Seeking Solace 03.08.15
Note: This chapter contains mild Skilene.
— § —
“Marlene?” Skipper called from behind Marlene.
Marlene sat in the park, staring at her reflection in the pond. She looked in Skipper’s direction, but couldn’t meet his eye. “What are anda doing here?” she asked.
Skipper frowned. “Someone told me they saw anda leave the zoo. I was worried. What’s wrong?” he asked sitting selanjutnya to her.
Marlene glanced at him, afraid to answer. “It’s nothing. I just came out here to think.”
Skipper studied her. “Marlene, I know you. Something is troubling you. anda know anda can trust me, right?” he asked gently.
Marlene looked down. “Yes, I know. That’s not—what I’m worried about,” she berkata hesitantly.
Skipper knit his brows. “Marlene, anda can tell me anything.”
She looked at him. Then she bit her lip and away. “Well . . . anda know how anda just came back from that solo mission?”
Skipper nodded slowly. “Yes, why?” he asked.
“When anda returned, I—accidentally heard anda listening to your logs while anda were filing the mission,” she berkata quietly, looking at the grass. She felt him remove his flipper from her shoulder, but he didn’t respond. She hesitantly turned to him. “Are anda mad?” she asked sheepishly.
Skipper disregarded the question. “How much did anda hear?” he asked looking out across the water.
Marlene watched him carefully. “Enough. Like about how anda would’ve died if you’d have been a detik later. I didn’t hear how. It—frightened me.”
Skipper looked at her regretfully. “I’m sorry anda had to hear that.”
Marlene raised her brow. “That’s it?” she asked irritably. “I just told anda I know I nearly lost you, and all anda have to say is ‘I’m sorry’?”
Skipper shook his head. “And anda also just told me that anda heard intel on a classified solo mission. What do anda want me to say? Sorry anda were snooping around?”
Marlene got to her feet. “Who’s snooping? It was an accident!”
Skipper stood up with her. “Look, I’m sorry anda heard that, but I’m not sorry that I did what I had to to complete my mission. I don’t know what else to say.”
Marlene scoffed and rolled her eyes. “You can be really insensitive sometimes.”
Skipper spread his flippers. “Insensitive? There aren’t many ways I can mentega up ‘I almost died’! If that bothers you, anda should listen to some of my other logs! I’ve been in a hell of a lot worse situations than that.”
Marlene turned away from him, wrapping her arms around herself. “Don’t say that,” she said, tears stinging her eyes.
“So anda get mad when I say things are classified, but then anda get even lebih upset when anda hear the truth. I’m not seeing a winning side here,” Skipper berkata folding his flippers over his chest. “Marlene, anda know what I do. I put myself in life-threatening situations all the time to protect people like you. anda should be grateful.”
Marlene turned back to him. “It’s hard to be grateful when I’m sitting around praying anda won’t come halaman awal in a body bag,” she berkata in a shaky voice.
Skipper sighed and looked away. “Well, I’m sorry anda feel that way, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m not going to stop doing my duty,” he said.
“I’m not trying to ask anda to stop doing your duty, Skipper,” Marlene choked. “I’m asking anda not to leave me.”
Skipper watched as a tear trailed down her cheek. He exhaled. “Marlene,” he berkata softly, “I could tell anda that I never would, but that would be a lie. I can’t deny that one day, the mission I go on will be my last. I wish I could bring anda that kind of comfort, but I can’t promise that I’ll always come back in one piece. I can promise that I’ll keep anda aman, brankas until I don’t.”
Marlene shook her head and turned away. Skipper stepped behind her and put a flipper on her shoulder and she turned back and smacked it away, but Skipper stepped meneruskan, ke depan and tried to membungkus, bungkus his flippers around her to comfort her. She resisted at first, but finally relaxed into Skipper’s embrace. He gently stroked her back.
“Marlene, anda never had this much of a problem with it before. What’s so different about now?” he asked over her shoulder.
Marlene gripped his feathers and buried her face into his chest. “Because hearing the words made it lebih real. I don’t want to lose you.”
Skipper looked down at her. “I never knew anda cared so much,” he berkata quietly.
“Of course I care, anda clueless idiot,” Marlene berkata in a muffled voice.
Skipper smiled slightly. Then he tilted Marlene’s chin. “I’ll always protect you, Marlene,” he said. “Whether anda hate me for it atau not doesn’t matter at this point. I just care that you’re safe.”
Marlene grunted and pushed him away, turning her back on him. “Dang it, Skipper! Why do anda have to be so selfless?”
“I prefer ‘heroic,’ but selfless works too,” Skipper said. Marlene rolled her eyes with a frustrated sigh. “What? I’m kidding!” he protested with a laugh. Marlene didn’t respond and Skipper sighed as he wrapped his flippers around her from behind. “It’s your fault, anda know” he said.
“What?” Marlene asked defensively.
Skipper smiled. “You’re one of the few that give me a reason to fight.”
Marlene arched a brow. “What do anda mean?”
Skipper looked down and fiddled with Marlene’s paws, which she’d rested over his flippers without realizing it. “You remind me that there is good in the world if anda look in the right places. That’s what I fight for. If no one fought off the evil, those like anda would just . . . disappear.”
Marlene looked down for a moment, and then looked at Skipper. Then she turned into his embrace and kissed him on the cheek. “The world needs lebih people like you.”
Skipper shook his head. “No, Marlene. The world needs lebih people like you.”
Note: This chapter contains mild Skilene.
— § —
“Marlene?” Skipper called from behind Marlene.
Marlene sat in the park, staring at her reflection in the pond. She looked in Skipper’s direction, but couldn’t meet his eye. “What are anda doing here?” she asked.
Skipper frowned. “Someone told me they saw anda leave the zoo. I was worried. What’s wrong?” he asked sitting selanjutnya to her.
Marlene glanced at him, afraid to answer. “It’s nothing. I just came out here to think.”
Skipper studied her. “Marlene, I know you. Something is troubling you. anda know anda can trust me, right?” he asked gently.
Marlene looked down. “Yes, I know. That’s not—what I’m worried about,” she berkata hesitantly.
Skipper knit his brows. “Marlene, anda can tell me anything.”
She looked at him. Then she bit her lip and away. “Well . . . anda know how anda just came back from that solo mission?”
Skipper nodded slowly. “Yes, why?” he asked.
“When anda returned, I—accidentally heard anda listening to your logs while anda were filing the mission,” she berkata quietly, looking at the grass. She felt him remove his flipper from her shoulder, but he didn’t respond. She hesitantly turned to him. “Are anda mad?” she asked sheepishly.
Skipper disregarded the question. “How much did anda hear?” he asked looking out across the water.
Marlene watched him carefully. “Enough. Like about how anda would’ve died if you’d have been a detik later. I didn’t hear how. It—frightened me.”
Skipper looked at her regretfully. “I’m sorry anda had to hear that.”
Marlene raised her brow. “That’s it?” she asked irritably. “I just told anda I know I nearly lost you, and all anda have to say is ‘I’m sorry’?”
Skipper shook his head. “And anda also just told me that anda heard intel on a classified solo mission. What do anda want me to say? Sorry anda were snooping around?”
Marlene got to her feet. “Who’s snooping? It was an accident!”
Skipper stood up with her. “Look, I’m sorry anda heard that, but I’m not sorry that I did what I had to to complete my mission. I don’t know what else to say.”
Marlene scoffed and rolled her eyes. “You can be really insensitive sometimes.”
Skipper spread his flippers. “Insensitive? There aren’t many ways I can mentega up ‘I almost died’! If that bothers you, anda should listen to some of my other logs! I’ve been in a hell of a lot worse situations than that.”
Marlene turned away from him, wrapping her arms around herself. “Don’t say that,” she said, tears stinging her eyes.
“So anda get mad when I say things are classified, but then anda get even lebih upset when anda hear the truth. I’m not seeing a winning side here,” Skipper berkata folding his flippers over his chest. “Marlene, anda know what I do. I put myself in life-threatening situations all the time to protect people like you. anda should be grateful.”
Marlene turned back to him. “It’s hard to be grateful when I’m sitting around praying anda won’t come halaman awal in a body bag,” she berkata in a shaky voice.
Skipper sighed and looked away. “Well, I’m sorry anda feel that way, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m not going to stop doing my duty,” he said.
“I’m not trying to ask anda to stop doing your duty, Skipper,” Marlene choked. “I’m asking anda not to leave me.”
Skipper watched as a tear trailed down her cheek. He exhaled. “Marlene,” he berkata softly, “I could tell anda that I never would, but that would be a lie. I can’t deny that one day, the mission I go on will be my last. I wish I could bring anda that kind of comfort, but I can’t promise that I’ll always come back in one piece. I can promise that I’ll keep anda aman, brankas until I don’t.”
Marlene shook her head and turned away. Skipper stepped behind her and put a flipper on her shoulder and she turned back and smacked it away, but Skipper stepped meneruskan, ke depan and tried to membungkus, bungkus his flippers around her to comfort her. She resisted at first, but finally relaxed into Skipper’s embrace. He gently stroked her back.
“Marlene, anda never had this much of a problem with it before. What’s so different about now?” he asked over her shoulder.
Marlene gripped his feathers and buried her face into his chest. “Because hearing the words made it lebih real. I don’t want to lose you.”
Skipper looked down at her. “I never knew anda cared so much,” he berkata quietly.
“Of course I care, anda clueless idiot,” Marlene berkata in a muffled voice.
Skipper smiled slightly. Then he tilted Marlene’s chin. “I’ll always protect you, Marlene,” he said. “Whether anda hate me for it atau not doesn’t matter at this point. I just care that you’re safe.”
Marlene grunted and pushed him away, turning her back on him. “Dang it, Skipper! Why do anda have to be so selfless?”
“I prefer ‘heroic,’ but selfless works too,” Skipper said. Marlene rolled her eyes with a frustrated sigh. “What? I’m kidding!” he protested with a laugh. Marlene didn’t respond and Skipper sighed as he wrapped his flippers around her from behind. “It’s your fault, anda know” he said.
“What?” Marlene asked defensively.
Skipper smiled. “You’re one of the few that give me a reason to fight.”
Marlene arched a brow. “What do anda mean?”
Skipper looked down and fiddled with Marlene’s paws, which she’d rested over his flippers without realizing it. “You remind me that there is good in the world if anda look in the right places. That’s what I fight for. If no one fought off the evil, those like anda would just . . . disappear.”
Marlene looked down for a moment, and then looked at Skipper. Then she turned into his embrace and kissed him on the cheek. “The world needs lebih people like you.”
Skipper shook his head. “No, Marlene. The world needs lebih people like you.”