"Hey."

Yuj looks up from the bottle he's nursing, which has stayed untouched since he's never been one to drink. Maqui is standing before him, grinning softly. The party is a blurry backdrop of bright colors, and the light casts a glow around him. A can of beer is held at his side. He's wearing an obnoxiously bright yellow shirt Yuj made for him, having insisted on the colors despite Yuj's protests. (Because really—fucking yellow?)

Yuj nods. "Hey, Maqui."

Maqui walks over and sits down next to Yuj on the large rock. Yuj has slipped off his boots, letting his feet dangle off of the edge of the boulder and his toes skim the water. Maqui shucks off his own shoes and then sighs, looking out in the ocean, and raises the beer can up to his lips. He drinks, and presses his shoulder against Yuj's. "You okay?" he asks.

Yuj swallows and sets the full bottle of alcohol to the side. It makes a soft thump noise when he sets it down. He puts his hands on his knees and finds himself unconsciously fisting his pants—which were made by himself. With the luxury of stores (designer stores in Yuj's case) gone, many people have set up small clothing business, and seeing as Yuj would rather die than be caught in those disgusting, unlawful excuses for garments, he started making his own clothes. He'd dabbled in it before, but never really went all out. His first, second, fifth tries weren't the best, but he soon got the hang of it. Yuj can now say confidentially—and humbly—that he does a pretty damn good job.

"I'm fine," he answers, voice lacking the usual cheer that one would suspect of him. Yuj knew that Maqui would catch his tone of voice and he cringes at the blonde's critical stare. He avoids Maqui's gaze by looking up at the sky, which is pitch black and brimming with stars. It isn't at all like what you would see on Cocoon.

Maqui sighs and moves closer. Now not only are their shoulders pressing, but their arms, thighs, and legs are too. Maqui runs his toes across the bottom of Yuj's foot under the water, and Yuj tries not to, but he shrieks and jerks away. Maqui laughs, snorts, and Yuj can't help but smiling. Maqui sobers and grins softly.

"Why aren't you partying with the rest of 'em?" Maqui asks, nodding his head to the festivity farther down on the beach.

"Celebrating just because we're alive?" Yuj says. "That's kind of a waste."

"Come on, people need cheering up—you especially." Maqui scrunches his nose. "You've been acting really fucking weird. I know everybody's weird, but you're… Usually you'd be all over a good time."

Yuj shrugs, deciding not to answer and Maqui huffs.

He drowns the rest of his beer before crumpling the can with his hand and setting it behind him. He yawns, stretches, and turns to Yuj, who has to look away again. "Hey," Maqui says. The blonde takes Yuj's chin between his forefinger and thumb, and makes him turn. "Look at me."

"Fine," Yuj says lightly. "I'm looking at you."

Maqui rolls his eyes and leans in, wrapping his arms around Yuj and pulling him close and then closer and then even more closer, until Yuj is literally on his lap. They knocked the bottle of beer over in the process and beer is spilling all over, but they both ignore it. Yuj smiles (somewhat stiffly) and shifts to get more comfortable, wrapping his legs around Maqui's waist as Maqui moves his hands up and down Yuj's back. It's kind of awkward, Yuj being a good head taller than Maqui, his back now at the ocean, soaked feet pressing against the blonde's back, but neither of them really care.

Maqui presses their foreheads together and then pecks Yuj on the lips, and then kisses him again, but slower and more thoroughly. His fingernails are digging into Yuj's back and Yuj slips his hands under Maqui's shirt, the shirt that Yuj made for him, and grips the sides of his waist.

They eventually fall back onto the rock. Yuj rolls off of Maqui and to the side, splayed out and looking up. He glances at a pouting Maqui, and rolls his eyes when the blonde situates himself on top of him.

"Happy?" Yuj asks, and Maqui hums, face buried in Yuj's neck, smirking against Yuj's skin. They lay like this for a while, until Maqui pulls back and pushes himself up on his knees with his hands at either side of Yuj's head. He leans down and kisses Yuj slowly and for a long time, and when he pulls away he's grinning, all optimism and reassurance and confidence.

"It'll be okay, yeah?" he asks softly.

Yuj nods. "Yeah."

A/N: what was i thinking this is all kinds of dumb

whatever! there needs to more maqui/yuj stuff regardless if its shit or not

hmm pre ffxiii-2, obviously post ffxiii