Double Take
Chapter 9
Disclaimer: All places, characters are not mine, nothing here is mine, everything belongs to Squaresoft.
Double Take
Chapter 9
Squall opened his eyes wondering why he had awoken, he glanced around his room in the palace, and then he looked over at his sleeping lover. Nothing stirred in the room, no sound so why had he woken up?
Squall slipped out of bed and silently crossed the room; he winced in the hallway light his eyes hadn’t adjusted yet. There was no one in the halls but he still decided to look around. He tiptoed down the halls trying to be quiet it wouldn’t do if half the palace woke up because he was curious. He felt like there was something out there, but he didn’t-
Another man was walking down the hall towards him with his head down. Squall stayed silent so that the other man didn’t know he was there, he studied the older man, he had long dark brown or maybe black hair it was too dark to tell and he wore a pair of pyjama pants.
Squall cleared his throat causing the other man to jump; he looked up giving Squall a good look of his face. The brunette had only ever seen photos of his father but he was sure that this was him.
Laguna jumped when someone cleared their throat, he didn’t know there was anyone else there. He had been to wrapped up in his thoughts of this new Squall to sleep, when he looked up he had expected to see one of the seeds or maybe Kiros. He stared at the man in front of him in shock, he looked just like Squall except for the scar although of course he would look like Squall because this was Squall just not the one he knew. He stepped forward like he was in a trance and stopped right in front of the other man.
The younger man smiled. “Hi.”
Laguna had never seen Squall smile he looked even more like Raine than usual.
“Squall?”
The brunette nodded.
“I’m-er-”
“I know who you are; I’ve seen photos that my mother showed me.”
The president nodded slowly, he stepped forward and brushed some of Squall bangs away from his face as if he was checking to see if he was dreaming. Laguna jerked back his arm when he realized what he was doing. He expected Squall to push him away or move backwards or at least glare at him like he usually would do, but this Squall merely smiled slightly.
“I wanted to meet you, I never knew my father.”
“I-I wanted to meet you too. I-I d-don’t get to see my son much.”
“Why not?”
“He hates me.” He paused but then added. “And he has every right to.” He was sure why he defended Squall but he didn’t want this Squall to hate the other Squall.
“I heard he grew up in an orphanage, didn’t you want him?”
“Of course I wanted him but it was complicated with Ellone and the sorceress, it was just better that way or at least I thought it would be. I made a mistake.”
“Did you tell him that?”
“Yeah.....” He looked over at Squall who was staring out of the nearby window. “You haven’t met Ellone have you?”
“No.”
“Was she in your world?”
“She died when you did.”
Laguna nodded.
“What am I like? Tell me about me.”
“He’s not like you.”
“People keep telling me that but no one will tell me about him, when will he get back?”
“In a few days, you better make the most of it while you can. I don’t think he’ll be too happy to see you.”
“Seifer says I- I mean he doesn’t smile much.”
“No, he’s cold and emotionless not like you, I’ve never seen him smile. Work seems to come first with Squall, he doesn’t go out with his friends and even talk to them much.”
“What about Zell?”
“That’s different, they’re in love. In your world you’re with Seifer yeah?”
Squall nodded.
“Aren’t you anxious to get back to him and your mother?”
Squall looked at the floor. “He- er- he’s dead.” He looked up at Laguna with tears in his eyes. “We were attacked by ruby dragons, not normal monsters we thought the sorceress had something to do with them, I got pushed through a portal and Seifer died while trying to save me.”
The older man fidgeted not knowing how to comfort the younger man, Squall would never cry or even look upset. He gingerly reached out a hand and lay it on the brunette’s shoulder. He jumped in surprise when Squall stepped forward and hugged him, wrapped his arms around his waist and crying into the older man’s bare chest. The president relaxed after a while and held his son while he cried.
The gang walked to Doctor Odine’s office in the morning. The short doctor stared at the young brunette in interest, causing Squall’s eyes to widen in fear, he tightened his grip on Seifer’s hand and glanced around to make sure his friends were still with him. Quistis smiled reassuringly at him.
Squall sat on the doctor’s table in the centre of the room he kept his eyes fixed on the strange little man until the doctor started ordering everyone out. Seifer’s hand slipped from his grasp and all his friends turned to leave. The brunette leaned out and grabbed a hold on Seifer’s trench coat.
“Don’t leave me.”
“But Squall-”
The doctor frowned in annoyance. “Everyone except Seifer please wait outside.”
The brunette linked his fingers with Seifer to let the doctor know that he wanted Seifer close by. After all the fuss Squall made Seifer started to wonder if maybe their doctor Odine was just a scientist after but the tests only took a few minutes and then Squall was free to go until the results came through. There was a strange buzzing machine that looked scary but he had expected some technology to find out where Squall came from.
All the friends had been invited to have breakfast with Laguna, Kiros and Ward. They sat around a round table. Laguna sat between Kiros and Quistis, Selphie sat beside her then Irvine, Squall, Seifer and lastly Ward. Squall had told his friends about his meeting with Laguna.
“Zell rang,” Quistis announced. “he and Squall will be home in two days.”
“Do you think he’ll let me stay?” Squall asked.
Everyone at the table grew quiet.
“Do you want me to go back?”
Seifer leaned over to kiss his boyfriend’s temple. “Of course not.” The others agreed with nods and smiles.
“Don’t worry Squall will some around, right guys?” Selphie put in cheerfully.
The others didn’t share her optimism.
Irvine piped up when no one said anything. “All we need is to get Zell on our side; Squall’s more likely to listen to him than to us.”
Seifer put an arm around Squall’s shoulders. “It’ll work out, I know it will.”
tbc.
Next chapter Squall & Zell get back.
Will he be understanding? Squall? Understanding? Never thought I’d hear those words in the same sentence.