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Lucy Steel had never been in love. She was far too young for that to be of any concern to her - while living in Oklahoma, she had enough to think about regarding the turbulent weather and tending to her family. As of now, she had enough to think about by simply staying alive. she tried her best to be a dutiful and attentive wife to her husband, but what she felt for him was akin to what she felt for her own father. it was paternal both ways, and she was thankful it didn’t go any further than that.
Lucy Steel had never been in love, but she was sure she knew what it looked like. She had always been observant - it was her biggest vice as well as her virtue. Too observant for her own good, but observant enough for it to be a gift in dire circumstances. As she was riding through the windy landscape of North America on Johnny Joestar's horse, an old mare named Slow Dancer, she observed. And observed, and observed.
Mr. Zeppeli, More informally known as Gyro, was a tall, intimidating and scary man. He spoke with a foreign accent, and did not seem to have much patience for Lucy’s woes. His tongue was sharp, and being observed by his critical gaze would make any regular person uneasy. All of this, though, seemed to disappear in the presence of Mr. Joestar, Johnny. There was something in his eyes, Lucy reckoned, that changed when Gyro looked at Johnny. something about them softened - hard to spot, gone in a second, but it was there.
Johnny also changed in the presence of Gyro. Johnny was more considerate of Lucy’s situation - he treated her with as much respect expected of him to give, maybe even a bit above the default amount displayed by his peers, and Lucy could sense he was a kind man. But alongside his kindness came his cunning nature. It was clear he was not afraid to speak his mind, much to Gyro's fascination as well as his irritation. Lucy had noticed that it was not uncommon for them to have loud disagreements, but there was always an underlying feeling of trust and mutual respect. Neither Gyro nor Johnny were afraid to speak up, and although stubborn, both were not afraid to take criticism. Their bickering, at times, even reminded her of her parents, from back when her life was easier.
Lucy noticed that when Johnny looked at Gyro, it was as if his body language changed. His usual tense, rough physique seemed to become more rounded when they were around one another. His blue eyes, usually tired and heavy, seemed to gain a newfound glimmer in rare moments, and Lucy found it slightly endearing how they somehow seemed to complete each other, like the moon and the sea.
“What are you looking at, Lucy?” Johnny chimed in, after a long period of silence in company of Lucy’s pondering. Lucy came to her senses, not having realized she was disassociating. the rain was clearing, and the dark embrace of the night was quickly approaching.
“She seems to be staring at me, Johnny," Gyro said with an air of humor to his voice, "No wonder, truly, as I am such a sight to behold,” he continued. Gyro grinned with his gleaming teeth, attempting a joke, much to Johnny’s annoyance. She could practically sense his eyes rolling, although she could not see his face.
“Wow, Gyro, you are so funny,” Johnny sighed. His sarcasm was not hard to detect, but Gyro did not seem to notice. Alternatively, he might've completely ignored it. “Feel free to sleep if you need to, Lucy”, Johnny offered, pity coating his voice. Lucy did not need his pity, but she did not express this thought.
“Thank you…” Lucy answered, followed by a yawn she did not quite know she was suppressing.
Lucy looked forward, letting the rhythmic pace of slow dancer riding through the terrain lull her to sleep. As she looked ahead, she caught the gaze of Gyro, but he was not looking at her. There it was, that lingering gaze of his. Looking upon Johnny. It seemed as natural and simple as she had read in her novels, their fondness for each other. For the first time in quite some time, Lucy let her guard down, feeling as safe as she could in her current situation.
Lucy Steel had never been in love. She was far too young for that to be of any concern to her - but she had looked love straight in the face, and its warm presence in two otherwise frightening men seemed nearly blinding at times. Lucy Steel had never been in love, but she had observed it, and she felt safe.