Our New Life Together
Chapter 2: Affection Difficulties
Hi everyone, thanks for all the wonderful feedback from chapter 1. I'm really excited for this story and can't wait to publish the rest. Here's chapter 2, enjoy.
The sun slowly rose over the horizon as the early hours of the morning approached, painting the sky in bright yellow cast. The clouds slowly dispersed, revealing the crystal clear sky across all of Rio de Janeiro. The peaceful daylight cast its presence across the tropical jungle, awakening the wildlife that resided within. Unlike most days, the birds of a feather did not perform their iconic Real in Rio morning theme. It was Sunday, the only day in the week everyone rested. Even the active of birds needed a break from the samba on occasion. The day was peaceful. Small traces of wind brush softly against the trees with the occasional morning whistling from other wildlife. The morning couldn't be more perfect.
Jewel woke up serenely within the comfort of their nest. She stretched her wings and yawned, rising for the day ahead. Unexpectedly, a bouquet of flowers was presented inches away from her face. Acting on instincts, she threw up her wing, swatting away the flowers from her face.
The flowers broke and scattered across their home. Blu stood with surprise, examining the few vines within his talon; the flowers previously attached to the top were now detached. He stood awkwardly, slowly lowering his foot. "Um, surprise?"
Sighing with relief, Jewel eased her mind before reacting further. "What was that about?"
"Guess you didn't like the flowers?" Blu assumed while scanning his eyes across the hollow where his morning's work was now scattered into pieces. His head lowered with guilt. "Sorry, I just thought it would be a nice surprise."
Sensing his unneeded remorse, Jewel scooped up a few of the flowers. "No, no, they're beautiful. It's just…Well…You see…"
"Is it the color? The texture? The size?" Blu questioned, tapping his wingtips with each passing word.
Jewel shook her head. "It's none of that, Blu. Look, when we first met I wasn't exactly the most welcoming. I'm just not the typical girly type of bird you see across Rio."
Curiously, Blu raised one eyebrow. In the many years of living with Linda, the many books taught him valuable information. In the two days he and Linda spent packing for Rio, Blu prepared himself on learning about romance and the best way to present.
All that studying got thrown away during their first meeting. Nico and Pedro's so-called charm advice didn't exactly help either. But now that they lived together and his confidence grew, he tried once more to try more romantic gestures. And now that too appeared to be another failure on his part. Jewel was free-spirited, hot tempered and fearless, far from the average girl's emotional traits. If stereotypical romantic gestures didn't do the trick, he was uncertain what would.
"Um, yeah, I knew that, hehe," Blu nervously chuckled, trying to recover from the awkward situation he indirectly put himself in. "We could always go visit the city. You know, learn more about the history of Rio's famous landmarks."
"In case it slipped that nerdy little brain of yours, we promised Rafael we would drop by today," Jewel reminded lightheartedly. Approaching her mate with slow movements, she pecked the side of his beak as an appreciation gesture, regardless of her previous reaction. Blu blushed awkwardly at the gesture, even if it was a compliment. If he had cheeks they would be going red about now.
Together, the two blue macaws extended their wings and flew out of their home. Jewel easily reached the air with ease while Blu, the more inexperienced of the two, took a few seconds to awkwardly take off unbalanced. Once he regained stability, he flew alongside his beautiful mate and allowed her to take the lead.
Their home was relatively close towards the city but still some distance away that would require some time. As for their toucan friends, they lived only a couple of miles away near the edges of the cliffs. This would be their first reunion with Rafael since Jewel's recovery. The last time they were all together, Rafael dropped by the aviary on one occasion and couldn't be happier to see his blue macaw friends were alive and well. Now that they were residing within the jungle, it was time to fulfill their promise and pay him a visit.
Along the way, Blu pondered his next strategy. Flowers were off the list. As there was limited options to find chocolate, his next goal was to surprise her with breakfast in bed. Soon as he found out her favorite fruit. Similarly, Jewel considered her earlier actions. The last thing she expected to do today was to destroy a bouquet of flowers. It was a nice gesture and she wanted to make it for it. Neither blue macaw knew what to do.
"ATTACK!"
Blu and Jewel exchanged a knowing glance, recognizing that high-pitched yell anywhere. Without warning, eighteen baby toucans swarmed and tackled them out of the air, landing across the ground. Blu landed back first, wings spread as Jewel fell on top. Their eyes faced the same direction as they yelped in terror, circled by the small terrors. They pulled on their feathers, eyelids and anything that could cause physical harm.
"Remind me why we came back here?" Blu yelled.
"Kids! Get off your Uncle Blu and Aunt Jewel! Don't make me get your mother!"
Terrified of their mother's wrath, the toucan kids immediately dispersed and scattered across the area. Relieved their torment had ended, Blu and Jewel exhaled with relief. Unexpectedly, they will unwillingly pulled onto their feet and embraced within the Toco-Toucan's wings.
"Amigos! It's so good to see you!" Rafael greeted enthusiastically, embracing them tight as his large beak pressed uncomfortable against their backs.
"Hey, good to see you, Rafael," Blu returned the greeting with a small chuckle.
Jewel slowly moved away from his embrace without attracting attention. "I almost forgot how precious they were."
Rafael finally released his strong embrace, chuckling softly. "They're getting better. At least they didn't rip out any of your feathers."
Fortunately for them, the kids were now doing their best to avoid their mother. While they hid within the trees, Eva approached from nearby and hopped over to join the reunion. During Blu and Jewel's first adventure together, their first meeting with Eva was very brief to the point they didn't even directly speak. Blu hoped this was be the perfect opportunity to mingle and get to know each other. Maybe one day they could all go out together on a double date.
"Eva, my love! You remember Blu and Jewel?" Rafael introduced as if they were all old friends from years ago.
"I remember you sneaking away with them to Carnival!" Eva responded and nudged him playfully.
"Eva, that was but an accident," Rafael replied in an attempt to persuade her otherwise. "We were all forced onto a plane! I came back, didn't I?"
"Almost twenty-four hours later," Eva reminded, though her attitude was less judgmental and more playful then last time. "Now, where are my manners? It is very nice to meet you both."
"Likewise," Blu nodded while Jewel remained silent for now. He was unexpectedly pulled away once more by Rafael, leading him away towards another area.
"Why don't you two ladies get accommodated while my boy and I have a guy talk?" Rafael suggested. As Blu began to protest, he caught the knowing wink of his toucan friend, realizing he was leading him away for further relationship advice.
With the guys elsewhere, it was just the two of them now. Jewel shifted around uneasily, stuck for conversation. She didn't have many friends before meeting Blu and the others, especially not another girl. Eva seemed to sense this and being older & wiser, she knew exactly what to do.
"Why don't we go and get some blueberries and you can tell me more about yourself?" Eva suggested. "There's plenty to go around."
Jewel smiled lightly. "I'd like that."
As the morning passed and afternoon began to approach on the horizon, Jewel and Eva bonded over time with small talk. To the former's surprise, she had far more in common with the Keel-Billed Toucan than expected. They were becoming friends fast, though Jewel remained cautious as to not get too comfortable. Last thing she needed was further torment from the children.
Speaking of, her attention was briefly distracted as the toucan children swarmed Blu and inflicted innocent harm. It was inevitable they were going to attack again and Rafael moved to intervene. Without their mother to intervene, Rafael was left to deal with kids himself and didn't possess the same intimidation skill as his loved one. Fortunately for Jewel, this was the perfect chance to seek wisdom on her affectionate flaws without the possibility of eavesdropping.
During their first meeting with the toucans (and experiencing the children's attacks) it was quite evident Rafael and Eva was very affectionate with each other. From Rafael's charming personality to Eva's caring and firm role as a mother, they made the perfect couple. Jewel even recalled rolling her eyes with disgust as the thought of settling down sent an unpleasant feeling around her mind.
But that was in the past. She finally found someone to care for and the last thing she intended to do was chase him away. Swallowing her pride and mentally preparing herself, Jewel turned towards the other toucan. "When you first met Rafael, what was it that…You know, made you realize this was the bird you wanted to spend your life with?"
Eva turned her giant beak to lock eyes with the blue macaw, raising her eyebrow with small surprise. A smile formed as she placed her wings over her heart dramatically. "It was wonderful. We were at Carnival. I was dancing like there was no tomorrow. I remember wearing my samba hat filled with fruit! The Girl from Ipanema filled the air with magic and there he was! The King of Carnival! Rafael told me he loved my hat and asked for my wing in dance. We danced almost all night, singing our favorite song! Before we knew it, we were the only ones there. It's like something terrible scared them away."
Jewel awkwardly turned her head slowly, recalling the last time she heard Eva sing. "Right…"
Eva continued. "But then we returned to the jungle and I knew he was the bird for me. He treated me like a Queen. Every day he would bring me flowers and blueberries. Even after our first brood of chicks, he never stopped acting like a gentlemen. My Pudgy papaya."
As she daydreamed about their first night together, Jewel turned and fought the urge to gag. She couldn't even begin to imagine something so cliché. Regardless, this was her time to change. Fifteen years living as a free-spirited and hostile mace was going to come to an end.
"Blu brought me some flowers this morning."
"That's sweet."
"And I attacked them."
"What? Why?"
Jewel shrugged lightly, though she already knew the answer. "I don't know how to be girly. I don't like to get all cuddly-cuddly, hold flowers, that sort of thing. Blu's so sweet and I want to be the mate he deserved. What I'm trying to say is-"
Before she could finish, Eva held up her wing in gesture for her to stop talking. Without warning, she grabbed the blue macaw by her face, examining her facial details and feathers. "You came to the right bird. Hmm, yes. There's a lot of work to be done. We'll get you some shadows, straighten out your feathers, and put you some blush on. You'll be amazing!"
"Hold on," Jewel protested as she pushed herself out of the toucan's grip with ease. "I didn't agree to get all dolled up. I just want to be more like you."
"And that starts with a makeover!" Eva exclaimed. On the tree they were perched on, Eva twirled and presented her appearance. "Do you think it's easy for a mother of twenty-one to look this fashionable?"
"Twenty-one?" Jewel questioned with surprise. "But last time we were here-"
"Yes, yes, we had more chicks, long story," Eva brushed off her previous question in favor of their first discussion. "When my first grey feather started showing, I learned everything there was to know about appearances. Let me past my gift on to you."
Jewel paused to consider the proposal. She turned towards the ground where the kids had since stopped torturing their guest in favor of climbing their father like a playground. Blu brushed himself off, turning to face his loved one and offering a small smile. She returned the gesture before turning towards Eva. Exhaling briefly to ease her concerns, she nodded with acceptance. "Let's do it."
Eva clasped her wings with enthusiasm. "Wonderful!"
"Shh!" Jewel hushed. "Keep it down. I don't want Blu to know about this. At least not yet."
"Oh, you wanted it to be an romantic surprise," Eva noted, barely able to contain her excitement. She didn't get to socialize with other Toucans much since settling down and dreamed of the day she would get to practice her make up skills on another.
At that moment, Blu broke free from the children's wrath as they got bored and began to play with their father instead. Shaking off the small traces of dirt within his feathers, he ascended midair to rejoin them. "Ready to go, Jewel?"
"Not quite," Jewel replied. "We're having a lot of fun here and I want to stay for a while. You go on ahead and I'll meet you back home."
Blu turned his head in small surprise. "Are you sure you don't want me to wait around?"
"I'm a big girl, Blu, I can take care of myself," Jewel reassured kindly. "Why don't you go and see if you've memorized where the fruit trees are?"
"Good idea!" Bu agreed and maneuvered around clumsily to set course back home. In a matter of seconds, he disappeared within the dense jungle.
Eva noted his awkward turn with curiosity. "Does he always fly like that?"
"He's still a beginner," Jewel explained before returning to their previous conversation. "Should we get started?"
Eva smiled. "Let's do it."
As the afternoon passed and the jungle became livelier, Blu used this time of solitude to follow Jewel's earlier instructions. Thanks to his newfound flight abilities, navigating across the lands from above proved to be superior then free climbing everywhere. It took longer than intended to find he fruit trees, contradicting his earlier calculation. All of these trees were near identical. A human or any unfamiliar ground creature could easily get lost within the dense jungle.
Returning home, Blu carefully landed within the comfort of their hollow and waited for Jewel's homecoming. It was not often he spent time alone from others. Back in Minnesota, he had Linda to spend all day with. Since meeting Jewel, they were virtually inseparable, chain or no chain. Still, he remained calm for the time being and enjoyed the silence.
"I'm home."
Recognizing the soothing comfort of his mate's voice, Blu sat up out of their nest and scrambled to his feet. "Jewel, what's going…Whoa."
Admittedly, Blu did not expect to the sight before him. Jewel stood with both wings spread out, presenting her updated appearance. Her eyelids were now cast with eye shadow, making them stand out more. The end of her beak was covered in a small red smear resembling lipsticks. Her feathers had been tidied down, along with small red markings at the tips of her wings.
"Ta-da," Jewel announced with forced enthusiasm. "What do you think?"
"Jewel, you look…Different," Blu said while choosing his words carefully. "Did you…Have a makeover?"
Jewel nodded. "Eva said she could make me look more girly. So, here I am!"
Stuck for words, Blu paused and considered the situation. The last thing he intended to do was offend her appearance but this was something he didn't expect. In the weeks they had been together, this was the first time Jewel made any attempt to appear more attractive. But he didn't understand why. They weren't exactly the type of birds who frequently kept up appearances for the sake of opinions of others.
"Jewel, are you happy like this?" Blu inquired softly.
She shrugged. "Sure, why wouldn't I be? Oh, who am I kidding, I feel ridiculous!"
Unable to keep up this charade any longer, Jewel marched outside to grab a nearby leaf and wipe the substance smeared across her face. All the while, she felt embarrassed for letting her feelings get the better of her.
Blu poked his head out of their home, abruptly stepping back once Jewel rejoined them. "Is everything okay?"
Exhaling softly to ease her rage, Jewel turned to face her mate. Her face was now smeared in colorful marks of makeup, giving her a messy appearance. "I did this for you, Blu."
"For me?" Blu questioned in surprise. "But why?"
"I wanted to, you know, be more gentle," Jewel explained sheepishly. "I know how much you wanted to shower me with flowers and stuff. I just wanted to be more accepting to that, not lash out at the first sign of anything. Gosh, I feel stupid."
Unable to face the embarrassment any longer, Jewel buried her face into the palm of her foot. Meanwhile, Blu stood awkwardly and questioned his next move. The last thing he expected today was to be faced with a situation like this. When it came to self-doubt, it was usually his own doing and Jewel was the one who comforted him. Now it was his turn to comfort.
Blu stepped forward and gently took hold of her wing. Once he gained her attention and their eyes locked, he inhaled softly to remember Rafael's wisdom. Follow your heart, not your mind. "Jewel, when we first met, I know we weren't exactly the best of friends. But in the two days we spent together, I learned so much. About Rio, about friendship. About love. From the moment I first met you, you were beautiful. I love you for who you are. You're strong, free-spirted and I know you can kick butt any day. You don't need to put on anything for me, Jewel. I love you just the way you are."
Jewel's expression slowly uplifted with a smile, touched by the comforting words of her mate. Her smile resembled her reaction of feelings after their first dance at the Samba Club. "Sometimes your nerdy brain doesn't always say the smartest things. But I know your heart is always in the right place. Thank you, Blu."
To showcase her appreciate once more, Jewel planted a small kiss at the side of his beak once more. This time Blu did not shy away from her gesture, smiling as she leaned away.
"Come on, let's go and get this stuff off," Jewel said while shaking her wings lightly.
"Lead the way, Jewel," Blu agreed.
Together, the blue macaws took to the sky once more, both rewarded with happiness to know a new lesson had been learned. Appearances should never determine the feelings of others. No matter how big or small, colorful or plain, everyone has their own story to tell.