Tristan was pretty sure he’d vibrate right through the car door before they ever made it to the Broad Street Market. He couldn’t remember ever being this excited to meet someone for lunch. Then again, he couldn’t remember most of the last three-plus years, so he didn’t have the best frame of reference. Not that he cared because…Gabe.

Noel didn’t have to remind him of their plans for their usual Thursday outing, because Tristan had spent most of the night and all morning staring at the note he’d made. Lunch with Gabe at the Broad Street Market, then bowling for a few hours. Actual time spent with Gabe that he would remember for longer periods.

Ever since Saturday’s breakthrough, Tristan was noticing improvements with things every single day. He knew all of his meal times, and he was making it to them on a regular basis, which made Noel ecstatic. During his worst depressions, Tristan didn’t even bother trying to eat, and he’d lost more weight than was healthy.

So far Tristan recalled everything from Noel and Shane walking into his room that morning, to Noel searching for a place to park near the Market. Shane’s inclusion had become a regular thing, he was pretty sure. He’d still had to ask Shane’s name, though, for the bazillionth time.

Maybe not for much longer.

Noel found a space, and Tristan practically bounced out of the car. The air had a cold November bite to it that tickled beautifully against his exposed skin. Tristan loved winter. He loved the snow and the cold and the way it made him feel alive.

I want to build a snowman with Gabe this year.

He wanted to do a lot with Gabe in the future, and he prayed Gabe felt the same way. He was pretty sure Gabe did. Just thinking his name made Tristan smile.

Shane led the way toward the brick market entrance. Tristan couldn’t remember where they were meeting Gabe, so he followed them into a warm haven of wonderful scents. Roasting meat and baked bread, sweetness and bitter herbs and fryer oil. His mouth watered for all of the food in the various stalls they passed.

Near the Kabob House, a tall, muscled man with tan skin and black hair was grinning at them. Tristan knew right away. He knew.

“Gabe!” Tristan shouldered his way past Noel and threw his arms around Gabe. Strong arms circled his waist, and he melted into the kind of strong, full-bodied hug he loved. He breathed in deeply, inhaling Gabe’s spicy aftershave.

“Hey you,” Gabe said.

“I knew it was you.” Tristan pulled back, suddenly wary of such a public display of affection. Not like he’d kissed Gabe on the mouth, but he’d been attacked once in this city. “I don’t know the last time I looked at your photo, but I knew.”

“You also know you have a photo of me.”

He’s right. “Yeah, I do. Ha!” He bounced on his toes, happier than he’d been in forever.

“Hey, man, how are you?” Gabe said, taking time to shake Noel’s and Shane’s hand.

Something kind of awkward seemed to linger between Gabe and Shane. Tristan needed to make a note to ask about that. He was pretty sure he never did.

“How’s your day been so far?” Gabe asked.

“Well, I don’t remember what I had for breakfast, but I know I ate,” Tristan replied. “And I remember everything so far from when Noel and Shane picked me up. Plus you.”

Gabe made a lovely rumbling sound that wasn’t quite laughter. “That’s great. Hungry for lunch?”

“Definitely.” He glanced at Noel. “Have I eaten here?”

“Yep, twice,” Noel replied.

“Did I order different things each time?”

“Yes, that hasn’t changed.” Noel looked at Gabe. “He doesn’t like to order the same thing on a menu twice.”

“He’s a taster,” Gabe said. “I like that. It means you’re a fan of variety and exploration.”

“He’s also impulsive and quick tempered.”

“Hey, standing right here,” Tristan said, amused at being discussed like that. “Did I go down the menu like usual?”

“Yes, you tried the first two things.”

Tristan stared at the board. “Okay, so lunch today is Honey Barbecue Chicken. Sounds good to me.” Everything came with steamed vegetables and fried rice, and Tristan was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to manage his entire plate.

Gabe ordered the Polish sausage, which made Tristan think dirty thoughts while they went in search of an empty table. He didn’t really care what Noel and Shane ordered, until something pungent tickled his nose. He stared at a bowl of red and tan that looked like spaghetti of some kind, but wasn’t.

“Okay, what the hell is that?” he asked.

Shane plucked the bowl off the tray. “It’s kimchi. Korean side dish. Spicy fermented cabbage.”

“Gross.”

“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”

Never one to back down from a challenge, Tristan stuck his fork in the kimchi and brought back a healthy mouthful. The smell was kind of toxic, and he wasn’t super fond of spicy shit, but what the hell. He put it in his mouth.

The texture reminded him of sauerkraut, but the explosion of spice and sour on his tongue made his eyes water. He chewed fast, then chugged from his soda to wash the rest down. Shane was laughing at him, the jerk, but Gabe was watching him with something like respect in his eyes. His very pretty, dark brown eyes.

“I have to admit,” Gabe said, “I am not brave enough to try that.”

“It’s an acquired taste,” Shane said.

“When did you acquire it?” Noel asked.

“Jason liked it. We’d buy it sometimes as a treat.”

Noel squeezed Shane’s shoulder, because Shane looked sad. The name Jason felt familiar, but Tristan simply couldn’t place it. Gabe solved the mystery by leaning over and whispering, “Shane’s brother. He died a few months ago.”

“Oh.” Such a sucky thing not to be able to remember about a person.

Tristan scraped his chicken off the bamboo skewer, because he was less likely to poke his eye out eating it that way. It was nicely sweet and tangy, and the rice was delicious. Noel started telling them about breaking up a bar fight the other night while on patrol, but Tristan let the words float idly by. All he could do was watch Gabe eat.

He studied the way Gabe cut his sausage into discs that he combined with a bit of the veggies and some of the rice. Every single bite was a combination. He chewed with care, his strong jaw flexing. A faint shadow suggested skin that never shaved down perfectly thanks to coarse, dark whiskers. He tried imagining Gabe with a full beard and the thought made his dick twitch. Back in college, he had his ass eaten by a guy with a beard, and the tickling whiskers had made him kind of nuts.

Stop that, or you’ll end up walking around the market with a woody.

“How’s the sausage?” Tristan asked.

For some reason, that made Shane choke on his mouthful of food.

“It’s good,” Gabe replied. “I’ve always loved Polish sausage, but this is so much better than what you buy in the store. Want to try some?”

Jesus, that sounds like a come-on.

“Definitely.”

Gabe speared a disc of the meat with his own fork, then held it out. Tristan made the most of the moment by very slowly closing his lips around the fork and sliding back to capture the sausage. He watched Gabe closely, noting the way his eyes widened a fraction and his breathing seemed to quicken. Flavor and texture exploded on his tongue as he chewed. Swallowed.

“Delicious,” Tristan said.

The corner of Gabe’s mouth pulled up. “I know. You mind if I taste your meat?”

Shane choked again, this time on his soda.

Tristan forked a piece of his chicken and held it out for Gabe. Gabe wrapped his lips around the tines and slid back slowly, just like Tristan had, and dear God Tristan wanted that fork to be his cock.

“I’m never eating sausage again after this,” Noel said.

“Say that when I get you alone later,” Shane replied.

Noel kissed his cheek. “Okay, one exception.”

“Taste good?” Tristan asked.

Gabe grinned. “Very good.”

Tristan winked at Gabe, then glanced over at Noel. Noel’s expression was hard to read, caught somewhere between amusement and…annoyance? That couldn’t be right. Tristan was usually able to read Noel’s moods—at least he always used to be—so the look didn’t make a lot of sense. And it seemed to be directed at Gabe.

So weird.

Noel’s attention returned to his food.

Tristan mentally shrugged it off. He was having too much fun flirting with Gabe to pay too close attention to Noel. He could hash it out with his own boyfriend later. “I really like your sausage,” he whispered to Gabe. “Can I try it again?”

Gabe’s grin shifted into something downright sexy. “Of course.” The intensity in his eyes when Gabe fed him a second piece of sausage made Tristan’s heart flutter. He held eye contact while he chewed and swallowed, too entranced to look away.

Until someone jostled his chair hard from behind. “Dude.” Tristan twisted around.

A guy his age, and with plenty of room to maneuver, paused to deliver a sneering, “Sorry.”

Oh yeah, he’s sorry. Not.

Gabe stood, all six-foot-plus of muscles. “You got a problem walking?”

The other guy scurried away.

“Sorry,” Tristan said as Gabe sat back down.

“What are you sorry for?” Gabe asked.

“I probably shouldn’t be so obvious in public.” He glanced at Noel, who was watching him intently. “I keep forgetting that already got us hurt once.”

“Hey, don’t do that.” Gabe grabbed his hand and squeezed, a comforting warmth that sent tingles up Tristan’s arm. “It’s not your fault that guy was an asshole. And it’s not your fault that you and Noel got bashed.”

Tristan wasn’t entirely sure the second part was true. He had no memory of that night past going clubbing with Noel. Mostly he was glad he didn’t remember. Once in a while, though, he really hated that Noel had to bear the burden alone.

Like right now.

“So if you two are done with your sausage fest,” Shane said, “let’s finish eating so we can walk the market a little while.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Gabe replied.

* * *

Gabe knew the basics of the night that Noel and Tristan were bashed, because Noel had explained it in greater detail before bringing Tristan to the club for his birthday. He knew they were heading for a bus stop, took a shortcut through an alley, and they were beaten by four guys who were never caught. Until Tristan said something, it hadn’t occurred to him that Tristan might blame himself for calling attention to the pair.

He was watching Tristan blossom right before his eyes, so far gone from the terrified young man he’d first met back in July. Tristan was full of life, a huge flirt, and he had the kind of joyous laugh that could make someone smile simply by hearing it. Maybe Tristan had been carrying on with Noel that night, but that in no way made Tristan culpable for the beating.

And Tristan didn’t see it, but Gabe did. He saw the flash in Noel’s eyes the moment that Tristan said his carrying on “already got us hurt once”. It pointed at some truth in the words. Or at least, Noel’s idea of the truth. He was the only one who knew what happened that night. He knew who said or did what, and Tristan’s entire perspective on the bashing was tied to Noel’s word.

Gabe wasn’t going to question it in front of Tristan, though. And the middle of the market wasn’t the place. He finished his lunch and washed it down with a bottle of water. The sausage and fried rice had been a special treat, so he wasn’t going to layer soda calories on top of that. He had a scene on Saturday and he had to look his best.

The conversation had reached an awkward stall by the time they threw away their trash and headed into the market. Noel and Shane led the way. Gabe hung back with Tristan, keeping close enough for their elbows to constantly brush together. Tristan tried to see everything at once, the way a kid in a toy store might.

They stopped in an Asian boutique full of handmade jewelry, silk clothing and potted lucky bamboo. Dad had lucky bamboo in his office at the club, and in both bathrooms at the house. Gabe didn’t know if it was actually lucky, but his dads had been together a long time and their club was thriving.

Tristan moved past a display of figurines carved in jade to a jewelry case. He pointed at something and asked the clerk, “What’s that?”

The woman walked over and peered down. “Silver phoenix over jade. You know the phoenix?”

“A mythical bird who is reborn from its own ashes. It’s beautiful.”

Gabe joined him at the counter so he could see the item in question. A silver pendant encased a piece of jade, which was mostly covered by a lovely silver phoenix. The pendant hung on a silver chain. “Dead and reborn,” he said. “Sounds like someone I know.”

Tristan looked at him, complete understanding in his eyes. “I guess it does.”

“Would you like to try it on?” the clerk asked.

“No, thanks. I can’t afford it, anyway.”

Gabe glanced at the price, which was reasonable considering the exquisite detail, but a little beyond his own budget at the moment. He had a royalty check due from Chet at the end of next week, though. And Christmas was in a month and a half.

They wandered out of the shop and eventually found Shane and Noel inside of a candy store. Wood bins of loose candy, plastic containers of pieced out candy, rows of fudge, candied apples and a glass case of chocolate-covered everything greeted them. The scents of chocolate and sugar made Gabe’s mouth water right away.

“Holy crap, they have chocolate-covered bacon,” Tristan said.

“We are so buying a piece of that to try,” Gabe said. He forked over cash to one of the ladies working there, then handed the candy to Tristan. “You first.”

Tristan put one end of the bacon in his mouth, then paused to meet Gabe’s eyes. A very naughty gaze taunted him right before Tristan bit down. His eyes rolled back a bit while he chewed, expressing pure bliss with the food he was tasting. It buzzed in Gabe’s dick. He’d never known anyone who made eating so fucking sexy.

Gabe took a bite. Sweet chocolate and salty bacon exploded in his mouth, the perfect combination. The chocolate melted fast, and the bacon was wonderfully crisp. He made a soft noise of appreciation, because it was the best thing he’d tasted in ages. They took turns until the treat was gone, and Gabe very nearly bought a dozen of them, except bacon was pure fat.

Besides, it wasn’t a treat if you had it all the time.

“That was beyond amazing,” Tristan said. “Wow.”

“Anything else you want to try?”

“No way. Nothing else will ever top that, so why bother?”

Gabe chuckled, because yeah, he agreed. “Too true. What is your favorite candy, anyway? And you can’t say chocolate-covered bacon.”

“White chocolate with almonds. Usually candy places sell it all broken up, like bark. What about you?”

“Fireballs and Red Hots. Anything cinnamon like that.”

“Ew, I can’t stand Red Hots.”

“Then remind me never to kiss you after eating some.”

Tristan’s eyes went wide, and Gabe could have kicked himself for letting that slip out. Gentle flirting over sausage was one thing, but outright admitting that he wanted to kiss Tristan—hell, do a lot more than that with him—raised the bar on expectations. And he didn’t want to pressure Tristan into anything.

Except Tristan’s surprise shifted right into something very seductive. Almost feral. He licked his lips, as if challenging Gabe to plant one on him right then and there. And he might have too, if they weren’t surrounded by strangers and very nice Amish ladies. He didn’t want to scorch their eyeballs.

Noel broke the spell by coming over, leading Shane by the sleeve of his jacket. “You guys ready to go bowling?”

“We’re going bowling?” Tristan asked.

“Yep, that’s part two of our plans for the day.”

“Cool. What did you get?”

Noel held up a bag of assorted flavored Tootsie Rolls. “You get anything?”

“A religious experience.”

“Huh?”

Tristan cracked up. Gabe didn’t reveal their secret, either. He was too impressed by having spent close to an hour with Tristan and so far, the bowling thing seemed to be his first real memory lapse. “What did you have for lunch?” he asked when Tristan got a hold of himself.

“Um, honey barbecue chicken. And rice. Why?”

“Just checking.”

“I’m getting better at this whole memory thing.”

“Yes, you are.”

Gabe rode over to the bowling lanes in Noel’s car. It wasn’t too far, and he wanted to spend every moment he could with Tristan. They sat in the backseat together, hands touching, keeping a connection that Gabe didn’t quite know what to do with. He’d never been so insanely attracted to someone before, and not just because Tristan was beautiful. He had a kindness of spirit and a love of life that pulled Gabe in and wouldn’t let go.

I’m falling for him.

He couldn’t stop himself now if he wanted to—and he very much did not.