Missing Moments in PoM

Ch 4: Mr. Tux re-write (ep. 210). Amarillo Kid x Mr. Tux slash.

{ thoughts }

(Spoilers. Amarillo Kid's accent is a bit difficult to get into, but I will do my best to stay in character)

It was a beautiful, sunny day when the armadillo rolled into their habitat. The armored mammal unfolded itself and and narrowed his eyes at the penguins.

'Intruder alert!' Skipper jumped back into a martial arts stance.

'Mr, I ain't no intruder. I am... the Amarillo Kid!' the armadillo announced, posing dramatically.

'Should I know you?' the lead penguin inquired, eying the mammal up and down.

'Only if your name is, Mr. Tux,' the armadillo replied disdainfully, looking down his nose at the lead penguin. No one seemed to notice when Private squeaked and attempted to hide behind Rico.

'Kowalski, my aliases,' Skipper ordered.

'Hmmm... Nope, no Mr. Tux,' the lieutenant replied, after searching through the photo files.

'Well now, that's a crying shame. All these years of tracking him down and he just happens to not be here... or he's just not willing to admit it. Heck, all you birds look alike to me,' the armadillo rolled into a ball and the penguins had to jump out of the way to keep their feet from being flattened.

The ball of armor unrolled next to Private and the youngest penguin found himself stumbling for balance when the Amarillo Kid threw an arm around his shoulders.

'How about a little incentive to ensure that Mr. Tux doesn't skip out on our game? I hear penguins are quite protective of their young. So, I'll just be taking this little one off your flippers for a while,' the armadillo announced, leaping out of the penguin habitat and dragging Private along with him.

'PRIVATE!'

Private shivered, wrapping his flippers around his body as he watched the armadillo pace the small burrow they were hiding in.

'Why are you so dead set on finding and playing this... Mr. Tux?' the young penguin finally asked, his curiosity overcoming his nervousness.

'Ever since I was just a young-in, I loved the game of mini golf. And when I first saw Mr. Tux play, I would have given anything to have him look at me with that over-confident smile of his. Once I got good enough, I challenged him to a game,' the Amarillo Kid explained, a smile softening his face as he became lost in the memories.

'It should have been the best day of my life. Instead, it became the day I could never forget. He darn near broke my heart when he walked away, refusing to finish our game. I swore that day that I would not rest until I'd tracked him down and finished our battle,' the armadillo announced.

'That's all you want?' Private asked, watching his former rival.

'Yep. I intend to win my rightful place as the Mini Golf King,' the Amarillo Kid boasted, pulling out a golf club and twirling it in the air.

'What if Mr. Tux also made an oath? What if he swore to never again pick up a golf club and play that infernal game?' the young penguin asked.

'Then I'd just have to force him to play. My heart can't move on until I've had my chance to settle the score,' the armadillo stated.

'Say Mr. Tux did play and you lost... What then?' Private questioned, easing away from the wall.

The Amarillo Kid frowned and studied his club, deep in thought. Brown eyes met blue and the armored mammal answered. 'Win or lose, this game is as important to me as my own life. Mr. Tux ripped out my heart and crushed my dreams when he walked away and never looked back. I just want the chance to play him one more time... then my heart will be free again.'

'Oh... OH! I didn't realize. That must have been very hard for you,' Private whispered, remembering how young and innocent the armadillo had been when they'd first met. To think that because of what he did, the Amarillo Kid had become tenacious in his quest to track down his old rival and settle the score.

This situation seemed a lot more in-depth than his little crush on the zoo's temporary lady doctor. What would it be like to love someone so much that you'd track them down after years of being apart, just to see them again?

'Don't worry your little feathers about it, kid. I have no intention of actually harming you. But Mr. Tux doesn't know that,' the Amarillo Kid smirked, hiding his club once more.

'I'm not a KID! I'm a full-grown penguin,' Private insisted, annoyed that his old rival was treating him like a child. The mammal just refused to see him as a grown adult and it was really starting to ruffle his feathers the wrong way.

'Go to sleep, kid. Tomorrow I'll take you back to your rookery and see if they're ready to give me what I want. One of them has to be Mr. Tux, even if they've been keeping it a secret all this time,' the Amarillo Kid clapped the penguin on the shoulder as he walked past.

Private watched the armadillo curl up near the entrance, likely guarding it to ensure that the penguin didn't escape in the middle of the night. With a sigh, he laid back and attempted to sleep. But instead, he found himself tossing and turning, unable to stop his memories from replaying over and over in his mind.

'Land sakes, kid. You're as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.'

The penguin felt his heart skip a beat as two arms wrapped around him, pulling him close against the surprisingly soft body now laying behind him.

{I guess armadillos are only hard on the outside} Private felt a smile tickle his beak as the mammal's gentle breath caressed his neck. This wasn't so bad. It was actually quite... relaxing. Before he knew it, the penguin was fast asleep in the arms of his rival.

(morning)

'Are you ready to talk now? You see, Mr. Tux and me have some unfinished business and I intend to get my game,' the armadillo announced after he landed back in the penguin habitat with Private at his side.

'I told you, mammal! None of us are Mr. Tux. You're barking up the wrong tree,' Skipper announced, narrowing his eyes at the animal who had dared to kidnap a member of his team.

Private gulped as he watched the pair glare at each other. It seemed the armadillo was quite serious. He really wasn't going to leave until he'd settled the score. So, straightening his shoulders, Private shoved his way (gently) between the pair and looked the armored mammal straight in the eyes. 'Amarillo Kid, I guarantee that you will get your game. I will track down Mr. Tux personally and make sure of it.'

'So, you do know who Mr. Tux is...' the Amarillo Kid blinked in surprise, eying the young penguin he'd kept warm the night before.

'Yes. Set up the mini golf course and you'll have your game,' Private promised, refusing to buckle under the weight of the mammal's stare.

'Yippee!' the Amarillo Kid shouted, pausing only briefly to give the young penguin a quick hug before rolling into a ball and bouncing out of the habitat.

'Armadillos are just whacked out from the scorching desert heat,' Skipper decided, leading the team down into their base.

'Well, what now? He's going to be back once he realizes Private was... fibbing,' Kowalski asserted, giving the young penguin a glance.

'I wasn't fibbing! I said I'd give him Mr. Tux and I will,' Private turned to fix his team with an unexpectedly serious look.

'But, Private... Skipper isn't Mr. Tux,' the tall penguin commented.

'I know he isn't, Kowalski,' the young penguin replied, heading toward the beds carved into the walls.

'And I'm clearly not Mr. Tux,' Kowalski stated, rubbing his head in confusion.

'Nuh meh,' Rico exclaimed, shrugging his shoulders.

Private threw his team a rare glare, then turned to ruffle inside his pillowcase. Skipper noticed a flash of crimson as the penguin turned around and attached a stunning red bow-tie to the base of his neck.

'I'm Mr. Tux,' Private declared, putting his flippers on his hips dramatically.

There was a pause, then the other three penguins burst out laughing.

'You almost had us there, Private,' Skipper chuckled, wiping an amused tear from his eye.

'But I'm not lying. I really am Mr. Tux,' the younger penguin exclaimed, pleading with his teammates to believe him.

'Sure you are, Private,' Skipper winked at Kowalski. The scientist tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle his laughter.

Private stomped his foot and pulled a golf club out from under his pillow, before storming up the ladder heading outside.

'Either way, it's just mini golf. How hard can it be to pretend to be Mr. Tux?' Kowalski commented, the three following their young private outside.

'What the duce?' Skipper stared in shock at the mini golf course set up all over the zoo.

'Wow,' Rico's eyes widened at the transformation.

'Well, he didn't waste any time setting this up. I guess we'd better go make sure Private doesn't get crushed too badly,' Kowalski declared, as they headed toward the gathering of animals in front of the lemur habitat.

'Newton's nickers. I was wrong. There's no way Private can pull this off,' Kowalski gulped, watching Julien get creamed by the Amarillo Kid who was throwing fancy golf moves left, right and center.

'Then I'll just have to step in. Rico, do you have a red bow in that stomach of yours?' Skipper questioned, giving his weapon's expert a look. Rico tapped his beak and spit out a familiar pink bow.

'Yeah, I don't think he'll be fooled by that,' Kowalski commented, glancing back in time to see the armadillo doing a victory dance.

'Alright. I hear you've been looking for me, Amarillo Kid,' a short penguin in a red bow-tie waddled into the sunlight, glaring fiercely at the armadillo.

The zoo animals let out a collective gasp, eying the newcomer in shock and awe. The silence was broken by the laughter of the Amarillo Kid.

'You nearly had me there, kid. I'll even teach you how to play after I beat the real Mr. Tux,' the armadillo stepped up and threw an arm around the young penguin's shoulders.

'He's right, Private. Now hand over my bow tie so I can settle the score with this mammal,' Skipper landed next to the pair and held out a flipper expectantly.

'No, Skipper. This is my battle and I'm going to finish it. Even if none of you believe I'm actually Mr. Tux. And I am!' Private announced. {Even my teammates don't believe in me. Well, I'll show them. I'll show them all!}

'Tell you what, kid. We'll play a little mini game while we wait for the real Mr. Tux,' the Amarillo Kid promised, putting his arms around Private to show him how to properly hold a golf club.

Private felt his frustration begin to melt away, replaced by the heat increasing under his feathers. The armadillos hands were soft and surprisingly gentle. Just like the night before... {How can he be this sweet with me, yet so angry with my alter-ego. But I can't let this go on. He'll never be able to move on if I don't give him a fair game.}

Private shook the armadillo off as gently as he could, already regretting it when he saw the saddened look on the mammal's face. 'I really don't need any help,' the penguin whispered, turning away. He focused on the mini golf course, letting his body and mind sink back into his alter-ego... Mr. Tux.

'Alright then, let's see what you've got,' the Amarillo Kid stepped back, throwing a smirk at the lead penguin next to him. He was almost 100% certain that this... Skipper, was actually the Mr. Tux he was looking for.

Private sucked in a breath and felt his flippers relax around the handle of the golf club. This was his game. He was once the best. {No, not once. I AM THE BEST!}

The zoo animals watched in awe as the small golf ball danced through the course, dropping easily into the first hole.

'Not bad. Must be beginners luck,' Skipper decided, wondering if he should add mini golf to his training drills. Hand-eye coordination and all that.

The armadillo and lead penguin took a startled step back when Private turned to fix them with a determined look. In quick succession, the young penguin managed to sink several more balls into the hole with barely any effort.

Twirling his golf club, Private threw the Amarillo Kid a smirk. 'Still think I'm a fake, Amarillo Kid?'

The armadillo felt his heart drop and his knees get weak. It was him. It was really him. The young penguin, Private, was really Mr. Tux. No doubt about it. He was wearing the same over-confident smirk he always did during his mini golf competitions.

'Wow... I did not see that one coming,' Kowalski commented, breaking the stunned silence.

'I tried to tell you,' Private exclaimed, snapping out of his Mr. Tux persona to pout at his teammates.

'That you did. Now, I believe we have a competition to finish, Tux,' the Amarillo Kid grinned, throwing an arm around Private's shoulders and pulling the young penguin close.

'So, you're not mad at me anymore?' Private asked, blue eyes pleading up at the slightly taller animal.

'Nah. I think I'm starting to get why you quit playing. Competition can make you dark and twisted inside if you let it. And I'd rather have a gentle Private over a boastful Mr. Tux any day of the week,' the Amarillo Kid stated, winking at the penguin.

'But, I thought this was your dream. How can you give it up so easily?' the penguin asked, looking genuinely surprised.

The armadillo leaned closer and whispered, 'It was my dream to play Mr. Tux and I'm not giving it up. In fact, if you refuse to play... I'll just have to drop by every day until you say yes.'

'I don't think I'd mind that...' Private sighed, blushing under his feathers.

'I would!' Skipper commented from the sidelines, reminding the pair that they were not alone.

'Ehm... I'd love to play with you... mini golf, I mean. Yes, let's just... yeah,' Private choked, pulling away from the mammal and rubbing the back of his neck.

'Alright then. But don't go easy on me, little Mr. Tux. I expect you to give me your best game,' the armadillo smirked, eying the adorable bird in front of him.

'Count on it,' Private agreed, throwing the mammal a happy smile.

'Let's up the stakes a little. Loser takes winner out for a victory dinner,' the Amarillo Kid suggested as he watched Private line up his first shot.

'You'd better be thinking sushi, cause I'm going to beat you,' the penguin announced, throwing a smile over his shoulder.

'Don't be so sure...' the Amarillo Kid leaned back and watched as his dreams became reality. Finally, he had Mr. Tux's full and complete attention.

...the end...

Note 1: Yeah, I had to end it fluffy. Actually, it's pretty much all fluff :)

Note 2: Check out Tsutoshi on deviantart. She's amazing! Her Kowalski x Julien fanart and doujinshi are the best I've seen! She has a few doodles of the Amarillo Kid and Private too :)

Note 3: My newest amv "Mixed Up Love" contains multiple slash PoM pairings, including Amarillo Kid x Private. Check it out on youtube under wingedtora.