Disclaimer: I do not own Gaia Online. I do however, own a very cute little avatar named ShrimpMan (Shrimp underscore Man), if you ever feel the need to look me up on Gaia.
There's a First time for Everything
To say Bucho, head of Gambino security, was having a bad year would be an understatement. First Johnny K. Gambino had been shot by a mysterious sniper, then Johnny K. and his son Gino fell from the über tall Gambino Tower, presumably to their, or at least Gino's, deaths. Then several months later, Gino appeared out of nowhere, washed up on the beach of Isle de Gambino, appearing physically older and more mature than he had been when he fell off the tower. Bucho had immediately resumed his watch over the blonde young man, but it seemed that trouble was determined to follow his young master.
On Halloween, not only did rabid green bunny experiments from G-Corp get loose and make people zombies for the second year in a row, but the Gambino's Isle de Gambino mansion burned down in a mysterious fire. Gino was once again assumed dead. Then once again, the blonde reappeared, this time in the guise of the new superhero: The Masque.
The Masque's New Year's Eve ball went off without a hitch…except for the Barton Town shopkeeper Ian's arrest. Bucho sighed, kicking a rock across the street of Aekea. The bodyguard had testified at Ian's trial with carefully gathered evidence, but it didn't matter because the jury had voted the young man innocent. When Ian was released from jail, the sniper that had shot Johnny K. reappeared, shooting the young man.
And that was the reason Bucho was currently in Aekea. His young master Gino was visiting Ian, this time without Sasha, the young woman that had saved Gino from the waters of the Port of Gambino. I'm still convinced that the brat set the fire, Bucho thought, looking in the window of the Faktori, the furniture shop. But Master Gino seems to like this boy. Maybe this time the results will be better than that disastrous fling with the Casino host, Lex.
Bucho's inner musing was cut off when something in the window of the Crate & Apparel caught his eye. The burly man walked through the door, a soft tinkling sound announcing his entrance.
"Welcome to Crate and Apparel, I'm…hey I know you, you work for the Gambino family," said the shopkeeper, sticking his head out from behind a rack of clothes near the wall. "Sorry, I can't remember your name at the moment. I'm a bit scatterbrained, been dashing off every chance I can to keep the girl's morale up while Ian's laid up at the hospital," the young man babbled, while winking suggestively.
"Ahem, my name is Bucho. And I don't just work for the Gambino's, I'm their head of security," Bucho said proudly, he loved his job even if it sometimes looked like he wasn't doing a good job.
"Sorry my mistake," the young man said. "I'm Liam by the way, I don't think we've actually been introduced."
"Liam!" called a young man by the accessory's rack. "Can you help me for a minute?"
"Be right there ShrimpMan!" Liam called. "Sorry, be right back."
Bucho took the opportunity the shopkeeper's absence provided and he looked at the item that had caught his eye.
"Shrimpie? What do you think of this darling?" called a deep voice from the changing room and Bucho couldn't help but look over as he knew that voice, it was one of the new employees at the Casino, Russell Ace. What he saw made him go like this 0.0. Russell Ace stood there in nothing but the new blue checkered apron that the store sold. Bucho stole a look at the young man that was with Russell and he noticed that ShrimpMan was blushing profusely.
"Russell Ace, put some clothes on right this instant!" Bucho smirked at the young man's ordering Russell around. "What have I told you? I'm the only one allowed to see you naked!" Bucho frowned, he definitely didn't approve of such things being discussed in a public place.
"Enough you two, you'll scare away my customers!" Liam protested, shoving Russell's clothes back in his arms. "Do you want me to have to call Lex and have him get you two?"
"MINE!" ShrimpMan growled, latching onto Russell.
"That's what I thought, now get him dressed. Then either buy something or go home," Liam said.
"Fine fine," ShrimpMan grumbled, pushing Russell back into the dressing room, but he followed the blonde into the small space.
Liam rolled his eyes and he turned back to Bucho. "Sorry about them. Was there anything you needed?"
Bucho placed the new paw print pajama set on the counter. "Do you have this in red?"
"I sure do," Liam said, "be right back." Liam dashed back into the storage area and was back before Bucho could reply. "Anything else?"
"A pair of the Neo's UpsideDown Boots."
"Sure thing. Mind if I ask what this is for, these pajamas are a bit small to be for you, and I can't see you in UpsideDown Boots," Liam said, ringing up the items.
"I'd like to get them for Master Gino, for his birthday," Bucho said, pulling out his wallet.
"Master Gino eh? Didn't know the kid was into that," Liam said cheekily. "Oh and don't worry about that, the Gambino family have store credit."
Bucho looked at Liam confused for a moment before he realized what it had sounded like when he referred to Gino as "Master." "We're not like that!" he exclaimed. "Well, I'm not at least," Bucho insisted.
"Methinks he doth protest too much," Liam said, leaning on the counter so that he was face to face with Bucho. "Have you ever kissed a man?" he asked.
"Of course not!" Bucho cried.
"Why are you so adamant to declare yourself straight if you've never even tasted the other side?" Liam asked. He hopped onto the counter and he swung his legs over so that he sat in front of Bucho. "Why don't you try it?"
Bucho blinked at Liam for a moment before he leaned in and gently kissed the confusing young man. Master Gino had spoken of the Aekea shopkeeper and what a ladies man Liam was and now the young man was practically offering himself as Bucho's experimental buddy.
Liam gently deepened the kiss, keeping the kiss gentle like he would when first kissing a new lady. After a few moments he broke off the kiss and he grinned at Bucho. "Not exactly what I meant when I said you should try tasting the other side, but sounds good to me," Liam said, leaning in again for a much more passionate kiss. Bucho's arms wrapped themselves around Liam as he acquainted himself with the differences in a man's kiss.
"Should we go?" ShrimpMan asked from behind the curtain, peeking at the two kissing men. "I don't want to disturb them."
"Love, I don't think Lex prancing on in here wearing a G-LOL gown singing Teddy Bear could disturb them right now," Russell pointed out.
ShrimpMan shuddered. "I so did not need that image. You better make it up to me," he said, running a finger down Russell's throat to where his tie normally rested.
"Let's go!" Russell said, dragging ShrimpMan out by the hand, the red head giggling all the way, leaving Gaia's most unusual couple still snogging in the shop.
FIN
A/N: Er…sorry for the inclusion of me and Russell, but I couldn't resist.