Rin looked up when Honey came back, giving the blond a faint, supportive smile. "Hey, Honey." they greeted, standing up and looking at the blond quietly. "You sure you're up for this?" he didn't want to baby the young man, but he knew Honey needed to be treated carefully right now. He knew that the trauma was all still new and raw, and that Honey needed someone to be gentle.
Honey shrugged in a noncommittal fashion, swallowed, and shoved his balled-up fists into the pockets of his coat. "Yeah. Sure. Let's just go. I've already made us late enough."
Arquis helped Lovey, who was still crying, to her feet and gave her a hug. If her brother wasn't going to do it, then he would. She sniffled against his shoulder for just a bit before pulling back. Her eye makeup was all smeared, her lips wobbly. He offered her the softest, most encouraging smile he could manage.
"We will return later today," he told her, and she nodded. He made a mental note to get her something from the village. Maybe he'd sneak her some sweets or a new necklace, something that would brighten her obviously stressful afternoon.
Honey walked past the two of them to the door and pushed out into the hall. When he saw Ari, his cheeks went red, but he just gritted his teeth and waited for the others to join them. Whereas before he'd felt overdressed, he now felt extremely underdressed. There was nothing attractive about him anymore. That had been the goal, but he was suddenly regretting it. If he was not pretty, then he was not much at all. Just a sullen, rude excuse for a man that ruined everyone's day.
Ari greeted Honey with a soft, faint little smile. "Hey, Honey." he said, unsure what was going on but not wanting to let it ruin everything. "Is everything alright?" he was leaning back against the wall, eyes studying Honey carefully as he waited for some sort of response.
Rin took a deep breath, taking Arquis's hand and shaking his head faintly. "I don't know what to do." he admitted softly. "But we'll do our best to keep Honey safe."
Honey sighed and shifted in place. He'd been kind of hoping that Ari wouldn't want to talk to him, but he supposed he should be thankful that he did. With what he'd just walked in on, Honey wouldn't have been surprised if he wished to avoid the blond entirely. Maybe that would be for the best. He really wasn't dating material, after all.
"Yeah. Everything's fine. Thanks." He gave him a very quick, bland smile and crossed his arms over his chest. Even with all the layers he had on, he still felt so vulnerable.
In the room, Lovey gave Rin a trembling smile. She walked to the door before turning to speak to the both of them. "Thank you. For everything, but also for keeping him safe today. I would go myself, but I really have to get back to work. I'm so glad he has someone looking after him."
She left, presumably on her way to the front desk. Arquis led Rin out as well. Honey gave them a glance before pushing himself off the wall he'd been leaning against. He was glad he'd changed out of his heels. Walking was easier this way, and his feet wouldn't be sore by the end of the evening. He silently guided them out of a side exit, then went ahead on the path.
Ari nodded faintly, adjusting his shirt and sighing softly. He wished he knew how to bring back the happy, playful young man Honey had been earlier, but he didn't. He didn't know how to help, what to do so that Honey was less unhappy. He sighed faintly, closing his eyes and then opening them once Arquis and Rin came back out.
"Let's go." Rin said softly, leading them both along.
True to his word, Honey showed them the way to the village. It was rather small, consisting of no more than forty or fifty homes, a main street of a dozen or so live-in shops, and various restaurants. Since it was afternoon, there were people milling about everywhere. An older couple waved to a young girl peddling flowers in the street. Three men playing cards were laughing loudly in front of a bakery until they were shooed away. Music seemed to pour out from everywhere, flooding from windows and doorways and around street corners.
Arquis was amazed. He hadn't even known the village was there, but it was charming and vibrant. The buildings were dusted with just a hint of snow, which made them look like little gingerbread homes with frosting. They were all softly lit from the inside. The little girl with the basket of flowers giggled at him as they passed, and when he waved at her, she gave him a blossom. It was the same type of flower as the one that had floated to his room when he and Rin had first met. He placed it in his partner's hair and pecked him on the mouth, leaving behind a trace of lipstick.
Honey stopped wordlessly when they reached a certain building. Something unreadable flickered in his gaze. He walked towards it, stepping in through the open doors.
It was a restaurant. There was a live band playing in the corner, and almost every booth was filled. People chatted happily as waiters darted about, passing out plates and cups. One of them stopped in front of Honey, looked him over, and said something that blended in with the rest of the noise. They hurried off. The blond started to follow, then stopped to look at Arquis, Rin, and Ari. He gestured for them to follow and went to sit at an empty table outside on the patio.
Rin looked around the village, smiling softly. It was similar in appearance to many of the villages he had passed through previously, but it was lovely in and of itself nonetheless. He hummed quietly at the flower and the kiss, smiling up at his lover. When they were all seated at the patio, he studied Honey carefully. The blond still seemed upset and out of sorts, but Rin didn't know what to say to help. What could he do to help fix this? They didn't know if there was anything they could do, really.
A very handsome waiter in a nicely-pressed suit came outside to deliver each of them a menu. They were handwritten on paper that looked well-loved. The waiter left to take care of other business, returned briefly to hand them cloth napkins and silverware, and then went to another table on the patio. He collected a tall stack of used plates before hurrying to the kitchen.
Arquis reached over and placed his hand on Rin's knee. They looked worried. He was as well, but he felt an urge to comfort them, to remind him that he wasn't alone like he had been before. He hummed and picked up his menu. It was in Anvillean. He scanned the page twice, feeling a knot form in his stomach. Everything sounded so rich, so heavy. So much. But he would start with a drink. That was easier.
The waiter returned to take their drink orders. Arquis asked for some berry tea that sounded interesting. Honey, his mind clearly elsewhere, asked for whiskey. When the waiter said that they didn't have any, he shrugged and got rum instead. He knew he shouldn't be drinking, but he couldn't help it. Everything was starting to be too much.
Rin looked over the menu, taking some tea as well, though not ordering his food just yet. The restaurant seemed like a nice little place, and he was glad that Honey had brought them here, even if Honey was clearly upset and out of sorts. He reached down to gently squeeze Arquis's hand, taking a deep breath and trying to put his concern for Honey to the side. He wanted to be able to enjoy their time together.
Ari cleared his throat faintly, ordering just a glass of ice water. He kept a worried eye on Honey. The young man was old enough to make his own decisions, but it was a bit early for Honey to be drinking like this.
The waiter brought their drinks back on a silver tray and set them out one by one. The berry tea looked odd indeed, though it had a lovely aroma. Arquis took a sip and was pleasantly surprised. It was hot and sweet, and there was a subtle tangy flavor that was absolutely wonderful. He was glad that he'd worn wakeup that would hide the stain of it on his mouth, even more so when he realized that the tea and the lipstick were similar in color. That little coincidence brightened his mood somewhat. He patted the back of Rin's hand, then skimmed one of his fingers along the ridges of his knuckles. He traced a heart on the back of his wrist, smiling into his teacup, and glanced at the menu once more.
Honey finished his drink and set the glass down. It hadn't yet begun to kick in, so he tilted his head at the waiter, who dutifully refilled his glass. He started to sip at that one a little slower than before, knowing that he'd need to pace himself. He didn't want to get so out of it that they'd feel responsible for his well-being.
The waiter came around to ask for food next. Arquis considered skipping, but he decided on a bowl of rice and vegetables. Honey wasn't hungry; he disinterestedly picked some kind of appetizer at random.
Rin took a sip of the tea, which stained their lips rather quickly with that soft pink tone. He gave his partner a soft, sweet little smile, looking back at the menu again after a moment. He ordered some food as well, picking a few appetizers for the table to share as well. He let out a soft breath, closing his eyes for just a moment.
Ari studied Honey faintly, reaching out to gently touch the blond's hand. "Honey, maybe no more drinks, please? It's a bit early to be drinking." his voice was quiet, and free of judgement.
Arquis burst into a grin when he saw Rin's lips, and he cupped their cheek so that he could kiss him. It was a very light, brief kiss, the kind that felt like silk or a faint ghost of a touch. He blushed when it was over and instinctively looked around to make sure no one had watched. Luckily, there weren't many other people sitting out on the patio. Most had chosen to be inside due to the lingering chill. The few people that were walking by the restaurant didn't seem to have noticed at all.
Honey jerked his hand away, feeling quite angry. Ari had no idea what he was going through. He out of everyone there had no right to tell the blond what he should or shouldn't be doing. It was none of his business. Honey was prepared to tell him this, but he stopped short, washed in a wave of guilt. He was being rude. Again. There was a better way to handle the situation.
"What, can't I have a little fun?" he asked, tone low and sarcastic. There was a flirtatious edge to it, but it was much less playful than before.
Rin returned the kiss softly, smiling a little bit at his partner. "There we are, darling." he said softly, glancing at Ari and Honey for a moment before his focus returned to Arquis. "I love you." his voice was quiet and sweet, and he leaned his head against Arquis's shoulder for a moment.
Ari took a deep breath, shrugging. "Sure you can. But I wanted to get to know you a bit without you being tipsy and buzzed. But if you'd like to drink instead, then that's your choice and I'll leave you to it." he pulled his hand back, letting Honey think that over. None of his words had been harsh or angry, just soft and matter of fact.
Arquis was glad that his partner's focus seemed to be on him, at least for the time being. It wasn't for selfish reasons. They'd been through quite a lot in the past few days, and while he cared for Honey, he wanted Rin to have some time for themself. His lover was so empathetic that it tended to stress them out.
He lifted his hand to caress the back of his neck, massaging away a bit of tension, then slid his fingers into their hair. "Love you, too, my dear."
Across the table, Honey was having a much less enjoyable time. He looked as if he'd been struck. His hand hovered over his glass, but his eyes—which were very wide—were on Ari. His chest ached fiercely. Whatever response he'd been expecting, it hadn't been that.
"Oh." He cleared his throat and put his hands in his lap, his posture shrinking inwards. "Oh, I didn't- I didn't think that- I don't know if that's a good idea. You getting to know me. I mean, I want it, but- but you saw. Earlier. You saw that. I don't- I'm not-"
Rin melted into him, breathing softly and closing his eyes, just wanting to stay pressed close to his lover. "Good." he said softly. "And, ah…you'll eat at least a little bit, right? Please?" he asked, raising their eyebrows faintly and taking a deep breath. He didn't quite know what to do. He just wanted Arquis to eat a bit at lunch.
Ari watched him quietly, shrugging. "I still want to. But, ah, if you would rather not, then that's okay. I just wanted to get to know you a bit." he smiled faintly. "I don't know exactly what happened earlier, but I don't mind if there's some, ah, trauma that we need to work through."
For once, the idea didn't make Arquis upset. Maybe it was the scenery, the fresh air, or the fact that he felt like an ordinary young man on a normal date with his lover. Maybe it was the fact that the Palace felt like a distant memory, or maybe it was the proximity of his partner. Or maybe he was just lucky. Having lunch seemed a realistic feat. He showered Rin's temple with small kisses before giving them a nod.
"I will. Perhaps not the entire course, but I can manage at least some of it." He placed his thumb in between their brows and gently kneaded some of the tension from there, too.
Honey grabbed at his napkin and wadded it into a ball under the table. He passed it from hand to hand, fidgeting nervously as he tried to figure out what to say. It wasn't that he didn't want to learn more about Ari. He just didn't want Ari to learn more about him. Getting too close inevitably meant that he'd lose interest, especially after he found out what Honey had gotten himself into that day.
"I do. Really, I do. I wanna talk to you, and get to know you, but it’s just- I don't know if I can be what you're looking for. And I don't wanna let you down or lead you on."
Rin smiled softly, humming for a moment. "Good. Thank you, darling." he replied, still leaning into his partner. "I love you so much." their words were soft and sweet and gentle and proud. "And I'm proud of you for being willing to eat your food, too." he smiled again, taking a sip of his tea.
Ari studied Honey quietly. "I get it, Honey. Sort of." he said softly. After all, he hadn't immediately told Honey he was trans; did that mean that Ari had led Honey on? He took a deep breath, running his hands through his hair. "And how do you know what I'm looking for?"
Arquis blushed at all the encouragement. Sometimes, the kind words sounded belittling, making him feel like a child. In that moment, however, they were lovely. He wished they weren't in public so that he could pull Rin into his lap. It was an odd impulse, but he really just wanted to wrap them in a hug.
The waiter came by with the appetizers before Arquis could verbally reply to his lover, so he traced a whole collection of hearts on their hand. The dishes were carefully set out. They looked wonderful, clearly having that rustic, homemade feel.
Honey waited until the man was out of earshot before responding to Ari. There was a rough, humiliated quality to his voice, like he'd been caught in a crime and forced to read his own sentencing. It didn't help that his cheeks were flushed an uneven, splotchy red.
"I don't know what you’re looking for, I guess. But I know it's not me. 'Cause the only thing that I can offer you is the only thing you don't want." That wasn't true. Honey would love to shower Ari with affection and small, sentimental gifts and pretty bits of poetry. He would be thrilled to sketch him with colored pencils as they sat in a shared bed on a lazy morning, would die to be able to call him sweet pet names. But Myr's words had a hold on him that he couldn't shake off. Honey took a swig of his drink to steady his nerves before muttering, "Not good for much else."
Rin smiled softly at his lover again, and then reached out to take a bite of his food. He wanted to enjoy this time together, and so far, he had. He glanced over at Ari and Honey, but didn't speak to interupt the conversation. He could tell that it was an important one, and that it was not one that he should or would interfere with.
Ari listened, keeping his gaze resting gently on Honey. "I don't believe that." he said after a moment. "I think there's plenty you could offer and that you're good for." he took a deep breath, giving Honey a little smile. "Like I said, I would like to get to know you. How would you know it's not you when we don't know each other that well yet?"
Arquis did not avoid looking at his food. He ate in small bites still, but it was progress nonetheless. Every now and then, he'd drink more of his tea, enjoying the warmth and slight bitterness of the berries. It was the perfect drink for a cold day. Maybe not better than hot chocolate, but he appreciated the uniqueness of the flavor.
Honey set his glass down with a ragged exhale. There was nothing left in it. He hadn't meant to drink it all, but he could feel himself slipping back into old habits. One drink was two, two drinks were four, and the next thing he knew, he was waking up in someone else's bed, feeling their breath fan across his shoulder blades.
"I just know." He met Ari's eyes and immediately regretted it. He could tell that there was too much showing on his face. Lovey had said when they were children that he was so easy to read. He'd gotten very good at hiding everything with age and time, but something about Ari drew out his true self. Sorrow thinned his mouth, fear tugged his brows, self-loathing colored his skin.
Honey stood. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he couldn't stand to be at that table any longer. It felt like he was suffocating. As he was about to head off, likely to the bathroom to clear his thoughts, his shirt got caught on his jacket. It rode up, revealing a very fresh, shiny, blistering burn mark in the shape of a hand. He grabbed the edge of his jacket and yanked it, finding himself not only unwilling but unable to look around the table. Nobody had seen, he hoped. It was only for a second.
Rin sipped at his own tea, eating his food and shooting Arquis soft smiles. He really was so proud of his lover for being willing to eat like this; it was a good sign of progress, and one that he was so happy about seeing. The food was good too, which was certainly a bonus to all of this.
Ari's eyes landed on the burn, and he shot up from his seat. "Honey, how did that happen?" he asked, reaching out to the young man but not quite touching him. "What…" he felt like he was a bit over his head right now. Unlike Rinlos and Arquis, he didn't know a ton about what Honey was going through.
Arquis smiled at his lover, genuinely enjoying the meal as well, until he saw Ari shoot to his feet. At last, curiosity convinced him to study their situation, and he couldn't quite tell what was wrong. There was nothing visibly wrong with either Honey or Ari, but both were standing. The blond swallowed, shook his head, and sat down. Hard. A fork fell to the patio, gaining the attention of several passerby. One of them, a little toddler, laughed, and her parent shushed her.
Honey sighed. It was a bone-weary, deep sound, one that rattled the nobleman to his core. Never had he seen someone look so worn out, so defeated.
"Saw that, huh?" Honey asked Ari, tilting his head so that he could see him. As tired as he was, there was a surprising amount of sympathy in his gaze. He reached out and very gently guided the other man back into his chair. "Guess I should've known that this would happen. Jig's up and all that."
Rin's gaze flashed over when Ari and Honey both stood up, raising his eyebrows faintly and studying the two. "What's happened?" they asked, voice quiet and gentle and a little bit concerned as to what was going on. "Ari? Honey?" their voice was still concerned and worried.
Ari slowly sat down, keeping his eyes on Honey. "Honey, what happened?" he asked, reaching out to gently touch Honey's hand, trying to comfort him in some way. "What…how did this…" he was lost and over his head adn that was a bit obvious.
(minor warning just for wound description)
Honey could tell that Ari was rather shaken, so, rather than accepting his comforting gesture, he attempted to soothe him in return. The smile he offered him was genuine and reassuring, as if to prove that he was alright. He knitted their hands together and ran his thumb along his wrist.
"Got myself a little banged up earlier," he said in a tone that was way too casual for the scenario. While his eyes were on Ari, it was clear that he was speaking to all three of them. "Gave our stranger here a good fright, didn't I? It's alright, Ari."
Arquis raised his brows and set down his tea, which he'd forgotten he was holding. "You are hurt?" he asked. The only reason his words were steady was because of shock.
"Aw, just a little, dreamboat. Nothing to get all excited about." He swiveled a little in his seat, still keeping his hand on Ari's, so that he could lift his shirt. The handprint looked worse the second time. It was an agonizing shade of red. The edges of it were peeling slightly, and some were a blackish hue. It couldn't have felt good under all of those layers of clothing.
Ari winced at the sight of the wound, his free hand twitching and clasping for a moment as he sought for what to do now. What he could possibly say or do. "I-I…how did this happen?" he asked, fidgeting with his free hand to try and distract himself a little bit from all of this.
Rin inhaled softly, setting his food aside and leaning forward a little bit. "Oh, Honey…" they breathed. This had been what was wrong earlier. When Honey had insisted nothing was wrong, everything was fine.
Honey looked away from the table, out at the lovely village. "Um, yeah. About that. Let's just say I have a bad past with men. And a bad present, apparently."
Arquis shifted so that his leg was pressed alongside his partner's and put a hand on their shoulder. He could practically feel their worry radiating out like a fever. The situation was bad indeed, and he hoped that the physical touch would ground him. Give him something to hold onto, just in case he needed it.
"There's a man at the inn right now. He's not a very nice man," the blond said slowly, as if he was speaking to a kid. The words tasted like ashes as they left his mouth. "He and I have a real ugly history. He doesn't like it when I disobey. When I step outta line, he feels like he's gotta punish me. And I stepped outta line." Honey shivered. He wasn't cold; he was wearing too many clothes for that. "He said he needed to remind me of who I belong to. Of what happens when I get ideas about dating pretty men."
In this case, he was technically talking about Rin, but Myr's words extended to Ari as well. He'd be punished just the same if Myr had figured out that he was attracted to Ari.
"He branded you," Arquis choked out, horrified.
“Yeah. Yeah, he did.” Honey glanced to Rin, then smiled sadly. Their earlier conversation about being secondhand goods trickled back into his head. He now literally bore the markings of his use.
Rin took a few breaths. "This…I…" this was their fault. If he hadn't come up and pretended that he was dating Honey, then Myr wouldn't have done this. He had been trying to help. And instead they had caused Honey even more pain. Even if indirectly, they had caused this. They had caused this permanent mark on Honey's body. A literal brand. "I'm sorry." he breathed. "I didn't mean to cause this, I thought…" he reached up to hold onto Arquis's hand, squeezing gently and trying to ground himself. If they hadn't made Myr think that he and Honey were a couple, then this might not have happened. He had been trying to protect Honey and instead it had backfired so very, very badly.
Ari covered his mouth with one hand, watching Honey with shock and sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry." he said softly.
Honey's demeanor immediately changed. While he kept Ari's hand in his own, he moved so that he was looking over at the bard. Determination had steeled his expression and made his posture rigid. There was no way he was going to let Rin feel responsible for what had happened. They weren't. Myr was, as he'd said, the type of person who didn't take no for an answer. He was angry and violent and messed up, and none of that was the bard's fault.
"No. No, no, Rin, listen, he's an ass, alright? He would've done something no matter what. He would've hurt me 'cause I was taking a break. He would've hurt me if he saw me with any of you, or if I spent time with Pretty, or if I started avoiding him. You didn't do anything wrong."
He let the words ring in the air for a moment. Then, once they were settled, he took a deep breath and returned his attention to Ari.
"Sorry I've been so rude. And about all that stuff I said, I'm sorry for that, too. It's just…" For a moment, Arquis—who was both watching the conversation and comforting his lover—thought he wasn't going to continue. But he did.
"That's not all of it. The burn thing, that was some of it, yeah, but, um, tonight. He told me that if I wasn't in my room tonight, ready for him, then he'd do something. He'd hurt Lovey. Or Sugar. And I knew I shouldn't have believed him, 'cause the only power he really has is his fire, and he can't use that if I take it away, but I just froze, you know? And I just thought it would be easier if I didn't risk it. If I did what I'd always done and just took it."
The drink, though he hadn't had much of it, was starting to kick in just a touch. He rubbed his eyes and sighed, repeating, "Just took it. I didn't want anyone to get hurt."
Rin nodded faintly in response to Honey's words, but didn't respond verbally, just breathign and holding onto Arquis's hand. This was so difficult for him to think of, and he still couldn't quite shake the feeling that they were at least partially to blame here. They had done something that caused this to happen, even if Myr would have done it anyway.
"You can spend the night with me." Ari said softly. "Not…like that. But you can spend the night in my room. Sugar too. And…and you can warn Lovey. Or…is there some way you can get him kicked out of the hotel? He burned you, he…" the young man looked concerned and sickened by all of this. Not sickened by Honey, in any way, but that Myr had done this.
Arquis hummed worriedly and wrapped his arm around his lover's shoulders, pulling them in close. They looked so upset that it hurt. He really hoped that he wasn't blaming themself for it, especially since Honey was right. All Rin had done was tried to help. People like Myr were going to do whatever it was they wanted to do, and any excuse or justification would suffice. It just so happened that his lover had been there, that was all. Wrong place, wrong time.
"I could get him kicked out, yeah. But I'm afraid that he'd come back, and, like, threaten to burn the place down or something. I can stop him from doing anything for a while, but eventually I've gotta rest, y'know? And I just can't handle the thought of someone getting hurt or losing their home just 'cause I won't put out."
"There are other people that can keep watch and help the inn stay safe," the nobleman insisted. "You alone are not responsible for it."
"I know. It just seems easier to, um, not make a fuss outta this. Just do what I gotta do for a few nights, let him wear himself out. He always goes away after a couple days. Wouldn't be too long. Nothing I haven't had before."