Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The process of getting all the Burnish down from the Parnassus pods following the defeat of Kray Foresight was exhausting and gruesome. Aina was able to fly up to the top rows of the pods, helping anyone who could walk into the back of her ship. Varys and Remi used their mechs to reach the upper rows, and eventually, more rescue teams arrived on the scene. Any freed Burnish that were capable began opening more pods themselves, but the number of pods Aina opened to find piles of ash was enough to make her stomach churn. 

She did her best to keep tabs on the operation from above, particularly the members of Burning Rescue. More specifically, she watched out for Galo. He had been through a lot over the past week, and she wanted to make sure he was okay. She wanted to support him in any way that he needed. From above, she could just make out the view of his familiar blue mohawk, now glued to the side of a minty green blob. 

Every time Aina looked for Galo, she found him beside Lio, as if piloting Deus x Machina together had permanently joined him to the arsonist’s hip. Aina was certainly happy they had saved the world together, and that Lio was somehow susceptible to Galo’s special breed of idiot, but she wasn’t completely convinced. She knew the Burnish had been forced to do whatever they could to survive, but Lio was still a terrorist. He spoke with a guarded, commanding tone, and he eyed everyone he met with a suspicious glare. In fact, he seemed completely unwilling to accept help from anyone except Galo. 

Aina wasn’t heartless, though. She still felt the pull in her chest when she opened the pods containing the two Mad Burnish generals. Upon her return to the ground, the two had burst out of the containment chamber immediately, charging Lio with a massive hug and sobbing unabashedly. Aina watched the heartfelt moment from a distance, and the two appeared to even thank Galo for saving Lio’s life. 

When she saw Galo eventually leading Lio over to one of the first aid tents that had been set up after countless hours of work, she made her way to the ground to check in with him. Galo’s head turned in her direction at the sound of her boots crunching on the rubble beneath her. 

“Hey, Aina,” Galo called. Her friend was seated on the ground next to Lio, convincing him to drink some broth. Aina got a better look at the arsonist for the first time all day. His skin and hair were smeared with ashes and barbed wire cuts dug into his shirtless chest and arms. His thin fingers were shaking as he slowly lifted his cup to his mouth, eyes too glazed over to offer her his usual glare. She grimaced at the way his hollow cheeks and bare abdomen revealed how starving he actually was beneath all the leather. 

Galo wasn’t fairing much better. Aina’s face crossed with concern at the massive bruises covering Galo’s body, and the exhausted drooping of his eyes. 

“No offense, Galo, but you look like shit,” she smiled down at him. “You should go get some rest, I’m sure we can handle it here.” 

“I already heard it from Ignis.” Galo looked dejected, clearly not wanting to leave, but also on the verge of collapse. “Lio and I are going to head back to my apartment to sleep for a bit. Apparently, it survived the wreckage.” 

“You and… Lio,” Aina echoed, gaze turning to the smaller man. He still hadn’t looked up at her, face shifting downward as if he was about to pass out into his soup. Aina made note of how much his frail body was relying on Galo’s shoulders to stay upright. 

“Right,” Galo confirmed. “That way, I’ll be able to make sure he gets some rest and bring him back tomorrow.” Aina hesitated to respond, eyes shifting between the pair. 

“Galo, can I talk to you for a minute? In private?” 

“Sure?” Galo turned and whispered something to Lio, gently lifting from his spot next to him. The other leaned his head back against the piece of rubble behind them, face flushed. Aina pulled him out of earshot.

“Are you sure inviting Lio to stay in your apartment is the best idea?” She put her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. “You just met him. He’s been a terrorist for literally years. What if he steals all your things or murders you in your sleep or something?” Galo frowned.

“I appreciate the concern, but Lio would never do that.” The response was immediate. “Lio is a good person.” 

“I’m sure Lio is a fine person, Galo, I just don’t want anything to happen to you,” Aina explained. “What about his Mad Burnish friends?”

“Gueira and Meis will be overseeing things here in order for Lio to rest. That’s the only way he agreed to come.” 

“Can’t he sleep in one of the medics tents with all the other Burnish? I really don’t see any need for you to invite him into your home, Galo, he’s a stranger! Don’t be an idiot.” Aina was bristling. 

“Aina, Lio needs me. What kind of rescuer would I be if I left him here alone after I promised to save him.”  Aina could see the determination and compassion in Galo’s eyes that was what made her love him so much in the first place. And behind it, she saw something that said the unspoken, and I need him too . She exhaled loudly.

“Fine, Galo, but make sure you get a ride from someone instead of walking. I’ll be checking on you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Aina.” 

-

Aina was able to catch a few hours of sleep inside her ship later in the day, rotating with the other Burning Rescue members to make sure someone was constantly at work. By lunch the next day, over 24 hours later, she had still not heard from Galo. The only one who had heard anything from him was Ignis, who informed her that he had not allowed Galo to return due to the ordeal the day before. Still, Aina couldn’t shake the gnawing in her stomach that something could be wrong. 

On her next break, she took her bike over to Galo’s apartment to check in. She texted him before leaving, letting him know she’d be by, but received no response. Her blood was pumping in her ears as she ascended the stairs in Galo’s apartment building. How had she let Galo return home with a dangerous arsonist?

She knocked on the door, fidgeting anxiously for a response. She was about to kick the door in when it finally cracked, relief washing over her at the sight of Galo’s intact face. 

“Aina?” he asked, voice dropped to a whisper. “Hold on, Lio is sleeping and I don’t want to wake him.” He shut the door to the apartment to unlock it fully, then stepped outside. Through the crack, Aina could make out Lio’s tousled green hair on the pull out couch, his body buried in a mountain of blankets. 

Aina’s nose was flooded with the smell of bacon and coffee during the brief moment the door was open. Galo was clad in only sweatpants and an apron.

“Are you cooking?” Aina’s mouth gaped. Galo didn’t cook. Galo didn’t eat anything other than pizza.  

“Yea,” Galo looked a little sheepish, running a hand through his hair as a faint blush colored his cheeks. Aina blinked, thinking for a moment she had imagined it. Galo must’ve read Aina’s confusion and chuckled in what appeared to be further embarrassment. 

“I didn’t know what Lio liked for breakfast, so I’ve just been making a little of everything until he wakes up.” 

“Oh.”

“So what brings you over? Did something happen at the crash site?” Galo’s brows wrinkled in concern, and he looked ready to jump into rescue mode at a moment’s notice.

 “No, no, everythings fine at the site! I just… wanted to make sure you were okay. How have you been?” 

“I’ve been doing okay, crazy sore though. When we got back, I helped Lio to the shower and set him up on the couch. His entire body is freezing. He’s woken up a few times, but he doesn’t seem fully aware yet and I don’t want to disturb him. Who knows the last time he slept, you know?” 

“Right.” Aina had been more interested in how Galo was doing, but the other didn't seem very concerned about himself. Typical Galo. 

“Any updates on the rescue efforts I can pass when Lio wakes up?” 

“Almost all the Burnish are out of the pods. They’re working on trying to get a head count and a death toll. We’re trying to set up some temporary shelters and food supplies so we can move on to cleaning the wreckage.”

“Oh man, I can’t imagine how long that’s going to take. Hopefully, tomorrow, Ignis will allow me to help. My burning soul will get the city back to new in no time.” Galo grinned with pride, and again Aina found herself softened by his resolve. “Do you want to come inside? I’ve got plenty of food for you.” Aina had used her break to come here, so her stomach was empty. 

“That sounds great, Galo, thank you!” She was honestly curious to see what he had prepared.  

“Just be quiet, okay? I don’t want to wake Lio,” Galo reminded again, slowly creaking open his apartment door and slipping inside to the kitchen. 

Aina gawked. Galo’s kitchen was littered with more shopping bags than she’d ever seen him possess in her life:  orange juice, milk, fruit, cereal, eggs, toast, waffles, bacon, and pancakes. 

“Don’t worry,” Galo laughed quietly. “I’ll have no problem eating what you and Lio don’t finish.” Aina took a seat at Galo’s small table and fixed herself a plate of overcooked, but not too terrible, food. As she was eating, she was still a little dumbfounded that Galo had gone through all this trouble just for Lio. For a person that he had met only a week prior. 

While she ate, Galo recounted to her what had happened after Lucia launched him inside the Parnassus. She was impressed that Galo was managing to whisper for so long. Aina informed him that Kray had since been taken into custody, and she watched the pain and relief swirl in Galo’s expression. She wished she could comfort him somehow, after the betrayal of the man that had essentially served as his father. Aina had a lot of feelings to work through herself, given Heris’ involvement, but she imagined that didn’t compare to finding out your hero basically murdered your parents. 

“It’ll work out okay,” she assured him, offering a smile and hoping it didn’t seem too forced. Aina extended her hand, reaching for Galo’s across the table. Before she could make contact, they were interrupted by a cry from the living room. 

It was what Aina could only describe as a whine of agony, followed by the sound of thrashing limbs and sobbing. 

“Lio!” Galo shot up from his seat as if a fire alarm had gone off, and was rushing into the other room. Aina got the suspicion this wasn't the first time this had happened, and made her way to the doorway of the kitchen.

Lio seemed completely oblivious to their presence. She watched as he shot up on the couch, magenta eyes blown wide with fear and tears running down his face. He seemed panicked and confused as he kicked the blankets off himself as though he was breaking from imprisonment. 

“No, no,” he choked out, finally freeing himself. Even from her distance, Aina could see his entire body shaking. She could hear him struggling to draw in panicked breaths of air between choked sobs. 

He looked ready to bolt from the couch when Galo reached him, settling next to him and reaching his hands towards Lio’s face. The other struggled at first, growling and thrashing against Galo’s hands in an attempt to run from him.

“Lio, it’s me,” Galo’s voice was slow, but loud enough to carry over Lio’s frantic crying. “You’re in my apartment.”

“Lio, look at me.”

“Lio. Lio, it’s Galo.”

Finally, the other stilled enough for Galo to pull his gaze towards him. Meeting Galo’s eyes seemed to offer Lio some amount of calm, and Aina watched realization slowly appear on his face. 

“G-Galo.” Lio’s voice was completely broken and vulnerable, in a way she had never heard it before. 

“Lio. It’s okay, I’m here.” Galo spoke to Lio in his rescue voice, smooth and calming in a way that could relax a wounded animal. Aina had heard him use this voice many times before with their fire victims, and swelled with affection each time she witnessed Galo’s soft and gentle side. 

Galo’s fingers traced gentle circles on Lio’s face. The smaller man was practically swimming in one of Galo’s burning rescue t-shirts, and a pair of Galo’s sweatpants that had the draw strings pulled tight around his waist in an attempt to hold them up. She couldn’t help the sour jealousy that rose in her throat at the idea of someone wearing Galo’s clothes, or someone being cradled in his warm, muscular arms. She had to remind herself that Lio had just suffered a serious trauma, and Galo was offering him kindness. 

Aina felt like she was watching something intimate as Galo tucked his hand against the back of Lio’s head, threading his fingers into the other’s messy, green locks and pulling him to his chest. Lio’s body shook with more sobs and his fingers curled into Galo’s bare chest. Aina knew she should probably leave, that this moment was private and meant for the two of them, but she couldn’t pull her eyes away. 

“It’s okay, Lio.” Galo’s voice was impossibly soft. “Kray can’t hurt us anymore. I’ve got you. I won’t let anyone take you.” Aina’s entire body flinched over the word us and pulled her from her daze. A burning lump in her throat had formed with the realization that Galo and Lio shared a similar experience that she would always be separate from. The pain that Kray had caused them would be something unique to the two of them, and that what had happened between them in the core of the Paranassus had given them a place of trust and safety with one another. 

It wasn’t a place where Aina belonged.

Neither Lio or Galo seemed to notice her when she silently collected her things and left the apartment. 

Chapter Text

Ignis sat at his desk in his office, pretending to read the newspaper. He did this often, sitting with the door open under the guise of reading. In reality, he was observing his team, and his  sunglasses gave him an extra advantage at this ruse. It was important for him as the captain to keep tabs on the work and well being of the crew. 

Recently, things had been especially difficult for everyone.

Cleaning the rubble left behind from the Second World Blaze had taken weeks. It required effort from every rescue team in all of Promopolis. They had used all of their manpower and equipment available to clear rubble, rescue trapped victims, and allocate resources such as shelter and food.

Ignis and his team had barely found any time to rest, but even he could admit that no one worked harder than Galo and Lio. As a result, he made sure to spend extra time checking in on them. The two were constantly working, day and night, to help those in need. Ignis continued to remind them to rest, but he could see the burning desire in Galo’s eyes, and the steel determination and anger behind Lio’s flat expressions. Each day, the pair would work tirelessly, then return to Galo’s apartment for a few hours of rest, and repeat the cycle. 

The government power shifts were a clusterfuck, but Ignis did his best to advocate for the Burnish in any way he could. His seniority and personal connections gave him some pull with the higher ups of the city. He was able to secure pardons for the members of Mad Burnish, with the promise that they would be performing community service under his close watch. Ignis knew this leniency was in part due to the fact that the entire city regarded Galo as a hero, and Galo had adopted Mad Burnish into his personal bubble. When Ignis broke the news, Lio had tried to hide his relief behind a curt thank you. Galo, on the other hand, was overjoyed that Lio didn’t have to go to prison. He had swept the smaller man into a fierce hug, spinning him obnoxiously until Ignis cleared his throat. 

The three leading members of Mad Burnish had no fire fighting skills to offer (unsurprisingly), so Ignis offered them a small supply closet to use as an office instead. Their community service consisted primarily of organization of Burnish rehabilitation efforts, so they would need a home base. It wasn’t much, but Ignis was certain it was a better option than anything the government would have decided without him. 

Truth be told, Ignis had offered Lio the place in Fire Station 3 not only to help the Burnish, but for Galo. The rookie of Burning Rescue may not be related to him by blood, but Ignis took care of his own whenever he could. It was obvious that Galo had no intention of letting Lio go anywhere without him. The relentless man had basically followed Lio around like a puppy for weeks now, constantly fretting over him. Ignis couldn’t blame him for latching onto the other. Galo had truly looked up to Kray his entire life, and even viewed him as a father figure. Finding out that Kray had essentially killed Galo’s parents, and tried to get Galo himself killed, had been jarring news for all of Burning Rescue. Galo had gone against the closest thing he had to family to do what he thought was right, and Ignis was incredibly proud. 

Thankfully, Lio didn’t seem at all bothered by his new companion. In fact, Galo seemed to have earned Lio’s trust completely. Ignis knew that both of them were a little lost and struggling to navigate moving forward from what had happened. If he could provide them with a place to feel more comfortable, it was the least he could do. Galo deserved to have someone in his life that would stick by him. 

Today was the first day in the past weeks that Burning Rescue had not been called to a site for aid. Ignis was finally able to get through some paperwork he wanted to finish. It had taken him a lot of time, given that the members of Mad Burnish had no legal documentation, but it was for something he knew would be very important to a certain blue haired firefighter. He pretended to finish reading his paper, tucking the pages back into one another on his desk, and went out into the break room.

Lio was sitting on the couch next to Galo, the two of them focusing on a game of Smash Ultimate against Gueira and Meis. Aina was pretending not to stare at the duo by listening to Remi and Varys discuss a new Netflix show. Lucia was focused on her computer, rapidly typing into multiple keyboards at once. 

It almost hurt Ignis to disrupt the peace. He cleared his throat, and slowly, all eyes shifted in his direction.

“Fotia, can I talk to you in my office for a minute?” 

“Sure,” Lio replied, pressing pause on his controller and passing it into Galo’s hand without looking down. He followed Ignis into his office with a straight face, ignoring the gazes of everyone that followed. Lio was a leader, and he’d made it very clear from the beginning that he didn’t view Ignis as his superior. 

“Close the door,” Ignis requested, and Lio complied. The smaller man took a seat in the chair across from Ignis’ desk, crossing his legs. Ignis felt Lio’s eyes boring into him as he made his way back to his seat, and he could feel the unease beneath them. Despite spending the past weeks with Burning Rescue, Ignis knew that Lio hadn’t fully warmed up to him yet. Under normal circumstances, Ignis expected full respect and obedience from his team. But in Lio’s case, he knew it was a matter of trust instead of respect. Ignis was a long time Promopolis official, and he hoped today might help make his intentions a bit more clear. 

“What can I do for you?” Lio asked. Despite the fact that he was no longer leading a terrorist organization, Lio’s demeanor always shifted to the same level of seriousness in any situation that might involve the former Burnish. He leaned his elbow against the arm of the office chair, pushing his hand into his cheek. 

“Actually,” Ignis began. “I have something for you.” 

“Something for me?” Lio hesitated over the words as Ignis opened his desk drawer, pulling out a collection of envelopes. He handed the first to Lio.

“It took me a lot longer than I expected to put everything together. Freeze Force did a hell of a job making sure the Burnish couldn’t be traced.” Ignis noted how Lio’s body stiffened at the mention of Freeze Force. His hands were rigid he reached for the envelope, studying it for a moment before he started to open it. With a slight quiver to his fingers, Lio began pulling out the paperwork.

“These are… Promopolis citizenship papers.” Lio’s voice dropped to a whisper. His eyes widened, and Ignis pretended not to notice the glaze of tears forming in them. 

“You and your companions were hard to track down, but I finally managed to find legal documentation for all three of you.” Lio’s fingers traced over the words on the page in his hands, and a teardrop wetted the top corner.
“Now that you have official documents, I’d like to formally extend an offer of permanent employment to the three of you, along with compensation for the past few weeks of work.” When Ignis passed over three more envelopes, marked with the names of each Mad Burnish member, Lio’s hands had started shaking. More silent tears pooled as he opened the envelope marked Lio, revealing two weeks worth of full time pay and an employment offer letter. 

“I…,” Lio stumbled for words in a way that Ignis had never witnessed before. “I can’t possibly…. I…”

“You can. And you will,” Ignis replied. “As your new boss, that’s an order, Fotia.” 

“But I don’t-”

“You’ve done more than enough to help the Burnish people of Promopolis. It’s about damn time you were compensated for it.” 

“Compensated,” Lio repeated, still sounding dumbfounded, his gaze focused on the bills in his hands. Ignis had prepared Mad Burnish’s paychecks in cash, under the accurate suspicion that they did not have bank accounts. 

“I figured the news would mean more to Gueira and Meis if it came from you, so I gave you theirs as well.” At the mention of his companions, Lio tucked his own envelope behind theirs, and shakily stood. He took a moment to inhale a deep breath, and then met Ignis’ gaze and nodded. Ignis noted the glint of hope in his eyes, and the edge of excitement he was trying to keep from his expression. 

“Thank you for this,” he whispered. 

 Ignis nodded back, and Lio turned to leave. “I’m going to tell them about it right away.” 

As the other approached the door, Ignis spoke again. “Fotia, one more thing.” 

Lio gazed back, hand lingering on the office door knob.

“Take good care of Galo,” Ignis said. 

Lio’s lips turned up in a small smile. “Always.” 

Ignis got the feeling that Lio had every intention of keeping his word. He returned to pretending to occupy himself with more paperwork, and Lio opened the door to the office. There was a chorus of voices that erupted a few moments after that, and from behind his sunglasses, Ignis saw Galo lifting Lio into another massive, spinning hug. Gueira and Meis were soon swept into the hug as well, and Ignis chuckled.

Things were hard, but there were bright days ahead. 

Chapter Text

The sound of Lio’s voice carried from his small office and over the clacking of Lucia’s fingers on her many keyboards. It was a disturbance the members of Burning Rescue had become used to over the past few months since Lio had moved in, but that didn’t make his phone calls any less painful to overhear. 

“What do you mean you’re backing out?” It was the same voice that Lio used when he was commanding the Burnish, but now it was laced with anger and disappointment. Even Vinny stopped what he was doing on Lucia’s desk to listen, cheese dropping from his tiny paws. Luicia knew that Lio was likely having another heated discussion regarding Burnish rehabilitation. She thought that, besides herself, Lio was working the most often. She had heard many phone calls go this way over the past few weeks. 

It was admirable, to see someone as motivated for their passions as she was, but things were different for Lucia. She worked for the pure thrill of science. Lucia’s projects always went far beyond what was needed, and no one’s well being was tied to the efficiency of her work. Lio was slaving away to help an entire group of people. 

“And where exactly are all of these people supposed to go?”

“They can’t get jobs, nowhere will hire them!”

 At every response, Lio’s voice rose louder and louder, before eventually cracking into the phone. Lucia was generally very interested in other people’s business, but every time these calls occurred, she never knew how to help. Puzzles involving social interaction were always a bit more convoluted than those of mathematical nature. 

“Right, well, rot in hell.” 

Lucia heard the phone slam loudly against the desk. All of the firehouse was silent enough to hear a pin drop. Normally, no one would dare speak to Lio for the next few hours. The heat of anger that could be felt radiating from his office was nearly as hot as a Burnish flare, and his furious glare could probably strip flesh from bone. 

“Vinny?” After a few more moments of heavy silence, the rat beside her looked suggestively at the tech that Lucia had been working on. Lucia followed his gaze to the robot in the corner of her laboratory. It was a new, portable fire truck tech she had been building over the past few weeks, since things had finally slowed down with the rebuilding efforts. It could attach to the roof of any car, and launched water as opposed to ice, since the freezing of Burnish flames was no longer necessary. 

“Excellent idea, my rat companion!” Vinny had always been something of a romantic. If anyone could think of a way to cheer Lio up (besides Galo), it was the rat. 

Lucia rose from her desk, popping a piece of candy in her mouth. Vinny leapt onto her shoulder for the short ride over to Lio’s office. Lucia braced herself to push through the wall of wrath that created an invisible barrier in front of his doorway. Despite the fact that all of Promepolis had seen Lio at his most angry and hurt, destroying nearly half of the city in the process, Lio still somehow managed to shield himself behind unapproachable seriousness and rage. 

When she arrived, Lio’s face was buried in his hands. His fingers were threaded into his bangs and clenched white. His breathing was rough as he tried to calm himself down. Lucia knew that, if uninterrupted, Lio would hold that position for at least a solid fifteen minutes.

“Want to come blow off some steam with me?” Lucia asked with a toothy grin. She knew the key variable in this situation was her own emotional stability. Galo got through to Lio because he never faltered, so Lucia did her best to seem unphased by Lio’s demeanor. Lio pulled his hands from his face slowly, as if he had almost decided against acknowledging her at all. Lucia didn’t comment on how it was wet with angry tears. “I’ve got a new toy I’ve been working on.” 

“I thought Galo helped you test your toys,” Lio’s voice was strained as he worked to compose himself, clearing his throat and poorly pretending to look at whatever paperwork was scattered out on the desk in front of him. He hadn’t ordered her to leave immediately, so Lucia considered this a scientific breakthrough. Perhaps Lio was more receptive to others than she had originally thought. 

“Not this one,” Lucia pulled her lollipop from her mouth and pointed in Lio’s direction. “Testing this type of toy will require someone with your specific expertise.” 

“Expertise?”

“Trust me, you’re gona love it,” Lucia insisted.

“Vinny!” the rat agreed. Lucia was thankful she had him as back up. Lio hesitated, frowning.

“I really need to finish this paperwork.” His voice was quiet as he tried to retreat into himself, but Lucia figured it was safe to press a little more. All good experiments involved a bit of risk. 

“Just one time,” she pleaded. “If you don’t like it, you won’t have to come again.” Lio narrowed his eyes, blistering with a developing annoyance, but Lucia forced herself to meet the gaze. 

“You’re not going to go away until I say yes, are you?”

“That’s the spirit!” Lucia flashed her teeth at him again. Lio gave a weighted sigh and rose from his desk, grabbing his jacket. Lucia celebrated internally at her victory. It would be good for Lio to get out of the office and have some fun. And if anyone understood fun, it was her. 

“What do I have to do?” 

“Well, my good man, for this test, we’ll have to take a drive. Come with me.” Lucia led him into the common room. Everyone gazed at them in soft surprise as they entered, Lucia looking as relaxed as ever and Lio hanging awkwardly next to her. 

“Lio and I are going to test my new mech,” she announced loudly. “Let Galo know not to wait up when he gets back from his call.” 

“Alright,” Aina popped her bubble gum, gaze going back to her phone. “Have fun!” 

“Remi, we’re taking your car.”

“You’re doing WHAT-!” Remi spit his coffee from his mouth back into his cup, but it was too late. Lucia had materialized his keys from her lab coat pocket and was heading out to the garage. She had, in her free time, secretly acquired copies to keys of all the Burning Rescue member’s vehicles and apartments- just in case. 

Lucia had Lio help her secure her precious creation on top of Remi’s clean, white sudan, and load a few backpacks of supplies into the trunk. One of which, Lucia informed him, was full of purely snacks. 

Vinny rode on the dashboard as they navigated the streets of Promepolis. Lucia could admit that she wasn’t the best driver, on the basis of how many cars honked at them as they sped around.  Remi’s car was nothing compared to the technological beasts she was used to having her hands on, but at least she was enjoying herself. 

Lio sat mostly in silence as they went, staring out the window, unless Lucia prompted him to talk. He didn’t seem at all phased by the erratic style of her driving, but then again, he used to drive a motorcycle that was conjured by an alien life form. Lucia was dying to pick his brain about the Promare, for science, of course, but she held herself back. This wasn’t supposed to be an interrogation. Maybe, if Lio decided he enjoyed this excursion, she could question him about it next time. 

Lucia drove them into the outskirts of Promepolis, far from the range of the city’s prying eyes, where the ground was a barren desert. She stopped outside of an old, broken shack. 

“Alrightie, we’re here.” She got out of the car, and Lio raised his eyebrows at her. 

“We’re at a shed in the middle of nowhere,” Lio deadpanned. 

“Right! This is the perfect place for my top secret experiment!”  

Lucia cackled, wiggling her fingers dramatically over the trunk as her chest filled with excitement. She pulled out two of the backpacks and unzipped them. “Have at it, Lio.” 

The ex Burnish tucked his hair behind his ear and kneeled down next to the backpacks, assessing the contents with confusion. He pulled one of the items out, and Lucia studied his facial expression. She watched the pull of confusion on his face smooth out. She knew Lio was straining to keep his expression neutral. 

“These are… fireworks?” he asked.

“That’s right, my pyro friend.” Lucia pulled out her clipboard and pen from one of the other backpacks.

 “And you’re going to use them to light that “shed in the middle of nowhere,” on fire for me.” Lio’s eyes went wide and he stared at her. Lucia couldn’t tell if he thought she was a maniac or a goddess. She opted for goddess. 

“What?”

“I said what I said.”

“You want me to light that shed on fire.”

“Sure do.”

“Why?” Lucia shrugged like it was obvious.

“How am I supposed to test my new robot’s abilities to put out fires if there are no fires? Duh. This is for science. It’s an important part of every tech I make.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be a firefighter?” Lio pursed his lips, but Lucia saw him rummaging through the pack with increasing interest. Lucia had been saving these fireworks since she’d acquired them last year during the holidays. 

“Are you Galo all of the sudden? I didn’t join Burning Rescues to fight fires, I joined to work with super cool robots!” Lucia was tingling with anticipation at the idea of seeing her new creation in action. 

“How did you test your robots before?”
“Same way, my dude, I just didn’t have any assistants. I couldn’t exactly ask anyone back at the station to help me start a fire.” Lucia liked to come up with creative new methods every time she tested one of her robots. She considered it an experiment, to figure out the best method for starting a test fire and to assess how her creations would fare against different types of fires. In reality, it was just kind of fun to play with the explosives.

“I’m starting to see what you meant when you said you needed my expertise.” Lio chuckled a little, and he began carrying the backpacks over to the front of the shed and pulling stuff out. 

“That means you’ll do it?” Lucia exclaimed.

“Vinny!” the rat called from her shoulder. A smile that Lucia was unfamiliar with slowly spread on Lio’s face as he lost the composure he had been struggling to maintain. She felt a wave of satisfaction at the knowledge that Lio was going to enjoy this just as much as she was. 

“Yea, I’ll do it.” 

“Right on! Just pretend those dumb politicians are in there!” Lucia was cackling again, and she went over to tinker with her bot and make sure it was ready to go. She lined the water canon up with the shed, and popped batteries into the remote.

 “Oh and Lio, one more thing before we start?”

“What’s up?” 

“Do not, do not, do not, under any circumstances, no matter what you are bribed with, no matter if you are threatened, tell Galo what we have done.” Lio laughed then, a pretty sound that Lucia didn’t think she’d heard the other make on her behalf before. Lucia got the feeling that this was just the beginning. 

“It’ll be our secret.” 

Chapter Text

Aina sat at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee and put in her headphones. She had just loaded a new show on Netflix, per recommendation of Remi and Varys. She had set her phone out in front of her and was about to press play, when the sound of voices carried into the room.

“Galo, stop!” It was Lio speaking. “That tickles!” Aina’s finger hovered in front of the play button before dropping back to her coffee mug. From her seat at the table, she could just see Galo and Lio on the couch of the break room. 

Lio was wearing one of Galo’s shirts again. Pulled snug against his tiny frame with a hair band, the garment lifted just a little to reveal the skin of his abdomen. Aina knew that Galo had offered to buy Lio his own clothes, but the other had refused and insisted on saving up the money himself. She felt a hint of shame for ever thinking the former arsonist would steal from Galo, but it was bottled up beneath hot jealousy. 

“You ridiculous idiot!” Lio snorted. He was trying to eat a slice of pizza, and Galo was trying to stick his finger into Lio’s ear. “Don’t make me ask you again!” Lio was clearly trying to frown, but it was strained against the smile that was spreading across his face. Aina’s eyes prickled and her cheeks warmed.  

“I should never have told you I was ticklish!” The smaller man slammed his plate down onto the nearby table, bristling. Galo leaned closer so he could use both hands to tickle Lio’s armpits, but all Aina saw was how close his face leaned into Lio’s.

“I can’t help it. The face you make is too cute!” Galo’s eyes lit up, as if he was totally oblivious to the implications of his statement. Aina watched Lio’s face burn pink, and a lump formed in her throat. She watched Lio’s face lean closer, his eyes half lidded, and imagined the heat of Galo’s lips closing in on her own back at the frozen lake. Internally, she told herself to look away. She told herself this wasn’t an image she’d want to remember when she closed her eyes at night. Galo’s lips parted, his brows wrinkling the same familiar way they always did when he was confused. Aina watched Lio lick his lips, and she knew this was the moment it was all over for her, until-

THUMP. 

Lio’s hand reached to the slide, grabbing his formerly abandoned slice of pizza and flinging it right into Galo’s face. Galo recoiled as hot cheese and tomato sauce dripped onto his shirtless chest, and Lio stood up with a straight face as if nothing had happened. Aina heard chuckling from Ignis’ office. 

“Don’t tickle me again, Thymos, or you’ll regret it.” Lio stormed from the room and towards the kitchen where Aina was sitting. She could see the massive blush across his cheeks once his face was turned away from Galo’s, and got the feeling he had just chickened out and covered it up with pizza. 

“LIO!” Galo cried, looking dejected at the slice that had fallen onto the floor. “You can’t just waste pizza like that!” The blue haired firefighter paused after a moment, eyes following the direction Lio had gone, and a hand slowly lifting to his lips. 

As Lio entered the room, Aina quickly dipped her head down towards her phone in an attempt to hide the fact that she had been staring.  He paid no mind to her presence as he went over to the counter, fingers anxiously gripping the edge of the sink. 

“Idiot,” she heard him mumbling under his breath. From this proximity, she could note the nervous quiver of his body as he started pulling paper towels from the roll. “He can’t even clean up his own messes.” She wondered if he was referring to more than the pizza. Lio turned on the sink, wetting some towels. He spent a few minutes staring at his hands, and Aina listened to his breathing slowly level out. 

“Don’t you dare eat that off the ground!” Lio yelled as he exited the kitchen a moment later, and Aina’s eyes followed him. She imagined Lio’s delicate fingers wiping the pizza sauce from Galo’s chest, and jealousy urged her to follow Lio into the break room and ruin the moment. She hesitated, wondering if that was really the right thing to do.

“Don’t.” A male voice startled her, as if the speaker had been reading her thoughts. It would seem she hadn’t been the only one watching the events unfold in the break room. She looked up to see Meis entering the kitchen. Aina pretended to pause her headphones even though nothing was playing.

"You know," he continued, sitting down beside her and cracking open a soda can with his painted fingernails, "Boss thinks you hate him."

"What?" she said.

"You heard me." Meis raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes meeting hers. Aina had always found him a little intimidating, in a different way than Lio and Gueira.  Lio commanded the attention of every room that he walked in, and Aina had seen enough of Lio's dragons to know what raw emotions bubbled beneath his composure. Gueira was more feral, and his emotions tended to display on his face immediately. Meis, on the other hand, always seemed calm and collected. Aina couldn't get a read on him in any situation.

"Why would you tell me that?" 

"Well, do you?" 

Aina scowled into her coffee mug. "Do you think I would tell you if I did?" 

“Fair,” Meis responded, slouching back into his chair and taking a sip of his soda. "Boss isn't an easy guy to get to know."

"Galo has a way of getting to know people," Aina sighed. Aina wouldn’t necessarily say she had trust issues, but talking to Galo was easy. It always felt like she was talking to someone that had been there for her entire life- someone that saw her for who she was. 

"Give me your phone," Meis said.

"Wh-"

Meis had snatched it from the table top before Aina could object. He didn't have to unlock it, since the show she wasn't watching was still waiting for her to press play. His lengthy fingers navigated the device with cool uninterest, almost as if it was his own. 

"What are you doing?" Aina demanded, leaning across the table in an attempt to see. 

"Calm down. Here," Meis handed it back. Aina's eyes fell on the newly created contact. "My number, in case you want to talk about it." Aina stared at the screen and her mouth went dry. 

Meis took the last sip of his soda and rose from the table, leaving without another word.

Chapter Text

Varys was on his way to the grocery store from his apartment. He always went in the morning on his days off, as a way to force himself out of bed, and walked to get the extra exercise. 

A body of his size required a lot of groceries and a lot of exercise.

It had been a few months since the Second World Blaze, and all of the stores that had been destroyed in the Parnassus wreck were finally starting to open back up. He was on his way to his favorite grocery, which he frequented due it's large assortment of fresh fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients. 

As he rounded the corner, he recognized a familiar voice coming from an alleyway up the street.

“Take one step closer to me and you’re going to regret it,” the voice was low and dangerous. It sounded kind of like Lio.

“You’re not so scary without your Burnish powers.”

“Your firefighter isn’t here to protect you, either.”

“You’re all bark and no bite, just like the rest of your kind.” 

Varys didn’t recognize the other three voices, but this didn’t exactly sound like a pleasant interaction. He picked up the pace a bit, peering into the alleyway. No one seemed to notice him, and he felt himself staring with his feet rooted into the ground. 

Three men he didn't recognize, who seemed a little too old to be resorting to street violence, surrounded Lio in the alleyway. Varys noted one of them was wearing a Foresight Pharmaceuticals shirt, and felt a little queasy at the idea that people out there still supported everything that Kray had done. Varys knew it was a common occurance for former Burnish to get harassed and even beaten on the street, and the Promepolis police were doing very little to stop it.

He watched Lio's hands clench and unclench as he backed into the brick of the store, as if willing fire to come. His face was turned down into a deep, angry scowl. Varys expected the flicker of fear, but he saw none.

 "Where's your fire now?" one of the men sneered, stepping closer for every step that Lio took backwards.

Instead of responding, Lio took the opportunity to dart forward and punch the man square in the nose. Varys could have whistled, because damn it was a nice punch. The man recoiled instantly, clearly not expecting Lio to go on the offensive. His hands flew up to his face as blood leaked from beneath his fingers. 

"Fuck off," Lio spat at him. 

"You're gonna regret that, Burnish scum." The other two men exchanged looks with each other. 

One of them took a swing at Lio, but he managed to duck out of the way. The man's fist connected with solid brick and he howled in pain. He went to turn around and charge forwards, and Lio stuck his leg beneath the other man’s and sent him tumbling down. 

Lio was agile and fast, and Varys was beginning to think he might actually be fine on his own, but the man with the bleeding nose had finally regained his bearings.  

When a punch finally landed, striking Lio across the lower half of his face, Varys snapped out of his daze and decided he had seen enough. He couldn't be a bystander and watch anyone get harassed, let alone a member of Burning Rescue. 

"Hey, Lio," he called, stepping down into the alley. "Are these guys bothering you?" 

Three sets of eyes turned to stare at Varys, and suddenly looked very nervous. Varys liked to think of himself as a gentle giant, but these guys didn’t need to know that. 

"Bothering him?" one of the men stuttered. 

"No no, we were just…"

"We were just leaving!"

"Yeah, we're leaving!"

"That's what I thought," Varys glowered and did his best to look intimidating. The three looked at each other for a moment, then to Lio, and scrambled back towards the street. Lio was standing with his arm braced against the wall, breathing hard. 

"Hey Lio, are you o-" Varys started to ask, but Lio cut him off.

 "I didn't need help," he hissed. His arms crossed over his chest and his tongue licked the blood that was starting to drip from his cracked lip. Varys felt his eyes widening in surprise. 

He hesitated for a moment. He didn’t talk to Lio very often, since the smaller man was often locked away in his office or lounging around with Galo, but he still seriously doubted Lio would’ve actually preferred being beaten over accepting his help. He tried to play it off as nonchalantly as possible. 

“Think of it as a favor to Galo, then,” Varys offered a small smile. “He’d be furious if he found out I didn’t do anything.” Lio narrowed his eyes, taking a step closer to Varys and looking up at him with an angry intensity. Varys swallowed thickly and started reconsidering his life decisions. 

“You’re not going to tell Galo about any of this, or I’ll never leave the apartment alone again.” Varys wasn’t easily intimidated, but Lio’s eyes were smoldering. He raised his arms in surrender. The last thing that Varys wanted was Lio's anger directed at him . He figured Galo was probably one of the only people in the world that wasn't phased to be at the receiving end of Lio's rage.

Lio held his gaze for a moment longer before leaning back against the side of the building with a disgruntled snort and pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. Varys noted the bruises that were already forming on his knuckles from the punches he'd landed, and the quivering of his hands as he opened the package. He silently watched Lio strike his lighter and then inhale deeply. The anger visibly left his body, as if it had followed the cigarette smoke out of his mouth. 

"Does Galo know abou-"

Lio shot daggers at him and Varys was thankful that looks couldn't actually kill. 

Never mind. This was definitely not the time for that. 

When Lio was especially angry at the fire station, Galo would walk into the room and pull him into a silent hug. Lio didn't even always hug him back. Sometimes, they'd stand there for at least five to ten minutes, until Lio calmed down. Varys had a feeling that approach only worked because Galo was Galo, and was a great way to get himself punched in the face, too. So, he gave Lio time to breathe. He resorted to leaning on the wall next to him and looking anywhere else.

Lio didn't ask him to leave, or walk away, so Varys figured he was doing something right. 

Varys thought to himself that Lio looked very intimidating perched up against the brick of the store in dark jeans, a leather jacket, and the most obnoxious boots he had ever seen, despite the fact that Varys was nearly double his size. It was a wonder that anyone had the confidence to mess with Lio, anyway.  

“At least let me accompany you while we both get groceries, in case they come back," Varys said, after he thought he had waited long enough for it to be safe. 

 Lio’s eyes flickered between Varys and the direction the three men had gone.

“Fine.” Lio seemed to have shifted from anger to his usual, neutral-but-sort-of-brooding expression, and he pushed off the wall and started walking into the store. Not expecting the sudden movement, Varys scrambled forward and after him. 

"So, do you shop here often?" Varys asked as he grabbed a shopping cart and Lio pulled out a basket for himself.  

"No." 

Varys cringed at himself and his poor conversation skills. 

"Where did you usually shop?"

"I don't." 

Varys didn’t let himself feel deterred. He had seen Lio smile and even laugh around Galo before. He knew there was a person beneath all that scowl and leather. 

"Does Galo do most of your shopping?" Varys chuckled, plucking things from the shelves and loading them into his cart as they walked. Lio huffed next to him and looked at his own empty basket. 

"This is so stupid."

"What do you mean?"  

"I don't shop because I don't leave the apartment by myself. Every time I do, I get harassed." Lio's voice was a growl and his fingers clenched white on his basket handle. "I can't go anywhere without a fucking baby sitter." 

“Oh.” Varys hadn’t been expecting that response, but he was starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together regarding why this conversation was going so poorly. “You know Lio, I’m happy to meet you here anytime you want to shop. I come all the time for ingredients because I’m always cooking dinner for my fiance.” 

“Oh boy, another babysitter.” 

“Don’t think of it like that!” Varys encouraged. “Think of it like… like a hangout.”

“You come to the grocery store to hangout?” Lio stared at him. 

“I mean hey, look around! Plenty of people are shopping with their friends and family.” 

Varys wasn’t wrong. The isle next to him had an elderly couple gathering ingredients to cook together, along with a mother and her two kids. Beside him were two girls going over the recipe for a cake they were making for a friend.

“See,” Varys insisted. “A perfectly normal activity.” Lio hesitated, his gaze following the two girls, and then dug around in his pocket until he pulled out a piece of folded paper. 

“Is that a recipe too?” Varys asked, daring to enter Lio’s personal space so he could look over his shoulder. Lio’s handwriting wasn’t the best, but it seemed like he was trying to create some type of fancy pasta dish. 

“Yes, from the food network,” he mumbled. “I watch it when I’m alone in the apartment.” 

“What are you making?” 

 “I’ve been… I wanted…,” Lio frowned down at the paper and nervously started smoothing out the wrinkles. “I wanted to make dinner for Galo, since he always does everything for me.”

Varys bit down hard on his lip to keep himself from smiling, because that might be the cutest thing he’d ever heard, and Lio didn’t strike him as the type that liked to be embarrassed. He thought back to when he started cooking for his fiance all the time, since he loved nothing more than the excited look on her face when she came home to him pulling something out of the oven, and his heart softened. 

“You know, Lio,” Varys started. “Not to brag or anything, but I’m pretty good at cooking. I bet I could teach you way better than the food network.” Lio looked up at him, and this time Varys didn’t feel quite so intimidated by his expression. It was a little hesitant, but there was a curiosity and a desire there, too. 

“That wouldn’t be terrible.” 

“Great! We’ll compare schedules before we leave the store, and I’ll give you my number so you can come over to my place.” 

“Okay.” Lio gave him a soft smile. 

“I’ve got all kinds of supplies,” Varys went on. “Let me see your recipe again.” 

“Honestly, I have no idea what they’re talking about half the time,” Lio admitted, as Varys took the list from his hands. He laughed then, and Lio laughed too. All of the tension was gone.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you up to speed in no time.”

Chapter Text

One day, Aina did call Meis. 

She had gone drinking at the bar next to Galo’s apartment after work. She had thought that a few drinks sitting at the bar would be a good way to meet someone new.

It turned out it was hard to meet someone new when none of them were Galo. She just wanted to get the blue of his eyes out of her head, but every guy or girl she talked to just didn’t feel right. They didn’t reek of hair gel, they didn’t laugh quite loud enough, and there was no pause of confusion while they tried to understand her jokes. 

Eventually, after more drinks than she should have had, she was stumbling out the door of the bar. She had thought the cool night air would be sobering, but the stillness just made her chest hurt. She was pressing the call button on Meis’ contact before she had full realization of what she was doing. 

“Hello?” Meis answered. His voice had the rasp of slightly tired and very uninterested like it usually did. Aina didn’t know what time it was, and she knew it was late, but at least it didn't sound like she had woken him up.  

“Hey, it's Aina,” she said. Her body was warm from the alcohol, and her breathing made little clouds in the air as she talked. It numbed her nervousness.

“Oh, hey,” Meis replied. 

“Sorry to call so late, I just,” she sighed. “Wasn’t sure who else to call.”

“It’s fine. I wouldn’t have offered if I hadn’t meant it.” Aina felt herself let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. 

“Okay, if you’re sure you don’t mind. I’m just bummed out tonight, I guess.” 

“Are you sure you’re not also drunk?” Meis asked.

“That obvious, huh?”

"Just a little," Meis chuckled into the phone. Aina sighed and leaned against the wall of the building, the cold siding penetrating through her jacket and making her shiver. 

"I went to the bar by Galo's apartment thinking I could meet someone…" 

Before she could finish, another voice called in the background. “Meis! Hurry up on the phone, I want to get back to watching people die on T.V.”  Aina recognized Gueira’s obnoxious yelling. Meis chuckled again. 

“We’re watching the Saw series,” he explained. 

“Solid choice,” Aina replied, feeling a little awkward that she was interrupting their time together. 

“Meis!” the voice sounded closer this time and Aina heard rustling. “Come on, it was just getting good and I’m going to eat all the popcorn.” 

“In a minute,” Meis’ voice was void of any annoyance. 

“Is it the Boss or something?" Even though he was distanced from the device, Aina caught the lilt of concern in Gueira's voice.

“It's Aina.”

“Aina is calling you at midnight? Are you cheating on me or something?”

“Would I be sitting here, talking to her right in front of you, if I was cheating on you?” 

“I don’t know Meis, would you?”

“Shut the fuck up.” There was laughter in Meis’ voice. “Listen Aina, I’m just gona-”

“It’s fine if you have to hang up,” she hurried, but felt the disappointment drop in her chest. 

“No, no,” Meis rushed. “I’m just gonna come pick you up and bring you over here.” 

“What about our movie?” Gueira wailed. 

“That’s really not necessary, I’ll be fine, I’ll just-”

“We can finish the movie another time. You're our friend and we want to help you." Aina felt her breath catch at the word friends. She wasn't sure at what point she and Meis had become friends, but she supposed they were. 

“Okay,” she agreed. At this point, anything was better than the look Heris would give her if she stumbled back into their apartment. 

“Fine, but I’m eating the popcorn,” Gueira grumbled. 

“Great, I’ll be there in ten,” Meis said. 

“Do you even have a license?” 

“Nope.” 

-

"Thanks for having me," Aina tried not to feel uncomfortable as she took her shoes off and hung her coat. 

"Anytime," Meis said. "I'd offer you a beer, but maybe you'd rather water or coffee?"

"Water would be great."

"Cool, have a seat anywhere." 

Aina sat on the armchair in the living room, ignoring the questionable stains, and Gueira offered her a nod, taking a drag on a cigarette. 

The apartment was a small one bedroom a few minutes from the fire station. Aina could tell they had moved in recently, and were just beginning to fill the space. She noted a growing collection of horror movies, a guitar, and a few anime figurines. Briefly, she wondered what the two of them had been like before their Burnish awakenings had forced them to abandon their previous identities. 

The table in the living room featured a framed photo of the two of them with Lio, out for pizza on the day Ignis had given them their first paychecks. She knew Galo had taken the photograph and that Lio’s brilliant expression was aimed right at him. Lio genuinely looked happy, with a smile that squinted his eyes and showed his teeth. Aina’s face burned and she forced herself not to look too long.

 Meis returned with the water and took a seat on the couch next to Gueira, who immediately leaned the entire top half of his body onto the other. 

“Meis says you’ve got boy problems,” Gueira said then, and Aina choked on her sip of water. Meis flicked him.

“Excuse Gueira, he doesn’t understand the definition of subtle.” 

“Hey,” Gueira grumbled.  “Pretty sure everyone at the firestation knows about it except Galo anyways.” Aina’s cheeks heated with embarrassment and she looked down at her feet.

“It’s okay,” she said. “He’s not wrong.”  The other man’s blunt demeanor was honestly sobering. Aina felt relief knowing that her feelings were being vocalized after so long. Everyone in Burning Rescue might have made assumptions about her feelings, but behind pointed gazes and eye rolls, no one ever commented on them. They probably all assumed that Galo would come to his senses and realize it eventually. Aina had always sort of assumed the same.  

That was before Lio. The pointed gazes and eye rolls had shifted, and Aina’s feelings seemed all but forgotten.  

“You know what you need to do?” Gueira went on, reaching over to smash the remains of his cigarette into a beer can on the table. “Sleep with someone else.”

“I was going to go with, get closure by talking to them,” Meis rolled his eyes. Aina pressed her hands into her face.

“I don’t like either of these ideas. I already tried option one, but somehow I ended up in your apartment instead, and I don’t even know why you’re so willing to associate me.” 

“Why wouldn’t we?” Gueira asked. “You’re tough, I like that.” 

“Thanks,” Aina laughed a little. “But you’re like, Lio’s best friends, and I can hardly even look at the guy.” Aina felt both embarrassed and guilty to admit how standoffish she was around Lio. She knew it didn’t go unnoticed that she could barely hold a conversation with him, or that she couldn’t help staring at him whenever Galo was smothering him with affection. Aina tried to stop Galo from running headfirst into fires, but Lio was right there, following him into the blaze. They were both utterly selfless. It was painful to look at Lio and see him matching Galo’s intensity in a way that Aina never could, and probably wouldn’t even have wanted to. She wondered, had things gone her way, if she would have expected Galo to tone himself down for her. 

“Listen, Boss might be our best friend, but it’s not like we share his emotions or anything. I want this to work out for everyone,” Meis said.

“But if you hurt the Boss, we’ll have to kill you,” Gueira added, voice completely flat. Aina waited for him to laugh or smile to indicate he was joking, but it never happened. She swallowed.

“I want to like Lio.” Aina studied her fingernails to avoid Gueira’s intense gaze. “But I can’t help feeling like he stole something important from me, even though it was something I never had in the first place.” 

“Trust me when I say this,” Meis said, “Moving on from something important in your life is fucking hard. Boss wouldn’t blame you for that.” Aina had a feeling that the important moments of her life were nothing compared to the loss that Mad Burnish had experienced, and struggled to remind herself that it wasn’t a contest. 

“Galo is important to me. He’s the first person that made me feel like he saw me, like I was more than Heris’ shadow. But now I feel like… I never even saw him in the way he deserved.” 

“Aina, you’re a great friend. Just because you’re not the best romantic partner for someone doesn’t mean you’re not good for them,” Meis objected. 

“Yea, Galo talks about you all the time,” Gueira insisted. “He trusts you and your opinions, I can tell.” 

“How can I be his friend and offer him my opinions when I can’t even support his relationships?” 

“You don’t strike me as the sort of person to give Galo bad advice for your own gain,” Gueira shrugged, sinking himself down so he was laying in Meis’ lap. The other’s fingers reached down almost unconsciously to play with strands of his hair. 

“I don’t want to be that sort of person,” Aina said. “But I’m afraid that I will be if I don’t get my feelings under control. I’m already dragging you guys into it.”

“First of all, I inserted myself into it,” Meis retorted. “Boss might be “the boss” but that doesn’t mean he was ever going to resolve this situation on his own.” 

“Plus, a friend of the Boss is a friend of ours. And Galo is Boss’ friend, and you’re Galo’s friend, so that means…,” Gueira trailed off, eyes squinting in confusion for a moment. “You get the point!” 

“Thanks guys, I owe you one,” Aina took another sip of her water. The alcohol was starting to wear off and leave her with a headache. It was getting hard to think.

“Anytime, seriously,” Meis said. Aina slumped back into the chair, closing her eyes and feeling frustrated at herself.

“What am I going to do?” 

“Boss wants you to like him. He wants to get to know the people in Galo’s life, but he’s not the best at approaching others.” 

“You mean he’s scary all the time.” Another flick. 

“I’m just saying, maybe if you started viewing Boss as a person instead of an obstacle, you’d feel a little better about whatever is going on between him and Galo.”

Aina wondered if that was how she had been viewing Lio all this time. She had taken away his humanizing qualities and projected her own feelings onto him instead. Her drunk brain shrouded in even more guilt. 

“Don’t feel bad!” Gueria must have read her expression. “Boss and Galo will understand completely.”

“I am sure Galo would be happy to see you guys getting along better. You don’t have to stop loving Galo, you just have to move on from the fact that he doesn’t love you back.”

“And then sleep with someone else!”

Accept that Galo didn’t share her feelings.

Stop taking it out on Lio.

That sounded a lot more manageable than forgetting about her feelings altogether. 

“I really appreciate you guys taking the time to talk this out with me,” Aina said, and she meant it. Finally verbalizing everything felt like a weight had lifted from her chest. Meis offered her a rare smile. 

“Can we finish Saw now?” Gueira whined into Meis’ lap.

“Aina, are you a fan of horror?” 

Aina was, in fact, a fan of horror.

Chapter Text

In the days following the wreck of the Paranassus, Heris felt lost. 

She wasn’t sure where she fell in the messy political aftermath of Promepolis, and she wasn’t sure where she stood with the people around her, either. She had caused a lot of hurt to a lot of people, and she realized over and over again all the opportunities she could have taken to do better. She had foolishly put her trust in Kray, and she didn’t know how to navigate her way from beneath his shadow. 

She first saw Lio at the crash site helping with resource allocation a few days after her promotech engine had nearly killed him. All logical reasoning told her that she shouldn’t talk to him, but her feet were moving on their own accord before she could think better of it. 

Lio was aware of her approach before she was within 10 feet of him, and she could feel his eyes staring holes into her. Holes that penetrated down to her roots and tugged because Lio himself was a physical representation of everything that she had done. Lio had taken the weight of Heris’ actions harder than possibly anyone on the planet. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Heris cursed herself internally because that was all she could manage to say. 

“Sorry?” Lio snarled. “The Burnish don’t need the burden of your guilt on top of everything else, doctor Ardebit.” 

“I’m… I'm sorry,” she stumbled over her words, apologizing for apologizing as tears stung her eyes and regret hung in her chest. “I just thought-”

“No, you didn’t think. You just decided to comitt genocide for your own benefits."

"My own benefits? I did everything to save-"

"To save Aina. To save one person, you killed hundreds." As he spoke, Lio stepped closer, hands clenching and unclenching repeatedly as if he was attempting to summon fire. 

"I truly believed there was no other way!" 

Aina intervened to defend her then, which was probably the biggest mistake of the entire situation, but Heris couldn’t deny that her sister’s support warmed her after Lio’s cold, sharp anger. She knew Aina wasn't happy with her, they'd already had multiple fights about it, but at least her sister didn't think she was a lost cause. Or, at the very least, she recognized that Heris probably couldn’t get herself out of the mess she had created. 

“Hey,” Aina scowled, wedging herself between Heris and Lio. “Heris is the one that overloaded the ship!” 

“Oh, give her a gold star!” Lio hissed. “She realized her mistake after she had already sent my people to the slaughter.” 

Heris stopped talking then, maybe even disassociated a little, because Lio was right and she didn’t know how to move forward in this situation. She couldn’t defend herself, because deep down, there was nothing to defend. Selfishly, she let Aina defend her instead. 

“It’s not like Heris was the only person Kray tricked!” Aina crossed her arms. 

“You think you can justify her actions just because someone else told her to do it?” Heris vaguely registered that maybe she should do something about how close the two of them had gotten, or the way that Lio’s entire body was stiffened and his expression was smothered with blind rage.  

“Lio.” The name came from a new voice. Heris managed to see through her brain fog that Galo had arrived at some point. His usual, massive grin had faded into a hard frown as he realized what was happening. "Come on, that's enough. Let's go find Gueira and Meis."

"Stay out of this." Lio didn't try to keep the malice out of his voice, even for Galo, but the other didn’t falter.

"She knows," Galo's voice was flat as he looked at Heris, and she shrunk even further under his honest gaze. "She knows what she did." 

Heris flashed back to the day she had left Galo in Kray’s prison cell. It was just another example of a time when she had failed to do the right thing. 

Galo came forward and gently grabbed Lio by his arms, which were now angled at his side as his hands formed tight fists. 

"Let go of me,” Lio hissed at him, trying to squirm forwards. “I need to protect them!” 

Heris wondered, spare for Galo, if Lio would have hesitated in taking her or Aina to the ground.

"You already protected them, Lio," Galo whispered, gently lifting Lio backwards as he struggled. "They're safe." 

As Galo hauled Lio away in a tangled mess of limbs and snarls, Aina’s attention fell onto Heris. Her expression was soft, but her eyes were hesitant with doubt. 

“Are you okay?” she asked. 

Heris didn't meet Aina’s gaze, and instead her focus helplessly followed Lio until he was out of sight. She was pretty sure Lio bit Galo when he was being dragged away, but she was also pretty sure there were tears in his eyes. She couldn't really blame him for it, all things considered. 

“I’m fine,” she replied, but she wasn’t sure it mattered. She didn’t hear what Aina said after that. 

When Heris stared at her ceiling that night, she wondered if she needed Lio’s forgiveness in order to forgive herself. 

-

Heris moved in with Aina following the wreck. It was uncomfortable, especially at first, but it forced her to face at least one of the people she had wronged. She had been given probation in exchange for testifying against Kray, mostly because her lawyer was able to argue that she had committed all of her atrocities under his orders. 

She hated her own complacency, she hated that she was getting off so easily, and she hated how badly she had hurt Aina most of all.  

 It had taken some time, but her relationship with her sister was steadily improving. Heris committed to herself that, going forward, she would try her best to somehow make amends for what she had done. Whether her reasoning for that was the desire to do good, or if it was the selfish desire to remove her own guilt, she wasn’t sure. 

The second time Heris saw Lio, it was by mistake at the fire station three months later. By that point, Heris had already rectified things with Galo, but was still avoiding Lio as much as possible. Her avoidance was mostly driven by fear. It wasn’t the fear of what Lio would say to her, but the fear of what he wouldn’t. There were no more painful words that Lio could offer her, because she had heard them all from herself. 

 She had come to see Lucia, whom she had hit it off with during their first meeting on the day the Paranassus crashed. Things were going surprisingly well, and it reminded Heris that good things came in unexpected places. She needed that reminder these days.

She hadn't expected to see Lio, and she immediately felt guilty about it- guilt that blended with a strange sense of longing. He had been chatting with Lucia and Galo when she walked in, with his legs casually thrown into Galo's lap where they sat on the couch and a soft smile on his face. 

But Lio saw her before the others saw her, and his entire body went stiff. Heris watched his face form a frown and then slowly turn into a cool glare. Galo noticed the change in him immediately, and his hands went to rest against Lio’s ankles in an attempt at comfort.

“Hey, Heris!” Lucia grinned, and the brightness of her expression almost made Heris forget about her guilt. 

She was reminded when Lio sucked in a sharp breath of air, and all the other members of Burning Rescue turned their attention to his direction. Lucia’s excited grin changed into realization, and then concern. Heris remembered that this was the emotion she caused in others, and she shouldn’t have let herself get comfortable enough to forget. 

"I…," Lio breathed, chest heaving, and then quietly got up and fled into the bathroom. Heris ached for his anger instead. 

Galo went to stand and go after him, but Meis and Gueira beat him to the punch.

"We got him," Meis said, but Heris could hear there was also a quiver in his voice. She could hear that he wanted to get away from her just as much as Lio had. 

"Are you sure?" Galo asked, fingers hovering nervously at the edge of the couch.

"Relax, hero," Gueira’s grin contrasted his body language. "Meis and I are certified Lio experts." 

"Okay." Galo sunk back into the couch a bit, but his hands still fidgeted against the arm. 

Ignis had to tell Lucia and Aina that Heris wasn't allowed at the station after that incident. Not unless Mad Burnish approved it. He said their work place needed to be a safe space.

Heris understood. Her hands had invented the pods that had nearly taken their limbs off. It only made sense that the mere sight of her would send them into a panic. 

Heris wanted to be at the station to spend time with Aina, to make up for the years she has lost. She wanted to spend time with Galo, because he made her feel normal. She wanted to spend time with Lucia, because she made her a better person and a better scientist. 

The government may have spared her from prison, but this was punishment enough. 

-

"Galo?" Heris asked one day, when the firefighter came by their apartment to hangout with Aina. 

“What’s up, Heris?” Galo beamed at her. There was a weightlessness in her chest every time she spoke to Galo, because he treated her so casually. He didn’t cast her any uncomfortable glances the way that others did, and he didn’t tiptoe around her when talk of the Paranassus came up. She could tell that somehow, Galo had actually managed to forgive her. He actually trusted her desire to do better. 

She wondered if it was because Kray had manipulated Galo, too. 

 "Do you think that Lio would talk to me?" She had been working up the courage to ask, because the longing in her chest for closure was becoming too heavy of a weight to carry. 

Galo looked at her, eyebrows scrunched together. "Honestly? I don't know. I could ask him. His therapist has him working on some sort of journey to let go of his anger." 

“I would really appreciate it if he would.” Heris looked down at her feet. She wasn’t sure what she would say to Lio yet, but she knew it was something she needed to do. It was something she couldn’t move forward without. 

“I don’t think he’s interested in an apology.” 

“I wouldn’t dream of asking for his forgiveness.”

Lio didn’t agree to see her, anyway. 

-

The next time Heris saw Lio was at the trial for Kray. It was about six months after the Second World Blaze when the trial actually occurred, because it had taken both sides that long to prepare their cases. 

The members of Burning Rescue and Mad Burnish were called to testify against him. Heris could tell how hard it was for Galo to talk about what Kray did to him and his family, if the tears in his eyes and the comforting pats from his team were any indication. 

She could tell it was even harder for Galo to watch Kray’s defense attorney rip into Lio in an attempt to destroy his credibility. Aina's hand slid across Galo's shoulders and rubbed back and forth when Lio paled and his lips quivered as the attorneys played footage of his fire dragon rampaging through the city.

Heris got the feeling Aina's hand was the only thing keeping Galo in his seat. 

Gueira and Meis were no better, their hands gripped into each other’s and their faces contorted into a mix of shock and rage. Heris speculated that this footage was their first time seeing Lio's fire dragon- the dragon that Lio had made for them. 

Her own testimony wouldn’t happen until tomorrow, but she could already feel the weight of Kray’s gaze on her in the courtroom. She wondered if everyone else felt this smothered by his presence, but based on the way Galo’s voice still shook and Lio’s hands still clenched and unclenched repeatedly long after they had left the stand, she figured she wasn’t alone. 

The entire thing made her sick to her stomach. 

When she snuck out the back of the building to smoke, she wasn’t expecting to find Lio already there. He was leaning against the back of the building with his own cigarette between his lips, his eyes closed and his face tilted up to the sun. Heris almost felt guilty interrupting what looked like a rare moment of calm, but she knew this might be her only chance to talk to him. 

“Lio,” she said. She pulled out her own cigarette, and had a hunch that both of them were there to hide their habit from Aina and Galo just as much as they were trying to hide from the trial. Lio froze, lips pursing against his smoke, and Heris watched him inhale a long, deep breath. 

“Doctor Ardebit.” 

 He didn’t look at her. 

At least this was an improvement from their previous interactions. 

“You can call me Heris, you know.”

“I’d rather not. What can I do for you?”

"I just wanted to talk, since you declined my last invitation."

Lio looked at her then, but his expression was surprisingly neutral. He raised an eyebrow in her direction. "You think today is the best day for that?" 

"Would you have agreed to see me any other day?" 

Lio blew a snort of air from his nose that was akin to a chuckle, which confirmed she was correct. "Shouldn't you be with Aina or something?"

"She's comforting Galo inside. He's crying," Heris replied flatly, and she didn't miss the flash of hurt- or rather, guilt- in Lio's expression. He looked down at his feet instead of holding her gaze. 

"I can't stand to see them cry for me," Lio said dryly, and took another long drag on his cigarette. "Especially him."

Maybe she and Lio weren't too different after all, hiding behind their cigarettes instead of being with the people that cared about them the most. The people that wanted to support them the most. She watched her own smoke twist out into the cool air for a moment. 

"It's hard to accept forgiveness," she said. "No matter how badly I want it, I can’t seem to convince myself that I deserve it." 

Lio really looked at her after that, like she was the last person he had ever expected to have this conversation with. Heris could feel the tangible weight of understanding between them, because Lio hadn’t forgiven himself, either. 

"I can't offer you my forgiveness right now," he said, taking the conversation away from his own feelings and directing it towards hers. Heris pretended not to notice. 

"I wouldn't think of asking you for it. At least, not anymore.”

Lio watched her with a critical gaze as she spoke, but allowed her to continue. 

“I just want you to know, even though it’s a little late, that I still have some political pull despite my probation, and I'm on your side now." Heris anxiously pushed up on her glasses. 

"I'll keep that in mind." 

“Maybe, we could be in the same space together, and it wouldn’t be uncomfortable for everyone involved?”  

"Now you're getting over zealous," Lio said, but Heris caught the hint of a smile on his lips.

This Lio was a different person than the one Heris had seen a few months back. The rage that Heris was used to seeing had faded from him, and it had been replaced with a solemn uncertainty. It was an emotional control that prevented Lio’s previous experiences from consuming him. It was a progress towards normality that Heris wasn’t sure she had made. 

Perhaps she should look into therapy, too.  

“Thanks, Lio,” she whispered into her cigarette. “I hope it gets better.”

 Lio hummed thoughtfully. 

“See you around, Heris .” 

He flicked his cigarette onto the ground and strode back into the building without looking at her. 

That night, Heris would cry herself to sleep because Lio had finally freed her.

Chapter Text

Remi looked up from where he was seated in the kitchen of Fire Station 3, browsing the news on his phone, to see Lio pour his fifth cup of coffee. The former arsonist had been sitting at the table of the common room for hours now, and Remi turned to see the clock blinking 2 A. M. back at him. Lio’s eyes were shaded by deep bags of exhaustion and his face was pulled into an irritated frown. 

If there was one thing that Remi had learned about Lio over the months they had been sharing the firehouse, it's that he was prone to bouts of frustration and irritation, and seemed to be constantly over burdening himself with stress. Lio tended to work himself into the ground, and only stopped when Galo, Meis, or Gueira came to force him. 

Tonight, however, seemed to be particularly bad, and no one had come for Lio yet. Remi felt a little bit responsible, seeing as he was the only one around to witness this slow descent into sleep deprivation. Most of Burning Rescue, including Varys, and even Ignis, always seemed a little unsure of how to respond to Lio. Remi had no such reservations-

Lio clearly responded to any situation that made him feel uncomfortable with defensiveness. Address the discomfort, and the anger would fade. It was Galo’s tactic, but Remi could apply it in his own way. 

“Lio,” Remi called. “That’s your fifth cup.” Lio grunted, adding a bit of creamer to his mug and swirling it in. 

“What about it,” he mumbled. 

“You’re not even a firefighter, you literally don’t have to be here this late.” Remi took a sip from his own cup of coffee. He was working third shift tonight, and was obligated to be there until 7 A. M.

“Right, well, I’m working on something important and I need to finish it tonight,” Lio replied flatly, sipping his own drink. Remi watched the slight relaxation in his shoulders as he fueled himself with caffeine.

“What is it?”

 Lio was constantly taking on new projects to help struggling or displaced ex Burnish, as if he somehow believed he hadn’t sacrificed enough of himself for the cause already. 

“It’s…,” Lio trailed off, leaning back against the kitchen counter and staring down into his mug. Remi raised an eyebrow. “Well, it’s actually for my GED.”  

“Oh.” Remi took a weighted pause. He was honestly surprised that Lio was taking the time to work on something for himself, but was certain the lack of sleep was coming from the fact that he had refused to give up any Burnish projects to make time for it. “Good for you, but why are you working on it here and not at home?”

“Honestly,” Lio sounded exasperated. He sighed into his cup before continuing. “I can’t stand the way Galo keeps hovering over me while I study like some type of proud mom.” 

Remi chuckled at this. Galo always meant well, especially when it came to Lio, but he could definitely be overbearing. Remi was no stranger to that. 

“Plus,” Lio went on, finger tapping nervously against his mug, “I’ve been really struggling with some of the material, and every time Galo tries to explain it to me, I have no idea what he’s even saying, and then he gets upset because he couldn’t help me.” 

Remi’s chuckle turned into a laugh. 

“I’m sorry to laugh, that’s just, strangely adorable.” Remi caught the tips of Lio’s ears turning slightly pink at his words. “But if you need help, I’m happy to give it a try. I have a bachelor’s degree, so it might be something I’ve learned before.” Remi tried not to brag about his educational background, but this seemed like an acceptable opportunity to present it.  

“You’d really be willing to tutor me?”
“Of course, all I’m doing at this hour of night is waiting around for fires to happen.” 

It wasn’t like there had been any fires recently, anyway. 

“If you’re sure you don’t mind.”

Remi joined Lio in the common room, where he had set out all of his class materials on the table. The first was algebra, a subject that had always been easy for Remi, but seemed to be a source of pain for many students. It took them time to go through the material, and over the course of two hours, Remi learned that Lio’s reading comprehension wasn’t the best either. He seemed to understand the math much better with visual representations of what was happening, and Remi wondered to himself at what point in his life had Lio become a Burnish. At what point did he stop going to school and have to worry about where he was going to sleep or eat instead of studying. Remi watched the gears turning in Lio’s brain, frustration clear on his face. Whenever something finally clicked, however, Lio made the softest expressions of realization and Remi felt genuinely pleased with his ability to help. 

“Also, Remi… Just one more thing before I go home, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Can you show me how to use some programs on the computer?” The programs that Lio needed help with were very basic, and Remi began to consider that he had taken for granted the skills he used in his daily life. At this point, Lio didn’t even have a smart phone. He used the land line inside the firehouse to make business calls, and had purchased himself a small, burner flip phone that he appeared to only use to call Gueira, Meis, and Galo. The latter had offered to buy Lio a phone very early on, insisting that it would be helpful for him in staying connected with others, but Lio had refused on the basis of the government’s ability to track him . Under normal circumstances, Remi would label that a conspiracy theory. He decided to offer Lio a free pass at being a little crazy, considering the government actually had tried to use him and all of his friends as fuel to warp to another planet just months prior. 

Lio thanked Remi profusely for helping him, leaving with the smallest smile on his face at his own progress, and even went out of his way to buy Remi coffee the next day. 

-

Lio made a habit of coming to study with Remi. Each time that Remi was scheduled for a night shift at the firehouse, Lio would bring in all of his class materials and send Galo home without him. Remi found that he learned a lot about Lio and his life simply based upon what he did and didn’t know. He also found that he enjoyed having a student a lot more than he had originally planned. It was fun for him to use his educational background in a way that helped someone, and to renew some of the materials  he hadn’t thought about in years. 

Lio knew very little about the laws and history of Promopolis, but he could give you dirt on absolutely any member of its current government. Remi pretended to be uninterested, but secretly, he was dying to know all of Lio’s intel. The former terrorist knew literally nothing about the human body, given that he had formerly possessed self healing and had been literally on fire for what appeared to be most of his life. He didn’t know much about most of the sciences, for that matter, but could intimately explain the history and technology behind freezing weapons and freeze force mechs. He seemed to really struggle with math, but had an impeccable understanding of physics and architectural structuring. He even had an impressive knowledge on survival skills and was great at solving puzzles. 

The more Remi taught Lio, the more fun he found himself having. He started spending time at home planning out the best way to teach his next lesson. He made study guides and practice problems. He bought a white board for the living room of the fire station.

When the time finally came for Lio to take his GED exam, Remi was both proud and sad. He offered to drive Lio to the location of his exam that morning, wanting to see everything through to the end. He didn't want to admit to himself how attached he had become to the endeavor. 

He wondered if perhaps Meis or Gueira was in need of a tutor as well.

"Whatever you do, don't let him drive tomorrow," Galo had texted him the night before. Remi had scoffed at his phone. As if he would let someone drive without a license…. 

Without a license, huh?

Lio thanked Remi again for helping him when they met up outside of Galo's apartment building. Remi's heart melted when the former arsonist presented him with a #1 teacher mug. 

The exam, as expected, was a complete success. 

"Listen, Lio, I was thinking," Remi cleared his throat as he drove the route back to Galo's apartment following the exam. 

"Hm?" Lio mused, gazing out the window at the city. 

"How do you feel about driving?"

"What do you mean? I'm not able to drive. Galo claims I nearly killed him."

"Yes, well, I was wondering…," Remi wondered to himself why he was so nervous at the prospect of the other saying no. "How would you like it if I taught you to drive next?"

"What?" Lio's gaze shifted to Remi's face. "Remi, you've done more than enough for me already. I couldn't possibly take more of your time." 

"Honestly, it's my pleasure. I’ve been thinking about becoming a certified driving instructor so I could offer classes at the station. You and your friends could be my test run." 

"Are you sure? You want to teach Gueira and Meis to drive?” Lio sounded a little bewildered. 

"Absolutely." 

“Well, if you can teach those two, you could teach anyone.”

-

Gueira and Meis were so excited when Lio told them about the classes, that they started calling Remi “Teach” every time they saw him at work. Remi couldn’t say he minded the new title or his new favorite pastime- teaching made him feel useful in a way he hadn’t since the Second World Blaze. 

Remi turned the break room of Burning Rescue into a driver’s ed class a few weeks after his initial conversation with Lio. He was planning to use Mad Burnish as a test run, and if it went well, start offering driving classes to the public on behalf of the fire department. 

He had a white board and all of the required material from the DMV, because he got the feeling he was going to need to start at the very beginning. He was planning to host a series of classes and in-car driving sessions, and he even managed to get some of those poorly done movies of teenagers getting into accidents from drunk driving.

 Gueira was very amused by the movies.

"Will you shut the fuck up?" Meis growled. "Some of us are trying to learn the laws of this land."

"But I mean seriously!" Gueria went on anyway. "Do cars actually flip like that?" 

"Boss, please," Meis begged, looking at Lio with desperation. "Make him shut up." 

Lio just covered his mouth with his hand to stifle a laugh. "I'm not the one teaching the class." 

"Teach," Meis growled. "Give Gueira detention or something." 

"Gueira," Remi paused the video and cleared his throat. "Would you please-"

"Hey!" Gueira interrupted, turning to glare at Meis. "Don't get me in trouble with Teach." 

"You seriously think he couldn't hear you himself?"

Gueira paused for a moment, glaring down into his hands and biting his lip into his mouth. 

“Thank you,” Remi gave him a curt nod, and resumed playing the film. 

As the movie progressed, Gueira began to rip a piece of paper and put the chunks into his mouth. 

"What are you-"

He flicked the spit balls into Meis. 

Remi looked at Lio then, desperate for him to do something, but the smaller man had simply kicked his obnoxious boots onto the table. 

"I warned you," he shrugged. 

"Lio, please."

Lio was laughing then, his eyes bright as he watched Remi's suffering. "They're never gonna respect your authority if you keep asking me to help you."

“What the hell, you fucking fluff ball of a man!”

“Lio-” Remi was starting to panic.

“Bring it on, you greasy stick man”

"Greasy? At least I don't smell like meatballs!"

“Lio!” He felt like he was begging at this point. 

"Take that back!"

Meis rose from his seat on the couch, hands clenched into fists. “If you don’t shut the fuck up right now, I’m going to punch the shit out of you.” 

Remi's jaw hung open as Gueira rose from his chair to tackle Meis to the ground. To his surprise, Gueira didn't punch him. Instead, he grabbed a fist full of Meis' hair and tugged. 

Ignis finally took pity on him and came out of his office to put a stop to the commotion. He sent Gueira and Meis home early. 

"Don't worry," Lio said, as he and Remi migrated to the break room to make coffee once everything was settled. "That's pretty normal flirting for them."

"That was flirting?" Remi choked.

Even he had to admit that the sound of Lio's rare, unreserved laughter was intoxicating.

"Are you sure you still want to teach them after this?" Lio asked. Remi pushed up on his glasses.

"I like a challenge."

Chapter Text

Aina entered the locker room to pull out her make up bag and nail polish. She wasn’t one to care much about how she looked, but when it was slow, it was fun to indulge. Burning Rescue had plans to meet for pizza tonight after their shifts, and she wanted to look nice. After everything that had happened, she owed it to herself to spend time doing things she enjoyed. 

For the past few months, there hadn’t been many fires. In fact, since the Second World Blaze, there had been barely any fires at all. Most of their calls now were relatively domestic: people stuck on the roof, cats climbing into trees, and the occasional car accident requiring their assistance. They spent a lot of time working on community service projects. It was relaxing, and Aina was thankful for the time to indulge her hobbies. 

Secretly, she also thought it was boring. 

Lio was using the full body mirror of the locker room when she entered, and he seemed too absorbed in his reflection to notice her. A lump formed in her throat when she thought about her conversation with Meis and Gueira a few weeks back. She had crashed on their couch and woken up with a pounding hangover, but her heart had hurt more than her head. She knew she had been cold to Lio, but talking to his best friends about it had humanized him, and she had spent the past few weeks struggling with how to make amends. 

Lio’s eyes focused on his face and narrowed with a look of critical insecurity that once was very familiar to Aina. She had spent a long time working towards her own body positivity, but what did that look like for someone like Lio? He had gone from starving and owning one outfit to trying to fit into modern society while under constant media scrutiny.

Ignoring the fact that she was probably being creepy, she watched Lio smooth out his hair. His minty green locks had grown significantly in the months since he had joined the fire station. He now pulled them back into a low, short ponytail, which Aina silently found very adorable. His skin had gotten less pale, and she was unsure if this was a side effect of the sun, or of simply not looking ghostly ill. Lio pushed up on his cheek thoughtfully. His eyes were no longer sunken, and his delicate cheekbones didn’t protrude quite as far as they used to.  She wondered if he was pleased with this transformation. 

Next, Lio turned his attention to his clothes. He wore a pair of well fitted dress pants and a white dress shirt. His feet were clad in short, black boots, and his signature single earring still reflected in the artificial light. He looked well put together- no one would guess he had been homeless just months before. Aina noted that his outfits were gradually becoming more and more stylized as he began stocking his closet.

Lio tucked a slender finger into the waistband of his pants, tugging to test the fit. It was clear that Lio had gained a decent amount of weight over the past few months, as well. That development could be attributed to Galo, who was constantly spending his time making sure Lio had eaten. Aina had noticed the other members of Burning Rescue taking up this endeavor as well, and internally chastised herself for her own lack of empathy to the struggles of someone that was supposed to be her teammate. 

Maybe there was still time to make up for her failure. She had things to offer Lio. She could do this. She needed to do this for herself and for Galo. She steeled her nerves and hoped he didn’t reject her completely. 

“Hey, Lio,” Aina said as she shut her locker. She watched him startle, body tensing, and then relaxing into cool disinterest as he realized where he was and who was speaking. 

Aina wouldn’t describe Lio as shy, but she would describe him as hesitant. She couldn’t blame him. She knew people were still harassed blatantly on the street for simply being an ex Burnish, let alone a former “terrorist.” She had also been giving him the cold shoulder for the better part of a year. If she wanted Lio to know her intentions were good, she was going to have to show him herself. 

“Aina,” he replied with a small, polite smile. He turned to leave, a slight flush of embarrassment on his cheeks as he realized how long she had been standing there. Aina swallowed and tried her best to look friendly instead of nervous.

“Wait!” she blurted, then immediately recoiled at how aggressively it had come out. Lio stared at her for a long moment as she stood there with her mouth open. Apparently, Galo wasn’t the only one that acted like a total idiot when Lio was involved. 

“Did you need something?” Lio asked, when it finally clicked that Aina wasn’t going to find words. 

“Uh, I, well,” she faked a cough. “Would you like some?”

Aina held up a small bottle of black nail polish. Lio paused, brows furrowing with an uncertainty Aina couldn’t quite put her finger on, and she braced herself for the no that she deserved.

“Sure,” Lio said instead. “I’ve never painted my nails before.” Aina felt some immediate relief, but it was quickly replaced with nervousness now that she had to follow through with her invitation. 

Aina led Lio into the common room and they sat on the floor near the table, facing across from one another. She laid out all of her supplies and magenta eyes watched them with interest: a nail file and buffer, polish, clear coat, and a little UV drying light. 

Aina held out her hand for Lio’s and was surprised to see him stall for a moment. His face flashed to the uncertain frown he had made before, but then was quickly replaced with a neutral expression. When their hands touched in the middle of the table, Lio flinched. 

Aina felt him inhale a deep breath and hold it for a few moments, then relax himself. She decided it was best not to say anything, and gave Lio the space he needed to relax his hands. She wondered how many times a day he did this, and pondered that Lio only ever seemed to touch the other former Mad Burnish members, and Galo. She resigned to be more careful of his comfort levels going forward, chest warming with the realization that what was a simple touch for her was an indication of trust for Lio. 

Lio’s fingers were delicate. His skin was smooth and porcelain, and his nails were surprisingly well kept, as if he cared more about his appearance than Aina had ever bothered to notice before. She made sure not to let her gaze linger on the barbed scars that wrapped around his wrists and up his arms. As she filed and painted, she took care to be slow and gentle with each finger. She made sure to introduce each item as she changed between them.  Lio watched her with an intense focus, likely with the intention of replicating the process later. It wasn’t the most stimulating conversation she’d ever had, but she was thankful that Lio offered her patience and seemed genuinely interested in everything she was doing. 

“All done!” Aina popped his hands out from under the dryer about 10 minutes later. Lio lifted them back to himself, slowly fanning them out and wiggling his fingers up and down. Aina grinned as she admired her handiwork. 

“Thank you,” Lio’s voice was soft. Aina got the suspicion he liked the nails more than he was letting on. Nothing boosted confidence like a fresh manicure. 

 “Anytime! I bet Galo will love them.” 

Lio’s muscles stiffened and Aina internally backpedaled in fear that she had overstepped. 

“Why are you saying that to me?” 

“W-What do you mean?” Aina tried her best to convey that the comment was innocent, and she had said it without thinking. It wasn't like she could tell Lio that she had spent months secretly competing with him for Galo's attention and that she was finally coming to terms with her inevitable defeat. There was a heavy pause as Lio looked down at his nails.  

“Aren’t you interested in Galo as well?” When Lio returned his gaze to Aina, he looked like he was about to combust. She quickly realized the defensiveness wasn’t because he was angry. Lio was trying to hide how flustered he was, and his ears and cheeks had stained a rosey pink. 

 Aina laughed. Maybe she was more obvious than she thought, too. 

“It’s fine.” She smiled across the table. Currently, she was drowning in her own embarrassment, but that wasn’t something she needed to burden Lio with. She lowered her voice.

“I knew Galo was going to find someone eventually. I’ve liked him since day one, honestly, but all that matters to me now is that he’s happy. I could’ve confessed a long time ago, but it just never felt like what he wanted from me.” 

Lio burned a deeper red as she spoke. Aina thought back to the day she and Galo had skated on the frozen lake together. It hurt to think that was probably the moment she had loved Galo the most, had felt connected to him the most, and even then, he had left her behind. Aina had spent months working with the realization that she couldn’t give Galo what he needed. Finally, this felt like she was making progress. 

Meis would be proud. 

“ He’s lucky to have a friend like you.” Lio’s returned smile was soft and genuine in a way that he had never offered to Aina before. “He cares about you a lot. I can tell when he talks about you.” 

“Well, he’s absolutely smitten with you.” 

“You really think so?” 

“Oh, I know so. The only real question is how long it will take him to realize it.” They both laughed, and suddenly, Aina wasn’t sure why she had felt so anxious around Lio all this time. 

“Thanks again for the nails, I love them,” Lio told her, after they had spent the good part of an hour laughing about Galo together. 

“Anytime, seriously. It suits you.” 

“Maybe next time, you could show me some things from your make up bag?” Aina felt herself grinning at the idea of the next time. She hadn’t expected to find someone at Burning Rescue that shared her interest in makeup, let alone it being Lio. Their conversation had been an ice breaker for her, and she felt weightless without the anxiety she had been feeling for months festering within her. 

She was finally ready to move forward. 

“I’d love to!” 

Chapter Text

Lio had left to accompany Ignis to an important meeting with some big political official, and he had tasked Meis and Gueira with finishing up some paperwork for him. It had been months since they had moved into the firehouse, and Lio was still working incredibly hard to make sure the ex Burnish were taken care of. Meis had committed himself to doing whatever he could to assist Lio and the others, even if it meant doing boring things like passing out food or organizing paperwork.

 After all, Meis owed Lio his life.

“Hey guys,” Galo popped his head into their supply-closet-turned-office and broke their focus (they hadn’t been very focused to begin with.) “Aina and I are heading to a bar over by my apartment, want to come?” Galo was offering them that cheesy grin and his eyes were glinting with hope. 

Meis knew Aina fairly well at this point, but much to his dismay, he hadn’t gotten the chance to know Galo very well yet. He was thankful for what the big guy had done for Lio, and Geuira had certainly spent a significant amount of time making sure he was safe for their former boss during their first few months living together. But Meis wanted to get to know Galo as a person, and it was hard to do that when Lio was around, namely because Galo only paid attention to Lio. 

“Hell yea we do!” Gueira roared, immediately dropping the papers he was holding onto the desk. Meis wanted to do the same- he was secretly very weak for puppy dog eyes- but he had to maintain some semblance of dedication to the task at hand.  

“Gueira,” Meis snapped. “Boss entrusted this paperwork to us. We’d be letting him down if I didn’t finish it.” 

“What do you mean, if you didn’t finish it?” Gueira narrowed his eyes. Meis reached over to flick him.  

“We both know you can barely write,” Meis replied easily, and watched Galo stifle a chuckle. 

“Oh, come on,” Gueira hissed. “We have been working nonstop for months. I wanna try getting plastered!” 

“Have you not before?” Galo asked, taking the topic farther away from their paperwork as he leaned eagerly into their office from the doorway. 

“Our Burnish bodies metabolized alcohol pretty much instantly,” Meis explained. “And aside from a few beers at home, we haven’t had much time or funds to do any serious drinking. I haven’t been drunk since before I turned.” 

“Oh.” Galo’s face was starting to turn into a disappointed frown. 

“Ya, but don’t worry about that,” Gueira quipped enthusiastically. “I can handle it, no problem. It'll be great.” Meis was skeptical, but this was starting to become an argument he couldn’t win. Lio was going to kill him tomorrow. He sighed, relenting that it was a problem for future Meis.

"Just one drink." 

"Yay!" Galo whooped, and Gueira looked more excited than he had been in a long time. Meis' heart softened with affection. Maybe this would be good for them after all. It was too bad Lio wasn't around to enjoy it with them, but it would be a good opportunity to talk to Galo without him there. 

They met up with Aina in the break room and decided to walk to the bar. Galo insisted they could all crash at his apartment if they got too drunk, and since they were off tomorrow, they could get pancakes from somewhere called Denny’s in the morning. Meis couldn’t remember the taste of very many restaurants from before he turned Burnish, but he decided that he was going to expect Galo to buy food for him and Gueira if this panned out well. 

It was Friday, and the bar next to Galo’s house was already getting crowded. They had a band playing on the small stage opposite the bar and a few people were already dancing. The bartender knew Galo and Aina by name, so Meis figured the place was probably safe for him. He trusted the members of Burning Rescue enough to know they wouldn’t take them somewhere that wouldn’t be friendly to the former Burnish. 

Galo decided to buy a round of shots for the four of them. Meis hadn’t intended to do any shots (what if something happened, and they were all inebriated?), but as one shot turned to two, he gradually forgot what he had been so worried about in the first place. 

The alcohol burned as it went down his throat, much more than his cheap beers at home, and Meis quickly found himself wanting to feel it again and again and again. There were so many new sensations since the Promare had left, things that were considered normal that Meis had been missing without realizing, and he wanted all of them. As much as he tried to hold himself back to help Lio, it was hard not to feel like he needed to make up for lost time.

About an hour in, Meis found that his thoughts had gone cloudy. Aina and Gueira were, at this point, out on the dance floor together near the band. Meis could just make out their equally horrible dance skills from his position at the bar. 

Galo was telling him a story about something that Lio had cooked for him in their apartment, and Meis was listening to his vibrantly drunk thoughts more than their conversation. He decided he liked Galo. While he was most definitely an idiot, and impossibly dense while somehow perceptive at the same time, he was also open and genuine. It was disgusting how easy it was to trust him. 

Meis also decided he liked when Galo talked about Lio, because his cheeks got slightly red and his voice went up a pitch, and Meis found it adorable.

But then: 

"So we were in bed and-" 

"Galo," Meis said, interrupting because the alcohol had obscured his better judgment and left his brain in a warm, woozy, haze. "I gotta ask you something." 

"What's up?" 

"I want you to be honest. I promise I won't get mad no matter what you answer, but Gueira might." Meis leaned closer, pointing a painted fingernail into Galo's chest. 

"Umm… okay?" Galo’s eyes widened and Meis offered him a grin. 

"Is Boss fucking you, or are you fucking him?" 

Galo turned the most vibrant shade of red that Meis had ever seen.

 It looked even better on him that the previous blushing had. 

"What?" Galo gasped, mouth holding open for a moment longer than Meis thought was really necessary. There is no way Galo actually thought people hadn't figured it out yet. 

"You guys think that Lio and I are…," Galo buried his hands in his face and peeked out from behind his fingers. "Why would you think that?" 

This wasn't the response that Meis was expecting. 

"You mean to tell me that Boss sleeps in your bed, wears your clothes, cooks for you, is near constantly draping himself all over you in a way that I have never witnessed before… and you two are not fucking?" 

"Lio drapes himself all over me?" 

"Holy shit, this is bad." 

Meis had known there was something going on between the two of them. His entire friendship with Aina had started because of it. He could see it in the way the two of them were constantly fawning over each other and had become aggressively close aggressively fast. 

But he hadn't realized that Lio was straight up in love with Galo. 

Or that Galo was apparently completely oblivious to it. 

"It's bad? What's bad?" 

"You know what, big guy," Meis laughed, patting Galo on the shoulder. "You'll figure it out." 

Galo looked very confused, but Meis didn't want to overstep Lio's boundaries now that he'd made this discovery, so he ordered another shot, instead. Lio would talk to them about it when he was ready. 

"Are you sure you don't need to slow down?" Aina asked him at that point, coming over from the stage to sip her own drink. Her pink hair was fraying from her ponytail and a layer of sweat gleaned on her face from dancing.

"Slow down?" Meis asked. "If anyone needs to slow down, it's Gueira." 

He turned to watch the other man stumbling after Aina towards the bar and chuckled in affection. 

"I do not!" Gueira roared next to him, but Meis could pick up the slur in his voice. "And I can prove it to you."

"Is that a challenge?" Galo whipped around from where he had apparently started arm wrestling the man next to him. Meis got the sensation that this was a very, very, bad idea, but drunk Meis couldn't bring himself to care. 

-

In the end, Galo had to carry Gueira all the way back to his apartment. They took two breaks on the walk back for him to vomit again. Meis rubbed his back and smoothed his hair from his forehead as he discarded his guts onto the pavement of an empty alleyway. 

“Did… Did I win?” Gueira slurred as Galo was scooping him back onto his shoulders.

“Sure, buddy,” Galo replied. Gueira turned to Meis and absolutely beamed at him.

“I told you… I could handle… it.” He hiccuped between words. 

“We’ll see if you still think that tomorrow morning,” Aina laughed. 

When they finally made it to the apartment, Galo struggled with the keys. He was panting slightly from hauling Gueira up three flights of stairs. Drunkenly, he fished around for them in his pocket with one hand while balancing a drunk, floppy body on his back with the other. 

“For fuck’s sake,” Meis shook his head. “Let me help.” 

He stuck his hand down into Galo’s pants pocket without hesitation, feeling around for the keys. 

Lio chose that exact moment to open the door for them. 

He was wearing a pair of puffy pajama pants and a tank top, and a blanket was pulled around his shoulders like a cape. His hair was sticking out like he had fallen asleep while waiting up for Galo. Meis had always thought that Lio looked really cute when he was sleepy, because it was one of the few times when his expressions were soft, but then his half-lidded gaze trailed from Gueira’s drunken form and down to Meis’ hand in Galo’s pants.

 Lio blinked a few times, and he was starting to worry that maybe getting chewed out by Lio was a problem for drunk Meis, after all. 

“What-” 

"Hey Lio!" Galo yelled, interrupting whatever thought was forming on the other’s lips, and Gueira winced from the volume of his voice so close to his ear. Meis slipped his hand from Galo’s pants while Lio was distracted. 

“Hi, Galo.” A sleepy smile spread onto Lio’s face.

Meis thought that expression- a lovestruck, affectionate gaze- might be something he had never seen on Lio’s face before. 

“Did you guys have fun at the bar?” Lio asked, stepping aside so the group of them could come into the apartment. Meis noted the big mass of blankets on the couch and the spread of Burnish paperwork still across the nearby table. There were two sets of dishes in the sink, two sets of shoes by the door, and a basket of laundry on the floor that contained a mix of Galo and Lio’s clothes. 

It looked like home. 

“Bossssss… heyy…. we had… the best… time,” Gueira slurred from Galo’s shoulders, squirming to release himself from the other’s arms. 

"What did you do to Gueira?" Lio frowned as Galo went to deposit him on the couch.

"They thought it would be a good idea to have a drinking contest," Aina explained. "I didn't think I'd ever meet a bigger idiot than Galo, but here we are.” 

"Did I win?" Gueira asked again, his arm flopping towards the floor and the top half of his body dangling off the couch. Meis watched Lio's expression of soft surprise as his eyes traveled between the four of them. Meis prepared himself for the incoming lecture. 

"Oh my god, Lio, you should've seen him," Galo went on. "He got up onto the stage with the band and everything, and then he threw up all over the bar.” 

And as Galo talked, Lio smiled. A slow, genuine smile, as if he was really amused by the story. Meis was struck for a moment by how much Lio had changed over the past few months. There were slight differences, that maybe someone who didn’t know Lio very well wouldn’t notice, but he was slowly starting to let go and enjoy himself. 

“I threw up?” Gueira asked, and his body slid the rest of the way onto the ground with a thunk. Meis went over to check on him, and the other stared up at him from his position on the floor. Geuira’s hair was fluffed out across the carpet underneath him, and he had the dopiest smile. 

“You having fun down there?” Meis smiled back at him. He decided going out had been worth the impending hangover just by the expression on Gueira’s face. 

“I guess I should pull out the couch,” Galo laughed. Gueira allowed Meis to drag him out of the way by his arms, and prop him up against the back of the table. 

“I can’t leave you alone for one day, can I?” Lio brought Geuira a glass of water and crouched down in front of him on the floor. “You absolute gremlin.” 

“Yea… we missed you,” Gueira grumbled, his drunk fingers grabbing Lio’s wrist. “Come with us next time.” 

Meis reached a hand out to ruffle Lio’s hair on the top of his head. “You’re working too hard.” Lio looked up at him with rosy cheeks.

“Well, using tonight as an example, someone has to make sure stuff gets done around here.” 

“They’re totally right,” Galo called, as he and Aina were pulling extra pillows from the closet. “I bet you’re a funny drunk, Lio.” 

Meis considered that maybe Lio had never been drunk before, and decided that was his goal for next weekend. Aina shot him a knowing grin.

“Operation get Lio as drunk as possible,” she announced. Galo whooped in response. 

“Remind me again why I’m friends with you all?”

“Boss,” Gueira slumped forward, his forehead resting on Lio’s shoulder. “You… love us.” Lio chuckled, his hand coming up to pat the other’s back.

“Yea, you’re right. I do.” There was that soft, affectionate smile again. 

“Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready for bed.” Galo yawned, his arms stretching above his head. Meis vaguely registered that the clock read 3:30 A.M. 

“I don’t think Gueira is going to make it much longer, anyway,” Meis observed. The drunken man had fully flopped into Lio’s lap. 

“Are you guys okay sharing the pull out? I think I’ve got an air mattress somewhere, if not.” Galo came to help collect Gueira again. 

“That’s no problem,” Aina replied. “I should warn you guys, I am a blanket hog.” 

“You’ll be fighting Gueira the whole night, then," Meis said. 

“I don’t want… to fight Aina. She’s my… friend.” 

“I guess I can make an exception and share, just for you.” 

“You coming, Lio?” Galo asked, extending a hand towards the smaller man. 

“I was starting to think you guys were going to keep me awake all night,” Lio sighed in relief, his fingers lacing into Galo’s. 

“Goodnight, guys!” Galo grinned, tugging Lio down the hallway. 

“Goodnight!” came the chorus back. Meis watched Lio trudge sleepily down the hallway until he disappeared into the bedroom. 

Meis decided that happiness looked good on Lio.

Chapter Text

Lio could not pinpoint the exact moment that he fell in love with Galo. He didn't know the exact time that he realized he was in love, either. It was something that had crept up on him slowly. He didn’t notice it, and then suddenly, it was there. 

It started as a tickle in his chest when Galo called his name or brought him a coffee in the morning.

It grew into sparks when he watched Galo smile or laugh because of something he did. 

Sparks turned into catching embers that warmed Lio's cheeks and chest when Galo touched his shoulder or casually ruffled his hair. 

As the months that Lio had spent with Galo quickly turned into a year, the embers were fed into an all out blaze. It had become more consuming than the Promare- burning not only Lio’s chest, but his mind. It ate through all of his other thoughts and left him unable to focus. 

Lio hated it. 

He hated that he couldn’t stop it and that everyone (besides Galo, it seemed) was able to guess his feelings so blatantly. 

He hated most of all that he couldn’t work up the courage to confess. The fearsome, eloquent boss of Mad Burnish had been reduced to an awkward, gay disaster. Each time he thought about Galo rejecting him- potentially ruining their friendship- a sickness would turn in his stomach. Lio thought that he would do anything to cling to this life he had somehow been given. He didn’t deserve any of it, and if the worst he had to do was ignore the inferno that Galo started in his chest, he would handle it. 

And so he kept his thoughts to himself, and stared wistfully at the square of Galo’s shoulders as he walked behind him on the sidewalk. 

The summer weather had finally returned to Promepolis, and Burning Rescue had decided to have a kickball game. They traveled together to one of Promepolis’ parks up the road from the fire station, and Lio decided not to mention the discomfort that still pooled inside his stomach every time he went out in public, either. This was supposed to be fun, and he didn’t want to bring down the mood. 

They were divided into teams of four, with Ignis offering to observe as referee. Remi, Varys, Aina, and Lucia were to play against Galo, Gueira, Meis, and himself. Galo excitedly exclaimed that it would be Burning Rescue fighting against Mad Burnish, to commemorate the day that he and Lio had met. 

Lio called him an idiot and tried to hide the burning he felt in his cheeks. Galo never noticed the implications of the things he said. 

Lio sat on the park bench to put sunscreen on as Galo went to set up bases. He pretended he wasn’t watching Galo’s bare back muscles again when Meis plopped down next to him and asked him to share his sunblock. The Promare had once protected them from the wasteland sun, and the first time Lio had experienced sunburn wasn’t a memory he liked to think about.  

“Isn’t this domestic,” Meis laughed next to him, reaching to pull his long hair up into a tie. 

“There’s nothing domestic about this,” Gueira snorted back. “We’re going to wipe the floor with these pansies.” Meis grinned, lighting a cigarette. 

“Better be careful Galo doesn’t see that,” Lio tisked. He’d tried to take up smoking as well. After the Promare had left, the taste of ashes in his mouth had been very tempting. He’d hidden it from Galo for weeks, until the other had caught him smoking on the balcony of their apartment one night. The two hours of lecturing was enough to get Lio to quit on the basis of the pure annoyance he felt every time he so much as looked at a cigarette now. 

“Good thing I’m not whipped like you, Boss,” Meis replied lazily, taking a long drag and leaning his face up to the sky to puff it out. He was the picture of relaxation as the tree beside them cast dapples of shadow onto his face. Lio made a loud cough, feeling the embarrassment tingle all the way to the tips of his fingers. 

“I’m not whipped.”

“It’s pretty bad,” Gueira chimed, attempting to bum a cigarette for himself from Meis. Lio covered his face with his hands.

“You’re both lucky I don’t have a Promare anymore.” 

“Well, someone has to keep your massive ego in check.” 

“My ego is not-”

“Guys!” Lio was interrupted by Galo calling to them from across the park. He was waving dramatically, and Lio’s heart grew three sizes at his toothy grin. 

He wasn’t whipped. 

“We’re going to start!” 

The kickball game quickly got more intense than Lio had anticipated. Varys boasted that he could kick the ball the farthest, and Gueira took that personally. Lucia had brought some sort of mechanical contraption that would kick the ball for her, which Lio wondered if that counted as cheating, but no one seemed to mind. Vinny had attempted to steal the ball on multiple occasions, and watching the Burning Rescue members chase after him was so humorous that Lio’s abs ached from laughing. 

He had never imagined he would live to see days when laughter would cause him pain. 

Eventually, it was the final inning, the scores were tied, and Lio was last to kick. 

“I got this,” he assured, waving his hands and smirking as he stepped to the base. Mad Burnish (plus Galo) didn’t admit defeat that easily.

“Bring it on,” Aina challenged from the pitcher’s position. She and Meis had been going back and forth in an unspoken battle as to who could come up with the most creative pitches the entire game. Aina wound her arm back very dramatically, releasing their comically large, red ball at a bit of a curve. Lio called upon all of his years of combat experience to aid in his aim, biting his lower lip in concentration, and kicked as hard as he could. Everyone watched with wide eyes as the ball flew high into the air, far past all of the Burning Rescue team members lying in wait for it. 

“Yea, Boss!” Gueira screamed from behind him, and Lio ran. He went as fast as he could across the bases, struggling to catch his breath because he was laughing. Lio couldn’t remember the last time he had genuinely enjoyed running. 

“Watch out!” Meis called as he passed third base, and Lio caught Remi from the corner of his eye coming at him with the ball. 

“I’ve got you!” Remi yelled, and threw the ball right towards where Lio was running. 

“Fuck!” Lio yelled, and his body took over. He jumped, feeling the grass rip beneath his feet, and the world blurred around him. 

“Show off!” he heard Remi taunting him, but it didn’t matter. His lithe body dove right beneath the ball, skidding against the ground and onto the base. As he came to a stop, grass stains surely coating his entire outfit, the air was thick with tension. All eyes turned to Ignis for the call. 

The fire captain’s expression was unreadable beneath his sunglasses. Lio watched a small smirk play on his lips as he stalled making the call, letting the tension build. Lio pulled himself up from the ground, breathing hard and squinting in the sun. Finally, Ignis cracked a smile.

“SAFE!” he called, gesturing to award the point to team Mad Burnish. The tension shattered like ice and the entire group erupted.

“What!?” Lucia screeched, but it was covered up by a loud exclamation of “BOSS” as Gueira and Meis ran towards him. What sounded the loudest, however, was Galo’s shout of, “LIO!” in his ears. Lio’s face hurt from smiling so hard, covering the stinging in his knees from his impact on the ground. He went to stand, but suddenly the ground was gone from under him. 

“Wha-?” 

Galo’s thick hands gripped him by the waist and pulled him up onto his shoulders. Lio panicked in surprise, flailing his legs until they were safely tucked over Galo’s sweaty shoulders, and his fingers threaded into his blue mohawk to hold on for dear life. Galo’s hands gripped his bare ankles to hold him in place, and everyone was cheering his name. His skin burned where Galo’s hands touched. 

“You did it, Lio! We won!” Galo’s voice sounded from beneath him, vibrating against his legs. Lio tried not to be overwhelmed by the way he could smell Galo’s shampoo and hair gel from this position. Lio was so euphoric with adrenaline looking around at the faces of everyone coming to congratulate him, that it felt like his body was humming.

Ignis had given Lio a job to fill his new life with meaningful work.

Varys had taught him how to navigate domestic chores and cope with his daily tasks. 

Remi had helped him get his GED and driver's license (and was currently helping him file taxes.)

Lucia had helped him cope with his anger and learn to have fun again. 

Aina had helped him feel more comfortable in his body and learn to express himself. 

His Mad Burnish generals had always been there for him in more ways than he could put to words.

And Galo. 

Galo had given him something he had never thought was possible for himself. 

A home.

Galo was home. 

Lio didn’t know how he would ever repay his debts to them, so he grinned and did his best to be happy.  

“Good game,” Varys was smiling and offering him a knuckle bump. Everyone exchanged bumps, and no one seemed at all disappointed about the outcome of the match.

“That dive at the end was pretty intense, I don’t think I could have pulled that off,” Aina laughed. 

“I”m already ready for a rematch,” Remi snorted, pushing up on his glasses.

“Oh yea? Boss can take you anytime,” Gueira retorted, getting in Remi’s face. Meis grabbed him by the back of his hair and pulled him away. 

“You know,” Galo started, fingers drumming random patterns on Lio’s ankles, “I think this calls for ice cream!” 

Everyone shouted their agreement.

“The place down the road makes fresh waffle cones,” Varys suggested, and together, they all walked in that direction. Lio prodded his finger into Galo’s head.

“Galo,” he mumbled. “I can walk, you know. Put me down.”

“Not a chance, firebug.” Lio could hear the smile in Galo’s voice without seeing him, and his shoulders shook as he chuckled. Lio sighed, pretending to be annoyed, and didn’t comment on the way the nickname made his heart hammer. 

“You’re an idiot.” 

Chapter Text

Lio had gone to the mall with Aina and Meis after work. He had mentioned something to Galo the day before about Aina helping the two of them pick out makeup and outfits with their most recent paychecks, and Galo thought it sounded like the type of thing Lio would have more fun at without him. Galo used to go when Lio went grocery shopping, but the other had complained that Galo was wasting money on junk food they didn’t need, and started going with Varys instead. 

Galo didn’t actually mind, because he hated buying groceries, so now he resolved to stay at home every time Lio felt like shopping. Instead, he bought junk food when Lio wasn’t around, so that Lio could eat chips without feeling guilty about buying chips. 

Once he said his goodbyes to Lio and went back to his apartment, Galo ordered himself a pizza from his favorite place and watched firefighting videos on youtube while he ate. Before Lio, Galo had spent every day eating dinner alone at his apartment.  Now, the occasional days where Lio went out after work left him feeling strangely empty inside. He hadn’t realized how much he had enjoyed eating dinner with Lio for the past year and a half until the other wasn’t around. 

After work each day, Lio would spend at least an hour going off about what project he had been working on and how it was going to benefit the Burnish, and how the government was not giving him enough funding. Galo loved watching the way Lio’s eyes would light up with passion, and how he’d get so enraptured by talking that he’d forget to eat and Galo would have to reheat his food. 

After eating, Galo played some video games. This was another activity he normally enjoyed doing with Lio, along with card games and board games. He’d never admit it to anyone, but Lio was actually way better than him at, well, all of them. Lio had insane reflexes, was amazing at thinking under pressure, and could strategize his way out of any situation. Galo didn’t mind losing, even if he was competitive, because he loved the proud, smug look Lio got on his face when he won. It was a face Lio didn’t make very often now that the Promare were gone.

Eventually, Galo got bored of the games without Lio there to make fun of him. He sighed deeply and checked his phone, but his only notifications were some memes that Varys had sent him. He considered texting Lio to ask how it was going, or calling him just to hear the smile in his voice through the phone, but decided against bothering him while he was out having fun. 

Lio needed to spend time with friends, and Galo was happy to see him coming out of his shell more. In the beginning, Galo had been worried because Lio worked so much. He was relieved that everyone had joined him in the effort of making sure Lio had fun, because after how hard he had worked his whole life, Lio deserved that. 

Accepting that it was good for Lio to go out without him, Galo scrolled through Netflix until he found a movie that seemed at least moderately interesting. Even knowing he wasn’t home, Galo left Lio’s cusion on the couch empty. It was a habit he had developed because Lio liked to come sit on the couch with Galo when he thought the other wasn’t paying attention, and tuck himself against the opposite couch arm while borrowing Galo’s ipad. (It was really Lio’s ipad, but Galo had bought it as his own, because Lio refused to own electronics for safety reasons.) Eventually, Lio would get cold, tuck his toes under the edge of Galo’s legs, and start watching whatever Galo was watching. 

 Galo did his best to pay attention to the movie he had put on, but all he could think about was the absence of Lio making comments about how stupid the film was the entire time. Lio hated action films (which Galo loved) because he thought the characters never made good plans and the fights were too dramatic. He also hated horror movies, because the characters always made stupid decisions and got themselves killed. Lio didn’t like romance, either, because it was dangerous to trust someone new so quickly without any evidence of their character. 

Lio always watched the movies with him, anyway, and Galo was starting to get the suspicion that he secretly enjoyed them more than he let on. 

As his interest in the movie faded, Galo wondered when his life had become so centered around Lio’s presence without him realizing. 

 He wondered even more if Lio would notice Galo’s absence in this way. 

Galo had never wanted anyone to miss him before. 

He thought about going to bed. There was no reason for him to turn in so early, but everything was so boring without Lio. On the other hand, it felt wrong for him to go to bed without Lio next to him, calming his mind and chasing away any nightmares that Kray may have left behind for him. Even the nights where Lio kept him awake with his own nightmares, or the nights where Galo fell asleep on the couch waiting for Lio to finish working, were nights he wouldn’t trade for anything. 

Galo made popcorn and attempted to put on another movie, and eventually drifted into a hazy sleep on his worn out couch. 

-

Galo awoke to Lio’s voice softly whispering his name and a gentle pushing on his shoulder. He groaned, shifting to roll over in bed, until he realized he was on the couch. He pulled his eyes open, vision still blurred with sleep, and blinked long and hard.

“Wow,” he mumbled without thinking. Lio was gazing down at him with a soft smile and looked absolutely ethereal. He was wearing a pair of fitted leather pants with a studded belt, that sat low on his hips in a way that should be illegal on the grounds of phsycological torture. 

Galo felt his heart thump a little harder in his chest.

The porcelain skin of Lio’s midriff was exposed beneath a ripped, black crop top. Lio’s eyes were now coated by dark makeup that accented his hypnotizing magenta stare. Pink glitter reflected back from his cheekbones and the tip of his nose. His hair was curled messily about his head, in a style Galo had never seen before, and the firefighter mindlessly reached out a hand to tuck some behind Lio’s ear. His touch lingered on Lio’s face for a moment, and the pads of his fingers burned where Lio’s skin had been. 

What stunned Galo the most, however, was his lips. Lio’s perfect, pink lips were coated in a thick, shiny gloss. His mouth was slightly agape after Galo’s comment and touch, with a sticky strand of the gloss caught between his bottom and top lip. Galo’s hand shifted to his own face in an attempt to hide his furious embarrassment as he started to wake and catch up with his own thoughts. 

“I take it you like my new outfit?” Lio’s cheeks were stained with an adorable blush that reached up to the tops of his ears. He was smiling now, with his teeth curved up, and Galo wished he could make Lio smile like that every day for the rest of his life. Galo nodded, sucking in air through his nose and trying to calm the blood that was pounding in his ears. 

“It looks great on you,” he coughed.

“I’ll have to make a point to dress up more often,” Lio grinned at him, almost like he was expecting something, but Galo wasn’t sure what. 

“I’m sure Aina and Meis would be happy to help you pick out more outfits,” he offered. 

After a moment of pause, Lio sighed, and Galo’s heart sank a little in his chest. 

“I’m going to shower,” Lio said, not meeting Galo’s eyes. “You should go to bed. You know sleeping on the couch will hurt your back.” 

Before Galo could say anything, Lio was walking down the hall to the bathroom. 

The moment Lio was gone, Galo wanted him to come back. Something was wrong, but he didn’t know what. He was usually very good at figuring out why Lio was upset. As he listened to the shower water kicking on, Galo went through the moments since Lio had come home in an attempt to figure it out. 

 It didn’t seem like anything had gone wrong with Aina or Meis, and Lio hadn’t seemed offended that Galo had complimented him. 

Had Galo’s attraction been too obvious? 

Galo had always found Lio attractive, from the first day they met, but Galo had spent his whole life shutting those types of feelings out. There wasn’t a point in being attracted to people that wanted nothing to do with you, which was often the case in Galo’s life. He had spent a lot of time moving between orphanages and foster homes, and therefore schools, and it had been nearly impossible to make a lasting connection with someone. Galo had resolved a long time ago that family wasn’t for him; the biggest connection he had ever made was with Kray, and even that had turned out to be fake. 

But Lio wasn’t like that.

Lio came home every day, and never made Galo wonder where he was, or when he would see him again. Lio didn’t hesitate to tell Galo how he was feeling. He wanted Galo’s opinions and went out of his way to cook dinner for Galo or pitch in with chores around the apartment, even if he wasn’t great at it. He trusted Galo when he was scared, and wanted to share things with Galo that made him happy. 

Galo ached to make Lio happy. He was the best friend, and the closest thing to family, that Galo had ever had. Galo didn’t have to think hard about his relationship with Lio- it was easy. 

He wasn’t sure why it had taken him this long to consider it, but maybe, it was okay to let himself be attracted to Lio.

Galo didn’t have the chance to ponder it further, because then Lio came out of the shower, and he went straight into their bedroom without saying goodnight. 

Lio had never gone to bed without saying goodnight before, and Galo’s chest ached. Even on days that he and Lio had fights, they still went to bed together, and Galo felt the sting of tears in his eyes. The idea that he himself could do something to hurt Lio so badly was an unbearable weight on Galo’s chest, because he wanted nothing more than to protect the people he loved from pain. 

Protect the people he loved.

Galo let himself hold on to that thought for a moment longer, and puzzle pieces started to fit together. 

 Looking back on it, he wasn’t sure how it had taken so long his feelings to hit him, but Lio being so upset at him had awakened a fear of loss he had never felt before. It was a fear that had built within him slowly over time, and he had pretended it wasn’t there. 

But his fear of losing Lio was excruciating, because his love for Lio was a thousand times hotter. 

Suddenly, the weeks of teasing he had endured from the other Burning Rescue members started to make sense. 

And now that Galo knew he was in love with Lio, he couldn't think about anything else. He spent hours staring at his living room ceiling and contemplating all of his interactions with Lio. 

Had Lio been flirting with him? 

Was Lio attracted to him, too? 

It took only those few hours for Galo to decided that he needed to confess. 

Normally, he just blurted out all of his feelings. But even Galo had enough tact to realize a romanitc confession needed to be special. It would have to be perfect, because Lio deserved the best the world had to offer. Galo would put all of his burning soul into this confession.

Tomorrow was Wednesday, and he and Lio always went for pizza together after work on Wednesdays. It was 1 A.M. That meant he only had about 16 hours to prepare for dinner, and he was wasting precious time sitting on the couch. 

Galo put on his shoes and quietly left the apartment, starting the walk to Fire Station 3. On the way, he phoned Lucia.

"Galo?" her tired voice spoke from the other end of the phone. "What time is it?"

"It's 1 A.M." 

"It's what? Damnit Galo, I'm going-" 

"Wait Lucia! Don't hang up, it's important." Lucia was starting to sound a bit more awake and curious. 

"Is there a fire?”

"Well, not exactly, but-”

“Is it a matter of significant scientific importance?”

“No, but I just-”

“Not interested,” Lucia’s voice went flat. “Goodn-”

“Lucia!” Galo interrupted, whining nto the phone and trying to make himself sound serious. Lucia paused for a moment and then sighed grumpily into the phone.

“Fine, just talk quieter because you’re waking Vinny and he’s mean when he’s tired. What do you want?” 

 I was hoping you could meet me at the station."

"Right now? You want me to get out of bed and meet you at the station right now?"

"Please." 

"Why?"

"It's for a personal project,” Galo made a point to copy the phrase that Lucia so often used. 

"Can't you do it yourself? It's important that my brain cells get the right amount of sleep to maintain their genius."

"Lucia," Galo whined again. “I always help you with your personal projects, even if the captain says no.” 

There was another pause and Lucia yawned into the reciever. Galo heard the sound of blankets rustling. 

"I suppose that's true. If I'm going to come all the way out there, can I at least know what the project is first?'

"Lucia, you're the best!" Galo exclaimed.

"I haven't even said yes yet."

"Well, I need you to help me make a ring."

Chapter Text

Six months ago, Lio had told himself he was fine ignoring his romantic feelings for Galo if it meant that things could stay the same. He had told himself that he didn’t need a romantic partner to be happy, and the companionship his friends had provided him was more than he could ever ask for. Romantic struggles were a part of life that Lio never thought he would live to see. 

While it was true that he was grateful, the longer time went on, the harder it was becoming to ignore his feelings. 

Shortly after his initial conversation with Aina, he’d decided to talk to Gueira and Meis about his predicament, as well. The three of them had been urging him to confess, and Lio had been trying his best at flirting. Nothing was working, and Lio admittedly wasn’t the best at dealing with frustration. 

He had thought for sure, if he put a little more effort into his appearance, that Galo would have to notice him. It seemed to work at first, when Galo was half asleep, anyway. Once he’d woken up completely, any semblance of attraction to Lio seemed to disappear, and Lio had gone to the shower to cry. Trying to save himself from further embarrassment, he went straight to bed after his shower.

Lio had woken up alone in the apartment. Galo always woke Lio up in the morning, because he has a habit of sleeping through his alarm, and made coffee for the two of them. It stung more than Lio liked to admit that not only had Galo never come to bed the previous night, but he'd also apparently gotten up for work and left without him. 

The abandonment was heavy in his chest. He wondered if this is how he had made Galo feel last night.

When Lio made it to the station, Galo was wearing the same clothes he’d worn last night when Lio had gotten in the shower. He spent the entire day working on something with Lucia, and seemed like he was avoiding Lio at all costs. 

It was quite possibly the biggest fuck up that Lio had ever made, and he was shocked and relieved when Galo approached him at the end of the workday for their usual pizza dinner.

His relief turned sour when Galo spent the entire dinner in obvious discomfort. 

“Galo, are you alright?” Lio asked as they were nearing the end of their dinner. “You’ve been fidgeting nonstop the entire meal.” 

“Actually, Lio, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” Galo admitted. Lio’s heart jumped in his chest and he struggled to swallow. 

“Is this about last night?” Lio asked, and immediately felt a wave of guilt.

“It is.” 

“Then I want to start by apologizing."

"I'm the one who should be apologizing." 

“What are you talking abo-?” Lio froze mid sentence as Galo rose from his chair, stepping around to Lio’s side of the table and dropping to one knee. 

“Galo, what are you-?” 

“Lio,” Galo cut him off, and he was pulling a velvet box out of his pocket. 

“We’re not even-”

“Lio.”

“You can’t just-”

“Lio. Listen to me.” 

Lio stopped talking, and as he stared down at Galo before him, tears welled in the corner of his eyes. 

“I know that this isn’t very conventional, but honestly, no part of our relationship has ever been conventional. And I like that about us. When I’m with you, I don’t have to be afraid to just put myself out there. You start an inferno in my heart. I love you, through spark and flame, and I’m sorry it’s taken me an entire year to realize it. I want to spend every day giving you the life you deserve.”

Lio had never considered himself a romantic, but the more Galo talked, the more his tears came. 

“You… You’re… An idiot,” Lio choked out through sobs. Galo’s grin widened.

“Lio Fotia, will you marry me?” Lio inhaled a deep breath and reached up to wipe his eyes so he could meet Galo’s smoldering expression. 

If you had told Lio a year and a half ago that he would find someone he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, he would have scoffed.

If you had told him that it would be a fire fighter, and they would save the world together, he would've laughed so hard he cried.

Yet, here he was, staring down at the man who had not only saved his life, but somehow given him everything and made it look effortless.

There were no more Promare.

There was no more Mad Burnish.

He was just Lio, and he wasn't afraid anymore. 

“Yes, of course I’ll marry you.” 

Galo was standing up to meet Lio’s embrace. Galo pulled Lio flush against his chest as the other sobbed into him, and the entire restaurant erupted into applause. After a few moments, Lio pulled back to look up at Galo’s face, staying wrapped in his arms. 

“I love you, Galo Thymos.” Lio reached up a hand and grabbed the collar of Galo’s shirt, pulling him down and crashing their lips together. Lio’s face was wet with tears as they kissed, and people were staring, but Lio didn’t care. This was exponentially better than the last time the two of them had kissed, especially considering he was conscious for it this time. 

The kiss was soft at first, but building with the blaze of Galo and Lio’s souls dancing against one another. 

In a world where Lio Fotia craved to burn, Galo Thymos was, thankfully, always burning.

Chapter Text

 Lio’s entire body was shaking with happiness as he and Galo walked into Fire Station 3 the next morning, his fingers laced into Galo’s. Aina could tell it was happiness, because everyone in the fire station had grown very familiar with Lio’s emotions over the past year and a half. Everyone was familiar with his anger and his sadness, but this level of happiness was new, and it stood out like fire. It was infectious, commanding attention the way that Lio always did, and it blazed across the room. Aina felt herself smiling a little, especially when she saw Galo’s parallel expression. 

 “Lio and I are engaged!” Galo yelled to everyone, a huge, dorky grin taking over his entire face. The smile that spread on Lio’s in response was unfamiliar and huge. Every single pair of eyes dropped from what they were doing to slowly widen and stare. 

 It was Gueira who broke the silence first.

 “You guys have been dating this entire time, and didn’t tell anyone?” he growled. His gaze fixed on Lio. “Boss, I thought-”

 “No!” Galo quickly interrupted. “I just realized last night that I was in love with Lio.” His gaze turned downwards as he spoke, and a blush covered him. 

 “And now you’re engaged?” Remi’s eyes narrowed. 

 “That’s right,” Galo beamed. “Lucia helped me make the rings after I had my realization.” Everyone turned to look at Lucia then, who simply shrugged and started opening a piece of candy.

 “I figured, this could be a fun experiment. I gotta admit though, the outcome was better than I was expecting when Galo called in the middle of the night.” 

 “That’s adorable,” Varys smiled. 

 “The only thing dumber than proposing the day you realize you’re in love with someone, is saying yes to a proposal from someone who just realized they’re in love with you!” Remi said. He reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, but there was a small smile hidden behind his hand. 

 “I guess I’m the biggest idiot of all then,” Lio chuckled, but his gaze was turned up towards Galo’s as if irresistible sparks were flowing between them. 

 “No way!” Galo challenged. “You’re going to have to fight me if you want my title!” 

 “Not only can I fight you,” Lio said back. He leaned closer, lips a breaths length from Galo’s. “I can win.” 

Aina could feel the palpable tension that was gathering between them, and looked away. 

 Aina’s gaze traveled across the room to meet Meis. He caught her looking, and smiled at her in understanding. She found herself smiling back without realizing. She couldn’t deny the sour hurt in her heart at the realization that Galo had truly chosen someone else, but at least she had acceptance- an acceptance that would allow her to support her friend through this important moment in his life. 

 Before Galo and Lio’s lips could connect, Ignis stepped from his office and cleared his throat. 

 “I think congratulations are in order,” he said, crossing his arms. His mouth turned into a small smile beneath his mustache. (Wow. The captain was smiling.)

 “Captain!” Galo jumped backwards, reaching up to thread his free hand into his hair. “Thank you!”

 “But no funny business at work!” 

 “I don’t think I could take it,” Remi faked a gag, and everyone laughed. The room dissolved into chatter then, everyone coming over to talk to them, shooting around questions like “where was the proposal” and “when is the wedding going to be.” After about ten minutes, Galo stepped back to approach the couch where Aina was sitting with her feet swung over the arm. 

 “Aina,” he grinned at her, “You haven’t said anything.” 

 Aina knew this would quite possibly be her last opportunity to tell Galo how she was actually feeling, and finally get the closure of Galo knowing her truth. She steeled herself and decided against it. This was Lio’s moment, and Aina wouldn’t take it from him. 

"I'm happy for you," she said instead, and found that it wasn’t a lie. Galo looked so happy that it was impossible for Aina to not feel a familiar admiration in her chest. 

"Really? Good!” Galo’s face dropped a little, and he looked nervous. “Because I wanted to ask you something important.”

“What’s that?”

 “To be my maid of honor." 

Aina stuttered at his bluntness. 

“Do you even know any of the details about your wedding yet?”

“Nope!” Galo beamed.

“Idiot.” 

“But there’s no one else I'd rather have by my side," Galo's smile was honest and his eyes swam with affection. "You're my best friend and my family and I wouldn't be here without you. You have to say yes!” 

Aina's heart swelled. Galo loved her, even if it wasn't in the way that she loved him.

She smiled back. "Of course I will, Galo. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else on your big day." 

 Aina resolved to find the hottest date for the wedding.