Love100: Perfect to Me
TITLE: Perfect to me
AUTHOR: Gottabefierce
FANDOM: Three Caballeros
PAIRING/CHARACTER/GENERAL SERIES: Panchito Pistoles/José Carioca/ Donald Duck
GENRE: Slash
TABLE: Table B
PROMPT: #12 - Self Love
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: Donald suffers a fall in his confidence and José tells him exactly why they love him...
WARNINGS: None really
NOTES: Happy birthday Donald Duck (77 years old last Thursday), here are some of the many reasons we all love you. This is also inspired by Pink's song "F'in Perfect".
DISCLAIMER: The Three Caballeros are all copyright Disney and I only use them for my enjoyment and not for profit
They were all pretty tired by the time they got back home but Panchito and José couldn't help but notice how quiet Donald had become. Jose noticed it as they walked through the door but Panchito was the first to take action.
"Hey mi patito," Panchito said, putting on his happiest of grin as he wrapped an arm around Donald's shoulders, "I was thinking maybe tomorrow we would all maybe go dancing again, I know this great little Latin club down on the south side that has a great band every night."
"Sounds like fun," Donald answered, his voice as drab as the look on his face.
Panchito, clearly not expecting this reaction, looked flustered a moment. But he quickly bounced back with a smile. "And I was thinking maybe I could invite some of amigos up from México and have an indoor bull riding tournament. You do not mind if we have it in living room do you?"
José knew that Panchito was now just trying to get a rise out of the younger man, a talent which Panchito had perfected over the years. For once Jose was actually hoping that it would work because seeing that sad look on Donald's face was scarier than any of Donald's tantrums. But José's heart dropped when there wasn't even a flicker of annoyance in Donald's usually bright blue eyes.
"Sure," Donald said, "do whatever you want."
Panchito's mouth dropped open in shock as his arm dropped to his side. José too was feeling that shock, as well as a deep feeling of concern as he watched Donald walk up the stairs. As Donald disappeared Panchito turned to Jose.
"There is something wrong with our pato," Panchito said, as if that fact wasn't blatantly obvious.
José nodded, his mind working furiously to try to think of a reason why this was suddenly happening. Donald was fine when they left for the club that evening, so if something had happened to Donald it must have been at the club. But nothing had happened at the club at least not that José could remember. He hadn't been with Donald every minute but there had been no fights and none of them had gotten drunk. "Do you remember anything happening to Donal tonight, something that might have upset him?" José asked Panchito, hoping maybe the taller man had seen or heard something.
But sadly Panchito shook his head. "No, I thought we were all having a buena time." Panchito let out a frustrated growl as he threw his hands up in the air. "I cannot take this! I say we go up there and demand that he tell us what is wrong."
José smiled just a little. Typical Panchito, wanting to solve the problem through brute force. A sometimes effective method but not in the case of Donald Duck. "I think that while your idea is a good one meu amor," José told him, giving his tall lover a pat on the back. "I think in this situation it might be better for us to use a little more finesse in getting to the answer." He could already see the argument burning in Panchito's eyes but he knew that it was only because he cared about Donald as much as Jose did. "Please let me go up there and talk to him first," José pleaded with him. "Let me try to see if I can find out what is wrong, por favor?"
Panchito didn't seem quiet convinced but then he sighed and nodded. "Fine, we will try your way first."
José smiled and kissed Panchito on the cheek. "Obrigado meu amor," he said. "I promise I will get to the bottom of what is wrong with our Donal' and everything will be good again."
"I hope so," Panchito sighed as José walked up the stairs.
...
The first place José checked was the bedroom but there was no Donald there. Then José heard what sounded like a deep sad sigh from the bathroom. As José walked closer to the bathroom he was glad to find that the door was open. He peaked his head around the corner, taking a moment to just watch the scene in front of him.
And the scene in front of him was Donald just looking to the mirror.
José watched as Donald turned his head from side to side, fiddled with his hair, and forced a smile at his reflection."What are you doing meu amor?" he asked, smiling as he stepped in the door way.
Donald jumped a little and turned. "How long have you been there?"
"Not long," José told him, walking over to stand beside his lover in front of the mirror, "And you did not answer my question Donal'." He felt his heart break a little as Donald sighed again and hung his head.
"I don't want to talk about it," Donald muttered.
José cupped Donald's chin in his hand and lifted the younger man's face to his. "Donal' Duck," he said smiling as his emerald eyes looked into Donald's bright blue ones, "you know that you can always talk to me. Panchito and I do not like to see you sad so please, tell me what is bothering you so much meu amor."
Donald looked hesitant for a moment and then sighed again. "Joe, what do you see when you look at me?" he asked sadly.
José was confused by the question. "I see you Donald," he answered truthfully.
"No what do you REALLY see when you look at me?"
"I do not think I understand the question meu amor," José answered raising an eyebrow. These questions were starting to worry him quiet frankly. He watched as Donald turned back towards the mirror and frowned.
"You know that I see when I look at me?" Donald asked not really expecting an answer.
"No I do not."
"I see a clumsy stupid temperamental idiot who doesn't deserve the life he's got!" Donald answered, glaring at his own reflection.
José felt a wave of shock run through him as he quickly took a hold of Donald's shoulders and forced his lover to look at him again. "Donal' Duck, why would you ever say something like that about your self?" José demanded.
"Because it's true," Donald mutter.
"And who gave you that idea?"
Donald hesitated, not meeting Jose's eyes. "I heard some jokers at the club talking about how they were surprised that someone like me could be with people like you and Panchito. But it's not the first time I've heard someone say something like that. Everywhere we go everyone thinks that I'm the pathetic one. When they look at you and Panchito they see sexy, attractive, wonderful. Most people just look at me as the s joke, just a big cosmic joke to laugh at." Donald hung his head. "It's just frustrating and I feel like I can't take it anymore. I mean if so many people think it then it must be true right?"
Inside's José's body there was a growing rage that he had to fight to quell. How dare anyone make his lover think he was anything but a good person! There was part of José at that moment that would have loved to send Panchito out on a mission to pound who ever it was into a pulp but then again it wouldn't have done much good for anyone. José took a moment to calm himself once again. He looked Donald up and down, then nodded. "You are right."
Donald looked at Jose in surprise. "I am?"
"Sim, I can see a person who is clumsy, very hotheaded and violent, and who is very good at making himself look like a fool."
"Well jeeze Joe, don't sugar coat it," Donald said, pain he was feeling at Jose's words clear in his voice.
But then José smiled. "You know what else I see?"
"Is it more bad stuff?"
"I see," José said, ignoring Donald's question, "a man who has a big heart, who loves with everything he has. I see someone who does have a hard time admitting when he's wrong but he does try to do the good thing most of the time. I see a loving uncle who raised three nephews into fine young men. I see a man who has fallen on his face more then anyone I know and yet he picks himself up again and doesn't let it hold him down. I see someone who sticks up for the little guy even when he is the little guy. I see someone who likes to make people laugh because it make them feel better. I see someone who loyal to his friends and family and has beautiful eyes."
José smiled lovingly as he cupped Donald's face in his hands, gently stroking Donald's cheek with his thumb. "I see a person who is not perfect to the rest of the world but he is the person whom I and Panchito love and that makes him perfect to us." José was still smiling as he leaned in and tenderly placed a kiss on Donald's lips. He wrapped his arms around Donald's neck and rested his forehead against his lover's. "Eu tu amo Donal' Duck, you are perfect to me, no matter what anyone else says."
And for the first time since they had gotten home, Donald Duck actually smiled just a little. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around around José's waist, pulling the Brazilian closer. "Joe, thank you."
"You do not need to thank me meu amor," José told him. "I tell you these things because I love you and because I need you to remember that will not change no matter what anyone tells you. Panchito and I do not want you to be anyone but yourself." José watched as Donald's smile grew just a bit bigger.
"I love you too Joe."
Hearing Donald say those words was still as powerful as the first time José had heard them. Joséleaned in and placed another tender kiss on his lover's lips as if sealing their promise. A knock at the door made Jose look up.
There stood a hopeful Panchito. "So are things buena now?" he asked.
José nodded. "Sim," he said with a gentle smile, "everything is muy buena now."
Panchito returned the nodd looking over at Donald. "Mi amor, if it was something I did..."
Donald quickly shook his head. "It wasn't anything you did Panch," he said, giving the taller man a reassuring smile. "I just needed a confidence boost, no biggie."
Panchito smiled. "Buena because I hate it when you are sad mi amor."
"Oh that reminds me," Donald said, the smile slipping away from his face as he glared icely at Panchito. "If you ever even think of bringing a bull into this house Panchito Pistoles and I will make you wish that had never been born! Do you understand me?"
Most people probably would have been afraid of that remark but Panchito just grinned like a fool. "That's mi patito!"
"No! Panch! Put me down!" Donald cried as suddenly the Mexican, without warning, scooped Donald up in his arms and carried the smaller man out of the room.
José followed them quickly down the hall, chuckling. He watched as Panchito deposited Donald on the bed in their bed room and then begin to tickle Donald until he was laughing hysterically. José smiled as he watched the scene, feeling that everything was once again right with the world.
"Are you going to help me?" Panchito asked, looking over his shoulder at José.
José grinned. "If I must," he chuckled. He crawled up on the bed and joined Panchito in the tickle torturing Donald.
...
Spanish:
Mi patito - My (little) duckling (A/N: I made this as Panchito's nickname for Donald, mostly as a kind of joke and because I think it's kind of adorable.)
Pato - Duck
Buena - Good
Mi amor - My love
Portuguese:
Meu amor- My love
Sim - Yes
Obrigado - Thank you
Eu tu amo - I love you