Day 7: Barret and Cloud
Note: No update yesterday because the election made me sad.
I'm home from school for the long weekend and I'm going to attempt to date Barret to get the Platinum Trophy in the PS4 version of FFVII, so have something silly based on that.
In case this comes across the wrong way (ie homophobic somehow?) I want to state that I personally headcanon Cloud as being super bisexual and I mean no harm or ill will with this ficlet.
Harsh language warning.
It was the grand opening party for the Seventh Heaven's new incarnation in Edge. As part of the celebration, Tifa was giving drinks away on the house all night. Whether or not that was a good idea didn't really matter so long as everyone was having fun.
Everyone from AVALANCHE was there and everyone, even Vincent, looked like they were enjoying themselves. Some drank more than others, Red XII didn't drink at all, but they were all laughing and having a great time together. Even Marlene could get in on the festivities- there was a large supply of different types of juices for children her age to choose from.
The later it got, the less people would show up and eventually only the members of AVALANCHE were left in the bar. Marlene had grown tired and had Barret tuck her in in the living quarters on the second floor of the establishment. Having purposefully been drinking light all night to take care of his daughter, Barret happily indulged in as many drinks as Tifa offered him until he was suitably shitfaced.
Everyone was giggly and talking about whatever came to mind when Cloud came over and lazily wrapped his arm around Barret's shoulder. Despite his cool exterior most of the time, Cloud was extremely light weight when it came to drinking and was arguably the drunkest person in the building all night.
"Barret, holy SHIT," his voice was slurred and he could barely stand, "remember, holy shit, remember Gold Saucer?"
"Shit man!" Barret laughed loudly, banging his fist on the table in glee. He took swig of drink before continuing. "I 'member that! Fuckin', how could I forget such a great time I had with my best bro."
"Bro," Cloud repeated the word, taking a drink from the bottle he was holding. He fell into a chair and burped. "I dunno if it's the alcohol talking but man, that night was fucking great."
"Wait, wait." Reeve intervened. He and Vincent were probably the most sober of all of them, not counting Red XIII. They had been drinking lightly all night and could still form coherent thoughts. "What are you two talking about?"
"Reeve!" Barret yelled his name, making the ex-Shinra employee jump. "You of all people should know what I'm talkin' about man! Fuckin' took Marlene." He paused for a second before growing angry. "Wait you fucker you took Marlene! Where is she!?"
Tifa ran over and placed firm hand on his arm to stop him from getting up and punching Reeve in the face. "Barret, Marlene is upstairs sleeping. Remember, you tucked her in?" Tifa, despite being the owner of the bar, hadn't drank that much. She was buzzed at the most.
The hardened look on Barret's face softened and recollection alit in his eyes. "Shit, you're right." He laughed loudly again. "Gold Saucer man, what a trip."
"Care to explain what happened?" Red XIII asked. He was laying on the floor comfortably. "You seem to be more fit to tell us, given Cloud's current condition."
"Wuzzat s'posed to mean!?" Cloud defended himself.
"Ah shut your yap ya skinny ass." Barret silenced him. "You'd tell the story wrong anyway." Cloud grunted in designation before taking another drink in defeat.
"So, this was like right after Cloud fucked up and gave Sephiroth that Black Materia, right?" He laughed and surprisingly Cloud joined him. "When we was all at Gold Saucer at that spooky-ass hotel."
"I remember that!" Yuffie yelled cheerfully. Despite being so young, Yuffie could take more drinks than Cloud could. She had also been drinking sparingly throughout the night and was only now starting to display signs of being drunk. "I spent like, half of the gil we had on Chocobo races."
"So that's where that gil went…" Cloud said absently. His eyes widened as if he understood everything in the entire universe.
"ANYWAY," Barret continued raising his voice, "that night I decided to give my old buddy Cloud a visit, right?" Cloud nodded eagerly. "So we went out and enjoyed ourselves, dammit. Just two bros being dudes together."
"Yeah!" Cloud agreed, leaning forward and almost falling out of his chair. "It was great. 'Cept when we went to that play thing and got kicked out. Not being the 100th couple my ass."
"They was just being ignorant. There aint no problem with a black man being friends with a white dude." Barret mused.
"I uh, don't think that's what the problem was…" Reeve suggested cautiously.
"No one asked you Reeve!" Barret yelled, causing him to jump again. "Then after that we went on this cool fuckin' gondola ride thing."
"You weren't having a good time though." Cloud reminded him cheerily. "You were like 'why did ya wanna see fireworks with me?'"
"Nah, I had a great time man. I was just stressin' about all the shit that had happened earlier. Those fireworks were damn pretty. Glad I went with ya Cloud." Barret sounded sincere through the hiccups and slurred speech and he smiled at Cloud.
The moment was ruined when Cid started cackling. "You're telling me you two went of a fucking date at Gold Saucer?!" He was almost as drunk as the men he was talking too. "Woowee, why didn't you shitheads tell us earlier?!"
"Nah, it wasn't a date." Cloud dismissed Cid's statement with a wave of a hand. "It was just two buds spending the night together. Aint that right Barret?"
"Cloud's right. We were just bros being bros."
"But would ya do it again?" Cid egged them on, much to Tifa's disapproval judging by the glare she gave him. "Go on a… 'bro date'?"
"Fuck yeah!" Cloud exclaimed, standing up and wrapping his arm around Barret's should again. His speech was more difficult to understand than it was before and his eyes were drooping. "Barret's the best bud a guy could ask for." He finished the sentence and closed his eyes, passing out.
"Cloud's the fucking best." Barret chortled as Tifa lifted Cloud into a chair. Cid cackled loudly, slapping the table as Barret ordered another drink.
