Chapter Text
Taehyung slips his metro card in his front pocket, walking swiftly along with the crowd, the other hand pulling his luggage across the station floor. He slows down a little as he sees the sign for the available lines just before a junction, making sure he is going the right way. Then he turns to the left, pacing himself once again. Red and blue graffiti stripes in the distance catch his attention. As he gets closer, he mouths off the words carved on the wall, painted in gold.
Més que un club
Or in English, more than a club, the FC Barcelona slogan. His eyes twinkle and a smile forms at the corner of his mouth. He is really here, in Barcelona out of all places in the world.
“Welcome to Barcelona, Kim Taehyung,” he greets himself.
Not too long ago, his life seemed to fall apart. He is already twenty five, a quarter of a century, the age where he thought he would have figured out his path of life. Growing up, he always imagined having a steady job with a decent income in a field he loved to work for, all while figuring out the fine details of planning their future together with his hypothetical boyfriend, or even better, fiancé.
Oh well. The company he worked for declared bankruptcy recently and decided to lay off most of his employees effective immediately. Taehyung would be able to cope and pick himself up while looking for a new job, if only he hadn’t found his then-boyfriend on their bed with someone else.
He was lucky he had a good support system. He decided to move out from the apartment he shared with the ex-boyfriend and take his most prized possessions over to his best friend’s place. As expected, Jimin welcomed him with open arms, but what made Taehyung release his breath was Yoongi, Jimin’s live-in boyfriend, letting him stay without uttering a single complaint.
Still, moping around could only last a moment. He still had bills to pay and other life responsibilities. He still got sick in the stomach every time he thought about his ex and the job interview process stressed him out. So when Namjoon, Yoongi’s best friend, mentioned that a friend of his was looking to fill a temporary position in Barcelona, he grabbed the opportunity and applied for it. As Jimin said, maybe what he needed was a fresh change of air.
So here he is, lifting his luggage with both hands as he steps down the stairs to the platform, still in high spirits. The wind from the incoming train on the opposite platform blows the tip of his brown coat, uplifting it just a little; the messenger bag he’s carrying across his shoulder keeps it in place. He drops the luggage to the floor as he gets on the platform, sees that he still has three minutes to catch his breath before his train arrives, and smiles again.
Reality is starting to sink in. He has been going through the motions, engulfed in anxiety mixed with excitement since he arrived at the airport - going through the immigration process and taking the airport line to get to this station. This is the last leg of his arrival journey. Once he gets off the train, his life in Barcelona will really begin.
The train is quite crowded. Taehyung stands by the door, one hand holding on to the dangling grab handle, the other securing the luggage resting against his body. He watches as more people get on the train. Most of them are adults; it’s a regular weekday after all, and he expects most children are still at school, so it’s nothing surprising. Most people are wearing a coat or a jacket, although two or three younger ones, probably college-aged, are only wearing casual long-sleeved shirts with ripped jeans. Ah, the beauty of youth.
A very good looking man around Taehyung's age gets on the train and immediately attracts his attention. He is dressed in all black, which contrasts his pale complexion. One of his exposed hands is covered in tattoos, and he’s wearing tough-looking boots. Taehyung wonders if the tattoos go further up his arms, though it’s none of his business, really. Their eyes meet for a brief second before the man nods and goes further inside. That’s enough to make Taehyung’s heart skip a beat.
Things are looking up for him. He just got there and he already bumped into a handsome stranger. A few stations later, another handsome man, dressed impeccably in shades of grey, gets on the train. Taehyung can feel a pair of eyes locked on him during the ride, so to release the tension, he makes eye contact and grins.
“Buenas tardes. ¿Cómo estás?” Taehyung is all smiles, but he is screaming on the inside. Crash learning Spanish is much easier when he doesn’t have to talk with a local. Did he pronounce the ‘good afternoon’ or ‘how are you’ right?
“Hola, guapo.” The man smiles back flirtatiously, taking a step closer toward Taehyung, making him blush.
He knows that he is easy on the eyes, but being called handsome in a foreign language is flattering in a different way. His flustered state also exacerbates another problem: he forgets all the Spanish knowledge he learned in high school.
Taehyung definitely isn’t equipped to flirt in Spanish yet, let alone Catalán, which is also used in some Spanish autonomous communities. Just the thought alone is enough to make him second-guess everything. He keeps asking himself in his head why he decided to come here in the first place. He currently feels like a deer in a headlight, not knowing what to say next after the standard greeting.
The man says a long sentence in what sounds like Catalán - or probably Spanish, not that Taehyung can tell - and it goes over Taehyung’s head. All he knows is that it sounds so charming.
He just grins sheepishly and tries his best to apologize and say that he doesn’t speak Spanish. “Lo siento, no hablo español.”
He is saved from further embarrassment when the train stops at a station, swinging some bodies inside due to the momentum as they grab the handle tighter to keep them in place. Taehyung sees the man he’s talking to sway forward and catches him to prevent him from falling.
“Gracias.” They exchange a smile and the man takes his steps toward the door. Not even one foot goes out, however, when a hand grabs the man's arm and pulls him back inside.
It’s the handsome stranger from earlier. Taehyung lost sight of him after they both got on the train, forgetting about their little encounter until he reappeared. The stranger in black doesn’t let go of the man’s hand until the train starts moving again and the confrontation finally happens. What happens next, Taehyung can only infer from the bits and pieces of Spanish he picks up.
“Give it back to him.” The stranger’s voice is calm but stern.
“Give what back?” The man grunts, glaring at the stranger.
“I saw what you did. Give it back, right now.” The stranger twists the man’s arm, causing him to screech in pain along with a string of curse words that Taehyung doesn’t understand. Still, he produces a wallet from the inside of his jacket and gives it to the stranger.
Taehyung gasps. It’s his wallet. The man must have picked his pocket when he pretended to fall on him.
“Anything else that you stole from him?” The stranger’s eyes search the man’s eyes to see if he’s telling the truth.
“That’s it, I swear.” The man flicks his arm out of the stranger’s grasp and walks away toward the other end of the train car, cursing loudly along the way.
Taehyung is still in shock. He watches the man’s back until he is hidden by other passengers and stays still in place. From the corner of his eyes, he sees the stranger grab a plastic Starbucks cup from another passenger’s hand. He must have asked her to hold it for him before the confrontation. Right now, he turns his attention back to Taehyung.
“American?” the stranger asks.
Taehyung turns his head toward him with empty eyes, still not fully grasping the whole situation.
“Are you an American?” The stranger clarifies his question.
Taehyung nods. He accepts the wallet that the stranger hands off to him and stares at it.
“Thank you.” Slowly, he gets out of his initial daze.
The stranger nods. “As in any big city, you need to always be wary of your surroundings, especially when you look so much like a tourist.”
Now that the shock is wearing off, Taehyung’s body trembles. It’s his first day and he already had a bad encounter. It feels like luck is not on his side yet.
“Well, this is my stop. You take care, alright?” The stranger’s eyes are still on him. He seems concerned about Taehyung’s well-being. When the train stops, however, he turns around and steps out of the train.
“Wait!” Taehyung grabs his luggage and gets off the train as well. “This happens to be my stop, too. Do you have time for a cup of coffee, maybe? My treat, as a sign of my gratitude.”
The stranger stops and stares at him for a second, then throws his half-empty iced americano cup into the nearest trash can and winks. “Just pretend you didn’t see what I had in my hand a second ago.”
That brings a smile back to Taehyung’s face. “I didn’t see anything.”
They exit the metro station and walk south to a local coffee shop that the stranger seems to be familiar with. The cafe isn’t that big, but it has some outdoor tables that must be customers’ favorite during the warmer months.
“What would you like?” Taehyung asks as they sit by a small circular table.
“They only sell espresso here, no iced americano.” He grins, interlocking his fingers and resting his head.
This time, Taehyung notices his big doe-like eyes, totally in contrast with the rest of his appearance. They really even out his soft and hard look, making him more attractive in Taehyung’s eyes.
A waiter takes their order curtly and leaves. Taehyung is still high on adrenaline. He doesn’t think it’s a good idea to order an espresso, so he settles on a cup of black tea instead.
“I’m Taehyung.”
There is a flash of recognition in the man’s eyes upon hearing the name. “Kim Taehyung? Kim Namjoon’s friend?”
Taehyung raises his eyebrows in return. “Are we supposed to know each other?”
“I’m Jeongguk, Jeon Jeongguk. I believe you are supposed to work for me?”
It’s impossible not to recognize the name. Ever since Taehyung got the job offer, he has thought about the name a lot, about what kind of person his new boss is and whether they will be able to communicate well, especially with the language barrier. One thing he didn’t expect is how young Jeongguk looks. It’s also very fortunate that Jeongguk’s English is much better than Taehyung’s Spanish.
“What a coincidence we met on the train, then,” Taehyung adds sheepishly. “Again, thanks for your help earlier. I would be in big trouble if I lost my wallet.”
“I hope it didn’t ruin your first impression of the city.” Jeongguk thanks the waiter who comes back with their order and waits until they are alone again. “Well, welcome to Barcelona, Taehyung.”
Once they are done, Jeongguk takes Taehyung to the small apartment that will be his home for the next few months. As soon as Taehyung gets his keys and puts his luggage inside, they leave again, this time toward the apartment complex where Taehyung will be working at, only a few minutes away from the one he’s renting. It’s already past five in the evening and the sun is hanging low on the horizon, giving a nice ambiance on the cobblestone-lined road they are walking through.
“We’ll go over the details tomorrow, but this is the place that you will be managing. As you already know, it’s a tourist apartment, so most guests only stay for a few days, at most a week or two.” Jeongguk shows him around the ground floor, which has a small office, a welcoming area, a kitchen area, and a bathroom toward the back of the building.
“Your regular work hours are from seven in the morning until noon and then from three to five in the afternoon. Occasionally, guests might need to check-in late, which means you need to help them if they have difficulty following the instructions for the self check-in.” He picks up a stray plastic cup from the waiting room and throws it away to the trash bin.
“Most people who book the apartments in this building are foreigners, and they are usually more comfortable speaking English than Spanish, so you should be good. If they prefer to speak Spanish or Catalán, you can always call me, and I will talk to them on the phone. If I am unavailable, then Lucía should be able to help you. She manages an apartment of mine in a different part of the city. There is also Anna, and she speaks German fluently.”
Jeongguk locks the door and turns to Taehyung when he sees the lost look on Taehyung’s face. “Don’t worry, you’ll meet all of them soon enough. Tomorrow you’ll meet Jan, the one who’s managing this building right now, and Luisa, the housekeeper.”
He walks toward the laundry room and lets them in. “Outside office hours, the ground floor is locked, but guests can access the laundry room 24/7. They are coin-operated. We have a coin change machine and a soap dispenser that they can take advantage of, so everything should be self-sufficient.” Jeongguk points at the machine to help direct Taehyung’s gaze, and they both step out of the room.
“Right now, all the apartments are booked, but there is an expected check-out tomorrow, so you’ll see what the inside of the apartment looks like.”
Throughout the tour, Jeongguk is nice but efficient. Everything goes smooth and preplanned, as if he is following a protocol that he already made up based on experience. Jeongguk is everything Taehyung thought he was going to be when he turned twenty-five, except that he’s not. His respect for Jeongguk has grown tremendously during the past few hours, and it makes him more excited to work for someone like him.
“What are your plans for the rest of the evening, Taehyung?” Jeongguk’s eyes are still on the building door as he makes sure it’s securely locked.
“I don’t know, maybe I’ll grab something quick to eat and then unpack and brush up on my Spanish.” Taehyung glances toward the direction they were walking from. “I think I saw a McDonalds earlier, so I can just order a take-out and go home.”
Jeongguk laughs. “Why don’t I take you out for dinner, then? My treat, as a repayment for my coffee earlier.”
The coffee was actually a sign of gratitude, so there is nothing to be repaid. Spending the evening with Jeongguk sounds like a great idea though, so Taehyung accepts. He would love to have some company on his first night in a new country, so even if it’s with his superior, he still takes the chance.
They go to Jeongguk’s reserved parking spot by the apartment building. He says that street parking is also available for everyone, but as it’s first come first served, an empty parking spot is hard to find, especially later in the evening. It’s not a big deal for Taehyung, he doesn’t plan on buying a car here anyway, but it’s nice for someone like Jeongguk.
Jeongguk drives them to a small restaurant not too far from where they are. It’s still a little bit early for dinner, so they don’t have to wait to be seated. The old white walls are decorated with some paintings of fishermen by the ocean. The wooden tables are covered in red and yellow striped tablecloths, making it look somewhat patriotic in Taehyung’s eyes.
Taehyung beams when he sees the big pan of seafood paella served to their table. Shrimps, mussels, and clams decorate the top of saffron-spiced rice. The smell is heavenly. Taehyung’s stomach grumbles, reminding him that he didn’t eat enough during the day.
It turns out Jeongguk is a very decent person. Despite making a good living as a property owner, he is down to earth and easy to talk to. He’s not too expressive, being more on the quiet side, but he asks the right questions and he gives Taehyung his full attention when he talks. He listens to Taehyung’s recent life story and he never makes Taehyung feel like he’s rambling even once. They only pause the conversation when they have to decide what to order for dessert.
“So how is Namjoon doing?” Jeongguk pours the rest of the cava into Taehyung's wine glass.
“He is doing great. Recently he got a nice promotion and he’s been busy with the new responsibilities, but he looks happy.” Taehyung can’t help but to satisfy his curiosity. “How did you get to know Namjoon?”
“He visited Barcelona last year and stayed with Jin, a good friend of mine. We hung out a little while he was here.”
Taehyung nods. “Have you ever visited the states?”
“No, I haven’t got a chance to. Although now that I know you and Namjoon, I’ll have someone I can ask about the states if I’m going there.” Jeongguk sips on his espresso. It’s amazing to Taehyung that he still puts some caffeine into his body this late in the day.
“It’s decaf.” Jeongguk sees the look on Taehyung’s face and explains. “I like the contrast of taste between the bitterness from the coffee and the sweetness from the dessert.”
It makes sense. Still, for a non-coffee drinker like Taehyung, it’s still unfathomable. The look of satisfaction on Jeongguk’s face as he enjoys the bittersweet concoction makes it all fine in Taehyung’s eyes, however. He has to admit that Jeongguk is a very attractive man. Look-wise and personality-wise, he is the type of person who anyone would swoon for.
Taehyung has to repeatedly remind himself that he just got out of a bad relationship and he should focus on healing. He doesn’t even know which way Jeongguk swings, whether he likes men, women, or both. They just met, so he doesn’t feel it’s appropriate to ask such a personal question.
That’s fine with him for now. Jeongguk is good company. Tomorrow he might switch to the boss mode, but for tonight, they are just like two friends who like each other's presence, sharing meals and stories. Perhaps it’s the delicious food he is eating, the atmosphere of a new city, the enjoyable conversation they have, or a combination of all of these, but for the first time since his break up, Taehyung doesn’t think about his ex anymore.
They take a little walk in the neighborhood after, under the clear winter sky, to shake off any trace of alcohol from their system. It feels quite romantic, chatting about nothing along the sidewalk, passing other pedestrians and the trees that stand proudly alongside the roads. In Taehyung’s very sober opinion, Jeongguk looks even better under the moonlight. He keeps it inside, however, not wanting to make things awkward between them. Even as Jeongguk drops him back off at his apartment, he smiles and waves him goodnight, not daring to do more.
The next few days are filled with learning. Jeongguk introduces Taehyung to Jan, who is planning to go back to his hometown in Poland very soon for family matters. He’s not sure how long it’ll take to sort everything out, which is the reason why Jeongguk hired Taehyung as a temporary replacement.
Jan handles the bookkeeping, scheduling, and attends to the guests’ needs while Taehyung watches him all day, helping out here and there as needed. Jeongguk stops by briefly every day, in case anything happens that needs escalation, and sometimes the three of them will grab lunch together during the lunch break.
Taehyung is not a natural-born organizer, but the system that Jeongguk set up is easy to understand and manage. He uses a centralized database, and while each one of his apartments has its own scheduling and bookkeeping, they still follow the same workflow.
“So after you press submit, all the relevant information should be stored and displayed for you to check the accuracy.” Jeongguk shows him how to insert a particular transaction and waits for his response. Jan is out for the day, so Jeongguk spends some extra time that afternoon in the office.
“Got it.” Taehyung nods. He is getting a handle on things and with Jeongguk around, supporting him when needed, he feels more comfortable in his skin.
As the humming sound from the printer ends, Taehyung grabs the papers and staples them. It only creates a hole. Taehyung opens the top drawer, looking for the stapler refill but finds none.
“They are in the other drawer.” Jeongguk opens the drawer at the other end of the table and shows the contents to Taehyung. His back muscle traces his shirt as he reaches for slightly harder to reach places, and Taehyung has to calm himself down. As expected of Jeongguk, everything has its place. Taehyung smiles and thanks him, and Jeongguk continues coaching him that day.
Luisa is a middle-aged woman leaning toward the heavier side, but she is as swift as a lynx when she is cleaning an empty apartment. She is also responsible for keeping the common area clean, which she does first thing as she arrives, and then a touch up as she leaves the building.
Despite the language barrier between them, Taehyung befriends her easily. Once, she brings in homemade croquetas, meat-based finger food that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, for Taehyung and Jan.
“Delicioso, Luisa!” Taehyung devours her food enthusiastically and gives her his best smile.
They have become instant best friends since then.
Soon after, Jan leaves and Taehyung has a full reign in managing the apartment. The best thing about the job is when he gets to interact with the guests. There are some exceptions, but most of them are decent, and Taehyung loves listening to their stories and chatting with them. Whenever there are children, Taehyung is ready with small treats, which always brings smiles to their little faces.
Things are picking up as they get closer to Christmastime. More tourists in Barcelona means more guests booking the apartments, and that keeps Taehyung busy. As Jeongguk said before, most people stay for a few days and then move on to another city, with a different group replacing them.
By this time, he’s met some other property managers working for Jeongguk. Lucía has worked for him the longest. When Taehyung meets Anna, she teaches him some interesting German words. Like schadenfreude, the satisfaction you feel from someone else’s misfortune, or Fremdschämen, which translates to second-hand embarrassment. Fun crowd.
The best thing that ever happened to Taehyung in Barcelona is Jeongguk. They usually spend some time together on the weekends. Jeongguk will bring him around the city and serve as an unofficial tour guide. On one weekend, they go to Sagrada Familia and its surroundings. On another occasion, they tour the Barri Gotic area.
Jeongguk said as a tourist apartment manager, it’s good if Taehyung knows about what makes Barcelona special. It’s a very nice gesture and Taehyung really appreciates it. If only his heart could stop jumping erratically every time his eyes meet Jeongguk’s, or when their hands accidentally brush each other. That would be perfect.
One day, Jeongguk asks if Taehyung would like to meet Jin, Namjoon’s friend. They arrive first at the restaurant and are sipping on their drinks when Taehyung spots two good looking men entering the establishment. His hunch is right. The man in the knee-length black jacket is Jin and the one in green is Hoseok.
“You are even more handsome than what I imagined you to be!” Hoseok exclaims enthusiastically.
Taehyung’s ears reddened because of the compliment. “Thanks. The two of you are very good looking, too. I love your coat.” He glances at Hoseok’s jacket, now hung on the coat hanger next to their seats, to emphasize his point.
“Seriously,” Hoseok doesn’t seem to be done talking, “when Jeongguk declared that you were the most handsome man on earth, I thought he was just teasing Jin, but now I see that he wasn’t exaggerating.”
“So you think he is more handsome than me?” Jin interrupts, looking slightly annoyed.
“My heart beats only for you, mi amor.” Hoseok winks.
It seems that the answer satisfies Jin and a domestic dispute is averted. His face is back to normal and he flashes a smile. “Welcome to Barcelona, Taehyung. How do you like the city so far?”
“I love it. I love the architecture, the abundance of art, and the general atmosphere. If only it were possible, I can imagine myself living here for a longer period of time.”
“You can always do that, Taehyung. Remember I offered to help you with the work permit if you want to?” Jeongguk faces Taehyung and holds his gaze. “Well, the offer still stands.”
Taehyung smiles gratefully at Jeongguk. “I wasn’t sure before, but I’m leaning more and more toward it. I might take you up on the offer.”
“What makes you not to?” Jeongguk searches Taehyung’s eyes for a possible hint.
Truthfully, it’s the uncertainty of what he’ll do after Jan comes back. He still has a few months ahead, but the thought of staying in a foreign country without a clear direction raises his anxiety level. Also, the fact that with each day that passes, Taehyung thinks about Jeongguk more and more. He isn’t sure if he is ready for another heartbreak, so he just raises his shoulders and grins sheepishly. “I just want to be more certain.”
A few days later, Taehyung gets a call from a guest that just checked out earlier in the day. Apparently, she lost an earring and is now wondering if Taehyung can double-check the apartment for her. The next guest to occupy the room hasn’t arrived yet, so Taehyung promises her to go over to the apartment and give it a look.
He is crouching on the floor, head low on the ground to see what’s underneath the bed, when he hears a fake cough right behind him. Surprised, he instantly jumps and accidentally bumps his head on the edge of the bed.
“Ouch!” It is a wooden frame, so Taehyung feels the impact on his head.
“Are you okay? Does it hurt much?”
Taehyung feels a pair of hands on each side of his ribs, holding him firmly and lifting his body gently so he can stand. The same pair of hands turn him around and put him on the bed, so he can be more comfortably seated.
“Let me see.”
Jeongguk removes Taehyung’s hand from covering the spot where the bump happened so that he can see it more clearly. Taehyung blushes as he feels Jeongguk’s gaze at the spot, intense enough to melt his heart. Jeongguk proceeds to rub circles on Taehyung’s head with his fingers, making sure that Taehyung isn’t severely injured. The smell of tangerine from Jeongguk’s perfume fills up Taehyung’s nose and it evokes a pleasant feeling.
From this angle, he can clearly see the patterns of his tattoos that decorate Jeongguk’s entire right arm. They are tastefully inked, he can tell Jeongguk must have spent a fortune on them. What’s more infuriating is the fact that it frames his arm muscles so perfectly. Taehyung shivers as he remembers the strength of those arms, which lifted him up so easily just seconds ago.
“Are you cold? You are wide-eyed and shivering.” Jeongguk’s eyes go over Taehyung’s body, concerned with his well-being, which actually makes Taehyung shiver even more as he finds it such a turn on. “Your head looks fine, I don’t think it’ll form a bruise.”
“I’m fine, thanks.” Taehyung blushes. Suddenly it feels so warm in the room, he fans his face with his hands and tries to regulate his breath. Unlike Jeongguk, who is only wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, Taehyung is still wearing his slightly oversized knitted sweater. “Sorry you had to find me in an embarrassing position.”
“Bumping your head is nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone does that once in a while.” Jeongguk smiles at him reassuringly.
What Taehyung means is the position his body was in when Jeongguk found him, with his butt sticking up in the air as he looked for the missing earring. If Jeongguk doesn’t mention it, then maybe he didn’t notice, and Taehyung won’t be the one who brings it up.
“Thanks for the help.” Taehyung grins, pretending to agree with him.
“Don’t mention it. Were you looking for something?”
“Mrs. Chu called, asking if I could check the apartment for her missing earring.”
“Hmmm…” Jeongguk thinks for a moment, then walks toward the nightstand to open its drawer. He bends forward and inserts his hand in the drawer. After a few seconds of searching, he pulls it out again to reveal an unpaired earring. “Does it look like this?”
Taehyung covers his mouth with his hands and gasps. “You are such a genius!”
Jeongguk, as always, solves Taehyung’s problem with ease. He always keeps a cool head and is so organized, which makes his systematic approach - even for someone like Taehyung - easy to follow. It’s one of the things Taehyung has always admired from him, and he just proved his worth again.
“I just used some deduction skills.” Jeongguk hands the earring to him. “You already looked under the bed. If it were in a place easily noticeable, Luisa would have found it already.”
“That’s hot.”
Both of them stop in their tracks after Taehyung’s spontaneous outburst. Their eyes are locked on each other. Taehyung’s are full of horror as he realizes what he just said while Jeongguk’s twinkle with mischief.
“Thank you.” Jeongguk opens his mouth and closes it again, as if he was changing his mind about teasing Taehyung about it, probably out of pity. “I actually need your help. I have several boxes that I want to take out from storage. It will be faster if you help me with them.”
“Of course. Let’s go.” Whatever can save him from the embarrassing situation, Taehyung will take it.
Jeongguk grabs his coffee cup from the kitchen counter and follows Taehyung out of the apartment. They make sure all the lights are off and to lock the door before going down the stairs. The steps have somewhat become Taehyung’s workout regimen. When female or elderly guests need to carry their luggage up to or down from the second, or even third floor, Taehyung often offers to help. They don’t have an elevator in the building, and this is his way of providing extra service.
The storage room is small. Other than cleaning and office supplies, there are only a few boxes of various sizes. In one corner stands a cone-shaped item covered in plastic, about as tall as Taehyung.
“Let me help you.” Taehyung sees Jeongguk take off the plastic covering and reveals an artificial Christmas tree. He grabs the tip of the tree while Jeongguk holds the base.
“I want to put this in the front office, right next to the entrance.”
They go back two more times to get the rest of the Christmas decorations and start working on the tree. Taehyung puts on a Christmas playlist that cuts through the room speaker to set the mood while Jeongguk makes sure the tree is secure and placed in a spot that won’t disturb the flow of foot traffic. They open the decoration boxes and hang the ornaments on the tree.
Taehyung opens a second box and unwraps a decoration when he discovers a figurine that makes him raise his eyebrows. It depicts a man, almost fully clothed, although he has his pants down and is in a squatting position, butts out in the open.
“Ummm… Jeongguk?” Taehyung raises the figurine and shows it to Jeongguk. “Is this supposed to be a Christmas decoration?”
Jeongguk’s face changes in a split second from being confused to breaking into laughter. “That, mi cielo, is el caganer, or the pooper. This red cap here,” Jeongguk pokes his finger on the figurine’s cap, “is called barretina, a traditional hat of ours.”
Almost nothing after Jeongguk calls him ‘mi cielo’, which is practically everything, registered with Taehyung’s brain. His ears redden first and the rest of his face follows right after. If he understood it right, Jeongguk just called him his heaven. He’s not sure the exact meaning in this context, but it sounds like his super hot boss has just flirted with him.
“The pooper?” Taehyung tries his best to make his face look unaffected and make sure he is hearing it right. “So the figurine is pooping?”
“He is,” Jeongguk confirms. “He is part of an old tradition, where his poop is considered good luck because it fertilizes the soil.” If Jeongguk notices how Taehyung’s heart is still beating erratically faster, he doesn’t mention it. Taehyung silently prays that he doesn’t notice the sweat that glistens on his forehead.
“Okay, that’s an interesting tradition.” Taehyung watches as Jeongguk puts the caganer on one end of the registration table.
“We also have this.” Jeongguk unwraps a log-shaped decoration and shows it to Taehyung. “Tió de Nadal, the Christmas log. Some people also call it Caga Tió, the pooping log.” He grins as Taehyung looks confused but interested. “Yeah, we have some unique traditions involving poop here. Every year, a giant log will appear at Plaça Nova, just by the main Santa Llúcia market. Do you want to go together tonight to see it?”
“Yes!” Taehyung gets too excited at the offer. It’s not that he wants to see the log, he just wants to spend more time with Jeongguk, who slowly but surely has been seeping to his heart and drenching it with warmth. He should have prevented himself from getting addicted to it, but being in Jeongguk’s proximity makes him drunk with happiness. So be it.
Jeongguk laughs at his enthusiasm. “That’s great. I didn’t expect someone who is so into Gaudi could be this excited to see a Christmas log.”
Just the past weekend, the two of them went to visit Park Güell. It was a nice, friendly outing, but in his mind, Taehyung pretends it was a perfect cute date. What can be more romantic than the experience - visiting a place with a distinct modern architecture full of curves and colorful design decisions, feeling like you were transported to a different magical world, together with someone that was so nice and attentive to you?
Their hands brushed once when they were reviewing the pictures they asked a stranger to take of them. Instead of letting go, Taehyung let their fingers touch a little and held them in place until he released the phone. Jeongguk also didn’t seem to mind when Taehyung dusted his coat after sitting against a rock. Taehyung felt lucky he was standing behind Jeongguk, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to hide his flushing cheek.
Taehyung just grins. He lets Jeongguk take it that way rather than detecting his attraction to the man. “It’s not an either-or, I can get excited about both. Let me call Mrs. Chu to inform her about the earring and we can go as soon as my shift is over.”
For the rest of the afternoon, Jeongguk hangs around in the office, working from his own laptop while Taehyung greets current and new guests that pass through the door.
“Baqueira-Beret is definitely a great choice if you enjoy skiing. I’d suggest booking your stay and activities there during the weekdays. Especially with the kids, they will enjoy the place more when it’s less crowded.”
Jeongguk smiles to himself, watching Taehyung interacting with the guests. He seems to be in the right place, perfectly in element when he is talking to people and helping them out. He sees Taehyung give his usual treats to the children of the family, which are paid back with their big, happy smiles.
“You are a natural.” Jeongguk compliments him when they are alone again. “You should really consider extending your stay here in the city.” He sees Taehyung being hesitant in answering and adds, “Just let me know after the new year. I’ll definitely support your decision.”
Tió
“Yeah, thanks, I really appreciate it.” Taehyung smiles. “I’m done for the day. Should we go now?”
Christmas time in Barcelona is pretty enchanting. The Christmas market has all the usual stuff as the other Christmas markets Taehyung has ever visited, complete with the pretty twinkling lights. He finds many vendors selling tió de nadal and the many versions of the caganer. The weather is more forgiving than in some other parts. It’s a clear winter night; not too cold, just cool enough to feel the festive spirit.
They walk a few stalls away when Taehyung feels Jeongguk interlocking their hands together. He blushes but pretends not to notice, keeping his cool on the outside. They spend the rest of the night like that, stopping by the giant tió de nadal to take some pictures and continuing their walk hand in hand, not going home until the stalls are closing and the festive lights are gone. Neither declares anything, they just enjoy each other’s presence.