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"You know we only came for you, right?" said Jose as night fell upon them.
All three of them are sitting downstairs where the local motel, still in town. Scrooge had decided that a trip back would be a bit much after seeing how exhausted the kids were, and asked if there was a nearby place to stay the night. Soon, Jose found himself in a room with just Panchito and Donald. Scrooge had his own while the kids all shared one. It was a perfect set-up-especially since he did want to sit down and talk to two very important people.
"Hmm?" said Donald, glancing over at Jose. Both of them are sitting at the edge of the pool, feet dangling in the water. Panchito himself is on one of the nearby lounge chairs, laying on his stomach and beaming at them. Jose wonders if his feathers still hold that everlasting warmth they always have or if time had drained it.
Jose bumps soldiers with Donald. "I don't think I would be here if I didn't know either of you were gonna' be in town," he said, glancing at both birds.
"He's not wrong," pipe up Panchito. All of them are talking softly, but the rooster was born with a natural brash voice. It clashed with the gentle glow of the pool. "This is going down as one of the best days of my life."
Donald looked over and raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What was the first one?"
Panchito hummed, eyes glancing upwards as if sorting through memories before they came back down. "Getting my first pistol, of course," he said. "Second, was meeting you two." He spoke about it like a love confession, voice hushed and face flushing. Jose felt his own cheeks warming up. Panchito always did have a way of disarming you with his words and never meant it all the time.
"I-I never meant to stop talking to you both," Donald rasped out, scratching the back of his head. Guilt was read all over his face. "I missed you guys so much, it felt like hell. But, I needed to look after the boys after-after-"
Jose placed his hand on Donald's, intertwining their fingers. "We know. You lost your sister, Donald. If that had happened to me, I couldn't do what you did." He thinks of his two nephews, of having to look after them after his own sister had just died in a jarring, tragic way. He tried to imagine himself dropping an exciting life to devote himself to being a father, and it makes the appreciation he has with Donald grow even more.
"But, a postcard would have been appreciated." The smile falls from Panchito's face as he talks, staring hard at Donald. The white duck flinches and looks down at the water. "I mean, come on! Almost a whole decade with no phone calls-"
"Panchito, that's not fair," said Jose, irritation seeping into his skin. "You didn't even bother to reach out to me!"
"It would feel wrong if I did without having Donald here!"
Donald shot them both looks, brow furrowed. "Hey, you both don't need me there all the time, ya' know."
"Its not like that," said Jose, feeling his chest expanding like the blooming of a flower. Oh, how he had missed these small moments with these guys, the small arguments and fond words! How un-perfect it was, how real it felt. "I would have felt the same way if it was just you and me, Donald, and he wasn't there. Its like-Its like the moment we stopped talking to one another bad luck followed me around. And anytime I was down, all that came to mind were the songs and memories and times we spent together. I don't want that to go away."
Crickets fill in the space after Jose's little speech. A warm breeze carrying the faint scent of flowers filled their senses. "Do you...miss us?" asked Donald hesitantly, looking at the green parrot. "Just all three of us?"
The three of them-young caballeros, instruments in hand and hearts on their sleeve. Traveling from dingy bars to grand halls to perform, being chased by the villain of the week. Amulets that thumbed to the tune of each other's heart beat, the rush of excitement and life through Jose's veins as he battled along side the men he loved. Falling into one giant bed, hands seeking one another and loving, loving, loving until the sun rose.
Jose's heart is bursting and his tongue feels too big for his mouth when he answers. "More than anything."
The smile that grows on Donald's face could rival the starts above them. He lifts Jose's hand and presses a kiss to it, and the feeling is so, so good. "Then, let's try again," said Donald, glancing between both of them. "And this time, the Three Caballeros stick together until the end."
Panchito has already scrambled off of the chair and tucking himself against Donald's free side, resting a head on his shoulder. "Not going to run off and not talk for another ten years, are you?" he teases, reaching out a hand for Jose.
Both Donald's face and tone take on a serious note. "No," he said with finality. "I'm not letting you guys go that easily. And I am sorry about that."
Panchito chuckles, and the sound of it is something Jose wants to drag out of him every day. ""Only teasing. Truth to be told, I have been with other people. I tried so hard to be with them and find the spark, but it just never worked out. No one had what you two have."
Jose almost didn't heart what the rooster had said. All he could focus on was the idea that Panchito had other people with them, did things with them. Had someone trying to fumble their way through what made Panchito laugh or cry, sigh or cheer. The idea of it all burned up inside of Jose.
"This won't be easy to explain to everyone," said Jose, sighing and ignoring the ugly jealously in his chest." Not a lot of people are so welcoming of three people dating."
"Who the fuck cares?" said Donald bluntly and all three of them burst out laughing, three sounds forming a familiar melody.