Work Text:
Johnny and Gyro had been riding for three hours straight, trying to make up for any time they had lost while fighting that terrorist from Naples. They maintained a steady pace and followed the Colorado River towards the next checkpoint.
The sun was sinking towards the horizon behind them by the time Gyro began to slow.
“Do you mind if we stop here?” Gyro pointed to a clearing by the riverbank that seemed perfect to set up camp. “We could keep going for a bit longer, but honestly, my leg is killing me.”
He gestured to his leg that had been completely severed just that morning and then crudely sewn back on.
Johnny shrugged, “Fine by me.”
They pulled their horses to a stop, the evening air buzzing with life from the birds to the crickets to the steady gurgling river.
Johnny dismounted his horse first. He knew that if he didn’t, Gyro would ask him if he needed help, like he always did. Johnny resented that. He’d been getting better at dismounting in one smooth motion, lifting himself with his arms and then sliding off the side of Slow Dancer. He was even getting more graceful at landing, dropping onto his knees rather than slamming his entire body against the ground and getting the wind knocked out of him.
Gyro watched Johnny’s descent intently before dismounting himself.
He grunted slightly as he put weight onto his newly reattached leg, but he brushed it off and started unpacking the horses.
Gyro tossed a large piece of firewood toward Johnny who had already begun clearing the ground, gathering sticks, and digging a place for their fire to go. This was becoming their nightly tradition. While Gyro unpacked and secured the horses, Johnny would clear the ground to sleep on and start the fire.
Neither of them declared these roles, it came about naturally and unspoken.
The two of them sat quietly for a couple minutes. Johnny was poking at the fire with a stick and Gyro was about to open a can of beans when he glanced up to the river.
The last bit of sunlight was sending golden beams across the water. Gyro looked down at his bloodstained clothes and then over at Johnny who didn’t look much better.
“We should wash up first. Before it’s all dark and the water gets too cold.”
Johnny smelled himself and grimaced, “You’re probably right.”
Gyro grabbed some supplies from his personal bag and began walking over to the water. He glanced back at Johnny who hadn’t moved from the fire yet.
“You need any help?” He asked genuinely.
Johnny turned around and scowled at him, “I’ve got it.”
He began pushing himself using his arms and dragged himself towards the edge of the river. The rocks on the ground digging into his palms. When he reached the water, Gyro had started taking his shirt and undershirt off and throwing them into a wash pile.
Johnny followed suit, stripping down to his underwear, but when he glanced up he saw that Gyro had abandoned all of his clothes.
“Christ!” Johnny exclaimed, turning his head away quickly.
Gyro laughed, seemingly unphased by his travelling companion seeing him completely naked, “Sorry! I wasn’t intending to make you uncomfortable, I didn’t think about it”
Johnny felt his face flush bright red, “I’m not embarrassed, just wasn’t expecting to see so much of ya’ is all” His accent sticking out more as he got flustered.
“My family are all doctors, so we’ve seen everything there is to see. I forget that not everyone is as open.”
It’s fine,” Johnny grumbled. “But I’m keepin’ mine on.”
Gyro waded waist deep into the water, shuddering at the chill. Johnny scooted into the water, sitting where it was shallow.
They both started scrubbing the dried blood and layers of grime off of themselves, and Gyro dunked his head under the water. He had a hairbrush from his bag and started pulling through the knots in his long hair. When he was done, he offered the brush to Johnny.
Johnny shook his head, “I’m good, thanks.”
Gyro chuckled, “You haven’t even gotten your hair wet yet, how are you planning to untangle that mess?” He pointed at Johnny’s hair, which really was a rat’s nest.
Johnny felt his ears go red. He felt like Gyro was attacking him, and he tried to put up his defenses again. “I’ll just put my stupid hat back on so you don’t have to look at it,” he snapped.
Gyro frowned, “Hey,” he started, putting his arms out in front of him as if to soothe an irritated animal. He started wading towards Johnny, “I really didn’t mean anything by it. I just thought you might want to borrow the brush.”
“Well, I don’t,” Johnny spat, letting his week’s worth of misplaced anger out. “I don’t need your brush, and I don’t need your stupid commentary, and I don’t need your help, and I don’t want your pity! I’m sick of being looked down on!”
Gyro looked dumbfounded, “Pity? I don’t pity you? Is that what you really thought I was doing this whole time? Offering you help because I don’t see you as a person?”
Johnny didn’t respond, he only looked at Gyro.
“If I pitied you, you wouldn’t be here right now and I definitely wouldn’t be teaching you Spin. If I didn’t think that you could keep up with me and win this race, then I would’ve left you chasing me like all the others. Do you get that?”
Johnny nodded sharply. He felt like he was getting sense knocked into him.
“I offer help because you’re my partner. We’re supposed to help each other. I trust you, Johnny, but I don’t think that you trust me.”
Gyro stood still in the water, droplets running down his neck.
Johnny let out a shaky breath, “I’m trying to. I want to trust you.”
Gyro seemed to think for a split second and then had an idea. He waded into the shallow and then got out of the river.
“Where are you going?” Johnny asked, puzzled. Avoiding eye contact with the nude man.
“I’m putting my underwear back on so you don’t get too worked up,” Gyro said and he slid his garments on. He then got back in the river and knelt right next to where Johnny sat. “I’m going to brush your hair.”
Johnny lurched into protest, “No way! I can do that myself, I don’t need help-”
“That’s the point,” Gyro explained. “When was the last time you even brushed your own hair anyway?”
Johnny grumbled a non-response about how he ran his fingers through it sometimes.
“Look, you have dried blood stuck in it,” Gyro pointed out. “You’re never going to be able to get all of these knots out unless you let me help you.”
Johnny sighed, defeatedly. He let Gyro take the lead.
He tried to be as gentle as he could, but the clump of dry blood and the knots were proving to be a challenge. Johnny flinched with the tugging of his hair.
“This is the first time I’ve been so close to anybody in about two years,” he admitted.
Gyro listened.
“After my accident, I was left to rot in that ‘hospital.’ I was hardly tended to and had no visitors. I had sores on my legs, but I couldn’t feel them. My hair matted so badly from lying in that bed for long that I had to cut it all off after I got out. After that, everything between then and now is like… unconscious. I was living, but I had no one and nothing anymore. I definitely wasn’t taking care of myself, and I didn’t expect to get close to anyone ever again.”
Gyro cupped water in his hands and poured it over Johnny’s hair as he talked.
“Everyone either spits on you or patronizes you when you’re disabled,” Johnny continued. “I thought it was impossible to have a normal relationship, so I kept your ‘helpfulness’ at arms’ length. It feels good to talk again.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re finally opening up because we still have a long way to go and the polite conversation was getting boring,” Gyro laughed, and Johnny let out a chuckle too.
Gyro brushed over all of Johnny’s hair one more time, “I’m done.”
Johnny turned his head and looked at Gyro and he ran his fingers through his own now soft hair. He couldn’t remember the last time it had felt like that.
“You certainly look better,” Gyro quipped.
“It feels really good. Thank you for this.”
“It’s no problem really, it’s just a hairbrush.”
Johnny frowned at him slightly, “For being a friend, thanks.” He said the last part softly but Gyro heard it.
He smiled, “Anytime.”