Work Text:
TIME TOGETHER
Louie woke up to the excited screams of his brother.
That was nothing new. Dewey always had some reason to be excited and making noise, but Louie had not slept well in a long time and being woken up so early, again, was just annoying.
"Can you shut up? I am trying to sleep"
"Neerp! I can't, don't you know that today is a wonderful day?" Dewey replied, jumping on his brother’s bed.
“No, and I’m not interested”, he said nuzzling into his blankets “but I think you will tell me anyway” he said, resigned.
Dewey jumped to the ground with energy. “Today mom is going to let me fly the plane alone! She said that on the first clear day we would go and today there are no clouds so it will be today and I will be able to show that I am the best 11-year-old pilot in the world and I will impress her with all the tricks I can do!" he shouted excitedly. "It’s breakfast time! I'm going to wake up mom! See you downstairs”, and he ran off without waiting for an answer.
Louie just grunted and snuggled into his bed to try to get back asleep, even though he knew it would be impossible, after all, he still had another early riser brother.
"Come on Louie", said Huey getting down from his bunk and ready with his backpack in hand. "We have to eat, so we’ll be able to leave soon while the weather is still so calm, we have to support Dewey." That made Louie sit down.
“First of all” he said, grabbing his phone with annoyance “it's 7 am, the sun has not even fully risen. Second, the weather forecast says it will be warm and clear for the next few days, so relax", he threw his phone away and covered himself with the blankets again. "And thirdly, what the hell made you think that I'm going to get into that rusty tin tube with Dewey flying it? I'm risking my life enough with Della and Launchpad, I don't want to try my luck."
Huey crossed his arms and looked at him reproachfully. "Come on Louie, I know Dewey is kind of... er... enthusiastic sometimes, but he's not going to put ourselves in danger for no reason.” There was a second of silence, Louie considered that there was no worth dignifying that phrase with an answer “Ok-ok! But mom won't let him do anything reckless either, she's going to be the adult in charge and the one responsible for our safety." Louie still didn’t answer. "And-and the plane is the safest conveyance!", he shouted nervously, running his hands over his head. "Everything will be fine, it's just a quiet ride close to home... god how did I get into this!? I better go get a helmet… I wonder if Uncle Donald still has the one from the football team.” He finally left the room, repeating to himself that the trip couldn't be that bad. Louie just chuckled under his covers, he loved to win an argument without the need to speak, sometimes silence was his best weapon.
After a few minutes, he finally got up from his bed and went downstairs to eat breakfast. He wasn't especially hungry, he almost never was anymore, but he didn't want his uncle Donald to go up to look for him, he always worried too much.
By the time he got to the kitchen they were all there, some more awake than others. Della was not exactly an early riser and she still looked very sleepy trying to keep up with everything Dewey was babbling about, as Donald finished serving the pancakes.
"Good morning Louie", his uncle greeted, as he put in front of him a large plate of pancakes. Louie knew that his uncle was worried about how little he was eating, but he could never eat that much. "Are you going to go flying with them?", he opened his mouth to answer, but Della was quicker.
“Of course, he's going! It’s a very important day, my baby is going to fly a plane by himself! He's going to be a little pilot and he's going to be the best, right Dewey?"
Dewey jumped to the table excitedly "Of course! nothing stops Dewey Duck, let's dew it!"
"Easy there, finish your breakfast first." Donald said and lifted him to sit him back in his chair, Dewey began to eat quickly. "Don't choke."
"Sorry, I'm so excited!" He jumped out of his chair and looked at his brothers “Ready guys?”
"Yeah, okay", said Huey getting up from his chair. "I think it's best if I don't eat much before the flight, thanks for breakfast Uncle Donald. Are you coming, Louie?”
The youngest of the triplets looked at his plate while playing with his food, he did not want to hurt Dewey’s feelings, but he was not going to get on that plane. "Um... I prefer not." He did not miss the look of disappointment on his brothers’ faces, so he tried to fix it. "Don't take it the wrong way Dew, I just think you'll do better without me there. You know you'll have a better flight without me complaining, with less weight on the plane, one less body to find..." Donald cleared his throat and looked at him reproachfully "I mean, I know you will do great, but with my luck and my complaints I will only spoil your flight. Better go now, heaven awaits you.”
Dewey still looked a bit sad, but the idea of going to fly had him too happy to care. "Well, I'll go get my things”, and with that he ran out of the room. Louie sighed quietly, but he soon remembered that his mother was still there and she was not exactly happy with the idea.
Della bit her lip thinking of what to say, she did not want to pressure Louie, but she still had the feeling that the boy did not like her at all. There was still nothing that he wanted to do with her alone and the truth is that she had no idea what he liked. Her own son!
Huey and Dewey were easy. They said out loud what they liked and always looked up to her, but Louie was not like that. They had been together for several months and still did not know how to interact with him, she still made an attempt.
"Maybe you two could learn to fly the plane too. Yeah! It would be a very good thing for you, knowing how to fly is a very useful skill for adventures." She looked at the children expectantly. Huey seemed thoughtful, Louie terrified.
"You're right, it would be something useful", Huey said. He took his guide out of his hat and flipped through its pages, "the JWG says that every new skill is a contribution to your day to day." He put the book back, "maybe I will start reading the airplane manual." Della looked at him fondly and then looked at Louie. "What about you, sweetheart?”
"I don't need that, thanks. I mean, I already know how to drive a boat and I'm sure that when I turn 16 Uncle Donald will teach me how to drive a car." He looked at his uncle hopefully, Donald just stroked his head, "and well, with four pilots In the family I think that’s enough, not counting Webby of course, she is with Lena and Violet in a slumber party, otherwise she would also join the flight lessons.”
"Oh come on", Della wanted to make one last attempt to get him to join them. "If you know how to swim you don't need a boat", Huey raised his hand as if he was to correct her, but his uncle put his hand on his shoulder to let that pass. "And wait? Who says you have to wait until you're 16 to drive?", Huey muttered something about the law, but was ignored “besides, with a bicycle you can go just as fast if you know how to use it, a plane is the best!”
"Louie doesn't know how to ride a bicycle mom.” Della looked at her older son in surprise, he looked at his younger brother instead "and I don’t know if I would be calm with you at the wheel, you could fall asleep or distract yourself with your phone, do not take offense.”
"None taken." Donald saw his child take out his phone and knew he was done with the conversation, but there was something that didn't fit.
He frowned and looked at his children, "I'm pretty sure I taught you kids to ride a bike." The brothers looked at each other and moaned in disgust at the memory.
The youngest got up and approached his uncle, taking his phone and rummaging through his photos. "Yes, you did, but with many protections and always with training wheels, so it doesn't count.” He finally found the photo he was looking for and showed it to his uncle. It showed a little Louie, no more than six years old, on a bicycle with a helmet and pillows all over his body and with his uncle holding his back and throwing pillows along the way. Donald laughed nervously while his children looked at him with raised eyebrows.
Della could only see the photo with a mixture of immense tenderness and jealousy, she should be the one who was there teaching her son to ride a bike. Of course, she probably would have encouraged him to go up the hills and learn by throwing himself down. Probably the boy would know how to ride a bike now and he would not be afraid of the many things that he was, but she could not complain, Donald did what he could.
Then Dewey ran back into the room. "What are we waiting for? Let’s go!" With that, he ran to the plane. Della and Huey rushed to finish and left with him, leaving Louie alone with Donald.
"Well, thanks for breakfast Uncle Donald, it was delicious, bye." But before Louie could leave the room, Donald grabbed his arm "Where do you think you are going?” He asked him, Louie looked at him confused, “erm… to my room?”
"Oh no, you won't", he took his hand and started walking towards the houseboat. "You said you wanted to learn to drive, well you will."
0o0o0o0o
Donald led them to the outskirts of the city, to an uninhabited and fairly flat area where they could practice without problems. The road was long but enjoyable. His uncle explained the basic things that he would need to know and some laws, Louie listened attentively, entertained with the explanation.
When they arrived, Donald forced his son into a helmet and gave him the keys. They started slow, with Louie testing the pedals for the first time and investigating the buttons.
The truth is that Louie had never had a special eagerness to learn to drive. It was something he knew he would not do anytime soon, especially considering how overprotective Donald was, so he was never interested. But here he was now, learning to drive with his uncle by his side, and he felt more excited than he thought he would.
The first hours passed quickly, between jerks, braking, laughter, and some screams of panic. Finally, Louie managed to drive the car quite well and calm on his own.
"Good job kid", his uncle spoke proudly, Louie smiled. "You are doing very well, now, remember that this is only for emergencies, you still can't get your license legally and you still need to practice with other cars around you."
"Can we come to practice from time to time?" Louie looked at him with his best puppy eyes and Donald patted his head affectionately.
"Anytime you want."
0o0o0o0
The day was more fun than Louie thought it would be.
At the end of the driving lessons, Donald let him stay at the wheel until they got to the town. There they switched places and Donald took him to lunch at a fast food joint, then they went back to the manor and sat down to watch a movie together, where Louie huddled in his uncle's arms.
By the end of the movie, Louie was more asleep than awake, but he still wanted to talk to his uncle for a bit.
"Uncle Donald?”
"Yes?"
"Why did you decide to teach me to drive? I mean, it was great, but it doesn't seem like something you would do.” Donald stared at him, thinking about the answer, the truth is that he wasn't very sure. Why had he taken his youngest kid to drive? He was still a little boy and that was something he couldn’t use soon, he decided to go with the truth.
"I don't know Louie", his nephew looked at him surprised "I think we hadn't done something together for a long time and I thought you would like it, I wanted to see you smile", he squeezed his duckling closer to him. "I feel that you are getting further away from your brothers and I know it's normal, you're growing up. But before, the three of you always did everything together and now you're starting to go separate ways. I'm no longer sure what you like to do, I just know that I don't want to see you sad.”
Louie had gone silent, he snuggled more into his uncle's arms, finally speaking so softly that Donald had to strain to hear him.
"I'm not sure what I like to do either. I was always with Huey and Dewey, I always had my role in our activities, but I never proposed them. Now that I spend more time alone, I don't know what to do with myself. I suppose I watch television or play with my phone to entertain myself and prevent me from thinking about who I am supposed to be if I am not with my brothers."
"I know that I am further away from the family", he continued, sadness in his voice. "I feel that everyone moves faster than I could ever do, everything has changed so much in such a short time." He looked at his uncle, with his eyes full of unshed tears "sometimes I miss how things were before, only the four of us against the world. There I knew my place, now I only know that I am the brother who does not like to do anything, who is lazy and greedy and who does not even get along with his own mother.”
"Oh Louie" Donald hugged him tight and let it go slightly to look him straight in the eyes. "You are a wonderful child, with a big heart, very loyal and cunning and I am very proud of you", he caressed the feathers in his nephew’s head and Louie leaned into the touch, enjoying the contact. "It’s good that you have doubts and that you take things at your own pace. No one can rush you, do not torture yourself comparing yourself with your brothers, you are unique and you are growing to be a great person."
"So why does it seem like you are getting further away from me too?" He replied hurt, he left the embrace and looked at his uncle, "Since Della came back, I feel that I see you less everyday. I don't want... I don't want her return to mean losing you, I'm afraid..." he started to sob and Donald brought him closer to him, giving him time to calm down. "I'm afraid that, if I end up getting used to her like Huey and Dewey, one day I'll look and you won't be there anymore." Donald looked at him in shock.
"Louie!" He grabbed his nephew by his shoulders and forced him to look at him. "Why do you think that? You are my kid! I love you more than anything in the world, I will always be here for you" he brought him closer and Louie buried himself in his neck, still sobbing. "Lou, listen. I'm sorry if it seems that I am away from you. When we arrived at the manor, I could not compete with Scrooge, he is a millionaire, adventurous and interesting, now Della arrived... and it was time to give her back her place, she is fun and brave, they are everything you deserve." He moved Louie a little to be able to look at him. "But giving them their place does not mean that I love you less. You and your brothers are my life, I could never get away from you."
Louie wiped away his tears, thinking about everything his uncle said and suddenly he felt guilty. “You know? I never apologized for everything that happened in Macaw with Uncle Gladstone." Donald looked at him confused. "I said he was our coolest uncle, well, the coolest non trillionaire uncle. And I still think that" Louie looked at his uncle in the eyes "because I found it too difficult to see you as an uncle, as much as it’s difficult for me to see Della as a mom. You raised me, you taught me to walk, you fed me, you were in all those stupid school plays and you comforted me when I had nightmares. You are not supposed to be the cool guy, you are supposed to be the father figure who will always love me and with whom I will always be safe.”
"Uncle Gladstone, Uncle Scrooge and Della are great and I love them very much, but not in the way that I love you, you are my parent and I don't want to feel you far away, much less replace you.”
Donald felt his chest tight and his own tears forming. God, he loved his child so much. “Louie, our family is strange, but it’s also perfect, do not complicate with the titles, Della can be your mother without being your mom, and I always I will be your parent, even if legally I am only your uncle, and I will always be here with you, I will not go away again.”
Louie hugged his uncle tightly, scared and sad. His chest was still tight, but he felt calmer, the weight he was carrying was still there, but it was not as heavy as before. And there, in the arms of the man who raised him, in the house where the people he loved the most lived, he felt safe.
0o0o0o0o
When his siblings and his mother arrived safely, he was incredibly relieved.
His uncle Donald had cradled him in his arms, and they had had hot chocolate, he was falling asleep when they heard the door open.
Seeing all of them well made him want to hug them immensely, but it wasn't his style, so he just smiled calmly at them "hey guys, how was the trip?"
His mother excitedly jumped to the front and picked up Dewey “great! Your brother did great and we found a rare magic stone and we had a lot of fun!"
"Yes, you should have come man, you would have seen me fly that plane and defeat the bad guys." Dewey moved his hands imitating the movement of the handlebars even in his mother's arms "surely you got really bored here. What did you do all day?"
Louie smiled and took out his phone, turning on his camera and looking at his uncle for permission, he just nodded. "Well you know, the usual, watch a movie, eat hamburgers... ah! And Uncle Donald taught me to drive."
“Wait WHAT!?”
The photo of his brothers' faces became his wallpaper for a long time.