Author's Note: Another chapter due to popular demand! Firstly, I'd like to say I am extremely flattered by some of your feedback for the first part, you have no idea. Thank you so much for your kind words! I hope this continuation is okay, I feel a bit apprehensive about it, hehe.

I am caught up to Fairy Tail now, I'm only 7 chapters away from the latest manga chapter, but I don't know if that guarantees they'll be in character hehe. So if things are still out of character, sorry! I'll just say I'm applying personal headcanons or something hehe ^_^

In conclusion, I'm 99.9% sure I won't be writing anything else for this story. I don't mind writing more NaLu, but this story is done! So I hope this is a decent counterpart to the first part, and I appreciate any feedback! Take care!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot line.

Levy held the notebook close to her face, her eyes carefully reading each word. Lucy sat beside her, her smile growing wider as the petite girl's face grew redder and redder.

After a prolonged silence, Levy gradually lowered the notebook, drawing a deep breath. "Oh my."

Lucy clasped her hands together in front of her chest, smiling bright. "You really think so?"

Levy nodded, returning the blonde's smile. "This is wonderful work, Lu-chan. The pacing is smooth, and the amount of detail really lets the reader feel the characters' passion."

"Thank you," the girl replied, happily receiving the notebook from Levy's extended hand.

"So?"

Lucy blinked. "What?"

Levy tilted her head, smiling knowingly. "What was the inspiration for that scene?"

The blonde flinched, her cheeks burning in embarrassment. "I—I don't know what you mean."

"Are you sure? Because the first draft of your kiss scene… well, it wasn't that." She motioned towards the notebook lying idly in Lucy's lap.

Lucy's face grew horribly red. "Uh, it—it just happened, you know?"

"The inspiration? Or what gave you the inspiration?"

Her heart pounded hard inside her chest. "I-I—um…"

Levy smiled kindly. "You don't have to tell me if it's too private. I'm just curious, that's all."

Lucy pressed the tips of her fingers together. "W-Well, you see…"

"Yes?"

The blonde closed her eyes tight and drew a deep breath. Leaning over, she whispered in Levy's ear, holding her hand beside her mouth.

A blush tinted her cheeks as Levy's eyebrows shot up. "O-Oh!" she squeaked as Lucy leaned away. "What a plot twist! You… and Natsu…?"

"I know…!" Lucy mumbled, tugging the ends of her hair. "It was so sudden… but…"

"I noticed you two were more friendly," Levy murmured, "but I thought something happened on a mission that brought you closer together." She tilted her head up, tapping her chin in thought. "Come to think of it, the personalities of your two lead characters are quite similar to you and Natsu…"

Lucy blushed and looked away, fumbling with the hem of her skirt.

Levy sighed dreamily. "Wow, what a romantic story."

"My novel?" Lucy asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

The petite girl giggled before giving kind smile. "Yes, your novel, and your relationship with Natsu."

The blonde flinched, her face erupting in a fresh blush. "R-Romantic? You really think so?"

Levy nodded, "Sure, Lu-chan. Not every girl has such a wonderful first time with someone as considerate as Natsu." Her hands cupped her blushing cheeks. "I never would have guessed Natsu would be so amazing for his first time. It's like something out of the novels Erza likes."

Lucy stared at her lap. "It is strange, isn't it…"

The petite girl furrowed her eyebrows. "Lu-chan, don't be silly. It's unusual, but not impossible. With the right person, how could anything go wrong?"

Lucy averted her gaze. "You don't think… he's been with other girls?"

Levy grabbed the girl's hands, drawing her attention away from her wandering thoughts. "Of course not! I mean, I can't be certain… but don't go putting those ideas in your head, Lu-chan."

Lucy pursed her lips before flashing a small smile. "You're right, Levy-chan." She stood up and brushed off her skirt, "I just remembered, I have an appointment I need to get to. I'll see you later, okay?"

Levy eyed her for a moment before nodding and smiling. She waved goodbye to the girl and skipped away, searching for a certain iron dragon slayer.

Her legs locked around his hips as he thrust deep inside her, a scream tearing from her lips as Lucy tossed her head back against her pillow.

Natsu moaned before releasing a feral growl, his body scathing hot as he moved against her in a fast, irregular rhythm. His fingers dug into her hip while Lucy's nails scraped down his back, leaving thin red marks.

Her body arched off the mattress as she turned her head to the side, her hair clinging to her forehead and rosy cheeks.

"Ah, ah, ahh," she moaned, her hips bucking wildly as the heels of her feet dug into Natsu's lower back.

"Lucy," he groaned, dipping his head and kissing her as a wave of euphoria washed over him. His lips brushed her cheek and neck as she tangled her hands in his messy pink hair, crying out as she hit her climax.

Natsu collapsed beside her, his chest heaving with an exhausted grin on his face.

Lucy held the bed sheet over her quivering body and panted, her flushed face staring dazedly at the ceiling above her.

"Three times…?" she breathed incredulously, glancing at the boy beside her.

Natsu beamed cheekily, throwing an arm over her waist and pressing her back to his chest. "You smelled really good," he murmured huskily, sending a shiver down her spine as he buried his face in her hair and breathed deeply.

She blushed the compliment, idly toying with his fingers at her waist. "But I wasn't wearing any perfume…"

He peered at her from over her shoulder. "Ne, Lucy, are you okay?"

He had asked her the same question earlier that day, outside her front door after they had returned from a simple two-man mission she had been incredibly distracted throughout. Her conversation with Levy had bothered her more than she wanted to admit, but Lucy wasn't ready to explain what was wrong, so she kissed him to avoid the question. Before she knew it, she was dragging him through every room of her apartment, tearing his clothes off and pushing him on her bed.

"Did you sleep bad?" Natsu asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Here, I can help!"

"Um, Natsu, that's not—" she began as he rolled her on her stomach and brushed her hair aside. Casting fire magic to his fingers, he began kneading her shoulders, eliciting a moan from his massage as her body instantly relaxed against his touch.

Her heart fluttered at the sweet notion as his warm fingers glided along her back, applying various amounts of pressure as he tenderly rubbed her skin.

Her cheek rested against her folded arms as she sighed. She gasped upon feeling him trail kisses from the curve of her back to her shoulder, his disheveled pink hair brushing against her skin.

"Lucy," he murmured when he reached her ear, making her shudder. "You're smelling really good again…"

She bit her lip as heat pooled in her stomach. Turning on her back, she gave him a breathtaking smile as she extended her arms to him.

Natsu blinked in confusion before grinning, wrapping his arms around her waist and bringing her to his chest. Lucy rested her cheek against his shoulder, staring off into a corner.

"I'm okay," she said quietly, giving him a reassuring squeeze before leaning back to look at his face. Her hands cupped his cheeks as she gave him a soft kiss. "I've just been thinking a lot."

Natsu blinked, tilting his head. "Thinking about what?"

She averted her gaze, choosing her words carefully as she licked her lips. "About… how you're so helpful," she mumbled.

He nuzzled her face. "Is it bad?"

She shook her head, "No, but…" She leaned back against the headboard and wrapped the bed sheets around her body.

The question nagged her mind incessantly: had he been with other girls? It was certainly possible. If so, how many? Did she know any of them? Did their time together mean anything? Was she just another girl to him?

"Lucy," Natsu called, watching her brown eyes lift to his face. He tilted his head as a frown crossed his face. "You're acting really weird." Leaning close to her face, he pressed a hand to her forehead and squinted his eyes. "Are you sick?"

She bit her lip, removing his palm from her face. "Natsu…" she began softly. "You know how you're always… 'helping' me?" The boy blinked, nodding slowly. "Have you—did you—um…" She averted her gaze, gathering her words as he waited quietly. "Have you, you know, 'helped' anyone else?"

Natsu furrowed his eyebrows while her stomach churned uncomfortably. "That's it?" he asked. "That's why you've been acting so weird?"

Lucy nodded slowly, unconsciously gripping the bed sheets tighter.

The boy lifted a hand and scratched the back of his head. "I don't get it, Lucy. Of course I've helped other people."

Her heart skipped a beat as her body tensed. "You have?" she squeaked. He nodded affirmatively, making her throat go dry. Swallowing, she softly asked, "D-Do I know any of them?"

He lifted an eyebrow at her. "Sure you do. Mirajane, Cana, Erza—"

"Erza!?" Lucy repeated incredulously, her face flushing dark.

"—and Lisanna too."

"What?"

Natsu blinked. "Yeah, I helped her yesterday."

Yesterday?! she thought, feeling an uncomfortable pain in her chest. So none of this… meant anything…?

"Oh my god," she murmured, burying her face in her hands.

Natsu tilted his head. "What's the matter? It's not a big deal."

"How can you say that!" she yelled, making the boy flinch.

"So you are mad at me!" he shouted back, pointing an accusing finger.

She glared at him. "Now I am!"

He squinted at her. "What?! What the hell did I do?"

"Get out!" she screamed.

His eyes widened. "Lucy—"

"Out! Now!" She shoved his shoulders, pushing him off the bed.

He fell to the floor with a thud, grunting at the fall. "Hey, that hurt!"

Lucy hid herself beneath her bed sheets, hugging her pillow and drawing her knees to her chest. Natsu stood up, frowning as he placed a hand on her bundled form.

"Hey, Lucy—"

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked, wrenching her shoulder away from his hand.

He flinched, slowly withdrawing his hand. "I don't get it," he mumbled quietly, his shoulders drooping. "What did I do?"

Lucy buried her face in her pillow, blinking away the angry tears threatening to fall.

"Lucy…?"

She refused to answer.

"Damn it, talk to me!"

Again, he was ignored.

He growled, pulling his pants on and grabbing his vest and sweater. "Fine. Be that way! See what I care." He stomped to her window ledge and looked over his shoulder, giving her a final glance. The girl remained adamantly hidden beneath the bed sheets, not budging an inch. His shoulders slacked as he frowned, sighing quietly before leaving her apartment.

As soon as he left, the first of many tears slipped down her cheek, berating herself for being so foolish.

Her hair was messy, her clothes wrinkled and her skin pale. There were bags under her eyes from consecutive sleepless nights, finding it hard to sleep without Natsu's warm body heating her throughout the night.

Lucy hated that she was so affected, but how could she not be? He'd been with almost every girl in Fairy Tail! And he had 'helped' Lisanna just yesterday! If he was still 'helping' other girls while being with her, their time together clearly meant nothing to him.

To make matters worse, the girls he had "helped" were her friends. How was she supposed to face them now? How would she face Natsu?

She couldn't. She wouldn't. So she hid herself in her apartment for a few days, eating the meager leftovers in her kitchen and lying around in her bed.

Was she even right to feel this way? He wasn't hers or anything. They weren't even dating! Well, technically they weren't, but to her, it seemed like they were when it was just the two of them. He started being sweet to her, and she was very skeptical at first, waiting until he would insult her or call her weird—but he never did. Instead, he was complimenting her more often, telling her she smelled nice or looked pretty. When her continued skepticism began to offend him ("Why do you keep looking at me like that?"), she began to let herself be flattered by his compliments and accept the way her heart fluttered and her face grew hot.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Lucy curled her body in her bed. "It's not a big deal," he said. How could he just blow it off like that? Did he really think he did nothing wrong?

If only he'd never caught her writing her novel, none of this would have happened.

Suddenly, Lucy sat upright, her hairs standing on end. Her novel—where did she put it? She quickly walked to her desk and pulled open the drawer, only for her heart to skip a beat—her novel wasn't there!

She zipped through the rooms of her apartment, tearing through the furniture and leaving no place unturned. To her horror, it was still nowhere to be found. Where was it? Did she leave it behind at Fairy Tail? She paled at the thought. If anyone from Fairy Tail read it…

Hastily, she brushed her hair, threw on a loose sweatshirt, and dashed towards the guild.

The doors slammed open as she burst inside, her eyes speedily searching the room.

All the mages' gazes turned towards her, lifting an eyebrow at the wild look in her eyes.

"Lu-chan!" Levy called with a smile, waving her over.

Lucy rushed towards her, asking in a hushed voice, "Levy, have you seen my novel?"

The girl peeped, placing a hand on her mouth. "I didn't give it back to you?"

"You don't have it?" Lucy asked desperately, her heart sinking.

"Hey Lucy," a voice called from behind her. She turned around and looked up, finding Jet leering down at her. "You like to write, right?"

Her face flushed, "W-Why do you ask?"

"Out of my way, Jet!" bellowed Droy, shoving his comrade aside. He clasped Lucy's hands within his own, staring at her with passion burning in his eyes. "Lucy-chan, may I have the honor of helping you with your next novel?"

The girl's eye twitched. "Ehhh? What are you—"

"Don't waste your time, gentlemen," said Loke, appearing suddenly and throwing an arm around Lucy's shoulders. "You wouldn't be able to satisfy the needs of a woman like Lucy like I can."

"You're not even human!" Jet and Droy screeched.

"Love knows no boundaries," spoke Loke wistfully.

"Who would have thought we were in the presence of such a talented author," Cana murmured, grinning cheekily as she chugged down a barrel of alcohol.

"Imaginations of the youth today are so bold," Mavis said, placing a hand against her blushing cheek.

"You read it too, First?!" Jet and Droy cried.

"Well, since everyone else did, I didn't want to be left out," she replied with a pout, kicking an imaginary rock.

"I thought it was very tasteful," said Mirajane with a kind smile.

A heavy blush reigned on Lucy's cheeks. This can't be happening!

"Lucy, let me inspire you next time!"

"No, let me!"

"I asked first!"

"You're not man enough for her—!"

"Yo!"

Lucy flinched. That voice—

From the corner of the room, Natsu stood up, planting his feet on the table. "Jet! Droy! Let's fight!"

The two blinked. "Now?"

Lucy stared at the boy with wide eyes, her heart hammering inside her chest. Jet and Droy were right next to her, yet Natsu's gaze never wavered, acting as though she wasn't even there.

Natsu beamed brightly. "We haven't had a fight in seven years!" Crouching in a fighting stance, he grinned as his eyes burned with enthusiasm. "Let's see how strong you got since then!"

Before the two could flee, Natsu lunged at them, engaging in a messy brawl as punches and kicks flew freely.

"Lucy, I must admit," said Loke with sparkles flying about him, "having you declare our love so boldly through writing was actually a huge turn-on—"

"You too, Loke!" called Natsu, yanking on the stellar spirit's collar and adding him to the chaotic tussle.

"You know," began Mirajane, leaning over the bar counter as Lucy looked at her, "Natsu had been acting strange the few days, keeping to himself and staring into space."

"Yeah," said Lisanna, appearing beside her sister, "it's nice to see him picking fights again, like he usually does."

"But doesn't he seem a little more aggressive than usual?"

"You think so?"

Mirajane smiled, shaking her head. "Too bad Erza's away on a mission, she'd put a stop to this immediately."

Lucy's heart pounded against her chest. Seeing Natsu sent her emotions spiraling out of control, not to mention she could barely keep eye contact with Mirajane or Lisanna without thinking of how they'd "been" with him.

As the rest of the guild joined in the fight, Lucy used the wild commotion to slip out unnoticed. Her face was horribly red—the worst of her fears had come true! Everyone had read her novel! She'd have to stay away from Fairy Tail for at least a month, and maybe then they'd forget all about her novel and stop teasing her about it.

"Lucy-chan!" one of the boatmen called as she looked to her right. "Can my sister get a copy of your novel?"

Them too?! thought Lucy, quickly scurrying away. She dashed home and locked the door behind her, sinking to the floor as she covered her face and screamed into her hands.

I'll never be able to show my face in town again!

When Lucy awoke the next day, she prayed it had all been a dream, just a silly, embarrassing dream—but her trip to the grocery store proved otherwise. Between the flirtatious offers, judgmental stares, and teasing, she couldn't get out of there fast enough.

With arms full of paper bags, she walked home, making sure to cover her face along the way to avoid further embarrassment. Just how much longer was this humiliation going to last? Everyone was teasing her or judging her or making some snide comment about what she had written. The only person who did nothing, who treated her the same after reading what she had wrote, was… Natsu.

She heaved a heavy sigh as she stocked her refrigerator. It'd been almost a week since she'd last spoken to him. Inside, Lucy was conflicted—she really missed him, but she couldn't bring herself to forgive him yet. She refused to be seen as just another girl to him, and until he realized that, she'd stay away.

Storing the last of her food, she slacked her shoulders. With rent due soon, and barely enough savings to cover it, she couldn't stay in her room forever.

Hopping in the shower, she decided to freshen up before stopping by Fairy Tail and finding a mission. Hopefully, there'd be one that would take long enough to keep her out of town for a few weeks as the buzz of her story died down.

As she dried her hair with a towel, her eyes glanced towards her desk. Just where was her notebook anyway?

((knock knock))

Please don't be the landlady, Lucy thought, hurriedly dressing herself and walking towards the door. She unlatched the locks and opened it, eyes widening at the sight of pink hair and dark eyes.

"Yo," Natsu greeted, flashing a small smile.

Her heart skipped a beat. "Natsu," she said softly, hiding behind the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I got something you might want back," he said, rummaging in his pant's pocket before pulling out what he was looking for.

Lucy's eyes widened. "My novel!" she gasped, quickly taking it from his hands. "You've been the one showing it to everyone?"

His eyes narrowed, "No way! I saw some people with it and snatched it before they passed it around. It's private, right?"

"Not anymore," she sighed gloomily, clutching the notebook tight to her chest. Her gaze rose to his face before looking to the side. "Um… thank you."

"Yeah, sure."

An awkward silence reigned as Natsu remained where he stood, shifting his weight on one leg.

Lucy blinked, glancing at his face once more. "What?"

"Well," he began, rubbing the back of his head, "aren't you gonna invite me in?"

The girl rose a brow. "Wait, first you knock on the door, and now you're asking if you can come in? Why aren't you breaking in like you usually do?"

He scratched his cheek. "I don't want you getting even madder at me…"

She gripped the door handle tighter, her throat constricting as she swallowed. "No," she murmured softly. "I'm sorry, but you can't come in."

He frowned. "Why not?"

She averted her gaze. "Bye, Natsu. Thank you for bringing my notebook back to me."

As she moved to close the door, it was suddenly forced back by Natsu's hand, keeping it stubbornly open. Her body tensed as she stared at his face, surprised.

"Stop ignoring me," he said with a heavy scowl. "It's been almost a week, Lucy. Why are you still mad at me?"

"Natsu—"

"I'm really confused, and you won't tell me what I did! How am I supposed to say sorry if I don't know what I did?"

She held a finger to her lips, "Keep your voice down—!"

"You won't talk to me, you won't leave your house—Fairy Tail isn't the same without you!"

Lucy yanked on his scarf, pulling him inside her apartment and closing the door behind her. "Stop yelling before I get a noise complaint!" she scolded.

"Tell me what I did wrong!" he shot back. His shoulders drooped as he hung his head low. "I don't get it. You've never been this mad at me before…"

"Natsu," she said, straining to keep her voice down, "you really don't think you did anything wrong?"

"What did I do?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

Her hand curled into a fist as she glared venomously. "You were 'helping' other girls!"

He flinched. "But I've always done that! Why are you getting mad at me now?"

"Because you were with me!"

Natsu squinted his eyes. "What?"

Lucy silently fumed, her face flushed in anger. "I—I know we weren't 'official' or anything, but…" Her fist trembled at her side. "You can't be with other girls like that!"

"But, Lisanna was cold—"

"So you 'warmed her up'?" she huffed, looking away.

Natsu tilted his head. "No, the heater did that."

Lucy blinked, glancing at the boy. "What?"

"Lisanna's heater broke, so I fixed it."

She stared. "…But—you said—what about Erza, Mirajane and Cana?"

Natsu tilted his head. "Erza asked me to help clean her swords, Mirajane needed someone to eat some new food she was testing, and Cana wanted me to keep track of how much sake she could drink before passing out. That one was kinda hard, I lost count a lot and Cana got really mad…"

He trailed off as Lucy's heart hammered in her chest. "W-Wait a second," she stammered, "you said that you 'helped' them."

The boy nodded. "Yeah, I did."

Her eyes widened. No way…! she thought. This whole time—it was all just a misunderstanding?

Lucy stomped her foot. "Natsu, you dummy!"

He tensed, instinctively taking a step back. "What did I do now?!"

"This whole time, I thought—" She whisked her head away, her cheeks burning in embarrassment. "When I said 'helping'… I meant the way you, um, 'helped' me with my writer's block."

Natsu's eyebrows shot up, his cheeks flushing dark. "What! You—you thought I did that with them?" He rapidly shook his head. "No way! They're my nakama!"

"And I'm not?" she pouted.

He gave her a pointed look, "Of course you are! But you're, uh—you know, different." He sighed, looking around as he scratched the back of his head. "That's why you were so mad?"

"Well, Levy-chan and I were talking, and, um…" A fresh blush spread across her cheeks as she placed her notebook aside and fiddled with her fingers. "I just thought there was no way you could've been that good without experience, okay?" She huffed, turning her back to him with arms crossed over her chest.

Stifled laughter sounded from behind her, causing Lucy to glance over her shoulder. She blinked upon finding Natsu trying to muffle the sound, only to burst out laughing.

He held his sides as Lucy furrowed her brow. "What's so funny?"

Smiling, he chuckled as he walked towards her, throwing an arm around her shoulders and pushing her to his chest. "You are, Lucy. You're so weird!"

Her eyes widened, surprised at his sudden change in mood. She had treated him horribly the past week, yet here he was laughing and forgiving her as if nothing happened.

She relaxed against him and returned his embrace, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Natsu," she mumbled, a frown tugging on her lips. "I should've asked you instead of jumping to conclusions."

"Ah, don't worry about it." He leaned back and rested his forehead against hers, smiling bright. "But if you really want to make it up to me, there is something you could 'help' me with…"

Brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. "…What is it?"

He leaned his face close to hers, snickering mischievously. "You're the only one who can help, okay? Nobody else!"

"Natsu, what—"

He pressed his lips against hers, holding the side of her face as he slanted his mouth. Lucy's eyes widened, clutching his wrist instinctively as his weight made her stagger backwards, pushing her body against the wall. Gradually, her eyes closed as she returned his kiss, whimpering softly. He shoved his thigh between her legs and leaned his body into her, making her shudder as her arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer.

He nipped her lower lip before drawing back and looking at her. Lucy blushed at the affectionate gleam in his eye, cupping his cheeks and panting softly.

"U-Um…" she mumbled, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. "I'm… the only one?"

"Of course," he replied, smiling at her. "Who else but you?"

Her blush darkened before she returned his smile. "Well," she said, toying with his hair, "I guess I can help you out."

He suddenly lifted her in the air, making her squeal as he tossed her over his shoulder.

"Natsu—!"

"Let's go!" he cheered.

She laughed as he dashed towards her bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Fin