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Galo is an expert at handling disasters; he’s trained and well versed in working under pressure, in extreme crisis.
He’s never been good at picking up the leftover pieces, though. That’s not to say he doesn’t know how, or that he isn’t trying. After all, he picked up the pieces from his family’s death and powered through. Although, his therapist had pointed out that he could count the past ten years of his life as a constant crisis mode.
Kray had been a bright light in that crisis, an idol, a kind of paternal figure on a pedestal so high Galo had to squint through sunlight to see his feet. Galo hadn’t realized how horribly mistaken he’d been until he’d met Lio. He often found himself wondering if Kray would have tried to get him on Parnassus. Or would have have left Galo to die? A large part of him fought off those thoughts, telling himself it didn’t matter. What mattered was that they saved the day. That voice usually sounded like Lio’s, echoing through his head, mingled with his own voice when they’d piloted Galo de Lion together.
Galo steps out into his living room, careful of stray creaking floorboards. In recent days he’s learned to walk by the walls of furniture, where the floors are settled. It makes for an awkward hop from his hallway to the tv stand, around the couch and into the kitchen. It’s a dance that’s taken him a little while to perfect, but it’s worth the effort.
Normally, he’d stumble out of his room, a bleary mess.
These days a figure slept on the couch, blonde hair peeking out from a messy pile of blankets, all cocooned around him like he’s a chrysalis. He’d insisted on taking the couch, resulting in a bickering fest that ended in Lio threatening to find an abandoned building to crash in because he ‘refused to displace Galo’ despite how hard Galo had tried to convince him that it was fine.
Galo clicks his coffee machine on, sending a glance at the couch to ensure Lio still slept.
It’s well into the morning, but Galo knows Lio needs sleep, even if he says fine.
It’s another thirty or so minutes before there’s a grumble from the couch, a mess of wild blonde hair popping up. Lio rubs his eyes open, squinting into the room. He yawns, stretching his arms up above his head and his legs out in front of him.
Like a cat, Galo thinks with a small smile, flipping a pancake in the pan. The sun has long since risen over the remains of Promepolis. The skyline out the window is littered with scaffolding and half destroyed buildings. Galo was one of the lucky few whose apartment was out of range from the crash.
“Breakfast?” Lio asks, voice heavy and muffled with sleep. The hair on the left side of his face is plastered flat against his head while the right side flies out in every direction. There’s a faint red pattern on his left cheek, suggesting he slept on his hand.
“Banana pancakes.” Galo grins, making a show of flipping the pancake again. Lio gives him a soft, tired smile as he sits at the island overlooking the stove. He rests his face on his hand, his cheek scrunching up against his palm, eyelids slipping half closed.
Lio has been sleeping a lot. He’s been tired all the time, hiding yawns behind his hands at the firehouse, at meetings. Everyone is collectively pretending not to notice. Galo assumes it’s a mix of exhaustion and the loss of Promare.
Galo can relate to the coming down from the final battle, from nearly losing everything—each other—in one stressful night. He can relate to hearing hundreds of thousands of people, their lives hinged on his and Lio’s success, scream in agony and torment under their feet. He can empathize with those pieces, but Lio has pieces Galo can’t reach, just as Galo has pieces Lio can’t reach. Galo can never truly relate to losing a piece of himself to another dimension, to feel himself begin to fade away into ash in the wind, into accepting his own death.
But Lio didn’t die, Galo made damn sure of that. He sits at Galo’s kitchen island, blinking at Galo flipping pancakes in a borrowed, extremely oversized, shirt and giant fluffy slippers that he wears even while sleeping, complaining of cold feet.
Lio is very much alive.
But that doesn’t mean he didn’t feel himself die. That doesn’t mean he didn’t come out on the other side missing a chunk of his soul. It’s a chunk Galo never had to begin with, one he couldn’t fathom losing.
Galo likes to fix things. That’s what he does. That’s why he joined burning rescue in the first place. To fix things and save people.
He can’t fix this though. He can't wave a wand and magically make Lio okay again, he isn’t sure Lio knows what feeling ‘okay’ means. He can’t fix this because Lio’s not broken. They’ve both just got a few more scars, wounds, that it’ll take a while to lick better.
“Want to help me with the eggs?” Galo asks. Lio blinks at him, face blank for a moment before he hops up and moves to stand beside Galo as Galo pushes the carton of eggs towards him. Lio moves silently, cracking eggs open and dropping them into a pan on the burner beside Galo’s, Galo reaches over quickly to sprinkle a dash of cheese and then salt on top of the eggs. Lio grabs a wooden spoon, scrambling the eggs with a determined focus. There’s a furrow in his brow and a slight pout on his lips.
Adorable, Galo thinks.
They work side by side in the quiet. Galo almost wishes he’d put music on, but the silence proves more peaceful than awkward.
“Orange or apple?” Galo asks, stepping away from the stove to open the fridge.
“Apple.” Lio’s response is quiet enough that Galo has to strain a bit to hear it. Lio still hasn’t looked up from the eggs, diligently stabbing apart the chunks he’s deemed too big. Galo pulls out the container of apple juice and places it on the counter, clicking off his side of the stove. He cranes his neck to check on the eggs.
“Those look good, what do you say we eat?” He asks. Lio nods, turning his head to give Galo a smile, one that warms Galo’s heart.
Even if Lio has scars Galo can’t see or fathom, he’s still here. He’s still by Galo’s side, he’s still smiling, a genuine gleam in his eyes.
Galo sets the dining table, piling Lio’s plate high with pancakes and eggs, sliding him a large glass of juice. Lio sends him a flat look, which Galo smiles at innocently.
“You’ll be eating what I don’t.” Lio tells him, delicately cutting into his pancakes, cutting them like a towering cake before drowning them in syrup.
“You should still try to eat as much as you can.” Galo shakes his fork at Lio in faux scolding. Lio rolls his eyes, lips tugging upwards.
“Sorry, I can’t eat fourteen pizzas in one lunch outing.” The jab is said with a fond voice.
“That was once. Varys should have known better than to challenge me.” Galo puffs out his chest with a grin. Lio coughs out a laugh, slippered foot brushing against Galo’s calf under the table.
“Oh, apologies, as opposed to your usual ten?” He speaks with his mouth half full of pancakes. Galo feels his smile go soft rather than triumphant.
Galo loves these mornings. The mornings he can pretend that Lio is more than just his friend. That they have something more than shared trauma and a newly flourishing friendship, where he can pretend Lio’s wearing his shirt because he wants to instead of convenience, that Lio sleeps in the same bed as him. Where he can pretend that if he reached over and took Lio’s hand, it would be normal.
They wash dishes together, shoulder to shoulder at the sink. Galo grins as Lio elbows him. He splashes water at Lio, careful not to actual hit him, which earns him an offended cry of surprise before Lio kicks at his shin, pressing his lips together like he’s struggling past a smile.
“What’s on the docket today, chief?” Galo asks, aiming the faucet back at the plate he’s rinsing.
“Day off. Nothing.” Lio replies, he pauses. “Actually could I borrow your laptop?” He asks.
“Of course! No porn though, or at least use a private tab.” The joke lands, Lio’s face brimming bright red as he turns and jabs his elbow into Galo’s hip.
“It’s not for porn! It’s for research for the ex-Burnish!” He fumbles through his words as Galo cackles. Lio turns and stomps away, the tips of his ears bright red. He only stops when Galo calls out his name in a much more serious tone.
“Don’t sleep in your binder.” Lio’s shoulders hunch up in guilt, knowing he’s been caught.
“Fine.” He grumbles and slips into the bathroom. Galo continues staring at the door until he hears the shower turn on.
<><><><>
Galo sits on the counter of the fire house’s kitchen, shoving cookies in his mouth from the plate Ignis’ husband has sent him in with. Oatmeal raisin. Only Galo would touch them and Ignis would undoubtedly return home and tell his husband they were a hit.
Everyone but he, Lio and Lucia sit at the round dining table, a stack of cards in the middle. Ignis is going in and out from his office, trying to pretend he isn’t bored out of his mind and helping Aina cheat. Lucia is in the next room, working on upgrades geared towards rebuilding help rather than fire rescue. With the Promare there was a sharp decline in fires, especially since the top three perpetrators were currently inside the fire house.
Lio hunched over the counter next to Galo, a pen tucked behind his ear as he goes through paperwork. As the president of the ex-burnish rehabilitation services he found himself drowning in paperwork more often than not.
Aina cackles as she sets down a handful of cards. Remi and Guiera both groan. Galo has no idea what the rules are nor what constitutes as winning, but he’s gathered that Aina is wiping the floor with them. Varys and Meis are quietly grumbling as they set down their hands and Aina thrusts her arms up in triumph.
Galo shoves another cookie in his mouth, trying to pretend he’s paying intent attention to the card came and not the way Lio’s biting his lip as he reads over the paperwork, or the way his hair was swept up with his pen, framing his profile for Galo to see. Lio’s jaw is resting on his hand, a finger tapping his cheek in thought, his brow furrows in concentration. Galo can’t take it.
“What’s that one for?” Galo asks, mouth still full of cookie as he peers over at Lio’s papers.
“Loans for ex-burnish housing.” Lio groans. Galo snorts humorlessly.
“Shouldn’t they be pulling money from the Foresight Foundation for that?” He asks, glaring at the wall across the room. The kitchen falls silent at his words, the game of cards coming to a halt, even Lucia’s typing from the next room comes to a stop. Galo looks over, confused to find everyone giving him odd looks. “What? He’s the problem, his money should pay for it.”
“No, you’re...right.” Lio says carefully, looking over Galo’s face. He opens his mouth to continue, cut off by Ignis’ voice.
“Galo, I’ve got to talk to you about that.” He nods to his office. Galo frowns but hops off the counter, casting a forlorn look at the cookies as he follows Ignis into his office.
When the door clicks behind him Galo lets out an uneasy laugh.
“What’s up, boss?” He asks. Ignis roots around in his files, ignoring Galo’s question as he pulls out a thick stack of papers and flips to the last page, showing Galo his own signature.
“I knew it would be better for me to keep the papers. Do you remember signing this?” Ignis asks, voice gruff as Galo flips through the papers, words blurring into one another.
“No.” Galo admits. Truthfully he doesn’t remember much of the immediate aftermath. He remembers the adrenaline wearing off, and then the next couple weeks were hazy in his memory.
“You own the Foresight Foundation.” Ingis tells him. The information floats through Galo’s head, no purchase taken. Ignis tries again. “As his ward, the city and the foundation’s board members all decided to turn over ownership to you. This signature,” He points to Galo’s signature at the bottom of the last page. “Was you agreeing to that. Their legal team explained all of this.” There’s a furrow in Ignis’ brow, through his usual calm and collected look. Galo blinks at him, face blank and eyes vacant. Ignis could almost swear he was hearing wind through Galo’s ears.
“What does that mean?” Galo asks slowly, as though attempting to process the information but facing a roadblock.
“It means you own Foresight’s assets, his company, a good and solid chunk of his money.”
A feeling creeps through Galo’s chest, an ache tinged with a rotting sweet scent, constricting around his lungs.
“I don’t want anything from him.” Galo says, his words quiet.
“It’s not from him. It’s seized property. You can decide what you want to do with it.” Ignis pats Galo’s back as he passes him on his way out of his office, leaving Galo to sit and think alone.
It’s another hour before Galo exits Ignis’ office. Lio sits at the dining table. He can see Aina sitting with Lucia, draped over her back as she watches the other work. Remi’s foot can be seen as he lays on a cot in another room over, probably napping. Lio looks up as Galo exists the office, paperwork set aside. Galo wordlessly pulls out the chair next to him and sits himself down, Lio blatantly watching him. Lio reaches out, carefully laying his hand on Galo’s shoulder.
“Everything okay?” He asks, although Galo has the sneaking suspicion he knows what Ignis was telling him.
“Yep! Lots to think about.” Galo responds, the smile on his face comes surprisingly genuinely and easily. Lio gives him a flat look, an eyebrow raised, telling Galo he’s not impressed by the brushing aside of stressful emotions. “I’ll help you go through paperwork.” He stretches his arm out around the back of Lio’s chair and to Lio’s other side using it to pull them together.
Lio ducks his head, and for a moment Galo thinks he might have made Lio uncomfortable before Lio leans into Galo’s side and pushes the paperwork away from him.
“I’m sick of paper and tiny font.” He tells Galo. Galo nods in understanding. He glances up to find Aina looking at him with a knowing smirk. He squints and pouts in her direction, sticking his tongue out. She purses her lips and shakes her head with an amused look, leaning down to whisper something in Lucia’s ear. Lucia looks up from her work, grinning mischievously to look at where Lio and Galo sit, leaned against one another. The two of them begin gigging quietly, so Galo pointedly looks away from them.
He turns as Lio’s face mashes into his chest, his eyes closed and hair sweeping into his face, a faint smile on his face.
“You gonna take a nap?” Galo asks. Lio nods quietly, the action ruffling his hair.
“You can take the couch.” Aina calls out, jumping up and pulling Lucia from her seat to move them into the kitchen. “It’ll be a lot comfier.” She gives Galo a look. Lio looks up, pulling away from Galo. Galo doesn’t have the time to linger on the loss of contact before Lio is grabbing him by the wrist and dragging him towards the couch.
“Thanks Aina.” He nods to Aina and Lucia on their way past them, Galo trailing behind, befuddled. Galo is stunned into silence as Lio pulls him onto the couch alongside him, cuddling up to Galo’s chest.
This is fine. This is platonic. Bros cuddle. He tells himself. He tentatively curls his arms around Lio, and finds that his hands are shaking, not enough to alert Lio but enough to be embarrassing.
It’s not that he’s scared of Lio’s reaction to a would-be confession - okay, he’s a little scared but shut up. He’s more scared of his own emotions, even through his schooling he’d never felt anything more than what one could call a drive-by crush. He’d see a pretty face, and then decide they made better friends. This thing for Lio, it felt like a flame, ironically enough, using his heart as kindling. Sometimes it felt like a dull light of a candle, flickering gently, steady. Sometimes it felt like an inferno, eating up his insides and consuming him from the chest out.
Moments when Lio would look up and smile at him, Galo’s eyes catching on his lips, lips that he’s touched in a pseudo-kiss to save his life - He’d find gasoline dumped on the candle, roaring through him, leaving him scorched but warm. Moments like now as Lio rests his head on Galo’s chest, body tucked neatly into Galo’s side, like he belongs there.
The fire shows no signs of dying down or extinguishing itself. Galo finds himself at a genuine loss, no idea how to proceed or move on. Sometimes, like now, he’ll feel the creeping tendrils of hope. Hope that Lio might feel the same. Hope that their experiences have sparked a two sided flame.
Galo pushes those thoughts aside, way far aside, to a back burner he’s half sure he’s conjured on the spot just so he’d have a place far enough away to put these feelings. He focuses on the feeling of Lio’s breathing, chest gently rising and falling against Galo’s ribs. He focuses on Lio’s hand, fingers starting to clutch at the fabric of Galo’s shirt that he’d reluctantly worn upon Ignis’ longsuffering request. He focuses on his arms around Lio, keeping him in place.
He falls asleep with every little detail of Lio on his mind.
<><><><>
Galo and Lio arrive together, a now common occurrence with their living situations. They’re a solid half hour late due to Galo spending much longer than Lio had predicted getting ready, but they’ve arrived.
It’s a small bar tucked into a quiet corner near the pizza place and the Burning Rescue firehouse. It was a weekly gathering of the burning rescue members meeting up for a couple beers, getting to sit back together without the looming fear of an alarm going off. They’d dropped the tradition as people adjusted to the new Promepolis but Remi had brought up the idea of bringing it back, to which Galo was enthusiastic beyond compare.
He holds the door for Lio, smiling as Lio ducks in under his arm, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his black leather jacket. Galo hasn’t seen Lio wear much leather since the fight - the uniform for burning rescue doesn’t include leather, and at home Lio opted for sweatpants and oversized shirts stolen from Galo’s dresser. When Galo had walked out of his room to see Lio sitting on the couch in a grey shirt, black leather jacket and dark jeans that hugged him just right, absently scrolling through his phone, he’d nearly fainted.
The table of their friends roars with shouted greetings as Galo and Lio walk into sight, Gueira has his arm around Meis’ waist as he waves enthusiastically.
“Boss! We saved you and big blue some seats!” Gueira calls out.
“Big blue?” Galo asks quietly, leaning in a little too far, his lips brushing the shell of Lio’s ear. Lio’s back goes ramrod straight, a furious red blooming across his cheeks. Galo’s about to apologize when Lio relaxes and turns to lean a bit into Galo’s arm. He tips his head up to respond, his breath hot on Galo’s jaw.
“That’s their nickname for you. Kinda cute, don’t you think?”
Galo nods in agreement, throat dry. It is cute. Unexpectedly cute coming from Guiera.
They walk to the table, Galo bumping Lucia’s fist in greeting and accepting an affectionate headlock from Varys.
“You’re late.” Remi informs them with an amused smile on his face, eyebrows arching high above his glasses.
“He takes so long to get ready.” Lio’s reply is immediate and teasing. He flashes Galo a grin that ignites a burst of fond warmth in Galo’s chest.
“It takes a lot of work to look this good.” He holds his arms out, as if putting himself on display. He says it like he isn’t wearing a t-shirt that has a cartoon duck on it and faded jeans torn at the knees along with an old zip-up hoodie. The majority of his time is spent on his hair, if he’s being honest.
Lio makes a show of considering his statement, looking him up and down with a thoughtful finger on his chin. He purses his lips and Galo suddenly feels aware of every single cell in his body, every fiber of fabric on his person, and every hair on his head.
“I’ll give you that. You do look good.” Lio relents. He doesn’t give Galo time to reply as he turns and launches into conversation with Guiera, sitting himself down. Galo’s arms fall to his sides as his mouth hangs a bit open. It isn’t until Aina snorts and gives him a less than gentle fist to the stomach that he snaps out of it and sits in his chair beside Lio.
They’re talking about a house call beside him where someone had called burning rescue over losing a ring down a drain and Meis had to play plumber to appease the hysterics of the caller. But Galo is staring at the table with an intensity unlike any he’s used to feeling. An off handed compliment shouldn’t make him feel like there’s water roaring in his ears and he’s been struck by lightning but it does. It does and it makes him feel like he’s flying despite his feet firmly on the floor and his ass on his chair.
It takes Lio standing, a hand lingering on Galo’s shoulder, touch like sparks even through Galo’s jacket and shirt, and his voice in Galo’s ear asking what he wants to drink before Galo is speaking again. He watches Lio’s form as he moves through the tables and people to the bar to order. Galo places his head in his hands, elbows on the table.
“Fucking hell, Galo.” Aina hisses as she leans forward. Galo wishes it wouldn’t grab the attention of everyone else at the table but it does.
“Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up-” He hisses back, scrambling to slap a hand over her mouth with a nervous glance around the table.
“You’re an idiot.” Aina tells him through his fingers, swatting his hand away. “If I slammed a rock against your skull, the rock would shatter, that’s how dense you are.”
Galo continues chanting ‘shut up’, voice quieter and quieter as he goes. He sees Meis and Gueira share a look out of the corner of his eye.
“What’s this?” Gueira asks, leaning over his boyfriend to ask Aina directly, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.
“No.” Galo tells her, lifting a finger with as much of a glare as he can muster.
“We don’t have to ask her. You’re pretty obvious.” Meis tells him from around Gueira’s shoulder. Galo whips his head around in horror to find Meis smiling ominously.
“No I’m not, I’m not obvious, shut up.” Galo says.
Remi groans, slumping back in his chair as Lucia scoffs. Varys gives him a tragically pitiful look.
“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this while Lio is just grabbing drinks.” Varys suggests, Galo’s savior, his hero, angelic and saintly. Galo could drop to his feet and bow in gratefulness. “Plus Galo clearly hasn’t figured that out.” He adds. The halo drops immediately as he grimaces, making a vague gesture with his hand that has Gueira cackling.
“Poor fuck.” Guiera shakes his head. Meis pulls him back into his own chair, giving him a look Galo can’t see from his seat.
He’s about to open his mouth to ask when Lio returns, leaning over Galo’s side to slide his beer in front of him. Galo is hyper aware of the way Lio’s chair slides in closer to his than it previously was, how if his knee twitched it would knock into Lio’s.
“I’ve never been here before so I just trusted your taste.” Lio tells him softly. Galo pretends not to be hyper aware of the entire table watching them as Lio leans over, tapping the side of Galo’s beer. Galo glances between their drinks, realizing Lio meant he ordered the same thing.
“Well hopefully you like pale ales or you just wasted money.” He responds, taking a swig of his beer. Lio shrugs.
“Can’t say I know much about beer.” He admits. Galo watches in awe as Lio plucks Galo’s glass out of his hand and takes a sip from there instead of his own glass. He wipes his top lip of foam before handing Galo his beer back and smiling up at him. “Not bad.”
Lio leans back into his chair, his knee pressing into Galo’s as he restarts conversation with Gueira and Meis. They all jump to resume conversation as though they haven’t been watching the moment that leaves Galo feeling like he was sweating bullets.
Galo, thankfully, finds distraction in launching into a heated discussion with Lucia about ways to convert Matoi Tech into something more relief oriented rather than offensive. He nearly knocks over his beer as he speaks with his hands, wildly flailing them to get his point across. Lio reaches over, steadying the glass for him and sliding it just out of range from his arms. Galo turns to give him a thankful smile, finding Lio staring at him, chin propped up in his palm, eyes impossibly fond and a small smile on his lips. He pauses for a moment, breath hitching, before he composes himself and turns back to Lucia. He adamantly pretends to ignore Lio’s gaze on him.
At a break in conversation, as Aina gets up to grab her and Lucia a second round and Lucia jumps into an explanation to Remi of her plans for his gear upgrades, Galo turns his head, a nervous smile on his face.
“You’ve been staring.” He says quietly, looking over Lio’s face. Lio’s brows arch in amusement at the statement.
“I have.” He says. Galo blinks at the blunt confirmation, mind filing through reasons Lio could possibly staring at him, watching him talk.
“Do I have something on my face?” He asks, wiping the back of his hand against his lips just in case he’d been sporting a beer foam beard without realizing it. Lio breaks into quiet laughter, shaking his head.
“You don’t have anything on your face. I just like watching you.” He says. He stands and swipes Galo’s empty beer glass. “I’ll get seconds.”
Guiera is giving him an unnerving grin from behind where Lio had been standing, but says nothing, opting to hop into Meis and Varys’ conversation. Galo can’t be assed to listen in to figure out what’s going on, his mind is reeling and all he can hear is Lio’s voice echoing through his head and rattling around like a chaotic pinball.
Lio returns with Aina, laughing along to something she’d said. They have a tray with a pitcher of beer, jalapeno poppers and a heaping plate of nachos. Galo cries out in excitement, half standing from his chair as he eyes the snacks.
He ignores Aina’s warnings for him to slow down.
Food and beer are the best ways to distract him from whatever’s going on with Lio. That thing he does that makes Galo’s heart beat wildly in his chest, afraid he’s going to keel over at any time.
<><><><>
Meis agrees to take Galo’s bike back to his apartment, along with Lio shoving Galo into the back of Guiera’s truck, as they were...considerably more able to handle large machinery than the man unable to sit upright even after Lio has locked his seatbelt in.
“I love you guys.” Galo says, voice slurring, tongue feeling like lead. He leans against the space between the two front seats, grinning dopily at Lio’s profile.
“I can’t believe he got shitfaced at a co-worker gathering.” Guiera snickers. Lio sighs softly.
“I’m s’ glad we’re all friends.” Galo cries out, falling back against the back seat. He turns his head to watch the world blur by in animation-like frames, pausing sometimes before fast forwarding to the next snapshot his brain managed to capture. “Guuuura you and Meyzz scare me.” He smacks the back of the driver seat as if it were Guiera’s shoulder.
Lio turns in his seat to give Galo a confused look.
“It’s like- Okay meeting your crush’s parent eckept they’re all trying to kill you, and I didn’ know Lio yet.” Lio’s eyebrows jump up into his hairline. “Battle royale.” Galo breaks into a fit of giggles for a moment before his face goes deadly serious. He leans forward to rest his head on the side of Guiera’s seat. “Please don’ kill me.” He tries to whisper but his volume control is shot.
Guiera scoffs.
“Nobody’s gonna kill you, big blue.” He assures Galo and sends a bemused look at Lio.
“Good. You’re cool dudes.”
“Uh, can we back up for a second?” Lio asks, purple eyes wild. “Scared of Guiera and Meis?” Galo nods, his hair staticing against the fabric of the seat.
“I mean I ws’ scared a’ you too. I don’t show it though! I’m brave!” He shouts the last part, throwing his arms up as high as they can go as he falls back into the back seat, sideways this time. “Then you’re pretty and then you’re a good person so-” He pauses, seeming to be very seriously deep in thought. “Nah still kinda’ scary but different scary.”
“Wow.” Guiera laughs. “He’s a philosophy drunk.” If Galo were sober he might have detected the sarcasm. But the statement just serves to confuse him. “Well good luck.” Lio shoots Guiera a glare as the car stops.
“Home!” Galo cheers.
Lio pulls Galo out of the car with help from Gueira. Meis stands aside with Galo’s bike snugly in his parking spot, Galo and Lio’s helmets tucked under his arm. He watches them with a smile and makes no move to help.
“Hi!” Galo greets him, leaning heavily on Lio. Lio proves himself deceptively strong as he takes the brunt of Galo’s weight and keeps them both upright.
“Thanks guys.” Lio takes the helmets, awkwardly pulling them into the arm that isn’t around Galo’s waist.
“No problem, boss.” Guiera gives a mock salute before backing up over to the driver side. Meis gives a small wave as they reach the door and climbs into the passenger side.
“I have keys.” Galo announces.
“I know. I took them out of your pocket.” Lio tells him, twirling the key ring on his finger to show Galo. Galo makes a sound of awe.
“Pickpocket.” He whispers and breaks into more giggles as Lio hauls them to the elevator.
It’s late enough that the building is void of people moving around in the halls, everyone having settled in for the night, thankfully. Lio props Galo up against the corner of the elevator as he re-adjusts the helmets in his arm and hits their floor button. The button has just barely lit up when Lio is being yanked back by the back of his jacket and into Galo’s arms. Galo buries his face in Lio’s hair, it smells like Galo’s shampoo and Lio’s conditioner. Lio had been appalled to learn Galo didn’t use conditioner, so he’d bought his own.
Lio leans back into Galo’s chest as the elevator jolts, pulling them up towards their floor.
Galo’s drunk. That’s undeniable. But he’s not drunk enough for the boldness it would require to spin Lio around. Not for a kiss, Galo’s too drunk for that , but just to look at Lio in his arms. How Galo can grab both of his elbows with each hand while Lio’s waist is comfortably captured in his embrace, how the top of Lio’s head is the perfect height for resting Galo’s chin on. Lio just fits so well against him. Galo’s life has taught him that nothing is perfect and nothing falls into place, he’s had to fight for it all.
Then again he’s fought to be by Lio’s side. He’s been fighting since the moment they first met.
Galo only realizes they’ve reached their floor when Lio gently pries himself out of Galo’s embrace and drags him into the hall by his hand. Galo stumbles slightly, still not quite sure how he’s supposed to walk again. He can’t seem to make his feet land where he wants them to. Galo uses their hands to pull Lio back to him.
They collide in the middle of the hall and for a moment Galo’s world tips before Lio keeps them upright.
“You’re such a mess.” Lio says but his voice is full of affection.
“Clean me up!” Galo blurts as a rebuttal. It makes no sense when he says it outloud but Lio still barks out a startled laugh. He lets Galo lean on him to the door of their apartment, pulling out Galo’s keys. “We need to get you keys. You need keys home.” Galo tells him. He doesn’t notice Lio freezing or the slight shake to his hands, nor the watery smile pulling at his face.
“I’d like that.” He says softly, finally unlocking the door and pulling Galo on.
It’s a feat of miracles to get Galo’s shoes off, but once they do Galo’s pulling at his jacket and kicking off his pants, leaving them on the floor of the entry-way. Lio shrugs off his leather jacket and places it properly on a hook before following Galo into the living room where he’s thrown his shirt to the kitchen counter. Lio follows him quietly to his bed, at the very least to make sure he actually makes it. Somehow, Galo manages to get himself under the covers, peering up at Lio from over them.
“I’m going to get some water and pain relievers for the morning.” Lio tells him. Galo nods and watches him leave. Something scoops out his chest as Lio’s form disappears down the hall, something that makes him scramble to sit up and almost call out for Lio to come back.
Galo pouts at the door frame, waiting until Lio comes back. He looks surprised that Galo’s sitting up. He’s changed out of his shirt and pants into the stolen shirt he’s been using as a sleep shirt.
“Lay down.” Lio tells him, placing the water and pills on the bedside table. “I’ll order in a greasy breakfast tomorrow.” He’s pushing at Galo’s shoulders, trying to get him back under the covers.
Galo grabs Lio’s wrist and pulls him down with him. He rolls over, capturing Lio in a near suffocating hug.
“Galo!” Lio squeaks out in surprise, arms flailing to find balance before his back hits the mattress. Galo clings for dear life, fighting back tears as he buries his face in Lio’s hair.
“Don’t leave.” He says quietly. Lio goes still at the words, relaxing into Galo’s arms.
“I’m right here.” He says, stroking at Galo’s back with his hand, comforting in a way Galo didn’t know he was missing until then. Galo can feel tears escaping, falling into Lio’s hair.
“But you haven’t always been. Life’s uncontrollable.” He sniffles. Lio’s hand pauses at the miserable words. Galo refuses to remove his face, he doesn’t want Lio seeing him drunkenly cry like this. He doesn’t want to have to explain why this flip from giggly to tearful happened so quick. He doesn’t want to talk about the fear and anxieties behind it, the ones he runs from for weeks until they finally catch up to him.
“Galo.” Lio forcibly pushes Galo away, keeping him at arms length as Galo avoids eye contact, resisting the urge to rub his cheeks and eyes dry. “Galo, look at me.” Reluctantly, he does. “I’m right here. I’m not leaving. Life is uncontrollable but...you have me now, and you’re always going to have me.”
Galo breaks into choked sobs. He pulls Lio back in, shoving his face against Lio’s collarbone as he holds back wails. Lio clutches him tightly, fingertips digging into Galo’s shoulders, quietly holding as Galo lets it out.
When his family died he’d convinced himself the grief was the only thing that hit his heart. That the loss of his parents and sister had been the only true effect, that he’d channeled that pain and loss into determination. Everytime he voiced these thoughts his therapist would give him a dubious look and he could never parse out why.
Until he finds himself sobbing in Lio’s arms, clutching his baggy shirt, pleading him to stay. He’d watched Lio begin to disintegrate, he is painfully aware of how fragile everything is. No one is invincible, what they have is not unbreakable. He is afraid of losing Lio, be it by choice or by circumstance. He realizes then, he is terrified of the idea. He is scared to lose anyone now, especially after he’s lost Kray in more ways than he could count.
Lio is here, in his arms, but Galo wonders if he has the power to keep him there.
Galo cries until he loses consciousness. It can’t quite be called falling asleep because one moment he’s shaking and hiccuping through tears and the next he’s gone completely lax in Lio’s arms, soft snores replacing his cries.
<><><><>
Galo wakes to a pounding head, an ache behind his eyes, and most importantly - a far from empty bed. Lio is sleeping soundly in his arms, having cocooned all the blankets around him while managing to stay in Galo’s hold. Galo is clutching a Lio blanket burrito.
Galo blinks in shock as he realizes he’d cried on Lio last night. He turns his head and immediately regrets it as the room spins, and slaps his hand around his bedside table for the pills and water Lio had left.
His fumbling wakes Lio as he sits up and downs the pills, resting his head against the wall behind his bed. Lio rubs at his eyes, curling in on himself and instinctually closer to Galo’s heat. Galo watches him for a moment before laying back down and gathering Lio up into his arms as the other blinks awake.
“How’s your head?” Lio asks, voice a sleepy croak. Galo shakes his head.
“I want to scoop my brains out with a pumpkin scraper.” He responds, closing his eyes from the harsh sunlight outside his window. Lio scoffs quietly.
“That’s what happens when you drink yourself under the table.” Lio scolds quietly, keeping his voice down for what Galo thinks is his sake if not for the hour.
“I think you mean drink myself on top of the table.”
“No, we stopped you so technically it’s under.” Galo can hear the smile in Lio’s voice even if he can’t see it.
“Should have let me dance. I’m a burning soul with a free spirit.” Galo tells him, his voice slightly muffled by Lio’s hair. The air of the room shifts suddenly when Lio doesn’t laugh or respond, for a moment Galo assumes Lio’s fallen asleep when he finally speaks.
“How much do you remember from last night?” He asks, voice small, almost timid in a way Galo’s never heard from Lio before.
“I remember Lucia trying to explain robotic and mechanical engineering to me and my brain goes blank for the entire conversation.” He starts. “I remember challenging Varys’ to a pretzel eating contest and the server banning us from ordering more.” Lio snickers at that. “I remember Meis and Guiera trying to teach me the burnish anthem.”
“There is none.” Lio cuts in. “They were pulling your leg.”
“Fuck.” Shakes his head to himself. “I remember Meis having to strongarm my motorcycle keys from me and you and Gueira shoving me in the car. I remember being intensely annoying and then having to basically get carried to the apartment.” He pauses. “I remember sobbing like a baby.” he admits after a moment of silence.
“It wasn’t like a baby.” Lio tells him
“I’m a six foot baby.”
Lio shakes his head with a sigh. They both lay in the quiet, hearing birds chirping from the window and the sounds of the tenants in other apartments waking up and going about their morning routines.
“Do you want to order breakfast in?”
“God yes.” Galo groans as they both break apart. “I’m going to shower.” He says, standing and waiting a moment for the room to tip back.
“Please do, you smell like beer.” Lio responds as he hops out of bed and out to the living room where he most likely left his phone. Galo laughs into the restroom, failing to hold himself back from watching Lio’s form down the hall.
It’s probably best if we do just pretend I didn’t say anything. He thinks, smile turning bittersweet.
Lio is his friend, and that’s all he really needs. If that’s all Lio has to offer, he’ll survive. It’s not a happy thought, but more one of acceptance. Acknowledgement that his feelings towards Lio won’t drive him away, that he’ll live as long as Lio’s in his life, regardless of what role he decides to fill.
Galo takes much longer in the shower than planned, mostly because his head started spinning so he sat down and then almost fell asleep like that from the pressure of the hot water, so his fingertips are pruned by the time he gets out. He towels off his hair, flipping the blue mess back out of his eyes, and wraps the towel around his waist.
He throws open the bathroom door to find Lio standing there, hand poised to knock. For a moment they’re both still before Lio’s eyes widen and his cheeks bloom red all the way up to the tips of his ears. He stammers, eyes flicking down to Galo’s chest, stomach and then back up to his face before he steps away.
“The food should be here soon.” He says quietly, very pointedly looking at the door frame above Galo’s head. He’s controlled the blush on his face but his ears still burn.
“Thanks! I’m starving.” Galo groans, stretching his arms above his head. He watches, confused, as Lio turns sharply and marches back into the living room. He looks down at himself. He’s been shirtless since he went to sleep, he can’t imagine why it could be a problem now. He’s shirtless often. Hell, he’d paid good money for his top surgery, he isn’t going to let shirts hide that.
In his room he pulls out his comfiest sweatpants and upon a long thought and a mildly guilty strand of anxiety, he throws on a tank top.
He can hear the knock at the door and Lio greeting the delivery man as he ties his hair back, not wanting to style it while his head feels like a lead ball.
He finds Lio setting out take out boxes, plates and forks on the dining table. He moves around him silently to the fridge to pull some drinks out.
“I could get that.” Lio tells him. “You’re the hungover one, sit down and eat.”
“I know but I like helping.” Galo tells him, sticking his tongue out at Lio as he herds them both back to the table.
They eat quietly, in a way that began as a comfortable, familiar silence but slowly tumbles and tumbles down into awkward, strained. Like a string tied between them, pulled taught beyond its capabilities, getting ready to snap.
Galo doesn’t know what he will do when or if it snaps, what’s waiting on the other side.
Lio gets up silently, moving empty plates and glasses to the kitchen, packing up left-overs without a word. It makes Galo intensely uncomfortable, apprehensive.
“Hey-” He starts at the same time as Lio speaks.
“Can we-”
They both freeze, blinking at each other from over the kitchen island, Galo twisting backwards in his chair and Lio standing at the sink. They both stand in silence, waiting for the other to continue. Eventually Galo sighs and stands up, making his way to the kitchen to lean against the counter, arms crossed.
The space between them feels oddly like a chasm. Galo can’t parse out whether Lio is attempting to toss a bridge across or open it wider.
“I’m not great with feelings and talking a lot. Especially talking about how I feel.” Lio says. He doesn’t look at Galo as he speaks, eyes intently on the tiled floor, toe of his fluffy and overly thick sock poking at the corner of a tile.
“That’s understandable.” Galo tells him. “Do you want me to go first?” He asks. Lio shakes his head to Galo’s surprise.
“No I-” He groans, shoulders hunching. “Last night you made a comment and I don’t know how serious it was. You implied that you have romantic feelings for me.” He gets it all out in one breath as though that were the only way he could possibly say it.
“Oh.” Galo gets out. “I’m sorry if that made you uncomfor-” He’s cut off by Lio’s hand in the air.
“I don’t want an apology, I want to know whether that implication still stands when you aren’t drunk.” Lio’s staring right at him, purple eyes ablaze in a way Galo’s never seen before. Definitely not with anger.
“I’m falling in love with you, Lio.” Galo’s surprised by the strength of his own voice. He doesn’t realize how much he truly means it until he’s said it outloud. He’d been living with knowing he liked Lio. But like and love are two entirely different ball parks. He isn’t sure when he fell head over ass into the ‘love’ box but here he sits, ready to put his life on the line over and over again for Lio’s sake. Ready to walk away if Lio tells him to.
He’d had Lio in his life for months now. Measly months that feel like seconds in the scheme of his life, but he can’t seem to remember what it was like before he sat down to breakfast with Lio everyday, what it was like to come home alone. Somewhere along the way he crossed that emotional line, but he can’t quite pin the moment down.
“What?” Lio’s one word question is choked, like Galo’s punched him in the gut with the admission. His arms have fallen to his sides, shoulders slumping and eyes wide.
“I’m well on my way to falling in love with you, it’s impossible not to.” Galo repeats. “I’m fine just staying friends, you don’t ever have to give me an answer.” Galo rushes to assure him, shifting on his feet and planting his hands against the counter. The words ache to say but they’re true. After all they’ve been through together he owes Lio an out.
“You’re an absolute idiot.” Lio growls, stalking forward. Galo yelps as he’s grabbed by the front of his tank top and yanked down to Lio’s height. Lio pushes forward on his toes and meets him halfway as their lips collide. A clash of lips and teeth, noses bumping uncomfortably.
Galo stands still in shock for a moment, eyes wide and hands clenched around air, unaware of how to react.
And then Lio turns his head and everything falls into place. That fire Lio lit inside Galo’s soul rages through him, heart and soul, it touches to the tips of his fingers and the bottoms of his feet. No part of Galo is unscorched, but he can’t imagine what life was like before he was kissing Lio, he doesn’t think he’ll be able to continue on without the option of kissing Lio. Galo’s hands find Lio’s hips and his eyes fall shut as he returns the kiss. He lets himself pull Lio in as close as he’s always wanted to, hands moving across his waist and back, making sure this was real, that this meant what Galo truly hopes it meant.. Lio’s hands move to Galo’s hair, pulling it out of his hair tie and running his fingers through the strands.
“Galo.” Lio breathes, his lips moving just a hair’s breadth away from Galo’s, both of them unwilling to actually pull away. “I’ve been feeling the same.” Galo’s grin takes over the entirety of his face, eyes shining.
He throws his head back and lets out a triumphant cry before diving forward to cover Lio’s face in small kisses. Lio giggles, hands on Galo’s shoulders as Galo kisses every part of Lio’s face he can reach.
“You’re falling for me?” Galo asks, looking like he’s going to vibrate out of his skin. Lio nods.
“I’m falling for you.” Lio confirms.
Galo lifts Lio, stepping into the middle of the kitchen to spin them both around, laughing joyously.
“I’m going to take you on so many dates, I’m going to show you off to everyone we know ‘ look at my boyfriend, he can kick my ass! ’.” Lio laughs at Galo’s words, a happy laugh full of relief. “Now will you finally stop sleeping on the couch?” He asks, trying to keep his voice very serious as he gently sets Lio down.
“I’ll stop sleeping on the couch.” Lio relents, rolling his eyes, but his smile holds strong.
“You make me so happy.” Galo’s voice is soft, small in a way neither of them are used to.
Lio, rather than replying, smiles fondly. He moves his hands to lock his fingers behind Galo’s neck and tugs him back down into another kiss, just as if not more perfect than the first.
<><><><>
“Okay, we’re overjoyed you two are dating now but-” Aina trails off with a grimace, staring pointedly at Galo. He stands against the counter of the fire house kitchen, between Lio’s knees as Lio sits atop the counter, resting his chin on Galo’s shoulder.
Galo had hoisted Lio over his shoulder when they’d entered the fire house when their next shift hit after the weekend, loudly announcing that he and Lio are dating. No one had been surprised. Guiera jumped up and screamed “Finally!”
“I don’t say anything about you all’s PDA with your partners.” Galo grumbles with a pout, entwining he and Lio’s fingers. Lio gives their hands a fond smile but doesn’t input verbally.
Remi groans and takes his coffee into the next room, Aina following, to join everyone else in the sitting room. Galo turns around as he and Lio are left alone in the kitchen, placing his hands on either sides of Lio’s thighs.
“Hey, you didn’t turn in that loan request, right?” Galo asks softly. Lio gives him a confused look but shakes his head.
“No, I was going to but- I got distracted.” He admits with a pointed look. Galo’s unapologetic about being a distraction.
“Good. I talked with some people-”
“That was the ‘super top secret grown-up meeting’ you went to the other day??” Lio asks.
“Yes, that was the super top secret grown-up meeting.” Galo sticks his tongue out. “Kray’s assets for both his personal accounts and the company accounts were seized and given to me.” Lio nods, he’s gathered that something along those lines occurred. “I want to give them all to you.”
Lio immediately opens his mouth to protest but is stopped by Galo’s finger against his lips.
“It should be enough for housing, right?” He asks. Lio nods silently, brows furrowed. “Then I want you to have it. I want it to go to the burnish and rebuilding.” Lio takes hold of Galo’s finger and moves it from his lips.
“Galo, I couldn’t possibly.”
“Please.” Galo looks up at Lio from his eyelashes. “I don’t want it. I can’t keep it. It’s only right that his money goes to the people he hurt.” Lio stares at him for a long while, eyes filled with worry but also understanding.
“Okay. We’ll use it for the burnish and rebuilding.”
“Thank you.” Galo gives him a quick kiss. “One more request.” Lio looks like he’s about to tell Galo it’s already more than enough. “Date. Tonight. I’m taking you to Pop’s Pizza.”
Lio nods.
“A date, then. This pizza better be as good as you say it is.” Lio warns him playfully. He winds his hands through the base of Galo’s fluffy spikes.
“It is! It’s the best pizza in Promepolis.” Galo insists.
“I look forward to our date, then.” Lio tells him, pulling Galo to him for a lingering kiss, lips lazily moving against his.
“Galo! Lio! Not on the counter!” Ignis’s voice booms from the doorway. They jump apart, smiling apologetically.
“Sorry, Chief.” Galo giggles as he says it.
“Yeah, yeah. Get out of here, lovebirds.” Ignis waves them off and Galo catches the quick quirk of his lips as he turns away from them.
Galo helps Lio down off the counter with a pout. His face changes when Lio takes his hands and threads their fingers together, smiling up at him.
Lio still takes more naps than necessary, he still sleeps in later than Galo, there’s still a shadow in his eyes sometimes. But the shadows disappear when Galo wraps his arm around Lio’s shoulder, bumps their knees together, or presses a kiss to the top of his head. He’s allowed to now.
Galo still wakes in cold sweats, Kray’s voice haunting from the back of his head. But when he turns to see Lio’s face, peaceful and there within reach, he knows everything is going to be okay.