Irvine Kinneas was never very good at "going under the radar", so to say.
Most would think that this would be an essential skill for a sniper, and he'd be the first to boast at his skills in stealth. Still, that was work.
This was love.
Irvine was a total flirt; he'd admit it. He loved women, and only asked for the same in return. Most women would flirt back playfully, but none were ever interested in any sort of commitment. He liked it that way, since the life of a mercenary wasn't one that allowed much opportunity for serious romance.
At least, he felt that way until he met Selphie.
Selphie Tilmitt: A SeeD only a few months younger than he. She was brought up for the strict life of a mercenary, having spent most of her life in Garden. Despite her petite, fragile appearance, she was a soldier, and a good one at that. She would never run from a battle, and could keep up easily with more experienced soldiers.
She was an even better soldier than himself, which is probably why she had already graduated from Garden, while he remained a student. He could never handle the pressure of killing, and had a track record for running away. Yes, Selphie was much better than him.
She was too good for him, but he couldn't help but feel drawn to her. Even as children they had been close, and with her, he felt that he could handle a full relationship, even if it meant that he'd have to stop flirting with other girls.
The problem was that he didn't know how to approach the situation.
Many men would opt to "go under the radar", but he was always direct with his thoughts. So why did he feel so scared to tell Selphie how he felt? It was like the moment of the kill; He couldn't handle to pressure.
This is why I'm not a SeeD.
He'd been walking with her for some time now. She was going on about the Garden Festival, oblivious to his thoughts. She had such a cute smile, and she always smiled when she talked about the Festival. He watched her intently, until she became aware of the seriousness of his stare and stuttered her words together. Her eyes silently asked him what was on his mind, and he felt his resolve buckling.
Just be direct, Kinneas! He shouted mentally.
"Do you have a date for the Festival, yet?" He asked her.
"Ah…" She thought about it for a moment, "I've been so busy preparing it, I haven't had time to even think about it…"
He offered his arm to her, hoping to show her the confident lady's man he claimed to be, "Well, I couldn't let a lovely lady such as yourself go alone, now, could I?"
She blushed deeply at the implication—so cute!—but then smiled, "You're quite the charmer, Irvine."
He grinned, "Only to the pretty girls."
She grinned back. Mission successful.