Author: Pirate Turner
Rating: G
Summary: Only Kowalski can soothe Rico's beast when it becomes fully unleashed.
Warnings: Slash, Established Pairing
Word Count: 522
Date Written: 27 July, 2011
Challenge: For the XDisneyDreamers LJ comm's weekly challenge
Disclaimer: Rico, Kowalski, Skipper, Private, all other characters mentioned within, and the Penguins of Madagascar are & TM DreamWorks and any other rightful owners, none of whom are the author; are used without permission; and may not be used without permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Everybody who knew them knew of his love's volatile temper, but few knew how to calm him. Skipper almost always managed to soothe Rico's fury, but tonight Rico continued to refuse to be calmed even as Skipper barked out commands. Kowalski couldn't blame his love; he, too, felt like having a berserker fit. After all, he'd been the one taken prisoner, and it had been a hard battle to win his freedom. Even now that their enemies had fled, taking their unconscious with them, Kowalski's heart continued to hammer in his heaving chest, even drowning out Rico's anguished squawks.
And then it stopped beating entirely as Skipper stepped directly into Rico's frenzied path and yelled at him to stop. Kowalski's eyes widened with fear as Rico's flippers raised into the air. Kowalski did not know if Skipper was simply stubbornly ignoring the reddened fury in Rico's eyes or was honestly completely unaware of the effects his approach was about to bring down upon his commanding head. "NO!" Kowalski squawked, racing forward.
Private gulped as he watched Rico's flipper coming down at his love's face. His own flippers pressed against his round, frightened face. "Skipper!" he cried, hiding his eyes behind his flippers and then peeking hesitantly through his splayed, ebony feathers.
Kowalski sped across the floor and slid between Skipper and Rico as Rico's flipper came down. He took the strike meant for Skipper, whom Rico had not even recognized as their friend and commander, and even as it knocked a squawk from him and Rico blinked in startled surprise at his love's cry, Kowalski wrapped his flippers around his mate and pulled him close.
Rico blinked. "Koaski?" he squawked, the anger draining from him and being replaced with sorrow. He looked pitifully up at him. "Sowwy."
"Sh," Kowalski returned, stroking his love's cheek and ignoring the pain flaming through his own face. "It's okay," he murmured, and then he pressed his beak to Rico's and silenced any further protests his love might have to declare. The world might not know how to handle his love's temper tantrums. Some of his fits might be so terrible that even Skipper didn't really know what to do with him, but Kowalski always knew how to soothe his love's raging anger. Rico finished melting in Kowalski's flippers, and it was Kowalski who carried Rico home that night rather than the rescuer carrying his rescuee.
Rico relaxed in Kowalski's loving flippers, his head resting against his chest and his ear listening to the gentled rhythm of his beloved's heartbeat as they headed home. "Aw," Private commented as he waddled forward behind the couple.
"Straight forward, soldier," Skipper announced, finishing gathering his dignity to him.
"Yes, sir, Skipper, sir!" Private acknowledged, saluting his secret lifemate. He waddled along beside him after Rico and Kowalski and then quietly reached out and took his flipper in his. Skipper glanced down at their joined flippers, and though he then looked immediately and sharply back up, a smile nonetheless curved his beak. They held flippers all the rest of the way home, and the two couples shared their hearts forever more.
The End