Page 15 of A Quiet Man

Auden looked up at him, somehow vulnerable. "Thanks. I appreciate the ride."

"Yeah, no problem. Can you give me your number and text me when you're ready to go? It usually doesn't take me that long here, but I can wait for you a bit if you take longer."

Auden blinked twice, staring at him in stunned silence.

"So I can drive you home?" inquired Tomas. "I mean, unless you'd rather carry all your stuff?"

"No. I mean, yes, thank you. I'd appreciate that. A ride home sounds great." Auden was clumsy in his haste to get out of the car. Tomas figured he was nervous being watched — a lot of people got more clumsy when they were being stared at — so he went to fill up the parking meter.

They exchanged numbers, heads close together, a moment of vulnerability, almost intimacy. Tomas felt a little shy that he'd suggested it, but proud of himself as well. If he'd realized it would be awkward, he might not have said anything; he might have ended up leaving Auden to walk home.

Auden stuck close to him on the way inside as they moved carefully through the busy crowds.

They stopped at a less busy corner for a moment. "Are you using me as a human shield?" Tomas asked, amused.

"Kind of. Do you mind?"

"No." He really didn't. He scanned the building from force of habit, as if he was looking for the epicenter of a disturbance. In reality, it was just a busy day at the market, with a rainbow cornucopia of people all going about buying and selling, chatting and walking and having a fun day out.

Beside him, Auden sighed softly. "I love this market."

Tomas nodded. "Yeah, me too." There was something about the cheerful mix of so many different sorts of people, shoulder to shoulder that made the market a much happier place than a violently lit, carefully sterile grocery store, or most other public places. It felt real and connected in a way much of the world didn't. If being outside near a Walmart and a taco truck was a liminal space, if a grocery store was an artificially crafted fluorescent-lit advertisement, and the precinct was a hostile space with the violence mostly contained and aggressions largely redirected — this was a place people chose to be, wanted to be, looked forward to going to.

This was the beating heart of a city, and the best of it — not city hall, not hard sidewalks or crowded roads, but this, the cheerful, sparrow-loud chattering of buying and selling, bright fruits and fresh vegetables, hawked and traded and on display. Rich and poor rubbed shoulders; people who'd lived here for generations and first-generation immigrants. Everyone looking for the true experience of hunting out the best food for the best price on a Sunday morning.

It was a small, true pleasure in life: to get a good deal, to buy food that sounded good and would taste good, too; to recognize sellers and stop somewhere new, too. To buy a treat from a stand you'd never seen before: falafels or handmade candles, old-fashioned candies or artisanal pastries. Cheap donuts and expensive coffee and handmade dog toys for sale near a butcher who also sold rawhide for your dog. It felt like the best of America, the melting pot he'd been promised growing up.

Auden touched his arm lightly. "Mind if I stick with you? You'll never hear your phone ring in this noise." He had very nice eyes, Tomas thought helplessly. Such a warm, dark brown. "I only need some vegetables and fruit, so I can trail you the rest of the way, no problem. What do you say?"

Tomas nodded, and Auden's face relaxed into a sweet little smile. "Thanks. I won't slow you down. I promise."

"I think the delights of the day will slow me down. There won't be any need for you to attempt it." Goodness, did he always sound so pompous when he was flustered? He turned away quickly. "Come on, let's find those veggies first."

It was rather nice shopping with someone. They passed the spices-and-tea stand that always smelled a little funny, and the organic hydroponic place with prices that made your eyes water (but, damn, was the lettuce fresh), glanced at the place that sold garden statues (lots of frogs today), and several smoothie spots, not to mention that one weird place that was a yard sale in a booth, with old kitchen gadgets and cookie tins rubbing elbows with 80s VHS tapes and rusty muffin tins. Altogether, the market was gloriously chaotic, a rhythm of human-powered delight and strangeness, and Tomas always forgot how exciting it all felt, how immediate and fresh.

He found himself distracted by the way Auden chose his vegetables, all slim wrists, fluid movement, and intensity. He had an energy that was both intense and cheerful. Tomas would never have said he seemed unnatural or constrained as a waiter, but here, he seemed more like himself, and something less than perfectly slotted into the gender binary. There was a fae, non-masculine energy to him that he seemed completely comfortable owning. It was beautifully appealing, even if Tomas couldn't have said exactly why.

Sometime later, both laden down with bags of fresh produce, they headed to the little coffee stand and each got a cup. Auden didn't argue too long about being treated. In fact, he seemed secretly delighted. He was kind of adorable when he smiled like that, all shy and happy, and like he was trying to hide it.

Tomas remembered to check his phone for texts and saw he'd missed three.Popular all of a sudden, eh?

The first was a carefully worded message from Riley, asking him how he was doing. Tomas could feel the concern radiating out of it because he knew his partner. He could feel how much Riley wanted to invite him over, to promise that Justin would behave, but thankfully, he was holding his peace. It wasn't about what Riley promised, because if that wasn't how Justin actually behaved, it would be awkward and painful all around. He was staying away until Justin changed his mind, and maybe for longer, depending on how much energy he had for drama, because of course it was just a matter of time till something else pissed off Justin.

The second text was from his mother, reminding him he mustn't miss tonight's supper. His grandmother would be so disappointed.You'd better not cancelwas the subtext there, and he really hoped they wouldn't be called into work for an emergency of some sort. Since that rarely happened, he was probably safe. He'd had to work a lot more overtime before partnering with Riley. There was a kind of seniority to working with a shifter that meant you got better treatment as well, because it was necessary for the shifter.

The third text was from Cody.Want to meet me for lunch?I keep thinking about those tacos. He thought about that. Was is a date request? Did he want more information about the precinct? Or was he just trying not to be lonely on a weekend, the way Tomas was?

He slid the phone away after answering only his mother. Riley could wait, and he needed time to decide about Cody before answering him.

His first instinct was that Cody was a work friend, not a weekend friend, and he didn't want to meet him again so soon. He felt possessively protective of his cherished weekend time now, whereas earlier he'd probably have jumped at the invitation, because at least someone wanted to be around him.

He glanced self-consciously at Auden, who was waiting for him to finish texting, no look of accusation or irritation on his face. He seemed content to wait. In fact, he had a rather beautiful smile on his face, as if he was blessed merely to be here, standing near Tomas in a crowded market on their weekend. When he saw Tomas had finished, he slurped the last of his coffee and gave Tomas a rather bright smile.

"Do you need to rush off and do important cop things?"

"No, I'm good." Tomas contemplated making a donut joke at his own expense but couldn't summon the mental energy.

Auden's smile was relieved and sweet. "Okay. Where to next?"