Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it. The characters belong to their respective creators. This, and the others in its series, are just fics I wrote to go along with a friend's manga.
Penguin Romantica: Kowalski x Rico
Kowalski's deep blue eyes scanned the yellowing paper of his notepad through his specialized goggles, his own scrawled shorthand for equations and diagrams completely filling the page. In his right hand he held laboratory grade tongs, gripping tightly a glowing violet and blazing hot solution test-tube as he tipped it slowly over a beaker of not-yet crystalized alum. He knew if he succeeded he would make the biggest breakthrough in candy-based sciences in over 20 years, but if he failed...
"Steady, steady." he murmured to himself, trying to keep his trembling hand immoble beyond what he desired. He had been working on this expirament non-stop for days, and it would soon be complete. The radiant solution began to inch forward, climbing across the bottom of the glass container with a painfully slow, measured movement that made the scientist's heart thud loudly in his ears. "Almost there." The liquid slipped forward, just about to drip from the end of the tube when, suddenly, a small paper object whipped through the air from somewhere just beyond the lab's enterance. The neatly folded plane came just close enough to the penguin's expirament to knock the beaker out from underneath his test tube. The glowing substance dripped from his hold, landing on the table beneath it just in time to begin burning a hole through the wilting material. Kowalski watched in dismay, bending over to look underneath the table just to find the liquid seeping through and having similar affects on their concrete floor.
"Ghaaabaha!"
The excited cry distracted the elder penguin just long enough to see his parter on the shift, Rico, come hustling through the door. The shorter's Cyan-tinted eyes sparkeld with happiness as he waddled in, a large plastic doll of a blonde tucked tightly underneath his right wing. The other penguin came to a stop just before the scientist, opening his slightly-scarred beak to share with him his excitememt, when he was quickly cut short by the elder.
"How could you, Rico?" The elder cried, obviously distressed, though the shorter could not understand why, "I've been working on this experiment for days and it needed that exact amount of acid to work! Do you know how long it will take me to make more? To try again? Too long, thats how long!" The taller's voice was getting progressively louder, his wings waving frantically in exhasperation. Having expected a different reaction, Rico shrank away from his long-time friend, making soft whimpering noises to show his upset, though they went unnoticed by the still-ranting other. "Skipper wanted me finished with this expirament today! How am I supposed to explain to him that I need to start all over- just because you couldn't leave me alone for five minutes? I mean, you're always here, always in my way, always making those gurgling, grunting noises with your girlfriend who's not even real! I mean, how am I supposed to concentrate with you running chainsaws and blowing things up all the time? Why can't everyone just leave me alone while I'm working? Is that too much to ask?"
Shaken by his companion's behaviour, the distraught Rico turned and walked from the room, trying to hide the shakiness in his breath and the slight shimmer of tears in his eyes while still drawing sympathetic looks from Private as he slipped through their main room. He slowly climbed his way up into his own bunk, burying himself underneath the comforter and putting in the headphones that Kowalski had bought him that last christmas. As the music began to flow he sang along with it, his voice becoming clear and in tune along with the rich opera notes. Making sure to keep it far enough beneath the covers, he pulled out a lighter and began to flip it on and off, hoping that the golden flames would entice his pyromania enough to make him forget the heartbreak he was feeling, especially at the realization that his secret crush must not have noticed the gift he left the taller.
Kowalski sighed, flitting around the laboratory in a vain attempt to clean up the mess that he had made. He found a think glass container he could use to store the remainder of his acid, located more supplied for making alum as he checked them off a quickly redrawn list. He hated being so harsh towards Rico, knowing that the younger had nothing but good intentions, but couldn't help feeling that the action had been deserved. He was about to go find the other when he was interrupted by Skipper, the team's leader.
"Kowalski- I have a job for you!" The other called, his voice booming and desicive. He held out a small envelope, wrapped in red ribbon, to the taller scientist. "I need you to take this to Private. He should be up on the roof right about now. Tell him you found it on his bed. Do you understand?"
The taller of the two could easily detect the urgency in the other's voice. "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. That's 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 the letter in hand, talking quietly to himself. "Of course! Increasing productivity! Its brilliant!"
It did not take much time for Kowalski to make his way through their habitat and onto the roof, where, as he had been told, Private was waiting in silence. The smaller seemed to be lost in thought, murmuring to himself, watching the sunset. "Wait, the sunset?" Thought Kowalski to himself, surprised. "I didn't realize I had been working that long." Shaking the realization from his mind, the taller took a tentative step forward, looking down at the envelope in his hands before staring back up at the obviously saddened younger. Not knowing how else to break the profound silence that encompassed the small space, the scientist opted for a cliche. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" He wasn't lying either, the beautiful colors painted across the crystal clear sky drawing out romantic feelings in him he had not even realized he possessed.
"Oh, hi Kowalski." Greeted the smaller quietly, looking down.
The taller pondered the meaning of the envelope in his hands before holding it out, thinking fast to come up with an explanation. "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 last sentence replayed in his mind, echoing like voices in a deep canyon as guilt overtook him. "Rico..." He watched as Private, his face lighting up as he read the enclosed note, dashed from the roof as fast as his legs could carry him. The taller followed slowly, making his way down to the lab to do more cleaning work. Lost in his thoughts he began to sweep around the glaringly lit room, not breaking from his reverie until the rustling of paper reached his ears. Leaning down, he instantly recognized the paper plane that Rico had thrown earlier caught in his dusting pan, slightly crumpled. Lifting it up as he righted himself, he gasped with surprise at what he realized.
The paper plane was decorated, if not somewhat crudely, with small pictures. On either wing was a roughly drawn heart, each with a small, lit fuse reaching out from the top, the smoke making even more hearts over the largest one. Unfolding it, he was shocked to find many smaller images of Rico and himself, each accented with small, magenta heart shapes, in various situations. "Eating sushi, going to the opera, lighting fires, watching movies, catching and torturing intruders, kissing on the beach..." The last one caused the taller to blush a bright, ruby red, though he could not help but find the sentiment wonderful. Silently he grinned to himself, knowing how he could make at least some of these images come true. Without further hesitation he slipped from the room, moving to find the Lemurs in hopes that they would be able to help him with his plans for the next day.
The next morning, a loud, siren-like alarm going off in his stomach caused Rico to awaken early. Yawning he sat up, rubbing his eyes blearily, before watching in surprise as a small peice of paper slipped from his covers and floated to the floor. Curious, he lept from the bed and picked it up, even more shocked to find that it was tickets to that night's opera performance at the beach-side theater. Ecstatic, he regurgitated his nicest brush, a bar of soap, and a bow before heading off to get ready.
The day passed like a whirlwind to both anxious penguins, both nervous and excited to see their date later that evening. When it was finally 8 at night, a newly groomed Rico made his way to the theater, just in time to be lead to a VIP private box overlooking the stage. There was a small table placed just in the area with the best view, set with a plate of fresh sushi, 20 blazing and rose-colored candles in the shape of a heart, and a small, ivory-colored note that read:
"I hope you enjoy the show. I will be waiting for you by the private alcoves on the beach after the performance."
Rico couldn't help but feel slightly dissapointed that his date would not be there with him, but the opera quickly drew his mind from it. His favorite singers were performing, and the sushi that had been brought for him was the freshest he had ever tasted. In his opinion the show ended too soon, though he was looking forward to meeting his secret love with too much fervor to pay it much attention.
The night air outside was brisk, the rocks rough beneath his feet as he climbed over the boulders that concealed the alcove's enterance. When he reached the small and secluded space, however, he was shocked to find that a small patch in the middle of the sand had been covered with a quilt, red candles placed in small indents in the rock to give the entire alcove an eerily seductive glow. Making as little noise as possible, the small penguin made his way over to the blanket and lay down, closing his eyes and allowing the soft sound of the waves to comfort him. It was not until he felt the rubbing of another beak against his own that he re-opened his azure-hinted eyes, shocked and elated to find Kowalski leaning over him.
"I am so sorry that I ignored you earlier, Rico" He murmured, moving himself further and further ontop of the smaller pengiun until he was nearly straddling him, nuzzling the shorter's neck. "It was so wrong of me to neglect you like that. Can I please make it up to you?" Before the smaller could answer he ground their bodies together, nipping possessively at the other's throat and closing his eyes in happiness at the moan his actions recieved. Without hesitating, 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 until his beak penetrated the soft and sensual spot in the younger's lower regions. Wanting to bring his new lover as much pleasure as possible, he continued to open and close his beak slightly, gaining satisfaction at the strengthening cries of happiness swept through his partner. The cries incresed in intensity and volume until the smaller released, and Kowalski righted himself happily, nuzzling the younger and making sure that he was comfortable before moving forward with his plans. He began to rub their beaks together once more, grinding their bodies together in an ever increasing rythm as he whispered terms of endermeant to his barely-coherent lover. His own body began to tense at the movements, his heart pounding and breath becoming unbearably ragged as he neared his highest point. He never could have imagined that it would feel this good, this perfect- not even when he and his lover cried out to the silent skies above them in ecstacy and collapsed with exhaustion.
Slowly Rico shifted on top of him, burying his head into the soft feathers on the taller's chest and listening to the taller's heart beat. He had never been this tired in his life, but wouldn't have had it any other way. They lay in silence for the longest time, just looking up at the great dome of the sky that unfurled above them like an endless ocean. At first the smaller believed that the elder had fallen alseep, surprised when he began to speak once more.
"Do you see those stars up in the sky, Rico?" He waited for the smaller to nod in acknowledgement. "There are scientists who spend their entire lives trying to count them, but they never succeed because there are too many." Quietly he reached down with his wing, bringing up the other's face to look him in the eyes. "My love for you is like those stars. There's too much of it to count- it's too infinite to label."
The smaller blushed, looking up at the stars once more as he cuddled more closely with his newfound love, trying to gather his words and fight back tears. "I...gwove...ou...wo.." He sounded out, trying to make the phrasing as audible as possible so his companion would know how much he truly meant it. "Agways."
The two smiled, too much enamored with the other too speak as they drifted off under the starry night sky.
The next day the two penguins, still slightly sore but immeasurably happy, made their way back to their base. Dark rain clouds were beginning to roll in as a storm approached, giving the zoo a dreary appearance. Skipper had given the two of them the day off so he and Private could do inspection of the grounds together, so Kowalski decided to surprise his new lover one more time. Without explaining himself he led the smaller penguin over to the couch, flipping the channel till he found a particularly violent action film. He laid down on the soft coushins, motioning for the other to do the same and quickly wrapping his wings around the smaller's frame when he obliged. "I don't see any reason not to act out the rest of your ideas." He explained to Rico, winking, "It seems only logical, considering how well last night worked out."
The smaller blushed a deep maroon, nestling himself further into the other's warm grasp as they settled down to enjoy the rest of the rainy afternoon with the one they loved the most.