The Reason You're Perfect

A/N I've absolutely fallen in love with Final Fantasy XIII characters, ah their so lovable! Hmm, it makes you feel warm inside thinking about all the wonderful shipping opportunities you can make up for yourself with such wonderful well rounded characters!

I apologize for my eccentricities, but you'll have to get used to it! Of course, those who do endure this will get to enjoy a story of great interest I hope, I usually like to mix together romance and adventure, but I'm going for romance and angst this time around, yes I am! Hmm, let's see how it turns out!

~Anonymous-Anime-Fan :3

The Reason You're Perfect

"I really don't want to go to the beach…." I mumbled as Vanille dragged me out of my room. I had moved to Bodhum from Palumpolum after my home had been destroyed. My father had decided to let me go alone, while he would stay in Palumpolum and help rebuild the home, in remembrance of the place he built a life in with my mother, and me after I was born.

My mother's body was never found, but a gravesite was made for her near the beach, like she's always wanted.

"But you need to lighten up! Ever since this whole L'Cie thing wrapped up, you went back to being the emo kid! You still have a life and the fancy powers, enjoy them!" She shouted happily while dragging me out of my apartment building.

"Fine." I grumbled and she smiled.

"Put on this," She said, tossing me my swim suit, "Maqui will be there." She said. My eyes brightened. Maqui had become my best friend, we related to each other quickly, since I moved here. I also have this…. Kinda…. Small…. Maybe big….

Crush on him. I didn't tell anyone about it, but I have the feeling that Vanille figured it out on her own. I hope she didn't, but she's been trying to get me to hang out with Maqui quite a lot… so there's the possibility.

"Fine." I said again, changing into my swimsuit in the changing area. I looked at myself in the mirror. I shrugged.

I always get called cute and adorable but I don't see it. Eh.

I stepped out a found Vanille waiting. She smiled and grabbed my hand. She pulled me to the beach and ran off once Fang came into sight. She waved and I sighed.

"Bring me all this way to just ditch me…."

"You're in a good mood." I heard the sarcastic remark from behind.

"Ya, ya, Yuji." I said, sitting down on a bench looking out at the ocean. Yuji sat to my left and Maqui sat to my right. I blushed. Maqui in a swimsuit…. No bloody nose….. No bloody nose.

"Woah, are you ok Hope? Your nose is bleeding." Maqui said, tossing me a towel. I covered my face, except for my eyes, using it as an excuse to hide my blush.

Now Maqui was cute and adorable and… amazing.

"I'm fine." I said, muffled through the towel. Maqui smiled and I suddenly felt really warm. He grabbed me.

"C'mon, let's go get something at Lebreau's." He said happily. I nodded, dropping the soiled towel. I don't mind be dragged somewhere by Maqui. He pulled me straight into Lebreau's shop and immediately ordered us smoothies, remembering my favorite. It's the little things that matter sometimes.

We sat down at a table, ignoring the usual murmuring when we go out. I overhear things like "omg, he's so cute!" and "look at them! Their adorable!", stuff like that. They must be talking about Maqui.

"Thanks." Maqui said cheerfully, talking our drinks. He took a big chug out of his and let out a happy sigh. He looked at me, still smiling.

"Why are you so insecure!" HE asked out of nowhere, startling me.

"What?" I asked, surprised.

"I can tell it in your eyes; you've got low-self-esteem." He said, shaking his finger back at forth to "low-self-esteem". "How come you never told me about this self loathing attitude you have, we've been friends for a year, I'm hurt." He said, feigning hurt.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I said, smiling.

There was a long moment of awkward silence before Maqui stood up. He walked close to me and I looked up at him, blushing. He was blushing too.

"You should know…. You have every reason not to have low-self-esteem. Really, it all piles under one reason though." He said, still blushing and looking away trying to hide it. He leaned in and caught my lips in a kiss. My eyes widened in surprise, but I started to kiss back. I put my arms over his shoulders and I felt his arms wrap around me. He pulled away, sitting back in his chair which had mysteriously moved extremely close to me.

"That reason is you're perfect the way you are." Maqui said. We were both blushing like crazy.

"C-Could we do th-that again?" I asked shyly. Maqui smirked and nodded. He pulled me close again gently and wrapped his arms around me. I looked at him shyly, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. One of his hands gently led my chin to him and we kissed again. This time was a million times better… I swear fireworks started shooting from nowhere around us.

Maqui took charge of the kiss and I let him. I slide my hand up his bare back and tangled my hand in his hair. I moaned slightly into the kiss and we parted grudgingly for air. We looked into each other's eyes and I rested my head into the crook of his neck.

"This feels like a dream." I mumbled.

"I know right?" Maqui said, in a dreamy voice. He smiled at me and wrapped an arm around me. I looked around, blushing realizing we had made out twice in public. None of our friends were in the area, but a group of… yaoi fangirls, I think that's what their called, had passed out in the corner of the shop.

"You guys seemed to be enjoying yourselves, so how's it feel to finally get together?" Lebreau said from behind the counter, appearing from nowhere. I blushed and stuttered a little.

"It feels amazing, nothing could be better." Maqui replied for us. I nodded and buried my head in Maqui's shoulder.

"He's all shy now, this boy must be bipolar or something. Go back to being the confident guy you became during the incident." Lebreau teased. I stuck my tongue at her and she laughed. Maqui wrapped both arms around me.

"You wanna go onto the beach now?" He asked.

"I'm fine anywhere with you." I responded quickly. He stood up and I followed him, nervously taking his hand. He held my hand proudly and I shook myself.

"Don't be so shy about it, and although it is insanely adorable, it's not how you really are now, is it?" Maqui said. I smiled and nodded. I lead him onto the beach and we both sat down on a towel.

"You'd think you to would be the first out there in the water." Lightning remarked from fold-out chair. She was so busy relaxing I thought she wouldn't notice us.

"We had other things to do." Maqui replied. I nodded and she shrugged and put her sunglasses back on, ignoring us again. Maqui smiled at me and gave me a peek on the cheek, effectively turning my face red. He stretched out and lied down on the sand. I smiled and laid on him.

"You two are very chummy." Fang said, smirking. She figured it out right away. She tossed a beach ball at us and Maqui kicked it back.

"Hey! Don't ruin the moment." Maqui shouted. She stuck her tongue out at us.

"Too late." She said, tossing the ball back at hitting Maqui right in the head. He glared at her and she laughed. I jump on Maqui from behind and wrapped my arms around him.

"Don't pay her any attention."

"Are you jealous, we've only been together for a whole hour." Maqui teased. I nipped his ear and he jumped, turning red.

"H-Hope…" He mumbled.

"Did I find a sweet spot?" I asked, whispering into his ear. He shivered and I nipped his ear lobe again.

"S-stop it…." He moaned.

"If you give me a kiss." I said, smirking. He grabbed my chin and twisted his head, crashing our lips together. He immediately took control and pinned me to the sand while we kissed.

"So, who was it that owes me 100Gil?" I heard a shout from Snow but ignored it. "I told you they would hook up eventually Gadot!"

"I can't believe it! Lemme see!" Maqui and I parted and sighed as we heard the ruckus of Gadot trying to get over to us. He looked at us and it took him a while to notice that I was sitting on Maqui's lap. He sighed.

"Why is it that my only straight male friends are the old haggard and the son-obsessed-father?" Gadot mumbled, forking over the money to Snow.

"Hey, what about me!" Yuji shouted from a table away from the sand.

"What straight guy wont step foot on the beach in fear of getting sand in his hair!" Gadot shouted.

"Doesn't mean I'm not straight!" Yuji shouted.

"Are you?"

"….. No…." Yuji said. Gadot put his head down in defeat, handing over some more Gil to Snow.

"Everyone's so lively today." Vanille said happily as she sat down near Maqui and I. She looked at us and smiled.

"I'm happy your happy again Hope." She said. "You're done being the emo kid right?"

I nodded, ignoring her remark. She smiled and got up, skipping happily to Fang near the water.

"So, what do ya wanna do now?" Maqui asked, poking my forehead.

I shrugged, "You wanna go out into town or something?"

"Sure!" Maqui said. I pulled me close and whispered into my ear. "Want me to help you change?"

I blushed a deep red and gave him a punch in the shoulder.

"Not that far!"

He put his hands up defensively and we stood up. He made a mad dash for the changing rooms.

"Race you there!"

"Hey, no fair!"