Ari raised his eyebrows faintly. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." he replied, laughing a little bit, eyes following Honey as the young man walked away from him again.
Rin laughed, wrapping an arm around Honey's shoulders and looking over at his partner. "I really don't think that not wearing a skirt constitutes as neglect, Honey." he said, laughing and smiling, their eyes moving from Honey to Arquis and back again.
(I love honey because at almost no point can you tell who he's actually interested in fhdjfjfjd)
"It does if it's him," Honey rebutted, sighing and fake swooning. His lips formed a pout. "Had the perfect one picked out and everything. High waisted, pleated little thing. Really thought he'd like it."
Arquis scoffed. "It was absurdly short."
"Absurdly! Would've gone to your knees—that's not short at all. I've got some that'd really make you blush." He glanced at Ari over Rin's shoulder and smirked, then let his gaze drop again to the bard. "Anyways, since we're on our own, handsome, does that mean that we're going on a date? I could wine and dine you real good. I know all the nice places in town."
"You are unbelievable." The nobleman walked over and tried to plant a kiss on his partner's temple, but Honey was faster. He scooped Rin into the air—his strong biceps flexing—and carried him bridal style a few steps away.
"Sorry, dreamboat. Lost your chance," he teased, grinning. He made lifting Rin look easy.
(yes exactly lol)
Rin laughed again as he was scooped up, putting an arm across Honey's shoulders for stability. "Honey, much as I appreciate the offer, I would like to wine and dine with my partner." he said, smiling at Honey and raising his eyebrows a little bit. "You can take Ari out to all the nice places you know of." he was laughing even as he spoke, letting Honey hold onto them.
(I am somewhat tempted to make him have a crush on all three of them for angst purposes but also idk if that would make things weird you know)
Honey hissed in a breath through his teeth and shook his head. He wiped away an invisible tear. Arquis resisted the urge to roll his eyes once more. The blond was quite the performer.
"Rejected so soon!" he cried. "We didn't even get to slow dance."
As if he was holding something fragile, he delicately set Rin on the bed. There was something legitimately sad in his eyes for just a moment, but then he was moving away. He sat down on the desk, hitched one of his legs over the other, and sighed dramatically. He'd heard Rin's last comment, but he decided he'd pretend as if he did not.
"Guess I'm all on my own, then. Just gonna sit here. Abandoned. Lonely. In a very, very pretty dress."
(mm while I'm all for polycules, I think I'd prefer if we kept this to two couples that are friends, if that's alright?)
Rin smiled a little bit. "My apologies, Honey." he replied softly, running a hand over his head and letting out a faint breath.
Ari approached, placing his hands on either side of Honey and leaning close. "Hello, stranger." he greeted, mimicking Honey's words from earlier. "You look lovely and lonely." his mouth quirked teasingly as he looked at the blond, faces closer than normal. With the way he was bending, his shirt was gapping more and the faint scars were more visible than normal.
(oh I didn't mean that it'd actually be like a thing! more so that the conflict on honey's part alone would be interesting, but yeah I think it'd probably complicate too much and he's got quite a lot going on already)
Honey went almost as pink as his dress and stammered out something incomprehensible. He'd lost control of the situation; the tables had turned, and he was loving everything about it. The sudden proximity was especially to his liking. He looked up at Ari through his golden lashes, his soft, glossy pink lips forming a shy smile.
"Oh. Hi," he breathed, shifting on the desk. The skirt of his dress ended just a bit before his knees, and he could feel his calves brush against the other man's legs. "Very lonely, yes. So, so lonely. Though I suppose now that I have company, well…"
He honestly couldn't think of what to say next. His eyes traveled down the curve of Ari's throat. Suddenly, he paused. His eyebrows furrowed.
"What happened?" he asked. That smile had flattened into a pinched, worried line. He lifted his hand and, without thinking, brushed his fingers across one of his faded scars. Panic flooded his face. He lowered his voice and whispered, "Did someone hurt you? Are you alright?"
(Oh that makes more sense, sorry! but yeah I think we probably have enough conflict going on that adding in crushes might complicate things too much)
Ari smirked softly, staying close to Honey. However, at the brush of Honey's fingers against the scars, his brows pulled together in a faint frown. "Oh. Uhm. I'm not…that's not from…no one hurt me. I wanted those." he said quickly. "I'm…" he backed off a little bit, taking a deep breath. "I'm trans. I wasn't…I wasn't born like this. With this body. It…I…" his gaze flickered around uncertainly, afraid that Honey would not understand or accept this. That this flirtation, this fun thing they had had, would melt away in the light of the truth.
(you're good! I wasn't very clear haha but yeah you're right)
"Oh, thank goodness," Honey said, letting out a massive sigh of relief. He smiled at Ari until he saw that he was upset. His expression immediately shifted into something soft, and when he spoke, his voice was comforting. "I know what trans means, Ari. Known a lot of trans folks. There are plenty here. I'm not gonna, like, judge you for it or something, stranger. That’d be pretty damn messed up, wouldn’t it?”
Arquis stayed back. He joined Rin on the bed, wrapping an arm around his partner. There was a tight knot of concern in his stomach. Ari had seemed nervous, and he could only hope that Honey was saying what he needed to hear.
"It doesn't change anything unless you want it to. I mean, I'd get it if it did. I shouldn't have poked my nose into your business, and I'm real sorry I made you tell me." He ducked his head, embarrassed, and then looked up again. Ari deserved to see that he was telling the truth. "Should've asked differently. Just got all worried. But I'm glad you're not hurt or anything."
(alright! :) )
Ari studied Honey carefully, wanting to believe the blond, but also remembering other guys that had said they were okay with it but then later turning out not to be. "It's…yeah." he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not hurt." he didn't quite know what to say. "It doesn't…it shouldn't change anything but, ah, some guys…" he trailed off, letting out a quick, sharp breath. "Don't see it that way." he had had gay men tell him they just weren't attracted to him anymore, because he was "a woman". Or, before his surgery, guys that had been interested in him get angry when he told them that he was not a woman. That he was a man and he wanted to be treated and seen that way.
Honey's jaw clenched, but he wasn't angry at Ari. It was awful that people treated him badly for something he couldn't control. He hadn't asked to be born in the wrong form, and it was already hard enough that he'd had to deal with that throughout his life. He shouldn't have had to deal with cruelty and discrimination as well. It made the blond's blood boil.
"Well, listen, stranger. I'm serious. It changes nothing with me, alright?" His soft pink lips curled into a flirtatious smile, and he leaned forward, cocking a brow. He wasn't sure if this would be the right move, but he really did want to show Ari that he wasn't going to be treated differently. "You're still the same handsome man that came over here to keep me company. And I'm very grateful for it."
They were close enough again that Ari should be able to smell the perfume on Honey's neck. He was also wearing lotion and golden body glitter that made his skin shimmer. If Ari looked down, he'd be able to see a little bit of Honey's chest. He thought it was only fair; an equal exchange.
Rin could guess what the conversation what might be about, even if they couldn't make out all the words, and they leaned their head on Arquis's shoulder, wrapping an arm around their partner.
Ari took a deep breath, mouth quirking in a faint smile. "My thanks, Honey." he replied, eyes flickering over the blond and taking him in again. "Now, weren't we going to go somewhere?" he asked, glancing around the room before looking at Honey again. "You did say something about knowing all the best spots."
Honey sighed and stood up. While he loved going to the village, he'd prefer to stay in the room and keep their banter going. He was very interested in where it would lead. Part of him wondered if Ari changing the subject meant that he wasn't into it anymore. The thought made something in him wilt. Had he ruined their relationship—or whatever this was, really—before it had even had a chance to begin? Maybe Myr was right. Maybe he really wasn't cut out for dating. Maybe he really was only good for one thing, and that was the one thing that Ari didn't want.
He suddenly felt ridiculous. What was he thinking, getting all dolled up for someone he hardly knew? He was so overdressed. And worse than that, he was wearing something that didn't cover a whole lot. He felt exposed. Vulnerable, both physically and emotionally.
"Um, yeah. Right." He walked past Ari to the door. His strong arms had instinctively crossed, and he was red-faced with shame. "I can show you guys. Might actually make a stop by my room real quick. Get a jacket. It's kinda cold out still, and…"
Ari had changed the subject because discussing his identity always made him feel defensive and strange, and it had been hard for him to go back to the banter and flirtation so easily. So he had changed the subject in an attempt to duck that. He straightened up, adjusting his shirt and taking a deep breath. "You look lovely, Honey." he said softly, gaze landing on the young man's red face. "And I don't think anyone would mind a quick stop for a jacket, if you need one."
Rin got off the bed, gently pulling Arquis off of it too. "Let's go, then." they said, flashing the two a quick smile.
Arquis laughed as he tumbled into his partner. He looped his arm through theirs and threaded their fingers together. If they were going to go on a date, then he wanted it to feel official. He wanted to hold hands and kiss in public and flirt openly. It would be a little dangerous, but he was love drunk and feeling unusually confident. After the morning he'd had, he deserved to have a fun day out with his lover.
Honey, on the other hand, was still feeling much less optimistic about the whole thing. He shook his head adamantly when he heard Ari speak, even before he said the thing about the jacket. Somehow, he felt weak and wobbly on the inside, like he'd had a fever that had radiated inwards instead of out. It didn't make sense. Then again, nothing he was feeling really made sense. He shot a very fake yet pretty smile at Ari and opened the door handle.
"Nah, really, I don't wanna waste your time. I'll just be a second. Meet you at the front."
He walked out into the hall, throat tight and eyes stinging. Realistically, he knew he was being foolish. Ari had complimented him. That had to mean something. But he'd let Myr's words get to him, and they were infecting him like a virus.
Rin smiled up at his lover, kissing Arquis's cheek softly and holding him close. "Love you, darling." they said softly, leaning their head on Arquis's shoulder and smiling a little bit. When Honey left, he looked over at Ari, a touch confused as to what was going on. "Ari, is everything alright?" he asked slowly.
Ari shrugged, looking over at them. "I…don't know." he said slowly. "I told Honey I was trans, and he doesn't mind, but uh…it kind of killed the mood, and I think I upset him, or something." he ran a hand through his hair, grimacing.
Arquis kissed the spot in between their brows and smiled fondly. "Love you more," he murmured, a hint of something vaguely teasing melding with the genuine passion in his tone. He joined his partner by their closest friend and listened patiently to his explanation. His forehead creased with thought.
"I doubt it was anything you did, Ari. Honey is having a bit of a hard day, from the sound of it." He recalled what Rin had said about meeting a client and sighed. "Getting out of here for a while might be best for him. Did I hear him say something about the front desk? We should wait for him there."
He led Rin by their hand down the hallway, following the steps to get to the entry. Honey hadn't arrived yet, but Lovey was working a shift. She looked beautiful in a white shawl and a mask trimmed with pearls. Her blonde curls were pulled into a long, fluffy ponytail that bounced when she hopped up from her seat.
"Hi, everyone! Heading out?" Her eyes darted between the three of them. Something like hurt flickered across her face, but she didn't address it.
Arquis had an idea as to what the issue might be. "That we are. Your brother will be joining us momentarily."
"Oh, yay! That's great news!" Her smile could've outshone the Sun. "Speaking of great news, he has someone looking for him! The guy said he was an old friend. I didn't know that Honey had very many friends, but, well, it seems that he has quite a few nowadays! Isn't that nice?"
Rin nodded a little, heading with Ari and Arquis down to the front desk. He inhaled softly at Lovey's remark. "Did the friend give his name?" they asked softly. "Because I…" he was afraid that this "old friend" was Myr. That Honey was alone, without anyone with him, and Myr was looking for him. This…this might not end well. But he didn't want to scare Lovey for no reason.
Lovey tipped her head, curious but not quite understanding. "He didn't. We don't really do names here, most of the time. Mostly aliases and such. But I've seen him around before, I think! Not super recently. Maybe I'm thinking of someone else?"
Arquis watched Rin carefully. He'd already caught onto what they were thinking, but he wasn't sure how to proceed. On the one hand, maybe it was the client or someone similar, and Honey could be in trouble. On the other, maybe it really was just a friend of some sort. The blond had been at the inn for a long time. Surely he had other friends, or at least acquaintances or supporters like the cook that made him extra ice cream.
The young woman shrugged and took a seat once more. She clicked her nails on the cover of the book she'd been reading. "Did Honey say he was expecting anyone?"
"It's just that Honey and I ran into a guy earlier who was…abusive." Rin said carefully. "And Honey said he would meet up with us here after he grabbed a jacket." their gaze flickered about the room, searching unsuccessfully for Honey, before looking over at Lovey again. "So I am a bit worried about him."
Arquis's gaze went to Ari for just a spare second before returning to Lovey. While he was worried about what he would think, the nobleman knew that their top priority should be ensuring Honey's safety. The situation had rapidly gone from pleasant to very tense, and he was just about ready to tear the place apart to find the blond.
Lovey was one step ahead. Her face went pale, and she wrung her hands together. "Oh. Oh, I didn't even think about that. I mean, of course I thought about it, but he seemed so nice. I shouldn't be so gullible." She stood and pulled a set of keys from the pocket of her dress. They jingled as she walked towards the nearest hall. "Come on, then. Let's go check on him really quick. Best case scenario, he really is just getting a jacket, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Right?"
Rin took a deep breath, nodding a little bit. "Better safe than sorry." they agreed, following Lovey quickly. He hoped that Honey was fine, that this was all just a coincidence, but…they were worried that Honey was in danger. That Myr had found him and was going to hurt him somehow.
Arquis hurried after Lovey and Rin down the way to Honey's room. He was glad that the young woman was there to guide them all. Her stride was long and fast, and her ponytail swished in her wake like gold lightning. Once she got to the door, she stopped, schooled her expression into something polite, and then knocked.
"Hey, Honey! I think I left Sugar's collar in here. Can I come grab it?"
No answer. Arquis felt his heart plunge into his stomach. His palms grew cold and clammy.
"Hello? Honey?" She rapped the door again, letting out a giggle. It was a bit too high in pitch to be real. She was terrified. "You in there?"
Still nothing. Lovey shuffled forward and stabbed the master key into the lock, then turned the handle. There was a moment of silence as she absorbed the scene in front of her. Arquis almost didn't want to look. His mind had convinced him that something terrible had happened, and he was expecting to be hit at any second with the coppery smell of blood. Finally, he peered in.
Something terrible clearly had happened, but it was hard to know what. Honey was hunched on the floor at the foot of his bed. The skirt of his dress was bunched up around his thighs, and his head was in his hands. He didn't appear to be crying, but he wasn't really moving, either. Arquis quickly scanned him for any sort of wound. There was nothing. He didn't appear to be injured. That was a relief, though there was something still very wrong.
"Honey?" Lovey approached him slowly, hands raised in front of her. She knelt by his side. "Hey, what happened? Are you alright?"
He looked up. His face looked drained of all color. The lipstick he'd been wearing was rather smudged, but that was the only difference between his previous and present state. Or at least, Arquis thought that was the only difference. As he came closer, he realized that the left side of Honey's dress was ripped. Strings of unsevered fabric hung between the two sides like the cables of a rope bridge, barely holding anything up.
Rin came in, approaching and crouching by Honey. "Was it Myr?" they asked, voice soft and gentle. They didn't reach out to Honey, not wanting to frighten or startle the young man beside them. Honey was already having a hard enough time as it was, and Rin did not want to add to that.
Ari stayed by the door, feeling awkward and out of place. He didn't know what had happened, and he didn't want to intrude where he was not wanted. He crossed his arms loosely over his stomach, watching Honey quietly.
At the mention of that name, something steely came into Honey's eyes, some last bit of resolve. He shook his head once, then twice, and then rocked forward so he was on his knees and wrapped himself around Rin. His cheek was crushed into the bard's chest. After a second, he pulled away, still shaking his head.
"Nothing happened. No one did anything." The blond's gaze darted pleadingly between his sister, Rin, and Arquis, who had settled down beside his partner. "Do you understand? No one did anything."
"Then what happened to your dress, Honey?" the nobleman asked quietly, his tone a mimic of his the one his partner had used. There was a trace of regret in it. He didn't want to put Honey on the spot, but they had to know the truth.
"I was trying to take it off, but the zipper got caught, and I got mad, so I yanked it. The zipper. Pulled it too hard, and it tore. That's it. Really, that's it. Nothing happened."
Arquis worried his lower lip. The zipper was not on the side of the dress; it was on the back. He'd watched Honey change into the outfit and had helped him with it. But it seemed somehow cruel to mention that, as if catching a child in a particularly weak lie.
Ari stepped quietly from the room, closing the door. He wasn't quite sure what was going on here, but he knew that maybe Honey didn't want him to know, and that was okay. He could wait outside for everyone else to come back out.
Rin glanced up when Ari left, then looked over at Honey again. "Honey…" they trailed off, taking a deep breath. "Is that really it?" he asked, voice still soft and calm. He didn't want to disbelieve Honey if that was the truth, but…the zipper wasn't on the side, he could see that much, and Honey's demeanor seemed all wrong for it just to be anger about a zipper anyway.
"That's really it. Couldn't be anything else. You saw it yourself—door's locked. Nobody could've gotten in. Right?"
Arquis had to admit that he had a point. If that client—Myr, he assumed—couldn't have entered without a key, and it was very unlikely that he'd acquired one. Though it was possible that he had come in and left prior to Honey locking the door, which made a bit more sense. But why would Myr have stopped by for such a short time? What would that have accomplished?
"This does not make a lot of sense," he sighed. "There are a lot of variables that don't add up. Why would you have locked the door from the inside if you were simply here to get a jacket?"
"It's a habit."
"And where is the jacket, then?"
"Haven't picked it out yet. I was gonna change clothes, 'cause I didn't think that any of the coats I own match this dress. So I tried taking it off. That’s when it ripped."
"Why didn't you answer when I knocked?" Lovey asked quietly.
"Didn't hear it. I was upset." Arquis noticed that Honey wouldn't look at her as he spoke. He kept his head down, his eyes glued to the floor. "About the dress. It was expensive. But listen, it's no big deal. I'll just change and then we can go. Alright?"
Rin still didn't quite believe Honey. "Honey, if something happened, you can tell us." they said softly, gently touching the blond's shoulder. "But we don't want to force you to tell us if you don't want to." he cleared his throat, unsure what else to say or do right now. He wanted to believe Honey, but at the same time this situation just seemed…off, somehow.
Honey flinched and shook their hand off. His elbows dug into the edge of the bed as he hoisted himself to his feet. He stumbled due to one of his heels slipping, his legs nearly going out from under him, but ultimately managed to stay standing. The fakest smile Arquis had ever seen brightened his face once he was safely upright. It was all for show. He was performing again. They'd tried so hard to get him to feel comfortable talking to them, and now it seemed like all of that progress was lost.
"Like I said, nothing happened! I'm fine. See?" He twirled like he had before, but there was something wrong about it. His posture was unusually stiff, and the tear in his dress made him seem like a broken doll. Arquis watched him go around once before something caught his eye. There was something red on his side, peeking out from in between the dangling threads.
"What is that?" he asked, and Honey stopped. The noble rose to his feet and moved forward slowly. The blond saw what he was going for and shoved him away, so hard that he almost fell.
"Don't!" he yelled. Actually yelled. He gathered the ripped shreds of his dress and clutched them to himself, covering whatever that thing was. When he realized that everyone was staring, he hurried to the stack of clothes on the bed, grabbed a new outfit and a coat, and rushed to the bathroom. He slammed the door behind him.
Arquis dropped to the floor beside his partner, hands shaking slightly. Honey wouldn't hurt him. He knew that, but he still felt uneasy.
Rin's lips parted faintly as he watched Honey run into the bathroom, and reached out to take Arquis's hand, squeezing a bit. "Oh." they said faintly, swallowing and taking a deep breath. "I…" he closed his eyes for a moment. "I thought we had made progress with…with this. All of it. I didn't think…" he hadn't meant to startle Honey through that touch, hadn't meant to upset him the way that they had.
Arquis nodded, not sure of what to say. Honey had to know that they meant well, but he clearly wasn't in a logical headspace. The lying, the excuses, the emotional outbursts and aversion to touch—those were all issues that would take some time to work out, apparently. Still, it was a little distressing that he'd regressed so far in such a short span.
"I know. I thought so, too." Arquis squeezed Rin's hand and kissed the base of his thumb. "I wish we knew what brought all of this on, it seems so sudden."
"I just don't get why he's acting like this. We just wanna help," Lovey mumbled. She looked defeated. Tears were dripping down her cheeks, bringing some of her mascara with them.
The bathroom door flew open. Arquis yelped, surprised at how fast Honey had changed. His outfit was drastically different. A huge jacket over a long, plain shirt and pants. Nothing fancy. Nothing nice. His eyeshadow was still in place, but he'd wiped his lipstick and gloss off.
"Ready?" he muttered in a somewhat flat way. When he saw that Lovey was crying, his jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything.