A/N: Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to drop me a line: Drink. Juice, Thalia's Muse, and Feeny. Also, thanks to Pixie-Belya for commenting on the story via PM, and also for inspiring this prompt with talk of stalker flamingos. What? I was due for a silly one-shot. ;) And yes, 'tis short, but I wanted to update this once more before I start NaNoWriMo tomorrow. -head desk-

Prompt #25-Fascinate

Penelo stood at the top of the airship's ramp and giggled helplessly.

"Thanks, Penelo, you're really helping."

"What do you want me to do? I already tried using gysahl greens and she still didn't want to get away from you."

"What makes you think it's a she?" Vaan demanded. He held out his hands in an attempt to ward off the wayward chocobo, who only nudged him so hard that he was forced to take a step backward.

"Oh, please," Penelo said dryly. "Girls all over Ivalice are, for some inexplicable reason, fascinated by you. Apparently it's not exclusive to Hume females."

"You-ooph!" Vaan was pushed another step back. "No! You can't come on my airship! Bad chocobo!" When Penelo started laughing again, he added, "Still not helping!"

Penelo crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Aw, I think it's sweet. Don't you just feel so...loved?"

"I feel sore! It keeps poking me! I think it's just demented; I mean, we ran into it in a cave. Chocobos don't even go into caves!"

"It probably followed you in there in the first place." Penelo was rather enjoying watching Vaan trying to ward off the affectionate animal. No matter what they had done to try to lose it on the way from the caves they had been exploring to their airship, it had somehow always managed to find them again. Or Vaan, more specifically, since it had taken absolutely no interest in Penelo. Vaan had emptied his pockets and his bag in an attempt to see if something he carried was drawing the chocobo's attention, but had found nothing. "It just likes you. I can't say I really blame her. I kind of like you myself."

"Penelo..."

"Yes?" Maybe she was having a little too much fun at Vaan's expense, but she still owed him for the time he dumped ice water on her while she was in the shower.

"Can't you just cast Stop on it or something?"

"But this is so entertaining," Penelo said as Vaan lost another step under the chocobo's nudges. Vaan glared at her over his shoulder, and his lack of attention on the chocobo cost him, as it hit him particularly hard and he fell backward, catching himself on his elbows.

The chocobo lunged, but Penelo was faster. An instant later, the animal was completely unmoving, thanks to her Stop spell. Penelo had caught it in the act of moving closer to Vaan; in its frozen state, it was bent over him, its beak only inches away from his face.

Vaan quickly scooted backwards away from the sharp beak. "What the…? Is it trying to eat me now?"

Penelo stared at the chocobo, wide-eyed. "Maybe she wanted a kiss." Her voice was a little faint. Those beaks were sharp-if she had been half a second slower in casting Stop…

Vaan dragged himself to his feet and pushed against the chocobo as hard as he could. It moved sideways, sliding off the ramp and onto the ground, still stuck in the same position, but probably not for long. Penelo grabbed Vaan's arm and pulled him inside, and he quickly raised the ramp.

As the chocobo disappeared from their sight, they turned simultaneously to look at each other. "Um…that was interesting," Vaan said, scratching his head.

Penelo sighed and turned to head for the cockpit. "Only you, Vaan."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Vaan followed her into the cockpit and swung into his chair.

Penelo just shook her head. "You know, it's bad enough I have to fight off girls, never mind chocobos!"

Vaan's only response was to grin at her.