A late night in New York saw three penguins holed up in an underwater headquarters, sitting around a concrete table with cards in their hands. A pile of fish sat in the center of the table.
Kowalski looked suspiciously to Private, who looked suspiciously to Rico. Then, Rico swiped Private's and Kowalski's cards and added them to his hand, which he then proudly placed upon the table. "I win!" he grunted, taking all the fish for himself.
"Rico, what game are you playing?" Private asked incredulously.
"Just let him have it," Kowalski sighed. Rico had been gradually becoming more unpredictable with Skipper's continued absence. Their leader was on another solo mission to parts unknown. Kowalski didn't know when he'd be back, but he hoped it was soon.
And apparently he would have to run some tests on hope, because Skipper chose that moment to drop down the entrance hatch.
"Skippah! You're back!" Private cheered gleefully.
"Skibbah!" Rico yelled in between a mouthful of fish, a giant smile on his beak.
"Yes, boys, I'm back," Skipper announced in his smooth voice. "Glad to see HQ is still in one piece."
"Skippah, where've you been? And what have you been doing all this time?"
"Classified, Private."
"Right. Worth a shot."
"Nice try anyway. Kowalski! I need to talk to you. In private." Without waiting for an answer, Skipper turned and disappeared into the lab with a gesture for the tallest penguin to follow him. After exchanging glances with Private and Rico, Kowalski reluctantly followed.
"Sir?" he addressed his commander after making sure the door was closed tight.
Skipper now looked considerably less calm and collected than a few minutes prior. He couldn't meet Kowalski's eyes, and kept drawing circles on the floor with his foot. Looking very closely revealed a dark shade of pink under his white cheek feathers.
"I got you something," Skipper mumbled. He held out a velvet pouch. Kowalski took it from him and opened it.
It was the Hope Diamond.
"This is the Hope Diamond," Kowalski said.
"Yeah. I, uh. Thought you could use it in one of your mad scientist experiments! Or whatever."
"This is what your solo mission was?"
"Sure was. I tell you what, stealing that thing on my own was not easy. But! Totally worth it. I mean...if you like it. Do you like it?"
Kowalski looked at the glimmering jewel. He could certainly find some uses for it. "I do. But, Skipper, why...oh."
Oh.
It was a pebble.
Well, not a pebble, exactly. Traditionally, penguins gift their mates with pebbles. They often search long and hard for the perfect pebble to give their mate. Except apparently Skipper thought only the ultimate pebble would do for his. So he took on a long, dangerous, and difficult mission by himself to present Kowalski with the perfect prize—the most sought after rock in the world.
And now he looked extremely nervous.
"Skipper, I'm flattered. I appreciate it, I really do, but..."
"You hate it." Skipper slumped over, crushed.
"No, that's not what I was going to say."
"Just give it to me straight, Kowalski! No dragging it out! I can take it!" Skipper was raving now, completely lost in his own paranoid thoughts. Kowalski sighed, rolled his eyes, and smacked him. Mulled by the slap, Skipper didn't protest as Kowalski's flippers laid flat on his shoulders.
"Skipper, I am your mate," Kowalski told him with a raised eyebrow. "You don't have to try so hard to impress me. You already have. That's why I'm with you, remember? The diamond is nice, but, Skipper, I prefer your company." He leaned back only an inch, glancing softly down at Skipper. "I did miss you while you were gone."
"Me too," Skipper groaned miserably, latching onto Kowalski's lower half. "But I had to. I just had to. You deserve the best, and I'm going to be the penguin that gives that to you."
Kowalski sighed and stroked his mate's flat head. For as masculine and dominant as Skipper was in their relationship, it was only natural he would feel a need to provide for him. "Just promise me: no more solo missions to bring me nice things."
"I promise," Skipper whined, burying his face in Kowalski's chest. He tilted his head back to pout up at the scientist. "Are you gonna experiment on it now?"
Kowalski looked at the diamond, then at Skipper. Closing the pouch, he set it down in a safe place.
"Not just yet," he purred, rubbing Skipper's hips. "We have some catching up to do."