He leaned into Arquis, snuggling closer under the coat. "Now, then." They took a breath, thinking for a moment, then began to sing quietly. The song was in Kevran, not Anvillean, and the tune was low and sweet, almost reverent. Their eyes were closed still as they sang. This song was one they knew by heart, and he loved to sing it.
The music had a transformative effect on Arquis. For the first time since the party, when he’d listened to them perform, he relaxed completely. There was no tension in his brow nor stiffness in his spine. It was as if he’d been holding the weight of the world for years and had just been granted the chance to set it down.
He didn’t know the words the song—he’d studied some of the Kevran language, but wasn’t perfectly fluent in it—but that didn’t really matter. All he cared about was their voice. He was no poet, but it was more stunning than spun gold. He’d even describe it as hypnotic.
Rin continued to sing. The song did eventually draw to a close, though, and he fell quiet. "How was that?" They asked softly, holding onto Arquis and letting out a soft breath. "I know you probably didn't understand it, but, ah…that's fine." He bit his lip very faintly.
“I cannot describe how beautiful that sounded, love,” Arquis murmured after a pause. It had taken him a second to pull himself out of his calm state, which had felt almost meditative. Somehow, they’d gotten switched around so that he was the big spoon. He didn’t mind it one bit. Having them tucked away in his arms was a divine experience. He gave them a gentle squeeze and buried his face in his hair.
“You could sing a million songs and I would not tire of your voice. It is mesmerizing. You, Rin, are mesmerizing.”
"Thanks." They said softly, pressing their face to the crook of his neck. "I enjoy singing." He sighed very faintly, pressing closer to Arquis and leaching off of the nobleman's heat. They enjoyed being the little spoon just as much as when he was the big spoon, so this was just as nice for them as when they were the one holding Arquis. "It's nice to have an appreciative audience."
The feeling of their face against his neck made him tremble slightly. He could feel his lips against his skin, and when they sighed it actually made him gasp. He’d never known that he was sensitive there. He dropped another kiss on the top of their head and rubbed their shoulder.
“I am very grateful,” he mumbled in agreement, wondering if he sounded as smitten as he felt.
He hummed a little bit, pressing a kiss to the soft skin of Arquis's throat. "Good. I'm grateful to have such a wonderful, amazing audience." they replied, smiling a little bit and pressing closer to Arquis, sighing very softly. "I really am, Arquis. You are…you are quite wonderful, in all ways that that word can be interpreted."
“Rin,” Arquis started, voice rather choked, “you are being rather sweet right now, and I appreciate it. But I must say that the, ah, neck thing- my neck is a little-”
Every time they touched or kissed them there, it felt like he’d been shocked. In a good way, of course; it made him feel light and a tad tingly. But he was worried that too much of it might be overwhelming, and he wasn’t sure how he’d react.
(heading to bed soon, so goodnight and Merry Christmas if you celebrate, happy holidays if you don't!)
Rin paused, pulling back a little. "Sensitive?" they asked. Not in a teasing way, just in a soft, knowing way. "Everyone's is. I'll stop, if you need me to." he hummed a little bit, settling his cheek on Arquis's shoulder, so that his mouth was no longer pressed to Arquis's skin.
(alright! and I do! merry Christmas if you celebrate it, too, and if not then a very happy holidays to you as well!)
“Yes. Sensitive. Very sensitive. I was not aware that certain spots were truly like that in reality. I had always imagined that novels dramatized them, but now I must say that I am a tad curious.” Arquis laughed and kissed them above one of his eyebrows. “Thank you, however, for being so respectful. You are very sweet.”
He draped one of his arms around them and cupped the small of their back, guiding them even closer together. He was extremely glad that no one had gotten into the carriage with them. They couldn’t be having such a nice moment together if there were other people in the same space.
(I do! Thanks!)
He hummed a little bit. "It's not a problem to respect your needs." they replied softly, content to snuggle closer to Arquis and press close to him here, in their carriage. "And if sensitive spots are a curiosity for you, we can explore those at the hotel, in…whatever capacity you desire." whether that was sexual, or just a more heavy make-out session, either sounded lovely to Rin, but only if Arquis wanted to.
“I might have to take you up on that offer,” Arquis said, a smile playing on his lips. He stroked a hand down the curve of their back. They were in nice shape from traveling. He could feel a bit of muscle through his shirt, and it made some of the shirtless images from earlier race through his head. But he pushed those thoughts aside. It wasn’t the right day for them. He was enjoying all of the intimacy, but he just couldn’t handle anything more intense.
After a long moment of peaceful silence filled only with breathing and the sound of wheels on cobblestone, he murmured, “I would offer to sing for you, but I am afraid my voice is not nearly as nice as yours. It would not be very soothing.”
They nodded slightly, sitting quietly until Arquis spoke again. "I see." they said softly. "If you desire to sing, then I shall listen. I don't mind if your voice is not the same as mine; it's perfectly understandable that we would not be the same." they kissed his cheek softly, snuggling close again and closing their eyes.
“That is alright. I will be merciful and refrain,” Arquis joked, giving him another soft squeeze on the shoulder. He let his lips brush over a spot on their temple and smiled when he saw that their eyes had closed. “Are you still tired, love? Would you like to rest? I could wake you when the carriage stops for our transfer.”
They laughed a little, shrugging their shoulders and opening his eyes to look up at Arquis. "Oh, no, I do not need to sleep." they replied softly. "I am perfectly fine." to tell the truth, he was feeling drowsy, but they did not want to simply go to sleep and leave Arquis alone.
Arquis’s smile grew. He brought his hand around to cup their chin, then began caressing their face using feather-light strokes. The pad of his thumb ran over their cheekbone, then swept across the smooth skin of his forehead. He had very distant memories of someone—he wasn’t quite sure who—doing the same to him when he’d been young and ill, and it’d always put him to sleep almost immediately.
After a bit of that, he softly kneaded the back of his neck, then massaged one of their shoulders. He kept the massage going all the way down their arm to his fingertips, then frowned. Their hands looked a bit worn out from playing, and they felt a tad stiff. With almost professional precision, he rubbed the softer parts of their palm and applied a bit of pressure near the base of his thumb. He then flipped their hand over to very gently twist their fingers, feeling the muscles relax underneath. His knuckles were next. He massaged them in slow circles.
There was something lovely about having them in his arms as he worked on his hand. He could feel them move every now and then, feel every inhale and exhale. It helped guide him.
Rin, despite their early protest, soon began to nod off in Arquis's arms. The gentle, massaging touch, combined with the warmth from the coat and their own body heat, was enough to slowly drop him into the realm of sleep, still cradled in Arquis's arms. His breathing began to deepen and even out, muscles going slack as sleep took him over.
Arquis spent about another ten minutes quietly working on the other hand. During this period, he began to formulate a plan. Whether he knew it or not, their hands were in quite rough shape. They were calloused from playing and a tiny bit damaged from traveling. It also seemed like the cold air had dried them out. Once they arrived at the inn, he would find a way to treat Rin to a spa day. He’d pamper him with soaps and oils and lotions, if they would allow him to do so. Then he thought about their legs and feet, which made him wince. He did so much walking that they were probably all bruised, blistered, and otherwise banged up. Perhaps the inn offered an actual spa service. If so, then he surely could convince Rin to join him. They deserved to be treated with care.
He finished the hand, carefully folded it on top of their other, and kissed him on his head. One way or another, he would treat the bard with the same tenderness as they had showed him.
Rin stayed asleep, pressed close to Arquis with his cheek resting against the nobleman's shoulder. To tell the truth, Rin would probably enjoy a spa day, at least a little bit. Maybe. He was aware that his hands and feet were not in the best of conditions, but they usually did not have time to take care of them.
Arquis cradled them in such a way that his own body took most of the impact from the occasional bump and rattle of the carriage. When the vehicle finally came to a stop—which was about an hour after Rin had dozed off—he nudged them gingerly. He hated to wake them up, but he didn’t think he was strong enough to carry him and all of their bags.
“Good morning,” he whispered teasingly. “You did not need to sleep at all, hm?”
Rin blinked sleepily up at him, uncomprehending for a long moment, and then their gaze cleared. "Mmph, ah…my apologies." he said softly, sitting up and rubbing his eyes with his hands. "I did not mean to fall asleep on you." they searched about for their coat, pulling it on.
His expression softened; he almost couldn’t stand to look at them. They were just too adorable. It made his heart sting. “Do not apologize. It was actually rather comfortable. You make a fantastic blanket.”
The driver came around to the back, opened the door, and stuck their head in. When they saw the two of them on the floor, they rolled their eyes, hiding a small grin behind a mask of faux annoyance.
”Newlyweds. The lot of you are always all over each other.”
”Is it time to switch?” Arquis asked.
“Yeah. Next carriage’s just outside. It’ll only wait for about ten minutes, and the next doesn’t come for about a half hour after that. Best to get a move on.”
Rin laughed a little at Arquis's comment, nodding to the driver as they shouldered their bag and picked up their lute, checking to make sure that they had everything. "Well. Shall we?" they gave Arquis a soft smile, heading over to the door and holding it open for Arquis, reaching up to help the nobleman down from the carriage.
Arquis tripped slightly on the way down and steadied himself using their arms. He let out a rather uncharacteristic, high-pitched laugh, pecked him on the cheek, and opened the door to the next carriage. Much to his surprise, there was already a few people inside. One was a stern man with graying hair and a thin nose. Next to him was middle-aged woman with a toddler on her lap. There was also a curly-haired teenager with a permanent slouch.
Arquis settled into an empty seat across from them and stuck his suitcases under his seat. The toddler kicked her tiny legs at him, giggled, and hopped to her feet. Her mother scooped her up with a weary sigh. The older man—likely either her husband or father—spotted the ring around his neck. His eyes darted back and forth between Arquis and Rin. He broke out in a scowl. Arquis shrunk in his coat, going a terrible shade of red.
Rin frowned faintly when he saw the scowl the older man was giving them, sitting down beside Arquis and wrapping his arm around the nobleman's shoulders, almost daring the man to say something to the two of them. He had no intention of letting one asshole ruin their day today.