Work Text:
Rain pattered gently on the windows.
It was the only sound filling the silence of the now closed 7th heaven.
Cloud stood, dragging a rag in robotic circular motions across the already clean surface of the bar. He had finished closing up a while ago. Chairs set on the tables, glasses polished and stacked, dartboard cleared, lights off, and no one left to say goodbye to except for...
The telltale thump of heavy footsteps approached, Cloud froze.
Barret lumbered into the room and, humming, made his way across it to reach the front doors, making sure they were locked. After that, he moved to the jukebox and searched his pockets for some spare change. As he was doing so, he finally, with a jump, noticed Cloud, standing, staring, in the dark.
His blue-green eyes were even more unnerving than usual in the cool low lighting of the storm, almost reflective as a cat's.
"The hell are you still doing here?" Barret asked, in a hushed, disgruntled tone.
"Locking up." Cloud responded monotone, eyes back on the bar. "Tifa had to leave early tonight. She asked me to fill in."
Cloud remembered how apologetic she had sounded for asking. He had said he didn't care. What he had meant was he didn't mind.
"Even she's usually gone by now, y'know. Marlene's already in bed. Not to mention the weather tonight." Barret added.
The rain poured outside, heavier than it was a few minutes ago. Cloud went back to his unnecessary polishing as Barret walked over and continued.
"So, what are you doing here? You trying to get on my good side by working overtime?"
"You wish." Cloud tried and failed to hide a subtle smirk. Barret, on his end, smiled unashamedly. The older man sat in one of the barstools as he realised Cloud really had been polishing the same spot since he had walked in.
A few moments passed in silence.
"You waiting on someone?"
"Huh?" The blonde had already spaced out again.
"To take you home. What? Don't tell me you were gonna ride that bike of yours back."
Cloud's silence answered for him.
Barret huffed a small laugh. That explains it.
"Alright, grab your stuff, I'll drive you." He pat the bar with his palm and moved to stand. Cloud finally looked up to face his boss properly. "You don't have to."
"I don't see a raincoat, so I think I do."
----
The storm loomed overhead.
Cloud sat, arms crossed, in the passenger seat of the small, worn, car, waiting.
They had somehow managed to fit his, admittedly also small, bicycle into the back of the vehicle by lowering the backseats.
The car smelled like pine air freshener.
Air fresheners usually made Cloud's motion sickness worse, but this one wasn't too overbearing. Maybe it was just old.
Cloud took note of the small adaptations to the steering wheel that had probably been made to help Barret drive one-handed. Although he didn't have it in him to ask the man himself about them.
The car creeked and visibly leaned for a second as Barret sat in the driver's seat next to his unenthusiastic passenger.
"Alright... Seatbelts?" Barret asked in a falsely concerned tone.
Cloud gave Barret an unamused look as he moved to buckle up.
The drive wasn't going to be long.
Cloud kept telling himself this as the silence dragged on. He stared out the window at the darkness around them, only broken by the streaking of lights alongside the roads. The rain was getting heavier, and the squeak of the windshield wipers wasn't helping settle his nerves.
Why was he nervous?
Cloud was a little nervous around Barret at first, although he tried his best to hide it. He had made a terrible first impression, and his new boss made that fact very clear. Tifa had been kind enough to explain that Cloud just had trouble with people in general, he always did. She wasn't wrong, although it made Cloud feel worse than his squabbling with Barret had.
Like he was a troubled child who needed his behaviour damage controlled by his mother.
It also made him feel nostalgic.
But that was a few weeks ago now. They'd both warmed up to each other a little since then.
This was a new nervousness, one that had developed slowly over time and settled in his gut and the back of his mind. Every time they talked, the better they got along, the worse it got.
A bright flash of lightning.
Cloud snapped back to reality.
The low rumble of thunder matched the deep voice of the man sitting next to him.
"You really thought you were gonna make it back home through this?"
"I'm tougher than I look." Cloud insisted.
"Sure you are Spike." Barret snorted.
His tone then shifted to something more sincere. "You don't got any friends who can drive you places when you need it?"
"Tifa's busy. Besides, it's not her problem." Cloud replied, leaning his head in his hand, still staring out the window at nothing.
"What about Wedge? Or Biggs? I'm sure Jessie would be happy to."
"I'm sure she would." Cloud remarked flatly.
"Heh, Alright, message received." Barret laughed.
A few moments passed, more comfortable than before.
"Y'know, I heard from Wedge that she's real jealous of you and Tifa."
"Why?" The blonde finally lifted his chin from his palm.
"Well, you know... you and Tifa-"
"She's not my type. "
"Oh."
Cloud was back to resting his head in his hand after all, posture somehow more closed off than before. The nerves were back.
"So... What is your type, then?" Barret dared to ask.
"What do you care?" Cloud sounded much shorter than intended.
"Hey, I'm just making small talk here." Barret kept his tone light.
"Then can we "small talk" about something else?"
"Sure!... Nice weather we're having. "
Cloud sighed quietly.
----
Cloud was sick.
He was sick of the pine smell. He was sick of the squeaking window wipers. He was sick of the nervousness. He was sick of thinking in circles. He was dizzy, and his heart was thumping in his head.
He gagged.
"Hey, you need me to pull over?"
"Yes." He replied thickly.
The car windows were opened just barely to let some fresh air in, and the sound of the rain pummelling outside followed. The stillness was very welcome as both men sat in silence, unbuckled, staring out of their respective windows.
Cloud dared to glance at the driver. Barret was resting his arm by the side of the car window. The dull lighting of the lamplights above hit his features well. His sturdy frame made more evident. He was handsome.
Cloud tried his best to clear his head, but the question he had been asked earlier kept replaying in his mind.
Up until recently, he wouldn't have had an answer for it. He never had an answer for that kind of discussion before, but now, he had one sitting right next to him.
"Probably someone... more like you..."
"What?" Barret turned to face his passenger.
"Your question... about my type... " Cloud muttered, unable to face his boss back.
Barret stared for a few seconds. He looked down at the steering wheel. Then, out the window. Before rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, unsure.
"Sorry." Cloud finally managed.
"Now, what are you apologising for? I'll take the compliment."
"You're my boss. Plus, it's not much of a compliment coming from some kid you didn't wanna hire in the first place."
"C'mon, that's..." Barret trailed off.
He sighed heavily and sat back in his worn creeking chair before looking over at the sheepish boy to his right.
Cloud was sitting with his arms crossed and his head tilted downwards. His blonde bangs hid his eyes but framed his face prettily. His hair seemed to almost glitter in the light.
"I can't blame Jessie." Barret said, much quieter than usual.
"You are cute."
The thunder was quieter now.
Cloud stared at the floor for an eternity. When he had finally gathered his scattered thoughts, he mustered up the courage to ask.
"Are you making fun of me?"
"I ain't laughing, am I?"
Cloud glanced to his left before quickly staring back down at his boots. He had caught the sincere look in Barret's eye. It made his hair stand on end.
Barret reached for the key to restart the car while clarifying.
"Look, I get it if you ain't comfortable-"
He felt a smaller hand quickly reach for his right knee to stop him. Barret side eyed the passenger seat.
Cloud closed his window.
"I am... comfortable." Cloud asserted.
"...That makes two of us." Barret closed his window.
----
Cloud removed his hand from Barret's knee, as he turned to face his boss. He still couldn't look him in the eye, however, he tried his best to look in the older man's general direction.
"I..." He started, but couldn't finish the thought.
Barret leaned all the way back in his chair, sighing as he went, sitting a little wider, trying to look as nonchalant as possible.
"Do you wanna get over here?" He pat his thigh for emphasis.
Cloud stuttered. Barret waited.
Cloud managed to look up at the driver and then back down to his knee. As he set his hand back down, Barret gently took it in his own.
"You wanna?"
Instead of answering verbally Cloud slid his hand down onto and along Barret's thigh, leaning in close as he could, up and out of his seat.
"I'm taking that as a yes." Barret chuckled.
He reached his hand up to hold the side of Cloud's face as the boy made his way to sit in his lap. With their considerable size difference they were more or less at eye level.
Cloud's trembling hands met Barret's strong shoulders. Just as their faces lined up, Cloud hesitated again. This time, his tone was flat and almost exasperated.
"I've never..."
"Need my help do ya?"
"Take the lead." Cloud relented.
Their lips met gently, a bit awkwardly at first, but Cloud eventually let out a small sigh of relief as he relaxed, leaning in heavier on top of his boss. He was all nerves and Barret couldn't help but take pity, as he hugged the blonde's side to pull him in closer.
Cloud let his hands trail flatly down along Barret's chest, before quickly retreating them to hold the back of the driver's seat.
"Don't be shy now." Barret's murmur was like gravel against Cloud's ear and the blonde caught a noise in his throat.
The motion sickness from before had disappeared, but he was now dealing with a new feeling in his belly that fluttered up into his chest. Barret, on his end, felt a stable warmth settle in his own. He hummed in approval as Cloud smoothed his hands over the older man's upper back and shoulders.
Cloud eventually leaned back, holding Barret's head in his hands. He was thinking.
Barret couldn't help but admire his blue eyes accented by a ring of unnatural turquoise green. They had creeped him out at first, but now they seemed almost radiant in the dark. Cloud's determined face as he contemplated his next move was real cute, too.
Cloud's icy green gaze met Barret's warm dark brown stare. The hair on the back of Barret's neck prickled.
Cloud began to remove his hoodie. As he reached his arms over his head, his short t-shirt lifted to, momentarily, reveal his toned lower belly and upper hips. Barret felt very lucky at the sight. The blonde set his hoodie aside and let out a small huff. Barret moved to take off his own vest, but he was interrupted by Cloud leaning in and attempting to kiss him deeper.
This was definitely awkward at first. Cloud had to keep himself from fidgeting at the odd new sensation of tongues slick together. But it seemed he was a fast learner, as, just like before, they both settled into a comfortable rhythm. Their faces were burning.
Not a bad way to keep warm in the cold weather.
----
The rain had lightened.
Cloud stared out the window once more as they pulled up to the front of Stargazer Heights.
Despite the weather improving, Cloud would still have to rush inside to avoid getting soaked.
"Last stop." Barret announced.
Before Cloud could open the car door, he heard Barret clear his throat.
"Hey, uh..." He hesitated.
"Something wrong?"
"No, nothing like that. Just..."
Barret turned to face Cloud with a look the boy couldn't quite decipher.
"Don't... worry about coming in to work on time if the weather doesn't let up. And get yourself a raincoat!" He pointed a finger at the blonde for emphasis.
Cloud exhaled out of his nose again as the two men shared a smile.
Once he had manoeuvred his bicycle out of the back of the car, Cloud quickly turned back to reach Barret's window.
Barret rolled it down enough so that they could hear each other over the still moderate rainfall. Cloud's spikey hair was already starting to flatten.
"What's up? Something break?"
"No. Just, thanks for the ride."
Cloud smiled wider and more genuinely than Barret had ever seen.
He grinned back.
"Don't mention it."