A Scientific Match

Chapter 4: The Date - Part 1

Kowalski looked at the clock. Time simultaneously was moving too fast and too slow for his liking. He paced the lab again, pausing by a mirror to double check his bow tie.

"It's just a date, " he told himself, glancing again at the clock. "Just one date that you'll surely screw up and then never think of this again."

It wasn't that Kowalski didn't want the date to go well, because he wanted it to go well. But if it went well, could he really continue dating Skipper's archenemy? Skipper would be bound to catch on eventually. He would be branded as a traitor without being allowed to give a defense.

And then of course...Francis was Doris's brother. What if Francis found out about how he used to stalk her and or about the Love-U-Laser intentions? He would be dead. Literally.

It didn't help that he had a tiny crush on him. Nothing as large as the crush he had had on Doris, and he had tried his best to ignore it, but now that he was going on a date with him, he was reminded of that crush and it was not helping his anxiety.

"It's just one date. That's all."

He blamed the toothy grin. That first time they faced him and he did his villain smirk...It should not have been as attractive as it was. Dolphin. Genius. Singer. Charming. He just had to be evil—or well, Skipper's arch. He didn't actually mind the evil part. It just was easier ignoring the fact he had a crush then deal with Skipper's probable opinion on the matter. He heard enough of his opinions on a daily basis.

Kowalski looked at the clock again and swallowed. It was nearly midnight. He peeked out of the lab, double checking that everyone was asleep before waddling out. He slid out to the entrance of the zoo and waited.

It wasn't long until Blowhole rolled up with his Segway. "Good evening, Kowalski."

"Hello, Blowhole... Or should I call you Francis?"

"Whichever you prefer is fine."

Kowalski nodded, waddling over to him. "Then I suppose it would be fair to extend to you the same option. Kowalski is my surname, Jan is my first."

"You know, all these years I thought Kowalski was just your name."

"To be honest, some days I forget it's not. But Jan analysis just doesn't have the same ring to it as Kowalski analysis. I swear I'd probably respond to being addressed as Options or Analysis at this point."

Blowhole chuckled. "Is that all you do? On your team, I mean."

Kowalski shook his head sideways. "It is most of what I do, yes. I'm also the tallest of the team... So that is occasionally utilized. I invent some things for them... Well, I try to anyhow. They've yet to really appreciate my efforts...but that's fine."

"Your team doesn't appreciate your inventions and you're fine with that?" He raised a brow.

"Well... No, of course I'm not fine with it, but it is what it is. There's no use dwelling on it." He cleared his throat.

Blowhole frowned slightly, but decided to leave the topic for now. "Anyway, I thought we could go to this karaoke bar I know downtown. Have you ever been to one before?"

"We have karaoke bars?"

"Yes! I can't believe you didn't know that."

"Well... I guess you could say I don't get out much except for missions."

"That's just sad."

Kowalski shrugged slightly as he waddled along beside him. "So um... Come here often?"

Blowhole glanced down at him with an amused snort. "Noooo never. Never seen the place before in my life." He chuckled.

Alright, so that flirt failed. The penguin smiled sheepishly. "Right, right..."