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The cold seeped quickly into Lio’s skin as the darkness swept in to fill the void left by the agonising pain. When the light came, it was accompanied by a screeching grind of metal and the unpleasant visage of Kray Foresight.
The warmth of Kray’s body flooded Lio’s veins as Kray stepped forward to remove the chains holding Lio’s cuffs in place. Kray started with Lio’s ankles before rising and pressing into him to reach Lio’s wrists.
As the last chain was unclipped, Lio crumpled to the hard metal floor with a groan. He curled up at Kray’s feet, shivering.
“That kill should have been ours.” Kray’s voice dripped with disdain, but Lio didn’t respond. Sparks of flame danced along his limbs, causing them to twitch. He dug his nails into his palms, entire body clenched tight with the phantom memory of the agony that had assaulted him for the last… Lio didn’t even know how long. Minutes? Hours? Days? Asking wasn’t worth the effort.
A boot nudged Lio in the back. “I expect nothing less than one hundred percent from you next time.”
Lio listened to the sound of Kray’s boots hitting metal as he walked off.
“Aw, come on. Not again.”
Another pair of boots stopped beside Lio. “What an arrogant ass. Expects us to pick up after him…”
“Yeah, well, he is the best pilot in the squadron…” someone else answered.
“Doesn’t give him the right to be an ass. Anyway, that’s debatable.”
Boots clanged around Lio, but he hunched tighter into himself, still shivering from the cold.
“Yeah. That young idiot Thymos kicked some alien ass today, even in the Wasp unit. Pretty impressive.”
Lio was completely uninterested in the conversation passing back and forth above him. Nonetheless, he was a nuisance for those engineers, and one of them finally decided to make that known.
A hand shook Lio’s shoulder. “Hey. You can’t stay here. We need to do maintenance on the pod. Get to medical.”
Lio blinked magenta eyes up at the engineer kneeling beside him. The man’s hand lacked the warmth of Kray’s, lacked the warmth that had fled from Lio’s body—stolen by the Promatech drive. Lio had no idea who this engineer was—all engineers looked the same to him. He treated them with the same emotional detachment that they often showed him.
“Come on. Up you get.” The engineer grasped Lio’s bicep and hauled him to his feet. Lio wavered, knees shaking before he finally got his feet under him. The engineer kept hold of him until he took a hesitant step forward, the metal grate digging into his bare feet. So cold…
The engineer released Lio as Lio gripped the railing, moving slowly down the three steps to the walkway. He glanced back one last time to the shiny black box that had been his prison. The engineers had removed one of the panels on the inner wall, exposing wires and tubes. An acrid, burnt smell emanated through the air.
Someone bumped into Lio, knocking him into the railing. Lio grabbed at it with both hands, clinging on as a gasp ripped from his raw throat.
“Sorry, but you shouldn’t be—“
Lio glared up into the face of a man in a pilot’s uniform. Draped over the man’s shoulder was a limp figure, naked like Lio himself—another core, Lio realised.
“Oh, wow. Aren’t you the Lion? Everyone’s always talking about you but Kray never—“
Lio snarled. “Shut up,” he hissed, cutting the pilot off. The last thing he needed was to listen to this guy blather on about how great Kray was. Kray was more than capable of doing that himself. Besides, the engineer had been right. Lio should be on his way to medical, and this pilot was delaying him.
The pilot looked hurt. “Okay, then,” he said. “But, uh, do you need some help?”
Lio blinked. Help?
“Where’s Kray anyway? Did he just leave you here?”
Of course he had. That was what Kray always did. Lio considered that perfectly normal.
“I’m going to medical so I can take you too,” the pilot continued. His smile was so open and guileless that Lio wondered if he was a simpleton.
“You’re already carrying a core,” Lio pointed out dully. “Just fuck off already. I’ll get there on my own.” His throat ached. Shivers continued to crawl along his body, and his toes were starting to feel numb.
“It’s no problem. I can carry both of you.”
Lio’s eyes widened. He was small, but seriously? Lio might have believed that someone like Colonel Vulcan could carry two cores, but this guy wasn’t Vulcan’s size…
“Excuse me. You’re blocking the path.” An engineer waited impatiently behind the pilot, arms laden with a box that looked heavy.
“All right, come on.”
The pilot stooped and got an arm behind Lio’s knees. Lio yelped as he was flung over the pilot’s free shoulder. He grabbed frantically at the man’s uniform, seeking stability. But the pilot’s hold was secure. Seemingly without a concern, the pilot continued on his way with a breezy, “Sorry ‘bout that,” to the delayed engineer.
Lio didn’t argue about his new position. Honestly, it was kind of nice to not have to somehow stumble his way to medical for once. He could just close his eyes and bask in the warmth emanating from the pilot—were all pilots so warm?
Before Lio realised it, he was being removed from the pilot by a man dressed in green scrubs and put on a gurney. Lio kept his eyes closed, the familiar scent of disinfectant washing over his senses. He mumbled a half-hearted “Thanks,” in the general direction of the pilot, though he wasn’t sure if the man heard him or not.
A warm blanket was thrown over Lio’s body. He curled up beneath it, slipping into a light doze.
“You could put him through first. We can wait.” The pilot’s voice came from some distance away.
“The Lion’s always last on the roster since he’s usually the last to get here. He’s used to waiting. He’ll just sleep the entire time.”
“Doesn’t Kray stay with him?”
“Nope. The core comes in on his own.”
“Really? But he must be exhausted…”
The pilot’s voice fell away as Lio’s gurney was wheeled to the other side of the room. Lio heard metal screech along metal as a curtain was tugged across, blocking Lio off from the rest of the room. Lio slid into a deeper sleep in his isolated little corner, his arms wrapped around his abdomen where the last of his body’s warmth resided, a small seed waiting to be lit again.
§
After the usual routine of scans and recordings, Lio was allowed to return to Kray’s room. A cold meal waited for him on the nightstand and Lio was so hungry that he ate it without complaint. Kray was already asleep, tucked beneath the covers. If Lio’s arrival disturbed Kray, Kray did not acknowledge him.
Lio slept on the thin blanket on the floor, his muscles and bones still aching. The alien parasite inside him began the task of repairing any damage done to Lio’s body while he slept.
When Lio woke, he felt much better than yesterday. Unsurprisingly, Kray had already left. Since Kray hadn’t bothered to wake Lio, Lio guessed that he wasn’t needed. That left him with nothing to do.
Lio was forbidden from the bed so he settled in Kray’s desk chair, turning it to look out the window. The view was consumed by a blue, white and green world that Lio hadn’t set foot on for years now. He wondered if he would ever walk in fresh grass or feel the warmth of the sun on his skin ever again.
Lio pressed his hand to his abdomen, warmth soaking through his fingers, strengthening his heartbeat. The alien parasite inside him had restored the body of its host. Lio would be fit for another round in the Lion’s Promatech engine, though he was in no hurry for that eventuality.
Lio expected Kray to return sometime during the next few hours, but the time passed without any sign of him. Around lunchtime, just as Lio’s empty stomach began to growl, a shrill alarm cut the silence of the room. Lio stood, uncertain. That was the alarm that meant that a Promare construct had been detected and the mechas were being called to duty, but there was still no Kray.
When the door did eventually open, it was to admit a man in an officer’s uniform. Lio did not recognise him.
“Fotia? Come with me.”
The officer’s tone was bland. Lio stood and followed the officer out of the room. Still naked, but for the cuffs and collar, Lio ignored the curious stares of the people they passed. The officer led Lio on a familiar route to the mecha loading bay, and straight to the Lion’s engine.
The officer stood by the open pod, gesturing impatiently for Lio to get inside. Lio hesitated, searching up and down the walkway for Kray, but the blond pilot was nowhere to be seen among the bright uniforms of the other pilots.
“Where’s Kray?” he asked the officer.
“You’re not flying with Kray today,” the officer informed him.
“Then… who?”
A hand clapped itself down on Lio’s shoulder. Lio jumped, letting out a surprised yelp.
“Sorry I’m late. I got a bit lost.”
The sheepish voice was familiar. Lio lifted his head to see that the pilot from yesterday stood beside him, grin set in place as he wrapped an arm around Lio’s shoulders. Oh, God, he was so warm. Lio leaned into him. He waited to be shoved off, but the pilot made no objection to Lio’s closeness.
“You’ve only got five minutes to get the core ready,” the officer said. “Don’t be late, Thymos.”
“Yeah, boss.” The pilot, Galo, saluted.
The officer strode past them, giving them one last scrutinising look before heading down the walkway.
“Isn’t this great? We’re going to be flying together,” Galo said, giving Lio a squeeze.
“What happened to Kray?”
Lio stared dully at the black maw of the Promatech engine, uncertainty warring with the whisper of his Promare parasite. The Promare wanted to burn, but Lio knew that it would hurt. Lio never liked to admit it, but the pain frightened him.
“He’s working with the research department now, apparently,” Galo said. “Didn’t he tell you?” Galo began to gently push Lio up the steps to the Promatech engine.
“No, he didn’t,” Lio responded.
Lio turned to face Galo. Galo lifted one of his wrists to chain the cuff to the ceiling of the box.
“Wow, he couldn’t even be bothered to wish you luck or anything, huh? That’s a jerk move.”
Lio remained silent as Galo chained his other wrist. Kray had never bothered to hide the fact that Lio was a nuisance to him. At best, Lio could count on receiving only tolerance from Kray. Kray didn’t see Lio as a person. Sometimes, Lio wondered if Kray even saw him as a human being. Maybe Lio and the other cores weren’t human. Maybe the Promare inside Lio’s body had turned him into something else—something more alien than human.
Galo moved on to his ankles with practiced ease. When Galo finished securing Lio’s limbs, Lio expected him to just leave like Kray usually did, but Galo glanced at his watch and looked back to Lio, smiling.
“Two minutes to go,” he said. “You nervous?”
Lio blinked. Kray had never asked him anything like that before. Kray wasn’t one for small talk. “No. Why would I be?”
“I dunno. New pilot, I guess? You guys kinda get attached, don’t you? I wasn’t working with Nama long enough, but you’ve been with Kray for a year, right?”
A year. A year consisting of moments of blinding pain, bone-chilling cold, and loneliness. Was Lio attached to Kray? He didn’t think so. But Kray was familiar and losing him did shake Lio’s world. This young, way-too-chatty pilot was a complete unknown to Lio. At least with Kray, Lio had known what was expected of him—which was to do his job, keep his mouth shut, and stay out of the way. What would this new pilot expect of him?
Lio’s silence was interrupted by the alarm on the pilot’s watch going off. The pilot scanned him up and down one last time before petting Lio’s cheek. “Time to go,” he said. “Do your best, okay?”
Lio didn’t bother responding. Galo stepped back and the door slammed heavily shut, blocking off the light and Galo’s sunny smile.
Lio waited, seconds stretching on like an unspooling thread. Gears began to turn, and Lio felt the engine shifting, jostling him around a bit. He had no idea what was happening, but he guessed that the engine was being installed on the body of the Lion mecha.
Lio had never seen the Lion for himself. Though he was its engine, he had no idea what the mecha fighter looked like.
The only warning of the engine kicking into drive was a whine, growing louder as Lio took a deep, steadying breath. He felt a momentary sickening feeling of vertigo as his body began to tip sideways. The first rotation took a second. Lio gasped, struggling to hold down the panic as the Promare inside him flared to life. The second rotation sped up, giving Lio no time to savour being right-side up again. He spun faster and faster and faster, until his voice was wrenched from his throat in a scream. Bright purple, yellow and pink flames shot from his mouth, nose and ears, illuminating the small box. Electricity crackled along the walls.
The pain was incredible. Lio felt like his cells were being ripped apart, like he was melting from the inside out. And it didn’t stop. Over and over and over again, Lio flipped. Up and down lost all meaning. There was nothing but the fire—the fire borne of the Promare that burned ceaselessly—and the Promatech engine ate it up greedily, converting it to energy that was used to power the Lion.
An indeterminate time later, Lio returned to his senses. He opened his eyes, dizzy and sick. The darkness was a relief. The fire inside him had burnt itself out, leaving him cold and empty.
Lio hung there, suspended by the chains, limp and breathing harshly through a throat raw from screaming.
When light entered Lio’s world again, it was half-obscured by the gleeful face of Lio’s new pilot.
“Lio!” Galo’s excited greeting was accompanied by a hug. Lio’s body was enveloped in the pilot’s inhuman warmth. Lio groaned into Galo’s jacket.
“You were amazing.” Galo ran his fingers through Lio’s messy, sweaty hair. Sparks danced along his hand, and Galo’s mouth twisted into a grimace but he continued to push his fingers into Lio’s scalp.
Amazing? Kray certainly had never called him amazing. Kray had always complained that Lio was letting him down—though how Lio was doing that was a mystery since Lio had no idea what was going on outside his own fiery nightmare.
“Hey, Galo!”
Galo turned to greet a woman who stood on the walkway. She had her arm around a skinny man. Lio recognised him as another core, one whose name he actually knew. Gueira looked exhausted, but he was leaning into the female pilot’s body with clear relief.
“Aina!” Galo waved.
“How was it?” Aina asked curiously as she attempted to peer past Galo to get a look at Lio, her pink ponytail swaying. “Is it true that his sync rate is always 100%?”
Galo nodded enthusiastically. “That machine is really something else. Every time I needed the primary drive, the power was just there. I dunno how I could ever fly with another core now.”
Aina laughed. “I’m jealous,” she said.
“But I had to watch the output,” Galo continued, his mood dimming. “It nearly overloaded the freeze laser once.”
“Ouch. Maybe having that much power at hand really isn’t such a good thing. That could’ve been a disaster,” Aina said sympathetically.
“Yeah, I know,” Galo agreed. “I gotta be careful, but it’s totally worth it.”
Gueira muttered something into Aina’s ear and her face flushed.
“Anyway Galo, I’ll see you in medical,” she said. “We shouldn’t hold up the line.”
Indeed, Lio could see other pilots approaching along the walkway, each accompanied by a core.
“Okay. We’ll be along when I’ve gotten Lio down.” Galo turned to face Lio again as Aina continued on, helping Gueira as she went. Lio wondered if he’d get a chance to speak to Gueira. It had been such a long time…
Galo’s big hands rubbed along Lio’s sides, the heat in them soothing the pain in Lio’s bones and chasing away the chill. Lio’s eyelids fluttered closed. The heavy scent of Galo’s sweat swamped Lio’s nose. It was preferable to the smell of his own flesh burning.
“Okay, let’s get these off…”
Galo gave Lio’s waist a brief squeeze before he removed the chains. Lio prepared himself for a drop to the hard metal, but instead Galo ensured that Lio was braced against his chest.
“You okay?” Galo asked, his voice rumbling in his chest. His arm felt nice and steadying against Lio’s back.
“Mmm?” Lio mumbled.
“You’re freezing.”
Lio’s world spun once again, but only briefly, as he was thrown over Galo’s shoulder. Galo’s boots clanged loudly as he marched down the steps and along the walkway, joining the spread-out queue of other pilots and cores.
Galo seemed to know all of the pilots, greeting them with high-fives and cheery words. Lio let it wash over him, caught half-way in a doze. It was nice to not have to worry about doing anything. He was safely on his way to medical along with the rest of the cores, where he’d be left to sleep in peace. Not even Kray’s snoring would be present to annoy him.
Lio was placed more gently than he could ever remember on a gurney. Galo took the blanket that a medic handed him and covered Lio with it.
“You got the Lion today?” the medic asked curiously as he held a scanner to Lio’s collar. Lio heard a beeping noise.
“Yeah.” Galo rubbed Lio’s shoulder as Lio curled up like he always did, waiting for Galo to leave him to sleep.
But Galo didn’t leave. Instead, he parked himself in a hard metal chair and waited next to the gurney, his hand resting next to Lio’s arm.
Lio was used to the cold. He could sleep despite it. He was used to the noise of the medical bay, the chatter of the medics, the beeping of machines. What he wasn’t used to was the undivided attention of a pilot.
“You must be really tired, huh?”
Lio mumbled an incoherent reply, wishing that Galo would just go away. Why did he feel like he needed to sit there? It wasn’t as if Lio needed anyone to hold his hand for the tests; they were routine.
But as Galo wrapped his fingers around Lio’s fist, Lio felt warmth seep up his arm. It pooled in his belly and he felt the first stirrings of his Promare. Lio breathed in, and the air tasted fresher.
“I guess you’re last on the list again, huh? That doesn’t seem very fair,” Galo muttered.
Lio opened his eyes to survey the room. He realised that Galo wasn’t the only pilot to still be present. Lio had never really paid much attention before; he’d always been so tired, but others were doing the same thing as Galo, sitting beside gurneys and talking quietly to their occupants, or working on tablets. None of them appeared to be in a hurry to leave.
Lio caught sight of the pink-headed female pilot across the room, too far away for comfortable discourse. Lio was regretful, but maybe he’d get a chance to speak to Gueira some other time.
“What do you like to do when you aren’t working, Lio?”
Lio yawned, stifling it with his fist.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. Truthfully, he didn’t do much except rest. Sometimes he’d do exercises, or read books that Kray left lying around his room, but that was it, really. Staring out the window and dreaming of a world he’d probably never see again didn’t seem like a proper answer.
“I watch movies,” Galo said. “And play games with the other pilots.”
Lio supposed that was nice, but he wasn’t really interested in how Galo spent his time. “I’d like to sleep now,” Lio said, after shoving another yawn into his fist.
“Oh, okay. I’ll be right here, though.” Galo gave his hand a squeeze.
“You can go,” Lio insisted. “I don’t need you here.”
“I’m supposed to be here,” Galo argued. “It’s part of being a pilot.”
Not a part that Kray had considered essential, apparently.
“I want to see your scan results anyway,” Galo continued.
“Does it matter?” Lio asked drowsily.
“Why wouldn’t it?” Galo sounded genuinely confused.
“I don’t know. Kray never said anything about them.” Lio shifted beneath the blanket, trying to peel his eyelids open to look at Galo, but they refused to budge. Lio gave up.
“Well, I always check my partner’s results,” Galo declared. “How else will I know if you’re eating enough, or if you’re hurt, or if your Promare is healthy?”
“Why do you care?” Lio’s question was genuine. Kray had never once inquired how Lio was feeling. Lio had been treated like a pair of shoes. An object that served a necessary function, and occasionally required upkeep, but an object that was ultimately not worth consideration. Unless Lio was serving his function as the Lion’s fuel, Kray ignored him, doing only the bare minimum to keep Lio healthy.
Lio was starting to realise that Galo—and perhaps the other pilots as well—might just be different. He wasn’t sure what to do with that knowledge.
“I care because I care about you,” Galo said, as if that were obvious.
Lio scoffed and tucked his face beneath the blanket.
“Hey, Galo!” An unfamiliar voice hailed the pilot, distracting him from Lio.
“So this is the famous Lion, huh? Looks sort of small…”
The blanket was pulled away from Lio’s head. He glared at the offender before tugging it back up.
“Grumpy little shit,” the pilot said, laughing.
“Well, he just got out of the pod,” Galo objected. “If you want a look at him, then wait ‘til later.”
What, was Lio some sort of circus attraction? Why were all of these idiots acting like he’d only just appeared that day? They must have seen him around, surely?
“Do you think the Promare will back off after we took out that big construct?” the unfamiliar pilot asked.
“I doubt it,” Galo responded. His hand was still wrapped around Lio’s fist, inches away from Lio’s lips. Lio breathed, feeling the heat warm his throat. He was recovering so much faster than usual. By the time it was his turn to be scanned, his minor burns would probably be entirely gone.
The Promare, Lio mused as he let his mind drift. Sentient lifeforms comprised of energy that threatened humanity’s existence. The Promare fused their energies to create physical constructs which they utilised to attack Earth. The planet’s only protection came in the form of mechas, giant space-faring robots equipped with weapons specially designed to destroy the Promare. Powering those mecha had been a thorny problem, but thirty years ago, there had been a breakthrough.
The Foresight Foundation had experimented with using live humans to host a Promare parasite to power the mecha. Now, humans were bred specifically for that purpose, and injected with the parasite while they were still developing in the womb. Lio had grown up in a Foresight facility on Earth, with other children destined for the same fate. Some would remain on Earth, their fire used to power the cities and factories. Others would, like Lio, be sent up into space to serve as the fuel for a mecha’s Promatech engine.
Lio couldn’t say for sure if he was unhappy with his lot in life. He felt unsatisfied, certainly, but unhappy? He knew that he was a critical element of Earth’s defence, that he was saving millions of lives with his flames—and that he was one of the best cores currently available. The Lion mecha was the most advanced, most formidable mecha in the fleet, and Lio was the reason it could be so. Without a reliable core capable of generating the necessary flow of power, such advanced components would never work.
Galo chatted with the other pilots while Lio dozed on the gurney, Galo’s body a tangible presence in his mind, though his eyes were closed. He felt like he was a cold, barren planet basking in the warmth of Galo’s sun.
Being with Galo felt different than being with Kray. With Kray, Lio had felt hints of this warmth, but Kray had never allowed Lio to stay so close to him for such a long period of time. Galo seemed to welcome Lio’s presence, and Lio idly wondered how far he could push it. It would sure be nice to sleep on a proper mattress for once.
“Lio? It’s your turn.”
Galo’s voice roused Lio from his doze. Lio blinked up at him, rubbing sleep from his eyes. “Mmmm.”
The wheels of the gurney rattled as they rolled along the floor. Galo, whose hand was still around Lio’s, walked alongside, anxiety knitting his brow as the medic wheeled Lio toward a steel door.
“Galo, you can’t go in there. You know that,” the medic scolded as they approached the door. It slid open to reveal a small room that was entirely devoid of furniture. Bright lights shone down from the ceiling, giving the room a stark, cold feel.
“Aw, but what if he gets scared?”
Seriously? Lio lifted his head to glare at Galo. “I’ve had this scan a thousand times before,” he snapped. “I’m not scared. Fuck off and let me sleep!”
Someone laughed. Galo winced, his expression morphing into that of a chastised dog.
“Aw, don’t be like that.”
Was he actually whining? Lio groaned into the blanket.
“He’s the Lion,” an unfamiliar voice said. “Did you think that he’d be easy to get along with?”
The medic wheeled Lio’s gurney into the room, parked it in the middle, then left after robbing Lio of his blanket. Lio heard the door close behind the medic.
The lights dimmed and Lio heard the whirring of gears behind the walls, then a low buzzing noise. He relaxed, letting the sound lull him to sleep. Finally, blessed silence.
§
The scan took over an hour. Lio drifted in and out of consciousness as his body was mapped and recorded. By the time the medic returned to wheel him back into the waiting room, Lio felt quite rested.
Galo was waiting for him, cheery smile in place. Had he been there the whole time?
“How was it?” Galo asked as Lio lifted himself up, swinging his legs over the side of the gurney. Galo’s hand rested on the small of Lio’s back.
“Boring,” Lio informed him.
“Yeah, that’s what everyone else says as well,” Galo said. “Hang on a minute.” Galo returned to the chair he’d been sitting on and toed a bag out from under it. He dropped the bag onto the gurney beside Lio, his expression expectant.
“What’s this?” Lio asked curiously.
“Clothes,” Galo said, as if that were obvious.
“Oh.” Lio felt conflicted as he pawed through the contents of the bag. It contained a pair of drawstring sweatpants and a shirt. He hopped down from the gurney and slid into the pants. Behind him, the medic tapped at a tablet, probably going over Lio’s scan results.
Lio held up the black shirt, frowning. There were a lot of ties and he couldn’t figure out how it was supposed to go on.
“Here, I’ll help.”
Galo took the shirt from Lio’s hands. Lio scowled as Galo dressed him, realising that the shirt tied up at the back of his neck, with two buttons securing it on his right shoulder, while the other ties were tied along his sides. Why the fuck did it have to be so complicated?
“This is ridiculous,” Lio complained as Galo straightened.
Galo shrugged. “It’s what we were given,” he said. “I guess they want to be able to get it off you without having to cut it off or something.”
“It’s still ridiculous,” Lio grumbled, tugging the shirt hem down. And what had Galo meant by ‘what they were given?’ Kray had never mentioned anything about clothes… Still, if Lio complained too much, Galo might decide not to bother with them either, so Lio pressed his lips together and waited for further instructions. Usually at this point he’d return to Kray’s room, but he had no idea what Galo’s normal routine was.
“I bet you’re hungry. I know I am. Let’s go get something to eat.”
Lio padded on bare feet out of the room at Galo’s side. Galo took him to an area of the station that was unfamiliar to Lio. He was ushered into a large room. The space was separated by screens and potted plants. Lio beelined for one of the plants, drawn by the vibrant green colour of the large leaves.
“Hey!” Galo protested, hot on his heels.
Lio touched one of the leaves, frowning at the smooth feel. “It’s not real,” he said, disappointed.
“Of course not,” Galo said. “The only place that has real plants is the hydroponics section.”
“Can I go there?” Lio asked.
Galo shrugged. “I don’t know why you’d want to, but I suppose,” he said. “Not today, though. Some other time.”
Lio nodded dully. He allowed Galo to tug him by the arm deeper into the room.
They passed by comfortable seating areas, tables and sofas occupied by pilots and cores. The other cores were dressed similarly to Lio in sweats and those stupidly complex shirts. Lio searched for any familiar faces, but he didn’t see any.
Galo stopped in front of a large machine on the back wall. He tapped some buttons and a ding sounded. A covered paper plate was spat out onto the white counter in front of Lio.
“Hey, Lio, c’mere.” Galo grabbed his arm and tugged him closer. “What’s your code?” he asked.
“Code?” Lio asked blankly.
“You don’t know it? Even I can remember mine.”
An elbow buried itself in Galo’s ribs and he let out an oomph.
“Only because I made you write it out a hundred times,” Aina said.
Lio jerked up straight, head swivelling as he searched for Gueira. He found him on Aina’s other side. Gueira met his eyes, a slow smile spreading across his face. He waved at Lio.
Lio had no idea what to do or say. His mouth dried up.
“Just scan his collar,” Aina suggested to a confounded Galo.
“Oh, yeah, okay.”
Aina rolled her eyes as Galo reached for a small device hooked to the machine. He held the square-shaped object near Lio’s collar and Lio heard a familiar beep. Galo set the device back into its holder as another plate was pushed onto the counter.
Galo gathered up both plates and headed over to a small, secluded area that was currently unoccupied. “Wait here,” he told Lio, setting the plates down on the table. “I’ll go get drinks.”
Lio sat down on the bench Galo indicated. He stared down at the covered plate in front of him as Galo left. When he pressed his hand to the surface, it was very warm.
“Hello, Lio.” Galo’s pilot friend slid onto the bench across from Lio, smiling kindly at him. Gueira slid in beside Lio, startling him.
“Good to see you, Boss,” Gueira said in greeting.
Lio felt tears gathering in his eyes. Gueira remembered him.
“I heard you were around, but I was starting to think you were a myth, honestly,” Gueira continued. “Glad you’re real.”
Lio felt an arm slide around him. He leaned into Gueira, something warm that wasn’t his Promare growing inside his chest. “It’s good to see you too, Gueira.”
“Looks like you got the hotshot. That’s a recipe for disaster, if you ask me,” Gueira said as he ripped off the cover of his own plate. The mouth-watering scent wafting from it made Lio’s head spin.
“Galo’s a bit reckless, but he’s a great pilot,” Aina said, gently reassuring Lio. “I’m sure the two of you will pull off some amazing stunts in the Lion. Anyway, it’ll be nice to not have to fly with Kray anymore. Galo may be reckless, but at least he’s considerate of the team. Kray just shoots off on his own and expects the rest of us to somehow manage.”
“Yeah. Having to dodge friendly fire sucks,” Galo agreed, joining them. He slid a bottle of water across the table to Lio.
Lio’s shoulders hunched instinctively. He felt small and crowded in this group, though they certainly weren’t unfriendly. It had just been such a long time since he’d been part of a conversation like this. He had so many questions for Gueira, but he couldn’t ask them in front of Galo or Aina.
“Go on, Lio. Eat your dinner before it gets cold,” Galo urged, and Lio did. The hot food was flavourful and Lio scoffed it down in record time. Even the water Galo had brought him was cool and refreshing. Lio felt so much better than he ever had before. Galo and Aina argued good-naturedly, with Gueira occasionally chiming in to keep them going. After a little while, Gueira stood from his seat.
Lio blinked up at him, confused, before glancing over to Galo to see his reaction.
“I’m going to go find Meis,” Gueira announced. “Wanna come, Lio?”
Lio blinked again. Meis? His other best friend, Meis? “Meis is here too?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
Lio turned back to Galo uncertainly.
“Go on, Lio,” Galo said. “Have fun with your friends. I’ll come get you when I’m ready to go, okay?”
Lio nodded, then stood. Gueira led Lio across the room to where a core with long hair leaned against the window, seemingly waiting for someone.
“Look who I found,” Gueira announced.
Meis scanned Lio up and down, eyebrows drawn together. “Boss,” he said. “Where have you been?”
Lio swallowed. “Sorry. I didn’t know you were here. I would have looked for you if I’d known,” he apologised.
Meis patted his shoulder. Gueira slung an arm around his waist.
“It’s cool, Lio. We’re not mad. You’re here now.” Meis led them over to a table where a few other cores sat. Lio counted half a dozen, and no pilots among them.
“Hey, guys, this is Lio.” Gueira gestured for Lio to take a seat as a chorus of, “Hi, Lio!” erupted.
After Lio shamefully admitted that he didn’t know how to play poker, he was soundly beaten by everyone else at the game. Lio then proceeded to kick everyone else’s ass at arm wrestling.
“God, he’s strong for a scrawny guy,” Boros complained to the table at large.
“Told you so,” Meis snickered, having chosen not to challenge Lio.
Lio felt smug satisfaction, and another feeling he couldn’t name growing in his heart. Whatever it was, it was nice.
“Lio?” Galo’s voice interrupted the table’s chatter. “I’m heading back to my room.”
Lio nodded and rose from his seat.
“See you tomorrow, Lio,” Meis said, clapping him on the shoulder. Goodbyes and good nights came from everyone else.
Galo slid an arm around Lio’s waist as they headed out the door and into the hall. “Did you have fun with your friends?” he asked.
“Yes, I did,” Lio said.
“I’d have let you stay longer, but you don’t know where my room is,” Galo said.
“It’s fine. I’m a little tired anyway,” Lio said.
“Yeah. Me, too. It always hits pretty suddenly.” Galo yawned.
Galo’s room was much the same as Kray’s, though his decor was much more colourful. His desk was covered with mecha figurines and Lio stepped over to take a look.
“Hey, this is the Lion.” Galo picked up one of the figurines to show Lio. The Lion was a knobbly white mecha with a long, vicious-looking sword. Lio took it from Galo, fascinated.
“I’ve never seen it before,” he said.
“Oh, well, I can show you the real thing tomorrow,” Galo said. “It’s huge.”
Lio set the model back down on the smooth, shiny surface of the desk. Galo walked over to the bed and began to pull back the covers. When Lio made no move from the desk, Galo glanced back at him.
“Coming to bed?” he asked.
“What?” Lio asked blankly.
“Where else would you sleep?” Galo asked, confused.
Lio walked over and sat down on the edge of the mattress with trepidation. Galo stripped off his shirt and Lio did his best to not stare. Galo had muscles, and that fact did funny things to Lio’s insides.
Galo got beneath the covers, and Lio did the same. Galo yawned again before drawing Lio closer to him. “You smell like strawberries,” he muttered into Lio’s hair.
“If you think that’s flattering, I’m sorry to break it to you, but being compared to a food isn’t,” Lio informed him.
Lio half-expected an angry response—Kray would have given him hell for that kind of backtalk—but Galo just laughed, then licked Lio’s cheek.
Lio yelped, shocked. Galo’s blue eyes danced.
“I’ll sleep on the floor,” Lio threatened.
Galo squeezed him tight. “But it’ll be cold without you,” he complained.
Galo, cold? Lio doubted it. Galo’s body radiated the warmth of a burning star. Now that Lio had been allowed to bask in it, he didn’t think he could live without it. He’d sleep in Galo’s arms as long as Galo let him.
“Lio?”
“Hmm?” Food comparisons might have been unflattering, but Lio thought that Galo smelled like cinnamon.
“I know I’m not as good a pilot as Kray is. I guess you must feel disappointed…”
What? Lio opened his eyes and lifted his head to stare at Galo. Galo’s eyes were troubled.
“I don’t know if you’re a good pilot or not,” Lio informed him. “But you’re better company than Kray was.”
“Wow, that’s really nice, Lio,” Galo said, sounding stunned.
Lio found himself being snuggled against Galo, one of Galo’s hands stroking through his hair. Lio closed his eyes again, falling into a comfortable, restful sleep. The Promare inside him burbled with contentment, Galo’s warmth soothing like a blanket.
Lio dreamed. He dreamed that he and Galo were flying hand-in-hand over a blue, green and white world. Galo had stars in his eyes and a fire in his heart. Lio was a sun, his own heart reflecting in Galo’s eyes. For the first time, Lio felt as if he was sharing this ordeal with someone, that it wasn’t all on his own shoulders.
Was Galo the sun and Lio the moon, or was it the other way around? Lio didn’t know, but they were definitely caught in each other’s orbit.