Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Standing on top of a wrecked spaceship, Galo Thymos felt like he was on top of the world. Although, this time it was in more of a figurative way rather than the literal way the Galo de Lion had just moments ago. Speaking of Lio, the shorter man had turned to see where the Burning Rescue crew held Kray, his assistant…Galo couldn’t remember her name, and Vulcan, but he didn’t seem entirely happy. 

“You ok Lio?” Galo asked, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Everything’s ok now, we won!”

“Perhaps…and yet I feel like this isn’t close to being over.” 

The shorter man hummed, turning his gaze down to ground level where emergency services were already helping the Burnish…former Burnish out of the pods. Gueira and Meis were down there somewhere…they’d wake up soon and start looking for him. He needed to act fast.

“I have to get out of here.” He sighed, looking around for something to cover himself with. His shirt had been destroyed, after all, he’d be cold by the time night fell. “I don’t suppose you guys have a bike I could use? I’d bring it back…eventually.”

“I mean, you can have mine? I was planning on selling it for a new one anyway but-” Then he really processed what Lio had said. “Wait a minute, where the hell do you think you’re going?!”

“Galo, whether I saved the world or not, I’m the leader of Mad Burnish and I’ve been branded a terrorist. Everyone else can be excused that they were just trying to fight back…but me…I’ve been condemned. I need to leave, and soon.”

“But…couldn’t we just say that for you! You were fighting back against people trying to kill you! You’re no different!” Galo felt his eyes burning, why was he getting so upset?! Even the man himself didn’t understand.

“God, even now you’re so naive!” Lio laughed at him, though there was no bitterness as there had been when the shorter man first called him that. “I am…I was the Leader of Mad Burnish! They can so easily be excused in saying that I manipulated them, forced and threatened them, and whatever else they can think of! I’ve made myself into the perfect villain for the people to hate.”

“Lio…” He whispered, resting one hand on his shoulder and the other on his chin, forcing the shorter man to look up at him. “Take my bike, take my phone number too, and contact me when you can. Just…just come back one day…please?”

The shorter man sighed, and while Galo had somewhat expected something to happen, he still found himself gasping as Lio’s lips met his own. The kiss was gentle and entirely too short, too soon Lio was pulling away and rushing towards the edge, Galo wished he could have stopped him…but they both knew that the city needed time before they saw Lio Fotia walking the street like a normal person. 

“Oh wait, I didn’t give him my…keys?” Galo patted at all of the pockets in his pants to find them…gone. He couldn’t stop himself from laughing.  “Did he…that little shit picked my pockets!”

“Hey, has anyone seen my jacket? It was right there!” Ignis groaned, looking around. 

There was…no way, right?

Chapter Text

Luckily, the public thought exactly as Lio had anticipated them to, that they were simply victims trying to survive and ended up being manipulated into being so aggressive. Most of them tried to fight back against what they said about Lio, and the ones who didn’t were simply trying to get on with getting their lives back. 

Burning Rescue were working hard to get the city back on its feet, especially around the crash site. Architects were working on turning the husk of the Parnassus into accommodation as well as with all sorts of shops and other businesses. It’d definitely help things in the long run but…looking at it still brought that spark of terror for Lio, wherever the shorter man was.

That kiss still played on his mind, not just the one before Lio left but…as much as he tried to say otherwise, that so-called CPR was definitely more than just that…but what could he say? He couldn’t beg Lio to stay in such a volatile situation just because he…what…wanted to kiss him more?

Did he want to kiss Lio more? How did he even feel about the shorter man? It was all a bit of a mess that made him want to open a bottle and forget for a little while.

Before Galo could seriously consider drowning his Lio-related sorrows in alcohol, a heavy knock came from his door. Maybe Aina wanted to drag him out to do…who knew what? But the reality was far more surprising. 

He’d only seen them at a distance and never spoke to them, but he recognized the two men at his door as Lio’s two Lieutenants. And they didn’t look happy.

“Where is he?” The red-haired one demanded, an accent Galo never noticed coming through in his anger. “Where the fuck are you keeping him?!”

“What?” Galo turned to the one with long hair, who looked much calmer. “Where the fuck am I keeping…do you mean Lio? You think I’m hiding him in my damn closet?”

“We just…I guess we just hoped you’d know where he was…” The long-haired guy sighed, they’d obviously been searching for a while. “We haven’t seen him since the Parnassus…he was with you…”

“I know…he was for a little while. He said he needed to get out…that if the Burnish wanted any hope of reintegrating in society then he needed to get out of the way.” Galo explained. “I tried to stop him, but…”

“How could you when he made such a valid point?” The man nodded, before turning to his friend. “Gueira! Stop rooting around his shit, Lio isn’t here!”

“Don’t tell him my name! He could tell…he could tell…” The wind left his argument very quickly.

“Who’s he gonna tell man? Kray’s not coming after us anymore.” He rolled his eyes, then turned back to Galo. “I’m sorry about him…we’re just worried. The idiot over there is Gueira, I’m Meis. Thanks for looking out for the boss when we were…you know…”

“Don’t worry about it. He was…I mean we…” Galo cleared his throat, feeling himself getting choked up. “Lio said he’d come back, we just need to clear things up first. You could help us you know? The quicker we clear his name, the sooner Lio will come back to us.”

“You want us to work with you?” Gueira scowled, glancing to Meis who seemed to be genuinely considering it. “Mate, come on.”

“No, he’s right. We want Lio back, we need to make sure we get rid of the misconception that the aggression was unprovoked. That he didn’t manipulate us. We can work on getting the rest of us involved too.” Meis nodded, clapping Galo on the shoulder. “We’ll get him back in no time. Then you can tell him how you really feel.”

“What do you mean?” The blue-haired man frowned.

“We were all there. We saw how you saved him.” Gueira elaborated this time. “You can’t deny that you care about him.”

“Come on you. Galo, we’ll swing by Burning Rescue tomorrow, hopefully with some good news.”

The two left as quickly as they’d arrived, leaving Galo feeling like he’d just encountered a tornado. It made sense that they were worried about their friend, Galo was worried about him too. Still…could they really change people’s minds about Lio?

Chapter Text

Progress was…slow. Six months after what was dubbed the Parnassus incident, while the Former Burnish Integration Program was highly successful, people were still far too quick to condemn the former leader of Mad Burnish despite all the evidence being presented to them. They knew it was going to take time, all of them did, but as Galo relaxed in his apartment in the evening after work he found things more frustrating.

He’d long come to the conclusion that he definitely had strong feelings for Lio, he supposed that was what happened when your souls became one to pilot a giant mech, but did the Former Burnish share those feelings? Was he just deluding himself that the last kiss they shared really meant something? He said he’d call at some point, but in the past six months, he’d heard nothing. 

“Is he even still alive…?” He muttered to himself, staring at the blank TV like it would give him the answers.

As it happened, it was his phone that provided something, as his ringtone spooked him out of his stupor with a number he didn’t recognize.

“Hello, who’s speaking?” He sighed, putting the phone to his ear.

“ Hey there, Number One Firefighting Idiot. ”

That voice had him immediately sitting up straight. It couldn’t be…

“Lio…” He whispered.

“ Sorry, it’s been a while. A few of the Police Force who still followed Kray tried coming after me, so I couldn’t contact you as soon as I really wanted to. ”

“Shit man…it’s so good to hear your voice again. Have you…I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with things?” He laughed softly, full of disbelief that Lio was talking to him.

“ I’ve seen how hard you guys are working. You’ll let Gueira and Meis know I’m alive right? ”

“Of course!” He didn’t mention how they’d probably kill him if he neglected to mention this phone call. “We’re getting there Lio. More and more people are agreeing with us.”

“ I’ve heard. ”

“So that means…that means you can come back soon right?” He asked anyway, even though he knew what the answer was.

“ Not just yet…you’re making progress but…until there’s some sort of official statement or pardon or whatever… ”

“It’s just not enough yet.” The blue-haired man sighed, nodding even though Lio couldn’t see him. “I get it…”

“ I’m sorry…I wish I could be there with you. After that kiss on top of the Parnassus… ” He trailed off, but Galo was able to finish the thought for him.

“I know…I know I…I can’t stop thinking about it either.” He admitted. “Did it…this is probably a stupid question, but I’m a pretty stupid guy so…Did it mean anything to you? That kiss?”

“ It certainly meant something. I can’t deny that .” Lio let out his own gentle sigh. “ I’d give anything to be with you right now. So we could talk properly. ” 

“Me too…I don’t think I’d be able to let you go, you know? I’d just…hold on to you.” He couldn’t stop himself…confession after confession fell from Galo’s lips. “More than anything…I wanna kiss you again.”

“ You enjoyed it that much the first two times? ” That voice became teasing, in a way that did far more to Galo than he considered to admit. “ I’d agree there though. You’re a surprisingly good kisser for someone who hadn’t done it before. ”

“How’d you know it was my first kiss?"

“ It was kind of obvious. You’re an open book Galo Thymos. But it’s kind of a nice feeling…to know I was your first kiss. ” He could listen to Lio talk for hours on end. “ I’m hoping to be a few more of your firsts…when I finally get back .”

Galo wondered what he meant for a moment before his brain cells kicked into gear and he realized what Lio was talking about.

Oh…

“Have you…thought about that a lot?” He asked.

“ Mmmm… ” Lio hummed in confirmation; Galo could almost picture the smirk on his face. “ You occupy most of my thoughts in one way or another. Even before we fought Kray in the Galo de Lion…I thought of you on many lonely nights. ”

“Lio…” Galo whined softly, burying his face in his free hand. “Are you saying that you...when you thought of…me?”

“ You make it sound like such a shocking thing. You may not have much going on inside that head of yours, but it certainly is a pretty head. ”

The praise had the blood in Galo’s body rushing to two places: his cheeks, and…distinctly south. The idea that someone wanted him in that way was new and undeniably exciting. But there was one problem with what he felt like Lio wanted to suggest they do.

“But…you’re not here…how could we…?”

“ Fuck… ” It turned out that hearing Lio curse also did things to Galo. “ Let me show you just how powerful words and tone of voice can be. ”

A shiver of excitement went through Galo’s body as he waited to hear just how Lio was planning on doing that. He wasn’t entirely stupid, and he wasn’t as much of a virgin as he presented himself to be…but he was still curious as to how this was going to work.

“Ok, Lio…show me.” He responded, hoping his voice gave away how much he wanted this.

“ It’s all about the imagination. Thinking about what I’d do to you if I were with you right now. How I’d make you feel. Where I’d touch you. ” Each word Lio said sounded like he was moaning right in Galo’s ear.

“Where would you touch me then?” There was the obvious place, the place that Galo was currently palming through his sweatpants, but he wondered if Lio would come up with something else.

“ That chest of yours that you can’t seem to keep covered up for a start. You have no idea how distracting you were when I was trying to fight you. With your chest out like it was a warm summer afternoon.” 

“You know…” Since Lio had never asked, he supposed he could give him a little bit of information about himself. “There’s a reason I tend not to wear a shirt.”

“ Oh, now do tell ?”

“I’m pretty sensitive there. Even the gentlest touch can cause a reaction.” He told him, resting a hand on one pec as if to prove his point. “Shirts can make things…awkward.”

“ It’s not fair that I can’t be with you. ” He whined down the phone, and Galo couldn’t miss the sound of clothes rustling as well. “ I’d be all over you. Where are your hands right now?”

“ Well, the one that’s…not holding my phone is ah…nnnh…currently on my che-chest.” He huffed, massaging the muscle and catching his nipple with his thumb. “Lio…Fuck…”

“ God I wish those were my hands…you have no idea how good I’d make you feel.” Lio groaned, he was definitely touching himself. Not that Galo was much better as he balanced his phone between his shoulder and his ear so he could get his hand in his pants.

“Tell me then. Tell me what you’d do to me. Tell me what you’ll do when you come back.” 

There was a quiet gasp from the other end of the line, obviously, Lio hadn’t expected him to be so forward with what he wanted. 

“ Careful what you wish for Thymos. You’re asking for something pretty dangerous. ”

“Lio…” His voice turned into a moan as his hand wrapped around his cock, with his eyes closed he could pretend that hand belonged to the man on the other end of the phone. “Please…"

“ You sound so pretty when you beg. Makes me wanna…get you on your knees. Bet you’d look…perfect…waiting for me to put my dick in your mouth. Would you want that? You wanna suck me off?”

“Yes!” He gasped without hesitation. “I’d be so good Lio. I’d suck you off so good.”

“ I bet you would. I bet you’d look so good with your lips wrapped around my cock. You’re so eager to please people…You’d work so hard just to make me cum down your throat.”

“Lio…oh, don’t…don’t stop!” Precum made his efforts easier and Galo didn’t know which was making him more horny: Lio’s voice or the things his words promised.

“ Then I’d fuck you till you could only scream my name…till your neighbors put in a fucking noise complaint.” Even the other man’s voice was starting to sound strained. 

“Lio…oh Lio…!” That was what he wanted to hear right?

“ Mmm fuck…Be a good boy and cum for me?”

And oh was Galo a good boy. He’d never considered that he had a sexual thing for being praised, which made sense when he thought about it later, but Lio calling him a good boy pushed him over that edge with the Former Burnish’s name on his lips. He could hear that Lio wasn’t that far behind him, and soon the two of them were just breathing down the phone line.

“Lio…?” He asked softly, almost like he was afraid that he’d wake up and the call had been a dream.

“ Yeah…?” At least he responded sounding just as worn out. 

“Can I call you again on this number?” After that…Galo didn’t think he could face another six months not hearing from him.

“ I’m calling on a burner Galo…I’m gonna disconnect it once we hang up…I can’t risk someone being able to find me. ” He didn’t sound happy about that fact.

“Right…sorry, yeah that makes sense. Just…” He used his clean hand to wipe away the tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. “Come back soon? Or at least call again soon…? I wanna be able to do this again you know.”

“ I’ll try my best, I promise. ” If they were both honest, Lio sounded like he wanted to cry as well. “ Look after yourself, Galo… ”

“Yeah…you too…”

The line went dead, and Galo felt so many words that were left unsaid hanging on his tongue. Who knew when he’d next get to talk to Lio again...Maybe by that point, he’d know exactly what he wanted to tell the shorter man. 

Regardless, it was going to be one hell of a reunion.

Chapter Text

When he’d gone to work the next day, Gueira and Meis were there as promised. Whilst omitting the…steamier parts of the conversation, Galo passed on his message from Lio to his Lieutenants: that he was safe. Gueira wasn’t too impressed that Lio had called ‘the Firefighting Idiot’ but not his best friends…though Meis seemed to be a bit more understanding. 

“The heart wants what the heart wants Gueira. It’s not our job to question Lio.” He chuckled. Apparently, he knew more about their situation than he’d thought. “I’m just glad he’s ok. We just gotta get this last push with our petition.”

“Have many Former Burnish signed it?” Galo wanted to know, but he also didn’t want to get his hopes up about it. 

“Pretty much all of them.” Gueira grinned. “Definitely all of the ones who hung around with Mad Burnish and ended up in the Parnassus. The ones who managed to stay hidden took a bit more persuading, but we should get there by the time she wants to review everything.”

‘She’ referred to the Mayor of Promepolis and the city’s most prolific judge, Angela Prometh. It had taken a few meetings for him to catch on, but Galo eventually realized that he was dealing with Deus’ Grandaughter. He didn’t know whether to bring up to the woman that her Grandfather had helped them save the world, but in the end, he chose not to. As far as she was aware the man was dead, no need to open old wounds by telling her he’d turned into an asshole AI system.

She’d given them a month to put together all the evidence they’d collated to prove Lio’s innocence, as it happened she’d make her decision on the same day Kray’s trial was set to end. Hopefully, both would bring good news.

“We’ve got a week…hopefully next week Lio will be able to come home.” Galo sighed, running his fingers through his hair as a siren began to blare. “God dammit.”

“Alright let’s get out there!” Ignis called, sending the team scrambling for their units.

Not many fires broke out these days, but their job was always needed…there’d always be someone to leave a candle burning.

***

“You gonna be ok Galo?” Aina asked, resting a hand on his arm.

If he was honest, Galo felt like he was going to throw up for numerous reasons. 1: He didn’t want to even look at Kray Foresight, who had lied to him his whole life. 2: He was scared that Kray would somehow get away with it. 3: He was terrified that Lio’s terrorism charges, made by Kray, wouldn’t be overturned. 

Both things would be announced in that room…so yeah, he wasn’t feeling great.

“Let’s just get this over with.” He sighed, walking in with the Burning Rescue team and taking their seats.

Kray was sat staring at the podium in front of him, not even flinching as people booed and hissed at him, cursing him for ruining their lives. Galo wished he could join them, Kray had stolen his parents and his childhood that night, but he just felt…pity for the once-inspiring man. He looked pathetic now…nothing like the one who was once his Hero. 

“All rise.” The Security Guard ordered; the room fell silent and got to their feet.

In came Mayor Prometh, taking a seat and gesturing for everyone else to sit too. Galo couldn’t understand how Kray didn’t shrink to nothing under her intense gaze, she was terrifying. 

“Today we’re here to settle two of the most historic events in Promepolis’ existence.” She announced. “We’ll start with the case of Foresight vs the now Former Burnish. Over the past month, we’ve heard testimonies from those who survived wrongful incarceration, we’ve seen video evidence of…your crimes, and now the time has come for the decision made not only by myself as the presiding judge and Mayor of Promepolis, but by my council of peers. Before we present our judgment, do you have anything to say for yourself?”

The minute she gave him was stifling, obviously, she was daring him to say something regarding her grandfather and his death. Galo could sympathize when she had to leave the room and let a colleague take over for a few days. But Kray didn’t say a word…only turned to scowl at Galo, silently blaming him for his life falling apart. 

How he wished Lio was there to hold his hand.

“In that case…” She hummed, deciding a minute was enough. “Kray Foresight, in the case of Foresight vs the Former Burnish Population…you have been found Guilty of all charges.  As we do not provide the Death Penalty, you will be given one life sentence for each of the unfortunate souls lost to your crimes. This means you will serve 13 life sentences.”

All Galo could think was that Kray should consider himself lucky that only 13 people died from his experiments, yet somehow didn’t feel like enough. Biar, that was her name, and Vulcan would be charged in the coming weeks, but not as many people were as interested in them. 

Kray was escorted out of the room to be taken to the cell he’d spend the rest of his life in, which just left one more thing.

“Now, to something that I hope will be a sign of hope.” She sighed. “Burning Rescue Team 3, along with the Former Burnish, have been working to clear the name of Mad Burnish leader, Lio Fotia. I have been provided with documentation, evidence, and testimony to prove all the Lio Fotia did to help his people. Wherever he currently is, I hope he’ll receive this news one way or another.”

Galo could barely breathe. Was she saying what he thought she was saying?!

“Having reviewed all that has been brought to me…I officially clear Lio Fotia of all charges, and on behalf of the City of Promepolis and all it’s residents…issue a full apology which I would be happy to deliver in person upon his return to the city.”

“Hell fucking YEAH!” Gueira’s cheer broke the silence, followed by everyone else in the room.

They’d done it. Lio was free to come back. This whole thing had been televised due to how high-profile Kray was, so there was no way Lio hadn’t seen her announcement. He could come back. Aina was hugging him, Meis was actually crying and for the first time since he’d met her, Mayor Prometh was smiling.

“Galo! Get your ears working mate!” Gueira nudged him. “We’re going for celebration drinks! Let’s get one down us for Lio yeah?” 

“I…feel like I should be waiting for him to come back.” Galo sighed, laughing softly when he realized how stupid that sounded. “What am I saying, he probably doesn’t even know yet. Sure guys, but only the one, I’ve gotta get back."

Chapter Text

As promised Galo only had one beer with the group before riding back to his apartment on his new bike. It was nice to celebrate with them, but without Lio there he found himself just wanting to get home and decompress from a difficult day. He hadn’t been there for long, yet it was still getting darker as he made his way home.

As happy as he was that Lio was officially an innocent man, seeing Kray look at him with such contempt. He’d get over it…he always did…but that didn’t make it easier at the moment. 

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the second, familiar bike outside his apartment. When he got up to the apartment, he didn’t notice the fact that his door was already unlocked. In fact, he didn’t notice that a single was wrong…until he flicked the light switch and nothing happened. Somehow there was still a source of light…in his daze he put it down to the sun that had already set.

“What the…? Is the power out or something?” He muttered to himself, flipping the switch a few more times just to make sure. 

“For a firefighter, you have a shocking amount of candles lying around.” A voice had Galo suddenly on guard. “The power’s been out all evening. I was hoping to have a cup of tea.” 

Wait…he knew that voice. His heart jumped with excitement as his spinny chair (Galo’s personal name for it) turned slowly, revealing the one person he wanted to see most in the world. 

Lio, with that stupid smirk on his face. 

“You came back.” He whispered, shutting and locking the door behind him.

“I always said I would. I was watching the news when I saw Mayor Prometh make her announcement. We’ll have to go to city hall tomorrow.” He chuckled, uncrossing his legs and standing up. 

“I’m surprised you were able to stay away for so long. It’s been a couple of hours since you were pardoned.” 

“I actually just happened to be in the city, since you mentioned the verdict was today in your last call. I’ve been here all afternoon waiting for a certain someone to try and get the power working.” His smirk grew, leaving Galo slightly flustered. “I expected you to come straight back, but I guess that was my mistake.”

“Eh, Gueira dragged me out for a celebratory drink.” He chuckled as Lio approached him, resting his hands on his hips once he was close enough. “I’m surprised you didn’t go and see them first. They’ve been worried sick about you, you know?”

“I know. But Gueira at least will be nursing a hangover till mid-afternoon tomorrow. I can see them then.” Lio shrugged, bringing his arms up to drape them over Galo’s shoulders. “You however…well, I just…had to see you. We ”

It was odd to see Lio getting so embarrassed over something, but all Galo could think about was how adorable his blush was. Such a pretty pink colour against his pale skin. The taller man knew he was thinking of what he’d said in their one and only phone call, that promise. Did he want to make good on it now?

“Lio…?” He whispered, leaning in but not closing that gap all the way. “Can I kiss you?”

“Ah, you remembered to ask this time.” Lio chuckled. “Yeah…yeah, go ahead.”

Out of all the times he’d kissed Lio, now three times, Galo would say till the day he died that their first one after Lio’s name was cleared was his favourite. The way the smaller man sighed and relaxed into his arms, practically melting against him as he stood on his toes to get a better angle, it was wonderful. 

“C’mere…” Galo groaned, grabbing Lio by his thighs and lifting him to get an even better angle for kissing. 

Instinctively the shorter man wrapped his leather-clad legs around his waist, but not once did he stop kissing him…even when his back hit the wall they didn’t stop. Galo was delighted to find out that Lio kissed, and hopefully fucked, as passionately as he fought. The pressure of the short man’s lips against his own was almost bruising, their tongues pressing together almost like they were having their own battle. 

“Ah…” Lio gasped when he eventually pulled away, giving his partner some serious bedroom eyes. “Come on Firefighter, show me what all these muscles are really for.”

Oh, Galo would certainly show him. Making sure the lime-haired man was secure in his arms, Galo abandoned their wall and carryied him into his bedroom. Thankfully he’d kept things tidy, just in case Lio did exactly as expected and showed up unannounced, so the only thing disturbed when he dropped the Former Burnish onto the bed was his sheets.

“Wooooow, so strong~” He teased, looking up at him with that same expression. 

“Shut up you.” Galo huffed, already tugging his shirt off. “You’re fucking…god you’re so…”

“Come on Galo, use your big boy words.” He was so doing that on purpose. “I’m surprised you had a shirt on at all. Did the others convince you that it was inappropriate to go shirtless in front of the Mayor?”

“I made the decision myself. Perhaps I knew a certain someone would be watching and I wanted to impress him.” Soon his pants joined his shirt on the floor, leaving Galo to crawl over Lio in his underwear. He reached for the buckle of the first belt Lio wore, but was shocked to feel his hand be smacked away.

“Eeeh? You think I’m gonna allow you to strip me down so easily?” Using the strength of his legs alone, the strength that Galo always forgot about somehow, Lio flipped them over until he was the one on top. “I don’t think so. You’re gonna be a good boy, sit still, and watch.” 

“Ye-yeah…?” He huffed, resting back on his elbows to look up at Lio.

He’d once thought that watching Lio fighting was like watching an intricate dance, and the display his - lover? Boyfriend? He didn’t know - certainly backed up his theory that Lio had been a dancer in a past life. His body moved like water as he slid out of Galo’s lap, tugging off each piece of clothing in such a seductive way that it didn’t take long for his arousal to show through his boxer-briefs. 

“Someone likes what he sees.” Lio purred, removing each belt and letting the heavy leather drop to the floor with a thud. 

“How could I not?” Was Galo’s very eloquent response. “You’re beautiful…I knew that even when we first met.” 

Lio smiled softly at the compliment, but it was the pink blush that spread across that showed his true feelings. Galo couldn’t imagine his lover, that was the title he’d decided on until he was told otherwise, receiving too many compliments in recent years so it was sweet to see him reacting to them in such an open way. The second to last piece of clothing dropped, his leather pants, and Galo’s mouth went super dry when he saw what Lio had on underneath.

It was black, not surprising at all, but it was also…a thong.

“You uh…you wear stuff like that often? Or is it just for me?” 

“They’re actually good for movement. I started wearing them so I had better movement in a fight, then they just became a habit. They’re surprisingly comfy.” He smirked, knowing exactly where Galo’s eyes were resting. “You break them you pay for them Thymos.”

“I was thinking no such thing.” He grumbled, reaching out to touch Lio’s skin as he got closer. 

As the lime -haired man climbed into his lap, his eyes were drawn away from his underwear straight to the scar on his chest. He hadn’t noticed it before…and unable to stop himself, he ran his fingers over the pattern it left, still fairly pink showing that it was a pretty recent one. 

“One of Freeze Force’s weapons.” Lio explained without needing to be asked. “When they found us, the bullet froze me the more I tried to use my fire.”

“What did you do to it? The scar’s so…” He couldn’t think of a proper word for it, but it definitely wasn’t done with any sort of precision or scalpel. 

“No, it’s not pretty is it? I pulled it out myself and my flames cauterised it before I lost any blood.” He rested his hand on top of Galo’s. “You…don’t think it’s gross do you?”

“‘Course not Firefly.” He chuckled, the nickname coming out without much thought. “Just means we match now, right?”

The Former Burnish didn’t answer, instead choosing to pull Galo into more kisses though it was much slower than before. Galo’s mind was quickly taken off of his lover’s injury, especially when Lio started to move the hand his lover had on his chest lower and lower. He may have been a little slow, but the blue-haired man knew exactly what Lio was wanting him to do…not that he was going to give in straight away.

As they kissed, Galo began to massage against the growing bulge in Lio’s thong, though it already felt like the fabric would do nothing to hold his lover once he was fully hard. 

“Mmmnn…fuck, you have no idea how difficult it was staying away from you for so long. Aside from staying out of the public eye, you’re all I could think about.” Lio whined, burying his face in Galo’s neck as he started grinding against the taller man’s hand.

“How about I open you up, and I let you ride me, hm? Sound good Firefly?” He chuckled, voice low in his lover’s ear. Once he’d received consent through a very firm nod, Galo pulled away. “You’re gonna have to let me get my clothes off though.”

“A shame…you look quite nice in a suit.” The former Burnish pouted, spreading his legs so he could press down against the growing hardness in Galo’s dress pants.

“Mmm but it’s the only one I got, yeah? I’d rather we didn’t ruin it with bodily fluids.” He chuckled, lifting Lio off so he could put on his own show of undressing.

It wasn’t quite the strip tease Lio had given him, but he could see the desperate look in his lover’s eyes as he watched each piece of the suit be removed. Galo had never felt more wanted in his life, no one had ever looked at him like that. Soon all that was left was his underwear, and that was when a rare idea popped into his head.

“C’mon Firefly. If you’re gonna look at me like that I think we should get you involved.” He beckoned Lio forward, guiding him into his knees in front of his crotch. 

Even without telling him what to do, Lio took the fabric of Galo’s boxer briefs between his teeth. His eyes were full of that intensity as he, bit by bit, pulled the grey shorts down his Lover’s thighs. There were moments when he had to pull a bit harder, like when his cock sprang free or when the material caught on his strong thighs, but soon enough Galo was stepping out of them and kicking them to one side. 

“You know, for someone who used to be a Big Bad Burnish Boss…you look rather good on your knees.” Galo chuckled, tangling his fingers in Lio’s hair and pulling slightly. To no one’s surprise, he moaned. 

“Ma-maybe I’m ah…tired of being the one in charge?” He raised an eyebrow at him.

“Mmmm…” A vague noise of agreement from Galo, as he moved to sit back on the bed, only pausing to pull lube out of his bedside table. “Now come back up here.”

There was something odd about ordering Lio around like that, but it was what the smaller man wanted. It turned out that the former Burnish was good at following orders as he was at giving them, because Lio carefully climbed back into Galo’s lap, wrapping his arms around his neck. 

“Don’t spend too much time on this, I have a pretty high pain tolerance.” Lio whispered as he heard the sound of a bottle top being removed. 

“I’ll prepare you as much as I think you need Firefly. You’re not the one calling the shots here.” He smirked, pouring the liquid over his fingers with one hand and moving the string of Lio’s thong away with the other. 

Little by little, Galo began to open Lio up, starting with one finger gently massaging the ring of muscle. But it was when he finally pushed that finger that he was presented with a very interesting surprise. 

Lio was already wet, and loose. 

Fuck.

“High pain tolerance my ass.” Galo chuckled, adding a second finger to check that he hadn’t been mistaken. He hadn’t. “When d’you do this, huh Firefly? Before you got here? Or…maybe while you were waiting here for me?” 

“Borrowed your shower…didn’t want too much pre-” He cut himself off with a moan as a third finger pushed into him. “ Fuck…”

“You just couldn’t wait huh? You wanted me to fuck you so bad opened yourself up in my shower…I’m surprised you didn’t bury your face in one of my shirts.” He grinned, making sure there was definitely enough preparation. He was absolutely bigger than average after all. 

“What’d be the point?” Lio’s smirk was back. “You barely fucking wear them anyway.”

“Fair point.” He shifted, reaching for one of the condoms in his drawer when Lio’s hands stopped him. “What’s up?”

“I want to feel you. I’m clean…I haven’t had sex since I left…except that time with you over the phone...I got tested by a doctor I could trust before I left the city in case…you know…I got to come back soon…unless you’d…you’d prefer…”

Lio’s face was bright red as he tried to ask to be fucked bare, and Galo couldn’t stop himself from laughing softly at the odd expression on his face. As if he’d deny Lio anything. 

“I’m clean too. We have to get tested every six months, part of a health check for work.” He flexed his fingers inside Lio, reveling in the moan that came from his lover. “Ok then, if you’re sure. Then let’s do this.”

Giving Lio one last stretch, he pulled his fingers out and grabbed onto the shorter man’s waist. If one could call the former leader of Mad Burnish dainty without being murdered, that’d definitely be one way to describe him. There wasn’t that much space between his thumbs and fingers when wrapped around Lio’s waist, and the fact that he was about to fuck him made his blood burn with excitement.

“Ah!” Lio gasped as the tip of Galo’s cock entered his body, soon to be followed by the rest of his thick length. 

Even with all the preparation, Lio’s body was tight as hell. It made focusing on what he was doing a little difficult for Galo, who often had trouble doing that anyway, but eventually, he felt Lio’s ass hit his thighs. He was all the way in. 

Oh god, his dick was inside Lio Fotia. That was something he wouldn’t have imagined happening 6 months ago. 

“Fuck…Galo…you fucking…God you just…” It seemed Lio was struggling with his words too. “I guess your giant cock makes up for that single brain cell you got up there?”

“I wouldn’t…wouldn’t be insulting me if I were you.” The blue-haired man huffed, forcing himself to stay still…for now. “Now are you gonna ride me or what?”

Lio bit his lip, then gradually began to move his hips in slow, definitely teasing movements that were nowhere close to satisfying either of them. Galo wasn’t having any of that, so he grabbed the smaller man by the hips and stared up at his lover, a look that told Lio a thousand words.

Get moving.

“Oh I’m sorry~” He teased, deciding to bait Galo further. “Am I not going fast enough for you? Can you not pay attention long enough to take things slow-” 

Galo cut Lio off, only a gasp escaping his lips as he was lifted and his back hit the bed, Galo’s cock remaining inside him the whole time. The smaller man’s eyes were wide as his lover pushed all the way inside him, eyes dark. 

He’d been pushed too far.

“I’ve been waiting six months for you to come back. Barely hearing from you, my phone always on loud, waiting on the pure chance that you’d call me again. You really think I have the patience to take this slow and put up with you being a little brat?” 

Lio’s face went bright red, his eyes wide as he listened to Galo talk about how much he’d been wanting this. The fact that he’d been holding back this long was impressive then. Galo wasn’t all that good at thinking, he’d be the first to admit that, he also wasn’t very good at disguising his wants…so who was Lio to deny him?

“Then take me.” He whispered. “Claim me, Galo Thymos. Let the whole world know I’m yours.”

Galo groaned and began pushing his hips into Lio with far more force than Lio’s playful teasing from before. It was enough to have the bed shifting, little by little, across the floor. Each thrust had Lio either gasping or choking out a strained moan since Galo’s cock would push the air out of his lungs with every thrust in. 

“Galo…! Fuck, Galo!” Lio moaned his name, which only drove the taller man to fuck him harder, faster.

“That’s it…say my name…Lio…Wanna hear you…” Galo panted, pinning his lover down by his wrists, not stopping his movement for a moment.

And oh did Lio provide him with what he wanted to hear. Galo’s name was a moan each time he opened his mouth and in the and he could actually get very few words out. It was either a moan or Galo’s name and that, combined with the way Lio’s body tightened and squeezed around him, had Galo closer to his Orgasm than he expected.

“Fuck…Lio…I’m gonna…” He groaned, the rhythm of his hips starting to stutter.

“Do it…oh god do it…Cum in me…” Lio wheezed, this time intentionally squeezing him. 

As if his body had been waiting for permission, Galo came hard into Lio’s smaller body and gripped his wrists until there’d probably be bruises. Then, as if the feeling of being filled pushed him over the age, Lio screamed his lover’s name as he came himself, painting both of their chests with his release. 

“Fuck…oh fuck…” Lio sighed, letting his head drop to one side. “God…we’re lucky I’m not still Burnish…could have impregnated me…with how much you came…”

“What?!” Of course, Galo took him way too seriously. “Wait that’s a thing?! What if it still is?! You should have told me first! I’m not ready to be a dad!”

“Galo!” Lio had to shout his name to get his attention. “I’m kidding you idiot. Don’t worry, there aren’t gonna be any little Galos running around any time soon. Now you, come here and cuddle me. We can clean up later.” 

“Wow.” He laughed, pulling out slowly and letting Lio position himself however he wanted. They ended up spooning, facing the bedroom window, with Galo’s arms around the smaller man. “Who knew the big boss of Mad Burnish was such a cuddle monster.” 

“Ah shut it you.” Lio huffed, nudging him with his foot. “Your arms make me feel safe…and if you tell anyone I said that I’ll rip your arms off and feed them to you.”

Galo chuckled and squeezed him gently, not phased by the threat of violence as he was still focused on the fact that Lio felt safe in his arms. That was definitely as things should be. After a moment, Galo brought Lio’s fingers to his lips to kiss them, prompting the shorter man to look back at him. 

“Galo?” 

“This isn’t a dream, is it? You’re not gonna disappear on me, are you?” He whispered, trying not to sound too vulnerable.

“No.” Lio promised him. “No, I’m not gonna disappear on you again. And if I do have to go away, for whatever reason, you should know that I’ll always come back to you.”

Yeah, Lio was right. He’d always come back.