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Gyro was on the rocky outcropping beside the Money Bin, waiting to test the flight pattern of a new drone he’d designed. He’d forgotten his spectrometer in the lab, and Launchpad, ever the considerate boyfriend, had run in to get it.
Gyro sat on a large rock as he waited, the drone beside him, but his mind wasn’t on his experiment.
Their one year anniversary was coming up.
He hadn’t dated for years before Launchpad, and never for as long as he and Launchpad had been together. Gyro wasn’t a man who appreciated much fanfare in his personal life, but this mattered. He wanted this to matter.
Launchpad was a maestro with an engine, a casual daredevil behind the wheel, and an above-average kisser. He was also kind, charitable, and friendly; everything Gyro wasn’t.
He was a good man, and he made Gyro want to be better.
Case in point, Launchpad deserved a special one-year anniversary. Because Gyro…loved him. He loved Launchpad, though he’d never said the words.
Unfortunately, Gyro didn’t have many options when it came to people he could bounce ideas off of.
Launchpad was close to the Blue Nephew, but you’d catch Gyro asking Mark Beaks for date ideas before he turned to a child.
Mr. McDuck was out of the question, and not just because he was Gyro’s boss. Because he’d either a) laugh at Gyro and tell him to pull himself up by his bootstraps and figure it out himself (or something equally inane), or b) even worse, actually give Gyro advice.
Fenton was good friends with Launchpad, and Gyro’s last resort. After swearing his coworker to secrecy, Gyro asked him what he should do for his anniversary.
“Well,” Fenton had said thoughtfully, putting down the spanner he’d been using.
“Just think about what you and Launchpad have in common. What would be something special for both of you? If you two don’t go out to often, you could go to a nice restaurant, or a bar; you could go to St. Canard for the weekend! I’m sure whatever you decide, Gyro, Launchpad will love it.”
So Fenton was entirely useless on that front.
Gyro resolved to simply ask Launchpad what he wanted to do, rather than try sneaking around behind his back. It was simple, mature, and wouldn’t devolve into anything resembling ‘90s sitcom hijinks.
And try as he might to hide behind his usual apathy, Gyro was happy. He was excited to share this milestone with Launchpad, to celebrate and mark the occasion. Gyro didn’t think he’d ever felt that way about anyone.
And as if summoned by his thoughts alone, he heard the sound of running feet coming up behind him.
“I got the thing you needed, Gyro,” Launchpad said, slowing down as he reached the outcrop. He was holding the spectrometer in one hand, dangerously close to waving around the delicate piece of equipment.
“Sorry I took so long,” he went on, “Fenton and I started talking about the new episode of Patos de la Pasión and lost track of time.”
Gyro shook his head with a laugh as he stood up, “what you two see in a show geared towards my grandmother I’ll never know.”
“Hey, there’s action in it!” Launchpad defended cheekily, “and a big mystery element! You never know who’s related to who!”
Gyro snorted, and went to take the spectrometer from Launchpad. At the same time, he leaned in to give him a quick kiss as a thank you.
He pulled away, still laughing, and said without thinking, “You’re impossible. I can’t believe I love you.”
Launchpad froze first, inches away from Gyro, so his startled expression was all he saw.
Gyro felt like he’d swallowed a hornet’s nest, if the way his chest felt fit to burst was any indication.
“Um,” Gyro said. He was still holding the spectrometer, and he looked down at it rather than at Launchpad. “Just…just kidding?”
But Launchpad was smiling, patient and kind as ever, but now he looked so happy. Happier than Gyro had ever seen him. “You said you loved me,” he said.
“I…” Gyro said, “M-maybe.”
Launchpad moved, his mouth suddenly pressed against Gyro’s in the most fervent kiss they’d exchanged in memory.
Gyro dropped the spectrometer as Launchpad’s hands traveled up his waist, tightening intermittently against his sides. He wrapped his arms around Launchpad’s neck, but it wasn’t enough, not when Launchpad was touching so much of him.
His hands moved down to cup Launchpad’s face, to wind up into his hair.
A depth of feeling he’d kept hidden, kept contained out of some misplaced sense of self-preservation, had finally been freed. As he gasped against Launchpad’s mouth, he wondered why he hadn’t told him the truth weeks ago, when he’d looked at Launchpad and realized for the first time that he loved him.
They were both trying to catch their breath as they eased out of the kiss, still holding each other close.
“Sooooo,” Launchpad said, “I, uh, I love you too.”
Gyro snorted, hiding his face in Launchpad’s shoulder.
“That is what you said, right?” Launchpad asked impishly. “I mean, I’m happy to kiss like that for any reason, but especially when my super awesome boyfriend tell me that he loves—”
“Shut up,” Gyro said, his voice muffled. “Shut up. I love you.”
Launchpad chuckled, patting Gyro on the head. “Why today?” he asked, more serious now.
Gyro grumbled under his breath. “Because our one-year anniversary’s coming up,” he eventually muttered.
Before he knew what was happening, Launchpad had lifted him in his arms and begun to spin him around wildly, laughing aloud in utter joy.
“Aw, Gyro!” he exclaimed, and stopped spinning Gyro so he could hug him properly. “Babe, that’s so sweet!”
“Never mind, I take it back,” Gyro snapped from within his boyfriend’s embrace, “I take it back, I hate you.”
“No, you don’t!” Launchpad replied cheerfully.
“No, I don’t,” Gyro sighed.