Unexpected Perfection (Emperor's New Groove)

Part Sixteen

I layed on a towel near the water's edge as the village children played in the water. My mom sat next to me laying out the food we had prepared earlier. A month has passed since I helped move Kuzco into his summer home.

In those weeks, we had been working together on creating a better school system. I have also been giving him advice on certain things when he asks for it. Kuzco has been doing his best to be a better Emperor and I am so proud. He's still his playful, sarcastic, and confident self but he is no longer afraid to help and care for others.

At this moment, he was playing with Chaca and Tipo in the cool spring. To say that it didn't make Kuzco more attractive in my eyes would be a lie.

A natural stream ran into the pool of water, enabling everyone to use it as a water slide. By everyone I mean the kids and the two man-childs, my dad and Kuzco.

Sitting up, I grabbed Yupi from the pack that was strapped to Mom's back. My new little brother was born shortly after we returned home from our adventure. He already had a head full of black hair. Leaning him against my legs, he stared at me with wide eyes. Drool leaked out of his mouth as he played with strands of my hair.

A body plopped down next to mine, "Hey there, buddy." Kuzco lightly tickled Yupi's small stomach.

"Hey, nice poncho," I said, glancing at him.

He smiled and ran his hands over it. "You're mom made it for me. Look," he pointed at the design, "it's a llama."

We continued to chat and play with Yupi. The rest of my family joined us and we shared stories over the lunch my mom and I had made.

It was a beautiful day with the sun high in the sky. Maybe it would have been too hot but the soft breeze made it perfect. We sat under a canopy of trees and families could jump in the springs if they got warm.

I was amazed at how close Kuzco already was with my family. He and my dad were close friends of course but the rest of the family accepted him with ease. My mom was hesitant at first, concerned that he would return to his old ways, but quickly took him under her wing. They would cook together and she's even teaching him how to crochet after his asking, but he would deny it if you asked.

My sister, Chaca, to put it simply, is in love with him. It started as an obsession with him being the Emperor but quickly grew into a crush as they got to know each other. I'm pretty sure she thinks they'll get married. And then there is Tipo, the little stinker. He believes Kuzco isn't good enough for me but that's just to cover how much he admires the Emperor.

Whenever Kuzco is talking, you can find Tipo just staring up at him in amazement. He follows him around, thinking no one notices, with excuses like, "I gotta make sure he's good enough for Amara." Kuzco has become a man that Tipo looks up to besides our dad no matter how hard he tries to hide it.

"So when are you two leaving again?" my mom asked me and Kuzco. My dad held little Yupi in his large arms but looked at us.

"Next month," Kuzco said. He smiled at me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

I looked at my parents, "We're gonna finish everything we're working on by then. Have the school system implemented after the summer, which is around when we'll leave."

My dad looked thoughtful, "Isn't it strange to leave right when the new schools are starting?"

"Well, my idea is that we can visit some schools while we travel the Empire and help them where they need it. I have also created a clear list of expectations for the ones we miss for the advisors and village leaders to manage."

My parents both smiled in pride. "You've got it all under control. We're proud of you, honey," my dad said.

My mom nudged my dad, "Well, what would you expect, Pacha? She is my daughter."

"Oh really? 'Cause yesterday you said she was my daughter," he said, smirking.

An eyebrow rose, "That's only when she doesn't listen to me."

~

Kuzco and I sat outside my house as we watched the sun disappear behind the hills. This had become a tradition every night ever since we stood next to each other at the palace. It was time for both of us to be alone and relax in silence. Sometimes we talked but we were both fine with just sitting in each other's presence.

"I'm happy," he stated softly.

I gave a short laugh and said, "I'm glad."

"I was never happy. Not really."

I frowned and looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"At the palace, you know, I had everything but it didn't make me feel better. It may have looked like it on the outside," he mentioned toward himself, "but on the inside, I was lost and alone."

"I guess you didn't have anyone, did you?" I said, grabbing his hand.

He smiled and looked toward the darkening sky, "No," he quickly turned toward me, "I always remembered this one time when I was young. My mom was singing to me, it was before she died, of course, so I was only a few years old, but this memory reminded me how it felt to be loved." He took in a deep breath, "No one loved me after they died."

I wiped a tear that escaped from his cheek causing him to give a muffled 'thanks' and then continue to talk, "It's crazy that you can have the whole world in the palm of your hands but it doesn't mean a thing. Not when you don't have anyone."

"Well, when you have someone, you may not have the world but you are the world to them," I said softly as I ran my fingers through his hair. Kuzco's watery eyes snapped to mine and he pulled me into a tight hug. I sniffed, "What a pair are we, huh?"

"What are you talking about? We're perfect."

"I guess when you find the right person that's broken too, you're perfect together. I never expected to fall in love."

He looked at me and smirked. "Unexpected perfection."

I laid my head on his shoulder as we watched the stars, counting how many shooting stars we saw. A woven blanket was wrapped around us to protect us from the cold.

Kuzco's neck snapped towards me, his eyebrows furrowed. "Did you say you loved me?"

I frowned, "Uh, hah, no."

"Right."

"Oh please, it's too early for that anyway," I didn't dare to look at him.

"Sure." I huffed and kept my attention on the sky. "Well, I guess I'll be the first one to say it then." I hummed in question. "I love you, Amara."

I looked at him with my mouth gaping like an ugly fish. He laughed at my shocked expression causing my mind to snap back to attention. "I love you too, Kuzco."

"Me too."

I hit his arm, "Don't make me take it back."

"Oh, you can't take it back. You're stuck with me now."

I rolled my eyes, "Perfection my–"

He pointed a warning finger at me, "Hey, don't finish that, young lady." He pulled me in closer to his side and kissed me on the cheek.

This is why we still argue about who said 'I love you' first. As we sat there, both immersed in our thoughts, we knew that no matter how life went, if we had each other, everything would be fine. Everything would be unexpectedly perfect.

And this isn't even the end.