others, ‘specially in Midgar, are left out to dry.”
A pause. Barret’s head is in his hands, and Cloud would have thought he’d clocked out for the night if he didn’t sense the tension in the air.
“I see that in you too. You know?”
“A kid? With or without the superpowered mako injections?”
“No comment.”
Barret scratches his head for a second too long.
“Not your fault, course. Just don’t like Shinra one bit and how they parade around SOLDIERS like propaganda celebrities, that’s all there is to it. You might’ve not even had a choice but to buddy up with them. I did, still went and done it. I bought into their bullshit back in the day too, see? I was the one shilling for a reactor.”
A long swig of Barret’s drink ensues, Cloud follows suit. It saves him from having to elaborate on what really went down. Maybe Barret would be comforted by it, but Cloud’s not ready just yet.
Cloud gets on his feet to offer a refill, going to grab Barret’s quickly downed glass, wasting a few more seconds.
As if clockwork, Barret lightly smacks his hand away.
“Don’t ever want to see your face in their newspapers, Cloud. No offense.”
Cloud didn’t feel pushed away - it’s been a while.
“Sure about that? I’m no model, but it’s not unpopular. Jessie would be pretty happy about seeing my face anywhere. Especially if it’s for something a bit less…Formal.”
Cloud goes a little red. Must be the drink. Wait, Mako – fuck.
“Yeah, well I’m not Jessie.” Barret says.
Looks like he’s in the same boat. He won’t even make eye contact.
Cloud can’t hold it. He has to laugh, questions be damned.
“Thank Gaia you’re not!”
Both eyebrows raised, Barret looks genuinely shocked. Why? Cloud’s human.
“ I mean, seriously. She’s a bit more than forward. Should’ve seen her trying to rope me into some time at her place last night.” he says, a little taken aback by the reaction.
Barret sighs in exasperation and scratches his neck. It’s for Jessie, Cloud’s sure. She’s capable and brave but must be a handful even for a long-time terrorist leader.
“Only just noticed? Dumbass!”
“Bigger dumbass.”
Cloud ponders a bit about whether Barret considers that a comeback or confirmation. He shrugs.
The shared flush subsides as they get over the drink and quickly retire. Barret’s the first to rush up. “Marlene needs me” he says, knowing full well by the snores she’s asleep.
Cloud falls asleep quickly, without any ‘Reunion’ speak or more of Tifa’s questions haunting his dreams.
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True to his word, Barret’s bag of gil is on his desk by the morning. Assuming Tifa didn’t swing by on an errand, the guy had straight up invaded his apartment.
Without Cloud noticing. He’s mako infused, a full-fledged SOLDIER: how? Cloud even needed to remind himself he was one. How did he even get in without the key?
Huh. There’s a note.
Cloud allows a smile. It’s the second time he realises Barret knows more about Cloud than he himself does.
That’s not unique – so does damn near everyone. At Seventh Heaven he’s reminded of it constantly. It’s never a fun time when it’s brought up at the bar and he’s reminded of the person he left behind.
It’s refreshing that he doesn’t have to pretend. Not with Barret, the cocky asshole.
Here’s your gil, dumbass.
Asked Tifa about that ‘date’ you said you had lined up. Congrats, kid. You’ve actually got one now. She agreed. What did you expect her to say?
You better turn up after ditching my Marlene for a night out, now.
Go get yourself something fancy to wear next week with the extra – Tifa needs a bit of time off and good company.
(actually ask her out next time. we’re going to fists if you don’t)
- Barret
Cheeky bastard. Cloud will take him up on that.