Author's Note:

This story is written for the "Bonus" (October 12) prompt for NaLuLovefest 2016 (October 19-25). Since I generally don't write much past the borders of fluff, I likely won't write stories for each of the week's prompts. Also, I'm only on episode 75 or so of the original anime, just to give you my frame of reference. :)

I am open to various ships at the moment, some more than others; Fairy Tail is just a lot of fun for a newbie like me.

The story will also be posted on tumblr (Impracticaldemon) and linked on twitter.

All reviews, comments (or PMs), follows and favourites are welcome and appreciated!

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story!

\(^u^)/

NaLuLovefest 2016
October 12

Bonus Prompt: Sweet/Rough

Be the Dragon Slayer! (or, Sometimes Being Subtle Doesn't Work)

Lucy stared morosely into her tall glass, now empty of beer. Beside her, Cana was drinking steadily, easily outmatching her two drinks for every one.

"He doesn't get it. He'll never get it. Maybe… maybe dragons just mature really slowly? Maybe he inherited that as a Dragon Slayer. What do you think?"

Mirajane smiled sympathetically and refilled the glass. She had listened to different variants on the same theme throughout the past hour. Lucy had insisted several times over the past year that she and Natsu were just friends. And it was true! They were just friends. Except that today, for the first time, Lucy had admitted that she wasn't always happy with being just friends.

Lucy continued without letting Mirajane respond.

"And Happy! I thought he liked me! But it's still always the same thing. Every now and then he points out that I don't have a boyfriend. Or out of nowhere he'll do the whole "he liiiiikes you", except you know what? There's always some kind of flaw, like the guy's dying, or leaving, or crazy, or something."

"Men are bastards," Cana muttered. "Guess that includes their cats."

Lucy looked momentarily offended. Then she remembered that she was annoyed with Happy. "Right!"

Mirajane wiped down the bar and got another drink for Cana while Lucy sipped slowly on her new beer. The lovely white-haired woman was cheerfully and remorselessly helping Lucy get into what she – Mirajane, not Lucy – thought of as the "proper frame of mind". Mirajane dearly liked pairing people up and she'd been watching Lucy and the current object of her complaints ever since the latter had brought the former to the guild. She thought it better not to tell Lucy that she'd had a conversation on the same general topic with the pink-haired Natsu Dragneel earlier in the day.

"So… so what should I do Mira? I mean I really thought one time… but then it turned out he just wanted my spirits to help him dig for treasure!"

"Yup. Always after something." Cana slugged back her drink and propped her elbow more squarely on the bar. "Natsu's a good Slayer but he's… a kid you know?"

"No! I mean yes! Crud. I don't know what I mean." Lucy stared at her half-finished beer.

"He's oblivious. That's what you mean." Cana looked bored, but the half-wink she gave Mirajane suggested that something was up.

"Yeah! And then sometimes he does stuff and it's like – hey, he's actually a guy not just Natsu, right?"

"Right. So what are you gonna do about it?"

"I don't know," said Lucy sulkily. "I mean I've tried all the usual things. I don't yell at him—much—for coming in the window. I let him raid my fridge. I actually made him dinner the other day. And I dressed up. Do you know what he said?"

Mirajane did know what Natsu had said when Lucy had made him dinner the week before. He'd told her...

"What's wrong with saying that her food's almost as good as eating here?! I don't get it… She knows I like eating here! Besides, she looked great and I was kind of distracted…"

Lucy was looking imploringly at Cana. "I mean, what else can I do? And he's always saying things about other girls looking good but he never says anything to me!"

"You want my advice?"

"Yes!"

"You sure you're tough enough?"

"Yes! … Probably." Even mostly drunk, Lucy knew to hedge her bets with some people.

"You should go up to him and just tell him. Or better yet, push him up against a wall and—"

"I couldn't do that!"

"See? You're too lame. Thought so."

"I AM NOT LAME!"

"Weak?"

"NO!"

"Afraid? Girly? Useless?"

"I AM NOT USELESS!"

Lucy tried to imitate Cana by draining her beer in one go. It didn't go very well and after a second or two of gagging, Lucy belched hugely. Then she giggled. Her cheeks were painted a delicate "sozzled red".

"I'M ALL FIRED UP!" She belched again. "I'm, like, the BEER DRAGON SLAYER!"

Mirajane wordlessly refilled the tall glass, and Lucy guzzled it down.

"ROAR OF THE BEER DRAGON!" This time the belch was truly impressive, although a little bizarre coming from the attractive blond.

Cana clapped wildly and Mirajane threw caution to the winds and joined in the applause. Hopefully Lucy was too drunk to notice her interest and get suspicious.

"Remember," Cana told the Celestial Mage. "Do unto him what you want him to do to you! You're tough!"

"YEAH!"

"You're rough!"

"YEAH!"

"You're gonna tell that pink-haired freak what's up and it better be him!"

"YEAH!"

Lucy slammed the beer glass down on the bar, hooked her thumbs in the waist of her short skirt, and stormed out of the guild hall. Several eyes followed her, but she didn't notice.

Cana fell against the bar in uncontrollable laughter.

"Oh… Oh… I'm never going to forget that… Oh dear gods…" She held a hand against her side, shaking with laughter. "So what do you think Mira—any chance she'll get laid?"

Mirajane looked thoughtful. Then she smiled cheerfully.

"Well… it could be interesting."

Ten minutes later, Lucy found her apartment – it had taken a little longer than usual – and thrown open the door with a crash. That pink-haired, "let's-be-friends-forever", lizard was here, she just knew it.

"NATSU! I know you're here, you window-sneaking, food-stealing, friend!"

"Lucy! Hi! I've been waiting for you." Natsu gave Lucy his best smile and rushed over to greet her. He thrust a box of brightly-coloured candy into one of her waving hands and a giant bouquet of velvety red roses into the other.

Natsu had obviously made a big effort with his clothes. In fact, he looked great. Black tie wasn't normally seen around Fairy Tail, but that's what he was wearing. His trademark scarf was wound loosely around his neck.

Lucy stood in the doorway, taking in the outfit and trying to figure out what to do with the candy and flowers. Natsu, taking advantage of her stunned silence, pulled her into the room. He licked his lips nervously.

"S-So, I was thinking we could, um, sit and talk over a bottle of wine? Um—" he squinted into his palm "—or we could go dancing, or I could read you poetry – seriously, Luce do you even like poetry? I mean – if you do then I'd be happy to—"

"STOP TRYING TO BE SO FRIENDLY!"

Natsu quailed, but went on manfully.

"Glass of wine?" He glanced frantically at his palm again. "Candy—no, wait, you've got that—flowers?"

Spurred on by frustration and alcohol, Lucy stomped into the room.

"No more playing nice!"

"I thought you LIKED people to be nice! Be sweet to her they said! Treat her well for once! Wear something other than last week's vest!"

Lucy set down the flowers and candy and grabbed Natsu by the lapels of his tux.

"What! Lucy!"

The blond just walked him backward until his back hit the wall.

"I'M TIRED OF BEING FRIENDS!" Pressing him against the plaster with her hips and lower body, Lucy untangled the scarf, yanked apart the bow tie and started undoing buttons.

"WHAT?!"

Lucy ran her hands inside his unbuttoned shirt and up his chest. The point at which their bodies touched seemed very, very warm. Natsu was staring at her in shock.

"You don't want to be friends?!"

"Right!" She slid her hands along his shoulders, admiring the hard muscles along the way. Pressing her body even closer, she started working his shirt and jacket off his shoulders. The fabric stopped moving altogether at the wrists and Lucy snarled in irritation.

"Cufflinks, dammit. Oh well…"

"Ahhhmmmm…" Natsu tried to answer, but just at that moment Lucy did something she'd wanted to do for a while and stretched up to press a passionate kiss onto his lips, her hands tangling in the soft pink hair.

Natsu's body was way ahead of his brain, and his hands came up around Lucy's hips and waist, lifting her slightly and pulling her more firmly against him. At the same time, he bit down on her lower lip, and when she gasped in surprise his tongue found hers and for a while all either of them could hear was their blood in their ears and the occasional panting breath.

Eventually, Natsu became frustrated enough with the fabric cuffs restricting his movement that he burned right through the material – although somehow without singeing Lucy. Once his hands and arms were free, he made short work of Lucy's top and bra. Eyes half-closed, he rubbed one slightly calloused palm over and around her breasts and across her nipples.

When she twitched under his hand he gave a gasping laugh.

"Not friends?"

"More than friends," Lucy murmured lifting her head from leaving a darkening love bite on his shoulder. "Or different…" Her hands tugged at the fastenings at the waist of his pants.

"I can... do... different," returned Natsu, quivering as her hands caressed him through the thin fabric of his boxers.

It didn't take long after that to lose the rest of their clothes.

Being not-friends turned out to be very good.

[END]

A/N: Of course, one has to call this AU... but it was a lot of fun to write! Happy Nalu Week minus one!