PLEASE READ THIS WARNING: I do not own, Rio, Blu, Jewel, or any other related character. I own the plot and OCs in this story, but all other characters and related themes are owned by Blue Sky Films and 20th Century Fox.

Hey guys! Happy New Years Eve... I should think it's NYE, anyway, or almost NYE, whatever! ^^ Anyway, here's the really long-delayed chapter... but it's 5.4K, hope that accounts for SOMETHING... But well, hopefully you guys like it! I took quite a while on this... what with my deteriorating inspiration, haiz...

I think I'll just respond to each review, because it's not too much...

kylebone: Thanks for that. Yeah, it's something not many people like, but still. And well... it's like a standard greeting, anyway, but maybe I'll use it later on? Hehe... ^^

No-Remorse81: Yeah I really do wish I could update more frequently... makes me feel guilty. -_- I DO have a commitment to finish this for you guys, so yeah. I'll just try to update when I can.

olihmajor: I know... I really don't have a synonym for that. :O I need a thesaurus... haiz... anyway thanks.

Rapture At Sea: 'Welcome back'? I haven't been gone a long time... or have I? X_X Ah, never mind. They haven't? Well... I have no idea about that! I think they might've deteriorated a little, but I don't know. And well... maybe, maybe not... ;P

Ghostofinu: Really? That's great thanks! :D I... I don't know if I'm the king/best, but I'll just take it as it is then! Thank you! xP

And now, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for. And if you can see below... well, things are about to get complicated... :O

~Lisa~

Emotions are something nobody wants to come to terms with. They make you weak, vulnerable to everything around you, a blind spot for reality to stab you in the face. Pride, for instance, when you achieve something and you revel in the accomplishment... until a new problem trips you up unguarded, letting you tumble into the bottomless abyss of failure. Anger, when the passion and intensity of white-hot fury clouds your senses... and you commit an irreversible, completely idiotic mistake that haunts you for the rest of your life.

Love, where you're completely devoted to somebody and love him with all your heart... he stabs you in the back and what you initially thought about him evaporates to reveal a hollow being.

This is why I am afraid to admit anything. When you let emotions control you, you can spiral out of control, you can do things you regret instantaneously but last forever. They are the fall of man... bird-kind. And this is why I keep them guarded, closeted in a place where nobody can find it.

But even when you look at Kristen Stewart- how she has only one freaking expression throughout all four movies, one stupid poker face of no emotion- you wonder how Bella ever fell in love, how she caved into her emotions and let herself succumb to her feelings for Edward. That's because emotions, even when you repress them to the point where you fool yourself into thinking you don't have them, emotions will always prevail when they're activated. Emotions are unstoppable.

One might have excellent anger management skills, or have the humility that can put divine forces to shame, but one can never, ever stop love. Love is an attraction that will always exist, love is an emotion that will always bring you closer to that special person/bird, an emotion that can lower your guard and succumb to the devotion and care that your mate is. Love is the other half of you, calling to you and one that cannot be ignored. Love is but a tidal wave, where your only options are to resist and die miserably, or adapt and go with the flow.

Love is a disaster.

Have you ever seen shippers in a fandom world of something? It's rather intriguing as well as stupid. You have two characters –one male another female- who are merely good friends and interact with each other a lot. And suddenly the fans of this... media, these fans decide they are match for each other and ship them together. What is shipping? Shippers basically believe that a romance between these two characters work out and become a couple, in the premise that that should they embark on the journey of love they would emerge out victorious. Disregarding the premise that nobody ever does, though.

Honestly, who wouldn't be distressed knowing that your admirers are pushing you against your will, that you are forced to engage in a romantic relationship with your platonic friend of the opposite gender? I always found it stupid, a complete waste of time- why pursue love when you know it will never work out? Why chase after the wind? Why fight against a tidal wave? Besides, it was creepy, to know that some other people in this world look at you and imprint something else that's not reflective of the truth... but rather wavered by their own emotions.

Of course, everybody ships anyway just because of their own personal beliefs rather than what is the truth, because they refuse to believe what reality is. Why? They are swayed by their emotions, of course. And thus there are no exceptions to this rule.

Not even me and Ronaldo.

Blu and Jewel- they are a loving couple (of course, for now, that is) and they are nearly inseparable. To be honest, birds like them often fool me into thinking that true love exists, considering how much they love each other and the time they spend next to each other. But that's least to say the fact that because Ronaldo and I are their closest companions, everybody will be expecting that I and he form a couple. I've seen that glint in Blu's eyes, fooling himself into thinking that Ronaldo would be diverted from Jewel by an interest in me. I mean, it's not explicitly said, but it's implied... it should be true.

Obviously, Ronaldo and I are merely friends. A platonic level, as it is, nothing further, nothing that would break all boundaries and let hell break loose and havoc wreck itself. Friendship is uncomplicated, a mutual, positive relationship which was beneficial to both parties. And it was a relationship that bloomed when I and he were stuck in that dreaded country Portugal... a diamond in the rough.

Little did I expect that it would blossom into something more for me.

Ronaldo has always been attractive in many ways, I figured. He had this charm that drew so many females to him, this charisma that attracted me to him, the typical heroic figure that was accompanied with a sort of softness too. But there was more- he was awfully kind and nice towards me, even at an unnecessary and sacrificial level. He was always having my interests at heart and putting me before himself. I remember him always offering me the most food, offering his body warmth when it got cold, and carefully guiding me by holding my wing in his when going through the most precarious of obstacles. Besides, I found him... I will be frank, handsome. Attractive.

I figured that obviously implied something.

And that was all it took to draw out the emotions in me, to let the rose of love flower in my heart, a token to Ronaldo, a part of my heart now attached to him sentimentally... I fell in love with him.

I loved Ronaldo... but I didn't have the courage to tell him that.

Like I said, love is an extremely potent emotion, one that can ruin the closest of platonic friendships, one that can destroy the hearts of mortals everywhere and completely ruin their lives forever, haunting and terrorising them like a ghost. It was an irrevocable mistake waiting to occur... and thus I kept it to myself, and I closeted such feelings to myself.

It didn't help, of course, that alongside with me were Blu and Jewel, the match-made in heaven, the ones who were this close to making me believe that love isn't as apocalyptic as it is. The way they were so devoted to one another, always tending to their needs and never leaving their side for the life of them... it was so fantasy-like, as if true love was possible...

I wished I was as lucky as Jewel, to find a mate that loved her to death, to be assured that everything is alright and feel protected, to make me happy and have a shoulder to cry on... that would complete my life. Somehow I pictured myself standing next to Ronaldo like them, a perfect couple, match-made in heaven, and me being held in his wings as he crooned to me how much he loved me...

It's always somebody's dream to find that sort of love, isn't it? Well... I found love. I found love in a hopeless place of Portugal... and that I knew Ronaldo would be made for me.

It took just mere days of exposure with Jewel to activate this love to triumph over me and my efforts to repress it.

So here I am, perched on a branch, shielded by a curtain of leaves that had a direct view of Blu and Jewel's knothole. Interiorly, I felt like a stalker, a spy that was horribly deprived of a life by sneaking up on other couples... but this was different. I wasn't looking at them from a distance for the pure sake of it, but... they've had experience in this, haven't they? To find love in the form of the soul mate of your dreams? To be able to express your emotions without ruining your emotions forever?

They could help me, I figured.

But somehow doubt clouded the initial courage I had. What if it all seemed awkward? What if they knew something about Ronaldo that I didn't? What if they wouldn't help me? They were only strangers, after all, merely mutual friends of Ronaldo. Why should they be so kind to a stranger like me?

Both of their bodies were tangled into one another, as if two halves of the same whole. I could imagine how peaceful both of them were in their sleep, able to find confidence in the fact that they'll wake up tomorrow and still be loved by their mates. Somehow I could fantasize about myself like that, in Ronaldo's wings and the warmth of a lover surrounding me, perfection aiding me throughout my walk of life.

Blu stirred. Slowly his eyes began to open, of which naturally drew towards his mate. He smiled. In his eyes, I could imagine, he was gazing at the most beautiful bird that he ever saw, the one that he would love and protect forever. I wonder what it would be like, to have a mate like Blu. Would Ronaldo be like that? To be so loving to me and he would always assure that he would stay by me...

Jewel's eyes began to emerge as well. I supposed it was the shifting of Blu's body that awoke her. Blu exhaled sharply, the curves of his beak crawling upwards. "Morning, angel," he said.

Angel.

Jewel leaned herself forward, her beak lightly pressing against her mate's. "Morning, meu amor," she huskily whispered.

Blu's tongue made a rapid swipe across his beak, positioning his body over hers. "Hungry for more, are we?" He kissed her again, sensual moans erupting from their beak from the passionate beak-lock. Honestly I had no idea why birds like Ronaldo could feel so... awkward, when this happened. It was a testament of love, to show that they would always be next to each other through and through... why should it be embarrassing to the third-person-perspective?

Jewel broke away, panting for breath. She smirked. "Don't you think... it's kinda early... for that..."

"Eh," Blu said dismissively, before pecking her on the beak again.

"So, first things first. We need to eat now... which means I'll have to go and-"

"No, querido," Blu interrupted, his voice still sweet as honey. "Your wing just got better...we wouldn't want you to tire out now would we?"

Jewel sighed. "You underestimate me Blu. I can still soar as the eagles go. I won't tire out that eas-"

"I know... but... I don't want you hurt, 'kay? And besides, I need to get used to jungle life... I'll go get some breakfast before you know it. Okay?"

Jewel's smile gradually begun to reform, as her mind slowly wrapped around Blu's point, and she drew him into her wings. She murmured something unintelligible.

"I love you, too," Blu said, before pecking her forehead gently. He gazed into her eyes, deep in thought, for a few seconds before he flew off, Jewel never turning her eyes away from her flying mate until he was out of her field of vision.

Sometimes I couldn't help but compare my future life with theirs- this would be it. The future with Ronaldo meant waking up in the morning with your mate sprawled all over you, being greeted in the morning with a kiss, having him provide for you in every way possible... That was what I would want, I figured. A life of love, a life with your soul mate, a life where tears didn't exist and you would never grow cold or hungry... a life of perfection.

But sometimes, in all that love really is, we truly forget that life is never perfect. This is why I have no idea whether to unravel my true emotions like it was on display, whether to let my friendship with Ronaldo stand on the edge of destruction, whether to expose everything and risk a catastrophe... which is why I fly off in the opposite direction.

...before taking a U-turn of course... to make it such that I hadn't been spying on the couple. The courage rekindled in my soul... I had to try, at least. I could never socially interact with anybody to save my life, let alone to reveal my love for Ronaldo... but it was worth a shot. It may have been possible that my emotions were reciprocated back to me.

In fact, considering how much he tends to me and the way he's devoted to me, I might have hypothesized that it wasn't just possible, it exists.

On hindsight, it hadn't been a good idea to charge into a knothole, where there was only one bird present. The audible flapping of wings startled Jewel, who yelped sharply and turned around at the intruder in a fighting stance.

"Jewel," I said, perching myself in front of her, and she dropped her stance.

"Oh... it's only you Lisa," she muttered flatly, and she heaved a sigh of relief. "If you're wondering where Blu went, he just flew off to get me breakfast, so... yeah."

"I see." It wasn't until I said it that I realised the double-meaning laced into that sentence- I did see Blu fly off, in fact... thankfully she didn't realise it.

There was an awkward pause. "Well, is there something you want to ask me?" Jewel asked, breaking the thread of silence.

"Well..." I randomly sketched invisible patterns in the wood of the hollow with my talon. "I... I need to talk to you about something. It's... it's about Ronaldo."

Jewel diverted her full attention towards me. "What about my brother?"

"Well... I... um..." I struggled through my vocabulary. What would one say when telling another person of your romantic feelings towards somebody else? How would one phrase such life-changing emotions... in just mere words? My brain swam with words.

"Is there something wrong with him?" Jewel cut in. "Is he hurt?"

"No, nothing of the sort," I assured. I mustered up whatever remnant of courage I had. "It's just that... that... it's about me and him. I don't know how to say this... I... I sort of... sort of h-have..."

"A crush?" Jewel stole the words from my beak. Her face was not of complete and utter shock, but rather perplexity and pleasant surprise. "You like him?"

The temperature in my cheeks peaked. Is this what it felt like? The hot shame searing through your body as you expose your romantic attraction for somebody else...the complete unwillingness to tell of your inner vulnerabilities? I would rather have the capacity to hold these repressed emotions rather than expose them... they made you weak, flawed and imperfect.

I remained silent.

A smile crept onto Jewel's face. "Ah... you want to admit your feelings to him, but you don't how to, right?"

I shuffled my talon again. I felt like an open book, easy to predict and read... letting the other party plan against you and being able to exploit them. Not that Jewel would ever do that... but any evil person could. Just by displaying your emotions and weaknesses to them, they would be able to find it, barrage you and sabotage you- just like that, no questions asked. They didn't have to conform with it even though they already do; they just exploit your exposés, as if it were the lock to the chest of your heart.

Not that I would do it, but still.

I licked the edges of beak, my head performing the ghost of a nod. I knew Jewel would either laugh at or rebuke me; it all seemed so ridiculous even to me... that I should ask how to tell another bird that I loved him. Even a mere practice- to another bird other than him- made me so ashamed of myself... it felt terrible, completely awful. I wanted to just crawl into a hollow and die...

To my utter shock, Jewel did not do either of the things. "Well why don't you then? It's not as if he'll bite you or anything."

"Yeah, but..." I sighed, exasperated. "I'm not... sure if he'll return my love. And even if he doesn't, I... I have a feeling our friendship might be ruined... It's just really difficult to come out with the truth."

"You'll never guess what I found, querido!"

At this point a male voice called and a flapping of wings could be heard, a silhouette of a bird hurled at the back of the hollow. I turned around quickly, a knee-jerk reaction, ready to apologise to Ronaldo for having found love in him and fallen in it, to apologise for committing such a heinous crime.

The startled expression quickly dissipated as I saw Blu's face, melting away in relief. In his talons were two relatively large mangoes, and on his face was a victorious grin.

"Apparently there's a mango tree not too far from here, and so I..." His eyes flinted to me. "Oh hey Lisa."

Jewel's assuring smile was replaced with a euphoric grin on her face. "Mangoes!" she exclaimed, a ghost of a glint in her eyes. Without hesitating, she plunged her beak into one of the fruits, disregarding the presence of other birds, and sloppily munched on it. "How did you know I liked them?"

"Ronaldo told me. He said at one point he suspected you had a fetish for it... heh." he replied, his tone exhibiting forcefully injected humour.

Jewel merely shrugged as she dug her beak in again. "Welf," she said with her beak full of mango and her face stained with yellow patches. "Ah fink Ah maat haff, aat one poinf. Feh."

Blu chuckled, the edges of his beak curving upwards and his gaze never wavering from Jewel's. "Hold on, Jewel. You've got some mango... over there..." –he gestured at an area of Jewel's face- "And there... and there..."

"Oh," Jewel quickly muttered, swallowing her mouthful and her wing ready to swipe off the liquid on her face. "I'm sorry I'll-"

"Nah it's okay... I got it." Blu said huskily, licking his lips as his smile morphed into a playful smirk. As he inched closer to Jewel, she remained still, whether either out of pure shock as to what he was going to do, or out of ignorance of it, I wasn't sure.

It seemed to be the latter, because when the realisation dawned on her, she flashed a grin, almost instantaneous as Blu planted his beak on Jewel's face, slowly licking away all the blotches of yellow on it. It was a rather intriguing operation, watching Blu's beak and tongue do its work while Jewel laughed uncontrollably.

"Hahaha! Blu!" she exclaimed, her voice skyrocketing some octaves as Blu swiftly gave his tongue bath, not missing a single portion of Jewel's face. He didn't stop, even though Jewel's face was completely clear. "Blu! Please! Stop! That tickles! Haha! We- We- Haha! We have a guest, hahaha!"

At this point Blu halted, frozen in position, as his eyes slowly darted towards mine. What ensued was rather comical- Blu retracted himself from Jewel, flashing a sheepish smile at me while trying hastily to ruffle his feathers back to their original position. Jewel shot Blu a see-what-did-I-tell-you look, smirking at his clumsiness that had immediately succeeded his attempt of... whatever mates did.

To be honest, it was rather amusing. One would find being in the presence of love awkward, but sometimes it was truly a spectacle. How they could kiss each other and hold each other in their wings, they could trust each other so easily and be so close to one another... love, at its best, was intriguing, amazing and stupendous even. It was truly a remarkable force... one that could do tremendous influence to anybody who wishes to indulge in it.

And from what I can see, it's a rather positive influence.

There was a silence that hovered in the atmosphere, as I stared at Blu and Jewel inquisitively, while their eyes darted all over the place, unsure as to what to say or do in front of a near-stranger.

"...so, Jewel. You and Lisa were having a nice chat just now... what did I miss?" Blu asked, meekly.

Jewel smiled, glad to avert all attention to another topic. "Well... um... Lisa wants advice. Love advice."

Blu did the human equivalent of raising an eyebrow. "Oh really Lisa? Who's the guy?" he asked ignorantly, taking a nonchalant bite into his mango.

"Ronaldo," I answered, a reflex action before Jewel could respond.

To be honest, I had no idea why this was so shocking. Be it by the fact that I have donned a mask of no emotion this whole time, or the fact that they knew something I didn't, I have no idea how this took people by surprise. A slush of mango erupted from Blu's beak as he started to cough violently. Jewel, of course, attempted to smack it out of him, of which was a brief operation as Blu managed to recover quickly from his fit.

His initial shock wore off quickly, replaced by an emotion that could be accurately described as ecstasy. "Lisa's interested in Ronaldo?" Blu exclaimed. "Well why didn't you say so earlier Lisa?" Blu went over to me, his face plastered with a fool's grin, as he used his two wings to shake my right one with more force than necessary. "Congratulations on getting together! We'll be there for the wedding!"

My eyes dropped, the awkwardness suddenly shifting over to my side. I shot a look at Jewel, one that begged for assistance to draw his attention away. Jewel obliged.

"Um, querido," Jewel interrupted. "Lisa's looking for advice. As to how to, um, approach Ronaldo. She hasn't told him anything."

The smile on Blu's face faded. "Oh." He paused, his eyes making quick movements, from squinting, to having his pupils ricochet through his whites, to glancing at Jewel and then me.

"Well, then, Lisa should have a chance to speak, then."

I sighed, relieved, as he took a step backwards. It's always easy to see other people love each other, but to find yourself doing the same thing... it was weird. And when you have to reveal this and show to the world this, the reluctance draws you away.

"You see, I like Ronaldo... but don't have the courage to do so. I... I don't know what to expect from him. So yeah."

"Why?" Blu asked, squinting. "You're only telling him you like him. I mean, if he doesn't return it and he takes it to heart, then, he's not worth it." –This earned him a glare from Jewel- "But you should at least be honest to yourself... and him. I mean, it's better to let it out now, rather than wait till he figures it out on his own, right?"

This was actually true, and it struck a chord in me. Feelings almost always never fade away- if you're generally a cheery person, you'd normally be happy. Grudges last forever, and sad memories haunt you for all eternity. If you love somebody, you'd still love him.

Of course, you're assuming that this person hasn't done anything to convince you your love is baseless... but still.

"Do you think he'll reciprocate it?" I asked, cautious.

"He might or might not," Jewel interjected. "But I really can't tell... he's really so cheery that you can't tell if he's sad or angry. He might be hiding it. I'm sure, though, that even if he doesn't, he'll still remain friends with you. I mean, that's as good as it can get, right? If he does, then you've got absolutely nothing to worry about."

I sighed. "Then... how am I even supposed to convey it to him? It's... it seems so impossible. Like I don't have a clue as to what to say. I just... don't know."

If you haven't guessed by now, I have never been the eloquent bird. Not like Ronaldo, who could be so open and social to everybody and get their friendship like it was served on a silver platter. To be honest, that was probably what happened with Ronaldo and Jewel in the first place... but to be honest- how in the world was I going to tell him that I love him? How was I going to phrase this... in a way that I would win reciprocation?

"Don't worry, Lisa," Blu assured. "You'll know what to say. Just don't be random and blurt it out... you should just follow your heart. Let it do the talking... and just be calm."

"And besides," Jewel interjected, as if to pick up from where Blu left off perfectly. "There're really only two scenarios from there- either he reciprocates your love or he doesn't. And either way you'll still be friends with him."

I stared at them, beak slightly agape and frozen in position. Was love that simple? Was it simply like the icing on the cake, an addition to friendship? Your heart... apparently, it would do all the heartfelt speaking, as if it was an oral report... and it was only up the other party's choice whether to accept it or not. It wasn't a tangled issue... it was just a game of chance.

"Is... is it really that... simple?" I asked meekly.

"Well... of course not." Blu admitted, a frown faintly appearing on his face. "I mean, there's the relationship you and Ronaldo would have, when you embark on the journey of love..."

His voice trailed off, and at that point the doubts began to cloud my mind once again? I hadn't even considered the possibility if Ronaldo had accepted my love... what would we do from then on? What awaited our lives as lovebirds? How would the world react... would they accept us? And what if Ronaldo and I confronted with obstacles... and broke up? What would we do? Love- love was like a sword... it could scar one for life...

Jewel picked up from where Blu left off, steering the pessimism into optimism. "But there's not a thing to worry about," she assured. "Because, after all" –she stared deeply and lovingly into Blu's eyes- "you'll always be right next to the one you love... and you'll be following your heart."

And just like that, the clouds dissipated. I watched as Blu reciprocated Jewel's look... and thought, how deeply they loved each other, how unbreakable their bond was. It went beyond some cliché romance or any surface-deep infatuation that broke under pressure and left shards... it was one that was so close and bonded that just being with the other lover made the future look like it was hopeful. Love... love was an amazing force to deal with, I realised. As formidable and unforgiving as it was... it could heal you, and it could make your life better. It could give you the courage and energy to move forward...

I smiled. I knew what to do... I would have to follow my heart. It was the only way... that I could let go of all my burdens of emotion, seek what I desired... and find love. "Thank you, Blu... Jewel... I... I don't know what to say..."

Jewel went up to me. "It's alright, Lisa," she said. "It's what friends should do, right? I mean... it's not like we have any reason to not give you this advice, right?"

I nodded. It was strange, actually, that Jewel –one who had known Ronaldo for 15 years- had approved of my relationship with him, an absolute stranger about to launch into the realm of love for the first time... it was like she was so accepting of the things around her... that she could offer experience and advice to somebody like me. It all seemed so... surreal.

"And don't worry about it, Lisa," Blu continued. "You shouldn't be a stranger anymore; you should talk to us more often, you know... just to know each other better..."

There was a lot of truth laced into Blu's words- the fact was, one would always be estranged from the rest until you had the courage to enter a relationship... be it platonic or otherwise. I wouldn't be friends with Blu or Jewel if I had not decided to take the risk... and I would not know if Ronaldo loved me back if I decided not to confess my feelings to him. Relationships were all about risks, launching into something you never really knew the outcome of... but once you manage to maintain it, you would know how the rest of the future would turn out to be. With your loved ones.

And to be honest, risks are truly worth it.

And so when I flew out of the hollow, Blu and Jewel's assuring expressions on their faces, I plunged into an unknown world, filled with possibilities and wonders to be explored... and I knew that through all these things...

No matter what the result was, through everything, I would still love Ronaldo.

Hot shame pulsed through my veins, the regret swashing over me too late, as I practically barged into Ronaldo's knothole, without any warning or signal. I honestly didn't know what I was thinking, just speeding into everything without a care and jumping into everything rashly. It was just all a blur; an instantaneous transition from one point to the next... and now, here I was, facing Ronaldo, about to open the floodgates and spill my emotions to him.

I attempted to adapt a poker face, as Ronaldo whirled around in shock, a short scream slipping from his beak. His frightened expression immediately melted into relief, then contented happiness as he realised that his so-called intruder was me. I could have kicked myself in the tail feathers if it weren't for what I was going to say to him...

"Hi Lisa," he greeted, as if invading his privacy of a home was completely fine. "What brings you here?"

"Well I..." I plunged into conversation too quick again, not sure how to phrase my statements. Sometimes life... life was like a video game. You know, where you could just visit anybody's house when you wanted, and you had options. Press A to talk about stuff. Press B to admit your love to him...

Nobody ever talks about the randomness of it all, though. Is it really kind of you to just tell someone you love him, out of the blue? You would be plunging him into the realm of love as well... was it really fair to him? How in the world would he react would be the question... and what was I to do?

Ronaldo waited without a complaint emerging from him, the patient bird he was. And so I took a deep breath, exhaling with the same amount of energy. It was times like these where I knew why I loved Ronaldo. It was almost like a failsafe- if he rejected my feelings, I wouldn't feel offended... since he was the most gentle bird I knew. And he wouldn't blame me either... would he?

"Ronaldo," I said, trying to inject whatever bravery and determination I could possess into my voice. "I... I want to talk about something."

Ronaldo's smile lit up, that same grin that melted my heart every time it was flashed, the impishness and innocence of it assuring me that he wouldn't have the capacity to smash my heart into pieces. "Sure. What about?"

"Well it's... I... You see..." I sighed. There wasn't any turning back. I couldn't just rewind time and tried harder to repress my emotions... there was but one path to move on, and that was to send my love across to him. But how could I, when words failed me?

And that was when Blu's words entered my head. You should just follow your heart. Let it do the talking. ...

I sighed. My heart... it hammered against my chest, as if reaching out to Ronaldo, to my love. All I could think of was my emotions, and how they traced themselves to him... I knew what to do. I had to follow these trails, embark on a new journey and follow my heart.

To be honest- what was there to lose? I could be friends with Ronaldo no matter what the outcome was... and if he returned my love, life would be more hopeful for me. I knew that even in the deep ocean of life, where the tides and the waves crash upon you at any unprecedented direction... you'd still be hanging on to the one that you love.

And that was the life I truly wanted, the course I will embark on... with no regrets, following my heart.

And without another word to come between us, and without missing a beat, I pulled Ronaldo in for a kiss.

OK I know I'm a jerk for cliffhanging you guys, but still. It got too long... :L

Anyway, do I even have to say it? Review! It gives me A LOT of motivation to go on. I mean of COURSE I update ANYWAY but still I love it when I get review alerts. So go on:

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