"Thank you for eating as much as you did, darling. I know it was hard." they said first, before answering Arquis's question about Ari. "I hope you can bring yourself to eat some more later, but this was still a great first step." after that, he paused for a moment, then answered the question. "And…yes. If you don't mind? I would love to be able to speak with him and catch up." he kissed Arquis's cheek, stayed snuggled close to him.
Arquis squirmed uncomfortably at the praise. On the one hand, it was very sweet that they wished to comfort him, but on the other, it made him feel even more pathetic. He couldn’t eat one full meal. This fact brought him pride, which only made him more distressed.
“Oh, um, thank you. And I do not mind, love. Not at all,” he replied. It would be a good distraction from his predicament, though it made him nervous to think of seeing the young man one-on-one. Rin was very sweet about his insecurities; not everybody was so kind. Ari had gotten to hear quite a bit. No matter how nice he was said to be, he would likely judge Arquis. In his experience, that was just how people were.
He clambered off the bed and went to the door. Surprisingly, eating had already begun to make him feel a bit better. He was still a tad nauseous, and his head throbbed, but he didn’t feel as dizzy or clammy. He picked up the glove from where he’d discarded it on the bed, then paused. Had Ari seen his scars? He tried to convince himself that it didn’t matter as he walked out the door.
Ari hadn’t given him his room number, so he walked through the halls in hopes of finding him. He also checked the dining area and the seating space that he and Rin had visited the other day.
Rin gave him a soft smile, letting go of Arquis when the nobleman got up from the bed. They really were happy that he had been willing to eat half of the meal. It wasn't quite perfect, but it was so much better than nothing. He knew that things were going to be hard for Arquis, going forward, to eat enough, but he was willing to help. Willing to do what he could to help Arquis.
Ari had headed back to his room, which could prove problematic for Arquis; how would the nobleman find him if he was gone?
Arquis ended up bumping into Honey. The blond was standing against a wall, thumbing the stem of a rather pretty dark red flower. It was, if he remembered correctly, the kind that bloomed outside. His fingers traced one of its leaves and stroked the length of a velvety petal. A bead of nectar dripped down his wrist, sliding all the way to his elbow.
“That is a lovely flower,” Arquis said as he approached. Honey startled, clutching the flower to himself, and then relaxed. That easy, charming smile was back, though it felt more authentic.
“Isn’t it?” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Was gonna give it to Ari as an apology.”
“I do not think you need to apologize, but it is a very kind sentiment nonetheless. Were you by any chance on your way to his room? I was hoping to find him to bring him to Rin.”
“Was actually on my way to your room. Why’d he leave? Everything alright with our little bard?”
“Yes. We just, ah, needed a private moment. But Rin would like to see him again, so I have been trying to find him.”
“If I’m right, he was probably put in one of the rooms that was just cleaned. C’mon, follow me.”
They ended up finding Ari’s room relatively quickly. Honey and Arquis whisper-argued in the hallway over who would knock on the door. Both were pretty embarrassed at their past behavior. In the end, it was the blond who knocked. He sheepishly stuffed the hand not holding the flower into his pocket.
Ari answered the door after a few moments. He had clearly just finished a bath, as there was a damp towel still in one hand, and he had also clearly just pulled on clothes. His curly hair was still wet, and his skin was still damp in spots. "Ah…hello." he greeted, gaze flicking between the two. "Is something wrong?" his shirt was only half buttoned, and after a moment he reached down and began buttoning it up again, gaze flicking between Honey and Arquis.
Honey’s gaze flickered to Ari’s open, damp shirt, and he immediately bowed his head to avoid watching him button it. He awkwardly held out the flower. Arquis hid a smile; Honey was many things, but he was not usually so flustered. To help him save face, he stepped forward and gave Ari a polite smile.
“My apologies, I had not known you were busy. Nothing is wrong. Rin just wants to see you.” He waited patiently for Honey to chime in. When it became clear that he was rather tongue-tied, the nobleman added, “Honey brought you that as an apology.”
Honey finally spoke. “For leaving without saying anything. I’m real sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier. You said you weren’t interested.”
(Also uh btw: yes Ari is a trans guy, no there are no breasts to worry about lol. He got that taken care of. just,,, so there's no confusion as to why he's so nonchalant about the shirt not being fully buttoned when he opened the door lmao)
Ari gave Arquis a quick smile. "I'll come visit, then. I just figured you two needed some, ah, time. For discussion." he didn't want to make Arquis feel embarrassed about whatever, precisely, had been going on. Then his gaze flickered over to Honey, and he gave the young man a soft smile, gently taking the flower. "The flower is…thank you, Honey. It's lovely." he liked flowers. Liked gardening, really. Not that Honey knew that. "As for…I wasn't uncomfortable, exactly, it is only that…" he thought for a moment, trying to think of the words that he meant. "I would welcome your company, but I am uninterested in sex without a romantic and emotional component. It is not about you specifically and whether or not I find you attractive. That is completely separate from my desire to have sex with someone. And…I was a bit blunt when I stated it, and I did not explain myself. I did not mean to offend you, Honey."
(that’s what I figured haha Honey’s just being very awkward cause you know he’s interested but trying super hard to be polite)
Honey went red in the face and shrunk back behind Arquis a little. He shuffled from foot to foot. The smile he eventually managed was unlike the rest of his smooth, calculating grins. It was lopsided and genuinely happy. His dimples were on full display. He looked like sunshine personified, glowing from the soft praise. Yet he was still clearly quite nervous. His hands fidgeted with one another now they weren’t busy with the flower, and he ended up picking at his nails.
“I meant it when I said that you don’t gotta explain. You said you didn’t wanna, and that should’ve been enough. But thank you anyways.”
Arquis nodded and returned Ari’s smile. His was much more cordial, though it wasn’t inauthentic. “Thank you very much for the privacy as well. Rin and I needed some time to talk, yes, but we managed to work things through. He seems to be feeling a bit better.”
(haha yeah that makes sense, just wanted to clear up any potential confusion lol)
Ari nodded a little bit. "You're welcome, Honey." he replied, still holding the flower gently. "Though now I must ask if there is a vase or something that I can put it in so that it doesn't die too quickly?" his gaze moved over to Arquis again. "Of course. And I'm glad he's feeling better. They seemed…a bit rough, I suppose." he shrugged one shoulder, running a hand through his damp curls.
Honey quickly looked around the hallway as if he would find a vase sitting around. Unsurprisingly, he came up short. He walked over, shook his head, and gestured towards Ari’s room. His smile had morphed into something uncertain. He still couldn’t tell if the stranger liked him or not. Most people didn’t actually enjoy his presence. They called him loud or obnoxious, nosey or dramatic. Which he was fine with. As long as he got paid well, they could—and often did—call him anything.
“I don’t know. Might be a candle holder in there somewhere? Kinda looks like a cup. Don’t know if that’ll be big enough, though I guess you could trim the stem. Not, uh, that you gotta keep it.”
Arquis watched the interaction with a sort of amused curiosity. Honey was obviously trying very hard not to look at Ari’s shirt. His eyes were glued to a chip in the door, like it was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen.
Ari laughed a little bit, having noticed Honey's behavior. "You're allowed to look at me, Honey. If I was uncomfortable with the idea, I wouldn't have answered the door like this. It took a lot of work and time to get this all…sorted out." he waved a hand vaguely at his upper body, then realized after saying it that Honey would have no idea what this meant. Oh well. Better to leave it a mystery; a lot of guys didn't react well to the news of what body Ari had been born with. He turned to go back into his room, leaving the door open as he looked around for a cup or something to put the flower into.
Honey tilted his head, clearly curious, but still didn’t look at Ari. He admittedly wasn’t sure what they were talking about. Did he have some sort of surgery? His mind went to the medical texts he’d skimmed. Something to do with his stomach or lungs, maybe? The abdomen was an area he hadn’t reviewed much, except to look at the symptoms of breaking ribs. He could still feel the massive bruise on his chest that he’d gotten the other day. It was lucky that his ribs hadn’t been cracked. Puncturing a lung and bleeding internally would’ve been a disaster. He certainly didn’t have the funds to cover a major visit to the doctor.
Arquis gently tapped Honey’s shoulder. The blond actually gasped in shock, but he calmed almost instantly. “Are you quite alright?” he asked in a quiet, still slightly amused tone.
“He’s- he’s very-” That was all Honey could get out. His words had a strangled quality, like they’d almost choked him coming from his throat. He swallowed and folded his arms protectively.
“Very?” Arquis prompted.
“Mm, yeah. Very.”
Ari eventually located a cup, and filled it with water, then set the flower in it. He came back to the door, giving them both another quick smile. "Alright. I took care of the flower." he said, stretching a little bit. "Shall we head back to Rin now, or?" his gaze moved between the two, feeling a bit as if he had missed something, but unsure what, precisely, that something was.
Arquis said, “Of course,” at the same time Honey blurted, “Yeah!” They gave each other a brief look before the blond moved to the side, spreading his arms to let the other two go on ahead. His eyes darted to Ari’s shirt, which had ridden up as he’d stretched. As if he’d been scolded, he instantly switched to staring at the floor. His fair skin had turned rosy pink. The nobleman thought it was quite hypocritical that Honey had made that joke the other day about his blush when his was so obvious.
“Calm down,” he muttered in a low voice as he passed the flushed blond. Honey smiled nervously and laughed as if he’d said something funny.
“I’m calm. Perfectly calm.”
Arquis’s eyebrows shot up. “Indeed. So calm that you are sweating.”
Honey bumped him with his hip, sending him stumbling forward in the hall. The nobleman turned back, mildly offended, and sent an amused look to Ari.
Ari watched the two, amused, and followed them down the hall and back towards the room that Arquis and Rinlos shared. He found Honey's behavior rather endearing, in all honesty; the young man seemed sweet and a bit on the awkward side, perhaps, but not at all in a bad way.
The room was a bit far away, so the walk took a couple of minutes. Honey became more and more flustered along the way. He kept stealing small glances at Ari, then fidgeting and looking elsewhere. Arquis almost gave him an excuse to leave just to put him out of his misery, but it was kind of fun to watch him suffer. He was such a massive flirt that seeing him completely out of his element was entertaining.
At one point, Honey tried to make small talk. It was so awkward that Arquis almost cringed. Luckily, he managed to school his expression into something polite.
“So, uh… so you’re our little bard’s friend. What’s that like? They always been such a looker?” As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he looked terrified. Arquis coughed loudly to hide his laughter. “That’s not what I meant! Uh, I meant, like, uh…”
Ari laughed at Honey's question, a smile pulling at his mouth. "Rin has always been attractive in their own way, yes." he replied. "Though he and I have only ever just been friends, which is enough for both of us." he ran his hands through his hair, shrugging his shoulders for a moment. "He's a good friend. I'm not sure what exactly to answer your question with, to be honest."
(Honey why)
Ari’s laugh transformed Honey. He went from looking rather miserable to suddenly mesmerized. Arquis gently knocked his shoulder against his good arm to draw his attention. He’d been staring at the other man with wide, wonderstruck eyes for quite some time. It also appeared that he hadn’t heard him finish his sentence, as he didn’t respond.
“I wish I could know more about Rin’s past myself, though I understand that it is complex,” Arquis sighed.
“Yeah, I really didn’t mean to call him attractive,” Honey chimed in desperately. “I know that you guys have a whole thing, and, like, you’re not into other people joining. Which is disappointing, ‘cause, I mean, have you seen them?” Arquis choked on air. The blond kept on rambling. “And I mean, you’re also totally smoking, right? Tall, dark, and handsome, got that whole brooding, mysterious thing down, which gets me going. Damn, that’d be a good night. Or day, or, y’know, whenever. But, like, yeah. Didn’t mean to step on your territory there, dreamboat.”
“Quite alright,” Arquis wheezed, doubled over with laughter. He’d had to physically stop walking.
(Honey, sweetheart–)
Ari was laughing a little bit as well, shaking his head a little bit. "Honey…" he trailed off, still laughing and completely unsure what he could possibly say in response to all of that. "Oh my." he settled for a bit more laughter, trying and failing to suppress it. His laughter wasn't cruel, or in any way meant to hurt or embarrass Honey; he just found this whole situation highly amusing, and he couldn't help but laugh at it all.
Honey knew that Ari was technically laughing at him, but he lit up again at the sound. Arquis had to admit that it was nice seeing him act his age. He seemed naive and immature, just as a smitten young man should be. There were no precise calculations that went into his words, no cautious gaze or mental chess. He was just being Honey. A bit shy, awkwardly flirtatious, and eager for admiration.
The nobleman had started walking again, and he was surprised to find that they were already at the door. They’d made so much noise coming down the hall that he doubted he’d have to knock. He opened it and beelined straight for the bed. Pillows sprang into the air as he flopped face-first into the comforter.
“Hello, love,” he laughed. He supposed he was quite smitten as well. Rin had that effect on him. “I brought company!”
Ari beamed over at Honey, then followed Arquis into the room, greeting Rin with a wave. "Hey, Rin!" he greeted, sitting down on the end of the bed.
Rin greeted them both with a smile, reaching over to place his hand on Arquis's shoulder. "Hey, darling. Hey Rin." his gaze fell on Honey, and he gave the blond another smile. "Hey Honey. How are you feeling?" they asked, running a hand through his hair.
(wait did you mean hey Ari instead of hey Rin or am I just reading that wrong)
Honey tapped Arquis’s thigh and gestured for him to move over. The nobleman obliged, and he hopped down beside Rin. He wrapped an arm around the bard’s shoulders. The grin he gave them was genuinely pleased.
”Just fine. Thanks for asking, hot stuff. Means a lot.” He remembered the hallway conversation and blushed but didn’t retract his arm. Unless Rin wanted him to move, he planned to stay right where he was. It wasn’t often that he got cozy, non-sexual contact, and he basked in it like it was sunlight.
Arquis recognized Honey’s need for physical comfort and gently pressed their calves together. The blond smiled at him in return. He seemed so much lighter now that those three men had left the inn, though it was possible that he was just having a good day. Not every day from that point onwards would be so easy, as proven by his earlier disappearance. Trauma tended to attack in both expected and unexpected ways. He remembered Honey smashing the nail polish bottle, screaming, and revealing his ankle scar. That Honey and this Honey seemed polar opposites, yet they were two parts of a very complex whole.
(yes, I'm just Dumb lmfao, sorry)
Rin nodded a little, seeming just fine with Honey plopping himself down beside them. "Good." he said softly. "I know it's been difficult for you." he didn't want to say too much in front of Ari, as telling Ari anything was Honey's prerogative, but he did want to check in and take care of Honey.
Ari's gaze flicked between the three, trying to figure out what was going on, then shrugged his shoulders a little and moved on. It didn't matter what was going on. It wasn't his business. "How are you feeling, Rin? Better?" Rin seemed better, but sometimes that didn't necessarily mean someone was better.
Rin gave his friend another quick smile. "I'm…feeling a bit better. Still not great, but…better."
(you’re good! also this situation has very strong “this is my boyfriend, rin, and this is rin’s boyfriend, honey” vibes, like I know they’re not actually dating but that’s what is reminds me of)
Honey made a pitying sound and pressed the back of his hand to Rin’s forehead. “Yeah, you’re still pretty warm there, handsome. I’d say hot, but, well, you’re always hot.”
“Please do keep flirting with my partner right in front of me,” Arquis interrupted, clearly more amused than legitimately bothered. “I will be back in a moment.”
He climbed to the edge of the bed and hopped off, then went into the bathroom. There was a stack of washcloths by the clean towels. The one on top was patterned with tiny flowers. He scooped it up, briefly passed it under the tap, and looked around. One of the bottles by the bath was floral oil. He put a couple of drops onto the fabric, kneaded it, and wetted it a bit more with cold water.
While he was gone, Honey patted the bedspread with the hand that wasn’t hooked around Rin’s neck. He grinned at Ari. “Room for one more, if you’re interested. Arquis won’t mind.”
(lmaoo yeah it definitely does!)
Rin laughed softly at Arquis's comment, stretching a little. "Yes, Ari, come on over and join us. The bed's plenty big enough."
Ari shook his head, a soft laugh leaving his mouth as he came over, sitting down beside Honey and wrapping an arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Hello there." he greeted, smiling. "Are you sure Arquis will not mind? We are invading his bed, after all."