forum The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

Rin eventually fell asleep, still curled in Arquis's arms. They hoped they would not dream again, or that if they did, they would have pleasant dreams. Luckily, his sleep was dark, dreamless, and peaceful.

[Day Thirteen]

Arquis awoke at around six in the morning, which was unusual because he hadn't remembered falling asleep. It must have been sometime after Rib drifted off. He scratched blearily at his forehead. As he was getting ready to pull up the covers and get in another hour or two of rest, he heard a noise from the other room. Something metallic. A clang, then the unmistakable sound of running water and the scrubbing of a sponge. He was too curious not to investigate. He carefully slipped out from under his lover, who he'd been embracing, and stumbled to the door.

"Good morning," Ophia said quietly as he entered the living room. She was in the kitchen, cleaning dishes in the sink. The whole house smelled incredible, though it was a savory scent rather than the sweet aroma of baked goods. It grew stronger as he approached. He paused briefly to look at Honey and Ari. A small smile blossomed on his face. Maybe there really was hope for them, yet.

"Good morning. Is there anything I can help with?" Arquis asked once he was at her side. The kitchen was small, cozy, and decorated with an array of cute trinkets just like the rest of her home. There were pink-checkered jars for sugar and flour, bottles for oils with ribbons around their thin necks, tiny pinch pots full of salts and spices, and well-worn rugs shaped like birds.

"I don't suppose you're any good at cooking?" She gestured over her shoulder at a cutting board, where a chunk of onion sat uncut. "I'm making breakfast."

He smiled warmly at her and, after she nodded his way, picked up the knife by the board. Dicing the onion would be easy but slow work. He could do precision, but it was unlikely that he'd ever have the speed to work in an actual kitchen.

"I am alright at it. Not exactly a professional, but I can manage. Does this need to be diced?"

"Yes." She finally smiled back and added, "Thank you."

After that, neither of them said much for a while. Ophia finished the dishes and went to heat some oil in a pan on the stove. Arquis diced the onion and some bell peppers, then rinsed some spinach. She started to sauté the vegetables and some other ingredients in a bowl, which she added to some rice that had already been boiled. They kept working in peaceful harmony. It wasn't as awkward as the nobleman might have expected.

Rin kept sleeping peacefully, even once Arquis had left. This was probably a good thing; the young person needed their sleep, after that nightmare that he had had that night. It had been a terrifying and stressful thing to experience, and he counted himself so lucky that he had not dreamed it again.

Ari was snuggled up close to Honey, one arm wrapped loosely around Honey's waist as the two slept together, snuggled close beneath the blanket in front of the dead fire. It had gone out at some point in the night, and it hadn't been restoked.

After about half an hour of cooking, Ophia gently nudged the nobleman's shoulder and tipped her head at Ari and Honey. There was a tiny, knowing grin playing at her lips. He stopped scooping the rice, egg, and vegetable mixture onto plates to hide his own smile. They were terribly sweet together.

"Should we let them sleep in?" she whispered, sprinkling some salt over the neatly-divided portions. "They had a pretty rough time yesterday. We could always pop this in the fridge for later, and then you could reheat it when they're awake. I've got a house call to take care of first, so I've gotta have mine now."

"I do not know." Arquis remembered Rin's nightmare. They really did deserve to get some more rest. He himself wasn't that tired anymore, though, and he wasn't sure if they'd be alright with waking up on his own.

On the carpet, Honey stirred. There was an imprint on his cheek from where it'd been pressing into the carpet. A deep, soft groan came from his throat, and he eventually opened his eyes to rub at his jaw. Golden stubble was beginning to break out there in slight patches. He'd have to shave soon.

"Mm," he mumbled inelegantly, jostling Ari. "C'mon, stranger. You're on my arm."

It was true. While the other man’s arm was draped across his waist, Honey’s arm was trapped under his hip. His wrist was starting to go numb.

Ari let out a faint noise of irritation at the jostling, rolling onto his back and rubbing his eyes, then slowly looking over at Honey. "Mmph. G' mornin'." he mumbled, accent heavy and voice thick with sleep. "Sleep well?" his dark curls were messy from being slept on, sticking up a little bit in a rather endearing bedhead.

Honey made a strangled sound upon actually seeing him and went a wonderful pink shade. Before he could even think about answering that question, something had to be done about his hair. He reached over and—in contrast to the jostling, which had been playful—very gently combed through his curls.

"Still kinda tired," he admitted. His grogginess was evident in the soft slur in his words. He, too, had an accent, and it wasn't the crisp, fluid Anvillean accent of the noble in the kitchen. His had a twang to it, a sort of natural roll and lazy rhythm.

Arquis came into the living room, having heard voices. The blond detangled himself from Ari to gesture at the nobleman. It seemed that he wanted him to join, but it was a bit hard to tell considering his movements were sluggish and uncoordinated. That teasing grin on his face, however—there was no mistaking that. He sat beside the two of them dutifully.

"Now it's a party," Honey mumbled sarcastically, patting Arquis's ankle to show that he was joking. "Something smells good. You been cooking for us?"

"Perhaps." He cast a glance at Ari. His tone was falsely aloof. "Did you two sleep well? That was adorable, by the way. Finding you two out here like that. Quite the surprise."

Ari flushed faintly, shrugging his shoulders. "I slept well, yes." he replied, running a hand over his hair and looking over at Arquis. "I can't speak for Honey, but…" he trailed off, sighing very faintly. He still felt groggy and only half-awake. "I am glad you think so." he laughed quietly.

Honey wasn't in a laughing mood any longer. He was in a sleeping mood. Grumpy, he rolled over on top of Ari, then pulled the blanket over the two of them.

"Changed my mind. Not going anywhere. Goodnight," he grouched, poking a hand out only to shoo Arquis away. The noble grinned. Honey retracted his arm with surprising speed and let his head thump against Ari's chest. He was absolutely not going to deal with anything. Not the weak, gray morning light that was starting to stream in through the windows, not anyone's expectations, and certainly not breakfast.

Ophia left the kitchen with a plate, went to her room, and closed the door. After a surprisingly short amount of time, she came out well-dressed and with a bag full of supplies. Her thick hair was tied with part of an old, upcycled scarf, and she was also carrying an umbrella. There looked like there might be a small chance of rain later on. She didn't want to be caught unprepared.

"I've got to dash. Honey, sweetie, come see me later today if I don't get back before you leave. I'll need to do your bandages." She made it all the way to the door before stopping. "Please don't wreck my house while I'm gone."

Ari laughed at Honey's sudden change of heart, wrapping an arm around the blond. "You can't sleep all day, and it isn't night time." he said, smiling at the blond laying on top of him. "You're being a bit ridiculous." but he didn't mind. He found it rather endearing, to be honest.

Ophia left with a very heavy sigh. Whatever chaos was to ensue, she wasn't going to be a part of it. She didn't bother locking the door, just headed off with her bag bouncing against her hip.

Honey was incredibly disgruntled. Without warning, he stood. He kind of wobbled for a moment before bending to snatch the blanket straight off of Ari. Then, in an almost kingly fashion, he tossed it around his own shoulders and jutted out his chin. His new stubble was very noticeable in the pale light of day.

"Ridiculous? How rude. You know what? I'm gonna go find someone who appreciates me." He sniffed haughtily and strode past Arquis, looking far too confident for a man in a blanket cape. Before the nobleman could warn him, he threw open the door to the guest room, stumbled to the bed, and flopped down next to Rin. He slid his legs under the covers with a long, dramatic yawn.

Ari laughed, watching from the floor as Honey stomped away, sitting up on his elbow so that he could follow Honey's movements as the man moved into the guest room and plopped down on the bed with Rinlos.

Rin, startled awake by the sudden movement of the bed, almost instantly had a response that could only be born of trauma. He sat bolt upright faster than most people could upon waking, his arms automatically coming up defensively before his eyes were even fully open. Despite not having further nightmares, the rest of his night had not been very restful, and he had not slept very deeply.

Honey immediately scrambled backwards, trying to stay out of reach in case they lashed out. That had frightened him; he was wide awake. He glanced helplessly at Arquis, who was frozen in the doorway, before returning his focus to Rin. Guilt consumed him. Sometimes, he really didn't think before he acted. He could be awfully careless.

"Did I scare you?" He winced, already knowing the answer to the question. "I'm sorry, hot stuff. Rin. I'm sorry."

The nobleman finally found that he was able to move, and he strode over to his partner's side of the bed. He knelt so that he was on their level and offered him a reassuring smile. On the inside, he was terribly worried. They'd had a rough night. Would it be a difficult morning as well? He wondered if he should try and get Honey out of the room, or if he should call Ari in. Maybe his lover would just want to be alone. He couldn't quite anticipate their needs yet.

"Good morning, love," he murmured softly. "How are we today?"

Rin took a few deep breaths, blinking away the last bits of sleep and trying to focus on Honey and on their partner. "I…sorry, Honey." he whispered. "I didn't mean…" he took another breath, fidgeting for just a moment as he tried to figure out what to do or say now. "I…" he looked up at Arquis. "I'm fine." their voice was quiet.

A crease appeared in between Honey's brows as he frowned and shook his head. "Nah, you don't gotta apologize. I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that. Bad way to wake someone up."

He hesitated for a beat or two, then reached out and very softly placed his hand on their shoulder. The contact was so light that he could barely feel their shirt. They seemed like they might be overwhelmed by hand holding or an actual hug, but he still wanted to bring him some peace, and he knew that they liked touch.

"You need me outta here? I can go. Won't mind a bit."

Arquis nodded and shifted, placing his forearms on the edge of the bed and resting his head on top. "You do not have to be fine, my love. Just say the word. Whatever you need."

Ari got up and came in, standing in the doorway. "Rin, you alright?" he asked softly, arms folded loosely over his chest as he looked over at his friend.

Rin cleared their throat softly. "I…I just need a minute." he replied in a quiet tone. "I really am fine." they gave a tiny smile, still working on just…not panicking, in all reality.

Arquis cast a quick glance at Ari. His expression was obviously concerned, but by the time he looked back at his lover, it had returned to something calm and fond. He didn't like hiding what he was feeling around Rin, but in a situation like this he was worried that appearing upset might only make things worse. He reached out and gently entwined their fingers together.

"Take all the time you need, my heart." Gingerly, as if he was touching an expensive piece of art, he rubbed his thumb along their knuckles.

Honey looked much less calm. He felt awful for startling Rin and even worse for staying in the room. His heart was beating a nervous, uneven rhythm in his chest. He hadn't meant for this to happen. It was supposed to be a joke. Rin was supposed to wake up slowly, and then they would all spend some time in the bed like they had at the inn.

"I'm real sorry," he repeated, nervously retracting his hand. The last thing he needed was to make things worse. Arquis had everything covered. He should leave.

Rin looked over at Honey, shaking his head quickly. "It's not your fault, Honey." they said softly. "You did'nt…I had…I had a bad nightmare last night, and it's still…lingering, I guess. It is not your fault. You didn't know. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem." he cleared his throat faintly, taking another deep breath.

Ari watched and listened, coming over to sit at the foot of the bed.

Honey didn't seem convinced until they mentioned the nightmare. A darkness flickered through his gaze for the briefest of seconds, then vanished without a trace. He attempted something close to a smile. It almost looked painful, but he really was trying.

"Nightmares are the worst. If you want, I'll beat it up for you."

Arquis's mouth quirked in faint amusement. "The nightmare?"

"Yeah. I'd do it. I'm tough. I'd win." He reached over and patted the bard's head. "But really, Rin. Those suck. And I'm still sorry. Why don't I make it up to you? Serve you breakfast in bed with lover boy here, give you a chance to relax? Would that be nice?"

Rin smiled faintly at Honey's words, shaking their head for a moment. "I am sure you would try to beat it up, though I am not sure you would succeed." he replied, laughing a little bit. "And…that does sound nice, if you are sure you are willing to do it? You do not need to. It was not your fault."

Honey eagerly rolled straight off the edge of the bed and crashed to the floor with a loud yelp. He clawed the comforter to get back on his feet, grinning, dazed, and glad to be of service. His entire face was flushed.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'll go do that. Right now! Right now, yeah, I'm just gonna get on that. Right this instant!" He scuttled over to the door, basically tripping over his own ankles. There was a crash and a series of curses from the living room as he presumably collided with something else. Then, about a minute later, there was the sound of an object being dropped. Whatever it was, it shattered instantly.

Arquis stifled a laugh with the back of his free hand and beamed at Rin. "Goodness. He really does care for you, my love."

Rin laughed softly as they listened to all the crashing and banging as Honey slipped, fell, collided, and dropped things. "Ari, maybe…?" he looked over at his friend, gesturing towards the kitchen.

Ari laughed. "Alright, alright." he replied, ducking from the room and heading out to the kitchen. "Honey, you alright?" he asked, looking around for the blond.

Honey was on the floor of the kitchen. When Ari came in, he instantly tried to shield something from his view, but it was futile. The thing that he'd dropped and broken was one of Ophia's cookie jars. It had a pattern of little puppies all over it, and the lid was wrapped in a pink ribbon. Or had been, rather, as the entire thing was ruined. The blond miserably picked at a shard with his bare hands and grimaced.

"Really screwing up today, aren't I?" he laughed, then sighed. There were tiny, shallow lines of red beading across his palms from where he'd grabbed at the smashed pottery. "Didn't mean to do it. Either thing."

In the bedroom, Arquis took Honey's place beside his partner. He pulled them into a super gentle, sweet embrace, caressing his back as he had the previous night.

"What a morning. How are you really feeling, love?"

Ari knelt beside Honey, gently taking the blond's hands. "First, we're going to sweep this up. Then we'll take care of your hands. I don't think Ophia's going to be mad at you; it isn't as if you purposefully threw it to the ground." he said softly, standing and pulling Honey up with him. "Come on."

Rin leaned into ARquis, humming faintly. "Yeah. It's…" he trailed off, sighing softly.