A/N: Hey! I hope you like what I did to Seifer and Quistis on the last chapter. Please tell me what you think, I'm not really into writing the fluffy stuff so... AND BTW, I've decided that the next chapters will be flashback chapters. They'll still be crucial to the storyline but it's all about the orphanage gang and how they've grown and developed through the years. Please review :((((

Chapter 7: Destiny

Irvine Kinneas never believed in destiny. It was their own choices that brought them to where they are now - sitting happily around a small fire on the beach in Centra. It was their own choices that made them who they are now. Yet, it is hard to believe that there wasn't a force even greater than human volition that initially brought them together. It seems weirdly coincidental that they have all met. But wasn't it Headmaster Cid who was behind their meeting? Irvine Kinneas stands by his beliefs: that we choose our own destiny. Selphie Kinneas begs to differ.

As the orphanage gang sat around the campfire, Selphie wondered what life would be like if she hadn't met these people who are sitting and laughing right beside her. It is indeed foolish to think that they were the ones who found each other. After all, who would've known that Squall, Zell, Quistis and Seifer would be in Balamb Garden when she transferred from Trabia Garden? (Cid would) Who would've known that they would be assigned Irvine as the sharpshooter in a mission to kill their Matron? There must be a greater force at work here, and it is destiny.

To Irvine, destiny goes by the name of Cid.

"Why don't you two tell us your story?" Ellone spoke up, pointing to Irvine and Selphie. "We've heard Seifer's story a million times, already. And I haven't had the chance to hear your story."

"Come to think of it, these two never shared that much to us." Zell added.

"Oh I don't know..." Selphie was hesitating.

"Come on, you guys. It's us." Rinoa compelled the couple to tell.

"Fine.." Selphie blushed as she looked at her husband and saw his charming smile. They obviously liked reminiscing about their story.

Irvine and Selphie never moved past the flirting stage that easily, with Irvine being an expert in women (and guns) and Selphie being a little on the childish side. The night Irvine asked Selphie to be his lover was like any other normal night.

It was three months after defeating Ultimecia. Everyone knew there was something between them but they weren't "exclusive" yet. The two were walking side by side on the beach of Balamb.

"Hey, Irvy! Do you remember the thing you told me the first time we met?" Selphie stopped walking and turned enthusiastically to face the cowboy.

"No, Sefie, I don't" Irvine faced Selphie, smiling. He was planning on telling her how he feels tonight. It was funny how smooth he can talk to all ladies but when it comes to declaring his feelings for Selphie, he backs out. Irvine thinks it's because of all the pressure. All of his friends think they should be together and it's putting a lot of pressure on the poor cowboy. Quistis thinks it's a load of crap - the pressure and everything. Quistis thinks Irvine is just not ready or too scared to be in a committed relationship. After all, he has been a lone sniper for as long as he can remember. It'll be hard changing that persona.

"Well, you said that we were destined to be together." Selphie reminded Irvine.

"Really? I said that?" Irvine laughed, obviously embarrassed by Selphie's advances. He was caught off-guard.

"Yeah you did, cowboy." Selphie tipped his hat. "But you said you don't believe in destiny."

Irvine started getting a little confused.

"So what, everything you just told me on that train was crap?" Selphie smirked; attempting to annoy the cowboy was hard and pointless.

Irvine smiled. "Selphie. I... don't know what to say... I just..."

Selphie grinned. She got him; in more than one ways. "Awww. You look so cute when you're all confused and caught-off-guard-y." She quickly grabbed his cowboy hat and ran to the waters.

"Selphie. Give that back, please." Irvine shouted to the girl in the water.

"If you want it, come on here and get it." Selphie knew Irvine hated getting his clothes wet. She loved annoying the cowboy.

"Come on, Sefie, please." Irvine liked getting played by Selphie. It's annoying when others do it. Not Selphie, though. There's something about how Selphie pesters him that makes him want to be played more.

"What? Are you afraid of a little water, Irvine Kinneas?" Selphie laughed.

Irvine sighed.

"Come on, Irvy! It's just the ocean!" Selphie teased once more.

Irvine ran to the waters and swam to where she was. Selphie tried to swim away but she was caught by Irvine's hands too quickly.

"Hey no fair. You had swimming classes in G-Garden. We can't swim in Trabia." said Selphie once Irvine grabbed his hat back. The couple stood on the unstable sand on the seafloor and Irvine's arms were wrapped around Selphie's waist.

"I am so getting you back for making me swim here." Irvine smiled.

"What are you gonna do to me?" asked Selphie.

"I am gonna kiss you." Irvine answered as he quickly pressed his lips against hers. Selphie's eyes flew open at the touch of Irvine's lips on her own. She smiled under the kiss and kissed the cowboy right back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Since that day, Irvine stopped [tried to] stop flirting with other girls. No one would want to mess with Selphie and her deadly nunchaku, not to mention her ability to conjure a rapture. The couple dated for two years and then got married. Selphie was 18, Irvine was 19. Admittedly, they were pretty young when they got married, but Squall and Rinoa got married young too. Of course, the case of a sorceress and her knight was different.

Krystof Kinneas was born a year after they were married. It was a happy day for the two. They decided to name him Krystof after the enemy they encountered in Ultimecia's Castle, Krysta. Krystof's pale blue eye reminded them of the enemy. At first, the others thought that it was horrible, naming your kid after a fiend. Then, Irvine explained that the fiend was indeed beautiful but deadly at the same time, just like how he wants his child to be.

Of course, he didn't want his child to be a mercenary like him, but with the new mission and vision of SeeD, Irvine decided that it would be honorable for Krystof to become one. Selphie agreed.

"Besides, Irvy, if Krystof is destined to be a SeeD, he will be a SeeD, right? There's not much we can do about it. Might as well support him all the way through."

"Selphie, we can do something about it. And we are. Now, if you don't want Krystof to be a SeeD, it's fine by me." Irvine tried to argue

"You know what? Do you think it's better if we ask him what he wants? After all, it's his future."

"That's fine by me. At least he can choose his own destiny."

"And now, we're... actually planning on having another one." Selphie told Ellone with an excited smile on her face.

Ellone gasped. Everyone's eyes were on her. "Oh my gosh, Sef, are you pregnant?!" She quickly snatched the bottle of whisky from Irvine's arms.

Irvine laughed. "Yeah. And a bottle of whiskey is our way of celebrating. Give me that Elle!" The cowboy snatched it back.

Selphie laughed with Irvine. "No. I mean. Not yet. We'll see what destiny throws in our way."