prompt seventy five: failure

rate: T for Teens and Up

Seventy five out of one hundred.

I read too much smut and have a problem with toxic/dangerous men. ily natsu

"Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing." -Denis Waitley

x

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It's not like Lucy had an issue with men asking her out on dates. She's been a lot, actually, and while a lot of them were duds, she still deemed it as a victory since she considered herself pretty enough to be asked on dates. Even though a lot of the guys were sleaze balls and somewhat idiotic, the hopeless romantic in her always tried to see it in the way she wanted.

What was so wrong with wanting a boyfriend? Someone to spend your time with and someone to love you?

Lucy wasn't any different from those who wanted any ounce of attention from someone because truthfully, she didn't get so much while growing up. So while trying to find validation in men was equally embarrassing and exhausting for the blonde, for someone who was optimistic about finding the right one, she couldn't stop herself from going out on these pointless dates.

Like this one she was on, currently.

Dan was a really sweet guy and while this would technically be date number two, Lucy didn't know why she agreed to a second date when she didn't have any romantic feelings towards him. He was chatty and very animated when he spoke which caught her attention from the start. He was tall with a mop of chestnut brown hair and a handsome smile, something she thought was good enough for her.

Their first date really consisted of him talking about himself and she barely got a word in but she felt bad for him. He told her how nervous he was for the date and he ended up rambling and so being the good person she is, she agreed to a second date.

But seeing how this second one was exactly like the first, Lucy was losing interest pretty fast as she sat at the dinner table nodding her head and offering half-assed smiles. By the time their meals were over, Lucy wanted to dash out of there and never see Dan again. Especially since he spoke about how many kids he would like to have with her and how amazing it would be to have children that would look like her and him combined.

It made her blanch and she had already blocked his number before the date was over.

"Are you sure, Lulu? A meal is never over until dessert is served!"

"I don't think I can possibly eat anything else," Lucy gave out a half-hearted laugh, waving her hands in front of her. "And I have an early morning tomorrow so I think it's best if we end it here."

"Oh, of course!" He flashed her a smile, the apples of his cheeks dusted red. "Let me walk you back home. You live just four blocks away, right?"

Normally she would protest and just head back on her own but they happened to be in a more secluded area where the sun had gone down hours prior. It would be nice to have someone walk her back so that way she can save money on a cab and have a little bit of exercise but the idea of having to spend more time with Dan was off putting.

But seeing how this would be the very last time she would agree to see him, Lucy merely huffed and agreed which he beamed at like a little golden retriever. He was still a chatterbox as they began their walk home but luckily Lucy was able to distract herself with the stars above.

She had always been someone who had love for the nightlife and seeing how the stars were shining brighter tonight, she wondered how many constellations she could find tonight.

"Watch out, Lulu!" Dan cried out, grabbing her by the waist to yank her over to his side. The splash of water that occurred as the car drove by nicked her by her feet but nothing more, making her glad Dan had been present enough to save her.

She looked up at him through her lashes, offering a shy grateful smile that had him smiling down on her, too.

Maybe he wasn't that bad. He talked her ear off but at least he had some protective instincts to himself and that was a quality she appreciated in a man. And his embrace wasn't as icky as she thought it would as the feeling of his arms wrapped around her felt nice in the cool night.

"Thank you for saving me from that puddle, Dan."

"You can always count on me, Lu-pyon! I can be your knight in shining armor." He smirked, jerking his thumb to his chest. It made her giggle because she always thought she would find Prince Charming one day and oddly enough, seeing how her date was disastrous from the start, it was starting to end up in a better place.

"That's super cheesy but I appreciate—"

"Hey," a voice startled her out of her sentence and she turned her head to look behind Dan's shoulder to see a man sitting on a motorcycle just staring at them. Dan spun around to look at the newcomer as well, keeping Lucy tucked against his chest.

"Can't you see we're having a conversation here?" Dan turned to hiss at him where he did nothing but sit there and stare. Lucy shrank down into Dan's chest slightly, keeping her eyes on the mysterious figure.

Staring at the man who was sitting on his motorcycle with his black helmet hiding his face, the couple stood in complete silence for what felt too long.

"Hey! Didn't you hear me? I told you to—"

Hearing the click of metal, Dan went completely still and silent when a barrel of a gun was held towards him. Lucy gasped, her own eyes widening and her body growing stiff at the sight. Her hand flew to her chest, clutching her imaginary pearls as if the feeling of ice cold water was thrown on her. She felt the fear course through her body and as she opened her mouth to scream, she didn't even have the chance when Dan let out a high-pitch girly shriek before he was darting out of there.

Lucy was in complete shock, standing frozen in her spot while she heard Dan's frantic screams and feet rushing away.

She didn't even know what the hell happened as she gawked at the sight, turning her head to look at the street he had run down and disappeared into. Then she turned her head to stare wide-eyed at the robber, unsure what to do or how to go about this as she was now left by her date with a man who was trying to mug or even kill them.

She was just standing here, in a dark street in the middle of the night staring at the robber on the motorcycle when he suddenly dropped the gun to his side and flicked open his visor.

Lucy was baffled, staring at the man who was staring right back at her, the slight crease between his forehead showing he was giving her an incredulous expression.

"Okay, what the fuck was that?"

Lucy didn't even know what to say, her mouth parted as if she was some kind of goldfish out of water.

She watched how he swiveled his head in the direction where Dan had off to before looking back at her.

"Weren't you two on a date?"

"Uhh…" She began to uncurl herself from a ball, standing up straighter against the wall of the building she was tucked into. "Um, yeah, we, uh, we were."

The wide-eyed look he gave her as he jerked his head forward was comical, seeing how this man was baffled himself that her date had run off like a scared little girl and left her all alone in a dark street with a man with a gun.

"I have a gun pointed at you guys and he fucking ran?"

Lucy could only give him a curt nod, unsure what to say or even do.

"He should have helped you! What kind of man just ditches his date and runs off at the sight of danger?"

"I'm sorry," Lucy shook her head, blinking stupidly at the man. "Are you feeling sorry for me right now?"

"I mean…" She gawked at the slightly confused and concerned tone he had, seeing how he moved one of his hands to cradle the back of his neck. "I'm a bit more pissed for you but yeah, kind of."

What kind of karma was she repaying back for her to be in this situation? Being walked home after a terrible date and then being caught up in a robbery for her date to dash out on her for her robber to feel bad…

Lucy could feel her face growing warm with her embarrassment and she was pinching the bridge of her nose, letting out air through her flared nostrils.

"Wow," she let out a small huff, finding this a little too comical. "I'm so pathetic that the man who tried to rob me feels sorry for me."

"Now hold on," he spoke, holding his hand up towards her. "Let's get this straight. I was robbing him, not you."

Lucy blinked stupidly at him again, wondering if she was transported to another world where everything and everyone was out to get her.

Did she just hear him correctly?

"What difference does it make if you were trying to rob him or me? We were together and you pulled out a gun on us!"

"The difference is that I don't treat women like shit and leave them behind when shit hits the fan," he let out a frustrated sigh which took her by surprise.

The audacity this man had…

"Alright, fuck," she watched how he tucked his weapon into his jacket pocket before he placed his gloved hands against his helmet. "Come on."

Lucy stood glued to her spot, blinking rapidly and staring at the man who seemed more frustrated with the thought her date had run off on her than she was.

"What?" She spat out, confusion laced between her words.

"Come on," he repeated, a bit more impatiently this time. "I'm driving you home."

"What?" She echoed, a bit more aggressively this time. "Why would you do that?"

"Unlike your bitch of a date, I'm not going to leave you on a deserted dark street in the middle of the night where you can get robbed or hurt." He kicked back his stand so he could swing his leg over the vehicle, stepping off his bike. Watching how he popped open the backseat, he pulled out a spare helmet, slamming the seat shut. "Put this on."

Lucy was gawking again, staring at the helmet he held out towards her. She was frozen in her spot, unable to move and seeing how her knees felt like jello, she didn't know what it was from. Maybe her body was still in shock over the fact she was nearly robbed at gunpoint or her date leaving her behind for her to take the brute force of it but she didn't know what to do.

Seeing how the man was growing frustrated with her lack of response or movement, he let out a loud sigh before he was approaching her again. Her back pressed against the wall, her body growing stiff again but he held his hand out towards her.

"Relax. I'm not going to do anything to you."

"Says the guy who had a gun pointed at my face five minutes ago."

"Not at you," he wagged his finger to her, coming to stand in front of her. Lucy gave him a scowl, tilting her head up to pout at him and seeing his dark eyes blinking down at her, she could see the amusement twinkling in his eyes.

He shoved the helmet on her head without warning, making her cry out and flail her arms around but as he fought with her, Lucy was in a daze blinking through the small opening of her helmet.

"Safety first!" The man gave her two thumbs up before smacking the top of her helmet earning a cry of surprise from her. Her hands flew to cradle her head, glaring at the man who spun on his heel. "Come on!" He went right back to his bike, swinging his long leg over it before he was straddling it. His head turned to face her and Lucy was feeling flustered as she stood right in front of him, a tight heavy helmet making her feel like a bobble head.

"What are you waiting for?"

Lucy didn't know why she was doing something as reckless as accepting a ride home from a stranger. A stranger who just tried to rob her and her date and pointed a gun at them. A stranger who she didn't even know his name nor what he looked like because of his helmet.

Being a bit awkward and not knowing where to grab, she slipped onto the bike right behind him. She tried to keep distance, not wanting to touch him but seeing how there was no room at all and she kept sliding down to press against his backside, her cheeks flared up.

"You need to hold on tight so you don't fly off," he turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. "Grab onto my waist."

"I—I don't want to."

"So you rather fly off in the middle of the road?" He quirked a brow at her and she scowled at him, dipping her chin down before she wrapped her arms around his waist.

She hated how she could feel the smugness coming from him and she glared at the street while her heart was pounding behind her chest.

She winced when she felt him move and hear him kick off the stand, bringing the motorcycle off from a tilt and having her wobble. She pressed herself against his back even tighter, feeling her nerves racking down her body.

"Hey, so, what's your name?" He asked, his head still turned over his shoulder so he was facing her.

Lucy made a face, unsure if she should even tell him as she shrank down in embarrassment.

"Lucy," she said through a pout and as she peeked up at him through her lashes, she could see the darkness of his eyes. "Yours?"

"Natsu," he tipped his head up and he turned even more, his torso twisted making Lucy reel back slightly, growing stiff. "Let's get you home." He reached forward to flick down her visior and her vision grew dark with the tint. She blinked rapidly behind the shield, staring wide-eyed at the eyes that were looking down at her and she knew he was smiling with how the corner of his eyes crinkled.

Having him start up his bike, Lucy nearly fell off the bike as her entire body jerked back from the acceleration. She was quick to wrap her arms around his waist and grab at him tight, pressing her chest against his back.

She had her eyes squeezed shut the first couple of minutes, feeling the nip of the cool night air brush against her exposed skin. Her heart was pounding behind her chest and she didn't know if it had to do with the fact she was on a death cycle or she was riding with some stranger but for some odd reason… she knew it was for completely different reasons.

The feeling of his warm, hard body pressed against hers while he took her home made her feel weak in all ways that felt wrong.

How could she be feeling such emotions towards a man she had just met and tried robbing her not that long ago?

Maybe it was Stockholm syndrome.

But this wasn't the worst part of her night. It was actually one of the most memorable and a bit fun, actually.

Maybe all these dates weren't so pointless.

Enjoying the way the wind felt against her skin and how the city lights flashed across, Lucy could feel a small smile curling on her lips.

While the date may have been a failure, she couldn't find it in herself to feel as if she had failed.

Because at least Natsu didn't run away like Dan did.

I would never run from you.

X

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fin