"What is the truth Squall?"
Had Squall opened his eyes a moment sooner, he would have realized the voice he had heard clear in his mind was not actually imagined.
Cloud, who had uttered the question, was standing not a meter away from where Squall and Irvine had been arguing.
Irvine whipped around, coming face to face with the brunet's fiancé.
"I want to hear it. But first, I want to see my son."
"Cloud..." Squall was too shocked to form words into speech.
"And you need to get the hell out of my house, Irvine."
"Like fuck I will. I'm not leaving without my daughter... I've been deprived of my little girl for too fucking long."
"Is that all you came here for? 'Cause it sure didn't sound like it a moment ago," Cloud noted. "Fine... Take her," he added nonchalantly.
This immediately snapped Squall out of his momentary speechlessness. "Cloud! No, Irvine, you can't take her!"
Cloud calmly brushed off Squall's protest. "Go get her. You two can figure out the arrangements later. Is she asleep?" he asked, turning to the brunet.
"Cloud you can't come here throwing orders around after missing for two days! Where the hell were you?"
"Shut up! Don't act as if I was the one screwing around with my ex! Irvine, go get her and get the hell out of here."
Irvine was surprised Cloud wasn't putting up a fight for Cissnei, although he was sure it had more to do with getting rid of him as quick and painlessly as possible.
Squall reluctantly stepped aside, allowing the cowboy passage to go inside the house and take his daughter.
"You sure can sleep in…"
"I thought I was at home," Roxas said through a sleepy gaze.
Axel chuckled, setting lunch down on the kitchen counter for the young teen.
"That's for you."
"Oh, thanks."
"I take it you slept well?"
"Like a log… Zack's bed is the best. Where is he?"
"He left. Great host isn't he? Nah, I'm kidding. He went to work. He asked me to look after you until you're ready to go home."
"Look after me? I don't need a babysitter. Aren't you here on business?"
"Yeah, but I don't need to be anywhere 'til later. I can take you to wherever you need to go."
"What if I want to stay here?"
"I'd say okay, but that's really not my call."
Roxas fell silent as he ate his lunch, wondering if his eldest brother had returned home.
"Axel…" he said after he'd finished.
"Hm?"
"I wanna know if Cloud's back."
"Do you want me to take you home?"
"Yeah… but if he isn't, would it be okay… if you brought me back?"
Axel thought about it for moment before answering. "Sure… I guess a little joy ride wouldn't hurt."
"Thank you."
"Where's Denzel?" Cloud asked, once Irvine had gone inside.
"What is wrong with you? How could you–?"
"Just answer the question!"
"He's not home... He's at the neighbor's."
"Does he know the truth? Why his dad just up and left when he wasn't even well?"
"No… but I was hoping… at least half of what I told him was true.
"Figures. Then again, he wouldn't understand what a disloyal bastard you are."
"Cloud... I made one mistake. Why are you making this into something bigger than it is?"
"Because I know this happened more than once! And what's worse is that you didn't even have enough respect for your own children to do it out of their sight!"
"Cloud, what're you–?" Squall searched his memory, quickly remembering that one instance of affection he had shared with Irvine not long ago.
"Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. Cissnei may have had no idea what was going on, but you forgot you have another child, my child who was so confused as to why his father was kissing a man he's not supposed to be in love with!"
"No, Cloud you don't understand… That didn't mean anything!"
"So you kiss him twice behind my back, that I know of… never tell me anything about it… and I'm supposed to believe it didn't mean anything? And what's to stop me from thinking it happened more times than that? What's to stop me from thinking… that maybe there were times you didn't stop at a kiss?"
"Enough Cloud! I would never do that!"
"No? You would just make out in public like hormonal teenagers on the hood of a car…"
"Cloud, please! Just let me explain."
"What's there to explain? You took every chance you got to go see him."
"You know it wasn't like that at all… That kiss Denzel saw… I was honestly just trying clear the air between us for forgetting to take Cissnei to him when he was due his time."
"You never forgot."
"I did, Cloud, you were busy, and I was too busy to take her to him. That's all there was to it… And what you saw… that wasn't me… I didn't go out of my way... he kissed me… and I… I got carried away."
"You got carried away? That's somehow supposed to make me not feel betrayed?"
"That's the truth… what else do you want me to say?"
"You're not even sorry?"
"I don't think that would make a difference to you at this point…"
Cloud shook his head in disappointment. "You aren't the person I always thought you were, Squall… the one who valued affection… and loyalty. You were afraid of it for so long… because you were afraid of getting hurt… How ironic is it that now, you've become the person who is disloyal and causes the pain. "
"Cloud… you know how I've struggled with that. After all the shit that I've dealt with... My connection with Irvine since having his kid… It didn't help that you never trusted me around him to begin with… Don't try to say you did, because I know you didn't."
"I did… at first. It was Irvine I didn't trust. But then I started to see I had good reason not to trust you either."
"So what does that mean? You can't trust me so you're done with me?"
"Is that what you want?" Cloud retorted.
"Of course not, Cloud… I want us to be together. As much as you might not want to believe it now… I love you. That's never changed and it never will."
"Dad?"
They heard the small voice of their son, Denzel, who was returning from his playing with his friend.
"I knew it! Dad you're back!" Denzel swiftly ran up to his father to embrace him as high as he could reach him.
Cloud crouched down to greet his son at the boy's level. "Hey, Denz… how are you? I missed you."
"I missed you, too, dad! I feel great!"
"It's as if he was never sick at all," Squall said softly.
Cloud eyed the brunet, then looked back at his son. "Is that so? I'm glad you're better. I felt terrible leaving you when you were so sick. I'm sorry about that Denzel."
"That's okay… daddy told me you had some important work to do in another town."
"Is that what he told you?"
"Yeah. And that you were staying in a hotel. Oh, did you bring me those little chocolates that they put on your pillow?"
Cloud chuckled softly at his son's sweet innocence, bringing himself back up to full height. "No… the place I stayed at wasn't so fancy… But I'll give you some money to go get yourself a treat at the store. How's a couple hundred sound?"
Cloud fished in his pocket for his wallet, taking out some change to give to his son.
"Two-hundred munny! Thanks dad!" Denzel took the cash, giving Cloud another quick hug and ran off to a nearby shop for a treat.
Cloud turned back to Squall now, who'd been silently admiring the father and son interaction. "I want this to work… I want us to be family." Cloud took the engagement ring he had almost lost out his pocket. "I love you, Squall… but I don't want to pretend this never happened… and I also don't want to pretend to trust you. I want you to accept what you did… be honest with me and with yourself… because this can't keep happening."
Squall took the ring, gliding the silver band back on Cloud's finger with resolution.
"I know… It won't… There's nothing left for Irvine... Not after everything he's said and done. He'll always just be… Cissnei's father."
"That's it? That's all I'll ever be to you?" Irvine finally came out of the house, toting his still napping daughter in her carriage, the little girl beginning to look a month or two too large for the carrier.
"Yes."
"That's just dandy, because you know what? Funny enough, I've decided you'll always just be the whore I fucked and knocked up. Say goodbye to Cissnei. I'm takin' her to stay with me…"
"You can't–"
"Oh, my business won't get in the way of me taking care of her anymore. I'm selling it and moving to my parent's ranch. That means if you want to see her, you'll have to come all the way down to Galbadia."
"You can't just make these decisions without talking to me first, Irvine!"
"Just like you included me in your decision when you talked with Cloud about moving a town away so I could barely see my daughter? Yeah, you were really considerate. Goodbye Leon. Tell Denzel he's welcome to come spend time with his sister whenever he wants. "
Squall stepped forward wanting to fight to keep his daughter with him, but when Cloud's hand landed firmly on his shoulder, he knew it wasn't the time or place. In a way, Squall felt he had gotten exactly what he deserved.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A/N: Hai guise! Things are finally starting to move forward in the story and look up for our favorite couple! Doesn't mean that's the end of the drama. Juicy stuff is coming next (Finally! Can't wait! I wanna share it with you right naoooo. But I have to finish writing it first XD) I hope everyone has received my individual notes because I truly wouldn't be writing this without you guys. Thank you x a billion! :D