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

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

He hummed softly, leaning his forehead against Arquis's and exhaling softly. "Mm, darling…I think that I would rather just kiss and cuddle. I am not up for anything more right now, much as I love you." he kisesd Arquis again, leaning faintly into the nobleman's touch. "I do, you know. Love you a lot." he knew that Arquis knew that, but they didn't think that reminding the nobleman of it would hurt anything. Arquis deserved to hear it as much as Rinlos could or would tell him. Rin didn't want to not tell him, after all. That was just not something he was willing to do.

Ari smiled lightly at him, leaning his head on Honey's shoulder. "Mm, well, thank you, beautiful." he replied softly, gaze moving back up to the sky. "Are you familiar with the constellations here? I am afraid that I am not really familiar with your country's constellations, only my own, and those are likely different from yours here in Anvillea." he shifted very slightly, not too cold as of yet. Sure, he could feel the chill in the air, but his coat was warm and so were Honey's arms.

Arquis nodded and stroked a hand through their hair. After a beat or two, he moved away, but only so that he could adjust their position. He was the big spoon this time, the one providing the safety and comfort. It was the least he could offer, after all Rin had done for him.

"I love you as well. So incredibly much, my dear." He laughed softly and kissed their neck, just below his ear. "You make me so wonderfully happy. I do not say that nearly enough, but it is true. You make me want to try things I would have thought impossible, and you give me hope. You are lovely, Rinlos, in every way.”

——

"Constellations, huh?" Honey repeated, letting out a contemplative hum. "Never really been much for astronomy, so I don't think I really know any, like, official ones. I used to make some up when I was a kid, though. This one place we stayed at had a small hole in the roof, and I used to sleep under it when it was summer. Sometimes Lovey and I would have sleepovers, and we'd just make up names of stars and tell ghost stories and stuff. Distracted us from the other things going on that we didn't wanna think about."

He stayed silent on what those things were. This wasn't the right place to let that negativity resurface, and besides, he'd already discussed too many painful memories that day. He wanted to dwell on the happier moments of his past. Carefully, so as not to move Ari's head from his shoulder, he inched a little closer towards the edge of their platform. He then pointed out a series of bright stars in the distance.

"We used to call those the fancy goose. See how they make a neck there, and how there's a little square on up there like a top hat? Lovey always made me do a voice for it and everything."

Rin smiled softly, listening to Arquis's words and curling closer to him. "Oh. Darling, I…" he trailed off, swallowing faintly and pressing a kiss to Arquis's cheek softly. "You…" he did not know quite how to respond to Arquis's words, and he kissed Arquis again, holding him close, their arms wrapped around him. "You are such a wonder, my love. Such a wonder, and I love you so dearly."

Ari watched as Honey pointed out the stars, studying them as he did his best to see what Honey meant. It took him a few moments, but he eventually figured it out, finally connecting the right ones into a goose shape. "Mm…a very nice goose, too." he said with a laugh. "And now I have to hear this voice, Honey, you can't say something like that and expect me not to ask to hear it." his smile was a touch mischevious as he peeked up at Honey.

Arquis kissed his way up the side of Rin's face until he reached their mouth, and he pressed their foreheads together. His eyes closed. All of the sudden, he felt very heavy, like he was made out of metal or stone. He supposed that was just one of the many problems with his weight. He couldn't control his exhaustion; it was an unpredictable thing, that crashed into him whenever it so desired. Napping all day had apparently not been able to stave it off for long.

"Love," he murmured, pausing only for a moment. He wouldn't be able to control whatever he said next. It was a familiar scene, reminding him of when he'd rambled about rings and dresses at Ophia's house.

"My love. Join me in my dreams tonight?" The question was completely nonsensical. Rin couldn't join his dreams any more than Arquis could float straight up into the sky. But, in that same deep tone, made scratchy from tiredness, Arquis continued. "I wish to see you, my dear. I wish to see you in a place where it does not hurt all the time. Where we are not always hiding, or sick, or afraid."

——

Honey made a sound of despair and nudged Ari with his shoulder. He really hoped his blush wasn't obvious in the darkness. "No way. Absolutely not. Never. That voice stays in the past, where it belongs. Trust me, handsome. You don't want to hear it."

He glanced around quickly in hopes of finding something to change the subject, but there wasn't anything that jumped out. That was likely because they were on a roof. Pretty much all they could see were stars and more stars. There was some roof, too, but it wasn't like that was thrilling stuff. He cleared his throat and glanced back at Ari.

"Could you be bribed to drop the goose thing?" He rummaged around in his pajama pant pockets for a moment. The only thing in them was a single spare button. "Ah. Yeah. Great. Any chance you're fascinated with buttons?"

Rin let out a soft laugh at the request, reaching to cup Arquis's cheek softly. "Oh, darling. We will have that someday." he said in a quiet voice. "I promise, lovely, we will have that. It may take a little, but we will have that. It will not be a dream forever." they spoke in a soft, hushed, gentle tone, and he gently rubbed his thumb over Arquis's cheek. He kissed Arquis's forehead, yawning softly. "Go to sleep, dear. I will be here when you wake, though I cannot guarantee I will be in your dreams. That, I suppose, is not really up to me."

Ari snickered, glancing at the button, then back up at Honey's face, arching an eyebrow. "I'm afraid that the button is not a distraction good enough." he replied, laughing and giving Honey's cheek a soft peck. "Now show me the voice." he said, the words soft and not commanding. He didn't want Honey to feel forced, just teased.

(I've been reading about some legal stuff lately and I'm so excited to do the trial! obviously not like an actual trial but you know)

"I hope you are right. I hope we will have it someday," Arquis said drowsily, burying his face in their neck. He tried for a yawn, but it died in his throat. That was where he was currently at—too tired even to yawn. Sleep was approaching rapidly, but before it could claim him, he whispered, "Soon would be nice. I would like to finally be a good partner to you, love."

And then he was out. His breathing evened out, and he was no longer clinging to Rin as tightly. He didn't seem to be having any dreams at all, for how still and peaceful he'd gone.

——

Honey groaned and attempted to toss the button off the roof. It fell straight into the nearest gutter, where it proceeded to rattle around for several long seconds. Though it might've been his imagination, the blond swore he heard a ping as it finally shot out the bottom. Maybe someone would find it sitting in the grass the next morning. He kind of wished it was him, and that this night was already over.

"I'm not gonna do the voice," he huffed, though there was laughter in his tone. His eyes were still full of stars. He reached over as if he was going to tousle Ari's hair, then stopped, smiling, and tapped his lips instead. "Button wasn't a good enough distraction, but I think I know what'd work better. Give me a real kiss?"

(cool!! I know a bit about the legal system as well (at least in the US) so this should be interesting!)

"You are a good partner to me, darling." Rin whispered, even though he knew Arquis was asleep. He kissed the nobleman's forehead softly, snuggling in beside him so that they could go to sleep as well. Despite his concern for his partner, it didn't take him too long to fall asleep, curled up close to Arquis with the blankets wrapped around the both of them.

Ari hummed, cocking his head for a moment. "If I give you a kiss, you'll do the voice?" he replied, mouth quirking into a faint smirk. "That's the deal I want." he even pulled back just a little so that Honey couldn't steal the kiss without agreeing, one hand coming up to lightly cover his own mouth. He was still smiling, laughing a little bit with his gaze fixed on the blond man.

Arquis slept soundly for an hour. During this time, his dreams were rather abstract. In one, all he could hear was a faint yet persistent humming sound. It was as if someone was singing to him through a thick wall; he could make out slight changes in pitch, but no distinct words. The next dream was calmer. He was under a pearl gray sky that swirled with mist. Beneath him were dirt and twigs and small, polished rocks. There was something nostalgic about the setting, but it wasn't quite right. Every time he thought he was close to placing it, something would shift—there'd be a breeze, or a soft cooing sound—and he'd lose his train of thought.

After that hour, he woke. He wasn't exactly sure why. It wasn't like he'd been having a nightmare. He wasn't sweating, or shaking, or gasping for air. He actually felt kind of calm. But he wasn't sure if he'd be able to sleep again, so he very quietly pulled away from Rin and went to the window.

——

"That," Honey sputtered, "is not what I said! Not even close! It was meant to be a distraction, not a bargaining chip! This is blackmail!"

Even as he protested, he could barely keep a grin off his face. He knew he'd do the goose's voice eventually. It was inevitable. Ari would have his way. Honey was too enchanted with him to turn him down. But that didn't mean that he couldn't delay his humiliation, if just for a little while.

"It's real rude to put me in this situation, y'know," he sighed, feigning a pout. "Either I gotta disappoint you, handsome, or I gotta make a fool of myself. And that's just not fair."

Rin was sound asleep when Arquis awoke, curled close to him on the bed. He didn't wake up when Arquis got up, though he did shift when Arquis got off the bed. He seemed to be sleeping soundly, though, his face soft and relaxed in sleep. He really just looked…peaceful. At rest.

Ari snickered, grinning at Honey through his fingers. "But Honey, I want to hear the voice." he replied, pouting a little bit as he looked over at the other man. "I'll give you a kiss to hear it." he blinked innocently, trying to squash the smirk that now threatened to break over his features. "Besides, it's just the two of us up here. No one else is going to hear it. Just me."

Arquis carefully unlatched the shutters and pushed them apart. He stood still for a moment, almost statuesque in the moonlight, his hands frozen in their grip on the windowsill. His dark hair stirred in the occasional cold breeze, though he didn't really feel the chill.

He could leave.

The thought came to him so suddenly that it overwhelmed him. The muscles in his hands tensed, making the wood under his palms creak. He swallowed, but his throat was dry. There was a faint ache blooming in his heart. He unclenched one hand so that he could rub at it, as if that would make the pain stop.

He could leave Rin. It wouldn't take long. Most of his belongings were still in his luggage, and his partner seemed to be sleeping deeply, so they wouldn't realize he'd left until the morning. Maybe that would be for the best. He'd dragged them into so much trouble already. They didn't need more. If he left—if he went out into that icy, dark night, which was just beyond the window—then he might save them a lot of suffering.

——

"Hey, now. Those puppy-dog eyes won't work on me," Honey warned when he saw Ari pouting, wagging a finger in his direction. "I'm immune to them. Very, very immune."

Truthfully, he was very close to caving. He had a soft spot for the other man. Seeing him sad tugged on the blond's heartstrings, even though he knew it was fake. He rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling.

"How about this. I'll do the voice, but only if you do two things for me. First is giving me that kiss. Second is coming on over here. I'm getting cold." He opened his arms invitingly. "What do you say?"

Rin shifted faintly on the bed, mumbling faintly in his sleep. He didn't wake up, just drew tighter into the blankets with a soft, sleepy sound. He looked soft, face free of any worry or tension. Just a soft, relaxed look, his hair spreading faintly about on the pillow as they continued to dream.

Ari smirked. "I'll give you the kiss after you show me the voice." he replied, but moved to snuggle contentedly into Honey's arms, wrapping his own arms around the blond in order to better share their body heat together. "So, let's hear it." he gave Honey a triumphant but sweet smile, knowing he had won this exchange.

Arquis heard the sound Rin had made and startled, whipping his head around to look at them. Relief chased away his guilt when he realized he was still asleep. He turned back to the window and took a deep breath. There was no way he could leave his partner behind. It'd be far too cruel to go without saying goodbye, and besides, he wasn't entirely convinced this whole ordeal was going to turn out badly. Perhaps he and his lover really could live a life of peace and prosperity someday, once this mess was wrapped up.

But nothing could be wrapped up until he told them everything. Rin needed to know what he'd struggled to say in the carriage and the bathroom. They should know the truth. The nobleman recalled his words of writing it down. An idea flashed into his mind. He fetched the bent sketchbook he'd used the other day as well as a pencil, then went to the floor and knelt in a patch of moonlight. His palms were so sweaty that it was hard to hold anything. He had to try, though. He tapped the pencil to the paper as he thought of where to begin. How could he possibly start to explain what had happened?

'Rin. I need to talk to you, but there are things I cannot say in person,' he began, then bit his bottom lip. That wasn't right. He crossed it out and flipped to a new page.

'Rin, my love. You know there are matters that I struggle to speak on. I thought I might write them out, so that I could perhaps-" No. That wasn't it, either. He crumpled the page in his fist and tossed it aside with a frustrated groan.

——

"After?" Honey cried, faking a swoon. He considered toppling over for dramatic effect, but he wasn't sure it was safe and didn't really want to let Ari go. Instead, he planted a quick, sneaky kiss on his cheek. That would have to do, for now.

"Fine, fine. But I'm telling you. Stuff of nightmares. You'll regret your choice. Soon. Really soon." He cleared his throat and hummed, trying to get into the right pitch range.

When he finally did speak again, his tone was high and lilting, almost like he was trying to mimic Arquis. His accent was much more stereotypically posh, however, and had a weird trill.

"I suppose today is a fine day to go to the market, yes it is. Indeed, indeed, and- and-" He broke out into laughter. His normal voice returned. "You didn't give me anything to say! What, was I supposed to improvise?"

Rin continued to sleep, curled on the bed with the blankets tangled around his body. He looked peaceful and soft here, asleep and dreaming.

Ari snickered when Honey started to talk in that voice, laughing when he broke back into his normal voice. "Of course you were! You're the one that told me you could do it! Was I supposed to give you a script?" he asked, grinning at Honey with laughter in his eyes. He was enjoying this so much. He truly was. Just being here, on the roof, goofing about with Honey and just letting each of them be themselves, without any issues.

Arquis tried and tried for another torturous fifteen minutes. Nothing came from his efforts except a pile of crumpled papers and the beginnings of a headache. He wasn't working with a lot of light, and his handwriting was already pretty small. It was bound to happen eventually. He rubbed his knuckles between his brows and stared down at his latest attempt.

'Rin, my heart, I need you to know that I love you, and that I would not be doing this in such a way if there were any other option.' That was all wrong. It made him sound like the victim. There also had technically been other options available, but he'd been too weak to take them. He scrunched that paper and gave it another go.

'Rin, I love you, but I cannot keep going like this any longer.' The nobleman sighed. Again, that wasn't what he wanted to say. It was too dramatic. He swept the paper off of his lap and stood, deciding to get something to drink. Maybe a glass of water would clear his head. Rubbing his tired eyes, he went to the door, then headed off in the direction of the kitchen.

——

Honey wrapped Ari in a bear hug and buried his face in his shoulder. His whole body shook with laughter. It was bright and genuine and felt so very nice, like stretching after a rather long nap.

"Yes! Yes, you were! I'm an actor! I need a script!" he finally said, once he'd caught his breath. He gave Ari a playful poke in the side. "But, y'know, look. Either way, I did my part. Now, come on, pay up."

(sorry for the lack of detail in my replies but Rin is asleep, there isn't much to describe lmao)

Rin slept through Arquis's writing, lying still on the bed.

"Well, I'll keep that in mind for next time." Ari replied, returning the hug and wrapping his arms around Honey, holding onto him. "But fine, I'll pay up." he pulled back just a little bit, then leaned forward to give Honey a soft, sweet kiss. His mouth lingered for a long moment against Honey's, skin warm in the cold night air. He didn't press to try to deepen it or turn it into anything but a soft, sweet thing, easy for Honey to move away from should the blond suddenly change his mind about this. He pulled away after a long moment, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "Was that a satisfactory payment for you?"

(yeah that's perfectly fine! I just sometimes feel like it's weird if honey/ari's part goes on a lot longer cause it can be hard to remember to go back to having both the next day, and I wasn't sure if you'd want rin to wake up for some reason or read the letters at any point?)

Arquis took a while in the kitchen. There was nobody else around. During the walk there, he'd glanced through a window to see one of the chefs standing outside, having a smoke break. Their cigarette had been a tiny, glowing dot in the distance, seemingly no bigger than a spark. He wondered how long they'd be gone. It hadn't looked like they'd been in any sort of a rush, but then, he supposed they didn't need to be inside anytime soon. Everyone was in their rooms already, meaning there was no one to cook for. They'd pretty much be acting as a guard for the kitchen, and it appeared as if all of the food was locked away.

——

Honey went all soft and pliant when Ari kissed him, and he groaned when he moved away. It wasn't that he was unsatisfied. Not exactly. He just worried that the other man thought he was fragile.

"Yeah. It was great. But y'know, stranger," he murmured, then hesitated. He swept his fingers under Ari's chin. His hand was warm, and his tone was fond when he spoke again. "This isn't gonna break me. If you wanted to do more, then you could. Not, uh, that. Not all the way. I know you don't wanna do that. But I can handle a little heat, handsome."

(yeah I get it! Do you want me to have him wake up and read the letter scraps? and then he could talk to Arquis about it when he comes back?)

Rin stirred faintly on the bed, but didn't wake up just yet. He just shifted into a slightly different position and continued to slumber.

Ari hummed a little, leaning into Honey's hand a little bit. "Mm, well, alright." he leaned forward to press his lips to Honey's again, the cool air off-setting the warmth that radiated from both of them. He didn't even feel that cold, really. Not when he was kissing Honey like this, their warm bodies pressed close and comfortable.

(yeah sure! maybe they could kinda take them the wrong way? I went back to look at some of what the letters started with and most of them are kinda phrased as if he's breaking up with them or like planning on doing something bad, so maybe Rin could react to that?)

When Arquis finally finished his first glass of water, he took a deep breath and straightened himself up to full height. He could linger for a while, if he wanted. There was no real reason he had to rush back to the room. Rin should still be asleep. He hadn't made a lot of noise when leaving, after all, and they'd seemed pretty tired earlier. Then again, he'd also thought that he was tired, and there he was, standing alone in a dark room.

He set his cup on the counter. Staying was seeming increasingly like a bad decision. The chef could come in at any moment, and he'd probably startle them half to death. Also, he knew that Rin was sometimes afflicted by nightmares; he'd hate for them to suffer through one by himself. No, Arquis should be at his side. He stretched, then decided to wait a couple more minutes. He'd have just one more glass of water before he went, but that would be all. It was time for him to stop procrastinating on that letter.

——

Honey smiled into the kiss. For some reason, he hadn't expected Ari to actually go for it. He'd thought that the other man would shy away, or tell the blond that he wasn't ready for that yet. It was nice to know that he really listened; he didn’t try to set Honey’s boundaries for him. As a sort of reward, Honey stroked his hands down his back, then brought them up to rest on his shoulders. The kiss grew a bit more intense, but oddly enough, that didn't change how sweet it was. It was lovely and soft with just the right amount of passion.

"You're good at this," he murmured when he finally drew away for air. He licked his lips and smirked. "I'd say I got the better end of our bargain. Hot damn, stranger."

(yeah perfect!)

Rin woke up after only a few more moments, blinking sleepily as he patted the bed in search of Arquis. When he discovered that the nobleman was no longer in bed with them, he sat up, rubbing his eyes and looking around the shadowy room. "'quis?" he said softly, trying to figure out where their lover could be. The bathroom door was open, so he was not in there. He didn't seem to be anywhere in the room, really. Whihc was…strange. They moved off the bed, looking around the room. Their gaze eventually fell on the notes that Arquis had started and stopped, and he lifted them to the light to read them. His hair was messy and his eyes were still half-open with sleep, but he quickly blinked away his sleepiness as he read the notes.

"Oh." the little sound that escaped them was soft and heartbroken as they read each note that had been begun but not finished. Was Arquis done with them? Did he truly no longer want to be with them? No other way…what did the nobleman mean?

Ari leand into the hands on his back, smiling at Honey when the blond pulled away. "Mm, no, I beg to differ. I clearly got the better end of all of this." he replied. "I got everything I wanted." and he had, really. Kisses, snuggles, and hearing Honey make that ridiculous voice. He had gained everything and lost nothing. So clearly, he had won this bargain of theirs.

Arquis did not immediately head back to the room as he'd planned. Instead, he walked slowly down the length of one corridor, reassuring himself that he was just trying to get some energy out. If he went to bed all jittery, then he'd surely wake Rin. That was the only reason. It wasn't that he was avoiding that heap of crumpled and shredded paper on the floor of their suite, the testament to his weakness. It wasn't at all that it'd remind him of his failure, and the lies he'd told his caring, trusting lover, and the darkness in his past. Surely not. He was just walking out his shakiness.

A good few minutes later, he realized that he'd unintentionally ended up at his room anyway. So much for his efforts. He cursed the maze of hallways that was The Cecilia Rouge and went to open the door. What he found inside made him falter. He'd been expecting to see Rin curled up in their sheets, not crouched on the floor. He especially hadn't been expecting to see them holding some of his letters up to the moonlight.

"Ah," he said, ignoring the kick of guilt in his stomach. The letters had gone nowhere; they were just nonsensical strings of sentences, saying nothing in specific. He couldn't see Rin's expression, but he imagined they were probably confused. He closed the door behind him and tried for a soft smile. "It is late, my love. What are you doing up?"

——

Honey just laughed in response. Maybe it was the starlight in his eyes, or the cast of moonlight turning his hair to white gold, but he looked like he was glowing. Ari made him happy. Unabashedly, undisguisably happy. When he realized that, he blushed. He'd rarely felt such pure joy. Most of his better memories had been tainted; he'd been hungry or hurting, tired or tense. But this was different.

"You know, Ari, I'm real glad you're here. Not glad that our poor bard got sick—that part was rough. But I'm glad you came all the way out here, and, uh," his blush deepened, "I'm glad you've stayed. You're something special. I mean that, you really are."

Rin looked up as the door opened, blinking at Arquis with wide, hurt eyes. "I…" he swallowed faintly, setting the papers aside and taking a deep breath. "Are you…" they took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "Do you want me to leave?" he finally asked quickly, swallowing and looking away rather than at the nobleman. "I…you…" he gestured helplessly to the letters, running a hand through their hair as they searched for what to say. "The letters. I…I can pack up my stuff and leave if you want me to."

"Yeah. I'm glad that I stayed too." he replied, reaching up to gently run his fingers through Honey's hair, massaging the young man's scalp gently. "You…I am glad that I have been able to get to know you better, Honey. It has been wonderful." it really had been. Their date, their time spent together, their time now…it was all just lovely.

Arquis paled, suddenly finding it hard to stand. He reached out and grabbed the doorframe for support. Leave? Why would he want Rin to leave? He racked his brain for anything in the letters that would've implied such a thing, but he came up short. Not once had he written anything about Rin going away. So why did they assume that he had? Unless they didn't. Maybe the problem wasn't in what the letters said, but what they symbolized. Had Rin managed to guess his history? Were they disgusted by it? Repelled? Were they trying to be polite by giving him the option to force him out? Soften the blow, take away the sting of rejection? Pretend to give him a choice, when he was really planning to leave all along? That didn't feel right, but the nobleman was really struggling to think clearly through the panic that'd overtaken him.

"Do you want to leave?" he asked. The question came out as a trembling whisper. He couldn't even feign composure.

——

Honey gasped softly. He'd had people tug and claw at his hair before, looking for a handhold or trying to keep him in place, but gentle touches were a rare thing. He lifted his own hand, uncertain. It ended up on Ari's forearm. He skated his fingers in a circle there, let them drift to his shoulder, and then down to his side. That was where he stopped. Ari probably wouldn't be comfortable with more.

"It has. And, um, Ari? I think I like you." Well. Hadn't that sounded childish? Then again, there wasn't really a good way to say what he meant. He liked Ari in more than a casual way, and it was a relatively new feeling.

His gaze searched Arquis's face uncertainly, and he exhaled. "No, but…" he gestured faintly to where the letters lay on the floor, swallowing. "Aren't…aren't you breaking up with me?" he asked, voice quiet. "Isn't that what these are?" he scrubbed a hand over his eyes, trying not to cry. He didn't want to leave, but…but if Arquis was breaking up with him, then what else was he supposed to assume was happening?

Ari smiled softly at Honey's words, kissing his cheek and still gently running his fingers through Honey's blond curls. "I think I like you too." he replied softly, watching Honey's face as they sat together in the pale moonlight. His breath sent soft curls of steam into the air, the result of warmth mixing with cold. It was chilly, and he was feeling it a bit, but not bad enough to have to leave.

"Breaking up with you," Arquis repeated, his brow furrowing. The words didn't feel right when he'd thought them, and they sounded even worse when he spoke them aloud. They came out stilted, like he was a bad actor reading his lines for the first time. He supposed that was the result of shock. Never in a million years would he have predicted that this would happen. He wasn't sure how to respond. Not because he didn't want to, but because this conversation had blindsided him to the point of speechlessness.

He crossed the room to Rin and knelt beside them. His gaze drifted over the letters in front of him. For a moment, he tried desperately to read them as they might have. He tried to understand what they had seen that would have lead him to such a conclusion. Finally, it clicked. It was all in the wording. He wanted to kick himself.

"I did not expect for you to read them." He winced. That wasn't what he'd wanted to say, but he wasn't sure how to correct himself. He trailed off into silence as he tried to think of a way to clarify his intentions.

——

"Oh," Honey replied. His heart did a strange thing in his chest. He realized distantly that his flush had spread to his neck, and he rubbed at it subconsciously, as if it would come off. He hadn't expected for Ari to return the sentiment.

"Really? You do?" There was a hesitant quality to his tone. It was like he was a child being told that a fairytale was real. He wanted to believe it, as even the notion of it filled him with a sense of awe and wonder, but he was unsure. He didn't want this to be a cruel lie or prank. It would break his heart if that were the case.

"Then…then why write them?" he asked, brows furrowed as they stared at Arquis, trembling very faintly. "I…I don't understand, Arquis." his voice took on a slightly desperate tone as he tried to understand what Arquis meant. What their lover could possibly be talking about at that moment, or in these notes. "If you don't…if you don't want to break up with me, then…" they trailed off, not understanding any of this. Arquis sounded…detached, almost, and all they knew was that they felt utterly lost and confused.

Aru gently brushed the back of his hand against Honey's cheek, feeling the heat of his blush warm on his skin. "I do." he said softly, leaning forward to kiss Honey's temple lightly. "As long as you're alright with that, at least. I…do not want to make you uncomfortable." he was reasonably sure that Honey would be alright with it, but he still watned to check in about it.