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

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

Arquis smiled into the kiss as he returned it. He curled his hand around the back of his neck to pull them closer. Love for them swelled in his heart. In all of this mess, it was sometimes hard to remember that this is what had brought them together. This was why they stayed, even when it was really complicated. They loved and wanted the best for each other.

"I love you so much," he whispered, trailing kisses up his jaw. He panted, a touch breathless, when he reached their mouth again, and he claimed it in a kiss that was deeper than the rest. When he broke it off, he gasped, "I love you so, so much, my dear."

——

Honey sobered a little. His radiant smile became soft and sweet, and he almost shyly confirmed, "You're my first choice. But you had to have known that already. I've been head over heels for you since we first met. I act like a fool when I'm around you."

That wasn't an exaggeration. Fawning over Ari had made him do a lot of dumb stuff. He'd fumbled his words and talked too much and even shared his real name. He didn't regret any of it, except the times he'd made him uncomfortable.

He smiled softly, holding onto Arquis. "I love you too." he whispered, eyes flickering shut as he held onto their partner. "And I am so happy to have you, my love. I really am." he smiled again, cupping Arquis's cheek. "Even if we've had difficulties recently, it's going to work out." they kissed Arquis's cheek softly, smiling and curling closer to their partner. They really did love Arquis, and despite the difficulties that they had faced that day, they knew that it was going to work out. They would both be alright, and this was going to be just fine.

His smile softened, going from something teasing to a more genuine, lovely thing. "Sometimes you do, but, ah…I don't know that that is entirely a bad thing." he said, reaching out to gently touch Honey's arm. "It's nice to know that you aren't always as slick and polished as you might seem." he replied.

"It is going to work out," Arquis half-repeated, half-agreed. He pulled Rin down over him and let his lips find their neck. Rather than biting or sucking, he just planted a dozen tiny, soft kisses. Their skin was warm and smelled of soap. He practically purred against it. This was his favorite way to be: cuddled up with him in their bed, limbs intertwined. He wished they could stay like that forever, but at some point they'd need to get up to find Honey and Ari. The two men might be together, or they might've gone back to their respective rooms.

"Who do you think you will choose?" he asked against their throat, following the question with another kiss. "Ari? Honey? I must admit that I am wary of Honey’s caretaking strategies. He might wear a nurse's outfit."

——

Honey blushed at the light touch on his arm, which was in his opinion a bit of an overdramatic reaction. It wasn't like he'd never been touched before. In fact, up until very recently, that had pretty much been his job. Being touched, being used. But Ari treated him so much differently than those men. Ari touched him to reassure him, not to get him under his covers. It was both sweet and so terribly unfamiliar.

"Slick and polished is what a lot of guys like," he said back softly, then ducked his head. "But you don't want that. You let me feel like myself. My real self."

"I…must admit that I have not had much time to catch up with Ari. I would not mind spending time with Honey, but I think I will go with Ari, if he is up to that." he replied, shrugigng a shoulder and snuggling closer to Arquis and staying pressed up with their lover. "I have things to discuss with him." he gave Arquis a soft, slightly tired smile, his arms wrapped gently around their partner.

Ari smiled at Honey's reaction, hand resting lightly on Honey's arm. "I want your real self, yes. Not something fake, not something put-together and perfect." he hoped he had said that correctly; Anvillean was not his native language, and sometimes it was difficult to know if his sentences were alright.

Arquis let out a very soft, nearly inaudible sigh. He hadn't really been lying about the whole being wary of Honey thing, though it wasn't because of the potential nurse's outfit. It was hard to pinpoint the exact reason why, but he had a suspicion that the blond didn't really like him. The nobleman already knew that he didn't like him as much as he liked Rin; that much was undeniable. But Arquis was pretty sure there was some distrust lurking somewhere in the blond's mind, too. He just got a weird feeling.

"That makes perfect sense, love. You two should spend more time with each other while he is still in the area. I just… I do not know if Honey actually enjoys my presence," he admitted. "Perhaps that sounds peculiar, considering all the time we have spent together. I did go with him when he gave Ari that flower, and we had that whole double date situation. But I simply… I just… I suppose it could be all in my head. That is likely the truth."

——

Honey mulled over Ari's words for a bit, then offered him a grateful look. Without thinking, he leaned over and kissed him square on the forehead. When he realized what he'd done, his eyes widened. He hastily took several steps forward. His blush had spread to his ears, though his dimples were still showing, proving how pleased he was by the whole thing.

"I'm glad," he eventually said as he continued to walk forward, "that you want that. I'd like to be that person everyday. Real, and silly, and imperfect. And so happy, like, all the time. Maybe someday I will be."

Rin cocked their head faintly when they heard Arquis's words. "Darling, I do not think that he dislikes you." he said softly. "I…he may be biased, due to the fact that he does not like noblemen. That may be influencing him. But I think he likes you, love. And if he does not, then perhaps some time spent together will help that."

Ari smiled at that soft, sweet little kiss, taking a few quick steps in order to catch up to Honey. "Happy all the time is…is an impossible thing, Honey, but ah…I hope you are able to be happy more often than you are not." he smiled again, hoping that his words did not upset Honey.

Arquis bit his lower lip, not quite in agreement but not willing to fight over it, either. He hesitated for a moment more as he came up with what to say.

"Perhaps. I would like for us to get along." In a more lighthearted tone, he joked, "I just hope he does not bring Sugar. She is an absolute terror, that one. She may not look it, but I know that deep down she is probably rather vicious. With those fangs and all, well," he leaned forward and playfully nipped at his partner's neck. "How could she not be?"

——

"Happy more often than not. Yeah. I'd like that." The picnic basket bounced against the blond's legs as he slowed his stride. So far, the rain wasn't that bad, just a light drizzle. There was no rush, though they were already entering the valley leading to The Cecilia Rouge. That was a shame. He'd really been enjoying their date, but he supposed it was best to get the scones to Arquis and Rin while they were still somewhat warm.

"And what about you?" he asked after a minute. "What's your big goal in life? Also happiness? Or are you going for the gold in looks?"

He laughed a little bit. "Ah, of course." he said softly. "Such large teeth she has, you're right." they laughed again, eyelids flickering faintly at that nip to his throat. "She must be a vicious creature indeed, to have such large, massive teeth." he snickered, holding onto their partner.

He smiled. "More often than not is more realistic." he said softly. "And…as for myself, I…suppose happiness and contentment. My looks are…well, they are how they are, I suppose." he laughed a little, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear and clearing his throat. "I don't know."

(ooh ok question if Rin/Ari and Arquis/Honey are spending the day together, will we just do a time skip? or do you have any ideas for what could happen during that?)

"Large and massive, hm?" For some reason, all that Honey talk was making Arquis feel a bit like the blond. A rush of flirty confidence came over him. He ran his fingertips up his partner's sides and pressed his mouth to his jaw. "Well, love, I sure hope you are still talking about the dog, or else I might have to call you a flatterer."

The line was so ridiculous that it pretty much didn't make sense. Arquis paired it with a perfect, half-lidded look, then laughed. He let his head thump back against their chest.

——

Honey paused. He kept walking, the basket bobbing up and down at his side, but didn't say anything. A couple of quiet minutes passed filled with only the sound of the rain. Then, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"I didn't- no, that's not how I should start that. Did I- or, like, does it make you uncomfortable when I say stuff like that? About how you look?" He fought the urge to reach over and play with a curl of his hair. "I know it's not always what people wanna hear. I get that on, uh- on a personal level. That sometimes compliments get old or shallow or whatever. I meant all of them. I think you're stunning, I- I mean, I've thought that since I laid eyes on you. But if it bothers you in any way, let me know and I'll stop."

(i was thinking we would just do a timeskip, yeah)

Rin paused for a moment, startled by the out of character joke, then let out a peal of laughter, holding onto Arquis with a smile on their face. "Oh, darling, don't you wish you knew which one I meant." he retorted in a teasing tone, kissing the side of Arquis's head and running his hands lightly along Arquis's shoulders in a small, absent-minded little gesture. "But I'm afraid I can't tell you."

Ari looked at hi, listening quietly to Honey's stammering. "It does not bother me, Honey. It is only that…since I was young, my body has been…it has been a hard thing to come to terms with, sometimes. That I am…that…" he trailed off with a soft, short exhale, trying to find the words in Anvillean to say what he meant. "That I was born with a body that has traditionally feminine and, ah….womanly qualities, and I am not…I am not a woman." his brows gathered faintly as he searched for the words to say what he meant. "I have…done much work to be able to feel at home in it, but I still struggle with it."

Some days, it was very hard to look in the mirror because all he could see was the faint curves of his hips and the more delicate qualities in his face, the way his hands were smaller and slender rather than the broader, thicker-set that men like Honey or Arquis had. It was better now that there was nothing on his chest save for faded scars; his breasts had been something he had hated. He could not stand that he had them, could not stand looking in the mirror and seeing them on his body. It was better now, with them gone, but it was still hard some days. He liked his hair longer, but at the same time it worried him that it was too feminine. That it softened his face too much. Perhaps part of the difficulty was that so many people in the past had thrown derogatory and cruel words his way for something he couldn't change. Men who had recoiled in disgust when he told them he was trans. It had been hard, in the past, and sometimes comments about his body had been meant to hurt rather than to praise.

(sounds good!)

Arquis beamed, pleased that they'd liked his bizarre joke. In all honesty, he'd missed seeing them laugh. The past few hours had been so stressful that he'd gotten used to the tension in his face. But now they looked brighter, and it made his heart skip a beat. He really was so in love with him.

"Oh? And why not?" he asked, going along with the bit. Just to play it up, he laid his Anvillean accent on thick. "Are you afraid of boosting my ego? That is fair. After all, your flattery typically gives me quite a big head."

The innuendos were getting more obvious and much, much worse in quality, but they were still making him laugh. And better yet, the laughter actually reached his eyes. For just a moment, he was allowing himself to detach from his pain, shake off his worries and worst fears.

——

Honey listened with a look of mingled sympathy and slight understanding. The whole struggling with one's body thing in general was something he'd been through, but he hadn't faced the specific issues that Ari had.

"I think I kinda get what you mean," he responded, his tone gentle. "Is there anything I could do to, uh, help with that struggle? I know I can't really do a whole lot, 'cause it's your body, and I, y'know, can't actually change much of anything. But in terms of things to say, or not to say, or, like, that sort of thing."

He took a breath, and as he was exhaling, he remembered something else he'd meant to say. Before Ari could respond to his original question, he blurted, "And just know I'm good!" His nose scrunched as he shook his head. "That's not what I meant to say. I meant that I'm good if you're ever having a bad day with this stuff, and you just want someone to be near or distract you or listen."

"Ah, darling, if flattery was all it took, I'm afraid your head would be far too blown." he winked as he spoke, laughing and grinning at Arquis. His own jokes were just as bad as their partner's, but they were both laughing. They were both shaking free much of the tension that had held tightly onto them, like claws on their hearts and minds. "And yet despite that, I still cannot tell you."

Ari took a deep breath, shaking his head faintly at the original question and then letting out a soft laugh at Honey's latter words. "Thank you, Honey, but there's not, ah, much you can do about it, no." he replied, giving the blond a soft smile. "You already have helped, in some ways, but, ah…it's just something I have to work on myself, that is all." he was grateful for the fact that his dysphoria around his lower body had never been as intense as his dysphoria about his chest; it was far harder to change his lower area than for his chest, and while some days his anatomy down there bothered him, most days he was fine with it. Even enjoyed it, sometimes.

Arquis covered his own face with a pillow, but it was still obvious he was laughing really hard. When he finally moved the pillow, his skin was flushed, and his eyes were shiny with humor-induced tears. He fanned himself while gasping for air.

"There is absolutely no way I can top that," he admitted. "Goodness, love. Such a dirty mind. Though perhaps I should be saying the same of myself, since I was the one who started this whole thing."

He waited a few more moments to fully regain his composure before continuing. A flicker of something deviant ran across his expression, and he decided to follow the idea that had sprung into his mind. He shifted so that he and Rin were both on their sides, facing one another. Time for the first step. He cast his gaze aside as if shy, which wasn't exactly untrue, before letting it drift back. His stomach twisted. Rin really was gorgeous. He let his hand wander down from their side, then stopped when the tips of his fingers rested just under the bottom of his shirt.

"If only we had just a little more time before you had to go. I would suggest going for a second round." He smiled at Rin to let him know he was mostly teasing. He really didn't want them to feel guilty for going out. "But I am sure you must leave soon, to find your dear friend."

——

Honey nodded, shoving his available hand into his pocket. The other curled around the basket's handle. He very gently nudged his shoulder against Ari's and gave him a smile.

"Okay. I knew I probably wouldn't be able to do much about it, yeah. But the offer's still there for that second thing. Room's always open. Well. Maybe not always. I'm not just permanently in there, like, sometimes I go outside and do stuff. It's open a lot of the time, though. Let's say a good, solid seventy-five percent."

As soon as he finished, he realized that they were practically already at the inn. He opened the door for Ari like a proper gentleman—sneaking him another grin as he did so—and followed him inside. Lovey waved excitedly when she saw them. She set the book she'd been reading print-side down and hopped up. The towel cart was still by the front desk from the other day, and she grabbed two to bring to them.

"Go ahead and dry off. I don't want either of you catching a cold." She tilted her head slightly, as if the word 'cold' made her remember something. "Oh, um, by the way, you two might want to go check on your friends. The bard rushed out to get a doctor a bit ago. It seemed kind of serious."

Rin grinned at him, laughing softly at Arquis's words. Then he raised his eyebrows, tipping his head very faintly as Arquis's fingers explored along his side, dipping beneath their shirt. "Are you sure you are feeling up to that, my love?" he asked softly, reaching out to cup Arquis's cheek with their hand. "Though I am afraid that you are correct that we probably do not have time even if you are." he ran his thumb gently over his partner's cheekbone, smiling gently. "I love you, darling. I really do."

He laughed a little at the way that Honey rambled on about whether or not he would be in his room, then smiled in greeting to Lovey, taking the towel. His smile faded a bit at her words about Arquis and Rin, and he nodded slightly. "I'll go get changed into dry clothes, and then we can go check on them?" his gaze flicked to Honey. "You should change too."

Arquis gave Rin a pretty, suddenly bashful smile when they cupped his cheek. This was how it was always going to be between them, apparently. He could tease him and make as many innuendos as his heart desired, but the second his partner even slightly touched him, he basically melted. He was a bit like a cat, in that regard. Practically purring whenever he was happy, nuzzling into their palm.

"Mm? Oh, yes. Love you, too, dearest." He skated his fingers up in slow circles on their lean abdomen, then sadly withdrew his hand. Rin was right. They didn't really have time to fool around, no matter how badly he might want that. He sighed.

——

Honey glanced at his soggy clothes. It wasn't as if he was rain drenched, but, well, parts of his sweater were starting to cling to his skin. He frowned. Changing into something warm might be the responsible thing to do, but he was honestly now pretty worried about Rin. Had something happened to the musician? He really hoped not.

"I don't know. I just- I wanna make sure everything's okay. Can- maybe- could we maybe change later?" His voice was trembling, and not from the cold of his damp outfit.

Rin hummed a little, eyes flickering at the fingers on his abdomen. "Mm." he kissed Arquis's forehead softly, smiling at him. "Love you so much, sweetheart." he whispered, pressing his nose lightly to Arquis's cheek and kissing him again. He was relieved that Arquis was seeming a bit better, and that they at least had a plan for how he was going to get better for real. This was going to go well. At least, he hoped so.

Ari bit his lip faintly, then nodded slightly. "Yeah. We'll change later." he replied, smiling at Honey to try and reassure him. "Come on, let's go." he started walking, slinging his towel around his shoulders and walking towards the hall so that they could go to Rin and Arquis's room. Hopefully the two were alright. Maybe something had happened and Rin had overreacted…though Ari knew his friend was not the type to overreact like that.

Arquis was on cloud nine. His eyes fluttered shut, and he took a nice, deep breath. Everything had been pretty bad there for a bit. Spending some time with his partner that wasn't stressful was lovely. It made him feel like maybe things would turn out alright in the end after all, even if they weren't good right then and there. He found Rin's lips and kissed him deeply. There was no heat to it, not like earlier in the day. This was a kiss of pure love, a response to what they'd just said. Once it was done, he followed it with another, then paused only to take a breath.

——

Honey hurried after Ari with his own towel draped loosely around his free wrist. Once he caught up, which only took a second, he started to fidget. He wished Lovey had given them more information on the situation. There could be plenty of reasons why Rin would need a doctor, and not all of them were serious. Just the ones that seemed to stick out in his mind. He imagined them severely wounded, then tried to wipe that specific image from his thoughts. How would they have even gotten injured, if he'd been inside this whole time? Arquis would've protected him from harm. Unless, of course, Arquis was the source of the harm. Maybe he'd turned. Maybe he was a wanted man for a reason. Maybe all the rumors were true.

The blond picked up the pace. The basket of scones smacked against his thighs as he grabbed Ari's hand and tugged him down the hall. They were almost there. And then, just like that, they were standing in front of the door. Honey froze.

"Um, last time I- last time I barged in, they got kind of upset with me, so, uh-" He stepped behind Ari nervously and started to bite at his nails. Bits of nail polish were beginning to come off.

Rin smiled into the kiss, eyes flickering shut as he held onto his partner. "Gods, love you so much." he whispered the words against their partner's mouth, kissing him again and again. "I really do, my darling."

Ari glanced over at Honey, nodding sligtly and knocking on the door. He didn't pound, but knocked loud enough for it to seem urgent. He just hoped that it would help Rin or Arquis to answer the door quickly.

Rin groaned at the sound of the knock, pulling away from Arquis's mouth with a disappointed sigh. "Someone's at the door." he remarked, shaking his head a little bit and pressing another soft, sneaking kiss to Arquis's cheek. "So I will have to cut this short." he sat up, getting off of the bed and coming to the door, opening it up and blinking at the sight of Honey and Ari. "Hey guys." they greeted.

Honey continued to stand behind Ari, using him slightly as a human shield. It wasn't that he thought Rin was going to lash out at him, but if they were upset at them interrupting, then he didn't want to receive the brunt of his frustration. He made very brief eye contact with him before scanning for injuries. There didn't seem to be any obvious bruising, blood, or broken bones. Relieved, but not fully at ease, he shuffled from foot to foot.

"Hi. Sorry. We didn't wanna get in the middle of things, if you're busy, but Lovey said that something was wrong? You don't seem hurt, though. Are you sick again? Did it go into remission?"

Arquis shifted to the edge of the bed. He could hear Honey's questions pretty well and easily detected the anxiety in his tone. Very, very carefully, he stood. The room swayed once and then righted itself. He came up behind Rin and wrapped his arms around their waist. Some might consider it a possessive move, but honestly, he was just trying to stay upright.

"They are not ill," he managed quietly, his grip growing a bit tighter. He offered Honey and Ari a small smile. "Hello. Nice to see you both again."

Rin rested his hands lightly on Arquis's arms, trying to help support him. "I'm fine. Arquis was ill, earlier." they explained, not going further into the details because it was up to Arquis as to how much he wanted to tell the others. "But we're fine now." mostly; he was a touch worried about the fact that Arquis was off the bed when the nobleman was so weak right now. So he shifted back towards the bed just a little bit, wanting to head that way so Arquis could sit down. "Thank you, though, for asking."

Ari relaxed a little, glad to hear that they were both alright. "Well, uhm, we brought you guys some scones, if you would like. There are a lot, so you can eat as many as you like." he gestured to the basket that Honey was holding, hoping that no one was upset. It didn't seem like it, so perhaps everything would be alright.

Arquis sensed that Rin was gradually moving closer to the bed and, to make it easier for the both of them, let go of him. He immediately had to reach out to catch their arm to steady himself. There was no immediate danger of him passing out, but he was still a little shaky and lightheaded. His palms were clammy. It was hard to hold on. He took a step back, only releasing their wrist when the backs of his legs bumped into the mattress. He sat heavily and took a deep breath.

Honey nodded when he finally registered what Ari had said; his focus had been on Rin and their partner. The basket of scones was still warm, which was almost a miracle. He stepped into the room and placed it on the comforter besides the nobleman. His gaze raked over him curiously. When he looked up, Honey's eyes darted away.

"Thank you," Arquis said, though he wasn't fully sure he meant it. The last thing he wanted was to have more to eat. Technically, he hadn't even finished some of his plate from earlier. There was a roll that he hadn't eaten, and some of the mushrooms were left. They'd be cold by now.

Honey cleared his throat awkwardly. “No problem.” He turned to Rin. “Well, if he was sick, you two probably aren’t doing much for the rest of the day, are you? Don’t wanna go out in the rain and make it worse. It’s kinda cold.”

Rin gently helped Arquis to sit down, kissing his cheek softly. "Thank you for the scones." he said softly to Honey. "And, ah, no, we weren't really planning on doing much. Though…" his gaze flicked between the three others, clearing his throat softly. "I have been wanting to catch up with Ari, and I was wondering if you would be willing to stay with Arquis?" he directed those words to Honey, watching the blond. "He's…I don't want to leave him alone, with everything that's been going on with him, and…" they trailed off, shaking their head faintly. "So if you would be willing to do that, I would be very grateful."

Ari was quiet, letting Honey respond to Rin's request.

Honey quirked a brow and glanced at Arquis. The nobleman refused to meet his curious gaze. There were two hot spots of color blooming in his pale cheeks, turning his complexion scarlet. Nothing Rin had said really related to babysitting, but that was the feeling the whole situation gave off. Honey was babysitting him because he couldn't do something as simple as eating. Even little children knew to eat. He was basically an infant, unable to feed himself properly. It was humiliating that he'd let it get this far, but it was also secretly a bit pleasing. He'd wanted this for such a long time.

"You and me having a slumber party?" Honey joked in an overexaggerated version of his usual drawl. He walked back to the bed and sat beside Arquis, folding his arms behind his head.

"You would not have to stay the night," Arquis responded quietly. He didn't want to look at Honey for fear of being rejected. "Just for the day. Or what is left of it, rather."

"Yeah. Of course, yeah, I'm just messing with you. We can totally hang out for a while." He made a shooing motion at Ari and Rin. "You two take as long as you need. Lover boy here and I will have a tea party or something."

Rin smiled gratefully at Honey. "Thank you, Honey." he said, taking a scone from the basket and standing up. He then saw that Honey and Ari's clothes were wet, and paused. "Though, ah, do you want to change first? I wouldn't…if you need to change before staying, that's fine." they didn't want Honey to be uncomfortable or cold while staying with Arquis. That would not be the greatest thing, at least. He really didn't want that to happen.

Ari took another scone as well, taking a bite and waiting to see what Honey would decide.

Honey flashed Rin a lazy yet charming grin. "Well, now. I don't think it's all that appropriate to ask another man to undress when you're right in front of your boyfriend. Poor thing might get jealous."

Arquis hid a smile. The blond was giving the bard ridiculous doe eyes, even fluttering his lashes. He gave a look to Ari as if he was scandalized before rolling onto his feet and taking the scone straight from his grasp. Before the other man could take it back, he ripped off the bitten part, tore the remainder in half, and stuffed one part into his mouth. He quickly tossed the other half to Arquis. The nobleman barely caught it.

"I'll just have Lovey bring me some clothes. It's fine," Honey said through a mouthful of Ari’s scone. He reached over and tapped Arquis on the cheek. "Hurry and eat that before he takes it away."

Surprisingly, Arquis did as asked. He finished the small half before looking to his partner. His expression was soft and loving.

"Go ahead. Get Ari into something dry, and then go catch up. We will be alright."