Meanwhile, Irvine was lying awake with worries of his own. One thought was rolling through his head over and over again. Do I really love Sefie? Do I really love Sefie? After they nearly kissed behind the rocks on the beach, he'd been unable to get her out of his mind. Usually, he tended to concentrate on all the beautiful women he'd ever seen all at the same time, but for some reason, Selphie had displaced them all. She'd been his best friend for as long as he could remember- even when they were taken away from the orphanage and given to separate foster families, and placed in separate Gardens, he always thought of her, but not in the way he'd thought about all the other women in his life. Sure, he'd tried to hit on her, shortly after they'd met, but he was sure she'd remembered him from the orphanage. Yes, he was older, much taller, and he was sporting a trenchcoat and hat, but he was amazed she hadn't recognised him. When he'd spilled the beans to everyone at Trabia Garden, however, then Selphie started to remember him. They'd hung around with each other more, shared more laughs and smiles than they'd ever done when they were at the orphanage. Now, however, with his memories of the orphanage fading due to the GF's, his feelings towards Selphie were unclear. He'd initially only wanted friendship- and yet she seemed to grow more beautiful with every passing day. Could it be that he and Selphie were to be like Squall and Rinoa- deeply in love and joined at the hip? Could he give up his bachelor life, a new girl every week, and be with Selphie alone? Did he really love her that much? He decided to get up and make himself a drink. Maybe that would help him clear his mind and get to sleep. He climbed out of bed quietly, so as not to disturb a fast asleep (and snoring- that helped) Zell, and tiptoed into the kitchen. He was more than shocked and surprised to see Selphie there, making herself a drink. She turned round, and gasped out of shock when she saw Irvine there.
"Irvy!" She shouted, unusually flustered. "What are you doing here?" She looked at him- he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, showing off his muscular body to the full. He's so cute… Selphie caught herself thinking.
"Well," Irvine responded, "I'd like to get myself a drink, if that's OK with you." He was flustered himself- Selphie's presence made sure of that. He couldn't take her eyes off her- she was wearing that short white nightie she always wore to bed, the one that showed off her slim body and her legs to the full. She's so cute… Irvine caught himself thinking.
"S-sure," Selphie replied, turning back to the sideboard where the kettle was. She didn't see Irvine start to walk towards her. "What would you like?" She asked as she reached into the cupboard for the teabags. Irvine reached in at the same time, and their hands touched. Their eyes locked on to each other's, and they leaned in towards each other...
Meanwhile, for the umpteenth time, Quistis's belly rumbled. Oh, she thought to herself, damn Zell and his cooking! Why do I always eat too much on holiday? Being a consummate professional, Quistis always maintained a strict regime of diet and exercise, but that had a tendency to go straight out of the window whenever she was on holiday. She decided to get up and get herself some indigestion tablets, hoping that they might settle her stomach down a little. She slowly climbed out of bed and walked down the hallway to the bathroom, which was where the medicine was kept. That's strange, she thought to herself as she left the bedroom, Selphie's up too… Thinking nothing of it, she continued down towards the toilet when she heard a strange noise coming from the kitchen. Opening the door and peeking in, she was most surprised to see Irvine and Selphie, with their arms wrapped around each other, passionately kissing. Her surprise, however, was nothing compared to that of either Irvine or Selphie, who immediately stopped kissing, and turned to face Quistis.
"Quis! Hi!" Selphie said, even more flustered than when Irvine had walked in.
"Quistis! Fancy seeing you here," Irvine said, simultaneously with Selphie. Both were wearing cheesy grins, in a futile attempt to disguise what they were just doing. Quistis, who was used to catching students of hers in compromising positions, simply smiled, shook her head and left.
"Do you think she suspects anything?" Irvine asked, somewhat naively. Selphie smiled at him.
"How could she NOT suspect anything?" She replied. Irvine nodded- it wasn't the first time he'd been caught red-handed by a tutor, but still, he was on vacation, and besides, Quistis wasn't so much a tutor as a friend. She'd understand, even if he did have to explain to her why she'd never get a turn with him...
"Where were we again?" He asked his new love with a smile. They embraced again, and continued where they'd left off...
The following morning at breakfast, and despite the fact that Quistis obviously knew, Irvine and Selphie were wondering how to inform the rest of their friends about their being together, having barely come to terms with it themselves. Fortunately, they could rely on Zell to provide the opportunity for them. He'd noticed that they were grinning at each other, and didn't like not knowing what was going on.
"What's up with you two this morning?" He asked, while making himself some breakfast. He would have made it for everyone, but Squall and Rinoa weren't up yet, and Quistis had passed for some reason...
"Well, erm," Selphie started, between giggles.
"Yeah, you see," Irvine also tried to say, but was cut off by giggles too. Quistis rolled her eyes before spilling the beans on Irvine and Selphie's behalf.
"They're an item," she said, with mock indifference in her voice, before starting to laugh a bit herself.
"SERIOUSLY?" Zell asked, not sure he'd heard right. Selphie jumped up out of her chair and into Irvine's lap, surprising him with a long, deep kiss.
"Seriously," Selphie replied, while still wrapped around Irvine.
"Damn," Zell said out loud, "looks like Nida won the bet then." Irvine and Selphie looked at each other, not sure what Zell meant.
"What do you mean, won the bet?" Irvine asked Zell.
"Me, Nida, Rinoa and a couple of others had a bet on how long it'd take for you two to hook up," Zell replied. "Nida won." Before Selphie or Irvine could react further, Squall and Rinoa walked in (or "hobbled" in in Squall's case), and both saw Selphie firmly wrapped around her new love.
"Let me guess," Squall started, "the chair's broken." Squall had never been known for having a sharp wit, but it had certainly surfaced in recent days.
"No, silly!" Selphie had replied, before looking in Irvine's eyes. "You are looking at Garden's new cutest couple." Irvine shrugged, smiling smugly.
"Sorry, guys," he said. They kissed again.
"Aw, man," Rinoa started, "that means-" Zell cut her off.
"Nida won the bet. Yes, we know," he finished while Squall and Rinoa sat down at the table. "So," he said, turning to face Squall. "What're the plans for today? Beach, beach and more beach?"
"That just about sums it up," Squall answered. "That is, of course," he said, turning to face the still embracing Irvine and Selphie, "if some people can let each other go."
"Aww," Rinoa said, "I think it's kinda cute. Remember what we were like when we started dating?" She asked, climbing onto Squall's one good knee.
"You haven't made it easy to forget," he answered, and the two of them started passionately kissing as well. Quistis simply looked over at Zell, who nodded at her, and they headed out onto the beach and into the ocean. It was a full half-four before any of the other four joined them, and even then, it was Rinoa and Squall. Irvine and Selphie didn't emerge until mid-afternoon...
"Irvy!" She shouted, unusually flustered. "What are you doing here?" She looked at him- he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, showing off his muscular body to the full. He's so cute… Selphie caught herself thinking.
"Well," Irvine responded, "I'd like to get myself a drink, if that's OK with you." He was flustered himself- Selphie's presence made sure of that. He couldn't take her eyes off her- she was wearing that short white nightie she always wore to bed, the one that showed off her slim body and her legs to the full. She's so cute… Irvine caught himself thinking.
"S-sure," Selphie replied, turning back to the sideboard where the kettle was. She didn't see Irvine start to walk towards her. "What would you like?" She asked as she reached into the cupboard for the teabags. Irvine reached in at the same time, and their hands touched. Their eyes locked on to each other's, and they leaned in towards each other...
Meanwhile, for the umpteenth time, Quistis's belly rumbled. Oh, she thought to herself, damn Zell and his cooking! Why do I always eat too much on holiday? Being a consummate professional, Quistis always maintained a strict regime of diet and exercise, but that had a tendency to go straight out of the window whenever she was on holiday. She decided to get up and get herself some indigestion tablets, hoping that they might settle her stomach down a little. She slowly climbed out of bed and walked down the hallway to the bathroom, which was where the medicine was kept. That's strange, she thought to herself as she left the bedroom, Selphie's up too… Thinking nothing of it, she continued down towards the toilet when she heard a strange noise coming from the kitchen. Opening the door and peeking in, she was most surprised to see Irvine and Selphie, with their arms wrapped around each other, passionately kissing. Her surprise, however, was nothing compared to that of either Irvine or Selphie, who immediately stopped kissing, and turned to face Quistis.
"Quis! Hi!" Selphie said, even more flustered than when Irvine had walked in.
"Quistis! Fancy seeing you here," Irvine said, simultaneously with Selphie. Both were wearing cheesy grins, in a futile attempt to disguise what they were just doing. Quistis, who was used to catching students of hers in compromising positions, simply smiled, shook her head and left.
"Do you think she suspects anything?" Irvine asked, somewhat naively. Selphie smiled at him.
"How could she NOT suspect anything?" She replied. Irvine nodded- it wasn't the first time he'd been caught red-handed by a tutor, but still, he was on vacation, and besides, Quistis wasn't so much a tutor as a friend. She'd understand, even if he did have to explain to her why she'd never get a turn with him...
"Where were we again?" He asked his new love with a smile. They embraced again, and continued where they'd left off...
The following morning at breakfast, and despite the fact that Quistis obviously knew, Irvine and Selphie were wondering how to inform the rest of their friends about their being together, having barely come to terms with it themselves. Fortunately, they could rely on Zell to provide the opportunity for them. He'd noticed that they were grinning at each other, and didn't like not knowing what was going on.
"What's up with you two this morning?" He asked, while making himself some breakfast. He would have made it for everyone, but Squall and Rinoa weren't up yet, and Quistis had passed for some reason...
"Well, erm," Selphie started, between giggles.
"Yeah, you see," Irvine also tried to say, but was cut off by giggles too. Quistis rolled her eyes before spilling the beans on Irvine and Selphie's behalf.
"They're an item," she said, with mock indifference in her voice, before starting to laugh a bit herself.
"SERIOUSLY?" Zell asked, not sure he'd heard right. Selphie jumped up out of her chair and into Irvine's lap, surprising him with a long, deep kiss.
"Seriously," Selphie replied, while still wrapped around Irvine.
"Damn," Zell said out loud, "looks like Nida won the bet then." Irvine and Selphie looked at each other, not sure what Zell meant.
"What do you mean, won the bet?" Irvine asked Zell.
"Me, Nida, Rinoa and a couple of others had a bet on how long it'd take for you two to hook up," Zell replied. "Nida won." Before Selphie or Irvine could react further, Squall and Rinoa walked in (or "hobbled" in in Squall's case), and both saw Selphie firmly wrapped around her new love.
"Let me guess," Squall started, "the chair's broken." Squall had never been known for having a sharp wit, but it had certainly surfaced in recent days.
"No, silly!" Selphie had replied, before looking in Irvine's eyes. "You are looking at Garden's new cutest couple." Irvine shrugged, smiling smugly.
"Sorry, guys," he said. They kissed again.
"Aw, man," Rinoa started, "that means-" Zell cut her off.
"Nida won the bet. Yes, we know," he finished while Squall and Rinoa sat down at the table. "So," he said, turning to face Squall. "What're the plans for today? Beach, beach and more beach?"
"That just about sums it up," Squall answered. "That is, of course," he said, turning to face the still embracing Irvine and Selphie, "if some people can let each other go."
"Aww," Rinoa said, "I think it's kinda cute. Remember what we were like when we started dating?" She asked, climbing onto Squall's one good knee.
"You haven't made it easy to forget," he answered, and the two of them started passionately kissing as well. Quistis simply looked over at Zell, who nodded at her, and they headed out onto the beach and into the ocean. It was a full half-four before any of the other four joined them, and even then, it was Rinoa and Squall. Irvine and Selphie didn't emerge until mid-afternoon...