At the break of dawn, Sora rushed outside to draw the water for his bath to find Riku had already beaten him to the task.
"Sora, good morning." Riku announced, a full bucket of water swinging next to him. "I've already drawn the water, you can bathe once I've finished."
"Oh...I see..." Sora looked askance. "Will you bathe at the inn? You are more than welcome to bathe at our house."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to take you up on that offer." Riku decided.
"Oh, it's no trouble," Sora agreed, and led the boy back to the house.
Riku dumped the water into a pot to be heated over the fire while Sora waited patiently for it to heat.
"So, what is Britain like?" Sora asked.
"It is much like your town, but the buildings are much older and a little closer together." Riku explained.
"What's your family like?"
Riku looked to the floorboards. "I only had my mother, Tifa. She was a prostitute, and she died just before I came here."
"Oh...I'm very sorry to - " Sora began, but Riku interrupted.
"She's still in my heart, of course."
"Of course," Sora agreed, his ears turning pink. "I didn't mean to intrude..."
"It's still a painful memory, but I know I'm making her proud by serving the king." Riku said. "Oh, the water is warm."
He poured the water back into the bucket and carried it to the tiny washroom, where he dumped the hot water into the wooden tub.
"I'll be finished in a few moments." Riku assured, stripping his clothes.
As he removed his shirt, Sora caught glimpses of scars running over the boy's muscular back. Sora's face suddenly warmed, and he dashed from the room.
When Riku finished, he redressed and alerted Sora in the main room. He handed Sora a waning chunk of soap, and Sora took it.
He bathed quickly, and upon finishing, he dragged the tub out to the street to dump the water out.
"Let's walk to the inn together," Riku suggested.
Sora nodded, following him out the door.
Riku crossed his arms and Sora folded his arms behind his head as they strolled. Sora noticed Olette outside, feeding her family's hens.
"Good morning, Sora!" She called out.
"Good morning, Olette!" Sora shouted back. He crossed the street to meet her. "Olette, this is Riku. He's living with us temporarily."
"A pleasure to meet you," Riku replied, kissing Olette's hand.
A slight pang of jealousy hit Sora's heart. It was strange, just as how his face had felt so warm upon seeing Riku's scarred back.
"A charmer, aren't you? Hopefully you aren't as annoyingly persistent as our dear friend Hayner," Olette teased.
"No, he isn't like Hayner at all," Sora piped up, a bit too eagerly.
"I like him already," Olette joked.
"Did a beautiful girl call out my name?" Hayner's voice called from across the street. Beside him strolled Pence as the two of them joined Olette, Riku, and Sora.
"Riku, this is Hayner and Pence," Sora introduced.
"Nice to meet you, Riku," Hayner held out his hand too shake, but before Riku could take it, Hayner yanked it back.
"A trickster, I see," Riku assessed.
"So you're the nursemaid our wonderful king sent over." Hayner decided.
"Hayner!" Sora protested hastily.
"It's alright, Sora," Riku assured, "it wasn't my choice to be here, either, but orders are orders."
"I suppose so," Hayner said, "though I don't understand why the king would force his armies to seek shelter in our establishments."
"The king's motives remain unknown to many of us, as well," Riku agreed.
"Well, whatever the king's motives may be, let us not regard them as reasons not to befriend you." Olette decided.
"Brilliant idea, Olette!" Hayner claimed, sweeping behind her. Olette tossed her handful of chicken feed in Hayner's face. Hayner sputtered and brushed the feed free from his shirt.
"What about you, Pence? What do you make of my arrival?" Riku asked.
Pence shrugged. "You haven't displayed any reason for is to dislike you, in my opinion."
"Thank you," Riku said, almost pointedly toward Hayner.
"Riku, we should head back to the tavern to begin chores. I'll also show you your room." Sora nodded in the tavern's direction.
"Understood. It was very nice to meet the three of you." Riku gave the kids a slight bow before following Sora toward the inn.
"Your friends seem very nice, though I can sense Hayner is a bit troublesome." Riku noted once they had reached the inn.
"Wait until you meet Axel and Reno; troublesome barely describes them." Sora scoffed, unlocking the door. As he pushed it inward, a bell hanging next to the door jingled.
"Who are Axel and Reno?" Riku asked.
"They are a pair of brothers who work down at the shipyard. Rumor has it they were raised by Indians, and the tattoos on their face are actually Indian brands." Sora explained.
"I see..." Riku mumbled.
Sora led Riku inside, the main room still dark from the previous night.
"Many people come in here just to eat if they are not staying. Those who are staying should be charged less for meals than those who are not. Of course, your meals will cost you nothing but your work." Sora gave a light chuckle. "You'll probably be in charge of preparing drinks and serving those at the bar while Father takes care of those who ordered food. Sometimes you'll maintain the other rooms."
The brass bell hanging above the door jingled as the door swung open. Standing in the doorway were the two men Sora had just spoken of.
The brothers Reno and Axel were two lean and muscular young men in their late teens; Reno at nineteen and Axel at seventeen. Both had fire-red hair that cascaded down their shoulders, though Reno's was cut shorter at the top and formed a wispy ponytail down his back, while Axel's flowed off his head like live flames. Under their glimmering green eyes, each had a unique set of tattoos: Reno's were a swipe of red that snaked along the shape of his eyes; Axel's were a purple streak under each eye.
"Mornin' Sora!" Axel called out.
"Morning, Axel, Reno," Sora acknowledged. "You're a little earlier than expected..."
"I'll say," Reno chirped, "the lanterns aren't even on!"
"Who's this silver-haired boy? A friend? Or perhaps..." Axel faltered expectantly.
"A lover?" Reno finished.
Sora's face flushed the color of the brothers' hair. "N-no! He's just here to visit."
"Well, actually I'm here by order of the king. We were sent to protect the colonies." Riku explained.
The brothers raised an eyebrow at each other, then Axel asked, "So, you're here to take care of us like a nanny?"
"Why does everyone keep saying that...?" Riku wondered.
"It's just a strange idea to us," Sora explained sheepishly. "Riku, could you join me in the kitchen? There's a flint there to light the lanterns, if you could take care of that." He glanced at the brothers. "I'll fix you two breakfast right away."
Sora lifted the partition behind the bar and headed into the kitchen with Riku following. Sora found the flint and struck it to light the fireplace before handing it over to Riku.
He searched the kitchen for ingredients for breakfast, gathering eggs, some spiced meat, and a loaf of bread. Cracking the eggs in a pan, he watched them sizzle on the hot metal in the fireplace. He added the meat, stirring them together with a small wooden paddle. The mixture bubbled until finished. He scraped the mixture onto two plates and carried it out to the tavern floor, where Riku had finished lighting the lanterns. He slid the plates in front of the brothers, who tore into it ravenously. Sora returned to the kitchen for the bread, taking a small cup full of jam and butter with him, and he plopped down at the brothers' table.
"Riku, come join us," Sora offered, and Riku sat next to him.
"So Sora, when's Roxas coming to visit from Manhattan?" Axel asked.
"He wrote me a letter saying he would visit when summer began." Sora replied.
Axel let out a dramatic groan. "I have to wait until summer to see my one true love again?"
Sora's face turned red as uncooked meat. "Have you no shame, announcing your feelings for my cousin to the entire town?"
Axel looked around. "I don't see anyone here."
Riku suddenly piped up, covering his mouth which still contained unchewed bread. "I'm sorry, Axel and your cousin are...courting?"
"Unfortunately it is far more than that," Sora groaned. "The entire town probably knows..."
"So? Let them know. I'd climb the highest point in town and shout it aloud if I could." Axel scoffed.
"No one said you couldn't," Reno mumbled suggestively.
Axel's eyes widened, and he slammed his hands on the table. "By King George, you're right!"
He started to rise from his seat when Sora grabbed his sleeve. "No! Sit down! By common sense, you are not declaring your love for Roxas!"
"How long have you two been courting?" Riku wondered.
"Oh, how long has it been? One year?" Axel sighed.
"And your cousin is a boy, correct?" Riku asked Sora.
"Yes," Sora affirmed.
"But that is certainly against the laws of our king!" Riku protested.
"Shh, don't you think we know that?" Axel hissed. "But for real, who's going to enforce it? The king is all the way across the ocean, and we're here. The least he has to worry about is a couple of boys playing backgammon when they meet. But if anyone like you tries to come along and expose us, we will not hesitate to put up a fight."
"I would take Axel's word for it," Sora whispered in Riku's ear. "But even if Axel's threats do not convince you, I beg of you as a friend not to turn them in."
"Do you consider me a friend already?" Riku noted.
"I...well, why wouldn't I?" Sora demanded.
"It's only been a day, and I suppose friendships don't happen when one arrives on the other's doorstep asking for shelter." Riku chuckled.
"I have no doubt that we will become true friends during your stay," Sora replied.
"Aw, isn't that sweet?" Reno purred. "Maybe Sora will finally find his backgammon partner!"
"What does that mean...?" Riku squinted.
"It means - " Axel began, but Sora clapped his hand over Axel's mouth, reaching from the opposite side of the table.
Reno turned to Riku. "What Axel was going to say before being rudely interrupted was that 'playing backgammon' means - "
Sora stretched out his other arm to slap his hand against Reno's mouth.
Under Sora's hand, Axel's muffled voice said, "Oh come on, Sora, what's it going to hurt him to tell him?"
"You shouldn't be talking about this kind of stuff at the breakfast table!" Sora shrieked.
Something wet and warm scraped against Sora's right hand: Reno's tongue. He recoiled his arm, jerking back and tipping his chair. The chair groaned against the floor as it flew back, slamming Sora into the wood.
Axel and Reno's laughs were loud and hearty, like the laughs of the sailors they were.
Riku pushed his chair aside and offered Sora to his feet. Back aching and cheeks burning, Sora took Riku's hand (thankfully Riku had asked for the hand Reno hadn't licked) and stood. He wiped his hand on his shirt. "Fine, tell him. I'll be in the kitchen, away from you and your lewd words."
Axel looked Riku in the eyes, explaining the term. Riku gasped audibly, and the brothers burst into laughter again.
In the kitchen, Sora clapped his hands over his reddening cheeks. "Stupid Axel and Reno, suggesting I want to do that with Riku..." He muttered.
Deep inside him, a voice wondered, Is that not what you want?
Cramming the voice deeper into his head, Sora pretended to busy himself with the tasks of the day.