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Johnny was still getting used to the additional presence of his stand, Tusk. He'd had the ability for a bit, but it hadn't done or changed much since when he first got it. He was currently camping with Gyro, and the sun was setting. They were sitting at opposite ends of the campfire they had made, a dinner of canned beef and vegetables sitting atop the flame.
What was that pink thing? It had appeared in front of Johnny's face all of a sudden. Speak of the devil, it was Tusk! Johnny's eyes widened in surprise. It came back out? But why? He hadn't called on it or anything, was there an enemy nearby? He had to inform Gyro.
"What-" Johnny was cut off by the floating bird-rat thing snuggling into his face. It was sort of furry and soft against his skin, and for some reason, Johnny could feel what his stand must've felt too- like he was snuggling against a person larger than him. Maybe there wasn't an enemy stand user nearby, and his stand was glitching, if that was even possible. This thought calmed him down.
"Chumimi~in!" The stand called in a cutesy voice, one which made Johnny feel freaked out. What the fuck was it doing? Why was it hugging him?
At the noise, Gyro lifted his head to meet Johnny's, tilting his head in confusion. Then, his eyes widened in surprise upon seeing Tusk.
"That's your stand thing right? It's so small and cute!" Gyro cooed, flashing a golden grin which made Johnny's cheeks heat up. "It's snuggling you!"
"It's annoying, to be honest." Johnny sighed, trying to push the demon baby thing away from him with his finger.
A sad "chumi" came from the stand's beak as it distanced itself from Johnny, Its beady little eyes filled with a look of desolation.
"Johnny! You made it sad!" Gyro cried, pouting. Does this thing have a mind of its own? Johnny was highly confused.
Unexpectedly, Tusk flew towards Gyro, hovering in front of the green-eyed man just as it had done to Johnny when he first saw it.
"What a little cutiepie!" Gyro said, raising his hand to meet Johnny's stand.
Gyro patted Tusk on the top of its head.
"Chumimi!" The stand echoed happily, leaning into Gyro's grasp.
Johnny felt as though Gyro's hand was patting his head, his fingers brushing through his hair. It didn't fully feel like a hand, though, but rather a ghost or something of the like. The sensation made Johnny sit up straight, startled. Gyro was still playing with the little pink bird rat, which spun around cheerfully like a ballerina doll. Abashed, the blonde turned his gaze to the ground as crimson gathered on his cheeks.
Since the race began, Johnny had admired Gyro. At first, he thought this feeling was pure admiration, wanting to befriend the man. But this emotion soon developed into a warmth, slowly overtaking his mind- Johnny liked the Italian more than just a friend. Each time Gyro smiled at or touched Johnny, he'd get butterflies in his stomach, and he'd attempt to hide the blood that rushed to his cheeks and ears. Johnny wouldn't be able to handle Tusk getting affectionate with Gyro, especially because he, as the user of the stand, could feel it. Johnny feared Tusk's displays of love would make him yearn even more for the man, wishing he could fully feel Gyro's hands through his hair. He didn't want his silly little crush on his friend to become obvious and strain their relationship.
Pulled out of his thoughts by another touch, Johnny would've jumped if he could. It felt as though Tusk was snuggling into Gyro's chest, so the nervous man peeked through his hands covering his eyes- Tusk was indeed nestled against the long haired man, nuzzling his little face and beak into his front.
Shit, it really felt like he was cuddled up against Gyro. Johnny's heart was racing faster than Slow Dancer ever could. He wanted to be Tusk at that very moment, and that thought made the boy feel sick to the stomach. Fuck feelings.
"Che piccolo tesoro! (What a little treasure!)" Gyro exclaimed, carefully wrapping his arms around the wee creature as if not to squash it. "Johnny, I didn't know you were this much of a softie deep down!"
"I'm not!" Johhny defended, his words muffled by him burying his head into his arms. "That thing has a mind of its own, I swear!"
"Aw, is Johnny-boy embarrassed?" The Zeppeli continued talking to Tusk, as Johnny shivered at every unexpected hand through his hair, hand grazing against his hand or cheek, chest against his head, or- LIPS ON HIS FOREHEAD?
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" The blue-eyed man yelped, to see a puzzled, wide-eyed Gyro and a twirling Tusk, which had a green stain on its fuchsia forehead, right near the little gold star on its crown.
"I just gave it a teeny tiny smooch, what, are you possessive over it or something?" Gyro smirked, turning back to Johnny's stand. "C'mon little Tusk, I'm your owner now!"
"Chumimi!"
"I'm not possessive over it, it's just weird." Johnny sighed, laying on his star speckled sleeping bag and resting his head against his pillow. He secretly wished that Gyro's loving kiss would've left a stain on his face, too.
"But you like me for that, don'tchya!" Gyro smiled, grabbing Tusk by the hands. It was true, Johnny did find Gyro's weirdness cute, his cringeworthy puns and unique habits and behaviours like sleeping with a teddy bear.
"Dinner's almost ready, you're not gonna fall asleep are you?" Johnny glanced up to see Gyro... waltzing with his stand. The grown man was taking steps back and forth, holding it around the hip area and hand and spinning it from time to time. He was also singing a tune, probably in Italian.
"I'll still be awake, just a bit tired from the day." Johnny mumbled. There'd be no way he could fall asleep feeling Gyro's hand on his hip.
It was sort of amusing, watching Gyro dance with his stand. Although the man was older than he was, he was so childlike and playful. Johnny needed that in his life, someone who could create a sense of adventure in him, which he had lost since the accident.
"Johnny, stop staring, I'll pick you up and dance with you too if you want." The Zeppeli halted his song. Gyro had once told him that other than his father, his family was a bunch of natural flirts.
"Chu!"
"I think your stand wants me to dance with you, Johnny! Just this once! You made your stand sad before, be nice to it!" Gyro egged Johnny on, stepping closer to him and reaching his hand out.
"How am I gonna dance?" Johnny queried nervously.
"I'll pick you up and spin you around!" Gyro said, "It'll be really fun!"
"Fine." Johnny bashfully complied. He was a bit worried about seeming gay to Gyro. But deep down, Johnny prayed that Gyro liked men too, placing his reasoning for thinking he was gay on the man's effeminate appearance with his long blonde hair.
Although he knew what was going to happen, and had felt it before, it still jarred Johnny to be picked up by Gyro every single time, but especially in a situation like this. Johnny was tense- he was worried he was going to do something stupid like accidentally lean in to kiss his friend. As he had done it before, Gyro picked up Johnny under the armpits using his strong arms, and placed him against his body. Keeping one hand on Johnny's back, he wrapped the smaller man's legs around his back with the other as Johnny placed his arms on the taller man's broad shoulders. There was no way the Joestar could conceal his blush now- hopefully Gyro wouldn't notice it in the glow of the campfire or the moonlight. The two had their faces ever so close to each other, he could feel Gyro's breath. Johnny's heart was basically rattling inside his ribcage as his chest pressed against the other's.
"Ready to dance, Joekid?" Gyro beamed down at him.
"Yeah." Johnny barely got out, breathless as he gazed into Gyro's chartreuse eyes.
"Chumimi!" Tusk had appeared right behind Johnny.
"Shoo." Johnny waved the stand away with his hand. He wasn't going to let some elephant bird rat thing ruin this moment.
"Aw, Johnny." Gyro chuckled.
"Are ya gonna drop me?" The pale man asked jokingly.
"I'd never let you go." Gyro's tone sounded sincere. Johnny loved looking at Gyro's face, but he really wanted to bury his face into his shoulder now.
Gyro began to sway, taking one of Johnny's hands in his with the other still on his lower back. He began a melody, one he had listened to and sung back home.
"Soffia dolcemente un venticello (A gentle breeze blows)
Spirate nel mio cor (Expire in my heart)
Mia dea Fortuna! (My goddess Fortuna!)
Sulla volta celeste (On the celestial vault)
C'è il mare eterno nella mia anima (There is the eternal sea in my soul)
Con un sol fulmine (With a single bolt of lightning)
Capirai tal leggenda (You will understand this legend)
Quando pensi a me, sempre (When you think of me, always)
Bisbiglierò (I will whisper)
Sulla volta celeste (On the celestial vault)
C'è il mare eterno nella mia anima (There is the eternal sea in my soul)
Ovunque tu vada (Wherever you go)
Ovunque io vada (Wherever I go)
C'è il mio amor nella tua vita (My love lies deep within your life)
C'è l'amor nella tua giornata (My love remains in your days)
Basta un tuo sorriso (Just a smile from you)
Un tuo sol sorriso (Your only smile)
Non morirà l'anima mia. È immortal! (My soul will not die. It is immortal!)
Non serve versar lacrime (No need to shed tears)."
During the song, there wasn't much 'dancing', but rather, a lot of swaying and slow spinning. It was a quiet melody, melancholic but beautiful. Albeit not being able to understand the lyrics, It felt like Johnny was being serenaded by the Italian with his romantic language in his honey timbre. When Gyro sung in a lower tone, the smaller man could feel his rumble through his chest. He wondered if the Zeppeli could feel the quickened beat of his heart, too. Johnny had decided, that despite the nuisance that was his constant singing during the Steel Ball Run, Gyro actually had a great voice.
Quickly switching from a depressing to a joyful tone, Gyro asked, "Did you like it?" With a golden grin.
"That was... wonderful." Johnny couldn't think of any words to truly describe how amazing that was. Not just Gyro's voice, but being held by him, swaying and spinning with him, looking into his eyes from time to time, watching him sing as he closed his eyes... perhaps, it was... electrifying.
"Glad you liked it, Johnny-boy!" Gyro responded gleefully, placing Johnny back on the ground near the fire.
"Chumimi! Chu! Chumi! Chumimi~in!" Of course, Tusk was floating around joyfully, making its strange noises. Maybe Johnny's stand actually was a manifestation of his soul... Then why was it so shrimpy and cute? The Joestar had muscles and a mean glare, at least.
"CAZZO MADRE DI DIO! (FUCKING MOTHER OF GOD!) THE FOOD'S BURNT!" Gyro yelled over the campfire, clambering to take the pot away from the fire with a towel.
"There goes the dinner." Johnny mused, heading back to his sleeping bag.
"It was going to taste so good..." Gyro mourned the meal, now a burnt and crispy mass in the steel pot.
"Chu..." Tusk babbled sadly.
"I'll make some coffee in the morning along with breakfast, does that sound alright?" Gyro asked as he disposed of the blackened meat and vegetables behind a bush. Maybe some wild animals would enjoy it.
"Sounds great." Johnny answered, stretching his arms. Gyro's coffee was probably the best coffee he'd ever had.
"Chumimi!" The stand was excited again. Tusk must've really been portraying what Johnny was feeling deep down, and to him, that was extremely embarrassing, especially with the stand being all over his friend. He was glad Gyro hadn't said anything about it yet.
"You must really want some coffee." Gyro laughed, poking Tusk in the stomach softly.
"Your coffee is pretty good." Johnny admitted shyly, rolling over so Gyro wouldn't see his face.
"I'm delighted to hear that from Mr Joestar." The Zeppeli continued in a joking tone, as he put the fire out, and Johnny rolled over to smile at him.
"Gonna hit the hay now. Goodnight Johnny." Gyro waved, tucking himself into his sleeping bag.
"G'night, Gyro."
"Shit, Tusk!" Johnny whispered, as he watched Tusk fly towards the sleeping bag of his friend. Rolling over again and shutting his eyes so he couldn't see Gyro's reaction, Johnny tried to will himself to sleep, so hopefully his stand would disappear or at least calm down.
Once again, he felt like he was being wrapped in the man's arms protectively, but this time, he felt like he was being carried. Gyro might fall asleep with Tusk tonight, Johnny thought. Then, he felt lips on his forehead, and hair brushing against his face, but it felt different this time.
"Sweet dreams, amore mio (my love)." Gyro's breath fanned against his face as the man tucked a strand of hair behind the supposedly sleeping Joestar's ear. Johnny heard the crunch of Gyro's boots on the sand get further and further away from his sleeping bag as the footsteps headed back towards Gyro's. Maybe, just maybe, Johnny was okay with having Tusk around.