Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything you recognize. They belong to their respective creators. This is just a fic I wrote as the basis for a friend's manga.
Penguin Romantica: Skipper x Private
The Beginning
Skipper took a deep breath, inhaling the rich and soothing scent of his freshly-brewed morning coffee. It was contraband, stolen from the humans' supplies by the rest of the team, which only served to make him more proud. He loved these early mornings, rising with the sun to find the others still asleep and reviewing the day's schedual. "Hmm" he sighed to himself, looking over the roughly-sketched charts Kowalski had made for designating jobs. For the fourth time that week, Kowalski had requested to be assigned to the same duty as Rico and it was starting to intrigue him. "Maybe..."
"Skipper?"
The soft voice came from somewhere behind the elder penguin, washed with exhaustion and curiosity. He was surprised, as he turned to peer over his shoulder, to realize that Private had entered the room unnoticed, rubbing his eyes cutely as he did so in a vain attempt to rid himself of the sleep that still clung to him.
"What are you doing up, soldier?" Asked the larger penguin kindly, rising to approach the younger, who simply stared up at him adoringly. He wrapped his wing around the other's shoulders protectively, steering him back toward their bunkbeds. "You should be resting. We have a busy day ahead of us. Its time we get rid of that noisy boombox for good. Julian's starting to drive me crazy with his all-night dance parties. I don't understand how you boys get any shut-eye with all of that racket." Gently he ushered the smaller, thoughtfully-frowning bird into his bunk, watching as the other made himself comfortable. "Take a load off, Private. Thats an order." He winked at the younger playfully before turning to leave, but not before a soft "Thank you, sir" reached his ears. Skipper then proceeded to inspect their quarters for cleanliness, the same tell-tale smile never falling from place.
Private lay in bed listlessly as he listened to the other's retreating footsteps. He couldn't help but blush at the other's comments and actions, his heart pounding in his ears from even the slightest contact as his cheeks stained a pale pink. He had known for a long time that he possesed feelings for his team captain, but had, until now, been too shy and afraid of rejection to express himself. Silently praying that his plan would work, the petite penguin slipped from his bunk, placing a neatly-wrapped parcel with a large red bow gently down upon his leader's bed. Casting a backward glance at the enterance to Kowalski's lab, the source of Skipper's echoed footsteps, the younger gently slipped from their shared room. 'Hopefully finishing my chores early will come in handy this time around" he thought optimistically to himself, just as he slipped into the warming light of the rising sun.
Three hours ticked by on the small clock that hung on the wall, each second passing with painful slowness in the realization that there was no one there to hear each individual 'tick', before Skipper finally finished inspection. It had been a grueling task, and he was exhausted, having pain-stakingly searched every nook and cranny of their home for imperfections. Sighing he hoisted himself up, fully preparing to leap into his bunk and get some rest before continuing on with his daily jobs, when he spotted a finely decorated gift-wrapped present resting upon his bed. Curious, he lifted himself up, sitting up on the edge of his personal space and shaking the box gently to see if it was perhaps a threatening trap, like a bomb or rotten fish. When he was satisfied with his inspection he began to unwrap the gift, removing the ribbon gently before following suit with the metallic-silver wrappings. He was astonished to find, when it was completely unwrapped, that the gift was a painting. In thin, colorful lines you could see the silhouette of two penguins, holding hands and sitting on the rooftop of a building and looking out into the sunset. Above their heads floated a small, neon red heart. In the lower, right hand corner the picture had been signed in flowing cursive letters:
"Love always, Private"
Skipper smiled at the painting lovingly, running his flipper gently over its textured surface, sniffling slightly. He couldn't have imagined a better gift, one that took more time and thought to bring to life. There had to be some way to repay the younger, to reveal his true feelings for the petite penguin that had held his heart for so long. "But how?" He asked himself aloud, inhaling deeply. He knew he could not just come out and say it, he was far too proud and Private much too shy, while just thanking the younger for the gift would simply come across as a rejection. Deciding to think about it throughout the day, he delicately placed the painting in the secret space beneath his floorboards that Kowalski had made during Blowhole's first attack, laid out the day's schedual, and exited the room in favor of checking in on the noisy lemurs they were forced to call neighbors.
King Julian posed as he was forced high up into the sky by his giant bouncy house, smiling maniacally as he spotted the secretive penguin darting through the alleys. He allowed himself several smaller bounces as he came to a stop, never one to deprive himself, and made his way over to his throne, where Maurice was waiting with his favorite fruity treats.
"I had Mort get more sweets from the Humans, your magesty" came the other's voice from somewhere below him, "Would you like me to get you some?"
"Of course, silly Maurice, but not yet," he purred royally, perching his feet lightly against the armrest of his chair as he leaned back, "Not right now, I have a feeling we are about to get a - "
"JULIAN!"
The call cut the lemur king short in mid-sentence, though he did not seem bothered. Rather, he watched the seething penguin from over the tip of his nose, grinning hugely. "Hello there, loud-mouthed flightless bird. What brings you here to-day?" He kept his voice calm and musical, not wanting to rush. 'After all, why should a king rush for anyone but himself?' He mused inwardly, his smile growing still further.
"I've had just about enough with your all-night party nonesense," started Skipper angrily, his fists clenching as he watched the 'King' reach down and begin eating one of the peices of candy that filled a bowl currently taped to Mort's head, clearly not paying attention, "You need to stop. Not one more party or the boombox gets it!"
"But we like to party!" cried the big eyed lemur at the bottom of the throne, his eyes watering, "It makes King Julian happy!"
The mentioned Lemur looked down at the smaller in disgust, turning his nose up to the sky, "Mort? What did I say about speaking?"
The younger tilted his head to the side in confusion before his eyes began to light up in rememberance. "Shut up a little?"
"Thats right! Now why dont you go do that someplace-" the king gestured absently with his hand, "Over there?"
The small lemur ran off in the general direction that the elder had pointed in, skipping and humming merrily as he went.
"Now, what was it you wanted again, silly love-tied penguin?"
Skipper, frustrated, opened his mouth to retort, blinked several times with realization and the closed his beak thoughtfully. "What did you just call me?"
"Love-tied," repeated the regal lemur airily, popping another sweet into his mouth. "You know, when someone is so distracted by tha love that they dont see anything else. Its quite a serious case, I might add. Oh! I just did."
The penguin burned ruby red with a blush, trying frantically to hide it behind a mask of exasperation. "Why on this green earth would you call me that?"
Maurice snorted with laughter, though he was quickly silenced by a threatening look from his king. "Its quite obvious, I've been playing my music for a month now and you haven't done anything. I wonder who it is. Have you tried a little romance on the lucky lady?" He winked down at the increasingly flustered Skipper. "Maybe you should try. You look a little tense."
The captian turned and growled as he left the Lemur habitat, muttering incoherently about 'clueless lemurs' and 'just a little romance'. He didn't bother the ringtail about his boombox again. Though he hated to admit it, deep in his heart he knew that the Lemur had given him a brilliant idea.
Private watched the object of his affections intently as the elder strolled back into the habitat purposefully, signaling for Kowalski to follow him. He tried to gain the taller's attention, to meet his eyes, but failed. Left with no other alternative, the forlorn penguin continued to scrub the concrete that formed their main platform.
"Now you understand the plan, soldier?" Asked Skipper seriously, looking up into the others eyes with a sense of urgency.
"Of course, skipper. I need to give this to Private, who should be up on the roof, and tell him I found it on his bed." Repeated Kowalski mechanically, "but can't you tell me why we're doing this? Why can't you just give it to him yourself?"
The captian sighed, rubbing at his temples. "No time, so let's just say its part of a new training exersize, centered around... umm... trust. Thats right, I need to know that you trust me enough to follow my orders even if you don't understand them. That way we can get even more done."
"Understood, sir!" replied the taller happily, trotting towards the exit with a letter in hand, talking quietly to himself. "Of course! Increasing productivity! Its brilliant!"
Skipper smiled contentedly and went to go get his supplies. Setting up would be difficult, but he knew that if his plan worked he wouldn't have to worry about anything ever again.
Private sighed, staring out into the sunset longingly. He had been sitting there on the rooftop, alone, for several hours now. He wished desperately that Skipper could be there with him, that the other returned his feelings. He knew his captain had recieved his gift, the wrapping paper had been in the garbage and the present absent from the bed. He had thought it strange that the ribbon had been missing, but didn't reflect on it for too long. Skipper had kept him and the others busy with missions the entire day, not once aknowledging the gift. He could not help but feel down about it, his heart aching as he thought about the elder, wishing that they could somehow be together, even though it seemed hopeless.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Private jumped at the words, his heart leaping up into his throat, as he turned to face the newcomer. Then his face fell. "Oh, hi Kowalski." He murmured sadly, looking down.
The taller penguin could not help but feel sorry for Private, he looked so sad, as if he had been expecting something but been let down. He looked at the small letter in his hands, pondering on its meaning before holding it out to the other. "Here, it's adressed to you. I found it on your bed earlier, but you weren't there so I thought I'd bring it up to you. Rico said you had been up here for most of the afternoon, that's how I knew where you'd be."
The smaller could not help but gasp when he saw the letter, placed into a small, ivory-colored envelope and embellished with the same ribbon he had used to cover Skipper's gift. He opened it carefully, making sure not to damage the note inside:
"I hope you weren't too disapointed by my absense. There is a surpise waiting for you down in the zoo keeper's guest cabin. "
Private's heart skipped a beat as he read the words over and over, nearly dropping the letter in his surprise. Ecstatic he ran from the roof, making his way towards the cabin with a speed no one would have suspected from such a small bird. When he finally reached the door he took a deep breath, suddenly anxious and shy. He could here faint music coming from inside, no doubt one of the ones king Julian had pilfered in his expeditions into the city. He pushed the door open and immediately found himself staring, slack-jawed with shock. The large bed normally in the center of the room had been removed, replaced with a much lower yet richly furnished matress. Pink and white and ruby-tinted candles accented the room, filling the air with warmth and shadowy light as his eyes followed the path of rose petals that had been scattered haphazardly across the floor. They trailed from the doorway to the matress, scattered about over the satiny sheets and pillow, where a small peice of canvas lay. Curious, Private followed the path and lifted the canvas, though he was surprised to find it completely blank. Suddenly two strong wings wound their way around his waist, and he felt the gentle nudging of a beak against the crook of his neck.
"I think we should make our own memories," a smooth, husky voice whispered from behind him, gentle breaths skating across his skin as the words were spoken, "Not limit ourselfs to the ones that can be put on paper"
The smaller penguin spun around in the other's grasp, his breath hitching as he found himself staring into the eyes of his crush, laden with love and lust. "S-sk-skipper?" He stammered, his voice dying in his throat as he felt a light rain of kisses being placed along his neck. Suddenly he found himself pressed back into the bed, Skipper stradling him as they fell together.
"Shhhh, don't speak. We should just enjoy the moment." He moved one wing to private's back, supporting him as he ground their bodies together, reveling in the soft sounds that the younger made at the contact.
Private closed his eyes, his mind hazy with disbelief and pleasure. He couldn't have imagined that he would be this lucky, a choked moan leaving his parted beak as the elder rubbed against him once again, his own back arching in ecstacy.
The elder penguin stared down at the one he had long had a crush on, partially amazed at the state they were in yet to aroused to spend time dwelling on it. He had had feelings for the younger since he had first joined the team, yet had been too afraid to tell anyone lest it ruin their friendship. He moved his beak down the crook of the other's neck and down to his stomach, continuing his administrations as he proceeded further downward, not stopping until his beak penetrated the soft and sensual spot in the younger's lower regions. He continued to open and close his beak slightly, pleasuring his new found lover, closing his eyes as strengthening cries of happiness swept through his partner. The cries incresed in intensity and volume until the smaller released, and skipper righted himself happily, nuzzling the younger and making sure that he was comfortable before moving forward with his plans. He leaned down, rubbing their beaks together as he steadily moved his free wing down the other's stomach, down to the sensitive area between his legs, stimulating him. He could not help but love the reaction he was recieving, all coherent thoughts vanishing as the two reached their limits once again, their shadows on the wall merging as they relaxed back into the soft comforter. He gathered the smaller penguin into his arms, nuzzling him gently as he did so, smiling affectionately at the way the other yawned cutely. He wrapped the now-wrinkled satin blanket around them, using both it and his own body to warm his lover. "I love you, Private. I always have and always will."
Private sighed in contentment, thouroughly exhausted yet pleased beyond measure. "I love you too, skipper. I'm glad we had this night," he laughed softly as he closed his eyes, "It was better than any sunset could have ever been."
The other gently ran his wing down the others face, caressing his cheek softly before kissing the smaller's forehead. "We have plenty more ahead of us. Sweet dreams, beautiful."
And with that the two penguins fell asleep in each other's arms, drifting off into a dreamworld of the most amazing sunsets and romantic nights either could have ever imagined.
When Skipper finally awoke he was surprised to find that it was still dark out, Private still cuddled in his arms. The smaller stirred, opening his eyes and blinking away sleep blearily.
"Skipper?"
The larger laughed warmly, his thoughts immediately brought back to the previous morning. It seemed so far off to him, as if an eternity had vanished. He rubbed his beak against the other's affectionately, happy when the gesture was returned. Suddenly he had another idea. "Follow me." he ordered gently, rising to his feet and making his way out the door.
Private was confused but followed his new lover happily. He didn't want to risk upsetting them when they had only just confessed their feelings for each other. He was increadilby surprised, however, when Skipper led him up to the roof and patted an empty space where he could sit next to the other. As he did he felt his heart melt, the older's flipper wrapping around him protectively as he was pulled into a loving hug. They sat in silence for a long time, just watching as the sunrise approached, dawn's gentle red and pink fingers creeping up over the horizon as the new day began.
After a long pause, Skipper spoke again. "Just 24 hours ago this was a dream of yours, just a fantasy. Now its as real as you and me." He began, looking down and meeting the smaller's eyes as he smiled. "Now we're together. That will never change. And now, after all is said and done, we can make sure not a single dream, or a single wish, of yours ever goes unanswered."
The two watched in contentment as the sun made its full appearence over the distant city skyline before returning to their own bunks. The others were still asleep, and soon they would be too. They could tell Kowalski and Rico later on in the day, they figured, as they closed their eyes for the second time that day. For now it was their little secret to hold dear to their hearts.