Weekend Getaway
by NightsDawne

[Well, it's hardly unexpected or rare in fanfics with the cowboy that he has a child considering his record, or that it comes as a surprise to him considering his other record of failing to keep in deep contact with ex-girlfriends. However, this is a Cupid's Trio fanfic, so it's no Selphie or Quisty who has to come to terms with Irvine's past.]


Chapter 3: It's A Boy!

Irvine sat on a bench, Seifer on one side of him and Squall on the other. All three contemplated in silence the stroller in front of them, the auburn-haired little boy chewing on one of his sneakers. April had decided it might be fun to let them babysit for an hour while she went on the rides with her friends. Squall broke the silence.

"He's kind of cute."

"You have a fucking kid," muttered Seifer.

"Well, yeah, he is adorable." Irvine tipped his head to the side, giving little Veddy a grin, which was returned along with the thrown sneaker. "I ain't got clue one what ta do with him, though."

"You have a fucking kid." Seifer shoved the stuffed wendago off of his shoulder as it fell on it.

Squall picked up the sneaker and offered it back to the tyke, who set to gnawing it again. "She never told you?"

"A kid. A fucking kid!"

"Nope." Irvine planted his chin on his fist. "She didn't want Martine ta find out while I was at Galbadia Garden so she just didn't identify the father."

"YOU HAVE A FUCKING KID, IRVINE!"

Squall and Irvine looked at Seifer. Squall frowned. "I think we've already identified the problem, Seif."

"Yeah, gorgeous. And ya shouldn't cuss in front of him." Irvine tickled Veddy's socked foot, eliciting squirms and giggles.

"Bullshit, I can fucking cuss in front of whoever I Goddamn feel like cussing in front of." Seifer leaned forward to scowl at the tiny redhead. "He's eating his shoe."

"He's only eighteen months old, Seifer. Ain't like he's developed refined taste in snack foods yet." Irvine sat forward and undid the stroller's belt, picking Veddy up and sitting him on his lap. "Hey, lil bronco. Bet you're gonna be a real heartbreaker when you grow up, huh?" Veddy launched his shoe, landing it in the stroller. "Got a good arm on him, too. Gonna be a quarterback."

Squall grinned, stroking the soft skin of Veddy's cheek with his finger. "Only you're going to learn about birth control early, so your daddy won't be a grandpa by the time he's thirty."

"Your Uncle Squall's got some good advice there, lil bronco." Irvine stood Veddy up, the boy's blue eyes focusing attentively on Squall. "See? He knows ya already, darlin'."

"Can I hold him?" Squall held his arms out, Irvine transferring his son over. Squall watched him entranced as Veddy clapped, then pointed to the giant stuffed wendago on the other side of Seifer. "I think he wants you, Seif. You want your Uncle Seifer, Veddy?"

Seifer crossed his arms. "I'm not his uncle and he doesn't want me."

"Aw, c'mon, Seifer, it ain't like we're takin' him home with us. Just watchin' him for a bit." Irvine tickled Veddy again, getting a happy giggle for his efforts. "Sure is a cheerful little guy."

Seifer watched Veddy through narrowed eyes, then yanked the balloon off his wrist and slid it onto the toddler's. Irvine flashed him a grin. "Don't get any ideas. I just wanted to get rid of that stupid balloon."

"Don't you listen to your grumpy old Uncle Seifer, Veddy." Squall pulled the balloon down where Veddy could play with it.

"I'm not grumpy."

"Yes, you are."

"Look, I didn't come on vacation to find out the consequences of my boyfriend not knowing how to put on a Goddamn rubber!"

"Don't talk like that in front of him!"

"He's fucking what, one? Two? He doesn't have a clue what I'm saying."

"Irvine told you not to cuss in front of him!"

Irvine sighed. "How about we don't fight in front of him, either?" He looked at Seifer, who crossed his arms and sank back against the back of the bench sullenly, then at Squall, who sighed and hugged Veddy. "That's better. Look, I'm sorry, Seifer, it wasn't like I knew this was gonna happen."

"You should have, dumbass. How many times did you play Russian roulette?"

"Um, well... "Irvine grinned sheepishly. "Look, I'm pretty sure this is the only bullseye I got."

"He's a sweet kid, Seifer. Stop being such an ass about it, will you? Irvine was only fifteen." Squall smiled at Veddy, who squealed and played with his hair.

"Seeffffff!"

All three looked at the toddler, who was grinning proudly and pointing in Seifer's direction again. "Did he just say...?" Squall grinned to Seifer.

"At least the kid has taste." Seifer smirked, holding his arms out. Squall relinqueshed Veddy to him. "Okay, kid, what you want?"

"Seeeffffff!" Veddy demanded, pointing at the wendago. Irvine and Squall fell against each other, cracking up.

Seifer's eyes narrowed as he yanked the wendago over for Veddy to grasp. "No, ugly ass ape. I'm Seif, brat." He eyed his boyfriends from the side. "Will you two shut the fuck up or do I have to teach this kid how to kick asses right here?"

"Sorry, gorgeous." Irvine nibbled Seifer's ear in apology. Seifer relaxed. Irvine nuzzled his neck. "He ain't so bad a kid, is he?"

Seifer snorted, looking Veddy over. "Looks like you. Least he's not ugly." Veddy looked up at Seifer and blew him a slobbery kiss. ".. He's a flirt, too. Definately your kid."

Irvine laughed, pinching Veddy's cheek lightly. "Don't you go tryna steal your daddy's man, lil bronco."

"Too late, I think Seifer's hooked in spite of himself," murmured Squall as he slid his arms around Irvine's waist, resting his cheek on his shoulder. Irvine twined his fingers in Squall's, leaning back against him a bit as he watched his son work on charming his lover with giggles and grins, Seifer slowly melting into a smile. By the time April came back she found Irvine and Squall sleeping against each other and Seifer babbling with Veddy in baby talk.

Irvine stepped out onto the balcony, looking at Squall curled in one of the patio chairs with a blanket and a cup of coffee. It had been a quiet ride home, all of them tired, and they'd slumped onto the beds for a well-deserved nap without a word to each other. Squall looked up at Irvine and gave him a hint of a smile before looking back over the balcony rail again, his stormy eyes distant. Irvine straddled the chair next to him and stroked his thigh.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, darlin'?"

Squall looked back at Irvine for a moment, then sighed, his eyes dropping to his coffee. "About you, being a father."

"Oh." Irvine looked away, not sure what else to say. It had been fun playing with Veddy, but it hadn't really seemed real.

"Are you going to do anything about it?" Squall's question came out so softly Irvine wasn't sure he'd heard it. He looked back to Squall, frowning a bit. What did he mean, do anything about it? It was a little late more than two years after the fact, wasn't it? Squall shook his head slightly as if reading Irvine's thoughts. "Are you going to be his dad?"

Irvine swallowed, a shiver running through him that had nothing to do with the late fall weather. Squall had never known his father until he was seventeen. Laguna hadn't known that he had a son, but that didn't take the sting out of Squall's sense of abandonment. He leaned forward, putting his arms around Squall and drawing him to his chest, kissing his hair softly. "I ain't really sure, Squall," he whispered. "I'd make a lousy dad, don't know shit 'bout how ta do it."

Squall trembled, dropping his cheek against Irvine's chest and fighting back tears. "Being there, even if you're no good at it, is better than just leaving him to think he doesn't matter."

Irvine sucked in his breath sharply. Was Squall right? Which would screw Veddy up worse, Irvine's total ignorance about taking care of someone, or a father who just never showed up at all? He seemed happy enough for now, April was obviously doing a good job at raising him by herself, but what about later? He remembered parents' days at Galbadia Garden and how hard it was for him as a child to hide the sting of watching other kids run to their parents, the excitement of promises of trips to the zoo and circus on their faces. Could he really think forward a decade and a half and see himself dealing with Laguna's pain? Did he want to repeat his mistakes? Did he want to see Veddy with Squall's emotional scars? Or his own, for that matter? He sighed, dropping his cheek against Squall's hair. "If I try ta be a daddy.. I'll need ya ta help me, darlin'." Squall nodded immediately, hugging Irvine tightly.