( you & i )

Antonio knew that he and Ethan had done things the wrong way around, instead of going on a few dates, getting together and falling for each other they had pretty much done things in reverse. They had fallen for each other without either of them realising it, they had gotten together and had slept in the same room together every night since then but they hadn’t actually gone on a proper date. That was something that they had been needing to change for a while and even though Antonio knew that it didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things given the history that they had together, he knew that he still wanted to do right by Ethan. That was why Antonio had asked him out on a date and luckily for him Ethan hadn’t hesitated in agreeing. They had already done the hard part, they had come clean to the girls, to their Captain and to the others that they worked with at the firehouse so the rest was sure to be easy in comparison and Antonio found himself looking forward to it.

It had been a long time since he had last been out on a date so he knew that he was out of practice but being around Ethan was as easy as breathing for him so he knew that it would be just fine. He had said to Ethan before that he needed to take a leaf out of his book and not worry quite so much and that was exactly what Antonio had been trying to do since then. This time he knew that there wasn’t any reason for him to be nervous, though, so instead he just felt excited. He had enlisted Ela’s help with finding something to wear as she was the only one of the girls that was home and as he buttoned up his shirt and slipped on his watch he looked over at Ela. “What do you think?” he asked, glad when he seemed to get her seal of approval. Hearing Ethan call out to him, Antonio felt a smile form on his face. “I won’t be long,” he called back. Antonio had done a lot of things lately that he had never thought that he would do but it didn’t scare him any longer and the truth was that he was loving every minute of the time that he spent with Ethan so he knew that this wouldn’t be any different. Checking his reflection, Antonio pulled on his jacket once he was happy before leaning down and kissing the top of his daughter’s head gently. “We’ll see you later, I’ve left some money in the kitchen if you want takeout. I love you,” he said, giving her a quick hug before heading downstairs. Antonio was half way down when he caught sight of Ethan and a smile touched his lips. “Well, don’t you scrub up well?” he asked, feeling his heart start to race a little. “Maybe we should do this more often.”

ETHAN ALVAREZ

"Thanks sweetheart," Antonio said, a smile forming in his face as he looked over at his daughter. It had been a long time since he had last gone on a date and he knew that he didn't actually need to worry about trying to win Ethan over considering that the two of them were already together but Antonio still wanted to impress him anyway. Ethan was the best friend he'd ever had but those feelings had turned into something so much more a long time ago. This wouldn't have been possible if they weren't both supernatural but he knew better than to take that for granted. They had their whole immortal lives ahead of them and Antonio knew that he wanted them to start as they meant to go on and make their first date special. They were both in this for the long haul and he knew that he wouldn't have it any other way. "I'm not worried, I know you can look after yourselves," he assured her. That didn't mean that he didn't still want to make sure that they had what they needed in case they felt like having takeout as a treat while he and Ethan were out though. "We will," he grinned as Ela told him to have fun. Spraying some cologne, Antonio grabbed his keys, wallet and phone and slipped them into his pockets before heading downstairs.

His gaze came to rest on Ethan before he had even made it to the bottom of the stairs and a genuine smile formed on his face at the sight of him. It was incredible just how much love he felt for the man before him and Antonio knew that that was never going to change. He had been in love with Ethan for a long time and the truth was that no one else had even come close during that time. Just the sight of Ethan standing there was enough to make his heart race and he knew that he would never get tired of seeing him like that. "Sometimes," Antonio chuckled, unable to resist teasing Ethan since he was trying to make himself look cocky. "Thank you, so do you," he said sincerely. Ethan really did look incredible and he knew that there were going to be a lot of eyes on his boyfriend that evening but this time he didn't mind because he knew that Ethan wasn't interested in any of them. "If that's the reaction I'll get from you and I'll get to see you looking like this each time then we'll definitely have to do this more often," he chuckled. It wasn't long before they were heading outside and Antonio nodded as Ethan spoke. "That's what we'll do then, we'll make a date night a regular thing," he assured him, bringing his hand up and letting it rest against Ethan's cheek for a moment as his eyes locked on his before fastening his jacket and pulling his keys out of his pocket. "Let's go," he said as he led the way in the direction of the car.

ETHAN ALVAREZ

Being able to tease Ethan was something that Antonio had always loved doing. During the war it had been a way of keeping their spirits up and now it definitely kept things light between them but there were times when he couldn’t keep it up too long. As Ethan asked if his eyes were working fine, Antonio couldn’t help but laugh. “My eyes are working fine,” he chuckled, rolling his eyes playfully at his boyfriend. As he spoke again, however, Antonio considered it for a moment. “Alright, I’ll give you that one,” he said, a smile forming on his face as he looked over at Ethan. “I happen to love that face.” He loved everything about Ethan in all honesty and he had done long before he had even realised it. For a long time even after he had died Ethan’s face was the one that Antonio saw whenever he closed his eyes and he had seen it in his dreams too so he knew that he was always going to be biased when it came to that.

The way that Ethan looked down as he returned the compliment didn’t go unnoticed by Antonio and he felt his smile return. “I mean it. You always look handsome but seeing you like this is definitely something I could get used to,” he admitted. “You’re even wearing the cologne I love on you,” he added. Ethan had gone all out that evening and it was definitely appreciated. As he said that he was looking forward to their next date, Antonio’s smile widened. “So am I,” he said gently. It had taken them a long time to get to this point but now they had and there really wasn’t anything stopping them. As Ethan said that they would have to keep going out until they ran out of places to go, Antonio couldn’t help but laugh. “That or until we get bored of going back to the same places over and over again,” he chuckled. “I have to admit though, a candle lit dinner at home does sound pretty good,” he added. That wasn’t something that he had ever done before but he couldn’t deny that the thought was tempting to him.

“Good call,” Antonio chuckled as he climbed into the driver’s side of the car and fastened his own seatbelt. He had already watched Ethan die once and the truth was that he had absolutely no desire to do that again even if he was able to come back. Starting the engine, Antonio paused as Ethan spoke again and turned to look at him. “I’m happy we’re doing this too but you don’t need to be nervous Eth, this is me you’re going out with and I’m already in love with you so you don’t need to worry about being anything other than yourself and having fun,” Antonio assured him. “If it helps I haven’t had much experience of going on dates either and the last time was before the twins were born so I don’t really know what I’m doing either, I’m just looking forward to spending some time with you and having a good meal,” he said as he took Ethan’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t be nervous, okay?” he asked before pulling the car away from the house once he knew that Ethan was feeling better.

ETHAN ALVAREZ

Antonio couldn’t help but laugh as Ethan asked how many fingers he was holding up and he batted his hand away playfully. “You won’t want me driving tonight then, will you?” he teased. Being able to joke around like this with Ethan was something that Antonio had missed a lot during the years they had spent apart. Even back when they were fighting for their lives they had found ways to keep their spirits up and no one had ever known him as well as Ethan. Even before they knew what the other was they had been close and Antonio had never found anyone else like that in the years that had followed Ethan’s death. It was clear to him that Ethan wasn’t too sure how to react and Antonio couldn’t stop a smile from forming on his face. “It was definitely a compliment, don’t worry,” he grinned.

It wasn’t very often that Ethan didn’t know what to say but this time he seemed to be at a bit of a loss for words and that was enough to surprise Antonio. He hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true but he still wasn’t sure if Ethan was used to having someone say something like that to him. “You succeeded,” Antonio assured him, unable to deny that he loved the fact that he was the reason why Ethan had gone to so much trouble. Antonio had seen him smarten himself up before when they had gone to the Grill on a night out before they got together but this was something else entirely and he couldn’t deny that the way that Ethan’s cheeks had flushed red at the compliment was incredibly cute. “Best not or I’ll end up blushing like you,” he grinned.

As Ethan spoke again, Antonio couldn’t help but laugh. “I think we’ll avoid sketchy restaurants,” he chuckled, knowing that there were plenty of decent places around that they could go to instead. Antonio’s eyes widened in surprise as Ethan said that they would only stay home if he cooked for them and Antonio shook his head. “Definitely not, leave the cooking to me,” he teased right back, all too aware of Ethan’s habit of burning the food any time that he tried to cook. Antonio had had to learn how to cook after the girls were born but if he was honest it was something that he enjoyed. “Maybe we should do that for our next date night,” he suggested, knowing that it wouldn’t hurt to alternate whether they went out or stayed in.

It was sweet that Ethan was nervous but Antonio knew that he didn’t want that to ruin his enjoyment of the night. They had already done the hard part by admitting how they felt about each other so compared to that the rest was sure to be easy. “You’ve given me enough pep talks through all of this, it’s only fair that I return the favour,” Antonio said, his breath catching in his throat for a moment as he realised just how full of love the look that Ethan was giving him right now was. It was something that Antonio had seen in Ethan’s eyes before but not quite to that extent although it was something that was often mirrored in Antonio’s own expression. Knowing that they weren’t going to get anywhere if they didn’t leave now, Antonio pulled the car out onto the road and started driving towards the restaurant. Once they were there he opened the door for Ethan before catching the attention of someone who could show them to their table. “Reservation under Alvarez,” he said, watching as the woman checked the list before showing them to their table and handing them each a menu and leaving them alone for a little while so they could look them over. “Do you know what you feel like having?”

ETHAN ALVAREZ

“Show off,” Antonio chuckled as Ethan told him not to worry because he could come back to life. Antonio knew that it was true considering that Ethan had already come back to life during the war but he knew that he still didn’t want to risk it happening again. Antonio knew next to nothing about Ethan’s kind so he didn’t know if there was a limit on how many times he would be able to come back to life but it was still pretty cool nonetheless. The only person who was supernatural that Antonio had been with in the past was Samara and she was a dragon like him so he didn’t have that much experience of being around other species but he was always eager to learn. The girls had the advantage there considering that they went to a school that was full of kids who were supernatural and one thing Antonio had learned was to keep an open mind. Ethan’s next words were enough to bring a smile to Antonio’s face but before he could answer Ethan was speaking again and this time he couldn’t help but laugh. “Maybe seven or eight,” he chuckled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you speechless before, I like it,” he grinned.

“I don’t know about that,” Antonio chuckled as Ethan said that he bet he looked cute when he blushed. “Keep going the way you have been and you’ll probably find out sometime soon,” he added. Ethan had a habit of being incredibly sweet it seemed so Antonio didn’t doubt that he would find out soon enough. As Ethan spoke again, Antonio couldn’t help but laugh. “Maybe I should try teaching you to cook some day,” he suggested, knowing that it could actually end up being quite fun. Antonio had loved having Ela help him cook when she was younger and he knew that it would be different with Ethan but it could still be fun nonetheless. “We can do that for our next date.” They had already settled on having a candlelit meal at home next time anyway so he knew that having Ethan help him would make it that much better.

“I’ve just had a lot of practice,” Antonio grinned. It was true, he had learned how to cheer the men up during the first war that he fought in and it was the second while he and Ethan were fighting together too. Since then he had done his best to keep most people at a distance because it was easier to do that than to get close to people only to end up losing them. He had made a few friends along the way though, not as close as Ethan but he had still cared about them and he had figured out pretty quickly how to give decent pep talks. Looking over the menu, Antonio’s expression turned thoughtful for a moment. “I think I might have the same,” he admitted. “What would you like to drink?” he asked, not sure whether Ethan would want wine to go with the meal or whether he would rather have a beer.

ETHAN ALVAREZ

“Why am I not surprised?” Antonio chuckled as Ethan said that he was worry and then immediately contradicted himself. He could see how proud Ethan was of being a phoenix and it honestly was great to see. He had seen Ethan go through some tough times during the time that they had known each other but this time he seemed genuinely happy and content with who he was and that was something that Antonio had always wanted for him. Ethan’s happiness meant the world to him and that was never going to change. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” Antonio grinned as Ethan said that he was the only one that had been able to make him speechless. He had never had that effect on anyone before so it was flattering to say the least. “You can’t tell me that you wouldn’t like it if you did the same to me,” he teased, knowing that Ethan would take great joy from it if Antonio was ever rendered speechless by something that he had said.

“Thank you,” Antonio said, a smile forming on his face as Ethan said that he would take it easy on him. It wouldn’t surprise Antonio if Ethan did end up making him blush at some point but he still hoped that that wouldn’t happen. He wasn’t used to letting himself seem vulnerable or anything like that but Ethan had seen the best and worst of him and he knew that he didn’t really need to worry. Antonio knew that he wouldn’t be surprised if Ethan made it his mission to make him blush now so he knew that he was just going to have to roll with it. The suggestion of teaching Ethan to cook while they had their next date was something that he knew was probably pretty out there but Ethan seemed on board with it and Antonio couldn’t help but grin as he spoke. “I’ll let her know. I’m sure she’ll rise to the challenge if it means keeping her title,” he teased, his expression playful as he looked over at Ethan.

Glancing over the menu, Antonio’s gaze came to rest on the drinks once they had settled on what they were going to have to eat. There were plenty of options available to them but this was the first meal like this that they had gone out for so he wasn’t sure what Ethan would want to go with it. “Make that two,” Antonio said as he realised that they had his favourite kind on the menu. It wasn’t long before their orders were placed and he felt a smile form on his face once more at Ethan’s next words. “I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that,” he admitted. He had thought that it might take some getting used to at first given everything that had happened but the truth was that each time he heard Ethan say it his heart skipped a beat. “I’m doing alright, I’m glad we’re finally getting to do this,” he admitted, his eyes fixed on Ethan’s as he spoke. “How about you boyfriend, how are you doing?” he asked, knowing that he didn’t say that word as often as Ethan did so it wouldn’t hurt to use it a little more.

ETHAN ALVAREZ

“Maybe I should try and do that more often,” Antonio teased, a playful smile forming on his face as he looked over at Ethan. He often had something to say on the tip of his tongue so Antonio really wasn’t used to seeing him rendered speechless but he couldn’t deny that it was endearing. It probably wasn’t something that was going to happen too often though so he knew that he should make the most of it while he had the chance. Everything was still so new for the two of them at the moment and he knew that as time went on they would fall into a rhythm but Antonio couldn’t deny that he liked where they were right now. Their friendship was still there but it had intensified and they had both realised that they were ready to embrace the fact that there was more than just friendship between them and they were still able to have fun while they were together and he knew better than to take that for granted. “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to try that now?” Antonio asked, an amused smile forming on his face as he looked over at Ethan.

The idea of teaching Ethan to cook might be a simple one but Antonio was still looking forward to it nonetheless. He hadn’t known how to cook before the girls were born but after that he had learned so that he could make sure that they ate properly as they got older. There had been a lot of trial and error involved and there had been more than a few inedible meals along the way but he had managed to get the hang of it in the end and he was certain that Ethan would too. “You’ll be able to learn more than that, don’t worry,” Antonio chuckled. “You might not reach her level but you would at least be able to hold your own,” he added with a grin. Right now he knew that Ethan wasn’t confident in the kitchen at all but that didn’t mean that it had to stay that way forever. “I never thought I would learn to cook but I did it and I know you can too.”

One thing Antonio knew that he was never going to get tired of was hearing Ethan call him his boyfriend. He had been called that in the past by others but it had never meant that much to him. Now he knew that the word didn’t do justice for what was going on between the two of them but it was better than nothing and the two of them knew that there was a deeper meaning to it anyway so that was really all that mattered. Ethan’s words were enough to bring a smile to Antonio’s face and that smile only widened as Ethan said that he was really happy. As he said that it still felt like a dream, though, Antonio reached across the table and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “I know what you mean but this isn’t a dream and I’m glad about that too,” he admitted. His past relationships had never really gone anywhere but this was different. This time he knew that he was right where he wanted to be and he was looking forward to everything that life was going to have in store for them. As Ethan spoke again, Antonio’s expression softened. “Neither have I,” he said sincerely. He had known a different kind of happiness before when the girls came into his life but being in love with someone was different and he was glad that he finally got to experience it. Soon enough their food arrived and Antonio joined Ethan in thanking the waiter as he set the plates and their drinks down on the table before them. Taking a bite of his meal, Antonio nodded as Ethan spoke. “It is,” he agreed, only pausing to take a sip of his beer. As Ethan spoke again, Antonio couldn’t help but laugh. “I won’t, don’t worry,” he chuckled. “I wouldn’t let you make it alone anyway.” With his or Ela’s help it would be a different matter and was perhaps something that they could try though. “So we’ve got a weekend off coming up, have you thought of anything you would like to do?” he asked as he took another bite of his meal.

ETHAN ALVAREZ