Eunoia | T. Stark

thirty

real life & group chat

"So this is the flea market, huh?" Tony stared at the many fruit and vegetable stands in front and around him.

Families of all backgrounds are walking around, some with strollers, others rolling folding metal carts. Some people have cold beverages or eating sliced fruit, meanwhile the vendors from the fruit stalls are yelling, practically shouting, fruit prices. Ten cents for one pound of oranges. Sliced fruit on display and sliced oranges for people to taste. Little kids running ahead of their parents, some guy in a golf cart driving around. Everything out in the open, so many people walking around, in and out and lingering at the entrances.

"Not what you expected?" Alexa questioned.

"I actually didn't know what to expect. So it's a fruit and vegetable market? Like a farmers market?"

"Eh, no. But kinda? Because you see in the back they sell practically everything. Candies, furniture, used tools, clothes, weird ass paintings, blankets, jewelry, food, toys, shoes, really cheap electronics. Literally anything"

Tony hummed and nodded. "Look, this isn't something you can explain, it's more of an experience, because going to the flea market with your family is a little like family bonding. So whenever you come you get this feeling of familiarity, you know? You're happy, you know what to expect, you know what you're gonna buy, you see junk you don't need but you absolutely need it" Alexa explained.

"I understand now why Nat doesn't want to bring Thor to one of these places. He'll end up buying everything" Tony said. "We had to make extra space in the kitchen for his mug collection"

"Come on then. Time to take your flea market v-card"

Tony smiled and followed Alexa. The billionaire has had that stupid smile on his face since he picked up Alexa yesterday after school for their date. The slurpee mishap, the laughs and giggles and tomfoolery at the park and the birthday party they crashed. And when they went to the beach the fun they had. Going to the bars around the beach and ordering drinks they've never had before or those colorful fruity specials they write on the board. It was dark when they were walking on the beach, the only people there were disgusting loving couples cuddled up on the sand.

"So uh, why'd you become a kindergarten teacher?" Tony asked Alexa. They were sitting on the sand, the waves crashing not that far from them and the couples are definitely far from them.

"Well Eugene doesn't like kids so mostly just to annoy him with stories of my kids" she answered with a smile as she formed a small mountain of sand.

"Seriously? Trolling with that too?"

"No, but it's a plus" she giggled. "Honestly, I just think kids are amazing. Especially when they're in kindergarten because they're so small and young and have all these crazy ideas and their imagination is wild and they tell you everything. I mean everything. Gossip from home, I know it." She smoothed out the mountain of sand and drew figures with her finger. "And when you ask them what they wanna be when they grow up they have these amazing answers. One of my little girls, Aurora, says she wants to be a unicorn trainer. And I'm just like yes, go for it. I get a few doctors, or race car drivers, or chefs, or actors, astronauts, the superheroes. I have another kid who wants to make the world's first chocolate bubbles, which I'm all for it."