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Gyro and Johnny laid in the snow in front of the casino, finishing the last of their traded wine. Johnny cursed himself for getting such a little portion of the wine left from the man, but quickly changed his mind, as if he didn’t trade the part at that moment, he would’ve lost Gyro.
The wine tasted so delicious though, however Johnny wasn’t sure if it actually tasted good, or if it’s because he hasn’t had a taste of wine in, what seemed like months. Gyro however, did grimace after taking his sip of wine, saying that it tastes nothing like how “authentic Italian wine” tastes. Johnny decided not to try and defend the red beverage, that just meant that there was more for him.
By the time they got back on their horses, the snow flurries had progressed to almost a blizzard, making it difficult for the two men to ride their horses through. During their travels through the snowy weather, through his obscured vision, Johnny’s eye seemed to catch onto a cabin in the distance.
“Look over there,” Johnny glanced at Gyro, who was traveling beside him. He pointed to the darkened silhouette in the distance.
“Do you think it’s abandoned?” Gyro tsked Valkyrie, changing her direction to start trotting in the direction of the building.
“Worth a shot to look,” Johnny did the same with Slow Dancer.
The two of them approached the cabin, seeing as they got closer that there were no lights on the outside, or inside. They couldn’t tell by the snow trails surrounding it, since the snow was so fresh, it was impossible to tell if there were any footsteps recently.
Gyro got off of Valkyrie, telling Johnny to wait as he scoped out the building. Johnny watched patiently through the snow as Gyro looked through the frozen over windows, and approached the door with caution; carefully turning the handle to see if it was locked.
Gyro returned to Valkyrie, grabbing his bag from the horse's back. “It seems pretty empty to me, let’s settle for the night.”
“Alright,” Johnny began collecting his things. Once he got his bag on his back, he looked down at the ground for a place to jump off Slow Dancer. He quickly realized that the snow was too deep for him to jump into; he’d immediately drown in it. “Uh, Gyro..”
“Yes?” Gyro turned to face the paraplegic, noticing his situation. “Need a lift down?”
“Maybe.” Johnny kept scouting the ground beneath him, “Please.”
“Always a treat traveling with you.” He dropped his bag down in the snow, walking over to Johnny.
Johnny positioned himself so Gyro could grab him below his shoulders and carefully place him down on the deck to the cottage. But the second Gyro picked him up, he lifted Johnny up bridal style.
“Woah,” Johnny tried almost wiggling his way out from Gyro’s grasp. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nyoho!” Gyro did his signature laugh, “I just love seeing you squirm.”
Johnny was surprised of course, but he wasn’t upset at all. The two of them had been traveling together for so long, almost two months, that, after a while, he began developing feelings for the other man. He knew it was forbidden, but he couldn’t help but feel that way towards the Italian.
Gyro had always been the type of man to flirt shamelessly with any pretty woman that came flaunting their way, so there was no way that Gyro swung that way. But even if there was a sliver of a chance that Gyro did like men as well, Johnny was so frail and useless, that he was sure Gyro would never see him as anything more than a friend.
So Johnny had to act like he hated any touch from Gyro, he was doing it for fun and games, anyways. Anytime Johnny found himself staring too long at Gyro, he’d mentally remind himself that he shouldn't feel that way about a man.
“Whew, Johnny.” Gyro gradually hoisted Johnny in his arms. “You weigh less than a feather, are you sure you eat enough?”
“Shut up,” Johnny scowled at the comment, crossing his arms. “Just put me down quickly.”
“Will do.” Gyro smirked, placing him on the wooden deck directly in front of the door. “Wait for me.”
Despite his demeaning remarks, Johnny couldn’t help but gawk as Gyro began walking back to their horses. And God the way he said his name in that Italian accent wasn’t helping Johnny’s case one bit.
Gyro took a rope and post from his bag, digging a small area into the snow to reach the dirt. After pushing the post into the dirt far enough to keep the horses steady, he tied the rope to both his and Johnny’s horses and knotted them to the plank of wood.
Johnny watched mesmerized by the Italian, he wasn’t doing anything in particular, but it still made the blonde entranced. He was snapped out of his daze once Gyro walked back to the deck, bag in hand.
Gyro walked right past him and to the door, opening it once again. He kept the screen door on the outside open, letting Johnny go into the building first, crawling through the threshold.
Johnny took a look at his surroundings, seeing the place where they’d spend the next 12 or so hours; it was abandoned alright. The place would be pitch black, if it weren't for the windows giving it light from the white snow, the wood shook with any big gust of wind.
There was an old worn down couch out in front of the fireplace. It wasn’t the nicest place, but it still felt nicer than being outside in the dreadful weather.
“This could be worse,” Johnny made his way over in front of the fireplace, setting down his bag.
“Right?” Gyro closed the door with a slam, making sure that it wouldn’t fly open due to the wind. “That’s what I was thinking.”
“Think we could get a fire going?” Johnny took a peak in the fireplace, noticing the ashy logs of wood in it already.
“I’m sure we could.” Gyro walked over to beside the blonde, taking a look at the pit. “Go set up your things, I’ll handle the fire.”
Johnny gave no other response than a nod. He lifted himself up on the raggedy couch, opening his bag beside him. Before leaving the casino, he had grabbed a few copies of the latest newspapers posted there, hoping to use it as fuel for any fires.
As he took the stack of newspapers out from his bag, he noticed what was on the front cover. “Look ‘ere,” Johnny beckoned his head to beside him. “Results are on the front page.”
They had already known their placings for the previous stage of the race, but it was still nice to see that the race had gotten such a big liking, that it had reached the front cover of the newspaper.
Gyro walked over to the couch, sitting down beside Johnny. “Tsk.” He took the paper from Johnny’s hand. He came in 4th, while Johnny in 5th. “Why didn’t the last race make it to the front cover?” He crumbled up the paper in his hand.
“Could’ve been.” Johnny picked up one of the other copies from his pile, “We’d just never know.”
“That’s true,” Gyro walked back over to the fireplace, throwing the crumpled paper in the pit.
Johnny began reading the newspaper to pass time, when his eyes stumbled on the date of publication. “Oi,” Johnny got Gyro’s attention again. “Says ‘ere, ‘Date Published: December 23rd’..” He looked up at the Italian. “We finished that race, what? A couple days ago?”
Gyro mentally did some math, “Yeah, about 2 days,” His eyes widened as he put the pieces together. “Ah, you’re saying it’s Christmas?”
“Seems like it,” Johnny put the newspaper down on the couch again.
“Well Merry Christmas, Johnny.” Gyro flashed his golden grills at the blonde.
“Merry Christmas, Gyro.” Johnny nodded his head, a small smile on his face. He then went back into his bag and saw the pair of mugs that had the red wine in them not too long ago. “Ya think you can stir up some of that Italian coffee you’ve been dying to make me?” He held out the two metallic mugs.
“Nyoho!” Gyro walked back over to Johnny, taking the cups from him. “It would be my pleasure.”
Johnny couldn’t help but feel excited about this whole experience, it had been years since he’s spent Christmas with someone he’d think actually cared for him. Previous years had been with that monster he used to call father, and others he spent drowning out his sorrows with liquor.
After playing with the fire pit for a few minutes, Gyro finally got a steady fire going, despite the winds outside. It took a while for Gyro to finish making his coffee, Johnny just sat patiently, reading through the newspaper to pass the time.
“Ecco,” Gyro held out his hand with the steaming cup of coffee in it.
“Thanks,” Johnny took the cup, letting the scorched metal warm his cold hands.
Gyro nodded in response with a gentle hum, sitting down beside Johnny on the couch with his cup.
“I’ll head out after this cup to get food.” Gyro took a sip of his sugar filled coffee, a small “Mhm,” left his mouth after tasting it.
“Are you sure you’re gonna be fine on your own?”
“I’ve got my balls on me,” Gyro patted the holster with his green balls in them. “I’ll manage.” He looked over at Johnny. “Why do you ask? Are you scared about losing me?”
Johnny’s face flushed, hiding it behind the metal cup. “No, ‘ts just a blizzard out there, could be jumped by someone.”
“I’ll be fine on my own,” Gyro took a chug of his coffee. “You don’t need to worry your pretty little head about me.” He brought his head to rub Johnny’s hatted head.
Johnny had been used to the meaningless teasing from Gyro, he had gotten used to it pretty fast, but it still caught him off guard every once in a while.
“Pfft,” He swatted Gyro’s hand from his beanie. “I’m not worried about you.”
“Mhm..” Gyro finished the last of his coffee. “Sure.”
“I am not!” Johnny punched his shoulder with no strength behind it.
“Ouch,” Gyro teasingly rubbed the spot Johnny punched. “I said I believed you, I’m not sure why you’re getting all defensive.”
“I-I..” Johnny stuttered, realizing he had dug himself into a hole.
“Teasing.” Gyro smiled, his grills reflecting in the light from the fire. “I won’t go far.” He got up from the couch, placing his empty cup on the ground.
“It’s dark out,” Johnny watched as Gyro made his way to the door. “Be careful.”
“What did I say about your pretty little head?” Gyro put his hand on the door handle. “Don’t burn down the place while I’m gone.” He flashed one last grin at Johnny before leaving the cottage.
Johnny then sat by himself for the next while, slowly sipping away at the coffee. It was painful waiting for Gyro, he was left alone with his thoughts in the silence, the small crackling of the fire breaking the sounds of nothingness.
After what felt like an hour of waiting, Gyro came back into the cottage, covered in snow. “I come bearing gifts,” He said, holding a dead black rabbit in his hands.
Johnny jumped at the first sound of Gyro coming back. “Still rough out there?” He turned to face the other man.
“Wind almost took me away,” Gyro joked, “It was easy seeing this little fella in the white snow, though.” He held up their dinner, it having a puncture wound the size of Gyro’s ball on it.
“I bet,” Johnny turned to face the fading fire. “Revive the fire, then let’s cook it, I’m starving.”
“I’m on it,” Gyro walked back to the fire, taking more of Johnny’s newspapers to try and rejuvenate the dying away fire.
After the rabbit had been quickly devoured, Johnny licked his fingers clean, trying to get all the nutrients possible out of the small creature.
Gyro collected the dirtied plates, giving them a solid wipe with one of his clothes before putting them back in his bag.
“Oi, Johnny.” Gyro pulled something out of his pocket. “Check this out.”
Johnny drew his attention to the small green thing Gyro held in his hand. “What is it?”
“Take a guess.” Gyro sat down beside Johnny on the couch again, letting him have a closer look.
Johnny turned his body to face Gyro, observing it further. It had seemed to be a shrub of some sort of leaf, with white balls in it. “Is it a weed?”
“Wrong.” Gyro held it above both of their heads. “Mistletoe.”
“Mistletoe…What is-” Johnny looked up at it as he thought for a second, eyes widening at the realization. “Gyro, why are you holding it above us?”
“I want a Christmas kiss.” He said in his flirtatious tone, making it hard for Johnny to differentiate whether he meant it, or if it was just another of his teasing.
“Piss off,” Johnny shoved Gyro away from him. “Don’t make jokes like that.”
“I’m not joking.” Gyro’s voice turned deadpan, leaning back into Johnny.
“Don’t be absurd.” Johnny faced away from him. “I ain’t no fag.”
“I am.” Gyro’s expression stayed steady. “And I think you’re lying.”
Johnny’s facade broke instantly, body tensing at the first instant of Gyro’s remark. “What?” He stood up straight. “You like men?”
“And women.” Gyro said it casually, leaning into the couch. “You can drop the act, though,” He looked over at Johnny with a grin. “You held on strong.”
“H-how did you know?” Johnny looked at him with amazement. All of his thoughts of Gyro liking him seemed to evolve from empty wishes into some sort of hope.
“Had a feeling.” Gyro fiddled with the mistletoe in his hand.
“You’re so casual about it,” Johnny shook his head in disbelief. “Bein’ a fag is a sin, my old man told me that-”
“So did mine,” He looked over at Johnny, “I just didn’t care.”
Johnny stayed silent, letting his mind flow with different thoughts. This had opened up so many possibilities; if Gyro liked men, that means that there's a chance that he would like Johnny, especially after the mistletoe situation, Johnny’s hopes stayed high.
“So what d’ya say, Johnny?” Gyro held the mistletoe above them once again. “I know you’ve been thinking it, too.”
Johnny’s mind was frozen, trying to comprehend everything that was happening. It had progressed so quickly. First, Gyro confessed that he liked men too, and then he confessed that he’s been thinking about kissing Johnny.
Johnny hesitated, he had always known that these feelings aren’t ethical, they shouldn’t be something that he should act on. They should just be a passing thought in the back of his mind. But with Gyro almost offering himself to Johnny, the opportunity was hard to pass. The thoughts in his mind shaming him even considering kissing Gyro quickly dissipated.
Johnny practically pounced forward, smashing his lips together with Gyro’s. He quickly pulled away, realizing his ferocity with the kiss, he turned his face away from the Italian, his face burning bright red.
“Nyoho!” Gyro laughed, “I knew you had it in you.” He leaned forward, placing his hand gently on Johnny’s cheek, forcing him to make eye contact.
“That was a mistake..” Johnny averted his eyes; The regret came fast.
“C’mon, Johnny..” Gyro coaxed. “Don’t shy out on me now.”
Johnny’s pulse quickened. There Gyro was, right in front of him, basically begging him for a kiss. And all he could do was sit there like an idiot, his mind conflicting whether what he did was right, or if he made a big mistake.
“I can see the gears turning,” Gyro’s expression changed. He rubbed Johnny’s cheek gently. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” Gyro said, as if he read Johnny’s mind.
Johnny’s eyes turned back to him, glistening with tears forming. “But what if I did?” His voice breaking down.
“No,” Gyro pulled him in for a hug. “I’m guessing that was your first kiss with a man?” He felt Johnny’s head nod up and down on his shoulder. “Mhm.” He hummed in agreement. “It was like that for the first time with me. Under different circumstances, of course.” Gyro pulled them out of the hug, keeping his eyes fixed on Johnny. “It takes a while, but you end up getting used to it.”
Johnny sniffled, “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Gyro wiped a tear that had fallen on Johnny’s warm cheeks.
Johnny’s gaze moved between Gyro’s eyes and lips a couple times. He thought over what Gyro said, picking apart every word he said in his brain. At that point, he didn’t care anymore, after Gyro’s motivation, the positive thoughts overcame the negative ones.
Johnny slowly leaned in, connecting their lips once again. The kiss this time wasn’t as brief and animalistic as the previous one; it was soft and passionate. Gyro’s hand made its way into Johnny’s hair, running his hands through the blonde locks gently.
Johnny had only ever kissed girls before, but something about kissing Gyro was different from the previous kisses he’s had. In the past, there was no meaning, no feeling behind the kiss, just a way to keep their bodies close together. But with Gyro, there was so much more intimacy.
Gyro’s lips were riddled with the faint taste of his Italian coffee, along with the grease of the rabbit they had just for dinner. He smelled of the cold winter air, and it felt like a dream come true.
Johnny felt his body lift up, then got placed onto Gyro’s lap. He couldn’t feel the touch directly, but by the sound of fabric, he could tell Gyro was running his hands along his lower back. He brought his hands to drape over Gyro’s shoulder, pulling himself up closer on his lap.
“Touch me where I can feel it.” Johnny panted between their lips.
Gyro obliged, making Johnny immediately jolting at the feeling of sudden cold hands making their way under his shirt, running up to the small of his warm back. Johnny felt Gyro open his mouth, letting his tongue escape his lips.
Johnny let his mouth open as well, Gyro’s tongue slipping between his lips. They continued with their tongues dancing with each other for quite a while, until Gyro lifted Johnny up once again, laying him down on the raggedy couch.
Johnny’s arms dropped, bringing them down to Gyro’s hips, resting there. Once Johnny did that, Gyro’s lips made their way down his chin to his neck. He placed gentle kisses on the blonde's neck, leaving behind faded green lipstick marks along the way.
Gyro’s hands rubbed the crevices of Johnny’s waist, sucking little areas of the skin on Johnny’s neck, sure to leave purple marks the next day.
Johnny was drunk off the feeling, everything about that moment was pure ecstasy. The way Gyro gently grazed his hands along his body acting like if he had been any rougher, he’d break him like a glass.
Gyro kissed up as he made it back to Johnny’s lips, letting Johnny taste him once again. Johnny felt as Gyro’s hand snaked its way down his chest, but began to panic when he could no longer feel Gyro’s touch.
Johnny quickly brought his hand to grab onto Gyro’s arm, pausing his movement. “Wait..” He pulled away from the kiss, out of breath.
“Too soon?” Gyro panted, removing his arm from where it was, bringing it to Johnny’s cheek. “Do you want to stop?”
Johnny thought about it for a second, he didn’t per se want to stop, but he figured it was for the better if he stopped while he was ahead. He didn’t want to overdo things, he and Gyro had a long journey ahead of them, they could always continue this another time.
Johnny gently nodded, “For today, at least..”
“Then we’ll continue this next time.” Gyro kissed Johnny’s forehead, getting up from the couch to grab his bag.
“Next time..” Johnny echoed, bringing his hand to his lips, reminiscing the moment.
Gyro flopped himself beside Johnny on the couch, causing the rusted springs to make a painful squeak. He placed his bag beneath their heads, and laid the blanket out he had from inside it.
Johnny cuddled himself in the blanket, pulling it up to right above his neck. Gyro’s arm snaked its way across Johnny’s small frame, hugging onto him tightly.
“G’night, Johnny.” Gyro closed his eyes, rubbing small circles in Johnny’s skin. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, Gyro.” Johnny fell asleep smiling.