Matthew spends his summer in Spain. When he arrives he plans to spend his days buried in old libraries with even older books reading, but amidst the architecture and the pages he meets a man who distracts him.
He wonders around Barcelona hoping to write about what he finds, but when he returns to his room and reads what he's written in his journal, it's about the man he couldn't stop watching.
He laughs quietly to himself.
..
He retraces his steps the next day as best he can, trying to remember which cobbled streets he'd taken in hope to see the stranger again. Matthew knows crossing paths with him again is a bit hopeless, but when he sees him talking to a street vendor excitedly, Matthew's heart leaps.
When the man turns around his eyes meet Matthew's and he smiles brightly with all his teeth.
Matthew is only here for three months, and he had promised himself that he would enjoy his time here and when he returned home, that would be that, no lingering regrets.
So he introduces himself.
The man's smile never falters even as he switches to English when Matthew tries not to look confused as he answers back.
..
He shows him his favorite restaurant in Barcelona that night.
..
His name is Antonio and he kisses Matthew as they wonder the city after dark. He's tanned like one of the pages in the books Matthew loves so much and he thinks how this is why he couldn't stop watching him. No matter, Matthew has an arm around his waist and is laughing with him, but at what neither is sure.
Antonio introduces him to strangers and Matthew smiles and kisses them like he sees the others do. He doesn't remember their names but they remember his and it's something. They're talking quickly and excitedly and Matthew wonders if this is what they do every night or if this is something special.
He doesn't ask, but hopes this might be because of him.
..
Antonio shows him home from wherever they had gone and Matthew asks him to stay for the night, says it's too late for him to walk around the city. He laughs in response but stays and kisses Matthew under the covers.