Work Text:
One hundred and fifty-one stars Johnny counted, still not feeling tired.
Johnny sighed as he turned over in his bedroll, facing Gyro instead of the sky. He studied the older man's peaceful and calm face, which was now a rare sight recently, given everything they had been going through. He was almost tempted to reach out and caress it, but Johnny held himself back. Still, he was content just to watch, so close but so far, just as things between them always were. He was okay with that, though, as long as he could still see and be near him.
The cold breeze of the night in Northern America swept through Johnny's bones even with the thick bedroll tucked around him, but that was because of his paraplegia that fucked up his circulation, always leaving him with a chill in his skin. Johnny unconsciously shuffled a little closer to Gyro to get some of his body heat, but the temptation was too much for Johnny not to lose himself and cross an invisible line between the two men.
Since sleep could not overtake Johnny's mind, his thoughts did instead, leaving the young man in a bad mental state as it normally did. His thoughts strayed to where they did nowadays as they were nearing the end of the race that brought them together.
After everything that has happened and everything that the two men have gone through, Johnny could not help but form an attachment, to put it lightly, to Gyro. He is his best and only friend, after all, and Johnny does not know what he will do once they eventually go their separate ways. Hell, Johnny does not even fully know what he wants to do after he gets second place in the race anymore, he has changed so much in these past months, either for better or worse.
There is a selfish part of Johnny that hopes Gyro will ask him to go back to Italy with him and hopes Gyro feels the same attachment to Johnny that he has formed for him, but he quickly chases those thoughts away as quickly as they come. Johnny does not deserve someone like Gyro to have in his life.
Changing his gaze from Gyro's face, Johnny propped himself up with his arms, staring at the dying embers of the fire they set a couple of hours ago. Johnny hates thinking about the future now and his inevitable separation from Gyro, and when he thinks about it for too long, it brings tears to his eyes, having to think about losing his everything. Not just Gyro but also this race. Johnny was lost in thought for who knows how long before some stirring from the Italian man was heard next to him.
"Johnny?" he heard a gruff voice laced with sleep say next to him. Johnny only hummed in acknowledgment since there were some tears in his eyes, and he quickly wiped them. "What are you doing up?" Gyro's voice was still slightly slurred trying to fully wake up to check on the younger man.
"Couldn't sleep," Johnny simply responded, still keeping his gaze forward. He flinched slightly, feeling a warm hand lightly touch his arm.
"Hmm, really? Well your shaking like a leaf," Gryo responded, sounding more coherent, and now underlying concern was clearly heard in his tone.
Johnny had not noticed, but in his act of slightly sitting up, his bedroll had fallen, and in his running thoughts, he had not noticed how cold his body had gotten or the fact that his teeth were currently chattering from the cold. He quickly started rubbing his arms before he felt himself being pulled down.
"Here, this should be warmer," Gyro whispered, pulling Johnny closer to him and encompassing him in his warmth. Johnny, unable to fully process what was happening, instead focused on the euphoric feeling of being in the Italian man's arms.
Slowly, Johnny eased more into Gyro, resting his head into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent. Johnny whispered a 'thank you' before he felt his racing thoughts slow and his tiredness finally start to overtake him.
Another thing Johnny liked about Gyro was how he dealt with him whenever he was in a mood. He would not demand to know what was going through his head or immediately try to make it better, but instead just provide some gentle reassurance. Normally it did not go as far as to hold him in his arms, but this was nice too.
"Would you like me to sing you to sleep?" Gyro offered. Well nevermind.
"God no," Johnny said firmly, though tiredly. Gyro's grating singing voice, or whatever ridiculous thing he would even sing about, was the last thing he wanted to hear.
Johnny felt Gyro's chest move with his slight chuckle, and he squeezed him even closer, and Johnny felt himself melting even more.
"Sleep, tesoro. We have a long day tomorrow, " Gyro whispered.
Johnny was asleep before he heard him complete the sentence.