Thanks to naghaviiseatingbubbles and TurkSwiss for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

EgyPhil: Opposites Attract

"Hey, Dakila," Simha said as he stepped up behind him. "Are you going to join us for lunch?"

"No, I'm going to have lunch with Gupta," Dakila said as he zipped up his schoolbag.

Simha's smile fell, and he pursed his lips.

"I seriously don't get why you're with that guy," Simha said. "I mean, he's always grumpy and he never talks. He's a real jerk."

"No, he's just quiet," Dakila said. "And just because he doesn't talk with you doesn't mean he never talks. In fact, he's pretty chatty when the two of us are together."

Simha snorted, and Dakila narrowed his eyes.

"Tell me, has it ever occurred to you that you might be the ones making him uncomfortable?" Dakila asked. "He's a lot more casual when he's with his friends, but the moment he's with you guys, he clams up."

Simha opened his mouth, and Dakila shook his head.

"Don't call him a jerk again," Dakila said. "Trust me, he's a nice guy, and once he gets comfortable, you'll see how fun he is. Anyway, I've got to go."

Dakila walked past his friend. Was it a bit mean of him? Perhaps. Was it the first time that he had this sort of conversation with one of his friends, where they call Gupta a jerk or other unpleasant things? No. Would he continue to stand up for his boyfriend? Absolutely.

He found Gupta outside, his lunch already out and on his lap. Gupta gave a small smile when he saw Dakila. For someone not used to Gupta's lack of expressiveness, the gesture could have been completely missed. Dakila smiled back and sat down next to Gupta.

"You look tired," Gupta said.

"I just had a bit of an argument with Simha," Dakila sighed. "He says he doesn't understand why we're together."

"Because we get along and we enjoy each other's company. What other reason should there be?"

"I know, right? But apparently one of the things he has a problem with is that you don't talk much when you're around them."

"…Your friends make me nervous."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry about that. I understand that they can all be a bit… hectic sometimes. We're a group of mostly extroverts. I'm pretty sure that it's a bit frustrating for an introvert like you."

"I wouldn't say 'frustrating'. But it can be overwhelming. They kind of remind me of kids high on sugar."

"Fair enough. And what about me? What was your first impression of me?"

"I thought you were a bit too hyper for your own good."

Dakila smiled.

"You know what the first impression was I had of you?" he asked. Gupta shrugged. "I thought you were cute, and I wanted to get to know you better. And you really made me work for that."

"You surprised me, that's all," Gupta said.

That was another thing that Dakila had argued with his friends about. They didn't seem to understand that Dakila was the one who had pursued Gupta. He had always preferred to have a quiet boyfriend. They helped to keep him out of trouble.

I once read a book about introversion, appropriately called Quiet. There was a chapter dedicated to relationships, and how the 'opposites attract' philosophy works in that regard. Introverts and extroverts balance each other out. Extroverts help the introverts to explore new things, and introverts help curb extrovert impulsiveness and provide a calming presence.