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Irvine frowned at the sky. The shifting, dark gray mass of cloud paid him no mind. Deliberately ignoring what it was ruining.
People ran for cover as rain began to hit the sand of the beach, their beach day ruined as much as his was. At least the outdoor seating of the beachside restaurant he currently occupied had roof over it. Originally built to block the sun so people could enjoy their cooked food without getting cooked themselves, it did an admirable job at keeping the rain off, barring a few leaks here and there. Many people thought so too as they occupied the space in an attempt to escape the storm. He had a crowd at his back, all watching nature reclaim the beach.
The sharpshooter was very much a go with the flow type of guy but not when the flow messed with his well crafted plans of wooing a particular member of the fairer sex. His sharp eyes tried to spot her amongst raindrops as he sat on the fence the surrounded the eatery but no such luck so far. He let out a breath. Another minute and he would be out there looking for her.
He lifted his head to glare at the sky again, perhaps this time the elements would see his face and realize their rudeness. It had been a good plan too. Morning at the beach. Sea, surf and Selphie in a really cute yellow bikini that rode up her butt in just the right way. Stop by a nice food place for lunch. Then they would go to the Balamb Town Faire and enjoy the sounds, sights and smells of local culture. Selphie would have been amazed by the date and he, Irvine Kinneas, would occupy a larger spot in her heart. Now it was all being washed away by a freak storm that five separate weather reporters had told him would not hit land.
It was enough to make a laid back guy very frustrated. Especially when the target of all his efforts was nowhere to be seen. She had gone back to get her sundress. The restaurant required at least a shirt on to sit down and eat. His own button up was open right now and billowing behind him in the wind. A gift from Selphie actually. It was sea green with little chocobo’s all over it. It was so damn ugly. He loved it. He squinted through the rain once again.
Finally, Selphie walked into view. She was at the far end of the beach making her way toward the restaurant. Her pace indicated that she was in no hurry to leave the storm however. Irvine strained his eyes further. She was still in her swimsuit, apparently not making it to their camp in time to save her sundress. She was facing the ornery heavens and just letting the storm drench her. Irvine frowned. His girl was an upbeat ball of sunshine that found the good in almost all situations. And if she didn’t, she was an unstoppable hellcat that could bring down the world. The Selphie that walked toward him was neither.
His heart beat faster. He hopped off the fence and took a few tentative steps toward his girlfriend into the edge of the storm. His cowboy hat kept most the rain out of his eyes. The wind picked up, pushing him back slightly. It also blew away the accumulated smells of the restaurant; the aroma of various foods and the combined bouquet of the crowd of beach goers. The smell of rain and sand struck his nose.
It was very nostalgic.
Irvine loved the smell of rain. That and the sound of it hitting the earth always managed to make him smile for some reason deep inside. This was different however. This smell evoked not contentment and calm but anxiety and sadness. Something bubble in his mind, not quite breaking the surface of the waters of his quickly jumbling thoughts. His hand went to his chest as his heart hammered against it fiercely. Concern gripped him but he did not know why.
A flash of lightning brought his gaze upward and Selphie came into view again. He could see her face more clearly now. A smile the likes of which he had never seen on her face before graced her lips. It had no happiness. No joy. It was the saddest thing the could recall her ever wearing.
The sight along with smell of the beach and the feeling of rain sticking his body dragged a memory, long forgotten into the forefront of his mind.
******
Irvine ran through the storm after Selphie, ignoring his soaked clothes and chilled bones. Her little legs were carrying her very quickly through the rain towards the beach, cutting through the storm like a rock through open air. He struggled to keep up.
She told him to keep it secret as she snuck out the back of the orphanage to run toward the beach. That she would be back once the rain stopped. That he should stay there and not tell anyone.
He chased after her almost immediately.
“Selphie!” Whether by the downpour drowning out his voice or by her deliberately ignoring him, the little girl did not even spare him a glance back. She seemed determined to get to the beach.
Matron told them to stay inside during rain or they could catch cold. She also said to avoid the beach because rainfall riled up any monsters that hid underneath the sand. She was going to get hurt or worse, in trouble with Matron. He watched her round the outcropping of rock that lead to the sandy path down the beach proper. Irvine made the turn as well but his foot caught a rock hidden by the sand and he went down face first into the sand.
He spent a moment slowly getting up, his head spinning from the sudden impact. He spat out sand as he shook his head in an effort to clear it. The path ahead of him was empty, Selphie had probably made it to the beach right now. He needed to find her. Make sure she was okay. He couldn’t lose another important person. And Selphie was very important. As soon as he got his feet underneath himself again, he took off.
Irvine made it to the sand of the beach without anymore falls. He barely recognized it. The usually picturesque slice of nature, so calming and inviting, had turned into a scary place where the water looked like it was reaching out to swallow him. He swallowed and pushed his fear aside. His head whipped from side to side as he tried to see her through the raindrops. He could not find her.
“Selphie! Where are you?!” He cried out desperately. “We gotta go back! Matron’s gonna be mad!”
The wind picked up, making the little boy stumble to the side but not fall completely. In that wind he heard it. Crying. Selphie’s was crying. Concern knit his brows together; Selphie never cried. Ever. He clumsily ran through wet sand in the direction of his friend’s voice. He fell to his knees more than once but kept jumping back up. It wasn’t long before he found her.
She was standing her face to the sky. She looked like she was bawling her eyes out. Irvine increased his speed, breaking into a sprint. He practically tackled her when he got to her. He took her face into his hands, studying it intently.
“What happened?! Why’re you cryin’?! Are ya hurt?!” He had to scream to be heard over the downpour.
The little girl blinked at him with big, wide green eyes. The looked really puffy, even in the obscuring veil of falling rain. Red too from what he could see. His head created a slight barrier, keeping some of the rain out of her face so he could see her better. There was a line of snot falling from her right nostril. They just stared at each other for a second or two before she broke into a wide smile. The rain decided at that moment to ease up on the intensity, going from storm to little more than a shower.
“Why’d ya follow me, Irvy?” She tried to suck in the snot while her cheeks were still smooshed in his hands. “I tolded ya I’mma gonna be back soon.”
“‘Cause Matron said not to be out in the rain on the beach!” Irvine scolded. “Monsters coulda eat us or worse, we could get in trouble!”
Selphie looked down. Several seconds passed before she pulled herself out of his hands and furrowed her brow. Irvine stepped back.
“I wanted to cry!” She stomped her foot as she shouted back, sniffling. Irvine was taken aback by her sudden outburst. She was usually loud but rarely sad or mad like this. She was sunshine. That’s why he liked her so much. He just felt warm when she was around.
“Why in the rain?” He asked once the surprise faded. Mad Selphie was scary.
“‘Cause.” She pursed her lips and crossed her arms.
“‘Cause why?”
“‘CAUSE!” Selphie yelled, throwing her arms back, her little fists balled and her as eyes closed as she leaned forward.
“‘CAUSE WHY?!” Irvine yelled back, finding his courage. “You can just cry at the house. We all do it. We won’t make fun! Well, Seifer might but you can jus’ bite him again.”
He tried to give her a reassuring smile. Selphie doubled down with her frown.
“Can’t.” Was her simple and curt answer. He was about to ask her why but she unexpectedly continued. “‘Cause mommy and daddy will be sad.”
“Selphie…Selphie, yer ma and pa…” Irvine hesitated. It was always so hard to say even though it was true for all the kids at the orphanage.
“Dead.” The bluntness struck Irvine like a rock to the head. His jaw dropped along with his brows. Selphie was unafraid to say so many things. Another reason he liked her so much. He wanted to be brave like her someday.“I know. ‘Cause of the war. But mommy told me they would be watching me. Like fairies. I wouldn’t see ‘em but they would be there.”
The boy picked his jaw up and just stood there, looking at her. He wondered if his ma and pa were looking after him too. Unperturbed by his silence she continued.
“I re-ember one time I was cryin’ and mommy told me I was breaking’ her heart. So I tried not to cry when I was sad or hurt. And then…then… they died. An-and I miss ‘em!” She sniffled and fresh tears welled in her eyes. She held onto her overalls as tightly as her little hands were able. “But I don’t wanna break their hearts! I think that would hurt! Cause my heart hurts when I think about them! And if it broke it would hurt a lot more.”
The rain had stopped now. Tears came to Irvine’s eyes as he watched the brave little girl pour her heart out.
“So that’s why!” She exclaimed suddenly, as a tear slid down her cheek. “That’s why I wanna cry in storms. With the rain and boom boom thunder they can’t see me or hear me. So, they won’t be sad.”
A ray of sunshine poked out through the rapidly moving rain clouds. Irvine looked up at the brightness then back to Selphie. She looked like she wanted to cry more but there was no more rain. He needed to help her. An idea galloped into his head like a chocobo.
“Ya don’t hafta go in the rain!” He declared with as much strength as his small lungs allowed. Selphie looked him in surprise. “Ya can cry inside the house! There’s closests in there so you can hide and yer ma and pa won’t see ya!”
“They won’t?” Selphie sniffled but her eyes were curious.
“Yeah!” His hands were on his hips now and he puffed out his chest. “You can’t see through wood. Everyone knows that!”
She looked up for moment, as if searching for a thought bubble floating above her head. Her green eyes closed in concentration, a strained look stretching across her face. Finally her eyelids shot open.
“But they can still hear me!” She told him.
Irvine grinned at her. He stuck out his thumb and pointed it at himself.
“No worries, darlin’!” He used the nickname his pa had used for his ma for emphasis. He always remembered how much that made his mother smile. “That’s where I come in. I’ll stand in front’ah the door and just talk to ‘em. Tell ‘em stories ‘til yer done!”
Selphie just looked at him. She did it for a long time. So long that more sun came out and Irvine began to feel his arm get tired from being held up. He was about to ask her what she thought of his idea before she nodded.
“Okay.” She agreed with the tiniest voice he had ever heard her produce. His grin grew. He held out his hand to her. She copied his grin and took it.
“Anytime ya need to cry, jus’ tell me!” Irvine laughed as he began to walk back to the orphanage, pulling her along gently. “I’ll help ya.”
“You promise?” She asked, her voice brimming with joy.
“Promise!” He beamed.
“You can’t break those, y’know!”
“‘Course!” Irvine turned to her and stuck up this thumb. “My pa said to ne’er break a promise.”
Selphie’s smile was practically glowing.
“Mine too!” She bounced giddily. “My daddy said that if a boy ever broke a promise he made me I outta break his legs!”
Irvine stopped dead in his tracks and gulped. His wide, fearful eyes found her scrunched up, happy ones. Selphie never joked about violence. She took it very seriously.
“Y-y-you wouldn’t actually, um, actually break ‘em, right?”
Selphie stopped in front of him and placed a finger at her lips. Her eyes once again went skyward for several long moments. Eventually, an innocent and cheerful smile erupted across her face.
“I won’t if you don’t make me!” A sheen of sweat almost instantly saturated Irvine’s entire being. “I like you, Irvy! A lot. So, I hope I don’t gotta!”
Any other questions or fears were forgotten as Matron ran up to them, breathing heavily. They both received a stern lecture about running off on their own. Afterward, they received the warmest of hugs. They held each other’s hands as they were held in her arms.
******
Irvine breathed heavily. The aftershocks of the memory still flowing through him. All of the many emotions of that singular day in his youth charging around his head like a herd of stampeding cattle. His heart threatened to leap out of his chest.
The rain had stopped in the time it took for him to relive his memory. He could see down the beach clearly now. A still wet Selphie was approaching him. He took off towards in a mad sprint, almost tripping several times on the wet sand. She stopped in her approach, perhaps in response to her boyfriend charging at her. He practically leapt on top of her as he leaned down and grabbed her face. His fingers started gliding across her skin, wiping it dry of rainwater. His eyes darted all over every feature before stopping to focus on her beautiful green eyes.
No puffiness. No red. Just concern and surprise.
“Irvy, wha-?”
The question became trapped in between the meeting of their lips. Selphie jumped slightly at the suddenness of the affection but returned it before long. Irvine pulled away and just looked at her. She grinned at him; a bright, toothy, absolutely stunning sight. He sighed in relief.
“No tears…” He whispered.
Selphie’s hand caressed his cheek. Her grin transformed into a knowing smile. Her eyes became soft and loving.
“No.” She whispered back. “Just rain.”