Rory's a pansexual construction worker that's seen as the ordinary one among the other workers. But when he meets the famous English actor Tim, he feels greatness thrust upon him.
Author's Note[]
I haven't wrote a romantic fanfiction in my whole life of writing, so it might not be an expert's work. It'll also be a lot of chapters and Rory and Tim won't get together instantly it'll take some time. So sorry if it's slow at the beginning.
Feel free to listen to the song that inspired me to title this "Same Love" while you read my work.
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Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Same Love Feat. Mary Lambert
Chapter 1: Not my Division[]
𝒲 e need help.
Those were the last words he expected to come out of Gracie's beak.
"Why me?" Rory whined."Whenever I'm fixing something, I always need someone else to help me. I'm pretty sure the other construction workers could do it." "But you're the only construction worker that I can trust on the entire island!" Gracie stated, slightly annoyed. "Anyone else with a construction worker outfit I find just has it to try and tip the ice berg."
Rory sighed in defeat after a moment and decided he was a nice penguin. "OK, fine, I'll fix the bridge." "Yes!" Gracie cheered, pumping her left flipper. "It needs to be fixed by tomorrow morning, that's when filming will begin again for The Stunt." And with that, she calmly waddled away and disappeared into a crowd of penguins by the forest.
Rory didn't think his job would be easy; it was an ancient bridge, and the director wanted it to look just like it had before. The bridge had fallen just before the cast and camera crew could get onto it for a scene in the The Stunt. The bridge was in between two mountains near the dojo, a one-hundred foot drop, a calmly flowing river underneath it. Rory decided to take a quick sip at the Coffee Shop, grab his supplies, then go to where the bridge needed to be rebuilt.
Rory had finished the job just after the sun went down. "Tiring work, but hey, this is for probably the biggest movie of the spring." He said with pride, yawning and stretching. "Time to head back." He got to his igloo and straightened out his things for tomorrow. He fell asleep, not knowing what greatness was ahead of him...
Chapter 2: Meet the Somervilles[]
"ℋey, listen!" Came the sound of Gracie's English-Irish-Australian voice as Rory opened up his front door subconsciously. "My uncle wants you to come to the set of The Stunt and meet the cast as your reward for rebuilding that bridge." "Cool," Rory yawned before fully processing the situation. "That's- Wait, me? Meet the cast? That's-" He could barely contain his excitement. "Fantastic!"
"My brother's starring in it," Gracie said. "He's the secondary star. You'll love meeting the cast. Come to the Coffee Shop in about five minutes, the whole cast and crew will be there." Rory nodded, then rushed to get changed. He couldn't wait to tell all his friends. But that's when he realized none of the other penguins at his work-place found him interesting. They just saw him as the ordinary one. They never invited him to their parties. They never mentioned how he helped with the "Save The Migrator" project or how he built the ship igloo. Maybe they were just jealous, but he really wished he had someone to talk to. Sure, the EPF agents talked to him sometimes and Gary was great friends with him, but he wanted more. He wanted friends that'd always hang out with him and help him out.
He wanted life.
His daydreams were interrupted abruptly when he realized he didn't have anything good to wear. Oh well, he never bought anything fancy anyways, so he decided to go with his hard hat and goggles, along with his only red safety vest.
Rory arrived in the Coffee Shop after a quick walk. He was met by the laughter of the cast and crew members. "There he is!" Gary shouted from his spot on one of the couches. Rory nervously waved and found a spot in between Gracie and another ginger penguin. "So you must be that penguin that rebuilt the bridge," The unknown ginger said in a smooth English accent, smiling brightly. "Call me Tim. I'm Gracie's brother." "Rory," Rory said, taking out his flipper.
He met the entire cast and crew members, but only one of the members caught his eye. Not the director, not the lead actor, not the fantastic Gary or Gracie, but the other Somerville: Tim. He was handsome and wore a flame leather jacket over a plain white t-shirt, his dark-blue eyes gleaming with every word he said.
Rory got along well with him. He was a lot like his sister but a bit more energetic but not much of a comedian. Rory thought it was weird that two siblings were natural gingers; ginger hair wasn't common in the first place. "You're a pretty nice guy," Tim commented after the crew was heading back to filming. "Want to have some pizza tomorrow with my sister? We could talk more there." "Sure, sounds good," Rory replied. "I'll be there by 11:50 AM for lunch." He thanked the crew and cast and headed to his igloo. It was Saturday so he decided to relax and watch TV. He felt weird about the thought, but he was thinking about Googling about Tim.
So, after The Golden Girls rerun on the TV, he got out his laptop and searched about Timothy Charles Ross Somerville.
Chapter 3: Pizza Pizza[]
ℛory found out that Tim was homosexual, lived in England, and usually portrayed serious characters. He began to think about Tim liking him. It would be fine with Rory, he's pansexual after all, but a celebrity? That's every girl's dream, to have a celebrity liking you, but it'd also be very awkward if they weren't your celebrity crush.
Rory just saw Tim as a friend, Rory was too ordinary for a worldwide celebrity. Why would Tim take interest in just an ordinary construction worker, when he could go woo another great-looking celebrity just like himself? He wouldn't have a hard time, he was fantastic!
The next morning, Rory headed to the Pizza Parlor and found Tim seated with Gracie in a corner booth. "Hello," Gracie calmly greeted Rory from beside her brother. "I bet you feel so lucky having lunch with two celebrities." "Yeah," Rory chuckled, sitting down. "So I heard you made the auditions for Jawn." "Yup!" Gracie said with pride. "The filming's going to be at Scotland. I'm leaving the island in two days. I'll miss most of my brother's filming for The Stunt, but at least I can watch it when it comes to the theaters." "It's a pretty funny movie," Tim laughed slightly. "I don't know what it's fully about, but it's a hilarious Jaws parody."
"Can't wait to watch both of those movies!" Rory exclaimed, noticing the waitress coming near their table. "Hello, I'm Chasity and I'll be your server today. What can I get you, Tim and Gracie?" The waitress, Chasity said. Rory wasn't so sure but he swore he could see her trying to contain her excitement at meet the two famous Somervilles.
"We'll have a medium puffer fish pizza." Gracie said, smiling. "I'm fine with that," Rory said. "We'll all just have water to drink. Oh, we could give you our autographs if you'd like." Tim said. "OK, that's great!" Chasity said brightly, squealing slightly. "I'll get my notebook that you can sign after I put in your guys' order."
When the waitress left, Rory felt awkward and like the third-wheel. He guessed he'd have to deal with it a lot more if he wanted to hang out with his new friend, Tim. Rory was used to being ignored, but having a celebrity friend could make him a little more interesting.
Chasity returned with her notebook, and the siblings didn't hesitate to sign it with the blue pen she brought. Rory shifted uneasily in his seat, waiting for her to ask who he was. "Thanks!" The waitress said brightly. "I'm a big fan of you two. Is this your boyfriend, Tim?" She gestured to Rory, who objected, "We're not a couple!" "I'll get a candle. They're more romantic." Chasity giggled, full of pride.
Rory stared her down until she disappeared into the kitchen. He was sort of sensitive, but decided to be a good-sport when he heard Gracie and Tim laughing. "Well, I am gay," Tim said. "But we aren't a couple." Rory nodded, hoping he actually just saw him as a friend. It'd be unsettling but make Rory proud if a celebrity had a crush on him. But that was the last thing he expected to happen to him.
The three talked about movies, TV series, and funny mishaps as they waited for their pizza. When their pizza came, they kind of quieted down to eat. Chasity had also brought a candle with the pizza and asked Gracie to "let them be." After they finished their lunch, Tim had to get to the set of The Stunt. Rory was about to ask if he could come and watch, but he didn't want to end up breaking anything. He headed to his igloo. He was so stuck up in his thoughts that he completely ran into a white female penguin with blonde hair. "Sorry!" They both said in unison.
Rory vaguely remembered her as one of the helpers at rebuilding and repainting the stage a couple of years ago. He could of easily mistaken her for another penguin, though, most penguins tended to look like each other. It didn't matter, though, as she quickly vanished into a crowd of penguins in the town.
Chapter 4: So You Think You Can Design[]
𝒯 he Hollywood party would begin on Valentine's day, three days from now, and Rory's team still had quite a lot to design. They had to redesign a lot of the rooms for the party, and help Gary design the limousine that'd stroll around the island, giving penguins free rides.
Rory got the job of designing the stage along with a few other workers. He really wanted to participate in the awards, watching the actors and actresses win awards. He also couldn't wait to explore the exclusive sets of the Penguin High 3, Return of the Space Squid, and The Stunt. It was pretty nice of Spike Hike, Club penguin's leader, to think of making exclusive sets for penguins to LARP and explore in for the three biggest movies that were still being made.
"Did you hear, after the party that the three movies will be complete?" One of the workers said as they planned out the stage design. "Return of the Space Squid is the coolest sounding one I think!" Another worker exclaimed. "As if!" Said a voice Rory could put a face to without looking up from his work. It was that white penguin from earlier. It had been the penguin from the last time he was redesigning the stage.
"The Stunt for the win!" She continued, starting a little fight between the workers. Only Rory stayed put and continued working. The other workers never really listened to him or cared if he had something to say. If he joined in the fight, they'd just ignore him like he was an unnoticeable bug. He didn't really care, anyways. He wanted to get done. "You little feathered birds! Get to work!" It was Collin McCoy, probably the only non-penguin creature on the island (excluding puffles) that wasn't evil. He was a middle-aged looking ostrich. They aged differently from penguins, so Rory never knew exactly what his age was in penguin years. He was really big compared to the penguins. He often had troubles getting around the island.
Collin was from Scotland, where he directed many movies and TV series. He also helped revive the most famous TV series of all time, March of the Penguins. Collin had come to Club Penguin in hopes of making a lot of tourists come to the island for the party and make the party the best it could get. "I know you're all excited, but the party won't start until your work is done. Remember, three days." Cocky as bejesus, Rory thought.
The ostrich disappeared from his spot on the balcony seats, walking down to the floor level. He was wearing a pretty thick parka and a Russian hat. He was originally from Scotland, most likely bred in Australia. Club Penguin was known for it's year-round cold climate. "You may think you don't have to work that hard," Said Collin in a monotone voice, "since the redesigning only takes ten minutes, thanks to our dear Gary the gadget guy, but I want this stage to look it's best. The awards will be handed out here, it needs to look fantastic." He gestured to a worker to hand him the blueprint containing the main sketch of the stage redesign. He took a pencil and began fixing things.
After a few moments of struggling, Collin put the pencil down and triumphantly nodded. If he said anything else, Rory didn't hear it. "Sure, he's a great director, but he can be really demanding," Whispered the white penguin to Rory. He looked up, realizing she was talking to him. Whenever someone said something, he'd never look up. He knew right away they weren't talking to him. "Yeah," Rory mumbled, writing something on his sketch of the stage. "Nice sketch, maybe we could put some of your ideas on the main paper."
Rory looked up in surprise. "My ideas?" He said, astonished. "Yeah, you did help redesign the stage a couple of years ago, am I wrong?" The white penguin said, smiling. "You saw me? You remember?" Rory asked, blinking. "You always wear the same outfit," She said, giggling. "I have multiple, they all look pretty much the same," Rory said, finally taking in that Collin had left. "Alright, folks," Announced on of the workers after a moment, "You heard the man. He wants puffle lamps on each table, palm tree holograms, two huge screens that'll display the winners, and high-quality cameras to film it live to all around the globe. Let's do this!"
The workers cheered, while Rory looked down at his work. "Stacey," The white penguin said, realizing she hadn't told Rory her name yet. "Rory," Rory said, taking out his flipper. "I'll see if Cuttin' Edge will like some of your ideas," Stacey said, politely taking Rory's blueprint from under his flippers. He thought he should probably take in account his co-workers' names. Cuttin' Edge? Rory thought to himself. What kind of name is that? I hope that's his nickname.
Rory saw Stacey show Cuttin' Edge Rory's blueprint, and he nodded. The tall brown penguin began to walk towards Rory. "So, you're Rory?" He asked, sounding surprised. He was surprisingly significantly taller than Rory, probably by about seven inches. "The host of the Penguin Games a long time ago! I never knew you worked for us!" Rory smiled, then shook his flipper. He was kind of sad that Cuttin' Edge never realized he had been working with him. They discussed about Rory's ideas, and decided that his colors of the stage would be good.
Chapter 5: 99 Gallons of Coffee on the Wall[]
𝒪nce their lunch break came around, Cuttin' Edge disappeared from the Coffee Shop with a group of construction workers that were working on the entire town. Stacey sat down next to Rory after finding him sitting alone in the corner. "What's your favorite movie out of the three for the Hollywood party?" She asked, taking a sip of her black coffee. "The Stunt," Rory replied, stirring his tea. "Mine too!" She said. "Why?" "Well," Rory cleared his throat before continuing, "my new friend, Tim, is staring in it. Also, action movies are my favorite. I can't wait to see all the super cool stunts."
"Tim..." Stacey thought for a moment, then gasped. "Tim Somerville? The Somerville?!" "I thought Gracie was the Somer-" Rory said, but was cut off by Stacey's squeal of surprise. "You're friends with the Tim Somerville? No way, that's cool!" "Yeah, but we only met two days ago," Rory said, not realizing his voice broke. "You OK?" Stacey asked, shifting in her seat. "Fine," Rory said, taking a sip of his tea. "The tea went down the wrong way." He faked a cough and munched on a piece of his croissant.
"This is so weird..." Stacey muttered, looking at Rory's tea and back to her coffee. "You're drinking tea while I have coffee." Rory chuckled, then noticed Gracie waddling into the shop with her uncle. When Gary ordered, the barista's eyes went wide and went to the back of the store to get a lot of coffee bags. "Gary's his usual self," Rory chuckled. Stacey looked behind her and took in the situation. She laughed, then checked her phone. "We have thirty more minutes." She said, sipping the rest of her coffee. "Sorry, but a couple of friends wanted to meet me during my lunch break at the dock for some snacks."
"It's fine," Rory said, accidentally burning his tongue with his tea. "We can meet here again tomorrow." "See ya, Rory!" She said cheerfully, throwing away her cup and joyfully skipping down to the dock. Rory jumped at the sound of Gary's cheers. He was holding a five gallon coffee cup. Gracie implied a faceflipper as they left the shop.
Rory hoped they hadn't seen him. He didn't want Gracie to think that Stacey was his girlfriend or anything; she was always teasing him and asking him about his love life. He finished his croissant and sipped up his tea. He took a quick jog to each room to see how the other workers were planning on decorating, then went back to the stage. He was the first to get there. It was a short moment of silence before all the other workers came in soon.
Rory exchanged smiles with Stacey, then got to work with choosing where the right colors would go.
Chapter 6: Hitchhikers[]
ℛory woke up to the sound of angry voices and machine sounds. He realized it was only 6:45 AM, fifteen minutes before he would usually wake up. He rested for a few minutes, knowing that the racket next door woke him. He wondered what his neighbor was trying to do.
Rory drifted into a shallow sleep, finding himself in a dream he couldn't quite remember when he awoke again when a huge crash was heard. He got up, changed out of his pajamas, and quickly waddled out his front door. "Dang it!" growled the voice of Rory's neighbor. His name was SmolderBolt, a young purple penguin with a short turf of blonde head-feathers that always wore a hoodie with a bunch of pins on it. He had recently moved into the vacant lot next to Rory's igloo. Rory guessed he was a college student, recently moved out from his parents'. Sometimes Rory thought of SmolderBolt as a pony.
"What's going on?" Rory asked as the machine noises settled down. "I asked Gary for some help with renovating my igloo to have a third room." SmolderBolt said nervously. "So, he sent Rookie with a Snow Trekker to help me, since all the construction workers are busy with the Hollywood party starting in two days." "Uh, Rory..." Rookie said from his spot inside the Snow Trekker. "Apologizes, but I kind of...crashed the Snow Trekker into the side of your igloo. It kind of...uh...ruined your bathroom..."
Rory quickly waddled over to the Snow Trekker, and realized the vehicle had smashed right through his bathroom. "Oh, crumbs..." Rory said, gaping. "So sorry! I'll pay for the damages, I...I'll do anything!" Rookie pleaded like it was his last day on the planet. "I can just stay over at a friend's house while you get my bathroom fixed, no worries..." Rory said, still in shock. "Friend's house?" SmolderBolt scoffed, looking at Rory as if he had asked him if breathing was necessary. "Um, I don't mean to say you don't have friends, but it's just the bathroom..." "It's easier if I can just use the bathroom without having to waddle to your igloo or something, Smolder." Rory noted, giving him a slight smile.
Rory went into his igloo and found his comb under the pile of debris in what remained of his bathroom. He combed his feathers, then decided to find Stacey or Tim. He wasn't sure where Tim or Stacey were staying, but Rory hoped either of them had enough room in their igloo for him. He got a quick sip at the Coffee Shop, and ran into Tim while on his way out. "Tim!" Rory exclaimed, almost hugging him. "Rookie kind of rammed a Snow Trekker into my igloo. He destroyed the entire bathroom. I kind of need a place to stay while he fixes up my igloo, so..." "Sure," Tim said after a moment. "I'm staying at my sister's igloo. She's about to leave, so you'll have room." "Thanks," Rory said. "You're the best." He could of sworn Tim blushed, but he was still pretty tired, even after the coffee.
Tim lead Rory to Gracie's igloo. It was pretty big. Actually, it wasn't even an igloo, it was an ice palace. When they entered, they found Gracie packing up the last of her things. "Hey, Rory," She said, not looking up from her suitcase. "What brings you here? Don't you have to help set up the Hollywood party?" Tim told his sister the story, then she laughed. "It's like in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, when Arthur's house is destroyed for a new freeway." Rory didn't understand the reference. Gracie just shook her head and zipped up her bags.
Rory could of swore he heard Gracie whisper "Stacey" under her breath she waddled pass him. After she had been hanging out with the cocaine addict and detective, Sherlock Holmes, she had gained powers of deduction. He was worried she had read his emotions about Stacey. They weren't really romantic, but maybe Rory was just desperate to be in a romantic relationship. He hadn't been in many, the last one he could remember being almost a year ago. "Bye," Tim and Rory said in unison, waving.
Tim showed Rory an empty room next to the guest room. "Storage, but it's not that dirty." Tim said, turning on the room's lights. It was pretty small, a Japanese-style bed in the middle. It had icy walls like the rest of the palace and a nice wooden floor. "I don't suppose you'll want to bring a few outfits and maybe a comb?" Tim asked. "Yes," Rory replied, turning off the lights. "I'll do that after work. Good luck with The Stunt." "Make that stage worship me!" Tim joked as Rory raced down the stairs. "Just kidding. But still, make it extravagant and above the rest!"
When Rory got to the stage, he realized he was a little late. But it made him feel better when a few more workers waddled in after he had. Cuttin' Edge and Stacey approached Rory. "The color schemes are perfect!" Complimented Stacey. "The guests will love it." "One of the workers suggested a famous camera company that could lend us some cameras for the filming." Cuttin' Edge announced in his deep voice. "It'll be a lot of money, but hey, with Collin and the other great supporters we have on the island, we can use teamwork to get enough money!" "That's great!" Rory said.
Just at that moment, all the construction workers jumped at the same time. The front door swung open with a loud thump. Of course, it was Collin McCoy. Rory began to wonder how others got along with McCoy with his attitude. Or maybe he was just cocky towards the construction workers. He passed through the crowd as if he was the scary character in a movie, all eyes on him. Cuttin' Edge unrolled the blueprint containing the main sketch of the redesigned stage, and nodded in satisfaction. "Now," Collin made an unknown ostrich sound before continuing, "I'm collecting all the sketches to bring to Gary to turn into coding for his machine. Once he inputs all his coding, then all he has to do is turn on his invention - forgive me, I forget it's name - then all the rooms will turn into your designs. Just like the other months, I suppose?"
A few of the workers mumbled in agreement. McCoy studied the blueprint, before adding one thing; two huge penguin award statues next to the entrance. "I think that's it." He said. Then he added before disappearing, "Cheerio, Cheerio the nou, See ye efter" Two of the workers snickered at his very Scottish goodbye. "I never thought he could get any Scottish-er," Stacey chuckled, waddling to Cuttin' Edge and Rory's side. "So, I guess we can either go to any other group that isn't finished, or call it a day?" "Aam gonnae haem, th' guidwife is callin'." said Cuttin' Edge, obviously mimicking McCoy. Rory left the stage, about to get busy with moving some of his outfits to Gracie's ice palace, when he felt Stacey run up to his side again.
Chapter 7: Superfine Super-freak[]
"ℳaybe we could have some pizza at the Pizza Palour?" Stacey asked Rory nervously. "It's pretty much the only restaurant on the island, and I'm not the best cooker." "Sure," Rory said. "I need to get home, good day. "Good day." Stacey said, waving as she joined up with a few friends.
"Where do you think you're going?" Tim asked, noticing Rory was trying to comb his feathers the right way and trying to look really straight. Tim had already deduced he was most likely bi or pan, but his deduction skills were as rusty as a pan used by the ancient Egyptians, if they used pans. But he was still sure he was at least a little homosexual; Tim could of sworn Rory wore a little mascara. His voice was also an octave too high, but he didn't want to judge him by his voice.
Rory had already relocated his three favorite suits, comb, and conditioner to the ice palace. It was colder than an igloo, but it felt good. "Out," Rory simply said, putting on a bomber jacket over his vest. He still wore his construction hat, probably not wanting to scare his date with his bald head. Tim sat on the couch for a few minutes, unmoving, before finally speaking up. "Meeting with your worker friends?" "No," Rory said, seeming not to say the answer. "...Date?" Tim finally said once Rory had reached the front door. He paused before muttering, "Not really, I guess it sort of is." With that, he gently closed the ice door behind him.
Tim sighed. He had been feeling minor electric currents between him and Rory lately. He always formed crushes easily, such as with Sherlock and his cheekbones everyone noticed, but maybe he just felt concerned about Rory's safety. He always tended to be concerned about his friends' safety, after he almost lost his biggest sister, Gracie.
At the Pizza Parlour, Rory met Stacey at a table in the middle of the restaurant. She was wearing a simple white t-shirt with a mid-length red skirt. "That all you have?" She giggled, noticing he didn't fancy up that much. "Sorry, I never usually attend occasions like this." He explained, straightening his jacket as he sat down. They ate the pizza they ordered, talking about the Hollywood party and other interests. They left while Rory payed, being the gentleman he is.
While Rory was on his first date in a couple of months, Tim was blankly staring at the large TV screen in his sister's ice palace. While Rory was away, Gary had shown up at the palace to pick up a few things from the mini-lab in the basement. Gary noticed Tim's state, furrowing his brow. He sighed before deciding to burst out, "You fancy Rory."
Tim jumped, then stared at his uncle as if he'd seen him for the first time. "What?" He said, cocking his head like a curious dog. Gary rolled his eyes at his nephew's obvious unchanged attitude from his childhood. "You obviously fancy that dear construction worker. Stop."
Tim turned off the TV and scrunched up his face. "First of all, I happily sent him off on a date without any argument. Secondly, just because I'm sure he's bi doesn't mean I'm desperate to get with him. I've been friends with men without getting sexually attracted to them, I don't just fancy anyone that is bi that I become friends with."
Gary sighed. Tim heard his flippersteps as he entered the basement. He tried to think of how fantastic and exciting the Hollywood party would be, but he couldn't shake the thought of his actions towards Rory in the past few days.
Tim let his mind wander back to his encounters with Rory, noting the feelings of his stomach when he was near, the way he'd make him laugh, and his adorable face with that soft smile.
Was this love? Did he really fancy Rory? Tim had dated before but never felt this way. Sure, he had never really befriended a non-celebrity, he wasn't familiar with emotions towards them. He had only dated celebrities, but something about them ended up in a quick break-up.
But Tim felt something different around Rory; different from when he met penguins he was sure he'd fancy. Stronger emotions, like he could bond better with Rory than with other famous penguins.
Tim drifted off into a calm and shallow sleep. Gary left the palace after filling his bag with gadgets and widgets. He chuckled, knowing Tim would come to him for a love test with the "So You Think You Know Love 3000" sooner or later.
About an hour later, Rory returned from his...meeting with Stacey. He was about to announce that he'd have a lot of work the next morning, before shutting his beak, noticing Tim's idle state. Rory hung up his bomber jacket, and went to take a shower before calling it a night. He was really tired, he hadn't noticed he was out for almost two hours.
Chapter 8: Soon[]
𝒪 ne day.
Rory only had one day to set up a party for the construction workers with Stacey and Cuttin' Edge.
They decided it'd be a surprise party for the other workers, and maybe Collin could be invited, since he kind of helped them design the rooms, if they decided he would be OK, and maybe not so cocky and annoying.
"How'd your date go?" Tim asked from the kitchen, making tea. Rory was writing something in a small notebook on the couch. "Don't worry," Rory said, looking up, "one of the workers I work with just wanted to have dinner and tell me about the surprise party for the construction workers that designed the Hollywood party she thought of."
Tim sighed, relaxing. Rory cocked his head. "Why are you acting like a worrisome parent?" he joked. "She already has a boyfriend, I swear. There's no chemistry, I don't really think anyone-" He abruptly shut himself up, realizing he was about to explain to Tim he thought that no one would really like him. Why did he feel so comfortable telling Tim his emotions?
"That's fine," Tim said, a hint of pink in his face. He sipped his tea then continued, "Filming's done for The Stunt, and I suspect it's done for the other two movies, which it most likely is. While you go work, I'll be at my uncle's lab. He...He requested for my help. I'll be back at the palace as soon as I can. Cheerio." He smiled, and Rory's stomach did a weird backflip. Something about his smile gave him a weird feel, a feel he couldn't quite put words to.
Tim drank up his tea, but the cup in the sink, and ran out the door. Rory flinched when he slammed the door, thinking it would shatter the entire palace. Luckily, only the shelves next to the door shook slightly, and nothing fell or cracked. He began to wonder how the palace was built, and how it was kept from melting during the summer parties.
He just shook his head, put his notebook in his vest's right pocket, then headed out the door. He met Stacey and Cuttin' Edge at Cuttin' Edge's igloo. "Rory!" Cuttin' Edge said, shaking his right flipper. "The wife's out shopping, at an unknown and unmarked grocery store on the island. Who knows, there's a lot of grocery stores that just happen to randomly appear around the neighborhoods, them seeming to never return the next day. I guess they're travelers? I don't know, but she always brings back decent fruit and fish."
"Maybe we could go shopping for snacks for the party at one of the stores," Stacey suggested. "Maybe there's party supply stores too? Who knows, there's a lot of mysteriously appearing places around the island." "We still haven't decided if we should invite McCoy or not." Rory said, still taking in the huge igloo. There was a TV behind Cuttin' Edge and Stacey, approximately 100". There was also a framed football jersey, with the number 20 and the words "Emmet." Rory thought maybe Cuttin' Edge played a little football and that jersey was his, and Emmet was his last name.
Rory got lost in the sights, and also the thought of if Cuttin' Edge wasn't actually Cuttin' Edge's real name, but just a nickname. "Of course!" Stacey giggled, patting Rory a little hard on the back, making him jump. "He would get really mad if he found out about the party, and that he wasn't invited." "Where will the party be held?" Rory asked. "I own an empty storage igloo," Cuttin' Edge said. "The wife used it to store some of her stuff there when she was moving in with me. After she moved all her belongings, she said I could use the igloo for whatever I want. Car garage, man cave, football cave..." He trailed off, thinking of more things. "Oh! It's located behind my igloo. Not hard to miss, it's grey, kind of depressing, but I bet we could repaint it to look fantastic."
"Let's go take a look," Stacey said, practically dragging the two out the door. "Maybe my boyfriend, Derek, could help us paint. He is a really good painter, actually. An artist, he draws the most beautiful landscapes!" "Maybe we could hang some of his artworks in the igloo, they'll look artistic for the party." Rory suggested. "That'd be awesome!" She said. "You have such great ideas, Rory! With the minds of us all combined, this surprise party will be the best!"
Chapter 9: I Wanna Know What Love is[]
𝒯 im hesitated at the door to Gary's lab.
Should he ask Gary to test his relationship with Rory with one of his newest inventions?
Gary had only briefly talked about it about a week ago, not really mentioning if it was accurate or actually credible, but Tim wanted to know.
He was sure he had feelings for Rory, but he was too afraid to ask if Rory was gay, or at least bi or pan. Sure, he had slightly deduced Rory was capable of being attracted to the male, but he had to make sure.
Maybe Rory was completely straight before meeting Tim, and then...
Tim shook his head, almost smacking himself. He sounded like a fangirl of the Sherlock fandom. He took a couple of deep breathes before opening the door. He stepped in, noticing it was pitch black. He was about to turn on the lights, when a blinding light shun right into his eyes. He tried to open his eyes, but it was so bright, it was like he was underwater.
There was also a very loud and obnoxious ringing sound, and suddenly it felt like Tim's feathers just wanted to jump right off him. He instantly turned, trying to unlock the door that had suddenly shut automatically. His heart was beating in his ears. What was happening? Maybe this was all a dream, to drive him away from the idea of going to his uncle for a love test...
Then, all at once, the room was back to pitch black and the ringing stopped. Tim's eyes and ears hurt from the light and sound, and it took a while for him to adjust to the dark and make his ears work properly again. The door was still locked, and Tim began wondering what his uncle was up to.
For some odd reason, Tim could hear claws tapping on the tile and panting, as if a dog were in the lab with him. His heart beat in his ears, but he tried his best to keep calm. All the penguins in the room outside of the lab had left while Tim was hesitating earlier, so he couldn't throw himself at the door until someone came.
"Uncle?" he called, trying not to sound too alarmed. "Are you purposely using me as a lab rat, or did you accidentally activate your Herbert-proof trap on me?" No reply, and Tim could still hear the dog. He couldn't see it, nor saw it through the darkness, so he decided to try and find a flashlight. He had accidentally left his phone back at the ice palace, so he couldn't use that as a light source. But before he could get anywhere, he felt a hand grab him by the shoulder and the lights turn on. He yelped, but realized it was Gary.
"Damn it, uncle!" Tim sighed in frustration. "What the hell was that‽" "I knew you'd come for a love test!" Gary laughed as if nothing had happened. "I knew you'd come to the lab to find me, and I knew you were the least likeliest to instantly kill me after I used you as a lab rat for my trap! Plus, you're the kind of type that's fun to tease!" "I knew something was up! How nefarious!" Tim groaned, pushing away from his uncle. "Least likeliest to kill you? I'm almost tempted to just straight up strangle you if I knew I wouldn't regret it later...! What was up with the hound and the lights and sound...?" "I stole it from one of Sherlock and Watson's adventures, The Hounds of Baskerville. It's posted on Watson's blog, so I decided to use one of the things that had happened in their adventure for a trap for Herbert I might use. The dog is just a illusion I created."
"I haven't time, uncle," Tim said, still annoyed. "Where's your love tester thing?" "The So You Think You Know Love 3000!" Gary chuckled, carelessly running up to a desk at the far end of the lab. "I actually made two, one that you need to have both penguins, and one where one has to come and answers a series of questions and I calculate to see if you actually love them, and if they love you back."
Gary began digging behind the desk and in the drawers, before emerging with a grey suitcase. He set it on a slightly cleaner desk near Tim, and opened its latches. Inside, there was a computer screen and a very ancient looking keyboard. There was also two heart-shaped things next to the screen, which Tim assumed were meant to show the results of the relationship. "The ancientness of this is ironic," Gary said, "I just made this two weeks ago. I recycled an old computer to turn into this accurate love tester, though I had enough money to make it more modern." He typed in "Rory and Tim," and pressed enter.
When the two names came up on the screen, he selected "Tim." "So, it goes like this," Gary began, "I put in the two penguins' names, and then select the one that'll be answering the questions. After I ask you questions, the two hearts will show if you really like Rory and if he really likes you back. The top heart is your feelings, and the bottom is Rory's." "But how can you be so sure of Rory's emotions...?" Tim asked, not so sure. "Old magic," Gary simply said, seeming to avoid further explanation. "Favorite colour?"
"I thought these questions would be more complicated and need deeper answers," Tim mumbled. After a long pause, he sighed, "lime green." Gary typed in his answer. "Favorite animal?"
"Armadillo?"
"What do you look for in a guy? Like their personality, how they look, etc."
"This question seems reasonable, I'd say loyalty and kindness."
"If you thought your best friend was dead, but then they come back two years later, what would you do?"
"Try to bring them back to the dead. I mean, they made me think they were dead, when someone you love dearly dies, but then they reveal it's all a joke, that isn't funny."
"Favorite snack?"
"Crackers."
"Preferred attire?"
"Leather jackets and jeans."
"Shoe size?"
"Uncle~!"
"I'm serious!"
"8..."
"How can you prove to me you're not just a figment of my imagination?"
"The very act of doubting my existence serves as proof of the reality of my existence."
"Clever answer! What is the phobia of chainsaws called?"
"Common sense."
"That's it, now, let's wait..."
After a minute, the suitcase vibrated a little and the two hearts began to glow. The top one filled up about 65%, and the bottom one about 50%. "It looks like you're trying to block out your feelings for Rory, but you do like him," said Gary, stroking his beak thoughtfully. "It looks like Rory has thought about liking you, but maybe he thinks he's just desperate. He hasn't had a boyfriend or girlfriend in a while, as far as I know. What I would suggest is to confess to him tomorrow, Valentine's day, right? To see if he really likes you, but if you can't seem to find a good reason to tell him you like him, then maybe it's not love. Maybe you don't know what love is."
"I do know-" Tim barked, but then sighed. "I guess I kind of still need to learn about love, but I'm sure I have at least a little feelings for Rory. I'll see what he thinks tomorrow." With that, Tim stretched and left the lab. Gary sat there for a moment, still thinking, before putting away the briefcase and locking up the lab.
Chapter 10: Okay?[]
𝒯oday was the day. No going back. Tim was going to confess his love for Rory with a gift. It was Valentine's day.
"What if he rejects me? What if he doesn't feel the same way?" Tim thought aloud, laying on his bed in the ice palace. Rory had spent the night at Cuttin' Edge's. They happened to finish the surprise party just in time for the Hollywood party. They would celebrate with the other construction workers and Collin McCoy at 10 AM. It was currently 11 AM, and Tim assumed Rory would be back in at least 30 minutes, depending on how big the party was.
Tim was really tempted to explore the decorated rooms, especially the stage, the one Rory had helped design. But he couldn't be gone when Rory came back. He wanted to make it clear and solid and him. Tim moved to the living room, watching out the window for Rory. Tim thought about how Rory's igloo's bathroom had finally been fixed, realizing they wouldn't be living weirdly in his sister's palace together, but that wasn't too big.
About forty minutes later, he spotted Rory's unmistakable orange vest and feathers. He rushed up to the door, opened it, and waved happily. "Tim!" said Rory. "You seem more cheerful than ever. Is it because the Hollywood party has finally begun? Wait, why are you here, I'd suspect you'd be happily listening to jazz with your actor and actress friends and other music-" He paused, noticing the flowers. He pointed at them. "Are those for your actor boyfriend? They're beautiful! He'll like them!"
"Ah.. Um, no," Tim stuttered. "These are for you."
Rory was astonished. "Tim...What are you trying to say?"
"I-I'm trying to s-say that I-I think that I like-"
"But, but I'm just an ordinary..."
"I may even have more feelings than 'like' and-"
"I'm not meant..."
"I think I love you." Tim finished.
Rory opened and closed his beak for a second, before taking the bouquet out of Tim's flippers hesitantly. "I'm flattered, I really am. But why me... I'm just the character no one's suppose to notice..."
Tim took a hold of Rory's flipper, before he could protest. "I felt that... I could be happier... with you. I don't know if you even like me, I don't know if you even like men, but I do know that everytime I look at you and everytime I hear your voice and that beautiful laughter, that I'm hopelessly in love with my dear Rory. You're truly special to me, Rory, I hope you felt greatness thrust upon you during our times together, and I hope you always do. Okay?"
"Okay," Rory replied softly. "I've always felt the same way about you. I just pushed backed my feelings because I knew a world-famous penguin like you would never like me back. Never before have I been so wrong."
"Oh, and, Rory?" Tim asked. "What is it?" said Rory. Tim leaned forward, closer and closer to Rory's ear. "Rory, will you be my Valentine?" He whispered. "Of course, Tim," Rory grinned, pulling Tim into a bear hug.
Rory had a feeling this was the start of something great.
Epilogue[]
It was January 2015, and the winter breeze felt like a chilling invite to go inside and warm up. But the penguins weren't effected by this as much as the other animals of Portmeirion.
Rory had moved to Portmeirion, Gwynedd, North Wales after the Hollywood party with Tim. He sold his igloo to one of Smolderbolt's friends after the party, then moved in with Tim in his house. After the news got around, Rory was on national headlines and newspapers all around the globe. He felt great, now that he was noticeable and not just an ordinary penguin. Cuttin' Edge and Stacey missed Rory, so he tried to stay in contact with them from North Wales.
Rory didn't have a job his first few weeks in Portmeirion, but soon he found a job as a construction worker. He didn't have any other professions, and he insisted on fixing things.
Rory and Tim were getting married after two years of living together. Cuttin' Edge and Guinydyl were the best men, Edge seeming to be very excited to see the beauty of Portmeirion. The wedding was long, the cake was delicious, the best men speeches fantastic and brilliant, and the dancing afterwards was the greatest. Rory and Tim's vows were wonderful. "I want to live with Rory until I'm 70," Tim had said. "Okay?" "Okay," replied Rory, slightly tilting his head. "Why OK, though?" "Maybe "okay" will be our always." Tim said, giving him that goofy smile everyone noticed about him.
They continued to live in Tim's house, the same one he'd lived in for ten years now. It wasn't too big, but it was comfortable. Their life goes on to this day, Rory being very special and happy to be with Timothy Charles Ross Somerville.
- ℱ𝒾𝓃
Another Author's Note[]
I had so much fun writing Same Love. I didn't realize it'd be so good, and I never thought so much people would comment on how good it is. It was my first romantic fanfic, I can't believe it was so good! Sorry if my vocabulary didn't stretch a lot, I'm usually bad at finding good words for long descriptions.
If you think I should improve something next time I write something, then please leave a nice comment, it'll help me become a better writer!
Again, thanks to all my readers and friends! You're truly supportive and encourage me to write other wonderful fanfiction!
-Dogkid1, September 2014
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I do not own Rory, Gary, Rookie, or Club Penguin, they're © trademarks of Disney and their other respective owners. I do own Gracie, Tim, Smolderbolt, Stacey, Cuttin' Edge, and Collin McCoy, they're © to me. Sherlock, Watson, The Hounds of Baskerville, © Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss, and their other respective owners.