Chapter Text
“Morning, schnookums.”
Charlie rolled his eyes affectionately as he and Isaac engaged in their customary hug outside the farmer’s market. They’d stuck to their routine of farmer’s market-library-lunch for over five years now, and somehow Isaac still managed to have a different silly pet name ready to go each week.
“Did you bring me back We Could Be So Good?” Isaac asked when they separated and made their way over to the entrance of the farmer’s market.
“No, I decided to read it a second time,” Charlie admitted, throwing him a what can you do? smile.
“Let me guess, you have a crush on both Nick and Andy?” Isaac laughed.
“Can you blame me? But also, they’re so good together!”
“Hence the name of the book,” Isaac deadpanned.
Charlie laughed, hooking his arm through Isaac’s as they made their way around the familiar stalls. The small Celtic band that provided entertainment was already in full swing over to one side of the market, little kids dancing as their parents sipped their artisan coffees. The place was already bustling with people even though it was still pretty early. But it was a clear, crisp autumn morning after a string of rainy days and everyone was clearly enjoying being outside. Charlie smiled, feeling the sun on his face as he soaked in the festive atmosphere. There really wasn’t anything better than the farmer’s market to start off his weekend right.
After their customary first stop to visit the good egg person before they sold out, he and Isaac did a loop of all the stalls, looking at what was on offer that day. They usually ended up buying a little something from most of the vegetable vendors, but their routine was unvaried: eggs, the veg circuit, maybe some meat or fish, apples. The apples were always last, no matter what. Save the best for last, Isaac always said.
By the time they’d made their selections, both of them were happily weighted down with pounds upon pounds of vegetables. Gorgeous bunches of rainbow carrots. Gleaming courgettes and summer squash. Fresh mint and basil that Charlie just wanted to bury his face in for hours. Cherry tomatoes that were so sweet and addictive, they were already half gone. Several varieties of beans and a whole heaping bag of sugar snap peas. Salad mix to die for and microgreens that would go on everything from sandwiches to salads to soups all week. A new variety of aubergine he’d never seen before but was excited to try.
He and Isaac had originally conceived of this routine—meeting up at the farmer’s market, then heading to the library to each check out a new book, followed by cooking lunch together only using ingredients from the farmer’s market—to help support his ED following a wobble he’d experienced after graduating from uni. It had been wildly successful, so they’d stuck to it all these years, even though his mental health was in a much better place now. He’d tried so many more foods than he’d ever thought possible, mostly thanks to getting to talk to the farmers directly, their enthusiasm for the fruits and vegetables they grew changing Charlie’s relationship with food. Plus, something about eating food grown by people he’d come to know over the years made it seem much less threatening, even on his most challenging days, which were fortunately very few and far between now.
“Apples?” Isaac asked with a smile.
“Apples,” Charlie agreed, grinning back at him.
This was their very favourite part of the market. The Apple Gays, as they called them, had the most unabashedly queer energy at their stall and it never failed to put Charlie in the best mood, no matter how much residual negative energy from his work week was still lingering come Saturday morning. There was always an incredibly colourful cast of characters working the stall—both literally and figuratively. The owners of The Fruity Fruit Farm—Tara and Darcy—were almost always there. Sometimes just one, but usually both of them. There were a few other regulars that Charlie had come to know over the years, but in any given week, there were bearded folx with boobs in sports bras, twinky guys and enbies in crop tops and eyeliner, hair every colour of the rainbow, and more tattoos than he’d ever seen in one place outside a tattoo parlour.
As he and Isaac approached the familiar crates filled with dozens of apple varieties, Charlie’s breath suddenly caught in his throat. Amidst the usual vibrant collection of queer apple sellers was a new person, who also happened to be the most gorgeous man Charlie had ever seen. Tall and broad with biceps to die for, he was dressed in a simple grey t-shirt and jeans, his reddish-blonde hair flopping over his forehead. Despite being dressed much more plainly than anyone else there, his sheer attractiveness put him in a league of his own. Charlie couldn’t look away.
“You alright, schnookums?” Isaac asked as Charlie slowed his pace, gobsmacked as he was by the Greek god suddenly working at the apple stall.
“Um…” Charlie could feel himself blushing, his power of speech already deserting him. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Isaac follow his line of sight, smirking when he caught sight of the new apple vendor.
“Oh, let’s go say hiiiiii,” Isaac sing-songed, dragging him forward.
“Isaac,” Charlie warned.
“Yes, schnookums?” Isaac asked innocently.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” Charlie said under his breath.
“Dare what?”
Charlie shot him a look, steering Isaac over to one side, away from the gorgeous man who was already scrambling his brain. What on earth was going on? He’d never experienced an attraction this intense or this instantaneous before.
He stared down at the crates full of apples, pretending to be absolutely fascinated by them as he tried to gather himself.
“Hi there! Can I help you find anything?” a friendly, deep voice asked.
Charlie looked up, only to find himself face to face with his apple Adonis. “Um…h-hi,” he stammered, swallowing as his face flamed hot. The man was even more attractive up close, a constellation of freckles scattered across his nose and cheeks, his chest and arms straining the fabric of his shirt.
“Hi,” the man said again, a bit breathlessly. Inexplicably, he seemed to blush too, his lips parting as his eyes roamed all over Charlie’s face. Then he laughed at himself, shaking his head in amusement. “Sorry, I already said that. God…I’m doing great already! Anyway, can I help you with anything?”
If Charlie had been instantly attracted to this man by looks alone, now he was completely smitten by his playful, cheery demeanor. He giggled a little, feeling immensely flustered by the man’s warm eyes on him. “Um, could you tell me about these apples?” he asked, indicating the crate in front of him. “I’m not familiar with this variety, I don’t think.”
The man gave him a lopsided smile that was somehow also a bit teasing, absolutely melting Charlie into a puddle of goo. Then he plucked the card that described the apples from the crate and cleared his throat dramatically. “The Court Pendu Plat,” he declared in a faux-posh voice, looking at Charlie meaningfully over the little card in his hand. “A very old varietal, quite dry and with the texture of cheese,” he read off the card sagely. Then his face screwed up in a look of confusion so comical that Charlie couldn’t help but laugh outright at him. “The texture of cheese?” the man nearly squawked. “What on earth?” He flipped the card over in befuddlement, as if he might find an explanation on the back.
“The texture of cheese? Really?” Charlie asked through his laughter, meeting Hot Apple Man’s eyes.
“Apparently! That sounds kind of terrible, actually!” the man exclaimed as he replaced the card, blushing a bit again.
“Aren’t you supposed to be trying to sell me apples?” Charlie giggled.
The man shrugged apologetically. “I’m sorry, I actually don’t know anything about the apples. I’m just filling in for someone today at the last minute. I’m pretty much only good for lifting heavy things,” he chuckled. Charlie’s eyes immediately went to those delicious biceps again, imagining what they would feel like wrapped around his body, lifting him. “But I can find someone who can—”
“Charlie! Isaac!” Sahar’s voice broke through his little fantasy as she cut the man off.
“Oh hey, Sahar!” he said, shaking himself a bit to dispel his horny thoughts. She was one of the regular Apple Gays and they’d formed a friendship over the years.
“Darcy put aside a bag of some of our new varietals for you and Isaac today that they wanted you to try,” Sahar said as the gorgeous Greek god drifted away to help another customer.
“Does it include these ones that taste like cheese?” Isaac smirked from next to him.
“They don’t taste like cheese,” Sahar laughed. “But they do feel weirdly like cutting into cheese when you slice them.”
As Sahar described the apples for them and retrieved the bags Darcy had put aside, Charlie’s gaze kept being pulled over to the gorgeous man. More than a couple times, he seemed to look back, making Charlie blush and turn away, a smile playing at his lips.
After they’d paid and Charlie and Isaac were loaded up with their apple purchases, he furtively looked over at the man one last time. He was busy with a customer, but to Charlie’s delight, he raised his hand in a little wave and smiled at him. “Enjoy your cheese apples!” he called.
“I’ll try,” Charlie giggled, waving back. He knew he probably looked like a smitten fool as he walked away, but he didn’t have it in him to try to school his face.
“No meddling necessary, I see,” Isaac muttered at his side.
“Shut up,” Charlie laughed, bumping his shoulder. “C’mon, let’s go to the library.”
When they were almost out of view of the apple stand, he turned back one last time, watching the gorgeous apple man for a moment as he helped bag up purchases. Even if he never saw him again, it had been a fun interaction that would buoy him for the rest of the weekend.