To Feed the Flames

at dawn, with you

The soft morning light was just beginning to peek over the clouds, winking lazily through the blinds and into the bedroom window. It held a gentle warmth to it, a calming presence now, still promising of the heat yet to come. There were few birds singing to the sunrise; most were likely warded off by the early morning chill that still clung to the air. It was around that time of year again, as the first breaths of spring were slowly defrosting the world.

Lio peeled the heavy quilt off of his face, squinting in the mellow light. The sun had decided to show his retinas some mercy this morning, shining through the glass panes and onto the edge of the bedspread. The blond turned his head to look at the bedside table. The small clock read 5:02, about an hour before he had to drag Galo and himself out of bed and down to the firehouse. Trying to warm up his brain's cognitive functions, he threw his arms up in a long stretch that popped several of the bones in his back. He groaned at the pleasant sensation.

The exBurnish blinked, trying to clear the sleep fog from his eyes, when he noticed a bit of his ankle was sticking out of the edge of the blanket. Cold. Gingerly tucking it back up into the blanket, he slowly brought his foot up...

...and shoved it into the warm body next to him.

Galo didn't even flinch at the icy appendage digging into his flesh, still sound asleep. The man was only wearing a simple T-shirt and boxers, simply unaffected by skin to skin contact. Lio sighed lightly as his foot leeched off the warmth from Galo's thigh, and he burrowed his head back beneath the quilt. Galo had assured him multiple times before that there was no shame in using his body as a personal radiator, so Lio curled into the natural body heat as often as he could.

The firefighter was on his stomach, but Lio managed to maneuver his limbs so he could fit snugly in his arms, caged in by the large expanse of his skin. Breathing in the scent that was uniquely Galo, he allowed himself to relax again. The rumble of soft snores was gentle as it ran from the bigger man's body into his, and he slowly felt himself succumb to the sleepy haze of the morning. Letting out a small hum, he closed his eyes and slipped back into unconsciousness. 

+++

Lio dreamed. 

He dreamed of his Promare, floating among the stars in some alternate universe. The little sparks and flames that had once been intertwined with his soul were returned home to roam free, no longer tied to the Earth. Their voices were light and joyful, no longer pushing him to burn, burn, burn. Instead, they now surrounded him with a gentle warmth that covered him head to toe. It was comforting to know the flames were okay in their homeland, that he and Galo were successful in saving the planet and the Promare.

Sometimes, he regrets sending them back. 

He's had their whispers echoing through his soul for so long, it's strange without them. The silence in his body feels unnatural, as if letting go of the flames had opened up a deep void within him. It makes his spirit seem cold, empty, as if the light that had once fueled it had run out. After he and Galo had put the Promare back in their own dimension, Lio had floated in the black expanse of space for a while. It was his first time feeling truly alone, and it was terrifying.

But Galo was there with his warmth and firefighter's soul, a savior in the darkness. The blue-haired man had picked up Lio, returned him to the Earth, and remained by his side, sticking up for the Burnish people and leading reconstruction efforts all over Promepolis. Ever since then, Lio hasn't been able to let go. Galo was like a living, breathing fire, unable to be extinguished and radiating light that rivaled the sun. His sense of justice was truly admirable, and even if he was an idiot, he was Lio's idiot, and the exBurnish was just fine with that.

+++

A nudge reawoke him from his unintentional nap, startling him awake. Blinking rapidly, he stared at the man now hovering him above him. "Lio, we overslept! The Captain is going to kill us!" 

Galo was, miraculously, already dressed, shoving his feet into his boots. Lio sat up straight, immediately turning to look at the clock. Sure enough, the time now read 6:38, almost forty minutes after their shift started. The blond threw off his blankets and tugged at his clothes, struggling in his haste. Galo was right, Ignis was not going to be happy. He must have slept straight through the alarm, the warmth of the bed keeping him pleasantly sedated. 

His uniform was slightly rumpled, and his hair was a total disaster, but he didn't have time to fix either of them. The motorcycle ride to the station would ruin any primping he did now anyways. He brushed his teeth as fast as humanly possible before grabbing the keys off the table. "Ready to go?" 

Galo pecked him on the cheek in confirmation and held the front door open. He had that stupid grin on his face, making the blond roll his eyes. He would go to the ends of the Earth for this man.

Lio slipped his wedding ring onto his finger and walked out the door, ready to greet the world with his husband by his side.

Fin.

A short oneshot I wrote instead of working on my midterm.