"No, I…I'm not saying he needs to stop completely, just…uhm…just that the abusive ones need to go. There's a difference between some painplay or impact stuff and…and abuse, and…" he took another breath, leaning into the hand on their cheek. "Sorry. Sorry, I'm just…it's…" it was different than what had happened to him but it still felt so familiar, too familiar.
Arquis studied them carefully. His concern was growing, but he didn’t show it, instead assuming a mask of calm. They most likely needed someone stable, so he would be his pillar. Not anxious, not even a little bit unsteady. He’d be there for them in whatever way would help him feel better.
“You do not have to apologize, love. Take as much time as you need. I know this is a difficult subject.” He swept his thumb over their temple and smiled reassuringly. “Everything will be alright. Perhaps we should discuss this at another time? We could always talk to Honey again tomorrow morning, but currently it is late, and you have not eaten in quite some time.”
Hypocritical, certainly, but not incorrect. If they were going to expend energy on worrying—which was his right—then he should at least take in some calories.
"Right." they said the word on an exhale, just trying to breathe again. "Sorry." he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to separate his worry for Honey from the fear of his own memories. "I'm…I'll be fine. Let's have some food." they opened their eyes again, still trying to just take breaths and calm themself down.
Arquis shifted closer and cupped their other cheek so that his face was in his hands. He made sure that his grip wasn’t tight or restrictive in any way. The touch was meant to be loving and soft, not threatening. To fully convey this sentiment, he gazed into their eyes, letting him see the gentleness there.
“My dear, you do not have to be fine. This—and what happened to you—is not fine.” He paused when he realized his gloves were still on. Surely skin-to-skin contact would feel nicer. With a sigh, he removed them, tucking them into a ball that he put to the side. Then, he placed his hands where they’d been before. He hoped Rin wouldn’t mind the feeling of the scars.
Rin looked up at him, not minding at all the feeling of Arquis's scars against his cheeks. He nodded faintly, taking another deep breath. "Alright." they said in a soft voice, turning his head to press a soft kiss to Arquis's palm. "Thank you, darling. For understanding. I'm still sorry for…for melting down on you, though."
Arquis firmly shook his head and gave their cheeks a very soft squeeze. “Please do not apologize, love. You have said it yourself before. We will both have good days and bad days, and I will be here for you through all of them.”
He let his hands fall to his sides and shifted so that he was sitting cross-legged on the bed. While he wanted to hold Rin forever, they really should eat soon. He passed their plate over to him with another soothing smile, briefly checking their expression in case he needed something. Anything.
Outside, the onslaught of hail increased. It rattled the window and pummeled into the roof above like an erratic drumbeat. Arquis hoped that nobody was caught outside in it, as they’d likely end up in a rather bad way.
Rin nodded faintly, taking the plate and glancing at the window for a moment, then over at Arquis again. "Thank you." they said in a soft voice, taking a bite of their food and closing his eyes. He had a much better handle on himself now, and seemed calmer. There had just been those few minutes of panic and pain, but he was fine.
“You are very welcome, love,” Arquis responded. He was glad to see that they seemed to be feeling better. If not fully, then at least somewhat.
Eating was a slow process. Arquis had to put gloves on to do it, as he couldn’t stand the sight of his bare hands touching food. He actually took the time to switch to a different, clean pair from his luggage and then looked down at his plate. He’d nibbled at the fruit until it was gone, then ate one or two of the tiny sandwiches. That would have to be good enough. He unwrapped the cake pop and observed it for a moment. Dark chocolate cake with a cherry ganache coating. He bit off a piece, then another, pleasantly surprised by the taste.
He ate his food quietly, sitting on the bed. He still wished there was something, anything, he could do to help Honey. But they didn't know what they could possibly do, what they could say to him to get Honey to accept help from someone. Anyone, really.
Arquis stretched once he’d finished the cake pop and picked up his plate, then hesitated. Honey hadn’t said what to do with their dishes when they’d finished. Should he leave it outside the door and hope that the maid service came across it, or would that be considered rude? The cleaning service had come and taken the plates from earlier while they were at the spa, but that didn’t mean that they should have to do so every time.
He looked over to his partner. Rin had been rather quiet during dinner, and while he didn’t think they were on the verge of an attack any longer, he was still concerned.
“Perhaps we should take the dishes to the kitchen,” he suggested in a quiet voice, so as not to startle him. “And if we see Lovey along the way, we can talk to her about her brother.”
Rin looked over at him, taking a deep breath and nodding faintly. "Yeah. That's, uhm, a good idea." he replied slowly. Once he had finished, he gathered up his plates and such, then stood up from the bed. "We could also check the front desk and see if she's there." they wanted to help Honey, if they could. Even if it was hard.
Arquis agreed and followed suit, scooping up his plate as he stood. Before they left, he put on one of the extra masks. This one was a plain red. Not very attractive or elegant, but it would do the trick, he supposed. They likely wouldn’t be out for long. He handed one to Rin as well before heading out the door.
The front desk was on the way to the kitchen. He, like Rin, was hoping to see Lovey there, but instead found another woman in the seat. She looked familiar, and he realized after a second that he’d seen her before. She’d been the one to give him instructions to the dining hall. He tried to recall her name before addressing her.
“Good evening. Divinity, correct?”
She clicked her nails on the desk and smiled. “That’s right, doll. Is there something I can help you two with?”
“I was wondering if Lovey was around. She was here earlier, I believe, but I have not seen her since. Is there any chance that we could speak with her?”
“Lovey? Oh, I don’t think so, sorry. She’s taking the night off to rest.” Pityingly, she added, “I think she’s having a migraine, the poor girl. She gets those quite a bit.”
“Is Honey here, then?”
Divinity’s expression morphed. He thought it was close to jealousy, but no, that wasn’t quite it. Whatever it was, it was hard to decipher.
“Honey’s already busy tonight. I’d tell you what room he’s in, but the person he was with didn’t want anyone interrupting.”
Rin put the mask on, and was quiet while Arquis spoke to Divinity. At Divinity's words, they frowned very faintly. Sure, not wanting anyone interrupting could be harmless; most people didn't want others intruding during sex, but…with what they suspected was happening to Honey, it took on a more sinister undertone. "Well, ah…can you pass on a message to him for us?" they asked softly. "It's…just tell him our offer from earlier still stands." they knew Divinity would assume that it was a sexual thing, but they didn't really care. "And that I understand." again; it wouldn't make sense to Divinity, but hopefully it would to Honey.
Divinity whipped out a sparkly quill and some paper, then scrawled down their instructions. Her tongue swept over her bottom lip as she wrote. Her handwriting was small and loopy.
When she was finished, she stopped and looked back at him through her mask. She frowned slightly. “I’m really sorry if it’s an inconvenience, but Honey told me his schedule earlier, and it sounds like he’ll be pretty busy for the next few nights. He’s very popular around here; people request him all the time. You two might not get a private audience with him until next week.”
Leaden sorrow sank to the bottom of Arquis’s stomach. The following week? Each day Honey was working, he was at risk. Who knew how fast the scum that hurt him would escalate?
“I can still deliver your message, though. Is there anything else you want me to write?”
"That's fine." Rin replied softly. "We can wait. We just wanted him to get the message." he didn't know if he should tell Divinity their suspicions or not. What if they were wrong? What if Honey was fine, and everything was consensual? It didn't seem like it…but…he shook his head rapidly, taking a deep breath. "That's all."
Arquis watched his partner for a moment, then nodded at Divinity. She pinched the note to fold it and slipped it down the front of her dress. He politely averted his eyes until she tapped her nails on the desk again, all five in a sequence.
“Thank you for your assistance,” he said before placing his free hand on Rin’s back. He walked with him out of the front area, gently stroking that spot to soothe them.
Once they were out of earshot, Arquis stopped and turned to them. “That was rather unfortunate. Are you quite alright, my love?”
Rin nodded faintly. "I'm fine. Just worried." they replied softly, taking a step closer so that they could lean their head on Arquis's shoulder, seeking comfort in that physical touch. "Sorry if I stressed you out or anything." he hoped Honey understood the message; he couldn't be clear in it, since he wasn't sure what to say to Divinity, but hopefully it would make sense to Honey.
(oof sorry btw for all the Honey content)
Arquis smiled. Not because they were worried, but because he loved getting the chance to hold him. He enveloped them in a warm, safe hug. It didn’t last for long—they couldn’t stay in the hallway forever—but he continued to stick close to them as he moved onwards to the kitchen.
“You did not stress me out, my dear,” he assured them. “But I do agree with you. It seems the situation is worse than we had anticipated. The fact that Honey does not seem to have much time to himself, that he is constantly at the beck and call of others… it is very worrying, indeed.”
(nah you're good, I love good side characters)
He nodded faintly. "It's…I hope he understands the message. I didn't want to go into detail with Divinity, but…I want to help." their voice was quiet as they looked up at Arquis again. "I don't want him to think he has to deal with…with this alone. Just because we aren't going to sleep with him doesn't mean we can't help. Or at least, I'd like to try." they couldn't bear to think of Honey being used and abused by even one person, let alone more than one. Sure, the circumstances here were different: Honey was an adult and this was his job, versus Rin had been a young teen being groomed and taken advantage of, but in the end it was still abuse, it was still pain.
(yeah, I really like him haha and plus it’s nice to have another plot going on to fill some time at the inn)
“I know. The thought of leaving here with him in such a bad state makes me ill.” Arquis shuddered. Honey was odd, but he definitely didn’t deserve to be treated with cruelty. Especially not when he was in such a vulnerable position.
They reached the kitchen, where an older, slim man with salt-and-pepper hair took their plates. He thanked them for being kind enough to bring them in. Arquis was a little too distracted to engage in a full conversation with him, but he made it clear that he appreciated the chef’s skill and hard work.
By the time they walked out, he had an idea. “Divinity said that Lovey had a migraine, but she did not say that she was actually sick. It is possible that we could talk to her in the morning, if she is restored to health. Perhaps she will know her brother’s location and help us talk to him.”
(haha yeah!)
Rin was quiet as they brought their plates to the kitchen, but nodded a little at Arquis's words. "Yes, that…that might work." he said softly. "I know that, uhm, Honey didn't want to tell anyone, but…someone has to find out and help him." they shook their head a little bit, brows gathering together again.
“There are many reasons for why Honey might not wish to speak up, but none are more important than his safety,” Arquis agreed. When he saw the tension growing in their forehead, he gently ran his thumb across his brow, smoothing out the creases. The look he gave them was full of soft sympathy.
“One way or another, we are going to help him. I promise, love. If Lovey is not around in the morning, then we will find another way. I am not above going and knocking on every door until we find him.”
They leaned into Arquis's hand, taking a deep breath. "Okay. Thank you. I'm, uhm, sorry if I have stressed you out with my anxiety about this." He said, giving the nobleman a faint, tiny smile. "I did not mean to…be like this." They cleared their throat softly, shaking his head for a moment.
“You have done no such thing, my dear, and even if you had, you would not have to apologize for it. This is a sensitive topic. It has made me quite anxious as well.”
Arquis began to walk forward again. He offered his arm to Rin. They could take it if they felt like it, but there was no pressure. He very much wanted to give them comfort still, though if the two of them stayed in the hall for too much longer, someone would inevitably come by.
“What would you like to do when we return to the room?” he asked, wanting to distract from Honey. There was nothing they could do about that situation until morning; dwelling on it might just make them more upset.
He took Arquis's arm, taking a deep breath. "Right. Uhm. When we get back, I need to finish my letter to Ari." he said slowly, considering it for a moment. "And…we can do whatever else that you would like to do." they gave Arquis a faint, slightly weak smile.