A/N: This takes place after S05E05 of Chicago Fire. I thought it was cute what Sylvie did, and I figured since there's been no Brettonio for a few episodes, I'd come up with my own idea of Antonio's reaction to what Sylvie did. Everything that's happened in Episode 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of Chicago Fire Season 5, and in all episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Chicago PD Season 4 has happened in this story too. This is only going to be a one shot, though. I don't think there's enough material to carry on, but I hope you enjoy it! And I still have Chapter 17 of Fresh Eyes to be uploaded tonight/tomorrow too! Enjoy!
Antonio had been waiting for most of the day to head to Molly's. It had been busy at work and he was tired, yet he needed a drink. He was stressed out with everything going on with Laura and his kids. He needed a release. And that, for him, was a couple beers with good company.
He hadn't been to Molly's for a few nights, but he knew that the later it got the busier it got, which was why he'd headed out just after seven. He wanted a bit of piece and quiet with his sister and friends from 51 before everything got much more hectic.
Gabby greeted him with a wave as he made his way into the small bar. He waved back and smiled, "Hey, sis. How's it going?" Antonio asked, taking a seat at the bar.
Herrmann, who was working beside Gabby, instantly slid a beer down the bar to him, which he took gratefully and cracked it open, taking a sip.
"I'm tired as hell, for the most part," Gabby chuckled. "But I'm good. Bonnie's looking after Louie tonight and Matt will be in later. How are you? You look worn down."
With a chuckle, Antonio nodded at her. "You're right about that one, sis. Big day at work, tough case. Needed a drink. Figured Molly's was the place to come."
Molly's was like that for Antonio - his home away from home. He always knew someone there, and he'd made some really good memories there before. Most recently, buying the paramedic Sylvie Brett a drink and talking about everything but work with her.
He wondered, for a moment, where she was tonight and took another sip of her drink, ignoring the thought. He hadn't come here for a girl. He'd come here to see Gabby, to talk to Matt and his friends. Sylvie would have just been a bonus, but it was a bonus he was okay with not seeing.
Gabby smirked at him and nodded, taking a sip of her own beer from the bench behind her. "What'd you really come here for, huh?" She asked, leaning down on the bar in front of Antonio. "Sylvie's my partner, you know? She tells me everything that you don't."
Antonio rolled his eyes and sighed, shaking his head. "I came here for drinks and a good time with friends, Gabby. Sylvie's great, she is. But nothing has happened since that night. We're just good friends, that's all. I bought her a drink, and it's been made clear that we both like each other, but that's all."
"You need to properly ask her out, Tonio!" Gabby frowned, sipping her drink again. "But considering she's already made the move with someone else, I'm afraid you've missed your chance, bro."
He tried to keep his face casual and neutral at his sisters words, but he knew that he'd failed when her frown was replaced with a large grin. Raising her eyebrows at her, Antonio raised the beer to his lips and took a drink, unimpressed with her actions.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Really, Tonio? You're like a book to me. I've known you my whole life. How could I not pick up on that expression?"
Antonio shook his head at her and shrugged. "I'm a cop, I'm good at keeping my emotions under wraps."
"Oh, that's bullshit, Antonio. I tell you Sylvie's made the move with someone else and all you do is try and put on a brave face to deal with the fact that the girl you like is with someone else?" Gabby exclaimed, crossing her arms across her chest, annoyed.
Antonio shrugged at her again. He knew that Gabby was either lying to him or being serious, and the way she was speaking now made him think that it was the latter. Where else would Sylvie be now if she wasn't at Molly's? It made perfect sense to him. He hadn't seen her in almost two weeks due to their hectic schedule, of course she'd moved on. Now, he'd have to as well.
In front of him, Gabby stood, looking incredibly unimpressed with him. "Are you serious right now, Antonio?" She asked him, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. "I'm not oblivious to everything that's going on with you and Laura, you know? You're my brother. You used to tell me everything. Why won't you let Sylvie in this time, huh?"
"Because she's moved on, like you said!" Antonio exclaimed, slamming the beer down on the bar. "Why should I devote myself to someone who's committed herself to someone else just because we both have hectic schedules?"
Gabby rolled her eyes and stepped back in frustration before moving back to lean on the bar in front of Antonio. "You wanna know where she is right now? I'll tell you," she began, anger and frustration clear in her eyes. "We went on a call on Tuesday night, found a kid who had fallen from a tree trying to ask a girl to Homecoming. Sylvie found the girl in the hospital to the next day and took her to see him, only to find out she'd already been asked and wasn't going to to homecoming with him, even if he'd fallen out of a goddamned tree for her."
Antonio listened to her, his hand clamped around the beer bottle tightly. He didn't understand how a kid falling from a tree had anything to do with where Sylvie was right now. Yet, he continued to listen, wondering where Gabby was taking this.
"This kids Homecoming was tonight, you know that? Saturday. So, Sylvie, being the absolute damned gem she is, turned up at this kids house after our shift yesterday and told him that she'd go to Homecoming with him because the girl he wanted to ask had already said she'd go with another guy. That's what I meant by Sylvie moving on with someone else, Tonio! She's at a high school homecoming with a sophomore just because he fell out of a friggin' tree to ask a girl who didn't want to go with him."
This time, it was Antonio's turn to frown, taking in everything that Gabby had just told him. Sylvie, right now, was at Homecoming with a sophomore who she'd treated earlier that week. Because she'd felt bad for him for doing what he did and getting rejected.
He looked up at Gabby, his face softening. "I'm sorry," he muttered, looking down at the bar and his beer bottle.
Gabby placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "You don't have a thing to be sorry about, Tonio. But if she turns up here after Homecoming, ask her out, for God's sake. If you can't get the guts to ask a girl who takes a sophomore to Homecoming out..." she left the sentence open, leaving Antonio to figure out what she meant.
It was close to ten o'clock when Sylvie walked through the door of Molly's, earning a variety of cheers from Otis, Herrmann, Gabby and Severide. Matt had been here for roughly an hour, yet Antonio had watched on as he argued with Severide and left, not wanting to get involved.
Antonio was onto his third beer of the evening as she walked in. She didn't see him at first, yet he watched as she grinned and walked over to where Gabby, Herrmann and Otis were standing at the bar. She was dressed in pink, and Antonio instantly knew that she would have been the odd one out, but also the most envied at that Homecoming Dance.
He listened on as she took a seat at the bar, accepting a cocktail from Gabby.
"Go on then, how was it being back in high school again?" Gabby asked, her, leaning against the bar and smiling at her. Antonio knew that Gabby was proud to have a friend like Sylvie. And secretly, Antonio realised he didn't know anyone else like Sylvie who'd go to a Homecoming Dance with a boy she felt bad for.
"It was really nice, actually! He was a really great guy to go with. I'm glad I could help him out like that," she smiled, taking a sip of her drink.
Antonio looked up the bar and caught Gabby's eye, and, clearing his throat, he made his way over to them and took a spare seat beside Sylvie. She looked at him and smiled, happy to see him again after so long.
"You're an angel, Sylvie Brett," Herrmann smiled at her before walking away to serve someone, soon followed by both Gabby and Otis.
"How have you been?" Antonio asked, taking a sip of his beer and turning to Sylvie. "Gabby told me about you taking a sophomore to Homecoming. Uh, that was really sweet of you."
He watched as she smiled and blushed before nodding at him. "I figured he shouldn't go alone. The girl he wanted to go with said yes to someone else. And after being humiliated by that... he shouldn't have turned up alone. Which was where I came in." She smiled.
Antonio nodded at her as she spoke, completely agreeing with what she said. He knew what Gabby had meant at that moment - there was no similarities between Laura and Sylvie. There was no way Laura would have ever went with a kid to Homecoming. Yet, Sylvie had. She went without shame. She just wanted to help him out.
"I know we haven't spoken in a while," Antonio spoke, his voice unsteady. "But I had a great time here a few weeks ago."
Sylvie turned to look at him as she sipped her cocktail before smiling at him. "So did I, actually. I didn't think you'd be willing to hang out again, though... you sort of went off the radar."
He cringed at his words, knowing that he had. "Yeah, it was just, uh, nerves and all that. I'm not used to all this. My ex-wife... she was nothing like you, and I suppose I'm just confused at how to deal with dating someone else. But I just wanted to tell you... I'm willing to do this with you."
At seeing the large smile on her face, Antonio felt a grin rise to his face as well, happy that she was so happy with what he was saying. He watched her as she nodded before putting down her cocktail.
"How much beer do you have left?"
Antonio frowned, confused. "Uh, a quarter of a bottle?"
"Hmm, good. Because I'm buying your next one."
