A/N: I've always wanted to write Barret. I love him like whoa, you know? So this is to Barret and all his fans and all the FFVII fans and all that jazz I love y'all!
WARNING: REALLY FUCKING SWEET.
Barret hates Valentine's Day.
Okay, maybe hate is really a strong word, but fuck it. The whole thing's stupid – thirty dollar bouquets of ten-day-old roses that are gonna wilt anyways; fifty dollar chocolates that really ain't even good, that'll melt soon anyways... and the jewelry. He doesn't even want to get started on the fucking jewelry.
So sitting in Seventh Heaven watching Tifa dance around like a damned princess with her semi-expensive jewelry from Cloud, and her thirty dollar bouquet of ten-day-old roses from Reno on the counter under the television? Not exactly the best way to spend Valentine's Day for old Barret Walace.
He shakes his head while the woman cleans and hums and gets all merry-like, intent on finishing his drink and then getting the hell out of there. Everyone needs a time to mope like Vince on a good day – this is his time.
So he puts down his glass and gets ready to stand when he feels someone tug at the back of his vest. He turns in his seat and smiles quietly down at the only person worth anything at all to him.
"Happy Valentine's Day, papa," Marlene says with this equally as quiet smile. She's holding out an actually pretty damned good drawing of the both of them sitting under the Seventh Heaven logo. And even though the fact that Seventh Heaven is in the picture – meaning it's her home, now – he feels that smile he reserves for his little girl get just a little bigger. He accepts the picture, admires it like any parent with respect for their kid would do, and then some (it really is pretty damned good), and then scoops Marlene up into a bear hug.
Maybe it ain't so bad, you know?