Work Text:
Ethan had had an amazing year.
Winning Eurovision, getting nominated for awards (and winning one of them), breaking into the American market, topping charts all over the world while he got to travel around the world, it had been beyond amazing. It had been so good sometimes he was still half-certain he was going to wake up at any moment and find out that it had all been some kind of fantastical dream.
Somehow, seemingly impossibly, he hadn’t been dreaming…and as happy as he was to actually be living his dream, he was also happy to be on his way home now.
It had been an amazing year: but it had also been a long one. And as much as Ethan had loved every second of it, he’d also missed his girlfriend.
Seraphina had her own job and life to lead in Italy – and although they’d tried to fly out to see each other as much as possible, it wasn’t as often as Ethan maybe would’ve liked. As in, it was definitely less often than Ethan would’ve liked. So as happy as he had been touring the world with Måneskin, he was even happier now to be going home to his Seraphina.
He had been texting with her since he’d landed at the airport, all through security and baggage claim and while Thomas drove back to the city they all lived in
The fact that he’d been getting away with it for that long should’ve been a red flag…and yet Ethan was still taken by surprise when Damiano snatched his phone from his hand.
“Who have you been talking to for hours…” he asked, before rolling his eyes upon seeing the chat still open on Ethan’s phone: “Urgh…really?”
Ethan rolled his eyes at Damiano’s response – but it wasn’t exactly surprising. For all he presented himself as a romantic figure, Damiano was one of the least romantic people Ethan knew. He fell in and out of love every week, and didn’t understand how anyone – mostly Ethan – could happily commit to someone who he wasn’t even in the same country as half the time.
Ethan got it; long-distance relationships weren’t for everybody. They were a lot of challenges involved, but that didn’t mean Ethan wouldn’t defend his relationship to his last breath…
…except he didn’t get the chance.
“Don’t pull that face.” Victoria snapped at Damiano, turning round in the front passenger seat to glare at their front man: “Ethan and Seraphine are really cute together. Just because you can’t keep a girlfriend.”
Victoria, on the other hand, may not present herself as overly romantic, but she was the biggest sucker for love Ethan had ever met. She loved love, loved people overcoming things like long distances between them, loved a happily ever after. And, according to her when she’d had a few too many drinks, she really thought Ethan and Seraphina would be together forever.
She’d also shut Damiano down any time he tried to question Ethan about his and Seraphina’s relationship, even though he was usually well-meaning. Damiano wasn’t a dick, he actually really liked Seraphina, he just didn’t understand why Ethan was in a monogamous relationship.
Something he thought was completely understandable – and defended himself ‘accordingly’.
“What? I’m just asking a question!” he demanded of Victoria.
Victoria, of course, was not backing down: “You were not! You were going to start going on about open relationships again!”
“Because they’re great!”
“So is Ethan’s relationship with Seraphina!”
Ethan looked up to meet Thomas’s eyes in the rear-view mirror, and they shared an exasperated look. They were far used to this kind of shit; Damiano and Victoria fought like cats and dogs…loudly and constantly. It came from a good place, with no real animosity, they were just both very confident in their opinions, and unafraid to express them.
Loudly.
Normally, Ethan was all far it. He was happy to let them go back and forth; they both gave as good as they got, and it was usually pretty entertaining. It was less entertaining, however, when they were discussing his relationship.
He waited until Damiano paused for breath, and quickly interjected because Victoria could: “I’m actually very happy for you two not to fight about my relationship with Seraphina, thank you.”
Both of them had the good grace to look chagrined, but that didn’t stop Damiano from petulantly muttering: “I just don’t get it.”
“Do you have to, though?” Thomas answered him, while Ethan nodded in agreement: “It’s Ethan’s relationship. If he’s happy, why does he need you to get it?”
“But how can you be happy? You haven’t had sex in over a month!” Damiano asked Ethan directly.
Of course, Victoria was quick enough to jump back in: “Sex isn’t just about putting you dick or fingers or tongue in someone.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Damiano waved her off: “Obviously, but – ”
“You know I won’t discuss this with you.” Ethan reminded him, because Seraphina wasn’t comfortable with him discussing their sex life with his friends, and Ethan respected that: “I’m happy, Damiano. I really am.”
Damiano’s shoulders dropped, the fight leaving him as quickly as it had entered: “I just want to make sure you’re in a good place.”
“I know,” Ethan reached out to grab Damiano’s shoulder: “I appreciate it. And I really am in a good place with Seraphina.”
Damiano nodded, and handed Ethan his phone back before he went back to looking out of the window, and Ethan was more than happy to lapse back into silence.
Though he’d never admit it to Damiano, there were times when his faith in his relationship had faltered. It was sometimes hard to not want to have sex with the fans throwing themselves at him, not when half the songs they performed were about fucking…but Seraphina had been very clear all along that monogamy was one of the few things she was not willing to compromise on. And as flirty as their fans were, none of them could hold a candle to Seraphina.
She just got him. Whether they were in the same room or in different time zones, she was his perfect woman, and there was no way in Hell Ethan was risking that on a one-night stand. Not when she loved him so effortlessly.
And put up with his bandmates so graciously.
09:43
Is everything okay?
Did Damiano steal your phone again?
Ethan smiled, picturing Seraphina rolling her eyes at their ‘antics’, and quickly typed back:
09:51
Everything is brilliant; I’ll be home with you soon.