A/N: Hey everyone, I must apologise for missing last week's update. There was a lot going on outside of work, a close family member was in hospital (nothing too serious!) who I visited quite often and I was left severely short on spare time, most of which I felt too burnt out to write anything. This update is a little longer than previous chapters so I hope that makes up for it.

I've created a tumblr (donansen) and a twitter (DonovanAnsen) if anyone would like to give those a follow. I haven't done anything with them yet, but I'll likely post there if ever I think I'll miss an update in future, as much as I hope I won't.

Anyway, enjoy the update!

He may have decided it best to take one more day off from the theatre, but Gunter was determined to get things at least mostly back to normal. He fetched his keys and left his apartment, ready to open his studio to the evening's classes. He could only hope there were no animals that were too disappointed in missing a class or two.

Leaving his apartment for the first time in days gave him the sudden realisation of quite how bright the sun was, even as it was setting. Perhaps keeping the curtains closed to block out as much of the world as he could wasn't such a good idea. Perhaps shutting himself in his apartment for the past couple of days wasn't such a good idea either, but that was neither here nor there.

He locked his apartment, took the three steps to the door of his studio and unlocked it, flicked on the light switches and walked in. He was already dressed in his tracksuit ready for the class so all he head to do was prepare the music. It didn't take long for his first lot of students to begin filing in for the class. It passed by uneventfully, a couple of them expressed concern over the studio's closure but were pacified with an apology and a simple excuse.

As the animals from his first class left, more entered ready for his second. Among them were Carl and Aaron, arguably two of his loudest and most outspoken students. They weren't going to be as easy to brush off.

"Gunter, we missed ya!" Carl's voice boomed the moment he set foot in the studio. "What happened, why were you closed the past couple days?"

"We didn't see anything posted on your page," Aaron added, holding up his phone.

"Ja, I am sorry, I was a little ill. I forgot to update the website."

"A little ill?" Carl repeated. "Dude, you've never closed down because you were ill. Hell, you could break both your legs and you'd still open for the day!" he chuckled.

"Well, I just… I wasn't feeling my best."

"Because you were 'a little ill'?" Carl said dubiously.

Gunter shuffled his feet uncomfortably. This really wasn't something he wanted to get into.

"Carl, maybe you should just drop it," Aaron said, clasping his hand on the bull's shoulder.

"Aww, but I just wanted to know what was up…" he whined.

"Gunter wasn't feeling well, but now he's better, right?" the rhino said, looking to Gunter.

"Yes, zat is how it is," Gunter nodded.

"Okay, okay," Carl said, dropping the subject and taking his place in the room.

"Thank you," Gunter added as Aaron made his own way over. Aaron simply nodded in response.

With the conversation averted Gunter was able to enjoy the rest of the class. For once Carl had been able to successfully stay on his feet throughout their exercises and the students were now dancing as they'd been instructed. Gunter made his rounds ensuring everyone was doing so correctly, and more importantly having fun. At first he tried to avoid Carl, but he figured it wouldn't be fair to exclude him simply because he wanted to avoid talking about something he was unlikely to ask about again. He approached Carl who seemed to be having a bit of a problem with his footwork, and after a moment's further instruction the bull was beginning to get the hang of it.

"Say, when was that Johnny guy gonna be here again?" Carl asked as he continued to dance.

"Oh, he vill be here again Friday night," Gunter responded.

"Remember he said last Friday?" Aaron said.

"Oh yeah, right after you freaked him out?" Carl smirked.

"Hey, can't help it if the guy's hot. Gotta let him know I think so."

"Haah, this is why I do the talking…"

"Oh, 'cause you're so smooth."

Gunter giggled. Every conversation between the two went like this and it never got old.

"Still, it's a shame he can't be here more often," Carl mused.

"It is," Aaron and Gunter both answered.

Aaron turned to Gunter with a raised eyebrow, along with Carl. "Not like that," Gunter defended. "I am just thinking it vould be good for him to get some more practice."

"And it'd be good to see those muscles work some more, huh?" Aaron added, giving Gunter a playful nudge.

"Honestly, is that all you think about?" Carl butted in.

"S'all you think about."

"Yeah, fair," he shrugged. "Anyway, Gunter, you work with him. You should tell him to come more often next time you're at the theatre!"

Gunter pondered this for a moment. It would be nice to have the young ape around more often. He'd certainly had a profound effect on him yesterday. Something about him was just so positive and it was nice to be around. He did also want Johnny to get as much practice as possible, particularly if his classes at the studio would build his confidence more.

"Ja, I think I will…"

The sight of the theatre was almost imposing to Gunter as he approached. He knew he was going to have questions to answer, mostly from Buster, and he wasn't sure he felt up to answering them. He didn't have long to worry about that, though, as Rosita burst through the doors and came running towards him.

"Gunter!" Rosita cried as she half-tackled, half-hugged the younger pig. "I was so worried about you," she said, tightening her grip.

"Ja, I know, I am so sorry Rosita," Gunter said, returning the hug.

"It's alright, I'm just glad to know you're okay."

The two broke the hug, but Rosita kept a grip on Gunter's shoulders, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"Just please, promise me you won't run off like that again. Or at least return my calls. I was worried you might not have made it back home safely."

"It vas only a short walk," he defended.

"I know, but it didn't stop me worrying."

Indeed, Rosita's eyes appeared wet as though the concern she must have felt that night was beginning to return, and Gunter felt immensely guilty for it.

"I promise," he said.

"Thank you." She didn't remove her hands and after a moment she pulled him in for another hug. "I'm so sorry for what I did that night. I didn't mean for you to be upset."

"No, no, do not be sorry, it wasn't your fault."

"And it wasn't your fault either," she added, pulling away again.

"Ja, it is like Norman was saying, it vas that jerk at the club."

"That's right. He was a fool to think he could find a better catch than you, so don't go thinking any differently."

Gunter nodded. He wasn't entirely convinced, but given that Rosita seemed dangerously close to going in for a third hug he thought it best to at least try to pretend to be. "I know, I know, I am a catch," he said, puffing out his chest.

"Exactly. You can do a lot better than him, anyway. We might have thought he looked handsome but his personality left a lot to be desired. He didn't deserve you."

Again, Gunter nodded. He appreciated the assurances, but they weren't what he needed now. He just wanted to get to work. Rosita noticed him looking over her shoulder towards the theatre and took the hint.

"Now, don't worry about Mr. Moon, he shouldn't have any questions about what happened. I explained everything."

"You… you did?" Gunter said, alarmed. He was hoping to avoid having to explain everything to Buster not only because he didn't want to have to actually do the explaining, but also because he didn't want Buster to know everything. The whole ordeal was embarrassing enough as it was.

"Now don't worry, I was very tactful. I explained there was a disagreement at the club and that you were upset by it, but I didn't go into what was actually said." The fact that Buster figured most of it out was not something Rosita wanted to say, however. "He might be a little worried about your mental health, though."

"Oh, I see…" Gunter looked down shamefully. He hadn't ever taken any efforts to fix his mental state. He had considered seeing a doctor once, but was too afraid to confront the fact that he may actually have some kind of mental illness.

"He's worried because, well… how do I put this?"

"Zis isn't something I should have missed work for?"

"Yes. But not because you missed work, he isn't worried about that, he's worried about you. He knows how passionate you are about work, so to not come in to the theatre when you should have…" Rosita trailed off, seeing Gunter become more upset. She was sure he had already gotten the point. "Would you like me to speak to him instead?" she offered.

Gunter shook his head. "No, no… I should speak to him about this. But… just not today, if you could tell him that? I vould just like to get back to normal for now."

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Rosita nodded before leading the way into the theatre. "I'll go talk to him now and you head over to the practice room. I'll be there in just a few minutes."

"Okay."

Gunter watched as Rosita headed up the stairs to Buster's office before making his way through the backstage area. He saw Ash and Meena in their own practice rooms along the way. They both offered a smile and a wave but made no move to come out to talk to him, for which he was thankful. If he didn't want to talk to Buster about what happened, who had already been informed, he certainly didn't want to try explaining to anyone else right now.

Once in their practice room, Gunter quickly stripped off his tracksuit, his unitard already worn underneath as it always was. He prepared the music on the boombox and awaited Rosita's return.

After a few minutes, Rosita entered, having already changed into her own unitard. "Okay, big guy, ready to go?"

"You bet!" Gunter replied enthusiastically, pressing the 'play' button as he began swaying to the beat. It already felt good to be getting back to what he loved doing, with someone who cared enough to make sure he could. "Let's do this!"

"Rosita! Gunter! Quick cast meeting in the break room, five minutes."

The two pigs looked over to the smiling koala in the doorway, surprised to have had their practice interrupted. So surprised that it took them a moment to realise that Gunter was still holding Rosita in a dip.

"A meeting? What for?" Rosita asked, raising herself up and shutting off the boombox so that they could hear more clearly.

"It's a surprise!" Buster practically sang as he made his way to the next room over.

Rosita and Gunter exchanged glances, both just as confused as each other.

"So much for getting back to normal," Gunter said.

"I think, for Mr. Moon, this is normal," Rosita giggled.

Gunter laughed at this. Of course, she was right, Buster loved nothing more than springing surprises on his cast. "I suppose we should see what zis is about, then."

Rosita and Gunter both grabbed a jacket to cover up with, not wanting to sit around the break room in nothing but their unitards. It would be too cold and, for Rosita at least, far too immodest for a meeting. Meena and Mike were already walking ahead of them, and as they entered the break room, Ash and Johnny filed in behind.

"What's all the fuss about, Moon?" Ash complained. "I was just getting the hang of this riff I've been struggling weeks with for my new song."

"Yes, well, I have big news for you all," Buster announced proudly. "Eddie, if you would?"

From behind the koala Eddie stepped into view, holding what looked like a very large rolled up poster.

"Oh, Eddie! It's good to see you again," Meena said, smiling wide and offering a wave.

"Thanks, at least someone noticed," Eddie smiled back.

"Wait, if Eddie's here," Ash said, "then that means-"

"Ah! Shh, don't spoil it now," Buster cut in.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Eddie began, holding the poster out in front of him, "we would like to present to you; All Is Fair." He allowed the poster to unravel before him and held it up high.

The cast all looked at the poster. It was… interesting, to say the least. There was a lot going on in it and trying to get an idea of the plot from it was an impossible feat.

"What the heck is that god awful mess?" Mike said.

"Uhh… a poster? For Buster's new show?" Eddie answered, peering around from behind it.

"Yeah, but what's even… going on there?" Ash asked, gesturing with the hands. "It just looks like a big mess."

"I'm glad you asked, though I could have done without the criticism," Buster lightly chided. "Picture this!"

"Oh, here we go…" Mike muttered.

Buster gave an explanation of the show, one in which a man falls in love with a woman he cannot have. The explanation of the plot was long and convoluted and the complexities of it were lost on the three younger cast members. To Gunter, Mike and Rosita, who had more knowledge of theatre and musicals, the whole thing sounded like a horrible mash-up of musicals that had already been produced.

"This is your big idea?" Mike sneered.

"Yeah, well, Buster thinks it's a good idea, anyway," Eddie said, rolling his eyes.

"You'll see, this will be different from my previous shows!" Buster defended. "We're still working out the fine details of the story, but I promise you this will be a big hit."

"Well yeah, we'll be in it," Ash smirked.

"Wait a minute, it all makes sense now," Mike said. "This is why you've had us all learnin' to dance."

"Well… that, and I still think you should have that skill under your belts, for the future."

"Unbelievable!" Mike exclaimed, shaking his head.

"What are you complaining for? You were happy enough when you were doing better at it than all of us," Ash snarked.

"I'm still doin' it better than all of ya, Spikes."

"Watch it, rat!" she warned.

Mike was about to rare up on Ash for her insult but Eddie smoothly cut in before it could escalate any further. "Okay, okay, we get it, you're both hot for each other. Now if you can both go get a room we can continue."

Ash and Mike both glared at Eddie in response but he just shrugged casually, not at all intimidated. Johnny and Meena both laughed at the exchange before the glares were turned to them, which quickly shut them up.

"Now, this show is going to take a few months to prepare," Buster continued. "We need costumes, set dressings and the like… We have the details of the show itself… ehh, mostly worked out, but the music will come down to all of you. That won't be for a little while, though, so for now you can continue doing what you're doing. And of course, as you have guessed, there will be a lot of dancing involved. Again, we'll have that worked out in a little while. Any questions?"

At first nobody seemed to have any questions about it. If the details hadn't been completely ironed out yet then the questions would most likely come later. After a few seconds, however, Johnny timidly raised his hand.

"Yes Johnny?" Buster said.

Everyone turned to Johnny and he quickly slipped his hand back down. "Uhh… well, I was just wonderin'… How much dancing is gonna be involved, exactly?"

Buster smiled knowingly. "Johnny, you have nothing to worry about. You'll all have plenty of time to practice before this show hits the stage and I have every faith that you'll all perform commendably. Any other questions?"

"Tha' didn't really answer my question…" Johnny muttered, sighing.

Gunter looked over to Johnny, seeing the concern on his face. If anyone else had heard him they didn't seem to take notice as nothing else was said.

"Well, if there are no other questions, then I will leave you all to it," Buster said, smiling widely. "I'll be in my office if anyone has anything to ask of me in the meantime, but for now you're all free to go home for the day."

With that, Buster left the break room, Eddie following behind whilst struggling to fold up the giant poster again. "Uhh… good luck, guys! I'm sure you'll all do great!" he called out before leaving.

With them gone, the cast just looked to each other, not entirely sure what to make of all of this. It was the first show Buster had proposed that didn't simply involve showcasing their voices. It was bound to happen, of course, but now that it had it left them feeling strangely uncertain.

"Well, I'm outta here," Mike spoke up first. "If we got a little extra time off today then I'm gonna take Nancy out to dinner."

"Yeah, I'm gonna go too," Ash said. "I really want to get this riff down and I think I'll have better luck doing it at home. Later, everyone."

Mike and Ash both left the break room, Meena soon joining them.

"My mom has a function that she needs to cater for, and I think she could do with another pair of hands," she explained before leaving. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Bye Meena," Rosita said while Johnny and Gunter gave her a wave. Once she was gone Rosita turned back to Gunter. "What would you like to do, Gunter?" she asked. "I know you wanted to get back to the normal routine today."

"Oh, it's fine," Gunter said. "I am thinking we got enough practice today if you vould like to go. I can head home and then open up ze studio later."

"As long as you're sure."

Gunter nodded. "Thank you for everything, Rosita."

"You're very welcome." She fiddled with her hands for a moment, still not certain if she wanted to leave yet. When Gunter gave her a reassuring look, though, she finally excused herself. "Well, I suppose I could prepare dinner for the kids early today. Just… take care, okay?"

"I will."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye Rosita!" Johnny finally spoke up.

Once Rosita finally left Gunter turned his attention to Johnny. "You were very quiet."

"Oh, uhh… sorry."

Gunter shook his head. "You do not need to be sorry. I can see you are worrying about this new show. You do not think you will be good enough to dance for it, no?"

Johnny sighed. "No… I'm sorry, I know you're already trying to help me with the extra classes, it's just… it's a lot, y'know?"

"Ja, I am thinking it is perhaps a lot to take in. But do not look so worried, you will get better und better!"

"Yeah, I guess…"

The two fell silent for a moment as Johnny tried to rid himself of his nerves. He reasoned with himself that there was no need to worry about it for now. Buster had said that the show would take months to prepare, there would be plenty of time to practice.

Besides, his own concerns shouldn't have been the more pressing issue right now.

"How are you feelin'?" Johnny asked.

"Me? Oh, I am fine," Gunter said, flashing a smile.

"Good. We, uhh… we were all worried about you."

"I know. I am sorry for worrying you all so much."

Johnny shook his head. "No need. We're just happy to see ya back."

"Thank you."

Silence fell upon them again. As happy as Johnny was to see Gunter again, it was a little awkward. He probably knew more about what had happened over the weekend than Gunter would have liked, and Johnny didn't want to pry any further if it was only going to make him uncomfortable.

"Anyway, I vas thinking we should exchange phone numbers," Gunter spoke up. "It is crazy we are not already doing this!" He pulled out his phone and handed it to Johnny. "May I have yours?"

"M-My number?" Johnny repeated, blushing slightly. It wasn't an unreasonable request, but it was a personal one. Now that the concern he held was put to rest a whole slew of other feelings were beginning to surface, feelings he didn't dare entertain right now. Try as he might to ignore them, the words of advice both Ash and his father had given just yesterday echoed in his mind and he had a hard time keeping his composure.

"Yes, so that if zere are any problems and I need to cancel a class, I can let you know," Gunter said, breaking Johnny away from his runaway thoughts. "Well, zat and… err…" He looked away, taking his own turn to become embarrassed. "Well… if ever I… you know, pull ze disappearing act again, I-I vould like you to be talking some sense into me again."

"Again?" he asked, typing his number into the phone and handing it back. Johnny hadn't actually thought to ask, content in just seeing his friend back to his happy, normal self, but he did wonder if Gunter had even heard anything he'd tried saying through the door that day.

"Ja, like you did on Monday." Gunter turned back to Johnny, offering him a small, sincere smile. "It vas just what I was needing to hear. Thank you."

"Oh, uhh… no problem," Johnny replied bashfully.

He had to avert his gaze yet again. Something about Gunter's smile was causing his chest to tighten, almost painfully so. It was so subtly different than what Gunter would normally present that nobody would see it unless they were to look closely, but Johnny could see it. There was genuine appreciation in his glistening blue eyes, almost as though Johnny had shown him some kind of unimaginable kindness. Johnny hadn't thought anything of what he'd done, it was only something he'd thought any friend would do. Well, perhaps it wasn't just feelings of friendship that it came from, but it was still from the same place of love.

Love…

Was that what he was feeling? And was this the right time to bring it up? He had only recently begun developing these feelings so perhaps it was too early to tell what he really thought of Gunter, but at the same time they had known each other for two years now. Was it really that difficult to imagine his feelings were genuine?

Johnny's thoughts were yet again brought to a stop when a tone sounded from Gunter's phone. The pig frowned down at the screen for a moment and Johnny was reminded of the last time this happened.

"Another date?" he ventured, making sure to not sound as disappointed as he had before.

"Ja, it… well, it is someone who is interested," Gunter replied, beginning to type out a message. "But… zis is not what I am looking for right now. Not after the last one…"

"Did… did it not go well?"

"Ah, no, it was…" Gunter looked up from his screen to the ceiling, thinking for a moment. He didn't want to outright say that it was simply a hook-up, the young ape didn't need to know that and Gunter certainly didn't want to admit to such a thing. "Well, let's say we vere not looking for the same thing."

"I see." There was another question on the tip of Johnny's tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to ask it. He wasn't sure whether it was rude or inappropriate, if Gunter was indeed gay like everyone thought he wouldn't be bothered by such an inquiry. But the fact that he had yet to use a pronoun in reference to his dates still left Johnny uncertain, and if it turned out the pig was interested in women rather than men, the question could be viewed as offensive, something Johnny would never want to be. But if he was ever going to gather the courage to confess his feelings to Gunter, he at least needed to know there was the possibility that he wouldn't be rejected, or worse. He'd never experienced homophobic abuse personally but he wasn't stupid, he knew there were plenty of animals out there that would be more than happy to offer it to him. And he'd hate for a friend like Gunter to be one of them, no matter how slim the possibility seemed.

The only problem was that asking Gunter's orientation would probably take just as much courage as it would for Johnny to confess his feelings, and it was courage he simply didn't have. It was already beginning to make him nervous how far into his thoughts he'd travelled, almost to the point that he was resolute in the decision to try and pursue Gunter now. Just moments ago he was still uncertain whether or not it was a good idea, but the more he was thinking about it, the more sure he became. If only he could find out if Gunter was definitely gay.

"Now, zere is another thing I am meaning to tell you."

"Huh?"

Johnny's focus once again snapped back to the present, almost quickly enough to daze the gorilla. He saw that Gunter had since put his phone away again, and seemed to be regarding Johnny with an air of amusement.

"You seemed to be a little lost there for a moment," Gunter laughed. "You vere thinking about something?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Johnny replied, all resolution in his decision crashing down around him. Who was he kidding? He was far too easy to embarrass to even try and bring up the question of Gunter's sexuality. He was too much of a coward to confess his feelings, wanting far too many assurances before doing so. He shook his head, looking down. "Doesn't matter, though. Just… thinkin' about what I need to get at the store later."

"Oh?" Gunter wasn't convinced, he'd seen how pensive Johnny was looking. Nobody thought that intently about groceries. Still, the young ape seemed embarrassed and Gunter had already vowed not to be one to add to that embarrassment, so he decided not to push it any further. "Well, vat I was wanting to ask you is… perhaps you would like to be attending more classes?"

"More classes?" Johnny repeated, confused.

"Ja, I know you are only attending one class already, and I told you that ze Friday night class would be a good one for you, but…" His smile widened as he trailed off, displaying his teeth in a big, cheeky grin. "Vell, you are already making yourself popular amongst ze other students, and they are wanting to see more of you." Well, it was mostly two students in particular, but with Johnny's impression of them being questionable that was one piece of information Gunter felt best to omit.

"They are?"

"Ja, and not only zat, but I am thinking we can get a head start on ze dances we will be needing to learn for this new show zat Mr. Moon has announced."

Gunter's grin lowered into a more devilish smirk, something that made Johnny want to laugh. It almost made it seem like Gunter was planning something devious and, knowing Gunter as well as he did, the pig certainly could be. He had no idea what it might be, though. Perhaps he should be nervous?

"So… I guess that'd mean I'd be ahead of the others, an' not embarrassing myself in front of 'em?" Johnny ventured.

"Not only that, but you vill be the star of ze show!" Gunter announced proudly.

"Ahh, I doubt that. You and Rosita are already miles ahead of any of us, and I'm sure the others'll catch up to me."

"Bah, you are already putting yourself down, you should trust Gunter! Ze show is calling for a young, attractive male star, the audience is not looking to see a fat old pig like me taking ze centre stage." He grabbed his stomach with his hands and gave it a small jiggle to emphasise his point, laughing at his own joke.

The joke didn't strike Johnny as being particularly humorous, however. In fact, it irked him. There was a large difference between what Johnny had said and what Gunter was now saying. Johnny's criticism of himself was genuine, that much he could admit, but it was only a simple observation that didn't really bother him. Gunter's criticism of himself seemed far more scathing despite the laughter that followed. The fact that Gunter's laughter quickly died out and gave way to an almost sorrowful look did nothing to make Johnny feel better about it.

An uncomfortable silence followed. Johnny wanted to say something to make Gunter feel better, but he wasn't sure how to go about it. If he complimented Gunter too strongly it would be as good as confessing his feelings towards Gunter, which he just wasn't ready for yet. If he approached it with humour, which he was tempted to do, there was the risk that it could just do more to upset Gunter. And if he just handed Gunter a generic compliment it would simply come across as artificial. Gunter didn't deserve to be pitied and that's exactly how he would feel.

Johnny's indecision meant that he said nothing at all. He couldn't say it was for the best, but eventually Gunter spoke up again, not seeming at all upset any more.

"So, what do you think? You vould like to attend more of my classes?"

There wasn't much thought to be put into it. More time spent with Gunter was far from unwelcome, after all. "Yeah, I'd like that," Johnny said.

"Good. You should come to the studio whenever you like, I am sure ze other students would appreciate it."

Johnny hoped Gunter would appreciate it too. The thought that he could potentially cause Gunter to develop feelings for him also, especially if he excelled at dancing, was particularly enticing, if a little silly. And perhaps Johnny could learn more about him this way. He could figure things out with himself as well, whether this was a mere infatuation or something more as he suspected.

Having more time to watch Gunter move wasn't exactly a downside, either.

"So, uhh… do you have a class this evening?" Johnny asked.

"Ja, I am going to be opening ze studio shortly after I get back home. Why?"

"Well… 'm not exactly doin' anything right now," he shrugged, though a small smirk betrayed any attempt of trying to appear nonchalant.

Gunter smiled wide, clearly pleased with Johnny's enthusiasm. "Great! I vill need some time to get clean first, but you are welcome to wait in my apartment."

Johnny couldn't help but smile wider, too. He didn't even have to ask Gunter out and already he was being invited back to his place. Another silly thought, but it didn't linger too long as they made their way to Gunter's apartment.

The walk wasn't long but it was pleasant for both of them, enjoying the company despite no conversation being made. Johnny couldn't help but look over to Gunter, happy to see him smiling so peacefully. Of course, Gunter noticed and looked over as well, their eyes meeting. Having been caught gawking, Johnny's immediate impulse was to look away, but he resisted when he saw Gunter smile wider as he looked back to the path in front of them.

"You know, you're not that old," Johnny finally said, facing forward as well. He smirked when he felt Gunter's gaze fall upon him again.

"Bah, I am almost thirty, zis is old," Gunter chuckled.

Johnny snorted. "You'll only be saying the same thing again in ten years."

"Ja… and ten years after zat."

"Still plenty of life left, then."

Gunter smiled, the positivity he knew Johnny would provide washing over him. There was just something about him that made everything feel better, somehow.

"Ja… plenty of life left."