[A/N: Long paragraph, just FYI. I always assumed something happened between Selphie and Irvine when they ran back to their friends on the train tracks, so here's my thoughts. They run off more than once (alone, together... like when they arrive at the Great Salt Lake, also). Recapping the order of events: FIRST, Squall arrives on the tracks carrying Rinoa. SECOND, Quistis, Zell, and Edea arrive. THIRD, Selphie and Irvine approach from the opposite direction and another character tells Squall the 2 had gone ahead to "take a look." Meaning Selphie and Irvine arrived first (why not wait for the others?), otherwise Squall would have noticed them earlier. "Taking a look" would serve no purpose; the others were heading in that direction anyway. The last thing is this: When Irvine and Selphie return to report, they say there was nothing North or South and suggested heading East next. Two things wrong here: First, East is the only way you CAN go after the tracks. You can't go North or South for more than a few feet. Therefore, they couldn't have spent all that time scouting. Second... it's pointless to scout 2 out of 3 directions and report back with "nothing there, let's try the only other reasonable path" ... better off verifying what's East FIRST. Not to mention, the Great Salt Lake is CLOSER to the end of the tracks than the mountains on the North and South sides so it makes no sense to approach the mountains first. A lot of players, like myself, believe something intense and important happened between them during this particular scene. So there's my inspiration.]
"There you are!" Selphie greeted Irvine in the morning while nobody else was around.
"You weren't kidding about being here early in the morning," Irvine responded as Selphie extended her hand, holding a cup.
"I got you one, too. They're from the cafeteria... they're not that hot anymore... sorry about that."
"You're sweet," Irvine flashed a smile as he accepted the cup of slighty warmer than lukewarm coffee. "Thanks, Sefie."
"No problem. We're gonna need it. It's a long walk. Thanks for meeting with me here, Irvy."
"The wonderful Selphie Tilmitt asking to meet me alone for a long walk? How could I say no to that?" he immediately began with the flattery. She wasted no time leading the way, and he followed.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to decline," she responded as she turned sideways and playfully stuck her tongue out at him. He raised an eyebrow as he focused on her mouth.
"Mm. Don't tease me," he warned, earning himself a gentle shove sideways. He didn't lose too much balance; it wasn't a forceful shove, just a silent way of her saying I should tell you to stop, but I like the attention, so I'll pretend to be mildly offended while making it obvious that I'm not.
Women could be so confusing.
He returned the shove, letting out a light chuckle just before Selphie swiped his hat off his head, instantly winning whatever little game they were playing. Then she began talking. "I wanted to get here before Squall would. No point in having him out here while we're scouting the area."
"Right," Irvine agreed. "Can't have Rinoa without medical attention for too long."
"Yeah, it's too bad there are no trains on this track anymore though. I love trains..."
Irvine could hear the disappointment in her tone, but he knew what it was. It wasn't morning grogginess and it certainly wasn't because of the lack of trains. She had a strong look of concern in her eyes. Concern that was obviously over Rinoa.
"Hey, try to cheer up, okay? She's gonna be just fine. We're not gonna let anything happen to her. You're a good friend. She's lucky to have you."
"Thanks, I guess," she said before sipping some more of her coffee, aiming to have enough energy to get through this journey. "Oh, by the way, in case you get hungry, I have some snacks in my boots, too."
"I also have snacks in my coat," Irvine announced. "Gonna be a looooong day. But hey, good company. I can't complain about spending the day with a cute girl like you."
"Ugh. You're hopeless," Selphie only seemed disappointed in his advance, which was confusing because a lot of the times she really seemed to enjoy the attention. It wasn't that she suddenly stopped liking or wanting his attention, though. It irked her terribly that the two had grown so close ever since the day Balamb Garden crashed into Fisherman's Horizon, and yet some of his best lines to her were just reminders of her cute appearance. She knew he wasn't really as good at flirting as he thought. Sure, he knew how to make a woman blush and how to flatter one, but she senses something more mreaningful in his interactions with her that went beyond appearances, but he never spoke his mind completely. Still, it was obvious to everyone around them that he was absolutely smitten with her.
But he didn't know why she called him hopeless. And she would never tell him. That was something he had to figuer out on his own. Bad timing, he figured. Definitely not the time to be hitting on a girl, when her friend is in a coma and in desperate need of medical attention.
"Right, sorry," he awkwardly apologized, sipping on the coffee, not because he was tired but because he needed something to keep his mouth busy before he'd end up saying something else stupid. But also, Selphie bought it for him, so even if it was ice cold at this point he sure as hell wasn't going to waste it and let her down. Besides, he rather liked iced coffee. But it was a bit chilly, so he didn't want it to get too cold. But then again, there's always magic. Why didn't he think of that sooner? "Fire!"
"Smart. Why didn't I think of that?" Selphie wondered aloud, then proceeded to warm up her own coffee. "Fire!"
"Much better," Irvine commented as he drank his warmed up coffee.
"So... um... since I got you alone out here..." Selphie began to speak but her voice trailed off.
Yeeeesssss? Irvine was already intrigued. He tried not to seem too pathetically desperate to make a move on her, though. He knew she was upset. "What is it, Sefie?"
"You said you wanted to talk about something," she reminded him. "What's up?"
"...I said that? ... I don't remember... damn GFs. What exactly did I say?"
"Last night, when I asked you to accompany me, you said something like, 'great idea, I wanted to talk to you about something I've had on my mind for a while anyway' and I just said okay, figured you had a lot to talk about. So what's up?"
"Oh. Right... Well, mainly... I wanted to see how much you remember. You know... from the orphanage."
"From the orphanage? That was so long ago, Irvy. Why the sudden interest?"
Sudden? Not really sudden... I just didn't know how to bring it up.
"You want the boring, honest answer?"
"I asked, didn't I?" she flashed him a welcoming smile, letting him know it was okay to open up about whatever was on his mind. Damn, her smile was beautiful.
"Okay. Should I start with the big reason or the smaller reason?" he asked, hoping she'd pick the smaller reason to give him time to organize his thoughts, then immediately regretting it because he realized he could have just skipped that question completely and started with the smaller reason.
"Hm. Smaller reason first."
"Okay. Well, as I've said before... I'm kinda new to this whole GF thing. I just want to know what to expect... I mean none of you guys remembered me at first, but once I started talking, memories came back. Honestly, Sefie? It's got me in a permanent state of anxiety. I don't know what to expect. I don't know how much junctioning is too much, I don't know if there's ever a memory that won't come back, I don't know if there's anything I've already forgotten..."
"You wanted to spend the whole day talking about the GF memory loss?" Selphie seemed a bit skeptical. "Sorry, that was insensitive of me. I didn't mean to judge you for it-"
"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it that way. I admit, it's kind of a weird way to start a conversation. But you get where I'm coming from, right?"
"Yeah, of course. The best way I can describe my experiences is... well, hard to say because I don't know how it's affected other people. I mean obviously we all remember... we just have to look reeeeeeally, really hard for those memories, it seems. When I was younger, after I left the orphanage, I used to keep a diary. Kinda like how I do now, but I didn't know how much I would need it then. I had totally forgotten about it because I lost it. Or, well, I forgot where I put it. The day I junctioned a GF for the first time. I never found it, but ever since that day we went to Trabia Garden together, I've been replaying the events of that day over and over and over... it's been on my mind so much I've been dreaming about it. I'm starting to remember things. Little drawings I put in there. Silly things I'd get excited over, stuff like that. ... And ... I also am starting to remember writing about how much I missed you. Everyone else, too, of course. Sometimes I even missed Seifer. But you were the one I missed the most. Especially because we..."
"...Never really had a chance to say goodbye," Irvine knew.
"...Yeah. It's ... really depressing," Selphie admitted. "And then there's Squall... who obviously has junctioned a lot more GFs than I have, and for longer times... Zell and Quistis too I suppose but Squall doesn't seem to remember much of anything except Ellone. He remembers us... but he doesn't remember you. I find that weird. I don't understand what makes him vaguely remember everyone but you."
"I don't get it either, Sefie."
"I've noticed another thing that could be really dangerous."
"What is it?"
"It's not just memory loss... he forgets what he's doing. I've been around him longer so I've seen some things you haven't. But, do you remember the day we escaped prison?"
"Of course, how could I forget that?"
"Everyone made it across... he totally blanked and was the last person out. He should have been the first. His speed stat is higher than everyone else's."
"Now that you mention is, that is odd."
"And during our SeeD exam in Dollet, he was the last one to get on the vessel while we were running away from X-ATM092. If not for Quistis we all woulda been toast! Anyway... I don't know what else to say about my experiences or anyone else's. It seems to be different for everyone. So what's the other reason for your curiosity?"
Irvine still wasn't prepared to answer that question. He took in a deep breath, averted his eyes, and nearly forgot to keep walking. The only thing he could think to say was exactly the thing itself: "It bothers me that you don't remember everything."
"What do you mean, Irvy? What ... 'bothers' you?"
"I mean... I recognized you right away when we met outside Galbadia Garden. All of you, honestly. I was happy to see everyone. But especially you. But you guys didn't recognize me... and it broke me. Especially, out of everyone there... you. We were so damn close, Selphie. And then we were strangers. I don't know. I ... have never really experienced anything like this before."
"I don't know what to say," Selphie spoke up after several awkward moments of silence. "I don't know what you mean, though. Like what?"
"This much hurt. This much pain. I'm not upset with you. It's ... not your fault, I know that. But it hurts. It hurts that I have so many memories of us in the orphanage... most with you, and I always hoped I'd see you again someday. I was so sad when we all dispersed. I missed you so much. And I'm not exaggerating when I say that not a single day has passed where I didn't think of you. It was always a lot quiter without you around. I really liked having you there, Sefie. And I mean, I was just a kid. I didn't know how to find you. But I wanted to find you so bad."
"It sucks," Selphie commented. "Look, Irvy... I don't remember as much as you, but it was rough on me too. I'm glad we're together again."
"I suppose I should just be thankful for that. But, it's so much more... I always thought about what I'd say, what I'd do, if I were to ever see you again and then all of that just went out the window when I finally found you. Honestly... you're the only girl who's ever broken my heart."
She didn't know what to say. Irvine was pouring his heart out to her and she just stood there, listening... nothing she could say could change what was on his mind. She knew he didn't mean to insult her, but she still felt a tad guilty. However, she knew none of his words could have been spoken to another girl, so she trusted his intentions which she knew were genuine. This was the thing she had been waiting for. He said something about her that wasn't about appearances, and it seemed to visually wreck him from head to toe. "Broke your heart...?"
"It was hell, Selphie. Imagine... spending all those years dreaming of the perfect moment, and you have so many plans and visions of how things are going to be and it's completely... just ripped away from you. I wanted to tell you so many things, I had so many visions of what I'd do when I found you again, but I wasn't prepared for being forgotten. I felt... so defeated. It was the only thing worse than getting separated. I thought I was literally in Hell."
The two spotted a trash can on the side of the tracks and tossed their empty cups as they continued their conversation.
"How did you picture things going?" Selphie inquired, genuinely curious about what was on his mind.
"...Differently," is all he could say. He couldn't form the words for what he had pictured.
"Okay. How? Tell me, Irvy." She already was starting to sound more perky; maybe it was the coffee kicking in. He stopped dead in his tracks, completely unable to form words. His hand gestures indicated he was trying his hardest to say something important. Perhaps he had forgotten a large chunk of vocabulary. He looked up at the sky as if there were some cue in the clouds to remind him what to say. His arms bent, his fingers fidgeted, and his lips curled inward in thought. He looked back down when he heard Selphie's voice, her smiling face just inches away from hers. "Heeeeey, don't leave me hangin' Irvy!"
He seemed to have no control over his body, he was completely entranced by her. He knew what he was trying to say, but there were no words for it. Well, they were, but they were unimportant, abstract sounds that didn't matter. His arms, whose fists had started to loosely curl inward, lowered like a magnet around Selphie's body before melting. For just a brief moment, he allowed himself to believe this was their reunion after so many years of separation from the orphanage. This was the moment he had been waiting for. After all these years, his childhood best friend, Selphie - his favorite person - meeting with him and smiling at him, just as happy to see him as he was to see her. And oh my, how she had grown from such a cute little ball of energy into a beautiful young woman! He felt his arm wrap around her waist, as if having a mind of its own. He really didn't plan it. His other arm landed around her waist as well but pulled her toward him from her upper back. His lips were just as eager to reunite with her. Even though they were children when they were separated, with no concept of romantic feelings, the more Irvine missed her and the more he aged the more he wondered what could have been if they had remained in each other's lives. Even though they were separated and she initially had failed to remember, the new relationship they were beginning to build did not disappoint. He'd often dream about this moment... and now was his time to act on it. Her warm smile was silently encouraging, so he did it.
He kissed her. He so eagerly kissed her... his lips couldn't stand to part once contact was made. He didn't know how she would respond, but she had been begging for his answer, and there it was. She couldn't be too mad at him, and she wasn't. She closed her pleasantly surprised eyes and her arms slid up his torso and onto his shoulders. She was experiencing so many emotions at once: arousal, confusion, suspicion, relief, joy, peace, lust.
Confusion was the most prominent one.
She knew he was a ladies' man, and even knowing this she willingly kissed him back. She wanted him to kiss her, but she just didn't know if it meant anything. She tried so hard to not fall under his spell, to not mix up things of the physical with emotions. That made it even more complicated. It was tough to do. In her 17 years of life, this was the only complicated thing she had ever attempted to do; she knew she felt the same way toward him. But even in her confusion, something deep down was screaming at her about 'genuine love.' That was why she felt so conflicted. She was special to him, but still, he needed to be tamed, and regardless of anyone's feelings she wasn't sure if he could do that or not.
Then, Irvine pulled away. He still was at a loss for words, but she knew in that moment that she was not just trying to charm her like he would any other girl. They had history, they had feelings that lasted for 17 years. It was not the same. And she knew; this wasn't an assumption based off of her own personal experiences, but she could see it in his eyes when he pulled away. They were red, and they were watery. He looked like he was... crying? But he was smiling, laughing even - just a light laugh, whose sound was riddled with relief.
"God, I can't believe it's you," he said with his palm on her cheek. "After all this time... Selphie... my Sefie... I love you. Always have. Please don't ever forget that. Anything but that."
"...Y-you just s-said you loved me," she pointed out dumbly, stuttering as if it were a curse to speak these words. "Don't toy with me, Irvine! It's not funny! It's seriously not funny!"
"I love you," he repeated, reiterating to her that he was well aware of what he said. And he said it again, causing her eyes to swell up the same way his had, and for the same reason. "Haha... I've never said that to anyone before. What's happening to me?" he wondered after repeating it so many times. He turned his head to the side, feeling blood rush to the surface of his cheeks. What had he just done? That was so unlike him. It was normal for Irvine to flatter a girl, sweet talk her, and hit on her; but here he was pouring his heart out to the person who mattered the most to him. And it didn't even take much to get it out of him. She wondered how long he had been keeping these feelings to himself, but then she remembered what he had said back at Trabia Garden:
Out of all the kids there, one was very special to me. I really liked this girl, and it made me so happy just talking to her.
He had just come right out and announced his feelings for Selphie, right in front of everybody. He had publicly declared feelings for her; that wasn't something he had done with any other girl. In fact, he never talked about any girls in particular. Just a collective female entity. But then there was her ... Selphie. Sefie. My Sefie, he had just called her. Everyone knew she held a place in his heart that no other girl could; and everyone knew he would never be serious with anyone else. And the extremes he would go to just to see her smile again, he hadn't done for any other girl. Not even those closest to him, like Quistis and Ellone. Obviously, he already was serious about her.
Even Squall saw there was something there, and he's about as oblivious toward human emotion as one could ever be!
She was shaking as she accepted this information overwhelming her, and aggressively pulled him back to her. Their lips met again, partially in desire and partially to conceal her... Excitement? Embarrassment? Emotions? She didn't even know, but she said it. "I love you, too." He couldn't stop kissing her at that point, and held her tightly enough to make up for all their years apart, if that was even possible. "...So... what does this mean?"
"It means whatever you want it to mean."
Selphie sighed. "Ugh. You're impossible."
"Anything's possible with you, my dear," he said in that flirty tone that made her heart race and turned her cheeks pink. That flirty tone that always brightened up her day and made her giggle. That flirty tone that she always hoped to hear from him, which she would often provoke.
That flirty tone that angered her so much though, for she knew Irvine wasn't hers. Sure, he had very strong feelings for her, feelings which she returned, but he wasn't the kind of guy to be in a relationship and she knew that. So, feelings were worthless, meaningless, pointless, only causing pain.
"Look, Irvine..." Selphie began as she pulled away, avoiding eye contact. "I'm... not okay with ... feeling this way, like, being emotionally involved with someone if it doesn't ever lead to anything meaningful. I... I feel like that's what this is."
"I know you're not that kind of girl, Selphie. Which is why... when all this is over, we get to Esthar, Rinoa is back to her old self, everything cools down... I'm hoping you'll let me take you on a date."
Wow, he was really toying with her. Even if he didn't mean to.
"...A date?" Selphie wasn't prepared to be asked that, and didn't have a response planned, either. "Um. We... we'll see," she said as she walked away and toward their destination. He followed closely and eagerly.
"We'll see?" Irvine scratched his head, not expecting such a wishy-washy answer. He imagined a yes; he imagined a no. This caught him off-guard. "Okay. What do I gotta do to get you to go on a date with me, then?"
"Irvine... you know me. You don't have to try so hard to win me over."
"Oh? So I've already won you, then."
It was true. He had won her over a long time ago. It was so obvious, too. But Selphie wouldn't admit defeat so easily. Especially not to a womanizer like Irvine. She loved him, but she had to protect her heart above all else.
"Irvine... I'm not gonna ask anything of you or tell you what you need to do if you really want to be with me. If you want to be with me, you will. I shouldn't have to spell things out, so I'm not going to. It's all up to you."
"...I understand," Irvine answered her, sounding surprisingly more upbeat than defeated. He knew it was going to be difficult for her to take him seriously, even if they were emotionally committed already. He stopped in his tracks, but she kept walking, until he blurted out something crazy. "So, you wanna get married?"
She immediately burst into laughter, losing focus on walking toward Esthar. "I have to admit, that's not something I ever expected you to say."
"Because I flirt so much?" he hit the target. "Casual flirting and willingness to settle down with someone are two totally different things, Sefie. That's not something I ever expected myself to explain."
She giggled and walked on by. He was still standing in the same spot, and ran a short distance to catch up with her, trying to get her to turn around and look at him. But she wouldn't. She had too much pride. She was too cautious. She didn't want to face him.
"Married... what a joke," she mumbled.
"A joke? Is that what I am to you, Selphie? That's so hurtful. And here I was thinking it would be nice. I mean... we've already lived together. And those were the best years of my life. And I just can't get enough time with you. You remember when we got on the train to Deling City? I meant what I said back then."
"Yeah, real smooth, the first thing you said to me was we we're destined to be to-" Selphie stopped talking mid-sentence as she finally turned around to face Irvine. He was still a few feet away from her, stopped. He took her surprise when she turned around to find him on one knee holding up a ring. "...gether...?"
"I know this is the only way you'd ever take me seriously. This is what I really want with you... I know it might seem weird... we haven't even gone on a date... and I don't blame you for not even giving me an answer. But I know you're not the kind of girl to just have something meaningless, either. Selphie, you were never meaningless to me. I don't want everything we've gone through to be in vain. I cherish every moment we've ever spent together, and I'm gonna keep fighting for what we could have. I'll never stop. This is my end goal, too. I love you."
"You... you're... serious..."
"You're the one I've been wanting all this time. The one who was missing from my life. It was always you, now that we're together again, I'm sure of it! And I was sure of it that day we took the train. Don't tell me you don't feel the same way."
"... Well, I do... but..."
"...You don't trust me."
"No, no. It's not that."
"Then what is it?"
"I'm not so sure this is what you really want."
Irvine sighed, feeling defeated and not knowing how to win this time. "The proof... is in my heart. I can't express it. I don't know how. But you're the only one I could ever commit to. Nobody could ever fill the hole you left. I know this, because nobody has. I think that's why I never could. But you... I feel comfortable opening up to you about things that I don't want other people to know. You've always lifted my spirits and made me feel important. You've always given me something to look forward to, shared memories that I want to create more of. And I've been so reluctant because the last time I got this attached... you disappeared. You were gone, and I was so afraid of getting that attached to someone else and having them taken away, too... I can't fight this anymore, Sefie, but I can't lose you again!"
"Irvine... are you alright?" Selphie asked sincerely. She didn't doubt him, but his experiences were oddly familiar. "You're starting to sound like Squall."
"Well, he's the one who said I should tell you how I feel."
The previous day, Rinoa was still in the infirmary and Squall was in the cafeteria after spending hours what felt like talking to a wall. It was then that he realized he shouldn't have been so harsh with Quistis after the SeeD inauguration. He felt like he owed her an apology and that he was getting what he deserved. But... why did it have to be Rinoa to teach him that lesson? She was innocent in all of this. None of this was her fault.
"Mind if I sit here?" Irvine asked as he snuck up on a very tired Squall sitting down in the cafeteria about to eat a cold sandwich. He cold hear him grunt irritatedly, but given the circumstances, it was no surprise. He figured he'd make it quick. It wasn't his intention to bother him, but he didn't know who else to go to.
"Whatever," Squall tiredly said.
"You look rough. I got you something," he said as he took a seat, propping his legs up on the table and leaning back in the chair. He pulled out an energy drink from his trenchcoat pocket and handed it to Squall. "Made with real energy crystals."
"I suppose that could come in handy. Thank you," Squall said.
"Listen, Squall. I don't know how to do this and I don't know who else to turn to. I know it's not an ideal time, so I won't be here long... Can you help me?"
"I don't know. You have to tell me what you need first."
Irvine looked around suspiciously, as if someone might be around to hear something they aren't supposed to hear. He lowered his voice and leaned in to Squall's ear, whispering, "There's a girl."
"There's a lot of girls, Irvine. And you flirt with them all. Don't bring that crap to me right now because I don't care."
"That's the thing, though... it's not just any girl."
"Oh. You mean Selphie."
"Huh? How'd you know? D'she say something to you?"
"...How dumb do you think everyone is? It's obvious. Even I can see it."
"Oh. Well now that you mention it... I guess I have been rather open about it."
"Okay, what do you want?" Squall was beginning to sound irritated.
"...How do I win her over?"
"Ask her on a date. I don't know. Do I look like some kind of relationship guru to you?"
"Hardly. But we're kind of in a similar boat... with reversed roles, so I figured you'd be the perfect person to ask."
"Are you... comparing me to Selphie? I'm tired, Irvine. You have to be more direct."
"...Don't be mad," Irvine started. "Rinoa and I have ... some things in common that make it difficult to be in relationships. Namely, we're both a bit popular with the opposite sex. So like, what I'm trying to say is... how'd you... you know. Get her?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Irvine."
"What did she do that made you want to be with her so bad? 'Cus I can't handle the thought of losing Selphie all over again. But I don't know what I can do to show her that she means something to me that nobody else does!"
"Hang on. First off, I want to make one thing perfectly clear. I am tired of saying this, and I CANNOT stress this enough. Rinoa is not my girlfriend."
"She wants you. And you're an idiot for being so cold to her."
"I don't need this now, Irvine."
"You seem cranky. You WANT her to be your girlfriend, don't you?"
"Back to your point, Irvine. Or leave."
"How'd she do it? How'd she manage to get someone like you to fall for someone so ... friendly ... like her? What did she do that made you realize she's serious about you? And what exactly does she see in you?"
"If you came here just to taunt me, fuck off. If you want advice, I don't know, Irvine. Why don't you ask her to marry you or something?"
"Do you think that would work?"
"How would I know?" Squall said with a facepalm, sinking his elbows onto the table and letting his head fall into his hands. "Okay, just tell her how you feel. Before it's too late."
It really wasn't helpful at all, but Irvine took it to heart and didn't try to lure Squall back to the table when he left. He even took the sarcastic parts of Squall's advice seriously, surprising the one who gave it to him when he didn't scoff at or claim it wasn't his style But Squall was much too tired to continue the conversation, and as far as Irvine knew, Squall thought nothing of it. The smitten cowboy recalled a time not long ago when he learned of Zell's jewelry crafting skills, and although he could never explain to that loudmouth crybaby what he was planning, he knew how to get him to do what he needed. He noticed the blonde entering the cafeteria and raced him to the line, ignoring him the entire time, which was easy as the two didn't talk much. When it was Irvine's turn to order, he very quietly asked the cafeteria worker, "How many hot dogs do you have left?"
"We've only got eight," she said after doing a quick count.
"Perfect! That's exactly how many my study group needs." Obviously it was a lie. He just didn't want to seem suspicious and be denied the hot dogs, as they would become a very important part in his plan. He handed his gil over and took a tray filled with hot dogs to a table where he knew Zell would see.
He could hear the blonde cry out in irritation when he heard the news that the hot dogs were once again sold out. The cowboy looked up, making sure Zell noticed. Of course he did, and he even approached the table.
"Hey..." Zell said awkwardly.
"Howdy," Irvine greeted him lowly, having yet to touch a single hot dog.
"...You gonna eat all those?" Zell couldn't refrain as words slipped out while his mouth watered at the sight.
"Oh these? No. I don't even like hot dogs. I noticed a line and saw you coming, so I thought, why not score some for my good buddy Zell, before they sell out? Come on, sit down, eat up."
Zell remained awkward as ever, looking back at the hot dogs and at Irvine, wondering why he was being so nice to him all of a sudden, as he took a seat. Not that Irvine was necessarily mean to him like Seifer was, but he never really considered him a friend. Part of the 'orphanage gang,' maybe, but something about Irvine's existence terribly irked Zell. He quickly gave in and went for a hot dog, stuffing his face like the food was about to disappear.
"Man, I don't know how to repay you. Thanks a lot, man! They're always sold out!" Zell thanked him a little too eagerly with a mouthful of food.
"Careful. Don't choke. Can't have you dyin' on me. I need a favor from you."
"Sure thing! What's up?" Zell asked between bites.
"I was wondering," Irvine said as he pulled from his pocket a Life Ring, Regen Ring, and several Water Crystals that he just happened to have in his pocket and remembered during his conversation with Squall, "...if you could fuse these together, size them down, and insert the crystals in between?"
These were the perfect items for a perfect ring for Selphie. A Life Ring to symbolize spending the rest of their lives together; a Regen Ring to symbolize always keeping their love alive; and Water Crystals to reflect the deep love he had for her as well as symbolizing their water zodiac signs, Cancer and Scorpio (although he was technically a Sagittarius, he was born under the Scorpio cusp and related more to this sign).
Water always made Irvine think of Selphie, for other reasons. They used to live on the beach together. He didn't remember the first time he met her, though. They must have been babies when they were brought to Edea's orphanage. She was just... always there. A constant in his life. But his earliest memories were of playing with her on the beach. The children loved the beach, but Edea was always concerned about drowning or getting washed away, so they weren't allowed to go very far and they always had to be supervised. They didn't mind, they loved the water and splashing each other. Even as children, Irvine had a cowboy hat that Selphie always took right off his head. She said her eyes were sensitive to the sun, and she didn't want to burn. He never questioned it, and he cared about her, so he let her. Every time.
The moment he felt his memories slipping he began writing, almost obsessively, the favorite memories he shared with Selphie as children. He didn't want to forget. Little did he know, she had thought of him just as much as he had thought of her once she was removed from Edea's orphanage. She always remained optimistic she would see him again, and often wrote about him in her diary. Then, one day, she had gone on an outdoor training session and for the first time, junctioned a guardian force she had found inside a monster she defeated. The first memory to fade was the most crucial one: where she had placed her diary. Because of this, she hadn't forgotten everything, but she had certainly thought of Irvine less and less, while on the other side of the world he only thought about her more and more. Eventually they reunited, and he helped jog her memory until she felt like a little kid again whenever in his presence.
But that's where it all started. In the water.
"Size it down how much?"
"I'd say about..." Irvine began as he drew his best attempt at the size of Selphie's finger on a napkin with a pen he pulled from his other pocket.
"Okay, so about a five. I can do that, no problem."
"What's the earliest you think you can get it done?"
"I dunno, probably by midnight."
Irvine wasn't a jewelry expert, so he had no idea what to expect in terms of how much time was needed. He was hoping to have it done earlier than that, since he agreed to wake up before everyone else and cross the train tracks with Selphie first thing in the morning, but he figured one night of a little less sleep wouldn't kill him. He was sure Selphie would have enough energy for the both of them, anyway. He wouldn't complain though. He'd gladly stay up all night if it meant getting to spend time with her.
"Before it's too late," Irvine followed up after thinking over the events of yesterday, particularly Squall's situation. He knew what his friend meant, even if he wouldn't admit to it. But Squall did want to be with Rinoa, and he was really kicking himself in the face for not acting on his feelings until she became unconscious. "Selphie... it could have just as easily been you."
"...Or you," Selphie reminded him. "It could have happened to any of us."
"Yeah. You're not wrong. Selphie-"
"I know where you're coming from. You don't have to say anything else. We're all worried about Rinoa. And we're all scared. But I'm glad you're safe. I don't want to lose you again, either."
"Sounds like someone wants to marry me," Irvine resumed his flirting as he wrapped an arm playfully around her neck and over her shoulder, using the opportunity to steal his hat back in one swift motion as they continued walking.
"I'll consider it."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I will consider it."
"That's more than I thought I'd get out of you. I'm honored. Here, in the mean time, hold on to this," he said, halting in his steps to hold up the ring to her face.
"I can't wear that until I accept your proposal."
"So accept my proposal then," he said with a warm smile and seductive brush of her hair. Selphie couldn't help but blush, bringing so much heat to her face that it kept her entire body warm.
"Here's the thing. I don't want to be insensitive."
"Insensitive how, beautiful?" he teased, caressing her pink cheek.
"I mean, it's not exactly a celebratory time," she said, shrugging off his advances and continuing in their direction. "Our friend's in a coma. Squall will never admit to it but he's totally into her and now he's a mess because nobody knows if she's going to be okay or not. Kinda seems like a slap in the face to come back and be like, 'Hey Squall, sorry the girl you're into is in a coma but hey we're engaged now' and then expect people to be happy about it. I'm not saying I won't marry you. But... I want it to be at a happy time."
"Hm. So you basically just agreed to marry me."
"...Yeah. I guess I did."
"Then it's decided. We'll get married, but we won't say anything until things cool down. Out of respect for the ill."
"But that means you'll have to propose all over again," she half-teased. "After all... they're gonna ask how you did it."
Irvine smirked devilishly, knowing this would be the easiest task he'd ever do. He knew her very well, to the point where he could easily impersonate her if they could switch bodies. He knew what she'd want, and he would be just as excited as her to even something like that. But in all honesty, he knew he could do better than sounding like a joke on an oversees ghost railroad during a time of crisis. "It'll be something nobody will ever be able to top."
"Teehee. I look forward to it."
"So do I, gorgeous," he said before kissing her cheek.
"Meaning you have to hold on to the ring."
"Probably for the best. Zell would recognize it anyway."
"Zell?"
"Yeah, I had him craft it since he's a jewelry expert."
"...So he knows?"
"No, I didn't give him any details. Just give him a hot dog and he'll do anything without question, and he'll think it was his idea."
Selphie giggled at the thought of how that must have gone.
"You know, Irvine... as bad as everything is around us... I'm happy right now. I kind of wish we could just stay on these tracks forever and not have to worry about anything else."
"I know what you mean. Wanna take a quick break?"
"We haven't even been out here for very long though."
"I know. I just really want to make out with you and we may not get another chance for a while," he admitted, making her blush. "Besides... I already know which way we're going. We're gonna get to the end of the train tracks, there's gonna be nothing North or South. No need to scout the area."
"...If you knew, then why-"
"I just really wanted to spend time with you."
"...How do you know-"
"I got my hands on some old books from the Balamb Library yesterday morning. Right after we talked about heading over here. You know that girl who likes Zell? The one who works in the library? All I did was explain to her that we planned on going to Esthar, and Zell would be with us, so I didn't even have to ask. She just offered. Made things a lot easier for me. Anyway, so I spent the rest of the day doing research on Esthar. There isn't much information available, but I managed to put the pieces together. Look, I copied a map from one of the books just in case," he explained, pulling out a piece of paper with a map of the west coast of the Esthar continent. Selphie looked over it almost in disbelief. To think Irvine would have gone that far just to spend some time alone with her!
"...So we..."
"Have plenty of time, angel," he reassured her, putting the folded up map back into his coat pocket.
Selphie smirked, then walked off to the side, looking over the edge and at the vast ocean.
That damn water. It's everywhere. Only fitting, he supposed. They looked at the sparkling water below and then to each other and smiled awkwardly. The way Selphie was standing reminded Irvine of their train ride to Deling City together. She looked out the window so excitedly, with her weight on one leg, and her hands on the rail before her. To think, if the trains were still running on this track, she'd be standing in the exact same manner, looking at the exact same thing, only from inside a train.
"You're quiet now. What's on your mind?" Irvine asked kindly, brushing a few strands of her hair out of her face while he leaned sideways against the rail.
"A lot," she confessed. "You. Rinoa. Trains."
"In that order, I assume?" Irvine teased.
"Uh-huh," Selphie confirmed. He had only been expecting a joke, but she never followed up with anything. "Ever since that day."
"Which day?"
"Galbadia Garden. Wanna know a secret?"
"Do tell."
"When I first saw you... I thought, wow, he's cute! And just my type too. Tall, long hair, ponytail, a nice sexy gun. And such a sweet talker. But even more so... there was something familiar about you. My memories may be blocked off, but I think part of me recognized you. And then we got on the train and you hit on me."
"How could I resist..." Irvine started to laugh it off. It was true, though. It was very difficult to resist her.
"I liked it."
"I could tell. You got red and defensive. You were really cute. But it killed me that you didn't seem to remember anything."
"Yeah. I'm sorry."
"Not your fault nobody told you about the GF."
"Why are we talking about this?"
"Just the direction the conversation naturally went, I suppose."
"Well I thought you wanted to make out. Are you backing out now?"
Irvine immediately zeroed in on his target, sporting a monstrous grin. "Not in a million years, babe."
The two easily lost track of time in each other's arms, conjoined at the lips for what must have been hours. He had her pinned against a wall for quite some time, escalating to lifting her against it and holding her up with her legs around his waist. She didn't even notice him starting to unzip her dress, but he didn't cross any lines unless her dress riding up to her back counts. She had never been that close to Irvine before, and he could feel his excitement pressing into her. However, she quickly realized the position of the sun and what she was supposed to have been doing with Irvine.
"We have to go soon," she spoke up. "Before they wonder where we are."
Irvine audibly, but quietly, pouted at this. Still, he saw her point. They'd have to get going now or they'd be bombarded with questions. He gently helped her down, savoring the taste of her lips on his tongue before zipping up the few inches of her dress that he had undone. She straightened out her dress and smoothed out her hair, quickly finding her hand held by Irvine's when he knealt over and kissed it in a very charming manner. She put his hat back on his head, not even noticing that he had willingly placed it on her head during their makeout session. They then ran off back to their friends, keeping their relationship on the downlow... for now.
