His name was Danger Mouse, and Penfold adored him. In every sense of the word, Penfold loved Danger Mouse. He wasn't quite sure when, where, why or how it happened, he just knew that it did. Was it the bright, confident eye? The cocky, charming smile? The proud posture? The toned, athletic body? The smooth and commanding voice? His charismatic and enduring personality? His courage? His gumption? His ability to save the day even when things were at their lowest? His dedication to the things and people he loved?
Well, it was all of the above. But Penfold could sum it up in just one word: spirit. It was Danger Mouse's spirit that Penfold had fallen in love with. Danger Mouse was just so unrepentantly himself, and for someone as meek as Penfold, that was truly an inspiration.
But Penfold didn't just love Danger Mouse's spirit in the sense that he loved Danger Mouse's daring and grandiosity. He also loved Danger Mouse's spirit, as in, his soul. Penfold loved Danger Mouse for Danger Mouse. Even if some of his flaws could be a little grating, Penfold loved every piece and part of his Chief.
Danger Mouse liked to put on a show for anyone who would look his way, but only a select few got to see the mouse under the "mask". Penfold was one of these select few, and it always filled him with such pride and joy to think that he was one of the few people Danger Mouse loved and trusted enough to be vulnerable with.
Granted, Danger Mouse still wasn't very vulnerable or open, but Penfold had seen his Chief down in the dumps before. Penfold had seen Danger Mouse at his lowest and most lost and hopeless. Although they were memories Danger Mouse looked back on in embarrassment, Penfold cherished them, because each moment was a symbol of Danger Mouse's trust in him.
Penfold didn't just like the loud and proud, large and in charge Danger Mouse. He also liked the scared and doubtful Danger Mouse, the one who made mistakes and didn't always know how to be a hero. He liked the vulnerable side of Danger Mouse, because it was in that part of his spirit that his true loves were revealed. Only for the things he really loved would Danger Mouse ever get scared. Penfold was one of those things.
ooo
"Chief?" Penfold stuck his little head into the Danger Lounge. Danger Mouse was sitting inside, alone, and looking quite defeated.
"Hello, Penfold," came a very un-Danger Mouse voice. It sounded heavy and sad, instead of confident and cheerful.
"Crikey, Chief! What's happened to ya?" the hamster ran inside and placed a hand on the mouse's hunched back.
"Oh, nothing, Penfold," came the labored sigh. "I just don't feel very much myself today…"
Penfold spent the next few minutes trying to get Danger Mouse to open up. It took a while, but, eventually, Danger Mouse cracked.
"I just worry that all of this is meaningless, Penfold! No matter how many times we save the day, it never stays saved for very long! Am I just not as good of a hero as I think? Why else would so many of my rivals keep escaping prison?"
Danger Mouse didn't say very much, it wasn't in his nature to be so up front about his feelings, but to Penfold, he'd said more than enough. Penfold's heart went out to his Chief. He felt touched that Danger Mouse had confided in him, but he was sad to think how heavily these worries were weighing upon the poor mouse's shoulders. His instincts begged him to reach out and hug Danger Mouse, but because Penfold knew Danger Mouse wasn't a fan of physical affection, he managed to restrain himself.
"Oh, Chief, you know none of this is your fault! It's the show writers! It's their fault your enemies keep conveniently breaking out of jail, even though you do such a great job of capturing them! You do your best, Chief! No one can doubt that! Besides, I thought you liked the danger!"
"I do, Penfold, I do," the mouse agreed. "But it's disheartening to think that as powerful as I am, I still can't keep anyone behind bars for longer than maybe an episode or two. Am I really a hero if I can't even do something as simple as that?"
"Of course you are, Chief," Penfold promised. In a rare moment of role reversal, it was Danger Mouse who was wracked with doubt while Penfold was brimming with faith, pride and confidence. "And do you know why? Because you have spirit!"
"Spirit?" Danger Mouse echoed dryly. That wasn't an answer he'd expected. But this time, Penfold wasn't letting up.
"Spirit," he nodded firmly. "You are a hero and a warrior. Even if you do end up nearly destroying all of London every episode, you never back down from a fight! You may not always have the luck of a hero, but you do always have the heart, and that's what really counts! To me, at least… Why do you think I'm still here, anyway? It's because of you, Chief! Y'see, I may only be your lowly and little sidekick, but I take great pride in working at your side. You're so spirited, Chief, and I really admire it! You're brave and bold and you never give up or hold back. That's why I love you, Chief. Sure, maybe you could use a bit more work on your sense of compassion and empathy, but hey, nobody's perfect, right?"
Penfold gave a sheepish smile as he finished his little pep talk. After a moment of silence, Danger Mouse's eye began to water. From the second Penfold first stuck his head into the lounge, Danger Mouse had felt a little bit more at ease. He'd been feeling down for the past week, and he knew that if there was anyone in all of London that could cheer him up, it was Penfold.
In fact, part of the reason Danger Mouse kept Penfold around was for that very reason. Nobody was better at lifting his spirit than Penfold! It wasn't that Penfold was actually good at being a secret agent (because he wasn't, he was terrible at it), but he sure was good at compliments! Though he was bad at everything, so of course he saw Danger Mouse as something of a god.
But today, Danger Mouse was caught off guard by what Penfold was saying. He'd expected another paint-by-numbers speech or cliché compliment to stroke his ego, but instead, he got a very heartfelt confession and it actually made him tear up. Now, all Danger Mouse could do was listen to Penfold as he continued on with his eloquent little speech. He hadn't realized how great of an actor he truly was until Penfold kept babbling about his unbreakable spirit. In truth, he was not nearly as stoic as Penfold was describing. But then it hit Danger Mouse.
It wasn't that he was a good actor. It was because he was with Penfold. Danger Mouse relied on Penfold just as much as Penfold relied on him. Penfold seemed to think he was only a brave person because he had someone like DM to look up to as a role model, but in truth, it went both ways. Penfold inspired Danger Mouse just as much as Danger Mouse inspired Penfold. Even though he'd never really said it before, Penfold was Danger Mouse's primary motivation for being a secret agent. Getting to protect his best friend and save him from all the evils of the world was what truly kept Danger Mouse going day in and day out. It wasn't just his own, natural bravado, it was having Penfold by his side.
And maybe Penfold didn't realize it, but he had a spirit just as strong as Danger Mouse's. Perhaps his personality was shy, but his loyalty was unmatched. He had his own special sort of brain, brawn and bravery, and his faith in his Chief was unwavering. Even when Danger Mouse's self-confidence was gone, Penfold continued to trust in him almost blindly, giving Danger Mouse the courage to find faith in himself once again.
At last, Danger Mouse interrupted Penfold, unable to hold back any longer. Now it was his turn to shower Penfold in praise and adoration, and the hamster looked as if all of his Christmases had come early. He could only gasp in wonder as Danger Mouse recounted all of his virtues, even ones that Penfold, himself, hadn't been aware of.
"Do you remember what I told you on one of our missions, Penfold?" the mouse finally asked. "I said to you that I nearly lost my best friend every week, and that was the thing that drove me: keeping him safe. What drives me is my desire to serve and protect, especially you. I want to make the world a better place, for everyone, especially you. But how can I do that if the peace never lasts more than one episode?"
"Oh, Chief," Penfold sighed sympathetically. "I appreciate the concern, I really do, but I don't think I want my world to be safe."
"What?" Danger Mouse sounded dumbfounded. He was seconds away from asking "Who are you and what have you done to the real Penfold?"
"I mean, I do want the world to be safe, but the reason I work here is because I like the danger! I like you, Danger Mouse! I don't want the world to be totally safe, or else all of that danger will go away. Your spirit will go away! And I don't want that…" Penfold began to blush. He looked away from Danger Mouse shyly. Danger Mouse, meanwhile, looked as if he couldn't get enough of Penfold.
"Then let me be the first to tell you, my mighty little sidekick," he began, reaching out and suddenly scooping Penfold up for a hug. "The danger loves you just as much!" And Penfold could only swoon again as he felt his Chief's arms wrap around him. It was a rare day when Danger Mouse would be so openly affectionate, especially physically, so to receive a hug from him sent Penfold up to Cloud Ten.
"Oh, Chief!" he sighed happily and hugged Danger Mouse right back. And for once, Danger Mouse let him. He didn't want the clingy little hamster to let go him, not for quite a while longer.
AN: This cute little British kids' cartoon is basically Mouse James Bond, and I ship him with his sidekick. I only have one other ship that rivals this one, and it's basically with the show's local Sandy Cheeks character. I honestly don't know which one I'd rather have become canon, LOL