Rosa's POV
-I would have never guessed.-
-Sal.-
A small smile spread across Rosa's face.
"You were amazing back there. I am in awe," Rosa said.
"No no! Don't say that. I was doing what I should've done. I saw the harpy eagle coming towards you, I can't just let you get hunted," Sal shook his head, quickly replying back to Rosa.
"Sal, I told you that due to my colorful body of blue, green, yellow, and red, predators treat me like poison," Rosa responded, blinking her large, red eyes.
"Wait, you're poisonous- Ooooh, you did tell me…" Sal sheepishly said, his memories finally loading into his brain, "I got so caught in the moment, I um- completely forgot…"
Sal embarrassingly scratched his head, laughing weakly.
Rosa stared right towards Sal, her eyes glimmered even more than before.
A newfound respect swallowed her entire body.
"Why did you try and save me?"
Rosa couldn't stop her curious thoughts churning in her brain. She wanted to know. I want to know why.
"I guess-" Sal hesitated on his words, his tongue stumbling with the syllables and struggled to find the correct words, "I felt too embarrassed of myself."
"Embarrassed with how much you cared about me but I cowardly hid away."
"When I climbed away when the harpy eagle came, without even telling you or protecting you, I realized you could've died at that moment, and I did nothing to help."
"And while you were trying to help me, whether that was during the army ants or the harpy eagle, I backed away like a weakling."
"I-" Sal choked on a couple of words. It was obvious this was not an easy confession to make.
"I was so selfish."
"I realized that what I was doing, I was… I was just pushing you to die."
"But I'm tired of being a coward, a weakling."
"When I saw you being approached by the harpy eagle."
"I didn't know what was going on, but I knew that I didn't want you to get hurt."
"I hic-"
"I'm sorry Rosa, I'm so sorry for being such a bad animal, I hic-"
Sal might as well have been causing a flood. Tears bawled out of his eyes, falling out like a torrential rain. Yet despite the rasped voice and hiccups, Sal squeezed his words out.
"Hic. Hic. I-"
"Sal," Rosa suddenly said. Sal froze on the spot, even the hiccups were too scared to come out.
"You were amazing. Unbelievably brave, unbelievably strong."
"Even though you made me feel disappointed at times, made me question why we are still talking buddies…"
"You improve yourself, you make progress. That is a rare sight to see."
"So Sal, let's stop being talking buddies."
Rosa paused.
A faint blush covered her face.
With a little cute frown, Rosa balled her little orange toes up and gave a little cough.
-I really do not like you, Rony.-
"Would you like to be-"
-I despise you even more when you are right.-
"My friend?"
---------------
???'s POV
???'s ears were filled with shouts.
???'s friend couldn't stop exclaiming.
"YOU WHAT?!"
"Are you serious?!"
"Why did you do this?"
"..."
"So, you were trying to help me."
"Man, now I can't get angry with you. You were just trying to look after me, after the Army."
"Thanks bud."
"But tell me, how was Sal? What was he like?"