Chapter Text
Lio…
Lio…
Liiiooo…
The words were stirring Lio from his sleep. They gently unburied him from his dreams, pulling him closer to the surface… but it wasn’t the unpleasant kind of awakening; the buzz of an alarm, the drudge of morning to spitefully scrape the sleep away. No, this was tender, careful…
A familiar warmth to surface to.
Lio opens his eyes and the world comes into focus in that blurry, well-rested way. He remembers it’s his day off. But, not only his—
“Good morning!” It’s Galo, near the side of the bed, leaning over him and holding a plate. “I made you some food. I don’t want it to get cold, and you’ve been asleep for like twelve hours, so I thought I’d wake you up. Sorry, is that okay?”
Lio smiles, turning over in bed to face Galo, “… It’s fine. I think I’ve slept enough—that’s so sweet of you. You didn’t have to make me food.”
“Well, I’m your boyfriend now, right? That’s a very boyfriend thing to do,” Galo replies with playful indignity, holding the plate of food out. Scrambled eggs tossed with hash browns and shallots.
“You spoil me.” Lio moves to push himself up in bed, but that’s when he remembers…
the problem.
Ever since Lio’s body had been broken and restored from his time in the warp engine, his right arm had never truly been the same. Sometimes it’s responsive and normal, but other times it’s weak, and won’t quite—
But he doesn’t want Galo to know that.
He doesn’t want Galo to worry.
Galo saved his life that day.
He doesn’t want Galo to know.
So, when his arm fails to aid him in getting up, Lio turns his body instead, relying heavy on his left to sit upright and pulling his right arm into his lap subtly. Nothing is wrong.
“Here.” Galo gently puts the plate in Lio’s lap and gives him a little fork and a napkin. “Do you want to watch TV?”
A flat screen hangs on the wall in front of the bed.
It’s been a few months. Recovery from the burning of the world is not over in the least—it probably won’t be over for years. Galo has lived at Burning Rescue’s headquarters since his initiation into the organization, but over these last months, his primary dwelling has shifted from his corridor there to a blurry mixture of Lio’s apartment half of the time as well.
Lio laughs at the domesticity of the situation. Breakfast in bed and…
He looks at Galo and studies him briefly. They are both so busy, but Galo is so full of energy that he’s always awake first, and even cooking. Lio could never match him in this way.
“Sure. Let’s watch TV...”
“OH! That new cooking show I love just got a new season! Super Extreme Warrior Cake-Off! It’s the one where they have to bake cakes… while going through an OBSTACLE COURSE!” Galo is brimming with excitement! He throws himself over Lio (clearing him impressively) to land on the other side of the bed (his own side). However, when he lands, he lands heavy on the dense foam.
“Ahhhh, Lioooo….” Galo complains, “Why’s your mattress so hard?”
“… Does it bother you?” Lio asks. He finds the mattress very comfortable. Soft mattresses make him anxious.
If he’s being honest.
“No no. It’s just not very good to land on.” Galo turns on the TV and navigates to the baking… war.
Lio looks down at the food Galo made for him. It looks back at him. Things are fine—really. Everything is fine and everything is better than it’s ever been, in a lot of ways.
The TV blares.
In a lot of ways.
The bakers take position and prepare to run for the oven.
In so many ways.
But there’s some things… that as he looks at Galo, transfixed in the program, he finds himself worrying about. Just a little.
Lio’s right hand won’t hold the fork.
He passes it to his left.