A/N: Hi there, this is my first Penguins of Madagascar fic, so I apologise if sometimes the characters are a bit OOC.
Reviews would be appreciated, thanks x
It had only been a few hours since the Arlene/Marlene incident had been cleared up, and the powers that be decided to put the otter into the penguin enclosure for the time it would take to empty, clean and refill her over-chlorinated pool.
However, the penguins initial reaction of extreme approval towards 'Arlene', and the resulting revelation that it was in fact Marlene with bleached fur, meant it was going to be an awkward night for them all, but no doubt it would be the most awkward for their leader.
For as much as Skipper maintained that his open flirting with the bleached Marlene was just an act, the youngest recruit sensed it was far more genuine than his commander was admitting to.
It had not gone unnoticed to Private that there were sparks of something in the air whenever Marlene and Skipper were together, and this whole scenario only fuelled his theory. As he set up a separate sleeping area for their mammalian guest, per his orders, he considered the pros and cons of probing Skipper for the truth. Dare he break rank and approach his superior officer about something so personal?
Maybe later… If the opportunity presented itself… And Marlene was out of earshot…
"Private!"
The young penguin was startled by the sudden shouting and fell backwards.
"At ease, soldier," Skipper assured, "I just came down to see if you were finished setting up."
"Uh, yes Skippah," Private replied as he stood up and dusted himself off.
"Good job Private," He praised and proceeded to inspect the spare bed that had been prepared. "Marlene should be plenty comfortable here."
Private nervously twiddled his flippers. This seemed the perfect chance to get some answers from Skipper, but what to say? The direct approach wouldn't work, he knew that the tactical penguin would not admit to anything, but perhaps an alternate way of questioning would get the results he wanted.
"Skippah, I uh… I need some advice,"
"Well of course soldier," He grinned confidently. "What kind of advice d'you need?"
"Do you think…" Private paused for a moment, took a deep breathe and continued. "…Do you think interspecies relationships can work?"
"What the-?" At first he was shocked, but suddenly a thought occurred and he sighed in disbelief. "Oh for the love of - is this about Shawna again?"
"Er, well, yes and no," He blushed as he recalled the crush he had on the zoo vet's intern. "I just wonder if it's strange for a bird and a mammal to, you know, fall in love."
"What are you getting at?" Skipper narrowed his eye suspiciously.
"Kowalski's in love with Doris, she's a mammal," Private explained. "And there was that tayra that Rico got involved with in Guatemala, remember?"
He opened his beak to give an answer… and found himself speechless. He contemplated the idea of mammals and birds, and the likelihood that two very different species could fit together so well. Surely the possibility was there, after all, how else would the platypus have come into existence? His mind drifted to thoughts of the days events, and his reaction to 'Arlene'. Not to mention the following shock when he figured out that Arlene was actually Marlene with bleached fur.
He had always been close to Marlene, she was cute and fun – if a little naïve – and her habitat was next door to theirs so they spent a lot of time together. When he thought Arlene had done something bad to her he was furious, and when he was in the middle of telling the other penguins his theory about Marlene's disappearance, he finally realised the truth. And to make matters worse, he'd said and did things around her that made him look such a fool.
It was only in convincing the others that Marlene must have been brainwashed that he managed to save face.
He noticed Private staring at him and he realised that he had yet to answer the question put before him; is it strange for two different species to fall in love.
"No Private," Skipper announced. "I don't think it's strange, I've heard it said that love transcends all differences."
"So, uh, let's say I have a bird friend who, um, likes someone who is a mammal," He nervously began. "What advice should I give them?"
Skipper, who until now had been staring off into the distance, sharply turned to his associate and frowned.
"Woah, woah, woah!" He snapped. "I certainly hope you aren't implying anything, soldier; any conspirators in my ranks are liable for court martial!"
"No, no, I uh, I- I just want my friend to be happy!"
Skipper backed off and sighed.
"I'm sorry Private, I didn't mean to bark at you," He put a flipper on Private's shoulder. "It's been a long day."
He watched his commanding officer walk away and climb up the ladder, all the while putting on a front for the others for when he reached the top. Now alone again, he couldn't help but feel like he crossed a line, or perhaps skirted too close to what was obviously a sensitive subject. He too headed up the ladder, hoping that their conversation had a least started the ball rolling in Skipper's mind.
Later That Night…
Skipper couldn't sleep. He'd tossed and turned for what felt like hours, his mind going over and over the discussion he'd had with Private. Everyone else was asleep, and it was so frustrating to be awake when the others were all snoozing soundly. He rolled onto his stomach and sighed. For a while he gazed at the floor, unsure of what to do. It was rare for him to be restless over anything, and it had been a long time since the last sleepless night. So long that he wasn't sure how to break it.
Perhaps a midnight snack would help. Kowalski kept a stash of fish in his lab in case he got creative block while inventing; surely he wouldn't mind Skipper having some, given the unusual situation. He quietly climbed down from his bunk and tip-toed past his sleeping team. He reached the lab door and looked out the corner of his eye, at the sleeping figure on the other side of the room.
There was Marlene, out like a light.
Not wanting to linger, he slipped into the lab and raided the fridge for some anchovies. On his way back, he couldn't help but glance over at Marlene. Although it was a well known fact that she snored, tonight she was relatively quiet; her snoring had been replaced with sudden fidgeting. It looked like she was having a bad dream and as she shuffled, she kicked her blanket away. Skipper paused and ate one of the anchovies while considering his options.
He could just head back to his bunk and continue his fruitless attempt to sleep, but seeing her shiver, he couldn't just walk away. No matter how tired he was, he knew he'd feel worse knowing she was uncomfortable, when simply draping the blanket over her would be a harmless enough gesture.
Leaving the anchovies on the floor for a moment, Skipper reached for the blanket a few feet away. As he laid it over the twitching otter she suddenly grabbed one of his flippers. She had quite a grip – he tried to pry his flipper loose but she wouldn't let go. He couldn't pull too hard or she might wake up, but every time he pulled, she held on tighter.
He looked around and tried to formulate a plan. Then he saw the anchovies he got from the lab. If he could just get to those fish, he could wave one near her nose and hopefully coax her into letting go of him. He leaned over to grab one of the anchovies, but they were slightly out of his reach.
Just as he managed to grab one, he lost his balance and started to fall. Marlene, who still had tight hold of his flipper, yanked him forward so hard that he landed face first on the floor. Dazed and faintly bruised, he lifted his head, only to find himself barely an inch away from the sleeping otter.
This was not the first time Skipper had found himself in such close proximity to Marlene, however this was not like any other up-close encounter they'd had in the past. He could feel her gentle breathing on his face; her furry paws kept a firm grip on his flipper and pulled him closer. The usually composed penguin could feel his feathers ruffling and his face was burning a fierce red.
Then his paranoid mind flew into overdrive. What if one of the other penguins woke up and saw the two of them together? What would they think seeing their leader snuggled up with Marlene? And how would Marlene react if she suddenly awoke and saw him laying so close to her? In fairness, it was her fault. She was the one who grabbed him and wouldn't let go, she decided to pull him closer. Even if she was sleeping, she still instigated this whole situation herself.
He had to admit though; it was a very relaxing place to be. Her chocolate brown fur was so soft and warm. Just being near her was so comforting that he struggled to stay awake. No, he couldn't fall asleep, not here. He had to get back to his bunk, but there was no way he could pry his flipper away without disturbing Marlene, especially seeing how she looked so peaceful and content.
Skipper did not like to admit defeat, however it appeared that he had been bested. It left him with little choice but to have a quick nap and hope that Marlene would eventually let go. He was so tired, and she was so snugly. He could always feign being a sleepwalker if it came to that. As he settled down next to her, he couldn't help but smile. Something about being beside her felt so right…
