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'Hey, Barret,' Tifa said, as they sat on the sands of Costa del Sol.
Barret looked over, but her eyes were on Cloud and Aerith, splashing around in the shallows. 'Yeah?'
'… No, never mind, sorry.'
Barret watched the pair fool around in the water. Aerith must have cajoled Cloud in, got him to loosen up the way only she could. 'Should join in,' Barret said. 'Bet Cloud'd like that.'
Tifa made a non-committal sound. 'Only if you do too.'
'Yeah?' Barret hauled himself up. 'Challenge accepted!'
He didn't know what was wrong, but at least he got her to smile.
.
.
He always kept an eye on them, but he kept an extra close eye for the next few days. Tifa was the heart of their party. She could fight monsters and Shinra bastards with the best of them, but she had a gentle soul. She deserved the best and Barret wasn't going to put up with anyone messing her around.
Cloud seemed clueless when Barret took him aside to quiz him — typical punk kid, Barret thought. But then he watched them all a bit longer, and realised that Tifa wasn't looking at Cloud when Cloud sat and talked with Aerith.
.
.
It wasn't like he didn't want to help, but this wasn't his wheelhouse. It made him think of Marlene, too. His baby girl growing up, getting crushes, falling in love. He'd fight anyone who broke her or Tifa's heart. But Aerith?
Aerith had mentioned a guy once, though not in the current boyfriend sense. She tended to be flippant but he could tell it wasn't a good topic — so, bravado gone, he didn't pry. Not being able to do anything frustrated him, though. Why didn't these dumbass kids get their shit together? He and Myrna hadn't been idiots like this.
.
.
In the end, things fixed themselves. Tifa was smiling one day. She looked so glowy and radiant, Barret felt a split-second surge of panic (this was no place to—) before catching himself.
'Hey, so.' They were spread out, trekked across Cosmo Canyon, so it was easy to speak privately. 'You look happy.'
Tifa blushed. 'Aerith and I talked.'
'Talked, huh?' Barret said, which made Tifa blush harder. But Barret clapped her on the back. 'I'm happy for you two,' he said. 'Look after each other, you hear?'
Tifa nodded — and whatever happened, he'd be there to look after them both.