A/N: I do not own Final Fantasy X-2.

Reason Enough

Because we're all a little unsure sometimes…

"I don't know."

He laid on the bed, tangled in a mess of linen sheets, his arm on a pillow while supporting the weight of his head as he stared up at her with a half expectant look on his weary face. It had obviously been a long day and she considered for a moment if maybe she should tell him some other time, a time in which he's a little more awake and where she's a little bit more prepared for this.

"You don't know…?" His voice is soft, yet stern and he gives her a hard look before sitting up. His lips set to a thin, solemn line as he gazed down intently at his trembling hands. She assumed he was probably suspecting it by the way he clumsily folded and refolded his hands to hinder any further discomfited movements.

She didn't like where this was going.

She had only said three insignificant words and she felt as though she had already messed things up, but she knew it was more than that. She was different somehow; maybe she had suddenly come to her senses and realized just what she was doingand to who she was doing it with. She didn't know. All she knew was that she was being unfair; she was being short with him. From the way she talked, to the way she kissed; every little thing involving him seemed forced.

"Baralai-" She started, but then cut herself off. A name she had spoken so many times sounding foreign on her lips. It sounded fake and almost too casual, all at the same time. He didn't deserve this and she wished she didn't feel this way so she could pass this off as something else. So they could go back to the way things were before, where this was just a casual affair – no strings attached. They couldn't though; they did exactly what they promised themselves, and each other, what they wouldn't do. They went in too deep, and things got a little more personal. And before they knew it, life stories to probing questions were exchanged between them and these four exact walls. Losing themselves in the ecstasy of this world of pretend, and now they were drowning in their own sea of deception and discord.

There wasn't anything they could do about it. All it was supposed to be was a little fling. Nothing more, nothing less.

"So, what do you want?" She knew what he meant; there wasn't two ways about it. There wasn't any dancing around this; he wanted the truth, plain and simple.

"Honestly, as I told you, I don't know." She tilted her head slightly; her mind piecing together words she was probably going to regret once they left her mouth. Nevertheless, she continued. "It's just that, things weren't supposed to be like this between us."

"Nothing is holding you back." He shook his head, rubbing the back of his stiff neck. "If you want to leave, then leave. After all, it was a part of our agreement." He was right. She could leave at anytime, but the way he said it. Like it didn't matter, it was simply business as usual.

"That's it?" she questioned, looking curiously at him.

"Only if you want it to be," he paused; meeting her gaze for a split second, before his eyes wandered idly around the room. "I'm not going to try and force you into something you obviously don't want." This was infuriating. He wasn't acting like himself. He was always a little more opinionated than this.

"I understand that, but what do you want?"

"It doesn't matter what I want." This wasn't going anywhere. "I don't want you to base your decision-"

"I wouldn't do anything of the sort!" He fixed her with a peculiar look, daring her to continue. She didn't, there was a lot of truth behind his words. She knew if he openly said he wanted her to stay, she probably would. Whether or not that would be a good thing, she wasn't exactly too sure. Though, it would make things a whole lot easier.

"As I was saying, I don't want you to base your decision off of mine, because if I'm not mistaken, there is a difference." He emitted a sigh of defeat, immediately registering the implication that just slipped out of his mouth. His cheeks reddened faintly, and she couldn't help but smile at this bitter irony. He had a knack for keeping secrets; apparently this would be the one exception.

"So, you want me to stay?" she asked shyly.

"I believe I've made that quite clear…" he trailed off, blushing as he recalled a few of their most memorable moments. "On many occasions, actually."

She was pleased that he had told her, even if it was by accident, how he felt. Whether it was the need for company or something else, it was reassuring to know there was somewhere to go where she was wanted. Even if she was desired by a man who was not at all like someone she imagined herself being with. He was just too precise, overly rehearsed at times. It sounds absurd, but for so long, she has held onto a flawless reflection of what was. It explains why comparison became like a second nature, and why she could never truly be happy with this man.

That's just it though; this thing between them was just a fling. Like she's told herself time and time again, there's no pressure. There's no reason to jump into everything head first like she used to; she somehow forgot, that she's only twenty years old, and she has the rest of her life to consider what exactly she wants to make of this. She was in such a rush, jumping to conclusions over the littlest remarks and actions.

Everything was fine just the way it was; he certainly hadn't made any complaints.

"I'm afraid I've made a terrible mistake," she declared with a hint of amusement in her voice. He raised an eyebrow at her odd behavior, oblivious to her recent grasp on the situation. His lips parted then closed. He was utterly speechless concerning her informality, but somehow managed to regain some composure.

"I suppose you should leave then," he said a bit confusedly.

"No, I'm sorry," she started, suddenly very embarrassed about her outburst. "I meant I made a mistake about even bringing this up. I just made a whole lot of something out of nothing, so to speak."

"Oh?" Despite himself, he was very much intrigued by her immediate resolve.

"I realized that I like the way things are going for right now, and I just got a little ahead of myself." She chose her words carefully, without any details of what was already behind her. There was no need for further discussion, because he had an idea of what she might have been talking about. It was subtle, but it rang loudly.

"So, no more complaints?"

"No, I don't believe there is."

He sighed and laid back down on the bed, remembering how tired he was. He thoughtlessly looked over at the window, noticing the first gleaming rays of the sun dousing Bevelle's night sky in a hue of scarlet and orange. He closed his eyes; he had a thousand things to do today, and how he was going to stay awake during them was an interesting question indeed. Regardless, before he was able to rest for the few hours he had left, he had to know.

"You're not just saying that, right?"

His eyes still closed; he heard her sweet, melodically laugh. The bed creaked lightly, and he had no idea what she was doing until he felt a prodigious amount of warmth on his lips. It was all the reassurance he needed; they both needed.

Finally, it's been a few years since I've written anything so I hope it turned out alright. I'm a little rusty, I think, but I hope you all enjoyed it anyway! Thanks so much for reading, and please review!