Badass Ex-SOLDIER Boy

Barret

It's a well known fact, that Barret and Cloud get along by teasing and jabbing at each other. None of the others understand why or even how, but they also don't hear the things between the lines, the emotion and entire conversations that the two share. Cloud and Barret understood each other the best, and so they also understood that neither was a talkative person.

They managed, because the jabs, teasing and other such things, are all entire conversation in both body language and emotion laced in the words that most people can't hear. It doesn't help that with his super hearing - mako enhanced - Cloud could hear whispers from quite a distance away, though still less than both a dog or a cat. The point is, they both get along because they get the other.

The mission was somewhere cold, a part required to raid one of the reactors in some town that's cold. The town itself had been burned down, but a nearby manor had the part and a basement that wouldn't have been burned... hopefully. Cloud was handling the terrain with no problem, almost as if he had walked it before, while Barret was having some troubles. Jessie, Biggs and Wedge had stayed behind to put the pieces they had together, while Tifa had to tend the bar today. So, Cloud and Barret had gone alone. Cloud wasn't wearing anything more than what he normally did - the mako running through his veins had him running at a warmer temperature than most people - while Barret had on at least 2 coats and 4 shirts and pants. His boots were also slightly different. 

The walk took about 4 hours, in total, and they ignored the town. Cloud could sense a headache coming on, but steadfast ignored it, while Barret was freezing, even through the extra padding he'd put on. He couldn't understand how the thinner, smaller boy was managing to walk without any problems in this cold, but if he could, good for him.

"This the place?"

The manor is, surprisingly, in good condition, especially for the town having been burned down, which means - really hopefully - that the basement shouldn't be any worse off than the manor. Something in Cloud was resisting, trying to tell him no, but it's such a small part that he ignores and keeps going. He's getting paid for this, after all, and Barret can't carry the piece anyways. 

The headache gets worse, but Cloud has long since gotten used to the pain and barely winces, while Barret sighs at the unusual warmth inside the manor. It's a bit concerning, but he isn't gonna look a gift horse in its mouth. However, he also leaves all his clothes on, just in case. Cloud leads the way, having better sight and hearing in order to see with. He calls back warnings to Barret, who manages to dodge most of the stuff that's on the ground in the nick of time. Really, why would anyone need this much stuff?

They continue forwards, the temperature getting lower and lower as they get further down, until they're in the basement and Barret's shaking is making a racket. Cloud doesn't bother to scold him, he knows he'd be worse off if he had no mako and so this is something he'll leave alone. They encounter quite a few monsters, which let's Barret warm up, getting moving and focused, though the first few were sketchy and mostly Cloud attacking, until the blood finally reached Barret's extremities. 

The monsters aren't hard, but they like to gather in groups, so they take a while to deal with. By the time they reach the piece they need, both men are sweating, though Barret worse than Cloud. They have to scour the basement for almost an hour before they find the piece, and then they have to wrap it up in bundles of fur so it doesn't start getting cold and freeze. Cloud grunts and heaves it over his shoulders, with the straps they'd managed to make and build into the bundle of fur around the piece. 

The trek out of the manor takes longer, with Cloud being slowed by the piece and having to be careful to not damage it, while Barret's starting to get cold again, since they're mostly walking at this point, monsters mostly taken care of on their way in. Barret is very glad that they took a truck to a certain point in the mountains, because at least then he'll get warm inside, whether because of heating or because of built up body heat, he don't care, it'll be warm.