( you & i )

“Now that’s just cruel,” Antonio grumbled even though there was no malice to his words. He knew that Ethan was just messing with him and the truth was that he didn’t expect any less. It wasn’t anything different to anything that he had done anyway so the truth was that he wasn’t worried but he still couldn’t resist making out that he was. He and Ethan had always liked teasing each other about different things and now was no exception but the way that Ethan was looking at him was one that he had never thought that he would see. There was so much love in Ethan’s eyes and Antonio knew that the same would be mirrored in his own. He had never thought that they would get this chance so he wanted to make the most of it no matter what they did. Right now they were having a nice meal out and next time they were going to end up cooking the meal together at home and as far as Antonio was concerned both of the options were good ones.

“Something tells me you won’t have a problem doing that,” Antonio said, a proud smile forming on his face as he looked over at Ethan. He really had come a long way from being the terrified kid that Antonio had met back then and he couldn’t be any prouder of Ethan than he was right now. He had always known that Ethan could do great things if given the chance and now it looked like he was going to get to see that for himself and Antonio couldn’t be happier about that. “It doesn’t sound silly, I think we all want to be remembered in our own way,” he assured him. That was definitely something that Antonio could understand and he honestly hoped that it would happen for Ethan because if anyone deserved it, it was the guy before him. “So you’re still an animal lover too, huh?” Antonio asked, an amused smile forming on his face as he looked over at Ethan. “I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised if you bring a stray dog home one day, huh?” he asked, knowing that he wouldn’t actually mind one bit if that happened. Taking another bite of his meal, Antonio nodded as Ethan said that he would have plenty of other chances to volunteer. “If you’re sure,” he said as he took a swig of his beer.

ETHAN ALVAREZ

“A devil more like,” Antonio chuckled, rolling his eyes playfully at Ethan. The guy definitely wasn’t all angel, that was for sure, and he could tell from the grin that was etched onto Ethan’s face that he knew it too. Ethan seemed to be having just as much fun teasing him as Antonio always had teasing him in return, though, and he was glad that that hadn’t changed between them. They had always teased each other about different things but when it came down to it they always had each other’s backs no matter what. That was something that he had always been able to count on with Ethan and that was never going to change. As Ethan spoke again, Antonio’s expression softened. “I don’t think you would have given up,” he assured him gently. “You’ve always been stronger than you know, it just took a little encouragement to bring that out in you. I know that you would have figured it out on your own in time though,” he said sincerely. He knew that Ethan doubted himself sometimes but there really wasn’t any need for him to do that as far as Antonio was concerned. There was so much more to Ethan than the guy realised but Antonio saw it in him and he always had. If the circumstances had been different then Ethan would have had the chance to figure all of this out in his own time but as it was they had been fighting for their lives on a daily basis and there just hadn’t been time for that so Antonio had needed to give him a helping hand.

“I’m not surprised, you always did have a soft spot for them,” Antonio said, a fond smile forming on his face as he recalled the few occasions on which they had come across different animals during the war. He hadn’t thought that it would ever change but seeing the way that Ethan could go from being a soldier one minute to an animal lover the next had made Antonio fall in love with him that much more even though he hadn’t known that that was what was happening back then. “I guess I’d better watch this space then, huh?” he chuckled even though a plan was already formulating in his mind. Before the girls were born Antonio had never given having a pet a thought but he wasn’t on his own now and if it ended up being something that Ethan and the girls all wanted then he knew that he would make it happen. All he wanted was for the three of them to be happy and now he knew two things that Ethan had always wanted – a child of his own and a dog – and he knew that he wanted to make both of them happen if he could. “Good answer,” Antonio said, a smile forming on his face as he looked over at Ethan. “Family comes before everything.” It had been that way for him ever since the girls were born and he wouldn’t be surprised if Ethan felt the same way now as well. Finishing his meal, Antonio drank the last few sips of his beer to wash it down before leaning back in his seat. “Same here,” he admitted as Ethan said that he was full but not to the point where he wouldn’t want dessert. As he suggested a cafe nearby, Antonio nodded. “Sure, let’s do it,” he nodded. “Do you want another drink first or shall we get the check?” he asked, already planning on paying for the whole meal in case Ethan decided to argue.

ETHAN ALVAREZ

“Good thing I like that about you,” Antonio chuckled. He had known what he was letting himself in for with Ethan before the two of them even got together. They had ended up getting to know each other pretty well while they were fighting in the war and even though they hadn’t gotten along at first that had soon changed and he was grateful for that. One thing he had learned pretty quickly was that life with Ethan around was never going to be boring but the truth was that he wouldn’t have it any other way and no matter what happened Antonio knew that the guy’s heart was always in the right place. He hadn’t realised for a long time that he was in love with Ethan but now he wasn’t afraid to admit it. They had something special and it felt good to be able to explore that. Things had always been so easy between the two of them and that still hadn’t changed. This was a different kind of relationship to the ones that Antonio had been in before, he had always felt like he had to try and be someone else but he didn’t have to worry about that with Ethan and it was a relief to say the least. “You don’t need to thank me for anything, everything I said was true,” Antonio assured him. He had always believed in Ethan even when the two of them weren’t getting along and he knew that he always would. As Ethan spoke again, Antonio felt a smile form on his face. “Just think of me as your own personal cheer squad. I’m always going to be here for you.”

Things were changing but Antonio knew that that wasn’t a bad thing. Ethan moving in had felt right and their relationship changing did too. Things were slowly falling into place and as Ethan said that dogs made him very happy, Antonio felt a smile form on his face. “Between you and the girls I guess it’s just a matter of time before we get one, I lost count of the amount of times they hinted when they were younger,” he grinned. The memory was a fond one and he knew that he would never forget it. “I’m glad you’re a part of ours,” Antonio admitted as Ethan agreed that family came first. It had been that way ever since he’d moved in and Antonio knew that that was just as it should be. “We can’t have you going without,” he chuckled, pulling his wallet out of his pocket as Ethan waved the waiter over. Paying for the meal, Antonio joined Ethan in heading outside and he unlocked the car before climbing inside and starting the engine. “What happened to you always running hot?” he teased as he turned the heater on, remembering what Ethan had said to him the day that they got together. Pulling the car out of the lot, Antonio drove them to the cafe and looked over at Ethan as they came to a stop. “Do you want to eat here or shall we get some to go?”

ETHAN ALVAREZ

“You got that right,” Antonio said, an easy smile forming on his face as he looked over at Ethan. There were so many things about Ethan that he loved and he was only now finally starting to realise just how true that was. Ela had helped him figure out how he felt about Ethan but he hadn’t realised just how deep those feelings ran until he came close to never having the chance to explore them. It was good to finally be able to be open about it all now and he knew that he wouldn’t have it any other way. Something told him that Ethan probably didn’t realise just how much there was about him that Antonio loved but he was certain that over time he would figure it out, Antonio would make sure of it. “I like the sound of that,” he chuckled as Ethan said that he was going to be his own personal cheer squad too. As Ethan spoke again, Antonio’s smile returned and he nodded. “I know, I’m counting on it,” he admitted. No one had ever been there for him the way that Ethan was and the truth was that no one had even come close. Ethan had become his brother on the battlefield but they were so much more to each other than that now and he knew that that’s how he wanted it to be.

“Between the three of you I really don’t stand a chance, do I?” Antonio chuckled. It was already clear to him just how much Ethan wanted this and once the girls realised that he was sure to end up hearing a lot about it from them too. He knew just how persuasive the three of them could be when they wanted to be so deep down he knew that it was sure to be just a matter of time before he caved and did what he had to in order to make them all happy but for now at least he could try and stay strong even if the three of them were sure to gang up on him sooner or later. The truth was that Antonio didn’t mind dogs, in fact he liked them too but when the girls were younger he’d had his hands full enough trying to look after the two of them on his own and work without adding a dog to the mix as well. Now they were older and they were able to help out more and he knew that Ethan would as well so it would be much easier. As Ethan spoke again, Antonio felt a smile form on his face. “This will always be your family,” Antonio assured him. Ethan meant the world not just to him but to the girls as well and that wasn’t going to change. “I’ll remember that,” he chuckled as Ethan said that he only ran hot while he was asleep and wasn’t immune to the cold.

It didn’t take them long to reach the coffee shop and once they were there Antonio switched off the engine and nodded as Ethan said that they should get some to go. “Works for me,” he agreed. They had already sat down for one meal anyway so he knew that it wouldn’t hurt to get some cake to go now. Climbing out of the car, Antonio fell into step with Ethan as he headed towards the shop and he felt a smile touch his lips as Ethan held the door open for him this time. “Thanks,” he said as stepped inside and they took their place in line. Thankfully the line seemed to move quite quickly and Antonio could see just how pleased Ethan was when the order was placed. They found a couple of empty seats where they could wait in peace and Antonio couldn’t help but laugh as Ethan said that they now had the difficult job of waiting. “You make it sound like you haven’t eaten for a week,” he teased. Antonio couldn’t deny that he was still pretty full after the meal they’d just had but he had room enough for some cake. The conversation kept flowing and he had a feeling that it wasn’t long before their order was ready. “I don’t mind. We can go for a walk or grab a drink or we can head home if you like,” he shrugged, not sure what Ethan was in the mood for. The truth was that deciding to go to dinner had been the easy part for Antonio and he wasn’t too sure what else to do on a date considering how long it had been since he had last been out on one.

ETHAN ALVAREZ

Antonio already knew that Ethan and the girls were going to end up ganging up on him over certain things and he was pretty sure that a dog would be one of them. He had always done everything he could to make sure that the girls were happy and had everything that they wanted but there were certain requests over the years that he hadn’t given in to and a dog was one of those. He had known that it would be too much to have a dog to look after while the girls were growing up but now they were older and they didn’t need him as much as they once had. He had seen how upset they were when he got home that day after the cave collapsed so he knew that they still needed him but they were able to look after themselves now. Things were different with Ethan around now as well, the family dynamic had changed somewhat but the truth was that he was already part of the family even before they got together so he knew that perhaps now it wouldn’t hurt. “You’re really generous,” Antonio chuckled, knowing that with the three of them when it came down to it they probably wouldn’t even let him do that.

It didn’t seem to take too long before they were waiting for their order and Antonio couldn’t help but laugh as Ethan spoke. “Is that so?” he teased, his expression playful as he looked over at Ethan despite Ethan’s attempt at staying serious. “I’m just amazed you have room after that meal,” he added with a grin. Antonio was already starting to feel a little better after eating so much at the restaurant himself so he knew that he would be ready for it when their order was done even if he hadn’t felt like that at first. “How many times have you been here?” he asked, unable to deny that he was curious. Ethan was clearly a fan of the cake but Antonio wasn’t sure how often the guy let himself have it. There were a few different things that they could do once their order was done and Antonio knew that he would have been fine with any of them but he couldn’t deny that he was pleased when Ethan said that he wanted to go home after this. “Don’t worry, I know what you mean,” Antonio said, a reassuring smile forming on his face as he looked over at Ethan and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m enjoying this as well but I think we should head home too,” he nodded. “We’ve been around other people enough for tonight, I like the idea of having you to myself for a while.” Once their names were called Antonio took Ethan’s free hand in his as they moved away from the counter. “Are you sure you don’t want anything else from here before we go?”

ETHAN ALVAREZ

“Sure I will,” Antonio chuckled. He knew what Ethan and the girls were like but the truth was that he didn’t mind. He already had a plan forming in his mind anyway so he knew that it wouldn’t come to that. More than anything he wanted Ethan and the girls to be happy and if what he had in mind was what it took to make it happen then he knew that he wouldn’t have a problem with that. He had gone from having no one in his life that he cared about to having two girls that he loved unconditionally and a great guy that he had loved for as long as he could remember. He had never thought that his life would end up like this but he knew that he wouldn’t have it any other way. As Ethan spoke again, Antonio couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll remember that,” he grinned. “You are such a dork sometimes,” he added, his expression pure amusement as he looked over at Ethan. It was something that he had known for a long time and he loved Ethan regardless.

As Ethan said that he had wanted to try the cake but had been holding off, Antonio felt his smile return. “Well, I’m honoured you waited for me,” he said sincerely. He knew that it probably hadn’t been easy for Ethan to do that but still he had done it and Antonio was grateful to him for that. It really did seem like another way in which they could enjoy their first date and Antonio knew that he was never going to forget tonight. Antonio wasn’t used to going on dates and he knew that going out for dinner was perhaps a little predictable but even so it had seemed like a good way of spending some time together and it had proved to be just that. As soon as Ethan spoke again he could see that he was worried that Antonio would take what he’d said the wrong way but the truth was that he hadn’t at all. Antonio could see just how much Ethan had been enjoying the evening and it had been exactly the same for Antonio. This was something special for the two of them and he was glad that they had finally had the chance to do it. Antonio looked down at their joined hands as Ethan squeezed his hand in return and his smile widened. “I know that feeling. Tonight has been great but I’m done sharing you tonight,” he said, knowing that some time alone was just what they needed now. Soon enough their names were called and Antonio rolled his eyes playfully as Ethan said that he had everything he wanted. “So cheesy sometimes,” he teased before giving Ethan’s hand a squeeze in return. Antonio kept Ethan’s hand in his as they walked to the car and Ethan seemed as reluctant to let go as he was but they had no choice. Climbing into the car, Antonio drove them home and wasn’t surprised to see that all of the lights were off by the time they got there. “Looks like the girls are already asleep,” he said, switching off the engine and pulling his house keys out of his pocket as he locked the car and they headed inside.

ETHAN ALVAREZ