Fic: Bloom - Waiting (1/3)
Title: Bloom - Waiting
Rating: For All Ages
Fandom: Darkwing Duck
Summary: Launchpad's always been waiting around for Drake.
This is a silly little fic started because of mizzmarvel's Darkwing obsession. Still, I like it.
One of the few problems with being a superhero was that between saving the world and caring for his daughter, Darkwing Duck (nee Drake Mallard) had little time for romance. Of course, there had been Morgana. But they'd never really done much of anything together, and after a few years, Drake had realized that every moment he spent with her, he was waiting for another disaster to require his attention. It wasn't just that bad things happened whenever Drake tried to relax; he looked forward to the moment when he had to spring from the restaurant or the movie theater to kick Bushroot or Negaduck's butt.
After he set Morgana straight, he found that crime-fighting and child-rearing took up pretty much all of his time. And he didn't really miss dating. He'd never done much, anyway, before Gosalyn came into his life, when he allegedly had the time to do so.
Nevertheless, it was a surprise the first week after Gosalyn left for college, when Drake realized he was bored. Even after patrolling an extra two hours every day, Drake was left with entirely too much free time on his hands. Even Launchpad had his Junior Woodchuck group to run on the weekends.
So Drake decided to start dating again.
His first date was a chicken named Clara; she was nice enough, if a little...slow. But he had the same feeling of anxious expectation, and was delighted when the Liquidator decided to hijack a cement truck across the street.
When he got home, Launchpad gave him a sheepish grin.
"Guess the date didn't go too well, did it, DW?" he asked.
"Throwing Bob Flood into a freezer was the highlight of the evening," Drake replied wearily. Launchpad just nodded and went back to watching whatever silly television show he'd been watching. Drake considered heading to bed, and then joined him.
The next week, Drake decided instead to go cruising; maybe he'd find someone he had chemistry with. However, the first person he met that didn't bore him out of his mind was a beautiful duck in what could only be called a...unique dress.
However, when he finally worked up the nerve to ask her out, she smiled apologetically.
"Sorry. I'm already meeting someone here. And...in fact, you probably don't want to be standing next to me when he gets here."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You! Get away from my girlfriend!" Drake was hit by a flurry of feathers and limbs; if he were a lesser duck, he probably would have been knocked to the ground. As it was, when he returned home an hour later, he was heavily bruised.
Launchpad scrambled to his feet when Drake walked in the door. "DW!"
"I'm all right," Drake replied. "It's mostly bruises."
"What happened?" Launchpad demanded. He practically carried Drake to the couch and laid him carefully down. "You didn't go into one of those leather bars, did you?"
"No," Drake muttered. "I met a nice woman named Daisy."
Launchpad froze. Slowly, he turned. "You met Daisy? Was there a male duck with her?"
"You mean Donald?" Drake asked sarcastically. "We met."
"I'm sorry to hear about that, DW. If it makes you feel any better, Donald beat me up the first time I met Daisy, too."
Drake stared at Launchpad, who despite having crouched over him, was still larger than life. And then he remembered the flailing duck that had beat him up. "I can see that," he replied.
After that, Drake relaxed and let Launchpad ensure nothing was broken. After that, they watched some late-night cartoons, and it was nice, if not what Drake had planned for his night out.
The next week, he responded to an Internet ad from a saucy single duck with a devastating smile. Twenty minutes into the date, she'd transformed the matre'd into a hydra, tied Drake to the bar, and phoned Launchpad to demand he deliver to her something called a 'Number One Dime'.
Somewhere in between Gizmoduck arriving and Launchpad crashing a Hummer into the restaurant, Drake decided he would bow to what was obviously the will of the universe and give up on this dating thing.
His date, who evidently was one of Gizmoduck's mortal enemies and a sorceress, ended the evening going to jail, and Launchpad, hovering protectively around Drake, drove him home.
"I have to say, Launchpad. That was pretty impressive back there. I never knew you had it in you."
"Aw," Launchpad drawled. He ducked his head, flushing. "It was nothing, DW. You were in trouble."
"It wasn't nothing, Launchpad. I...I can't actually honestly say I could have done better."
Launchpad swerved and almost hit a tree as he whipped his head around to stare at Drake. "Really?"
"Would I joke about something like this?" Drake demanded.
"No," Launchpad concluded. "Anyway, thanks."
"It was nothing, Launchpad. You earned it."
The next weekend, Drake had just started flipping channels in anticipation of a quiet evening up until something called him back on duty when Launchpad bounded downstairs. When he saw Drake, however, he slowed, and stopped on the bottom step.
"Hey, DW, don't you have a date to get to?"
Drake opened his mouth to respond, but paused before he spoke. Launchpad's question had sounded almost wistful.
"Aw, I decided it's too much trouble. Every time I go out, I get beaten up, or kidnapped, or bored out of my skull. But hey, if you want me out of your hair, I can go patrolling-"
"Oh, no. Don't worry about it. I just worry you'll get tired of spending all your time with me," Launchpad shot back. He jogged to the couch, because he didn't just walk anywhere, and nudged Drake over with his foot before sitting down. It was, however, enough time for Drake to consider Launchpad's last statement. Of course it could just be a joke; Launchpad was a joking kind of guy. But after the odd way he'd been concerned about Drake going out on a date, Drake was starting to wonder if it might be something a little more.
Sick of spending time with him? Launchpad was one of the few people Drake actually had; he'd practically been Gosalyn's second father. Or, rather, third father. But still. He'd been around for years. Drake tried to find a way to explain how wrong Launchpad's statement was from the truth. He'd as soon get tired of Launchpad as he would Gosalyn.
He glanced up, startled, when he realized Launchpad was staring at him, and that he'd zoned out.
"You're not sick of me, are you, DW?" And Drake wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he could figure things out, and the naked anxiety and uncertainty in Launchpad's eyes said enough to Drake.
"Of course not. You're the best sidekick a hero could ask for," Drake replied.
"Oh." Launchpad deflated. "That's good to know."
"Of course, I've been rethinking this whole sidekick thing," Drake said. Before Launchpad could get a look of panic, and before his chin started to quiver, Drake plowed forward, desperate to get this out before he lost his nerve entirely. "You see, you're a great pilot. And sometimes you've got more common sense that I do. And last week, you really showed me what you're capable of. Launchpad, you are a true hero. Which is why I'd like to ask you to be...my partner."
"Partner?" Launchpad squeaked. "Wh-what about Gosalyn?"
"Gosalyn's not a little girl anymore. I can't tell her what to do. And if she's going to fight crime, she's got to make a name for herself. But...I'm thinking you're going to be around for a while. And...I don't think I know how to fight crime effectively without you around. And you're a part of this family."
It wasn't quite what Drake wanted to say, but Launchpad gave him a blinding grin, and gave him a bonecrushing hug, so it must have been okay. "That's...thanks, DW. Partner."
And Drake decided not to push it. Partners was a long commitment, so Launchpad was going to be around for a while. There'd be time to talk it all out later. For now, they were watching bad movies and he found himself hoping that nothing happened that night to require his attention.
Something did, but it was okay. After all, whether they were fighting crime, watching a movie, or trying to make dinner, Drake Mallard and Launchpad McQuack were doing it together.
Next
Rating: For All Ages
Fandom: Darkwing Duck
Summary: Launchpad's always been waiting around for Drake.
This is a silly little fic started because of mizzmarvel's Darkwing obsession. Still, I like it.
One of the few problems with being a superhero was that between saving the world and caring for his daughter, Darkwing Duck (nee Drake Mallard) had little time for romance. Of course, there had been Morgana. But they'd never really done much of anything together, and after a few years, Drake had realized that every moment he spent with her, he was waiting for another disaster to require his attention. It wasn't just that bad things happened whenever Drake tried to relax; he looked forward to the moment when he had to spring from the restaurant or the movie theater to kick Bushroot or Negaduck's butt.
After he set Morgana straight, he found that crime-fighting and child-rearing took up pretty much all of his time. And he didn't really miss dating. He'd never done much, anyway, before Gosalyn came into his life, when he allegedly had the time to do so.
Nevertheless, it was a surprise the first week after Gosalyn left for college, when Drake realized he was bored. Even after patrolling an extra two hours every day, Drake was left with entirely too much free time on his hands. Even Launchpad had his Junior Woodchuck group to run on the weekends.
So Drake decided to start dating again.
His first date was a chicken named Clara; she was nice enough, if a little...slow. But he had the same feeling of anxious expectation, and was delighted when the Liquidator decided to hijack a cement truck across the street.
When he got home, Launchpad gave him a sheepish grin.
"Guess the date didn't go too well, did it, DW?" he asked.
"Throwing Bob Flood into a freezer was the highlight of the evening," Drake replied wearily. Launchpad just nodded and went back to watching whatever silly television show he'd been watching. Drake considered heading to bed, and then joined him.
The next week, Drake decided instead to go cruising; maybe he'd find someone he had chemistry with. However, the first person he met that didn't bore him out of his mind was a beautiful duck in what could only be called a...unique dress.
However, when he finally worked up the nerve to ask her out, she smiled apologetically.
"Sorry. I'm already meeting someone here. And...in fact, you probably don't want to be standing next to me when he gets here."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You! Get away from my girlfriend!" Drake was hit by a flurry of feathers and limbs; if he were a lesser duck, he probably would have been knocked to the ground. As it was, when he returned home an hour later, he was heavily bruised.
Launchpad scrambled to his feet when Drake walked in the door. "DW!"
"I'm all right," Drake replied. "It's mostly bruises."
"What happened?" Launchpad demanded. He practically carried Drake to the couch and laid him carefully down. "You didn't go into one of those leather bars, did you?"
"No," Drake muttered. "I met a nice woman named Daisy."
Launchpad froze. Slowly, he turned. "You met Daisy? Was there a male duck with her?"
"You mean Donald?" Drake asked sarcastically. "We met."
"I'm sorry to hear about that, DW. If it makes you feel any better, Donald beat me up the first time I met Daisy, too."
Drake stared at Launchpad, who despite having crouched over him, was still larger than life. And then he remembered the flailing duck that had beat him up. "I can see that," he replied.
After that, Drake relaxed and let Launchpad ensure nothing was broken. After that, they watched some late-night cartoons, and it was nice, if not what Drake had planned for his night out.
The next week, he responded to an Internet ad from a saucy single duck with a devastating smile. Twenty minutes into the date, she'd transformed the matre'd into a hydra, tied Drake to the bar, and phoned Launchpad to demand he deliver to her something called a 'Number One Dime'.
Somewhere in between Gizmoduck arriving and Launchpad crashing a Hummer into the restaurant, Drake decided he would bow to what was obviously the will of the universe and give up on this dating thing.
His date, who evidently was one of Gizmoduck's mortal enemies and a sorceress, ended the evening going to jail, and Launchpad, hovering protectively around Drake, drove him home.
"I have to say, Launchpad. That was pretty impressive back there. I never knew you had it in you."
"Aw," Launchpad drawled. He ducked his head, flushing. "It was nothing, DW. You were in trouble."
"It wasn't nothing, Launchpad. I...I can't actually honestly say I could have done better."
Launchpad swerved and almost hit a tree as he whipped his head around to stare at Drake. "Really?"
"Would I joke about something like this?" Drake demanded.
"No," Launchpad concluded. "Anyway, thanks."
"It was nothing, Launchpad. You earned it."
The next weekend, Drake had just started flipping channels in anticipation of a quiet evening up until something called him back on duty when Launchpad bounded downstairs. When he saw Drake, however, he slowed, and stopped on the bottom step.
"Hey, DW, don't you have a date to get to?"
Drake opened his mouth to respond, but paused before he spoke. Launchpad's question had sounded almost wistful.
"Aw, I decided it's too much trouble. Every time I go out, I get beaten up, or kidnapped, or bored out of my skull. But hey, if you want me out of your hair, I can go patrolling-"
"Oh, no. Don't worry about it. I just worry you'll get tired of spending all your time with me," Launchpad shot back. He jogged to the couch, because he didn't just walk anywhere, and nudged Drake over with his foot before sitting down. It was, however, enough time for Drake to consider Launchpad's last statement. Of course it could just be a joke; Launchpad was a joking kind of guy. But after the odd way he'd been concerned about Drake going out on a date, Drake was starting to wonder if it might be something a little more.
Sick of spending time with him? Launchpad was one of the few people Drake actually had; he'd practically been Gosalyn's second father. Or, rather, third father. But still. He'd been around for years. Drake tried to find a way to explain how wrong Launchpad's statement was from the truth. He'd as soon get tired of Launchpad as he would Gosalyn.
He glanced up, startled, when he realized Launchpad was staring at him, and that he'd zoned out.
"You're not sick of me, are you, DW?" And Drake wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he could figure things out, and the naked anxiety and uncertainty in Launchpad's eyes said enough to Drake.
"Of course not. You're the best sidekick a hero could ask for," Drake replied.
"Oh." Launchpad deflated. "That's good to know."
"Of course, I've been rethinking this whole sidekick thing," Drake said. Before Launchpad could get a look of panic, and before his chin started to quiver, Drake plowed forward, desperate to get this out before he lost his nerve entirely. "You see, you're a great pilot. And sometimes you've got more common sense that I do. And last week, you really showed me what you're capable of. Launchpad, you are a true hero. Which is why I'd like to ask you to be...my partner."
"Partner?" Launchpad squeaked. "Wh-what about Gosalyn?"
"Gosalyn's not a little girl anymore. I can't tell her what to do. And if she's going to fight crime, she's got to make a name for herself. But...I'm thinking you're going to be around for a while. And...I don't think I know how to fight crime effectively without you around. And you're a part of this family."
It wasn't quite what Drake wanted to say, but Launchpad gave him a blinding grin, and gave him a bonecrushing hug, so it must have been okay. "That's...thanks, DW. Partner."
And Drake decided not to push it. Partners was a long commitment, so Launchpad was going to be around for a while. There'd be time to talk it all out later. For now, they were watching bad movies and he found himself hoping that nothing happened that night to require his attention.
Something did, but it was okay. After all, whether they were fighting crime, watching a movie, or trying to make dinner, Drake Mallard and Launchpad McQuack were doing it together.
Next