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

Started October 31, 2021 by @LovelyRose

tune

Rin's gaze flicked to the exposed skin for just a moment, and then they laughed again. "Yes, it's just perfect." they agreed. "Eggs, bacon, and clothes on the floor." they smiled over at Arquis, getting out of the bed.

Arquis laughed so hard that he nearly choked. He grabbed the arm of the chair in the corner to steady himself until the fit passed.

“That sounds like an interesting morning, indeed,” he finally said, sounding rather out of breath. His mouth hurt from all the smiling he’d been doing. He wasn’t quite used to it, yet.

After a few beats, he made his way over to the bathroom, stepped inside, and closed the door. He was still a tad sluggish due to his sore joints, so changing took longer than he would’ve liked. When he got around to his shirt, he found that his hands couldn’t manage the buttons. They were clumsy from the pain and bandages. He tried several times before giving up.

“Rin, I might need a bit of assistance,” he called through the door.

Rin was getting his clothes together when Arquis's call for help came through the door. He walked over to the door, raising their eyebrows faintly. "What do you need help with?" they asked, cocking their head faintly. They would help Arquis, of course they would, they just needed to konw what he was getting into first.

“I cannot, ah,” he started, speaking through gritted teeth, “seem to do up the buttons on my shirt.”

Admitting it was humiliating. That crushing feeling of uselessness returned. Toddlers needed help with buttons, not grown adults. He was pathetic. Completely and utterly pathetic.

His bandaged hand throbbed, and he knew the pain wasn’t just from the wound that he’d opened the night before. Part of it was psychological. They always hurt worse whenever he was hurting mentally.

"Alright. I'll do that, then." they opened the door to the bathroom, gaze soft as they looked over at Arquis. "Just hold still, alright?" they reached to begin buttoning the first button, starting from the bottom and working their way up. He tried to keep focused on the buttons and absolutely not on the fact that Arquis was standing in front of him only partially dressed.

As embarrassed as he was, Arquis had to admit that it was nice to be close to them again. He did stay still as they’d asked, though he really wanted to lean forward for another kiss. But that might seem manipulative. Perhaps he’d think that Arquis really hadn’t had trouble with the buttons, that he’d specifically called them in while undressed. He didn’t want to send the wrong signal. The budding relationship that they had so far was slow and sweet. He didn’t want to assume that they were ready for more, and he especially didn’t want them to think he was using them for purely physical means.

While Rin was finishing up, he picked up the chain with the ring around it and looped it around his own neck. Secretly, he was thrilled to wear it out in public. Though the marriage was fake, it would still show that they were interested in one another.

Rin finished buttoning the shirt, adjusting the collar gently and settling their hands on Arquis's shoulders after they had finished. "Anything else?" they asked with a soft smile. They needed to get dressed too; they were still in their pajamas, their hair sticking up just a little with bedhead.

Arquis glanced sideways at his reflection in the mirror and then shook his head. “No, nothing else. That is perfect. Thank you.”

His gaze drifted gradually to Rin’s reflection. They looked attractively ruffled. He felt his mouth go dry. Goodness, they were handsome. Luck had truly been on his side lately, which was an odd thing to think considering he’d basically almost been assassinated. He’d do it all over again if it meant he’d get to see such a sight again.

Rin smiled softly, catching Arquis's eye in the mirror. "You're welcome. Are you done in the bathroom? I need to change as well." they said, hands still resting on Arquis's shoulders. They almost did not want to let go of the nobleman's shoulders, but they knew they had to get ready.

Arquis’s attention snapped back to the real Rin, not just their reflection. He gently shrugged his hands off and stepped through the doorway. “Yes, of course. Let me give you some space.”

It was better that they be apart, anyways. He had begun to have certain thoughts about them, and not all were that pure. Space would give him time to focus on what was really important at the moment—getting them both out of the village.

He walked over to his boots and checked them for dryness. That one was still a bit damp, but it would do. He slid them on and then paused. There was no way he’d be able to manage shoelaces if he couldn’t handle buttons. He decided to wait, hopefully giving Rin enough time to dress. In the meantime, he put on his coat, flattened its collar, and then went about packing up his suitcases.

Rin came back out to grab his clothes, then went back in and closed the door so he could change. They changed relatively fast, not bothering to do more than wash their face quickly. They did not come their hair, seeing no real reason to. Once they were done, they came back out of the bathroom. "Done."

“Excellent. I was wondering-” He took one look at him and stopped short. A small smile played at his lips. Their hair was still breathtakingly messy; it was the most perfect case of bed head he’d ever seen. He had to clear his throat to tear his attention away, and even then he couldn’t recall what he’d been saying.

He stepped towards them and was surprised to find that he was falling. Ah. That was what he’d meant to ask. He needed help with his laces, and it seemed that they’d made him trip. His arm shot out and wrapped around the first thing in sight, which turned out to be one of the bedposts. When he came to his senses, he realized that he was on one knee in front of Rin, his head bowed like a knight.

“Oh dear,” he laughed, grinning up at them.

Rin laughed, reaching down to take one of Arquis's hands. "Are you alright?" he questioned, raising their eyebrows slightly as they studied him, a smile playing around their mouth. He had also put on the engagement ring, the fake one that they would both be wearing.

Arquis covered his mouth to hide his smile, which had only grown with Rin’s laughter. “Yes, thankfully. The last thing we need is for me to bust my knee open.”

He ran his fingertips down the back of their hand, stopping when he came to the ring. For a second, his mind went blank. Were they engaged? Why hadn’t they told him? He nearly passed out with relief when he remembered the whole fake marriage. How had he forgotten that just minutes after putting on his own ring? Adrenaline did strange things to the brain.

He realized that he was tracing the band of their ring and made an awkward sound in his throat. “I need help,” he blurted, then clarified, “with my shoelaces. That is why- I tripped because of the laces.”

Rin nodded. "Well, stand up straight so that I can tie them for you." he replied, gently pulling Arquis to his feet. "Now just stand still." they knelt at Arquis's feet and got to work tying the nobleman's shoes. They were aware of the way this positioned them; the way this position could be for, well…other things. That was why they didn't look up, or met Arquis's eyes.

“Seems that we have switched places,” Arquis teased, mind still a bit too rattled to consider the alternate implications of the position.

Slowly, carefully, he moved his hand down to their hair. He fussed with it while they tied the laces, gently pushing his fingers through and tidying messy strands. Once or twice, his knuckles lightly brushed their scalp. When he was done, he let his hand drop back to his side.

Rin leaned into the hand in his hair a little bit, unable to stop himself from pressing into that soft brush of affection. He kept working on the laces, though, eventually finishing up and standing. They were mere inches apart now, close enough that there was only a hairs breadth of distance between them.

“Oh,” Arquis murmured, flushing. He hadn’t expected them to get quite so close. It sent his heart racing. “Thank you.”

Memories of the two of them popped up in his head. Them in bed that morning, holding each other closely. Them in his room looking at paintings. Him in his throne at the party, dying but not knowing it yet, listening to Rin sing. That could’ve been one of the last things that he heard. He supposed it would’ve been a rather nice send off. There were certainly worse ways to go, at the very least.

Rin smiled softly. "You're welcome." he said softly, gaze dipping to Arquis's mouth for just a moment, and then he dragged his gaze away again. They knew they should not be getting distracted now, but they could not help it. The few kisses that they had shared had been wonderful; he could not be blamed for wanting to do so again.

“We have a little time before we must check out.” Arquis bit his bottom lip and worried it between his teeth. “If you would perhaps like to- I do not mean to insinuate or imply anything, of course. I cannot read your mind. But if you would- if you might-” He shook his head very slightly, irritated with his stammering.

Could he do nothing right? Rin must have a divine amount of patience to deal with him. He cursed his father for not forcing him to continue those childhood dance lessons. Perhaps then he’d have a bit more elegance, a bit less nervous energy.

Rin laughed a little, gently sliding his arm around Arquis's waist. "Dance? Kiss? Press each other down on the bed for…dirtier things? You have to tell me, Arquis, I cannot read your mind either." They smiled at the nobleman, cocking their head very faint as they looked at him.

Arquis shuddered and squeezed his eyes shut. Their arm around his waist and that last suggestion, even though it was just a few words, was a lot. Too much, even. A sour, metallic taste flooded his mouth, and he pulled away, shaking his head rapidly.

“Apologies,” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I thought- I thought I might have been ready for- but I am not. Apologies. My apologies.”

Rin released him immediately, as soon as Arquis started to pull away, and they took a step back to give him space. "No, no, don't apologize, I am sorry." they said softly. "I took it too far, too fast, even if I was mostly joking. I should have known better than to say such things, Arquis." they were kicking themself for this; with their own history, they had a hard time with sex sometimes, and they had not considered whether it might be hard for Arquis too.

“Rin, it is not your fault. Truly. I know that you were teasing; you did nothing wrong. I simply reacted poorly.” Arquis let his eyes open. They were slightly watery. He had to blink a few times to clear them.

“Please do not be upset with yourself. I am not so fragile that I cannot handle a joke, and besides, I was joking about the same subject just earlier today. I just got a tad overwhelmed. Going from almost nothing to suddenly everything is…” he trailed off, shaking his head.

Rin studied him for a moment. "Are you sure?" they asked softly. "I…I do not wish to upset you." they ran a hand through their hair, keeping their gaze on the man across from them. "I really am sorry for upsetting you."