Pebbles

Our dashing and romantic hero, let's call him Wayne, is hopelessly in love with Jules. He's been searching for a present for a while. It must be perfect. True love demands nothing less. He waddles to and fro, nosing in every nook and cranny with his beak, beady eyes peeled.

Jules is heading towards him, and it looks like he is carrying something. Wayne feels as though his little heart might overflow, or explode.

It's a pebble. The perfect size and shape, and delightfully smooth. Wayne accepts it, and redoubles his efforts. When he finds one at last, and presents it to Jules, his heart feels even fuller.

They swim together, sleek bodies slipping under the surface of the pool and arrowing through it. When they aren't swimming, they waddle together, and when they're done waddling, they huddle. When the People come with the Buckets, Jules can't eat unless he knows Wayne is close by. Wayne is quite the same.

In between these intensely romantic activities, they continue to give each other pebbles, the way a madly-in-love human couple might give each other bricks, with which to build a beautiful family home.

No? Not bricks? Some other household-y item, then. Bath towels, surely. Teapots. Oven gloves. Bookmarks. Door handles.

Wayne and Jules prove themselves devoted to each other. When their beautiful nest is built, Wayne gifts Jules the very largest, roundest, and smoothest pebble he can find.

It's so beautiful, and so special, they take turns sitting on it to keep it warm. They felt that was tremendously important, for some reason.

Once in a while, one or the other of them peer at it. Is that curiosity in those sharp little eyes? Anxiety? Love?

They take turns sitting on this not-an-egg for such a long time, that even the People, dull-witted and emotionless though they be, spot the behaviour, and it touches their cold hearts. The love story of Wayne and Jules sends ripples through the human world.

One day, a People bring an Egg to the love-birds, and carefully swap it for the Not Egg. (Have you seen Mission: Impossible? It is exactly like that.) Patient and caring as ever, Wayne and Jules continued to gestate their V.S.P. ("very special pebble").

Imagine their delight, when, one day, it hatches! Into the most gloriously adorable fluffy chick you ever saw.

Wayne and Jules do a superb job of raising the little chick (named Pebbles, obviously), and now, any time a nest is abandoned, or an egg can't be cared for by its usual parents, one of the People dons a Ninja outfit and Ethan Hunts the new V.S.P to the nest of Wayne and Jules, assured in the knowledge they will take care of it as if it were their very own.

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Thank you for reading!

Inspired by the famous gay penguins in (I think) Sydney or somewhere like that. For World Penguin Day.

If you have a story you'd like me to read, please leave it in the comments.

See you tomorrow!