--Insert Melodramatic Title Here--

*disclaimer: Not mine. Not making money, not anything.

A/U, SquallxSeifer. YAOI! SHOUNEN-AI!

Summary: Squall, a young man from Timber, runs away to Esthar to find his past and future is waiting for him. Bla bla.

Dedicated to: all my friends who now know that I'm writing slash, because they're not reading this. :)

Note: Ok, I'd just like to say... 1) A thousand apologies for inflicting my Tortoise Kungfu on this poor fic. It wasn't meant to take this long, but hey. Hontou ni iro iro na gomen sumimasen minna-sama! And 2) Thanks a lot y'all! This is not just for those who've been following this story, but to EVERYONE who's been kind enough to read all my other stories and liking it. Talk about lovely surprises. ^_^ I couldn't stop grinning. My ego is damn near big enough to take over the world!

Chapter 7: Plot twists worthy of daytime tv

Well, I didn't faint, at least.

But the mental static grew so loud I didn't even notice I was the only one left in the room, with Edea by my side.

My head was resting on her shoulders. Dimly, I was aware of her fingers carding through my hair, soothing me, grounding me. "father. Laguna father- my father. Dad." I was muttering softly to myself.

Needless to say, the incoherent babble that she heard was nothing compared to the cacophony in my head. I had been fully prepared for them to find out about the reasons I had escaped to Esthar, but I had never, ever thought that these open, guileless people would know something something that could shake me so badly that there I was, talking to myself and not noticing the woman who was, for all intents and purposes, my real mother.

I have a father.

A real, flesh-and-blood father.

Father! I have one!

(And he doesn't wear a coal scuttle over his head too.)

I laughed, a little hysterically, at that stray thought. Note to inner self: lay off the sci-fi references.

To say that I was confused and bewildered (and all the other words you need to look up in the thesaurus in), was putting it mildly. Sure, I'd been dreaming about the time I was at the orphanage, but it wasn't as if I had a revelation, where everything was revealed to me at last. I wasn't prepared for this. At all.

I remembered that throwaway conversation, just before the welcome-back party, with Irvine and Selphie. I had I never would I just couldn't imagine myself being the long-lost son of Laguna Loire! It's impossible.

"It can't possible be real." I didn't realised that I had spoken out loud.

"Why not?" Edea's soft voice floated down.

I shrugged helplessly. "It- it just can't." I looked up to her kind eyes, well aware of how helpless I looked. I blinked, and was surprised at the lone tear that trailed down. It's not that I hadn't dreamed of this before. Many times, especially after the numerous arguments with Father. Didn't everybody dreamed that they were someone else? Someone loved, someone precious, someone unafraid to be who they really were? Maybe it was because I knew I was adopted, that this particular fantasy holds an especially cherished place in my heart. To find my real kin who will take me away.

No. It's not because I hadn't imagined the possibility at all. It's because I had imagined it, that I couldn't quite wrap my mind around it. It's the fear of finally facing the fantasy that was the reality all along. Finally facing the familiar fiction, only to find it's the foreign truth.

I fear

The unknown.

My voice a bare whisper, I said, "Tell me everything."
---------------------------

Summarising the eight years of my life since birth in two hours was no mean feat, but she managed it. By the time she was done with the major points, it was already near eight o'clock. The restaurant was already open, and the club was beginning to heat up, although the dance floor won't come alive for two hours yet.

We spent the two hours alone in the locker room, my head cradled on her lap, hearing the words that drifted down from her. My mind felt as if it was floating down an abyss made up entirely of the stories she was telling me. I refused to cry for the memories that I've lost in that unsuspected tumble down the stairs. I had nothing to hold onto, except her words and my tightly held legs. It was as if I was curling into myself, trying to protect whatever was left from the Squall I've always been taught that I was.

I was half-dazed as I walked out of that room. Armed with nothing more than Edea's soft kiss on my brow, I made ready to face the world.

Walking a lot more steadier than how I was really feeling, I headed for the bar, preparing to take my shift. Never mind I forgot to change into my uniform. I was too numb to bother. Every glance my way felt like a piercing stare.

That's the funny thing about life-altering revelations. The world hasn't changed, but it feels a lot more different.

It's like when you first had your ears pierced, remember? The next few days, the world was still as it was, but as you nursed the throbbing pain, you noticed every single glint of silver in the ears of the crowd.

But never mind that. Back to the dazed boy walking towards the counter with a half-absent expression on his face. I didn't even notice the oddity of Zell waiting for me there, besides Xu; after all, it was his shift upstairs that night.

I did, however, notice his inane, "Are you ok?"

No, I wanted to bark out. On a scale of one to NO, I am NOT ok. Yeah, so I just found out my dad's a multi-millionaire, and there's worse things to find out than that, but it's not something you go through EVERY day, so I'm still adjusting, so no, I. Am. Not. Okay.

"Yeah," I managed feebly.

"Stuff like this takes some getting used to," he said sympathetically.

Sometime, I really, really, want to punch Zell Dincht. Just for the heck of it, ya know?

Then I noticed my unchanged shirt. And chalk it up to emotional imbalance, because suddenly I was just so flustered by that. And my frantic gesturing and mumbling must have really worried the both of them, because then my hands were seized and Xu said soothingly, "Look Jer- Squall, it's okay. We can handle it here for tonight." She looked at me firmly in the eye. "Go home."

So I did. And yes, I did notice her slip-up.

Who am I? Really?

Whatever. I need a nap.
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I couldn't handle any prime time, must-see tv, so I just vacantly flipped through the channels until I finally settled on some obscure Centran station. I don't understand a word of it, but the chef was doing unspeakable things to the poor lobster.

Perfect mindless entertainment.

I half-heartedly changed out of my clothes, though I couldn't muster up enough will to actually put on my sleep shirt. So there I was sitting on the couch with nothing more but my sleep pants huddled in my comfortingly comfy comforter looking to the world like I just lost a bout with the flu virus.

Somewhere in my mind, I was perfectly aware that I am somewhat over-dramatising the situation I was in. I should be jumping for joy, stars in my eyes, breathlessly announcing that I just can't wait to see my Dad (flutter flutter).

But dammit. I just discovered a whole new life that I was never aware of. I felt cheated and elated at the same time. And, as much as I wanted to jump for joy and breathlessly announce my happiness, Squall Leonhart was still very much General Kartheiser's faggot son as he was Laguna Loire's long lost child.
Father loved me, as much as his strict disciplinarian ethics and my background allowed. He was never particularly affectionate, I've mentioned before, but he was the only father I've ever known at that time. Oh, I've read all those wonderful write-ups about the fantastic Mr Loire, but how will he be like as a father? A person? Will he be hard to talk to? Was all that good-naturedness just a front?

But that can't be true, as I remembered the one time we met at that dinner that felt like ages ago. I suppose some of my misgivings I learned from Father. He was never one for what he called 'those damned capitalists'. Still, I was anxious.

Oh, be honest Squall. You're scared about how he will treat YOU.

Exactly. Edea, Cid, Zell and the rest; they've known him for ages. I was someone thrust into his life quite unceremoniously like an unwanted package. How will he treat me then?

Yes, I was quite frightened out of my wits.

Wasn't that fun?

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The chef had moved on to a sorry looking pheasant when there was a knock on my door. My latent psychic powers (no, really) indicated that a certain Seifer Almasy was standing outside my apartment.

All right, so it was all just wishful thinking on my part. But, if you wish really hard, it'll come true, right?

So there he was. Gorgeous as sin and smirking at me like I was the most delicious thing on the planet.

Maybe it's because I left the blanket on the couch and padded topless to answer the door.

I can't deny I didn't enjoy his silent admiring inspection (and besides, he told me afterwards, thin cotton pants do look sexy in certain lights and from certain angles. But then, he was literally trying to charm me out of my pants. But more on that later).

I smiled muzzily; I was half-dozing when he knocked. "Hey."

He smiled. "You look nice."

I shivered a little at all the innuendo he managed to pack into that simple sentence. "Thanks. Come on in."

His coat sleeves brushed my torso as he entered, and yes, goosebumps erupted on my arm.

"What is that?" he said as he stopped abruptly and stared uncomprehendingly at the tv.

I just managed to stop colliding into him (Inner Squall: Now why do you have to that?!) when I answered absently, "Oh, just Squall Leonhart's Bedtime Entertainment."

Silence. "What?"

Hyne, he smells nice. "I told you, my 'Bedtime Entertainment'." Air quotes for emphasis.

"Before that."

Before what? Patiently, I began, "Squall L-" Oh.

Oops?

Oh ground, swallow me now.

Speaking more to the floor than to him, I said timidly, "I- I thought you knew."

"Squall?"

The response I gave had too many consonants to recall.

"Squall?" he said again.

This time, I wisely kept silent.

He firmly held my chin and made me look up. Gently, oh so gently, he asked again, "Squall?"

"Yes?" I breathed.

And he kissed me.

---------END CHAPTER-----

A/N: No! Don't worry! This time I actually have the next chapter almost done.... but er.. look out for it next week. Feel free to chant any voodoo curses if I'm tardy. I may need it. :D

I wanted to give up on this story, because sometimes I get over-critical, but it won't be unfair to y'all now, won't it? (and besides, my friend would pinch me black and blue. Hell, she already did anyway)