It was nearly eleven in the morning when Herakles wandered downstairs, yawning and stretching with cat-like limber. His longish hair stuck up at odd angles which Kiku found endearing; and he had a curl of hair that positively defied gravity, sticking up almost perpendicular to his head. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Karpusi-san," Kiku greeted him quietly, and the man cracked open green eyes to regard Kiku. "…καλημέρα," He said back, and when Kiku looked momentarily flustered, he smiled and added, "Good morning… in Greek. And your name, γατάκι?" Kiku flushed. "Forgive me. My name is Honda Kiku." Herakles smiled lazily and leaned against Kiku's desk. Kiku… what a delicious name. "Are you the only one… running this inn? It seems that you are the only one I ever see." Kiku flushed again, redness creeping up his neck – Herakles could get used to seeing his delicious blush – and shook his head. "My older brother owns this inn. He's currently residing in China, and my younger sister and I help out when he isn't around. There are cleaning staff, too." Herakles nodded, letting the Japanese man's words wash over him, then spotted a faded photo in a frame on a corner of Kiku's desk. "Are these… your siblings?" He asked gently, pointing at the photo. Kiku picked up the photo, running his finger over the glass. "This is my older brother," he began, feeling self-conscious – why was he telling this stranger so much? – "my younger sister, my second brother, my youngest brother, and I." Leaning forward, Herakles followed Kiku's finger as it traced over a smiling man in his late twenties, black hair tied back into a ponytail, a younger girl with flowing brown hair and a flower barette clipped into it, another boy with choppy hair and thick brows crossing his arms and looking bored; and the youngest boy, clinging onto Kiku's oldest brother and grinning like a Cheshire cat. Kiku himself looked rather out of place, his severe haircut and calm, almost stoic expression at a sharp contrast with his siblings' animated expressions. However, Herakles could tell by the fondness that seeped into his voice when he talked about them that he loved his family.
Just then, the stairs creaked loudly, making Kiku jerk back and drop the photo and Herakles fight back a wave of disappointment. A blond head emerged from the stairway, followed by the body of a lanky Frenchman. Herakles didn't know how he was sure of this, but every pore of the man oozed French. As he sauntered over to Kiku, the scent of aftershave and cologne hit Herakles, making him wrinkle his nose. "Bonjour, my lovely chrysanthemum," the Frenchman purred, leaning against the desk and winking saucily at Kiku, who flushed crimson and looked away, his lips drawn into a tight line. Before he could advance further, or Herakles was forced to put at least ten feet between the two, another set of footfalls clomping down the stairs caused the blond man to straighten up and take a step back.
"Francis! How many times have I told you not to flirt with the receptionist?" A shorter man with sandy hair and huge eyebrows growled at the Frenchman, grabbing his collar and hauling him away from the desk. "I'm sorry, son, do forgive the frog. He's… French," The newcomer said with a pronounced English accent and a grimace. "That's alright," Kiku gave a small, polite smile, then turned to Herakles. "Karupsi-san, this is Bonnefoy-san and Kirkland-san. They are guests here as well. Bonnefoy-san, Kirkland-san; Karpusi-san." Kirkland, the Englishman, sighed and held out a hand to Herakles. "Kiku is much too formal. We've been telling him to call us by our first names, but he doesn't take well to that. I'm Arthur Kirkland, and this is Francis Bonnefoy." Herakles shook, and the Frenchman sidled over, pouting. "But mon cher, Kiku is just so cute when he gets all flustered…" Herakles let go of Arthur's hand and gripped Francis', a little too hard. "Herakles Karpusi," He lowered his voice, eyebrows drawing together above stern green eyes. "I am pleased to meet you too." Francis swallowed and withdrew his hand, a little pale. "L-Let's get going, shall we, Arthur dear? I do want to explore the city today…" Arthur sighed, and all but dragged Francis out of the door. "It's best you shut your trap, frog. See you later, Kiku, Herakles." The bell chimed, and the two were gone.
Herakles turned back to Kiku, who gave him a tiny, wavering smile. "Thank you, Karpusi-san. Bonnefoy-san can be a little…" Kiku hesitated, then sighed and added under his breath, so softly that Herakles almost missed it, "I'm glad they're leaving today." Herakles frowned a little. He could still smell the Frenchman's perfume in the air. "Are there many… foreign tourists here? I thought that… I would be the only one." Kiku looked down, shuffling the papers on his desk. "When I was a child growing up, the only people who came to stay were fishermen and children on school trips. Then I left, and when I came back…" Kiku hesitated, shrugging slightly. "Suddenly, our bookings were full of foreign names." Herakles detected the pause, but decided not to press Kiku about it further. He smiled a little. "It's a beautiful town. It's no wonder… that people started visiting." And it was. When Herakles first arrived, he was struck by the stunning views and peacefulness of the town, where everybody went about their business leisurely. It reminded him a little of his hometown in that way. A little reluctantly, Herakles bid Kiku a "see you later" and left into the bright sunshine.
The sun was sinking over the harbour when Kiku stepped out to the convenience store for a carton of juice. On his way back, he nearly had a mini heart attack when he found Herakles sprawled out under a tree by the cobbled path, all long limbs and bronze skin, eyes closed and chest rising and falling with even breaths.
After overcoming his initial panic about the collapsed Greek man, he approached Herakles and cautiously touched his shoulder. "…Karpusi-san?" When that provoked no response, he tried again, this time shaking a little and calling his name a little louder. Slowly, Herakles opened bright, sea-green eyes, and the confused sleepiness in them made a little bubble of laughter rise into Kiku's throat. "I'm sorry to wake you, but it's going to be night soon, you'll catch a cold if you sleep out here," he explained, as Herakles' eyes focused on him and his pupils seemed to dilate a little. "…Sorry," he mumbled, stretching and groaning softly when his neck cracked with an audible pop. "The weather was nice… and I felt sleepy. Didn't want to waste it… by sleeping indoors." Kiku fought down that bubble of ridiculous happiness again, straightened up, and hesitated, holding out a hand to help Herakles up. Herakles took it and got to his feet, careful not to put too much weight on Kiku (after all, he looked like he weighed half of what Herakles did) and trying desperately to file the feeling of Kiku's small, smooth hand in his in a corner of his mind. Kiku snatched back his hand as if burned, cradled it to his chest and quickly turned to hide his flaming cheeks. The walk back to the inn that evening was filled with a slightly uneasy silence.
Ohayo gozaimasu - Good morning (Japanese, slightly formal)
καλημέρα - Good morning (Greek)
γατάκι - shh. Don't translate this yet. It's a surprise.