His Second Childhood
By: Selim
Summary: When Squall returned from Time Compression, he wasn't himself anymore. Now he must grow up again, but would having his father in his life the second time make any difference? Squall doubts it, but time has never been on his side.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII. I am not making any profit off this piece of fiction.
Rating: T

He'd seen images of the boy all over the news, especially considering who his adoptive father was, but he never dreamt that the same child would be sitting at his table with a fist full of macaroni. To be honest, it reminded him of a simpler time when he and Squall actually could stand each other's presence long enough to have long conversations about what the instructor had done. Rubbing his ragged chin, Seifer dropped the wash rag he'd been using to clean up a spill his houseguest had made in the sink.

"You got your fill?"

"'Ater."

"Huh?"

"Can I have some water?"

Smirking, Seifer reached for the cupboard where'd he stored chipped glasses from work. Reaching for the one vividly imprinted for 'Galbadia Rum: The Commander's Choice! He tapped his foot playfully. "Do you have the ability to have some water?"

Squall scowled, his bottom lip protruding. "May I have some water, asshole?"

"Do you kiss your father with that mouth?" Seifer snickered, filling the cup with tap water. He had to wait a few seconds with the tap running, since the first drops were pure rust. "It'll have a weird aftertaste." He warned, placing the glass in front of Squall.

Grabbing the glass between two sticky hands, Squall took a big gulp and stuck his tongue out in distaste before taking three more gulps. He must have been thirsty, Seifer noted. When he'd found his old friend burrowed in trash, his first thought was another adoptive parent thrown out one of his beloved brothers and sisters, but considering the well-dressed nature of Squall and his tear stained cheeks, the blonde realized that instead Squall had broken under the pressure of having a family.

"So…" Seifer dropped in a lawn chair opposite of Squall. "…What brings you to my humble abroad?"'

Squall turned away, grabbing his fork in an awkward hold. He ate for a while before taking a smaller drink of his rust-flavored water. "I don't know anymore."

"Really?" Seifer raised a brow. "Because you certainly scared the shit out of my boss. He thought that I'd kidnapped you or something, oh presidential son. Great grab by the way, best an orphan can do."

Squall's eyes shifted away again. "I don't know what to do anymore. He's my father, Seifer. My actual father!" Seifer felt his heart jump at this. At one point he and Squall had attempted an extensive search for their biological parents but never came up with anything. That stupid child placement service always failed where it mattered most. "I'm not ready to have a father. Or a mother. Or…I want to go back to the way things were!"

"Squall…" Seifer licked his dry lips. "You were just as unhappy at Balamb as I was. Do you really want to go back?"

"At least I knew what was expected of me! Work for pay, die in battle. Our lives were laid out and now I have to worry about where I'm going to be taking a nap! I don't want this! Can't you get Ultimacia or someone to just finish me off!" Squall threw his fork to the floor in rage. Seifer groaned at the splatter left behind.

So that's what had happened. He had a feeling Ultimacia wasn't going to die in peace. "Does it look like I work for her? I'm sorry, let me get my servants to clean that mess up. Garden scum! Clean this mess up! You dare defy me! Do you know who I am! I am Seifer Almasy, the Sorceress' Knight!" Chest puffed forward to look bigger, Seifer finally exhaled returning to his slump defeated posture. "She fucked all of us over, Squall."

"Some more than others," Squall snorted.

"Thank you for noticing my situation. Promised fame and respect, I received infamy and scorn. Chased from my own home by my own family I work as a bartender in the day but at night, low and behold, I am Knightman, Hero of the People (unlike a certain SeeD currently destroying my secret lair) ! Saving lost children from the streets of Esthar, the zit on Hyne's as-ah!"

At some point during his speech, he'd climbed on his lawn furniture, giving himself stature he needed to be the hero he proclaimed only to have the already wobbly seat give out under his weight. With a startled yell, he crashed to the floor where, minutes later, a sound of tapping from the apartment under was heard.

From the table, Squall squealed in delight, clapping his hands as he laughed. From the floor, Seifer felt a smile take his face. The first honest one he'd been able to give since his whole misadventure had started. There's the boy I once knew. "You think that's funny?" Throwing himself up, he grabbed Squall, tackling the boy to the ground in a fury of tickles.The things I do to make puberty boy happy.

Laguna had never run so fast in his life. Being chased by a Ruby Dragon was nothing compared to getting a frantic call from the people he trusted his son's life with. He couldn't comprehend how fifteen grown women could lose one child, but then he remembered that it was his nineteen-year-old son who'd ran away and not one of the other children. Squall could survive out on the streets for several days if left to his own devices. The thing that scared Laguna, however, was the fact that it was his son who had disappeared.

Because as much as he was loved by the people of Esthar as their president, he still had political enemies that wanted him out of office.

The first woman he saw when he made it to the daycare center was the owner, a sweet woman he may have thought of dating his youth. "Mrs. Goma! Where is my son?" He stopped short of her, his upper body dropping as he fought to catch his breath.

"Most of the girls are out looking for him, Mr. President. I am so sorry this happened, Sarah had thought he was tired since he was throwing tantrums three hours ago and when she went to check on him later, he was gone. That was two hours ago. We've been looking since."

"He's been missing for three hours?" Laguna hissed. "Why did you tell me this sooner?" He could have joined them in their search. He was, at that time, on his lunch break. Now he was missing an important meeting with the chief engineer for the invisible gate around Esthar.

"We didn't want to alarm you—"

"He could be anywhere now!" Laguna screamed. A warm hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality, turning his head to stare over at Kiros. "Kiros they—"

"Squall wouldn't have gotten far. I've already ordered the transporters leaving to the Fisherman Horizon halfway point be checked, the loading bay is being turned upside down, all gates are being monitored as well. He's still in Esthar."

Taking a deep, ragged breath, Laguna pushed hair from his face. "We've just learned about it Kiros. If Squall doesn't want to be found, he's trained not to be." He ignored the confused look from the childcare provider. "The only other place I could think of him going, I doubt he's at."

"If there's a possibility," Kiros whispered, "it should be checked."

"How far from here is Haine's Pub?" Laguna looked over at the woman. "I know there's an access point here to walk to downtown Esthar."

"Why would he be at a pub?" Kiros frowned. "He couldn't drink then he certainly can't drink now."

"He wouldn't have gone for a pint, Kiros. Where's Ward? He usually knows the way. We've always just got there from Market, never from First District. Seifer," Laguna glowered, "he works there. If he of walked this street at some point, Squall would have seen him. He's always at the gate when I come get him…"

The woman rubbed her chin. "Squall seemed more interested in the gate today. He usually leaves the gate alone until fourteen hundred, when you usually come back. He was people watching. We didn't think too much of it, he's such a quiet child to begin with so we just assumed he was trying to understand his new environment. He might have seen someone or…" The woman went pale, "or someone could have seen him. Oh goodness, no one's checked the window for tampering. I mean. It was open and…" She was starting to hyperventilate.

"Relax." Laguna pulled his portable communicator out. "I'm not going to report you or anything. I doubt Squall was kidnapped and if he sets his mind to something, he'll outsmart anyone. I thought he was behaving too friendly to be normal. Manipulative little bugger." The last sentence was said to himself as he gazed off. "Ward, how do I get to Haine's Pub?"

Kiros rubbed his temples. "Laguna, he's mute. What do you expect a response over…"

"Right, thanks man." Hanging up, Laguna smiled. "He said go into downtown, turn left two blocks down and a right where there's another underground path. Let's go!" The man started up ahead. Kiros just shook his head and followed after. "I'm starting to wonder if I can do this, Kiros."

"Do what?" The dark skinned man glanced over.

"Raise him by myself. I'm almost fifty. How am I supposed to rough it out with him when he hits his teens?"

Chuckling, Kiros shook his head. "I doubt you'll have to physically fight him." He sobered up quickly, a shift of his arms told Laguna that his friend was grabbing his katars from their protective sheathes under all his robes. It always made him feel weak when Kiros became his bodyguard, a reminder of his change from foot soldiers to politician. It had taken him months to get into the wave of not needing his gun but Kiros had never gotten over that fear. "Do you think he'd of seen Seifer? Out of the millions of people he had to find Seifer so suddenly?"

"Squall's only thoughts are of himself and Seifer. Damn if he wouldn't have followed Seifer to hell just to drag him back." Laguna stopped short of an intersection. His blue eyes darkened. "I know it sounds like I am grasping straws, but I'd rather he be looking for Seifer. Found Seifer than being found by Nagumi or Uysa." Old secretaries of Adel's regime, they were his biggest adversaries to that day. One or the other was always vying against him in elections or publically chastising his laws. They were, perhaps, the biggest thorns in his side.

"I'm sure they wouldn't sink that low." Kiros shook his head. "That is so juvenile. I'm sure he just went for a walk or something. Maybe he's on his way back to the presidential palace as we speak."

"…" Laguna smirked, continuing forward. "Haine's Pub. We should become back after Squall goes to sleep."

"You have a meeting in the morning, you always hit The Commander hard."

"You're such a killjoy." Laguna pushed open the door, his eyes scanning the floor quickly. Besides a couple of residential drunks, the bar was empty. Stepping down into the room, the president approached the fixing table where the familiar Haine's stocked the shelves. It was one of the reasons why Laguna and his friends had been here before, the fact that although the place wasn't as top notch as the one above level, Haine's sold a brew made in his own shop. With several variants of the brew, there was always one for every person. He also, however, sold a variety of more known brands.

The man nearly dropped a small pint when he saw Laguna. "Mr. President!"

"Relax, I'm looking—"

"He, he…Seifer's a good boy, no matter what my wife says. Please don't have him carted off. I trust that he just found your kid, I…"

Holding up his hands, Laguna laughed. "I guess you know why I'm here then. See, I told you this was a good place to check!" Kiros rolled his eyes. "Where'd they go?"

"Up to his apartment, it's on the third floor above my apartments. It was my wife's idea," the man chuckled, "to help people on the streets. Seifer is renting it. He's a good boy."

Nodding, Laguna looked towards a small walkway leading towards the upper apartments. The upstairs ended with a ladder leading up towards an attic apartment. Groaning, Laguna pulled himself up to a ledge. "You stay down there, Kiros." The dark skinned man gave his friend an annoyed look before a Galbadian salute was exchange. Smiling, Laguna returned it before climbing to his feet. It was a narrow space, causing him to have to duck his head, but the patchwork along the modeling proved that the room, or apartment, was at least slightly higher.

Rapping his knuckles across the thin door, Laguna jumped when he was responded to with a squeal of delight. It felt almost foreign and yet familiar at the same time. Squall's voice, he finally realized. Squall's laughter. Annoyed, the brunette tried again. After what felt like an eternity, the door was opened before slammed shut again. "Damn it, Almasy! I'm not here for your head!"

"I won't go back!"

"Open up, Seifer!" Laguna beat on the door. The door opened again and Squall was pushed out, surprised as can be as the door was shut and latched. Dropping to his knee, Laguna grabbed Squall's shoulders to look over the boy. He looked feed, if the crusted cheese on his face was anything to go by. "You scared me…"

Squall shifted.

"Squall, you have to promise me you won't run away again."

"You knew."

"Huh?"

Squall's gray-blue eyes were narrowed in distaste. "You found this place really easy. You knew where he was." It was Laguna's turn to look away, feeling shamed. Tiny fist tightened before Squall turned to the door beating it frantically. Surprisingly enough, the door opened and the boy was tugged. Again the door was slammed shut, locking Laguna out.

Taking a deep breath, Laguna sat on the ground. Pulling his communicator out, the man pressed it to his ear. Ward wouldn't be happy but there was no way he was going to be able to make it back.

Back pressed against the door, Laguna rubbed his temples. Today had not been his day. "So, I'm guessing you already know who that is." It was said mostly to himself, but he received a grunt from inside the room. "Look, Squall. I knew he was here, but he obviously doesn't want to be found. Couldn't you respect that wish?" He didn't hear anything from inside, not even the shuffling of people. "Look, Squall. If this isn't going to work out, just tell me."

"Let me just take care of myself."

"You can't do that Squall." His head fell against the cool wood. "You need help."

"Let me stay with Seifer then."

"…I don't want him." Seifer snorted. "He'd eat me out of house and home."

"Seifer!"

Laguna stifled his own laugh. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Squall, you're my son and I'm starting to really want to raise you like a father. My reluctance is gone, that's why I was so scared when I heard you'd run away. I thought you were kidnapped for crying out loud. Do you know how many guards I sent looking for you? Squall…I was actually worried that something bad had happened to you."

"I don't want to go there." Squall finally whispered, placing his demands on the table. "I want to stay at home."

Home? Laguna's eyes widened. Squall considering the condo his home was always a good step towards normalcy. "I can't leave you there alone and you already chased away all the nannies."

"I won't chase away the next. Just…don't make me go back. It's demeaning. I tried, Laguna. I can't be a child. I can't use holophrases. I can't sing songs about colors. I can't think of things on a scale of black and white to avoid questions about where I came from. Let me stay at home."

Grabbing a fist full of hair, Laguna closed his eyes. He had to admit, putting Squall in that daycare had only been a method for him to get alone time. He was so tired of being called by nannies persistently demanding he control his bundle of energy. That and there was no one else to call. Squall's name had spread around. The boy was considered a lost cause. "I can't take you with me to work."

"…Let me take care of him."

"What?" Father and son exclaimed at once.

The door opened, causing Laguna to fall back. From his place on the ground, Laguna could only watch in amazement at Seifer's stern face. "Let me…watch over Puberty Boy. It's my fault he's in this state."

Pushing himself on his elbows, Laguna sighed. "It's no one but Ultimacia's fault, boy. I was serious when I said that I wouldn't sic Squall on you. No crime is worth that punishment. I won't send you to Balamb or Galbadia or…I won't send you anywhere out west. Esthar isn't as…trying against the knights. Or rather, they're mystical creatures. No much is known about you, Almasy. Not in Esthar. You're salvation is here until the news cools out there." His frowned, watching his son. Squall shifted nervously. "Squall." The boy looked away. "Squall, if you have to pee just say so."

"It's this way…" Seifer led the boy into a small room with just a toilet. Squall disappeared, door shutting behind him. "There's a lot different about him."

Laguna nodded. "He's changed. I don't want you to involve yourself and watch his condition deteriorate or something."

"Deteriorate?"

"Yes," said Laguna as he pulled himself to his feet. Brushing his knees, Laguna moved over to a lawn chair, mindful of one already broken in the middle of the tiny studio apartment. "I-"

He quieted as the door opened and Squall walked out, face stained with tears. His lap was equally as wet. Seifer's jaw dropped. "I…I…I couldn't get up…" Squall wrapped his arms around Laguna's waist.

"Sh. Sh. I'll have Kiros run back to the daycare and get your bags. Come here." Laguna picked Squall up, ignore the hot wetness pressing against him. Carrying the boy to the sink, the president set the boy on the only free counter. Faucet on, he waited for the water to clear up before dabbing his fingers under the faucet. "Do you have a rag, Almasy?"

"Um, yea." Seifer reached through a bag, pulling out a blue field towel. Taking it, Laguna returned to Squall, working on cleaning his tear stained face. "Do you want me to get this Kiros or…?"

"Yes, please call him. He's downstairs." Seifer nodded, disappearing for a few seconds. He returned trailed by the dark skinned man, already carrying a dark blue bag.

"The search was called off," Kiros explained, dropping the bag on the table. "We collected his things. You gave us quite a scare." He ran his hand through the boy's messy hair. Squall growled, kicking at him. "Hasn't had a nap, I'm guessing."

"Probably not. Hands up, Squall." The boy did as he was instructed, mumbling that he didn't need help cleaning up. He didn't fight it however as he was pull from his clothes and cleaned appropriately before redressed, dressed in training pads rather than underwear. Stuffing the soiled clothes in the backpack, Laguna hefted Squall into his arms carefully rocking him. The room remained silent, all eyes on the scene as Laguna carefully moved towards Seifer's cot silently asking if he could use it. Seifer nodded.

Instead of immediately dumping Squall, Laguna continued walking around. His hand tapped Squall's padded bottom as he rocked until he finally stopped at the bed and carefully placed the sleeping child down. "He changes, Seifer. When he's tired or hungry, or even just agitated. It's becoming more and more frequent and he isn't aware of it."

Seifer's gaze remained fixed on Squall, sucking his thumb as he slept. "Please let me help."

"What?"

"He wants normalcy of his own. He wants something to be the same. Let me be selfish and take care of him when he needs it. I can change my schedule and stay with him during your work hours – free of charge. Please, President Loire. He's…he was my brother, my friend…I can't just leave. Not again. If what you say is true and he slowly is really becoming a child, let me stay in Squall Leonheart's final days. Please, you can send me to trials after that."

Laguna bit his lip, unsure what to say. Taking Seifer in to help Squall might make the boy happy but he still had so many foreign troops in Esthar. News could spread, wars could start…

"Let him, Laguna."

Jumping, the man turned to his friend. "But…"

"You said Squall was only thinking of him, well let your son have his last request. He wants Almasy – alive. He wants his last friend. He might never get to see the others again, it wouldn't be right to let his last memories of his oldest friend be those of war. I'd certainly of hated my last memories of you being you're smiling face after throwing Ward and I off the cliff."

"…I was just helping." Laguna smiled. "Fine." Seifer perked up. "But I'm not paying your therapist afterwards."

"I understand."

"Oh no, you don't." Kiros chuckled.