The night was rather quiet.

They all sat around in a semi-circle as Benjamin lit the fire with his gift.

Antonio sat for a few minutes, staring blankly into the fire as he bit his bottom lip between his teeth.

He silently rose out of nowhere, slipping away, practically unnoticed.

He felt eyes linger on his back, but he ignored them as he walked around the outer circle to approach his sisters.

He paid no mind to Kate's conversation with Garrett and the Romanians.

He grabbed Tanya's hand, briefly nodding his head to the woods when she shot him a confused look.

His hand dropped from hers as they started to walk, only to be tucked into the pockets of his jeans.

His voice came out in a quiet murmur, even as the distance began to grow between them and the others. "I need some advice," he said. "It'd be too awkward to talk to Ma and Pa about, and Katie would probably laugh at me, so you're my best bet."

They slowed to a stop as a good distance was between them and the group.

"Of course Katie would laugh," Tanya said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Kate can be insensitive at times. That's just how she is. What can I do for you?"

Anton remained quiet for a few seconds as he stared off into the woods. His gaze switched back to his sister as he stopped biting his lip.

"Is it right- possible? Is it possible to love two people at once?" His tone was blunt, but his expression was foreboding.

Tanya's response was instant, void of hesitation.

"Of course it is," she spoke from her spot next to him, nudging him with her shoulder. "Some people are in love with an old lover and a new one at the same time. Or two old ones. Or new ones. It's like having a crush on multiple people. We've all been there at some point."

“Alright,” Antonio muttered under his breath, “And what if they’re two different genders?”

Tanya snorted, dodging Antonio’s hand as he went to smack her in the shoulder.

“Sorry!” She said as she laughed into the hand covering her mouth. “You caught me off guard! I forget sometimes that you don’t know a lot about other vampires. It’s pretty common for some of us to lie with more than one gender.”

Antonio's expression turned into confusion at his sister's words, his eyebrows furrowing as he spoke. "Wait, really? How come I was never told that?"

Tanya shrugged her shoulders as she ran her hand through her hair, grabbing a leaf that had gotten stuck there at one point.

"You never seemed interested in that type of stuff before we came here. You didn't really seem interested in the thought of mates, either."

Anton paused for a moment, his gaze dropping to the ground as he bit his lip.

"If I'm honest, it's because I never thought I'd have any mates. I mean yeah, I know others do, but I never thought it applied to me, too."

Tanya stepped closer before pulling her brother into a tight hug. She ran her fingers through his hair as she mumbled softly, "You're allowed to be happy, too, you know. If you're in love with people, go for it. Don't just keep sitting up on your giant throne of denial."

Antonio melted into his sister's embrace, enjoying it for a few short moments before he pulled away from her.

"I know," he said softly. "I'm starting to understand that."

They shared a small smile before they began their short journey back to the others.

Tanya split away from him, heading over to the Amazonians to talk to them.

Antonio's gaze flickered over all of the people before landing on Rose and Emmett, their backs facing him.

He silently made his way over, sitting down next to Emmett. Antonio silently messed with the end of his sleeve, staring down at the ground.

He felt a nudge against his leg, causing him to glance at his leg and back up. A small blush came over his face as Emmett stared down at them, their thighs pressed together.

Emmett's voice was low and soft as he spoke. 

"Are you alright?" He asked, glancing over to Tanya.

Antonio flashed him a small grin.

"Yeah," he muttered, nudging his shoulder against Emmett's. "I've never been better."