Con Brio: Todd and Ian's story

70

Okay, so now Ian knows he did the right thing. Todd still looks like he hasn't slept, the bags under his beautiful eyes prove that, and he's still fidgeting around with his phone, checking it every thirty seconds, but he's clearly calmer. Happier. 
Ian links his arm through Todd's and points at a pasta stand. 
"Wanna make pasta tonight?"
"Ooh! Like carbonara?" Todd almost squeals. "I found a great recipe a while back. Do you remember those massive free range eggs we saw just now?"
"Yes! Let's go get them! And I want to taste some of that elderberry wine over there too, if you're good."
Suddenly Todd let's go so he can look at him and he laughs. 
"Could we be any more gay married couple?" he smirks.
"Um..."
Ian eyes him for a long moment. Todd looks okay, he doesn't look like he minds, if they are. Wait. Are they being like that? He looks around him at the scattered crowd, browsing, chatting. 
Okay, maybe they are... but he finds he likes it. Are people looking? Again, maybe, but he finds he could care less. They're hardly the only gay couple here, hardly the only ones to link their arms. I mean... it is a farmer's market, right? 
Does Todd not know how much of a prize he is? How proud he is to walk next to him, to be allowed to call him his? 
"Do you mind?" he asks him gently. 
"Are you kidding? I love!" Todd calls. "But do you like it?"
And now he sees it, clearly written on his beautiful face. He's worrying, again. Is that why he said?
"Toddy." he says then as he pulls him out of the path, dragging him into a corner by some hay bales. Slowly, deliberately, he pecks him on the lips. It's nothing he wouldn't have done to a girl in public. "I love it. I'm proud to be yours."
"Proud to be bi?" Todd says with a slight smile, his relieved exhale only visible to Ian because he's starting to know him so well.  
"I don't really care." Ian shrugs. "Just proud to be yours."
And it's true.
Todd chuckles lightly and links their arms again, starts towards the eggs he wants. 
"I guess I never knew just how bold you were." he says as they weave around some browsers. 
Bold? Ian doesn't feel bold. And look. Again. It's not like they're the only gay couple here, are they? So he happily takes Todd's arm and goes with him to the stand they saw, where a burly farmer lady with a checkered skirt and gentle smile greets them.
"'Ello loves. What you lookin' for today?" 

"We need good cheese, too." Todd says once ten huge eggs have joined the fresh pasta in his bag. 
"Ah! You're going all out, huh?"
"Yeah. Those boys can do with something nice to eat, after today."
And there he is, his love. As always, reminding him of the good he does. Of the man he is. Ian follows him over the market like a labrador puppy, eyeing him proudly as he handles different kinds of parmeggiano cheese and chooses one after several deep inhales. 

"You want to grab one of those focaccias over there?" he asks him once the cheese joins the eggs and the pasta.  
"You hungry? Yeah, sounds good. And then I just need some pancetta and I have everything."
"Cool!"

Okay, so Ian knows they must resemble some sappy couple in a romcom, as they sit at a wooden picknick table and offer each other bites from their focaccias. 
See if he cares, though, about what anybody thinks of them. He's never been happier than he is today.