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

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

Rin hummed faintly, holding onto Arquis. "Well, we'll settle down somewhere. Make a life for ourselves. Maybe your sisters can come, too." he said softly. He didn't know how to spin this fantasy to Arquis without lying through his teeth about what their life together would be like, and he didn't want to outright lie like that. Sure, they had lied about their origins before, but this was different. "We might face some difficulties, but nothing we can't conquer together."

Ari laughed a little when he passed Honey, waving to the blond as they ran past, around the corner, and down towards the shop. They slowed to a stop at the teacup set, grabbing the door handle and turning back to look at Honey. "I win!" he exclaimed, triumphant.

At the mention of his sisters, the nobleman's expression grew complex. His brow furrowed, then relaxed. His mouth twitched to the side. He let out a sigh and nuzzled gently into their stomach. They were warm, and honestly, he found them pretty comfortable to rest upon.

"I do not think the Palace is a good environment for them. Either of them. Quirisa acts as if she is not bothered by that life in the slightest, that she is above it all. Marsiquia has yet to realize, at her young age, how taxing it really is. But it has harmed them. I know that it has." He pressed his knuckles to his forehead and kneaded out the tension there. Talking more of the Palace would only stress him out. He offered Rin a small smile. "Enough of that. I am spiraling again. Let us talk if something lovely. Tell me, does Kevra have anywhere to swim? I have not swam in a rather long time."

——

Honey stumbled to a stop and hunched over to catch his breath. When he came back up, he was beaming. He made his way to Ari and patted him on the cheek. His own face was damp with sweat and dew. It had begun to rain harder than before, though not by much, and some of the drops had caught on his lashes.

"That you do, handsome. Really beat me at my own game. Impressive stuff. You're really fast." He lifted a brow, smirking. "Y'know, I think you deserve a prize. Your choice. Anything that speedy heart of yours desires."

Rin returned that small smile, holding onto Arquis. "Kevra has quite a few places to swim, yes." he replied, shrugging a shoulder faintly. "It borders the ocean on one side, and there are of course lakes and rivers within the country that are good for swimming. And pools, of course, though those are man-made, rather than natural formations." he looked down at his partner, smiling and smoothing his hand through Arquis's hair.

Ari grinned at him, taking a deep breath and considering Honey's words. "Hmm. Anything?" he asked, raising his eyebrows mischeciously as he looked over at Honey. "Anything I want?" he cocked his head very faintly, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Arquis stiffened and lifted Rin's hand out of his hair. It was one thing for him to feel strands falling out, but he didn't want his partner to experience it. Instead, he guided their palm down to cup the back of his neck. The worry fled from his eyes, and he smiled dreamily. He'd never get used to his touch.

"I would love to go swimming with you. It has been many years since I have gone, but…" He yawned softly. His smile blossomed, and he crept his fingers up their sides before giving them a gentle, teasing squeeze. "I can imagine resting on a beach in the sunlight with you, listening to the waves, feeling the breeze. That would be… that would be lovely…"

Despite his best intentions, he was slowly beginning to nod off. He shook his head to keep himself awake.

——

Honey strode forward, propping his arm on the wall above Ari's head. He leaned in. Ari could move away if he wanted; the position was intimate, but not uncomfortably close. He was trying to entice him, not make him feel trapped.

"Anything you want. Just say the word, and, well," he grinned and playfully tapped the other man's nose. "Your wish is my command."

Rin winced faintly. He hadn't even noticed what he was doing. "Sorry, love." he said softly, kissing Arquis's forehead in apology. "Yes, it would be lovely." he agreed in a soft tone, holding onto their partner. "The sand is rather annoying, though. It gets everywhere. But the view is lovely, and the water feels wonderful." they gave Arquis another gentle, sweet little smile.

Ari smiled a little as he looked up at Honey, cocking his head to one side. "Hmm." he reached a hand up to tap his chin thoughtfully, as if considering what he could ask Honey to do. "How about a kiss, then? For winning." he raised his eyebrows faintly, trying to suppress laughter.

"The view is wonderful," Arquis repeated, though he was staring up at Rin. His eyelids began to drift. He was still fighting to stay awake. It wasn't his fault. He was just so tired, and his lover was comfy and warm.

"Some couples have their weddings on the beach," he mumbled absentmindedly. "I have never been to one, though as you said, the sand must be atrocious. One of my past friends from, ah, long ago had a sister that was married in a valley. She wore a flower crown. It was beautiful. I envied the couple at the time for their love, but now I do not. You are the most incredible partner, my dear."

He brushed his lips against Rin's shirt again and hummed sleepily. There was so little energy left in his body. The caffeine rush from the tea had faded, as had the adrenaline from before the doctor's arrival.

——

"Just a kiss?" Honey purred, stepping even closer. If he exhaled deeply, his chest and Ari's would be touching. That was how near they were. He raised his hands to cup the Kevran's face as if it was a precious object. His brown eyes swept over his features, landing on his mouth. Ari really did have such nice lips. Perfect for kissing. He did exactly that, brushing one super light, chaste kiss against his lower lip before retreating. Then, almost hungrily, he dove in for another.

Rin listened quietly. "Mm. A valley wedding sounds beautiful." he said in a soft voice, smiling a little as he thought of what that could have looked like. "There are so many potential locaitons, though, which are all gorgeous in their own way." he kissed the side of Arquis's head. "If you need to sleep, darling, then sleep." he said softly. "I will be here when you wake, and I'll get us some food when you do." they hummed a little, smoothing their hand along Arquis's shoulder.

His eyes flickered shut at the first kiss, and he returned them with the same energy that Honey provided, reaching up to hold onto the blond man as the two kissed. One of his hands rested on Honey's shoulder, the other on his waist. Both were light and gentle, and it would be easy for Honey to pull away.

"I do not want to sleep," Arquis insisted, but there was no real heat to his tone. He was too weak to do much more than rest his head on their stomach. It felt like he'd been been pummeled all over. Yet he didn't want to just give in and crash. "I just… I do not feel well, love, you must understand. I am so… I am…"

Whatever he'd been about to say got lost as he trailed off. He pinched his arm to keep himself awake. The small jolt of pain made him twitch, and he winced ever-so-slightly.

"I want to be here with you in the moment," he continued, sounding equal parts hopeful and sad.

——

Honey could do this all day. For the past few years, he'd learned all the different ways to kiss: angrily, with passion, sweetly, light as a feather, teasing and coy, like a man starved of love. He knew all the strategies. But this was different. This was Ari. Exploring him was new and authentic and terrifying. His mistakes mattered. Not because he'd be punished verbally or physically. He just really didn't want to disappoint Ari.

The door dinged as it swung open. A disgruntled older woman in a scarf swore and pushed past them, looking furious. Honey broke away to watch her go. He turned back to Ari and smiled.

"Was that a decent prize, my champion? I could continue to reward you, though we should probably get inside at some point. We might get locked up for loitering or something."

Rin smiled sadly. "Darling, your body doesn't have the energy to stay awake because you haven't been eating enough." he replied, shaking his head faintly. "So get some sleep, and when you wake up we'll have some food." his voice wasn't mean, just soft and matter of fact. Arquis couldn't stay awake because his body didn't have the energy for it. Rin knew that Arquis had not done it on purpose, but that was what had happened.

Ari snickered softly at the question, then gave Honey a soft smile. "Mhm. It was a wonderful prize, darling." he replied. "Now, let's go inside and have some of those scones you told me so much about." he opened the door for Honey, holding it for the other man and smiling over at him.

"But I do not want to rest," Arquis protested once more. The words trailed up at the end, almost as if he was going to cry, and his forehead creased. He glanced sideways, then at the bed, nearest pillow, and floor. Anywhere but Rin. He'd already been humiliated quite a bit. He didn't want to have to see his expression when he admitted this next part.

"I am afraid that I will have a nightmare. I cannot handle more stress, not right this instant. It would be overwhelming." His heart already felt fragile, his pulse frail and unsteady. He didn't literally think a nightmare would kill him, but it'd probably be highly unpleasant. He’d rather not have another panicked fit and pass out.

——

Honey beamed at Ari as he entered. "What a gentleman!" he teased, though he was only partially joking. The other man was very polite indeed. He deserved another kiss. The blond would have to give it to him later. Right now, they had to find a table or a waiter. A woman with a long, sleek brown ponytail gave them a customer service smile when they walked in. She ushered them to a corner booth before hurrying away.

The aesthetic of the café was charming. On every round table was a white and pastel checkered tablecloth. The seats of the booths were made of a soft, plush foam material, and they were pastel as well. The table they were seated at had a few knitted doilies for kettles and cups to sit on. There was one with a star and another with a beehive. Leaning up against the wall behind the doilies was a silver wire rack holding jars of spices, sugars, and jams. Someone had put a lot of effort into making and organizing those jars.

Rin nodded faintly. "I understand, darling, but…you cannot just wait until you pass out from exhaustion. That's bad for you, love. It's bad for your body and bad for your mind." he smoothed his hand over Arquis's shoulders, trying to help soothe him. "So please, can you just…can you try to sleep? I will stay right here for when you awake, but you need to rest."

Ari smiled back, following the woman to the booth and taking a seat at the table. His gaze moved about the room, taking in everything. "This is a lovely little place." he said softly, another little smile pulling at his mouth. "Thank you for thinking to bring me here." he could smell the tea in the air, too; the mix of the various herbs that were used to brew it, the soft mustiness of dried leaves.

Arquis opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't think of what to say. He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut. The last thing he wanted to do was sleep. He was nightmare prone on the best of days, but when he was this upset, it was so much worse. His imagination would run wild, filling his head with twisted memories.

"I cannot. I would rather collapse. I would rather faint. It would be too much, love." His words were beginning to blur together. He swallowed, but the metallic taste in his mouth remained. Despite the warmth of their hand on his shoulder, he was still shivering. It felt like he was coming undone. He looked tiredly at his partner.

"Perhaps, ah, if you were to give me a sweater? Your sweater. Not the one you are wearing, of course, I am not trying to proposition you." His cheeks colored slowly as he remembered what they'd done earlier. "But if I were to wear something of yours, I would be warm, and it would… um, it would feel safe?"

——

"Yeah. I haven't been here much, but it's cute, isn't it? Lovey likes it, I think." Which made sense. The entire café looked sweet and plush. It really was meant for all ages, but he had a feeling that his sister and Pretty would be bringing their kid there quite often. "I just think the tea's nice. And the scones, of course."

"Hi!" A waitress said as she approached their table. She had candy-colored hair and wore a massive bubble skirt with fake lollipop earrings. Her shoes were pink pumps that matched her matte lipstick. She stopped short when she saw Ari, and her eyes widened. Honey quirked a brow as she laughed brightly. Instantly, he could tell that she thought he was cute. He smirked and leaned back in his chair.

"Hi!" she repeated. She didn't so much as glance at Honey, instead offering Ari a very pretty smile. "My name's Kit, and I'll be serving you today. Are you familiar with the menu here, or is this your first time?"

Rin nodded a little bit, getting up from the bed and grabbing one of his sweaters. He brought it back over to Arquis, giving their lover another soft, sweet smile. "Here you are, darling." he said in a soft tone, handing it to Arquis. "I hope it fits." it probably would; their height was not that different, and neither were their body shapes, though Rin was more filled out than Arquis was. Arquis was, as the doctor had pointed out, far too thin.

He smiled at Honey, nodding a little, then looked up at the waitress. He returned the waitress's smile, shifting in his seat faintly. "Oh, this is my first time." he replied. "So I'll probably need a bit to look at the menu and figure out what I want." he wasn't quite sure why she was only paying attention to him, but it was alright; he was the one paying anyways, so as long as she took both of their orders, it would work out.

Arquis lit up, which was almost miraculous considering how downcast he'd been previously. His hands frantically scrabbled to undo the ties of his robe. He let it slide to the floor, then tugged on the sweater. It was too big, but not so much so that he swam in the fabric. He gave himself a little hug before remembering that Rin was watching.

"Sorry. It, ah, smells like you, and it is very comfortable. And it is so soft!" He took off his gloves and stroked the fabric. Truthfully, he was quite mesmerized by the material. His wardrobe didn't have many cozy clothes. Nearly everything he owned was meant to look professional, not hug the body in such a way. Though he'd gotten used to wearing more forgiving, less stiff outfits throughout their trip, he was still a little enchanted by fluffy fabrics.

——

"Oh, the menu! Yes, of course, let me get that for you!" Kit patted her skirt until she pulled out a large, clean-cut piece of lavender card stock. She set it down carefully in front of Ari. Honey tried not to laugh. She seemed sweet, and he didn't want to embarrass her.

"There you are! Our specials of the day are at the top. Right here!" As she spoke, she got closer to Ari, leaning forward to point at something on the menu. Honey could smell her perfume from a distance. It was a fruity yet sugary scent, like raspberry fondant or strawberry marshmallows. He considered asking her what it was, but he didn't want to ruin her fun.

"So, today's special are scones with blackberry syrup and whipped cream on top. They've got berries baked in, too! And you could get some apricot tea with that, or a cup of refreshing mint tea. Though my favorite is the cinnamon tea. It's not a special today, but it's super good."

They smiled at the way Arquis hugged the sweater to his body, reaching out to gently touch Arquis's shoulder again. "You're welcome, darling." he said softly, kissing Arquis's cheek. "Can, ah, you try to sleep now?" he asked, raising his eyebrows faintly. "Or do you think that that is not going to work still?" he bit his lip very faintly, hoping that Arquis would be able to sleep now.

Ari took the menu, looking down at it. He could smell her perfume, sweet and sugary. It was not a bad scent, though Ari was not attracted to women and therefore was not quite reading this situation properly. "Those all sound delicious." he remarked, looking over at Honey. "Which do you want to get, Honey?" he asked the blond, giving Honey a soft smile.

Some of the nobleman's cheer faded. He'd forgotten about going to sleep. A sweater could only help with so much; it wasn't like he could take it with him into his dreams. He frowned and hugged himself subconsciously, just like before. The gesture helped keep him warm.

"Perhaps if we rest together, then I will feel more at ease. You must be exhausted, too, love, with all the running around you have been doing. Come lay with me. You deserve a break."

——

"Honey?" Kit repeated, confused. She finally glanced over at the blond. Her shoulders slumped. "Oh, waffles. Are you his boyfriend?

Honey was so caught up on the odd, swear-like use of the word 'waffles' that he didn't quite hear what he was being asked. He blinked and gave a dismissive shake of his head. He'd assumed she'd asked something about the menu, maybe seeing if he wanted to try one of the specials. There was so little left in his wallet for spoiling himself. He couldn't afford to get anything super fancy.

"Really?" The pastel-haired young lady gasped in excitement. She whipped around to face Ari again. "In that case, I think you're super cute, and I'd maybe like to see if you'd want to go on a date sometime. Or we can start slow! I can give you my mailbox, and you could write me a letter sometime?"

The blond nearly choked on air. Out of all the things he’d been expecting her to say, asking Ari on a date hadn’t been one of them.

Rin lay down beside Arquis again, wrapping his arms around the nobleman. "Alright, darling." he said softly, kissing Arquis's cheek again. "I'll take a nap with you, then." he was tired, too. Between their activity earlier and then his quick trip to the village to get the doctor, he was tired. The stress certainly hadn't helped, either. He pulled the blankets up around them both.

Ari raised his eyebrows faintly at her question, givign her an almost embarrassed smile. "I…you're lovely, but I'm, uhm, gay." he said, his smile turning apologetic. "So I'm afraid that that wouldn't really…work out very well." he rubbed the back of his neck, gaze flicking from Kit to Honey and then back to the waitress. "I'm sorry. I'm flattered by the offer, though."

Arquis had never felt safer than when he was in his partner's embrace. Rin felt like more than just home. They were love and hope for a better future. Even if brighter days never came, that hope alone was a powerful thing. It made him want to recover. He'd had enough suffering to last several lifetimes, and now he wanted peace. He craved sunny skies and ocean waves, could practically feel the grit of wet sand.

"I might have a good dream, this time," he whispered against his neck. "One of you and me together, like in my other dream. That would be nice.”

——

Kit seemed flustered by his response, but she bounced back pretty quickly. She gathered her skirt and took a step away from Ari. Honey watched, quite amused, as she gave an awkward head tilt. Not exactly a bow or a curtsy, but somewhere close to that. She was clearly trying to apologize without making him uncomfortable. Whether or not it was working was to be determined.

"That's okay! Everyone's got a thing, and if that's your thing, then that's okay! No need to say sorry. It was unprofessional of me to ask!" She cleared her throat. "Um, so, scones? Tea? Anything?"

"Y'know," Honey started, finally ready to break the tension, "I think I'll just get a small black tea. Nothing to eat. Thanks."

Rin hummed very faintly. "I hope you do, my love." he said in a soft tone. "And if you do not, I will be here when you awake, ready to hold you in my arms and comfort you with my love." they kissed Arquis's cheek softly again, still holding him. "Now go to sleep and rest, darling. You need it. And when you awake, we shall have some food." they knew Arquis needed to eat. That was abundantly clear now.

Ari gave her another soft smile. "I think for scones, we'll get today's special, along with, uhm…do you have any cinnamon scones?" he asked, glancing down at the menu. "If so, we'll have those too. And I would like to have the mint tea to drink." he glanced at Honey, gently setting the menu in front of him. "Choose some scones. You said you knew which ones were good."

"I could never deserve you," Arquis whispered, and just like that, he was asleep. His breathing slowly evened out. There was a calm, relaxed quality to his expression as he rested, as if he'd just received a soothing massage.

On the inside, he was anything but calm. His dreams started roughly. One moment, he was tumbling through tall, wet grass that slapped at his bare ankles. The next, he was in one of the many dining spaces at the Palace, and the maids had all cornered him. They were going to bring him to Muria. Nothing could convince them otherwise. They just dragged him along on the carpet, even though he thrashed and kicked.

These weren't really nightmares. They didn't even make him stir in real life. He just hated how unnerved they made him feel. They rendered him powerless.

——

"Nah. I'm good," Honey responded. Kit hovered between them for a moment, unsure of what to do until the blond waved her away. She gave another awkward half-bow before taking their orders to the kitchen.

So what if he'd promised to let Ari pay for the scones? Things changed all the time. If Honey didn't order any scones, then there would be none for Ari to buy. It was a simple way out of their deal.

Rin held Arquis, closing his eyes but not really going to sleep. He was just resting, really. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and even, but they were not sleeping. He didn't know if he could sleep. They were far too worried about Arquis for that. All of this had been a lot. He really had thought that Arquis was getting better, that he was improving, and now…now they knew that that was the opposite of the truth. Their partner was not improving, he was actually getting worse. And it terrified them, that they could lose Arquis now.

Ari frowned faintly once Kit was gone. "Honey, you said you would let me pay." he said, looking over at the blond. "And now you're trying to back out of it?" his brows gathered together faintly as he looked at Honey. He didn't know what to say now, didn't know what to do.

Arquis shifted in his sleep and mumbled an incoherent stream of syllables. The last dream had switched over to something neutral. He was in a dark room with a single window, and it was raining outside. It was like their hotel room but not quite identical. The baseboards had strangely ornate crown molding, and the wallpaper was antique and faded. There was a consistent hum in the stagnant air that set him on edge.

In his dream, a door closed behind him. He couldn't turn to see who'd come in, but he felt familiar, strong arms wrap around him. His unease drained away. He let dream-Rin kiss his neck. Neither of them spoke. For some reason, he couldn't, and he supposed dream-Rin didn't want to. He was just getting comfortable with the silence when he felt his partner shift. Their hands were around his throat in a second. Squeezing hard. Hard enough to break bones, hard enough to kill him. He couldn't fight it; he still couldn't move.

——

"It's not big deal. Just decided I wasn't that hungry," Honey replied, putting on a charming grin. He put his hands together as if in prayer and rested his chin on top. Surely Ari wouldn't want to have another whole conversation about who was paying. They'd been there, done that. There were more exciting things to talk about, like what had just happened with Kit.

"Can you believe she asked you out? I mean, I can, 'cause look at you, but, like, while working! Poor girl must really have had it bad for you, huh?" He wasn't avoiding the subject. Not at all. Not even a little bit.

Rin kept holding him gently, rubbing Arquis's side soothingly when their lover started to shift and move. "It's alright, lovely." he whispered, knowing Arquis probably couldn't hear him but wanting to soothe him anyway. "I'm here, and no one is going to hurt you." he kept gently trying to soothe their partner, hand gently smoothing up and down Arquis's side. "I've got you."

Ari frowned faintly, shaking his head a little bit. "Honey…" he trailed off, letting it drop for now. "Yeah. It was brave of her, for sure." he said, laughing a little bit. "I'm a bit flattered, really. Hope she's not too disappointed, though." he did feel a bit bad for letting her down, even if the cause of that letdown was beyond his control.

The nightmare got worse. Dream-Rin's hands tightened, and though black spots obscured the novleman's vision, he couldn't seem to pass out. It went on and on for minutes. He should've been dead already, but he couldn't die. He couldn't wake up, either. It was never going to end. His loving partner—who he'd begun to trust—would dig their nails in harder every time he'd squirm. He'd never get away. They'd stay there for all eternity.

And just as he thought that, he was awake. He gasped. His hands clenched in the material of Rin's shirt. When he looked at them, his eyes were wild and glassy, and they couldn't seem to focus.

——

"Nah, her dreams are probably crushed. Oh well. You let her off pretty easy." Honey grinned to show that he was just teasing. He stretched his arms to relieve some of the lingering soreness from running. As he did so, his hands bumped into something solid: a metal tray. Kit had returned rather fast. She wasn't holding their tea, though, but instead a very large platter piled high with scones and pastries.

"Hi again! Um, so, these aren't from me! Well, some of them are. But I told the chef what happened. She took a little peek over here, and she thinks you're cute. Blondie, I mean." Kit held out a hand to stop Honey before he could respond. "I'm not done. Another one of our waiters heard us talking, so she took a look herself. And then she started talking to her friend, and then one of our regulars overheard. So, I guess these are kind of from, like, everyone? They’re already paid for.”

Honey hid his face, which had gone very bright red, in his hands. His shoulders shook with silent laughter.

Rin's eyes opened when he heard Arquis gasp, and he blinked tiredly at Arquis. "Are you alright, darling?" he whispered, kissing Arquis's cheek and still gently running his hands along Arquis's ribcage, trying to soothe him with that soft, gentle touch. "Nightmare?" he had hoped that Arquis would not have a nightmare, but…well, hopefully Rin could at least soothe him a bit.

Ari blinked at Kit in confusion, looking at the platter and then glancing around the restaurant, his cheeks flushing pink and laughter escaping his lips. "I-I…thank you!" he managed, biting his lip for a moment and trying to think of how to respond. "I don't, uh, I…thank you so much."