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“You look like you could use a drink.”
Daffy snapped to attention as he tried to hide his phone. When he saw it was just Donald, he relaxed, but only a bit. Before he could say anything, Donald went to the fridge and dug around deep before he pulled out two cans. Raising an eyebrow as he accepted the beer, he asked, “Didn’t think I’d find something like this here.”
“Cheap beer?” Donald guessed as he invited Daffy to sit.
“An automatic response would have me think Scrooge wouldn’t, until I remember what Scrooge is known for. Cheap beer would totally be what I’d expect to find. But we’re not in the manor. We’re in your boat.” Daffy pointed out after taking a seat across the other duck.
“Yeah, and I don’t remember inviting you so you’re trespassing. Instead of having ya kicked out, I’m sharing a drink.” Donald deadpanned. There was a pregnant pause there, thick and heavy, before Donald added, “We have to talk.”
Daffy groaned, “I hate those words…”
“Look, Gladstone and I have our differences, but he’s still family. I...honestly, don’t get it. But he’s interested in more than himself. It’s... weird,” Donald told him.
Rather than boast and feel nothing but pride, he feels shame. A rotting feeling forms in the pit of his stomach and grows. His thing with Gladstone is casual. It was fun. It was something Daffy thought he wanted. It’s what people expected him to want and like.
And yet…
He wasn’t invested.
“I’ll leave,” Daffy said before taking a long sip of beer.
“You don’t have to. Duckburg’s big enough for everyone. For Daffy and Duck Dodgers,” Donald told him with a soft smile. Then he added a serious look as he added, “But Daffy needs to be clear with Gladstone first.”
“Let’s not use the third person. You sure you and PK are okay with me overstaying my welcome? Even if Gladstone doesn’t send me away?” Daffy asked.
“I hung up the cape long ago, Daff. The kids needed Donald, not PK. But there’s a lot of craziness going around. And Drake’s Darkwing...well, Duckburg’s got enough weirdness to use your help too. Unless...are you running from someone?” Donald fished.
Daffy sighed, “Your accuracy and instincts haven’t dulled at all, have they?”
“I had three amazing, but very mischievous nephews who learned every trick in the book and wrote their own. I had to be even sharper than when I was out on the streets fighting crime.”
He scoffed out a chuckle, but Daffy answered him after a small pause. “I thought I knew what I wanted. I thought I missed the glitz and the glamour of the high life. And with Gladstone, I could have everything I wanted. And for a while...I did. But then I got...bored. Heh! Bored with Gladstone!”
“And?” Donald coaxed.
“...I miss Bugs.”
“Uncle Donald! Mr. Daffy! There you are!” Webby cried out as she ran towards them, Dewey on her heels.
“Where’d you guys go off to?” Dewey asked.
“Uh...just traded some old war stories, ya know?” Daffy scrambled for a reply.
“War stories?” Dewey asked with a furrowed brow, looking between them.
Daffy looked over to Donald, “Do they not know you were Navy?”
“WHAT?!” Dewey exclaimed.
Donald deadpanned at Daffy, but turned to Dewey and said, “College wasn’t really for me. I enlisted when I was 19.”
“Were you guys Navy pals!? And don’t think I won’t ask how it is that this was kept from being available information!” Webby told him.
“He was a Marine,” Donald began, shifting a bit uncomfortably before deciding that the truth was the easiest way to go about it, “Look. That part happened when Uncle Scrooge and I weren’t on the best speaking terms. I don’t know how much of my life Bradford kept from him. But the point is...Daffy and I met at a soldier establishment.” Which wasn’t a lie, it just wasn’t the full extent of their dynamic. The family has had a lot of adventure surviving Bradford’s ordeal, that bit of information could wait.
“Do you guys know where Gladstone went?” Daffy asked. He hated ruining a party or celebration. But he owed it to Gladstone, and promised Donald he’d do the right thing and end it as...kindly as possible.
“Mom had him and Fethry help her with something. But they promised to be back soon.” Dewey said a bit dismissively before he turned his attention back to his uncle. “...did having to take care of us because mom was on the moon impact your career in the Navy?”
Donald knelt in front of his nephew and placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze, “Listen to me, Dewey...I promise, with all of my heart, taking care of you and your brothers was the easiest and best choice I ever made. I love you.”
Dewey tackled Donald into a hug and latched on.
Daffy watched as Donald hugged back and even as Webby joined them in their embrace. He suddenly felt like an intruder in a moment he had no right to. The scene was very moving, and it reinforced the thoughts that kept growing that he had to end things with Gladstone. He couldn’t see himself as committed and it wasn’t fair to either of them.
“It is taking every instinct I have not to run over there and pull them into my arms.”
Daffy jumped when he heard Launchpad speak. “Don’t do that!”
“Sorry. But I saw a very tender moment from far away and didn’t want to ruin it,” Launchpad explained.
Pulling him away from the moment, he asked, “So you came to ask me what it was about?”
“Hm? Oh. No. There’s like, lots of reasons for this family to have epic moments like those. Lots of closure happening these days!” Launchpad exclaimed. “I was heading your guys’ way to call you back into the parlor cos we have company!”
“We? Like the McDuck and Duck family?” Daffy questioned.
“Yes! Well, you’re a Duck too. But like guests aren’t for you normally, but I think I remember Dewey mentioning you and Bugs know each other, so this is weirdly for you too.”
Daffy froze when he heard that name. “What? Bugs? He’s here? Why is he here?”
“Pretense, it’s to do business with McDuck. But honestly...I saw you on TV and wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Daffy jumped again before he spun around and saw Bugs standing there with Louie.
“You guys know each other?” Louie asked.
“Yeah. We were roommates,” Bugs answered as he smiled at Daffy.
“ROOMMATES?” Huey cried out.
Louie, and some of the others, covered their ears at the volume. The youngest duckling glared at his triplet and said, “Dude. We’re all right here.”
“Hey, guys! Did you know that Daffy didn’t just come here cos he’s dating Uncle Gladstone but he was in the Marines and Uncle Donald was in the Navy and they met while playing pool and that’s how he could kick butt!?” Dewey info dumped as he ran towards the crowd he assumed was mostly his family. At the stunned silence he received, he looked around and also noticed a bit more tension, so he asked, “What’d I miss?”
“Yeah...someone care to clue us in?” Gladstone asked as he, Della, and Fethry joined the crowd. He eyed Bugs warily as he made his way to Daffy’s side and grabbed Daffy’s hand.
“Bugs is here to see Scrooge,” Daffy answered him. He looked away from Bugs and sought out Donald, who gave him a nod in encouragement, before he turned to look at Gladstone, “Wanna go on a walk with me?”
An odd and weird feeling brewed inside of him that Gladstone hated, but all he could do was nod. Though he felt slightly better getting Daffy away from the guest, he wasn’t feeling that much better.
This was the first time he’s ever heard those four words. He’s heard from others that they were horrible, but he couldn’t ever fathom just how painful they were to hear.
“We need to talk,” Daffy told him once they were by Donald’s boat.