Splatters of Lust

Time crawled by like the ants that formed their little kingdoms in the dirt around the shrubbery in the Quad. Selphie and Irvine had finally become settled in their relationship. The foolish fights, the angry spats, and constant bickering become a faint memory of their past and they became comfortable with each other. Everyone truly accepted the fact that they were a steady, serious couple and agreed that the two genuinely loved each other. Selphie no longer concerned herself about other women or the few remaining cynics. She had newfound feelings that she was forced to confront in her own mind.

The blushing virgin soon found that she blushed less and less as her and Irvine got more and more physical. After time, it felt more than just right. It just felt… She couldn't even find the words to describe it. He had learned to accept that he had to be gentle and sweet with her, that he had to handle her like a porcelain doll. But as the days crept onward and the kisses deepened, Selphie found herself wanting more and more of Irvine.

And these feelings scared her. There were so many responsibilities when it came to becoming that physical with another human being, was she ready to accept them all? She was so unsure, so afraid. What if something happened? What if she got pregnant? What if she thought she was ready, and later she realized she wasn't as ready as she had thought she was? What if it changed their relationship in a bad way? What if it tore them apart, instead of bringing them closer, like she wanted it to?

But she loved Irvine so much, with all her heart, that she knew a moment would come when they would take their relationship even further, and give themselves entirely to each other, both emotionally and physically. She could only hope for the best of such a moment…

Two years had slipped by so fast, and so much had changed. The world was so different than it had been in their younger days. The Garden seemed to grow smaller and smaller, and they knew every inch of it like they knew themselves. Faces grew so familiar that they felt like family. But still, everything had changed. The world built up around them, and Balamb City went from a quiet ocean town to a bustling city. It wasn't long before the former orphanage gang began to realize that their lives were pushing them away from their home and towards separate lives.

Rinoa had lost her selfish, childish ways, and she, too, entered a life of politics like her father, and like Squall's father. She won Timber's independence and pushed the thriving city to become more than it had ever been. Zell opened up his own martial arts school in Balamb City and his small business flourished quickly. Quistis had returned to teaching and helped run the Garden alongside the new headmaster, Squall. And even Irvine and Selphie found their lives pulling them away from the Garden, a place they never could have imagined leaving.

Edea offered them the orphanage, believing that it was time it was passed onto more able hands. Many tears followed Selphie as she and Irvine packed up their belongings and moved all the way to the orphanage. But they never remained far from home. They visited often and kept in constant contact with their friends. And Selphie and Irvine grew more and more in love with each other.

They worked together to rebuild the orphanage together, morphing and molding it into their perfect home. And the feelings of doubt still crept into Selphie's mind as the moment grew closer and closer…

"Selphie, baby, will you hand me that paint brush?" Irvine asked, kneeling down in front of the living room wall, stirring the paint with one hand, the other stretched out in her direction. She smiled and lifted the paint brush from the paint bucket, its bristles dripping with a soft yellow paint, her favorite color.

"Which brush?" She questioned, with a giggle. "This one?" And she dragged the paint covered brush across his hand, and he yelped. She dropped the brush, erupting into a fit of giggles. He turned and looked at her and his paint covered hand, a grin across his face.

"Oh, you're so funny, aren't you?" He jumped up and scooped her up in his arms, and finger-painted on her cheeks as she giggled and squealed. Finally they fell to the floor, breathing heavy, still laughing. "I love you, Selphie." He whispered, sitting beside her, taking her hand in his. "I really do." She smiled back at him, her thumb rubbing over his knuckles ever so gently.

"I love you too." Selphie felt his grip tighten on her hand and he leaned forward, gently placing a kiss onto her lips. He seemed to test her, swiping the gentlest kisses across her lips, before deepening the kiss. The soft scent of paint mingled in with his cologne and Selphie felt herself growing intoxicated with the feel of Irvine's mouth on hers. Her heart thudded in her throat as he lay down on the floor beside her, his hand leaving her grasp, to slip around her waist pulling her in for a deeper and more passionate kiss. Was this it? Was this the moment that she had spent so many hours contemplating over?

The anxiety began to burn deep within her, but she soon pushed it away. What was there to be nervous about? This moment, if it was indeed the moment, was theirs to share together. She trusted him in every possible way, and she knew that she couldn't imagine spending her life with anyone other than him. If she was to share this moment with any one person, it would be him or no one. And if there were consequences to suffer through as a result of this one precious moment she would share with him, at least she could be sure that they would suffer through them together.

His shirt slipped off and she ran her fingers down the muscles in his chest, savoring every inch of him. The kisses became frantic, hurried and sloppy as they struggled with each other's clothes, desperate to lay bare the raw feelings they had deep within them. Their breathing grew heavy and she whispered his name into his ear, and he whispered her name back. Their heartbeats matched beat for beat, as their pulses quickened and their skin flushed. And then she knew the moment was here.

They reached the second when their next move would take them to a new level of their relationship, a new level of maturity and responsibility, and a new level of closeness. They both hesitated, unsure, and nervous. Irvine brushed his hair from his eyes, gasping for air, and he stared down into Selphie's emerald eyes, the eyes he so often loved to get lost in.

"Baby… I love you… But… Are you sure?" He murmured, kissing her ever so gently and running his fingers through her silky chestnut hair. "I don't want to hurt you… And if you're not ready, we can wait! I just… I just don't want to mess up with you, baby… You mean everything to me…" Selphie laughed, and let all her inhibitions, anxieties and fears slip away. This moment was theirs, this moment was now.

"Irvine, I love you, too."

She kissed his lips and they stumbled into a world they had never known before, a world of beauty and love, a world that they would explore together. And their relationship was pushed to a new level, a level they faced with understanding and care. There were no consequences to be faced, only that they loved each other more and were more attentive. Their love had finally matured, and could fully blossom into what it had been meant to be. Splatters of light, love and lust stained their relationship in such beautiful ways, and Irvine soon learned that he wanted nothing more than to make Selphie his wife.