One Of The Boys

Revert

"Well, Jesus, Lucy—maybe you should just walk around your bedroom naked."

Lucy said, knocking her head against her headboard. "Don't be gross, Levy."

"This is a serious suggestion! Hear me out. The kid won't even give you a second glance—all he sees is little ol' tomboy Lucy, even after all of this time. And you've been dropping hints like crazy, still nothing. You even dress all sexy and flirt with a dude right in front of him, and nothing! So, he comes home, goes to his room, looks though his window, and what does he see? You getting changed or something. Totally nude. He can't see you as little brother Lucy after that."

Lucy let out a sigh. She'd called Levy—her best friend at the prep school—to fill her in on her first week back home. Of course, Levy had asked about everything, and Lucy had dished; she'd even told her about her conquest to make Natsu want her, and how it clearly wasn't working out. So, Levy gave her some ideas.

"I can see the logic, but still. I don't really want to walk around naked. What if my dad knocks on my door?"

"Then you say 'Dad, don't come in, I'm naked'. Easy."

Lucy let out a laugh, shaking her head against her cellphone. "I'll consider it."

"It'll work, I'm telling you." Levy paused, her breath loud in the receiver. "Maybe just date this Gray guy, y'know? Maybe forget completely about this whole thing with Natsu and just focus on the guy whose actually caring about you."

Lucy swallowed; her throat felt thick. "Yeah..." She trailed off. "Maybe that's the best idea."

"I mean, why waste time on this guy if he doesn't even notice you?"

"But that's the thing," Lucy said, frowning as she stared at her floor. "He does notice me. In a friendly way. And that's it."

"So be friends with him," Levy spoke, "But date Gray. He seems to actually show romantic interest. Is he cute?"

Lucy shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

"Then go for it! It's not like Natsu could be mad—he hasn't shown any interest that way whatsoever."

"True."

"Listen to me. I give the best advice."

Lucy sighed. "I know. You're right. I'll listen to you."

"And I'm serious about that walking around naked thing! Try it, I swear to god."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Maybe."

"Yeah, yeah. Update me, okay? I gotta run. Love you!"

"Love you, too," Lucy mumbled into her cellphone, exiting the call and tossing the phone onto her bed. She glanced over to the window, again making sure that it was closed. She looked down at the can, pulling out the sock she'd stuffed up there before confessing everything to Levy. She would've died if Natsu had ever been able to hear a tidbit of that conversation, so she'd taken precautions. Now, she undid these precautions; she opened the window, letting a warm breeze flow in. She tossed the sock into her laundry hamper.

The week had passed and Lucy had gotten nowhere in her goals of making Natsu lust after her.

He'd asked her to come pass the ball around with him—he needed to practice his skills before tryouts, which were in three weeks—and she'd worn her sleaziest outfit (tight crop top and the sexiest, shortest jean cutoffs she owned) and he hadn't even blinked. It meant nothing to him. He didn't even widen his eyes, didn't even glance down at her body or give any sort of reaction. No, no. Instead he'd just chatted away about baseball and the tryouts and how he had to definitely increase training if he wanted to make the team this year.