Chapter Two: What is This?

A/N: I've gotten six reviews on this! I really didn't expect anything at all before the next chapter came out so really, thank you guys so much for the feedback! Your reviews are the gasoline to the fire of my creativity. insert heart here I'm really sorry it's been a month since I have posted a chapter. I was working a lot and my sister just moved in with me. Not a good way to begin a story I know but I promise chapters will come faster from now on.

I'll do my best for the long chapters. One last short one here and then my min will be 5k per chapter 3

Note: In case you did not recognize them, Romulus is Rome and Sven is Germania. My role play partner and I use these names and they're kinda stuck in my head. And before it is asked, Vilhelm is Hesse. That should take care of non-canon names.

I tried to put breaks into this but as you can see from chapter one, fanfiction's funny about what symbols they let on to the page. I'm trying something different this time.

With that being said, on with the chapter. That's what you are really waiting for haha.

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Francis never forgot a face. Even if it had been twelve years since he had last seen this boy. Their circumstances were much different now than they were back then, but he doubted they had changed all that much. He wondered if he even remembered him...

The boy nodded at him and gave a half bow as he moved around him as Francis debated telling him why he was really there. Though he really did need new bookshelves for his library, he was certain he could have obtained those back in Paris.

No. He had come for this boy.

"What is your name?" he asks coolly, watching the boy dust off his dirty clothes "I gave you mine, is it not custom to give me yours as well?"

"Oh right sorry Mr. Bonnefoy-"

"Francis." he corrected.

"Francis," said the boy "My name is Arthur. I just work here. If you would follow me, the master of this shop's name is Sven. He's the one you want for all of your carpentry needs."

Francis nodded. So his name was Arthur? How noble sounding, being named after England's first king of legend.

He followed Arthur out a side door and into a small courtyard behind the shop. It looked rather well kept up and he nearly smiled when he saw a whole bed full of different colored roses tucked into one side of the little space. He stopped a moment to stare at it before being interrupted by the sound of an older gentleman clearing his throat.

"Can I help you?" said a man with a thick accent that definitely didn't belong to the area he was currently living in.

"Yes" he said tilting his head at the man who seemed to be working on some sort of desk made out of a rich, dark colored wood "I would like to commission you. I need book shelves. Four of them. Are you available for this job?"

"Vat kind of vood are you looking for zese... book shelves to be made out of?" he said eyeing the fancilly dressed man, immediately not trusting him.

"Something dark. The décor in the room is red mostly with gold trim. What is the desk you are making made of?"

The blonde man looked from his current project to Arthur and back to Francis.

"Zis is made of cherry vood" he says simply "It vill get darker as time goes on. A nice hard vood zat increases its value vith age."

Francis turned a moment to look at Arthur who seemed to be tending to the roses. He raised his brow, wondering why he had asked his name if the boy hadn't used it when he was brought back here.

"Are there any other kinds?" he asked "Something fit for a duke?"

Both Arthur and Sven stared at him for that comment.

"Mahogany" he said standing up to look down upon the man, his presence large in the little courtyard "It is vat rich people use. But tell me...Vhy is somevone like you in my shop asking for zings like zis. If you are a duke, or somezing even remotely similar, vhy are you in zis shop and not in a larger store?"

Francis's eyes widened as the man stood, at least a head taller than he was and very broad. He took a step back and tried to think of something to say.

"T...There are several reasons" he replied, keeping the momentary terror he felt in check, trying not to slouch in the blonde's presence "I like to make sure that I give my business to people that deserve it. I've heard great things about this store. But if you'd prefer I could go somewhere else..."

'That did it' Francis thought, he could see it in the man's eyes. Even though Francis was lying through his teeth the store's owner didn't want to lose a customer because he didn't want to cooperate.

"Fine" says the owner sticking out his hand "I vill make your shelves. But I require payment up front so I can buy your vood. I don't have any on hand at zee moment. My name is Sven. It vill be carved into zee bottom of zee shelves."

Francis sighed to himself in relief, taking the man's dirty hand after taking off his glove.

"I am Francis Bonnefoy, son of Henry and Jeanne Bonnefoy, current Duc and Duchesse of Brittany" he says "I came here on a pleasure trip with my lover and of course to do some shopping. Please do me the honor of building these for me. I can even pay for the delivery of them to my home."

Sven raised his brow at him.

"Ve vill discuss payment after you tell me exactly vat you vant." he says smiling, more at ease with the man now that he knew exactly who he was "For now, vee shall drink to yours und your family's good health. Vee shall go get my boys und celebrate."

Francis didn't know what to do. He wasn't sure if he should accept the invitation since he very rarely drank anything other than wine. He glanced over to Arthur who was on his hands and knees digging weeds from between the roses and tossing them to the side, paying them no mind at all.

"Fine, but only if he can come too" he says gesturing towards Arthur.

"Of course" says Sven "Arzur is one of mein boys."

When he heard his name said Arthur looked up and stared at the two of them.

"What?" he says, his thick eyebrows creasing to show concern.

"We are going drinking and you are coming with us" says Francis pointing at him gracefully "Now come before we change our mind and we leave you behind."

Arthur began to protest that the shop would lose money, but Sven patted him on the back and shook his head.

"Is is okay Arzur. Vee shall close early today. You verk every day anyvay, you deserve to get off early. I vill still pay you the same." says Sven squeezing him in a hug.

It amused Francis when Arthur happily agreed once Sven told him he was going to get paid whether he worked or not. Francis allowed himself to be led back through the shop and out to the front of the store where he was immediately jumped on by his dark haired companion who had been waiting for him outside since he had entered the shop.

"Mi amor!"

Francis grunted as his friend Antonio assaulted him with touches and caresses, allowing them but pulling back when he tried to kiss him square on the lips.

"Francis~ You never let me kiss you on the lips in public! Whyyyy?" the curly haired man pouts, looping his arms around the blonde's neck, laying his head on Francis's chest much to Sven and Arthur's surprise.

"Antonio," Francis says gently wrapping his arms around the Spainiard's waist, kissing the brunette's forehead and turning to Arthur and Sven "This is my companion Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. He is heir apparent to the Marquis de Madrid. He is here for pleasure and not to relax like I am. Antonio, please. Not in public."

Antonio grins wickedly. "Of course I am here for pleasure mi amor~" he says nuzzling the blonde's throat "Yours and mine both. We didn't need to leave the manor if that is all you desired. I fyou don't want it you should just pull away."

Francis rolled his eyes at the other men. Sven cleared his throat, indicating to the preoccupied brunette that he had something to say.

"Ve vill never get zere if ve don't start" he says averting his eyes from the scene "It is not far from here. Ve can easily valk."

Arthur on the other hand couldn't tear his eyes away. He had never seen anyone but Papa Romulus be that open with his affection and it was rather hard not to stare. Sven caught him watching and clasped a hand on the boy's shoulder causing a dark red stain to cross his face as if he had been caught doing something wrong.

With a pout Antonio tore himself away from Francis with the promise of some good Spanish alcohol. After introductions the found themselves merrily headed to the local bar, 'Southern Comfort'. It was run by an unknown foreign man, who apparently had so much money he was able to offer drinks fairly cheap compared to what they could get at other places. This was a good thing if you were low on cash as half of the group was.

They entered the dimly lit space and Arthur was immediately accosted by Alfred, an overly friendly bouncer that took it upon himself to personally guarantee no one messed with Arthur while he was on duty. Sometimes it was rather aggravating but most of the time it was welcome.

Francis raised his brow at the quaintness of the bar. He normally drank at home, in a brightly lit parlor amongst Antonio or with a few of his maids draped over his lap. His favorite drink was red wine and he doubted he could get a decent vintage in a backwater place such as this. He sighed and followed the group in, eyeing the overly friendly bouncer and staring hard as he watched the blonde casually settle in at Arthur's side.

A/n Dun Dun Dun~ Next chapter on Wednesday~