Honey was basically bursting with happiness. The more Ari said, the more he smiled. At the end of it, he rolled onto his back, seized the pillow, and hugged it like it was an old friend. It felt like fireworks were going off inside him. A date! He was actually going to go on a date! And with someone as lovely and genuine and handsome as Ari! This was more than just luck. It was a one in a million chance for someone like him, and he didn't want to waste it.
"Lunch! No, dinner! Ice cream? I don't know! I don't care! Anything is fine!" He tossed the pillow into the air and caught it with a laugh. His excitement couldn't be any more obvious. He sat up so fast that his loose curls became a mess. There were practically stars in his eyes. "Oh, I can't wait! There's so much to show you around here. You're gonna love it, I swear!"
In the bedroom, Arquis let out a very long, nervous breath. Apparently, he had been affected by Ari walking in on him, more so than he'd thought. He gave his partner an appreciative kiss on the knuckles, glad they'd caught him before he'd spiraled too far.
"I still do not know about it, but thank you, Rin." He blushed and brought their entwined hands to his own cheek. Might as well try and joke around a little, brighten the mood. "I am not sure I have the necessary curves for certain dresses. I might look rather rectangular in some. Perhaps Honey could give me some recommendations. He seems to wear them quite confidently.”
Ari grinned, smiling so wide that it almost hurt as he looked down at the excited, happy blond on the floor. "Pick a restaurant, Honey." he replied, beaming. "And we'll get ice cream afterwards." the blond's excitement was, well, adorable, and Ari loved it. Loved the smiles and happiness that was practically radiating off of him.
Rin smiled softly. "That's why we get a fitting, find a dress that fits you exactly right. If that is something that you want to wear, Arquis, then I see no reason to stop you." he could tell that the idea made Arquis anxious, but they wanted to try and assuage that worry.
His smile only made Honey more eager. He rolled over onto his side—the one that wasn't marked by the burn and covered in bandages—and placed his hand on Ari's knee. It was a genuinely innocent gesture, just a way to show his enthusiasm, but it made him blush nonetheless. He withdrew his hand and clutched it to his chest as if it'd been touched by something precious.
"I know exactly the place. It's not somewhere I go very often, 'cause it's a little outta the way, and it's not much fun to go alone. But it's incredible." His wide grin shifted into something smaller, something nostalgic and fond. "It was the first place I went to when I saved up some money. I'd never really gotten the chance to eat out much before that, and when I did, it was always cheaper stuff. The kinda quick food that's good but not great. But when I went there, it was just… I got it. I got why people spent so much money on food, why it was such a big deal in books and stuff."
There was a moment when he let that settle in. The firelight was dimming to embers, and it made the room look dreamlike. Romantic, even. He folded his arms under the back of his head. There was a peace about him that hadn't been there before.
A similar mood had entered the guest room. Arquis, his feelings made soft by his partner's gentle reassurances, drew them into a hug that was followed by a kiss. He wasn't sure about the dress, but it didn't feel as daunting, there in the quiet darkness of the room.
"You are one of the best things that has ever happened to me," he murmured, his voice barely audible over a gust of wind outside.
Ari didn't mind the touch, and he beamed down at Honey. "Yeah. That sounds great, Honey. We'll go there tomorrow, just you and me, okay? Rinlos and Arquis will do something together somewhere else, and we'll go out to this restaurant, and we'll spend some time together. Just you and me." he was looking forward to it, actually.
Rin smiled softly, returning the hug and kiss softly. "Mm, same here, darling." he replied, voice as soft as his smile. "I adore you, my love."
(omg what if they go on a date while arquis and rin do the dress fitting ? of course they wouldn’t actually be able to buy a dress but it could be a test run of sorts)
"Just you and me," Honey repeated softly, starting to fidget with excitement once more. He was a bundle of nervous energy, pretty much ready to head out the door at that moment. If it wasn't nighttime, he might've actually done it, dashed away to secure a reservation. Instead, he cast a flirtatious smile up at him.
"What do you want me to wear? Surely you have a preference." It was the type of thing he was used to hearing. Men would request certain dresses or shorts or colors, sometimes for extremely immoral reasons. He hated to think of them. But Ari, he hoped, would choose his outfit for less offensive purposes. Maybe he thought it'd be rude for Honey to wear something short, a sign of disrespect. Maybe he didn't like it when Honey wore makeup. Maybe he'd prefer him to stay away from unflattering colors. These were all things he'd heard before. He was used to being dressed like a doll. Choices were only truly his when he was on his own.
"And I you," Arquis whispered in the guest bed. The burst of energy from all the dress questions had wore off, and his head dropped back against his chest. "Might not stay up as long as I thought. Quite, mm… quite…"
(ooh yes I love that!)
Ari cocked his head slightly. "You can wear whatever you like, Honey." he replied. "I'm not going to tell you what to do." he knew that that was probably what Honey was used to, but he wanted to leave the choice up to the blond. Whatever Honey wanted to wear, Ari was certain it would look lovely on him.
Rin yawned softly, holding onto Arquis. "That's alright, darling. Get some sleep." he whispered, closing his own eyes and knowing that sleep was just around the corner for them bot.
Honey's brow furrowed. Maybe he hadn't understood. Or had he offended him somehow through accidental negative connotations? He hadn't meant to imply that Ari would be controlling or manipulative if he picked an outfit. Certainly not.
"Oh, don't worry. It's not telling. You're just giving me, like, a recommendation. A suggestion. A guideline, if that's how you wanna put it. Something that'll make it more enjoyable for you." His smile was easy and pleased, as if what he was saying was completely normal. It was very clear even as he was trying to be positive that he felt that the date was an unequal exchange. He felt that he would get more out of it than Ari unless he did something to sweeten the deal. And in his mind, it was not only fair but reasonable to give up control of his appearance if it would satisfy him.
Arquis was asleep within five minutes. He didn't dream this time around, which was lucky considering his recent streak of nightmares. There was just nothingness, a peaceful void to sink into as his breathing steadied and his body relaxed.
(yooo 100 pages!!)
Ari's brows drew together. "Wear something that makes you happy, alright? Is that enough of a guideline?" he could tell Honey was doing this because he thought he needed to, and so maybe if Ari just gave a loose guideline, it would help? Give Honey an idea of what to do that wouldn't be controlling in any way.
Rin took a bit longer to fall asleep, but eventually did so, letting out a soft sigh and snuggling closer to his lover.
(yay that's a lot! also since arquis is asleep I plan to stop writing his perspective—unless something happens during the night, like rin has a nightmare?—until morning)
Honey's smile faltered. That couldn't really be it. Did happy mean something else? Maybe he was trying to say that Honey shouldn't act so bleak during their outing. That seemed like a stretch, though. After all, he'd said wear something, not try and look happy. Was happy a stand-in for something less innocent? Wear something that made him feel attractive, maybe? But even that seemed too pure. There had to be a catch. There was always a catch. If he kept pushing it, though, would that make him upset? Would he call off the date?
"Yeah," he said softly. "I'll try."
There was another question, one that he really did dread but knew he had to ask. His throat bobbed as he swallowed. Ari had said he wasn't interested in knowing him physically until he knew him emotionally. Now that they were going on a date, that meant that the latter requirement would be fulfilled. Which meant the former would inevitably be as well.
"And underneath?" His eyes went to the floor, where they stayed. "I have a lot of options. Anything you want."
(yeah! Alright that's fine :) yeah I might have Rin have a nightmare, tbh, since he's been under a lot of stress with the sickness and Honey's situation)
"Underneath…?" He frowned faintly, not understanding why Honey was asking that. After a long moment of confusion, he realized. "Oh. Uh…I don't…sex isn't something I want. Wear something comfortable. I don't care. Uh." He stammered for a moment, trying to figure out how best to communicate to Honey that normal dates, normal partners, didn't dictate what the other person wore. "Honey, sweetheart, on normal dates, your partner doesn't choose what you wear. And that's what this is. A normal date. I don't expect not want anything else. Just a fun date with a lovely, sweet young man, wearing whatever he wants to wear." He hoped he was saying the right things.
(that would work! I realize it's been kinda arquis/honey-problem-centric lately, so you could definitely put the focus on rin for a bit!)
Several emotions ran across Honey's face. At first, he looked confused, then like he'd been scolded, and finally anxious. Sure, he wore whatever he wanted in ordinary day-to-day life, but when it came to being with someone else he never got to choose how he dressed. There was always a preference. Lace instead of silk, something with a lot of straps, items with more gaps than fabric. Whatever the other man wanted, he'd get. Because he was paying for the experience. Ari wasn't paying him to go on the date, he knew, but the blond was just so used to someone else taking charge. Playing dress up, in a sense.
He wanted to ask if Ari was certain. Instead, he said, "Oh. Um, alright. Sorry, I didn't know." Suddenly, the room felt dark rather than cozy, and the smoke from the fire felt choking. It was because he'd messed up, just as he had with Myr. He waited for a punishment that didn't come, then, after a moment, relaxed. "For the record, I think you're sweet, too. And handsome. Very handsome.”
(alright!)
"It's alright." Ari said, then smiled a little at the compliments. "Thank you, Honey. But, ah, do you understand that I'm not going to tell you what to wear? That that is entirely your choice, and I am sure you will look lovely no matter what you choose to wear?" He really wanted Honey to understand all of this, before the conversation changed too much. This was important. Even if he and Honey didn't work out, he wanted Honey to get a better sense of what dating someone should mean.
"Yeah. Maybe. I don't know. It's weird, but not in a bad way. It's nice, I think. Makes me feel less, uh, like a thing. More like a person." His ears went red as he realized his mistake, and he stammered, "I mean, I'll be whatever! I can whatever you need me to be! I don't mind!"
That was the type of mistake that would've gotten him in deep trouble with most men. They would've scowled, demanding to know what he meant. He might not have gotten hit for it, but things would have become tense. He would've really had to work to make it up to them, especially if he wanted any kind of tip. That had been a very tough lesson that he'd had to learn in his first year. Then again, his first year in general had been extremely hard.
"Really, I, uh, didn't mean that. Made it sound like it was a bad thing for people to have preferences. And it's not. It's just fine."
He felt his heart break a little at the admission, swallowing softly. "Honey, sweetheart, there's a difference between a preference and control. A preference would be me saying, uhm, that I like it when you wear makeup. Control would be me saying that if you don't wear makeup, then you're in trouble or I am no longer attracted to you." he hoped that that made sense to Honey, but he wasn't honestly sure that it would.
Honey listened with a pinched expression, as if he were about to protest but couldn't find the right words to do so. He squeezed the corner of the pillow with a small sigh. What Ari was saying made sense, but he didn't want to admit that it did. If he accepted that, then he'd have to accept that he'd basically been a puppet for years, living without a voice of his own. He supposed that was the truth. If Rin and Arquis hadn't come along, then men would still be making choices for him, and nobody would know about his suffering until it was too late. He really had underestimated the danger of the business. In the past week, he'd been bruised and scraped, bitten and burned. He'd had his wrist and ribs nearly broken and his eye blackened. Usually, the attacks weren't so frequent nor severe, but maybe that was a sign that it was all getting worse.
He was spiraling again. He remembered Ophia's advice and took a couple of deep breaths, his shoulders rising and falling with the effort. Then, he rolled to face Ari.
"I think I get it. If it's something I wouldn't do to you, then I shouldn't accept it if it's done to me." His voice was almost unbearably soft. Scared, even. "Like, I wouldn't yell if you wore a certain color, and I wouldn't be angry if you put on a short skirt. That sort of thing. I should be upset if someone treated me like that, right?"
He nodded slightly. "Yeah." he said in a soft tone. "Or, if it helps, think of it this way: if Arquis treated Rinlos that way, would you be upset on Rinlos's behalf? Would you think Arquis was being cruel or controlling, or would you think it was normal? Because if it's bad for Arquis to do to Rinlos, then it is also bad for anyone else to do to you." he gave Honey a small, soft little smile.
(honey is part of the rin protection squad)
A slight spark of anger flared to life in Honey's eyes, and he scrunched the pillow in his grip. Nobody should treat the bard like that. They were far too good a person to deserve any cruelty, much less the kind that the blond had suffered. Even the thought that someone might raise their voice at him for wearing what they desired was enough to make him seethe with rage.
"No one treats Rin poorly when I'm around," he growled, a protective note in his tone. "If Arquis did so much as threaten a single hair on their head, I'd make him regret it. No one hurts him. No one yells at them. He doesn't deserve it."
(yeah lol)
"Exactly." Ari said softly. "If it's a bad thing for someone to do to Rin, then it's bad for someone to do it to you too." he smiled a little bit, hoping that Honey understood the point that he was trying to make. "Does that…does that make sense, Honey?" he fidgeted for a moment, hoping he wasn't pushing the issue too much.
"Yeah. I know what you're trying to say. Doesn't mean I fully agree with it, but, y'know, that's 'cause it's not how I was raised. Been thinking the same way for so long that sometimes it feels like my brain's broken." Honey laughed, but it was humorless. The smile lines around his eyes disappeared as he exhaled and glanced aside. "Can't help it. But it's alright. It's not gonna change in a day. Maybe if I really can get outta all this, then I'll have a chance at fixing myself."
He didn't know if he fully believed that there was an out. Hypothetically, even if he quit The Cecilia Rouge, packed his bags and put Sugar into her carrying case, and convinced Lovey to move away with him, they'd still be in trouble. They'd only have enough money to last for so long. He could get a different job, one that was much less strenuous, but eventually his lack of skills and training would shine through. He'd be forced into lower-paying careers. A couple of slip-ups later and he'd be out of work again. Lovey couldn't do super difficult jobs. She wasn't cut out for it. He'd have to revert to his old ways, either stealing or, well, what he did at the inn, and everything would start over. At least, that's what his mind had convinced him would happen.
Ari nodded slightly, tucking his knees to his chest again and looking over at Honey. "Yeah. We can work on it together." he said, smiling a little bit as he looked at the young man near him. "You're going to be alright. And as for what you wear tomorrow…wear something that you feel comfortable in." he knew he had already said that multiple times, but he wanted to make sure Honey knew that Ari would never try to tell Honey what to wear.
Honey gave Ari a faint nod and the pillow a gentle pat. His nerves still remained, but he was beginning to feel that bubbly giddiness again. There was a whole closet of possibilities. Sweaters, fuzzy pants, and knee high socks with cute patterns; sleek, elegant dresses, long gloves, and heels; frilly skirts, scarves, and pretty coats; shirts with floral embroidery, fake flower hairpins, and sandals. He loved dressing up for himself, though he was rarely given the opportunity. Makeup was something he also liked to experiment with. The look he'd done earlier had been glamorous yet soft. He wished he'd gotten to enjoy it for longer.
"I've got some ideas!" he exclaimed by way of response. Then, still feeling a bit uneasy and shy about the whole thing, he added, "I don't know. Maybe they're silly? I know sometimes I can be kinda vain."
That was a word that he absolutely hated. It wasn't one that people used often because they usually liked it when he dressed up, but sometimes he got a client that just hated the whole parade. They wanted to get down to business, and if he made even the slightest fuss about them messing with his clothes or jewelry, they'd read him the riot act. He was snobby, self-absorbed, shallow. Those typically escalated into even worse insults, the kind he couldn't bring himself to think of. He hated that people had turned something as fun as fashion into a dangerous game.
Ari smiled at the response, then became a little saddened. "You aren't vain. It isn't vain to like to dress up and look nice." he reassured, smiling gently as he looked at the blond. "From what I've seen of you, you put together wonderful, beautiful outfits. And that is not vain, to enjoy doing that." he shifted in his seat a little bit, sad that so many people had said things to Honey to make him feel bad about enjoying anything.
"Oh. Thank you," Honey replied, his eyes wide and cheeks flooding with a pretty pink hue. He was a bit awestruck. Ari had been so kind to him all day, even when he was being distant and grumpy during their meal. To be talked to so sweetly and then be asked on a date with no ulterior motive was an almost magical experience.
He glanced over, tempted to make a nice comment about Ari's outfit in return, but paused when he saw the look on his face. That slight sadness was alarming. Honey didn't think that he'd done or said anything to cause it, but he could've been mistaken. Had he reminded Ari of a bad memory of some sort?
"Did I upset you?" he blurted, then tried again. "Sorry, you just look a little, uh, yeah. Upset."
He flashed a quick smile. "No. I'm not…it's fine. You didn't do anything wrong, Honey." he didn't want to make the blond feel guilty for what he had said. He really didn't want to do that to Honey, since he knew that the young man would feel guilty and ashamed for saying anything if Ari told him.
Honey seemed unsure, but he nodded. If Ari wanted to talk about whatever might be bothering him, then he could. The blond would certainly listen. He flashed him a quick smile before rolling into a sitting position. The bandages on his side were starting to irritate him, and he rubbed at them absentmindedly. It was unfortunate that it had to be a burn. Those took a while to heal, which meant he couldn't wear any sort of crop top or two-piece dress. Even once the scarring began to fade, he'd still probably have to cover it with concealer if he ever wanted to dress that way. Otherwise, he'd risk getting a lot of strange, pitying, or terrified stares.
His mind wandered over everything that had been said about the date, and he realized he still had a few questions. These were much more pleasant than the ones he'd asked earlier.
"Do people buy gifts for their dates?" he asked. He'd already been planning something small, but he remembered Lovey talking about a lady that had bought her an expensive necklace and wondered if he should do more. "Like, is that a custom? Tradition? The norm?
Back in the guest bedroom, Arquis stirred but didn't wake. He was unknowingly pulling more and more of the blankets over to his side of the bed. Without intervention, Rin would basically be left without a single sheet on them.
