For as long as Lucy could remember, she had hated the word perfect.
For a word thats meaning carried the essence of something beautiful, Lucy found the word to be ugly.
Ever since she was a young child, she'd learned that as a Heartfilia, it was her duty to be perfect. To look it, to act it, and to embody it.
Her grades had to be perfect. Her manners had to be perfect. Her ability to have a conversation. Her posture, her smile, her laugh, everything had to be just right, or it meant she'd have to spend more hours practicing until she was.
She wasn't told that practice made perfect growing up, she was told that perfect practice made perfect, and if she failed, her father would be displeased with her.
Things weren't so bad when she was younger. Lucy's mom had been able to ease her father, and she wasn't nearly as strict or controlling as he had been. Her mom was her best friend. The only person she felt okay to mess up around. Lucy was grateful to have her mom by her side.
Until Layla Hearfilia had gotten sick.
An unexplainable disease had taken hold of her mother, and before Lucy knew it, she had passed away one night in her sleep.
At the funeral, Lucy cried. Sobbed. She was a mess, makeup melting from her hot face and mascara smeared from tears. All the staff at the Heartfilia estate felt for the poor girl.
That night, Lucy received a harsh scolding from her father for not maintaining appearances, and when she opened her mouth to argue she received a slap in return.
Lucy held her face where she had been slapped, hurt and betrayal mixed in her gaze as she lost all respect for her father.
It only got worse from there. Without Layla, Jude Heartfilia began to spiral, and only Lucy and his closest advisor knew it. Because to the public and to the rest of the staff, Jude insisted they continue be made to believe they were perfect.
And so they were.
As Lucy got older, Jude's demands of her became more ridiculous, and he became rather fond of having one too many drinks at night. The slap Lucy had received that started as a one-time occurrence had now become a prayer that it would be the only thing he would do to her.
Jude took a liking to taking his pain and violence out on Lucy. He became abusive, beating her at points until she bled or fell unconscious, waking up and having to clean herself up, making sure no one noticed and keeping the perfect smile on her face.
She got good at doing makeup, good at covering bruises and even scabs. Nobody noticed, nobody questioned her about anything or if she was okay, yet every time Jude saw her he said that she had done a bad job of assuring people she was fine.
Day after day, he found an excuse to devalue her, telling her how perfect Layla was and how she was a disgrace to be their daughter.
In public, the staff always reminded Lucy of her appearance, reiterating Jude's request to emphasize that the Heartfilias were known to be perfect and he would not have his daughter bringing shame to the family name.
Lucy hated it. She hated having to always be perfect.
She was glad she ran away, glad she found Fairy Tail.
Quicker than she thought possible, she found herself not feeling self conscious about having to be perfect. She was able to joke with her guild mates, get mad at them, dress how she wanted and be herself.
Lucy hadn't thought it possible, but she once again had people in her life that let her know it was okay when she messed up. It changed her life.
She was glad she met the whole guild, but most of all she was glad she met Natsu. Lucy hadn't met anyone quite like him, and something told her she never would.
Natsu was a light and carried an energy that was so contagious. It was impossible for her to be around him and not smile.
His never give up attitude, his constant reassurance, and his personality all were attractive to Lucy.
In a short amount of time, the pair had become inseparable. Where Lucy went Natsu went and where Natsu went Lucy went. What started out as becoming a team, Lucy found herself wanting more.
She wasn't sure if Natsu felt the same. Lucy confided to Levy about her crush, though the whole guild knew by now. It was obvious. Everyone said Natsu was dense, but she knew they underestimated him when It came to understanding a person's feelings.
And nobody understood her feelings better than Natsu. He was everything to her.
Lucy's dream of becoming official with Natsu came true when they got back from a mission that risked both their lives. They confessed their feelings for each other and Lucy was over the moon.
She liked to joke about how she really was living a fairytale.
He helped break off pain she'd still had from her father. Trauma over old habits began to fade over time the more she was with him. She didn't need to be perfect Lucy anymore. She was Lucy of Fairy Tail.
One day she was sitting at the counter in the guild, talking to Mirajane. The silver haired mage loved poking fun at how she had been the one to predict that Lucy and Natsu were going to get together, claiming 'I get credit at the wedding.'
Lucy laughed, enjoying her chat with Mira, when Mira said, "You know, you and Natsu really are perfect."
Lucy paused, memories of the past flooding her mind of how demanding that word had been. Natsu learned the hard way not to say it around her, but she had yet to tell the guild about how it triggered a part of her past she was trying to leave behind.
Mira didn't know she had struck a chord in Lucy's heart as she was turned around, washing and drying off some glasses.
Lucy sat deep in thought, pondering what Mira had said.
All the pain from her past that had been tied to that word, all the hurt and anger she felt every time it was said, seemed to dissolve as she sat there.
Lucy smiled thoughtfully, replaying Mira's words in her head.
"You know, you and Natsu really are perfect."
Maybe it wasn't such a bad word after all.
X
X
X
Just a quick story thought that popped up in my mind.
I really appreciate your review :)