Chapter Text
The first thing Lio Fotia saw after he joined forces with a firefighting idiot to save the world in a giant mech robot was the sunrise.
And that was the last thing he remembered before passing out, along with a few concerned voices shouting his name.
Now, Lio Fotia opened his eyes and saw sunlight again, this time filtering into a dusty room through window blinds. It took a few moments to register that he was on a bed. He heard birdsong and smelled something delicious cooking on a stove. Weakly, with his mind still muddled with sleep, Lio slowly sat up, feeling every strain and protest from his muscles and limbs. The blanket that was draped over him fell from his shoulders and for the first time in years, Lio shivered.
His boots and socks were taken off, but he still wore his leather pants. A navy t-shirt covered his torso, so large its sleeves went down to his elbows. Rubbing his shoulders for warmth, Lio swung his legs over the side and gingerly placed his bare feet on the wood floor. The chill hit him like a burn and Lio shivered again.
“How is this-” he muttered to himself, then he remembered. All that happened came rushing back to him in flashes.
The voice. The fire. The farewell.
The Promare were gone now. Back to their own planet. Their desires fulfilled.
Lio looked at his hands, his open palms. It usually came so easily to him, as easy as breathing or blinking, but maybe he still could-
No. There was nothing. No flames. No light.
“That’s right, I’m not-”
I’m not Burnish anymore. No one is.
Somehow, the thought of voicing that aloud made his stomach crawl. The Burnish, the whole reason for his purpose in life, were gone now, forever. Lio’s head swam. He covered his face with his hands. The reality of it all washed over him like a cold shower. Images and memories fluttered through his brain.
He saw the first time he met Meis and Gueira, the first time he tried to revive someone who was dying, he felt the absolute zero bullet piercing his chest, heard the cruel laughter of the soldiers who’d boxed them in cages. He heard the founder of Mad Burnish calling his name for the first, and last time.
Lio’s throat choked up. Was this what she would’ve wanted? It was as if he didn’t really accomplish anything they’d hoped for, to build a city the Burnish could call their own.
Thanks to Kray fuckin’ Foresight. Lio felt the tears prickle behind his eyes, and clenched the blanket in his fists.
He remembered Kray Foresight, the enemy he’d sworn to kill, trapping him and draining his life force for his awful machine. Then...
Lio’s head perked up.
Galo. Where was Galo?
The flashes stopped. That firefighting idiot, where was he? Was he alright?
Wrapping the blanket around himself for warmth, Lio still hissed when his feet touched the floor, but remained standing. He finally took in the room. It was bare, to say the least, with light blue walls devoid of any hangings or decorations. The only furniture with a bed, a desk, and a bedside table, along with a pile of cardboard boxes. There was a thin layer of dust on the surface. Someone, whoever owned this place, still hasn’t finished moving in.
Lio peeked through the curtain, not risking pulling it back if someone might spot him. He saw a clear blue sky and high-rise buildings in the distance. Good, he was still in Promepolis, somewhere more residential outside the main city.
Finally, Lio went to the closet and slid it open, only to find... FDPP firefighter uniforms and FDPP-branded clothing.
This couldn’t be... But wait, he had to make sure.
Lio went to the pile of boxes and looked into the open ones. Lio pulled the top box towards him. It seemed to be filled with memorabilia—books, framed photos, binders. He pulled out a worn leather album, soft with age. He put it aside. Lio wasn’t yet 100 percent sure where he was, but it still felt too personal if it was who he thought it was. He pulled out a frame.
There! Written in a printed script: Galo Thymos .
Lio squinted, then brought the frame closer to his face. Wait a second...
It was a college diploma, awarding a degree in...
Galo Thymos graduated college with a degree in freakin’ fire science?!
Lio gently placed the frame back in the box and held his head in his hands. Okay, he had enough evidence. This was definitely Galo’s home and apparently, fire science was a thing you could get a degree for. This was surprising. Galo didn’t strike Lio the type who’d be able to sit still in a classroom, let alone long enough to get a degree. But really, Lio didn’t know Galo very well at all.
Clutching the blanket around his shoulders like a cape, Lio opened the door and stepped out. His bare feet began to adjust to the temperature of the floor and he followed the smell and sounds of cooking down the hallway. Questions ran through his head. Why was he here, instead of a prison or a hospital?
Lio found himself in the living room, which was in open connection with the kitchen.
There stood Galo at the stove, his back facing Lio. Before Lio could even open his mouth, a floorboard creaked under his foot and Galo turned.
“Lio! You’re awake!”
Galo was onto him in an instant. His arms wrapped around Lio in a big bear hug and lifted him nearly a half-foot off the ground.
“Oh my god, Lio, you’re awake! Are you hurt? Are you injured anywhere? How are you feeling? I was so worried about you! You were sleeping for so long, I almost thought you weren’t gonna wake up! But, oh my god. so much has happened! The rescue team have been working nonstop-”
“Galo,” Lio wheezed. “I can’t breathe.”
“Oh, sorry.” Galo promptly put Lio back down on the ground. He rubbed Lio’s shoulders over the blanket. “Wow, you’re so cold.”
“You think?” Lio was grateful for the warmth Galo was giving him, but he wasn’t about to admit that out loud. He took a good long look at Galo.
Galo looked... good. He looked refreshed. His hair was clean and sticking up at odd angles, as usual. His green eyes were bright with mirth and energy, and he smiled from ear to ear.
Galo was also wearing a shirt. Lio stared at the way it fitted snugly over his pecs and made his waist look slim. He’d seen him with a shirt before, this shouldn’t be weird, he reminded himself. Lio shook the thought out of his head.
“Lio, how are you feeling? Are you injured anywhere?” Galo asked.
“I’m sore, but not injured, I don’t think.” Lio wiggled his fingers and toes, his arms and legs. Sore and stiff, not painful, but there was something else. Something felt weird under his skin, he couldn’t figure out what it was. Was it the missing Promare? It was a persistent sort of feeling, like he’d been scooped out like a watermelon. Lio faced the hard fact that he had no choice but to get used to it.
Then his stomach let out a long grumble. All of a sudden, Lio felt very vulnerable and wanted to hide, but Galo only laughed with merriment.
“Of course, you’re hungry. Sit down. I’m just about done with breakfast.”
Lio sat down at the square kitchen table, placed snugly by an open window. The sunlight was brighter here and Lio could smell the fresh morning air. Back in his hiding spots in the desert, mornings would smell and be loud, due to all the displaced Burnish living together in such close quarters. He closed his eyes to picture it, but it came to him like echoes blurring together. There were so many different places, so many different people.
But was it all really over? Could the Burnish really reintegrate into normal lives now that the Promare were gone just like that? Lio figured it wasn’t going to be so easy.
“How long was I asleep?” Lio asked, as Galo made up two plates.
“Two days,” Galo replied.
“What?” Lio shot up from his chair. “Two whole days? You’ve got to be kidding. I have to go. I have to go see-“
“Lio.” Galo had put the plates down. His hands pressed firmly on his shoulders from across the table. “The rescue teams are working as we speak. The Burnish in that stupid engine have all been evacuated to a field hospital outside the city.”
Lio blinked. “All of them?”
Galo looked down. “Well, most of them.”
Lio’s fists clenched on the tabletop. All that pain, all that effort, he called out for them and yet, they didn’t get to live to see the next sunrise.
It felt so unfair.
Galo’s large hand came to rest on top of his.
“Hey, I know. I feel it too.”
He sounded sincere. So much so that Lio’s heart twisted painfully in his chest. He looked up. Galo’s expression was painted with sadness. Lio wanted jump up and smooth away the creases on his face with his hands.
“How are you feeling, Galo?”
“Huh?”
“You asked me how I was, but I didn’t ask you. I’m sorry.”
“No, no, don’t be! You have every right to be worried about the Burnish. I’m totally fine. I passed out right after me and Ignis brought you here. I woke up yesterday.”
Lio nodded. “Thank you, for taking care of me while I was out.”
Galo beamed. “You’re welcome! Now, come on! Let’s eat before it gets cold.”
The breakfast Galo made them consisted of hash browns toasted to a crispy golden-brown, pan-fried tomatoes and mushrooms, four slices of bacon each, and an extra large spinach and cheese omelet. Lio hesitated before picking up his fork. He trusted Galo, but his instincts couldn’t help but be wary.
“Did you cook all this?”
“Yeah,” said Galo through a mouth full of eggs. “I went grocery shopping this morning.
Lio picked at his omelet, which was roughly the size of his arm. He brought a piece to his mouth and chewed.
Damn, this was really good. It was cheesy and soft and practically melted in his mouth. Lio couldn’t remember the last time he had an omelet like this. Heck, he couldn’t remember the last time he had a meal that wasn’t from a dusty can or a tin stolen from food reserves. The last thing that was closest were the haphazard stews Meis and Gueira made with random leftovers thrown into a pot over a fire.
Lio eagerly chewed, his mouth full of bacon and potatoes.
“This is really good, Galo,” said Lio, mouth still full, “but I don’t know if I can finish all this.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Galo replied, mouth also full, so full he looked like a chipmunk. Lio suppressed a laugh with a forkful of mushrooms. “When we’re done, we’ll go to the hospital. The Burnish have been asking about you. Your two friends are especially insistent. Those two guys... uh, what were their names again?”
“Meis and Gueira? They’re okay?”
“Yup! And caused such a ruckus asking about you, even the other Burnish got annoyed. Aina had to come in and scold them for making her stop her work cleaning up the wreck.”
Lio chewed his food faster. “I have to go see them!” Lio swallowed a huge mouthful, then coughed. A bit of spinach caught in the wrong pipe.
Galo reached over and slapped him on the back. “I see you’ve still got your burning spirit, but it won’t do anyone any good if you choke on your breakfast!”
“How are you able to eat so much at once?” Lio asked, once Galo got him a glass of water.
“My fiery passion doesn’t just come out of nowhere! My burning firefighter’s soul is a powerful engine that requires many calories to fuel!” he said, with a smug smile on his face. “There was this one time I did try not to eat every other day, cuz Remi told me that it would actually be more healthy, but then my soul couldn’t take it, so I-“
Galo continued with his story as he spoke, eating bites in between. His hands gesticulating wildly as he recounted the tale (which somehow involved an angry rollerblading nun). Lio listened, enraptured. As he ate, the thought hit him:
I guess Galo Thymos is in my life now.
And that didn’t sound like a bad thing at all.