Note: Once again I thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I am quite excited about my next story, 'Millennium' and I hope that devoted readers of this story will be all reading my new story that is coming soon! ^^
Chapter 25 – The First Night Out
Time seemed to have passed by quickly than the rest of his years. He opened his eyes and found himself listening to footsteps somewhere in the kitchen, followed by familiar voices.
"I see you're awake," Edea spoke.
There was a moment of silence, immediately followed by heavy footsteps echoing the small hallway of the house. "I couldn't sleep."
Squall sighed and sat up from his makeshift bed. He quickly stood up and changed into a white t-shirt and dark blue jeans before heading for the kitchen where he found his Aunt and father sitting across from each other on the dining room table. As soon as he entered the kitchen, both adults turned to look at the young man. Laguna leaned back on his chair and frowned. "You know you shouldn't run off like that, Squall."
The brunette rolled his eyes and decided to stand by the hallway. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back on the wall. "Says who?"
"Your mother…" Laguna paused, and then added, "She's worried about you."
Squall pushed himself off the wall and began walking towards the dining room, set himself a plate for breakfast and sat down on a chair nearest to Edea. "That figures. I mean why would you be worried about me?" He scooped up some eggs and stuffed them in his mouth. There was a moment of silence, before Squall added, "Mom probably sent you. You would never go off on your own."
"Squall!" Edea said, glancing at Laguna.
Laguna let his lips form into a tight frown. He folded his arms across his chest and glared at him. "And what exactly do you mean by that, young man? Are you saying I don't care about my family?"
Squall looked up and stared at him straight in the eyes. "What if I am?" He knew he was saying the wrong things. He knew that Laguna cared about his family, but he was too angry to care at this point. If he hated something about his life, he blamed everyone else around him.
Angrily, the young mayor slammed a hand down on the table as hard as he could to get his son's attention. He suddenly stood up and leaned down so his eyes were at the same level as Squall's. Squall sat there, unnerved. "I DO care about my family, Squall! When will you realize that I have worked long and hard to get where I am now? Do you have any idea how hard I work just to feed you, your mother and your brother? When you have a family, Squall you will understand that!" He continued to stare into his son's eyes, before turning around. Laguna began walking away, but suddenly stopped when a shooting pain sprang up from his right leg. "UGGH! Dammit!" he swore underneath his breath. He felt his body sag to the ground. Laguna clutched at his leg and gritted his teeth in pain.
"Laguna!" Edea ran to his side quickly. "What on earth-!?" Squall slightly stood up from his chair, curiously wondering about his father.
The aging mayor shook his head, gently pushing Edea out of the way as he tried to stand up. "It's all right, Edea. This kind of thing happens a lot."
"A lot? If it happens a lot, why don't you let a Doctor see this!?" She helped him back up on his feet, but Laguna shook his head and replied, "I said I'll be fine, Edea. There's no need for you to be worried about me."
Edea shook her head in disbelief. "You really ARE like your father, Squall," she said, glancing at the startled young man sitting in the kitchen. "Both of you are really stubborn."
"How many times do I have to tell you!?" Squall suddenly stood up and slammed his two hands down on the table, startling both adults. "I AM NOT MY FATHER! AND I DON'T WISH TO BE!" He turned and began walking away, but not before Edea spoke her mind.
"You cannot deny that fact, Squall." She watched as her nephew frowned at her answer, before walking back into the room where he slept last night. When she was sure he was gone, Edea turned her attention towards Laguna. "Where were you planning on going, Laguna? Were you planning on leaving already after coming all the way here to get your son?"
Laguna didn't look at her, massaging his right leg. "You heard what he said… He doesn't want to be like me."
"He may say that, but it's impossible not to be," Edea replied. She grabbed his arm again and led him back to the kitchen. "Why don't you sit down… I have something I can give you which I think will help this."
"Help what?" Laguna asked, looking at the woman curiously.
But his question wasn't answered. Instead, she got up, went into her room and came back a minute later holding something in her hand. Edea pulled it up close to Laguna's face so he could see what it was and nodded. "I was going to give this as a Christmas present for Cid and Jason, but I think you need this more than me. Here…" She handed the item to Laguna.
Laguna took it from her hand and looked at it. "Two hockey tickets?" He looked up and stared at her confusingly.
Edea nodded. "Yes. This is what I got from my work and this ticket lasts for two months, which means you can watch a hockey game any time of day for those two months."
He lifted up a single eyebrow. "And?"
"And I think you should take yourself and Squall to the hockey game tonight! This will give you guys a chance to bond."
Laguna looked back down at the tickets, then back up at Edea again. Sighing, he handed the tickets back to the older woman. "I can't take this, Edea. It's very thoughtful that you're trying to help me and Squall get along, but I don't think a hockey game will help us bond together. He doesn't even like hockey…" He paused and added, "I don't even like hockey."
Edea smiled and pushed the tickets back to him. "Well, there's something you have in common. It's all right, Laguna. I don't mind giving this to you. I think that while you guys are here for a week, that you two should spend this time together!"
Laguna stared down at the tickets which found themselves back in his hands and frowned. "But…"
"It's all right," Edea said, interrupting Laguna's protest. "You need this more than Cid and Jason do."
******************
They stared and stared, unable to comprehend what was going on around them. People started screaming when a loud beeping sound made a noise that almost damaged his ears. The players in the ice embraced each other because they had scared against the other team, while the opposing team sighed in despair.
After a couple of seconds, the game resumed. One man in the blue team knocked down a player wearing the red uniform. Number 10, the man knocked down, quickly stood up, made a fuss about the whole thing and began pushing the blue uniformed man around. Then, another fight ensued.
Sighing slowly, he glanced at the figure sitting beside him. He folded his arms across his chest and frowned. "Why exactly are we here?" he asked, having to yell from the noise of the crowd.
Laguna glanced at his son and shrugged. "I don't know. I thought you liked hockey so I thought maybe we could watch this and bond."
Squall frowned. "I don't like hockey."
"Well neither do I, but this was also Edea's idea and she DID sacrifice the tickets for us," Laguna replied, making himself more comfortable on the uncomfortable seat. He glanced at his son and noticed that he now felt guilty.
Squall turned to look at him. "She did?" he asked, quite surprised by his answer.
Laguna nodded. "These tickets must have cost her a fortune," he said mostly to himself because Squall's ears were too plugged due to the noise in the crowd. However, the young teen knew exactly what he was saying because he was thinking the same thing.
There was another loud horn that blew and suddenly many people around them all stood up and booed, hollered or just called their opposing team names. Squall and Laguna glanced at each other. "You know what… Let's go," Laguna said, standing up now.
Squall was actually relieved to hear his father say that. Copying Laguna, he followed him back up the stairs to the main building and down towards the entrance of the stadium. It was until they were completely out that Laguna finally said, "I'm sure she'll understand that we had to leave the game early."
The young brunette shrugged. "I think she will too."
After that, they were silent. They stood there, in the cold, dark outside, wondering what the other was thinking. They were both thinking of something to say at this point. It wasn't until they heard a car in the distance, driving pass them did one of them say anything. "I'll bet you want to go Italian don't you?" Laguna asked, glancing at his son.
Squall's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know that?"
Laguna turned away and smiled. "I am your father Squall. I never forget these things about my family." He took a long deep breath, stuffed his hands in his jacket pocket, then turned and began walking down the street to their right. "I'll take you to the Italian restaurant that your mother and I first met in."
The young brunette said nothing, instead, he followed his father towards that same street, straight a few blocks and to a small building. This building was indeed small and had the structures of an Italian look, but only with a large neon sign over the canopy saying, "Venito Restaurante." When they got there, they both stopped in front of the restaurant. Laguna stared at the building as if remembering some thing in his memories and smiled dreamily. "I was standing right in this spot, trying to figure out what to say to my blind date."
"Mom was your blind date?" He couldn't help but stare shockingly at his father.
Laguna laughed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, yeah in a way. But she wasn't really my blind date…" He paused, making Squall confused and quite curious. "Edea was uh…my blind date."
Squall couldn't believe his ears. Did he really date his Aunt? What on earth?
The older man shook his head. "It's not what you think. I didn't really date her. You see, your Uncle Cid and I went to the same college so basically we were like best friends. There were four of us who were good friends; myself, Cid, Kiros and Ward. Cid liked Edea, but I was in love with your mother. The girls didn't know us, so Kiros had this weird idea to call up on these girls and set up a blind date with two 'eligible bachelors' from their campus. Of course, Edea and Raine had no idea who it was. They just knew Kiros as their smart Science classmate and a good friend, so they decided to take up on the offer. There was a little mix up with the dates. Kiros was supposed to set me up with Raine and Cid with Edea, but instead, I was set up on a blind date with Edea. I found out from there that she liked Cid too and that Raine liked me. Edea and I talked for a while and about half an hour later, your mother and your Uncle came into this restaurant along with Kiros, apologizing for his mistake. Cid and Edea left to continue their date, while your mother and I…well- continued ours."
Squall said nothing. What was he supposed to say? This was some mushy story he didn't really care about listening to. What did his father expect him to say… all starry eyed and interested in their love life? "So? What do you want me to say about this?" To be honest, his father acted like a woman sometimes. And… his stomach growled. All this talk was holding up the food he needed for his stomach.
Laguna shrugged and then smiled. "Well, that doesn't matter now. I was just remembering some old memories of mine. Let's go eat… my treat!"
The brunette shrugged. "Whatever…" he said, following his father inside.
They ended up sitting in the farthest corner, near the windows which Laguna chose for his own convenience. Squall couldn't care less. All he wanted was something to eat and then go home. But then again…The young brunette glanced at his father, who was seemed to be in a trance as he stared out the window. Squall figures he was probably remembering his 'good' memories. If only he could say the same thing about his memories, but there was none. None anyway, that involved his father. All his good memories were back in Seattle with Rinoa, but they are now faded ones. Now, he was forgetting why he was here in the first place.
"Why do you hate me so much, Squall?" came Laguna's sudden question.
Squall looked up, shocked beyond words. He turned away and frowned, unable to say anything. There are many things for him that described 'hate' and he wasn't about to reveal that to his father.
Laguna sighed. He put down his menu and looked at his son. "Do you have any idea how many times I've asked myself that question, Squall? I've asked myself almost twice a day about why you hate me so much. I don't know what I did, except the fact that I haven't been paying attention to you lately. Is that what you want from me? Do you want me to pay more attention to you?"
"Not just me, dad…Cloud too."
Laguna shook his head. "No… I don't think this is about Cloud. I think this is more about you."
Angered by his comment, Squall slammed his hands down on the table as hard as he could, showing him that he was THAT angry about his response. "You don't KNOW what I think! You don't know who I AM!" Many people were looking at them now and Squall knew, but he didn't care.
"That's enough, Squall!" Laguna yelled back.
When Squall noticed the way his father was looking around nervously, afraid that he could get a bad name, he shook his head in disbelief. "What, am I ruining your reputation as a Mayor of Seattle now?"
"Well, that's not exactly what I was thinking. Please sit down and let's discuss this like adults. You're making a scene!" He grabbed his son's arm and forced him back down on the chair. Squall, reluctantly sat down, keeping his face as frowned as possible.
Laguna leaned closer to him, his face now stern and frustrated. "Look, Squall, I've had enough with this attitude of yours. Why else do you think I took you out tonight? I've noticed that I haven't been spending time with you so I thought this was our chance to renew our relationship." Squall said nothing, as Laguna continued on. He leaned back on his chair and sighed. "Squall, there are children who need me more than you. These children lost their parents, their homes, either by abuse, or just form of abandonment. These last few days I've been helping build an orphanage and it took me months to finally complete it. There are hundreds of children trying to find their way home in the streets. Now, you tell me if you need me more than these children… tell me, Squall."
"Well, aren't you just a Saint," Squall mocked. He stood up suddenly and said, "I'm going to the bathroom."
This time, Laguna didn't tell him to sit back down, instead, he watched his son go. At this time, a waiter came at their table, asking for their orders. Laguna sighed and looked up, telling the young waiter his order. Squall wasn't there, so Laguna took this opportunity to prove to his son that he was his father and that he would never forget everything about his son. "My son would like lasagna," Laguna told the waiter.
The waiter nodded, took the menus and went on his way to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Squall was inside the bathroom, trying to understand what his father just said. He turned on the faucet in the sink and splashed cold water in his face. He glanced up and stared at himself in the mirror. He didn't know why he even bothered to come with his father, when he knew that this would happen. Their conversation always ended with an argument, because of his father's lectures or whatnot. And Squall knew that he himself always made their conversation worst by giving his father an attitude. 'Now, tell me if you need me more than these children…tell me, Squall,' his father's voice spoke in his head. How was he supposed to respond to that? If he at least said something, it would come out wrong and he would end up being the bad guy in the conversation. If he didn't say anything, which he did, his father would ask the same question and then he would be forced to answer. Well…he had no other choice. Taking a long deep breath, Squall left the public restroom, with his hands stuffed in his pockets and began making his way back to where they were seated near the window. At the sound of his footsteps, Laguna immediately looked up, grinning like an idiot.
Squall sat back down on his spot across from his father and noticed something different. "Where are the menus?"
Laguna nodded. "The waiter took them."
"But I wasn't done ordering."
"Yes, you are," Laguna replied. "I ordered it for you."
Suddenly, he was feeling heat rising up in his face. "How do you know what I wanted?" He clenched his fists at his sides, getting ready to burst out in anger.
"Just because I haven't spent my time with you, doesn't mean I don't know what you like. Squall, I know you like simple things, so I ordered lasagna for you."
Startled, Squall unclenched his fists and stared at his father unbelievably. He WAS going to order lasagna. Fuming, he turned his head away from his father and looked out the window. The winter chills were starting to cover the city. Many people were bundled up in their thick, winter jackets, their necks all wrapped with wooly scarves and winter hats. One girl was wearing tight clothes- not the type for winter, but she was the only one he found useful to occupy his thoughts. He was just about to get over the fact that he hadn't consented on ordering lasagna, when he suddenly spoke.
"So, do you need me more than these children, Squall? You haven't really answered my question." He clamped his hands together and gave his son a serious look.
If there was one thing he knew a lot about his father, it was his persistency. Squall thought a bit more, then finally shook his head and that was all he did. He just shook his head, turned away and said nothing. Laguna knew it wasn't the right time to push him with the subject. It was time to enjoy the dinner that was making its way to their table.
****************
The rest of their 'night out' was left with silence between father and son. Laguna and Squall drove back to town and back to Edea's home. "Hi!" Edea greeted from the kitchen. She turned off the sink faucet and joined the two just making their way inside. She smiled, but suddenly frowned when she saw Squall's face. "What's wrong?"
Squall looked up and scowled. "Everything's wrong!" He walked pass Edea and went inside his cousin's bedroom and slammed the door shut. When he was sure he was inside, Edea looked at Laguna curiously. "What happened?"
Laguna turned to look at the room where Squall disappeared to and sighed. "I guess our first night out wasn't exactly eventful as I hoped it would be. I don't know what to do with him, Edea. I did the best I could, but I end up just making him angrier."
Edea planted a gentle hand on Laguna's shoulder. "It's all about patience, Laguna. Just be patient and I'm sure Squall will get it together and understand."
Sighing heavily, Laguna turned towards the table beside the couch where a telephone sat. "I forgot to call Raine. She must be worried by now." He reached for the phone and dialed their house number back in Seattle. With only just two rings, a woman's voice answered on the other line. "Hello, sweetheart?"
"Laguna! You forgot to call me, I was so worried! When did you get there!?" Raine's voice really sounded like she was on a verge of hysteria.
"Calm down, Raine."
"Calm down!? How can I calm down when my son goes off to Washington D.C., then followed by my husband and doesn't even call! Why didn't you call!?" There was a sudden noise, which sounded more like a sniff, telling Laguna that Raine was now crying.
"Please don't cry, honey. I arrived late yesterday and I decided to take out Squall out tonight to do some bonding time. I'm fine, see? I called you didn't I? Squall is just fine too!"
"You called twenty four hours late, Laguna!" Raine said angrily. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. Laguna could hear some shuffling in the background on the other line. This told him, she must've sat down on a couch to calm her nerves. "I'm sorry. I was just worried."
Laguna shook his head absentmindedly. "I know you were, don't apologize. I'm an idiot for not calling. We just got back from dinner."
"And?" Raine asked, eager to hear if their relationship had improved at all.
Note: I hope this chapter wasn't too boring. It was just a developing relationship between Squall and Laguna, just to show a little more on Laguna's character. He is really out of character though, but at least I got Squall, right! I hope….
Chapter 25 – The First Night Out
Time seemed to have passed by quickly than the rest of his years. He opened his eyes and found himself listening to footsteps somewhere in the kitchen, followed by familiar voices.
"I see you're awake," Edea spoke.
There was a moment of silence, immediately followed by heavy footsteps echoing the small hallway of the house. "I couldn't sleep."
Squall sighed and sat up from his makeshift bed. He quickly stood up and changed into a white t-shirt and dark blue jeans before heading for the kitchen where he found his Aunt and father sitting across from each other on the dining room table. As soon as he entered the kitchen, both adults turned to look at the young man. Laguna leaned back on his chair and frowned. "You know you shouldn't run off like that, Squall."
The brunette rolled his eyes and decided to stand by the hallway. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back on the wall. "Says who?"
"Your mother…" Laguna paused, and then added, "She's worried about you."
Squall pushed himself off the wall and began walking towards the dining room, set himself a plate for breakfast and sat down on a chair nearest to Edea. "That figures. I mean why would you be worried about me?" He scooped up some eggs and stuffed them in his mouth. There was a moment of silence, before Squall added, "Mom probably sent you. You would never go off on your own."
"Squall!" Edea said, glancing at Laguna.
Laguna let his lips form into a tight frown. He folded his arms across his chest and glared at him. "And what exactly do you mean by that, young man? Are you saying I don't care about my family?"
Squall looked up and stared at him straight in the eyes. "What if I am?" He knew he was saying the wrong things. He knew that Laguna cared about his family, but he was too angry to care at this point. If he hated something about his life, he blamed everyone else around him.
Angrily, the young mayor slammed a hand down on the table as hard as he could to get his son's attention. He suddenly stood up and leaned down so his eyes were at the same level as Squall's. Squall sat there, unnerved. "I DO care about my family, Squall! When will you realize that I have worked long and hard to get where I am now? Do you have any idea how hard I work just to feed you, your mother and your brother? When you have a family, Squall you will understand that!" He continued to stare into his son's eyes, before turning around. Laguna began walking away, but suddenly stopped when a shooting pain sprang up from his right leg. "UGGH! Dammit!" he swore underneath his breath. He felt his body sag to the ground. Laguna clutched at his leg and gritted his teeth in pain.
"Laguna!" Edea ran to his side quickly. "What on earth-!?" Squall slightly stood up from his chair, curiously wondering about his father.
The aging mayor shook his head, gently pushing Edea out of the way as he tried to stand up. "It's all right, Edea. This kind of thing happens a lot."
"A lot? If it happens a lot, why don't you let a Doctor see this!?" She helped him back up on his feet, but Laguna shook his head and replied, "I said I'll be fine, Edea. There's no need for you to be worried about me."
Edea shook her head in disbelief. "You really ARE like your father, Squall," she said, glancing at the startled young man sitting in the kitchen. "Both of you are really stubborn."
"How many times do I have to tell you!?" Squall suddenly stood up and slammed his two hands down on the table, startling both adults. "I AM NOT MY FATHER! AND I DON'T WISH TO BE!" He turned and began walking away, but not before Edea spoke her mind.
"You cannot deny that fact, Squall." She watched as her nephew frowned at her answer, before walking back into the room where he slept last night. When she was sure he was gone, Edea turned her attention towards Laguna. "Where were you planning on going, Laguna? Were you planning on leaving already after coming all the way here to get your son?"
Laguna didn't look at her, massaging his right leg. "You heard what he said… He doesn't want to be like me."
"He may say that, but it's impossible not to be," Edea replied. She grabbed his arm again and led him back to the kitchen. "Why don't you sit down… I have something I can give you which I think will help this."
"Help what?" Laguna asked, looking at the woman curiously.
But his question wasn't answered. Instead, she got up, went into her room and came back a minute later holding something in her hand. Edea pulled it up close to Laguna's face so he could see what it was and nodded. "I was going to give this as a Christmas present for Cid and Jason, but I think you need this more than me. Here…" She handed the item to Laguna.
Laguna took it from her hand and looked at it. "Two hockey tickets?" He looked up and stared at her confusingly.
Edea nodded. "Yes. This is what I got from my work and this ticket lasts for two months, which means you can watch a hockey game any time of day for those two months."
He lifted up a single eyebrow. "And?"
"And I think you should take yourself and Squall to the hockey game tonight! This will give you guys a chance to bond."
Laguna looked back down at the tickets, then back up at Edea again. Sighing, he handed the tickets back to the older woman. "I can't take this, Edea. It's very thoughtful that you're trying to help me and Squall get along, but I don't think a hockey game will help us bond together. He doesn't even like hockey…" He paused and added, "I don't even like hockey."
Edea smiled and pushed the tickets back to him. "Well, there's something you have in common. It's all right, Laguna. I don't mind giving this to you. I think that while you guys are here for a week, that you two should spend this time together!"
Laguna stared down at the tickets which found themselves back in his hands and frowned. "But…"
"It's all right," Edea said, interrupting Laguna's protest. "You need this more than Cid and Jason do."
******************
They stared and stared, unable to comprehend what was going on around them. People started screaming when a loud beeping sound made a noise that almost damaged his ears. The players in the ice embraced each other because they had scared against the other team, while the opposing team sighed in despair.
After a couple of seconds, the game resumed. One man in the blue team knocked down a player wearing the red uniform. Number 10, the man knocked down, quickly stood up, made a fuss about the whole thing and began pushing the blue uniformed man around. Then, another fight ensued.
Sighing slowly, he glanced at the figure sitting beside him. He folded his arms across his chest and frowned. "Why exactly are we here?" he asked, having to yell from the noise of the crowd.
Laguna glanced at his son and shrugged. "I don't know. I thought you liked hockey so I thought maybe we could watch this and bond."
Squall frowned. "I don't like hockey."
"Well neither do I, but this was also Edea's idea and she DID sacrifice the tickets for us," Laguna replied, making himself more comfortable on the uncomfortable seat. He glanced at his son and noticed that he now felt guilty.
Squall turned to look at him. "She did?" he asked, quite surprised by his answer.
Laguna nodded. "These tickets must have cost her a fortune," he said mostly to himself because Squall's ears were too plugged due to the noise in the crowd. However, the young teen knew exactly what he was saying because he was thinking the same thing.
There was another loud horn that blew and suddenly many people around them all stood up and booed, hollered or just called their opposing team names. Squall and Laguna glanced at each other. "You know what… Let's go," Laguna said, standing up now.
Squall was actually relieved to hear his father say that. Copying Laguna, he followed him back up the stairs to the main building and down towards the entrance of the stadium. It was until they were completely out that Laguna finally said, "I'm sure she'll understand that we had to leave the game early."
The young brunette shrugged. "I think she will too."
After that, they were silent. They stood there, in the cold, dark outside, wondering what the other was thinking. They were both thinking of something to say at this point. It wasn't until they heard a car in the distance, driving pass them did one of them say anything. "I'll bet you want to go Italian don't you?" Laguna asked, glancing at his son.
Squall's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know that?"
Laguna turned away and smiled. "I am your father Squall. I never forget these things about my family." He took a long deep breath, stuffed his hands in his jacket pocket, then turned and began walking down the street to their right. "I'll take you to the Italian restaurant that your mother and I first met in."
The young brunette said nothing, instead, he followed his father towards that same street, straight a few blocks and to a small building. This building was indeed small and had the structures of an Italian look, but only with a large neon sign over the canopy saying, "Venito Restaurante." When they got there, they both stopped in front of the restaurant. Laguna stared at the building as if remembering some thing in his memories and smiled dreamily. "I was standing right in this spot, trying to figure out what to say to my blind date."
"Mom was your blind date?" He couldn't help but stare shockingly at his father.
Laguna laughed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, yeah in a way. But she wasn't really my blind date…" He paused, making Squall confused and quite curious. "Edea was uh…my blind date."
Squall couldn't believe his ears. Did he really date his Aunt? What on earth?
The older man shook his head. "It's not what you think. I didn't really date her. You see, your Uncle Cid and I went to the same college so basically we were like best friends. There were four of us who were good friends; myself, Cid, Kiros and Ward. Cid liked Edea, but I was in love with your mother. The girls didn't know us, so Kiros had this weird idea to call up on these girls and set up a blind date with two 'eligible bachelors' from their campus. Of course, Edea and Raine had no idea who it was. They just knew Kiros as their smart Science classmate and a good friend, so they decided to take up on the offer. There was a little mix up with the dates. Kiros was supposed to set me up with Raine and Cid with Edea, but instead, I was set up on a blind date with Edea. I found out from there that she liked Cid too and that Raine liked me. Edea and I talked for a while and about half an hour later, your mother and your Uncle came into this restaurant along with Kiros, apologizing for his mistake. Cid and Edea left to continue their date, while your mother and I…well- continued ours."
Squall said nothing. What was he supposed to say? This was some mushy story he didn't really care about listening to. What did his father expect him to say… all starry eyed and interested in their love life? "So? What do you want me to say about this?" To be honest, his father acted like a woman sometimes. And… his stomach growled. All this talk was holding up the food he needed for his stomach.
Laguna shrugged and then smiled. "Well, that doesn't matter now. I was just remembering some old memories of mine. Let's go eat… my treat!"
The brunette shrugged. "Whatever…" he said, following his father inside.
They ended up sitting in the farthest corner, near the windows which Laguna chose for his own convenience. Squall couldn't care less. All he wanted was something to eat and then go home. But then again…The young brunette glanced at his father, who was seemed to be in a trance as he stared out the window. Squall figures he was probably remembering his 'good' memories. If only he could say the same thing about his memories, but there was none. None anyway, that involved his father. All his good memories were back in Seattle with Rinoa, but they are now faded ones. Now, he was forgetting why he was here in the first place.
"Why do you hate me so much, Squall?" came Laguna's sudden question.
Squall looked up, shocked beyond words. He turned away and frowned, unable to say anything. There are many things for him that described 'hate' and he wasn't about to reveal that to his father.
Laguna sighed. He put down his menu and looked at his son. "Do you have any idea how many times I've asked myself that question, Squall? I've asked myself almost twice a day about why you hate me so much. I don't know what I did, except the fact that I haven't been paying attention to you lately. Is that what you want from me? Do you want me to pay more attention to you?"
"Not just me, dad…Cloud too."
Laguna shook his head. "No… I don't think this is about Cloud. I think this is more about you."
Angered by his comment, Squall slammed his hands down on the table as hard as he could, showing him that he was THAT angry about his response. "You don't KNOW what I think! You don't know who I AM!" Many people were looking at them now and Squall knew, but he didn't care.
"That's enough, Squall!" Laguna yelled back.
When Squall noticed the way his father was looking around nervously, afraid that he could get a bad name, he shook his head in disbelief. "What, am I ruining your reputation as a Mayor of Seattle now?"
"Well, that's not exactly what I was thinking. Please sit down and let's discuss this like adults. You're making a scene!" He grabbed his son's arm and forced him back down on the chair. Squall, reluctantly sat down, keeping his face as frowned as possible.
Laguna leaned closer to him, his face now stern and frustrated. "Look, Squall, I've had enough with this attitude of yours. Why else do you think I took you out tonight? I've noticed that I haven't been spending time with you so I thought this was our chance to renew our relationship." Squall said nothing, as Laguna continued on. He leaned back on his chair and sighed. "Squall, there are children who need me more than you. These children lost their parents, their homes, either by abuse, or just form of abandonment. These last few days I've been helping build an orphanage and it took me months to finally complete it. There are hundreds of children trying to find their way home in the streets. Now, you tell me if you need me more than these children… tell me, Squall."
"Well, aren't you just a Saint," Squall mocked. He stood up suddenly and said, "I'm going to the bathroom."
This time, Laguna didn't tell him to sit back down, instead, he watched his son go. At this time, a waiter came at their table, asking for their orders. Laguna sighed and looked up, telling the young waiter his order. Squall wasn't there, so Laguna took this opportunity to prove to his son that he was his father and that he would never forget everything about his son. "My son would like lasagna," Laguna told the waiter.
The waiter nodded, took the menus and went on his way to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Squall was inside the bathroom, trying to understand what his father just said. He turned on the faucet in the sink and splashed cold water in his face. He glanced up and stared at himself in the mirror. He didn't know why he even bothered to come with his father, when he knew that this would happen. Their conversation always ended with an argument, because of his father's lectures or whatnot. And Squall knew that he himself always made their conversation worst by giving his father an attitude. 'Now, tell me if you need me more than these children…tell me, Squall,' his father's voice spoke in his head. How was he supposed to respond to that? If he at least said something, it would come out wrong and he would end up being the bad guy in the conversation. If he didn't say anything, which he did, his father would ask the same question and then he would be forced to answer. Well…he had no other choice. Taking a long deep breath, Squall left the public restroom, with his hands stuffed in his pockets and began making his way back to where they were seated near the window. At the sound of his footsteps, Laguna immediately looked up, grinning like an idiot.
Squall sat back down on his spot across from his father and noticed something different. "Where are the menus?"
Laguna nodded. "The waiter took them."
"But I wasn't done ordering."
"Yes, you are," Laguna replied. "I ordered it for you."
Suddenly, he was feeling heat rising up in his face. "How do you know what I wanted?" He clenched his fists at his sides, getting ready to burst out in anger.
"Just because I haven't spent my time with you, doesn't mean I don't know what you like. Squall, I know you like simple things, so I ordered lasagna for you."
Startled, Squall unclenched his fists and stared at his father unbelievably. He WAS going to order lasagna. Fuming, he turned his head away from his father and looked out the window. The winter chills were starting to cover the city. Many people were bundled up in their thick, winter jackets, their necks all wrapped with wooly scarves and winter hats. One girl was wearing tight clothes- not the type for winter, but she was the only one he found useful to occupy his thoughts. He was just about to get over the fact that he hadn't consented on ordering lasagna, when he suddenly spoke.
"So, do you need me more than these children, Squall? You haven't really answered my question." He clamped his hands together and gave his son a serious look.
If there was one thing he knew a lot about his father, it was his persistency. Squall thought a bit more, then finally shook his head and that was all he did. He just shook his head, turned away and said nothing. Laguna knew it wasn't the right time to push him with the subject. It was time to enjoy the dinner that was making its way to their table.
****************
The rest of their 'night out' was left with silence between father and son. Laguna and Squall drove back to town and back to Edea's home. "Hi!" Edea greeted from the kitchen. She turned off the sink faucet and joined the two just making their way inside. She smiled, but suddenly frowned when she saw Squall's face. "What's wrong?"
Squall looked up and scowled. "Everything's wrong!" He walked pass Edea and went inside his cousin's bedroom and slammed the door shut. When he was sure he was inside, Edea looked at Laguna curiously. "What happened?"
Laguna turned to look at the room where Squall disappeared to and sighed. "I guess our first night out wasn't exactly eventful as I hoped it would be. I don't know what to do with him, Edea. I did the best I could, but I end up just making him angrier."
Edea planted a gentle hand on Laguna's shoulder. "It's all about patience, Laguna. Just be patient and I'm sure Squall will get it together and understand."
Sighing heavily, Laguna turned towards the table beside the couch where a telephone sat. "I forgot to call Raine. She must be worried by now." He reached for the phone and dialed their house number back in Seattle. With only just two rings, a woman's voice answered on the other line. "Hello, sweetheart?"
"Laguna! You forgot to call me, I was so worried! When did you get there!?" Raine's voice really sounded like she was on a verge of hysteria.
"Calm down, Raine."
"Calm down!? How can I calm down when my son goes off to Washington D.C., then followed by my husband and doesn't even call! Why didn't you call!?" There was a sudden noise, which sounded more like a sniff, telling Laguna that Raine was now crying.
"Please don't cry, honey. I arrived late yesterday and I decided to take out Squall out tonight to do some bonding time. I'm fine, see? I called you didn't I? Squall is just fine too!"
"You called twenty four hours late, Laguna!" Raine said angrily. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. Laguna could hear some shuffling in the background on the other line. This told him, she must've sat down on a couch to calm her nerves. "I'm sorry. I was just worried."
Laguna shook his head absentmindedly. "I know you were, don't apologize. I'm an idiot for not calling. We just got back from dinner."
"And?" Raine asked, eager to hear if their relationship had improved at all.
Note: I hope this chapter wasn't too boring. It was just a developing relationship between Squall and Laguna, just to show a little more on Laguna's character. He is really out of character though, but at least I got Squall, right! I hope….