forum The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Started October 31, 2021 by Deleted user

tune

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Ari blinked tiredly at him. "No, you don't have to move to the floor. Just…I can go get the stuff for you. I really can. I don't mind, if you need the help." he gave Honey a soft, sweet, sleepy little smile. "Please let me help you? I wasn't asleep yet, and I want to help you, if I can."

They laced their fingers with Arquis's, still looking up at him. "Thank you." he said softly, giving him a faint, sweet smile. "I…I am sorry that I broke your trust, darling." he knew that Arquis had said to stop apologizing, but he couldn't. He couldn't stop, because he had broken that trust and now it oculdn't be fixed.

"I really don't get you," Honey mumbled, echoing his earlier sentiment. When he faced his date again, though, there was no frustration in his gaze. Just confusion. Flattered, charmed confusion, but confusion nonetheless. He couldn't understand why Ari was so determined to treat him like this, as if he was something special.

What he'd said wasn't an answer, but honestly, he wasn't sure what to say to him. Yes? No? He really didn't want him to have to put in all that extra effort, to feel obliged to clean up after Honey's messes. But the longer he argued, the less sleep that Ari would get. It was a lose-lose situation.

There was genuine pain in the nobleman's dark blue eyes when they apologized once more. He shook his head, lifting his hand so that he could kiss it.

"Rin, love, you did nothing of the sort. Breaking my trust would require that you intentionally caused me harm by misusing knowledge that I provided in the past. We had never talked about my poor reaction to control prior to tonight. You could not have known how I would respond, and, well, you only acted out of self-defense. You were trying to save us. There is not a single thing wrong with that."

Ari blinked at him sleepily. "What do you mean?" he asked, shifting to pillow his cheek on one of his hands, studying Honey. "I don't…quite understand what you don't understand?" he let out a quiet laugh, knowing he wasn't really making sense at the moment.

Rin listnened quietly, then reached out to bring Arquis in for an actual hug. "Okay." he said softly, eyes flickering shut for a moment as he pulled his partner closer. "I'm still sorry, though." their voice was quiet, and they held onto Arquis.

Honey ducked his head bashfully and traced one of the patterns on the comforter with his index finger. His blush had grown more intense. It was weird. This wasn't exactly pillow talk, but it felt just as private.

"You're just such a sweet guy. I don't know that I've met many people like you before. I feel spoiled," he admitted, giving him a small, shy smile. "Not in the usual way. Guys like to buy me stuff, yeah, but you're different. You actually listen, and it's just, uh, real nice."

Arquis hugged Rin for a moment, then, when he heard him apologize again, gently pulled them into his lap. He combed his fingers through their hair and cupped the nape of his neck. They felt so warm against him, so real. He hated himself for struggling to trust him. His lover didn't deserve that one bit. Nothing they'd ever done had been to hurt him, and he wished that was enough to convince him that they never would.

"Please do not be sorry, Rin. There was no harm done, at least not from you to me. I, on the other hand, have quite a lot to make up for, and I wish you would hold me accountable for it. You have every right to be upset.”

He smiled faintly in return, his smile soft and sleepy. "Mm. That's, ah, what a normal relationship is s'posed to be like." he replied. "People who care about you are supposed to help you, and listen. Not just ignore you." he shifted a little bit, keeping his gaze on Honey. In the dim light, it was hard to make out more than Honey's vague form, but that was alright. "That's all I'm doing. 'm just treating you like you deserve to be treated."

Rin snuggled close, holding onto him and taking a deep breath. "I hurt you." he replied. "Even if I didn't mean to, I frightened you." he couldn't chase away the image of how frightened Arquis had looked when he saw what Rin had done. They couldn't stop seeing those frightened eyes and the way Arquis had half jumped away from him.

Honey tensed. A nervous laugh escaped him, and he propped himself on an elbow. Some of his curls fell into his eyes, obscuring them.

"Relationship? I didn't know we were at that stage," he stammered in a whisper. He'd meant to say it in a joking way, but his tone came out questioning. Were they in a relationship? They'd only gone on one date, and, well, the tail end of that date had been messy. He'd kind of worried nothing would come from this night. Maybe Ari would find him too weird, his baggage too heavy. Or maybe he just wasn't his type. He fretted that the other man's lack of sexual desire betrayed a lack of physical attraction as well.

"Hurting and frightening me are not the same thing, my dear," Arquis murmured. "I feel much better now. No permanent damage was done, and as we have both acknowledged, it was not intentional. I had a bad reaction due to past trauma. That is all, I promise. It does not reflect any wrongdoing on your part. Only on mine, for how I treated you afterwards."

Ari paused for a moment, inhaling. "I…I mean, I don't…" he hesitated, trying to think. "I don't want to pressure you into anything. I just…don't know a better word. But if you don't wanna call it a relationship yet, then that's okay too." he kept his eyes on Honey, watching quietly and waiting for the young man to have some kind of answer as to what he wanted from this.

Rin held onto him, looking up at him questioningly. "I…okay." he replied in a soft tone. "I am still sorry for frightening you, Arquis. I know the reaction was from trauma, and I know that, uhm, that I didn't do anything wrong. But I'm still sorry that it happened to begin with."

Honey plucked at the nearest edge of the comforter and fidgeted with it. His eyes were still hidden behind his hair, and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. This was hard for him. It was strange. He'd never actually been in a relationship. For years, he'd wanted one, at first with Myr and then with no one in specific. But now, as he sat beside Ari in the bed, he wasn't sure if he was ready for that level of commitment. He wanted it. Oh, he wanted it, but he worried he wasn't good enough. Soon, Ari would surely realize that he'd been wasting his time and affection, and then they'd end up as exes. He really didn't want that.

"I don't know. I really don't. I mean, I'd love to, uh, be your boyfriend. Or something." Myr's words from before suddenly burst into his mind. He'd be a fool to think he could be anyone's boyfriend. "But I'm not sure I'd very good at that, and we just met, and, uh, I'm kind of a handful. A lot of work. You wouldn't be getting a fair trade."

Arquis sighed softly. He brought his hands up to cup Rin's face, then smoothed his thumbs over their cheeks. Their need to apologize was heartbreaking. He felt as if he should get back on the floor before them, as if he was unworthy of sharing the same space. He'd done this to them.

"Rin," he whispered, then shook his head, a lump forming in his throat. "My heart, please, I must insist. There is nothing to be sorry for. Please. My love for you will not change because of this event. We had a wonderful night out bookended by quite a bit of hardship, and if you are willing, then we can proceed with our relationship knowing that it is stronger than before.”

At first, he was going to leave it there, but then he changed his mind. They needed to hear it again, loudly, clearly.

“I love you, Rin. I love you, and I will not stop loving you because of one hard night.”

"We don't have to make any decisions tonight." Ari replied quietly. "It would probably be better that we don't." he yawned softly. "'m not awake enough to, ah, participate in this conversation the way you deserve. But, what I will say right now, is that the time we have spent together has been wonderful. I don't mind if you have some issues to deal with. I do too." his eyes drifted shut for a long moment, and he slowly blinked them open again. "I really am too tired for this conversation right now, though. 'm sorry, because it's a conversation that deserves my attention, but I don't have the, uhm, 'm just too tired. Can we pick this back up in the mornin'?" he asked, rubbing his eyes with one hand.

Rin listened quietly, taking a deep breath. "I…alright." he said, voice soft and gentle and quiet. "Thank you for your reassurance, darling. I was just…I don't know." they kissed Arquis's cheek softly, staying curled close to his partner. "I was stuck in my head, I suppose." he shook his head very faintly.

His accent made something shortcircuit in Honey's mind. Even before he opened his mouth, he knew something long winded was going to rush out.

"Yeah! Yeah, of course we can, I didn't mean to keep you up. I get it. I'm just real chatty, and you, uh, sound really sleepy. Yeah, okay, let's, um, crash, and you can stay over there, and we can talk about it in the morning, or whenever, um, it doesn't matter to me. I mean, it does! It matters a bunch. Not in a weird way, like, I'm cool with whatever. Well, maybe not whatever, but it's just, y'know, I think you're wonderful, too. Not that you said that about me! But, uh, yeah. You're incredible. And incredibly tired! I'm gonna shut up now!"

He lifted his pillow and dropped it over his face. At least now Ari wouldn't be able to see the vivid blush he was rocking, though he did probably look bizarre. The pillowcase smelled strongly of detergent. It wasn't very pleasant.

Arquis nodded. "I understand, my love. Trust me, I do, and I do not blame you for it. Today has been very taxing. You must be tired, hm?" The noble slid his hands to Rin's shoulders, giving them a gentle, comforting squeeze. "My poor, sweet dear, you really have had quite the day. Taking care of me during my fit, going out into town, getting caught in that storm, and using your ability all in the span of twenty-four hours. I know I would be exhausted, if I were you."

As if he were moving something fragile, he gingerly lifted Rin out of his lap and settled them onto the bed. Before they could ask what he was doing, he stood and went to undo the covers, then fluffed their pillow. He also dimmed the lamp. Instead of getting under the blankets, he gestured to the spot he'd prepared.

"There we are. You do not have to sleep immediately. I do not mean to force you. But if you are indeed tired, beloved, then you may rest."

Ari let out a soft, sleepy laugh. "Alright. Do you want me to go get you some towels and pillow spray, Honey?" he asked, shifting a little bit. "I don't mind if you want me to go and do that." he didn't really want to get out of bed, but he would if Honey needed him to get him those so that he could sleep well for the night.

Rin smiled faintly, letting Arquis move him around until they were settled on the bed. "Stay with me?" he asked in a soft, quiet tone, blinking up at his partner. "Please. If you're comfortable staying?" he got underneath the blankets, taking a deep breath and giving him a soft, faint little smile.

Honey pried the pillow off and gave Ari a once over. A grin played at his lips. The blond wasn't the betting type anymore, but he'd put money on the fact that his date was minutes away from sleep. Even if he sent him out to the spa, he wasn't certain that he wouldn't fall asleep on the way. The sight of him so sleepy and comfortable made something twinge in his chest. It was all just so domestic. He had the urge to pull him close, but he refrained.

"Nah, it's okay. I'll just, y'know, force myself to stay still." As if it would be that easy. Honey was a great jumble of nerves and energy. He frowned when he realized that his legs were already moving about in the sheets. "Or not. Here, I've got an idea. You go on and try to sleep. I'm gonna be on the floor for a bit."

He got up and did as he'd said, dropping down to the floor. Rather than sleep there, however, he placed his palms flat and stretched out. Then, he began to do push-ups. Once that got old, he switched to planking and some crunches. The entire cycle started over after about twenty crunches.

Arquis didn't hesitate for even a second. He nudged Rin over and sat by his side, as if he was planning to read them a story before bed. He wanted to lay down with them, but he still didn't feel that he deserved it. Part of him really wished they'd send him to the couch. Not because he wanted that, but because he struggled to function without punishment. He tried to clear those thoughts from his mind and reached to take their hand.

"Oh, love, I regret making you think I would ever choose not to stay."

Ari hummed sleepily. "M'kay. Lemme know if you need anything." he said softly, pulling the blankets up so that he could sleep. The sound of Honey working out didn't really disturb him, and he was so close to falling asleep that it was easy to do so. So he drifted off, lying on his bed and drifting off into the warm, dark realm of sleep.

Rin pressed close to him, leaning his head on Arquis's thigh. "I love you." he whispered, smiling up at his partner. "And, I really do want you to stay. Please." he held Arquis's hand, lacing their fingers together. "But only if you want to. I don't…I don't want you doing anything you don't want to do."

Honey got lost in the repetition of the routine, and by the time he came back to himself, he had no idea what time it was. He dropped to the carpet and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. He'd been exercising for over an hour and a half. That explained why his calves and biceps were burning. It also explained why his injured wrist was in such bad shape. He definitely hadn't been taking care of it well. Every time he moved his arm, even just a little, it throbbed in white hot agony. He should've put it in a wrap or something, or just done one-armed push-ups.

After a bit of laying on the floor and trying to collect his breath, he hopped to his feet. The first thing he noticed was that Ari was asleep. The second thing was that he was rather sweaty, which was, to put it nicely, disgusting. There was no way Ari would want to sleep in the same bed as him when he was in such a state. He hurried to the bathroom, debating whether or not he should take a bath. It was far too late for that. He ended up dampening a towel and cleaning himself off. That would have to do. He threw on some hotel cologne, then hurried to join the other man in bed.

Arquis caressed the side of Rin's face, then kissed his forehead. The dim lamplight seemed to sparkle in his eyes. He kissed them again, this time on the jaw, and then climbed under the comforter. The familiarity of their warm body next to his was immediately soothing.

"My dear, I would rather be nowhere else," he whispered. "I love you, too."

And it was true. He loved them fiercely. They were half of his heart now. He'd conquer fears for and trust him, even if it put him at risk. He found their lips in the darkness with his fingers and gently brought their mouths together.

Ari hummed very faintly, still aslepe, but didn't otherwise respond to Honey's presence in the bed. He merely continued to sleep, laying beneath the covers.

He smiled into the kiss, holding onto his lover. "I love you." he said again, whispering it into the kiss. "And…today has been a very long day, for both of us." it really had been; there had been so much that had happened, and he was exhausted. Using his ability had taken more out of him than he had thought it would, plus with everything else…he was tired, and really just wanted to sleep at this point.

Honey wasn't feeling as energetic as before, but he was still having a hard time sleeping. The pain in his wrist was really irritating. He'd put ice on it if there was any around. Technically, there was some in the kitchen, but there was no way he was going to risk waking Ari. So he stayed in place, wincing to himself, holding his arm as still as possible in hopes of reducing the sensation.

Arquis flushed and pulled away, interpreting their words as a hint. Of course they wouldn't feel like kissing. He'd literally just gotten through talking about how exhausted they must be, and there he was, keeping him up for something so ridiculous. They must really think him careless. He gave him another gentle squeeze on the shoulder before parting for his side of the bed.

"It has been," he murmured. "Go ahead and rest, my heart. I can practically feel your exhaustion, all the way over here."

Ari continued to sleep, curled up just a little bit on his side. The braid that Honey had done earlier was still in, and his hair was still just a little bit damp.

Rin hummed very faintly, snuggling close to him again. "Alright. Good night, darling." he shifted so he could press a quick, soft kiss to Arquis's cheek, but otherwise stayed still, laying close to their partner. "Love you." he practically mumbled the last part, voice taken over by grogginess.

[Day Fourteen]

After lying awake for an unfortunately long time, it seemed that Honey had finally fallen asleep. He woke at around eight in the morning, yawned, and went to scratch his eyes. Searing pain radiated from his wrist. He hissed and froze. His arm was hovering over his neck, and his hand dangled by his jaw. He peered down at his wrist. The skin over it was pink and swollen, and when he pressed, it felt like one big bruise. So he really had overdone it with all of those push-ups. Whatever. He'd just go to his wardrobe and get some gloves; maybe he and Arquis would be matching. As soon as he thought that, however, he remembered the what had happened the previous night. His clothes were ruined. Maybe not all of them, but a lot of his favorite items. He'd have to spend the day cleaning and organizing everything. What a shame.

He rolled over, expecting to slide off the bed and onto his feet, and ended up on top of Ari. A strange noise sprang from his throat. He tried to right himself, but that only made things worse. His face thumped into the young man's chest, and, well, his lower half was all over the place. One of his knees had ended up between theirs, and the other leg was stretched out across the bed, almost like he was prepping to do the splits.

"Uh," he said, and then erupted into laughter, his entire face pink. He really hoped he hadn't woken him up, but that would've been impossible. An elephant entering the room would've been more subtle.

Arquis hadn't gotten much sleep. He'd spent most of the night watching over his lover, feeling rather protective. And sure, some of that time had been spent dwelling in self-loathing, but then he'd remember his partner's last words before sleep. They would automatically make him feel better. Rin loved him. It was a wonderful, soft thing, and it made him giddy with joy.

He got out of the bed and went to the window. The storm hadn't broken overnight, though it was much less intense. Maybe he could take Rin out somewhere nice before they returned to the inn. For a second, he worried about Myr, but then he remembered Ophia's threat and felt a little better. Even if they happened upon him in public, he hopefully wouldn't feel like getting close.

There was something that was bothering him about their confrontation the night before. It was the way he'd been looking at Arquis before he left, as if he'd recognized him. But he was certain he'd never met the man before. He'd gotten drunk at parties before and probably met a lot of people he wouldn't remember, but Myr wasn't the type to be invited to the Palace. His name wasn't familiar, and besides, he didn't have the overdressed pomp of a lot of the super wealthy and influential. How did he know Arquis, then? Had he been mistaken in reading his gaze? The man had been bleeding profusely, perhaps he'd taken Arquis for someone else. Or perhaps he hadn't. Could he be some sort of undercover investigator? Someone Muria had hired? It wasn't likely, but he had made that remark about a mother. That didn't necessarily mean anything, though, especially since Ophia hadn't heard it well.

He realized he'd been talking to himself for a while and turned, hoping he hadn't woken Rin with his muttering. It was likely just paranoia, after all.

Ari woke up when Honey flopped on top of him, inhaling a startled breath and blinking up at the blond. "Wh…what's wrong?" he stammered, having been startled out of sleep. "Did, uhm, is everything alright?" he rubbed at his eyes with a hand, looking at at the pink-faced man above him. He had slept soundly through the night, only briefly waking a few times before dropping back to sleep again.

Rin had slept deep through the night, not waking or, thankfully, having any nightmares. He had been so tired from everything throughout the day that they had fallen asleep very quickly, and had stayed asleep for most of the night. Arquis's muttering hadn't quite woken him, but it had certainly put him on the path towards waking up. They shifted around on the bed a little, pressing closer to Arquis in their sleep.

Honey tried to speak, but he was still breathless from all the laughter. Any following attempts to push himself up failed. He finally gave in and went limp against Ari, tucking his outstretched leg in. As per usual, he had an elegant, composed way of moving, like he was a ballet dancer practicing poses. He was normally pretty flexible, and someone had once even called him graceful. He was just also sometimes clumsy, it seemed.

"Nah, everything's good. I just forgot you were here," he said, grinning. "I was trying to get outta bed, and I kinda rolled on top of you. And then I tried to get up, but, like, I don't know. It was real funny. Fell on my face and everything. Whole nine yards. Sorry, though. Didn't mean to startle you."

Arquis decided he should go check with Ophia and see what she was up to while Rin was still asleep. Perhaps she would need help with breakfast, as she did the day before. It was also possible that she'd gone to see a patient. He wondered if she left a note. Luckily, he didn't have to wonder for long. She was sitting in the living room with a basket of fabric, yarn, and other sewing supplies. Her feet, which were in fluffy slippers, were propped up on a chair. He smiled at her as he walked in, and she held up a half-made baby onesie.

"What do you think?"

"It is adorable. I, ah, was not aware that you were with child." As soon as it was out of his mouth, she tipped her head back and laughed.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm not. This is for an expecting mother I know. She has really bad arthritis, so she can't do a lot of work like this. I offered to do it for her. Like I said the other day, I'm never really gonna have a child. Honey's practically my kid, but that's not official or anything. I'm just protective of him." She lowered the onesie into her lap and frowned. "I'm worried about him. The man that was here last night seemed really aggressive. I hope nothing happened to him yesterday."

Arquis nodded, agreeing quietly. Her frown dissolved. She gestured with her head towards the kitchen, where an aroma of spice drifted out.

"I made gingerbread tea. You and your partner can have some, if you'd like. Are they awake?"

"I am not sure. They were not when I came out here."

Ari snickered softly, still looking up at Honey. "It's alright. I, ah, don't mind." he replied, not reaching up to touch Honey since he didn't know how the young man might respond to that. "It's not the worst way to wake up. Handsome young man on top of me, sunlight in the windows." he smiled, shifting just a little bit. "You do look lovely, Honey." though he himself needed to shower, wash the rain from his hair and his skin.

Rin continued to sleep for a few more minutes, slowly stirring out of his dreams, eyes flickering open. He looked around the bed, blinking tiredly. "'quis?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up a little bit. They realized after a moment that Arquis was not in the room with them, and they sat up, stumbling a little as they got out of bed and came out of the room, coming over to Arquis and Ophia. "Mornin'." he said quietly, leaning against Arquis.

(not gonna lie the "'quis?" got me that's so cute)

Honey glanced over at the window, then turned back, amused. "Well. Not really sunlight. Still kinda drizzling, though I get your point. But y'know, stranger," he leaned in playfully, close enough that his eyelashes were nearly brushing Ari's cheek, "you're a far lovelier sight."

With that, he finally managed to detangle himself from him and stand. He yawned and scratched his side with his good hand. The other hand was technically fine, but there was no way he was moving that wrist anytime soon. If it was gonna heal properly, it needed rest, time, and ice. He supposed he might do that last step later in the night, but as for right then, he really should start going through the remnants of his belongings. Who knew how long that'd take.

Arquis grinned and reached to hold his partner's cheek. Ophia watched as he repositioned them so that he was wrapped around Rin, his arms tucked under their shoulders. She smiled to herself as he kissed their temple. Young love was wonderful. She was glad they'd seemed to patch things up from the night before.

"Ah, there you are, my love. Good morning. We were having a bit of a chat," the nobleman said. "Ophia was telling me that she prepared some tea. Would you like me to fetch you some?"

(yeah it popped into my head and i was like "aww that's perfect")

Ari laughed a little. "Mm, yeah, I suppose you're right." he replied, laughing and sitting up on his elbows. "Did you, ah, sleep alright?" he knew that he himself had slept alright, but he honestly had no idea how well– or not –Honey had slept, and he really did want to know about that. "I know you were awake when I fell asleep, but did you at least get some sleep?"

Rin smiled a little, leaning into Arquis. "Mmhm. Tea sounds good." he replied, looking up at Arquis, then glancing over at Ophia to give her a soft, quick smile. "Morning, Ophia." they greeted her, reaching to hold onto Arquis, quite content to be snuggled up with their partner right now.

"Yeah, I slept fine," Honey replied. It wasn't a lie. When he'd finally drifted off, his rest had been relatively uneventful. No dreams, but no nightmares, either. Or at least none that he could remember, which he appreciated. They'd been through so much the day prior that an additional nightmare would've been overkill.

"I'm thinking about heading over to clean my room soon. It'll probably keep me pretty busy for a while. Lot of things to sort. I mean, cleaning all the makeup stains and powder alone will probably be a good half hour, and then I've gotta go through all my clothes. I'm not even sure what to do about the broken mirror. Guess I gotta throw it out. And my drawings, well, they're all goners, so I'll have to trash them, which won't take long at all. But the burns in my carpet are gonna take weeks to fix. I'll probably have to call someone in to replace the whole thing."

He realized he'd been rambling, and he sealed his lips shut. Ari probably didn't wanna hear about his chores. He had breakfast to eat and other things to do, undoubtedly.

Ophia waved with one hand, the other holding her crocheting hooks. "Morning. Yeah, go ahead and get that tea. It'll get cold before long. Oh, and one of my friends brought over some breakfast croissants earlier today. Some are egg and cheese, and the rest have fruit and honey. I'm not gonna be able to eat them all myself, so go ahead and have some, if you'd like."

"Thank you very much. I will be right back," Arquis announced. He kissed the top of his partner's head before detaching himself and walking to the kitchen.

The older lady gave Rin a curious look. She pointed a hook at an armchair, directing them to sit, and then asked, "I don't mean to pry, but about last night—is he treating you alright?"

Ari listened quietly, nodding just a little bit. "I have to shower, but after that, do you want some help cleaning up your room?" he asked. "It sounds like you've got a lot to do, and I can help, if you'll let me." he knew that Honey might not want help, but he was willing to help if Honey would accept that help. "And after breakfast, too, I'm rather hungry, and you probably are too."

Rin hummed faintly, settling himself in an armchair and curling his legs up beneath themself. "Mm." he blinked tiredly at Ophia, processing her question. "Oh. Yes. Arquis would never hurt me, Ophia. And I would never hurt him, either." he was a bit tired of the amount of people who had questioned if one of them was hurting the other. It was rather exhausting.

Honey was surprised by the offer. His rambling hadn't meant to guilt trip Ari into helping, and he hoped it didn't seem that way. As he'd already thought, he was sure the other man had things he wanted to do. He'd hate to interrupt his daily plans.

"Uh, well, you can join if you want, stranger. Don't gotta. And I'm gonna have to pass on that breakfast offer, I'm actually not hungry at all." His appetite, it seemed, had been demolished alongside the contents of his wardrobe. He couldn't possibly eat when there was so much that needed to be done. "You go on and get yourself something to eat, though."

Ophia, sensing their exasperation on the subject, had the grace to look a touch embarrassed. She glanced down at her project. "Like I said, I really didn't mean to pry. It's just with Honey and all, I guess sometimes I tend to assume the worst. And if this is the Arquis that I am thinking of, then, well, you must know the rumors surrounding him and his family. They are rather dark."

"Ah, yes, everyone has heard them," Arquis said dryly as he re-entered the room. Cups of tea and plates were balanced carefully on his arm, as if he were a waiter. "There are so many at this point, it is hard to keep track. Have you heard the cannibalism one? It has resurfaced this season. Quite gruesome."

Maybe he was being unfair, but he so dearly hated the rumors. He couldn't help but be bitter.

"I want to help you, if you're alright with it." Ari said, soft and sweet, shooting the young man a gentle smile. "After I shower and eat, I mean." he got out of the bed, reaching up to undo the braid in his hair. His hair had dried overnight, but did need to be washed. The curls were a bit mangled from the braid and the damp, and he needed to wash and take care of them.

"It's…" he trailed off as Arquis came back in. "Arquis would never hurt me, and I would never hurt him." he repeated, giving his partner an apologetic look for the topic that had come up. "I am sorry, darling." they said, reaching up to bring him in for a soft kiss. He looked over at Ophia again.

Honey watched Ari's fingers dance as he untangled his braid, and he had the oddest impulse to stroke through his messy curls. It had been quite fun to play with his hair the night before. He'd jump at the chance to do it again, but he knew that this wasn't the time for that.

"Yeah, I'm good with that. You wanna meet in my room later, then? When you’re done? 'Cause I might go on and get a head start." He pointed to the door with his thumb, then hid a wince. He'd already forgotten about his wrist, and he'd used the wrong hand.

Arquis smiled into the kiss. As exasperated as the topic made him, he knew Ophia hadn't brought it up out of malice. She didn't seem the sort to be a gossip mill. Her genuinely apologetic expression supported this theory. She hummed to clear her throat and fiddled with the hook in her hand. It seemed like she couldn't decide whether to address the situation or continue with her crocheting.

"I'm sorry. I should know better than to share rumors," she finally said. "I really do just worry sometimes. Probably too much for my own good."

Arquis nodded. He set a plate with two croissants in Rin's lap, then handed him a cup of tea. The liquid inside was still hot. He bent to kiss them one more time before settling down beside him in the armchair.