5. Pride
It's really a matter of pride, Irvine decides as he slams back another shot. Whiskey burns all the way down, and at this point, it's not burning in a good way. His stomach churns but he fills the glass again.
Goddamn Quistis.
He can't function without her, he doesn't know how to be stable without her.
She doesn't believe him, doesn't want to believe they could have a future, because all she cares about is Seifer Almasy, and whether or not he survived. Irvine's willing to bet it's a no–he saw Seifer get shot. He saw the knight errant fall. He saw everything, and most importantly, he saw the body go into the churning sea.
Irvine drinks, and wonders what Quistis ever saw in Seifer in the first place. Probably some bullshit plan to "redeem" Almasy. The boy didn't need redemption; what he needed was a fucking mental institution, but he's dead now.
He doesn't believe that Seifer survived.
The bitter burn of whiskey hits the back of his throat like a nightmare and Irvine wishes Almasy had never been born. The cowboy can't believe that Seifer survived, because if that was the case, then whatever is going on between he and Quistis wouldn't mean a damn thing.
Irvine isn't sure that he can handle that.
He pours another shot.