Chapter 5 :-D

[tempered-rose.livejournal.com]

Title: The Eternal Heartache, Chapter 5 of ???
Characters (this chapter): Bojan Krkic, Cesc Fabregas, Pep Guardiola, Pepe Reina, Raul Gonzalez/Pep implied & a few others
Rating: PG-13
Words: 3027 in this chapter; 12, 311 total :-D
A/N: WOOO HOOO I’m ALMOST ¼ of the way done with this thing! =-D I’m so happy that this is coming along and I’m SO GRATEFUL to everybody who has read this and commented on it. You guys are awesome and I love each and every single one of you *kisses all around* Thank you very, very, very much guys! <3 =-D I’m seriously so happy I can’t stop smiling, thank you guys so so so much =-D



One | Two | Three | Four


The position of the sun suggested a point somewhere in the day at half past ten but no more than eleven. The heat that accompanied the daily sunshine had not arrived in detail yet, but the muggy humidity that was starting to creep over the town, assisted by constant breeze of the coastal air, and had already started to wrap a quickly-heating blanket around Barcelona and her streets. The smell of the sea was drifting into the city on the wind’s gusts; the breeze coming off the Balearic Sea was enough to bring the smells and climate of a seaside city to the forefront.

Down the avenue that was full of townhouses and lavishly decorated apartments, two boys walk out from one of the ancient buildings. They loiter at the top of the stairs for a few moments as they wait for someone. They look at their new neighborhood and take it all in, amazed that they are able to be part of, and belong to, such extravagance.

Cesc and Bojan wait on the landing outside the door to Pep’s townhouse and look around at the neighborhood. It is quiet now and Pep said earlier that it is usually pretty quiet, except for in the afternoons when the neighborhood boys play football in the streets. At that moment, Pep comes out in nicer-than-casual clothes, but not nice enough to be considered ‘dressy’. He stops to lock the door behind himself and then he joins his nephews a moment later. He had given his chauffeur the day off. Besides, walking was a great form of exercise and a little exercise never hurt anyone.

“This way boys.” Pep says once he reaches the bottom of the stairs. He motions for them to follow him as he goes to the right. They follow right behind him. Close enough to be casual, but not far enough away to get lost. “I thought we could walk, so that way you could get used to the neighborhood a little bit and see how close things are to each other.”

Cesc and Bojan nod and trail after their uncle as he points out a few things. He makes motions to various houses that have boys in them that will be attending their school and gives a brief history of their personality and their family life. Cesc makes mental notes of who to watch for, Pep’s commentary swims in his mind with each addition. ‘Oh the Silva’s are a nice family, very good friends. Loyal.’ ‘That house belongs to the Delgado’s. Lovely people but their son is… Well, you would have to meet him. He is friends with that Silva boy though.’ ‘The Rodriguez’s and the Sanchez’s have lived beside each other for years. Their sons are always together.’ There are a few others but Cesc could hardly keep up with the Silva’s and all of the who-ever’s that Pep kept adding to the list. He guessed that they were all richer-than-average people because Pep knew who they were and that they lived in the nicer-than-nice section of town.

A few blocks away from where Pep lived, there was a corner shop that sold flowers. Bojan looked at them and smiled at the daisies on display—he had always liked the small flowers for some reason. Cesc knew this because he would always get him some whenever Bojan needed cheering up. They grew wildly in abundance in their grassy field back in Castellfollit de la Roca.

Pep sees the flower shop and recalls the last time he had paid a visit to the Englishman who sold the flowers. It had been back in February, on Valentines Day, and he had been feeling like doing something ‘dopey’. He had bought Raul two-dozen dark red roses. The smile that he had received from his lover had been well worth the trip, he thought.

Pep makes a mental note for future reference when he sees Bojan’s eyes linger on the crystal vase full of daisies. He was sure he could come up with some excuse to buy them for him.

He lifts his hand to wave at Mister Terry who stood behind the counter inside the little shop. The Englishman gave a smile, he was constantly smiling at everyone, and waved back as he continued to speak to the little old woman that was asking about the purchase of some orchids.

“The school is just over there,” Pep points across the street and the boys look.

To Cesc and Bojan, the word ‘school’ did not seem to quite fit the building. Cesc knew what a ‘school’ was. The little building with only a few rooms that had a leaky roof and just enough electricity and warmth to keep it lit and slightly better than freezing in the winter was a school. This…this was an academy. Pristinely white stone walls made up the frame that surrounded large glass paned windows. The main door was painted a strong, solid black.

Cesc looked at the sign for the greatly impressive school, L'Acadèmia de Barcelona Per Nois*, and then he looked down at his and Bojan’s clothing. He now understood why Pep wanted them to get new clothes. It was so they would not be laughed at when they began attending, amongst other things like embarrassing Pep in public. He swallowed thickly, embarrassment suddenly flooding his bloodstream.

“Come on boys. Around this corner and up a little bit is a great clothing store. The man who owns it is a fantastic tailor.” Pep ushered them past them past the corner flower shop and up one more block and around the corner. They walked for almost four blocks before Pep stopped outside a large store. The storefront window displayed a man’s suit that was tailored expertly and, the only word Cesc could think of was, stylish.

“Ah, Señor Guardiola!” The man, a tall man with a shiny bald head, greeted Pep as soon as the bell above the door twinkled when the door was opened. He left his assistant, another man whose back was to the door, with a woman that was looking at suits with her son and rushed quickly to Pep’s side. “It is a great pleasure to have you back in my store so soon! And you brought guests!”

Cesc and Bojan automatically took a step backwards, just from the sheer aura that this man had about him. He was tall and muscular and had the energy of a rabbit that had been violently introduced to electricity. He was also kind, or perhaps graceful, enough to not mention or stare at their lack of high dollar clothing. But Pep seemed to know him well and was already shaking his offered hand.

“Señor Reina, it is lovely to see you again. These are my nephews, Francesc and Bojan.” Pep waved a hand at each of them as he said their names. Cesc grimaced at the rare use of his first name.

“Lovely to meet you boys.” Señor Reina seemed to be bouncing on his heels, quite almost literally, waiting on instructions from Pep. Bojan and Cesc were looking around at all the different bolts of fabrics and other things that were in the store. All sorts of colors filled the rows; blues, greens, reds, yellows, the entire spectrum was present. The fabrics of the suits themselves were of various materials, silk and satin, woven patterns and cotton, and there were lots of others that Cesc had never seen before. His fingers itched to touch the cuff of a black silk shirt but he did not; no matter how much he wanted to know what actual silk felt like, he was not about to get into trouble on his first outing with his uncle.

“They need some clothes for l'acadèmia. And seeing as you are the best in the business señor…” Pep was speaking as Cesc admired the garments. He noticed that he was speaking in a different voice than the one he used with Raul, Bojan, and him. The tone was more…detached and distant.

“Gracias Señor! I do try my best.” Señor Reina was pleased at the compliment from Pep and was already sizing up Bojan for sizes and measurements. “I am most certain we can find something that will suit your nephews, if you will forgive my pun.” He chuckled richly at his own joke.

The man seemed to get an idea for Bojan and was already off browsing through his racks. He was feeling up the precious fabrics and looking at different materials. Señor Reina seemed to think of something and looked at Pep. “Just l'acadèmia clothes, señor?”

Pep gave a conspiratorial smile at Cesc before hiding that smile under a mask and the professionally distant voice returned. “No, I think one or two dressier things will be required as well, señor.”

“Very good!” The man said loudly and grinned. It seemed that absolutely nothing about the man was quiet, Cesc noticed absently.

Bojan let his eyes roam the shop again after watching his uncle and the shop keeper interact. His eyes came to rest on the woman that was still being helped by the shopkeeper’s assistant. She was a small woman standing next to her son, an even smaller boy who was roughly the same size he was. The mother fussed over her son the way a hen watches after her chicks. Bojan felt his face grow sad for a moment.

Cesc caught Bojan’s line of sight and saw his brother’s reaction. He felt a pang in his chest. At least that boy’s mother cared enough to fuss over him, the bitter thought moved into Cesc’s mind at lightening speed. He chased the thought away and focused on the present. His hand squeezed Bojan’s shoulder lightly and shook his head once as if to say ‘let it go’. Bojan nodded shakily and offered a tiny smile.

“Boys, if you will follow me this way. We can see about trying these on and then alter them as needed.” Señor Reina said ushering them to the back of the store, to the fitting rooms.

Cesc and Bojan looked nervously at their uncle but he just motioned for them to go on. They hesitantly followed after the shopkeeper and went to the fitting rooms. When they came in to the well-light boutique-styled room complete with large mirrors with lights on them, they saw Señor Reina hanging up several things, all extravagantly designed and far more costly than anything either of them had ever seen, on hooks around the room. On a plush bench, there were several different piles of designer things—jeans, shirts, shorts, any and every thing that one could think of to dress themselves with.

“Try on each and then when you are ready, your uncle and I will decide what changes need to be made.” The man explained and then gave a slight bow before leaving the two of them to go speak with Pep.

Cesc and Bojan gaped at each other and at the piles of clothing.

“Can you believe this?” Cesc asked as soon as he found his voice.

“No. It’s like a dream!” Bojan said softly. “I’m afraid that I will wake up.”

Cesc nodded in agreement. “I know what you mean Bojanito.” He looked around again wondrously before some childlike spark was ignited. “I’m going to try this one first!”

Bojan laughed as he too reached for something to try. They kept trying things and for the most part it all fit. Only a few things were either too big or too tight. After they put on something new, they would go out to stand in front of Pep and Señor Reina to see if they passed inspection. More often than not, when they would come back in, whatever they had been wearing was put into the ‘keep’ pile.

When it came down to the suit selections, Bojan was easy to fit. It was Cesc that had the trouble. After the third attempt at a completely different style, Señor Reina halted everything.

“Hmm…” he tapped his finger on his chin as he looked the boy up and down. “I think I have the perfect thing this time. I will just have to find it. Give me a moment!” He was gone and was in the rows up to his elbows before Cesc or Pep could say anything.

“He is a bit…eccentric.” Pep spoke, amused. “But he is very good at what he does.”

Cesc nodded and walked back into the dressing room. He didn’t want to hang around the shop in a pair of suit-pants and without a shirt on. He usually wasn’t so self conscious. Of the two, Bojan was far shyer than he was. However, he did not want Pep to see what exactly he had suffered in his seventeen years on the planet.

He stood looking at himself in the mirror and wondered at the marvelous kindness of all the things that had happened to him since Bojan and he had been taken in by their uncle. It was as if they had been thrown into a world full of rich wealthy people who could afford to spend several hundred euros on a pair of trousers.

“Excuse me, I believe this is for you to try next.” A deeply rich voice floated into the room and Cesc returned to the present in an instant.

Cesc turned, arms crossed over his small chest, and saw the shopkeeper’s assistant properly for the first time. The man’s ebony head was bowed over the suit but when he looked up—the world stopped spinning.

Time stood completely, hesitatingly still as Cesc gaped at him. He was so incredibly beautiful that it hurt him to breathe, but he could not tear his eyes away either.

The other man was older, not by much but by no means was he a freckled-faced kid. He had the sense of earthly quality about him; the kind of earthly quality that made him a calm, exceptionally gorgeous man. His thick dark brown, almost black, hair fell over his forehead. His profile was simply stunning. All angles and planes of utter perfection made up his face. His nose was strong but not overly pronounced either, and came to rest above his mouth. His mouth was, in a word, elegant. He had plush lips, the kind made for kissing someone. He had a broad chest that Cesc could tell was well defined but hidden behind a black shirt.

But it was his eyes that had Cesc so entranced. Several different shades, all various colors of caramel, were widened and focused on him and only him. The man’s tongue darted out to lick his lips and it was enough to make Cesc feel as if he were melting quickly enough to become a puddle of goo on the floor.

“Dios mio…” Cesc whispered, completely awed.

The man, who had been studying him as intently as Cesc had been admiring him, recovered at Cesc’s voice. “P-pardon me, señor, these are f-for you.”

“Gracias.” Cesc remembered who he was and why he was here. He swallowed thickly. “Gracias…?”

“Iker.” The man supplied to fill the gap. “M-my name is Iker.”

“Iker…” Cesc repeated, the name foreign on his lips. Iker. He liked it, a lot. “I’ll take them for you.”

Iker handed them over and seemed caught up and in a hurry to vacate the room. “Is there anything else you need?”

If he had grown up under different circumstances, Cesc perhaps would have asked him do something that would have kept him longer. But as Cesc had not, he shook his head. “No, thank you.”

Iker nodded once and turned and all-but bolted for the door. Cesc swallowed thickly and rubbed the material of the suit between his fingers. He had to keep swallowing just to make sure that he wasn’t drowning in his own lust.

“Damn.”



Cesc walked out of the shop with a little extra bounce in his step. It was not just because of the three overly-large sized bags of new clothes he had either (Bojan had four), although he was beyond extremely grateful for Pep and his generous pocketbook. The man, Iker, had seemed nervous and about as jumpy as Señor Reina was giddy that Pep had spent several thousand euros in his shop. Cesc had seen him one last time, hiding as best he could behind the counter, as they left.

For some reason that he could not identify, Cesc felt…special. He had been able to make someone, a very gorgeous man at that, absolutely, completely, and utterly flustered. He felt as though he had discovered something about himself from that experience. He didn’t know what it was he felt, but he would think about it long enough later to find out.

Bojan, however, had not yet picked up on this newly discovered happiness of his and was profusely thanking their Uncle for his effort. Cesc had already thanked him several times and now Bojan was doing so.

“It is not a problem, my boy.” Pep kept shrugging off Bojan’s grateful ‘thank you’s. “It was nothing but my pleasure. After all, it is not every day that I get to do something nice for someone, especially for two boys as wonderful as yourselves.”

Both of them blushed at his praise and they both thanked him once again. Pep stopped at corner of the block and waited for the traffic to clear. He checked his watch while they were waiting. “Hmm, it is almost dinner time. How about I show you where Raul creates his magic?”

Cesc and Bojan had not noticed how late it had gotten since they had started their journey into town that morning. Now that he took inspection of himself, Cesc noticed that he was not just hungry. He was starving.

“That sounds great!” Bojan smiled and answered first. Pep returned his smile brightly.

“Alright. Let’s go home and get changed and freshened up. Then we can go.” Pep grinned. He was hungry and he had missed his Raul. He just wondered if he could persuade the man from Madrid to come home with them tonight…




L'Acadèmia de Barcelona Per Nois* = a completely made up name for a school. I have NO CLUE if it really exists or not but I highly doubt it. So…yeah. Ignore por favor.