Arquis very slowly settled onto the bed beside him. His eyes flickered over their face several times more before he looked away.
“Alright.” It was softer than a whisper. He could feel his heart pounding. They weren’t sick enough not to eat at all, at least. But he worried that it was getting close. He was still concerned about the amount of rest they needed.
He took the plate of the buns and absently poked at one, lost in thought. A little waft of steam came out from an opening in the side. It smelled of vegetables and several different spices. He wished he had an appetite, but he couldn’t stop worrying about everything that was to come. Rin getting worse, Ari arriving, and Honey’s situation. Plus, they still weren’t guaranteed to be safe; any moment, someone could discover their identity and send word to the Palace. To Muria. Having distance from his home had made him forget how dangerous the circumstance truly was. Muria had tried to murder him.
He sipped at the broth, watching Arquis quietly. "Are you going to eat?" he asked, voice soft and a little bit worried. He knew that Arquis hadn't been eating much, and they had made that deal…they just wanted him to eat and be healthy. He kept sipping at his broth, though it was tiring and he didn't really want to.
“Do not worry about me,” Arquis responded, startling from his thoughts. There was something firm but not unkind about his tone. He gently admonished them with a kiss to his temple, checking in the process to see how much they’d eaten. A decent amount, he thought, but he couldn’t really tell. He’d been a bit too upset coming back from the kitchen to take note of the state of the food.
He passed the cup of ice chips over to them. “I used to have these when I would fall ill as a child. You are already taking in quite a bit of liquid, but it might help to suck on these. It is meant to prevent nausea and ensure hydration.”
Rin nodded faintly, going back to sipping at his broth. He set it aside after a moment, unable to drink any more of it. He did take an ice chip, though, sucking at it faintly. At least he was keeping hydrated, to some degree. That was good, anyway, even if they had not drunk all of the broth.
Arquis finally took one of the vegetable buns from the plate. He stared at it for a long moment, saying nothing, then raised it to his lips. The bite he took was small, but a variety of flavors instantly coated his tongue. Salty sauce covering steamed vegetables wrapped in fluffy bread. It was wonderful. He let out a soft groan and took a much larger bite. His stomach growled from hunger, and he wondered why he’d put off eating for so long.
And then he remembered. He hesitated, staring at the indents his teeth had left in the bread. Wisps of steam curled out around his gloved fingers as a drop of sauce fell to the plate below. He felt disgusted with himself. First the late waking, now the lack of control. Did he have no self-restraint? He set the bun onto the plate, unable to hide the shake in his hand.
Half. He’d eaten half. Someone his age and size should’ve eaten two or more, but he couldn’t even finish what he’d started. He wanted to do something dramatic. He wanted to slam his fist into the wall, smash the plate on the bedpost, crush the broken shards of it under his feet. But he didn’t do any of that. Instead, he wiped his hand on a napkin that’d come with the plate, then hesitantly placed it over Rin’s heart.
“How are you feeling now?” he asked weakly.
Rin shrugged a little bit. "Uhm, okay, I guess." they replied softly. "Please finish your food." their gaze had flicked to where the bun sat steaming on the plate, then back up to Arquis. Worry and exhaustion shone in his tired eyes. He just wanted to sleep. He didn't want to do anything else.
Arquis sighed, his fingers bunching very slightly in the fabric of their shirt. He eventually released them, moved his hand to their shoulder, and guided him further into the pillow. His other hand went to stroke their hair from his forehead. The gestures made him have to twist slightly at the waist; he sighed again, irritated at the plate on his lap. It’d be so much easier to move if it wasn’t there.
“Rin, please do not worry about that,” he insisted once more. “I am not the one who is ill, my dear. I am just fine.” As if to reaffirm this, he gave their shoulder a gentle squeeze. “But you are not. Get some rest. Here, I will take this for you.”
He took the cup of ice and set it onto the nightstand. Beads of condensation rolled off of it onto the floor. He wished they’d had more of the ice, but he figured they had to be somewhat hydrated from the broth. At least, dehydration wasn’t as imminent a concern as before.
Rin frowned faintly, lying back on the bed and snuggling down into their blankets. "We had a deal." they pointed out in a tired tone. "You said that you would eat." they yawned softly, eyes flickering shut for a moment. "Please, darling." he was so tired, but he was still worried about Arquis. Arquis needed to eat too; he couldn't continue on like this, not eating and insisting that he would be fine.
“We can worry about the deal later,” Arquis said stiffly. He withdrew his hand from where it was curled in their hair and slumped in on himself. “I am not going to debate it with you right now. You are too weary, and it would be a waste for you to burn your energy on trying to change my mind. We will have plenty of time to talk about it another day, once you are better.”
He hated that he was this way. His issues took up too much space and time. Was he so selfish that he could not suffer through one meal for them? They’d carried him up the mountain, stayed with him during his own bout of illness, fought for him in the carriage, stood up for him when they’d first met Honey. The list went on and on. Could he not do this one thing in return?
As quietly as possible, he lifted the bun again and very, very slowly picked his way through the rest of it. By the time he was done, there were actual tears streaming down his face. He hoped that Rin was asleep so that they wouldn’t have to see it. In case they weren’t, he turned his head towards the door.
He sighed very faintly, eyes staying shut. He did eventually fall asleep, and did not see Arquis's tears. If they had, they would have felt guilty and upset about driving Arquis to tears, even if it had been by accident. They were so tired that sleep claimed him quite easily, curled beneath the blankets.
(wait do you wanna do a time skip or is Rin gonna wake up and be sick again?)
Arquis’s tears eventually ceased. Half of him was a little hurt that Rin hadn’t noticed, but the other half immediately rebuked that thought. They weren’t supposed to notice. He’d told them to rest, and truthfully he was very glad that they’d taken his advice. That didn’t mean he wasn’t torn up inside, though. He felt hollowed out. He felt full to bursting. His mind was a battlefield of guilt and self-loathing. One word kept bouncing around in it: pathetic. It was pathetic that he had body image issues at his age, pathetic that he couldn’t finish a meal without breaking down, pathetic that every single day had to be about him. His partner deserved better.
He shifted cautiously in the bed so that his arms encircled them. They felt oddly small in his embrace. Sure, they were shorter than him, but not by that much. He tugged them closer and buried his red eyes in his hair.
(idc, which do you think would be better?)
Rin let out a faint breath when Arquis's arms encircled him, and pressed closer to the other man, letting out a tired, slightly pained sound as he continued to sleep. They were still warm, though perhaps a bit cooler than they had been earlier, which was a good thing. Maybe the fever wouldn't go back up again.
(unless you’ve got an idea in mind then I suppose we could skip to a little before Ari gets there? which would still give Rin the opportunity to be even more sick if that’s what you’d like but also introduce a change to keep things moving forward)
Arquis felt a stab of fondness when they cuddled closer. It hurt in that it made him feel even more guilty, but the sting faded briefly after. Goodness, he was enamored with them. He remembered the way he’d sung on the stage at the Palace, the smooth, enchanting quality of their voice. For the world to lose that—to lose Rin, who was strong, talented, and genuinely caring—would be a sin. He hoped desperately that it wouldn’t come to that. He’d suffer through a thousand vegetable buns in one sitting if it meant his lover would be alright.
(i don't, so that sounds good! Want me to handle the skip, then?)
(alright!)
Ari arrived the next morning; the trip had taken a bit longer than he had expected it would, but he was here now. He checked in at the front desk, and was taken to his room. It was smaller than Arquis's and Rin's, since he was alone. The bed was still nice and big, though. Perfect for bringing someone else to, after all. Ari pulled out his envelope, and wrote a quick note.
Arquis,
I'm here. What's your room number?
Ari
Then he waited for a response. While he waited, he took a very quick bath (more of a rinse-off than anything else) and changed into fresh clothes. He combed his hair lightly, and got out the medicines and other supplies that he had brought, putting them into a basket so that once he had the room number, he could bring it straight to Arquis and Rin. He was worried still.
[Day Eleven]
Arquis had been awake for several hours by the time that Ari arrived. He’d spent half of the time watching over his partner and the other half getting ready. His hair was neatly brushed, his face was shaven, and he was wearing the finest suit he’d packed. It was an indigo and black number that smelled faintly of lavender; a small comfort from a home he didn’t miss. The gloves he chose to wear were plain yet soft. He felt a little overdressed, but he really wanted to make a good impression. Of course, there was no hiding the shadows under his eyes, though he didn’t think that would matter.
He saw the letter appear in the envelope and wrote a simple response that included the room number. For someone that was so nervous, he managed to write rather legibly. He slipped his reply back from where it’d come. While he was waiting for him to arrive, he gently lowered himself onto the bed and combed his fingers through Rin’s hair.
“Good morning, love,” he whispered. “Ari will be arriving shortly. I thought I might wake you so that you could greet him.”
Rin had awoken for a few minutes every now and again, but usually ended up dozing again. He awoke when Arquis sat beside them, blinking sleepily up at the nobleman. "Oh. Good morning." he whispered back. They pushed themself up, leaning on their pillows, and reached out to get some water. He sipped at the glass for a moment, then set it aside. "My head hurts." he said softly. "Everything hurts." he frowned, closing his eyes for a moment to try and alleviate the headache.
Ari grabbed the basket and headed for Arquis and Rin's room. He made his way through the halls, and knocked on the door, waiting for Arquis to answer. He assumed Rin wouldn't answer.
Arquis felt his heart tighten when he heard their voice. They didn’t sound well at all. He’d really been hoping that plenty of rest would help, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Hopefully Ari had brought medicine like he’d said he would. He let his hand rest lightly atop his partner’s forehead until he heard the knock on the door.
An icy blast of panic coursed through his veins. Ari was there, standing right outside the door. What would he think of Arquis? He suddenly became very worried that he’d think him a snob for dressing nicely when Rin was so sick. Should he have worn something simpler? Was slobbish better than snobbish? Goodness, now he was sweating. It was a good thing he’d worn black. Was black too gloomy? He could feel his breathing grow slightly shallow. No. No, he would not have an episode, not when Rin was depending on him. He forced himself to stand and went quietly to the door.
First impressions. He was awful at first impressions. He came off as overly polite; awkward; anxious; stiff; distant. None of those qualities were wanted in a partner. His palms grew damp in his gloves, and it took him two tries to turn the handle.
“Ah, hello,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady.
Ari greeted him with a quick smile. The young man was not overly tall, standing at 5'8", with a mostly rectangular form, though he had the slightest curve to his hips that most guys tended not to have. He had warm brown skin, grey eyes, and dark brown hair that hung in short, tight curls down to his shoulders. The top half was currently tied back to keep it out of his face. He looked tired from traveling, but still in a good mood. "Hello." his accent was stronger than Rin's was, but still understandable. "You are Arquis?" he asked, raising his eyebrows slightly. "I am Ari, Rin's friend."
“I had assumed,” Arquis responded, smiling in return. It took him a moment to realize how snarky that might have sounded. His smile vanished. He stammered out an apology before ducking his head and gesturing towards the room. “Please do come in.”
He’d screwed up already. Part of him wanted to start swearing, but he didn’t want to give Ari an even worse impression. He moved to Rin’s side and gently helped to prop them up on their pillow. Their fever was strong enough that he could feel it through his gloves. The nobleman’s brow creased. He took one of their hands in his own and kissed it without thinking. Then, worried that he’d embarrassed them in front of Ari, he backed away. Everything that he was doing felt as if it was wrong. He wished he could shrink into a crack in the floor and disappear forever.
“Would, um, would you like some space?” he asked, voice a soft, low hum.
Ari followed Arquis inside, greeting Rin with a grin and, "Hey, bastard, your lover said you're not feeling good."
Rin let out a laugh that soon turned into a cough. "Dickhead." they retorted, coughing eventually dying back down.
Ari looked over at Arquis at the question, and shrugged. "If you want to leave, you can, but you don't have to." he set the basket down on a table. "I brought some medicine and stuff, by the way. And a poultice that my aunt absolutely swears by for fevers and such." he looked over at Rin again. "Seriously, though, how are you?"
Rin cleared his throat softly. "I…not great." they admitted, tugging the blankets closer around himself.
(oh no ari really is the perfect match for honey)
Arquis watched the exchange in interest. Curiosity quickly changed to amusement, and he stifled a laugh with his wrist. When he heard Rin’s last answer, however, he grew more somber. That furrow in his brow returned. He approached his partner’s side once more and sat on the mattress next to them. Absentmindedly, he gave their shoulder a squeeze. His fingers then trailed up to brush through their hair again.
“My love, would you be alright with taking and using what Ari brought? I know that you do not like medicine, but I had thought… I had hoped that you would trust it more if it came from him.”
He bit his bottom lip, hoping he hadn’t overstepped his bounds by saying all of that. His eyes were wide as he looked to Ari. Not in a childish way, exactly, but rather anxious.
(lmao yeah. Ari, greeting his best friend that he hasn't seen in a year: hello bastard man :D Rin is a lITERAL BASTARD–)
Rin grimaced faintly. "No, I can't…uhm…I can't." he replied, shaking his head quickly. "It's not…it's…I can't." his gaze flickered to the floor, not meeting either of their gazes. He just couldn't. There were too many memories of it all going wrong and ending in disaster and pain, and the idea of taking any– even though he knew neither Arquis or Ari would ever do that to him –was terrifying.
(I caught that 10/10 very funny)
“Oh, Rin,” Arquis sighed sadly. His eyes were already shiny with tears. He wouldn’t cry in front of Ari, though. At least not so soon. He took a breath and composed himself. Was he not a de Vey child? Had he not done this routine hundreds of times before? Wearing masks of formality and distance as easily as he wore gloves. He need not be distant in this situation, but he couldn’t be weepy or dramatic, either. If he could be nothing else, he would be useful.
He looked at Ari with a pleading expression. The man had known his partner for much longer. Maybe he would know what to say to get Rin to understand. He continued to stroke through their hair and left a kiss on his temple.
