Work Text:
March 1965
It had been a long and tiring day on the West side of the Island of Sodor. A new Branchline was being constructed. Duck, Toby, Donald and Douglas had volunteer on the construction of the line, that would run from Tidmouth, the big station, through Haultraugh, all the way to Arlesburgh West.
On this day, Douglas was taken to the mainline, to help with extra work that had been needed. It was just Donald, Duck and Toby at Haultraugh. Donald had put some slate and bricks to construct the station, while Duck was in the yard shunting empty trucks for Donald to take away when he was free. Donald hauled at the new platform and looked over to Duck.
“Hey, Duck. Where is Toby?” asked Donald. Duck looked up from his buffers to meet Donald’s gazed and smiled at Donald.
“Oh, Toby was called to go back to the Branchline to help Mavis at the quarry. Don’t worry, Rosie will be coming here soon to help out. She is coming back from Crovan’s Gates,” explained the pannier, as he went back to shunting the trucks.
“Ah, okay,” replied Donald. It was just the two of them for now. Just them. Donald waited till he was asked to move the train into the siding. He moved the train of slate and bricks away for the workmen to sort out with Duck. Donald looked over to see Duck, happily shunting the last line of train, and humming a little tune to himself. Donald couldn’t help but smile at him. Donald liked Duck. He was the first engine to show him and Douglas the ropes of shunting and him along with the others, prevented them from leaving. Duck was like a friend to Donald, a friend he could always go to when he needed someone to talk to. Someone to laugh with and crack a joke with, but after being bought and working on the railway, the barely talked to each other, and now they are working with each other, you think they would talk a lot, but again, they were busy with work. Duck, who was off in his own little world, looked up to see Donald, who was staring at him, smiling slightly.
“Oh! Donald. Can you do a favour for me?” he asked. Donald snapped out of his daydreaming and focus on Duck’s face.
“Huh!? Aye?”
“Can you take these trucks to Knapford Harbour. The Fat Controller needs them for Neville’s train for this afternoon,” Duck explained. Donald looked at Duck’s smiling face and couldn’t help but stare and melt at it.
“Oh, aye. I can do that for ya, laddie,” he replied finally. Duck notice how strange Donald was suddenly behaving.
“Are you alright, Donald?” he asked.
“Yes, I am perfectly,” Donald quickly answered. “I’ll go… do that job,” as he quickly puffed over, and he was soon back down onto the train, but Duck was still worried about Donald.
“Are you sure? You look… worried,” said Duck, concerned for his friend.
“I’m fine, Duck. Don’t worry about me,” Donald replied, blushing a little as he looked into Duck’s eyes.
“Okay,” shrugged Duck as he immediately got back to work. Donald could only sigh with relief.
That night in the sheds, it was just the two of them. Duck was yapping away about the Great Western Railway. Usually, the others would get tired of it, but Donald enjoyed the stories that Duck had to share with him.
“I used to work at Paddington, the big station. I met lots of engines in those days, but none can compete to Harry,” Duck explained. Donald shot a glare at Duck.
“Harry? Who is he?” asked Donald.
“Harry was a shunting engine, like me, but he wasn’t a pannier tank. He was a 1361 Class, a saddle tank. He was the best. We shunted the trains for the bigger engines, and I often stood up for him with the bigger tanks would tease him and get too boastful in the smokebox,” explained Duck. Donald listened, getting a little jealous about this Harry character.
“Aye. Was he a good mate of ye’rs?” asked Donald. Duck smiled.
“Of course. We were best friends. Whenever I needed help, Harry was always there. And whenever Harry was in a pickle, I would always be there to put him back on the rails,” explained Duck, as he sighed. “I missed him so times,” Donald rolled his eyes, but he was secretly a little jealous of Harry, even though he never met him before.
“He was your boyfriend or somethin’?” asked Donald.
“What?! No! I never saw Harry like that in my entire life,” Duck said, looking rather disgusted at the thought of him and Harry being anymore than a couple. Donald notices this and immediately regretted it.
“Plus, being gay is a crime anyways. We would have tried to keep a secret anyways,” added Duck. Donald got very quiet.
“Like we all do,” he muttered under his breath in hopes that Duck didn’t hear him.
“What was that?”
“Uhmm. Nothing,” Duck looked at Donald, who was very red in the face.
“Why is your face so red, Donald?”
“Uhmmmmmmmm,” Donald didn’t know what to say. Duck decided not to ask any further questions. There was an awkward silence in the sheds between the two. Duck didn’t seem to mind, he was looking at the night sky, while Donald had his thoughts running around in his head.
“So…. You like anyone on the railway?” asked Duck from out of nowhere. Donald was surprised.
“W-what do you mean by ‘like’?” he asked.
“Y’know. Like as a friend or romantically?” Duck replied. Donald didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t tell Duck who he liked, better yet, he couldn’t musted up the courage to tell him he was gay. If he did, God knows what would happen.
“Well…. Maybe,” he said.
“Ooooooo, like who?” Duck asked. Donald knew it was either to lie and say he liked a girl or to tell the truth that would change their relationship.
“Och… I dinnae think ye know… them,” replied Donald blushing, not wanting to tell him, but also not wanting to say her either. Duck was confused
“Is it… more than one engine?” he asked.
“Well… no, I just… don’t want you to know, that’s all,” replied Donald. “I rather keep things like that personally. That’s all,”
“Fair enough,” said Duck. “I was only asking because I could nothing else to talk about,”
“Oh… okay then,” said Donald.
“Don’t worry, I don’t like anyone here anyways,” yawned Duck. It was 10pm, and they had to get up early in the morning for work.
“Welp. I’m off to bed now. Goodnight, Donald,” yawned Duck, as he quickly felt asleep. Donald yawned too, as he watched Duck fall asleep.
“Night, Duck,” he said.
“I love you,” he muttered.
Donald knew telling Duck that he was gay was wrong. He knows that if he did tell him, their relationship will be ruined. Donald knows, Duck will never love him back.