Authors note: Hey everyone! As usual I don't own any of the characters featured in this story as Squaresoft do ;o) Anyway, I hope you like it, R + R if you get chance, thanks!
Oh yeah and this story takes place after the game at the end party...
THIRTY - FIVE GIL AND A PIECE OF GUM...
Irvine watched as the small girl with the flipped up hair and sparkling green eyes danced about on the dance floor with Zell. He couldn't deny it, he loved her. This had never happened to him before. He had always had loads of women surrounding him; beautiful, slim, intelligent, you name it, all willing to go out with him - but he never loved a single one of them. Selphie however, was different... Special. Casually, Irvine walked over to the couple as the DJ began to play a new song.
"Mind if I cut in?" Irvine asked Zell.
"Go ahead but be warned, she steps all over your toes!" Zell grinned and winked at Selphie. She punched him lightly in the chest.
"Don't listen to him Irvy! I'm the dancing queen!" She used Irvine's arm to twirl herself around. Zell rolled his eyes and sauntered off.
"'Course you are Sef," he reached for her hand and put his other arm around her waist.
"You okay? You look a bit sad. Is it cos everything's over...?" Selphie looked up into his eyes, concern written all over her face. 'Maybe she does care about me...' Irvine hoped. He sighed deeply.
"I dunno what's gonna happen next. I dunno where I'm gonna go..."
"You can stay here at Balamb Garden, silly!" Selphie stopped dancing and held his gaze, "you're part of us now - part of a team - You can't just leave!"
"Whoa! I'm not leavin' just yet."
"You're not leaving at all..." Selphie said in the strictest voice she could muster.
"Okay, okay!" Irvine held up his arms in surrender, "hey Selphie... I've got something to show you..." He took her hand and lead her towards the Quad doors. Selphie raised her left eyebrow suspiciously.
"Yeah, yeah... I bet you use that line on ALL the girls!" Selphie giggled, "can I borrow your hat again, pleeease?"
"Hmmm... What's it worth?" Irvine teased. Selphie searched her dress pockets.
"Um, thirty-five gil and a piece of gum...?" She grinned. Irvine shook his head and gently placed his hat on her head.
"Why do you like it so much anyway?"
"'Cos I'm a cowgirl. Yee hah!" Selphie did a mock - lasso impression. Irvine laughed.
"So, like, what did ya wanna show me?" Selphie looked at him innocently. Irvine stopped in his tracks by the outside Quad fountain. He reluctantly placed both hi hands on her shoulders.
"Wow... This looks serious..." Selphie said grimly.
"It's not a question of what I want to show you... It's more... I need to tell you something..." Irvine took a nervous breath. Damn, what was wrong with him. He asked a girl out many times before. He was Irvine Kinneas, smooth and charming not a quaking, stuttering idiot.
"So...?" Selphie urged him to carry on.
"You like... Wanna go out sometime?" Irvine cursed himself the minute he stupidly blurted the words out. It wasn't supposed to be like that! He was supposed to take her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her! Geez... This love and commitment stuff was hard...
At first Selphie looked a little shocked but then a slight smile played across her lips.
"Oh Irvine..." She shook her head from side to side," why me? Ask one of the other girls at the party. I'm sure they'd love to go on a date with you. You must be really desperate to be asking me!"
"NO! You don't understand. I don't wanna just go out on a date... I want... I want... " Irvine stared into the deep emerald pools of Selphie's eyes. This was going badly...
"It's okay Irvine. Don't be afraid." She took his hand and entwined her fingers with his. Irvine's heart leapt... 'Does she fell the same way?' He wondered. Well, there was only one way to find out.
"Selphie... I want you. I want to be with you. I LOVE you..." Irvine whispered, his heart pounding. Selphie suddenly looked very vulnerable. She shyly turned her head slightly away from him.
"You don't mean that..." She choked.
"I do, I do!" He pleaded.
"I don't wanna be hurt, Irvine. You have to stay faithful and I don't think you can manage that. You can't stop being the ladies man... It just wont work... " tears shone in Selphie's eyes. Irvine could feel the same thing happening to him.
"Can't we just be friends?" She whispered.
"I would never hurt you..." Irvine reached for her other hand.
"What about before, with the video camera? You just had to wave to those girls in the corner even though you knew I was there watching!!"
"I didn't think. I'm sorry. Please Selphie. It's you I love. I can be faithful, I'll be all yours, only yours... But... If you really wanna just be friends then I'll have to accept it. I'll always be your friend Sefie..." Irvine hesitated. Selphie scrutinised him as if searching for a reply. Boy, he had messed this up...
Then, taking the initiative, Selphie stood on tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck. She leaned in closer and kissed him softly on the lips. Irvine pulled her up into his arms, her feet barely touching the floor. He kissed her back with all of his heart and soul.
"I love you Irvine," she whispered into his ear, "And you had better behave cos if you screw up I will kick your ass!" She squeezed his arm playfully, breaking away from him.
"Yes ma'am!" Irvine put her back on the ground and saluted her.
"So... Whatcha wanna do now?" Irvine raised his eyebrow at her and kissed her forehead.
"I dunno..." Selphie looked back at where the party was going on in the Quad and then grinned mischievously. Suddenly, she poked him in the arm.
"Tag! You're it Irvy!!!" Irvine smiled as the little girl ran off past the fountain and through the door that led outside. He sighed happily, a sigh of those in love and began to chase after her into the night.
Oh yeah and this story takes place after the game at the end party...
THIRTY - FIVE GIL AND A PIECE OF GUM...
Irvine watched as the small girl with the flipped up hair and sparkling green eyes danced about on the dance floor with Zell. He couldn't deny it, he loved her. This had never happened to him before. He had always had loads of women surrounding him; beautiful, slim, intelligent, you name it, all willing to go out with him - but he never loved a single one of them. Selphie however, was different... Special. Casually, Irvine walked over to the couple as the DJ began to play a new song.
"Mind if I cut in?" Irvine asked Zell.
"Go ahead but be warned, she steps all over your toes!" Zell grinned and winked at Selphie. She punched him lightly in the chest.
"Don't listen to him Irvy! I'm the dancing queen!" She used Irvine's arm to twirl herself around. Zell rolled his eyes and sauntered off.
"'Course you are Sef," he reached for her hand and put his other arm around her waist.
"You okay? You look a bit sad. Is it cos everything's over...?" Selphie looked up into his eyes, concern written all over her face. 'Maybe she does care about me...' Irvine hoped. He sighed deeply.
"I dunno what's gonna happen next. I dunno where I'm gonna go..."
"You can stay here at Balamb Garden, silly!" Selphie stopped dancing and held his gaze, "you're part of us now - part of a team - You can't just leave!"
"Whoa! I'm not leavin' just yet."
"You're not leaving at all..." Selphie said in the strictest voice she could muster.
"Okay, okay!" Irvine held up his arms in surrender, "hey Selphie... I've got something to show you..." He took her hand and lead her towards the Quad doors. Selphie raised her left eyebrow suspiciously.
"Yeah, yeah... I bet you use that line on ALL the girls!" Selphie giggled, "can I borrow your hat again, pleeease?"
"Hmmm... What's it worth?" Irvine teased. Selphie searched her dress pockets.
"Um, thirty-five gil and a piece of gum...?" She grinned. Irvine shook his head and gently placed his hat on her head.
"Why do you like it so much anyway?"
"'Cos I'm a cowgirl. Yee hah!" Selphie did a mock - lasso impression. Irvine laughed.
"So, like, what did ya wanna show me?" Selphie looked at him innocently. Irvine stopped in his tracks by the outside Quad fountain. He reluctantly placed both hi hands on her shoulders.
"Wow... This looks serious..." Selphie said grimly.
"It's not a question of what I want to show you... It's more... I need to tell you something..." Irvine took a nervous breath. Damn, what was wrong with him. He asked a girl out many times before. He was Irvine Kinneas, smooth and charming not a quaking, stuttering idiot.
"So...?" Selphie urged him to carry on.
"You like... Wanna go out sometime?" Irvine cursed himself the minute he stupidly blurted the words out. It wasn't supposed to be like that! He was supposed to take her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her! Geez... This love and commitment stuff was hard...
At first Selphie looked a little shocked but then a slight smile played across her lips.
"Oh Irvine..." She shook her head from side to side," why me? Ask one of the other girls at the party. I'm sure they'd love to go on a date with you. You must be really desperate to be asking me!"
"NO! You don't understand. I don't wanna just go out on a date... I want... I want... " Irvine stared into the deep emerald pools of Selphie's eyes. This was going badly...
"It's okay Irvine. Don't be afraid." She took his hand and entwined her fingers with his. Irvine's heart leapt... 'Does she fell the same way?' He wondered. Well, there was only one way to find out.
"Selphie... I want you. I want to be with you. I LOVE you..." Irvine whispered, his heart pounding. Selphie suddenly looked very vulnerable. She shyly turned her head slightly away from him.
"You don't mean that..." She choked.
"I do, I do!" He pleaded.
"I don't wanna be hurt, Irvine. You have to stay faithful and I don't think you can manage that. You can't stop being the ladies man... It just wont work... " tears shone in Selphie's eyes. Irvine could feel the same thing happening to him.
"Can't we just be friends?" She whispered.
"I would never hurt you..." Irvine reached for her other hand.
"What about before, with the video camera? You just had to wave to those girls in the corner even though you knew I was there watching!!"
"I didn't think. I'm sorry. Please Selphie. It's you I love. I can be faithful, I'll be all yours, only yours... But... If you really wanna just be friends then I'll have to accept it. I'll always be your friend Sefie..." Irvine hesitated. Selphie scrutinised him as if searching for a reply. Boy, he had messed this up...
Then, taking the initiative, Selphie stood on tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck. She leaned in closer and kissed him softly on the lips. Irvine pulled her up into his arms, her feet barely touching the floor. He kissed her back with all of his heart and soul.
"I love you Irvine," she whispered into his ear, "And you had better behave cos if you screw up I will kick your ass!" She squeezed his arm playfully, breaking away from him.
"Yes ma'am!" Irvine put her back on the ground and saluted her.
"So... Whatcha wanna do now?" Irvine raised his eyebrow at her and kissed her forehead.
"I dunno..." Selphie looked back at where the party was going on in the Quad and then grinned mischievously. Suddenly, she poked him in the arm.
"Tag! You're it Irvy!!!" Irvine smiled as the little girl ran off past the fountain and through the door that led outside. He sighed happily, a sigh of those in love and began to chase after her into the night.