Pairing: Nalu

Genre: Fluff, flashbacks, Lucy appreciation

Rating: K

Summary: About how Lucy inspires the best in Natsu.

Request: 'Ouuu if you're still taking drabble requests, can I request one where Natsu watches Lucy's relationships with guild members and other people and his thoughts on it. In canon I feel like by watching her, he became more empathetic to others.'

"Lucy wouldn't like this."

Happy's innocent comment came crashing down on Natsu freezing him right in the middle of a punch intended to land on the bastard who had just been trash talking her.

Now, having dragon slayer hearing did mean ensuring the discipline of being able to tune out irrelevant stuff - which tended to include most things he could hear - and it was something he was now good at. But these particular comments weren't ones he could take lightly.

Especially not with the mood he'd been in lately.

"Eye candy, that's all she is. Everyone knows celestial mages are weak as hell, why else would she be in that team? That twelve year old could fight better."

That had been what landed him, Happy and this sorry excuse for a human being in the alley outside the bar they had been passing by, the guy now sporting a well earned black eye.

"He did apologise, Natsu," Happy continued, his voice quiet but not any less piercing in the silence.

Growling, he lifted the asshole by the scruff of his neck so he was looking at him eye to eye. "You're lucky Lucy is as awesome as she is, punk."

He then proceeded to unceremoniously drop the guy in a corner before stomping to his cottage.

Once inside, he angrily kicked off his boots and shoved off his vest and gruffly wished Happy goodnight before hopping into his hammock.

'How does she do this?' he wondered, sleep too far out of reach at the moment.

Natsu wasn't one to find it hard to forgive people, mostly because he was too busy to keep a grudge. Lucy on the other hand…she was a thinker. And yet she had a heart big enough to think of and worry about people who had been far less than nice to her.

Natsu shut his eyes, memories of her coming unbidden, but hardly unwanted.

"H-hey Natsu?"

"Hmmm?" He answered not bothering to pause his decimation of the roast boar he was enjoying.

"Do you think I'm a spoiled princess?"

"That's still bothering you?"

Lucy nodded slowly.

"Lucy, it's been hours since we left her store! And that old lady doesn't even know where you're from or what you've been through."

"Mmm, you're right. I just…"

"No, you're cool. Don't let that cranky old hag's words get you down."

Two days later she would spend an entire post-mission free day helping the lady move her stuff into her new shop when noone else would.

Weeks after defeating Phantom, and Gajeel had still been sulking in one corner. He refused to join any of the guild brawls no matter how much Natsu goaded him, and with Juvia somewhere stalking Gray, he clearly had no company.

Natsu was about to walk up and instigate another fight when he saw Lucy timidly make her way to him.

He immediately noted how pale she was looking and the slight hunch in her form that wasn't usually there - as if she was curling in on herself for protection.

As if she was scared.

Oh.

Gajeel.

He watched as she offered the metal head a very Lucy smile, placing before him a drink she recommended, Natsu deciding to not interrupt whatever she was trying to do, but not taking his eyes off the scene just in case.

She didn't chat much, clearly awkward and more than a little tense, Gajeel's stoic demeanour not helping matters.

He was about to walk over and offer some support when she gingerly stood up to walk away, seemingly having had enough.

Though she did stop to say one thing. And despite the distance and how softly she spoke, Natsu heard it clear as day, his own expression mimicking that of the iron dragon slayer.

Surprise. Awe.

"Just so you know, nobody holds anything against you Gajeel, least of all me. So don't hesitate to make friends, okay?"

Natsu sat pouting into his pasta, lamenting over how he couldn't pop over at Lucy's that night.

An "All-Girl sleepover" apparently.

Tch.

Lucy, Erza, Mira, Cana and Levy were all enthusiastically discussing everything from games to food to drinks and Natsu began seriously contemplating barging in and hijacking the night.

Then again, she did seem so excited…

"Juvia, you want to join too?"

Natsu looked up, surprised.

Juvia? Why would she invite Juvia? Wasn't she just cribbing out how the woman kept accusing her of being a "love-rival"? Even he could note how that could get really old really soon. Also, Lucy and Frozen-butt? Pfft. So why -

"You would invite Juvia?" the water mage answered almost hopefully. Natsu immediately felt guilty for his thoughts.

"Of course!" Lucy grinned. "You're one of us! And it's girls' night!"

Natsu couldn't recall ever seeing Juvia smile that way and not have it directed at Gray.

Then again, it was at Lucythis time, and that sort of did make sense.

It had been a bit of a struggle, but seeing the Giants of the village unfrozen, free and so happy did lovely things to Natsu.

Somehow happy families did tend to do that to him.

Maybe that would be him and Igneel someday?

And as he saw Flare happily reunite with her family, his sight unconsciously searched and landed on Lucy, only to find her tearing up. He marvelled over how she was feeling so strongly for someone who had hurt her so bad in the past.

But then she was emotional like that. He clearly remembered watching her tear up over Lisanna reuniting with Mira and Elfman too.

She was so weird.

In a way that only made him even more fond of her.

Natsu opened his eyes, the onyx orbs trained at the ceiling, but seeing so much more, his mood far calmer than it had been when he had come home.

He remembered Lucy after having saved Loke - tired, slightly battered, but proudly holding his key. It was only months later that he overheard Loke telling Gray the lengths to which she had gone to save him.

He saw how all her spirits celebrated their key-holder, even the demon-fish-lady being genuinely concerned when she was not okay.

He saw how she took care of Happy that one night he hadn't been well.

He saw her help random passers-by, play with lonely kids, and read to kids from Cana's orphanage in her free time.

He saw her for what she was, so much more than she saw herself.

She was kind, selfless, brave, loving, caring..

"Y'know what Happy?" Natsu called, aware his furry friend was still very much awake.

"Yeah?"

"Lucy makes me wanna be a better person."

Happy smiled into his pillow knowingly. "Aye."

Natsu grinned, finally closing his eyes and allowing sleep to inch closer onto his consciousness.

And he would ensure that he would be a person deserving of calling her his best friend.

Thank you for reading! Just wanted to let you guys know that the amazing taleen777 on Tumblr created this wonderful aesthetic for Lucy's Draco Stardress based on drabble #8 (Team Natsu and the Draco Stardress) that you can find here (take off the spaces): taleen777 .tumblr post /146065836000 /i - was- inspired - by - magerains - fantastic - drabble

Do take a look! :D

Also, to those who missed it in the last update, I'm also currently posting a little Nalu fluffy/angsty multi-chapter called 'Rewind', about Natsu and Lucy meeting each other's kiddy selves, and you can find the same on my profile. I have already seen some of you super awesome folks there (don't you think that I'm not grinning like an idiot when I read your usernames in the notification mails! :D) and would love hear from the more shier ones among you all as well! ^^

As always, thank yous to DarkDragoness97, Martyn (I can't PM you, but thanks for your suggestion(s)! I would request a little time to come up with an idea of making it happen, so thank you in advance for your patience and support!) and FireDragonPhia for your reviews and to everyone who favourited and followed.