Carbon and Flame

For several nights throughout the month, roused by the soft but lively sounds from the city approximately 24 floors below him and the faint smell of tobacco, Galo discovered Lio retreated to the balcony on sleepless nights. Galo woke up Lio-less fairly inconsistently, to begin with, making him feel as though he were experiencing a reoccurring dream as Lio would be in bed with him the next morning.

Reserved to a fault, Lio's behaviour never indicated that he was troubled. However, if Galo didn't look closely enough, he wouldn't have been able to see a vacant emptiness his purple irises projected. The expression often appeared when he was alone; never with his former Mad Burnish, nor the firefighters, and especially not with Galo. Lio obviously lacked something. Something deep, or visceral. Something meaningful. Or something...something Lio could feel on an intense level. No matter how badly he would have loved to create that something to fill the emptiness within him, Galo was aware that he himself wouldn't suffice.

Galo agreed with those who branded him an idiot, but he never wanted to be clueless if Lio was involved.

His absence stirred a longing in Galo one cool autumn night. Feeling the cold and empty sheets from the lack of a sleeping body, specifically, Lio's sleeping body, was enough to convince Galo to pull himself out of bed to investigate. Galo immediately noticed that every door in the apartment was open as wide as they could open. Hearing the familiar city noises and smelling the smoke aided in waking Galo up properly and beckoned him to where Lio would be standing.

The sheer bizarre circumstances of Lio's sloppiness intrigued the arguably more disorganised man as much as it worried him. Was this on purpose? Especially while Galo was sleeping? While the noise and light didn't disturb Galo in the slightest, he couldn't help but assume Lio practically paved this pathway as clear as a map leading to himself. Galo didn't bother pulling a shirt on as he blearily trudged towards the balcony in pursuit of Lio.

Like a secret compulsion, Galo lingered by the doorway to simply stare at Lio when he discovered him. He was casually content in a pair of black skin-tight leggings and Galo's oversized firefighter jacket that adorably stretched to his knees. One leg remained straight, the other bent and lithe enough to teasingly slip through the wide gaps in the balcony railing. Though their building was completely modern and functional, Lio seemed to trust the balcony railing with his entire weight against it. Even if the railing did betray him and suddenly snap from its screws, Galo wouldn't be surprised if he grew angel's wings and began to fly.

Lio's pale skin and hair almost glowed with every human-made phosphorescence against the inky surroundings. So bright, and so divine. Galo was rendered awestruck every time he saw the lilac eyed beauty and felt utterly compelled to marvel at every part of him from every angle. He never imagined he'd describe his ex-rival, hell, the former leader of the Mad Burnish, with such gooey, besotted words. Nor did Galo expect to experience affectionate nerves of excitement before talking to him.

Galo finally stepped onto the cold balcony tiles that contrasted with the warm breeze to join him. "Hey, Lio," he greeted enthusiastically for somebody who awoke way too early in the morning. "Can't sleep?"

"Mm, not really," Lio responded, courteously crushing his cigarette in the glossy black ashtray in his opposite hand. Considering that cigarette joined four others in the ashtray made Galo ponder how long Lio had been outside for. His voice sounded low and mellow with the ability to delicately float above the city's mechanical noises. That was who Lio was; he never drowned under chaos. Galo always admired how he asserted a strong presence despite his short and often vulnerable stature.

"I'm surprised! We had a really tough day at the station today. You're not even a little bit tired?" Galo prompted his wide, infectious smile once more, knowing full well that Lio always succumbed with a contented grin of his own.