Work Text:
Donald frowned.
He appreciated that his family was trying to get him some much-needed rest after what could generously be described as a disaster of a day.
But he was also pretty sure they didn’t need to accompany him to the bus stop.
“I’ll be fine,” he insisted, adjusting his bag. “It’s a twenty-minute walk.”
“But what if a raccoon attacks you?” Dewey asked immediately, eyes narrowed.
“Or you forget your ticket?” Huey added.
“Or your clothes?!” Webby gasped.
Louie paused. “No, I’m pretty sure even Uncle Donald can’t forget that… probably.”
Donald pinched the bridge of his beak.
Honestly. These kids.
“I am going on a cruise,” he said slowly. “Not a war zone.”
“Those are basically the same thing,” Dewey muttered.
From inside the house, Mrs. B leaned out slightly.
“Perhaps Launchpad could take him?”
Launchpad, already halfway through hitting a wall he hadn’t been aiming for, blinked. “Uh—sure?”
Even Uncle Scrooge gave Beakley a look for that one.
“…Never mind,” she said.
Donald sighed and picked up his bag.
It was light. Almost suspiciously so.
No first-aid kit. No emergency radios. No contingency supplies. Just snacks, a change of clothes, and the faint hope of peace.
Still.
He hesitated.
His eyes drifted back to the manor.
What if something happened while he was gone?
What if the kids needed him?
What if Uncle Scrooge—
No. He exhaled sharply. That was the point of the cruise.
To have a break.
Behind him, the kids were still watching.
Waiting.
Worrying.
His resolve cracked just a little.
“It’s just a month,” he said, softer now. “You’ll barely notice I’m gone.”
He opened his arms.
They immediately piled into him.
Dewey clung tight. Huey held on like he was memorizing the moment. Webby squeezed so hard it was borderline alarming. Even Louie joined in after a reluctant half-second.
Donald closed his eyes.
Counted to three.
Held on a second longer than he meant to.
“…Take care of yourselves,” he murmured.
“We will!” they said in unison.
He stepped back before he changed his mind.
And then he walked.
Without looking back.
Just a cruise.
Just a month.
Nothing could possibly go wrong.
(In the end, he never did get to go on that trip.)