Summary: Modern AU, sort of sequel to 'When a Boy Likes a Girl'. Inspired by an episode of Recess, after Zeref tells Natsu that kissing is better than playing, the children of his class decide to conduct an experiment to see if that's true….

Pairings: Zeref/Mavis, brotherly Zeref/Natsu, some implied Mavis/Natsu friendship, some implied Gray/Juvia, implied Strauss Sibling feels, implied general friendships, parental Igneel/Natsu, and Natsu/Lucy.

Author's Note: I'm sorry for not replying to any reviews in the last twenty four hours, fanfiction wouldn't let me log in for an entire day. Thank you very much for your comments and support, as always. Also, for everyone who asked for Zeref/Mavis, I hope this satisfy you a little.

It was a typical, very boring, morning at school when Natsu suddenly barrelled up to his friends excitedly. "You'll never believe what happened when Zeref came home this weekend!" he shouted dramatically.

"He finally realised what a moron his brother is?" Gray asked rudely.

"No!" Natsu scowled. "Wanna repeat that Ice Princess with my first in your mouth?"

"Ew," Gray grimaced, "no thank you. God knows where your hands have been."

"What the hell is that supposed to-?"

"Natsu," Erza interrupted in a dangerously cool tone, instantly everyone – not just Natsu – stiffened at the sound of it as they all knew it meant to be on your best behaviour or die, "ignore Gray and tell us what happened."

"Right," Natsu grinned sheepishly, "well because its half term for Zeref's school, he came back and instead of playing games with me like had promised, he went out with a girl, and then he brought her back home…."

Nine year old Natsu was incredibly disgruntled.

Ever since his older brother had gotten into Eaton, Natsu barely got to see him, and therefore any time spent with Zeref was super special. But now Zeref had a girlfriend, and while Natsu liked Mavis (she always played games with Natsu too), it always meant he had less time with his older brother because Zeref wanted to be with Mavis instead.

This Saturday morning was prime example.

Instead of watching cartoons with Natsu like he had promised, Zeref went out to meet Mavis, and had brought her back with him.

Natsu planed his revenge perfectly, hiding behind the sofa ready to pounce the moment Zeref and Mavis were content and happy, in order to terrify them. With a smirk, he had to muffle his snickers as he felt Zeref and Mavis settle down on the sofa. He waited for a moment.

And then another.

And then another one.

And then, when he was sure Zeref and Mavis were comfortable, he peered up from the top of the sofa…..and his jaw dropped open.

Because Zeref and Mavis weren't watching television or talking or even reading like the boring people they are. No instead they were KISSING!

Zeref had his fingers under Mavis' chin and tilted her head so their lips would meet in a chaste, sweet, kiss.

Natsu grimaced as they sat there kissing in a sickly, gentle, lovey-dovey way, and had almost decided to leave them to it (bugging Gajeel on the X-Box was beginning to sound more and more appealing) when suddenly Mavis pushed Zeref down on the sofa and straddled him.

Natsu's eyes popped out with horror and disgust as it began to look like Mavis was eating Zeref. It was all tongues and moaning and groaning, and hands were beginning to wander a little. Natsu saw Mavis' tiny little hand force Zeref's much larger hand up her t-shirt.

"OH MY GOD!" Natsu screeched, unable to take the disgusting-ness of it all anymore, "WHY ARE YOU EATING EACH OTHER?!"

"NATSU!"

Mavis squealed as Zeref accidentally flipped her off of him and onto the floor. She landed with a loud thump as Zeref spluttered and stammered nonsense, trying to smooth his t-shirt down, and flatten his hair. "N-N-Natsu," he began, trying to sound stern and failing, "what are you doing there?"

"Watching you," Natsu shrugged.

"Why?!"

"Had nothing else to do, the person who was going to play with me suddenly got busy," Natsu shot a pointed look at his older brother who instantly turned bright red. "What were you two doing? Wrestling? Eating? You know we have real food in the fridge, don't you?"

"We weren't wrestling to eating, silly," Mavis said cheerfully, "we were kissing."

"Never seen kissing like that before," Natsu mumbled.

"It's a different kind of kissing," Mavis explained, "more fun."

"Oh," Natsu scrunched his nose up, "are you sure? It looks disgusting."

"It isn't disgusting Natsu," Zeref said, avoiding Natsu's eyes at all cost, "it's really nice. In fact, it's the best thing in the world." Mavis beamed at that and Zeref went even redder (Natsu didn't know how that was possible, Zeref already looked like he was going to explode out of sheer embarrassment). "It's better than everything."

"Everything?" Natsu's eyes widened. "Even playing?"

"Especially playing," Zeref said wisely, "One day, far, far, far in the future, you will discover that you would much rather kiss a girl than play games."

"NO WAY IN HELL!" Gray suddenly burst out, interrupting Natsu's story. "There is no way, ever, that I could prefer kissing a girl than playing games!"

Juvia Lockser's wail was ignored as Erza snarled loudly; "well I wouldn't want to kiss a stinky boy when I can play rounders instead."

"Books are better than boys," Levy agreed, "I wouldn't want to kiss a boy instead of reading."

"Same here," Lucy said

"Exactly!" Natsu cried out. "Which was what I told Zeref and Mavis, and do you know what they did? They LAUGHED! And said that's what they used to believe until they kissed one another!"

Everyone shared nervous looks at that. Everyone knew Zeref and Mavis, they were pretty much everyone's heroes back when they were five, and if they said kissing is better than playing….that one day they would want to kiss instead was beginning to panic them.

"But I don't want to kiss a boy!"

"Kissing sucks!"

"I don't want to turn into a kissing zombie!"

"Juvia wouldn't mind – but only if it's with Gray-sama!"

"I just said that I don't wanna kiss!"

"WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!"

"ENOUGH!" Levy shrieked, effectively silencing her friends. No one was used to Levy shouting. Erza, all the time, Lucy, definitely if it was aimed at Natsu, and Juvia was always known for her loud wails, but Levy? Never. "Thank you," she said a little embarrassed, "I suggest the best thing to do is conduct an experiment," Levy said intelligently, "a boy and a girl will kiss one another as well observe and they can tell us their initial findings on whether or not it is better than playing. Does that sound reasonable to you?"

Everyone mumbled their agreement and sullenly, as the teacher chose that moment to walk in, turned their attention to their classwork for the morning. Which, of course, none of them did very well as they all had kissing on their mind, and as soon as the bell rang for break, they ran off before their teacher dismissed them.

Natsu and Erza gathered their friends from the other classes from Mirajane and Laxus two whole years above them to little Wendy and Romeo who only started school this year. They all surrounded round Levy who held two handful of straws.

"The ones that pick the straw tipped with red," she said solemnly, "are the ones that have to kiss, agreed?"

"Agreed," everyone mumbled.

"Very well, girls are right," Levy held up hr right hand, "and boys are left."

Slowly, ever so slowly, everyone reached out and plucked a straw. Laxus, Gajeel, and Gray all smirked to reveal a white end on theirs, Elfman and Romeo both sighed with relief, Bickslow, Jet, and Droy all looked a little disappointed, and Freed looked remarkably unbothered.

Natsu, however, stared down at his straw in horror.

"Aha!" Gray jeered. "Natsu has to kiss a girl!"

"And it's not Juvia!" Juvia said triumphantly. "Juvia's lips are saved for Gray-sama once again!"

"Not me," Cana waved her straw.

Erza sighed happily and also showed her white tripped straw, Lisanna looked as disappointed as Bickslow did (she was really curious about kissing and she strongly suspected if Mira and Elfman had their way she will never be kissed), Mira was smug it wasn't her, Wendy sobbed with her own relief, and Levy was indifferent to the whole thing.

Lucy, however, whimpered bitterly as she held her straw up. "I don't want to!" she wailed. "He's mean! I'll kiss anyone else but not him!"

"Oi!" Natsu yelled, offended. After all he was only mean because he was supposed to be, Zeref said! "A deal is a deal! Are you saying, you, Lucy Heartfilla, are going to break a promise?"

Lucy's eyes flashed with anger and determination. "Of course not!" she sniffed. "But that doesn't change the fact I'd rather kiss a frog than you!"

"Don't worry," Gray smirked, "we'd all rather kiss a frog than Natsu."

Natsu whirled round angrily but Erza immediately tugged him back and forced him to face Lucy. "No fighting!" she growled. "We have an experiment to complete. Kiss Lucy first, and then fight Gray."

"That's if you don't wanna keep kissing Lucy," Cana teased.

Natsu felt his cheeks heat up as he looked at Lucy. He liked Lucy. A lot. She was probably the best person he knew after his Dad and big brother, she was always so nice (though not so much to him now days) and warm and smart and….well pretty. Her pigtails had vanished in favour of a really weird small ponytail on the top of her head (which suited her weirdo behaviour) and it allowed him to notice just how golden and silky looking her hair is and just how big and wide and dark her eyes are, and –

"WILL YOU JUST KISS ALREADY?!" Gajeel roared. "Playtime is almost over!"

Lucy flushed and Natsu felt hotter than ever as they both fumbled towards one another. Lucy awkwardly placed her hands on Natsu's shoulders and he tried to ignore how much her touch burned him as he focused on her bright pink face and plump, wet, looking lips (why do people like kissing again?!) as he hesitated.

Eventually, he reached out, tilted her head up with his fingers just as he had seen Zeref do to Mavis and then leaned in close.

And then slowly, ever so slowly, to the point it felt like all eternity…

…Their lips touched.

For Natsu it felt like a million fireworks went off in his stomach, and that there were rainbows, and singing, and all that other cheesy, happy, crap that fairy tale books spout out when the Prince and the Princess kissed.

He didn't know how it felt for Lucy but she must have liked it because he felt her lean in to the kiss and press her lips back against his.

And then, far too soon if you ask him, they pulled away.

"So?" Erza pressed.

"Did you like it?" Levy asked.

"Is it better than playing?" Gray said impatiently.

There was a moment of silence as Lucy and Natsu stared at one another, Lucy's cheeks had turned red, and Natsu felt really hot and unnatural, and then, as if they agreed to silently, they both grimaced.

"Yuck!" Natsu shouted. "Zeref must be insane there's no way that's better than playing!"

"Disgusting!" Lucy spat as she rubbed her lips. "I hope to never go through that again."

Everyone looked relieved at that. "So your brother is wrong," Gray said happily, "kissing isn't better than playing."

"Well he has to be wrong once in a while," Natsu shrugged, "it would be unnatural for someone to be right all the time."

And with that everyone happily returned to their usual play time activities, leaving Natsu and Lucy alone.

"Erm…Lucy," Natsu mumbled, "When you said the kiss was disgusting did you…..did you….mean it?"

There was a very long silence, a silence that was starting to kill Natsu with impatience, and then, finally, Lucy met his eye. "No," she whispered. "It was….rather nice," she admitted shyly.

"Good!" Natsu grinned. "Good. I, erm, liked it too."

"Did you really?!"

It was then when Natsu realised, with Lucy looked eager and pleased, that he had failed to follow one of the important lessons he remembered Zeref giving him when he was five. When a boy likes a girl he is mean to her. And since Zeref was right about the kissing being better, he had to be right about that too.

Flustered, Natsu hurriedly fumbled for a way to show Lucy he liked her, and without a second though he reached out and pulled her skirt down to her ankles. The grey school skirt fell to the ground with a flumping noise and revealed a pair of bright pink knickers with gold stars all over.

"NATSU!"

"Heh," Natsu snickered, "stars?! Really?"

"LUCY KICK!"

"…And that's why I got a detention even though I was the one that got a black eye," Natsu happily concluded his second story of the day, "do I have to eat my peas?" he asked as he picked at the hideous green vegetable on his plate.

No one answered as both his Dad and Zeref stared at him in horror. "This is your fault!" Zeref hissed at his Dad.

"My fault? My fault?!" his Dad snapped back. "I wasn't the one who told him about kissing or that being mean was how to show a girl you like her."

"No," Zeref agreed, "but you are the one that leaves him under the influence of perverts like Macao and Gildarts. It's a wonder Natsu hasn't been murdered for trying to go into the girl's changing rooms yet!"

"Don't give him any more ideas!"

Zeref and Natsu's Dad continued to argue and got more and more angry with each other but that was all right because it meant neither of them noticed Natsu scraping his peas into the bin and helping himself to all three helpings of pudding!

Did Natsu mention he really loved it when Zeref came home?