Work Text:
Finally, everything is starting to get settled down.
Lio Fotia, Guiera, and Meis didn’t start out as members of the Burning Rescue crew. But it was an inevitability once Lio looked back on it. Now they wear Burning Rescue uniforms and have an office in the station where they can work on and organize former Burnish issues without being harassed.
There’s been so much to do and so many people to help, it hadn’t been the plan for them to set up headquarters there but when Galo showed up and opened up a door of a former storage room all decked out with desks and cabinets and everything they could possibly need...how could they say no? It was one less headache to worry about, and if it put Lio in Galo Thymos’ presence on a regular basis? Lio would count that as the icing on the cake.
There was no time to talk about everything that happened between them, not when there was a city to rebuild, missing to find, and the dead to bury.
Both Lio and Galo had no time to talk about their relationships.
But maybe some things didn’t need to be said, at least not yet.
It starts with Galo offering Lio his couch after seeing the former Burnish leader turn around a run face-first into the doorframe in his tired delirium. It changes when Lio has to physically drag a protesting, sleep-deprived Galo from the Burning Rescue station to finally sleep like a normal human. It evolves as Lio steps into Galo’s apartment, eyes hollow and smears of ash covering his gloves. Galo doesn’t say anything but holds up the blanket he’s snuggled under as an invitation. Lio crawls under after peeling off his gloves and gently laying them atop the counter. Galo holds him as Lio’s shoulders shake.
This thing starts off so unfamiliar and tentative and becomes something neither of them dare live without.
It culminates in a quiet moment.
Lio’s woken up before the alarm but he’s not ready to leave the bed, he turns off their alarm and stares down at the man beside him. Galo’s face is squished against his marshmallow-y pillow, sleeping peacefully with a warm arm thrown over Lio’s waist. Lio lets his hand wander, lightly tracing down the winding scars on Galo’s arm. Only moving away when he sees Galo’s face scrunch up at the ticklish touch and hide his face deeper into his pillow. Lio lets out an affectionate huff and lets his hand move up to Galo’s hair, gently combing his fingers through the blue mess it’s now become. Eventually Galo wakes, lifting his head to blink sleepily at Lio, lips stretching into a dopey smile.
“Wow,” Galo breathes, eyes fluttering when Lio scratches at his scalp, “I love you so much.”
Lio stills, magenta eyes widening, “huh…?” Is the most eloquent response he can give right now.
The firefighter stretches like a cat, pressing his hands against the headboard before sitting up to look Lio in the eyes.
“Yeah, I love you…a lot. Like,” Galo tilts his head as he thinks, “like to the moon and back a lot.”
Lio’s heard that saying those three words is hard. People make it sound like admitting that is difficult. But Galo? Galo makes it as easy as breathing.
With a warm smile on his face Lio responds, “I love you too.” He reaches out a cups Galo’s cheeks, Lio wonders if Galo’s face hurts from all the smiling he’s been doing. They kiss gently, savoring the feeling of their lips pressed together. As they rest their foreheads together Lio basks in the quiet moment.
The familiar sensation of two puzzle pieces slotting together to create something greater than their separate parts. It feels like becoming Galo de Lion all over again.
But this time…Lio and Galo become partners in a whole new sense.
Everything is different but everything is the same.
Not much actually changes in their day-to-day life. There’s still much to do, even if their workload has been reduced from an all-consuming, nearly insurmountable amount of work to only a ridiculous amount of work.
Still, Galo and Lio find time for each other.
Little touches linger longer than is strictly platonic when they pass by each other at work. They make sure their one day off syncs up. Lio goes through reports on his tablet while Galo sits on the floor, playing video games with his shoulder pressed to Lio’s knee. When Galo gets back from an exhausting shift, Lio is there to knead his shoulders and turn him to putty.
The sex is fantastic. It surprises Lio how eager Galo is to slip into a submissive role in the bedroom, eager to please. How is Lio supposed to hold back when Galo looks up at him with eyes turned midnight blue with lust? When he says things like “Lio, LIO, PLEASE! Please, I need you...I need you so bad,” with a voice that fades into a desperate moan, it does horribly wonderful things to Lio. When he hears Galo’s moans it lights a fire so intense and all-consuming it puts his Promare to shame. Or, perhaps, there’s still some flickering embers of Promare left in his soul?
He knows Galo feels it too, the fire that lights up his soul. Love saturates every look, every touch he sends Lio’s way. Love lights up Galo’s eyes every time they land on Lio, no matter what he’s doing if he catches sight of the smaller man his smile goes all mushy and soft. He can tell when he wakes up with Galo completely wrapped around him, face nuzzled against Lio’s bright hair, whining when Lio tries to escape the tangle of limbs.
It’s no surprise to Lio that they would want to explore the realm of kink but what is surprising is that Galo is the one to take the first step.
~
It’s one of the few mornings where Lio doesn’t have to be somewhere immediately. He has things to do, yes, but right now they mostly consist of proofreading and preparing for the afternoon. So, he’s spread out his paperwork in the common room like world’s worst nest.
“Yo, Boss,” Meis’ voice floats through the door and Lio looks up to see him carrying in a cardboard tray of coffee, “we got the good stuff.” Guiera has already burnt himself and is sticking his tongue out with a pout.
Lio stands from his ring of papers and steps out to join the two in the kitchen. It’s a treat that they occasionally allow themselves, a coffee and sweet from the nearby café. A café that is thankfully ex-Burnish friendly. They rotate who goes but Meis and Guiera usually go together.
Lio suspects, but he won’t say anything until they say something first. After all, they gave him the same curtesy when it came to Galo.
Guiera goes to try his coffee again but pauses and smiles, “G’morning Galo,” he says and tries for another sip of his hot coffee. Lio grins at Meis’ grumbled, “you do this every goddamn time,” turning around to greet his partner.
Stilling, Lio’s magenta eyes zero in on Galo walking into the common room, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he waves to them, casual-as-you-please.
But Lio can’t take his eyes off the collar around Galo’s neck.
It’s understated, it could be easily mistaken for a choker if you didn’t know what to look for. But Lio knows, Lio sees, Lio burns.
“LIO!?” Galo squawks and races over to him, hands flailing, followed by Guiera’s confused, “what the hell!?”
Lio isn’t even sure why Galo is freaking out until he looks down at his hand. Oh, he’s absolutely crushed his coffee, hot liquid completely soaking through his glove and burning his hand. Lio drops the crumpled cup and peels his soaking glove off with a frown. His skin is already turning a light pink by the time Galo nabs his arm and looks it over.
“C’mon, we’ve got a first aid kit in the bathroom,” Galo says, already dragging a dazed Lio through the door.
Galo is already running cool water over his hand when Lio’s mind snaps back into focus.
“Forget the coffee,” Lio snaps, tugging his hand out of the water and climbing Galo like the tree that he is. Galo makes an adorable squeaking noise and his hands come up to immediately support Lio’s thighs because Galo is a good partner and Lio barely deserves him.
Gently taking the firefighter’s face in his hands, Lio presses their lips together in a warm kiss. Galo immediately relaxes and kisses back, the former Burnish leader can feel the smile on his lips.
Admittedly, its been a while since they’ve had a moment but Lio refuses to get distracted.
When he pulls back Lio motions to the black leather sitting innocently on Galo’s neck, “where did you get this?”
Lio hasn’t seen Galo turn this particular shade of pink before but it does look lovely.
“U-uh, well,” Galo stumbles over his words, hands nervously squeezing leather-clad legs, “I was--uh, you know, looking at things?”
Lio’s fingers gently trace along black leather, “Oh…? What kinds of things?” He lets his hand wander around the collar, wondering if there’s a lock.
The thought sends fire licking up his spine.
It looks like the floodgates have opened because Galo can’t seem to stop talking.
“Okay, right, so,” Galo begins, licking his lips, “when we do stuff, in the bedroom.”
“Stuff,” Lio repeats with an arched eyebrow.
“Y-yeah! Stuff!” Galo nods and drums his fingers along Lio’s thighs, “I...like it when you take control? So, I, uh, bought one? Just to try and see how it felt…? And I--” Galo takes a breath, “Ireallylikeit.” It comes out in a rush.
Galo’s blush deepened into a beet red but he meets Lio’s eyes anyway, lifting his chin as if Lio would be anything other than pleased.
The former Burnish smiles fondly, reaching up to run his fingers through Galo’s obnoxiously blue hair.
“I’m proud of you for exploring,” Lio says honestly, his smile growing as Galo tilts into his touch, “We can do this if you want, I certainly like it. But only if you want to.”
Before Lio finishes speaking his boisterous partner is already nodding excitedly, “YEAH! I want to!” Blue eyes alight with a passionate fire seared through Lio, “you’re the only one I want to do this stuff with.”
Galo can light him up with a look and a few words, it’s almost infuriating.
They can’t do anything right now, not here. There’s a strict “no funny business” rule while in the common areas of the station. The station bathroom, unfortunately, counts as a common area.
“Wait...you’re into this stuff too?” Galo tilts his head, completing the puppy look.
“Of course I do, you big idiot,” Lio says with all the affection in the world before reaching down to drag Galo’s hand along the belts decorating his thigh, “why do you think I wear so much leather? Why do you think I get so excited when you let me take control at home?”
That seems to send his partner’s mind into a tailspin if Galo’s jaw hanging open is any indication. Lio chuckles and reaches up to his chin to gently close it.
“We’ll talk more about this at home,” Lio drags his fingers down to linger on the simple collar, feeling the way Galo’s breath hitches.
“And put me down, we still have things to do today,” he taps Galo’s nose and almost like a restart button Galo blinks and refocuses back on Lio. He still pouts when he puts the shorter man down but Lio pats his arm.
“The faster we can get our work down the faster we can get home,” Lio says if only to watch as Galo lights back up again with a fierce determination in his eyes.
“You’re right! I’m going to seize the carp!” Galo strikes a pose before he waltzes out of the bathroom.
Lio immediately narrows his eyes, “you mean carpe diem?” He asks as he stomps after Galo.
“Yeah that!” Galo shoots him a blinding smile.
Sometimes Lio thinks Galo does that on purpose.