Chapter Thirty-four: Riding a Bike

Joy had tried to contact her mother but to her dismay, she was still unable to use her smartphone. And unlike the first attempt, Moreau wanted his partner to reach her mother, so he was also quite disappointed. He confessed to not knowing how to reach the towns and Joy understood. Although the forest was beautiful, it was also quite vast, hence, simply overwhelming.

With locked left and right hands, the pair moved at an eased pace towards the way to the cabin, in hopes the mobile device would be able to be used there. The pleasant weather after the brutal blizzard was reviving for Moreau, especially being pain-free while enjoying the serene stroll with his heartmate.

With the sunny-yellow coat tied to her waist, Joy admired the earth-tone beaded, silver charm, reclaimed by her right wrist.

"Thank you for saving my birthday bracelet."

The young woman kissed the sterling fishbone, and Moreau's cheeks and lower eyelids elevated from his smile. By the midday sun, they must have searched for at least an hour. However, being underwater, swimming in sync with his lovtie could've been timeless.

"Joy is most welcome."

Joy gave him a warm belgard. "My Momo's da best swimmer."

Humbly, Moreau averted his gaze. "My Joy is da best swimmer, too."

The woman's face was tinted rosy. Her partner had said she was his 'precious person', but this was the first mention that she was his Joy. Moreau's gait jerked and his complexion was also flushed, realizing what he just said, as well. He cleared his larynx, gathering his thoughts.

"And, and you can hold your breath for a very long time!"

Joy lifted her head high, beaming from the praise.

"I haven't taken a swim in a while 'cause Mom's been busy at da hospital and it's good ta have a swim buddy."

With a left hand in his pants pocket, the small man bowed his head in agreement, even though he had always swum alone. Always.

The corners of his ruddy lips tugged upwards. Well, not anymore.

The woman giggled. "I guess swimming's like riding a bike!"

Moreau blinked quickly. "A bike?"

"Y'know… bicycles."

"Oh… Uhhh… You can ride a bicycle in the water?"

"Tee-hee-hee! I thought dat too when Mom said it ta me. It means if ya haven't been on a bike for a long time, ya still remember how ta ride it."

"Oohh…" droned her partner with a slow nod. "But I swimeded for lots and lots of years when I used to be a mons-"

"When ya were a big ol' cute polliwog fishy named Mo!" Joy softly cut in, squeezing his hand. "But people and fish don't swim da same way. And… ya used ta swim before ya were a cute fishy. You remembered… like riding a bike."

Moreau had been beaming from the young woman still describing his late, fully altered self as cute. But presently, he was staring, full of befuddlement.

Joy tugged gently, to suggest pausing their walk.

"Mo? Have ya ever ridden a bike?"

"Well… I've seen them. But…"

Idly, Moreau scrunched his toes in the dirt, which was much damper than the area near the great lake.

"…I, I don't think I ever had one…"

The woman's eyes widened but so did her smile.

"Yay!" She bounced; her feet leaving the earth multiple times. "Dis means dat I can get ta teach ya when we're in LA! Dare's a boardwalk dat's great for bike riding!"

The man's embarrassment about not having a bicycle was instantly forgotten.

"Really?"

"Really, really! It'll be super-duper fun, I promise!"

Moreau's expression matched her positivity. Any pastime with his partner was nothing short of being fun.

He glanced over his skinny shoulder. "I'd traveleded to the lake many, many times, so I never needed to worry about not seeing the smoke from the chimney. Were you worried about getting losteded again when I askeded to go to our lodge for the… uhhh… kn-knife?"

Joy made a taut smile. Per the request of her partner, they had buried the carving knife. Indeed, it'd been part of something that was required, nevertheless, it was distressful to see. Therefore, the best thing for them both was to put that sharp memory to rest. For good.

"All I could think about was making my Momo better," she replied truthfully. "But finding our lodge wasn't really… dat hard…"

Meekly, the woman indicated around them. There was jagged, broken bark and fading foliage lying on both sides, leading the way akin to a cleared path from the aftermath of some chaotic tornado.

Dishearteningly, Moreau raked the destruction by his metamorphosed hated-self's rampage. The affected trees appeared permanently damaged. Along the mess were some ruined circles of gathered twigs and feathers, apparently nests. Just how many scared squirrels and little birds had lost their homes?

Moreau lowered his head, squeezing his eyelids.

"I'm… s-s-sorry…"

Still holding his hand, Joy pressed her arm into his.

"Oh, Momo! It's… it's not your fault! You were just super scared! But look at all dose wittle trees! Forests always grow more trees!"

Moreau flittered his sad sights while discerning some saplings rising amidst the snapped branches, and a serene smile gradually returned. He felt his partner grip his hand a tad firmer.

"And ya don't have ta worry anymore 'cause Mo's all better!"

"Yes, yes… Mo's all better." The small man leaned into her. "Thank you, Joy."

Joy laid her head over his shoulder as both of their faces warmed contentedly.

"Mo is most welcome."

After a minute of mutely reveling in each other's company, Joy hummed in thought.

"Mo? Do ya know which fairy tale dat we remind us of?"

Moreau's eyes broadened then slight creases appeared around them as his mouth-line spread up further.

"Hmm-hmm-hmm… Beauty and the Beast?"

The young woman reared her head and turned it towards him, the little bridge of her nose crinkling above pearly whites. Her partner had just gotten his answer. He knew it.

Heartmates are mind readers!

"Yes, dat's da one!" Joy tittered. "Just like how da girl helps a prince get over his curse. Tho Mo was never a beast but was always my Momo!"

Grinning, Moreau regarded her, slowly tipping his head to the side. Her indifference over his former anomalies would never stop being astounding. Never.

"Beauty and the Beast is the best fairytale!" he declared with utmost certainty.

"Tee-hee! Oh, really?!" Joy playfully poked him with an elbow. "I thought ya said all'a dem were da best!"

Moreau chuckled for a bit then reopened his gaze.

"Really, really! All my books are my favorites, but that book is my uhhh… favorite-favorite. Because I, I love its happy ending."

The petite pair recalled the story's conclusion when the graceful royal and kind maiden were wed… Shyly, they looked at the ground, feeling their complexions warming up again.

"But..," said Moreau with a gloomy sigh, "I'm very far from b-being a p-prince."

He outstretched a reedy limb and then gestured to the loose button on his waistband that remained unfastened under his distended stomach.

Joy made a steadfast bob of her head. "Uh-huh, my lovtie's my handsome prince for sure!" She raised her free hand, leveling it beside his temple. "And Mo got really tall, too! I have ta look up at'cha now!"

Moreau smiled proudly. While he was relatively short, to the five-foot, optimistic woman, her perception was larger than life. Suddenly, he felt his heart practically skipping a beat.

"I'm… I'm Joy's… han-han-handsome prince?"

"A'course!" His partner placed a small pucker on his cheek. "Mo always was."

The humbled man flittered his moist vision and with clinging hands, they resumed the half-mile journey.

After some time of enjoying the melodious, pretty avians soaring and gliding above, Joy kept staring at her bracelet. Moreau spotted the familiar, contemplation of pursed lips.

"What's on Joy's mind?"

"Oh!" Joy grinned as she descended her arm. "Well… Mo was a big fishy lots'a times, right?"

Moreau droned quizzically. "Uhh… y-yes?"

"Okay… So… did'ja always lose your pants?"

"Wh-What?!"

Joy went in front of the startled man to prevent him from stumbling over. Once his bare feet were squarely planted, he refocused his gawping, unblinking eyes.

"Uh'hem! …What?"

The woman held up her palms while shrugging.

"Tee-hee, I mean… my birthday bracelet got losteded in da water so easily. And when you were a fishy, I saw da brown-chain thingy on one'a your wittle arms, but no undies or pants. So… Mo was kinda… nakey wakey..."

With a tightened scrunched mouth, Moreau's eyelids moved again. Albeit, just once.

"…But when I helped ya outta da lake, ya had your pants back on." Joy elevated her hands with a jerk of the shoulders again. "How da heck did'ja do dat so fast?"

Once his reticence flush faded, Moreau studied his chained buckskin cuff and then the pair of olive pants that his legs were currently sporting. Joy looked on while her partner finally opened his mouth with a lifted index finger.

"I… uhhh…"

He parroted the confused woman's motion of raised forearms.

"I don't know!"

"Huh! Dat's so strange."

Crossing their limbs, the pair scanned their surroundings, quietly musing on the lower apparel mystery.

Joy wiggled her fingertips. "Mer-person magic?"

Moreau mirrored her hands. "Maybe fishy magic!"

Joy sputtered into nonstop giggles for his spindly digits had accidentally reached under her armpit.

"Tee-hee-hee-hee! Tee-! St-Stop it, Mo! Tee-hee! I'm super ticklish dare!"

The smirk on Moreau's face stretched even further.

"Very good to know!"

Without hesitation, both hands went underneath the woman's arms. She let out a squeal and smirked knowingly, her fingers wriggled over her partner's light olive abdomen. With hearty chortles and a bouncing belly, Moreau jerked back, playfully swiping her hands away.

Joy's shoulders shook from the sheer amusement. "Tee-hee-hee-hee! I knew dat my best pillow would be da most ticklish! Tee-hee-hee!"

"He-hee-hee-hee! He-hee… He-he-hee… phew!"

The small man took a moment to catch his breath then squinted ahead.

"I, I, I think I see our lodge."

Joy put a hand next to her brow. "I don't see it. Ya sure, Mo?"

"Yes, yes, it looks very tiny, but it cer-certainly is our lodge!"

Joy stopped narrowing her eyes and lowered her little limb.

"Oh, I see it, now. Wow, Mo's got super-duper eyesight!"

Moreau displayed a wide, white smile over his finding and of course, the praise. He noticed his partner was wearing a lopsided grin.

"What is it, Joy?"

She turned her eyes with a mirthful look. "Since most'a snow's gone and it's not… too muddy-wuddy from da sun, we can run. …Tee-hee, dat rhymed!"

The man fluttered his sights deeply. "Run?"

Joy wiggled her eyebrows. "Would Mo wanna race?"

Moreau was absolutely beaming. Often, he had spied on the Village children playing this game and he envied how fast they could run and yearned to join in the gleeful activity. But they constantly avoided the forcefully forgotten Lord like the Spanish flu… unless they threw rotten fruit his way.

"Yes, yes, yes! Please, please!" He pumped eager fists in the air. "Let's, let's race!"

"Yay! Okay, da first one ta touch da lodge porch, wins! But can ya count ta five and let me start before ya? Mo's so tall now!"

"He-hee-hee! All right. But, but the winner gets to tickle the other!"

Joy rolled up her sweater sleeves and just thinking about the long fingers sneaking closer again triggered more giggles.

"Alright! Tee-hee-hee, I'll go when ya start counting!"

Moreau rubbed his hands as he and the excited, young woman leaned forth with one leg ready to spring.

"Okay, Joy, here, here we go! One..! Two..!"

Joy started to sprint…

"FIVE!"

"What?!"

Joy glimpsed over her shoulder to find her partner right behind.

"Hey! No… no fair! Wait-! Tee-hee-hee-hee-hee! We didn't… didn't reach our lodge yet-! Tee-hee-hee-hee-hee! Fine! Mo's turn!"

"No! Don't-! I'm sor-sorrrreeee-he-hee-hee-heeee!"

The rushing, lightsome heartmates' hilarity echoed in the woods; startling a few resident crows that were not too fond of being awoken from their woodsy perches.

Wheezing, the pair skipped over several more, slushy puddles and finally reached near the back of the foursquare dwelling. They stood over their knees, taking in much-needed breaths from the prolonged contest which had turned into more of a tickle tag than an actual race.

"Whew!" Joy straightened, brushing hair from her vision. "'Cause we aren't on da porch, can we just call it quits and say we both won so…"

She saw thin, wiggling hands reaching for her.

"…so no more tickles, please!"

Moreau emitted a lengthy sigh. Running and playing with a loved one was magnificently exhilarating.

"Hmm-hmm-hmm… okay. Yes, we both won!"

To make the truce more legitimate, he folded an arm behind his back and put out a palm. Tittering happily, Joy clasped on, and they both firmly shook twice.

When their hands retracted, Moreau's mouth-line flattened.

"Ex-Excuse me for a minute, please."

Fluttering confused eyes, Joy nodded.

"Um… alright…"

She watched Moreau tentatively walk twelve yards in the vast lot of the pine cabin. When he stopped, he seemed to be peering down at something very in particular.

The concerned woman made her way to her heartmate.

"What'cha looking at, Mo-? Oohh…"

She stood by her silent partner's side and stared down as well. Not too far from their feet were the torn-up remains of the large black boots. However, that was not what had gained the couple's full-on attention…

It was the ancient, tatteredly tailored trench-coat, spread on the drying earth.

Slowly, Moreau bent his knees and stood with the raised, huge, dirty, attire in his grip. His heavy-lidded eyes trailed from the rope-twined, crumpled hood, down to the very frayed hem. Though he was human and was now in better condition and spirit, it still felt so different to no longer have the frantic desire to cloak his humiliation.

Moreau could perceive crackly ruffles as he twirled the leather to and fro.

So very different indeed.

Joy's pupils flicked to the gray attire and then to her partner.

"Y'know what dis looks like ta me?"

"Hmm?" droned the small man, still staring at his poor sewing skills.

"A butterfly looking at his cocoon."

Moreau matched her warm smile and gradually placed the old outerwear down. His precious person's analogy was correct in a way… He may not have wings, but he'd never felt so light and so free.

So very gosh darn free.

"Does Joy want to try calling Mama Bear again?"

Joy gasped at the reminder. "Oh, dat's right!"

With the yellow smartphone back in her hand, she turned it on once more.

"Welp…" She made a small swallow. "…here we go…"

The woman bit the side of her bottom lip as Moreau tapped his tented fingertips. After the tense, short anticipation, the scintilla of hope in the woman's eyes fizzled out.

"I still don't see any'a da wittle bars, Mo."

"Oohh..," her partner responded despondently, drooping his shoulders.

Joy's left index tapped the OLED screen a few times and put the phone to her ear. But after no reaction, she shut it off once again to save power.

With downturned lips, Moreau observed Joy glumly staring at the black screen. True, his former, big, crass brother disregarded him like everyone else, but perhaps he could have been able to make Joy's phone work. After all, he was very good with all kinds of metal. And whenever Miranda called, the frizzled-haired man would eventually beckon the flat, metallic rectangle right to his glove after he purposely missed her call…

Moreau's short lashes flittered rapidly, followed by a frown flipping instantly. The recalling of his false family with smartphones had just become a literal beacon.

"Lovtie, lovtie, lovtie!" He fronted his worried partner and marched in place. "We, we can still call Mama Bear!"

"How? …Maybe we can find a higher hill somewhere-"

"I promised I would help Joy become unlosteded after the snow, remember?"

A little smile revisited the young woman's fair features.

"Yes… I remember."

"Well, most of the snow has already melteded. So, it's time to keep my promise."

"Oh! Does Mo know where we should go so my smartphone can get a signal?"

The small man nodded strongly, and Joy snuggly held the thin device to her chest.

"Really?"

"Really, really!"

Moreau halted his muddy feet. "We need to go where I used to live. It's much higher up and open. Phones had, had signals there!"

The woman canted her head. "Is it far?"

"Yes, yes, but it-it'll be worth it! Joy's phone will be able to uhh, wave to Mama Bear's phone!"

Bright green orbs shined with expectancy.

"So… I'll be able ta talk ta her?"

After another confirmed bow of the head, Joy jumped forth and was enveloped in the man's arms. Once they parted, she tucked her smartphone away again and clapped excitedly.

"Yay! We can take a buncha stuff with us! It'll be like camping!"

"Camping?" asked Moreau, tilting his view.

"Y'know… when people eat and sleep outdoors. I went camping lots'a times!" The young woman grinned, rubbing the back of her neck. "But I kinda didn't go anywhere. It was always in da backyard… Tee-hee, still fun tho."

Smiling weakly, Moreau shrugged. "I… never went camping…"

Joy took both his hands into her own and his lively mein reappeared.

"Welp, den it'll be our first real camping trip. And we already know how ta cook over a fire together."

Moreau beamed broadly. "You're right! We, we, we do!"

This was very true. They would do this!

Joy pushed herself up to meet her lips with his, and she discerned the bright and arboreous atmosphere along the cabin's cleared property.

"Do ya remember how ta get back ta your old home, Momo?"

"Not on my own," the small man admitted. "But there's a stream from the lake that will show us the way."

His partner fluttered her sights in amazement.

"Wow! How does water tell ya where to go?"

"He-he-hee!" Moreau loved and admired her inquisitiveness. "The water comes from my old home. If we follow it, we won't get losteded."

"Oh, I get it now! Have ya followed da stream lots'a times?"

"Uhhhhh…Only once. But, but don't worry, I'll remember!"

Joy sighed hopefully. "Really?"

Moreau flitted bright blue eyes at the awaiting, beautiful woman for a moment, and with a wide grin, he clinched their held hands reassuringly.

"Really, really! Hmm-hmm… Like riding a bike."