User blog comment:Omega natsu2/Episode 181: Fairy Tail vs. Executioners, Review./@comment-24277053-20140510030854/@comment-7418318-20140510084831

What?

For me it's the mental decision to allow yourself to be hurt in favour of the other person to be hurt that counts. It doesn't really matter in what way it is attempted or if it's successful or not. What counts is the decision and the motivation for the decision.

Sure here Natsu might have just seen it as protecting a Nakama, rather than a love interst, so it might not be "ship-worthy", but it still shows that he cares a lot for Lucy.