By: Moonie

Apprehension hung heavy in the air for Kowalski, who was doing his best to keep his cool, to put on a calm front, but he had a feeling his poker face was failing him tonight.

He'd been summoned to the park by Skipper, who now stood beside him, flippers behind his back, staring off across the vast moon bathed expanse of the park. His stone silence and stoic expression was not easing the scientist's anxiety one bit. Kowalski knew what was coming. But waiting was worse than the actual blow would likely be.

The two had made their partnership official just three weeks ago, and not much had happened since then. Both penguins had an issue with personal space when it came to love, and neither were especially fond of PDA. If anything, their relationship had only made things awkward between them, and perhaps even hindered their team operations to a certain degree. So Kowalski had a feeling it would come to this.

He was being dumped.

But maybe it was for the best. What had they been thinking? Well, obviously, Kowalski had been thinking about Skipper's steely determination, his stunning machismo and fearlessness in the face of danger, his ability to keep cool and calm in every situation. Those parts of Skipper fascinated Kowalski, and he'd found himself drawn to him in much the same way he was drawn to his sultry mistress, Science.

There were very few things in this world that could still surprise the brainy bird... and even fewer that puzzled him. Figuring out everything, and everyone, around him in an instant left Kowalski feeling satisfied and did well to feed his smug ego, but it also left him bored. Disappointed. But Skipper had always ignited an odd sort of curiosity within him. He'd tried figuring the guy out, and just when he thought he'd gotten it, the squaty penguin would do or say something so unpredicted, and at times illogical, that it sent him right back to square one.

Skipper was frustrating, he was impalpable, he was... intoxicating. A never ending well of knowledge; he felt he'd never run out of things to learn about Skipper. He wanted to explore every inch of his mind, and then some.

Now was not a good time to be thinking about that. Kowalski felt his face heating up to dangerously high temperatures, crossed his flippers over his chest, and turned his head as far away from Skipper as he could. He didn't even turn back when he heard Skipper speak up at last.

"Kowalski, I'm just going to come out and say it... I don't like where this relationship is going."

Kowalski slumped and his nose holes began to burn from tears that were getting harder and harder to keep at bay. Well, there it was. But he didn't dare say anything just yet. He didn't trust his voice not to crack right now.

"Which, is nowhere, really. It's just sitting there, doing nothing. Like a lump of pudding, or... a hippie. And you KNOW how I feel about those."

Kowalski turned to Skipper now, curiously. But Skipper wasn't looking at him. His gaze hadn't moved from the field.

"We need to... move it forward." his flippers pushed out in front of him for emphasis. After a moment, he turned to Kowalski, his expression calm, his flippers back behind him. "And I don't know how to do that." he finished, matter-of-factually.

Skipper stood there, looking at Kowalski, coolly, and it took the analyst a moment to realize he was expected to reply now.

"Oh, uh, well-"

"I mean, sure, I've been in relationships before. With GIRLS. I KNOW how that goes down. But how do I romance a fellow man? Do we... do we wrestle?"

Skipper looked genuinely stumped and desperate, and Kowalski cleared his throat loudly, and averted his gaze.

"Well! That seems like something better suited for... later, in our, relationship. But I am confident you'll figure out what to do. You're a born leader, after all." Kowalski finished with a smile that Skipper couldn't decide if it was genuine or sarcasm.

The shorter penguin scratched his chin in thought. "Hm... well, if this was a mission and I found myself in a perplexing situation..." he looked at Kowalski and shrugged. "I'd ask the options guy. Kowalski?"

The team analyst had to stop himself from instinctually grabbing his notepad, and sighed instead. That had backfired, what else was new.

"I suggest starting with a date." he replied flatly.

Skipper frowned in confusion and raised a brow. "Men can do that?"

Kowalski stared back, and blinked a few times, before replying. "Um... yes?"

Skipper was smiling for the first time tonight now. "Well, that makes it easier! Come on, we'll go to that fancy new science museum downtown. We're moving this forward, even if it kills me!"

Skipper was already headed back, presumably to fetch the car, and a grin slowly crept across Kowalski's beak as it sunk in.

"We're going to the new Science Emporium?" Kowalski asked, his excitement pitching his voice up to barely understandable squeak.

"Sure. Are you coming, or not? It'd be a shame to go on a date with myself. Not to mention kinda weird."

Kowalski bounded after his mate, nearly tripping over himself in the process, his giddiness now at uncontrollable levels.

Soon they were seated in their bright pink car, Skipper behind the wheel, and Kowalski beside him, trying very hard not to bounce in his seat. Skipper turned the ignition, and the car purred to life. The team leader then turned to his mate.

"Kowalski, before we do this thing, I want to make one thing very clear."

"Okay... I'm all ear holes, Skipper."

Kowalski wasn't expecting Skipper to stretch up and kiss the tip of his beak. But that was why Kowalski loved the guy. Unpredictable as always.

"I've never regretted this for a second."