Top Wing Snippets

Seeking Permission

Ok, so here's another idea that came to me and wouldn't leave me alone. It's kind of a followup to my earlier short "Weird Feeling".

The image above is a screenshot from the episode 'A Top Wing Christmas'

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Swift took a deep breath as he stood in front of the Penguin family home.

"Ok, Swift. You can do this. Nothing to be worried about. Everything will be fine... I hope." He thought before finally knocking on the door.

A few seconds passed before someone opened the door. It was Mrs. Penguin.

"Swift?!" She exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise to see the blue jay. "Well, this is a surprise."

Mr. Penguin comes up behind her.

"Hi, Swift." Mr. Penguin greeted, also surprised to see the blue jay. "What brings you here? Did you come here alone?" He asked.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Penguin. Y-yeah, I'm here alone. I'm here because I need to talk to you about something." Swift replied. "M-may I come in?"

"Oh, of course." Mrs. Penguin replied as she and her husband stepped aside for him to enter.

She closed the door and they all went into the living room.

Upon entering, Swift realized how quiet the place was. "Um... where are the kids?" he asked.

"They're outside playing somewhere." Mrs. Penguin replied.

"Oh. Ok." Swift replied.

"So, Swift, what is that you want to talk about?" Mr. Penguin asked. He and his wife sat on the love seat, while Swift sat on the single.

"I'm assuming it has something to do with Penny? Is everything alright with her?" Mrs. Penguin asked.

"Yes, she's fine. You have nothing to worry about, Mrs. Penguin. But... what I want to talk to you about, does have to do with her." Swift replied, rubbing his left arm with his right hand. A sign that he was nervous.

"This... might come as a surprise to you, but... the r-reason I'm here... is because I... well I..." he gulps. "I-I want to ask for your permission to... c-court Penny." he finally let out.

Mr. and Mrs. Penguin's eyes widened. That was not what they were expecting to hear.

"I know, I know. You weren't expecting to hear that." Swift quickly continued, his cheeks lightly flushed. "I know this probably has never happened for your kind, so I'll understand if you don't approve of what I'm asking."

The two penguins stared at the bluejay, still in a bit of shock. A few more seconds passed before Mr. Penguin spoke up.

"Well then, you sure have given us a lot of surprises today, Swift." he told the young jay. "And, this is indeed a first. There's no history of a penguin being involved with someone who's not a penguin."

"Probably because we've never left our icy home to interact with other species." Mrs. Penguin chimed in. "It's so surprising, I don't even know how to respond to it."

Swift frowned.

"We've had a few penguins come to us seeking permission to court Penny. We've given them permission but asked all of them the same question which we will now ask you, Swift." Mr. Penguin stated. "Why do you want to court Penny?"

Swift blushed looking down to avoid eye contact with them for a moment.

"I... I've fallen in love with her." He replied, looking up at them again. "She's got a personality that I can't help being drawn to. She's outgoing, energetic, helpful and kind, and never gives up to get a task done. I always admired that about her. But... lately, I've realized that I started feeling different towards her. I tried to ignore it, but it got worse the more I did. I did some research and found out that... that I was falling in love with her. I couldn't and didn't want to believe it. I tried to convince myself of all the reasons why it was wrong, but... it didn't work. As time went on, I became more and more attracted to her, and have accepted... that despite our difference of species... I'm in love with her. Once I finally accepted that this was really how I feel about her, I knew what I had to do. So... here I am."

The two penguins stared at the bluejay in awe.

"Oh... Swift..." Mrs. Penguin spoke softly. "How... how long have you felt this way?"

Swift frowned and let out a heavy sigh. "Almost two years." he sadly replied.

Mr. and Mrs. Penguin's eyes widened in surprise once again.

"Two years?! Really? You've kept your feelings hidden for two years?" Mr. Penguin asked.

Swift nodded. "She wasn't at courting age in order for me to approach her. Now she is, I want to do it right. Of course... that is... if I get your approval." He told them.

"So, you haven't told her how you feel about her yet, have you?" Mrs. Penguin asked.

"No, I haven't. I'd rather she reject me knowing that you approved of me as a suitable mate, than she accepts me and you don't approve. I'd never forgive myself knowing there's conflict between you because of me." Swift explained.

Mr. and Mrs. Penguin took in everything the young bluejay had told them. They looked to each other, smiled and nodded.

"Swift, we approve." Mr. Penguin stated.

Swift's eyes widened in disbelief. "Y-you do? Really?"

They both nodded.

"It's a first, but after everything we just heard, we can tell that you really are in love with her." Mrs. Penguin stated. "Penguin or not, if Penny chooses you as her future mate, it's because you make her happy and we're ok with that."

Swift smiled widely. "Thank you so much, Mr. and Mrs. Penguin. This really means a lot to me." He thanked them.

"Don't thank us just yet, Swift. Remember, we gave other penguins permission to try to court her. In the end, it's Penny's decision that has the final say." Mr. Penguin stated.

"I know. So now my next challenge is confessing to her and hope she returns my feelings." Swift stated.

"We wish you the best of luck, Swift." Mrs. Penguin told him.

"Thank you." Swift replied with a smile, before getting to his feet. "I better get back to the island before they start looking for me."

"Of course, Swift. It was nice seeing you again." Mrs. Penguin stated, as she and her husband both got up and escorted him out.

"It was nice to see you again too. Thanks again." Swift replied as he stood in front of the door.

"No problem, Swift. Just one more thing." Mr. Penguin said before he could fly off. "If Penny does choose you, and things work out between you, come see us again when you're ready to propose." he grinned.

Swift's eyes widened and his face turned red. "O-o-ok." Swift stuttered before he got into his vehicle and took off.

"Did you really have to embarrass him like that, dear." Mrs. Penguin told her husband once they were back inside.

Mr. Penguin chuckled. "What can I say, I like the boy. He's got a good head on his shoulders and a strong caring heart. I'd be more than happy if he and Penny got together. And let's face it, honey; we know he'll do a better job taking care of her than the others, given how he answered the question." He stated.

"True. But he has an advantage over them. He knows Penny because they spend a lot of time together. That's why he fell for her. The others have to get to know her and she has to get to know them before she can choose. Of course, that's only if she doesn't already have feelings for Swift as well." Mrs. Penguin replied.

"Well, all we can do is wait to see what happens." Mr. Penguin stated. Mrs. Penguin nodded in agreement.

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Hope you guys liked this one.Feedback always greatly appreciated.