(happy new year!)
Rin nodded, letting him go and getting out some more food taking bites from it as he waited for Arquis to return. When he did, they greeted him with a smile. "Welcome back." he said, smiling a little bit as they looked over at Arquis. "You look good."
(same to you!!)
Arquis blushed and made a stammering sort of sound. Not many people had told him that before. It wasn’t as if he was insulted regularly, but a majority of the comments he received about his physical appearance were suggestions of what to fix. Lose weight or risk being unattractive; wear only the finest suits or be perceived as apathetic; keep his skin clean or lose potential relationships. Sure, there were people who would occasionally compliment him, but they were often compliments of a very specific nature. He was attractive because he was suffering, or he was hot because he was rich. Sometimes, the compliments would be more perverse and objectifying, as if he were a pretty piece of jewelry rather than a breathing human being.
“Thank you,” he finally managed, tugging awkwardly at his tie. “How is the food?”
He smiled a little bit at Arquis's awkwardness. "It's good. Thank you for bringing it, Arquis, that was kind of you." they kissed his cheek softly, leaning his cheek on Arquis's shoulder for just a moment before he pulled away again in order to keep eating. They, of course, had no clue how this one soft compliment had affected their lover.
The kiss made him redden further. Arquis wasn’t sure why he was so easy to fluster that morning, but goodness his was face hot. He fidgeted with the band of one of his gloves for a second, trying to think of something to say.
“You- you also look good,” he blurted. Instantly, he buried his face in his forearm. What type of sentence was that? Was he a twelve-year-old trying to compliment his crush? He got up off the bed and pretended to suddenly be very interested in the carpet beneath his feet.
Rin laughed a bit at Arquis's further awkward fumbling. "Come back, love, you've got nothing to be embarrassed about." He said, reaching out for Arquis. "Thank you for the compliment, darling charmer." He was still lightly teasing, though he really did mean it. Arquis had nothing to be embarrassed about.
“I just- you make me-” Arquis stopped and groaned. “I have never had this issue before. Sometimes I can speak perfectly well around you, but other times my sentences are jumbled, and- and I become basically incoherent. My grammar and social tutors would be appalled.”
He took Rin’s outstretched hand and sat on the bed once more. “It does not help,” he admitted, “when you- ah, when you call me that. Darling. I am very fond of the term.”
Rin listened quietly, lacing their fingers with Arquis's. "I see. Well, you do not need to worry. I shall not judge you for fumbling a little." He smiled at Arquis. "And, what I'm hearing is that I should call you darling more, since you like it so much." His smile turned teasing again, and he kissed Arquis's cheek again.
“Oh, yes, please do,” Arquis basically purred, his words a soft sigh.
When they went to peck him on the cheek, he turned slightly so that their mouths met. He broke the kiss off after a second. His cheeks were pink, and he licked his lips. They tasted of the sweet coffee, cinnamon and apple from the pancakes, and fruit. He laughed quietly and subconsciously traced his thumb over his bottom lip.
“Goodness. Was that alright?”
Rin smiled. "That was fine." he said, not minding at all that Arquis had turned it into a real kiss. "Now, eat some breakfast." they nudged the basket softly, looking at Arquis. "Please. I know you're tired, but you need to eat something."
“I already did,” Arquis lied smoothly, taking their entwined hands and kissing along his knuckles. He was a bit disheartened to find that the lie had come so easily. While he’d had years to hone his lying skills, he didn’t actually like doing it, and he especially didn’t want to lie to Rin. But he knew that if he tried eating at that moment that he would feel incredibly nauseous. Mornings and coffee tended to do that to him.
“And I am not that tired. Truly, love. Coffee does wonders on the mind.”
Rin studied him for a moment, but believed what Arquis had said. "Alright, if you say so." they replied, taking another bite from theirn food. "Thank you for bringing me food, though. It was nice of you." he gave Arquis another quick smile, then went back to eating.
“Of course, love. I really am glad to see that you are feeling better.”
He turned away from the food and studied his gloves. Gorgeous black satin stretched over his knuckles and was pinched with a bow at each coat sleeve.
“The dining hall was quite interesting.” He cocked his head, suddenly remembering something. “A man whistled at me. Do you think he recognized me? I was wearing a mask, but still, it is possible. Why else would he have tried to get my attention?”
Rin choked back a laugh. "Arquis, I doubt he recognized you." he replied, mouth quirking into a smile. "He whistled at you because he found you attractive. I bet if you went back and found him and propositioned him, he would sleep with you. That's…what this hotel is for, is it not?"
“Sleep with me? It is not nighttime, I hardly think he would- oh. Oh, you mean-” Arquis swallowed and looked aside, suddenly quite shy. He hadn’t even considered the possibility. “Yes. Right. I do not know if that was his, um, intention. I doubt that it could have been. I was still in nightclothes. I am sure I looked a mess, and, well, who would ask for such a thing over a meal?”
That reminded him of what he and Rin had joked about just the other morning. Breakfast and clothes on the floor. That, and the whole thing about appetite. He fidgeted with one of the fingers of his gloves to avoid looking at them.
“This place does seem to have a strange reputation,” he agreed, desperately trying to change the subject. “I heard some… interesting noises earlier. And the brochure said something about parties of some sort? I do not know.”
He started to snicker, which transitioned into full-on laughter as Arquis continued with that strange, shy desperation to change the topic. It took them a long moment to pull themself together enough to speak, and even as they spoke they were still laughing. "Darling, I really…those parties are not the parties you are thinking of." they took a deep breath, shoulders still shaking faintly with laughter, their eyes shining as he looked at Arquis. "Those are most likely orgies, love."
Arquis choked on air in surprise and flushed so brightly that even his ears went red. He hid his face in one of his sleeves. His reaction was partially from embarrassment, partially from their use of darling. For some reason, it really got to him.
“How did you say that so casually?” Arquis cringed. He was mortified. His voice had come out as an awkward, high-pitched squeak, completely unbefitting for someone of his noble upbringing. “I cannot even- cannot even think of it without-”
He wondered if it was possible to die of embarrassment. If so, he’d be kicking the bucket rather soon.
Rin was still laughing, shaking with it and about to fall over. "Darling–!" he broke off, shaking his head and trying to take deep breaths so he could speak. "Darling, Arquis!" he couldn't think of what to even say to Arquis, just laughing. It amused them so much, to see how embarrassed and flustered Arquis was about this topic.
“Do not laugh at me!” Arquis pleaded, though he was smiling as well. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand to hide his grin. The situation wasn’t all that funny to him, if he was being honest, but their happiness was contagious. He wished he could make them laugh like that all the time.
“It is not something that I know much about,” he admitted after a moment. “I have read novels and been lectured on the subject, but I have never… and I knew growing up that my father was, um, engaging in certain activities when we visited various locations. Which is unsettling to think of still. Do not misunderstand me, it is not as if I am prudish, but when it is so, ah, blatant… I am not used to that.”
Rin tried to calm down, though he was still laughing. "Ah…yes. Uhm. I'm not making fun of you, darling, I swear, it is only that I find it…amusing, how almost…innocent you are about all of this. That that man could want to sleep with you, and orgies…" he trailed off, another laugh leaving his mouth. They shook their head, snickering.
“Well, I never thought anybody would actually want that. Want me. People would occasionally make comments at gatherings and events, but it always sounded as if they were joking. I could not fathom anyone truly wanting to partake, not with me.”
The admission had tasted bitter as he’d spoken it. He cleared his throat and focused his gaze on a stray petal on the floor. His heart rate sped up slightly. Why did he have to say any of that? They’d been having a good time, and he’d gone along and made it serious.
“I tried to, um, change it up a bit in the first carriage. I tried to pretend that I knew what I was doing, even though I did not. Act as if you have been there before—that is something that people say, I believe.” He scratched awkwardly at his neck, looking a bit ashamed. “I am sorry that I do not have more experience in this field, my dear. I wish I could treat you a bit better.”
Rin sobered up as Arquis spoke, looking at him quietly. "Oh. Darling, did you think I was joking? Earlier?" he reached up, gently cupping Arquis's cheek in their hand. "I was not. I will never overstep your boundaries, but I was not joking when I made references to sex with you. And as for the rest of it…I cannot change your mind, nor can I speak as to what others think of you. And the carriage, Arquis, you do not need to have experience. Just because I do does not mean that you need to try and match me, or pretend anything for my sake."
“I do not know what I thought. It is hard to think around you sometimes,” Arquis confessed. Though he was smiling faintly, his eyes were sad. He rested his hand over theirs on his cheek, letting his gloved thumb run along their knuckles. The smile fell away. “I know you say that—and I know you mean it, of course—but I cannot help but feel that you could do better. I am trying my best to not think that way, but it does not always work.”
He closed his eyes and turned his head so that he was kissing their palm. Then, he let himself rest back against it, his brows slightly furrowed.
“I really like you, Rin.” It was said quietly, with his eyes still shut as if he couldn’t bear to observe their reaction. “I do not want to mess this up. Forgive me, please, when my insecurities override my sense. Forgive me if they prevent me from listening. I hear your words, but I do not always- cannot always truly hear them. But I am trying.”
Rin nodded faintly, listening to Arquis's quiet, uncertain words. "I understand, Arquis." he said in a soft voice. "But please believe me when I tell you that there is no one I would rather be with than you. We all have our insecurities, lovely, we all have faults and worries and issues. And it is okay if you cannot always listen; I will simply repeat myself until you can."
Arquis nodded very slowly and opened his eyes. They were damp; a few tiny teardrops clung to his eyelashes. But they were no longer as pained. That soft, haunting sadness had left, at least for the time being.
“You seem determined to make me cry, love,” he joked, wiping at his eyes. He leaned forward, moved the food basket aside, and gently embraced them. Exhaustion had rendered him almost boneless.
Just as he was about to actually respond, there came a knock on the door. His spine stiffened. He straightened up, then quickly undid his tie and the first few buttons of his shirt. He topped it off by running his hands through his hair and pinching his cheeks to bring forth a blush.
“Authenticity,” he said quickly, which wasn’t really much of an explanation at all. He swung his legs off the bed and walked to the door, feigning a sway.
Arquis didn’t know who he’d been expecting when he went to the door, but it wasn’t the man from the dining hall. He was tall and broad shouldered with ear length, curly blonde hair. When he smiled, it was confident and easy, like he’d never had a bad day in his life.
“Um… hello?”
“Room for one more?” the man asked casually, striding into the room. He walked strangely. It was like a cross between a slither and a strut. When he spotted Rin on the bed, he grinned. “Oh, hello there, sweetheart.”
Arquis gave Rin a confused look from behind the stranger’s back. He wasn’t sure what was going on.
“He’s awfully cute,” the stranger continued, this time glancing back at Arquis. “Rude of you to keep him to yourself.”
Rin frowned when the man pushed himself inside, kicking off the blankets and standing up. "What are you here for?" he asked, raiisng an eyebrow. "Do we know you?" they were slightly worried, but wondered if this was normal for this hotel; perhaps patrons were used to being able to just come in to the bedrooms and request threesomes? Either way, it was a strange maneuver, especially with the man's odd behavior. Rin would not call it predatory, but perhaps…just ignoring boundaries.
The man raised his hands as if approaching a wild animal and then dropped them with a laugh. He crossed the room to the desk, shoved the chair away, and hopped up onto it. The way he sat was equal parts relaxed and suggestive. It was as if the room was his and they were the visitors. His grin never wavered.
“Aw, no need to get riled up, sweetie. It’s adorable, really, but I’m not a threat. Not to you, at least.” His gaze flickered to Arquis. The grin grew. “Maybe to you. Haven’t decided yet.”
“What?” Arquis asked, baffled.
The man stood. In an instant, he was by Arquis’s side. He slung an arm around his shoulders, as if they’d known each other for years. When Arquis tried to pull away, his grip tightened. His other hand dipped to the undone buttons of the nobleman’s shirt and then slowly inched lower. It stopped above his stomach and strayed under his coat, staying far above his hips.
“Don’t move.” He glanced at Rin. “And don’t you try anything either, honey. This’ll only take a second.”
Arquis, panicked, reached out to his ability. It was always there, even though he didn’t want it. Lurking in the back of his mind, ready to be used. But it wasn’t there anymore. Somehow, the man had disarmed him. Where normally there was a prickly, breathless, staticky sort of feeling, there was instead a numbness. He assumed that the stranger had done the same to Rin.
After a moment, the man pushed away. He was no longer smiling. He swaggered over to the bed and flopped down onto his stomach. Arquis watched, extremely confused, as he pressed his face into the blankets.
At the man's words, Rin cocked his head and parted his lips, about to speak. Then the man was grabbing at Arquis and touching him and Rin was reaching for his abilities to stop this, but they couldn't. It just wasn't there. They were moving to pull him away when he moved away on his own. They went to Arquis, keeping an eye on the stranger as they wrapped a protective and slightly possessive arm around Arquis's shoulders, eyes still on the man now in their bed. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" they demanded.
The man rolled over onto his back and exhaled deeply. He smirked at Rin, but somehow it didn’t look condescending. Arrogant, definitely, but not cruel.
“Getting some beauty sleep. I don’t suppose I could convince you to join me?” he joked. With an infuriating amount of gracefulness, he propped himself up on his forearms and kicked one leg over the other. All of his movements were calculated and fluid. It was like he was dancing without music; he moved to some unknown rhythm.
Something clicked in Arquis’s mind. “Are you inebriated?” he asked flatly, though curiosity bled into his tone. This man was very odd.
“Believe it or not, no. Though I’m starting to wish I was. Might make this next part easier.” He jutted his chin at Arquis. “Arquis de Vey. First and only son of Muria and Aurisi de Vey, older brother to Quirisa and Marsiquia.”
Arquis felt faint. He leant into Rin for support. “How did you-”
“We’ll get to that in a second, dreamboat.” He cocked his head as he looked at Rin. His eyes traveled over them very, very slowly. “To be honest, sweetheart, I’ve got no clue who you are. I could make some guesses, though. Handsome as all get-out. Calloused fingers. Some sort of bard?”
“You guessed that by their fingers?”
He winked at Arquis. “I was right on the money, huh? You impressed? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret. Instrument case on the floor gave it away. You play the harp. Harp’s too big to fit in that tiny thing. I’m guessing guitar? Lute? Something easy to travel with. Am I right, sweetie?”
"Rinlos Tamare." Rin said flatly. "I am indeed a bard." his gaze remained on the stranger. "Going to introduce yourself and explain what you're doing here, or should I get hotel security?" they really hoped hotel security would do something about this, anyways. Probably. Hopefully. He kept holding on to Arquis, and turned his head to murmur into his ear. "Please stop confirming everything he's saying; if he means to harm us, especially you, then now he definitely knows who you are, if he was not guessing earlier. If you do not confirm or deny, he will not be able to tell if you are lying, which could be vital later." message delivered, he turned his gaze back to the blond stranger.
The man rolled his eyes and grinned again. He didn’t interrupt Rin when they spoke privately to Arquis, but after they were finished, he pushed himself forward. He landed so that he was still propped up by his forearms, though this time he was on his stomach again.
“I’m gonna guess that you just told dreamboat not to tell me anything else. And judging by the shocked look on his face—don’t get all insecure about that, by the way, it’s adorable—I’d say I’m right again. I’m on fire today, aren't I?”
Arquis groaned and buried his face in Rin’s shoulder. Couldn’t give anything away with his expression if it wasn’t visible. “Can you please just tell us who you are?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m getting to that. You two are so impatient. Kinda hot when you’re all stern.” He wiggled his brows, but when Arquis didn’t play along, he stopped. “Fine. But I’m gonna make you work for it. I’ll give you a hint. You met someone I’m very close to yesterday.”
Yesterday? Arquis frowned. The people in the carriage? Surely not. But who else had they met the day prior? Carriage drivers?
And then he understood. Blonde curls. Flirtatious personality. Brilliant, easy smile.
“Lovey?”
“She’s my sister. My name’s Honey. Tried to throw you a hint earlier, hot stuff,” his eyes were back on Rin now, “but you didn’t catch on. It’s alright. Bards aren’t known for their big brains.”