The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Ari smiled at the compliment, taking a bite of one of the berries. "Thank you, Honey." he said, giving the blond another sweet smile. "You're so…sweet." his words were soft, and he was smiling lightly the whole time. "You really are." he ate a few more of the fruits, which were already beginning to stain his lips with a soft pinkish red. He let out a slow breath, and poured them both some lemonade, holding a glass out to Honey. The fort was soft and cozy, and Ari was glad that Honey had come up with the idea. He shifted on the pillows, eyes flickering to that little lantern illuminating the space.

Rin waited, taking his shoes off so that they could go when Arquis called. When their lover did call, he smiled and came into the bathroom, reaching out to run a hand through Arquis's hair. "Hello, darling." they greeted, pressing close to him. They glanced around the bathroom, at the bubble bath and the flickering candles, the shadows dancing on the walls. "Well-done, my love."

(omg i'm 100% gonna make lemonade now)

Honey tossed his head back as he laughed. His arm flopped onto Ari's knee, which he gave a squeeze. He then lifted his hand and accepted the glass of lemonade. There was a powdery layer of sugar at the bottom that hadn't been absorbed by the water. Perfect. He took a small sip. A drop of it spilled down his wrist, and he licked it off. He could tell with just that gesture that his wrist was still swollen. The swelling would have to go down eventually.

"Wouldn't say sweet," he joked, switching the glass to his other hand. "More like charmingly irritating. Or irritatingly charming. Or just incredibly damn handsome. Or all three."

Arquis blushed beautifully at the praise. The reflection of the golden candle flames danced in his dark blue eyes like stars at night. He leaned forward and brushed his lips along his partner's jaw. They were so lovely. He'd once heard a poet say that everything was prettier up close, and he disagreed. Rin was stunning from all angles.

"I thought it might provide a little extra something," he mumbled, then dragged his mouth down his throat. That was where he stopped. He stepped away and glanced questioningly at him, then at the bath. Saying anything else out loud felt like it might ruin the experience. He wasn't always great with words around them, and he didn't want to babble his way through a request.

(I had some earlier lol)

"Mm, maybe." he shrugged a shoulder, taking a sip of his own lemonade. "Handsome. Sweet. Incredible. Strong." he listed off a few descriptors, eyes resting gently on Honey. "Irritating is not one of the words that comes to my mind when I think of you." he let out a soft, faint breath. "I promise you that, Honey." he hoped Honey would believe him on that, because it was the truth.

Rin hummed softly, tipping his head back as Arquis's mouth dragged along his throat. "Mm, I agree." he replied. He looked over at their partner. "What would you like me to do? I am at your service, my love."

Honey grinned, though there was a bitter edge to it. After swilling more lemonade, he set his glass aside and kicked one of his legs over the other.

"Well, stranger, stick around for a little longer, and I guarantee you'll see it eventually." He felt like he was being mean, predicting the worst in him with no reason, but he couldn't stop the words from flooding out. It was almost like he wanted him to hate him already. Maybe he did. Maybe if Ari hated him sooner, it’d hurt less.

"At my service?" Arquis repeated faintly, then frowned. "I do not like the sound of that. You do not need to serve me. I am not above you, I am… I understand that you probably did not mean for me to take it so seriously, love, but… those sorts of words worry me."

He'd had a lot of people serve him as a nobleman, and honestly, he was kind of sick of it. Out here, where people didn't really know him, he was treated as an equal. Nobody felt pressured to bow before him or gain his favor. They didn't offer their jewelry to win his affection or scoff at his family name. He kind of liked being no one special. Not a de Vey. Just Arquis.

Ari shook his head a little. "No, I don't think I will." he replied. "I really doubt that, and, ah, I would like it if you stopped talking about yourself that way. Please. You aren't annoying or irritating, you are a kind, intelligent young man, and I want to get to know you." he reached out to gently take Honey's hand, his touch light and soft enough that Honey could pull away easily if he wanted to.

Rin blinked. "I, ah, I just meant that I'll do whatever you want me to do." he replied. "I won't say it again, though, if it upsets you." he didn't mean to upset Arquis, and he wasn't going to repeat that again. He kissed Arquis's cheek gently, trying to reassure the other man.

Honey felt the instinct to pull his arm away and hide his wrist, but he didn't want to hurt Ari's feelings. Resignedly, he tipped his head to the other side. He didn't want the other man seeing the tenderness in his gaze. Vulnerable. That was what he was, just a big, sappy, vulnerable mess.

"Can't even hate on myself anymore," he grumbled, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone. "What's the world coming to these days? Gone all soft on me, I swear."

It had in fact upset Arquis, and it took him a moment to relax again. He never wanted there to be a power imbalance in their relationship, not even when they were fooling around. Especially not then. He sighed when they kissed his cheek and returned the favor, this time on his forehead. He wondered if his concern was as obvious on the outside as it felt inside.

"Alright," he said quietly. "I am sorry. I did not mean to ruin the mood, I just need to make sure that you do not feel pressured into anything. If you do anything to or for me, it must be something that you wish to do, alright? Please never do anything that you are uncomfortable with."

Ari smiled gently at Honey. "Mhm, that's right. We're going to ban hating yourself. Only gentle things." he replied, smoothing his thumb over Honey's knuckles. "Only kind words about yourself, because you deserve them." he smiled again, then took a sip of his lemonade, his lips still stained slightly with the berries that he had eaten a few minutes ago.

"I don't feel pressured, my love." he replied in a soft, sweet tone. "I simply meant that I'll do what you want me to, for now." he leaned into Arquis, closing his eyes for a moment. "I would let you know if I was uncomfortable with anything. I promise, darling, I would."

"Aw, hell," Honey said, his voice breaking, and rolled onto his side. His hand fell from his grasp. He used it to press a pillow against his face to dry his eyes. Crying wasn't the right word to describe what was happening. No, crying was more intense. His eyes were just damp, that was all. A couple of seconds passed before he dropped the pillow and settled onto his back. Tiny teardrops beaded his fine golden lashes.

"You really are such an angel, you know that? So good to me. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but whatever it is, I'm real glad I did it."

Arquis nodded slowly. He was still nervous, but he trusted him to know their boundaries. They'd done this before. Everything would be alright if they just communicated well and checked in with one another. It'd be fine.

"If you are sure, then, ah, the bath might be getting cold," he attempted to say, but it came out as a whisper. There was a suggestion clear in that simple sentence. He didn't want to rush anything, but, well, his partner had given him the green light to proceed. And the water really would get unpleasant after a while. As of that moment, it was still hot enough to steam slightly, but that would change with time.

He watched Honey, hoping he hadn't said something wrong, and then relaxing as he realized that he had not. "I…I am glad as well, Honey." he replied slowly, giving the blond another smile. "You are a wonderful young man, and I look forward to getting to know you more." he knew he had already said that, but he really was.

Rin cleared his throat faintly, and then smirked over at Arquis. "I see, I see." he began to slowly strip out of his clothes; he did it slowly on purpose, in order to tease their partner. He knew that Arquis was already a bit worked up from the discussion on the walk, and he wanted to play on that, if he could.

Honey flashed him a grin and rolled over once again, this time directly into Ari's lap. He shifted so that his upper back was on his leg, then lazily looped an arm about his shoulders. His fingers toyed with a curl at the nape of his neck. Then, they splayed across the skin there, his thumb stroking the space between his shoulder blades.

"You can ask me pretty much anything, y'know. Or you don't gotta do much talking at all."

Arquis, ever the gentleman, blushed and turned around. He didn't want to invade their privacy. Changing was often a somewhat personal endeavor, and they'd often looked away in the past. They'd done so in the dressing room just the day before.

"Let me know when you are finished," he said softly, running his hand through his hair while he waited. Briefly, he wondered if he should undress as well, but he decided to wait until they were finished. "Or, ah, tell me when it is alright to look."

He inhaled very softly at the touch, looking down at Honey. "I am not…ah…" he didn't know what to say or do now, not with that soft touch against his back and the way Honey had played with his hair. He cleared his throat faintly. "I don't know if I can think of any questions for you." a faint blush had settled on his cheeks, staining his skin with a faint pink tone.

Rin laugehd a little when Arquis turned around. "My darling dearest, I'm never going to be able to strip for you, am I?" he asked, reaching to gently turn Arquis around, their pants hanging low on their waist. "You're far too proper for that." his smile was soft and light and just a little bit teasing as he cupped his partner's chin with his hand.

Honey grinned flirtatiously and cocked a brow. "Nah? Cat got your tongue, stranger? Or is it just that you see something distracting? Something right in front of you, maybe?"

For once, saying that didn't feel weird, like he was putting on a persona. He was just teasing Ari. That was all this had to be, just light, fun playing around. It wouldn't result in pleasure or pain or a twisted mix of both. The most that might come from it was a kiss. He wondered if Ari would kiss him. The thought made him smile even wider, and his dimples showed.

"Oh," Arquis breathed, wide-eyed, "was that your intention? I did not mean to turn away. Or, well, I did, but only because I thought it would make you uncomfortable if I watched. But obviously it has not, and now I am running my mouth, and really I should just be quiet."

The hand under his chin felt nice. He pressed the side of his face against it and exhaled. The tension lifted from his shoulders, and his heart rate slowed. He'd been so nervous. Part of his mind still expected this all to be a cruel prank, that maybe Rin would remember this to use against him in some way. But he wasn't going to listen to that part. He was going to stay here with his partner and love on them.

"Tell me what to do,” he requested softly.

Ari hummed for a moment, gaze flicking up to the lantern, then down to Honey. "No, of course not." he replied, laughing a little. "I am not at all distracted, absolutely not." he was lying. Honey was lovely and very distracting, too. He couldn't stop the smile that was tugging at his own mouth, his cheeks still stained pink with a blush. He cleared his throat softly, shaking his head a little bit.

"It was not quite my intention, but I would not have been uncomfortable if you had watched." he replied, kissing Arquis's cheek softly. "And, ah, what would you like to do, my love?" he kept cupping Arquis's chin, smiling at him lightly. "I thought you were in charge for now, my darling."

"No? Well, that's kind of a shame," Honey sighed, though there was an amused glint in his eyes. The hand that had been in his hair traveled to his cheek, and his fingers lightly skimmed over his jaw. He traced his thumb along his cheekbone before leaning in like he was going to kiss him. Instead, he stopped short, dropped back into Ari's lap, and shrugged. He reached over and picked up a berry, which he ate with a grin.

Arquis shifted anxiously, all of his previous confidence gone. It was different, flirting about this sort of thing when they were out and about, laughing and having fun. Actually doing anything was nerve wracking. Growing up, he'd been taught that any imperfection equaled punishment. He was scared of messing up.

"I do not know. I am not prepared to be in charge, I- I fear that I will make an error. And even though we have done this before, I am afraid that I will not know what to do, or that I will hurt you, or- or-" He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I am sorry. To suggest it and then make such a big fuss over it is terribly foolish. I just need guidance. Please, love."

Ari inhaled faintly at that slow, teasing touch, then exhaled when it became clear that Honey was not going to kiss him. "You tease." he remarked softly, taking a berry for himself. "You awful, terrible tease." his own voice was soft and teasing, and he laughed a little as he popped the berry into his mouth.

Rin took a deep breath. "Darling, it's alright." he replied in a soft, gentle tone. "THere's no…errors aren't something I'm concerned about. If you want to be in charge, you can be. If you want me to be in charge, then I can be." their voice was void of any judgement, just full of soft love and acceptance.

"Aw, you think that was me teasing, huh?" Honey smirked. "You haven't seen anything yet."

In a way that could only be described as performative, he slowly arched his back and delicately skimmed his fingers down his own throat. He let his hand come to rest over his sternum. His eyes fluttered, and he bit his lower lip. In all his moving around, the bottom of his shirt had ridden up, revealing a hint of his well-toned, tan abdomen.

"Oh, goodness," he murmured, feigning shyness. "Here I am, all alone with a handsome young man. This is bound to cause rumors.”

"Please," Arquis said, and it was like a dam had broke. He took a shuddering breath, then pressed a kiss to their neck. Apparently, he'd been worried sick over this, and he hadn't even known the severity of his feelings until the pressure was off. "Please take charge. I cannot. I thought I could, but I am just so lost, my love."

Ari couldn't help the faint flush that spread over his cheeks again, and he cleared his throat. "You're terrible!" he said, laughing a little and looking up at the ceiling of their pillow fort, shaking his head a little as he laughed. "You're a terrible tease, you are!" he looked down at Honey again, still laughing. "You just like messing with me, don't you?"

Rin wrapped their arms around Arquis, pulling him close. "Alright, my love." he said softly. "I can do that, love. It's alright." he pressed a kiss to Arquis's cheek. "I don't mind taking charge if I need to." they stepped back a little bit. "You want to take your clothes off, or not?"

"Oh, I love messing with you, handsome. You're so much fun to play with," Honey purred, rather pleased with himself. "You get riled up real easily. All I gotta do is, y'know," he moved his hips just a smidge, giving his form extra curvature, "and you get all red. It's endearing."

Arquis swallowed. "I suppose I will have to, if we are planning on getting in the bath. These clothes will take far too long to dry if they get soaked."

Even though he said it, he didn't actually make a move to do anything. His hands were shaking just a little. He was glad at the very least that he'd already taken his gloves off. That was one less thing he'd have to remove. He glanced over at the mirror and instantly winced, turning back the other way. He didn't want to watch himself get undressed. It would only upset him, and he genuinely did want to have a nice time with his partner.

Ari's face stayed red, and he cleared his throat faintly. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." he blustered, shaking his head and looking away from Honey. He didn't know what to do now, or what to say. "I do not turn red." he exhaled softly, and ate another berry.

"Darling, we don't have to do anything if it makes you uncomfortable." Rin said, turning away so that they could give Arquis some privacy. "We really don't. I, ah, I don't want to make you uncomfortable, or make you do anything you don't want to do." he wasn't sure why Arquis was so shaky and uncomfortable all of a sudden, but they really didn't want to pressure him into this.

Honey grinned and, in a cocky tone, said, "Sure. Yeah, you got no clue. Totally."

He slipped his hand into the container of berries and pulled out a small handful. One was bright red. He lifted it up next to Ari's face and let his gaze dart between the two. Then, with a small shrug, he held the berry to his outstretched tongue. Before he popped it in his mouth, he licked some of the juice off the top.

Arquis shook his head desperately, reaching out to place his hand on his partner's shoulder. "Oh, my heart, you are so kind. You are always looking out for me. But I promise that I am alright. I want this. I really," his breath hitched, and he smiled shyly, "really want this. I am just, ah, insecure."

Fondly, Arquis set his other hand on Rin's hip and turned them back towards himself. He gently kissed his brow. They were so good to him. He hummed softly and let the feel of them against him override his insecurities. Rin loved him dearly. Rin loved his body, too, no matter what his mind said.

Ari's gaze kept flicking between Honey and the berries and the ceiling of the blanket fort. He didn't know where to look, where he could look. "I, fuck. No. No clue." he cleared his throat again, shaking his head and trying to think of what to do. "No clue at all, nope." his face was still red with a blush, and he still didn't know how to respond.

Rin reached up to place his hand on top of Arquis's. "I'm glad." he replied in a soft tone. "How, ah, how do you want to proceed?" he asked, holding onto Arquis and smiling up at him. "It's up to you on this, my love."

Honey laughed, finally done with the teasing. He rolled so that his head was tucked against his stomach, his cheek pressed into his hip. His hair was a charming mess. He lifted his arm so that he could position Ari to cuddle him, but it didn't work. Pain shot through his wrist. He hissed and instinctively whacked the nearest pillow with his other hand.

"Shit, that really, uh…" He waited for the stinging pain to subside before continuing. "Caught me off guard."

"Well, um, we can start by, you know," Arquis stammered. It seemed words were failing, so actions would have to work. He separated Rin from himself only so that he could begin to remove his top. Seconds later, it joined his gloves on the floor. After that came his socks, which he'd forgotten to take off earlier. He stopped once they were gone. His hands hovered nervously around his waist.

"Getting in the bath. I think that would be smart. And then we can start to wash, and maybe things will escalate?" Of course they would escalate. That was the plan. There was no maybe, unless one of them changed their mind.

He inhaled softly when he realized that Honey had hurt himself. "Are you alright?" he asked, eyes flicking between Honey's face and the injured wrist. "What can I…how can I help you?" he wanted to help. Maybe he could go get some bandages, or a first aid kit? He wasn't sure what the best thing to do here was, which was why he was asking. Honey could give him some form of direction for what he could do now.

Rin laughed just a little, turning so that Arquis could change in privacy. "Shall I get in first, love?" they asked, hands moving to the waistband of their own pants. "Or would you prefer to be the first one in?" he smiled a bit, though they knew that Arquis could not see their little smile.

Honey laughed, though he was genuinely touched. People wanting to take care of his injuries was a new experience. He was only used to Ophia doing it, and, well, he didn't always go to see her when he was hurt. Only when it was so bad that he couldn't fix it himself. He didn't like the sorrow that swallowed her expression whenever he came by. She would try to hide it, but he could tell it upset her.

"Aw, handsome, I'm okay. You're awfully sweet, but it's just a little sore. I twisted it the wrong way, that's all. It's still in the healing phase."

Arquis was glad they couldn't see him because he was redder than a rose. He made sure to look fully away when he saw that Rin was about to change. Though in all honesty, he wished he could keep watching. All of them was gorgeous. The thought made him shiver. He went to unclothe himself before turning to the bath.

"Ah, I will get in now, if that is alright. I would prefer it if you did not have to…" He didn't know how to finish that. If they did not have to see him? That was the truth, but he didn't want to say it out loud. He sighed softly and went to the edge of the tub, then settled into the water. It was still very hot, though the number of bubbles had dwindled quite a bit.

Ari nodded faintly. "I…alright." he said slowly. "But, just let me know if there's anything that I can do to help?" he gave Honey another soft smile, then ate another berry. He sort of wanted one of the sandwiches that he had brought, but he wasn't sure about that part yet. Maybe in a few more minutes he would eat one. Maybe. He would wait and see if he felt hungry or not.

Rin nodded slightly, letting Arquis get in first, and then stripped out of his remaining clothing. They then joined Arquis in the bath, exhaling faintly as he hit the heat of the water. "Ooh, this is perfect." they said softly, settling into the tub and closing their eyes for just a moment. "Mm."

Honey waved his good hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Now, enough of me being dramatic. What else did you pack, again? I'm kinda hungry." He wiggled to adjust so that he could see inside the basket. "Oh, are those sandwiches? What kind?"

Arquis averted his eyes while Rin got in, which was kind of ridiculous considering what they were likely about to do. But still, he was raised as a gentleman, and he'd be polite until the bitter end. Or the hopefully not so bitter end. He smiled to himself at his own little joke, then blushed when he heard his partner speak. Rationally, he knew he was talking about the water, but he wasn't exactly thinking with his mind anymore. He shyly looked over at them and then back to the soapy water he was submerged in.

"I am glad to hear it," he said, tone soft and fond. "You do look quite comfortable, love."

He smiled a little bit, sitting up to reach over and bring the basket closer. "Mhm, they are." he replied, smiling over at Honey. "I think there's a few different kinds in there, so what kind would you like? There's some with lunchmeat and cheese, some with peanut butter, I mean…whatever you'd like, really." he pulled a few out to show them to Honey.

Rin smiled, cracking his eyes open as steam rolled gently from the water. "I am very comfortable." he replied, snuggling closer to Arquis and pressing against their lover's side. "More comfortable now, though." they gave Arquis another soft, sweet smile.

Honey's demeanor changed. His eyes lit up, and he burst into that brilliant, genuine smile he so rarely wore. Both of his dimples were showing.

"Did you get any with that weird cheese stuff? The creamy spread with, like, the peppers in it. I can never remember what they call it, but, uh, I used to live near this one deli when I was young, and one of the workers used to sneak samples out to Lovey and I. He was a good guy." For a moment, he let himself sink into the memory. That moment ended as he cried, "Pimento cheese! That's what it's called! It's bizarre stuff."

Arquis felt affection for them blossom within himself, and he placed his fingers under their chin to gently angle his head. He then leaned in for a kiss. Though he assumed at some point things would get more passionate, this was a very tender, loving gesture.

"I love you," he whispered. "I love you so much, Rinlos. My heart.”

He thought for a moment. "I'm, uhm, not sure. I didn't make them, I just grabbed a few. There might be some with that pimento cheese, but I don't know." he replied, taking a bite of his own sandwich. It was delicious, of course. Why wouldn't it be? Most of the hotel's food that he had eaten had been, and this sandwich was no exception to that. "I can go back down to the dining room and grab you one, if you would like. I don't mind." he really didn't mind doing that, since Honey seemed so excited at the idea of eating the peppery cheese.

He returned the kiss, smiling into it. "Mhm." he hummed. "Love you too, darling." he replied in a quiet, soft tone. They smiled again, tipping his head just a little bit as he stayed pressed close to their partner.

Honey thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "Nice of you to offer, but I'm not picky. All the food here's good. Of course, that's cause the owner hires professional chefs. Only the most luxurious for our clientele." He said that last part in a sarcastic purr, his accent really shining through. "They deserve the best, apparently. I'm not too mad about it. Long as they keep me well fed, y'know, I'm not gonna raise a fuss."

He peered back into the basket when he was done talking and pulled out a sandwich. Layered inside of two browned buns were thin slices of white cheese, shredded lettuce, some kind of spread, and avocado. The blond hummed happily as he unwrapped it and took a bite.

Arquis lifted his hand and, with just the pad of his thumb, gently stroked a line down the arc of their throat. He was tracing the trail that a bead of water had left. He paused when he got to that shallow dip in between their collarbones. His lips found that spot, and he kissed it. When he lifted his head, the candlelight caught his eyes, and he looked different. Softer, somehow, like he was glowing from the inside out.