It was a cold Natale morning. The inhabitants of the Central Park Zoo had organized a series of Natale activities for the children and wasted no time in starting the holiday fun. A chorus of happy, screaming children filled the entire zoo and were all engaged in a snowball fight with the penguins, the lemurs, Marlene.

    “Is that all te got?!” Skipper called from behind a trash can. Snowballs flew back and forth through the habitats, and it was males against females.

    Skipper spotted Marlene across the aisle and scooped up a bundle of snow and balled it in his flippers while Marlene was distracted. After carefully aiming at his target, he launched the snow at Marlene, catching her in the back of the neck. With a laugh, she turned, scooped up a handful of snow and charged after Skipper, who took off in the other direction.

    In the midst of the chase, Marlene tossed the snowball at Skipper with all of her might and it broke against his back, causing him to stumble slightly. His misfooting allowed for Marlene to catch up and she pounced on him, causing them both to fall to the ground laughing. After rolling for a few feet, Marlene cried out in pain.

    Skipper ceased laughing and stopped them from rolling in the snow any further.

    “What’s wrong, Marlene?” he asked with a look of concern.

    “I think I twisted my ankle …” Marlene detto pushing herself into a sitting position and holding her right ankle.

    “Let me see,” Skipper detto kneeling in front of her and examining her ankle. “Does this hurt?” he detto gently pressing a nerve ending. Marlene winced.

    “Yeah,” she answered.

    “Come on, I have a brace back at HQ,” Skipper detto getting to his feet and scooping Marlene into his flippers.

    After the short walk to HQ, Skipper pulled a chair into the middle of the room with his foot and set Marlene down. He then retrieved the ankle brace from a cabinet and an ice pack from the freezer.

    “How bad does it hurt?” he asked kneeling in front of her and gently pressing the ice to her ankle.

    “Not as bad as it could, I guess,” Marlene answered trying to hide the pain on her face. “Thanks, Skipper,” she detto forcing a smile.

    Skipper smiled sympathetically back.

    “That’s what Friends are for, right?”

    Marlene’s smile softened.

    “Yeah.”

    For a moment, their eyes locked on each other and they were silent. Skipper didn’t even realize that his grip was tightening on the ice pack due to the growing tension.

    “Ouch!” Marlene detto flinching in pain.

    “Oh, sorry!” Skipper detto pulling the pack away from her ankle. “I need to put the brace on, anyway. It’s going to be just a little bit tight, but that’s so it doesn’t swell up,” he explained. Marlene nodded and watched as Skipper gently slipped the brace over her foot and tightened it.

    “You should probably stay off that foot for a few days,” Skipper continued. “You need to give it some time to heal.”

    “What am I supposed to do in the meantime?” Marlene asked.

    “I’m sure we can figure something out. Come on, let’s go see how much fun we’re missing,” Skipper detto with a smile. He offered a flipper to help Marlene up and she accepted it. Though, when she got to her feet, she accidentally put pressure on her sprained ankle and stumbled inoltrare, avanti into Skipper, who firmly grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

    “Are te all right?” he asked.

    “Yeah, I’m fine,” Marlene replied. She tilted her head up as she winced in pain and found herself looking at a small green plant hanging from the ceiling.

    “Skipper, is that …?” her voice trailed in realization and Skipper followed her gaze. Above their heads was a small mistletoe plant.

    Skipper looked back to Marlene and laughed nervously.

    “Heh, I told Rico to take that down.”

    “Why did Rico put it up in the first place?” Marlene asked nervously.

    “He was trying to prank me this morning,” Skipper answered with a slight laugh. Marlene looked down slightly.

    “So,” she detto awkwardly.

    “So,” Skipper repeated at the same level of awkwardness.

    “Are we going to … te know,” Marlene asked without meeting his eye.

    “What? Kiss?” Skipper asked nervously.

    “No, no! I mean—you obviously don’t want to. I wouldn’t ask te to do something te didn’t—”

    Skipper gently lifted her chin with his flipper.

    “I never exactly detto that I didn’t,” he detto with a nervous smile. “Unless, te don’t want to—”

    “Well, I mean, it’s tradition, but if te don’t want to, it’s—”

    She was interrupted when Skipper pressed his beak gently to her lips. Marlene—shocked as she was—closed her eyes and kissed him back. Skipper meant for the moment to last a few seconds, but found himself holding her closer as the baciare became più passionate. After a few minuti of this breathtaking moment, Skipper realized that he’d gone farther than intended and pulled away in shock.

    “Marlene, I’m sorry, I—”

    Marlene laughed.

    “Skipper, I don’t recall objecting,” she detto smiling, causing Skipper to blush beneath his feathers. “Besides, it’s tradition, right?”

    Skipper smiled.

    “Yeah. Tradition.”

~~~

Merry Natale and Happy New Year's, everyone! :)