Knowing that she had still given him what he wanted, she felt herself grin. She'd keep it a secret, at least for now. "I'll help, but you're still doing the majority of the work." She watched his face light up and spoke again quickly. "But, you have to pick what we do next. Deal?"

What she expected was to see him get frustrated at being given another responsibility, but instead he flashed her the trademark smirk. "Deal! Let's watch another movie?"

Lucy soon found herself back on the couch, the blanket tossed across her legs again. She watched as he inserted the new disc he had picked out, this time performing the action fully clothed. Somehow the movement was still grabbing her attention, although now she could find no excuse to justify the staring. He soon joined her on the couch and covered himself up as well. Sharing a blanket was a little less distracting than it had been before. Maybe she was overreacting earlier.

A few buttons were clicked on the remote and the movie sprung to life. It didn't take long for the logo to pop up on the screen.

"'The Lost World: Jurassic Park'? Is this a sequel or something?"

"Yep!" She could tell from his voice how excited he was. "There's actually 5 of them, and a 6th coming out soon!"

"5 movies?!" Her head turned quickly to look at him, shocked by his response. "How have they not learned by now that they should probably just leave the dinosaur island alone?"

Natsu threw his head back in a genuine laugh. It was a valid point, afterall.

The beginning of the movie passed uneventfully. Well, other than a little girl being attacked by mini dinosaurs. Most of it seemed to be kind of boring and lacked the same excitement. These were supposed to be action movies, so why were there so many scenes with just talking?

He couldn't contain his excitement when he watched the camera pan over a garage full of various cars and jeeps. Maybe his plan would work out after all! Unfortunately, he didn't think that would be enough and waited patiently. If this one was anything like the last movie, it wouldn't take long!

Lucy tried her best to follow the movie. This definitely didn't live up to the first so far. While that one had been so action packed, this one seemed to be focused on setting up the story with by telling instead of showing.

Natsu heard the whirring in the background before he saw the helicopters cross the screen. His time had come! Without asking, or more accurately, without giving her a chance to tell him no, he leaned sideways and plopped his head onto her blanket covered thigh again.

If he noticed her body freeze up, he didn't acknowledge it at all. She suddenly became hyper aware of her hands. Where was she supposed to put them now? She stared at the back of his head, his soft pink spiky hair looking incredibly inviting after their movie experience earlier, but it just didn't seem right when the movement on the screen had already stopped. They'd only done that earlier to comfort him so technically he shouldn't need it now. Despite this movie having significantly less to do with transportation so far, his head stayed planted in her lap anyways. Before it had made sense to keep it there because he had been affected so many times in a short span, but now…

She settled for dropping her hands into her lap, making sure to press them as close to her stomach as possible to avoid touching his head. Her eyes kept flicking back and forth from her hands to his head. Would it really have been so bad if she had just given in again? He laid on her lap so nonchalantly, maybe she was overreacting by thinking it would be too much to continue the motions from earlier.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed a blur of color take over the screen. Not only were their vehicles everywhere, but they were chasing the dinosaurs in an attempt to catch them. The camera was filled with movement and she silently hoped he wouldn't lose his lunch all over her legs. Just as she was about to open her mouth to ask if he was okay, she felt his clammy fingers grasp blindlessly behind his head in an attempt to reach out. At first he grasped her forearm, having seriously overshot where he thought her hand would be. He tried again, this time his fingers finding hers. They intertwined as he tugged it towards the back of his head. She watched as his hand pushed hers into his locks, their connected fingers getting lost in the pink. She smiled knowingly and nodded, although she knew he couldn't see it. Her fingers quickly set to work resuming their motions from the first movie.

The action caused him to let out a noise somewhere between a whimper and a moan. The sound made her cheeks flush with color, but her movements never stopped. Instead, he nuzzled a little more into her leg, treating it like a pillow as he tried to get more comfortable.

The rest of the movie passed in a blur as Lucy's focus was split between the movie and the man resting on her lap. They'd done this before today, but only when his motion sickness had become too much. When on a train, with the rest of their team, this gesture had seemed so friendly and innocent. But now...this felt completely different. Could a different setting really cause the same action to seem so much more intimate?

The movie came to a close without her even realizing, but there was no awkward moment of wondering who would stop the movements first. Without warning, Natsu quickly sat up, stretched, and stood from the couch. He flipped through the LVD box, removed another disc, and kneeled in front of the box again to switch the disc. Lucy's eyes watched his movements, unsure of why she felt a little disappointed at how quickly he left their comfortable set up. The silence was deafening and she knew she had to break it.

"That definitely wasn't as good as the first!"

Natsu's response was a laugh as he started his trek back to the couch. "Yeah, that ending was shitty. Hopefully the third one is better!" Lucy flashed him a smile as he sat next to her again on the couch. Leave it to him to try to stay positive!

"Wouldn't take much!" She teased back, thankful for some semblance of normalcy after the few moments of awkward silence. That moment was just that though: a moment.

He laughed again in return as he started the movie up again. This time there was no hesitation. There was no waiting for an excuse. He covered up his legs with their shared blanket and turned to lay on her lap again.

When he felt her freeze, he worried that she was going to tell him to get up. Had he done something wrong? Was it weird that he wanted to lay here again before he even knew there would be anything to induce his motion sickness?

Lucy was frozen, her eyes glued to the back of his head again and her mouth hanging open slightly. Maybe she was being dramatic, but this seemed very...intimate. There was that word again. Something she'd have never associated with Natsu, but truly fit their situation.

The first time had been completely genuine, like an action performed out of habit because he was justifiably overwhelmed. When it happened during the last movie, she thought that maybe he was trying to play it safe once he saw the garage and the first sign of movement. But this…

There was absolutely nothing to warrant this.

Hell, the opening credits hadn't even shown the movie's title yet and he had already laid back down. If she was being honest with herself, she didn't completely mind this new change. It was nice to be able to feel so comfortable around him, in a way that they hadn't really ever been before. She could count on one hand the number of times they had hugged, but she always chalked that up to his childish nature. On top of that, he definitely wasn't the touchy feely kind of guy and that was understandable, especially considering that he was raised by a dragon.

Instead he was here with her, curled up on the couch under their shared blanket, basically asking her to play with his hair. She couldn't help a smile spread across her lips at this new cute side of Natsu that she'd never seen before. Without comment, she threaded her fingers back into his soft pink locks. For some reason, she felt her heart speeding up this time and her cheeks rushed with color as her fingernails scraped lightly against his scalp. Maybe this set up would be their new normal.

Lucy wasn't sure she'd mind if it did.

About halfway through the movie, Natsu started realizing how sleepy her movements were making him. He'd laid here again without even thinking, but he was so glad that she had let him. He knew that she wasn't going to turn him away during his bouts of motion sickness, but he was sure she'd have shoved him off when he tried it at the beginning of this movie. To his surprise, her fingers started working again and he couldn't help but relax and smile. His plan had worked!

He fought back a yawn for as long as he could before it finally overtook him. A hand reached up to cover his mouth as he yawned before allowing it to settle on her covered knee again.

"Getting sleepy?" Lucy's teasing voice drew his attention and he turned his head to meet her eyes. This part of the movie was boring anyways. Thankfully her fingers stayed tangled in his hair and followed the movement, never stopping in the process. It felt strange to look at her and feel the calming motions at the same time. The sleep was apparent in his eyes.

"Not my fault." His voice was filled with sleep as he did his best to tease her back. "This is making me tired." The hand that had just been on her knee pointed towards the top of his head.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew it was probably the wrong thing to say.

"Oh, sorry!" For some reason her cheeks lit up and her hand started to pull away from his hair. "I just thought…"

Panic set in and he reached up to grab her hand with his. With a gentle tug, he pulled it back to lay on his head again. The action seemed to stop her words as her cheeks got even more red. Maybe the TV was reflecting on them or something.

"No, don't stop..." Was it weird to ask her this? The shocked expression on her face made him wonder. "I wasn't complaining, just saying. It feels good."

"Ok...i-if you're sure." For some reason, she was avoiding his eyes now. She probably didn't believe him. One time, they'd definitely have to switch places so she could see how relaxing this whole thing was. They'd just have to pick a movie without motion sickness first.

Deciding to not push it any further, his eyes followed her line of sight and resumed watching the movie. A smile graced both of their faces when her fingers set to work lightly tugging his hair at the end of each pass through. Their eyes may have been glued to the screen, but their focus was drifting elsewhere.

The end credits had already been rolling for a few minutes, but the partners hadn't made any move to change their current situation. It had just crossed her mind that this might have turned into a game of chicken, to see who would be the first to move.

She had no intention of losing.

Although she was the one doing all of the work, it still felt comforting to have him laying there with her. Maybe she wouldn't mind if this was how they spent all of their movie time.

The somewhat awkward silence was ruined by a growling stomach and a nervous laugh. "Guess that means it's time to make dinner!"

Without warning, he pushed himself up with the hand that had been resting on her knee. Natsu gave a long stretch and Lucy had to avert her eyes to be safe. The action had been so distracting earlier and for some reason, she knew it would be again even though this time he was fully clothed.

Looking for a way to exit the situation, she stood quickly from the couch and headed into the kitchen. "I'll get everything ready."

Natsu joined her a minute later and the two set to work together. She gave him easy directions and took the lead on the meal, despite their earlier agreement. The pot of water started to boil and the dry pasta was dumped inside. She instructed him on how to place the garlic bread on a baking sheet and to put it in the oven when finished. Doing her best to include him, she let him be in charge of cooking the pasta. It didn't take long for the meal to be finished.

"That wasn't so bad!" Natsu shot her a smile over his shoulder as he scooped the pasta into the waiting bowls. The garlic bread was split between two plates, one obviously donning a larger stack than the other, and carried over to the table. He set their bowls down on the table in front of their spots. "Thanks for the help! That was a lot easier than lunch!"

"No problem!" Taking her seat and nibbling on a piece of toast, she looked up to watch him sit across from her. "It was nice not making an entire meal by myself for a change, especially since I usually have to cook for an army when you're here!"

One of his goofy grins spread across his face before twirling pasta onto his fork. The rest of the meal passed in deep discussion on their most recent movies. They worked together to try to piece together the parts that hadn't made sense, now realizing that there were moments throughout the movies that they hadn't been focusing. Both decided to not question the other, knowing that if the question was turned on them, the question might be hard to answer.

Once the dishes were rinsed and put in the dishwasher, the duo found their seats on the couch again. This time, Natsu kept to his side, both opting against another movie. If they kept watching for hours like they had today, they worried it would become boring. Instead, Lucy found herself scrolling through her phone. Between reading the latest Sorcerer's Weekly articles and texting with Levy about novel ideas, time seemed to fly...at least for her anyways. For Natsu, however, all he could do was lay stretched out on the couch with absolutely nothing to do.

Maybe he should have gotten a phone after all. At least then there would be something to keep him occupied. He contemplated leaning over to read her phone with her, but didn't want to risk earning a Lucy kick before bed. Instead, he stood from the couch with a huff. "I guess I'll shower."

Lucy's eyes flicked up at the movement, her cheeks flushing again as she watched his muscles tense in a stretch. Seriously, how much does one person need to stretch in one day?

"Here, I'll get you some clothes." Using the action as an excuse, she hurried to her room and breathed a sigh of relief to have escaped the situation. After retrieving a new pair of boxers (not briefs), pajama pants, and a plain t-shirt, a fresh towel was removed from the top of the stack from the most recent load of laundry. The padding of his feet could be heard as he made his way towards the bedroom and she rushed to meet him in the hallway. Right after exiting her room, she almost collided with his broad chest.

"Here you go!" Her hands shoved the pile towards him, their eyes meeting for only a second before she allowed them to drop to look at the stack on her hands. "Here's a towel and some pajamas. If I forgot anything, just let me know."

"Thanks Lucy!" Natsu flashed her a wide smile, reaching forward to take the offered clothes. During the exchange their hands touched briefly, the action causing her hands to shoot back to her sides. He considered questioning the reaction, but decided against it. Maybe his hands were too hot or something. Pushing it aside, he turned and entered the bathroom for a nice hot shower.

Lucy watched the door close behind him and turned towards the couch with a huff. She sank back into the cushions and pulled her phone back out. Once she heard the water running, her thoughts started to wander. There was only a wall separating her from her very naked partner. It had been bad enough earlier when he was just shirtless, but now…

She needed to distract herself. Determined to push the mental images from earlier out of her head, she headed to her room again to get ready for bed. She quickly changed into a pair of fuzzy fleece pajama pants and an old t-shirt before grabbing the spare pillow and blanket from her bed again. The steam seeping from under the door frame was proving difficult to ignore on the return to the living room. He was naked, a thin barrier all that was dividing them, and it took all of her focus to not blush. Instead, she dropped the bedding on his side of the couch and made her way into the kitchen to make a glass of water. Two glasses were pulled from the cupboard, filled with ice, and topped off with water. One was placed on the coaster on the side table and the other kept in her hand as she found her spot on the couch and started scrolling again.

The water shut off and the sound of the shower curtain sliding open was like nails on a chalkboard. There was no way to ignore the fact that he was naked and dripping wet a few feet away. Before the mental image could even start to take a place in her mind, she pressed play on the first video that crossed her screen. That video just so happened to be a trailer for an upcoming romantic comedy. She didn't even register when he opened the door again. The couch cushions sinking in next to her caused her to jump.

"Sorry, figured you heard me." His voice seemed anything but sincere as he held back a chuckle. "Finding another movie to watch?"

"Definitely not one you'd want to watch. It's a romantic comedy." The video ended and she pushed the button to shut off her screen. Her hands shot up to cover her mouth as she let out a big yawn. "I think I'm going to head to bed. I brought your pillow and blanket back out for you and got you a cup of water earlier." She lifted a finger to point to the side table as she stood and stretched from the couch.

This time it was Natsu's turn to let his eyes wander. He could see the muscles in her arms tighten in the stretch, her chest sticking out even more as her back arched slightly. He didn't remember her looking so strong. She usually had her cleavage out for all to see, but it was different seeing how large they actually looked from the side. "Couch again? But last night…"

"Last night you snuck in again! You're supposed to sleep on the couch, Natsu. That was the deal." Taking another sip of her glass, she grabbed her phone and made her way towards her bedroom.

"But Luuuccyy…" He knew his whining was falling on deaf ears, but he had to at least try. "Your bed is so comf-"

"I know my bed is more comfortable, that's why I bought it." The lights were switched off, her voice still moving towards the door. "But you sleep in a hammock normally, so the couch will do just fine." A groan was the only response before she opened her door. "Goodnight Natsu, see you in the morning."

"Yeah, yeah, Night Lucy."

She crawled underneath the comforter, trying to push out how she had just shared that with him this morning. His scent still lingered on the fabric of her pillow case. Her mind wandered, recalling the events of the day until sleep finally took over.

A/N: I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to update! I'm a year-round virtual high school teacher in real life and we've just finished up Senior season, which is always very stressful! We're now heading into summer, which is also insanely busy! I'm really hoping to still keep updating at least once every few weeks over the summer! I'll also be updating my Soul Eater one-shots (that I had written years ago on paper and just found) for any other fans, and working on a few My Hero Academia fics as well! (I've jumped ships and love Kacchako, but I'll be writing some Izuocha too!) I'm also open to any fic requests! If you have an idea for a different fic, please send it my way and I'll be happy to write it for you! :)

As always, thank you so very much for all of your reviews, follows, and favorites! I really appreciate all of your love! Please continue to offer ideas of things you want to see and suggestions on improvements. I know a few of you mentioned getting to day 2, so I fast tracked the rest of day 1 so we'll be there next chapter!

NatGamingCo-Hahaha my mom kicks my ass at every game too! I'd never had them cooked in a pan before either until my sister! She has this really cool grill pan that almost makes them taste grilled! I'm definitely going to have to try them microwaved!

XFangHeartX- I absolutely feel like once he becomes a boyfriend, he's going to be fantastic without even realizing! He'd definitely check a lot of boxes that I think Lucy's overlooked! Day 2 is on it's way! I wonder if he'll actually stay on the couch this time… xD

Rajiv A. Rajaram- Thank you! I have a few things planned that will be big progressions in their feelings, but besides those, it will be a slow burn! :)

Amanny- I feel like she really would still be understanding, although I doubt she realized that she just gave him an excuse to go in her room whenever he'd like though.

Lucy H Lover- It absolutely was a lie that he's moving in, but shhh. I mean, his clothes are already put away. No sense unpacking again! I'm thinking he might start realizing soon that there's something going on! While I still love IzoOcha, I've since jumped ships to Kacchako, but I plan on writing fics for both! I also like TodoMomo, KamiJirou, and Kirimina.

Nalu4emily- I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the binge read and glad I could help!

Copperreign12- Thank you so much for your kind words! Your reviews always make me smile! I'm excited for him to find out about the drawers! Saving that for day 2!

NatsuLucyFan- I love that you picked up on that bet from before! That was actually the inspiration for this here! I'm definitely grad that I wrote out Happy, partially because I wanted them to be alone but mostly because I wasn't looking forward to writing Happy! Sorry for taking so long to get this out!