#poor yak is bawling his eyes out

[piningintrovert]

Don't mind me ... just sharing an interesting moment I came across while compiling clips for another set :) Here we have Dee realizing that he might have actually played himself by continuing to enforce (yeah, okay lol) the no kissing rule with Yak and promptly deciding to do something about it

[niiwa-angel]

Aftermath

Daffy woke up still wrapped around his oldest, the little toon's fur was matted down in some places with vaseline, bandages, and dirt. The injuries he’d received yesterday were swollen, some of the bandages were dirty with blood and ink, and his nose was wet with a fever. Bugs was gone and he could smell food cooking downstairs, which worried him. The rabbit could do many things but cooking was not his strong suit. If he was paired with someone who knew how to cook he could be of assistance, but on his own he mostly made charcoal.

Wiggling his way out of the blankets, Daffy tucked Yakko back in and ran down the stairs, hoping to intercept the incoming smoke screen before the fire alarm woke up the concussed child. He tore into the kitchen with smoke wafting from his feet, only to see Bugs with a cup of coffee in his paw and Porky standing at the stove with a spatula in one hoof and his own mug in the other. Both toons looked at him when he came in, the pancake that had been in the process of being flipped landed smoothly in the pan.

“Eh, what’s up Duck?” Bugs asked.

“Oh thank god!” Daffy exclaimed, “I thought you were cooking!”

“No,I-i-i am.” Porky laughed, “I st-sta-st-stayed the night in the guest room, I wanted to make breakfast and check on Ya-yak-yakko.”

“An I told ‘im Yakko was fine, if a little concussed.” Bugs said.

“Tha-th-that poor kid, what happened to him?” The small pig asked, turning back to his pan.

“Sfar asth we can tell, he ran off, got beat up, and then got hit by a car.” Daffy said.

“Beaten up? My god-dd-d, when I find out who d-di-di-did that to him I’ll-”

The pig broke off ominously, flipping the pancake out of the pan with more force than was necessary. Bugs and Daffy exchanged a look of fear, Porky was the peaceful toon, the one who was least likely to start a fight. If a situation ever came to blows, Porky was the one trying to break it apart, him threatening someone meant he was really pissed.

“He’s good now though, he’s sleepin upstairs right now.” Bugs assured, “When he wakes up, you can see for yerself.”

Porky just nodded and poured another circle of batter into the sizzling pan, cleverly hiding his teary eyes.

“Thspeakin of the kid, he needsth a bath.” Daddy said bluntly.

Before Bugs could answer, Dot and Wakko came thundering down the stairs, each with tears in their eyes. The smallest Warner threw herself at Daffy and started bawling into his shoulder while Wakko ran over to Bugs and attached himself to his side. The grey hare scooped his younger son up and started shushing him, trying to stop the crying.

“Whatsh wrong?” Daffy asked, bouncing her in his arms

“Is Yakko dead?” She wailed.

“No!” Bugs gasped, “No, of course not. He’s upstairs sleepin, he has a concussion and some bruises but he’s okay.”

“Ca-can we see him?” Wakko sniffled.

“Couresth you can.” Daffy said, “C’mon kiddos, letsth go sthee you brother.”

Leaving Porky behind to cook pancakes, Bugs and Daffy carried their younger two kids up the stairs to see their wayward brother. Yakko was still sleeping, the blankets pulled all the way up to his chin. Wakko broke into a wave of renewed crying when he saw his brother and Dot practically threw herself out of Daffy’s arms and onto the bed.

“Whoa whoa, easy dhere!” Bugs chided, “He’s real banged up kids, ya gotta be gentle with him.”

At the mention of her brother's pain, Dot reeled back and stared at him for a moment, only to slowly reach out again and brush over Yakko’s exposed ear. Wakko crawled onto the bed beside him and laid down next to him.

“He’s goin ta be fine.” Bugs assured and brushed his daughters fur.

“What happened?” Dot asked.

“Your brother got into a fight.” Daffy said plainly. “And he’ll tell you himsthelf when he wakesth up, but right now, Uncle Porky’sth making sthome pancakesth that need eating.”

The promise of food got the younger kids moving, though instead of racing like they usually did, Wakko took his sister's hand and the two shuffled out. Daffy watched them go with a sad smile on his beak.

“Ya’know, I never notithed how brotherly Wakko is.” Daffy sommented, “But he’sth really sthepped up with Yakko out of commission.”

“Yep.” Bugs agreed. “It’s gonna be weird for da tree of em for a while. But fo right now, let’s wake Yakko up and get him cleaned up.”

Bugs took a seat on the bed and started gently shaking his son, calling his name softly. Yakko moaned and squirmed, whining in pain when his bruises were irritated.

“Aww kid.” Daffy whispered, stroking his ear. “It’sth okay.”

Yakko whimpered once more and his eyes opened slowly, bringing up his hand to shield his eyes from the dim light flickering through the windows. Bugs gave him a sympathetic look and pulled him up into a hug, rubbing his back to comfort him.

“It’s okay kid.” He soothed, “It’s gonna be alright, we’ve got ya.”

“Hurts.” Yakko mumbled.

“I know Yak, I know.”

“Here kid, take your pill.” Daffy instructed, putting a pill in his hand and holding up a cup of water.

Obediently and without any fanfare, Yakko swallowed a mouthful of water and the capsule and then leaned his bandaged head against Bugs’ shoulder. The rabbit stood and started to carry the kid to the bathroom across the hall. Daffy started drawing a bath while Bugs started on removing the dirty bandages, making Yakko whimper when the tape pulled on his fur.

“It’sth okay kid, we’ll take care of you.” Daffy comforted, hand in the tub to monitor the temperature.

“I feel sick.” Yakko muttered.

“Dat’s the concussion doc, yer gonna be feeling a little crappy for a while.” Bugs said.

“Don’t wanna.” He said, staring at the opened cuts on his body.

“Well dat’s kinda out of our control bud, yer brain needs time to heal.”

“Make it go faster.” He asked, looking at his guardian with big pleading eyes.

“Oh kid.” Bugs whispered, scooping him up into a hug. “I wish I could.”

Yakko and Bugs stayed in an embrace until Daffy shut off the water and motioned for the young toon to go in. Bugs lowered him into the water carefully and soaked a washcloth, gently wiping the grim from his fur.

“My sibs?” Yakko asked.

“Downsthairs with Porky.” Daffy said.

“They okay?” He rasped.

“They’re worried bout you but other than dat, they’re okay.” Bugs answered, lathering up a gentle fur shampoo and scrubbing it in.

“Can I see them?”

“Course. Afta yer not covered in dirt.”

With the answer, Yakko relaxed and let Bugs clean the grime off of him. Daffy sat on the lid of the toilet and held the towels for after, he’d also grabbed an oversized pair of pajamas for the kid to wear for the day. Big enough to hide the bandages and cosy enough that Yakko would be able to sleep most of the day comfortably like he probably would with the concussion.

Once Bugs was convinced that Yakko was properly cleaned, he lifted him from the bath and set him on the mat for Daffy to dry off. The oldest Warner curled himself into a ball and started shivering to ward off the cold, making it difficult for Daffy to properly dry him off, but he managed anyway. In the end, Yakko's fur was puffed up and he looked like a little black puffball, but he was dry enough to redress his wounds and put him in the pajamas.

“Well kiddo, Whadaya say, up for some breakfast?” Bugs asked.

“No.” Yakko mumbled.

“Oh c’mon Yak. Breakfastht isth the most important meal of the day.” Daffy said, lifting him up and carrying out and into the hallway.

“Don’t care. Don’t feel good.” Yakko said, hiding his face in the feathers.

“I know bud, but ya need food ta get betta.” Bug said, keeping stride with Daffy.

Yakko whined but didn’t complain anymore, instead he just let his arms hang limp over Daffy’s shoulder. The jostling going down the stairs made his head hurt and the change of lighting was making him nauseous but he didn’t have the energy to argue, he felt like he had been hit by a car. Oh wait.

“Yakko!”

Said toon winced at the loud, high pitched squeal that came from his sister when she saw him, but he put on a brave face and ignored it.

“Hey sister sib.” He greeted with as much energy as he could muster.

Dot grabbed onto his hands and squeezed them as hard as she could, looking up at her big brother with glossy black eyes. Wakko was following slowly behind her, practically tiptoeing up to them.

“Don’t ever do that again!” Dot scolded, “We were scared, you just left us and we didn’t know if you were ever coming home!”

“We thought you were gonna die.” Wakko added quietly, taking his cap off and twisting it.

“I’m sorry.” Yakko said softly.

He didn’t know what else to say. Last night, running off had seemed like such a great idea, he hadn’t even considered how his brother and sister would feel, finding him missing and not knowing why. Now that he could see how scared both of them were, he just felt selfish and stupid.

“We had to go to bed without you!” She continued, clearly still angry. “I had to sit on the counter to brush my teeth, and Wakko couldn’t do the buttons on his night shirt, and we didn’t get to hear a story!”

“Hey, I re-read-read you a story.” Porky interjected.

“Not like Yakko does!” Dot snapped, “Yakko knows all the voices and makes funny sounds.”

Deep down, Dot knew that this wasn’t about the fact that their routine had been slightly different. Even if Yakko usually held her up to the sink to brush her teeth, or helped Wakko with his buttons, or told an extravagant story for them before they fell asleep, they could get by without it. She was really mad because she had been scared, and all she’d been able to think about last night was that she may never be able to hear her big brother tell her a story ever again, or ever wake up knowing he was going to be there.

“Dot, calm down kid.” Bugs said, scooping her up. “Last night was scary, for all of us. But Yakko’s home now and it will all be okay.”

Out of anger to run on, Dot buried her face in Bugs’ fur to hide her tears. She both wanted to yell at Yakko some more and crawl into his lap and never leave.

“Dot,” Yakko called from Daffy’s arms. “I’m really sorry, I swear.”

“She knows kid, she just needs a minute.” Bugs assured, “Let’s get everybody some breakfast, that’ll cheer everyone up.”

Taking the hint, Porky started dishing pancakes onto the plates he’d set on the dining table. Dot and Wakko had already had a round of pancakes but they didn’t turn down the offer of more, Porky made good pancakes after all.Yakko felt like he would hurl if he tried to eat them but Bugs brought him a small bowl of raspberries and told him to eat as many as he could. The ensemble was quiet, out of respect for his pounding headache, and Yakko just focused on making his hand grab a berry without dropping it and bringing it to his mouth. Such a simple task twenty four hours ago, now it felt like it could be an olympic sport.

Breakfast finished quickly and soon all the plates were in the dishwasher and Porky was heading home. Yakko had managed about half of his berries and was so exhausted that he barely noticed when the pig gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze and a kiss on the head.

“I’m glad, I’m glad you’re home safe.” He whispered, “If you ever, ever need to talk, my num-number’s on the fridge.”

“Thanks.” Yakko whispered back.

Bugs migrated the other two kids to the couch and turned the television on and lowered the volume. Daffy lifted Yakko up off his chair and carried him back up to his bed, tucking him in and sitting with him until he fell asleep. As he stood up to leave, there was a knock at the front door and a race of little paws to answer it, followed by slower, heavier footsteps to talk to whoever was at the door. Hurrying down the stairs, Daffy saw Donald and Daisy Duck in the front foyer with a casserole dish covered in foil.

Dot was babbling happily at a speed and pitch that was incomprehensible to everyone but her, Wakko was standing behind her with his tongue hanging out of his mouth and his hat in his hands. Daisy was listening to Dots rambling with rapt attention even though he was sure that she couldn’t understand a word she was saying and Donald was smiling at his partner while she did so. Smiling and laughing, Bugs lifted their youngest and settled her on his hip, her tail and one arm curling around him but she didn’t stop talking the whole time.

“Alright Princess.” Bugs interrupted, playfully pinching her nose. “Why don’t you and Wakko go play in your room while Daff and I talk to our guests?”

Finally, Dot paused and looked at her guardian in shock, Daffy was mostly surprised that she hadn’t passed out from lack of oxygen/

“But that’s Daisy Duck!” She said, throwing her arm out at their guests. “She’s one of the most famous toons ever! And a fashion icon for over forty years!”

Lowering her voice, she leaned in and whispered something Daffy couldn’t catch into Bugs’ ears that made him laugh. He whispered something back and set her down to her feet, when she immediately grabbed Wakko’s arm and dragged him off so fast there was smoke wafting off the carpet in their wake. Donald waved his arms dramatically and started squawking and jumping around.

“I’m glad the triplets can’t do that, our fire alarms would always be going off.” Daisy joked, placing a calming hand on her partners arm.

“Yeah, us Warner toons come with different features then you Disney guys.” Bugs agreed, stomping out a small fire. “Makes life a little hectic.”

“You’re here to check on Yakko.” Daffy stated, cutting off the conversation.

“Yes, we are.” Daisy agreed, taking it in stride. “We also wanted to check on the other two but they seem fine.”

“We just laid Yakko down to sleep, he’s in pain and nauseous but he’s going to be fine.” Bugs said, “But I can go wake him up for you so you can talk to him.”

“That would be lovely.” Donald said in his famous voice. Only the fact that Bugs and Daffy had known him for so long allowed them to understand them.

Bugs went off to grab their oldest while Daffy went to make coffee for their guests, Donald and Daisy set their offering on the counter.

“We brought you a shepherds pie, we know it can be hard to make a meal plan with a sick kid.” Daisy said, “It’s fully cooked so all you need to do is reheat it when it’s dinner time.”

“Thank you.” He said, turning on the coffee maker.

“What time did you get home last night?” Donald asked.

“Late, I can’t remember what time.” Daffy answered.

Daisy laughed and nodded sympathetically, turning to see Bugs settling Yakko onto the couch with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Both the Ducks hurried over to check on him, Donald displaying an amount of softness towards the young toon, reaching out and adjusting the blanket so it was more snug around him.

“Hey Kiddo.” Daisy whispered, “How are you feeling?”

“Bad.” Yakko mumbled, his ears drooping.

Humming sympathetically, Daisy took a seat beside him on the sofa and pulled him into a side hug. Yakko whined a little when he shifted and his bruises hurt but he didn’t pull away from her. Donald squaked a question that Yakko couldn’t understand, looking to Daisy for help.

“Would you be able to tell us what happened last night?” She translated.

“Um, I guess.” Yakko muttered.

Knowing that the Ducks wouldn’t believe a word he said if they were in the room, Bugs took Daffy’s hand and started pulling him out of the room.

“Daff and I are gonna have some coffee in the kitchen, you just yell or puke if you need us, kay Kiddo?” He asked.

Yakko nodded and the two Warner stars left, leaving Daisy and Donald alone with the teenaged toon.

“I got into a fight with Bugs.” Yakko whispered, “I don’t even remember why I was so upset but I yelled at him and told him to eff off.”

“Alright.” Daisy said.

“He told me to go to my room and I wouldn’t go, so he picked me up by the scruff and took me to the stairs. I went upstairs and thought that they were gonna send me away so I figured that I’d leave before I was sent away, I grabbed the money I had saved and climbed out the window.” Yakko said.

Donald snorted and covered his beak with his hands. The other toons stared at him but he just waved them along, signalling them to continue with the story.

“I don’t remember where I went but I wound up in this really weird part of town, the buildings were built weird and all the other toons were slammed. I was trying to get out of there and then these three guys who looked creepy called me a ‘Freshie’ and saying that I was asking for trouble just being there. He tried to grab me, I hit him and ran. One of them caught me, took my money and hit me a lot. I managed to get away and ran away and I think I must have run into the road cause someone hit me with their car.”

Yakko broke off and gulped, looking intently at his feet. Daisy rubbed his back soothingly and gave him a kiss between the ears.

“And then I woke up in the hospital and Bugs and Daffy brought me home.” He finished.

Daisy nodded and wrapped her other arm around him, giving him a gentle hug. Donald took one of his hands and squeezed in, smiling at him with teary eyes.

“Oh Honey, I’m so sorry that they did that to you.” She whispered, “That must have been so scary.”

“It was.” Yakko whispered back, seemingly in a trance.

The Ducks fawned over the young toon, Daisy rubbing his back while Donald held his hands. Yakko fixated on a spot on the floor and didn’t advert his gaze from it, he was aware of the older toons touching him, but he really didn’t have it in him to care. He had a headache, his stomach hurt, he was exhausted, and he just wanted to be back in his bed. He also wouldn’t have minded another cuddle pile with Bugs and Daffy, but that could wait until later, he knew they had his siblings and now guests to deal with.

Noticing Yakko had zoned out, Donald gave his hand a final, tight squeeze and his wife a kiss on the forehead, then went to find their hosts. Obviously, Yakko had gotten roughed up, but not by his guardians and based on how enthusiastic the younger Warner siblings had been, they weren’t being abused either. Which meant right now, they were keeping a sick and hurting child from his worried parents, who would probably have a better idea of how to make him feel better.

Donald and Daisy were no strangers to the challenges of parenting, the worries, the joys, the exhaustion, the excitement, and the unbridled joys of raising young toons. He could remember when Huey had learned to read and how proud he was, and how scared he was the first time the boys had done a stunt on set. He still felt that fear whenever they left, but he’d had almost a century to get used to it. Daffy and Bugs were brand new, those emotions were going to feel like the realist things they’d ever felt and he didn’t want them to be stressed for their kid for too long.

Daffy and Bugs were in the kitchen, two steaming mugs on the island and a small plate of oreos between them. They two were engaged in a hushed conversation that came to a dead halt as soon as she entered the room. To the untrained eye, it might not look like Bugs and Daffy were stressed, but the rabbit twitched his nose in a way that wasn’t common for him and Daffy was worrying a paper towel between his hands like a life line and Daisy knew that they were worried about her judgement of their parenting.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I think Yakko would like to see you two.”

Daffy didn’t wait to be told twice, he dropped the paper towel on the counter and rushed off to the living room. Bugs took a second longer, just long enough to give Daisy a grateful smile and a quick ‘thank you’ and then he was on his partners heels. Trailing behind them with their mugs and cookies, Daisy found her own partner settled on the couch and Daffy and Bugs taking care of Yakko.

Daffy was on the couch beside his oldest, one arm thrown over his shoulders and the other wrapped around his torso. Bugs was crouching down in front of Yakko, gloved hands on his knees and a small smile on his face. The three Warner toons had their heads bowed to quietly talk and after a moment, Daffy pulled Yakko completely into his lap, stood up, and carried him out of the room.

“Daffs just gonna put him back to bed, he’s tired.” Bugs informed, taking a seat on the sofa.

“Of course, poor dear.” Daisy cooed, “Concussions are so hard, when Dewey got his, he was in so much pain that if Donald or I weren’t with him, all he could do was cry.”

“And he couldn’t even do anything but lay in bed, he was so bored.” Donald added, “Louie and I took turns reading to him so he wouldn’t die of boredom.”

“Ohh, Yakko loves Shakesphere! Daff and I have a book of Shakespeare's best works that was supposed to be a gift for him later, but maybe we’ll give it to him now so we can read it to him.” Bugs pondered, “Dat could be something that he would enjoy.”

“He probably would.” Donald said.” He really trusts you guys, I can tell.”

“Thanks you guys, dat means a lot.” He said.

~~~

Wakko would admit, he had never really noticed just how hard Yakko worked to be the oldest. He hadn’t had to be the rock of the trio ever, sometimes he had comforted Dot when she was upset, or sulking by himself, but he had always known that he could turn to his big brother if he got overwhelmed.

Now all that responsibility had fallen to him and he was going to take his job very seriously. He was going to make sure that Dot was entertained so she wouldn’t be bored, while also keeping her quiet so Yakko could sleep peacefully. Unfortunately, what she wanted to play right now was Princesses.

Wakko wasn’t the biggest fan of this game, if he had to play it he could usually get away with playing the server or butler so he wouldn’t have to sip tea with his pinky extended while wearing a scratchy dress that didn’t fit right while Yakko played the other Princess. But Yakko wasn’t here right now and Wakko wasn’t going to let either of his siblings down, so he was sitting in their room, in a scratchy green dress, listening to Dot talk about dragons kidnapping her or whatever happens to princesses these days.

“Princess Petal Darling.” Dot drawled, “Would you like another cup of tea?”

“Why, I would be delighted!” Wakko played along, holding up his empty plastic tea cup.

Dot tipped the teacup and held it for a second, waiting for the cup to fill up with imaginary tea, humming some made up tune to herself while she did so. At least this was a step up from the way they used to play this game, with no props and only a thrift store nightgown that Yakko had glued dollar store glitter onto. Bugs and Daffy had gifted Dot a plastic pink tea set and some dress up gowns to play with after they’d been roped into playing with her. Dot still had the old dress, but it was tucked away safely in the back of their closet in her memory box, which no one but her was allowed to touch.

A knock on the door startled both of the Warner Siblings and Bugs poked his head in, grinning when he saw them.

“Hey you two, did ya wanna come down and hang out with our guests?” He asked.

“Yes!” Dot squealed, leaping out of her seat and jumping up and down.

“Alright then, come on.” Bugs said.

Dot raced out the door, scurrying past Bugs in her mad dash for the living room. Wakko was a little slower, he took a moment to take his hat off and run his finger through his fur. Usually he didn’t care about what he looked like and would go down to raid the cupboard without Bugs and Daffy noticing that he had eaten an entire bag of goldfish crackers. Today though, he had to be the one setting the good example and putting the best foot forward.

Bugs walked with him on the way down the stairs, one hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner. To nobody's surprise, Dot was already sitting in Daisy’s lap and was asking questions about what it was like being a Disney toon. Daisy was taking it in stride, expertly holding her and answering her questions, never commenting when the same question was asked multiple times. Donald was looking at his partner with a look of silent adoration, his eyes very nearly hearts, but he snapped out of it when he noticed Wakko.

The white feathered duck babbled something at the young toon that he didn’t understand so he looked to the grey hare beside him. Bugs chuckled and smiled at him.

“He wants to know how you’re doing.” He translated.

“Oh, I’m okay.” He said, albeit awkwardly, “How are you?”

Donald babbled again and once again, Bugs translated for him.

“He’s doing well.”

The doorbell rang and Wakko jumped at the sudden noise. Daffy wrinkled his brow and went to investigate, the door opened and there was a shuffling of feet as whomever was at the door came in. Bugs lifted Wakko up and carried him closer so they could both see who was there. In the entryway stood Mickey and Minnie Mouse, each holding a dish covered in tinfoil while Daffy invited them in.

“Oh, hello.” Bugs greeted, waving to their new guests.

“Bugs dear!” Minnie said, holding up her offering. “We wanted to check on you guys and see how you were all doing.”

“And we wanted to check on Yakko.” Mickey added, wrapping his free arm around her waist.

“I just put him back to bed.” Daffy said, an unusual air of authority in his voice. “I’m not going to wake him up now, he needs his sleep.”

“Da doctor said he was going ta need more sleep to recover.” Bugs added, “Since his brain is a little rattled.”

“And we just talked to him, he’s okay!” Daisy called from the living room.

Mickey smiled and nodded, recognising correctly that Bugs and Daffy had drawn a line in the sand that they weren’t willing to erase. Minnie confidently wandered over to the kitchen and set her dish down on the counter.

“We brought you some dinner for later.” She said, “It’s some teriyaki vegetable chicken stirfry, lots of nutrients for the children.”

“Thank you.” Bugs said, “Would you two like some coffee or tea?”

Mickey took a tea while Minnie took some coffee and then joined Donald and Daisy in the living room, all the grown up toons settled with their hot beverages and the children with glasses of juice. Dot was losing her mind at not having just Daisy Duck, but also Minnie Mouse in the same room as her and was now alternating between geeking out and asking them questions at lightspeed. The two women were sitting with Dot in between them, smiling and answering her every inquiry with endless patience.

Wakko was sitting on Bugs’ lap, keeping an eye on his little sister. He didn’t even really know what for, but it sounded like something Yakko would do so he did it. He didn’t pay any mind to what the grownups were talking about, he just kept an eye on Dot.

~~~

Lunchtime came sooner rather than later, Bugs, Mickey, and Daisy worked in a chain to make some sandwiches for everyone while Donald, Minnie, and Daffy cut up fruit and veggies and cooked some frozen french fries. Dot and Wakko were in charge of getting the paper plates counted and stacked on the counter and putting placemats on the table. On the stove, Daffy was heating up some chicken noodle soup for Yakko to eat. The eldest Warner had been sleeping for most of the visit, though he had apparently woken up when Bugs went up to give him some water.

Wakko tagged along with Bugs to get his brother, creeping his way to the bed to look at his brother's sleeping form. Yakko was curled up under the covers, but what could be seen was battered and bruised, and his fur looked dull. It was scary to see him like that, Yakko was always so full of life and personality, not scared of speaking his mind and standing for what he believed in. Now he looked so frail and small, more like a doll than his big brother.

Bugs sat gingerly on the edge of the bed and set the fresh glass of water he’d brought on the bedside table. Then, he placed a hand on his eldests shoulder, gently shaking him, barely moving him in the bed. Yakko whined and blinked his eyes open, immediately reaching up to Bugs when he saw him.

“Hey Kiddo.” Bugs whispered, pulling him into his lap and hugging him close.

Yakko buried his face into the fur on Bugs’ shoulder and held on tight to him.

“My head hurts.” He complained, “Everything hurts.”

“Oh Kid, I know.” Bugs sympathised. “But I brought you some water and a Tylenol, and Daff has some soup ready downstairs for you.”

The hare coaxed Yakko to take the pill and have a drink of water, helping him hold the glass when his hand shook. Wakko silently took the glass from his brother when he’d finished drinking, even though it was still mostly full, and put it on the bedside table. Bugs carried Yakko down to the ground floor with Wakko trailing behind them, watching Yakko's hands dangle limply down Bugs’ back.

Donald and Daffy had set Yakko's spot up with a bowl of steaming soup, a spoon, and a mug of green tea. Daisy had grabbed a throw blanket off the back of the couch to wrap around the kid while he ate and soon enough, Yakko was bundled up and cosy in his chair. Wakko and Dot got their sandwiches, some fruit, and some french fries and settled in close to their brother. Bugs was sitting directly to Yakko’s left while his siblings were on his right, each watching him as subtly as possible while eating their own food. The eldest slowly lifted the spoon to his lips, the utensil trembling like the weight was too much for his aching body to lift.

The Disney toons were also watching, seeing the way he trembled and how he grimaced after taking a small mouthful of the soup. While they didn’t know Yakko intimately, they had all seen him in some of the episodes of Animaniacs they had seen, or on posters, and his fur had always been glossy and his eyes bright. Now his fur looks dull and unkempt, his eyes were half closed, rimmed with red, and had dark circles underneath them. All of it was sad to see, a child looking so beaten down and exhausted and drained of life, especially since Warner Bros. Toons were supposed to be larger than life and goofy almost all the time.

Yakko didn’t even make it to the halfway point before tapping out, setting his spoon down and turning to Bugs.

“I’m done.” He rasped.

“Dats it?” Bugs asked, looking quizzically at the bowl. “Ya barely touched yer food.”

Yakko nodded and turned his head away from the food. His eyes were shut tight and he looked repulsed by just the smell of food. Bugs scooted a little closer and leaned down to be closer to him.

“C’mon Yak, ya need food ta get better.” He whispered.

“I don’t want it.” Yakko said again.

“Three more bites.” Bugs bargained. “Three more bites and then you can be done.”

“I can’t.” he whispered.

“Yah you can.” Bugs said, “C’mon, it’s just three bites.”

With a trembling bottom lip, Yakko turned back to the offensive bowl of soup and swallowed hard. He took up the spoon again and put it in the broth, stirring it slowly so he could watch the pieces of chicken and noodles float up and swirl in the liquid. Lifting the spoon looked like he was Atlas lifting the sky, but he managed to bring it to his mouth once more. The food had barely touched Yakkos tongue before he gagged, stood up, and ran for the trash can, collapsing in front of it and emptying his stomach into it.

“Shit.” Daffy muttered.

The black duck stood up and hurried to his son, kneeling next to him and rubbing his back while he retched. Bugs wasn’t far behind, crouching by Yakko’s other side and holding the can steady. Daisy looked to the other Warners and lifted herself from her seat.

“Hey you two, lets go see what's on TV.” She said, gathering up their plates.

Wakko and Dot cautiously followed after her, looking over their shoulders at their brother, sandwiched between their guardians while he retched. Donald and Mickey got up and helped Daisy usher the younger two out so their brother could have some privacy. Donald was usually against children eating a meal while watching television unless it was a special occasion or they were sick, but he was very willing to make an exception today. It was no secret that the siblings were close, seeing their brother suffer was bound to hurt Wakko and Dot, television might take their mind off of it a little bit.

Bugs rubbed Yakko’s back while he coughed and spit into the trash. His son’s forehead was coated in sweat and he was shaking so hard that the bin was rocking against the floor. Daffy kissed Yakko on the head and stood up, grabbing a clean cup and filling it with cool water.

“I’m sorry Kiddo.” Bugs whispered, “I shouldn’ta told ya to eat more.”

“It’s kay.” Yakko replied.

Daffy reclaimed his spot and held the cup up to his lips, helping him rinse his mouth out and then take a sip to rehydrate. Yakko readjusted himself so he could sit on the floor a little more comfortably and rested his head against Bugs’ shoulder.

“Can I go back to bed?” He asked. “Please? I’m so tired.”

“Oh Yak, of course.” Bugs said, “C’mon.”

The rabbit gathered the kid up into his arms and lifted him up, carrying him out of the room. Yakko immediately buried his face in the soft fur and curled himself closer, koalaing to him like it was the most natural thing in the world. Bugs hurried his way to Yakko’s room and laid down in the bed with him.

“Get some sleep, I’ve got ya.” He whispered. “I’ve always got you.”

[maedarakat]

Forced marriage tuff and dagur 💍

For Whump!Prompts: (Forced Marriage)

—–

As far as letters went from the Berserker tribe, this one was completely confounding. A real conundrum. Not to mention a huge step backwards for Viqueendom-kind. Which may or may have not been an actual word, but that was beside the point.

All this time thinking that Dagur was maybe a decent guy, not to mention completely awesome and terrifying, with a great laugh … and for what? So he could prove to be an utter creep?

Tuffnut’s eyes narrowed as he read over the letter again. The same letter that demanded his sister’s arrival for a Berserker wedding, along with her hope chest full of embroidered napkins and quilts and tailored clothing (as if she could even thread a needle let alone sew; he did all the sewing!) and a wedding dress fit for a Chieftain’s bride.

Poor Ruffnut had been crying since she’d heard the news - his poor dear sister was beside herself once again, not wanting to live a violent, short, but likely happy life on an island of crazy Berserkers without getting a choice in the matter.

Their own parents had orchestrated this entire thing; clearly gouging Dagur for a bride price, since Ruff was the only Viking maiden on Berk not yet betrothed. Apparently the pressure had mounted on him to find a wife, since Oswald was in Valhalla.

Tuff felt for the guy, he really did, but he didn’t see why Ruffnut’s own freedom and happiness had to be dragged down the latrine as well. This was all boar-dung! Not only had his parents turn a deaf ear to his protests (which he delivered by song, stridently and off-key at their bedroom door, all night) but Stoick had not helped either.

“Son,” the man had said, putting a hand on Tuff’s shoulder. “Our tribe needs allies more than ever, and so do the Berserkers. Dagur’s people have had a long hard road to recovery, and they want to see their young chieftain settled down and married. It’s time for Dagur to start a new life and family of his own, and he chooses to do that so his own sister won’t have to take in the burden of being the sole heiress of her tribe. He’s doing this so Heather can marry for love, rather than duty.”

“Oh, wow, good for him! He’s doing it for his sister, so mine can just eat a whole load of spotted ice pike, I guess,” Tuff had ranted, not soothed at all. He’d stormed off after that, and Stoick had let him, knowing he’d come around eventually.

In an awful way, it made sense. Tuff couldn’t pretend he would do the same for his sister, if their roles were reversed - give up his own happiness, marry Heather and ruin her life, just to spare Ruffnut any and all possible disappointments.

He thought about that for a while, and finally realized what he had to do.

—–

The kohl, honestly, was the grossest stuff that had ever gotten in or near his eyes, and that wasn’t counting the many bugs that had drowned in those gray storm-cloud irises. It gave him a slightly raccoonish look, as though he’d been the one crying all week, and he was worried the powdered lip color was the wrong shade as well.

At the very least, his dress was totally on point, and he’d had Dogsbreath help him with his hair - tying it up in a bun, with beautifully carved yak bone pins holding it in place. It had taken some work to comb out his matted locks,  not to mention endless egg shampoos to get it clean, before it fell past his shoulders to his backside - ending in soft and natural curls.

Tuff had even put some flowers and last minute embroidery on his dress and veil, then sweet-talked Thuggory (who didn’t recognize him at all) into lashing the hope chest to a Nadder’s saddle. He didn’t want to ruin his dress, after all, or deprive Ruff of Barf’s company, though it nearly rent his soul in twain to say goodbye to Belch. Not to mention Chicken, though he knew his little fricasse had found herself a new family.

Just like he was going to have to make for himself, unless he could be so awful and utterly heartless that Dagur would want to divorce him. Hmm. Yeah, Tuff was fairly certain he could give that option a try.

He’d left a note for Ruff before he left. Hopefully she’d get the hint and mess up her hair, take up an insane personality and bad-smelling lifestyle. She’d have to; otherwise the jig was up, no matter how feminine Tuff could make himself.

He arrived on Berserker an hour before the wedding, narrowing his eyes as he saw Dagur standing at the decorated battlements, where Ruff had been directed to land. He reached down before he landed to yank on the ropes tying the hope chest in place, and was darkly satisfied to hear Dagur’s frightened yelp as the heavy cedar box nearly landed on his head.

It landed with a crash as Dagur nimbly leapt out of the way, but didn’t splinter, built sturdy enough to survive a lifetime of Nutt antics.

The Nadder landed smoothly, more or less, and Tuff spent a moment to make sure his hair and makeup were in place before gathering up the trails of his wedding dress and hopping down.

Dagur was standing there just staring at him, rather than hastening to help him down - the big oaf. Tuff had to remind himself that Ruff wouldn’t care about that sort of thing and just smoothed out his dress, sighing. “So,” he asked, trying to sound like his twin. “Where’s the big shindig at, anyway? And how much food are we talking?”

“Ruffnut, there’s … something I gotta say first.” Dagur was approaching, gazing at him with the saddest greenest eyes he’d ever seen. Oh boy. Where was this going?

“I know this wasn’t - that I wasn’t your first choice. Your parents are likely forcing you to do this, your brother and his Chicken probably hate me, and I’m sure when Heather gets back from her journey following our father’s notes, and finds out I married you without your singular permission, she’ll throw me off the highest peak of the island. But please hear me out - a wedding is what my tribe needs to heal. To move on past the wounds that life has … ”

Dagur paused and winced. “That I have inflicted upon them all. I know it isn’t fair to you, or Tuffnut, but my sister is reeling from losing the chance to ever meet her father again.

“She needs a familiar face on this island of - well, complete strangers. She got along with you just fine, right? I mean, she was best friends with Astrid, but she told me how much of a family you guys were to her. All of you. I can’t ever bring back our father, any more than I can do for our mother. Or any of her tribe … or foster parents …  but I can at least bring her a small piece of the happiness she knew with all of you. You can hate me all you want - make my life a living hell - I completely deserve it. But will you at least do me the honor of being a kind and loving sister to Heather?”

Tuff would have dearly liked to believe that nothing in Dagur’s speech moved him, certainly not enough to forgive this arranged marriage foolishness. It was a completely ill-thought out and ridiculous way to bring some mediocre comfort to one’s grieving sister …

Sort of like … like stealing one’s sister’s identity … and going off to her wedding without a fair warning or really any way for her to keep living her preferred lifestyle as herself, and also sticking her with the fallout if anyone found out and accused her of being part of this potentially alliance-ending plan.

Oh, Thor …

Tuff couldn’t help his eyes filling up with tears and spilling over, making his kohl streak even worse (he was absolutely never buying makeup from Johann ever again; that man did not know his cosmetics as well as he claimed to.)

“I’m so sorry!” he bawled, no longer disguising his voice at all as he dropped to his knees before Dagur. The man jumped, startled. “I have made an error!”

“Wait a minute - Boy-nut?! What in Thor’s name –?!” Dagur sounded furious, and Tuff couldn’t blame him - not really. This whole thing was ruined because of him, and now Dagur would have to call it all off and he’d be embarrassed and Heather would find out anyway and definitely still throw Dagur off the highest peak. And it would all be for nothing, because she would still be alone and unhappy.

Dagur’s hands wrapped around his throat, but didn’t squeeze, not yet. “Tell me why you did this?! Was this you and your twin’s idea of a joke?!”

Tuffnut sobbed in answer, but couldn’t shake his head no because of Dagur’s grip. He took a few gasping breaths, and confessed everything - his sister’s unhappiness and how nobody was even trying to stop her from having to go marry against her will, and how alone and helpless she felt.

“Ruffnut is a free and wild unreckoning spirit of chaos - she’s too good to be forced unwilling into the chains if an unwanted bond! That and she deserves a chance to realize she’s way better than everyone’s last choice!” He sniffled and curled down further as Dagur let him go, shocked.

“My sister deserves every happiness too,” Tuff hitched. “Just -just as much as Heather! And even if you killed me right here, right now, in one of your awesome Berserker rages, I’d do it all over again if it meant I could give her that!” He sniffled, and wiped at his eyes with his knuckles, scowling as they came away black. “Except … I’d definitely wear better makeup. This stuff is terrible.”

A soft chuckle made him look up, to see tears in Dagur’s eyes. The Berserker wiped his own eyes and then sighed kneeling to put gentle hands on Tuffnut’s shoulders.

“I think maybe we understand each other more than either of us are thinking. Tuffnut … we both care about our sisters. We love them and we’ll do anything for them, as only brothers can. If you want, I won’t tell my Berserkers anything tonight. We’ll fix your makeup - which doesn’t look too bad, except for the eyes - and have this wedding exactly as planned. It’ll be binding, meaning your sister will be off the hook, and my sister will just have to settle for a familiar brother-in-law.”

“I … yeah, I can do that. I’m all in and dressed to stun. But what if your tribe finds out -?”

“Oh, I won’t tell anyone if you won’t. There’s the matter of kids, but that’s for later. Right now everyone’s just clamoring for me to find a spouse and throw a really great wedding.

“By Loki, I’m sure everyone will be relieved you and I can’t have kids,” Tuff remarked.

Dagur snorted, and broke out into full fledged laughter, which Tuff had to admit was rather contagious. He stood up, pulling Tuff to his feet with a gentle tug on his elbows.

“Come on, then. Provided your sister doesn’t come crashing the wedding just to kill me, we’re going to have long and interesting night.”

“Neither of us can really back out now, can we?” Tuff asked, listening to the cheering of Berserkers from the lantern-lit main square. There was already faint music swelling, the smell of cooking food. Dagur had gone all out for this, and his people sounded so happy. "Let’s go face that music.”

Dagur grinned and scooped Tuff up in his arms, taking care to keep the train from dragging across the dusty cobblestones. “Want me to call you husband, when we’re alone?” he asked softly.

He felt a blush creep across his face and fiddled with the lacework on his sleeves. “Actually, I would like that …” Tuff murmured, as he was carried to Dagur’s hut so he could freshen up. “Heh. Husband-nut.”

It was going to be a long night … but so far, not such a terrible start to a marriage.