The feeling intensified and then gradually subsided by the time he finished speaking. Lovey smiled to herself, petted Sugar's soft fur, and then looked to Ari. She had the eager disposition of someone about to disclose a rather big secret.
"It's morning sickness," she murmured, then grinned like she couldn't quite believe what she'd said. Sugar wiggled and licked the blonde's forearm as she slid her legs out from under herself. She put her purple slippers back on—they'd fallen off at some point—but didn't stand. Instead, she hugged her puppy closer to her chest.
"Honey doesn't know. I've actually been wanting an outside opinion about that. I just found out about a week or two ago. I'd been having these awful migraines, worse than usual, and started getting kinda sick early in the day, so, um, I went to a healer in town. Sugar had started to get all protective, too, so I wasn't surprised when the healer gave me the results." She laughed brightly and brought her right hand to her stomach. "I know I'm a little young, but I'm honestly so excited. I just don't know how to tell Honey yet.”
In their bedroom, Arquis moved closer to Rin. The way they were looking at him was enticing. A shudder ran through him, but he didn't give in. Not yet.
"I suppose we could," he said nonchalantly.
(awwwwww)
Ari blinked, a bit surprised but already supportive. "I'm going to guess you plan on keeping it, then?" he asked, smiling a little. "And, ah, that's…I'm really happy for you, Lovey." he smiled. "Is the…other parent in the picture?" he was careful to keep the wording void of gender; after all, if Ari himself did have any kids, he would be the father, and yet would also be the one carrying the child. So he did not want to assume there was a father involved. "No judgement from me either way." he knew that sometimes single parents got ripped into and he didn't want Lovey to think he was going to shame her if there wasn't a second parent.
Rin smirked again, bending to press their mouth to Arquis's jaw, dragging their lips along his skin and down his throat. "You suppose?" he murmured against his lover's skin.
(I know!! it's v cute :) )
Lovey nodded emphatically. "Oh, yes, I am! Keeping it, I mean. It's all been such a wonderful surprise, and honestly, I'm just so happy." She was positively radiant. Her cheeks were rosy, and her smile was sweet. "The other mother is in the picture. I'm not sure if you've met her or not. Her name is Pretty. She also works here. We had a lovely night together a while back, and, well, she's already been so supportive. We're together now!"
The thing that had blossomed between her and the other young woman had been rather sudden. Neither had expected it, but it was soft and genuine. They'd kept it mostly physical for a while, just indulging in one another's presence. After the news, however, Pretty had anxiously confessed her feelings, and Lovey had admitted to hers as well. It was still a secret to all but them and now Ari.
"I think I'm going to try and quit this job soon. This isn't really the right place to raise a kid. I'd like to move to the village, maybe. And I've been wanting to ask Honey if he wants to move as well, especially since I found out that people have been hurting him. I think he likes it there." She paused and gave Sugar, who'd quieted down, a gentle pat on the head. "He'll be such a good uncle, I just know it. Though he might spoil the poor dear. They can't have ice cream for every meal."
In the other bedroom, Arquis groaned faintly. They were going to kill him, at this rate. He'd gladly accept such a death. He couldn't keep up their little game for much longer.
"I do," he exhaled in response, closing his eyes. He had to wrap his arm around their waist for support.
(she's going to be such a good mom, awww. also i knew it would be Pretty, i love that)
"I don't believe I've met her, no." Ari replied, smiling as he listened to her plans. "And, ah, I think Honey would love that. A move, I mean. Staying here…I mean, I don't know him too well, but I'm inclined to believe that staying here would be detrimental for him. And from what I know of him, he will absolutely spoil your child rotten." this was all so sweet and adorable. Lovey seemed so happy, and the fact that she and Pretty were together made it even better. He hoped that they could move away, into the village, and that Honey would go with them.
Rin hummed softly, not moving from their spot, lips still planted to Arquis's skin. "Am I to understand you do not genuinely wish to continue?" he pulled back a little bit, looking at his lover. "Should I go and take a nap, then, and leave you alone for a while?" he was not going to take a nap; he just wanted to tease their partner.
(hey omg wait we've got like three good parents total then, including ophia and pretty! wow look at us go lol but also yeah they're v cute together)
Lovey tucked her hair out of her face so that she could see him a bit better. It was far too early for her to have an actual pregnancy glow, yet she seemed almost as if she was lit from the inside. She hummed cheerfully and unknowingly touched her stomach again, as if by instinct.
"I think you're right. About moving, but also about the spoiling thing. I mean, he already spoils Sugar. I can't imagine what he'll do for a child!" The thought made her so happy that she actually teared up a little. She could easily picture Honey cooking pancakes for her toddler or playing fetch with them and Sugar. Her brother had suffered so much. He deserved to make some good memories. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her nightgown and laughed.
"I'm alright. It'll just be so nice. I can imagine him walking them to school with me and babysitting, and it's just so sweet, you know?" She looked down at her flat stomach. "Whoever this little one turns out to be, they'll be so loved."
In the guest suite, Arquis blinked, distressed by the lack of touch. Everything had been going so well. He missed the press of their lips on his skin.
"No! I mean yes! Or no! Whichever one means kiss me, my love, then that is the one I meant."
(:D yeah!)
He smiled happily. "Yeah. There's no way Honey will do anything but spoil this kid rotten." he replied. He could see it, in his mind. Could see Honey being an absolutely wonderful uncle, who would most certainly spoil his sister's child absolutely rotten. "He seems like the type to do so."
Rin snickered at that, leaning forward again to tug Arquis close, leaning in and very lightly brushing his lips against Arquis's. "What, like this?" he questioned, mouth barely touching his partner's. "Is this what you wanted, my darling?" their mouth curved in a very faint smirk.
Lovey giggled at what he'd said, imagining it herself a moment more, and then stood. Sugar yipped. The blonde dried her eyes another time. She really was such a sap. It was the hormones, she told herself, though she'd always been the sort to cry over happy endings. She couldn't help it.
"You know, I was pretty worried about you, but I think you're actually very nice." She sniffled and smiled bashfully. "Sorry. So emotional today! But yeah, really, you seem like a good guy. I give you full permission to take my brother out on a date. Be careful with him and make sure to have a good time, okay? Oh, and please don't tell him about the baby. I wanna tell him when you two get back."
"Rin, love," Arquis breathed shakily. Every single one of his nerves felt alive and responsive. He'd beg for a kiss if they asked, but he wouldn't move unless told. He was clay in the palm of his hand. "Please, yes. So badly. I want it so badly."
Ari smiled. "Thank you for the permission, then." he replied, smiling over at Lovey. "And I won't tell him. It isn't my secret or story to tell him." he wasn't going to tell Honey, not when it was so clearly Lovey's secret to tell. It wasn't as if Ari was the one that was pregnant. Though, if he had been, he wasn't sure he would have told Honey to begin with, when it wouldn't have been Honey's. Or, anyone's. It had been a while since he last slept with anyone. He shook his head faintly, chasing his thoughts away.
Rin hummed softly, pressing his mouth to Arquis's skin and dragging his lips along it again. "So badly?" he echoed, snickering softly.
Lovey's curls bounced as she nodded. "Thanks again for that! And for putting up with my nosiness. I really hope that you guys have an amazing time. Try not to bring him back too late!" She tapped her chin as she considered what else to say. "I think I'm going to start getting things set up for tonight. I wanted to do something special for the reveal, so I've got a bit of a plan. You're welcome to be here for that, by the way. I get it if you'll be too tired from the date, but if you do wanna stop by with him for it, he'll probably be glad to have you there."
Arquis shivered all over. He was holding his breath. His heart felt like it was going to burst straight out of his skin. He tugged them closer against himself and exhaled in one big sigh.
"Love," he pleaded. He was devolving into babble. They still had yet to actually kiss him, and it was going to drive him wild. "Please, my dear. So badly, yes."
"Of course." He replied, standing up and giving her another quick smile. "I'm going to get ready for the date, now, but I'm glad we had this talk. And I might tag along for the reveal, provided that both you and Honey are alright with my being here." he smiled softly, stretching.
Rin laughed a little, and tugged Arquis in for a kiss, smiling as he did. "Love you, my beautiful darling." he said softly, holding onto his lover.
"Of course I'm alright with it! And he will be, too, I promise. He's fond of you already. Said he thinks you're super nice and cute. Don't tell him I told you that, though. We're supposed to have sibling confidentiality."
She took Ari's hand and let him to the door. Sugar growled in warning. Lovey shushed her, smiled at the young man, and patted his shoulder with her free hand. She still had that excited, rosy glow about her. There was no doubt that she would make an excellent mother. Every part of her already radiated love for her future child.
"See you later tonight! Oh, and tell Honey to get me some ice cream while you're out! I'm really craving it, now that you've said it. The shops sometimes have this incredible berry kind. It's got pieces of pie crust actually mixed in!" She laughed brightly. "Honey and I both have such a massive sweet tooth. Don't let him eat so much that he gets a brain freeze! He's prone to doing that."
In the other suite, Arquis kissed them back passionately, really leaning into him. His arm was still braced around their waist to keep himself upright. He whimpered faintly when they called him beautiful and went in for another kiss. Praise really did have such a noticeable effect on him.
Ari smiled, letting her lead him to the door. "Of course. I'll make sure he doesn't get a brain freeze, and we'll do our best to bring you back some ice cream, though I'm not sure about how easily we'll be able to transport it without it melting all over the place." he laughed quietly. "But, ah, I'll see you later, then." he didn't quite know how to end this conversation, but that was alright. Lovey seemed wonderful, and he didn't mind talking with her for a while, as they had.
Rin hummed a little bit, shifting the both of them to gently push Arquis onto the bed, so that the nobleman was seated on the mattress. He carefully moved to sit in Arquis's lap, kissing him again and again. "There we are. Beautiful." he whispered, reaching up to cup the back of Arquis's head.
"Yep! Go on and get prepared for your date." Lovey turned the handle and stepped aside so that Ari could go out into the hallway. She gave him a joking little curtsy. Sugar relaxed when Ari was no longer in the room, and her owner gently shut the door.
Arquis's pulse jumped at the word. Beautiful. He didn't think he was beautiful, but hearing it straight from their mouth almost made it believable. He groaned, feeling needy, and tried to match them kiss for kiss. He pressed his forehead against his lover's and nipped their lower lip.
"Oh, my heart," he whispered, and it was all he could say. Overwhelmed wasn't quite the right word to describe what he was experiencing. He felt loved. Adored. Cherished. Like he really was someone worthy of such praise. He hoped Rin felt the same, especially after the night they'd had.
Ari grinned at her, and then headed back to his own room so that he could get an outfit together for the date. He didn't have the right clothes to be too over the top or fancy, but that was probably a good thing; after all, he didn't want to overwhelm Honey with too much fancy clothing and such. He just wanted to have a good time, so fancier clothes probably would be a mistake.
Rin smiled into the kisses, hand sliding through Arquis's hair as they pulled their lover closer. "Love you." they said again, still kissing him over and over and over, just happy to be with him.
Honey was in his room, getting changed at the same time as Ari. His outfit was going to be a surprise. He'd already washed, dried, and styled his hair, and he'd put his clothes on right after that. All that was left was his makeup. He spent quite a bit of time on it, nervously touching and retouching it until he could stand it no longer. Anticipation was going to drive him up a wall.
Arquis returned the words and kissed Rin until he felt drunk on love, then finally pulled away. He looked a gorgeous mess. His hair was mussed from their fingers, his pupils were dilated, and fair skin was made pink by a pretty blush. He swallowed and gently shifted him out of his lap. To show them that he still cared, he smiled and caressed their cheek.
"Apologies, dearest one. I am afraid, that, well, how did I put it before? I might get rather, ah, excited if we continue. I do seem to have quite a habit of doing that."
Ari went back to his hotel room and decided to take a bath first; he wanted his skin to be clean and nice before this date. Sure, he knew it wouldn't end in sex– which was a good thing, for the both of them –but he still wanted to be fresh and clean. So he started some water, grabbing a towel and other things for when he got out.
Rin returned the kisses until Arquis pulled away, moving when the nobleman wanted them to. "Ah, I see." he replied, smiling at his partner. "That's alright, darling." he leaned over to press a kiss to Arquis's cheek. "I love you, Arquis." he did. Maybe this had all been a little fast– it definitely had been –but that was alright.
After Honey was done, he slipped out of his room and went to find a certain guest. They didn't come around very often, but he'd checked them in recently and needed to buy something from them. They were a traveling merchant. A damn trustworthy one, at that. He wanted to see what they'd have to offer. If he was lucky, they'd have the perfect thing for Ari.
Arquis let out a surprised laugh at the peck on his cheek, though his expression softened when they admitted their feelings. They'd shared the sentiment a few times, but hearing it said so openly was still incredible. He had the brief thought that such a statement was revolutionary. If the wrong person heard it, the nobleman would be outcast or even killed. If the right person did, maybe they'd be inspired to find their own forbidden love.
"And I love you, Rin," he murmured in response, tucking a strand of hair back behind their ear. With a warm smile, he leaned forward and ghosted a kiss over his temple, right in the spot that his fingers had just brushed.
"We can spend the day here, if you would like." There was nothing suggestive about the way he'd said the words. That was because his voice was so fond and vulnerable. He really did love his partner. "Or we could go out. There is bound to be a lot to explore in the village, and I will be glad to go anywhere with you."
Ari took a bit to bathe, then got out. He first took care of his hair, using some hair oils to help keep the curls shiny and protected. Sleeping on the floor and then going out in the rain hadn't done his hair any favors, but it would be fine. It wasn't damaged by it, just a little frizzy, and he had fixed that now, so it was fine. He went out into his room, dressed in just a bathrobe, and set out his clothes on his bed, looking through them. He eventually settled on a dark, forest green button-up, with a dark pair of pants and a pair of shiny black boots. He also slid rings onto his fingers, and a necklace around his neck. Once his hair was dry, he pulled back the top layer to help accentuate the shape of his face.
Rin hummed softly, leaning into his partner. "I think I'd like to stay here for a while, and then maybe go out into the village later?" he replied, looking up at Arquis. "If that is something that you are alright with, anyways."
Luckily for Honey, the merchant was in their room. They let him in with a knowing smirk. When he told them that he was there for strictly professional purposes—that he'd be paying cash for their wares this time—they frowned. He hated to disappoint, he told them with a charming smile, but couldn't stay for long. They gave in and let him browse their wares. After looking for five or so minutes, he found the perfect object. He paid for it and hurried back to his room. Ari could come by at any moment, and he wanted to be there when he did.
Arquis nodded. "Of course, my love. Is there anything specific you have in mind that we could do while here? Or there, I suppose."
He wasn't asking for any reason in particular, just trying to get a better picture of the rest of their day. If there was something Rin had been wanting to do in the village, then they'd have to plan accordingly. They couldn't go to certain locations at night, for example, if they closed early. He wondered what the two of them end up doing if they didn't make a schedule. Maybe they'd wander about, hand in hand, and drift in and out of shops. Maybe they'd listen to live music or sit together by a fountain. Maybe they'd buy street food. The day was full of possibilities.
Ari checked in the mirror, then hesitated for a moment. A gift. He didn't have a gift for Honey yet. Shit. He knew he didn't have anything in his bag that the young man would like…he exhaled, shaking his head for a moment. While they were out in the village he would get something. Maybe let Honey pick for himself? Or split up for a little bit in order to get him the present. That would work. He grabbed his money, tucking some in his pocket and some in his boot; it wasn't wise to put it all in one spot, so splitting it was a good choice. Then he headed towards Honey's room, knocking on the door.
Rin shrugged faintly. "Ah…I'm not sure yet. Just explore it, maybe?" he leaned his head on Arquis's shoulder, smiling over at his lover. "Do you have anything in mind?"
Honey gave himself a quick once over in the mirror before answering the door. He'd looked cute in the pink dress that he'd worn briefly the day before, but this dress was something else entirely. It was a floor length gown with an off-the-shoulder neckline that was made of dark red tulle and tiny faux pearls. When he walked, the skirt of it floated delicately around his ankles, revealing his golden high heels. His makeup was done in a similar red-and-gold scheme, and he was wearing faux pearl drop earrings.
"Hello, stranger," he purred, draping himself against the door frame. Before Ari had come, he'd spritzed himself with some perfume. It was scented of rose and amber. He'd hoped it would make him feel more confident, but when he saw the young man—really drank him in—he was starstruck. He was just so handsome. That hairstyle was terribly attractive. "Wow. Aren't I lucky? You clean up so well."
Arquis made a noncommittal noise and shrugged, albeit gently. He didn't want to shake Rin's head off. "I do not know. Doing some exploring sounds nice. Exploring the village, I mean! Yes, that, ah, sounds very good indeed."
Ari took a deep breath as he looked at Honey, taking in the young man before him. "Oh. Hey, Honey." he smiled softly, taking a step closer to Honey. "You look gorgeous in that dress." and he meant it; Honey looked divine, and Ari loved it. He himself wouldn't have worn it, due to some negative memories attached with wearing dresses, but he still thought it looked amazing on the young blond across from him.
He laughed softly. "Yes, exploring the village, my dear." he replied, kissing Arquis's cheek softly. "We can see if there are any musicians."
Honey grinned and, without thinking, stepped forward to pull him into a hug. As with almost everything he did, there was a certain casual elegance to the embrace; it kind of felt as if they were dancing. When he finally realized what he was doing, he stepped away.
"Sorry, I just, uh, that was good. Real good. Compliments will get you everywhere, handsome." It was true. He loved receiving soft praise, which was why many men called him vain. In reality, vanity had nothing to do with it. He just appreciated what few nice words he got.
Arquis brightened. "Oh, that would be fantastic! I adore live music! Of course, I doubt that any performance could be quite as nice as yours," he gave him a quick, sweet kiss on the cheek, "but it would be neat nonetheless. We could go dancing!"
Ari returned the hug, but released Honey as soon as the other man pulled away. "It's fine, Honey." he replied, smiling over at him. "Do you want to head out to the village now, or is there something else you wanted to do first instead?" he smiled again, soft and gentle and kind. Honey really did look absolutely stunning, and Ari was lucky that he was able to go out with this young man.
Rin smiled at the small compliment, nodding. "We certainly could go dancing, my dear." he replied, kissing his cheek. "Dance and sing and listen to music. Get some food from a little shop somewhere, tour the markets…" they trailed off, still smiling.
A flash of fear ran across Honey's face. Was Ari asking what he thought he was asking? They were right next to his bedroom. The door to it was literally still open. Was he asking for a sort of pre-payment? Surely that wasn't it. The young man had said that he wasn't interested in that. Had he changed his mind? Maybe he saw how much work dating Honey was and decided he needed something to make it worth his while.
The blond tried to relax. Ari wouldn't like him if he looked so stiff all the time. He'd done this a million times before. There was nothing to be afraid of. All he had to do was lay the charm on thick, and he might get out of it alright. He arched his back slightly and tilted his head. This emphasized the curvature of his neck and made his collarbones pop. He cocked his hip out just a tad as well. Not enough to be obvious, but he knew it'd subtly highlight his figure.
"I don't know, stranger. Is there something you wanted to do?" He shifted his gaze away, trying to look demure.
Arquis gave his partner an excited hug, accidentally toppling them both over onto the bed. He burst out laughing. Their suggestions had just made him so happy. He loved spending time with them.
"That all sounds wonderful, my heart. Absolutely wonderful." His eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled. "Perhaps I could buy something for Quirisa and Marsiquia! I have yet to get them any real souvenirs."
