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Johnny never thought he would ever perform on stage, let alone have an actual career out of it.
Singing had always been his little secret.
Something his family never knew about.
Something he just always kept to himself.
Him telling his dad that singing was his dream had been such a relief (even if it shattered him when his dad, at the time, hadn’t accepted it).
But on stage? All of that just melted away. It was just him, his piano and his voice.
Then the New Moon Theatre’s popularity grew, so did his confidence in his playing.
He was flourishing.
His dad accepting that and even encouraging him was just the cherry on top.
Then came the news of them performing in Redshore City.
A real stage (not that Mr. Moons theatre was bad, Johnny loved it).
But it was a FAMOUS stage.
And it was like a dream come true.
Which soon became a nightmare when Mr. Crystal almost denied them, until Gunter came up with a definitely last minute idea of a play about space.
Outlandish and rushed, but Johnny could think on his feet.
——-
But he wasn’t GOOD on his feet, he wasn’t much of a dancer if he was honest with himself.
And it didn’t help his partner, Ryan, was really distracting for some reason.
It was like every time he attempted the moves and caught Ryan’s gaze something in him seized up and he’d trip over his own feet.
And it didn’t help that Klaus what’s-his-name kept yelling at him each time he fumbled, and Ryan’s understanding smile just made things a bit worse.
“Maybe we need to get you into a familiar environment?” Ryan suggested “away from him?” Ryan jerked his head to where Klaus was whacking at the feet of Jin, a panda in the choreography group who was pretty light on his feet.
“Maybe…Ya think it’ll help?” Johnny rubbed his neck.
“You never know. Cmon let’s get that girl pal of yours and see what we can do.” Ryan held his paw out and held Johnny to his feet “cuz I know you’re better this.”.
——
Without Klaus’ ever demanding presence, Johnny was able to breathe a bit, enough to at least prove he COULD do the choreography.
Ryan wasn’t as distracting when there were so many others around with the hustle and bustle of getting things prepared.
The final part was pinning Ryan down with one of the poles they were using to dance-fight with.
Only for Gunter to dramatically gasp and run up to them, almost getting a pole to the snout as he came up behind Johnny.
“I have ze most AMAZING idea!”
“Gunter. We’ve made enough changes already. We can’t just-“
Gunter shushed Buster “but zis is amazing! I swear on my life!”
Buster sighed deeply “fine…let’s hear it.”
“A ROMANCE!” Gunter blurted out.
THAT got their attention because every head in the room whipped around to them.
“But…we already have a romance. The Love Planet, remember?” Buster shook the script.
“No no! Zis is DIFFERENT!” Gunter held up his hands “it is FORBIDDEN love! Two souls ripped apart by their feuding families, never to be together except in secret. Having to hate each other every moment they are in ze eyes of their families!”
“Gunter-“
“Oh my GOSH.” Porsha squealed “that is like, so romantic!”
“More like tragic.” Ash crossed her arms.
“Exactly! Star crossed lovers! Only their deaths shall bring peace to their planet.”
“Can we keep this a bit more…PG?” Buster asked “not sure how everyone will react to…death.”
“Okay then…fake deaths! Their families believe they are dead but THEY LIVE!” Gunter shook his fists to the heavens in excitement, practically vibrating in place.
“The fight can stay ze same. Buuuuut, we end it with a kiss of PASSION! Peace restored! Happy ending, ja?”
Johnny had been frozen in shock at the sudden change.
He was going to WHAT?
“Whoa whoa WHOA! Ya can’t be serious!”
“As serious as ze passion between you two!” Gunter gestured between him and Ryan, who was still frozen on the ground and staring at them in shock “you two are on FI-YAH!”
“I can’t kiss a guy on stage! What if my DAD sees!”
Buster didn’t seem to be listening until he said that, too busy nodding and typing and mumbling to himself.
“Is your dad…not okay with that?” Buster asked slowly.
Johnny…wasn’t really sure.
His dad never spoke OUT against it, but he didn’t exactly speak FOR it either.
And it never really came up in conversation.
What if this was one of the things his dad couldn’t accept?!
He had had a hard enough time accepting he wanted to be a SINGER!
“Listen kid, if he’s not okay with this then we won’t do it.” Buster reassured “we can stick to the original script.”
“I dunno…But even if he WAS, I can’t kiss him!” Johnny pointed to Ryan.
“I’ll have you know I am a GREAT kisser.” Ryan crossed arms with what could only be a slight pout.
“That’s not the point! I can’t kiss you in front of my DAD!”
That was going to be so….awkward.
Ryan shrugged his shoulders “I’m fine with doing it if you are. It’s just a stage kiss. It’s not like we’re going to be making out up there.”
“Johnny?” Buster raised a brow, paws poised over the keyboard.
It wasn’t going to be THAT bad right?
I mean, he’d never really had a relationship before. It would be really awkward to bring someone home and be like ‘this is my gangster criminal family who rob banks for a living, that’s cool right?’.
It shouldn’t be that bad. His dad would understand, right?
“Alright…I’m in.”
How hard could it be to do one little stage kiss?
——
Apparently it was very hard.
Klaus had NOT been happy about the sudden change, and after a few choice words in a language he didn’t even have to understand to know they were definitely curse words, and for once Johnny had to agree with him.
This was kinda bogus.
But he still had time to gauge his dads reaction before the show and call off the scene if it wasn’t going to end well.
When he told Nooshy the news she almost collapsed in laughter and didn’t stop for a solid five minutes before wishing him luck, which left him bewildered.
When he told Ash and Meena, who just looked at him like he grew a second head, and like the times he’d vented about how frustrating it was for Ryan to be distracting him for a reason he couldn’t place, they looked at him pitifully shaking their heads.
Girls were so weird.
He didn’t have much time to process what the looks were about before being dragged back into practice.
Ryan also seemed to find the whole situation amusing, and kept giving him teasing smiles that made his face feel hot and his stomach twisty and palms sweaty.
It was becoming increasingly hard to focus with every practice, and it wasn’t the fact Klaus seemed to be making rules up as he went, but that also wasn’t helping his nerves.
——-
In a way, Johnny had been relieved the production had been called off, it would’ve been so awkward to kiss Ryan in front of everyone, especially his uncles and dad.
His dad freaked about him wanting to SING just a year ago.
He couldn’t imagine how he’d react to something like this.
But because of his big mouth, saying it wasn’t like they could put the show on behind Mr. Crystals back, the show was now BACK on.
Then he opened this big mouth again and told everyone he could get his family for security, at least he could warn them about it so they wouldn’t be blindsided by the kiss scene.
Johnny just hoped this was one of the times his family wouldn’t be there actively watching him in the audience.
——-
But he never got the chance to warn them before he’d been ushered to his post for his scene, they were sort of rushing things but they had to before Mr. Crystal could find out.
Johnny tried to relax as they settled into the routine.
As Rosita and Gunter gave exposition about the Planet of War, ravaged by two families who never seemed to find the solution to their never ending feud, Johnny took a deep breath and began playing the opening notes to “A Sky Full of Stars”.
It had been switched from the war ballad it had previously been, and this song was way more his soulful style instead of heavy rock.
It was a decently simple scene now that he had the choreography down.
Each ‘family’ on different sides rushing to find their battle partner on either side did the stage as Ryan and Johnny took center stage.
Circling each other, getting closer as the words melodically carried through the stage, which (on cue) made everyone else stop around them as rubble fell closer.
Johnny has actually stumbled at one point when he noticed how pretty Ryan’s eyes looked in the flames of the fake fire that flickered around them.
And just as the tempo increased, a boulder fell from above right towards them and Ryan had rushed towards Johnny as the boulder made impact, dust fanning out around them as the audience, as well as the cast (even though they knew what was coming) gasped in horror and shock.
Only for it to be revealed when the dust settled that Johnny had ditched the poles they’d been ‘fighting’ with and hand caught the boulder, and the music hit the tempo again on a rise.
The cast around them looked relieved and the audience gasped as Johnny arms buckled under the boulder (which was hard to make it convincing considering it was just plaster and weighed practically nothing to him).
Johnny threw the boulder off stage left and turned back to Ryan to continue the song.
Here it comes…
“, ‘cause in a sky full of stars, I think I found you…”.
The last few notes drifted away as Ryan leapt into Johnnys arms and they turned away from the audience to the most convincing kiss they could muster.
It…wasn’t bad.
Very nice actually.
Ryan was half blocked by Johnny and winked at him which made his heart speed up faster and faster as he set Ryan back down on his feet.
The audience was going insane and applauding and cheering, but Johnny wasn’t really listening, his head was still feeling light from Ryan touching him.
Light shining around them as Rosita monologued about how peace had been restored to the previous Planet of War, now cataloged as the Planet of Peace, but the lost astronaut hasn’t been found so she will continue her journey.
When the lights faded, they bolted for the side of the stage and Johnny suddenly felt really…giddy.
Being that close to Ryan.
A million thoughts were racing through his head, so he had nearly screamed when his dad clapped him on the shoulder.
“That’s my boy!”
“Hi dad…” Johnny was trying not to sound nervous.
“That endin’ was really somethin’ wad’nt it?”
“Uh huh….” Johnny averted his eyes.
It was now or never.
Only he didn’t get the chance to say anything because his dad didn’t stop talking.
“That boy ya fella?”
Oh…oh no.
Wait why didn’t he sound mad?
“Ya two remind me of ya uncles.” His dad chuckled “that look in yer eye ya had.”
His uncles?
Johnnys jaw dropped open “Uncle Barry and Uncle Stan?”
They’d been together?!
How long?!
Why hadn’t anyone TOLD him?!
“Yah, those two were so lovesick when they firs’ met. Almos’ regret introducin’ em.” His dad nudged his arm.
“So…you’re not mad…about that?” Johnny pointed his thumb back to the stage.
Now his dad just looked confused, which would’ve been funny not given the circumstances.
“…‘course not? Why would I be?”
Ash looked pretty fed up with the conversation she was overhearing.
Well, LACK of conversation.
“Oh for the love of-“ she inhaled deeply “he thinks you’d be mad he’s into dudes.”
“I’m not into guys!” Johnny defended.
“You can’t be serious.” Ash crossed her arms, “all you ever do is complain about how Ryan distracted you during your practices. How good he was. How FIT he was-“
“He is! You’ve seen him-“
“Not the point.” Ash held a paw up “I’m going to tell you something you’ve should’ve realized a long LONG time ago.”
She looked him dead in the face, which was kinda hard given their height difference, but she spoke slowly and clearly.
“You’re into guys. You. Like. Ryan.”
No he didn’t!
Well he did like him, Ryan was a good mate and had been endlessly patient when he was learning to do the movies.
But he didn’t like him like…that.
Did he?
The more he thought about it, the more he had the best realization at the worst time.
“I’m a moron.”
“There it is.” Ash took a swig of her soda “glad we had this talk. Go find your man dude.”
He didn’t need to be told twice, he didn’t even say bye to his dad as he ran off to find where Ryan went.
“He didn’ know his uncles were married. They’ve been together since ‘fore he was born!” Marcus just sounded dumbfounded “he was AT the weddin’.”
“He didn’t realize he was into dudes. I don’t think he was really paying attention.”
“He isn’t always this dense is he?” Marcus asked.
Ash shrugged “not usually. Good guy though. Even if he’s the last to know he’s into dudes.”.
“How long have YOU known?”
Ash hummed and swirled her can “since the performance last year. You don’t perform Elton John so passionately and NOT be gay on some level. Especially a song ABOUT being gay. He said that song was because he relates to it. Can’t believe he never put two and two together.” She handed him a soda from the refreshment table “when did you figure it out?”.
Marcus popped the tab “he’s never brought a gal home. Didn’t talk of em either. That’s how I figured Stan out, ya know. Kinda hard to hide that when ya share a room all ya lives.” He took a drink “only Johnny never fell outta second story window tryna sneak out to meet a guy. Was jus’ waitin’ til he told me ‘imself.”
“No offense, but to me it seems like dunces run in your family.”
Marcus sighed but had a slight grin “ain’t that the truth.”.
“Ten bucks says Ryan already knows.”
“…You’re on lil’ lady.”
——-
Johnny almost ran over Ryan in his efforts to find him so fast.
He had to brace himself on the wall to keep himself from toppling over and crashing into him.
Ryan didn’t looked surprised to see him, more like surprised at almost being ran over.
“You okay Johnny?”
“I like you.”
That came out fast than he expected and now Ryan was just staring at him.
“Like a lot.” Johnny amended “more than a mate.”
Ryan started to smile “took ya long enough. Thought you’d combust before you realized.”
“Wait…you knew?! How long? ”
“Pretty much the whole time.” Ryan shrugged “you were pretty obvious man. To everyone but yourself, I guess.”
“Wait…how did you know before I knew?!”
“Like I said, kinda obvious. You’re cute when you’re nervous and I wanted you to figure this out on your own. Didn’t think it would take you so long though.”
“Oh…” Johnny felt his face heat up.
That meant everyone knew that he was into Ryan, before HE knew he was into Ryan.
“Why don’t we head out tonight after the show? Catch some dinner?” Ryan offered.
“Good. Good. Sounds good.” Johnny his his face in his hands.
First he didn’t know his uncles had been married and now he didn’t even know HE was into guys?
Ryan leaned in ”and if ya ask nicely, I might let you try a real kiss.”
Johnny’s face felt hot but he wordlessly nodded.
Well…That worked out well.