Chapter 5
Title as Mates: Part 1

~Frost~

I couldn't despise the fact that I am madly in love with the bird that currently snuggling into my wings, nor that I will ever claim such opportunities to turn my tables and shattered her heart. I didn't know what would be my life without her, staring at the same greyscale rainbow that slowly consumed my soul, until all of the sudden, she splashed the color into them; the day when I met her for the first time.

I never really imagined the bird I had always stared from the distance – and rather creepy when I put it that way – would one day take me as her mate. I recalled the first time we shared our kiss, when the emotion within conquered my soul to confess the kind of tidal wave of love I had for her. And to be honest myself, I never expected we would end up as mates.

I completely aware of her doubts during our relationship until the day she wanted me to be her mate, but to be considerate, the liability of love sometimes able to pierce even the thickest cocoon of love. Call me naïve, but I rather let myself oblivious over this and let myself love her as much as I can, because I know she loves me back, period.

Simply I can't live without her, she was the sole reason why I'm eager to see tomorrow; to wake up and see her beautiful face smiling in happiness once more, filling my soul with inexplicable delight; to love her more for another day.

I love her because I want to, just like when someone said they have an ability to shape their lives, that will also work for the fact that there's nothing could ever stop me to love her.

Or perhaps, I spoke too soon.

A mighty crackle of celestial thunder rung my eardrum in a deafening intensity, causing my eyelids to snap open and restored my sight rather instantly. The once glorious morning was replaced with brewing overcast on the horizon that threatened to unleash the havoc for the puny mortal below.

I turned my head and saw Bia fell asleep on my wings, seemingly unaffected with the recent boom of unearthly thunder that its decibel could rip one's eardrum apart. I frowned when I detected a rather abnormally hot breath puffed into my wings, a sign that something was wrong with her. Placing my free wing on her forehead confirming my suspicion on her not-so-well-being and that alone already lashed me another wave of concern.

A bright illuminating thunder was spawned outside, one of the signs that the siege of rainwater would soon began. I furrowed my eyebrows in desperation to carry my mate inside before the storm began. Waking her up in her current condition wasn't exactly the best idea, but I left with no other options to carry her into our nest sans waking her up. "Bia, Bia…" I gently nudged her, trying to wake her up without much hassle.

She issued an incomprehensible mumble before she opened her eyes and stared at me, "Huh… Frost… what is it?" She yawned and rubbed her eyes with her wings.

Tangled within guilt for disrupting her peaceful slumber – not to mention her condition as well – I shot her an apologetic look, "Sorry for waking you up, but there's a storm coming up, we better get inside." Giving her a helping talon, I also noticed a look of discomfort in her facial expression which gave me a cyclical spike of concern, "Sweetheart, are you okay?"

She placed her wings on her head, "My head hurts…"

I placed my head into her warm body, sensing her warmth already increased since the last time I checked it. "We better get you some rest…" I said, concern started to possess my conscience "Come on; let me help you."

She nodded before she reached for my wing and initiated her endeavor to lift herself from the floor. I could see how much effort she put herself to just merely lift herself from the floor, later evolved a deeper distress on her condition. She finally able to stand up, just merely two seconds before she got glued back to the floor with her wings on her head.

"Bia… are you okay? Can you walk?"

"My head… it hurts…"

I caressed her crest feathers and replied, "It's okay… it'll be over soon." Though my words couldn't possibly dispel the agony she currently experiencing. I lifted my head and saw the sky began to leak, chilling breeze soon engulfed us as the clouds released its load into the spongy earth below.

Her whimpers of pain finally receded a bit, etching a relief within my soul. I saw her feathers began to perk up, and given her situations, I know I should carry her into the nest, quick.

"Alright, hop to my back." I said.

"Huh…?"

"I will carry you into our nest, just hop in."

"Okay…" She replied weakly and climbed onto my back, though it was effortful for her. She later warped her wings against my neck with her head hung limply on my shoulder.

Times like this made me ponder about my role as her mate, to keep her safe and take care of her while she rendered helpless to take care of her own – not to sound immodest, however – and envisaged herself trapped within the coldness without someone to keep her warm devastated my heart. Bia is not a weak bird, I know her; the rather intrepid traits passed down by her mother lives within her, only it isn't as profound as her intelligence, yet she is just a bird, still yearned for a sense of security against this hostile world.

When I looked at her sleeping form, a concoction of happiness and worry was being brewed; I am happy to know that she chose me to be her mate, yet I'm also worried that I can't always be there for her when she needs me the most.

I shook my head, casting the thought into the void as I realized her unusual body warmth need more attention than anything else, "Ready?"

"Mmm… hm…" She whispered, her eyes closed.

Satisfied with her answer, I dared myself to take the steady steps into our nest while ensuring she would not fall from my back. Carrying my own mate on my back probably never been crossed my mind, but when I finally experiencing it, I wished it would last.

The walk to our nest was merely less than two minutes – save for some difficulties to hold her in place (Bia might be petite, but she weights more than she looks) – which I greatly enjoyed as her mate to be there for her when she needs me, fulfilling my duty and promise for her.

I carefully dismounted her from my back and put her to our moss-padded nest, placing a kiss on her forehead as I finished to do so. She assumed a very weak smile and opened her weary eyes, "Thank you…"

"No need to thank me, love." I said, holding her wings. "Now, rest, okay?"

"Frost… can you give me some water… my beak is so dry…"

I nodded in anticipation, "Sure," before snatching one empty Brazil nut's shell and filled it with the rainwater outside. I could see how thirsty she was when she exhausted it in a ground-breaking record. "Want more?"

She shook her head weakly. "No, I think I have enough."

I caressed her crest feathers with my wings, "Do you need anything else?"

Her pale hazel-colored eyes shot me a look, as in relaying a non-verbal desire that she wanted me to fulfill. Failed to understand what she meant, I adopted a rather awkward reply, "Uh…?"

She sighed and replied huskily, "Can you sleep with me? I'm… cold…"

"Oh… Sure…" I said timidly, shameful for not noticing the rather obvious wish she sought.

She donned me a weak smile the moment I placed myself next to her, unfolding my wings and let her rested her head on my chest. I enveloped my wings to her feverous body and she sighed in exhilaration as the spot become perfect for her to gain comfort. I too, let out a leisure sigh when her luscious, velvety feathers pressed against mine, "Sleep well, meu amor."

Bia shifted her head on my chest a couple of times before she surrendered into drowsiness, teleporting her consciousness to the realm of slumbers. I exhaled one blissful sigh as I saw her sleeping in serenity, convincing me that she had undergone into a restorative sleep and she will be back on her own-self when she finally woke up.

I didn't exactly have any plans to sleep, but served the cold-comforting circumstances, the drowsy poison had already been injected into my body, causing my eyelids to be much heavier than they should be. I glimpsed over my sleeping mate once more and compensated a kiss to her cheek reminiscent of a dainty butterfly before I could feel the potent venom of drowsiness began to affect my self-consciousness. I yawned as the coldness ruffled my plumages, a catalyst for me to finally succumb to the venomous gale of tiredness that befallen upon me.

The sun was slowly dipped in the horizon, basking the land with its last golden beam. The glorious radiance was truly a mother nature's masterpiece as I savored the salty winds blew from the Copacabana beach. I rotated my head sideways, looking at the most beautiful bird with her eyes sparkling from the sea of molten gold in front of us.

She exhaled one heavenly breath before her beautiful, vibrant eyes locked with mine, an utter affection shimmering within its hazel-colored irises as we leaned closer and shared one passionate kiss.

"This is the life, isn't it?" I said as we terminated our kiss.

"Yeah, it's truly paradise…"

"With you, honey, I think every place is paradise."

"You are a flatterer; you know that?" She replied, unable to hide the shade of peach adorned her cheeks.

"You know, my empress, that it is the truth."

She reclined her head on my chest as we returned our gaze to the rinsing sphere on the horizon. My nostrils soon caught up with her fragrance perfume when I planted my beak on her head, tautening my wings to press her into me closer. I exhaled a heavenly breath as sheer serenity filled my soul, rubbing my head on hers while enjoying the last light of the day sinking into the vista.

Within my wings, I heard her said: "Your eloquence flows like a river… I love it when you love me like this; I love you."

I couldn't help but blush and reward her with a peck on her cheek, "You are too lovely to not be loved; I mean, I am lucky that I have you as my mate."

"Then you better keep me, or I will hop into others." She quipped.

I enveloped my wings and encased her completely as I replied: "Consider that a promise."

I closed my eyes as the summer breeze ruffled my plumages, enjoying every frame of this moment with the bird I will never trade for anything. My senses were dulled, solely averted their focus for the comfort of the bird in front of me.

Whimpers of pain reverberated towards my eardrum just three seconds since the silence started. I quickly peeled my eyes to search the source of such noise – which oddly made my soul become anxious – yet, within my area of wits, I noticed nothing was wrong.

I shook my head and returned myself to savor my time. Nevertheless, the whimpers gradually increased in decibels, and it took me a while before I realized the familiarity of such voice. Bia was no longer within my wings, as she just disappeared into thin air, yet her vocalization was clear. Frantically, I swung my head rapidly to spot her as the world around me started to distort into a whirlpool of color, until what was left was darkness…

Bia was shifting uncomfortably the moment my consciousness anchored back into the real world, her anguish cries pierced my heart as I glimpsed her face with my blurry eyes. I caressed her head with my free wing when my body relayed me her 'alarmingly' body heat.

I furrowed my eyebrows as her whimpers jolted slightly before it assumed the former decibel, allowing me to understand just how much pain she endured. Caressing her head was the only thing I could do – and hoped – to ease her pain, even in the slightest, which made me powerless to help her.

My anxious state inexorably reached its full potential, causing me to panic on how to help her condition; the thunder roaring in the distance only retained my anxiety unadmonished, clouding my head to think clearly to help my sick mate.

Her whimpers finally subdued after it seemed like an eternity I stroked her head – which seemingly have no effect on her – and thanks the stars the angst reduced to a tier where my head began to work properly again.

She needed more than just a restorative sleep, considering her headache might resurface at any moment, not to mention her incredibly high temperature. I took three bountiful breaths of relief and estimated the distance of our nest to the healer's hollow, internally praised the heaven when I recalled how close the distance is. Memories of this morning evoked into my head as I prepared myself to move Bia from my wings – the vision of her crying because I left her – and trapped in a dilemmatic decision was the least I wanted in this kind of situation.

I might rekindle the cold fuse of her former sadness, or even worse, improving her sickness from the psychological pain it could cause if I decided to leave her alone (with another precondition if she was aware of my absence). Nevertheless, her health wasn't something I'm comfortable to gamble with, and for that I decided to take a trip into the healer's hollow and retrieved anything I could to help ease her pain.

Reenacting my morning act, I tenderly moved her head and placed it on the moss-padded nest, silently praying to heaven my act would not disrupt her slumber she needed the most to recover. I hastily retreated into the entrance after ensuing she remained within her slumber, flexing my flight muscle to pierce towards the raging tempest outside.

I took one last glance into our nest before I unfurled my wings and soared towards the healer's hollow.

Barrage of rainwater akin to an armada attack pierced through my plumages and soaked my skin, their chilling personality promptly conjured spikes of vicious coldness that jolted into my spine. The image of Bia keep motivated me to go further even after relentless rainwater already soaked me, trying to absorb any body heat within my body to succumb me into a threat of hypothermia.

Fortunate enough that I didn't need to get that far as the sight of the healer's hollow soon materialized from the hazy vision – thanks to the rain – which brought me a smile as I landed on its wooden-textured surface.

"Olá?" I called, my voice echoing through the utter silence that blanketed the hollow. [Hello?]

"Sim! Espera!" an alto voice resonated from the inside before a fine aged figure of a female Spix's macaw manifested in my eyes.

"Olá! Posso ajudá-lo?" She smiled and gracefully cleaned the quite chaotic room, "Perdoa-me por o disordem." [Hello! How can help you?], [I'm sorry for the mess.]

"Está bom, mas minha esposa necessita algo urgente. Ele está doente." [It's okay, but mate need something important. She is sick.]

"Qual é sua doença?" [What is her sickness?]

"Ela tem febre." [Fever.]

She nodded and replied, "Entendo, por favor espera-me aqui, te trarei algo para sua esposa posso recuperar." [Okay, please wait me here, I will take something for your mate.]

"Obrigado... eh..." [Thank you... uhm...]

"Letícia, você pode me chamar Letícia." She said as she rummaged through the herbs stored inside a small hollow. [Letícia, you can call me Letícia.]

"Meu nome é Frost." I said in a friendly manner. She glimpsed over me briefly before resuming her previous activity. [My name is Frost.]

I craned my neck to see the multi-variant herbals she had in that small hollow, hopes high that she might have something to ease Bia's pain and let her dwell into the restorative sleep she required the most. My beak couldn't resist to smile when she picked one of the leaves – well, all of the herbs stored were leaf – and detected a rather disturbed facial expression on the elderly macaw.

She turned her head and lifted a piece of leaf, just one, diminutive leaf. Through a disappointed look she sighed and admitted, "Bom, tenho algo para sua esposa..." Lifting the leaf she added, "mas infelizmente, não tenho mais de esta erva." [Well, I have something for your mate...], [But unfortunately, I don't have more of this herb.]

I groaned internally with not only the coldness that started to infuriate me, but the quest remained incomplete (the thought of Bia might awake and find me absent didn't help) after the whole ordeal when I pierced the storm. I tried to calm myself and examined the leaf she held, an idea popped in my head that I knew could finally help Bia.

"Você sabe onde posso encontrá-la?" [Do you know where I can find it?]

She passed me the leaf as she put her wing on the direction of the Brazil nut grove, "Você pode encontrar cerca de o arvoredo de castanha do Pará, um pouco ao sul, cerca do rio." [You can find it near the Brazil nut grove, a little south, near the stream.]

I made a mental calculation on how far the Brazil nut grove before nodded and expressing my gratitude for her help, "Legal, muito obrigado, Letícia." [Nice, thank you very much, Letícia.]

She shot me a concerned look when she saw me unfurling my wings, "Espera, está seguro a voar em meio de a tormenta?" [Wait, are you sure it is wise to fly in the midst of the storm?]

"Eu aprecio sua preocupação, mas não está tão longe, não posso suportar vê-la sofrer mais." [I appreciate your concern, but it's not that far, besides, I can't stand seeing her writhing in pain.]

"É raro ver tanta dedicação de um macho a sua esposa. Você realmente a ama, não?" "Bom, tentar de não doente depois de você a cura-la." She chuckled with her own quip. [It's rare to see such dedication from a male to his wife. You must really love her, right?], [Well, just try not to get sick after you cure her.]

I too, couldn't resist to stifle a chuckle as I reassumed my former plan, "Eu sei, obrigado de novo por me ajudar!" [I will, thanks again for helping me!]

"De nada, Frost." [It's nothing, Frost.]

Another crackle of thunder was spawned when I projected myself into the sky, illuminating the jungle ephemerally before the darkness reclaimed it. Letícia was kind enough to lend me the last stock of the herb as a sample in my quest, which proven to be much harder than it seemed before – well, thanks again for the rain – after countless barrage of freezing gusts started to test my endurance against the cold.

The Brazil nut trees' sight was no more than a soaked menace when I reached my destination and hurriedly scrutinized the site for the herb that could help my mate return to her peaceful slumber. I could no longer feel my wings the moment I took a little shelter time under the canopy of the trees with the seemingly endless rain proved to be mischievous obstacle. Shivering, I examined the site for the leaves that matched the description with the sample one on my talon, and soon cursed the mother nature for making the crusade virtually impossible to complete. Nonetheless, I kept hopping from one branch to another as the stream gradually closing in.

And just on my sheer luck, I saw the plant I was looking for.

I couldn't describe just how thankful I was when I fluttered down to snatch some of the leaves for Bia while hoping she was still trapped within her sleep. I hastily heading back to my nest the moment I finished plucking around six leaves and held it tight with my talon, piercing the rain that just started to get even fiercer from the last time I left my hollow.

The cold winds crippled my flight, my wings were incredibly numb from the freezing rainwater relentlessly attacking my body. The tempest unleashed its wind of chaos, but fortunately I wasn't one of the victims of its conquest.

I consider myself very lucky the moment I touched the wooden-textured floor of my hollow after the seemingly endless flight within the arctic burn. Breathing a sigh of relief, I frantically shook my feather to cast away the lingering rainwater that trapped within my plumages, forming a puddle beneath my talon in the process. Pleased with my condition, I walked gingerly towards my nest and saw Bia was still sleeping, engraving a wise smile on my beak as I retrieved some food for Bia before she could digest her medicine.

I had to admit that I didn't know the kind of food she need to avoid when she is sick, especially fever – which in my opinion have no restriction on the food she can eat – nevertheless, I picked the least flavorful fruit for her meal, just in case if there is any restriction on the food she can eat.

With one big piece of star-fruit, I advanced myself towards the nest. Looking at her exquisite beauty can be pretty distracting, and to wake her – even it is for a greater cause – feels like a terrible decision, though, the hesitancy lasted only a couple of seconds and I nudged her gently. "Bia, love…"

She stirred yet remained sleep after my first trial, I repeated my action and whispered I her ear, "Bia… Bia…"

Her eyelids slowly revealed the hazel-colored orb that its vibrancy had been altered significantly, I smiled as she yawned and looked at me wearily. "Sorry, for waking you up again, but it's lunch, you better get something to eat." I said as I helped her to a sitting position.

"I'm not hungry…"

"That's not a valid excuse."

She whimpered and replied sheepishly, "But… I'm seriously not hungry…"

"You have to eat so you can recover. Just a little nibble?"

She nodded and took the star-fruit in my talon, nibbling only a small bite. The fruit barely reduced in the half when Bia stopped and rubbed her belly, "I'm full."

I groaned when I saw she only took five small nibbles on the fruit. "You should eat a lot more than that."

"I don't want to, I'm full, Frost."

"Just five more?"

She shook her head.

"Four more?"

"No."

"Three?"

"Frost… I can take it anymore… I'm so full."

I groaned internally as an idea conjured within my mind, "How about you eat three more bite, and I will reward you with a kiss."

I could her eyes widened as she contemplated the proposal I gave her, looking at the fruit before she locked her mesmerizing eyes with mine. I giggled within as I saw her lifted the fruit and with a face full of effort, taking another bite and gulped it hastily, "Can we make it two? The fruit has no taste…" She resumed her chew with her tongue sticking out, "Please?"

"Eh… no, deal is the deal, you need to eat three more bite, no more bargaining."

She issued a discomfort scowl – which I found cute – and taking her second bite. Her effort finally paid of as I saw her taking her last bite and rather hastily swallowed it and looked at me with a wide grin, "Okay, now I want my reward."

I chuckled when her impatient nature begged her reward like a chick in the Christmas time. I leaned closer and compensated a kiss on the cheek, which her later reaction was to frown.

"You cheat…"

"I didn't say where I will kiss you."

She groaned from being tricked and put her wings on her head, "If not for this headache, Frost. I will get my reward."

I simply couldn't help but giggle with her threat. I unfurled my wings and cradled her closer to my body, nuzzling her head lovingly. "I'm sure you will."

She snorted and assumed her grumpy expression as I hugged her tightly, feeling her feverous body radiated its unusual warmth to mine. I twisted my neck around her and kiss her beak gently, as the reward I promised before.

Her face lightened up as she closed her eyes and reciprocated the act, puffing her hot breath into my nostrils which also contained her natural, female essence and allowed me to know that the female bird on my wings was indeed my mate.

Bia is my mate.

The fact is an absolute source of happiness; I have the opportunity to love and be loved.

Bia pulled out from the kiss with her face cringed, "Uh… sorry… headache…"

I donned myself a smile and placed my head on her voluptuous breast, detecting her irregular heartbeat, body warmth as well as her silky, exquisite feathers pampered my senses. "Frost… what are you doing?"

I remained silent and rubbed my head to her breast, enjoying her natural perfume seeping deep into my olfactory senses and exhaled blissfully before I pulled my head, "I was checking your condition." I added, "And looks like you have recovered a bit; how are you feeling now?"

"Well… my headache is really persistent…"

"Lucky for you I have the cure for that." I said, taking the sizeable leaf and offered it to her. "Or… for the very least, they said it can help you."

"Where did you find it?"

"It doesn't matter now, isn't it?" I replied, passing the leaf to her talon. "I can assure you from the looks of it, this medicine will taste really awful."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" She sternly looked at me.

"Well, a bit. Now come on, you need to rest, just one big chew and swallow, there, it's gone!"

"Easier to say than do…" She retrieved the leaf hesitantly, somehow acknowledged the result of stuffing the green substances into her beak. She sighed in defeat and chew the leaf hastily, grimaced as the – I assumed – bitter taste overloaded her savory senses.

"I know it's bad… just bear with it, after this you can sleep well…"

She shuddered as she swallowed the rest of the herb and replied, "If this is a prank, you are so cruel… much more than Tiago."

I sighed and replied, "If this is a prank, I would have been laughing right now."

The cessation of her reply was marked when she silently resumed chewing her medicine, occasionally sticking her tongue out after she finished swallowing a portion from the sizeable herb I gave her. Her efforts finally paid of as she hastily consumed the remaining part and smiled with her heart content akin to finishing a race and win.

Her smile was indeed infectious, and no matter how much restraint I put to myself, the gratification of even her tiniest speck of happiness; I would never trade anything for that smile.

I nuzzled her head as I positioned her back on the nest, bidding her a farewell for her journey into the realm of fantasy, "Now rest, okay?" All I said before I planted a kiss on her forehead.

Her eyelids dropped instantly, but within her transit to the land of dream, I heard her mumbled, "Thank you."

My heart fluttered into seventh heaven as I registered the sincerity hidden beneath those words, filling my heart with inexplicable delight and fuzzy warm emotions. I whispered on her ears as I kissed her cheek, "I love you, and I will take care of you."

I didn't really care if my words had ever reached her conscience that already annexed with the empress of sleep. The gratification itself was more than sufficient for me to gain glorious spark of happiness deep inside my heart, where the glow will sure remain for eternity; the love I professed solely for her.

Waves of relief swept over me like gushing tides splashed the coast relentlessly, the afterglow of my anxiety wore off, causing my disabled senses to acquire their proper function. The coldness hit me with a blast of winter's curse, trapping me within the cold embrace as the warm armor from my anxiety dismantled akin to a soldier experiencing pain after their painkiller subsided from their system thus the coldness now pierced into my quivering body.

My damp feathers were to blame as the catalyst for the chilling breeze amplified their power. I tucked my wings as my natural mechanism initiated their work to contain the last bit of warmth existed within my body. I sighed as I covered my body with my wings, barely acting a shield layer from the winter's spell that raging from the storm outside.

I sauntered my way towards the entrance to avoid waking up my sleeping mate from the occasional shivers and gritted beak I caused. The rain outside was indeed a mother nature unleashing her fury; given the spectacle of the maelstrom as if Thor and Zeus was involved in a fierce duel at the celestial sky, empowering the air current with their static field and mighty slam of Mjolnir and humbled mortals below could only watch in fear and astonishment.

My eyes darted towards the mighty thunder fork roaring with awesome decibels before another accelerated wind coexisted with the wind that blasted me over and over.

I covered my beak with my wings as the inevitably wind bursted forth from my nostrils.

AAACCCHHOOO…!

I rubbed my nostrils with my wings and groaned as I detected another waves were approaching. The sneezing lasted four time – quite a record for me – and rather quickly I recalled Letícia's words.

One can consider me insane, but her words stung like a bullet ants' poison, causing me to laugh ceaselessly with my fate. Though given the circumstances as I looked back at the sleeping angel, I didn't really mind the altered fate I had to suffer from helping the one I love.

I continued to chuckle as I retrieved one fine-sized mango and devoured it as I watched the tempest raging on.

A/N: Hello again. It's been a while since I updated my story. Real life really take my time for this, but now I will try to make this little hobby of mine a little bit of priority. It's started to become a habit for me to release one chapter per month, and the story itself probably isn't as worth as it seems, but I'll leave to you all to judge.

Also please:

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