Rin nodded slowly, letting Arquis talk without interruption. "I understand, darling. And I want you to know that I would never mock you or purposefully make you uncomfortable with the way you look." their voice was soft and sincere, gaze gentle. "If your fear is too much for you to be able to go further today, then that is alright. And if you do want to go further, we will take it as slow as you need to."
Arquis’s mouth flattened into a thin, worried line. For a long minute, he didn’t say anything at all. Then, he let out a sigh and relaxed considerably. Whatever war he’d been waging in his head had come to an end. He still looked a bit anxious to deliver the conclusion, but he was nowhere near as worried as before.
“I trust you, love, but I am not in the right headspace anymore. Could we try a different time? If it was night, perhaps, I would not be able to see myself, and that would… make it better?”
Rin nodded a little, taking a small step closer. "That's fine." he said. "We can try a different time, darling, whenever that may be." they carefully, slowly wrapped an arm around Arquis again, kissing his cheek softly.
“Thank you, my dear,” Arquis mumbled. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt emotional again, and it was frustrating. They were just too sweet to him. He buried his face in their hair for a moment to hide his expression. Once he felt a bit more stable, he kissed him on their forehead.
“If we are not… um, well. If we are not doing that, then is there anything else you might want to do today? We have quite a bit of time to spend here.”
Rin stayed close to him. "Well. Perhaps we should finish breakfast? And then after that…I do not know. You said something about a… pedicure? I think?" They shrugged their shoulders, giving Arquis a soft smile.
Arquis nodded. Though he wanted to hold them close for a while longer, he stepped away so that they could finish the rest of his food. “They do have a spa, and if what I read was correct, it does have private rooms. Booking one would be fairly easy, as most people probably do not desire a spa treatment before lunch.”
He went to work again trying to fix his buttons and tidy his hair. It took an aggravating amount of time, but when he was finished, he stopped to study his gloves.
“According to Honey, these are rather conspicuous. Taking them off would be even more so, I fear.” He sighed, his gaze turning into a glare. He hated that he had to wear them; he hated that he wanted to, as well. “I trust the staff, but I do not trust anyone else here to keep a secret.”
Rin nodded slightly, taking one of Arquis's hands in theirs. "I see." they said softly, gently smoothing their thumb over the back of the glove. "Would it help if we both wore gloves, do you think? At least while in public?" he wanted to find some way that this would work for both of them.
“And cover up your pretty hands?” Arquis teased, bringing one of them to his mouth and giving it a kiss. He smiled at them from his slightly bent position before straightening up. “I think that would only draw more attention, unfortunately. One person wearing them could be into making odd fashion statements. Two people wearing them have something to hide.”
His eyes drifted elsewhere as he became lost deeper in his thoughts. “I am sure that it will be alright. Honey was unusually perceptive, and most people do not have a reason to examine others at places like these. They should keep to their own business unless interested in someone else.”
He nodded slightly. "Alright. And besides, if anyone asks, we just tell them you have a glove kink." his mouth quirked in a teasing smile as they looked at Arquis. "Or that I do and you're just pandering to my desires." a soft snicker left his mouth as he pressed a kiss to Arquis's cheek.
Arquis flushed. His eyebrows shot upwards and he asked, “You do not actually, do you?”
They had always been very casual about the gloves. While Arquis knew that didn’t necessarily mean that he had a thing for them, it was a bit unusual that they’d adjusted to them so quickly. Even Quirisa still thought they were odd. Then again, Quirisa still hadn’t seen what was underneath. Rin had. Were they not disturbed by what he’d seen? Why didn’t they find it repulsive? Of everything about Arquis’s body that he hated, he despised the scars the most, and yet Rin hadn’t made a big deal of them.
He realized his expression had become pinched and forced his face to relax. The smile he gave them was fake; he didn’t feel much like smiling anymore.
They laughed again. "No, not as far as I know." he shook his head a little bit. "They don't get me hot and bothered, if that's what you're wondering, but they are not a turn-off either." they shrugged, running a hand through their hair. "I understand the reason you wear them, and it is not my business to tell you whether or not to wear them." he knew that Arquis hated his hands; gods, he remembered the way it had gone when those gloves had needed to come off in order to save the nobleman's life. So they knew Arquis wore them out of a feeling of necessity, not a kink; they had only been teasing.
“Sometimes I do not mind taking them off,” he responded, sounding small and uncertain. He couldn’t quite look them in the eyes. “But most days it is difficult. So thank you. For, um, not forcing me to remove them.”
A memory pushed its way to the front of his mind. It had happened a year or so prior, when he was more drunk than he should have been. He was hosting a party not dissimilar to the one that Rin had performed at, and a group of people his age had decided to stick around him. One of them, a mischievous young man with dark eyes and hair, had spent most of the night whispering to a girl with auburn curls. They’d been the one to fetch Arquis his drinks. After about an hour of interacting, the boy had come forward and tried to pull a glove off. Arquis had almost thrown up on his shoes. Thankfully, Quirisa had interrupted the scene and pulled him aside. She’d cursed him out first—this had, of course, been when they were not on good terms, though it was sweet that she had still looked after him—before sending him off to get some rest.
With a jolt, Arquis realized that he’d said the whole story aloud. He glanced at Rin, embarrassed, and then quickly looked away.
“People like to spread rumors about what’s underneath. Some people say I have claws. Others say that I have no hands at all. It is funny for them.” There was emphasis on those last two words. For everyone else, the gloves were a mystery or a joke. To him, they were a reminder. “They think it is a game, to try and take them off. That was not the only time.”
He nodded faintly, wincing when Arquis told them the story. "I'm sorry, darling." he took Arquis's hands in his own, rubbing his thumb back and forth over Arquis's knuckles. "That's awful, and I am sorry that people are so cruel as to try and pull them away from you." they pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "I am still sorry for the time I had to pull them off, even if it was necessary."
“I do not blame you for that. You had no other good option. Do not feel guilty for saving my life, love,” Arquis insisted, gently stroking his hand up and down their arm. “You did not do it out of cruelty or a desire to play some game. You only did it because you knew it was best, even if I could not see that at the time.”
Something came over him then. It was the same urgency as on the carriage. He had the desire to tell them everything now the two of them were in safety. If the plan worked—part of him hated to even think of it, as if doing so would jinx it—then there would likely be no major repercussions. Except their scorn, of course, and his anger, and their hatred, and everything Arquis deserved.
“Rin,” he said quietly, starting to feel overwhelmed. He could feel his heartbeat picking up.
Rin nodded faintly, still gently running his thumbs over Arquis's knuckles. "Yeah?" he asked in a quiet tone, raising their eyebrows faintly as they studied the nobleman. "IS something wrong?" he could sense that something was a little bit off, but they could not quite tell what was going on.
“It is nothing,” Arquis said after a couple of seconds of silence, flashing them another fake smile. “I simply got lost in my thoughts. Go ahead and finish eating if you would like, my dear. I will go on and see if I can book that room we discussed.”
At an abnormally quick pace, he snatched the mask from earlier off the desk, took the room key, and studied the map on the brochure again. He felt like a coward. Rin deserved to know. The sooner he told him, the less betrayed they’d feel. But he already felt awful for ruining most of their morning. The guilt of lying to him about breakfast was the final straw. He felt overwhelmed, and when he was overwhelmed, he ran away.
Arquis tied the mask around his face and went to the door. “Find me when you are dressed?” he asked softly, fidgeting with the knob. He still couldn’t look at them.
Rin watched Arquis move around the room, nodding slightly. "Right. Hopefully I do not get lost." they gave Arquis a quick smile, unsure if the nobleman was really alright, but not wanting to press for answers and upset him. "See you soon, darling."
“See you soon,” he echoed.
Arquis let his head rest against the door for just a moment before exiting. He was beginning to get that shaky, anxious feeling, the kind that came with cold sweat and rapid breathing. He needed to move around; he needed fresh air.
Unfortunately, the way to the spa didn’t lead to the outside world, but he was pleased to find that it was a mostly silent walk. Time felt syrupy and slow and heavy. His heart grew louder in his ears until he arrived. He plastered on a smile for the man at the desk as he requested a room. The man seemed not to notice anything off. Arquis told him that someone would be joining him—he didn’t give a name, just a loose description—and was then led down a hall.
The private room was small but not cramped. It held a hot tub that was carved from rock and made to look as if it was in nature. Faux leaves and real flowers were woven through stones and scattered in the warm, bubbling water. There was a large cabinet by the hot tub that showed off an impressive array of lotions, nail polish, and more, and there were two plush pedicure chairs that could transform into massage tables.
Arquis sat heavily in one of the chairs. He closed his eyes, let his head drop between his knees, and waited for Rin to arrive.
Ari headed into the bathroom to brush his teeth and drag a comb through their hair, and then get dressed. Once they were dressed, they put on a mask and left the room. They made their way to the spa, hoping Arquis had gotten there alright, and got directions from the man at the counter. He entered their private room quietly. "Hey, Arquis." he greeted in a soft tone.
Even speaking softly, they managed to startle him. He jumped in his seat and instinctively raised his hands to shield himself. When he realized it was just him, he settled against the chair and tried for a smile.
“Hello, love.”
That was all he could get out before an older woman entered the room. She was tall, soft-figured, and curly-haired. The uniform she was wearing was a simple long sleeved shirt with an apron and loose sweatpants. She also had on a plain white mask. With her was a cart of different spa supplies that ranged from a container of hot towels to pumice stones to bath salts and candles.
“Hi, you two! My name is Serenity, and I’ll be serving you today. I have a variety of plans that you can choose from. One is just a manicure, which comes with a hand massage. There’s also a manicure and pedicure package, and then there’s an option where you can do that with a body massage as well. You can also do just the massage, if you’re not interested in having your nails done.”
She paused to point out a couple of bottles and packages on the upper row of her cart. “I have a couple of different facials, if you’re interested. There’s one that uses steam, but most involve exfoliation, masks, and moisturizer. You could add those onto any of the plans I already mentioned.”
Just when Arquis thought she was finished, she kept going. “If you want to use the hot tub, it’s free, but you’ll have to change out of your clothes. We have free, pre-warmed robes and slippers. You’ll also need those if you’re getting a massage or- oh, I forgot to mention! There’s a special hot stone massage. Does any of that sound good to you?”
Arquis was extremely overwhelmed. “Um… all of it, I guess? Except the stone thing?” He turned to Rin, looking a bit desperate. “Does that sound alright?”
Rin listened quietly, suppressing a laugh at the desperation on Arquis's face. "Yes, it sounds fine." he said, smiling a little bit as his gaze flicked from Serenity to Arquis and back again. "Thank you for your help, Serenity." he reached up to adjust their mask; they did not love wearing them, but knew it was for safety and anonymity.
Serenity nodded, giving them a smile. She reached to the bottom layer of the cart, which was apparently heated, and pulled out two warm, fluffy robes.
“Of course! Here are your robes. I’ll be right outside until you’re done changing.” She handed one to Arquis and the other to Rin, then stepped out like she’d said she would. The door closed with a satisfying click.
Arquis turned away from Rin, started to undo his coat, and called over his shoulder, “I will not look, I promise.”
(looks like I forgot to tell you I'd be gone; really sorry about that!)
Rin took the robe, turning his own back. "And neither shall I, Arquis." they replied, changing relatively quickly. They of course left their undergarments on, but other than that wore only the robe. It was indeed very warm and soft, and he ran a hand down the front of it, feeling the soft fluff beneath their fingers.
(oh that’s fine!! I’m just glad you’re alright I was starting to get a bit concerned lol)
Arquis changed into his robe rather quickly as well. He folded his other clothes neatly and put them in a stack on the cabinet. His faux wedding ring sat on top of them; he hadn’t wanted to get it wet, as that would likely have messed with the metal.
After about five minutes had passed, Serenity re-entered the room. She gestured towards their masks and pantomimed taking them off.
“It’s staff policy not to gossip about clientele, so you can take those off, if you’d like! No pressure, though.” She gave them each a nod before turning to her cart. Arquis couldn’t tell exactly what she was working on—arranging something, it looked like—but she seemed to be doing it rather gracefully. Her hands didn’t falter, not even once.
Arquis glanced back at Rin. He really couldn’t remember what he’d signed them up for, but he had the feeling that they were gonna be there for a while.
(yeah! sorry again, tho, I didn't mean to make you worry)
Rin did the same with his ring, taking it off his finger and setting it aside. When she said he could take the mask off, he did so. He detested the feeling of the cool material sitting against their face, hated the way it made him unrecognizable. It made him feel trapped and alone and he didn't like that feeling.