Skipper stood outside Marlene’s habitat for a moment, debating on if it was a good time to make sure she was okay. Everything had happened so fast. He knew she needed her space, but it was also killing him not knowing what was going through her head.

Making his decision, he hopped over her muro and cautiously approached her cave. “M-Marlene,” he called softly from the entrance, “it’s Skipper. Permission to enter?”

At first, there was no response. Then, “Yeah. I guess so,” Marlene’s voice replied softly.

Skipper entered and saw Marlene sitting at her dresser, tracing her claw along a scratch along the edge of it. He stopped a few paces behind her.

“I, um, was just wondering how you’re taking all this,” he asked slowly. “But,” he added quickly, “if this is a bad time, I can leave—”

“Since when do tu play Spanish guitar, Skipper?” Marlene asked, still admiring the scratch on her dresser.

The pregunta caught Skipper off guard. “Um,” he started lamely, “part of those few things I picked up in Mexico I mentioned the other day.”

Marlene remained silent for a moment. “I’ve been thinking,” she dicho softly. “Did tu really mean everything tu dicho tonight?”

Skipper swallowed and nodded slowly. “Yeah, Marlene. I meant every word,” he dicho softly.

Marlene finally turned to look at him. “Why didn’t tu ever tell me? Why now?”

Skipper looked at where her claw was still on the crack in the dresser, as if it’d started to fascinate him as well. “Because I didn’t know what I wanted until it was slipping away from me,” he admitted softly.

Marlene looked back down at her dresser. She dicho something inaudible.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that,” Skipper said.

Marlene looked at him. “I said, I amor you, too,” she admitted.

Skipper stared at her, searching for a response. Finally, he said, “But—what about Antonio?”

Marlene shook her head. “He’s a great guy. But he’s not you. You’ve always accepted all of me, even my feral side,” she dicho shrugging a shoulder. “He was just afraid of me,” she dicho with a wince.

Skipper came to her side and put a flipper on her shoulder. “Marlene, tu don’t know that. Maybe his initial reaction was just from the shock. I mean, I imagine he was pretty surprised. Maybe tu should give him a chance to accept it,” he suggested.

Marlene shook her head again. “Doesn’t matter any more.” She looked at him curiously. “And what are tu trying to convince me to go back to him for? All of the sudden tu don’t—” She paused, the words in her mouth feeling strange in the same sentence. “—love me?” she finished finally.

Skipper shook his head. “No, I just don’t want tu to feel any regret here. I want tu to do whatever would make tu happy. If that means being with Antonio, I’m prepared to live with that,” he told her.

Marlene held eye contact for a moment, completely silent. Then she got to her feet and took him por the shoulders. “I assure you, Skipper, I have no regrets.” Before he could respond, she pressed her lips to his beak. Skipper froze in shock for a moment, and then he fit his flippers into the bend of her waist and kissed her back.

After a few moments, Marlene pulled away. Skipper stared at her speechlessly. Marlene frowned.

“Was that out of line?” she asked.

Skipper shook his head and cleared his throat. “No, no, that wasn’t out of line. Just, erm—unexpected.”

Marlene smiled. “Any más unexpected than tu barging in my fecha to tell me you’re in amor with me?” she pointed out.

Skipper considered. “Touché,” he replied. Then he frowned. “What are tu going to tell Antonio?”

Marlene’s smile faded. Then she took a deep breath. “Just leave that to me.”

— § —

The siguiente morning, Marlene went to the park in buscar of Antonio. After searching for a while, she finally found him por a park bench half-heartedly strumming his Spanish guitar. He noticed her approaching and stood up.

“Marlene, I’m—”

“I know,” Marlene broke in, hugging herself. After an awkward moment of silence, she regretfully said, “Look, Antonio, you’re a great guy, but . . . I don’t think this is going to work out.”

Antonio nodded painfully. “You amor him,” he concluded, refusing eye contact. “I, um, kind of assumed this would happen.”

Marlene winced. “I’m sorry,” she dicho softly. “It’s just—”

“I know,” Antonio broke in, giving her a pained smile. “I suppose I deserve it. I was a complete imbécil last night.”

“Don’t say that,” Marlene dicho reaching out and taking his arm. “I overreacted. tu had every right to be shocked.”

“Then what’s wrong with me?” Antonio asked.

Marlene sighed with guilt. “Antonio, nothing’s wrong with you. Nothing. Don’t let anyone tell tu otherwise,” she insisted.

“It’s just that . . . everything’s right about him,” Antonio concluded. Marlene tried to respond, but couldn’t. Antonio nodded. “You’re a wonderful person, Marlene. Skipper is lucky to have you. And . . . I was lucky to have known you,” he said, forcing another smile.

Marlene cursed herself for not being able to come up with something to say. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. Antonio half-heartedly hugged her back. Marlene finally pulled away and looked up at him.

“Goodbye, Marlene,” Antonio dicho softly.

“Goodbye, Antonio,” Marlene replied in no louder than a whisper. It seemed that it physically hurt to say those words to someone so undeserving of them.

Marlene watched as Antonio grabbed his guitarra and walked away. A tear trailed down her cheek as she turned away and walked back to the zoo.

— § —

“Morning, Skipper,” Kowalski dicho as he walked over to the coffee machine, where Skipper was pouring himself a cup. “You look rested,” he observed arching a brow.

Skipper smiled, but didn’t respond. Kowalski leaned against the mesa, tabla with a roll of his eyes.

“Oh, come on, Skipper. Give me some details, here,” he urged.

“It’s a long story,” Skipper replied before taking a sip. “The punchline, well, she chose me,” he dicho staring down into his coffee and stirring a pescado around it.

Kowalski smiled. “Congratulations,” he said. “What about Antonio?”

Skipper frowned. “Marlene’s going to talk to him now. I offered to go with her, but she insisted that she should do this alone. I understood,” he explained.

Kowalski sighed with sympathy. “Ah, love. It’s a whole lot of trouble, but it’s worth it in the end,” he said.

Skipper laughed. “No kidding.”

Their attention was diverted when Marlene dropped down the hatch. She cleared her throat, like she was trying to keep herself composed.

“Skipper, can I talk to tu for a minute?” she asked. Then she looked around the room. “Alone?”

Skipper nodded. “Boys, give us some privacy,” he ordered. Private and Rico, who were across the room doing weapons inventory, left with Kowalski. Skipper set his mug down and met Marlene in the middle of the room. Then she choked and wrapped her arms around Skipper as she started crying. Skipper just stroked her back in silence.

Finally, she sniffed and pulled away, wiping her eyes with the back of her arms.

“Was it that bad?” Skipper asked.

Marlene shook her head. “No, it’s that he took it so well. He just understood, like he could read my mind o something,” she dicho with a pained expression.

Skipper pressed his beak shut. “Are tu okay?” he asked softly.

Marlene took a staggered breath and then nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just hated to hurt him like that,” she said.

Skipper nodded in understanding. “That’s just because you’re a good person, Marlene. It’s one of the reasons I amor you,” he dicho with a slight smile.

Marlene looked at him. She wanted to respond, but instead wrapped her arms around him again.

Skipper returned the hug and looked down at her. “Do tu . . . think tu made the wrong choice?” he asked apprehensively.

Marlene pulled away with a shake of her head. “No,” she dicho wiping away más tears. “It was just a hard thing to do, that’s all.” She looked up and saw the doubt in his eyes and tried her best at a smile. “Hey,” she dicho putting a paw on his chest. “I chose you. I have no doubts in my mind on that,” she assured him. Skipper smiled back. Marlene fiddled with his feathers. “Anything I can do to prove it to you?” she offered coyly.

Skipper smiled and held her closer. “I don’t know. Depends on what tu have in mind,” he replied.

Marlene smiled back and pressed her lips to his beak. Then, with a sigh, she pulled away. “So, what do we say if someone asks how this relationship got started?” she asked arching a brow.

Skipper laughed. “How much time tu got?”

— § —

Author’s Note: Hey, guys! Hope tu enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed escritura it. A big shoutout to Vivi-ntvg for checking my Spanish for me. Thanks a million for your help! Again, any mistake was on my part.

If tu review, I'd appreciate an account on if tu found everyone in character in this fic. I spent a lot of time escritura and rewriting scenes because I felt I was going OOC, and I felt that my final product was finally all in character, but I'd like to hear your opinions. Please and thank you.