prompt twenty one: opposites
rate: T for Teens and Up
Twenty one out of one hundred.
Got the inspiration from re-watching Euphoria last night. Lexi and Fez have my heart.
"They say "opposites attract" but I think people like us fall in love with people like us. We fall in love with ourselves" —Unknown
x
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She knew who he was. Everyone knew who he was. He wasn't the most popular kid in school but he was well-known because of his brashness and also the fact that he was the kid of a mafia gang who may or may not smuggle drugs and weapons but it's never been proven. It also doesn't help the fact that he sells drugs on occasion to their peers and neighboring communities but nobody really blinks an eye.
They were cordial with each other and said hi on the occasion but she never really took the time to talk to him or get to know him. She didn't want to be associated with someone like that considering she was the complete opposite of him.
She was top of her class. Class president. Theater program. Straight A student. Goody-two-shoes. Lover. Shy. Quiet.
He was bottom of the barrel with his grades. Drug dealer. Mafia gang member. Delinquent. Fighter. Loud. Wild.
In no way would they be a good fit for each other and she didn't think so either.
Though, Natsu was a good guy and she could even see that when she would see him pick up trash and toss them if he saw them on the side of the street. He would help students in certain subjects (who would have thought he would be so good in math and science subjects?). He always stuck up for his friends and loved ones and god forbid someone is getting bullied… lets just say that said bully becomes MIA for a while.
The first time she had ever seen him outside of school was at one of her friend's parties. It was a New Year's party and she attended with Levy, someone as shy and friendly as she was.
Lucy wasn't much of a person to drink and party but on occasion she did indulge in a glass of wine or two and let loose. Especially when she knew her father wouldn't be returning home and that was the main reason why she even came to this New Year's party. She knew it was going to be a big event with the majority of her class coming since she had been hearing about it for weeks but she didn't think she'd run into him out of all people.
She kind of pretended not to notice or see him in hopes she didn't have to do small talk with him but the universe has a funny way of doing the exact opposite of what you wish for at times.
"Shit—uh, sorry, fuck, I didn't mean to." He looked frantic as Lucy looked down at the angry red splotch of juice spilled all over her white top. "Here, let me help you get that out."
"Um, i—it's okay," she tried to brush it off but the crushing weight of her top being ruined felt heavy. "Seriously, it's fine. Don't worry."
"No, it's not. It was my fault. Let me take care of it for you."
He was dragging her through this massive house full of people, zigzagging through crowds and hallways and taking her to some laundry room towards the back. She wondered how he knew this place so well but she didn't question it as they came into the laundry room, music muffled through the walls and door.
He was digging into the dryer as if this was his home and he yanked out a t-shirt, cheering silently as he turned towards her and held it out. "Here, put this on and give me your shirt."
"Uh, is it alright that I wear this? I don't know—?"
"Yeah, it's cool. The guy who lives here is one of my good friends, he won't mind. And besides, I'll have this out in the next thirty minutes so it's not like you're stealing it."
Her cheeks were flushed pink as he grinned at her and she felt squirmish and a little awkward at the moment, wondering why her heart was pounding as fast as it was. He was even sweet enough to whirl around and face the corner, waiting for her to undress and dress.
Her hands were shaking in the process because even though he wasn't directly watching her, she had never taken her clothes off with a man in the room. The thought of him just having to turn and sneak a peek at her made her flustered and she was quick to yank off her white stained blouse before tossing on the oversized t-shirt he had found.
She's never really had a chance to look at him up close nor really talk to him so she was intrigued as she handed over her shirt to him and he was smiling at her as if she was the sweetest thing in the world. She didn't know why she felt so starstruck by his presence as she watched him get to work.
"The best way to get stains out is immediately," he said as she peeked over his shoulder to watch him grab some detergent and rub at the stain of her shirt over the sink. "That's why I was insistent on doing it right away."
"I mean, it's not a big deal, it's just a shirt."
"Yeah, but it's your shirt and I'm not going to just brush it off because it's not mine."
She didn't know why that made her face flush so hotly but she turned her head away to try and hide her embarrassment.
"You're Lucy, right?"
"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah," she was baffled that he even knew who she was. "You're… Natsu, right?"
"The one and only." His grin was adorable and she caught herself staring at him for a bit too long. "I've never seen you at a party before, what brings you here?"
"One of my friends, Levy, asked me to come so I decided to since it's New Years," she shrugged and his small snicker made her blink at him.
"Ending the year off right?"
"Something like that." She found herself smiling right at him. "What about you? I mean, what brings you here?"
"Well, like I said, I'm pretty good friends with the guy who lives here: Gray. We grew up together and all. I didn't think the party would be this big but I'm already here so," he shrugged and she was just nodding along. She watched how he ran hot water and rubbed off the remaining red on her shirt and she was in awe as he held up the wet fabric to show her the once stained shirt turned white. "See? I told you I can fix it."
She was blushing at the grin he sported and she found herself smiling right back, grateful for his kindness.
"I wouldn't have guessed you were such an expert on cleaning clothes."
"Let's just say I have some experience in stained clothing." He chuckled light-heartedly. "This is gonna take about twenty minutes to dry, is that alright?"
"I guess so," she shrugged before she looked down at the t-shirt that swallowed her. "Don't really have much of a choice but now I look like a total slob."
"No you don't," he frowned and furrowed his brows as he went over to the dryer to toss in the wet shirt in with the rest of the pile that laid in there. "I think you look great." Her blush had returned tenfold and she tucked her chin down to look down at her shoes, listening to the chiming of the dryer before it was whirling around. "Come on, let me get you a drink or something while we wait."
"Um!" She got flustered as she tried to stop him from leaving and he paused as he turned to look at her, hand on the doorknob. "I, um, I—I think I'll just stay here till my shirt is done. I don't want to leave it and someone take it or for someone to see me in Gray's shirt… I…" she wanted to slam her forehead against the wall for being so weird and awkward but it was so hard to be casual when it came to Natsu. And the fact that she's never been alone with a boy before and he was so nice to her made her squirm. "But you can go!" She quickly said, holding her hands up. "You don't have to wait with me or anything. You already helped enough. Thank you!"
She felt even worse as he stood there staring at her with an eyebrow raised and she wondered what he was thinking.
"I'm not going to just leave you alone," he scoffed at her. "Like I said, I'm going to take responsibility and see this through."
She didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed that he had decided to stay and keep her company since her heart was racing and her face felt incredibly hot. She watched him walk back over and hop up on top of the dryer, planting himself gracefully to face her.
She kept her eyes everywhere else, her nerves getting to the best of her as she didn't know what to say or do.
Lucy has zero experience when it comes to boys. She never was the type to chase after them or pursue them since she was too chicken and too focused on her education. It's not like she hasn't had confessions or been asked out but she never really truly found someone of her liking for her to progress to anything more. And just being in a room with a boy who was known to be dangerous and crass made her extra nervous.
"I'm a cat person. I have one at home named Happy."
She snapped her head up to look at him in confusion, seeing how he leaned back against the dryer with his hands planted flat against it and his legs kicking back and forth.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I have a cat." He repeated. "His name is Happy."
"Oh…" she was unsure how to respond. "I have a dog. His name is Plue."
He grinned right at her and her heart skipped a beat once more.
For the next twenty minutes, Natsu spewed nonsense at her which had her engaged and laughing at times. She was grateful that he did most of the talking and it made her relax without realizing it as he continued to talk about this or that and lightly tease her. He talked about current events and his childhood making her more inclined to speak about her experiences and life.
Their conversation flowed so easily that she didn't realize twenty minutes went by just like that till the dryer buzzed and it startled her in her spot. Natsu was quick to hop off the thing and dig into the dryer, locating her one shirt in the pile of clothes. When he returned it back to her, the warmth was comforting and she found herself leaning into him and the shirt as their hands brushed.
"T—thanks," she murmured and he was grinning down at her.
"No problem," he said softly and she was mesmerized in his eyes for a minute before she was blinking and casting her head down. "I'll leave you to it." He offered a shy grin and he dropped his hand to shove into his pocket and the other to rub at the back of his head. "It was nice talking to you, Luce. See you around."
Their eyes met once more as he shut the door behind him and she stood in the laundry room clutching the shirt to her chest. Her cheeks burned and her heart thumped obnoxiously and all she could think about and smell was Natsu. His lingering scent and presence and she was pretty confused as to why she was feeling so disappointed that he had actually left this time.
She was quick to change out of Gray's shirt and toss it back into the dryer with the rest of his clothes before pulling her top back on, the fresh scent of laundry detergent filling her nose. She pulled her phone out of her back pocket to check her reflection in her camera lense and she brushed back her hair and straightened out her shirt before she was leaving the laundry room.
The disappointment seeped deep into her gut as all she wanted to do was talk more with Natsu for some reason but she pushed it aside since she knew he was only being nice to her since he spilled his drink on her. There was no reason for him to stick around after now that he had fixed her shirt for her.
But why was it so crushing to think he only talked with her because of that reason?
Finding Levy took a little longer but once she did the two were drinking out of red solo cups and playing games while giggling. She didn't mention Natsu at all but she did say she had disappeared since she spilled something on her and Levy had no reason to question her.
She didn't think she would see him again or locate him in this large house with so many people but that didn't stop her from trying to find him. Her eyes would wander around and try to get a glimpse of any type of pink but every time she would come up short and found herself feeling more and more disappointed. Maybe he had left or maybe he was avoiding her.
Lucy wouldn't really consider herself an interesting type of person and for someone with the reputation and personality like Natsu, she was sure she was a bore to him. What could she really offer someone who had such a wild, adventurous lifestyle like him with her boring, controlled, quiet life?
By the time midnight was rolling around, Lucy was hiccuping and flushed to the face from the alcohol consumption and she stumbled outside to get some needed fresh air. Levy had gotten lost somewhere in between and she hazily remembered her talking to some pierced guy who she thought was completely opposite of someone who would entertain someone like her bookworm of a friend but so be it. If she could talk with Natsu, there was no reason why she couldn't talk to someone with metal face piercings and tattoos.
There were heated lamps littered around and the backyard was filled with groups of people making her whirl around and find a nice quiet place to sit and relax. She trekked through to the front of the house instead, finding it less crowded and quiet as she let out a sigh of relief.
The cool night air nipped at her hot skin and she took a seat on the steps, leaning back on her palms as she tossed her head back to stare up into the night sky.
The dark clear sky was scattered with bright flashing orbs and she smiled softly as she could see some of her favorite constellations blinking back at her. She lifted one of her hands and slowly traced those she can clearly see, sending soft whispers of greetings into the air.
Her vision was slightly hazy and she was hiccuping all on her own, a loud sigh escaping her lips as she rested her palm back down on the cold concrete. She closed her eyes and absorbed her surroundings, hearing the music vibrate within her body. She didn't remember the last time she felt so calm and she enjoyed the time alone as her body continued to jerk with her hiccups. The ends of her long golden hair tickled her backside and she let out a soft exhale before opening her eyes to stare back up at the twinkling night sky.
The opening of the door caught her attention and she bent over backwards to see someone standing at the front entrance, her vision blurry and upside down.
"Hey, Luce, you were here this whole time?" She could see him cock his head to the side and grin at her and her heart skipped a beat as she realized who it was. She sat up and twisted in her spot.
"Hey, Natsu."
She watched how he came down the couple of steps to meet her and she smiled shyly at the male who stood beside her, what looked to be a cigarette tucked behind his ear.
"What are you doing out here by yourself? It's almost midnight. You're going to miss the ball drop."
"I could say the same thing to you," she smiled at him, leaning back on her palms once more as he came down to a squat and sat himself beside her.
He chuckled as he took the roll up behind his ear and he held it between his fingers, staring down at it before looking up at her. "Isn't the whole point of a New Year's party to watch the ball drop and get a new years kiss in?"
She giggled as he pulled out a lighter from his pocket. "I don't think it really counts if I don't have one."
"What? A New Year's kiss?"
"Yeah," she let out a small sigh. "Not like it really matters. I've never had one anyways and I've already seen plenty of ball drops."
"You've never had a New year's kiss?" He asked as if this was hard to believe and she felt her cheeks flush deeper in embarrassment.
"Um, sure," she laughed half-heartedly and she listened to the flick of his lighter spark before he was puffing on the stick and exhaling smoke.
"Sure? What does that mean?"
"I mean, I just never had a kiss… period."
It was embarrassing to admit something like this to someone she didn't really know and she didn't know why she was even telling him this like it matters or he cares. But the alcohol in her system gave her courage and she felt comfortable enough around him, after all, he did help and take care of her and never gave her any reason to doubt her safety.
The look on his face showed how confused and skeptical he was and she stared right back at him with her brows furrowed.
"What?"
"I just… I don't know, it's kind of hard to believe." He shrugged while he smoked. "And I don't mean that in any weird type of way. It's just…" she waited for him to finish as he took a long drag from his cigarette and she watched how the one end glowed cherry red. "All I'm sayin' is that it's hard to believe a girl like you never had their first kiss."
"A girl like me?"
"Yeah," he turned to look at her with a small smile. "You're really smart and classy and of course beautiful," she blinked at him stupidly as her heart skipped another beat. "So, it's crazy that you've never even experienced something like a kiss."
"Well, I never really had time or interest in dating. My dad is kind of strict and all the guys that were interested in me I just…"
"Didn't find them interesting?" He finished for her and she was smiling at him, nodding. "So… then what kind of guys do you find interesting?"
She was quiet for a minute as she thought about her answer. Of course she thought about love for a while, she was a bookworm at heart and a hopeless romantic at that. She always wished for a Prince Charming to come sweep her off her feet. Someone who opened doors for her and kissed the very ground she walked on. Someone she could bring home to her father and he would approve and someone who could show her a whole new side of life she yearned for. But those were just all qualities of a guy she wished for but never had the thought of what was really needed.
"I guess I'm just looking for my next adventure." She fiddled with her fingers in her lap as she hiccuped once more, eyes trailing the cracks on the concrete. "I want a guy who would keep me interested. Someone to keep me on my toes and show me how fun life could really be. Everything has always been black or white for me and I know there's more colors out there but… I guess I just never found that."
"Yet."
"Huh?"
"You just haven't found it, yet." He finished for her and she turned to look at him again as their eyes met. "You're only seventeen so you can't say you've never found it." He was smiling at her again and she felt like she was melting. "You're a great person, Luce, don't short yourself because of small things. You have potential and whoever is lucky enough to be by your side will know that."
"Natsu…"
"To be honest, I always thought you were a catch." He gave her a shy grin and the tint of pink on his cheeks showed his sincerity. "And not because of your looks but because of you in general."
"I didn't know you really knew about me." She shyly tucked a strain behind her ear.
"Of course I did," he inhaled sharply to exhale a puff of smoke, tossing the bud on the ground to crush it with his foot. "Lucy Heartfillia, class president. Seventeen years old. Straight A student. Theater program. Bookworm. Insanely adorable and incredibly sweet." He bent down to pluck at the bud and he pocketed it making her look at him in surprise. "I always knew about you."
"W..why?"
"What do you mean why? Should I not?"
"No! I just… it's just a surprise to me that you would know about me."
"Why?" He asked again and he was facing her on the step, forcing his knee to bump into her own. "What's wrong with that?"
"I'm not saying it's wrong," she was feeling flustered as the close proximity between them and she was hyperfocused on his knee touching hers. "It's just… I'm kind of… there and you're… more. All I'm saying is that we're such opposites, I didn't think you would really care about someone like me."
"Haven't you heard?" He chuckled and her heart was doing all sorts of flops at the sound of his laughter. "Opposites attract."
Lucy swallowed hard as she stared up at Natsu and she could smell the mixture of smoke and alcohol seeping from his lips. She could also smell the distinct smell of campfire coming from him and it made her feel warm as she searched his eyes for an answer.
She felt like a fish out of water and she didn't know how to respond to that because what was he implying?
Her heart was thundering inside her chest and she inhaled sharply when she saw him reach for her and she instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, tensing up. She relaxed a little bit when all she felt was him tucking a strain of her hair behind her ear and she opened her eyes back up to see Natsu was much closer and smiling down at her, his dark obsidian eyes twinkling with mirth.
"And I don't really think we're that much different than you think you are."
"W—what makes you think that?"
His eyes were roaming around her face and she was incredibly nervous seeing him calculating her features as if this was some kind of test he was studying for. They were so close and she didn't know when they had moved to be in this position but he was just inches away from her and her heart was threatening to leap out of her throat. Her palms were growing sweaty but it was so hard to rip her eyes away from his own as she allowed him to gently stroke her cheek with his knuckles.
She wanted to lean into it and purr but she was frozen in fear and anticipation.
"I also am looking for my next adventure. I'm always searching—even when I'm in the middle of one because life is too short for things to be black and white. The world is a beautiful colorful place and there's so much it has to offer," Lucy shivered as she felt his thumb swipe across her cheek and she gasped softly as she felt it travel down to brush across her lips. "But you also have to realize that it's not someone else to decide that for you. You are responsible for your life and if adventure is something you want… then adventure is something you will get. Don't wait for someone to come, do it on your own and you'll be surprised to see what's out there for you."
"But… What if I'm too scared to? I.. don't know how to."
"Fear is just a state of mind. How can you be afraid of something you've never experienced or known?" Her eyes were fluttering as he was nearing and she felt herself tremble. "All you have to do is ask. I'll protect you from all those scary thoughts and feelings. Nothing is scarier than regret."
"How.. how can I trust that?"
He smirked down at her and she could hear her heart pound in her ears. "I guess you'll just have to trust me on that." The sounds of the party inside can be heard through the walls as the countdown to the ball drop has officially started. "Can you trust me, Lucy?"
There were many reasons why she shouldn't trust Natsu of all people but something in her heart was telling her she could. The way he took care of her so well and how safe she felt in his arms even though she has never been with him nor another man before. His eyes were fierce but they screamed sincerity and she was lost in the darkness of his orbs, leaning into him and fisting her hands in his shirt.
"I think… I think I can." She whispered as her eyes fluttered close and they closed the remaining distance they had between them.
She didn't expect her first kiss to be so explosive (literally) but as fireworks exploded into the sky and screams of Happy New Year! Coursed through the place, Lucy Heartfillia had officially received her first ever New Year's kiss.
Maybe they were complete opposites and weren't meant to be but at that moment? It felt like they were. Maybe Natsu was more like her than it seemed and she liked to think he was true to his word as he stole her first ever kiss.
The life of adventure can wait… but it seems like she was already one foot in as she lost herself in his arms that night.
X
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Fin.