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Toni has a niece. He has babysat said niece multiple times. She is still in the best of health.
Toni tries to hold onto those facts as he fills in the online application for the job. Sure, when he was babysitting, the girl was asleep for about 90% of the time, but it can’t be much harder to keep twelve children alive for the duration of a summer camp, right?
Right?
“I thought you hated kids.” Is the first thing Mario says when peeks over Toni’s shoulder and reads the website.
Toni shrugs, quickly rereads everything he wrote and clicks the Send button with satisfaction.
“Sixty euros a day say I don’t.”
Mario starts coughing violently and Toni has to admit that he’s pretty proud of finding this summer job, even if it was by coincidence and even if he doesn’t actually have it yet.
“Sixty euros a day...” Mario repeats awestruck and stares into the distance as if imagining all the things he could buy with that money. “For how long? For doing what?”
“Oh, it’s just eight days. Looking after a bunch of kids and entertaining them with games.”
“Alone?” Mario keeps pressing, maybe to find the fault in this chance. Unfortunately for him, Toni has made sure it’s as waterproof as a lotus plant before applying because he tends to be doubtful.
“Nah, they’re looking for two people,” Toni answers and adds before Mario can get a word in, “No. No, you’re not applying.”
Mario sticks out his tongue like he doesn’t care but Toni finds him later in the kitchen, whispering “sixty euros” to himself.
The next evening, Toni gets a confirmation that sounds like whoever is in the HR department over there printed out Toni’s application and shredded it right away – that is, enthusiastic to take Toni on as a counselor without any doubts about his qualifications.
These guys really can’t have a lot of choice if they give away a job chance like this so easily, but who is he to complain?
Toni jots down the numbers and dates, as well as the name of the other guy who will supervise the camp with him.
Francisco Román Alarcón Suárez. Quite a mouthful, Toni thinks but doesn’t linger on it too long and starts bookmarking websites on every single thing that could possibly go wrong when being in the immediate vicinity of a child. It always pays to be prepared.
--
The end of the exam period comes more quickly than Toni would have anticipated. It’s a little strange after many weeks of uni that dragged by while no one was listening to the lectures anymore and everyone was staring out of the window at the sunny campus.
Toni packs his bags and feels strangely relieved to get out of their flat for once (and earn money for that! Real money!).
Mario’s made his own summer plans that mostly seem to include a phone, a bag of gummy bears and himself. He doesn’t even get up from the couch as Toni gets ready to leave and only sticks out his hand to wave goodbye.
“Have fun!” Mario says, then he chuckles wickedly. “Oh dude, by the way, I read an article earlier about a guy who was sent to prison because he gave a girl in his summer camp peanuts and she had a peanut allergy. She almost died!”
It’s a cheap trick, but Mario knows Toni too well. Toni pales because he totally forgot to look up allergies, even though Mario’s just making a joke.
“I’m not going to kill a kid,” Toni replies, but with his voice wavering, it sounds more like a question than a promise.
He hopes dearly that the other guy is more confident regarding the care of children. Either way, Toni’s anxiety calms down a little as soon as he gets into the taxi that is going to drive him to the camp area.
It’s hot as hell in the car and the open window does little to ease the heat, but Toni still leans his head against the frame.
The temperatures make him so sluggish that he misses how the scenery changes from city grey to village green.
Toni only realises that they have arrived... somewhere when the taxi driver halts in the middle of a deserted country road.
“This... is it?” Toni asks and the taxi driver impatiently drums his fingers on the steering wheel.
“It’s just around that corner, don’t worry. I’d have a hard time reversing there so I’m dropping you here.”
Toni steps out of the car and gets his suitcase from the trunk. Before he can ask why the hell it would be any harder reversing two hundred meters down the road where it definitely does not look like the location of a camp, the taxi already starts again and Toni has to jump back to avoid getting grazed.
Great. He’s alone out here in the heat and he’s supposed to arrive at the camp in – Toni looks at his watch – half an hour.
He decides there’s no point in complaining, especially since no one is there to complain to and starts walking in the direction the driver pointed out.
Toni hurls his suitcase across the hot tarmac and regrets not choosing the other one he owns, the suitcase with the wheels.
It’s not ‘just around that corner’. It’s not just around the next corner either.
Toni walks and walks and walks and while the landscape might be very nice, the experience is not.
Sweat runs down Toni’s face and makes his hands slippery and when he finally spots the bungalows in the distance, he feels as if he’s just seen the face of god.
Toni forces his feet across the last meters and instantly has to sit down on the grass behind the small gate to the area to catch his breath.
What a great beginning to this week, Toni thinks bitterly as suddenly someone’s shadow blocks the sunlight from burning down on him.
Toni looks up – and his first instinct is to feel embarrassed.
Toni is breathing heavily, wearing a sweat-drenched shirt in a colour that does not contrast well with his red face and overall looks like a complete loser that spends too much time in the lecture halls to be able to handle sun properly.
In contrast, the guy standing above him – Francisco, Toni’s memory supplies helpfully –looks like he walked straight out of an ad for swimwear- Toni would be jealous if the guy didn’t wear the look so well. Sure, he’s sweating, too, but he’s sweating aesthetically. Somehow. The beard’s just the cherry on top.
“Uh. Hi.” Toni manages to say and wipes his forehead.
Francisco smiles widely in return and offers his hand to help Toni up.
“Hey, you must be Toni?” he says and Toni nods. Easy enough question. Toni can totally do that. “You can probably guess but I’m Isco, the other counselor. Awesome to meet you!”
Toni is still staring at him wide-eyed and his question comes out garbled.
“I – you – Francisco?”
Isco furrows his brow but the way his lips curl shows that he’s amused, not annoyed. “Yeah, uh, that’s – that’s my name. Good work. Just call me Isco though, bro.”
Toni can feel himself blushing even more and awkwardly wipes his sweaty hands on his jeans.
“Sorry, that was weird.” he says and slowly gains confidence when Isco keeps smiling at him like he’s already done something great. “I was confused when you said your name is Isco because the e-mail said it’s Francisco which, uh, not weird since it’s a nickname, I know. I just – I’m slow due to the heat.”
Inwardly, Toni cringes. He definitely used to have a better brain-to-mouth filter before he arrived here.
Isco, however, doesn’t seem to mind and winks as he says, “We’re gonna be a great team.”
He offers his hand again and Toni assumes it’s to shake it but Isco draws him into one of those warm half-hugs.
“Toni, I want to chat some more, I just have to check whether the car gate is open real quick so the parents can drop off their kids. You can leave your luggage on your bed in our bungalow in the mean time. I’ll be right back!”
Isco points at the biggest bungalow and starts jogging across the grass towards the entrance gate.
Toni nods numbly as he watches Isco turn away, but Toni can’t tell whether he’s in a daze because of dehydration or because of something else.
His eyes follow the guy until he’s out of view behind some trees, then Toni lets the handle of his suitcase cut into his hand one more time.
Toni heaves the case through the open door into the bungalow where he can see the quite homely interior: there’s a kitchen alcove, a table with a flower pot on it and two beds separated by a partition.
The only problem is, Toni has no idea which bed is his one. Sure, there’s a suitcase and several pieces of clothes thrown on one bed but – the other one is just as cluttered with random items like books, shirts, shampoo bottles.
Toni hovers awkwardly next to the door until he decides to put his suitcase in the middle between the beds.
He draws a couple of deep breaths and next to the anxiety, anticipation starts blooming tentatively in his chest. However hard to handle the kids might be, Toni’s got the hunch that it’ll surely be easier with Isco by his side.
Speak of the devil, Toni suddenly feels two hands on his back, gripping his shoulders, and he whirls around to face Isco.
“I’m back! The first kids should arrive in a couple of minutes, but until then we still have our peace and quiet,” Isco says.
Toni’s face must have given away that he had not considered Isco to be the type that values ‘peace and quiet’ because Isco shakes his head and laughs.
“I’m joking, of course. The little buggers can be annoying, but I’m looking forward to spending time with them.”
“So you’ve been camp counselor before?”
“Twice. What can I say? It’s fun and it pays.” Isco’s smile widens a bit more and Toni wonders at what point it will transcend the anatomically possible.
“Uh, I’m just asking because I’ve never done it before. I’ve babysat a couple of times, but that’s it.” Toni explains. “I was surprised that I got the job at all, to be quite honest.”
Isco waves him off before he starts picking up some of his things from the left bed and throws them into the vague direction of his own suitcase.
“You don’t have to worry, there’s not a lot you can do wrong. At worst the kids hurt you, not the other way around.”
“Yeah,” Toni gulps and draws his sticky shirt from his chest once, twice, three times to fan himself. It helps a little, but Toni still wonders how Isco is dealing with the heat so well. It doesn’t seem like it’s bothering him at all while Toni is already hallucinating of large numbers of iced milk shakes.
For temporary relief, Toni heads to the bathroom and sprays cold water across his face and neck. His reflection in the mirror looks back at him, red and sweaty, but smiling.
“Hey, Toni? I can hear the first car coming,” Isco calls and sticks his head through the bathroom door. “We should head out and greet the children.”
It’s more than one car, it turns out, but everything is less stressful than Toni imagined. He says hello to the parents, who all appear to be very nice people with nice children, while Isco helps him through all the hiccups and remaining questions about the summer camp.
Most of the children already seem to know each other from previous holidays and so a group hug develops in a cute chatty crowd. Meanwhile the parent’s cars start leaving rather quickly after Isco’s collected the permission slips.
One of the young girls – not quite old enough to be in 5th grade – walks away from the crowd towards Toni and stabs him into the thigh with a surprisingly sharp finger.
“You’re new,” she states and looks up at Toni squinting, like she’s intrigued by him.
Toni turns around to Isco for help, but Isco is elsewhere, talking to one of the older boys while supervising the younger ones.
“Uh, yeah, I am.” Toni says and bends down to be at eye level with the girl. “I’m Toni! So you’ve been to this camp before?”
The girl nods vigorously and twirls around in her summer dress once, probably for emphasize. The things kids do sometimes confuse Toni.
“I’m Lisa and I’ve been here last year. It was really fun, I hope it’s going to be that much fun again!”
“I promise you that it’s going to be the most fun you’ve ever had in a week. Cross my heart.”
Toni raises his right hand in a vow and Lisa grins. Then she leans forward as if she’s about to let Toni in on something really important and says, “You might not know this, but Isco is really cool.”
“Oh, I think I know.” Toni replies, smiling, and restrains himself from letting his eyes wander to where Isco is standing. “Come on, we’re showing you and your friends the bungalows now.”
Toni somehow ends up carrying everyone’s luggage, which doesn’t help his problem with the heat much. Meanwhile Isco happily directs him towards the correct bungalows without working up a sweat.
“Take a shower, bro,” Isco says in the end and claps Toni’s back sympathetically.
Toni does and it feels like kissing a merman - that is, amazingly revitalising. When he comes out of the bungalow again, Isco has started some sort of icebreaker tag game.
Isco chases after a boy, slow enough to never catch him, but fast enough so it looks like he’s genuinely trying.
Everything’s weirdly easy from then on. Although Toni’s heart still skips a beat whenever a kid stumbles or falls down, Isco is there.
Isco is there with rainbow band-aids and laughter at Toni when he immediately wants to check for broken bones and Isco can somehow manage a dozen kids at once while basically being one himself.
The day passes by, the heat slowly turns into mugginess and Toni decides that his talent in childcare probably lies in coordination, as he somehow manages to make the kids clean the dining room by themselves and go to sleep on time.
Isco applauds his achievement when Toni and he get ready to go to bed as well. Toni is man enough to admit that he’s really fucking proud of having survived this far and not killing a single child. He’s also man enough to wear his pyjamas with the Dalmatians printed on the cloth.
“You’re not as much of a boring nerd as I thought you would be,” Isco says and sticks out his foot far enough from under the covers of his bed that he can push away the partition between their beds.
“Wow. Thanks.”
“No offense, dude, but you look like the sort of person who has an exact number in milliseconds for the amount of time you want your eggs cooked.”
Toni doesn’t because he has an egg cooker that knows the perfect setting on its own, but Toni gets enough ridicule about that from Mario already.
“You’re not so bad yourself.” Toni admits into the dark of the bungalow. “What’s the plan for tomorrow?”
“A field trip to an adventure playground. For the other days we could visit the zoo or a museum or the sports park. But there’s also a lake nearby to swim in and we can just hang out with the children here. Don’t worry, the days will fly by.”
Isco yawns and they say goodnight to each other but Toni has trouble sleeping in new beds and while he waits to get sleep, he checks his phone under his covers.
There are messages from Thiago (beach photos), Manu (illegible texts, but Toni’s thankful for anything from him that aren’t dick pics) and Mario.
Mario’s first text says did you know that like a quarter of all people have an allergy? that makes three of your twelve kids, the second one is more direct with are you having fun?
Toni sends back a precise the more u know, and yes and hey, here’s one thing Toni knows: He’s going to have a lot more fun during the holiday break than Mario, who is spending his days at home with an egg cooker.
--
Isco subscribes to the adventurous school of childcare, which is a kinder way to say that Toni has almost died of heart attacks multiple times by now.
They visit the zoo, and in between petting goats and eating ice cream, Isco manages to accidentally convince five of the kids that climbing into the penguin enclosure is awesome.
To be honest, Toni isn’t perfectly sure about ‘accidentally’ because the way Isco kept talking about penguins very enthusiastically and very elaborately? Somewhat suspicious.
However, Isco is also the person who patiently saves all children from falling into the water, while Toni mostly just wants to put all of them on a leash to be safe.
When Isco dries Lisa’s shoe – wet from the penguin water – on his own shirt, Toni finds himself staring with a dumb grin on his face.
Isco laughs with Lisa, lightly pets her head and the only answer Toni has to that is dragging his hand across his sweaty forehead.
“Toni?” Isco calls, as Lisa ties her shoe again, “Can you collect the boys? We’re going to get some ice cream. To be honest, you look like you need some as well.”
“What the hell is that supposed to –“ Toni starts, but Isco stares him down before they both break out into laughter.
“Get your damn ice cream, Toni.” Isco says cheerfully and so of course Toni obeys.
With a concerning amount of toxic blue ice cream purchased and everyone’s appetite satisfied, they sit down on a patch of grass in the sun.
Well, Toni, Isco and the older children sit down at least. The younger ones don’t even stay to finish eating, before they run back to the animal enclosures around.
Toni is about to call them back for instructions on how to behave properly even when they’re not being supervised, because that’s the whole basis for insurance, but Isco shrugs it off.
“It’s fine, let them run around,” Isco says and lightly touches Toni’s shoulders in reassurance. “But I have to say, I’m glad you care so much. I know I tend to be a bit uncoordinated sometimes. Or so I’ve been told.”
Toni coughs and rubs his neck. The worry about getting a sun burn is vaguely on the back of his mind, but a sun burn is not the reason why he blushes now. Isco lies down on the grass, licking the lemon popsicle he bought earlier, squinting up at Toni against the sun.
Personal punishment, definition: Isco’s bright, contagious smile.
“Uh, Thanks. I try my best,” Toni replies and starts ripping out blades of grass to fiddle with them. “Do you have a lot to do with kids apart from summer camps? I mean, I have a niece, but that’s it.”
Isco noisily sucks on his popsicle one last time before he answers.
“I do actually. I’m studying to become a teacher and we have to do a number of internships.”
Toni laughs until he realises that it must sound as if he was laughing at Isco.
“A teacher? Wait, so all this is based on science?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your crazy methods of taking care of the kids. It’s all based on some sort of pedagogy method?”
“Ooooh, I get what you mean,” Isco says, then he grins. “But no. This is just me being the cool dad.”
“The cool dad? Out of whom?” Toni splutters and rips apart the blade of grass that he was trying to put a knot it.
“Us two, obviously.”
“Right,” Toni says and pulls a face. “What does that make me?”
Isco thinks about it, for only for a very short moment, before answers, “The strict dad?”
He seems very satisfied with his proposed distribution of roles and grins up at Toni, who can’t decide whether to feel flattered or offended or maybe something entirely different.
When they get up again later and collect the kids (all safe and uninjured). Isco actually takes Toni’s hand to lead the right way but then he also lets go soon enough for Toni to wonder whether it ever happened at all.
Snap out of it, Toni tells himself, it’s not like this is the first time you’ve experienced temperatures above thirty degrees.
--
The day Toni accepts The FactTM is the day the group visits the bathing lake.
It’s a wonderful place with lots of shade to hide from the heat and cool water to make you feel refreshed. Toni mostly stays on land though – half reading the book he brought, half keeping an eye on Isco in nothing but black swimming trunks.
Not that the trunks have anything to do with it, of course not.
At some point, Toni strikes a conversation with Martha, one of the older girls, after she casually mentions football. They’re in the middle of a prediction game for the next Champions league matches, when cries, mixed with violent splashing of water, come from the lake.
Toni whips around and spots Samuel struggling in the water, shouting for help.
Before Toni has the time to thaw from his state of shock, Isco runs into the water and swims to the boy with determined strokes. It all happens too fast, but thankfully it happens so fast, because in the end, no one gets hurt.
Isco drags the boy out of the water and carries him bridal style to one of the blankets on the grass.
“Are you okay?” Isco asks Samuel breathlessly and the boy coughs but nods. Everyone is staring at them, still shocked, but slowly the horror lifts and even Toni calms down enough to walk without stumbling over his own feet.
Toni wraps a towel around Samuel’s shoulder and starts drying him off, which already raises a giggle from Samuel again because it tickles.
Isco looks at Toni through wet eyelashes and smiles reassuringly, still breathing heavily. Toni’s eyes involuntarily follow a drop of water from Isco’s collar bones across Isco’s chest to the black trunks.
Oh, Toni thinks and Oh again. Then This is serious and Isco, Isco, Isco in endless repetition.
Then Isco grabs a towel himself and leans forward to dry his hair. The sudden movement interrupts Toni’s train of thought and thus his pondering on The FactTM that he might be a little bit more into Isco than previously planned.
But Toni catches himself, looks away again and checks one last time that Samuel is unhurt. The boy is already tired of the adults making a fuss and demands they let him go to continue playing with the others.
“Stay safe in the water, or I swear to god, we’ll leave immediately!” Toni warns the children, but he’s more relieved than angry as he drops down on his blanket again.
This time Isco sits down next to him and lays a heavy arm around Toni’s shoulders. Toni can feel the warmth of Isco’s skin even through his shirt and he’s worried that Isco can feel Toni’s heart beat the same way.
“Jesus Christ, I almost got a heart attack when I heard him cry,” Isco says and shakes his head.
Toni can only hum affirmatively.
“Although I have to admit I felt like I was on Baywatch or something.” Isco continues. “The ground was so muddy in the middle of the lake, I almost - oh my god. Toni. Are you crying?”
Toni blinks and indeed, his eyes are wet. Isco grins and reaches out to turn Toni’s face towards himself, but Toni bats his hand away in embarrassment.
“No! I’m not crying, fuck off.”
Isco actually awwws like Toni is a little kid as well and pats his back.
“The kid is okay. Nothing happened. Look at them playing.”
Toni sighs.
“Because you were quick enough to get Samuel out.”
“Is this the part where you worship me or where you chastise yourself? Because I’m only here for one of those two things,” Isco says as he gives Toni a crooked grin.
The shiver that runs down Toni’s back is definitely completely coincidental.
--
[1:32] to felix: i have a crush bro
[1:45] from felix: i told you not to listen to olly murs in the middle of the night
[1:45] to felix: on an actual real person
[1:47] from felix: oh. good luck. imagine me cheering you on
[1:48] to felix: it’s horrible i’m going to die
[1:59] from felix: toni?
[2:00] to felix: yeah?
[2:00] from felix: sleep
--
For the rest of the summer camp, Toni doesn’t say anything about his crush and he doesn’t do anything about it either, mostly because he’s a wimp (as Mario would say).
He probably does enough heart eyes at Isco for half the world to notice, but Isco – as is a fitting rule in general – seems to be part of the other half.
Eight days pass way too quickly and in the end, Toni doesn’t want to let go. One reason are the kids that he all loves dearly, but the other reason has four letters in his name and never makes his bed.
Toni spends the last night in the camp restless, listening to Isco breathe in the other bed, and decides that he can’t let this part be the big regret of his life.
The next morning, Toni wakes up with A PlanTM, or at least the semblance of a planno TM.
First though, Isco and Toni say their tearful goodbye to all kids and watch the parents take them away again. Toni also waits until Isco says he’s transferred the money to Toni’s bank account, because Toni would rather not take any chances on that.
Then, faster than expected, Toni finds himself where he was when he started in the camp eight days ago: He’s awkwardly standing next to the door frame with his neatly packed case.
Isco is packing his bags with a method that comes down to Isco collecting the items he has strewn around the room and tossing them into the suitcase from free throw distance.
Toni picks at the skin around his fingernails until he’s gathered enough courage to say something. He clears his throat to get Isco’s attention, and when Isco turns around smiling, Toni feels hot and cold at the same time. He severely regrets not composing a speech beforehand.
“Do you have a, uhm, a –“ Toni starts, but Isco is quick to interrupt him.
“Wait, let me try to guess! A band-aid? A knife? A map? A board game?”
“No? No, a – “
“A stuffed animal? An EpiPen? A bottle of water? A book?” Isco grins at Toni expectantly.
“A boyfriend.” Toni finishes and swallows drily.
It feels as if ages pass, during which Isco blinks at Toni blankly, his jaw slowly dropping.
Toni squirms under the gaze – until something amazing happens.
Isco smiles widely as never before.
“No, I don’t,” he says and coyly looks at his feet while scratching his beard. “Do you?”
“No.”
Isco looks up at Toni and the only sound in the bungalow is the clicking of the hinges when Isco shuts his suitcase without ever moving his eyes from Toni.
“Oh god, I’m so glad you asked,” Isco says and Toni doesn’t know what to do, except sweat and nod and smile.
Isco is more than happy to take action and pull Toni closer. Then he takes Toni’s face in between his hands and softly kisses his lips.
“Wow,” Toni says and summer never ever, ever ends.
--
“Sixty euros,” Mario still repeats when Toni returns to his flat with Isco’s number in his phone. “Sixty euros and a boyfriend.”