Lean On Me (FF7)

29

~Yuffie's POV~

My cheek hurts. Really bad. Dang Tifa has some anger issues, I swear! Guys are idiots. They mess up. Big time. But that doesn't mean you have to slap with first person that you can in the face! They'll just punch you back, which is exactly what I did. Punched her right in the cheek, just like she hit me. Jerk.

"You're letting all cold air out," I hear a voice behind me.

"You think I really care, Barret?"

"Nope," he pushes me out of the way and opens the fridge. "Where the heck is all the food? Marlene's been hungry for a while now."

"Two hours," The small girl on Barret's shoulder holds up to finger. I smile and look back at the freezer, longing for the cold.

"I remember when I could hold her up there like she was a feather," he looks at Marlene. "Now she's a little heavier, all growin' up and stuff."

"Sometimes I wish my dad were a little more like you," I shake my head.

"I'm positive you don't," he laughs. "I'm sure you were okay growin' up without him."

"Alright?" I scoff. "I got in a fight everywhere I went. Punched the bartender because he couldn't pay for his delivery and he was drunk as drink can get, lit my neighbor's barn on fire because they killed my cat, and I also may have knocked a fee little kids down at the playground on purpose," I frown trying to remember.

"And you're okay with all that?'' he looks at me in disbelief.

"Sure," I shrug. "It all adds up to who I am today."

"Hmm," he hums, looking distant for a few moments. "Well we still need food."

"I agree," I nod, slamming the freezer and fridge doors closed.

"Do I even want to know what happened to your face?"

"Tifa," is all I say before marching through the Highwind. "Hey Cid! I'm buying food!"

"Don't take too long, I'm hungry!"

"Lazy bum," I roll my eyes, forcing a smile down at Avalanche's inside joke.

Just beside the door to outside there is a table. And on that table is Cid's debit card.

"Actually, you're buying food," I mutter with a smirk under my breath. The 'bad girl" side of me hasn't disappeared in all these years. This is what my father gets for not raising me. The trouble of an undisciplined child. The pain of my actions. The embarrassment of being my parent.

"Cmon Barret," I nod towards the door.

"You're bring me of all people shopping," he rolls his eyes but follows me outside and into the car we got from the Golden Saucer years ago. Cloud stored it somewhere and wherever he is, we mange to know where it is.

We make it to the market in Kalm, grabbing random stuff that looks okay to consume. I smile when Marlene begs Barret for one of the rainbow lollipops in a stand and he sighs and pays for one, handing it down to his adopted daughter. It must suck to know you're raising your best friend's kid, but you're never there for her. She's almost always alone and only has Denzel, who tries but can never get the 'friend slash brother' thing right.

"Let's go!" I say cheerfully while Marlene happily licks her candy.

"Thank goodness," Barret sighs.

"Cmon, we got food, it wasn't that bad."

"It was very bad," he pushes my shoulder and I shove back.