AN: Hello! My bad for taking this long! Everything is going good in my life, just hectic so I haven't updated haha. Enjoy!

Chapter 3

The Art of Seduction

"And then I told him to leave me alone. I mean seriously, Lu-chan, why are boys so infuriating? It's like, I love Gajeel and all, but he can seriously get on my nerves!"

"Mhmm."

"Like, how hard is it to say something nice every once in a while instead of making fun of me?"

"Mhmm."

"Lu-chan? Are you even listening to me?"

"Mhmm."

Lucy jumped in her seat as Levy's hand waved in front of her face. With an apologetic grin, the blonde rubbed the back of her head.

"Sorry, Levy-chan. What were you saying?" she asked.

Levy arched a brow at her. "Okay, what's on your mind, Lu-chan? You've been zoning out this whole time. You haven't even taken a sip of your smoothie yet!"

Lucy sighed, dragging her fingertip across the side of her plastic cup. Sure enough, the drink was no longer cold as she had been too busy daydreaming.

She and Levy had agreed to grab smoothies at their favorite shop after the latter got into an argument with her boyfriend. Grabbing smoothies was their go-to ritual whenever they had to vent about someone, wanted to catch up, or just needed a dose of fruity deliciousness. Needless to say, they were there at least once a week.

"I've just been a little distracted lately," Lucy answered, taking a long sip of her smoothie. Her face scrunched in disgust as the flavors no longer popped and the foam from the now old smoothie was all that came through the straw.

"Oh yeah, how's that guy you've been seeing?" Levy asked, leaning forward in interest. "By the way, are you ever going to tell me who he is?"

Lucy's cheeks pinked, her eyes darting away from her curious friend. "Sorry, can't tell you. It's confidential information."

Levy squinted her eyes at the girl, giving her a look the blonde couldn't read.

Sighing, Levy replied, "Fine. Well how are things going between you guys? You said you would be willing to…" She looked around before leaning closer and whispering, "Have sex again. Did you ever do it?"

Lucy puffed out her cheeks in a pout. "That's the thing! I talked to him about it and he agreed! But since then, we never brought it up again. Things aren't awkward between us or anything, but I don't know how to initiate it. It's too embarrassing to just ask for it!"

"Well when are you seeing him again?"

"Later tonight. We're supposed to watch a movie together."

"That's easy!"

Lucy tilted her head to the side, her brows raised. "What do you mean?"

Levy grinned. "All you have to do is make him make the first move!"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"It'll be so easy, Lu-chan, I promise. All you have to do is show off your body a little more and maybe run your hand over his bicep. That should do the trick."

"I don't think so," Lucy said skeptically. "He's a little dense. I don't think he would pick up on that."

Levy stared at her for a moment before nodding. "Well in that case, we'll pull every trick out of the book!"

"Trick?"

Levy gave a mischievous grin, one that was rare to see on her face if you weren't close with her. "Okay, here's what you're going to do…"

Lucy stared at herself in the mirror, a skeptical frown on her face as she glanced over her outfit. Her black pleated skirt was incredibly short, sure to show off her bum with a gust of wind. The red shirt she wore was tight around her body, especially around her chest. Its neckline wasn't particularly as low as some of the other shirts she owned, but it still showed off a good amount of cleavage.

Pulling some thigh-high socks out of her dresser, she heaved them on before sliding her feet into some heeled boots. Standing back in front of the mirror, she tousled her hair a bit, just as Levy had instructed her to.

Lucy wondered if this outfit would be good enough to seduce Natsu with. Her skirt wasn't the shortest she owned, and she had plenty of other shirts to choose from that showed off her chest more, one pink shirt immediately coming to mind. But according to Levy, she should wear red. Apparently red put people in the mood. She didn't know where Levy got that information from, but she trusted her enough to go with it.

Glancing at the clock, Lucy quickly grabbed her purse. Natsu should be barging through her window at any moment, and she needed to make sure she had everything Levy instructed her to bring. She grabbed a lollipop from the Halloween candy she bought and with rosy cheeks, stuffed it into her purse. She hoped it wouldn't come down to using that. That was just embarrassing.

A gust of wind washed over Lucy's back. She didn't need to turn around to know that it was Natsu breaking in as always. Her heart started to beat faster, electricity jolting through her veins as she readied herself for tonight's plan. Swallowing thickly, the girl turned to face him with a smile.

"Hi, Natsu!" she greeted. Levy's advice played in her head.

"You should discreetly show off your body."

Lucy nervously ran a hand through her hair before clasping her hands together at her thighs, causing her arms to squish her breasts together.

"L-Lets go get dinner!" she exclaimed, hoping that her actions weren't too transparent.

Natsu didn't seem to notice the action- or her outfit- at all, which admittedly stung. "Okay! You're buying!"

Lucy groaned before leading the way out of her apartment.

They went to a local Italian bistro, which was close enough to Lucy's apartment that they could walk- which was a good thing since Natsu's motion sickness would've turned them both off. They were quickly led to a table and left with menus. After having a moment to look over the menus, they ordered their food.

Once it arrived, Lucy looked down at her plate of seafood Alfredo and gulped. It was time for phase two of her plan.

"Go out to dinner and moan while you eat. It'll definitely get him in the mood!"

As Natsu practically inhaled his food like a wild beast, Lucy twirled some noodles on her fork before putting it in her mouth. Closing her eyes, she moaned, all the while trying to snuff out any embarrassment she felt. When she opened her eyes, she found Natsu staring at her.

"Is it working?" she wondered, excitement bundling in her stomach. She watched Natsu open his mouth to say something, then close it.

"What is it?" Lucy asked, hoping she didn't sound too eager. "Say it."

"Well okay," Natsu replied, rubbing the back of his head. Pointing to her food, he asked, "Can I have some?"

Lucy deadpanned. "What?"

"Can I have some?" Natsu repeated, his lips curling into a grin. "You made it sound like it was really good! I wanna try!"

Frustrated, Lucy pulled her plate closer to her with a huff. "Eat your own damn food!"

After dinner, Lucy was starting to feel deflated. Not only did her outfit not catch his attention, but her provocative movements and sultry moans didn't work either. But she wasn't done yet! She still had plenty of tricks up her sleeve thanks to Levy! And it was time to put her next plan to action.

This plan luckily had two parts, so that if the first one failed, she had another one lined up. Reaching into her purse, Lucy pulled out the lollipop she packed earlier. Glancing towards Natsu to make sure he wasn't watching, she pretended to drop it onto the ground.

"Wear a short dress or skirt, then drop something. When you go to pick it up, he'll stare at your butt. That should turn him on!"

The two stopped walking, Natsu arching a brow at the girl.

"Oops," Lucy said. "Let me just pick that up real quick!"

Making sure to arch her back as she bent down, she picked up the lollipop. She moved slowly, giving him more time to stare at her bum. Sure that she had it in the bag, she stood back up and turned to face him.

Natsu stared at her, crossing his arms behind his head.

Then he gave her a grin.

"You're clumsy, Luce!" he exclaimed with a laugh.

Lucy huffed to herself, glancing at the lollipop. She didn't want to have to resort to this part of the plan, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

As the two continued their walk home, Lucy unwrapped the lollipop.

"If none of that works, lick the lollipop and make it look sexy!"

Lucy slowly dragged her tongue over the lollipop before sucking on it. Releasing it with a pop, she began to twist her tongue over the candy. Seeing as how Natsu's expression didn't change, she added in her tactic from earlier. As embarrassing as it was, she moaned while licking the damn lollipop.

And yet, nothing.

Natsu's face was a blank slate.

When they arrived at Lucy's apartment, she went straight into the bedroom with a huff. Angrily changing into some short pajama shirts and a loose, spaghetti strap tank top, she met Natsu back in the living room. He was setting up a movie on the couch.

"What kinda movie do ya wanna watch? It's your turn to choose," Natsu said.

"Horror!" Lucy replied immediately.

"When you guys watch a movie, make sure it's a scary one. That way when you're scared, you can throw your arms around him and get closer to him! And make sure to sit close to him! And keep scooting your butt on him! There's no way in hell he can resist that!"

Natsu eyed her. "Horror? You never choose horror. You always wanna watch those sappy movies."

"It's called romance," Lucy replied, sitting next to him on the couch. She made sure to sit so close to him that their thighs were flushed together and her bum was slightly on him. "Now, just choose one already."

This was Lucy's last plan, and she'd be damned if she failed.

As the movie started playing, Lucy squirmed in her seat, pretending that she was trying to get comfortable while rubbing her bum on his thigh. She peeked at Natsu in the corner of her eye to see if it was working, but he was engrossed in the movie.

When a scary part of the movie popped up, Lucy squealed and latched onto Natsu, squeezing his arm between her breasts.

And still, nothing.

That was it. She was all out of tricks.

Huffing, Lucy pulled her arms off of him. She couldn't believe that after all that, she couldn't even get him to look at her. Was she not appealing at all? Was the sex not good enough last time to make him interested? Had he changed his mind since they last talked about it?

With a sigh, Lucy went to move away from him when his arm wrapped around her waist, warm hand gripping her side. She stilled, heat traveling through her body from the simple touch.

"Hey, Lucy," Natsu started, his eyes still locked to the TV, "I don't know if you still wanna do this whole friends with benefits thing, but I would be down to help you do some research right now."

Lucy blushed, her stomach coiling with excitement. "O-Oh?"

"Yeah. I've been wanting to all day, but I didn't know if you still wanted to or not."

"I do!" She nearly face-palmed with how desperate she sounded.

Natsu finally turned to face her. It was then that Lucy saw the lust that glinted in his dark orbs.

Lucy's heart leapt up into her throat as Natsu scooted closer to her, his face just centimeters away from hers. She watched as his eyes began to droop closed. He cupped the back of her head, slowly bringing her close.

A knot grew in her stomach as Natsu's lips grazed hers. Her body felt like it was being sent over the edge, every sense heightened.

As Natsu deepened the kiss, Lucy wasted no time in repositioning herself on his lap. Thanks to the thin, silk shorts she was wearing, it wasn't hard to feel the bulge beneath her. Her body moved on its own, hips grinding to create glorious friction. He gripped her hips while tugging on her lower lip with his teeth. A soft growl resonated in his throat.

"Let's take this to your bed," he whispered.

Lucy ignored him, sinking her lips over his neck as he carried her towards the bedroom. He plopped her on the bed before tearing his clothes off. She went to take off her tank top when his hand grabbed hers.

"I wanna do it," he said with an eager grin.

Lucy nodded. "Alright just hurry."

Natsu chuckled. "Someone's a little impatient, huh?"

"Natsu, if you don't put your hands on me in the next second, I'm going to-!"

Before she could even finish her threat, Natsu tore her tank top off in a flash.

"There, happy now?" he asked with a smirk.

Lucy snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. "Very. Now let's do this thing already."

"Don't need to tell me twice!"

He caged her beneath him, washing his lips over her neck. His hand slid over her breast, kneading the flesh. He teased her nipple, having learned last time that the nubs were sensitive.

Lucy arched her back into his touch. She could feel the knot in her stomach grow as each second passed.

He lowered himself onto her, his hot shaft sliding between her folds. As he pushed himself inside, she wrapped her legs around her torso and brought him in deeper.

Natsu let out a shaky breath. He clenched tightly onto the bed sheets, trying to rein in his body's urges. He moved slowly at first to warm up, moving around in circles. As he tried to pull out, her walls clung tightly to his shaft, tugging on the sensitive skin.

Lucy's breath picked up as he started to go pound into her. Gripping his biceps, she tried to keep herself in place as he thrusted harder and harder. Her stomach coiled, the pleasure building up. She could feel herself nearing climax.

"N-Natsu," she breathed out, weakly tapping his arm.

He pulled his head back to look at her but kept pushing inside of her. "What? Does it not feel good?"

"It's not that, it f-feels amazing." A moan slipped past her lips as he hit a particularly sensitive spot. "I-It's just that I want to try something new."

Natsu slowed his movements, moving in slow circles. Lucy gnawed on her lower lip. She didn't know that moving slowly was just as good as moving fast.

"I-I want to be on top," she said, her voice breathy.

Natsu finally stopped, which Lucy was part thankful and part disappointed for.

"Okay," he replied, getting off of her. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he eagerly laid on the bed, watching Lucy position herself on top of him.

Lucy inhaled sharply as his shaft sank deep inside of her as she lowered herself over him. Once it was as deep as she could get it, she slowly rocked herself back and forth.

Natsu groaned, his hands gripping her thighs. It was hard to keep his eyes open while the pleasure began to skyrocket, but he just had to get a good look at Lucy. Her hair was messy, her eyes squeezed shut. Her head hung back as she grinded against him, her mouth hanging open. He moved his eyes down to her breasts. They bounced with each rock against him.

One thing he knew for sure, he loved watching Lucy ride him.

Meanwhile, Lucy was in pure ecstasy. This new position allowed his cock to reach deeper than before. Moving her body in a circular motion, she could feel herself edging closer to climax. Wanting to experiment on herself a bit, she brought her hands up to her breasts and began to message herself.

Natsu's gut coiled as he watched Lucy fondle herself. Unable to help himself, he moved his hands onto her hips and moved her roughly over him. A breathy moan escaped Lucy's lips and before she knew it, she was shaking with pleasure, his name slipping out of her mouth. Seeing her finish while riding him was enough for Natsu to break. He moaned, clenching onto her silky hips while pleasure shot out of him. When they could no longer move, Lucy collapsed beside him in pants.

"Oh wow," she breathed out. "That was even better than last time."

Natsu nodded, still trying to catch his breath. As he laid there, he wondered how he got so lucky to be able to be the only person to see Lucy this way. To see her face flushed with heat, sweat glistening on her body. To hear her scream his name. He must've done something right in his past life to be able to have earned this privilege.

"Alright, I'm going to go take a shower now," Lucy said, bringing him out of his thoughts and walking towards the bathroom.

"Oh, I'll join you."

The girl stopped in her tracks, whirling around to face him. "Umm, what?"

Natsu shrugged, giving her a look as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "What?"

Lucy blushed madly. "Y-You can't shower with me, idiot!"

"Luce, hate to break it to ya, but what we just did together is a hell of a lot more intimate than taking a shower."

"No it isn't!"

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Fine, then I'll take one after you. I don't wanna walk home like this."

Lucy nodded. "That's fine. I'll make it quick."

He plopped on the bed. "Uh-huh, sure you will." He frowned when he heard the door click behind her. If that wasn't enough to remind him that she didn't feel the same as him, he didn't know what was.

After Lucy's shower- which was quite long despite her promise of keeping it quick- he headed in right after her. The water pelted his back as he thought long and hard about the situation he was in. On the one hand, it was great to be able to have sex with Lucy. Glorious. On the other, it only made his feelings for her stronger. He wasn't sure how he would hold up when she eventually decided to end things. Would he truly be able to bounce back? Would he go back to playing the role of best friend?

He was always there to listen to her vent after her failed dates. He was there for her whenever she had crushes on other boys. He listened and waited, hoping that one day she would look at him in such light. Now was his only chance to change her perception of him. He didn't want to just be her friend anymore. He wanted to be the one to take her on dates. He wanted to be the one that she gushed about to her friends. He wanted all of her.

After finishing his shower, Natsu turned off the faucet and quickly dried off. Having spent many nights at Lucy's apartment, the boy already had spare clothes to change into. Heading back to the bedroom, he found Lucy laying in bed, scrolling on her phone. He jumped into bed beside her.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, giving him a pointed stare.

Natsu gave her a cheeky grin. "Eh, walking home now would be a pain in the ass. C'mon, let me stay here."

Lucy rolled her eyes but didn't protest, which was usually how that conversation went. Once Natsu decided he was sleeping over, there was no changing his mind. Besides, she liked the company.

"Whatcha watching?" Natsu asked, scooting closer to the phone.

Lucy lifted her head and rested it on his arm. She knew it might've been perceived as intimate by others, but this was just how she and Natsu were.

"Just a new dance trend going around."

He laughed. "You should do that!"

"Why? So you can make fun of me?"

"Yep!"

She nudged him before playing the next video. Over time, her eyes grew heavy. She placed her phone on the nightstand and turned towards him, her head still resting on his arm.

"I'm going to bed now," Lucy said with a yawn.

Natsu brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. "Alright. Night, Lucy."

"Goodnight, Natsu."

And together they slept in their usual position, more than friends but less than lovers.