Hiro had caught Lucas in the market and invited him over for dinner. He was out on a variety of errands and he needed the help carrying what he could back. Of course, it was still Lucas carrying a couple baskets while Hiro managed the rest. Of course, he wasn’t stopping at his house, but heading past it to an older, larger house further down the road. He looked over to check in. “Sorry, I forgot you’ve never been to my mother’s house. Are you doing okay with all of that?”

“Yeah I’m fine, you’ve got your hands full too. So I don’t mind. Plus the least I could do when your mom is always making us food.” Probably the only person Lucas would eat from and never be suspicious of is anything to do with hiro. The occasional times Lucas and hiro had eaten luck together or brought some over to his house Lucas really did enjoy it. Which was a huge deal. “This is a lot of stuff though. How were you going to manage this all yourself?”

“Sometimes they give me a stick to balance the baskets on. Or a cart.” He shrugged. “I didn’t think it would be this much. My mom just sends me to a list of places to go and pick things up. I probably should have realized.  The only time she orders like this is when Tira’s ship comes in. She always makes her extra.”

“There are plenty of other ships but okay?” Lucas furrowed his brow a bit, what was so special about Tira's ship? Whatever. 

“No like… I mean when she comes home. Mom likes to make sure she’s welcomed properly.”

Why would they visit Tira’s home? Are they that close? “Okay?”

“You don’t get extra food when you go home after a long time?”

“I’m the only one who cooks. Why would they be extra food? Maybe in Kirkwall even then.” Lucas shrugged. He was confused as to why Hiro brought that up. 

He shrugged, leading him up the path and into the house. “We do that here. There’s also going to be more than enough for you too. There’s always extra.”

“Alright. Your mom does make good food.” He didn’t ask why there was so much. He often did get some from Hiro regardless. He looked at the house in front of them. “Where will these go?”

He led Lucas to an open kitchen with an island and a worn but study dining table. “Just set everything over there. Nanay! I brought your stuff!”

An older woman came from down the hall. She was a bit shorter than Hiro though they had the same eyes and round face. Otherwise she looked like many other of the older women of the village with sun faded dark hair and tan skin. “Good, finally! Oh. You brought company?”

“Nanay, this is Lucas. He’s with the Lords of Fortune. Lucas, this is my mother, Mari.”

“The Lords of Fortune. You both should have joined the Navy,” she huffed and looked Lucas over. “They talk a lot about you, but they didn’t mention how pale you are.”

“Nanay…”

She gave Lucas a quick, too tight hug and pinched his arm. “Don’t they feed you in the Lords? Come, I made a snack for Hiro. You should have some while I get dinner started.”

Once Lucas had put down the stuff on the island he was met with a lot at once. He assumed this was Hiro's mom. Lucas allowed the hug and the touch. It was Hiro's mother after all. He wasn’t going to be a jerk to his best friend's mom though he held back his uncomfortable face to a more stoic one. He wasn’t phased by the comments. He was paler than most lords. “The Lords don’t make good food.” Lucas just shrugged.

“Sit down then, start eating now. I’ll make sure you have enough for tomorrow.” She sat him down at the table next to Hiro. She put a plate of fried bananas and egg rolls for him. “Do you know my Tira? She’s in the Lords too.”

Her Tira? That’s really personal so they must be close. But Lucas nodded, “Here and there. I’m not too familiar with her though.” He did remember her dancing with Juan and him getting pissed off about it. That much he remembered about Tira. 

“...Why are you being weird?” Hiro whispered to him. 

“I’m not being weird.” Lucas furrowed his brow, tilting his head at hiro. If anything they were weird. Lucas was being totally normal. 

Hiro stared at Lucas then shook his head, returning to the bananas.

“What do you do for them? Hiro and Tira are treasure hunters, but I don’t like them doing that. Still, Tira is a very good sailor. Better in the Navy.”

“A little everything. They put me whenever they need me. I though mostly do the paperwork. Isabella isn’t a fan of that stuff and we need to track what comes in and out of the lords to some extent. I’m best at it. But tracking and treasure hunting I will do with hiro if there’s a job.” Lucas took an egg roll then looked at Hiro, his brow furrowed, confused at his gaze.

“I see. That’s a very good career to have. Neither Hiro or Tira are interested in doing such work, but it will carry you longer than treasure hunting.”

“We’re doing fine, Nanay,” Hiro said with an embarrassed chuckle. “You’ll see when she comes home tonight.”

“When you’re done with that, put the food away. I want to have something done before she gets here,” she huffed before turning her sights back on Lucas. “Do you prefer tea or coffee, Lucas?”

Tira was going to visit? “Oh, coffee please.” He nodded 

“Go make it, Hiro.” 

Hiro begrudgingly took one of the eggrolls and headed to the stove.

“What about oxtail, Lucas?”

“He’s allergic to peanuts, Nanay,” he called as he started the water for the coffee.

“When did you plan on telling me?” She sighed. “I can make it the other way then.”

“Oxtail?” Lucas tilted his head, “I’ve never had it but yeah hiro is right.”

“Once you’re done, Hiro, give your friend a tour. You are staying for dinner, Lucas.”

Lucas nodded, who was he to say no to Hiro’s mom? Honestly it seemed like Hiro took after her a lot. Lucas would rarely say no to Hiro, he feared it was much the same with his mom. 

Hiro handed over a hot cup of coffee and nodded to the hall. “It won’t take long. It’s an old house.” 

Hiro walked down the hall pointing off to each door. “Den in there, that over there’s my parents’ room. Then my room. Then Tira’s. Toilet’s here if you need it, but we keep our bath separate and outside. Fenced so no one can see in, but still. My parents have a workshop outside and a big garden for fruits and vegetables.”

Lucas took the coffee and walked along with hiro, taking in all the notes but he was confused. His brow furrowed more, “Tira has a room here?” Why would she have a room here? Didn’t Tira have their own place? Why would she bother Hiro's family? 

“Yeah, of course she does. Neither of us spend a huge amount of time at home anymore, but there's no way my mother's going to redo our rooms. She's said she wants us to move back home some day.”

They just let strangers live here? Lucas just shrugged, he didn’t ask further. “Your family is very trusting.” 

“I’m not sure I would say trusting, but my mother is very sympathetic to people. She always let’s people stay who gets washed up or just needs a roof, whether or not she likes or trusts them. But Tira was always special to her, which is why I think she adopted her so fast.”

“Adopted?? Wait what?” Lucas tilted his head at grip pausing in the hallway. His head started thinking back, Hiro’s mom getting things from Tira's ship, Hiro calling it their home, Tira having a room in the house? Adopted, “Oh my fucking god, is Tira your sister?!”

“Yeah, I mean, she was technically a legal adult but she’s been registered as part of our family and is part of my parents’ legal work—Wait, what? You knew that.”

“No! No I didn’t Hiro- we literally never mentioned this. At all! I thought she was just some weirdo who kept bothering you guys!”

Hiro thought back, “I usually tell people when I introduce her, but you already knew her when I met you.”

“Yeah, I knew her but I didn’t talk to her! I don’t ask people about their family life! Why would I? Hiro. Tira was your sister the whole time???” 

“Since I was fourteen, yeah.”

“I don’t tell people a lot of things, but this is kinda something you tell someone. I really thought Tira was a weirdo.”

“Have you told Juan that peanuts will kill you?”

“No? I cook, why would I tell them if it’s useless to them?” Lucas furrowed his brow failing to see how this was the same scenario. 

“Right… I wasn’t keeping it from you. I guess I assumed you knew when we went shopping for gifts. I only ever mention it when I talk about her. When I started in the Lords, I really wanted to make a name for myself on my own. So I guess I just never mention her unless someone sees us together.”

“I shop for Juan? I thought it was the same type of situation.” 

“The same… you thought we were dating?!”

Lucas went a little red, flustered which was a rare sight, “Yeah.” 

“NO. We are not. Do.. does anyone else think that?!”

“I don’t know! You spend a lot of time with Tira and you don’t tell anyone your siblings! I wouldn’t be surprised?!” 

“Sibling. Just the one.” Hiro blinked his big, lavender eyes. “I haven’t been able to get a date in six months! That never happens! Is this why?!” 

“Hiro. The only woman you ever have around you is Tira. Isabella doesn’t count. So Maybe???” Lucas just pat Hiro’s shoulder, “Maybe- start telling people that.”

“I guess… ugh that's so…. blegh,” he shuddered, cringing hard at the thought. 

“That’s on you. I didn’t expect you to keep secrets.” 

“It’s not a secret! No one ever asks me about her, or I would say something!”

“Who asked about a person's love life?!”

“That's actually a very normal thing to ask. Now that you mention it, no one asks if I'm single anymore either.”

Lucas sided-eyed him, “You might want to actually tell people Tira is your sister whenever you talk about her. Otherwise it just looks like you’re doing a lot for a random woman.” 

“That doesn't sound weird? I need to pick up something for Tira. I would have called Tira but she's busy. Tira told me to wear shoes. I have to add ‘Tira, my sister,’ to all of that?”

“If it were said without it I would think you two are dating. We are going to have to do a vote or something because I can’t be that much of an idiot to be the only one who didn’t know.” 

“Do I just go around the Hilt telling people she’s my sister? That sounds crazy.”

“Call it to an actual vote. A big sign and a ballot, who knew Tira was Hiro's sister. Right at the hilt. You get to know who else thought the same thing I did and you don’t have to tell people directly. It’ll just be a known Lord thing.”

“That’s insane.” Hiro took in a huge breath and huffed. “It’s the only way to get them to do anything short of putting it on the bar.”

“If they are drunk enough they will vote.” Lucas shrugged 

“Fine,” he grumbled. “We’ll ask Tira about it when she gets here. If she says yes, then we’ll do it.”

“Deal. I’m putting money on it.”