prompt twenty seven: fate

rate: T and Up

Twenty seven out of one hundred.

"There is no such thing as an accident; it is fate misnamed." —Napoleon Bonaparte

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Natsu wasn't really the type of man to believe in fate. Destiny. Whatever the hell people say nowadays because he was a firm believer in that his path was made depending on his own choices. He refused to believe in things such as fate and all that because if his fate was this shitty, then he must have gotten the short end of the stick when he was brought into this equally as shit world.

But there were a couple of things he may consider a twist of fate. Coincidence maybe? A stroke of luck? Maybe luck because there's no way he would run into her like this again.

"I am so sorry," she was rambling but he didn't hear anything she was saying as he was still so confused on how he got into this situation. "I honestly didn't see you there! I was in a rush and in my head about something and—"

He thinks maybe he had finally reached the end of the rainbow because this pot of gold was babbling with her eyes wide, cheeks flushed, and mouth moving at a million miles per hour.

"We really need to stop meeting like this, Lucy."

"I know and I can't believe this happened again!" She shrieked as she was scrambling for a wad of napkins. "I really am sorry." She was thrusting hundreds of napkins at his chest, trying to wipe away the coffee she had spilt on him. Again.

He didn't really think too much about his encounter with this woman when he had met her just last week. He was having one of those days and he practically crawled into his local coffee shop to indulge in some needed caffeine and nothing made him feel worse than getting hot coffee spilled on a person. It was just a week ago and he honestly felt bad because she was sputtering and wailing about how sorry she was and how she will make up for it somehow but he just kind of brushed her off, tossed one of his signature grins her way, and then told her to have a good day.

She clearly wasn't having a good day herself that day as she rambled on about how stupid she is and how she really had to start looking when she walked but he found her cute and sincere. He told her it's not a big deal and even made her laugh as he said how he didn't even like the shirt he was wearing at the time and she bought him a new drink before she dashed out of there.

Not before he got her name but it was quick and rushed as if she really couldn't spare one more second and all he remembered was thinking how fitting her name was for someone as spunky as her.

Then he carried on his everyday life and routine and came back to the coffee shop to grab yet another cup of liquid gold for him to turn around to leave and have her crashing into him. Again.

Luckily, he recognized her and she did too as they locked eyes and gawked at one another till the wet spot on his shirt grew cold and brought his attention back down to the coffee stain.

"How are you always so in a rush and never looking when you're here?" He chuckled as she continued to empty the napkin holder earning glares from the employees.

"This place is the closest coffee shop between my house and my job. I'm just not so observant at times," her face was flushed in embarrassment and mortification as she realized the coffee stain was not going to come out. "Please let me make this up to you. I'm usually not this clumsy."

"Something tells me that's not true." The corners of his lips curled at the way she sputtered. "What are the chances that this happens twice in a span of a week?"

"Maybe it's fate," she shrugged and she was dumping the wet crumpled napkins into the waste bin. He snorted as if she said something ridiculous and she turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised. "What's so funny?"

"I don't believe in fate. Just a mere coincidence."

"You don't believe in fate?" She asked in disbelief, blinking at him as he blinked right back. "Why not?"

"I think what I do with my life and my future depends on what steps I take."

"Okay, that could be true but you really think everything is because of what you chose?"

"Well, yeah," he said, completely absorbed into the moment, eyes glued to the blonde woman who had such cute and animated expressions. "I chose to come to this coffee shop on this day at this hour and ran into you. I chose to live in this town. I chose to wake up and get out of bed this morning. So naturally the pathway is built on a foundation I laid out and picked."

She pursed her lips and stared at him while humming, looking quite adorable in her own bubble. He didn't realize how pretty she really was when she was just standing there and he wondered why he had never seen her before.

"Fate is still a real thing even though your thought is completely logical."

"What makes you think fate is real?"

"I just think some things are meant to be and we're meant to do certain things and meet certain people because the universe had it planned."

"So you think you were meant to bump into me and spill coffee all over me? Twice?"

Her face grew crimson once more and she was sputtering nonsense at him making him laugh out loud. She was adorably cute and he found her easy to talk to. She was very animated and he liked how easy it was to read her emotions.

But just like last week, she was quick to remember her entire goal and her eyes darted down to look at her wrist watch before a gasp spilled out of her lips and she was gathering all her things.

"Listen, Natsu, I'm in a rush right now and I really am sorry about spilling coffee on you, again, but I promise I'll make it up to you. Here," she quickly dug into her massive purse that had a whole bunch of crap sticking out of it as he can see from his perspective. "This is my card. Has my personal cell on it. Give me a call and we can talk about how I can repay you."

The curve of her smile was bright and he caught himself staring at her for way too long, unable to form words in the moment. She didn't really give him a chance to say anything else really as she threw her arm up and rushed out of there, leaving him standing in the middle of the coffee shop with a cold wet stain and a card in his hands.

Would this be considered luck? Every time he saw her, she always spilled coffee on him and then ran out of there as if she was being chased so is this luck? Maybe misfortune? He couldn't imagine what other shit she probably got herself into if she was known to bump into strangers and spill coffee on them more than once.

But he couldn't help but smile as he flipped over the card and stared at the small thing, wondering to himself if maybe fate was real.

She certainly believed it was. And he somehow felt like he should believe her. But he wasn't really the type to be swayed so easily, especially from a pretty stranger like her so he tucked her card away and left not long after.

He really did think about reaching out to her but he didn't really want to make it appear as if he only called so he could have her repay him for her slip up. It didn't sit well with him, especially to know that she would probably have to spend money on him when all she did was spill some coffee on him. The coffee stains would come out and it would be perfectly fine the next round of washing so there is really no point in her paying him back for something that's easily fixable.

So he just kept thinking about her and felt the weight of her card in his wallet as he resumed his everyday routine. Sometimes when he was back in that coffee shop, he did wonder if he would ever run into her again and he would watch the door and scan the crowd for a glimpse of gold.

He would be lying if he said he didn't want to see her again because he truly did want to. Just maybe not when she's in a rush and spilling coffee all over him.

And reaching out to ask her out on a date when she specifically provided him her contact to reach out so she could find the time to repay him for her mistakes made him feel like that was crossing some kind of line. He just wished he could see her in person once more so he could formally ask her in person and gauge her reaction so if she really wasn't interested he could quickly back it up with some lame excuse.

But he didn't see her. Not the next week or the week after that. Not for the entire month and he felt kind of creepy coming into the coffee shop to linger and scan before accepting defeat and leaving.

And this is exactly why he didn't believe in fate because if it truly was meant to be, wouldn't he have seen her again? It had to be luck. Pure coincidence. Nothing more and nothing less and it was a slap in the face for him as the bitterness of being hopeful that maybe fate was a thing was such a silver of confidence.

He literally had her contact and all he had to do was press call or send her a simple text but it was much more to him than that. When could he ever have that chance?

Natsu's body jerked forward as he was about to leave the grocery store and he was in disbelief at how many times someone had done this to him in just a span of a month. Luckily, this person didn't spill coffee all over him but he was still pissed off that someone could be so blind to walk right into him—

"Lucy?"

Her eyes widened as she realized who it was and her cheeks flushed. "Oh my god, Natsu! It would be you!" She was giggling as if she didn't just almost have him face first on the floor. "What a small world!"

He was baffled as he stood at the entrance of the mart, staring stupidly at the one woman he had been thinking about for the last couple weeks. She still looked as beautiful as ever, bright shiny golden hair, wide brown eyes, pretty pink lips, and of course that natural clumsiness.

It made his chest swell and he could only grin widely as she smiled back. "Look, you're already doing so much better. You didn't spill coffee on me this time."

"I literally just finished mine before I was leaving so maybe you're lucky today."

"Yeah," his heart was pounding wildly at the way she was smiling. "I think I am."

He didn't realize he was just staring at her until her face grew red and her gaze fell to the floor, a soft cough flying out of her lips to catch his attention. He blinked rapidly for a minute before he came back and his own cheeks flushed.

"I've been meaning to reach out to you but I haven't."

"Oh… why is that?"

He shrugged. "Maybe I really wanted to see if this was fate or just coincidence."

The smile that tugged on her lips really made his inside like goo and she was giggling like some kind of school girl and it made his heart pound even faster. Even when she popped her hip out and gave him an amused, playful look.

"So? What do you think? Is it fate or coincidence?"

"I think—" he began to speak when suddenly she was being shoved towards him and his eyes went wide as his arms shot out to catch her. He briefly heard someone sputter and apologize for running into her but none of them really cared to focus on the person as they locked eyes in the midst of their embrace.

She was so pretty up close and her long lashes were batting at him in a way that made him want to bring her in and kiss her. She was soft and smelt super sweet and all he wanted to do was keep holding her.

Technically this would be a path he chose and would eventually alter his life but in some way, he didn't think this was just luck anymore. Neither is it such a coincidence to have the same girl run into you three times and then someone run into her to throw her in his arms. There was no way he had to be this lucky or even think so that this wasn't a sign from the universe.

The way his lips curved up and how she mirrored him finished his sentence for him and he never thought it'd take a complete stranger to shift his mind but as long as it was her, he didn't mind.

Fate or coincidence, it didn't matter. He was just happy to be there.

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Fin