It's been a good few minutes since Soren and Cyrus returned from the woods. Soren had laid Cyrus down on his bed before going over to Matron Nell and handing her the medicinal herbs and she was happy about it although concerned for the patch of bandage on the right of his forehead.
Soren splashed water on his face. The cold water, biting down on his skin as he looked back at the mirror. It's been some good minutes after getting back from the forest.
As soon as he stepped out of the washroom. He got surrounded by children.
"Big bro, Soren!"
"How were the woods?"
"Did you see any wild animals?"
"Why is there a bandage on you? Are you hurt?"
They all swarmed in front of his legs. Surrounding him with their questions and tiny bodies. Soren smiled and scooched to their level.
"Well…" Soren began answering all of their questions one by one. And as they cleared from his way Marryanne approached.
"Hey, Big Bro"
"Oh you have questions too, Mary?"
"Nahhh, just wanted to see you… how is Big Bro Cyrus?" Marryanne tilted her head.
"He is fine," Soren stood up, "just tired."
"Uh-huh…" Marryanne gently gripped Soren's hand, "come on you haven't eaten yet."
"I'm coming." Soren went with her. Because refusing her is futile and Siren had learned that the hard way in the past.
Soren sits next to Marryanne after getting his food from the cafeteria. He had set the tray on the table.
"So… you wanna tell us about your adventure?" Marryanne whispered.
"Sure…" Soren agreed, picking up his fork and banking it against the tray getting everyone's attention. All the eyes turned to him. "Who wants to hear a story?"
All the voices rang out in perfect sync, "me!!!"
"Okay, okay." Soren dramatically sighed, putting his garden on his chest, "oh… where do I even begin? Interesting? Or boring?"
"Interesting please!"
"Yeah Interesting!!!"
"Interwesting!"
Tiny voices of all ages called out to Soren. Soren smiled and stood up on his feet then got on the table using it as a stage. Marryanne quickly got the food trays off the table. So, Soren doesn't step on the food.
"What happened was…" Soren intentionally made his voice lower as he spoke, "me and Cyrus were searching for the herb…" he paused for dramatic effect and let the adrenaline of the kids rush in, "a BIG animal pounced on us…" He paused as the entire cafeteria gasped.
"I with my bare hands was battling that humongous animal." That animal was just a small rabbit that scared the shit out of Soren and Cyrus but he will never say that.
"Bare hands?" Fallon, a red haired kid, not more than fourteen asked. His eyes were a warm shade of Hazel.
Soren nodded, "Yes, bare hands." He nodded. "But while fighting that BIG animal. I got injured…" Soren gasped for dramatic effects as he showed the bandage on the corner of his forehead.
Some of the kids looked at him with concern.
Soren shook his head from side to side as his grin grew larger, "then… Cyrus took care of me… bandaged me like I'm a damsel in distress." Soren made that sound more dramatic than it already is.
The kids gasped from all around the cafeteria.
Some were shocked…
Some do not believe that Cyrus could do that…
Some were just confused…
"Hold your adorable shocked faces." Soren held up his finger and putting his other hand on the curve of his waist. "There's more…"
"More?!"
"Interesting!!!"
"Tell us more!!!"
Soren nodded, "we spent a night inside a spooky cave…" He dropped his voice lower, "and I got a fever in the cave."
"Oh no…"
"Are you okay?"
"Are you–"
Soren shushed the crowd of kids with a finger pressed on his lips. His eyes glanced up on their small faces. "Cyrus took care of me that time as well." Soren nodded, "caring huh?" His grin got bigger.
"Unbelievable…"
"He really took care of him?"
"That's… nice of him…"
"Ahem" Soren cleared his throat, "not only he took care of me but he looked after me all night in that cold, unforgiving cave."
"What?!?!" all the cafeteria gasped in surprise.
"Yeah…" Soren smirked, "why else do you think he is tired today?" He winked at the kids. "Hm?"
"That's why you carried him back?" Fallon asked.
"Yup." Soren smugly replied.
After a long day of Soren telling the other kids stories about the wilderness and exaggerating things. He is tired.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cyrus stirred awake from his sleep. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked out the window at the side of his bed and it was late into the afternoon.
He was about to get out of bed. But before he could do so. The door creaked again and he expected to see a pair of annoying blue eyes. But instead it was just a pair of big brown eyes staring at him and a patch of dark blue hair tied into pigtails.
"You…" Cyrus almost got out of bed, "what do you want…?"
The little girl stared at him. She walks over and climbs on Cyrus's bed.
"Big bro, Cyrus," her big brown eyes sparkled as she glared more deeply into his eyes, "did big bro really protect you with his bare hands?" she blew an excited breath out, "did you really pass out after taking care of big bro, Soren?"
She continued further as Cyrus got more and more confused, "how did big bro Soren's back feel? Was it hard? Was it solid? Did it feel amazing????"
"Eh," Cyrus tilted his head, "what do you mean." Cyrus asked after Maelis finished speaking through her excitement."
"Well… big bro, Soren told us at lunch today." Maelis grinned, "he is even bringing you food… are you two married????"
Huh…
Huh…?
HUHHHHH?????
"He said those things?" Cyrus's mouth was wide open. "Did he say that we are…. WHAT????"
SOREN, YOU FUCKING CROWWWWWW!!!
Somewhere inside the orphanage kitchen Soren shivered. But he shrugged it off as he prepared the tray for Cyrus. Happily humming a tune.