"You guys weren't listening to me, so I simply found a new family. A family that actually gives me attention."
That stung his heart as he sat there tied up against the rest of his family. Huey stared at his boyfriend, a hurt expression washing over his features. In the time they had been dating, Huey never thought that his own boyfriend would say that he never gave him any attention. He looked away before the hot tears could fall down his cheeks.
"What are ye talking about, lad?" Scrooge asked, his head tilted to the side as he looked at one of his great-nephews.
"You guys never once noticed that I was gone," Dewey said, his arms crossed as his crew stood behind him, waiting to defend their captain if things started to get out of hand. "You guys thought I was there because Huey got splattered with some blue goop."
Everyone turned to glance at Huey as Dewey gestured towards him, but the eldest was still looking away, trying to hide the tear droplets that threatened to come down his cheeks. Dewey shook his head. "These guys actually pay me some attention, they even made me their captain."
Dewey's crew nodded, muttering anything from a 'that's right' to a 'he's family'. Scrooge looked at the middle triplet in shock. He couldn't believe that his own kin had abandoned them that easily. "Lad," he started, "we didn't mean to ignore ye, but running away isn't the answer. If ye get us out of this mess, we promise to listen to yer story."
"It's more than just the stupid story!" Dewey yelled, catching everyone off guard. Even Huey looked back towards his boyfriend as he snapped, his eyes growing wide. Dewey had to take a deep breath to calm himself down. "It's not just today that I've been feeling ignored."
"Then why didn't you say anything?" Louie asked suddenly, squirming a bit in the ropes that were still constricting him. "We could've avoided this if you would've just told us how you were feeling. We would've listened to you Dewey." The newly appointed see captain rolled his eyes at his younger brother's statement, completely ignoring it. "Just forget it, I don't have to explain myself to any of you."
The band of pirates chanted a 'yeah!' to their captain's statement.
"Untie them." Dewey instructed to which his crew obeyed, beginning to untie their captives. Once Scrooge had been freed, he rubbed his arms and looked at Huey, who now had his gaze directed to the ground his webbed feet were planted on. "Go talk to him, Huey," he whispered so that only the eldest could hear, "you're the only one he really listens to."
'Because he's my boyfriend.' Huey thought to himself. 'And if he doesn't give me a good reason as to why he made those earlier claims, I'm going to kill him.'
Huey watched as the rest of his family exited the ship, leaving only Dewey and himself. He turned to his boyfriend, his arms crossed over his chest and a frown plastered on his lips. Once Dewey saw the demeanor Huey was conveying, his captain persona seemed to melt away and was replaced with a nervous nelly expression. Even before they had started dating, Dewey knew that when Huey was truly angry, he was furious. He scared the dickens out of Dewey whenever he was upset. He gulped, taking a step forward towards his boyfriend, who was now tapping his foot on the floor of the ship in frustration.
"Y-you seem mad." He finally said, not noticing the stutter that had come out of him.
"You think?!" Huey spat, which caused Dewey to flinch a bit. "Why the heck would you say that you never get any attention?! I'm your boyfriend, Dewey! I shower you with love everyday! What, does that not count to you or something?!"
Dewey stared at Huey with wide eyes as he yelled. At the time, the things he said to his family never crossed his mind twice so that he could reflect on them and think about what he had said. "Stop yelling, Huey!" He finally said, which only angered Huey even more. "No! I will not stop yelling! There you go again, avoiding the real topic as always!"
"Because I don't want to talk about it, Hubert!"
"Well I do, Dewford!" Huey yelled. The two of them were now face-to-face, and wanting to kiss each other was not the reason for it. They each had a fire in their eyes. Ones that wouldn't extinguish without a fight. "Why would you say you never get attention?!" He demanded again, towering over him slightly. Dewey stood his ground, though, not going down that easily.
"Just let it go, Huey! It's not a big deal!" Dewey shouted.
"Yes it is!" By now, Huey had Dewey pinned up against the wall of the ship. The fires in their eyes had not gone out, but had gotten bigger. There was also tears of frustration starting to form in the eyes of the one who felt as if his love wasn't enough for his stared into each other's eyes, a frown was on both of their faces.
"Why?!" Dewey demanded, "Why is it such a big deal to you?!"
"Because it makes me feel like I'm not a good boyfriend!"
"You aren't a good boyfriend!" Dewey yelled, immediately regretting those words as soon as he said them. Huey gasped, his eyes widening as he took a step back, no longer pinning Dewey against the wall of the ship. "H-huey, I… I didn't mean-"
"Just shut up, Dewey!" Huey yelled out of something that wasn't anger. There were tears brimming in his eyes, tears not made of frustration, but tears made of sadness and hurt. His heart was hurting as the fight continued. Each one yelling at the other, and then getting angrier and angrier with one another when they wouldn't listen to each other. In the time that they had been dating, they had never had a fight this big before. Sure, they had had small arguments every now and then, but they had gotten through them together.
Dewey had finally had enough of everything. He was through with the yelling, the screaming, the accusing. He was through with the fight. He was through with Huey.
And out of his anger, and without realizing what he was actually saying, Dewey ordered one of his crew members to strike. Huey fell to the floor, a pain-filled scream was the only thing the middle triplet could hear before soft sobs were starting to become audible. Huey had tears running down his cheeks as he lifted his head off the ground, his hand covering his right eye. He looked at his brother with a fearful eye.
Dewey's breathing was heavy as he just glared at his older brother. Their eyes were locked with one another's for the longest time. Neither one of them could tell if they were trying to read the other's thoughts, or if they were searching for that last bit of hope that could save their relationship.
But neither of them could find it. Or they just didn't look deep enough.
Dewey turned his back on Huey, who in time had managed to get to his feet, his balance faltering slightly every now and then. The young captain had his arms crossed as he kept his back turned towards the boy who was now not just physically hurt, but emotionally as well.
The next thing Dewey heard were the sounds footsteps fading into nothing, and he didn't bother to look back as his brother left the pirate ship heartbroken.