Now to any other person, what Marlene was doing at that moment would have instantly caused them to coo: “Oh, how adorable!” before pulling out a camera and snapping several pictures. She would be considered ‘cute’ and ‘child-like’ with a hint of ‘innocent’.

And it aggravated Denzel to no end.

She giggled with a mischievous smile as she twirled round and round in circles on the cushioned red barstool in the 7th Heaven bar, pausing to very slowly take a sip from the Chocobo Cherry soda can in her petite hands before noisily sticking her tongue out at him.

Denzel could have sworn that he felt the corner of his eye twitch as he pouted and glared at her from across the room.

Marlene giggled again before twirling around on the stool in the opposite direction; her braid spinning around with her as she again paused to taunt him again with a slurred sip from the soda can.

The Ribbon Head was good; he gave her that.

The cheeky little devil.

He growled quietly in aggravation. That ‘innocent little girl’ was a master at mind tricks. She was probably cheating by taking lessons from that hyperactive ninja.

Denzel growled again before sticking his lip out in a pout and crossing his arms.

“… What are you doing, Denzel?” Tifa’s question pulled the boy from his thoughts. He turned to face her as she cocked an eyebrow. “Well, what is it? You look very angry.”

“Yeah!” Yuffie called suddenly from across the room. “You look even madder than Tifa when she’s PMSing!” A black leather glove connected with the girl’s forehead. “Hey!”

Tifa lifted her previously gloved hand in triumph as she turned back to the young boy. “… Anyway!”

Denzel turned back towards Marlene, returning to his arm-crossing/pout combo. “Marlene stole the last soda from the fridge while I was in the bathroom…”

Tifa groaned before pinching the bridge of her nose.

She needed an aspirin.