Work Text:
Lio raised an eyebrow when he noticed the presence of another person in the kitchen.
It was too early for someone to woke up and too late to not have slept. Those were the kind of wonders of 4 in the morning.
It had been past no more than a couple of days since the world had been saved from the Foresight Foundation, since Galo and Lio had collapsed from exhaustion as soon as they said they would clean the city. Ignis had sent Galo home for at least one week of mandatory rest and Meis and Gueira had prohibited their former boss of doing any physical effort as they felt all could do for Lio was to take care of the release and accommodation of the burnish who were still in the Parnassus. Only a couple of days in which neither Galo nor Lio had had any mental rest (the 36 hours that they slept just entering Galo’s floor didn’t count).
The former burnish had been camping on the fireman's couch and now he was leaning on a kitchen cabinet with a maybe too large jacket and maybe too hot chocolate in his cold hands. Galo inspected the fridge with nothing more than pajama pants.
"What do you think you are doing, making breakfast this late?" Lio's tone was soft, as if he was afraid to wake up the flowers that had not yet received their morning dew.
"I can’t stop thinking when my stomach is empty!" Galo almost screamed, not knowing what an inner-door voice is. "What are you doing awake?"
”Effects of living as a fugitive, I don't need to sleep that often" Lio sipped from his cup, savoring its temperature "besides, I'm cold."
Galo stopped his noisy intake of noodles, "why didn't you say it before? I could have got you another blanket or a more comfy sweater!"
"This one is fine" Galo's clothes were warm and smelled nice, they made him long for a home he doesn't remember having. "I just have to get used to it."
"Get used to what?" Lio looked vacantly at the palm of his free hand and Galo could be an idiot, but he was by no means stupid. “I have a fireplace in the living room, you know. I have never used it because I put out fires, I never start them, but considering that I already started a fire for you I don't see why I shouldn't do it one more time"
Galo's heroic smile made Lio think about going to get some sunglasses. "It’s not necessary, really -"
"It is! My job as a member of the Burning Rescue is to have everyone comfortable!" Galo took Lio from the wrist to guide him to the salon. "And dude, you are freezing!"
"And you're a walking radiator, it's not a big deal"
But Galo had already brought another huge blanket to make a burrito of Lio, sitting him on the couch in front of the fireplace.
"How many more fires will you make me start? my rights as a firefighter will be revoked if I continue like this."
And just like that Lio was far away, remembering the way Galo apologized to him in the cave and offered to attend Thyma. He remembered how the first time he started a fire for him, saving his life (and the world) at the same time.
"Thank you, Galo Thymos."
"I just do my job" something clicked on Galo's mind. "But you shouldn't be so cordial to me, after all we are friends!"
Lio tilted his head "I mean, are we?"
Galo blinked twice confusedly. "What do you mean? We piloted the coolest robot in the universe and save the earth! Together! What better way to start the most epic of friendships!"
"I guess we did. We do make a great team."
"Right?”
"But," Lio inspected Galo, frowning a little. " besides knowing that you have a burning firefighting soul I don't know anything else about you."
Galo also tilted his head, widening his eyes when it got him. "Oh, you are right. We barely know each other!" In a childish gesture, he crossed his arms and made a frustrated face. "We fought side by side and lived together for like 2 whole days. How is it possible that we haven't sat down to talk even a little?!"
"We've been in our heads, I guess. After all we have been through a lot."
"That is no excuse! I just met the coolest person and I haven't had time to really meet him! "
"Eh?!"
Galo's face lit up with a great idea "I know! Let's play 200 questions, Lio!"
"What are you even saying? 200 questions!?"
"Well, they don't need to be 200. We'll just take turns asking the other a question Everyone knows that that's the best way to meet someone! "
"I highly doubt that."
"C'mon! You can ask me first!"
5 seconds of a doubtful look ended with a heavy exhale of defeat.
"Alright then. How is that you are always so energetic?"
"That's easy! It's because of my burni-"
"And don't say your burning soul."
Galo froze his heroic smile. Now he looked at Lio while scratching the back of his neck. "Maybe you do know me after all." But he didn't take long to find a decent answer. "When your job is to save people from dangerous situations it's difficult to not have a positive attitude. You have to calm them down and let them see that help is on its way, that they have nothing to fear because the amazing Galo Thymos is there for them. I apply it to my daily life too. If the people around me know that everything will be fine, it is because they have me by doing something stupid and being incredibly positive. Besides, despite all the bad things I've lived an amazing life, it's hard not to be mega happy that way. "
That's it. Lio was going to buy sunglasses early tomorrow. He was beginning to believe that the fireplace was unnecessary and that the heat emanating from the man sitting in front of him would be enough. "That really is amazing. You honestly were born to be a hero. But isn't it hard to cope with it sometimes?"
"No no no, now it's my turn to ask you something!"
"Are you an idiot? "
Galo's mind was racing, what to ask to the former Mad Burnish leader?
Oh.
"Are you really that old?
"Excuse you?"
"I mean, you were the Mad Burnish leader for 30 years, didn’t you?"
"Oh, so you are and idiot" Lio did not know whether to feel bewildered by Galo's intelligence or offended by the mere idea of getting confused by an old man. The sincerity in the blue eyes was too much for anger to show up. "I'm not old, I was only the leader for a few months. Before me the leaders were Meis and Gueira and before them it was another person."
"That makes so much sense. Then how old are you?"
"No no no, it's my turn to ask" the mockery in Lio's voice was anything but subtle.
Galo smiled with complicity. "Touché"
For Lio, Galo was an enigma. His specialty wasn’t to guess the emotions of others, but there was only one thing he wanted to know to help him understand a little more the indescribable mind of his partner.
"How exactly are you feeling at the moment?"
"About what?"
"Just right now, how are you feeling"
"Right now, huh." he didn't hesitate the next time he spoke. " Lately I have felt many things, Kray's betrayal is something that I cannot easily pass up. I am grateful to Ignis for taking care of me but I feel desperate that they will not let me get involved in the reconstruction of the city as I would like. Too many things in my head. But right now I am sure that what I feel is calm and happiness! "
Lio cuddled himself on the couch "and why is that?"
"Just look at the picture" Galo made a gesture towards Lio " If someone had told me that I would have the most wanted terrorist for thirty years on my couch like a burrito I would have hit them for sure. I'm calm because we saved the world together and I'm happy because we're finally getting to know each other! "
If there were more lighting Galo could have seen Lio blushing. "If you put it that way it is certainly a fun situation. Me, wearing the clothes of someone from the Burnish Rescue. I would have cremated whoever suggested it." The nostalgia that crossed Lio's face was caught by a certain observer man.
"Do you miss being burnish?" Galo spoke more silently than he would have liked. It was a question that burned in his throat and he didn't want to offend his new friend in any way.
Lio took a hand out of the blanket. He slowley opened and closed it while looking at it. " Not really. Everyone would believe that I miss my flames, but I don't." He dropped his hand to change his gaze to the fire. "I don't remember not being burnish. As far as I know my awakening was in my childhood, I don't remember the details. All my life I had heard their laughs, their cries, their screams. Burn, burn, burn. And now they left and for the first time I am alone in my head" He looked down before returning his gaze to Galo. " I've never felt freer. My thoughts flow everywhere without ending always in 'I want to burn everything to the ground'." He put his hand back in the blanket, covering himself up to his mouth. "I had never had a home. If I said I miss sleeping in the desert I would be insane. It's nice not to have to keep running away."
"I am relieved, I thought you would feel depressed or something. I can't know what you feel but I want you to know that you are not alone. My house is your house and you can stay as long as you want! "
Lio showed Galo a sincere smile before giving a small sigh. "In any case I miss the warmth, now I'm always cold. And Detroit, I definitely miss Detroit."
"Detroit? as in the city?"
"As in my bike. That was its name."
"Oh, that flaming bike! It was crazy!, I can tell Lucia to design you one like that!"
"Wh- really?"
"Yeah! she will be happy to do it! and about your cold..." Galo stood up from his place to position himself beside Lio, drawing him with his arms towards his chest in a hug. " Do not worry about it! I will use my walking radiator powers to warm you up! You can even sleep in my bed, you're kinda small so we would fit perfectly! "
"Galo!?" Lio tried to free himself from the hug without any luck, only making Galo to intensify the force of his embrace.
"Don't fight against it! If you get a cold because of me I will never forgive myself "
Lio struggled stubbornly a little more, he only gave up when he realized how warm Galo's skin was and how he himself was really freezing.
A sound of defeat came out of Lio’s mouth as he lifted the blanket a little to make room. "At least get in here, if you end up sick you will infect me and seeing that you never wear shirts that will end up happening "
"Oh, thanks!" Galo curled up with Lio, wrapping him with one of his arms once they were both covered. Lio had no choice but to lean his head against Galo's shoulder. They spent a few minutes in silence, warming each other, watching the flames in front of them. They dreamed with open eyes with the past meaning of fire, with all the times they fought for the wrong reasons. Galo was the first to break the silence.
"Who was next to ask?"
Lio already had his eyes closed, it was impossible to keep them open with the comfort he felt. "Don't know."
"Ok, guess I'll ask. I know we were with deep questions and all that but I can't stop wondering this" Galo separated himself the tiniest amount from Lio to force him to face him, something that the sleepy man didn't like very much. "What is the color of your eyes?"
"Huh? Can't you tell just by looking?"
"No, your eyes are very strange, man. At times they look violet with a little yellow, in the cave they looked purple and the other day I saw you in the sunset, they were completely red! how do you do it?!"
Lio could have sworn that the Promare had returned, the fire he felt inside when Galo leaned to get a better view of his eyes was not even normal. "I don't know how I do it, but I'm pretty sure my eyes are pink."
"No way"
"They are"
"No way"
"Oh my god."
Galo inspected Lio's eyes deeply. The huge blue puppy ones began to have some effect on the proclaimed pink eyes.
"I guess I'll have to see you better during the day, right now I can't stop seeing them purple" or more like a nebulosa, an immense and fierce space that he could navigate forever.
“You are not who to speak. Dare to explain why the redness around your pupils? You should have that checked out because it's not normal.”
“That’s just my burning soul showing through!”
“Of course it is.” Lio had to force himself to look away, the large and liquid eyes that were staring back at him were annoyingly hypnotizing, more that the fire in front of him, more than any fire of his days gone by.
The days gone by, the past. His only objective was the liberation of the burnish, to form a country where they were free of offenses and could burn, burn and burn. Now that dream was gone. And, although they still had a long way to go, the burnish were free. What was the next step? What would be his motivation but lead the largest group of outcasts?
“Don’t you ever feel lost?” Lio's thoughts had come out without thinking twice.
Galo had begun to draw circles on Lio's arm with his thumb. “I do.” His voice had become rough. “Putting out burnish fire was my only way of life, but now they are gone. My dream was to become someone Kray could be proud of, and he is gone too.” Lio could feel Galo's hand shudder. “For the good.”
Resentfullnes sank down on Lio’s stomach. Kray was a dick for what he did to Galo. He was the friendliest person he had ever met and did not deserve to be treated that way. “I’m sorry”
“For what?” The innocence in Galo made Lio feel madder.
“For what Kray did to you. You deserved better.”
“It’s ok, it wasn’t your fault” Galo jumped a little when he remembered. “That’s right! I still have to thank you!”
Now it was Lio's turn “For what?”
“Opening my eyes” Galo's hand now stirred light green hair “If it had not been for you, perhaps I would never have realized the true harpy that was Kray.” His hand stopped, their eyes reconnected. “And now I have an even awesomer person to look up to!”
Lio made an embarrassed face at the realitation of what Galo was implying “what are you- what does that even mean”
“It means that I’m not lost as long as you are near my sight!”
“I am a former terrorist, there is no way for someone to admire me”
Galo made an absolutely disapproval face. He would never let such a brave, cunning, visionary, fearless, skillful, bright, stunning (he could go on forever) person as Lio to think about himself in such way.
“Ouch! Why did you do that?!” Lio rubbed the part of the arm where Galo had pinched
“I won't let you think like that. You are an amazing person, all of your burnish followers could testify to it.” Galo adjusted himself so that both his arms surrounded Lio. “I will remind you every day if necessary. You are amazing.”
Lio was touched. Thinking about Galo's noisy voice reminding him every day how special he was wasn’t a bad idea at all. The silence that Promare left behind would be not so noticeable that way. Lio pressed himself onto Galo's neck, his constant heat had numbed him a little, and if he didn't hide his face, Galo would ask him why his eyes had suddenly crystallized."Do as you wish, just let me sleep a little"
Galo was about to leave him alone but Lio's weight towards him gave him a better idea.
"Hey, Lio, what are you craving right now?"
The man mentioned stirred slightly on himself "What?"
"What are you craving?"
"I told you I wanted to sleep" but three seconds of silence felt too heavy, so he continued, " You were talking to someone about pizza. You described it as the best feeling in the world, I guess that wouldn’t be bad"
Galo smiled at the mention of his beloved pizza. Maybe he and Lio were not so different after all.
For the first time on the night Galo whispered, "Lio"
"Hmm" The little one was almost asleep.
" Do you have plans tomorrow?"
"No" his voice like a whisper "Gueis and Meira don’t want me to do things right now.”
Galo pressed Lio against him "do you wanna go eat pizza togheter?
"Mhmm"
Galo's smile was one that embarrassed the sun, radiant like the stars, but soft as the evening swell. It was impossible to feel this kind of connection with someone you have just met. The feelings that began to emerge could not be the result of a single conversation, there must be something else.
"Lio... do you believe in soulmates?" but the question would remain in the air without an answer as Lio had succumbed to the deepest of dreams and his chest now rose and fell heavily. Galo rubbed his chin toward the sleeping man's hair. "Goodnight, Lio" The throbbing of his heart had been enough response.