(Inspired by the episode: Love Takes Flightless. Definition of putting a sock on an outside door handle: doing this means 'do not disturb' because sexual matters are active inside the room.)

Skipper paced to and fro inside the HQ, gazing intensely at the concrete plain gray flooring. Now that he thought about it, the color pallet of their home was rather dark, boring, and cold. Although that didn't matter at the moment, his Demolition Specialist Sergeant Quartermaster was currently out of commission, due to some, misfortunes...

It had been over a week ago Rico had lost his dazzling doll, the one thing he was able to love upon when off duty. Shelly had doomed her to that dreadful dumpster, and now she was gone, probably buried somewhere they could have never found.

Skipper realized long ago after recruiting him, Rico had a rather love sickened side, he was indeed a psycho, but one with a big heart. He knew this was as tough as it would have been for anyone else, maybe even worse, to have the feeling of loosing a loved one, even if she was just good ol' smiling yet plastic Miss Perky.

Each day Skipper and the boys tried to think of something new, something to satisfy the longing of love his heart craved. But after ten days of still a moping wreck sprawled around HQ, Skipper had to admit he knew he was scrapping the bottom of the barrel with his next and most likely final idea.

He knew it was a bad idea, in fact maybe even the worst thing he'd ever thought of doing to himself. But when the success of his comrade was on the line, he needed to shake it off and take it like a man.

A man dressed in sparkly pink, to be precise.

There he stood, speechlessly staring at the silvery star shaped wand, absolutely blinding with reflective glitter covering every accursed inch. Just looking at it made him uncomfortable, but the thought of holding it made him even more so. Maybe he was going crazy? Thinking for a nanosecond that he could pull this off, especially without loosing his dignity.

Nonetheless he gripped it uneasily, lifting it from the main table where Rico had recently left it after waving it around aimlessly for who knows how long. Maybe Kowalski knew, he seemed to know stupid little things like that. Why? Skipper himself didn't know for sure just yet.

Rico laid on his side, curled slightly while facing the inward concrete wall of his top bunk. He'd been there almost all day. Alice must have either been blind to one missing penguin or really didn't care enough to even bat an eye.

Skipper came closer, now standing near his bottom bunk where he saw what was once Miss Perky's glimmering headband. His confidence was wavering undoubtedly, sighing for maybe the tenth time today he finally managed to collect back some of his will power.

"Rico?" He asked gently, curiosity laced within his tone. He didn't know how Rico would react but this needed to happen, he had to try his best for his soldiers, otherwise how could he call himself their proud commanding officer?

"Amigo, I uh.. well," Skipper's words caught in his throat as Rico finally turned to face him from high up above.

There was a glint of surprise in Rico's eyes that had widened for a moment before mellowing down, he stared right into Skipper's baby blue irises, intense yet curious. Glancing between Skipper's nervous expression and the sparkly wand he was fidgeting with.

Gulping hard Skipper thought about turning tail and running for where ever he left his self confidence, because obviously it wasn't with him. "Would you.. mind coming down here?" He asked, sounding more innocent then his intentions.

Breathing lightly Rico seemed to ponder it for a second, but decided nonetheless on coming down. He waddled closer, an amused look on his face now. Maybe he was starting to understand where this was going?

Skipper wasn't sure on how to get his point across, seeming that simply asking 'want to role play? I'll be your doll you lost last week' wasn't the best option. Especially for his ego.

But just before he could have said something else stupid Rico grabbed his left shoulder, tracing his flipper tip along his wing to where he held the wand and eyed it contently before reaching for the headband nearby and fitting it over Skipper's head gently.

Whimpering silently from such a small gesture wasn't exactly how Skipper would have preferred to start things off, but once that delightful sound escaped his beak like oozing honey Rico nearly pounced on him.

Being pushed into Kowalski's private lab was Skipper's first hint that something more intimate was about to go down, but once he realized Rico had slipped a sock over the outside door handle he got the evidence of what was going to happen in his maybe-too-near-of-a future.

Skipper now eyed Rico, expectance written on his face yet Rico just sighed, loosing his posture he buried and nuzzled into Skipper's chest feathers. "Hmm.." Rico hummed, taking in his leaders masculine scent of gunpowder, coffee, chlorine water and most definitely fish.

"Uh, Rico? You ok there pal?" Skipper asked genuinely curious, gingerly patting his back with his wings wrapped around his torso in a tight embrace.

The mood really hit Skipper bullseye in the heart when Rico looked up with true sadness reflecting off his baby blues, then connecting their beaks in a bitterly sweet kiss that felt more like a cry for help. A desperate cry for relief, to lift him higher then his flightless wings could ever take him from his struggles.

"I got you compadre..." Was all Skipper mumbled into his ear before reconnecting their beak tips, kissing his Sergeant with such passion, such sympathy. There was no hidden pity that carried into his caressing touches, only a flaming desire that burned brighter knowing he was able to serve him after all this time.

He had his purpose, a duty to his men, to his Sergeant right now. Not only as his commander dressed in ridiculous things for him, but as his now lover. Because no way, was he letting Rico loose another partner again.

Not this time...

[Word Count: 1,060.]