Authors Note: Just a short fluff-filled one-shot. After the celebration party at Garden, Selphie and Irvine share an intimate conversation beneath the stars. Please read and review.

Beneath the Stars

"Selphie?"

"Mmm?"

"When we were kids, we never used to do things like this."

"We didn't?"

"Nah. We'd be too busy playing 'War,' or trying to kidnap the cookie jar."

"Huh, I think I remember that. Matron sent us to bed without dessert, right?"

"Yeah. And we stayed up the whole night plotting our next attempt."

"I remember."

"I miss those days."

"Me too. Irvy?"

"Yeah?"

"When you were a kid, what did you think the stars were?"

"I don't think I ever really thought about it."

"What? Not ever?"

"Well…. My dad once told me they were bullets."

"Your dad? You remember him too?"

"Uh huh. I was almost four when he died. So I still remember bit and pieces."

"That must be nice…. Wait. Bullets?"

"He said they were bullets that had been shot into the sky. That had gone so high they had reached heaven, and that angels had caught them, and hung them in the sky like pearls."

"Is that why you became a sharp-shooter?"

"I guess so. I wanted to shoot my own bullets into the sky; to make my own star."

"I always thought that the stars were holes."

"Holes?"

"Yup. You know, holes that had been poked in the sky by someone who wanted to see what was on the other side."

"Oh."

"Irvine?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you think will happen now?"

"I don't know. I guess we go back to being regular old SeeDs again."

"Really? You think so?"

"I guess…."

"But we saved the world. Don't we get some kind of vacation or anything?"

"I think this is our vacation."

"Oh. Well…it's- this isn't so bad. I like being here….with you."

"Ditto. Selphie, why did you join SeeD?"

"I wanted to save the world."

"Uh. Well, you did."

"I was kidding, silly. I didn't know there was going to be any evil sorceresses did I? I just wanted to make a difference. To make everyone happy. It didn't matter if I didn't stand out from the crowd, as long as I accomplished something. As long as I meant something."

"But you do mean something, Selphie."

"Well, sure I do. I did help kick Ultimecia's butt, after all."

"That too."

"What do you mean? What else?"

"Ah… never mind."

"Oh no you don't, Irvine Kinneas. You are not wheedling your way out of this one. What else?"

"Look, it doesn't matter. Can we just drop it. Please?"

"It does matter Irvy. Because you matter."

"I matter?"

"Yes, you, you idiot. You're important to me. You were my first real friend. The first person who ever really got me. You stuck by me when no one else would. Even that time I set the curtains on fire. Do you remember that?"

"Yeah…. You'd been playing with the stove. Using sticks and lighting them to use as torches as you went exploring, but you got too close to the window. It went up pretty fast. Everyone came running to see what was happening and Matron got really angry…."

"And you lied to her. You told her it was you who was playing with fire. You took all the blame for it."

"She didn't believe me though. She'd seen me playing outside with Zell when the fire started."

"That's not the point. You tried. That's what mattered to me then. What still matters to me now. You were protecting me. You've always protected me."

"Not always."

"But always when you could. Always when it counted."

"Mmm. I guess."

"Now, what else?"

"Wha-?"

"I told you, you couldn't wheedle out of it. Now spill."

"Uh… well, it's just that you… I feel the same way you're my friend too. You matter to me. You mean something to me."

"I'm glad."

"Selphie? What do we do now?"

"Huh? I thought I already asked you that?"

"No. I mean, now."

"It's getting late. Maybe we should go back?"

"I suppose."

"But….I don't want to go yet."

"Me neither."

"Irvy? I'm getting kinda cold."

"Here… you can have my coat."

"Thanks. You even protect me from the weather."

"When I can, Selphie. Always."