By NightsDawne
Chapter 2: Father Figure
Irvine smiled broadly to Edea as he walked up, positioning himself at Quistis's side. "Good evening, Matron, you're sure lookin' right pretty this evenin'. And Headmaster Kramer, always a pleasure to see you." He extended a hand and Cid chuckled, shaking it firmly. With expert timing Irvine glanced to the side, mimicking surprise. "Why, Quistis Trepe, to think I didn't notice right off such a stunning example of beauty so close to my arm."
"Lay off, Irvine." Quistis rolled her eyes and sipped from her champagne glass. Irvine frowned, but only for a moment. He was determined, quite determined, to win the fair Quistis for at least a dance.
"So are you planning to stay here at Balamb Garden, Irvine?" Edea smiled, rescuing Irvine from his momentary setback in pursuit of romance.
"My plans aren't set in stone, Matron," answered Irvine, his eyes acheiving a far-off look. "A gunman leads a wandering life, a lonely life, filled only with moments of brief but passionate affairs to keep his heart company and save him from despair."
"Where do you get this stuff?" snorted Quistis. "Romance novels?"
Irvine shone the lovely lady a devoted smile. "No dime store heroine could hold a candle to such inspiration as you, Quistis." Quistis groaned and with a hurried petition for excuse walked away. Irvine sighed and looked down. He would win her heart, he knew he would. He was Irvine Kinneas, after all, and women melted for him.
"She's quite a special girl," commented Cid, smiling absently, but his pale blue eyes attentively on the young man before him.
"She sure is," breathed Irvine. He quickly blushed as he realized he'd said that out loud and looked up to see both Edea and Cid smiling.
"Try not to rush things, Irvine," advised Cid, patting Irvine's shoulder gently. "You're young, you have all the time in the world for love."
Irvine furrowed his brow slightly as Cid and Edea stepped away to chat with other guests. He plucked a champagne glass from a passing tray and leaned against a wall, watching the headmaster and his wife, at one time almost like parents to him. The closest thing to parents he'd ever known.
It had been a cold clear night just before the Solstice holiday when Cid Kramer had first appeared at the orphanage by the sea. He wore the uniform of a Galbadian soldier and carried a huge sack over his shoulder as he trudged up the long drive. Quistis had spotted him first and darted out the front door, closely followed by the rest of her royal court, Seifer, Selphie, and Irvine.
Cid looked up and offered a somewhat shy but entirely kind smile. "Hello, children. I heard there was a shortage of toys this year, so I thought I might bring some things I happened to find."
"TOYS!" Selphie pounced on the word and bounced toward Cid like a hyperactive rabbit. The shout brought out the remaining orphans, Zell, Squall, and the older Ellone, and Matron, pushing her hair back from her face with hands still covered in flour. The children rushed to surround Cid, forcing him to lower his bag right there in the front yard with only the porchlight to reveal the treasures to the eager looters.
"Children, mind your manners," sighed Matron uselessly. She gave the soldier an apologetic smile. "It's not often they get anything like this. Thank you."
"No, it's my pleasure." Cid laughed and watched the emptying of the bag, then noticed one child hanging back from the melee, holding onto Matron's skirt with one hand. He picked out of the bag one of the few remaining toys and walked over, kneeling down so as not to appear so huge to the tiny boy. "Would you like a toy, too?"
"Would you, Irvine?" Matron stroked the boy's unruly fine hair encouragingly. "He doesn't really talk much."
"Irvine's a nice name." The soldier held the toy gun a tad closer to the boy. "Mine's Cid."
Irvine reached out shyly and took the gun, pulling it close to his chest and not taking his eyes off the soldier. Matron smiled and looked over the scattered orphans putting their new treasures to energetic use. "Everyone say thank you to Cid and come inside. It's dinner time." Six joyous faces turned toward the soldier and chorused a thank you. With a laugh Matron moved to herd them indoors, leaving Irvine standing where she had been. "You're welcome to stay for dinner, Cid. In fact, I insist, please."
Cid winked to Irvine and looked up. "I greatly appreciate it, ma'am, if I'm not going to be any trouble."
Matron smiled. "No trouble at all. And it's Edea, not ma'am. I'm no older than you are." She sighed as her attention was torn by the sounds of a fight between rough and tumble Seifer and emotional and sensative Zell, the latter breaking into a wail over some infraction. "Excuse me..." She hurried inside to deal with the conflict before injury occurred.
Cid looked back to Irvine, who hadn't moved or taken his eyes off of the soldier uniform Cid wore. "Aren't you going to go inside, too?"
Irvine stepped forward slowly and raised his hand, touching Cid's dogtags. "Awe you a Gawbadian sowdier?" the boy whispered.
Cid furrowed his brow, for a moment not sure the child had even spoken to him. He smiled slowly and turned to sit on the edge of the porch, patting his leg to offer Irvine a seat in his lap. Irvine hesitated for a moment, then cautiously took the offer, gazing up into Cid's face.
"Yes, I'm a Galbadian soldier," Cid answered, brushing the boy's bangs from his eyes. "But just because I'm a soldier doesn't mean I would ever hurt you."
"I know," said Irvine quietly. "My daddy's a Gawbadian sowdier. That's why he don't want me."
Cid swallowed, smiling although he felt as if his heart would break. "I'm sure he wants you, Irvine. It's just that being a soldier is a heavy responsibility. Soldiers are always travelling around, so they can't take little boys with them, even if they love them very much."
Irvine looked down. "I don't even know his name."
Cid chewed his lip. "But you know for sure he's a soldier?"
Irvine nodded. "He didn't stay with mommy, then she died and I came hewe."
Cid looked away from the boy. "Maybe he didn't know until too late that he had a child. But.. I'm positive he loves you. All parents love their children. Sometimes circumstances just keep them apart."
Irvine looked up at Cid again, his eyes holding a cautious trust. "If he knew, wouwd he come?"
Cid stared down at the little face that knew more pain than any child should, then placed his fingers under Irvine's chin. "If he knew, he would travel a thousand miles for one glimpse of your face." Irvine slowly smiled and laid his cheek against Cid's shoulder.
As it happened, dinner turned into spending the night, and spending the night turned into a week long stay as Cid kept finding things to repair and help out with around the orphanage. Matron found herself laughing more often as Cid feigned clumsiness and told her embarrassing stories about himself, but more than the beautiful Matron it was Irvine who spent time in his presence, even forsaking Queen Quistis and her royal court to carry Cid's tools. Eventually, though, Cid's furlough was up and he had to say his goodbyes. All of the children were sorry to see their new friend go, Zell having to be sent to bed to cry into his pillow in his anguish. Matron did her best to hide her own sorrow from the children, but she gave Cid's hand a meaningful squeeze as he stepped out the front door, the clasp lingering between them in unspoken expression. Cid held his breath as her fingertips slid from his and then turned to make his way back down the long winding drive that led to the orphanage. He made it almost halfway down before he heard the small footsteps in the gravel behind him and turned. Irvine stopped and looked up at him hopefully.
Cid knelt down and lowered his pack to the ground. "Irvine, I can't take you with me." Irvine's shoulders shuddered as he tried desperately to repress his sobs. Cid fought back tears himself and silently opened his arms. Irvine ran to him, throwing himself on him in a tight hug. Cid stroked his hair and rocked him slightly. "I'm a soldier, Irvine. I go into dangerous places, places where I can't take a little boy. There wouldn't be any other children for you to play with and nobody to take care of you while I'm gone."
"Who wiw take cawe of you?" sobbed Irvine, his fingers clutching at the uniform.
"Soldiers have to take care of themselves." Cid kissed Irvine's hair and straightened him so he could look into his face. "You're going to have to be my little soldier and take care of your Matron for me, okay?"
"Awe you ever going to come back?" Irvine studied the soldier's face plaintively.
Cid pulled him close and hugged him. "I will, Irvine. I promise I'll come back. And a soldier never breaks his promise."
He had come back, Irvine admitted to himself. Cid had come back every chance he got, but was it for him? Probably not. Cid had fallen in love with Edea that first visit, how could he have possibly stayed away? It could never have been a little runt kid like he was that brought a soldier a thousand miles to visit an orphanage. Still, he was glad Cid had been there, a father figure for an insecure child.
"Say, do you want to dance?" Irvine blinked and looked to the speaker, an attractive young woman in the uniform of a White SeeD, those trained in Edea's ship to follow the way of the mercenary fighters.
"Sure," replied Irvine, turning on his confident grin. "I never could resist a vision of loveliness." The girl swooned and took his arm, leading him to the dance floor. Maybe Quistis would notice. Maybe she'd be jealous, even. Maybe he would finally get that dance.
