Squall was speechless.
Not many would notice, since he wasn't the most talkative man in the first place. Still, most of the time, he simply chose to be silent. This time, he just didn't know what to say.
His mouth hung open as he stared at the man in front of him. He… He had to be joking. There was no way…
And yet it explained so much…
"You're serious about this?" He finally spoke.
He almost felt pity for Laguna. The older man looked so nervous… Well, Squall couldn't blame him. If he had had to make a revelation like that…
"My father. You're serious," He stated, barely coming to terms with the information.
"I… I didn't know until I saw you," Laguna admitted, "I knew that Raine had a son, but I didn't know where…" He was looking down at the ground uncomfortably, "Ellone knew the whole time, but I just didn't know where to find you. And when I did… I just didn't know what to say…"
Squall sat down on a nearby bench—they were in a quiet part of Esthar, where Laguna had asked to meet him earlier that day—took a deep breathe, and exhaled it slowly. He knew that Laguna had been hiding something from him, but he never would have guessed…
As long as he could remember, he'd been an orphan. He'd been told that his mother was dead, and that no one knew where his father was. He'd always imagined that his father either didn't know about him, or just didn't want the responsibility.
It was comforting, to know that Laguna had made a real effort to find him. He wasn't an abandoned child anymore. He felt he could get used to the idea of having a father who cared about him. It was just so strange and foreign right now…
"I wanted to be there for you," Laguna continued, oblivious to Squall's thoughts, "Ellone was like a daughter to me, but I'd always wondered how I'd fair with my own kid… Heh… I guess I didn't fair too well. I wouldn't have even met you if Ellone hadn't stepped in…"
Is he going to start rambling? Squall questioned, and was answered when Laguna continued:
"I was always thinking: You know, when I find him, I'll be able to do all those father-son things I see other families do. I could take him fishing, play ball, teach him Triple Triad… I could help with his love life—"
"Oi!" Squall cut in, standing up, "Are you going to shut up any time soon?"
Now it was Laguna's turn to stare agape. He looked almost hurt, which made Squall realize how harsh a tone he'd had.
He thought for a moment before speaking again, "My mother must have been pretty quiet. I definitely didn't take it from your side."
Relief flooded Laguna's face—his father's face—as he let out a laugh. Well, it was never too late to start bonding with your family, after all.