Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

   Lio felt a chill as he looked out upon the wasteland. The Promare had gone and left, back to their own dimension, and he was left with nothing but a hollow ache inside his chest and no sense of direction. He felt a warm, gloved hand brush up against his bare shoulder. 

   "Hey.”

   Galo. A warmth lit up in Lio’s chest where the Promare used to reside. He looked up to see the man smiling down at him. “So, what do you think?”

   “Huh?” Lio’s voice left his mouth before his mind caught up. The adrenaline from earlier had begun to wear off, and he could feel his body beginning to ache with tiredness. 

   Galo pouted dramatically. “I wanted to know if you made up your mind about joining Burning Rescue! Or just… ‘Rescue’ since nothing’s really burning all that much now? We can decide on a new name later but...”

   Lio could only watch in mild fascination at how Galo continued to be so full of energy and optimism after everything that had happened within the past few hours. He really does have a burning soul. Lio shook his head to clear his thoughts. “The Burnish...or, ex-Burnish now...” Ex-Burnish. The word felt foreign on Lio’s tongue. “They’ll still need someone to help them.”

   Galo raised an eyebrow. “Well, that’s what Burning Rescue is here for! We’re gonna rebuild the city, for everyone, Burnish included!”

   “Are you sure everyone is going to be on board with that?” Lio opened up his palm, still half-expecting a neon pink flame to appear there. “Promare or not, I doubt people will accept the Burnish that easily.”

   Galo frowned in thought. “Well then!” Galo grabbed Lio by his hands, causing Lio to almost jump in surprise. “On my burning soul, I’m gonna do all I can to make sure the Burnish get all the help they need!” Galo grinned. 

   Lio’s eyes widened. “You’d do that?” Despite all they had gone through, the idea that Galo would willingly offer to risk so much to help his people still amazed him. Galo truly was someone special.

   “Of course! We’re friends! Right, Lio?” 

   Lio rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t stop his mouth from curving up into a small smile. “Sure.” 

   “Wait...really?” Galo actually looked pretty stunned.

   Lio huffed in fond amusement, taking his hands out of Galo’s and crossing his arms. “Of course. And you’re going to need all the help you can get, so I’ll accept your offer.”

   Galo grinned and threw a fist up in the air. “Alright! Hey, wait...“ 

   Lio couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped through his lips. Galo looked down at the smaller man in awe, Lio’s smile making him look younger and lighter than he’d ever seen him before. 

   Suddenly, Lio tensed as he felt himself being pulled against Galo’s side, his cool body against Galo’s warm one.

   “Welcome to the team, Lio!”

   Lio relaxed against Galo, the warmth in his chest reaching all the way to his fingertips.

   He looked out across the ruins of Promepolis. They had a lot of work ahead of them, but somehow, he thinks, as he playfully pushes Galo off him and huffs in thinly-veiled embarrassment, they’ll be alright.

🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺

   After nearly passing out on him twice, Galo finally got Lio to take him up on his offer of getting some rest, although the stubborn man refused to take the firetruck bench that was offered. Instead, he was now fast asleep against the outside of the Burning Rescue truck. Galo grabbed an extra jacket from inside the vehicle and draped it over Lio when he noticed him shivering. He was debating on whether or not to just lift him up and into the truck (there was no way his neck was comfortable in that position) when he felt someone crash into him from behind. 

   “You idiot!”

   Sturdy arms were wrapped around his waist, and Galo carefully turned around to envelope the pink-haired girl in his own arms. “Hey Aina,” he spoke softly.

   Aina held him tighter before releasing him and glaring up at him with tear-filled eyes. “Don’t you EVER do something like that again.” She quickly wiped her eyes before looking up at Galo and then back down at Lio asleep behind him. Her anger at Galo’s recklessness was quickly replaced with concern. “Is he alright?”

   Galo nodded. “He’s fine! Just exhausted. He’s been through a lot in the past few hours.” 

   “And you haven’t?” Aina carefully scanned Galo’s body, looking for any signs of injury. 

   Galo chuckled, used to her worrying. “I’m fine, Aina. Lio’s flame protected me.”

   Aina looked confused. “His flame?” 

   Galo scratched at the shaved side of his head. “Uh...long story? But we’re ok now. Oh! And Lio agreed to join Burning Rescue! We’re gonna help fix up the city and help the Burnish. Well, ex-Burnish now.”

   “That sounds like a pretty big job Galo.” Aina tapped her fingers against her chin in thought. “But...considering everything that just happened in the past couple of days, anything is possible.”

   Galo grinned down at his friend. He knew he could always count on Aina. “So you’ll help?” 

   Aina put her hands on her hips. “I’d kind of be out of a job if I didn’t. But of course I’ll help! I’m sure the rest of the team will be down to help as well.”

   “Speaking of the rest of the guys...do you think they'll mind Lio joining? Having been Burnish and all that.” Galo frowned down at the still-sleeping Lio. “He’s a good guy. I couldn’t have done any of this without him.”

   Aina placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. Burning Rescue are all good people, and once they hear everything I’m sure they’ll be 100% on board. And if they say anything, they’ll just have to go through me!” Aina placed a hand on her hip and flexed her other arm for emphasis. 

   Galo couldn’t help but laugh at her display. “I bet you and Lio are gonna get along great. You both have a burning soul within you!” 

   Aina chuckled. “Guess you’re rubbing off on us then, Mr. Burning Firefighter Soul.”

   Galo grinned and puffed out his chest. “That’s me! The one and only.”

   Aina shook her head and smiled. “Anyway, we should probably get started on clean-up duty. My sister is checking on the imprisoned Burnish with the rest of the crew. You might wanna wake him up.” She gestured down to Lio. “I’m sure he wants to see for himself how the rest of the Burnish are doing.” 

   “You’re probably right. Oi, Lio!” Galo shouted next to him and Aina covered her ears at his sudden shout. 

   “Not like that!” She hissed, but Lio had already jolted awake and was looking at Galo with a scowl. 

   Aina could see he was about to let Galo have it, but Galo interrupted before Lio could rightfully tell him off. “You wanna check up on the Burnish, right?”

   Lio’s eyes widened as he quickly stood up. Determination overtook any tiredness that showed on his face, and without a word, he took off in the direction of the destroyed facility. 

   “Hey, Lio! Wait up!” Galo whined, quickly taking off after him. 

   Aina watched him attempt to catch up to Lio, (who walked surprisingly fast for someone with shorter legs) a bright smile on her face as she raced after him. Promepolis may have suffered a huge blow, but it could be rebuilt, and maybe, together, they could make something even better.

🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺

   A week later saw the newly dubbed ‘Burning Restoration’ team working to clean up and rebuild what had been destroyed. 

   Lio was relieved to find that Meis and Gueira were alive and no worse for wear, as were a number of other Burnish that had suffered at the hands of Kray Foresight’s experiments. Still, some cells were opened, only to reveal the ashen remains of those who had not been as fortunate. Lio didn’t talk about it, but Galo and Aina saw the pain on his face whenever he hoped to find a familiar face, only to be met with ash. 

   There had been rumors floating around of a trial to be held for Kray Foresight in response to the crimes he had committed against the Burnish. Although anti-Burnish sentiment still lingered, most believed that the governor should at least be put on trial in a court of law to decide punishment.

   Aina didn’t know all the details of what had happened during their battle, but she knew not to bring the topic of Kray up in front of Galo. It figured that Galo would be a key player in support of Kray’s prosecution, and he had been requested to attend various meetings concerning the trial that was to be held in a few months, along with Ignis who would speak for the rest of Burning Rescue.

   With Galo gone most days, Aina took the initiative to get to know more about one Lio Fotia. He still held himself in a way that exuded confidence and power despite his lack of flame. He was serious, but not overwhelmingly so. Aina could see how he and Galo had gotten along. They balanced each other out quite nicely, and she could tell he was feeling Galo’s absence, though she was sure Lio would have denied it.

   “Hey Lio!” Aina smiled, bouncing up to meet the mint-haired man. 

   Lio nodded at her. “Hey Aina. Galo away today?”

   “Yeah,” she pouted. “Guess you’re just stuck with little old me, huh?” 

   Lio shrugged. “You’re better to work with than most people.” 

   Aina frowned. “Are people still saying things about you?”

   Lio shook his head, unconcerned. “It’s nothing important. Just the usual close-minded people. I can take it.” 

   “Well, if anyone tries to say anything rude to you, let me know so I can kick their ass, ok? N-not that you can’t take care of yourself!” Aina quickly backtracked, not knowing if Lio would appreciate feeling coddled. 

   But Lio just laughed. “I can handle it myself, but I appreciate the offer.” 

   Aina smiled. She liked Lio’s laugh. She didn’t know too much about his past, but being on the run as the leader of Mad Burnish must not have been easy. It was nice to see him trying to relax. “Oh hey, where’re your friends?” 

   “Gueira and Meis? They’re with medical.” Lio gestured over to where a medical tent had been set up to deal with the injured, Burnish and regular citizens alike. “I’m not too familiar with most traditional medicinal practices. I became Burnish at a young age, and from then on the Promare took care of any injuries or illnesses I had.”

   Aina’s eyes widened. “Wow, so you’ve never been sick?” 

   Lio thought for a moment. “I’m sure I was before the Promare, but not that I can remember.”

   Aina hummed in response. “That’s pretty neat!” She bent down to start picking up debris from the demolished building they were currently standing atop of. A lot had been destroyed, but for now there was a focus on finding any materials that may be useful for rebuilding or had survived the destruction. 

   “Being Burnish did have its perks,” Lio mused. “For one, the Promare provided us with their strength.” He bent down to pick up a big slab of concrete, grunting as he attempted to pick it up with a great amount of effort, before letting go with a frustrated sigh. “Before I could have lifted this easily. Now? Not so much.”

   “Well, we can pick up the lighter ones, and leave the heavier stuff to the ones with the mechs,” Aina suggested. 

  “Works for me.”

   Aina and Lio began to pick through the rubble, lifting debris and organizing them into different piles. They made small talk, asking how the other was doing in the wake of the restoration efforts. It was a little after noon when they decided to take a break, opening up a cooler and each getting a cool drink of water. Suddenly, they both noticed a familiar face jogging towards them.

   “Yo!”

   Aina and Lio looked over in surprise at the blue shock of hair. “Galo?” 

   “What are you doing here?” Aina asked, confused. 

   “I got out early. They started talking about legal stuff that went over my head.”

   Lio smirked. “So you snuck out?”

   “What? No!” Galo waved his hands in front of him in denial. “Well I mean...I told Ignis I was leaving at least…”

   Lio raised an eyebrow. 

   “A-anyways…I’m here to help now!” Galo smiled at the two of them. “What do you guys need help with?”

   Aina frowned in thought. “Well, there are some bigger pieces of debris that need moving. Lio and I couldn’t get them to budge, but maybe you could try?”

   Galo perked up, feeling useful. “Sure!” And without any warning he stripped off his shirt and went to work.

   Aina rolled her eyes, used to Galo’s constant need to be shirtless, but she saw Lio quickly looking away with...was that a blush on his face?

   Galo threw his shirt to the side and stretched. “Seriously, it’s super hot out here. I really don’t know how you can wear all that leather, Lio.”

   Lio avoided looking directly at Galo. “I’m used to it.”

   “If you say so.” Galo shrugged, heading off to go and lift up the piece of debris Aina had mentioned. 

   Aina continued to look at Lio with a curious expression, while Lio continued to not-so-subtly stare at Galo who had begun lifting up the heavy piece of concrete.

   “See? Not hard...at all!” Galo panted, lifting the large piece up and over his head. 

   Aina could only stare in awe at the way his muscles flexed and strained to lift the piece of concrete over to one of the piles they had made. She knew Galo was strong, but to really see him close up in action was something else entirely. She felt her heart flutter as he let go of the concrete with a grunt before standing up straight. Aina dared to steal a glance over at Lio to confirm her suspicions, and sure enough, Lio’s face was bright red, and his mouth slightly agape.

   Lio’s eyes suddenly caught hers and she knew that he saw that her face was just as red as his. A look of mutual understanding passed between them before they both went back to work, each stealing glances at Galo who continued to lift up any pieces that were too heavy for the two of them. 

   At one point, both Aina and Lio had paused in their cleaning when Galo had lifted two heavy slabs of concrete, one in each arm. 

   They dared to look at each other, eyes wide and faces beet red. 

   Oh they had it bad . 

Chapter Text

   More and more people came to aid in the restoration of Promepolis over the next few days, which allowed time for Lio to begin his training to become a member of Burning Rescue. Even with the lack of Burnish, natural fires were still a hazard, especially with all the rubble laying around. There wasn’t much Lio could do in the way of protecting his people anymore, not with the Promare gone. But fire, being from an alien source or not, was what Lio knew best. If he couldn’t protect people with fire, then maybe he could at least try and protect people from it. 

   Galo was originally selected to train Lio, since they already worked well together, and Ignis figured that out of all of them, Galo was the one who knew Lio best. However, with Kray’s trial rapidly approaching, Galo was often away from the station, so the duty fell onto Aina, who took the job with gusto. 

   She and Lio were more or less friends at this point, and she enjoyed spending time with the ex-Burnish. Aina would train Lio and teach him the ropes, while Lio offered up any advice he had from his own experiences manipulating fire. To start with, they were going over the different fire-fighting equipment and each of their functions. They had gotten through most of it, when Aina noticed it was getting to be around lunch time.

   “Hey, Lio?”

   “Yeah?” Lio looked up from the mech that Aina had been showing him.

   “Wanna go get lunch? There’s this really cool pizza place that just reopened again a few days ago. The team used to go there all the time! They have the absolute best pizza in the world.” 

   Lio shrugged. “Sure, why not?” Getting to choose his own food was still a weird concept, having gotten used to eating whatever the Burnish could steal or find. He vaguely remembered Galo mentioning something about a pizza place he loved to go to, and it seemed like Aina was talking about the same place.

   “Alright!” Aina cheered. “I’m going to go get my jacket and we can head out.”

   Aina and Lio navigated the remains of the sidewalk outside the Burning Rescue Fire Station, which had thankfully remained mostly intact during the whole battle. In a few minutes, they had reached the restaurant. It had seen better days, but Aina knew that with time it would return to its original state. 

   “Table for two, please,” Aina spoke to the waiter at the desk. His left arm was in a cast, but overall he looked like he was doing well, something Aina was thankful for, after having seen Freeze Force take him and the owner away, nearly a month ago. 

   “Of course.” The waiter smiled and led them to an outdoor table, giving them menus and asking for their drink orders. 

   “I’ll take a water, please,” Aina spoke.

   “I’ll have a water as well.” The man paused in surprise when he recognized who was ordering.

   “You’re Lio Fotia, aren’t you?” 

   Lio blinked. “Yes. I am.”

   The waiter smiled and bowed his head. “Thank you for all you have done for us Burnish.”

   “I only wish I could have done more.” A somberness passed over Lio’s face as he looked down at the table.

   The waiter shook his head. “You’re an inspiration for all of us! We’re grateful for everything you did to fight against Kray Foresight and Freeze Force.”

   The waiter wrote down the order with his good hand. “Someone will be right back with your drinks. Let me know whenever you’re ready to order.”

   Aina smiled at Lio, who seemed to be looking away in embarrassment after the waiter had left.

   “You’re like a hero, Lio!” Aina gushed.

   Lio rolled his eyes. “Sure.”

   Aina raised an eyebrow. “Well, people are calling Galo a hero, do you think he doesn’t deserve that title?”

   Lio frowned at her. “Of course he does. He stopped the Promare from burning everything to the ground. None of us would be here without his help.” Even me , his mind supplied, remembering the feel of Galo’s lips on his as he was brought back to life. 

   Aina grinned wickedly. “So, if you were the other half of Lio de Galon, doesn’t that make you just as much of a hero as he is?”

   Lio opened his mouth to retort, but promptly closed it when he realized what Aina had done. Thankfully, he was saved from any more of Aina’s teasing when the waitress arrived with their drinks and to ask for their order. Aina ordered the Inferno Volcano Margherita Mega Max Pizza for the table, assuring Lio that it was “The Absolute Best Pizza” he would ever eat. 

   “Isn’t the name a bit much?” Lio asked, tilting his head at Aina once the waitress left.

   Aina thought for a moment. “Hmm...maybe. But it needs a name like that to fully encompass the flavor experience.”

   Lio shook his head in amusement. “That sounds like something Galo would say.”

   Aina looked at him before breaking into a laugh. “I guess you’re right.”

   They didn’t have to wait too long for the pizza to arrive hot out of the oven, and Aina blew on a slice before taking a bite. She hummed happily, putting the slice down on her plate. “Ahhh...It’s just as good as I remember!”

   Lio carefully took a slice of his own, wincing when it felt hot to the touch ( and wasn’t that ironic?) and blowing on it just like Aina had done before taking a bite. 

   “So...how is it?” Aina asked eagerly. 

   Lio wasn’t exactly a pizza connoisseur, but he had to admit, it tasted amazing. He swallowed before speaking. “Really good.”

   “It’s like you’re a part of Burning Rescue already!” Aina said, before taking another bite of her own slice.

   They continued to chat a bit, about training, how the restoration efforts were going, and other small talk. When the conversation shifted to focus on Galo, Aina could have sworn she saw Lio’s eyes light up. She thought about the last time she had seen Galo, a few days ago when he had helped them with clean up. It was then that Aina decided it was time to ask the question that had been on her mind since then.

   “So…” she spoke between taking a bite of pizza. “Lio, do you...like Galo?”

   Lio paused in eating a slice, confused at the question. “Yes…? We’re friends after all.”

   Aina shook her head. “No, like...do you like like him? You know, like...romantically.”

   Lio nearly choked on his pizza, quickly putting his slice down and taking a sip of water to cover his cough. His face was tinted slightly pink. “Why do you ask?”

   Well, it wasn’t exactly a ‘no’ . “It’s ok if you do! I actually really like Galo too. He’s just...brave and naturally kind without really thinking about it, you know?” She gushed. 

   Lio just frowned, staring down his pizza. 

   Aina realized her mistake. “Oh shoot! I didn’t mean that as a competition thing. It’s ok if you have a crush on him too! I’m totally fine with it! I don’t want this to ruin our friendship or anything! And...aw geez I’m rambling aren’t I?”

   “A little,” Lio spoke, but at least the frown was off his face.

   Aina sighed. “Listen, Lio. I know we both have feelings for Galo…”

   Lio huffed, face red. “I never said that-”

   Aina raised an eyebrow, giving him a look. “Are you sure about that, Fotia?”

   Lio could feel himself caving under Aina’s stare. “Ok. So let’s say I do have… ’feelings’ for Galo.” His eyes hardened. “What about it? If you’re here to tell me it’s pointless, trust me, I’ve already told myself that.”

   “What? No!”  Aina leaned closer across the table. “Galo really cares about you, Lio. Anyone can see that.” 

   “Listen Aina, I didn’t mean to get in the way between you and Galo-”

   Aina’s eyes widened. “No! That’s not it at all! Ugh, I’m really screwing this up.” She groaned, leaning back in her chair before sitting back up and looking Lio in the eye. “Look, I know we both have feelings for Galo. But I don’t want that to come between us, or become some sort of competition. I just thought we could like...bond over it.”

   “Bond...over it?” Now Lio just looked straight up confused, but hey, he didn’t look like he was about to set the table on fire with his stare alone, so Aina considered that a win.

   “Well, we’re friends! And friends talk about their crushes and stuff, right?” 

   Lio was thrown completely off guard, but he at least managed to respond with an “I guess?”

   “I won’t deny I was a little jealous at first,” Aina admitted softly. “You two just seem to get along so easily. But, then I figured, if Galo ended up being with you, I wouldn’t be upset about it, you know? As long as you two were happy, I’d be fine with it.” Aina looked down at her pizza in thought. “I care about Galo, a lot, but I don’t want this to come between us or anything, so I figured it could be something we shared and talked about instead.” Aina bit her lip, looking back up at Lio. “I just...really don’t want us to lose any sort of friendship we have over this.”

   Lio could only stare at her in shock before he looked away, gathering his thoughts. He could tell this had been bothering her for a while. What she said made sense, in its own weird way. He couldn’t deny that he and Aina had grown closer in the weeks following the battle against Kray. She was headstrong, yet cautious, and truly cared about her team as if they were her own family. She had also been fully supportive of him and the Burnish the second she learned about what Kray had been doing. Losing her friendship would hurt him more than he cared to admit.

   Lio nodded, making up his mind. “Ok.”

   “‘Ok’...?” Aina questioned.

   “I don’t want to lose our friendship either.” Lio brought his hand up to his temple to rub away the sudden tension that had gathered there. “But...I’m not really sure how you expect this to work.”

   Aina smiled. “Oh! Well that’s easy. We could just...talk about Galo’s muscles or something. Or how good he looks wearing that tight, black shirt-”

   Lio was all but completely covering his face at this point. “Holy shit, Aina.”

   Aina burst out laughing, taking a bite out of her pizza, frowning a bit when she noticed it had gotten cold. 

   “Ok, but he does look good in it, right?”

   Lio finally took his hand away from his face, the blush on his face starting to fade. 

   “Maybe you have a point…”

   “See!” Aina cheered. 

   Lio rolled his eyes, finishing up the rest of his pizza with a small smile.

🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺

   After finishing up their lunch, Aina and Lio returned back to the fire station. 

   “Lio! Just the person I wanted to see!” Lucia called at them from her position in front of the computer, her hands typing fast and energetically. Vinny sat atop the computer, munching on a soft pretzel and watching her hands move over the keyboard. 

   Aina raised an eyebrow. “What’re you up to now?”

   Expecting Lucia to answer, she was surprised when the deep voice of Varys answered her from behind. “She’s tryin’ to make one of those Burnish armor the Mad Burnish used to wear.”

   “You’re trying to recreate my armor?” Lio raised an eyebrow. “You do realize we used the Promare to make them, right?” 

   Lucia sighed. “Yes, of course I know that. But! That doesn’t mean we can’t figure out a way to make our own! Plus, don’t you miss it?” She looked at Lio with knowing eyes. 

   “...Maybe a little.” Lio mumbled.

   “See!” Lucia gestured towards Lio. 

   Varys put his hands up in surrender. “Do whatever you want. Just don’t complain to me when Ignis doesn’t approve.”

   Lucia stuck out her tongue. “Just wait until he sees how cool it is. He’ll be begging me for one.”

   Remi entered with a cup of coffee, looking at Lucia who had resumed fervently typing away at her computer. “Do I even want to know?”

   Varys sat down on the couch, leaning back into the cushions. “She’s trying to make Mad Burnish Armor.”

   “So I didn’t want to know.”

   “Hey!” Lucia swung her chair around to face her teammates. “At least try to act supportive!”

   Remi took a sip of his coffee. “I’ll pass.”

   “Why I oughta-!” 

   Suddenly, the door to the station opened, Ignis walking in, followed by Galo. Lio saw Ignis say a few things to Galo, who looked more tired than Lio had ever seen him, before heading back out of the station. However, when Galo walked into the room, he visibly brightened and seemed to completely mask whatever had been weighing him down, causing Lio to frown in concern.

   “Hey guys!” Galo waved.

   “Hey to you too!” Aina waved back. “It’s been awhile.”

   “I was beginning to think you abandoned us,” Varys joked.

   Galo pouted dramatically. “Whaaat? You guys know I would never do that to you!”

   Lucia snickered. “Yeah, we know big guy. But listen-” She turned the screen around to face Galo. “Whadaya think of this?”

   Galo moved closer to squint at the blueprint on the screen. “Is that...Lio’s armor?”

   Lio looked over at the screen to see something that vaguely resembled some sort of armored suit. “That...doesn’t look like my armor at all.”

   Galo frowned. “Huh? Yeah it does.” He looked closer. “It’s got the green accents and horns.” He put his fingers up to his head to resemble horns, attempting to further illustrate his point.

   “What? No way,” Lio argued. “The torso is way too short. And the edges aren’t jagged enough”

   “Nuh uh. Look, it even has your pointy feet!” Galo countered.

   “I think I’d remember my own armor, Galo,” Lio crossed his arms. “Especially considering I crafted the design myself .”

   Aina looked to Lucia who seemed to be enjoying the petty bickering the boys had going on. 

   “Alright, alright.” Aina stepped between them. “It’s just a prototype design.”

   “Yeah, of Lio’s armor,” Galo boasted.

   “Are you serious?” Lio balked.

   Aina rolled her eyes. “You two are ridiculous.” She walked over and turned off the screen while Galo and Lio continued to glare at each other.

   “Hey!” Lucia wailed, before grabbing back the screen and booting it back up again. 

  Ignis picked that moment to enter the room, walking in between Galo and Lio, effectively cutting off their staring contest to speak to Aina. “So, how’s the training going?”

  “Oh yeah! Your training started today, right Lio?” Galo perked up, completely forgetting about their petty squabble. 

  Aina grinned, putting an arm over Lio’s shoulder. “He’s doing great. Plus, I already took him to Fanfare Pizza! He’s practically one of us now.”

  “You guys went without me?” Galo pouted.

  “Don’t worry Galo, I’m sure we’ll all head back soon.” Aina attempted to console him. “Plus we knew you’d be busy with the trial and all.” Aina’s voice grew more somber. “How’s that all going, by the way?” 

   Galo seemed to suddenly become uncomfortable, refusing to look at her. “Oh, you know, a bunch of legal stuff. Pretty boring actually.”

   Lio narrowed his eyes at Galo. “And how are you doing?” 

   Galo tilted his head to look at Lio, though he avoided his eyes. “Me? I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

   “We know Kray was someone important to you, Galo.” Remi spoke from the back of the room. 

   “He saved your life, right?” Lucia added.

   “Yeah,” Varys spoke. “The whole situation’s pretty messed up if you ask me.”

   “I’m fine guys,” Galo insisted. “Don’t worry about me.” He grinned, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. The rest of Burning Rescue weren’t convinced, and Lio’s intense stare made it known he wasn’t convinced either, but they decided to drop it for now. 

   Ignis sighed. “The whole damn thing’s a mess to be honest.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Not to mention the whole fiasco with Freeze Force.”

   Lio unconsciously stiffened at the mention of the anti-Burnish task force, anger at what all they had done to his people still fresh in his mind. 

   Ignis took notice of Lio’s discomfort and looked over to him, voice serious. “They’ll get the punishment they deserve. We’re gonna make sure of that.”

   Lio nodded, feeling grateful that someone like Ignis had his back. “And Kray?”

   Ignis frowned. “A bit more difficult. Though he turned himself in and admitted to everything, it’s obvious he still has support from the higher ups.”

   Aina’s brow furrowed. “Even after admitting he planned to leave the planet to burn, and using the Burnish as fuel to do it?”

   Ignis shrugged. “Some people still view the Burnish as less than human. Some even thought it was a necessary sacrifice. Even after all we know now.” He shook his head. “ A bunch of bastards if you ask me.”

   A sudden weight fell over the room.

   “We’d be stupid to think anti-Burnish sentiment would disappear overnight,” Lio spoke, arms crossed. “Even when Kray had the technology, he chose to experiment on Burnish instead of trying to stop the magma in the earth’s core.” Lio glared at the ground. “He deserves a fate worse than death.”

   Galo winced from his spot in the corner, though he couldn’t say he disagreed with Lio’s words. After all that Kray had done to Lio’s people, and to the world as a whole, he deserved a punishment to match his crimes. 

   Ignis let out a deep sigh. “Well, enough of the depressing talk. How’s your time at the station been, Lio?”

   Everyone seemed relieved at the sudden change in topic, eager to know how their new recruit was holding up. 

   “It’s been great so far.” Lio spoke. “Thank you again for having me.”

   Ignis waved his hand. “It’s the least we could do. Plus, Galo here wouldn’t have shut up about it if I even thought of saying no.”

   Galo looked like he was about to protest, but finding nothing actually false about the statement, relented. “Well, Lio has the brightest burning soul of anyone else I’ve ever seen! I know he’ll be an incredible addition to the team!” He grinned at Lio, who felt his heart lurch in his chest.

   Lio saw Aina wink at him from across the room, mouthing ‘Told ya!’

   Lio quickly looked away, but felt a warmth in his chest at the praise from Galo. He looked back up at the blue-haired man and grinned. “Thanks, but it’s gonna be awhile until I can officially call myself a Burning Rescue member. Though, considering you got in, it shouldn’t be too hard,” he teased.

   “Hey!” Galo smiled, knowing it was all in jest. “I’ll have you know it takes immense skill and knowledge to be able to reach the level I have.” He pointed a thumb at his chest and grinned. “They don’t call me the ‘World’s Best Firefighter’ for nothing!”

   Aina rolled her eyes, but smiled at her friend. “Speaking of training, I think it’s time Lio and I got back to it.”

   Galo was disappointed, but realized it couldn’t be helped. “Aw, well ok! I’ll see you guys later then! Good luck Lio.” He gave him a double thumbs up, and Lio couldn’t help but chuckle. 

   “Thanks, Galo,” Lio spoke before following Aina into the hallway and back to the equipment room.

   “Galo’s lying,” Lio spoke bluntly, once they were out of earshot from the rest of the team.

   Aina looked down, already knowing what he was talking about. “Kray...he meant a lot to Galo. He saved him from a fire as a kid.”

   “That he started,” Lio bit back.

   Aina smiled sympathetically. “Well, sometimes we learn that people we looked up and admired can be capable of horrible things.”

   Lio knew she wasn’t only talking about Kray. 

   “Galo just needs some time,” Aina continued. “But we can be there to support him as best we can.” Aina grinned, suddenly shifting her mood. “That’s what being a member of Burning Rescue is all about. We’re here to save people, sure, but we need to be able to support each other as well.”

   Lio thought of Meis and Gueira, his trusted generals and closest friends. During his time as leader of Mad Burnish, he knew he could always count on them to have his back, and it looked as though Burning Rescue operated in similar ways.

   “But enough talk!” Aina led Lio to the equipment room. “We’ve got training to do.” She pointed at one of the devices. “Ok! So tell me the name and function of this one…”

Chapter Text

   Training with Aina continued for a few more weeks before Lio was deemed fit enough to join Burning Rescue as an official member of the team. Which, of course, meant getting him his uniform.

   Lio was currently standing in the locker room with Aina and Lucia, preparing to try on his Burning Rescue gear. He insisted on keeping his signature leather pants, arguing that if Galo could be without a shirt the majority of the time, he could at least attempt to keep some form of fashion. He did, however, agree to wear the standard-issued jacket, but was quickly regretting his choice as he looked down at the bright red garment in thinly veiled offense. The sleeves went out past his hands and the bottom of the jacket reached down to his knees so that it looked like he was practically drowning in it.

   “I look ridiculous.” 

   Aina examined the jacket. “Maybe it just needs to be hemmed…?”

   “Why does he need it anyways?” Lucia asked, pulling a lollipop out of her mouth and waving it around. “It’s not like Galo ever wears his.” Vinny suddenly popped up on her shoulder, squeaking in agreement.

   Aina sighed. “Galo rarely ever follows protocol.”

   “Do any of us?” Lucia pointed out. 

   Lio scoffed, pulling at the edge of the jacket. “Do I really have to wear this?” 

   “Well, you don’t have the Promare anymore,” Aina reasoned. “You’re gonna need some form of uniform to protect you.” She thought for a moment. “Maybe we should look in the women’s sizes?”

   Lio sighed and sat down on the bench, his jacket almost swallowing his entire frame. “Be my guest.”

   While Aina, Lucia, and Vinny went off to search for a smaller sized jacket, Lio pulled out the cellphone he was given as a gift from Burning Rescue. Ignis figured that if he was to be on the team, then he’d need to be able to be reached on-the-go. Gueira and Meis were also given one, per his own request, so that he could keep in contact with his friends while staying at the station. He scrolled through his recent texts, which consisted of a Congrats Boss! from Meis and a smiling emoticon from Gueira after he told them he had been accepted into Burning Rescue a few days ago. There was also a recent unread text from Galo. 

   Galo: U DID IT LIO!!!! congrats on becoming a part of burning rescue!! r u free to grab some pizza 2nite? we should celebrate!! :D  

   Lio smiled at the screen, typing his response.

   Lio: Sure. I’m not busy.

   Lio sent the message and was only slightly surprised to see Galo text back right away.

   Galo: awesome!! I’ll let everyone know 2 meet at fanfare at 7. let meis and gueira know too!

   Lio: Will do. Aren’t you in a meeting right now?

   Galo: uhhhh maybe? it’s super boring tho. :(

   Lio shook his head in exasperated amusement.

   Lio: You should pay attention. It could be important.

   Galo: ok…...oh! let me know what ur fav cake flavor is!

   Cake? Before Lio could respond to whatever it was that Galo was planning, he heard Lucia and Aina come back into the room.

   “We’re back!” Lucia called, Aina and her holding a handful of bright red Burning Rescue jackets. Lio put away his phone, looking at the pile of jackets the girls had brought.

   “Here!” Lucia pulled one out and held it up to Lio’s chest. 

   He put it on, thankful that it no longer felt like he was wearing an oversized blanket. He rotated his body to test the fit. “This one works, I guess.”

   “You look great!” Aina smiled. Lucia gave him a thumbs up, and Vinny, sitting on her shoulder, nodded with satisfaction. 

   Aina suddenly frowned, looking closer at Lio. “Hmm...wait here a sec!”

   She took off out of the room, leaving Lio and Lucia standing around in confusion. They didn’t have to wait too long though, as Aina quickly rushed back, holding a hairband. She pointed up at Lio’s hair. “It’s getting long. You’re gonna need this if you wanna work in the field.”

   Lio held up a strand of his hair, seeing that it had grown out to reach slightly past his shoulders. “Oh. I hadn’t even noticed.”

   Aina held up the hairband. “Here, I can pull it up for you if you want.”

   Lio shrugged, turning around so Aina could pull his hair back. He felt her cool hands touch the nape of his neck and suppressed a shudder, Aina giving him a soft apology. He still wasn’t used to the feeling of cold no longer being associated with the pain and violence of Freeze Force. He took a deep breath to steady himself. Aina gently pulled his hair into a small ponytail that rested low on his head, though his longer bangs stayed to frame his face. 

   “So, what do you think?” Aina grinned, pulling out a pocket mirror for him to see her work.

   Lio tilted his head to get a better view, touching the back of his head where the small ponytail lay. “Not bad. I like it.” He handed the mirror back to Aina. “Thanks.” He gave her a small smile.

   “The leader of Mad Burnish...now officially a part of Burning Rescue.” Lucia grinned deviously, holding out her gloved hand for Lio to shake. “Welcome to the team, Lio!”

   Lio held out his hand as Lucia took it eagerly, shaking it with gusto. “Just wait until I get your gear ready! It’s gonna be my best work yet!” 

   Aina shook her head. “That’s great, Luce, but you know he’s gonna have to shadow someone on the job before he actually starts piloting a mech, right?”

   Lucia sighed dramatically. “Yeah, yeah.” She waved her hand around. “Standard procedure and all that.”

   Lio crossed his arms. “So, when’s the next job?”

   Aina shrugged. “Whenever Ignis tells us. I think he’s planning on sending us out in a bit to help with the Burnish settlement.”

   Lio frowned. “I’m assuming he’s heard about the threats?”

   “Threats?” Aina looked over at him in concern. 

   “There’s been threats from Anti-Burnish groups.” Lio explained, head down. “Not everyone is keen on the idea of Burnish integrating back into society. There hasn’t been anything substantial yet, but I have Meis and Gueira looking into it.”

   “What kind of threats?” Lucia asked.

   “Violence and coordinated attacks on areas where a high population of Burnish are staying. Now that Freeze Force is under investigation, some of the public thinks they need to step up to keep the Burnish from...‘invading.’” Lio spoke with obvious vitriol in his voice. “Even without the Promare, people still fear Burnish.”

   Aina looked down. “I’m sorry, Lio.”

   “We’ve dealt with worse. The Burnish have survived this long.” Lio’s eyes narrowed. “And I’ll do whatever I can to make sure Burnish can live freely.” 

   Aina gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Just remember we’re here to help. You don’t have to do everything alone.”

   “Yeah, we got your back!” Lucia grinned. “You’re a part of the team now!”

   Lio gave them a small smile and a nod. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

   Just then, Remi and Varys entered the room in a rush.

   “The boss just called,” Remi spoke. “He wants us down by the Burnish settlement to hand out supplies.”

   “I’ll get the truck started up,” Varys said. “We’ll leave in 5.” The rest of Burning Rescue nodded. Varys looked at Lio and nodded in approval. “Looking good, man. Welcome to the team.” He gave him a thumbs up before heading to the garage. 

   Remi just gave him a small nod, his own way of welcoming Lio to the team. “Alright, let’s get the equipment and head out.” 

🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺

   The Burnish settlement was only a short ride from the station, even with Varys driving carefully to avoid the various debris still scattered across the roads. The team exited the truck after pulling up outside what was essentially a giant tent, which was being used as a refuge for the Burnish. Many didn’t have any homes to return to, so they were forced to make do with what little was available for the time being, until construction began again. 

   Lio frowned, carefully stepping out of the truck and looking over to the blanketed material that was stretched over the side of a half-standing building, acting as a housing unit. It wasn’t anything the Burnish weren’t already used to, but he had hoped that at this point his people would have access to better housing. There were a few other slapped together living arrangements around as well, but they were still barely able to house all the Burnish, with each one packed and crowded. It wouldn’t last long, and Lio doubted that the Burnish would be the first priority for housing.  

   “Boss!”

   Lio was brought out of his train of thought by none other than Gueira, who launched himself at the smaller man, nearly knocking him over in the process. 

   “Whoops, sorry Boss!”

   Lio quickly regained his footing, looking up at his grinning second-in-command.

   “Sheesh, Gueira, don’t kill him.” Meis walked up to them, eyes tired but a grin on his face. “Long time no see, Boss.”

   Lio shook his head. “I told you, you don’t have to call me ‘Boss’ anymore.” 

   Gueira grinned. “Whatever you say, Boss. Love the new look, by the way.” 

   “The ponytail is a nice touch,” Meis commented.

   Lio rolled his eyes and put his hands in the pockets of his Burning Rescue jacket. “It’s a little bright for my tastes, but it’ll do.”

   The rest of Burning Rescue had filed out of the truck by then, waiting for orders to be given.

   “So, how’s things been around here while I’m gone?” Lio shifted the conversation back to business.

   Meis frowned, pushing back a lock of his hair. “Pretty much the same. There’s still a lack of basic utilities. Water, food, bedding, clothing…” Meis held up his hand, bringing up a finger for each.

   Lio let out a puff of breath. He had been staying back at the Burning Rescue building ever since he began training. The rest of the team assured him it was fine for him to take one of the extra rooms in the station, and that it would better help him integrate into the team and get acquainted with everything. Lio wasn’t thrilled about leaving the rest of the Burnish to the rundown shelters, but he trusted Meis and Gueira to watch over them while he was away, and his ex-generals may or may not have threatened violence upon him if he refused to take Burning Rescue’s offer. 

   Aina walked up next to Lio. “So, is there anything we can help with?”

   Meis frowned, looking back towards the settlement where a group of Burnish were gathering to stare and whisper at the arrival of Burning Rescue.

   Gueira read what was going on through the other man’s mind. “We’re gonna need some supplies and construction to make the temporary shelters more stable. But, it’s gonna be a lot more difficult than you think.”

   Remi’s eyebrows pulled together as he looked at Gueira. “What do you mean?”

   “Burnish don’t give out trust easily,” Lio spoke up. “Especially to those who once fought against us.” He held up a hand when Remi opened his mouth to argue. “I know you’re on our side now, but the rest of the Burnish are still wary. Some won’t want you anywhere near them, and you must respect that,” Lio said seriously. “Try to do what you can, but know that not everyone will be as accepting of your help.”

   Remi looked frustrated, but nodded. 

   “I can go hand out some rations,” Varys offered. “Captain was able to get shipment of some blankets and food from the Promepolis Restoration Committee.”

   “Only after hounding them about it for days.” Remi sighed and rubbed his forehead with his fingers, fighting off a headache. “The Committee has promised to give adequate aid to the Burnish in attempt to atone for Foresight’s crimes, yet they suddenly go silent when asked for actual necessities to distribute. Bureaucracy.” He shook his head and mumbled under his breath.

   Aina smiled sympathetically. “Well that sounds like a good place to start as any.”

   The rest of Burning Rescue followed behind Varys as he led them to the back of the fire truck where the shipment from the Restoration Committee was located. They each grabbed a box and got to work, handing out blankets and food to those who would accept it. 

   Lio moved to pick up his own box of supplies, but figured he would talk to his former partners while Burning Rescue was out of earshot. “Has there been any more word on the Anti-Burnish protests?” 

   Gueira let out a sigh, suddenly becoming uncharacteristically serious. “There’s been rumors of bombings and arson. They get more frequent by the day, but we don’t have any specific info on who’s behind it or when they plan to strike.”

   “The Burnish are on edge,” Meis continued. “We’re all still adjusting to the loss of the Promare. And without our power, there isn’t much we can do to fight back.”

   “And even if we did fight back,” Gueira added, “The media would probably spin it to make it look like it was the Burnish’s fault anyway.”

   Lio nodded, running the information over in his head and picking up a box of supplies. “You’re right. Fighting back isn’t an option; Burnish and non-Burnish relations are stressed as it is. Especially with Kray’s trial on the way. We can’t afford to- '' His sentence was cut off when a sudden loud explosion rang through the settlement, causing Lio to drop the cardboard box of supplies, it’s contents falling onto the dirt ground.

   “What the hell?!” Gueira shouted, looking over at the direction of the noise. 

   Screams echoed throughout the area as a nearby building suddenly burst into flames, smoke billowing into the sky to cast a fog over the settlement. 

   Meis looked over at the sight with wide eyes. “It’s one of the housing units. Shit!”

   Lio looked at the scene before him, rage and pain and the need to protect his people coursing through his veins. He took off without a word, racing towards the direction of flame and smoke. 

   “Boss!” Guiera raced after him, Meis hot on his heels.

   They raced through the settlement, weaving through the wave of Burnish that were rushing to get away from the explosion. 

   “Lio!” 

   Lio faltered mid-run when he heard his name. He looked through the crowd to see Aina and the rest of the Burning Rescue squad. Aina was waving her hands frantically, rushing through the crowd to meet up with Lio. 

   “We need to get back to the truck,” Aina spoke, slightly out of breath from adrenaline. “The explosion it-”

   “There’s no time for that!” Lio’s statement was punctuated by the groaning of the building as one of its walls began collapsing, the Burnish crying out as they attempted to escape. Lio continued racing towards the building that was engulfed in flames, Gueira, Meis, and Aina right behind him.

   “Are there people inside?” He shouted to his people, their faces pale and drawn and afraid, as they looked at their temporary home go up in flames that they could once control. 

   A terrified-looking woman looked up at him from where she was kneeling on the ground. “My daughter...oh my flames my daughter was in there-!”

   Lio crouched down so that he was eye level with the woman and put on a comforting smile. “I’m going to make sure she’s safe ok? I’ll find her.” 

   He stood up with determination and walked closer towards the crumbling building, shielding his face as the air grew thick with smoke and heat. 

   Aina grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him back to face her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” she shouted. 

   Lio scowled, growing impatient. “Our job is to save people from fires, correct?”

   “Lio you can’t just run in there without any backup!” Aina reasoned. “Look, the rest of the team is on their way-”

   The building groaned as a large portion of the siding fell to the ground, causing screams from the onlookers as they moved further away from the perimeter of the building. 

   Lio grit his teeth. “We don’t have time for that!” He shrugged Aina’s arm off and raced towards the entrance of the burning building, ignoring the shouts of “Lio!” and “Boss!” as he ran into the flames.

Chapter Text

   Galo decided he hated trials and anything having to do with them. 

   He fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair, trying to pay attention to all that was being said, feeling his hands begin to sweat as his brain tried to process what the woman had asked him. “Uh...could you repeat that?”

   The woman, Mrs. Ciara, sighed as she adjusted her glasses that lay perched on the tip of her nose. “I asked, Mr. Thymos, at what point exactly did you become aware of Mr. Foresight’s illegal experimentation on the Burnish?”

   Galo could have sworn he had already been asked this question. Multiple times, in fact. He chanced a look at Ignis, who appeared just as done with the whole situation, although it was hard to tell with his ever present sunglasses on.

   “As I said Gov-er, uh, Mr. Foresight,” Galo stumbled over his words, the man of topic still a fresh wound. “He-”

   An alarm suddenly blared, mercifully cutting Galo off. Ignis reached into his jacket to pull out his phone, reading the screen before promptly standing up and putting the device back in his pocket. 

   “We’re leaving.”

   Galo looked up at the Captain in confusion. 

   “There’s been a fire. We’re needed on site.” Ignis tilted his head towards Mrs. Ciara, who did not seem keen on being interrupted. “We’ll continue this another time.” 

   Galo quickly got up out of his chair while trying to avoid the glare that Mrs. Ciara was directing at them both. He rushed out of the room and followed Ignis down the hall of the courthouse.  “Captain what-?”

   Ignis cut him off. “There’s been a fire at the Burnish settlement.”

🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺

   Lucia, Remi, and Varys were quick to arrive at the scene of the fire as soon as Lio decided to run unequipped into the burning building. Remi and Varys were already getting situated in their mechs, and Lucia was hard at work analyzing the building’s structural damage and searching for any signs of life from her station in the firetruck.

   “Go after him!” Gueira shouted, glaring at Remi and Varys who looked down at him and Meis in confusion. Meis was currently holding onto Gueira’s thrashing upper body, preventing him from racing headfirst into the fire after Lio.

   “Gueira calm down!” Meis shouted. He wanted to run in there just as much as Gueira did, but he knew there wasn’t much they could do without the Promare. He just hoped Lio came to the same conclusion and got out of there before he did anything even more reckless.

   Aina ran to her mech as soon as it was delivered, jumping into the cockpit. She quickly started up the mech and flipped on her communication device. “Lio decided to run into a burning building completely unequipped,” she growled into the intercoms, anger masking her worry.

   “He won’t get too far,” Lucia responded, looking at her screens while Vinny chewed on some french fries. “Looks like the first floor’s stairwell is out of commission.”

   “Great,” Aina sighed, lifting off into the air. “Remi, Varys. If you can, one of you go get Lio. The other should start searching for survivors. I’ll follow behind you.”

   “I’ll get him,” Varys said, already driving his mech to the front of the building. 

   “Then I’ll be on search and rescue duty,” Remi spoke. 

   Both men took off in their mechs, circling the building and looking for an entrance.

   “Varys! There’s an opening on the south-east side. Lio should be right around there.” Lucia typed furiously on her keyboard, running scans and analyses on the burning building. 

   “I’m on it!” Varys called, making his way to the opening Lucia had described. 
  
   Aina continued to circle the air, looking for any survivors. 

   “Aina, over here!” Remi had found a group of Burnish who had made it to the second floor, his mech shielding the people from the flames and smoke.

   Aina flew over to where Remi was, opening the transportation device for people to enter. “We’ve got you!” Aina called out, the microphone projecting her voice to the Burnish. “Come in here and I’ll get you down to safety!” 

   The people looked weary, but fear quickly won out as the building let out another groan. Aina watched in relief as the group huddled onto her mech, and she prepared to take them down to the ground. 

   “Any more people, Lucia?” Remi asked, carefully maneuvering out from under the roof.

   “Hold up, I’m on it!” Lucia scanned the screens in front of her, Vinny also peeking his head up to look.

   “Any sign of Lio?” Aina called.

   “I’m still on it!” Varys responded. He moved carefully through the smoke and debris that had gathered on the first floor. Through his mech’s vision he could see the silhouette of Lio attempting to make his way upstairs.

  “Need some help, big boss?” Varys quipped.

   Lio spun around, covering his mouth and coughing. “Varys?”

   Varys adeptly reconfigured his mech to allow him to reach out to Lio, grabbing onto him and unceremoniously dropping him in the cockpit next to him. Lio offered little resistance, coughing and sputtering, his hair and face dark with ash. Varys offered him an oxygen mask and tank, which Lio gratefully took.

   “Sorry for the tight squeeze,” Varys apologized, adjusting himself back into the front seat of the mech. “But maybe think about grabbing your equipment before trying to go and play hero, ok?”

   Lio gave the large man a frown, but couldn’t really argue with him. 

   Aina cut over the intercom before Lio could thank him. “Lio! What were you thinking? Are you ok?”

   Lio sighed, the oxygen mask covering his face. “I’m fine. We need to make sure everyone gets out safe.”

   “Lucia?” Remi asked again.

   “Hold your horsepower!” Lucia quickly turned a few knobs and slammed down on a button. “And….there! Looks like everyone’s...wait. There’s someone on the fifth floor!”

   “I’ll get them,” Remi responded, already gearing up to climb to the next floor.

   “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Lucia warned.

   “What?” Remi called out.

   “The structural integrity of the building is unsound. From my readings, the cause of the explosion came from the fourth floor, the halfway point up the building. Whoever’s stuck up there, they’re in a tight spot.”

   Lucia zoomed into her virtual grid of the building. “We’re gonna need something smaller than your mechs to access them, otherwise the building will come down on top of them.”

   Aina cursed under her breath. “Someone’s gonna have to go in un-meched.”

   “I’ll go,” Lio’s voice came over the intercom. “Varys can take me up to the fifth floor, and I’ll grab them and get out. We don’t have time to waste.”

   “He’s right,” Lucia spoke. “By my calculations, we have less than 20 minutes until the building comes down.”

   “Alright then, let’s go Varys.”

   “Lio, don’t do anything crazy!” Aina called, feeling a sense of deja vu. She watched Varys navigate his way upwards to the fifth floor with Lio in tow. Remi had returned down to the ground, directing the onlookers a safe distance away from the building.
Varys directed his mech up to the 5th floor and opened the cockpit. “You sure you got this?”

   Lio nodded, already getting out of the mech and adjusting his equipment. “This isn’t my first time with fire. I’ll be fine. Just wait for me right here.”

   Varys was about to mention that this was probably Lio’s first time dealing with fire without his Promare, but the man had run off before he could say anything. He watched Lio’s back as he ran into the building, disappearing into the flames. 

   Aina flew her mech above Varys’ position, keeping watch for the both of them. “You better be safe,” Aina whispered under her breath.

   Just then she heard a loud voice cut over the intercom.

   “Hey guys!”

   Aina’s eyes widened. “Galo?!” 

   “The world’s #1 firefighter, at your service!”

   Aina looked down to see the Captain and Galo arriving in a Burning Rescue vehicle, Galo flailing his arms and waving up at her while Ignis took stock of everything.

   “What’s the situation?” Ignis’s voice came over the intercom.

   “We got most of the people safely out of the building, Captain,” Remi responded. “Varys and Lio are up on the fifth floor, attempting to rescue one last person. Lucia estimates the building will collapse in 18 minutes and counting.”

   Ignis nodded. “Sounds good. Varys, Lio, get the victim out as safely as possible. Remi, keep icing up the building to calm down the fire. Aina, keep watch out for any weak points that could start to crumble. Lucia, keep watch and let me know if anyone’s status changes. We gotta keep this building standing for as long as we can.”

   “Roger!” Burning Rescue responded.

   Galo ceased his waving on the ground, looking over to Ignis. “What about me, Captain?”

   “I’m gonna need you to make sure the Burnish are as far away from the building as possible. People’s safety is our #1 concern right now.”

   Galo grinned. “On it, Captain!” He rushed over to the group of Burnish, running into Meis and Gueira on his way. They, too, were helping direct the Burnish back towards safety, though they kept glancing back at the building with worried looks. Galo moved in to help. “Don’t worry guys! Burning Rescue is on the job!”

   Meis frowned at the energetic blue-haired man. “Where’s Boss?”

   Galo looked confused for a few seconds. “Oh, you mean Lio? He should be fine! He’s getting the last person out of the building with Varys.”

   Gueria directed a few kids further away from the blaze before turning back to Galo. “He better be fine. Or I swear I’ll-”

   Gueira’s threat was cut off by the deep voice of Varys shouting through the intercom over the sound of crashing metal. “LIO!”

🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺

   Lio knew he had to get in and get out. The Promare were no longer with him; he had no control over fire anymore. 

   He tried to make his way through the hanging debris as quickly as he could, Lucia’s (less than) 20 minute reminder of the building’s collapse weighing on his mind. He held his freeze gun close to his chest, ready to spray at any flames. He used the goggles Varys had given him that allowed him to see the heat signature of humans, courtesy of Lucia. They helped him navigate through the heat and smoke, thankful that Varys insisted he wear the oxygen mask as the smoke seemed to grow thicker by the minute. 

   Over there! 

   Lio saw the outline of a human figure, huddled over in the corner of one of the rooms. He weaved his way through the fire, ignoring the intense heat that burned at the edges of his skin as he sprayed the flames with ice. He rushed over to the victim - a young boy of 5 or 6 - and quickly felt for a pulse. He breathed a short sigh of relief. The boy was unconscious, but alive for now. There was no telling how much smoke he had inhaled, and Lio traded his oxygen mask with the boy, making sure he was breathing properly. “You’re gonna be ok,” he coughed out, instantly missing the clean air from the mask, but knowing that the boy needed it more. Now Lio just needed to get him out of here. 

   He reached down and picked the boy up in a fireman’s carry, just as Aina had taught him. He heard Remi over the intercom. “Lio. Status.”

   Lio opened his mouth to speak, letting out a quick cough as he inhaled more smoke. “I got him. He’s alive. On my way out.”

   Aina breathed a sigh of relief from up in her cockpit. Remi was doing a decent job of taming the flames, and she had a good view of Varys, who hovered by the fifth floor where Lio was, shooting out a barrage of ice wherever he could. 

   Lio moved as quickly as he could with the boy on his back. The heat was intense, much more than Lio had been prepared for, and he silently thanked Aina for insisting he wear his Burning Rescue jacket. He was finally able to push through the smoke and flames, seeing the bright yellow and orange of Varys’ mech.

   Varys noticed him right away. “All right Lio! Get on in here and we’ll head on down before this building decides to fall.”

   Lio jogged closer to the edge of the building, carefully handing off the boy to Varys. Just as Varys was about to get the boy situated in his arms, a loud screeching noise cut through the air, both men flinching back in shock. 

   “It’s coming down!” Lucia screeched.

   “Noted,” Varys grunted under his breath. 

   “Get the kid!” Lio shouted as the structure began to collapse around him. 

   Varys quickly placed the unconscious boy in the mech, turning back to Lio once he was strapped in. “Alright, get in!” he called out to Lio.

   Lio moved to get into the mech, but stumbled as he felt the floor begin to cave under him.

   “Hurry!” Varys yelled, navigating his mech to try and reach out to Lio.

   Acting on pure instinct, Lio tried to scramble up the rapidly falling floor, dropping his weapon and throwing his hands against anything that would offer a grip up. He was just about to reach the mech when a sickening crack came from above.

   Lio heard it before he felt it, and Varys could only watch in horror as the crumbling ceiling crashed atop of where Lio had just been. 

   “LIO!”

🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺

   Galo’s face went pale at Varys’ shout. 

   The building was collapsing in on itself, the loud sound of crunching metal against concrete echoing through the settlement. Gueira froze, and Meis looked at him with wide eyes. 

   “Is Boss-?”

   Galo took off before Gueira could finish his question. All that was running through his mind was that he had to get to Lio and make sure he was ok. 

   “Varys, what happened?” 

   Varys spoke from his side of the communication device, voice uncharacteristically shakey. “He got the kid, but the damn ceiling came crashing down before he could get out.”

   “Varys get the kid to the ground,” Ignis ordered. “Remi and Aina, circle the building and find Lio.”

   Lucia quickly ran a scan on the building, looking desperately for any sign of Lio.

   Vinny squealed next to her, pointing to the lower half of the building that showed a figure trapped underneath the burning rubble.

   “He’s on the second floor!” Lucia shouted.

   “I’ve got him!” Galo called, running as fast as his legs could carry him towards the wreckage.

   “Galo, stop!” Aina screamed into the comms. “You don’t have any protection! Remi is coming just-”

   “My burning soul is all the protection I need!” Galo yelled back at her, running headfirst into the burning wreckage. 

   Galo felt the intense heat as soon as he entered and stumbled back, but he pushed through it, trying to avoid breathing in as much smoke and ash as he could. “Lio!!” He called out before instantly regretting it, smoke making its way into his lungs before he coughed it back out. 

   “Galo, there’s an unblocked stairwell on your left!” Lucia called over the communication device. “Lio should be up there! Hurry!”

   Galo gave her a big thumbs up, knowing Lucia would be able to see it through her scans. Probably.

   Either way, he had to make it up to where Lio was, and fast. For all he knew Lio could be injured or…yeah he wasn’t gonna go down that trail of thought. Lio would be fine! After all, the Great Galo Thymos was here to rescue him! 

   He ran up the stairs that Lucia had mentioned, hopping over any flames or debris. 

  “Lio should be on your right, through the opening and by the wall!” Lucia directed. “It looks like he’s stuck…”

   Galo had heard enough. He got to the location Lucia mentioned, eyes wide and searching for any sign of Lio. He caught a flash of color: the bright red of a Burning Rescue jacket. He ran towards where Lio lay, crushed under a pile of concrete. “Oi, Lio!”

   Galo grabbed ahold of Lio’s upper body that peaked out from under the rubble. He desperately searched for a pulse when he saw he was unconscious, his worst fears of Lio fading and crumbling to ash as he begged Lio to stay with him - 

   Galo let out a short breath when he found a pulse. Lio was alive. That, Galo could work with. The giant concrete pile that Lio was under, however, he could not. At least, not alone. “Remi, I got Lio. I’m gonna need some backup.”

   “I’m already on my way,” Remi responded as quickly as the question had been asked.

   Less than a minute later, Remi and his mech broke through the opposite wall, spraying down the area with coolant. 

   “Over here!” Galo called, in the process of attempting to lift what he could off Lio.

  Remi didn’t hesitate, using his mech to carefully lift up the rubble crushing Lio. “Galo, grab him!”

   Galo didn’t need to be told twice as he reached underneath to grab ahold of Lio, carrying him bridal style. Remi made an easy exit path with his mech, allowing Galo to make his way outside with Lio in tow. Aina was lowering her chopper to the ground when Galo exited behind Remi. 

   Galo ran away from the smoldering building, far enough so he could place Lio gently on the ground to look him over for any injuries. He began to panic when he placed Lio’s limp body on the dirt, his gloved hands coming back bloodied. Galo could hear a bunch of footsteps rushing over to him, but he was too focused on turning Lio over to get the full extent of his injuries to register who was shouting his name. 

   A strong hand was placed on Galo’s shoulder, firm enough to snap him out of whatever trance he was in to see that Ignis had arrived along with a med kit. Ignis made quick work of cutting away Lio’s jacket and shirt, hoping to get a better look at the damage. 

   Lio had a deep gash cut across his back, along with dark bruises littering the rest of his body. 

   “Galo, hold him up for me.”

   Galo nodded numbly, positioning Lio so Ignis could wrap bandages around the bleeding wound. Ignis was nearly finished wrapping the bandages when Gueira and Meis suddenly appeared. 

   “Lio!” Meis dropped his knees, his usual title for Lio forgotten in the midst of his panic.

   “Is he ok? He’s gonna be ok, right?” Gueira asked, anxiety clear on his face. He wasn’t used to seeing Lio like this, frail and injured. 

   “Galo, help me get him into the truck,” Ignis ordered. “Aina,” he spoke to the pinked-haired girl who was rushing over. “Call the hospital and let them know we have someone coming in. Bruising, bleeding, and possibly a concussion and broken bones.”

   Aina nodded stiffly, looking down at Lio’s unconscious body being cradled in Galo’s arms as he carefully lifted him up and into the fire truck Lucia had pulled up sometime during all the commotion. Aina followed Galo inside the truck, watching Ignis attempt to calm down Gueira and Meis, assuring them that Lio would be well taken care of. Aina gently took Galo’s hand in hers when he sat down, still holding onto Lio as the truck took off towards the hospital. Aina ignored the blood on his gloves, giving his hand a soft squeeze of assurance. Galo blinked, finally registering her presence. 

   “He’ll be ok,” Aina promised. “He has a ‘burning soul’, right?” She attempted a smile, hoping Galo wouldn’t see how scared she really was.

   It must have been the right thing to say, because Galo’s expression quickly turned from scared and lost to a soft smile. “Yeah.”

Chapter Text

   Lio really didn’t want to open his eyes. The first thing he registered was pain. His whole body felt like it had been run over by a truck. Multiple times. 

   The Promare usually healed any wounds or sicknesses, their flames enveloping him and washing away any pain as soon as it came. Now without them, he felt every ache throughout his body. As his senses gradually came back to him, he registered someone holding onto his left hand, gently running their fingers over his knuckles. 

   He opened his eyes reluctantly, wincing when he was met with a bright light. He tried opening them again, slower this time, and realized he was surrounded by the stark white walls that signified some sort of hospital room. He panicked, his mind instantly going to the inhumane experimentation the Foresight Foundation had enacted on him and his people. He suddenly felt wide awake, his hand moving to rip off whatever was on his face that was making him breathe funny. A hand was holding tightly onto his arm and he wanted to scream and fight back but was stopped by a familiar voice.

   “Lio! It’s me! You’re ok!”

   He jerked, hearing a voice close to the bed. He frantically turned his head to see a very tired and worried looking Aina, her hand still keeping a firm grip on his arm.

   “You need to keep that on,” she explained softly, pointing to the oxygen mask on his face. “It’s helping you breathe.”

   Oh. Lio began to calm down as the adrenaline steadily stopped coursing throughout his body, slowing his racing thoughts. 

   “How are you feeling?” Aina asked, releasing her hold on Lio when she was sure he wasn’t going to tear off any of the various instruments that were helping him.

   Lio went to speak, but could only croak out a cough. Aina carefully adjusted his oxygen mask, taking it off to hand him a plastic cup of water. Lio took it gratefully, only now realizing how thirsty he was. He cleared his throat before handing the cup back to her. 

   “Is everyone ok?” He asked, ignoring her question. He hated how raspy his voice sounded.

   Aina sighed and gave him a wry smile. “Everyone but you.”

   “All the Burnish got out safely?” 

   Aina nodded. “Yes. Thankfully, there were no casualties. Any injuries or smoke inhalation were treated right away. Even the boy you got out is doing better. Everyone should make a full recovery. Oh!” She took out her phone, sending a quick message. “Sorry, I promised I’d text everyone to let them know when you woke up,” Aina explained. She looked down at her phone when a notification popped up. “Gueira and Meis are already on their way.”

   Lio hummed, taking in the information.

   Aina pocketed her phone, leaning forward and looking down at her lap where she folded her hands. “You really scared us, you know,” she spoke softly. “When Galo got you out…”

   “Galo?” Lio interrupted.

   “When the building fell...he ran right in to try and save you. He didn’t even have a mech, just ran right in.”

   Lio’s eyes widened. “Is he…?”

   Aina shook her head. “He’s fine, Lio. Like I said, you’re the one we were worried about. Mild blood loss, mild concussion, intense bruising, fractured ribs…” She listed off his injuries. “You’re lucky it wasn’t worse.”

   Lio frowned. “How long have I been here?”

   “It’s only been two days,” Aina answered. “The team’s been taking turns watching over you. The doctors said they’d figure out when you can be released once you’ve woken up.”

   As if on cue, a nurse entered the room to come and check on him. Aina must have rung for her as soon as he woke up. 

   “Lio Fotia, is it?”

   Lio moved to sit up, but stopped when he felt a searing pain down his back. 

   The nurse smiled sympathetically. “That would be the wound on your back. You had a large gash there. We had to put some stitches in to stop the bleeding, so I wouldn’t try moving a lot.”

   Lio begrudgingly nodded.

   The nurse took a look at his readings and, seemingly satisfied with what she was seeing, wrote down a few notes on her clipboard. She also gave him another dose of pain medication.

   “Your vitals seem to be good. Do you have any concerns?”

   “When will I be released?” Lio asked, getting straight to the point.

   The nurse looked down at her notes. “You should be free to go home later today, if you feel up to it. However, you will need to take it easy for the next week or so. No strenuous activity, and I suggest little screen time until your concussion fully heals.”

   Aina butted in before Lio could argue. “We’ll make sure he follows the care plan. Thank you.”

   The nurse nodded. “Please don’t hesitate to call for me if you need anything or have any more questions.” She exited the room, leaving Lio and Aina alone.

   Lio leaned back, suddenly feeling tired and wondering if that was a side effect of the pain meds or if that was a normal response for a body no longer inhabited by the Promare. “Do we know who started the fire?”

   Aina hesitated. “The team was talking about that when I left. Lucia was looking at the footage and- ”

   “BOSS!”

   Meis and Gueira interrupted their talk and rushed into the room, shouting in relief when they saw Lio was awake. 

   Aina stepped back to allow the two former generals space to get close to the bed. She could tell the two men wanted nothing more than to grab Lio in a tight hug, but they were more than likely holding back for fear of hurting him.

   “What the hell were you thinking? Running into a burning building?” Meis reprimanded angrily. “We don’t have the Promare anymore!”

   “Do you know how terrified we were? You could have died!” Gueira seethed, tears forming in his eyes.

   Lio suddenly felt like a child being scolded by his parents. He wanted to insist that he was fine and that he had everything under control, but the look in his best friends’ eyes stopped whatever words he was planning on saying. The only time Meis and Gueira ever got angry with him was when they were terrified that he’d go and get himself killed in some sort of self-sacrificing stunt. They both wore the same look they gave him months ago, before they launched him into the volcano, refusing to allow him to be captured by Freeze Force. It wasn’t a look he wanted to see on their faces anytime soon and yet here he was. So instead of arguing back, he swallowed his pride. “I’m sorry.”

   Meis instantly deflated, looking uncharacteristically vulnerable. “Just...don’t do anything stupid like that again.”

   “Yeah, or we’re gonna kick your ass,” Gueira ribbed, despite holding back tears. 

   Lio nodded, smiling sheepishly, though he knew he couldn’t exactly promise them anything. “I’ll try.” 

   The conversation he and Aina were having before they were interrupted suddenly popped back into Lio’s head. “Have you guys found out who was behind the attack at the settlement?”

   Gueira and Meis read his shift in tone, instantly going into business mode. 

   “Turns out it was an anti-Burnish attack. From a group that calls themselves ‘Flame Force’.” Meis spoke.

   “Flame Force…?”  Lio’s eyes narrowed.

   “The name is stupid as hell,” Gueira sneered. “They think they can take over Freeze Force’s job by fighting fire with fire. They’re afraid the Burnish are gonna ‘invade’ or something, even if we don’t have our powers anymore! Like we’re still monsters.”

   “And what better way to fight than with the one thing that once protected us?” Meis scoffed. “Bastards.”

   The new information weighed heavily on Lio’s shoulders. He knew their fight wouldn’t be over just because the Promare left, but to hear how much people still despised the Burnish, even with all that the Foresight Foundation had done being public knowledge, made him sick to his stomach.

   Aina returned from the corner of the room where she had been listening. “Burning Rescue will do all we can to help, if you’ll let us.” She looked to Meis and Gueira. “You’re a part of the team now, Lio. Your problems are our problems.”

   Lio shut his eyes for a moment, suddenly feeling tired again. “I won’t stop you guys from helping.” He opened his eyes with a sigh. “I have a feeling you and Galo especially won’t listen if I told you ‘no’ anyways.”

   Aina grinned. “Glad to see you’re starting to see how things work around here.”

   “Speaking of Galo,” Gueira interrupted. “Wasn’t he right behind us?”

   Meis thought for a moment. “I think he said he needed to pick up something?”

   “Oh~ A gift from your Knight in Shining Armor, perhaps?” Gueira teased.

   Lio rolled his eyes, hoping Gueira couldn’t see the faint blush on his cheeks. “Shut up.”

   Aina looked down at her phone, checking her texts. “It looks like he should be here any second.” She squinted at the screen, reading the messages from Galo. “He’s asking if there’s a table in here?” 

   The ex-members of Mad Burnish looked around the room, spotting a countertop against the one of the walls.

   “Would that work?” Gueira asked, pointing to it.

   Aina texted their observation back to Galo, who was currently in the process of trying, and failing, to get access to see Lio.

   Galo: aina they wont let me in :(

   Galo: wait can u comr and let me in? theyll listen 2 u rright?

   Galo: this thing is really hwavy and i dint want 2 drop it

   Galo: sorry if my texts r weird im typing thhs with one hand

   Aina winced. 

   Aina: Don’t worry I’m omw.

   “Looks like Galo needs some help,” Aina explained. “I think I’m gonna go make sure he’s ok.” She made her way to the door, leaving the Mad Burnish to talk amongst themselves. Aina snuck a quick glance down at her phone when she felt it vibrate.

   Galo: ty aina!!!! <33333

   Aina felt her cheeks redden. “What a dork,” she mumbled. 

🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺

   Aina expected a lot of things when she got to the hospital’s reception desk. Galo attempting to carry a giant box with one hand, frantically texting with the other, and trying to get the receptionist to allow him in to see “his one and only copilot Lio Fotia who he needed to see because he had a super special gift for him” was not exactly one of them. Aina knew better than to expect anything normal with Galo, but even then the man continued to surprise her.

   Galo’s eyes lit up. “Aina! You’re here!”

   Aina rushed over to take ahold of the giant box before it fell to the ground. “Geez Galo! Be careful!” She looked at the receptionist and smiled apologetically. “He’s with me. I’ll make sure he stays out of trouble. Is it ok if I take him back to see our friend?”

   The receptionist looked wearily at Galo. “Alright. Just please be mindful of the other patients.”

   “Will do ma’am!” Galo saluted. 

   Aina sighed, grabbing Galo by the hand and pulling him back to Lio’s room. The duo arrived to see Gueira and Meis sitting on either side of Lio who, despite his prominent eye bags and drooping posture, was still awake and talking.

   “Lio!” Galo rushed over to Lio’s bedside. “How are you feeling? Are you ok?”

   “I’m fine.” Lio’s guard went up as he steeled the emotion on his face. He looked down, picking at the edges of his blanket. “Thank you for, uh…”

   Galo watched as Lio trailed off, not used to the ex-Burnish acting embarrassed.

   Ah. It hit Galo then, what Lio meant. “No problem, Lio!” He grinned, pointing a thumb at his chest. “It’s my job as a firefighter to rescue people! Just...uh…don’t do that again ok?”

   Lio smiled wryly. “I’ve been hearing that a lot.”

   “Yeah well…” Galo’s voice grew serious. “We all really care about you Lio. Seeing you injured like that, and not knowing if you were gonna be ok...” Galo took a deep breath, Aina placing her soft hand on his in her attempt at comforting him like she had when they had brought Lio here just two days ago.

   Lio’s face softened as he looked around the room at the haunted faces of his friends. Apparently his injury had scared them all a lot more than he thought it had. “I’m sorry,” he spoke softly.

   “It’s ok Lio,” Galo smiled. “Your burning soul’s not going down that easily!”

   Lio rolled his eyes, but smiled at Galo’s never-ending optimism. 

   “Oh wait!” Galo suddenly jumped up, breaking the silence and nearly causing Aina to fall over in the process. “Aina! The box!”

   Aina lifted the large box off the table she placed it on when she walked back into the room and handed it to Galo. “Seriously, what’s in there, Galo? It better not be another one of those giant plush Fanfare Pizza bears.”

   “Nope! Even better!” Galo opened the cover of the box with a flourish, presenting it so Lio could see. “Ta-da!”

   Lio’s eyes widened. “Is that…?”

   Galo grinned excitedly, shaking his head up and down. “Yeah! It’s a ‘Get-Well-Soon Cake’! I wasn’t sure what your favorite flavor was, so I got all of them!” He pointed to each quarter of the cake. “Vanilla cake with vanilla icing, chocolate cake with vanilla icing, chocolate cake with chocolate icing, and vanilla cake with chocolate icing! Oh! And look!” Galo pointed to the cake. “I asked them to put a little Promare in the middle!”

   Sure enough, in the center of the cake was a little pink and teal flame with a small smiley face. 

   “I tried describing it the best I could, and I think he turned out pretty cute!”

   Lio could only stare at the dessert in awe. “I haven’t had cake in…” He thought for a moment. “I guess ever since before I became Burnish.”

   “What!?!” Galo gasped like Lio had just admitted to setting the local grocery store on fire. 

   “It’s not like we could afford to get something like cake on the run,” Lio defended.

   “Well you gotta eat it then!”

   Lio blinked when Galo shoved the cake closer to his face. “Do you expect me to eat this with my hands?”

   “What? No. Obviously you use a fork and- Oh shit.” Galo groaned. “I forgot to bring forks and plates!”

   “Oh my god,” Aina held her face in her hands.

   “There might be paper plates and forks I could steal - I mean borrow - from the cafeteria downstairs,” Gueira offered. 

   “I’ll go with if you promise us a piece of that cake, Boss,” Meis added. 

   “Of course,” Lio waved his hand. “Knock yourselves out. Just don’t get in trouble.”

   “Aye aye, Boss!” Gueira saluted, grabbing Meis by the hand and running out the door to get the paper utensils.

   “Thank you for the cake, Galo,” Lio spoke once Meis and Gueira left the room. “Even if I can’t exactly eat it right now.”

   “I mean you could always lick the icing,” Galo suggested.

   Lio planned on responding with a witty comeback, but instead let out a giant yawn.

   “Oh! Are you tired? We can save the cake for later.” Galo placed the cake back over on the table, out of Lio’s way.

   “If you’re tired, you should rest,” Aina suggested. “Your body needs time to heal.” 

   Lio frowned, wanting nothing more than to stay awake and continue talking, but knowing that he was steadily losing the fight against sleep.

   “Don’t worry, Lio! Aina and I will watch over you!” Galo pulled Aina closer to him, causing her cheeks to heat up as she found herself against his very toned chest.

   Lio gave her a knowing look from his view on the bed.

   “Not a word, Fotia.” Aina muttered as she thanked whatever god was out there that Galo had decided to wear his tight black T-shirt that left little to the imagination.

   “Huh?” Galo asked, completely lost.

   “Nothing!” Both Lio and Aina responded, feigning innocence.

   Lio felt his eyelids grow heavy, listening to Galo and Aina playfully argue over which flavor of cake was better. He let the playful banter of his teammates and friends lull him to sleep.

   He just hoped they would leave a piece of cake for him when he woke up.