IT'S YOU ━━ Antonio Dawson x fem!reader
author's note; hi! it's been a while since i actually wrote something and i really wanted to start again so here we are. first time writing for my man antonio and i hope it's good and liked <3
prompt; "what do you i've been doing this for?" from this list
summary; after a pretty messy breakup, she ends up crashing at antonio's. and she ends up moving in — but they're just friends.
━━ ☄. *. ⋆
Antonio had known her for years. When she first moved to Chicago and became Gabby's partner on Ambulance 61, he was one of the few people that welcomed her from outside the firehouse.
Since then they'd been good friends, usually hanging out at Molly's or helping each other with mundane things. She was even good with Eva and Diego which always helped lessen his load after the divorce. There were times when she helped watch over the kids when Gabby couldn't and Antonio was stuck with a case while his ex-wife was traveling the world with her fancy new boyfriend.
He wasn't sure when it started, but at some point he felt it. The way his excitement grew at the prospect of seeing her again even if just for a drink with their circle of friends at Molly's. Or if they bumped into each other while on scenes. Or the few moments he'd get roughed up on the job and would come to her instead of an actual doctor or something.
But when he realized the way he was leaning onto her more than he probably should, he still couldn't stop it. Which was probably why he immediately offered her a place to stay when she broke up with her boyfriend whom she'd been living with.
“The kids are at a sleepover this weekend, but you don't need to worry about them,” he said as he brought two bottles of cold beer out for them.
She was on his couch, wrapped up in one of his hoodies as she curled up. Her boyfriend of four years turned out to be sleeping with his secretary. Cliché, but god she never expected it.
“You're sure they're gonna be fine with me staying?” she asked, wiping her nose with a tissue since she'd just stopped crying as she took the beer he offered.
In all honesty her heart was crushed. Who wouldn't be? She'd trusted her boyfriend only to find out he'd been stepping out on her.
Antonio could see the way she was hurting. And it filled him with a subtle rage. He wouldn't risk showing it though, all he did now was be there for her.
He let her curl up on the long couch as he settled in the armchair, watching her as she drank her beer.
“They love you,” he reminded her. “Eva would be happy to know you're here so she'd have someone to gossip with.”
They shared a chuckle over that. She did love the long chats with Eva about high-school drama. It was much simpler than her life now.
“You can stay as long as you need,” he added gently, a soft smile as he reassured her.
She looked at him, mustering up a soft smile of her own. How on earth did she get so lucky as to have a friend like him?
⊱ ━━━━.⋅ εïз ⋅.━━━━ ⊰
She'd been staying at Antonio's for half a year by now. The search for a place of her own wasn't going so well. But Eva and Diego were pretty much doing everything they could to convince her to just stay.
Antonio's feelings had been all over the place now that she was literally in the room next door to him. Everywhere he turned she was there. It didn't help with the ongoing want to always be around her.
She was usually so sharp on social cues. She'd notice if her friends had crushes or admirers from miles away. But when it was her own case, she was practically blind to it. Which clearly showed now as she was helping Hermann bartend at Molly's and serving up a drink for Antonio.
“You know you've got a hot one eyeing you up on your four o'clock,” she teased, passing him a bottle of cold beer.
Antonio was aware of the other woman. But his eyes was fixed on the one behind the bar in front of him.
“Yeah,” he chuckled, picking up his bottle and bringing it up to his lips, “I'm not looking for that.”
She rested her hands on the bartop, tilting her head at him. Now that she thought of it, he hadn't been on any dates for a while now. Much less flirting with anyone. Well, anyone but her. But they always had their harmless flirty banter.
“Then what are you looking for?” she asked, leaning forward slightly as she questioned him.
He sighed, scratching his stubble lightly as he turned his head for a moment. God, he loved her but he wished she opened her eyes sometimes.
“I'm not looking anymore ‘cause I already found it,” he answered simply, turning back to her with a soft smile.
“Meaning?” she asked again, raising her brows.
“Well, there's this girl,” he started to say. He paused though, grinning when he saw her lean in slightly as if she was interested in some hot scoop of gossip.
“She got her heart broken a while back. Since then, I've been tryna make her feel better. Pick up the little pieces.”
She paused then, her brain picking up all the information piece by piece. For a minute, she felt like she made the connection. But she didn't want to jump the gun.
“You told her how you feel?”
“Doing that right now.”
There were a few seconds of silence. Both of them just looked each other in the eyes as he smiled softly at the way she simply stared at him like that. He knew she was picking it up now.
“Antonio—”
“It's you,” he cut her off, pushing his beer bottle aside slightly. His arms were folded over the wooden bartop as he spoke to her. “It's been you for years now.”
She blinked, completely dumbfounded. Her heart felt like it was fighting to break out of her ribcage.
He felt like the weight was finally lifted off his shoulders now. It was out. He couldn't take it back and he didn't want to.
“Why didn't you say anything?” she finally asked after a few beats.
“You were spoken for,” he replied.
She'd been taken for the past four years. And he respected the relationship, so he never said anything or acted on his feelings. He wasn't the type for it.
“Not anymore,” she then said.
He paused, his eyes locked on hers for a moment as he nodded slowly.
“Not anymore,” he echoed. “What do you think I've been doing this for?”
A soft smile pulled on her lips as she looked at him, finally realizing she was right. She had sensed the subtle hints, but she was too scared to properly read into it.
Now though, he was making himself clear.
“I like you,” he said properly, making her smile brighter which caused an immediate rise in his heart rate. “And I know you're in the room next door—”
She laughed softly at that, looking down briefly. She was still living in his place after all.
“— but if you'd like, I'd love to properly take you out,” he finally finished.
He was nervous. In all honesty, she made him so nervous it made almost no sense. But he had to take the leap. He'd been waiting for years for the chance and he'd be damned if he didn't take it now.
She smiled, looking at him with those eyes that always made him weak.
“I'll clear my Friday night.”
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