Lucy's Apartment - 2 Days before the Fight

Natsu's POV

"Hey Luce, why don't you and Happy take the stairs, I'll meet ya up there – figured the hallway may be a bit difficult with your bubble of bolts"

"You make it sound like you're doing something different to normal Natsu, you always take the window. But yeah you're probably right the hallway does seem problematic", she flashed him a quick smile and disappeared inside her building with Happy in tow.

"Come on Natsu, get yourself together. Just focus on tomorrow, Wendy always knows stuff. I'm sure she'll know how to fix this easier than metal bolts did. Yeah, right, just a normal night at Lucy's", Natsu's brain had been going round in circles non-stop since the guildhall. He'd only noticed a few meters from Lucy's place that he'd started to notice people passing only when they were actually passing by them, he usually had a good radar based on smell and sounds with his dragon senses and he realised he needed to snap out of it.

Taking a couple of minutes to collect himself and give himself a much needed pep talk outside of her apartment block seemed wise – he needed a clear head to make sure he was picking up on every sound and smell in case Laxus came back for Lucy. Everything else bumping round his head could wait until morning he decided, back when others were around to also keep an eye out, that he'd decided was the plan. Giving his head a quick nod to himself he launched himself up to Lucy's windowsill and through into her apartment just as he heard the door unlock.

"Make sure you lock that window tonight Natsu!" her sharp, stern tone had Natsu almost slip off the window and into the room, he'd still had one foot in and one foot out.

"Aye!", he quickly made sure the lock on his window was flipped and for good measure he went around checking all the other windows. He'd heard Lucy flip the door lock and the chain across as she came in – not wanting to provoke Lucy further he gave it a quick check by eye to see the chain across but didn't go and actually check it figuring he'd trust in her and his hearing.

His next mission was to check Laxus wasn't hiding anywhere, starting first in the kitchen and then Lucy's living room, under her bed, in the wardrobes, last on his list was the bathroom so onwards he strolled to check for threats.

He'd gotten lost inside his head again somewhere between checking Laxus wasn't hiding under Lucy's bed and checking he wasn't in her underwear drawer he'd become somewhat distracted. He'd failed to spot Happy inside Lucy's fridge raiding it for fish, he'd completely missed picking up the bag of his favourite chips on Lucy's coffee table, he'd also completely missed Lucy telling him she was going for a bath.

And that is how Natsu found himself walking in on a very naked Lucy just submerging herself in the tub, he'd barely caught a glimpse of anything he shouldn't have but his face was suddenly burning. Sure he'd caught her naked before, but there had always been a comical air around as there always was between them, today on the other hand had been anything but comical and his brain was already awash with thoughts of Lucy.

He took a breath readying himself to utter some apologies, sure she must have noticed him or just about to, as he inhaled he could taste the rose petal scent coming from her bath water but he could also pick up the unmistakable scent of salt. That's when he realised she'd been in here crying and he'd not noticed, what kind of best friend was he if he didn't even notice she was crying while he'd been checking her apartment.

His instincts kicked in to try to comfort her and stop the tears, he started forwards towards her to speak to her.

"Hey Luce…uhhh…you wanna talk about it?"

"NATSU! What are you doing in here? I said I was going for a bath! Not 'oh hey Natsu please come join me in the bathroom whilst I bathe'", she picked up a bottle of shampoo from the side of the tub and started lobbing it at him, her other arm ensuring to cover her chest. She'd picked the wrong arm to throw with and totally missed Natsu, he thought she should have used the other arm – it's not like it achieved anything anyway, there were way too many bubbles for him to see anything but her head, shoulders and arms. And he wasn't looking anyway, still focussed on the trails of tears clear on her face he continued forwards another few steps.

He'd forgotten completely about why Lucy was upset, forgotten it meant she had an invisible barrier until he was bent over on her bathroom floor gasping out in pain before everything went black. He woke up on her couch, looking round he found Happy watching him nervously from the coffee table as soon as he spotted Natsu's eyes open he'd leapt from the table into his arms as he sat up on the couch.

"NATSUUUUUUU! I was so worried!"

"Hey Happy, sorry bout that. How long was I out?"

"Only a few minutes but I was really worried. So was Lucy, she got out of the tub to get to you but the closer she got the worse you screamed so I came to get you and brought you out here"

"Thanks pal, how's Lucy now?"

"I'm fine Natsu" he spun his head around to find her and frowned. She'd walked out of the bathroom clad in PJ's using a towel to dry her hair. Her voice was too soft for his liking, she should still be yelling at him for coming in on her naked, quiet Lucy was not a normal Lucy. "I should be asking how you are?" she looked quickly at him before glancing away looking anywhere but him.

He ignored her question choosing to frown towards Lucy before giving his blue friend a very serious look, "Hey pal, can you do me a favour?"

"Aye sir" he leaned down to whisper to Happy then they separated and shared a very serious nod before Happy launched himself into Lucy's arms.

"What? Was this your favour?"

"Sure was! I can't get near your scary bubble Luce but Happy can and you looked like you needed a hug. I'm totally fine from your lil shock attack – don't worry about me, I'm here to look after you. Besides, it's my fault for forgetting and getting so close." As she went to say something he cut her off "you are not to blame Luce", he made sure to give her a very serious look to prove he meant what he was saying before flipping on his grin. He saw her wrap her arms around Happy, a small but real smile pulling at the corners of her mouth with a quiet 'thank you' and she made her way over to her bed.

"Goodnight Natsu. Goodnight Happy"

"Night Luce, you keep her safe Happy – I'll keep watch from here." A quick 'aye sir' and Lucy was chuckling lightly and turning off the lights.

He heard Happy almost instantly fall asleep, Lucy took longer but before too long he could hear her breathing change and knew she too was asleep.

And again, Natsu was alone with his thoughts. He wanted to know what Lucy was thinking, maybe she'd want to talk in the morning when she's calmer. Then again maybe it was just that she didn't want to talk to him? No, they were best friends she told him everything, right? Yes, he told her everything and she him.

He decided to try distracting himself tried to think about missions.

This ought to be easy.

There was that one with that Everlue guy, oh yeah and those two Vanish Brothers tried to stop them. Yeah they were super fun to defeat, he'd really shown them who was boss even after they'd been so cocky about his fire. Oh and then Lucy figured out the secret in the book because she's just really clever…

Ok, so that one hadn't gone to plan for him, totally routed back to Lucy. Maybe another one.

The Grand Magic Games! Yes, lots went on then. Yeah there was the fight with Sting and Rogue – well and Gajeel, until Natsu had kicked him away, he chuckled slightly at the memory and how angry Gajeel had been when he finally made it back. That was an awesome fight, really paid them back for what Sabertooth did to Lucy, which also sucked that she couldn't watch that fight, he could still remember her from before the fight saying she believed in him.

And he was lost to the memory – lost in all the memories.

Before long, Natsu had realised that just about every thought in his head revolved around Lucy. She was either in all his adventures or she was the first person he'd wanted to tell. He just wanted to make her smile everyday, whether that be achieved in doing something nice for her or by making a fool out of himself – so long as she was happy that was most important. He also knew she was the one to make him smile the most every day because just being around someone as awesome as Lucy was bound to make him smile. Well not just 'as awesome' as Lucy, it was just Lucy, like she had her another special magic that could always cheer him up and make him smile.

Without realising it Natsu was lying on Lucy's couch with a giant grin plastered across his face, falling happily asleep like that. On Lucy's couch, a big grin on his face with his head full of memories of him and Lucy; he couldn't help thinking he was really lucky to have met Lucy that day back in Hargeon.

Getting to a chapter of just Natsu goodness. The next chapter is already drafted and ready to go, after my final checks you should get that in a few days may be easy to guess which section of story you'll get next :)

Coppereign12 yes the plot thickens with Laxus - maybe he's not such a bad guy here after all!