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

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

Ari smiled at Honey. "Alright." he sat down on the bed, and got beneath the blankets. "We can talk some more in the morning." he gave the blond another soft smile, laying down on his back with his face tipped towards the ceiling and his braid sticking out from under his head. He was quite ready to just go to sleep now.

Rin's breathing was shaky, and he took a deep breath when he heard the knock. "You can come in." he replied, shifting back on the bed and watching the doorway. He felt awful for scaring Arquis like that. He hadn't meant to, he really hadn't, and yet they had nonetheless. He had terrified someone that they loved.

Honey fidgeted for several minutes after Ari had gotten into bed. There was no way, even as tired as he was, that he'd be able to sleep for a while. He ended up biting his nails again. After the day he'd had, they were already bitten to the quick, but he couldn't stop. He was a bundle of nerves, and that energy had to come out somehow.

Arquis very quietly opened the door and stepped inside, then closed it behind him. He'd wanted to go in with a sense of calm—to show Rin that he really was alright—but as soon as he saw them, he broke. He stepped forward as if to sweep them into an embrace. Before he reached him, though, he stopped. His heart ached as he knelt before them and looked up into his eyes. There would be no hiding this time. No lying. No acting out of panic. His lover would see the truth on his face, or so he hoped.

"I have been terribly cruel to you," he began, exhaling softly. "I have been an outright fool, and a brute, and a hypocrite, and I would understand if you wish for me to march right back out and stay on the couch as I said I would. But I could not bear it if I left things the way they were. I am here to apologize, Rin. I… I cannot… I will not lie and say that I am not still afraid. Because I am very, very afraid. But I have always let my fear rule me, and I am not willing to do that anymore. Our relationship makes me vulnerable, but I would not have it any other way. I would rather trust you and possibly face harm than live a safe life alone."

He wasn't sure if what he was saying made much sense. Oddly enough, this, too, felt like a prayer. He bit his lip nervously but didn't look away.

"I apologize for how I have acted. I should have been grateful that you saved us, and instead I rejected you. I realize now that I was mistaken in doing so."

Ari lay quiet and still for a long time, shifting just a little every now and again. Having someone else in the bed was a strange feeling that he was not quite used to, and it was throwing him off just a little bit. But it was fine. He would adjust to it and fall asleep eventually.

Rin looked over at him, trying to steady his breathing. "I'm sorry too." they said softly. "I should have…I should have told you before, so that you were more prepared. So that you knew. I…I shouldn't have just sprung it on you without warning." he knew he hadn't had a choice in that, but they still wished that they had told Arquis before. Wished that this hadn't been one of the secrets he kept.

Honey couldn't stop squirming. One moment, he swore his pillow was in the wrong place, so he moved it. The next, he flipped it over to the cooler side. Then, he tugged the blankets up around him, but when he got too hot he had to push them off. It seemed like he'd never be comfortable. Part of it, he decided, had to be the fact that this wasn't his bed. He wasn't used to it. The other part was that he was just naturally antsy.

Arquis nodded. "It would have been nice to know beforehand," he admitted, "but you really do not have to apologize for that. I understand why you might not have wanted to share that information. After all, there is a lot that I have not told you, either. You should not blame yourself for my reaction."

He shifted on his knees and placed his palms flat on the carpet. His calves were beginning to go a little numb from being under him. That didn't mean that he could move yet. For all he knew, Rin was still upset with him, and they might kick him out. Reasonably so, of course. He'd been pretty awful.

Ari cracked his eyes open, looking over at Honey. "You alright?" he asked softly, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "You're moving around a lot. Is anything wrong?" he adjusted the blankets, yawning quietly.

Rin took a deep breath. "You can, uhm, get off the floor." he said softly. "And…yeah. It's…I…I'm still sorry that I frightened you, Arquis. I did not mean to, and I am so sorry." they reached out to their partner, wanting to have him close if Arquis was alright with it. If Arquis was alright with touching them, after the way that they had frightened him.

Honey blinked, startled. Somehow, he'd forgotten that Ari was there. He was a bit embarrassed. It couldn't have been easy for him to try to sleep while the blond was tossing and turning. He hoped he hadn't accidentally woken him up; the other man did sound rather sleepy.

"Nah, nothing's wrong. Just do this sometimes, y'know? Got a lotta energy to burn. If it wasn't night and, uh, raining like crazy, I'd go for a run, but obviously I can't really do that." He yawned and rolled onto his side, then flopped onto his stomach. That didn't feel quite right, either, so he switched to the other side.

Arquis stood, but he didn't come nearer, even when they reached out. This time, it wasn't out of fear but guilt. He wasn't sure he deserved to feel a kind touch, after the way he'd been acting. His reluctance dissipated after a moment, and he moved to sit on the bed beside them. If Rin wanted more than that, then they could initiate it himself. The noble didn't want to assume that he knew what was best for them.

"Rin, you do not need to apologize. You are not the one at fault," he insisted, firmly but not unkindly.

Ari nodded sleepily, watching Honey toss and turn. "'s there anything I can do to help?" he asked, voice soft and a bit drowsy, eyes only half-open as he looked over at the other man. He knew Honey probably needed to sleep, but he had no idea if there was any way that he could help. If there was some way to help Honey get to sleep, he was willing to do it (except sex, of course), as long as Honey could tell him what he needed to do.

"I…" he trailed off, exhaling softly. "Are you sure? I…I am sorry that I frightened you, my love." he knew he had already apologized but they still felt like they needed to. They had seen how upset Arquis had been, how frightened his lover had been, and it had been their fault. They were the one that had caused that fear, even if it was accidental.

Honey glanced at Ari, prepared to tell him that there was nothing to be done, and stopped short. A blush crept up his neck. The combination of his sleepy eyes and voice was adorable. It was clear that he was fighting to stay awake, which was also very endearing. He found it sweet that the young man cared so much. Most of the other men he'd been with would've ignored him or worse, and that was assuming that they'd let him stay in the room after finishing.

"Oh. Um, I don't know. If it's real bad, I'll sometimes sneak off and grab some hot towels from the spa. They've also got this stuff, uh, that you can spray on pillowcases, and it's got a real nice scent. Jasmine or lavender or something. Knocks me out pretty quick. It's not medical or anything," he clarified quickly, "I just like the way it smells."

"I am sure," Arquis confirmed. Sure, he'd been terrified, and he was still upset. There was the slightest tremor in his hands that betrayed his nerves. But that didn't mean that it was Rin's fault. They shouldn't feel so responsible for what was clearly an accident. "In fact, it is I who should be apologizing still. I feel as if I have upset you. Would you like me to stay here, or would you prefer some solitude?"

Ari nodded a little bit. "D'you want me to go get them for you?" he asked, shifting on his side and giving another quick smile to Honey. "You can stay here and try to get comfortable, and I'll get you some towels and a pillow spray?" he was willing to do that, if that was what Honey wanted him to do.

Rin shook his head quickly. "You don't, uhm, you don't need to apologize. And, I'd…I'd prefer you stayed. I don't want…" he looked over at Arquis, tucking his knees to his chest. "I'd rather have you here, if you're okay with staying with me." he leaned his cheek on his knees, still watching his partner.

"No!" Honey blurted, sitting upright. He shifted awkwardly and slumped against the pillow. "No, stranger, you don't gotta do all that. You were already probably halfway asleep, and there I went, squirming around, waking you up. Listen, if I'm being a pain, I can just crash on the floor tonight. Really, that's okay. Just say the word."

If he moved to the ground, it was extremely likely that he wouldn't get much sleep. That was a risk he was willing to take. Ari had already given and done so much for him: the music box, the cider, the steady comfort, the offer of sharing a room. The last thing he wanted to do was take something—sleep, namely—away from him.

Arquis felt like he'd take a blow straight to the heart. That look they were giving him, paired with what he'd just said, was devastating. Had his rejection made them feel that unloved, that he was worried the noble wouldn't want to stay? Well, that wouldn't do at all. He took off one of his gloves, reached out, and took their hand.

"I would be honored to stay with you," he murmured. "It is a privilege, my love, that I am not sure I deserve."

Ari blinked tiredly at him. "No, you don't have to move to the floor. Just…I can go get the stuff for you. I really can. I don't mind, if you need the help." he gave Honey a soft, sweet, sleepy little smile. "Please let me help you? I wasn't asleep yet, and I want to help you, if I can."

They laced their fingers with Arquis's, still looking up at him. "Thank you." he said softly, giving him a faint, sweet smile. "I…I am sorry that I broke your trust, darling." he knew that Arquis had said to stop apologizing, but he couldn't. He couldn't stop, because he had broken that trust and now it oculdn't be fixed.

"I really don't get you," Honey mumbled, echoing his earlier sentiment. When he faced his date again, though, there was no frustration in his gaze. Just confusion. Flattered, charmed confusion, but confusion nonetheless. He couldn't understand why Ari was so determined to treat him like this, as if he was something special.

What he'd said wasn't an answer, but honestly, he wasn't sure what to say to him. Yes? No? He really didn't want him to have to put in all that extra effort, to feel obliged to clean up after Honey's messes. But the longer he argued, the less sleep that Ari would get. It was a lose-lose situation.

There was genuine pain in the nobleman's dark blue eyes when they apologized once more. He shook his head, lifting his hand so that he could kiss it.

"Rin, love, you did nothing of the sort. Breaking my trust would require that you intentionally caused me harm by misusing knowledge that I provided in the past. We had never talked about my poor reaction to control prior to tonight. You could not have known how I would respond, and, well, you only acted out of self-defense. You were trying to save us. There is not a single thing wrong with that."

Ari blinked at him sleepily. "What do you mean?" he asked, shifting to pillow his cheek on one of his hands, studying Honey. "I don't…quite understand what you don't understand?" he let out a quiet laugh, knowing he wasn't really making sense at the moment.

Rin listnened quietly, then reached out to bring Arquis in for an actual hug. "Okay." he said softly, eyes flickering shut for a moment as he pulled his partner closer. "I'm still sorry, though." their voice was quiet, and they held onto Arquis.

Honey ducked his head bashfully and traced one of the patterns on the comforter with his index finger. His blush had grown more intense. It was weird. This wasn't exactly pillow talk, but it felt just as private.

"You're just such a sweet guy. I don't know that I've met many people like you before. I feel spoiled," he admitted, giving him a small, shy smile. "Not in the usual way. Guys like to buy me stuff, yeah, but you're different. You actually listen, and it's just, uh, real nice."

Arquis hugged Rin for a moment, then, when he heard him apologize again, gently pulled them into his lap. He combed his fingers through their hair and cupped the nape of his neck. They felt so warm against him, so real. He hated himself for struggling to trust him. His lover didn't deserve that one bit. Nothing they'd ever done had been to hurt him, and he wished that was enough to convince him that they never would.

"Please do not be sorry, Rin. There was no harm done, at least not from you to me. I, on the other hand, have quite a lot to make up for, and I wish you would hold me accountable for it. You have every right to be upset.”

He smiled faintly in return, his smile soft and sleepy. "Mm. That's, ah, what a normal relationship is s'posed to be like." he replied. "People who care about you are supposed to help you, and listen. Not just ignore you." he shifted a little bit, keeping his gaze on Honey. In the dim light, it was hard to make out more than Honey's vague form, but that was alright. "That's all I'm doing. 'm just treating you like you deserve to be treated."

Rin snuggled close, holding onto him and taking a deep breath. "I hurt you." he replied. "Even if I didn't mean to, I frightened you." he couldn't chase away the image of how frightened Arquis had looked when he saw what Rin had done. They couldn't stop seeing those frightened eyes and the way Arquis had half jumped away from him.

Honey tensed. A nervous laugh escaped him, and he propped himself on an elbow. Some of his curls fell into his eyes, obscuring them.

"Relationship? I didn't know we were at that stage," he stammered in a whisper. He'd meant to say it in a joking way, but his tone came out questioning. Were they in a relationship? They'd only gone on one date, and, well, the tail end of that date had been messy. He'd kind of worried nothing would come from this night. Maybe Ari would find him too weird, his baggage too heavy. Or maybe he just wasn't his type. He fretted that the other man's lack of sexual desire betrayed a lack of physical attraction as well.

"Hurting and frightening me are not the same thing, my dear," Arquis murmured. "I feel much better now. No permanent damage was done, and as we have both acknowledged, it was not intentional. I had a bad reaction due to past trauma. That is all, I promise. It does not reflect any wrongdoing on your part. Only on mine, for how I treated you afterwards."

Ari paused for a moment, inhaling. "I…I mean, I don't…" he hesitated, trying to think. "I don't want to pressure you into anything. I just…don't know a better word. But if you don't wanna call it a relationship yet, then that's okay too." he kept his eyes on Honey, watching quietly and waiting for the young man to have some kind of answer as to what he wanted from this.

Rin held onto him, looking up at him questioningly. "I…okay." he replied in a soft tone. "I am still sorry for frightening you, Arquis. I know the reaction was from trauma, and I know that, uhm, that I didn't do anything wrong. But I'm still sorry that it happened to begin with."

Honey plucked at the nearest edge of the comforter and fidgeted with it. His eyes were still hidden behind his hair, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. This was hard for him. It was strange. He'd never actually been in a relationship. For years, he'd wanted one, at first with Myr and then with no one in specific. But now, as he sat beside Ari in the bed, he wasn't sure if he was ready for that level of commitment. He wanted it. Oh, he wanted it, but he worried he wasn't good enough. Soon, Ari would surely realize that he'd been wasting his time and affection, and then they'd end up as exes. He really didn't want that.

"I don't know. I really don't. I mean, I'd love to, uh, be your boyfriend. Or something." Myr's words from before suddenly burst into his mind. He'd be a fool to think he could be anyone's boyfriend. "But I'm not sure I'd very good at that, and we just met, and, uh, I'm kind of a handful. A lot of work. You wouldn't be getting a fair trade."

Arquis sighed softly. He brought his hands up to cup Rin's face, then smoothed his thumbs over their cheeks. Their need to apologize was heartbreaking. He felt as if he should get back on the floor before them, as if he was unworthy of sharing the same space. He'd done this to them.

"Rin," he whispered, then shook his head, a lump forming in his throat. "My heart, please, I must insist. There is nothing to be sorry for. Please. My love for you will not change because of this event. We had a wonderful night out bookended by quite a bit of hardship, and if you are willing, then we can proceed with our relationship knowing that it is stronger than before.”

At first, he was going to leave it there, but then he changed his mind. They needed to hear it again, loudly, clearly.

“I love you, Rin. I love you, and I will not stop loving you because of one hard night.”

"We don't have to make any decisions tonight." Ari replied quietly. "It would probably be better that we don't." he yawned softly. "'m not awake enough to, ah, participate in this conversation the way you deserve. But, what I will say right now, is that the time we have spent together has been wonderful. I don't mind if you have some issues to deal with. I do too." his eyes drifted shut for a long moment, and he slowly blinked them open again. "I really am too tired for this conversation right now, though. 'm sorry, because it's a conversation that deserves my attention, but I don't have the, uhm, 'm just too tired. Can we pick this back up in the mornin'?" he asked, rubbing his eyes with one hand.

Rin listened quietly, taking a deep breath. "I…alright." he said, voice soft and gentle and quiet. "Thank you for your reassurance, darling. I was just…I don't know." they kissed Arquis's cheek softly, staying curled close to his partner. "I was stuck in my head, I suppose." he shook his head very faintly.

His accent made something shortcircuit in Honey's mind. Even before he opened his mouth, he knew something long winded was going to rush out.

"Yeah! Yeah, of course we can, I didn't mean to keep you up. I get it. I'm just real chatty, and you, uh, sound really sleepy. Yeah, okay, let's, um, crash, and you can stay over there, and we can talk about it in the morning, or whenever, um, it doesn't matter to me. I mean, it does! It matters a bunch. Not in a weird way, like, I'm cool with whatever. Well, maybe not whatever, but it's just, y'know, I think you're wonderful, too. Not that you said that about me! But, uh, yeah. You're incredible. And incredibly tired! I'm gonna shut up now!"

He lifted his pillow and dropped it over his face. At least now Ari wouldn't be able to see the vivid blush he was rocking, though he did probably look bizarre. The pillowcase smelled strongly of detergent. It wasn't very pleasant.

Arquis nodded. "I understand, my love. Trust me, I do, and I do not blame you for it. Today has been very taxing. You must be tired, hm?" The noble slid his hands to Rin's shoulders, giving them a gentle, comforting squeeze. "My poor, sweet dear, you really have had quite the day. Taking care of me during my fit, going out into town, getting caught in that storm, and using your ability all in the span of twenty-four hours. I know I would be exhausted, if I were you."

As if he were moving something fragile, he gingerly lifted Rin out of his lap and settled them onto the bed. Before they could ask what he was doing, he stood and went to undo the covers, then fluffed their pillow. He also dimmed the lamp. Instead of getting under the blankets, he gestured to the spot he'd prepared.

"There we are. You do not have to sleep immediately. I do not mean to force you. But if you are indeed tired, beloved, then you may rest."

Ari let out a soft, sleepy laugh. "Alright. Do you want me to go get you some towels and pillow spray, Honey?" he asked, shifting a little bit. "I don't mind if you want me to go and do that." he didn't really want to get out of bed, but he would if Honey needed him to get him those so that he could sleep well for the night.

Rin smiled faintly, letting Arquis move him around until they were settled on the bed. "Stay with me?" he asked in a soft, quiet tone, blinking up at his partner. "Please. If you're comfortable staying?" he got underneath the blankets, taking a deep breath and giving him a soft, faint little smile.

Honey pried the pillow off and gave Ari a once over. A grin played at his lips. The blond wasn't the betting type anymore, but he'd put money on the fact that his date was minutes away from sleep. Even if he sent him out to the spa, he wasn't certain that he wouldn't fall asleep on the way. The sight of him so sleepy and comfortable made something twinge in his chest. It was all just so domestic. He had the urge to pull him close, but he refrained.

"Nah, it's okay. I'll just, y'know, force myself to stay still." As if it would be that easy. Honey was a great jumble of nerves and energy. He frowned when he realized that his legs were already moving about in the sheets. "Or not. Here, I've got an idea. You go on and try to sleep. I'm gonna be on the floor for a bit."

He got up and did as he'd said, dropping down to the floor. Rather than sleep there, however, he placed his palms flat and stretched out. Then, he began to do push-ups. Once that got old, he switched to planking and some crunches. The entire cycle started over after about twenty crunches.

Arquis didn't hesitate for even a second. He nudged Rin over and sat by his side, as if he was planning to read them a story before bed. He wanted to lay down with them, but he still didn't feel that he deserved it. Part of him really wished they'd send him to the couch. Not because he wanted that, but because he struggled to function without punishment. He tried to clear those thoughts from his mind and reached to take their hand.

"Oh, love, I regret making you think I would ever choose not to stay."

Ari hummed sleepily. "M'kay. Lemme know if you need anything." he said softly, pulling the blankets up so that he could sleep. The sound of Honey working out didn't really disturb him, and he was so close to falling asleep that it was easy to do so. So he drifted off, lying on his bed and drifting off into the warm, dark realm of sleep.

Rin pressed close to him, leaning his head on Arquis's thigh. "I love you." he whispered, smiling up at his partner. "And, I really do want you to stay. Please." he held Arquis's hand, lacing their fingers together. "But only if you want to. I don't…I don't want you doing anything you don't want to do."

Honey got lost in the repetition of the routine, and by the time he came back to himself, he had no idea what time it was. He dropped to the carpet and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. He'd been exercising for over an hour and a half. That explained why his calves and biceps were burning. It also explained why his injured wrist was in such bad shape. He definitely hadn't been taking care of it well. Every time he moved his arm, even just a little, it throbbed in white hot agony. He should've put it in a wrap or something, or just done one-armed push-ups.

After a bit of laying on the floor and trying to collect his breath, he hopped to his feet. The first thing he noticed was that Ari was asleep. The second thing was that he was rather sweaty, which was, to put it nicely, disgusting. There was no way Ari would want to sleep in the same bed as him when he was in such a state. He hurried to the bathroom, debating whether or not he should take a bath. It was far too late for that. He ended up dampening a towel and cleaning himself off. That would have to do. He threw on some hotel cologne, then hurried to join the other man in bed.

Arquis caressed the side of Rin's face, then kissed his forehead. The dim lamplight seemed to sparkle in his eyes. He kissed them again, this time on the jaw, and then climbed under the comforter. The familiarity of their warm body next to his was immediately soothing.

"My dear, I would rather be nowhere else," he whispered. "I love you, too."

And it was true. He loved them fiercely. They were half of his heart now. He'd conquer fears for and trust him, even if it put him at risk. He found their lips in the darkness with his fingers and gently brought their mouths together.

Ari hummed very faintly, still aslepe, but didn't otherwise respond to Honey's presence in the bed. He merely continued to sleep, laying beneath the covers.

He smiled into the kiss, holding onto his lover. "I love you." he said again, whispering it into the kiss. "And…today has been a very long day, for both of us." it really had been; there had been so much that had happened, and he was exhausted. Using his ability had taken more out of him than he had thought it would, plus with everything else…he was tired, and really just wanted to sleep at this point.