The carriage bumped on a stone as it woke everyone inside up. Ray and Jay rubbed their eyes and even their heads since they have bumped together. Marryanne stretches and cracks her neck from side to side. Yawning.
Cyrus stirred but he didn't wake up. Soren did. And Soren's shoulder felt numb by Cyrus's head. He yawned. He wiped off his drool. He looked at Cyrus sleeping, barely managing himself from smiling.
"Morning big bro, Soren." Jay yawned.
Soren smiled, "Morning?"
Marryanne looked out, "it's evening at the best."
Outside the moving carriage, the sun dipped low in the horizon as black clouds swirled and hovered down on the earth.
The twins looked at Marryanne and nodded their heads.
"Why don't you three sleep some more?" Soren suggested. Cyrus was still asleep soundly on his shoulder.
"Not tired anymore," Jay sighed.
"And Jay had been drooling on me." Ray side eyes his twin brother.
"No I haven't !" Jay defended himself.
"You have dried up drool on the side of your cheek." Ray pointed out and Jay wiped his mouth.
Marryanne scolded lightly, "stop it, you two." She said, "Big bro Cyrus is sleeping."
The twins immediately quieted down.
Soren sighed and kept his hand on Cyrus's waist as he looked out the window. The raindrops began falling as a serene thought filled Soren's mind. He wondered if time just stopped and his little group could all stay bundled up in this cozy carriage for eternity. Him, Cyrus and the rest of the kids. His little family… well it would be a big one if he added the rest of twenty-five along both the sweet Matron Nell. But he can't help but think that there's something off about the Matron. Like she had changed or something.
Soren sighed pushing away that thought as he glanced towards the three kids. Marryanne was looking out the window, watching the droplets on the glass as they raced each other. The twins were also still quietly bickering about something.
He looked back out the window. As Cyrus stirred slightly in his sleep again. Soren smiled, feeling Cyrus stir against him. Though his shoulder felt numb from Cyrus's head.
Soren looked further. As he had calculated, they had exited the village two hours ago. The rain's getting worse. The coachman might face difficulties controlling the carriage in the pouring rain. They have entered the city part of the way home. The carriage stowed forward as an inn came into view.
Soren blinked for a moment and the carriage abruptly halted in front of the inn. Everyone in the carriage jolted in their seats. That finally woke Cyrus up.
"What was that?" Cyrus rubbed his eyes a little and finally lifted his head up from Soren's numb shoulder.
"The carriage stopped moving." Soren was relieved that Cyrus was still sleepy. Or else he would have flipped on Soren for letting him sleep on his shoulder.
Marryanne looked out the window on Soren's side, "that building is huge."
Ray tipped his head to the side, "huge?" He asked, "it looks like an old hut."
"Must be haunted." Jay added.
Cyrus looked out, "looks more like a brothel than an inn."
"Aww," Soren teased, "Sunshine, you know what a brothel is?" He put his hand on his chest, "And gere I thought, you were innocent."
Cyrus teased at Soren's teasing voice, "of course I know what a brothel is. What do you think I am? A baby?!"
Then the carriage door opened, "you five come out," the coachman's attire was wet as the raindrops resumed covering the man in water, "I have booked an inn for the night as it would be dangerous for us to ride."
The five of them nodded and stepped out of the carriage and headed straight inside the inn for shelter from the rain.
The reception area was a bit big. The coachman spoke, "I only had money for three rooms, the younger ones get one, you two get one and I get one" he pointed to all five of them.
They all nodded. Cyrus didn't mind being in a single room with Soren. They had shared a room since childhood. So, it's okay for Cyrus for now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cyrus takes it back. He wants out of the room. Why is there only one bed? Why is the crowface so calm?
He huffs. "I don't want you sleeping with me on the bed."
Soren was looking out the window. The rain had gotten harsher as heavy pieces of raindrops fell towards the window and on Soren's face.
"Too bad." Soren still didn't look at Cyrus, "you are sleeping with me."
Cyrus blushed at the double meaning behind Soren's words but he pushed those thoughts away as he continued, "I'm not. You are sleeping on the floor."
Soren was more worried about the horses who would pull the carriage. They were kept inside a stable. The rain was harsh. Soren sighed and breathed in cold fresh rain air and then he closed the window. He turned to Cyrus with a grin.
"That's not what you were saying that day."
"What day?" Cyrus was genuinely confused.
"The day we were young. It was raining heavily like today. You crawled in my bed and held my hand. And when I woke up. You hugged me because you wanted to sleep on my bed with me" Soren giggled as little seeing Cyrus's expression, "you were like-"
Cyrus finally remembered, he did that a few years ago when he was the same age as Marryanne. He cut Soren off, "don't you fucking dark finish that sentence."
Soren smirked, "You were like 'big bro, I'm scared of thunder.'" he said it anyway. He wants to see Cyrus's reaction and as always it didn't disappoint.
Cyrus's face turned red. "SORENNNN!!!" He pounced on Soren. Soren dodged and held his body against the bed, "heh i love when you try to attack me and fail."
"FUCK YOU!!!"
They both ended up sharing the bed.