They stepped inside the hotel. It was warm, charming—small mosaic tiles lined the floor, and a soft jazz tune played somewhere in the background. Selene glanced around curiously, admiring the hanging lanterns.
At the reception, a woman in her forties looked up from her computer and smiled.
Evan leaned casually against the desk and smiled back.
"Hola," he greeted warmly.
"Hola, bienvenidos," the receptionist replied.
"Una habitación para dos personas, por favor. Una cama grande."
(One room for two people, please. One big bed.)
Selene was standing behind him, flipping through a tourist pamphlet.
The receptionist asked. "¿Novios?"
(Are you a couple?)
Evan laughed under his breath. "Algo así."
(Something like that.)
As Evan handed over their IDs at the small front desk, the receptionist smiled warmly, glancing between the two of them.
"¿Necesitan algo especial para la pareja?"
("Do you need anything special for the couple?") she asked.
Evan looked at Selene for a brief second — who was too busy looking at the flyers on the wall — then turned back with an easy smile.
Evan smiled, "No, gracias. Todo está perfecto."
("No, thank you. Everything's perfect.")
The receptionist winked knowingly before handing him the keycard.
"Está bien. Habitación 305. Tercer piso."
(Alright. Room 305. Third floor.)
Selene smiled as Evan stepped back from the desk, keycard in hand.
"So… you speak Spanish too?" she asked, impressed.
He grinned. "Yeah. And Italian. A little German. A bit of French. And fluent sarcasm."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Of course you do."
He motioned toward the elevator. "Come on, let's go."
Just as they stepped inside and the elevator doors closed, he turned to her with a sheepish smile.
"So… there's a teeny-tiny problem."
Selene raised an eyebrow. "What kind of problem?"
"Well," he said, holding up the keycard, "they actually didn't have two rooms left. Only one. So we have to, um… share."
Her face changed instantly. "What? No. Absolutely not. Let's go to another hotel."
She turned to press the elevator button again, but he stepped in front of her.
"No, no, wait—this place is the best. Great view, close to everything, and most importantly, breakfast is free."
She crossed her arms. "I don't care about free croissants, Evan."
"You will when you taste them," he replied. "Besides, we're not even going to be in the room that much. We're in a city of music, bars, street concerts. The room is just for sleeping. Not together, obviously. You can have the bed. I'll sleep in the closet."
She squinted at him. "You're ridiculous."
"And charming," he added with a wink.
With a long sigh and an eye-roll that nearly reached heaven, she gave in.
They entered the room. It was small but cozy—bohemian drapes, warm lighting, one queen-sized bed sitting square in the middle.
Selene stood by the door, in silence.
Evan dropped his bag and flopped on the bed. "I call the left side, closest to escape."
She smirked as she placed her bag down carefully. "If you snore, I'm kicking you off the bed."
He grinned up at her. "If you hog the blanket, I'm filing for a hotel divorce."
She laughed, despite the awkwardness still hovering in the air like dust motes in the golden light.
It wasn't ideal—but strangely, it didn't feel all that wrong either.
"Get ready," Evan said, tossing a towel over his shoulder.
"Why? we just arrived," Selene frowned, pulling her hair back.
"Do you want to stay in bed & cuddle?" Evan teased, already heading toward the bathroom. "Get up, get ready. Those clothes were not just for fun."
Evan showering while Selene dressed.
"But where are we going?" she asked, tying her shoes.
"I found a very good place for you to feel alone," Evan grinned.
Outside the hotel, they walked toward a bar bustling with people.
A long line stretched down the street—mostly young adults, clearly over twenty-one. Evan pulled out his ID, showed it to the bouncer, and slipped inside.
As he weaved through the crowd, he greeted almost everyone in Spanish with quick nods and smiles.
Loud music pulsed through the room. Glasses clinked, laughter spilled over, and people danced with abandon.
Selene gripped Evan's arm, a little irritated.
"I don't like these places," she muttered, voice low but tense. "Why are we even here?"
"Just go with the flow," Evan said smoothly, squeezing her arm gently. "Don't look at anyone. Just yourself."
He smiled and headed to the bar. "I'll grab you a drink."
Selene retreated to a quiet corner, feeling out of place. The crowd spun around her: swirling bodies, flashing lights, music that vibrated in her chest. No one was paying attention to her.
Selene retreated to a quiet corner, feeling out of place. The crowd spun around her: swirling bodies, flashing lights, music that vibrated in her chest. No one was paying attention to her.
Until someone did.
A tall guy with sun-kissed skin and a too-smooth smile stopped in front of her, confidence written all over him.
Stranger:"Hola... Soy Mateo. ¿Quieres una copa?"
("Hi... I'm Mateo. Do you want a drink?")
Selene blinked. "I— I don't speak Spanish."
He leaned closer, smile widening.
Mateo:"I said… do you want a drink? Or a dance?"
Before she could answer — or panic — Evan reappeared at her side, holding out a glass and stepping just slightly between them.
Evan (calmly, to Mateo):
"Hola, amigo. Ya le traje una copa… y está conmigo."
("Hello, my friend. I already brought her a drink… and she's with me.")
Mateo raised his hands with a grin that said fair enough, and disappeared back into the crowd.
Selene looked at Evan, half amused, half relieved.
Selene:"What did you say?"
Evan (smirking):"That I'm very charming in two languages."
Selene looked at Evan, half amused, half relieved.
Selene (teasing):
"Why did you send him away? He was quite handsome."
Evan raised an eyebrow, then casually pointed in Mateo's direction — now dancing a little too enthusiastically with someone else.
Evan (grinning):
"You into hooker-kind-of-guy?"
Selene rolled her eyes with dramatic disgust.
"Ugh. Never mind."
Evan handed her one glass, then raised his own with a grin.
"Drink and be free," he said, downing his drink in one gulp before disappearing into the crowd to dance with some random crowd.
Selene watched him move through the crowd—carefree, laughing.
Her eyes softened.
Selene laughed as the beat dropped, spinning on her own near the edge of the dance floor, her hair messy, her cheeks flushed. Her mind was at ease not filled with past thoughts. She sipped her drink—then another—and for the first time in a while, she didn't care how she looked, or who was watching. She danced, clumsy but free.
From across the bar, Evan leaned against a wall with a half-smile on his face, eyes quietly following her. He didn't step in, didn't interrupt. She wanted to feel alone—he was letting her.
After a while, Selene wobbled over to him, slightly stumbling.
"Evannnnnnn," she slurred, "you're not even dancing. Are you afraid of being outshined?"
He laughed, guiding her gently by the elbow. "Okay, come on. Let's get you out of here before you start giving people life advice."
Outside, the night was soft and cool.
"What do you want to do next?" Evan asked, looking at her with a curious smile.
Selene blinked up at the sky, swaying a little. "I want to look at the moon."
So he took her. Away from the lights and the crowd, to a quieter street with old cobblestones and climbing vines. They found a park bench under a tree, and there it was—the moon, full and glowing above the barcelona rooftops.
They sat down.
Selene leaned back, her head tilted to the sky. "It's weird," she murmured, "how we chase all these loud, messy things… but peace is always somewhere quiet, waiting."
Evan looked at her, his eyes softer now. "You're kind of poetic when you're drunk."
She turned to him, smiling. "Maybe I'm always poetic. You're just finally listening."
A beat passed between them.
he said, voice low, "when you smile like that… it feels like everything else fades."
Selene blinked with a drunk smile, lips parting, but she didn't say anything. She just looked at him, and Evan leaned in—slowly—giving her time to pull away.
But she didn't.
Their lips met in a quiet, unhurried kiss—warm and steady, like the city around them had gone still just for that moment.
When they finally pulled back, Selene laughed softly, almost shy.
Later, he helped her up, wrapping an arm around her as they walked.
"Time to get my moon-gazing poet back to the hotel," he murmured.