Arquis reciprocated just as gently. He slowly shifted them closer against himself and, with a soft sigh, parted his lips slightly. After a second or so, he slipped his hand downwards from their jaw, letting it come to a rest just below their rib cage. Any lower might send a different impression; he just wanted to hold him, that was all.
He pulled away just a tiny bit to ask, quite breathless, “Is this- is my hand- is that alright?” His pupils were dilated from the rush of attraction, and his entire face was a rosy shade of pink.
They inhaled very softly when Arquis's hand moved lower, but nodded at the question. "It is perfectly fine, Arquis." they replied, eyes flickering open slightly in order to look at the nobleman. "I don't mind." their free hand shifted up to cup Arquis's cheek, hold onto him and keep him close.
Arquis let out a soft sigh. He’d never felt anything like this before; he’d never been this close to someone else. It was almost overwhelming, though not quite.
”We really should get moving,” he murmured, sounding as if he thoroughly loathed the idea. Moving meant separating, and separating seemed a fate worse than death. That was perhaps a bit dramatic, but he basically felt it was true. It seemed a tragedy that they would ever have to pull apart.
He let his gaze linger for just a moment more and lazily stroked his thumb in circles on shirt. Then, finally, he backed away.
”Besides yours truly, is there anything else you might be hungry for?”
Rin hummed for a moment. "Breakfast." he replied slowly. "If I must have anything else." they let out a quiet laugh, nuzzling Arquis's cheek softly. They did not want to part, but they knew that they would have plenty of free time together when they arrived at the other hotel.
“Breakfast is-” His breath hitched at the nuzzling, and he had to actually start over. “Breakfast is a touch unspecific, but I will see what I can do.”
He got to his feet, still a little dazed from all the kissing and contact, and stumbled over to retrieve currency from his suitcase. Next, he went to the door and peeked his head out. Just on the wall outside, there was a bell with a small label that read ‘Room Service’. He rang it as quietly as possible, hoping not to disturb other sleeping guests.
After a couple of minutes, a young girl pushing a cart stacked high with various kinds of snacks. He ordered two cups of coffee and a small basket of stuffed rolls. The girl helpfully chirped out the different flavors of the rolls—egg and tomato, cream cheese and lemon curd, and honey lavender—before taking some of his money. She pushed the cart away, humming some kind of nursery rhyme to herself.
Arquis shut the door, walked back to Rinlos, handed them a mug, placed a cloth napkin down on the comforter, and set the basket on the bed.
“The girl that I bought these from told me there were different flavors, but I honestly cannot recall what she said,” he admitted. His eyes roved over their messy hair and dipped down to his lips. Even the tips of his ears went pink. “I was a bit, ah, distracted.”
Rin stayed comfortably curled in the blankets as they awaited Arquis's return, then sat up when they were handed a mug. "Mm, that's fine. It will be a surprise for us both, then." they took a small sip from the mug, then set it aside when it proved to be too hot to comfortably drink.
Arquis smiled as he settled down next to them. He already seemed brighter—happier, even—now that he was away from the Palace. He looked a lot younger, too. The dark smudges under his eyes weren’t quite so deep, and his hair was tousled boyishly. Distance had clearly begun to work wonders.
Still, that didn’t mean he was miraculously cured. As he drank his scalding coffee, he found himself unwilling to address the food. He had a sudden flash of memories of himself as a young boy. His father had always chastised him for eating too much on business trips. Muria had been cruel to both him and Marsiquia about their fondness for sweets on multiple occasions. It was hard to feel positive about oneself when constantly surrounded by better people. Slender, elegant people.
He shook his head slightly and reached for one of the rolls. It smelled of wheat and something a bit sour. Lemon, most likely. He nibbled daintily on the corner before turning his focus back to Rin.
Rin reached out, taking a roll and taking a bite. "Hey, you're going to actually eat, right?" It had not escaped their notice how little Arquis ate. "We're going to be walking for a while, and you need your energy, okay?" They looked at the nobleman, studying him for a long moment. "So, if you could please eat a decent amount for breakfast, that would be good for both of us." They were not going to put a ton of pressure on Arquis; they did not want to nag at him. But they wanted to encourage him to eat.
“I know I should,” Arquis responded quietly, “but it is not always so easy. Sometimes I just… I just do not have the appetite for it, I suppose. But that is nothing to worry over. I will manage.”
He pinched a bigger part of the bread and tore it off, then placed it in his mouth. There was nothing wrong with it, per se, but the sweetness of the sugared cream cheese made him wince nonetheless. It was exactly the type of thing Muria would never have let him eat in his childhood. Thinking about her instantly led him down a dark path, and he set the half-eaten roll down, shaken. She should not intrude on his nice morning with Rin. Her control was limited to the Palace. And yet, he still found himself unable to finish the roll.
“That one was not to my liking,” he said weakly. “I will try another.”
He actually did pick up a different roll, this time one of the egg and tomato variety. He bit into it hesitantly. It was savory but not too greasy or rich; he could finish it without guilt.
"I know." Rin said softly. When Arquis picked up a second, they leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to the nobleman's cheek. "Thank you for making an effort, Arquis." He wanted to encourage regular eating habits; he had struggled with it a bit, both during and after his time with Lysander. Their time on the road traveling had really been what cured them of it, since they had not always known where their next meal would be coming from.
Arquis smiled at them after the kiss and wanted to ask for another, but he refrained. It would be an intentional distraction. Kissing meant he wouldn’t have to think about eating, and he knew he needed to confront his issues with food head on. Avoiding them had only worked for so long. Plus, he owed it to Rin to at least try to get better. If they were willing to put in the time and energy to help keep him alive, then he could eat a damn roll of bread.
He finished it after a long, painful five minutes and washed it down with the last of his coffee. The bitterness of the drink brought him clarity.
“Rin,” he began, looking a bit anxious, “I have a proposal. You do not have to accept it if you do not wish, but yesterday you said that there was a lot about your life that you have not shared with me. I would like to know more about you. Not anything major, just, ah, small things. Your favorite food, for example, or color or poem. So much of the time we have spent together has been frantic, and I feel that there is so much about you that I have not yet learned.”
Rin finished his own roll, then ate another one. When Arquis spoke their name, they looked over at him with an almost comical expression, before he blinked and sobered again. "I…yes, there is much that I have not said." they said, clearing his throat quietly. "And I have a counter-proposal for you: I'll tell you more about me, but in return I want more of you. Same terms."
“Of course. I will tell you anything that you wish to know.” Arquis paused, unconsciously wringing his hands together. He was a little thrown off by the fact that he was only wearing one glove. The other hand was still in bandages. “Well, almost anything. I do believe starting small is best.”
He ran his thumb around the rim of his mug, unsure of where to start. Then, finally, he asked, “Do you have a favorite drink?”
He smiled softly at the question. "Yeah, I suppose I do. Probably earl grey tea, with plenty of milk and sugar." he said. "Or, maybe, hot chocolate with some cinnamon." they looked over at Arquis. "And what about yourself? Do you have a favorite drink?" they took a sip from their mug.
Arquis couldn’t help but grin at their answer. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but he definitely wouldn’t have predicted hot chocolate. It was endearing. He hoped he could make it for him someday; he had a fantastic homemade hot chocolate recipe tucked away somewhere.
“When I was a child, I used to sneak warm milk with vanilla up to my room before bed. I have not had it in a long time, but it was a comfort to me during wintertime bouts of illness. Sometimes I would even put in honey or cloves.” He folded his hands and lowered his head onto them, looking equal parts eager and curious. “You play music beautifully. Are you as proficient at dancing?”
Rin nodded slightly. "I have not tried that before, but it sounds like it would be delicious." they replied. "I am quite good at dancing, yes." they cocked his head faintly, looking at Arquis. "Why do you ask? And, are you good at dancing?" they couldn't help but wonder why Arquis had asked this.
Arquis burst into laughter. “Goodness, no, I am terrible at it. My father forced me to take dance lessons when I was about twelve or thirteen to impress ladies at parties. I had absolutely no precision or skill. My instructor once referred to my best attempt as awkward flailing.”
His laughter eventually died down, and his gaze softened as he looked at them. “I asked because I thought maybe we could slow dance. At some point. Eventually. If you would like to, that is. I have heard that slow dancing requires fewer techniques. But, ah, anyways, is there anything you would like to ask me? Anything hopefully not related to dance?”
He laughed as well, smiling over at Arquis. "I can teach you some slow dances, yes. Or country dances; those require less coordination and counting than formal ones do." their own gaze was soft and warm as they looked at Arquis. "What is your favorite color? That is the only question that I can think of at the moment."
Arquis reddened as he imagined the two of them slow dancing. He pictured Rin’s hand on his hip, his head against their shoulder. Thinking about that closeness, that distinct sort of intimacy, was almost too much for him to bear. It made him smile like crazy.
“Oh, you, ah, asked something. Color? Yes, that was it. I do not have a favorite color. Silver and sapphire blue are quite pretty. I suppose I am partial to most shades of blue, though I find indigo in specific also rather charming. How about you?”
Rin nodded. "Blue, probably." they replied. "Or green, perhaps. Those two colors are the ones that I suppose I am more partial to." they took a bite of one of the rolls, still looking over at Arquis.
Arquis nodded, then tilted his head as he tried to think of another question. The one that came to mind was a bit odd, but it was the only one he could think of.
“Is there any occupation that you think you would enjoy other than being a bard? I do not mean to imply that it is a bad lifestyle, but I am curious as to what else you might choose if given the option.” He realized the question might be a bit personal and continued, “If you do not wish to answer that, then I could ask something else.”
Rin bit his lip faintly at the question. He knew what he wanted to be; he wanted to be king when their father died, wanted his birthright. But he could not say that, and he did not know if his father would ever grant him that birthright. Not when Rin was a bastard. "I…I do not know." they replied, hating the lie but knowing that they could not tell the truth in this case.
Arquis could tell they were lying. He’d had enough years of experience around liars—his father, his aunt, and Quirisa—to generally know when someone wasn’t speaking the truth. The only person that could typically get away with lying to him was Muria. But he wasn’t going to force Rin to say what he clearly didn’t want to say.
“That is alright. It was a bit of a ridiculous question. You are still young; you can likely travel for many more years.” He wondered if they were afraid of the future or settling down. Perhaps that was it. Bards weren’t usually known for their commitment to a place or job, so even if he desired a different career, they’d probably have a difficult time accepting it.
“Speaking of traveling, I should start to get dressed for our trip later. Not, ah, out here. In the bathroom. I would not want to throw off your appetite.” That last part was said teasingly and paired with an amused smile.
"Yes. I have plenty of time." they agreed, running a hand through their hair, and returning Arquis's amused smile with one of their own. "What, you think it would throw off my appetite? Never." they laughed softly, shaking their head for a moment as he looked at Arquis.
“Yes, I am sure being in a state of undress goes wonderfully with eggs,” Arquis replied wryly, jokingly tugging down the collar of his shirt to expose a hint of skin.
He stooped to pop open his suitcase and pulled out a clean dress shirt, some simple black pants, socks, a pair of faux fur-lined gloves, and the fake wedding ring on the chain. His coat hadn’t fully dried overnight, so he collected two of the water bottles that he’d had—they were still warm, thanks to the enchantment—and put them back into its pockets. The other one went into one of his boots, which was damp.
