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Johnny really had imagined the day to go differently, but instead of going to the date, he was forced into agreeing, he was spending the evening at an emergency vet fussing over a bunch of kittens.
It had been raining heavily all day, and his mood had been miserable. Living alone was supposed to be fun and freeing, but suddenly he missed the company of his family, the antics of his brother and cooking from his mother. Hell, he even kind of missed his dad, despite being the most emotionless bastard he knew.
And their horses. Man did he miss those.
His father pressured him into continuing their horse breeding and training business, grooming him into the successor from childhood on, but Johnny was stubborn and petty, not one who liked being forced into anything and told what to do with his future. The rebellion led him to enroll in a university hours away from home, studying art.
Probably a mistake, as he slowly came to realize.
He was creative and loved drawing, but the three months at university made him doubt his love for art and consider crawling back to his father, apologizing for his behavior.
His peers were the most taxing part. It was genuinely a struggle for him to connect to any of them, leading him to his dilemma of feeling isolated and lonely, seeking out connection in a foreign city.
Contact with his old school friends also dwindled down to the occasional how are you texts and receiving life updates over Instagram stories. He knew that making new friends would take time, but it’s been three months, and he was already going crazy.
In desperation he looked up nearby riding clubs, gaining back some sort of normalcy, but to his disappointment the riders were a bunch of rich, stuck-up kids that had no idea how to handle their horses and only owned one for status and taking pictures.
Sure, Johnny also came from wealth and could be pretty stuck-up, but at least for him he had real connections with their horses and always prioritized their well-being. Unfortunately some knew his name and the business associated with it and decided he was worth associating with.
That led him to this evening, about to meet a girl that might've been classified as his dream girl from the looks but had the personality of a rock. She asked him out while surrounded by the whole stable, and Johnny foolishly agreed, not wanting to cause a scene in front of that many people.
Johnny decided he would sit through this one date and carefully reject her, telling her they weren’t a good fit. Simple as that.
But as he was walking through the rain, halfway to the bougie restaurant she chose, he was stopped by the sight of a kitten jumping out of a bush right in front of his feet. He may or may not have let out a very manly scream in shock. The kitten, from the looks not older than a couple weeks, was screaming incessantly, high-pitched, miserable little screams he couldn’t ignore.
So he bent down and gently pet the kitten, poor thing wet and cold to the touch. Johnny sighed deeply, realizing that he couldn’t just leave it here and he would never make it to the date in time. That thought actually brought a smile to his face. Rather care for a lonely kitten than go on that awful date.
Rustling caught his attention, and suddenly two more kittens jumped out from the bush, running to his feet and joining the first one.
Johnny stared in shock and then groaned. They literally ambushed him. Sending out the first one to see if the human was friendly. What was he supposed to do with three kittens? They were all drenched and looked miserable. He surely had to do something.
The first thought was taking them home to dry and warm up, but he had no idea how long they had been out there or if they might be sick or have any issues. Taking them to the vet first would be the smartest action he decided, not risking anything.
A quick Google search told him the location of the nearest emergency vet. Before picking the kittens up, he shot a short message to his date, telling her he couldn’t make it. He might not be interested, but at least he didn’t want her to wait unnecessarily.
Staring at the kittens, he wondered how to transport them but eventually decided to strip his jacket and bundle them up to provide at least a little warmth in the way. It was warm enough for him not to freeze until arriving at the vet, as long as he didn’t get wet under the umbrella.
After a 15-minute walk through the pouring rain with three squirming kittens, he finally made it to the vet. A modern-looking building with a clean white interior, pictures of happy animals adorning the walls. A bored receptionist sat at the computer, looking up as he entered.
“Um, hello. I found those three on the sidewalk. I wanted to get them checked out,” he told her nervously, showing the kittens in his warm. The receptionist gave him a warm smile in return, taking a closer look at the bundle.
"Yeah, of course, we currently don’t have any appointments, so we can take you in one of the exam rooms. Or are you just here to drop them off?” she asked without judgement, and Johnny took a second to think. He just met them but already felt responsible for the three and felt horrible at the thought of leaving them alone.
They used to have barn cats at their property, good at keeping rodents away but not the affectionate kind, so he never had the chance to bond with them. He had the space and means to take care of a pet, and it might fill the void inside him.
“I’m staying with them,” he answered confidently, holding the bundle tighter every so slightly.
“Alright. Take a seat, fill out the form, and our vet will be with you shortly.” She nodded towards the small waiting room. Johnny thanked her, took the clipboard from her, and sat on the uncomfortable plastic chair.
He filled out the form while trying his best to contain the kittens that threatened to escape his jacket. Once done, he gave the clipboard back and waited patiently. Time passed and he already feared they forgot about him. Didn’t the receptionist say there were no other appointments? He snuggled the shivering kittens closer to his chest.
A moment before he was about to go back to the receptionist to ask when they would be seen, a tall man in green scrubs walked into the waiting area, eyes looking onto Johnny.
“Follow me to room 3,” he called out, and Johnny’s eyes widened at the sight of shiny gold grills peeking out between the soft, plump-looking lips. He swallowed, taking in the man’s appearance.
Long, sandy blond hair flowed over the strong broad shoulders, framing the perfect face that even the weird beard choice couldn’t destroy. His muscled bulged from beneath the scrubs. The man could be Adonis himself. If Johnny had a type in man, this guy was the definition of it, the original blueprint.
Cute kittens and a handsome man in one evening? The day was just getting better.
In a daze, Johnny followed him into the exam room, where he put the kittens onto the clean steel table. They immediately escaped the jacket but stayed surprisingly still, head turning and taking in the new surrounding.
“I’m Gyro Zeppeli, nice to meet you. So, you found those adorable guys outside?” he asked, smiling at the kittens, gently running his fingers over their wet fur.
“Yeah, they just jumped me,” Johnny said with a chuckle.
“Then let’s see how they are doing.” Gyro pulled out a towel and started by drying them as best as possible.
“Got any pets?” Gyro asked casually, eyes briefly leaving the kitten, looking right at Johnny through his lashes.
“No. Well, not here. Um, my family owns horses, and we had some barn cats,” he explained. Gyro’s head shot up at the mention of horses, his smile widening, showing off more of his grills.
“Horses? No way! I love horses! Used to ride when I was young but haven’t had the opportunity in a long time,” Gyro told him excitedly. Johnny returned the blinding smile, elated that the handsome man shared an interest with him.
“I moved away for college, but now I miss them,” he said in return, feeling melancholic.
“You plan on keeping these little ones?” Gyro asked curiously, lifting the kittens and checking for their sex.
“Yeah, I think so. Could need some company,” he answered, immediately biting his lips in regret. That last bit was unnecessary; why did he say that? The handsome vet didn’t need to know how lonely he was.
Gyro looked at him with such soft eyes, as if the man knew the feeling, which surprised Johnny.
“Well, you will have your hands full with these three. Kittens will make your life anything but boring. Two girls and a boy, as far as I can tell,” he explained, looking into their mouths next.
“I estimate them to be around 4 weeks old. Means they are already weaned and you can feed them solid food. Their temperature is a bit below the average. I will take some blood, and we will see if they got any diseases.” Johnny nodded along, trying to memorize everything.
“What can I do?” he asked, wincing in sympathy as he watched Gyro insert the thin needle into those tiny bodies.
“It would be best to keep them for a night or two, getting them warmed up and dry, and just keeping an eye on them to be safe. Of course, if money is a problem, you can take them home and spend the night watching over them and come back once we have the results.”
“Oh, no no, money is not really a problem. I'd rather be safe and keep them here. If something happens, I wouldn’t know what to do,” Johnny told him honestly.
“Alright. If you want, I could print you out a list with some basics? And some info about daily risks, things cats should avoid, and what to look out for in their behavior.”
Johnny gave him a grateful look. Handsome, kind, and thoughtful? Could this man get any better? He briefly wondered if Gyro was single, but who was he kidding, a guy like him was surely happily in a relationship. People must be lining up to date him.
“That would be amazing, thank you,” he replied gratefully, smiling at the man.
“Coming right up!” Gyro exclaimed joyfully, leaving the kittens under Johnny’s careful watch while he went to the computer and pulled up some files and websites.
“Luckily we have some guides for first-time pet owners. You are definitely not the first one to come here and have no idea what to do. Many find abandoned or feral animals and decide to keep them.” The printer came to life as paper fed through it. Johnny knew it was Gyro’s job to make sure the animals were in good hands, but he still felt incredibly grateful for the help.
A few quiet seconds went by while Gyro typed away on the computer. Johnny tried not to feel awkward in the silence, petting the kittens gently to occupy himself. The shuffling of paper filled the room, Gyro stapling them together and handing them over to Johnny.
“Here, all for you.”
Johnny stared at the thick pile, more than he expected to receive. He accepted them with a thanks, holding them in his hands with nowhere to put away.
Gyro cleared his throat.
“So…you’re new to the city?” He asked stiffly, the previous calm and relaxed demeanor gone. Johnny took a second to reply, brain catching up to the sudden change in topic.
“Huh? Um, yeah, I am,” he replied, confused, wondering what Gyro was getting at.
“Sorry if I’m prying. You said you moved for college, so I just assumed…” The awkward body language was quite endearing to watch, Johnny thought. But why was the man behaving that way?
“No, no, it’s fine. I moved here three months ago, still settling in and all,” he paused, then laughed deprecatingly. “Making friends is harder than I remembered it to be. I’m looking forward to not having an empty home anymore and something, well, someone, to look after.” He watched the kittens play on the table, a soft smile resting on his face, eyes unable to leave them.
It felt weird being so vulnerable to a man he just met. Why would he care if Johnny felt lonely?
“Yeah, I get that. I’ve been living here for a few years now but can only call less than a handful of people my friends,” Gyro confessed, shrugging slightly.
Johnny swallowed, wondering where this conversation was going.
“I…I actually was on my way to a date before I found the kittens,” Johnny told him, unable to meet Gyro’s eyes, but he still felt them on him.
“Oh? Sorry to hear that you couldn’t make it. Hopefully she is not too mad at you,” Gyro said, voice strained, missing the warmth behind it. Johnny just laughed.
“I really couldn’t care less. I was pressured into the date and had no intention of ever going out with her again. The kittens gave me the perfect excuse to miss it. I’m rather here than in a fancy restaurant,” he said with a smile, directing it at Gyro and meeting his eyes. Some part of him hoped he could convey the unspoken “here with you” part of the sentence.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that…" Gyro trailed off, but it seemed like he wanted to add something to his statement. A second went by, Johnny waiting for Gyro to continue, their eyes unable to stray away from each other.
“I’m quite hungry,” Johnny blurted out dumbly, cringing at himself as soon as the words had left his mouth. He broke the prolonged eye contact and fiddled nervously with his hands, quickly trying to explain himself.
“I-I mean, if you wanted, I could treat you to a meal? As thanks?” It took all his strength not to facepalm himself. The man was paid to do his job, Johnny didn’t need to buy him a meal as thanks. Not to mention that Gyro was still working, as well. What was he doing?
A joyous laugh brought him out of his misery.
“Thanks. I actually would like that. Though you don’t need to pay for my meal, your company would be enough,” he replied, his smile striking, stealing a part of Johnny’s heart.
“Oh…great!” Johnny responded a bit shocked. No way Gyro actually agreed to a date with him. Wait, no, not a date, just a friendly meal. Johnny could not allow himself to entertain the idea that they had a date only to be friendzoned. It was still unclear if Gyro was single and, on top of that, even interested in him. He had to play it cool.
“I’m off in about an hour. You cool to wait?” Gyro asked.
“Yeah! No problem,” Johnny replied, excitement buzzing through his body.
“Let’s put these babies in their cage to get dry and cozy. I still have some work left to do in the back, would it be okay if you waited in the area outside? Sadly can’t bring anyone with me in the back, safety reasons and such,” he explained, giving Johnny an apologetic smile.
“Yeah, no, I understand! I will wait outside. Got a lot to read through while waiting.” Johnny grabbed the stacks of paper and held it up to emphasize. Gyro chuckled lightly, holding the squirming kittens in his arms.
“Thank you. See you in a bit.”
With that, Gyro swiftly disappeared into the back, his voice quietly echoing in the hall as he talked to the kittens. Johnny watched him until he was through the door with the bold “no unauthorized access” sign and sighed heavily, taking in the first deep breath since he stepped into the room.
The waiting area was still empty when he sat back down. There was the faint sound of barking and hizzing that came from the back, but otherwise the building was quiet. It must be a slow day, Johnny thought. He leaned back and shuffled through the paper. Almost an hour to go, but he would be well occupied with all the new information he was ready to learn.
Engrossed in the literature, he didn’t even hear Gyro approach.
“Interesting?” Gyro asked, snapping Johnny out of his concentration and finally looking up with wide eyes. The first thing that stuck out was the fact that Gyro was no longer wearing the green scrubs and had changed into a simple but classic tee and jeans combo that looked sinfully good on him. Though Johnny suspected that there wasn’t much that wouldn’t suit the man.
“Huh? Oh, yeah, there is so much I didn’t know about! This is really helpful.”
“Happy to hear. So, I’m free to go,” Gyro stated, hands in his pockets. He seemed nervous, Johnny noted.
“I know a place, just a few minutes away. I live nearby, so I know the area pretty well. Of course, if there is anywhere you wanted to go, we can go there too! I was thinking that you already waited so long and you must be starving and-”
Johnny laughed heartily, interrupting Gyro.
“I would love to go to that place,” he said with a big smile that Gyro quickly mirrored.
“Yeah?” Gyro asked back with a laugh.
Johnny nodded.
“Yeah. Lead the way?”
“Of course.”
Something told him that this day would end better than he hoped for, and maybe, just maybe, he would gain more than just a friend.
The chaste kiss ending the evening right on Gyro’s doorstep after their delicious meal really made him hopeful for what's to come.