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The market in Seville occupies one whole square. Isco has never seen such a big market. In Barcelona, there were rather smaller local markets and shops in different parts of the city. The Sevillan market is a mixture of scents, colors and sounds that could give him a headache after a while. In the furthest corner of the square, horses are being sold by two handlers, a woman is standing a few steps from them with a cage full of chickens at her feet, and a foreigner with dark skin is selling colorful birds next to her. There are stands where clothes can be bought, dressed leather, painted dishes, or wrought copper jewels, and mainly, there are flowers and food: dried tomatoes, olive oil, all kinds of spices, herbs, salty cheese, vegetables and fruit and still warm from the sun, fresh fish, bread, honey cakes ... Even if he came to the market after lunch, he would immediately get hungry.
“We could buy one of those birds,” Isco says. “Instead of the rooster.”
Álvaro rolls his eyes. “What do you need a parrot for?”
“They can learn to speak. I could teach it some words.”
“I can imagine what kind of words,” Álvaro says. “When you see eggs, tell me.”
Isco grunts in annoyance. A moment later, he pulls on Álvaro’s sleeve. “Can we buy matching pendants or something?”
Álvaro turns to him. “What?”
Isco shrugs. “I don’t know. Matching jewelry. So that everyone would know we belong together.”
“I don’t want anyone to know you belong to me, especially now,” Álvaro says. “We also need butter.”
As he navigates towards the stand which sells the basic stuff they need to buy, he notices that Isco is gone. He hesitates for a while, but then decides that even though he’s been acting like a little child since they entered the market, he is not actually a little child, and won’t get lost.
He buys the eggs, butter and a jar of honey, because Isco has already eaten most of their supplies, and then goes back in his footsteps, as he supposes he will find Isco somewhere they’ve already been.
He is not wrong. Isco emerges from behind one stand, beaming at Álvaro.
“What were you doing there?” Álvaro frowns.
“Nothing,” Isco says. “Just looking.”
Álvaro doesn’t believe a word he says, but doesn’t say anything. “Fine. Let’s go home,” he sighs.
In the evening, when Isco pulls out a leather cord with a copper pendant in the shape of a heart, he understands.
“What is that?” he asks as Isco hangs it around his neck.
“A symbol of our love,” Isco says proudly, showing him the exact same one hanging around his neck.
“A symbol of our love which you stole?” Álvaro looks at him.
“Just because you had all the money and wouldn’t give me any!” Isco frowns.
“Because you’d buy a parrot instead of food!”
“Fine, if you don’t like it, give it back!” Isco says. “I’ll return it to the market.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it!” Álvaro snaps, tucking the pendant under his shirt. “I’ll keep it.”
“But it’s stolen.”
“So is my heart.”
Isco stares at him for a moment. “Oh, screw you!” he exclaims then. “I knew you were going to make it all sappy and… I’m not giving you anything anymore!”
Álvaro chuckles. “Doesn’t matter, it’s my turn to give you something.”
“What?” Isco asks curiously.
“A parrot?”
Isco’s eyes light up. “Really?”
“No.”