"Oh, you flirt!" Honey accused with a brilliant laugh, then, without thinking, swept him into a hug. Ari could probably feel how fast his heart was beating. He decided it didn't matter and continued to embrace him tightly.
"Earlier, I wasn't sure I'd see you again. I kinda thought I'd screwed up for good, running away like that. But you were right. I'm gonna try and get help." He cleared his throat. Ari had seen him in a lot of rough patches, but this felt oddly vulnerable. "Right now, though, I'm mostly thinking about changing and getting some tea. I’m thirsty. Kinda.”
Ari blinked in surprise at the hug, and returned it after only a moment, wrapping his arms around Honey and smiling happily. "I'm glad." he said in a soft tone. "You deserve to be helped, Honey." he was glad that Honey was willing to do this and get some help. "Thank you, Honey. We can…we can go change and get tea now, though, if you want to."
"Mm. Yeah. In a minute." Honey might've been taller and stronger than Ari, but he let himself feel small and safe in his embrace. He closed his eyes and let some of his tension go. Not all of it, of course. He'd likely always have some issues with trust and vulnerability. Spilling and ranting had somewhat unfortunately gotten easier after his secret had come into the open, but the physical stuff was definitely still hard. He had to remind himself even then that Ari wasn't going to hurt him.
"I can pay for our tea," he offered. His face was kind of smushed into Ari's shoulder, so the words came out muffled. “Got enough left for that.”
He shook his head a little bit. "Nah, it's fine. I'll pay." he had far more money to draw on than Honey did, and he didn't want the blond going broke for him. It wasnt necessary, and Honey would have so many other expenses to worry about. Dates with Aris houldn't be one of them, not when Ari could afford to bankroll it.
"Now, hold on. If you're not gonna let me pay for the both of us, then you gotta at least let me pay for myself. You've already paid for stuff," Honey pointed out, his jaw jutting defiantly. There was stubble growing on it. In all the chaos, he hadn't really had time to shave, and he hadn't put any foundation over it. He couldn't afford to waste any on casual days, not with how little he had left.
At some point very soon, he'd have to either find some sort of job or borrow money from Lovey. Myr had taken almost all of his savings. He'd had a lot stashed in his wardrobe in a box, and that box had been cleaned out. Luckily, he also had a secret stash stuffed in a bag tied to the bottom of his bed. It wasn't much. He could maybe pay rent for another few weeks. Clothes shopping would have to wait a while, and replenishing his cosmetics would take even longer. Those were expensive. He didn't even want to think about his supply of art materials. There was also the worrying matter of paying for therapy. He’d finally admitted to needing help, but it was unlikely that he’d be able to get it anytime soon.
Even though he was running so low on cash, he wasn’t willing to give in and let Ari pay for him. He couldn’t afford to be in anyone else’s debt. He’d played that game once, and it’d cost him his ankle. If he’d kept going, it would’ve been his life, too. Ari seemed different than that, but he couldn’t take that risk.
"No, I'd like to pay for both of us." he replied. "I can afford it, and I don't mind doing it." he couldn't remember if Honey knew that he was well-off or not, but he didn't want to rub it in the blond's face either way. But at the same time, he didn't want Honey to have to spend money he could not afford to spend, even if Honey was too proud to admit it aloud.
"Well," Honey responded, feeling himself go a bit red in the face, "I'd like to pay for myself. So, there."
It was a childish response at best. He felt even more embarrassed by it than he had by the insinuation that he couldn’t afford a single cup of tea. Tea really didn't cost that much in comparison to full meals, though the café they'd probably end up at could be a bit pricey. It was fine. He’d just have to buy something cheap. He hadn't been to that café much at all, but he thought that they had a bitter black tea that was somewhat inexpensive. Nevermind the fact that he didn't actually like plain black tea. This was about what he could reasonably get, not what he preferred.
Ari sighed faintly. "Honey, I…I would rather pay, if that's alright." he said slowly. "Please let me pay for you?" he didn't want Honey to be upset, or feel incapable, but at the same time, Ari knew he could easily afford this date, but that Honey couldn't really. Sure, Honey could likely afford his own cup of tea, but Ari didn't want the blond to spend too much money on dates, not when Honey had already been spending money on their dates.
"Why won't you just let this go?" Honey's posture was tense, but his eyes were more upset than angry. "It's not a big deal! Really, it's just one cup. Not gonna make or break me. I've earned my money the hard way. Let me spend it how I want. Okay?"
It wasn't like he was spending frivolously. He got his meals for free, as long as he did something around the inn. Some kind of work, even if it wasn't using his body. He knew eventually he'd have to apply somewhere else; he'd tried a lot of the inn jobs in the past when he'd attempted to quit before, and he'd always messed up big time. But for now, at least, he didn't have to pay for food. Only rent. And then he'd live with Lovey and Pretty. Would they make him pay rent? Maybe. They'd need a higher income, especially when the baby came around. Babies were expensive. They also took up a lot of room. He might have to move out in less than a year, just to give the baby some space. But then where would he go? If he couldn't find a steady job before that point—one that he didn't screw up at—then he might have to return to The Cecilia Rouge. His clients wouldn't trust him anymore. He'd have to start over, building up a new client base, letting them break him in. That would overwhelm him. He wouldn't be allowed around the kid, not when he was easily set off. They'd question his injuries, too, and he wouldn't be able to explain them all.
But none of that mattered right now. This was a single cup of tea. He could afford it.
"Exactly. It's not going to make or break you, but too many over time would. Let me handle this cost, Honey. Please?" he asked, looking up at the blond and taking a deep breath. "You paid for things already yesterday, and I'd like to handle the costs today, if you would let me do that for you."
Honey shook his head, determined to make Ari understand. "No. I'm not gonna give in. Not on this. I get it, you're trying to be sweet, and I know it seems like I'm just being stubborn. But this is really important to me."
He'd run his savings into the ground if it meant not being in someone's debt. He couldn't do it again. He couldn't change his name for a third time; couldn't take off running and never look back; couldn't constantly glance over his shoulder anymore, wondering when his creditors would find him. This life he had now was painful, but it offered some form of freedom.
"Please. I have to," he said quietly.
He studied Honey's face for a long, thoughtful moment. "Why?" he asked softly. "Why do you have to pay for this? I can pay for this, and I would like to, if you would only let me, Honey. Please." he ran a hand through his hair, not understanding why Honey was so reluctant about this. "I…" he trailed off, not wanting to babble random junk taht wouldn't help anything.
Honey's confidence was gone, and he honestly looked deflated. Earlier, he'd overwhelmed Ari with details of his life, and he didn't want to do that again. But how could he avoid it? The other man was literally asking. They couldn't keep going back-and-forth forever. It was already getting old.
"I can't owe you anything," he finally said. His teeth weren't gritted, but his jaw was tight, so the words came out stiff. He looked down the hall. Nobody was there, of course, since Pretty had left. There was just no way he could have this conversation if he was looking Ari straight in the eyes. "And I know you probably don't see it that way, but I do. If you keep paying for me, I'll feel like I've gotta pay you back. I can't be trapped in that cycle."
He took a deep breath, processing that. "I…I see." he said slowly. "I…don't know if it helps, but you wouldn't owe me anything. I'm paying for you because I want to, with no expectation of payback from you, Honey. I don't expect anything from you in return." he didn't know if that helped. It probably didn't, considering that Honey had already known that Ari didn't see it as a debt.
"No." Arquis had to force the word out; it'd gotten stuck behind the lump in his throat. He couldn't stop looking at the black tuft in his palm. A sharp spike of panic stabbed his heart. "I do not know what this is. I mean, I know what it is, but I do not know why it would- why it would just-"
He was having a lot of trouble coming to terms with what he was seeing. That much was obvious. Speaking it into the air felt like it would make it real, though he wasn't sure how much more real it could get. Frantically, he combed through his hair with his other hand. Maybe, he reasoned desperately, it was a unique incident. Rin could've accidentally tugged some out in the bath. But when he lowered his arm, he found more dark, wispy strands. Not a lot. It wasn't as if he was actively shedding it by the second, but it was still enough to be alarming.
"What is happening to me?" he whispered in shock.
——
Honey nodded. That didn't really help, but it wasn't Ari's fault. He was very sweet for trying to comfort the blond.
"Yeah. You say that, and I know you probably mean it, but, well, you know what they say about old habits." He tried for a smile, though it didn't really work. "My mind's just built a certain way. It tends to think certain things. And right now, it's really thinking that I need to pay for myself. I'll feel a lot better if I do."
Without waiting for a response, Honey slowly began to walk down the hall. He gestured for Ari to join him. "Shouldn't just hang around out here. No matter who's paying, I've still gotta change."
"I, uhm, I don't…" he stammered a little bit, fidgeting for a moment. "I don't know." he admitted. "Stop…stop pulling at it. It's probably a stress response. That's all." they shifted their weight, eyes darting around the room before returning back to Arquis. "I don't know what to do." his words were a whispered admittance, their gaze resting on Arquis for a long, worried moment.
Ari followed Honey after a moment, wishing he knew how to make this better but unable to think of anything that could help. "I'm sorry." he said softly. "I know that it's not my fault, but…I'm still sorry, Honey."
"I have not been pulling at it," the nobleman responded softly, finally tearing his gaze away so that he could look at his partner. Rin seemed upset. He felt his stomach twist with guilt. This really wasn't how the day was supposed to go, but it was happening, and he couldn't pretend it was not. Something was wrong with him.
"It could still be stress," he offered. "I have been very worried lately. But, ah, I have been stressed in the past as well, and this has never happened before."
The unspoken was sitting heavy in between them: he didn't know what was happening, either. And it was terrifying.
——
Honey stopped and turned. His brown eyes narrowed. Then, he moved forward and tapped Ari on the nose. The smile he'd been aiming for earlier appeared on his lips, as if it'd been waiting for the right moment.
"Don't be. I mean it, okay? It's real nice of you to be concerned. I know things aren't the best right now, but also, I don't want every date of ours to be weighed down with this sorta thing. Let's just go out and get something nice to drink, like a normal couple. Not, uh, that we're a couple. But y'know what I mean."
Rin took a deep breath, stepping back and running his hands through his hair. "Fuck. Yeah. I'll…get dressed, and then I'll go get a doctor, okay? And…and see if someone else has answers. Maybe it's a side effect from the poison?" he didn't know. He truly had no idea. He got dressed quickly, running a towel over his hair to quickly dry it a bit mroe. "I'll go, uh, see about a doctor?"
Ari laughed at that soft tap, smiling faintly at Honey. "Yeah, alright. Fine. I just…" he trailed off, really trying not to pressue Honey. He wanted to pay, if the blond would let him, but…Honey did not seem inclined to do so.
Arquis watched Rin get dressed and dry himself without saying a word. Only when they addressed him with a question did he finally snap out of his silence to respond. His heartbeat stuttered.
"Wait, love. Perhaps it is not that bad. It could have been from the soap. An allergic reaction of sorts?" He didn't mention the fact that he hadn't actually washed his hair, nor did he point out that his skin hadn't flared up from the bubble soap. Rin had surely already recognized that he was grasping at straws. There was no need to confirm it verbally. He just didn't want to admit that it was so bad that he needed medical help.
"It is just a little bit," he mumbled. "It could be nothing. We should not get hysterical over nothing."
——
"You just what?" Honey asked, tone softening. He could tell that Ari was still struggling with the concept. It made him curious. There were nice people, and then there were people for whom chivalry and manners were built into their upbringing. Ari was kind of reminding him of the latter. Wasn't he just a gardener, though? That was more the sort of behavior you'd expect from a prince or a knight.
Rin blinked at him, trying to think. "It…yeah, it could be nothing, but I just…I would rather be safe than sorry." he ran his hands through his hair, a touch anxious about all of this. "Can I fetch a doctor? If…if you would rather that I didn't, then I won't, but…I just…" he didn't know what to do about all this. The clumps of hair falling out, after all this…it was a lot.
"I wanted to pay. I can afford it easily enough, and, uhm, it seemed like the right thing to…to do." he replied slowly, shrugging a shoulder and looking over at Honey. "Sorry. I don't want to pressure you into anything, I really don't." he exhaled faintly, giving him a quick, faint little smile.
Arquis tried to stand, but he stumbled and had to clutch the edge of the bed for support. His head swam for a long moment. Finally, when his vision cleared, he went into the bathroom and brushed the hair into the trash bin. He returned and took Rin's hands in his own.
"Breathe a bit for me, my heart," he murmured, concerned. This was certainly a stressful situation, but he didn't want his partner to spiral. He personally didn't believe that this was no big deal; in fact, he was still freaking out internally. Yet they needed to be objective and calm until the issue was identified.
"You may go search for a doctor. If Ophia is not busy… well, we have bothered her quite a bit already, but perhaps if you took Honey she would be less irritated. I give you my permission to do that."
——
Honey's mouth quirked to one side. "This is really bothering you, isn't it? Well, how about this. I'm not gonna let you pay for the whole thing, but if you wanna get a small treat for us to split, then, well, I won't stop you."
The tea shop probably sold some kind of candies or scones. He wouldn't mind sharing a bowl with Ari. It made it feel less like giving up control and more like dining with an equal.
Rin shifted from foot to foot for a moment. "I was just going to go down to the front desk and ask there, I don't…I don't want to bother Ophia or Honey again, not when we've bothered Ophia so much today, and Honey needs time without stress and anxiety about…about all this shit." he gestured vaguely with a hand, not towards Arquis, but just towards the air. "So I was going to go to the front desk and see what they say."
Ari considered that for a moment, then nodded a little bit. "Okay. That sounds good." he replied, smiling at Honey. "I can…we can do that, then. I'll get some sort of treat for us to split." he had no idea what kinds of things the tea shop had, but he knew he would be able to find something, at the very least.
Arquis nodded, which turned out to be a mistake. To hide his vertigo, he pressed his cheek to their neck. They smelled just like the bubble soap in the bath. He breathed in and out a couple of times before feeling well enough to speak.
"That is quite thoughtful of you, my dear. Though Lovey might be working the desk, and if that is the case, Honey will likely hear of it. I suppose that cannot be helped." Secretly, he kind of hoped it would be Lovey. Maybe she'd come sit with him while Rin was out. As woozy as he was, he wasn't sure he should be alone. The young blonde seemed like a very pleasant presence.
——
Honey flashed Ari a quick grin before continuining down the hallway. He was glad they'd been able to come to some kind of a conclusion. The last thing he wanted was to spend the entirety of the day feeling even the slightest amount of tension. They deserved to have genuinely nice outings that weren't shadowed by the pain of his past.
"So, what do you think I should wear when we're out?" he asked casually, just making small talk while they walked. "What do you think is a good tea drinking outfit? Fancy smock? Maybe some gloves? Huh, I could borrow a pair from our resident fancyman." He wiggled his fingers experimentally and laughed. "Don't know how he does it. You'd think you hands would get sweaty."
He nodded, and gently helped Arquis back to the bed. "Sit down, my love. I'll be back as soon as possible, alright?" he said, voice soft and gently. "Just stay here." they stepped away, sliding a pair of shoes on and heading out of the room, quickly weaving through the halls until he arrived at the front desk. "Hello?" he said as he approached.
"I, uhm, I have no idea." he said, laughing a little bit. "Gloves could be interesting, though I'm not sure that Arquis would be open to loaning them out. That would be up to him, I suppose." he shrugged his shoulders, smiling at the blond as they walked together. "Could look good, though, with the right outfit."
As soon as Rin helped Arquis onto the bed, he curled up into a ball. This wasn't like being sick. He didn't have a fever, yet he felt cold and dizzy. The room swayed every time he moved his head. Someone had once described a migraine in a similar fashion, but he wasn't actually in any pain. He just didn't feel that well.
Lovey was indeed working the front desk. She'd put Sugar in her room to nap and returned to work. When she saw Rin, her face lit up. That glow didn't stay for long. She stood, sending her chair rolling away, and hurried over to their side. Her blonde brows were scrunched in concern.
"Hi, sweetie. Is everything alright? You look worried."
——
"That reminds me of something. I used to own these bright red gloves. Like, cherry red. Ugliest things I've ever seen, but they matched this dress and these boots I had, and, y'know. Gotta wear the matching set," Honey joked. He lightly knocked his shoulder against Ari's before twirling up ahead of him. He feigned a curtsy. "I was a hot nightmare. Absolutely neon. Wasn't even pretty lipstick red or maroon or anything. Just an absolutely killer shade."
