This is based on the song "Just A Kiss" by Lady Antebellum. I don't own the song, or the characters here.

~~~Skipper POV~~~

"Marlene, no!" I yelled to Marlene before she tried to do her flip. She didn't hear me, or wasn't listening, and fell head first into the rock. I ran to her, trusting my team would follow me. When I reached her, she was unmoving, eyes closed.

"Kowalski, analysis." He did something a rather to check, then turned to me.

"She appears to be unconscious, sir." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Ok, Kowalski, now tell me IN ENGLISH whether or not she'll be alright." He sighed, but who cares? Marlene's safety was the first thing on my mind.

"She'll live, sir, but we should probably get her to a vet." I grabbed my delusional soldier by the shoulders and shook him.

"No. They'll never get here on time, and there's no knowing what they'll do to her. We have to help her." With that I picked her up.

"Boys, we're going back to HQ." We started walking back. As we went, I looked carefully at the girl in my arms. The feelings I'd hidden for so long came back stronger from holding h- hang on, this is classified. Why am I telling you this? I've said too much.

We got to HQ, and I set her down on my bunk. I knelt beside her, willing her to wake up.

"Kowalski?"

"Yes Skipper?" I paused.

"You sure she'll be alright?"

~~~Marlene POV~~~

My head was spinning a bit, but I forced my eyes open for the first time in who knows how long to see Skipper. He was kneeling - to the best of his ability - on the ground beside me, so close, head turned, talking to someone, Kowalski most likely. He sounded worried. I decided not to let on that I was awake. I was lying in his bunk, not sure how I got here.

"You sure she'll be alright?"

"Yes, sir, there has been no evidence to prove the opposite. She'll be fine. Just let her be." Skipper shook his head.

"I can't just go and leave her in her time of need. I'm staying here." Kowalski shook his head at Skipper's stubbornness. I just rolled my eyes at it.

"As you wish, sir." Kowalski left the room; I think the others were in the lab. I closed my eyes again just as Skipper turned to look at me. He touched me on the arm and I shivered slightly, didn't mean to, but I did. He began to speak, and I was glad I'd chosen to stay "asleep".

"Oh Marlene, please, make it through this, ok? For me?" He sighed. "I don't do this often. It is so much easier to just say classified. Sounds cooler, too. But you can't hear me, can you, so I may as well." I felt a little guilty, but I was curious to see what he'd say, so I remained still.

"I love you, Marlene. Always have. Always will. But you don't love me, do you? I want to become your significant other," he chuckled to himself a little, "but I don't want to mess it all up. I don't want to push you. You mean too much to me to lose you completely for a very selfish reason. And I don't want to lose you now. Stay strong, for me. Please?" As he spoke, I felt my fur become wet. I slowly opened my eyes a second time. He was crying, and didn't see me wake up. I enclosed him in a hug. It was then he looked up. He swiped at his tears, in case I hadn't seen them. He was too proud for his own good.

"Marlene?" I just held onto him.

"I love you too." He looked taken aback.

"You do? hm ahem. How much did you actually hear?" I laughed a little.

"Enough." He looked embarrassed. "I don't want to ruin this either, but I'm gonna do this anyway." I kissed him. After a moment, he kissed me back. A creak came from the direction of the lab, but we ignored it. The door clicked back anyway. We soon parted, but I continued staring into his ocean-blue eyes.

"That good for you?" He nodded.

"But what if we destroy this?"

"Oh Skipper, I'm alright with just a kiss tonight."