Niko knocked punctually on Shel's door. He wore a loose linen shirt, unbuttoned slightly to reveal a hint of his chest hair. His medium wash jeans were rolled up past the ankle. He stood back and waited, tapping his brown sandals nervously. Niko heard shuffling and muffled cursing from within the apartment.

He almost knocked again when Shel swung open the door chaotically. He smiled apologetically and fumbled with his keys to lock the door. Niko admired Shel from behind. He wore a yellow and white striped shirt paired with cuffed jeans that hugged his bottom flatteringly.

"Sorry about that," Shel apologized. "I had to go hunting for these shoes," he looked down at his stark white sneakers.

"Are those new?" Niko inquired, noting their spotlessness.

"Not technically, but I only wear them for uh," Shel's voice shrunk "Special occasions."

"I'm honored," Niko smirked, but he chose to lay off the heavy teasing for now.

Niko wordlessly wrapped an arm around Shel as they exited the apartment. Shel felt a surge in his heart, but realized the arm was just to guide him in the right direction.

"It's this way," Niko led them down an unfamiliar street and dropped his arm from Shel's shoulder.

"I don't usually walk this way," Shel took in the surroundings and noticed advertisements for the farmer's market. "Is it far?"

"Not at all," Niko gestured forward with his head. "Just one more left and we'll be there."

The boys walked closely, their hands brushing with each step. The bustling noise from the market grew as they approached and turned the corner. Hundreds of stalls and pop-up shops lined the lot. Crowds of shoppers filled the streets in a sort of organized chaos. Sweet and savory smells intermingled and wafted in the breeze.

"I hope you know..." Niko paused, his voice uncharacteristically uncertain. "I asked you to come here as a date." He cleared his throat. "So if there's anything at all that you want, I'm buying."

"I won't argue with that," Shel tried to stifle the enormous smile growing on his face. "Do you come here every week?"

"Just about," Niko paused in front of a stall selling an assortment of vegetables and fruit. "My abuelita kind of spoiled me with fresh food back at home."

He pretended to compare two cantaloupes in his hands before turning to Shel with a goofy grin. "The store food just doesn't compliment me like these do," he joked while holding the melons up to his chest as if they were breasts.

Shel erupted into loud belly laughter. He closed his eyes to wipe away the tears. When he opened them again Niko was sheepishly holding a reusable bag weighed down with two cantaloupes.

"That joke cost me the price of two cantaloupe," Niko admitted. "But, it was worth it to hear that laugh."

They passed by several more fresh food stalls, chatting about their favorite recipes and occasionally stopping for Niko to make a purchase. Shel slowed down, his eyes caught on the reddest, juiciest strawberries he had ever seen.

Shel looked up at Niko with childlike enchantment reflected in his eyes. "Strawberries..." was all he could manage to say.

Niko chuckled and turned to the vendor, a gentle-looking woman with a gingham bandana tied around her gray locks.

"Hola señora," he seamlessly switched to Spanish. "Una caja de fresas, por favor."

The vendor smiled, captivated by Niko's polite charm. She handed him a compostable container, which Niko held open for Shel to fill with his choice of strawberries. Niko paid the woman and placed the container in his bag with the rest of the purchases.

"Thank you again, Niko," Shel said sweetly.

"What'll it take for you to look at me like you looked at those strawberries?" Niko half-joked.

"Hm, be a strawberry," Shel teased with an impish grin.

They continued their trek and eventually made it past the food stalls into the zone with plants and crafts. Shel was instantly mesmerized by the variety of craftsmanship on display.

"Niko!" He gripped Niko's sleeve, "Have you ever sold your woodwork here?"

"Nah," Niko shook his head. "I sell to people at Creekside, but I've never been bold enough to put my stuff out there like this." Niko looked longingly into the distance.

"You should," Shel stopped to browse a stained glass art stall. "Your work is gorgeous."

"Thanks, Shel..." Niko murmured as a bright floral stall caught his eye.

Niko slinked off while Shel was intensely distracted by the stained glass. He wondered if Shel had a favorite flower, but couldn't think of a way to casually ask. The vendor had an overwhelming selection of flowers. Niko's eyes scanned over the cluster of colors, not familiar with most of the varieties. He decided to wing it and bought a stemmed pink geranium.

Niko returned just in time to catch Shel as he concluded his purchase. He turned around holding two stained glass pieces bagged and wrapped in paper.

"These are for Sierra and Amethyst so they don't count as a date purchase..." Shel began before noticing the flower in Niko's hands.

"That's beautiful," he said quietly, admiring the vivid petals.

"I got it for you," Niko said, stepping closer. "If you don't want to hold it, I can..." Niko tucked hair behind Shel's ear and gently stuck the flower there. "There," Niko's hand lingered on Shel's reddening cheeks.

"Niko, are you familiar with flower meanings?" Shel asked with a touch of amusement.

"No," Niko bit his lip. "What does this one mean?"

"Well, in the Victorian era the geranium represented stupidity and foolishness," a shaky smile grew on Shel's face as he watched Niko panic.

"Oh no," Niko's face fell. "I swear I don't think you're a stupid fool."

Shel burst out laughing. "I know, I know."

"Hold on, I'll get you another one," Niko sighed. "Which flower means I think you're really cute."

Shel grabbed Niko's arm to stop him. "I like this flower," Shel's face burned.

"Are you hot?" Niko asked, noting the redness of Shel's cheeks. "I'll find us some drinks and we can sit down somewhere."

Shel didn't protest even though the redness was not a product of the sun. It felt as if his heart could exist in a perpetual state of fluttering when he was with Niko. They bought two cups of fresh squeezed lemonade and sat on a bench under a shady tree.

"Ahh," Niko exhaled. "You don't realize how hot you are until you have something cold in your hands."

Shel chuckled while sipping. "That sounds a lot more profound than it should."

"Maybe I should dabble in philosophy," Niko pondered. "Or poetry."

"It's not fair that you're good with both your brain and your hands," Shel pouted facetiously.

Niko placed his palm on the bench and leaned in towards Shel. "You haven't even seen the beginning of me being good with my hands," he spoke quietly.

Shel bit his straw to keep himself from attacking Niko's tempting lips.

"Nikolas? Nikolas, that is you!" an unknown voice called from afar.

Niko's head snapped to the distance, a look of dread washed over him. He squinted, then spotted the culprit, the only person besides his family who called him Nikolas. The attractive, long-legged redhead strided towards the boys. Her ankle-length spotted sundress blew in the wind. She had to hold down her floppy straw hat to prevent it from flying off into the market.

Niko stood up, clenching his fist until his knuckles were white. The redhead stood in front of Niko and smiled charmingly. She removed her sunglasses to reveal striking emerald eyes.

"I can't believe it's you," she remarked. "I knew I recognized that intense face of yours."

"Yeah," Niko spoke bitterly. "Hi, Courtney."

"How have you been?" She asked, intentionally dismissing his resistance.

"Fine, was just enjoying the market," Niko said through gritted teeth. "With Shel."

Shel's eyes darted from Niko to Courtney, feeling the immense weight of the tension. He shrunk into the bench and sipped desperately on his lemonade.

"Isn't it simply magical?" She cocked her head towards Shel. "I graduated from law school last May," she announced, returning her attention to Niko.

"Great," Niko couldn't even pretend to care.

Courtney relented, knowing she couldn't chip away at his stubborn fortress. "I'm sure we'll see each other around," she waved as she walked off and disappeared into the crowd.

Niko dropped back onto the bench with a heaving sigh. He hung his head in his hands.

"Well, you just met the reason I moved to New York," Niko looked up at Shel regretfully.

The fluttering in Shel's heart came to a dead stop. It wasn't surprising that someone so beautiful and successful was Niko's ex-girlfriend. The interruption brought a wave of doubt into his heart.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Shel asked cautiously, not sure if he wanted to hear the story himself.

"There isn't much to talk about," Niko ran a hand through his hair. "We started dating in high school and when she got accepted into NYU she persuaded me to move here with her. It wasn't easy to convince me to leave my entire family behind. She cried and she begged and said the last thing she wanted was to lose me."

Niko paused to look at Shel and gauge his expression. His eyebrows were furrowed, but his eyes looked at Niko with empathy.

"Everything was okay for a few months," Niko continued. "I mean she was busy with school, but I kept busy, too. Then she came home one day and dumped me. Didn't give me a reason, it was just over."

"Why didn't you move back, then?" Shel questioned.

Niko shook his head. "I used to ask myself that a lot. My mamá offered to pay for my flight back a million times but I kept convincing myself that Courtney would return to me."

Shel felt a lump in his throat. He tried to swallow, but it only made his throat sore.

"Do you still... hope that?" He managed to utter.

"God, no," Niko's nose crinkled with disgust. "I have nothing but contempt for that woman. I don't hate her for dumping me, but all that effort and emotional manipulation..." his voice trailed off. "I was worn out, and staying in New York was less embarrassing than running back home."

Shel nodded with a thoughtful expression, but he couldn't think of a meaningful response.

"This is not how I wanted our first date to go," Niko said remorsefully.

Shel forced a smile for Niko's sake and scooted closer until their thighs touched. Niko straightened his back and rested a hand on Shel's knee.

"I'm having an amazing time," Shel said sincerely while looking into Niko's eyes. "I'm not that easily shaken."

"Not that easily shaken," Niko scoffed with a smile. "I know that's not true."

Niko gently kissed Shel's soft cheek, relieved to have finally told him about one part of his past. They finished their drinks under the shade of the tree and enjoyed each other's company. The rest of the date continued without disruption; but meeting Courtney was enough to leave a permanent pit in Shel's stomach.