The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Ari smiled gently at him. "Alright." he said softly. "Just let me know if you change your mind, then." he took another bite of his own sandwich, humming very faintly as he did so. He was quite glad to have the food, and glad for the company, and glad for the blanket fort. Glad for all of it, really. This was a nice little fort that they had made together.

Rin inhaled softly, head tipping back just a little bit at that kiss. "I…oh, darling." he whispered, reaching up to run his fingers through Arquis's damp hair, giving him a gentle smile. "I adore you."

Honey smiled at him before focusing on finishing the rest of his sandwich. The quiet between the two of them was comfortable, or at least that's how he felt. He yawned when he was done and poured himself another glass of lemonade. Though it wasn't as cold as it had been earlier, it still tasted perfect. The kitchen wouldn't be serving it for much longer. In Anvillea, lemons and other citrus fruits went out of season in the winter. The chefs would probably switch to tea, hot chocolate, or coffee. Eggnog or other boozy drinks were also possible. Back when he still drank regularly, he'd been fond of mulled wine and the occasional hot toddy. He found that they gave his cheeks a nice rosy look.

The blond didn't even realize he'd been talking, but he'd apparently said most of that out loud. He wondered how much Ari had heard. This tended to happen a lot, especially when he was in a good mood. He'd just think and ramble and think and ramble.

Arquis beamed and kissed their cheek. Then, he gave them a peck on his forehead, then moved to their lips, then his jaw. He showered them in kisses until he was breathless.

"My love," he said in between soft pants for air. He moved over so that he was sideways in their lap; his right arm was loosely draped around their neck. It wasn't really a comfortable position, and he kind of hoped Rin would adjust the two of them somehow.

Ari smiled a little at Honey's rambling, taking a deep breath. "Well, sounds like we aren't going to run out of possibilities any time soon." he said, laughing a little bit. "Possibilities for drinks and foods, I mean." he shrugged his shoulders a little, taking another bite of his sandwich. "But I'm glad that they still had the lemonade for today. It fits our picnic theme. Though, if you would like a hot drink instead, I can go get some." again, he did not mind doing that for Honey, if Honey wanted one.

Rin's eyes flickered shut as Arquis peppered them with kisses, reaching to hold the other man closer. He shifted Arquis gently into what felt like a more comfortable position for the both of them, and pressed soft kisses to Arquis's cheeks. "Love you so much." he whispered against Arquis's skin.

Honey grinned. "Nah, lemonade is perfect, just like you said. But yeah. This place changes its menu basically all the time. I don't really know why. I guess to appeal to different palates or whatever. Kinda cool. Also probably very expensive. But then again, this is one of the only places that offers secrecy and, uh, y'know, certain services. So people will splurge."

There was a pause as he thought about what he'd said, and then he continued. "I guess it's kinda weird that I might not be here for much longer. If Lovey still wants me to move in with her, I mean. Into the new house." He fidgeted with his hair, fingers unsteady from a sudden wave of nerves, and smiled weakly. "Probably have to actually learn how to cook."

A deep, rumbling purr came from the nobleman's chest. He laughed softly, feeling equal parts embarrassed and satisfied. They'd done exactly what he was hoping for. He lifted his hand. With his fingers, he very slowly traced a swirling pattern down his partner's abdomen, stopping when his knuckles dipped into the water. He repeated the process, this time on the other side of his stomach. It was as if he was painting them, when in reality he was mostly just admiring his muscles.

"I will never get over just how gorgeous you are," he mumbled, love evident in his every glance and word. "And how lucky I am to be with you. To be the one that gets to hold you like this.”

He nodded a little bit, listening to Honey's comments. "I understand." he replied, then laughed a little bit. "You might, at that. I'm sure that Lovey and Pretty would appreciate it, especially when Lovey is having pregnancy cravings." he ran a hand through his hair. "From what I've heard, cravings are an absolute pain in the ass. I wouldn't know from, ah, personal experience." though someday, maybe, he might. He still wasn't sure how comfortable he would be with carrying a child. He didn't generally have a lot of bottom dysphoria, but he was still a bit concerned how he would feel if his abdomen began to swell with a pregnancy. Absently, he brushed a hand across his stomach, not really paying attention to the motion as he made it.

Rin shivered a little at that gentle, slow touch across their body. "Yeah." he whispered faintly. "I…I'm lucky to have you, my lovely darling." he whispered, holding onto Arquis and smiling faintly at his partner.

(are we gonna keep Honey/Ari's stuff here and move Arquis/Rin's stuff to messages? or how do you wanna do this? I'm good for anything you suggest!)

"I can make pancakes. Those aren't hard. And, like, I can boil water for pasta, but that's about it. I'll probably have to take lessons or something. I don't know. I've never been great at it." Honey did a miniature shrug. When he noticed Ari's hand on his stomach, he quirked a brow and joked, "Something you wanna tell me?"

He knew it was technically possible for Ari to get pregnant. Or maybe possible. He could be on some form of birth control. That didn't mean that it was impossible, though. Accidents happened. Had he ever mentioned something about bottom surgery? The blond couldn't remember, but he didn't think so. The past few days had been a bit of a blur.

Arquis blushed when they had that reaction, and he lowered his lips to his neck. He kissed it twice before letting his eyelids drift shut momentarily. Everything was so warm and comfortable, and it felt special. Maybe that was just that Rin was there. Things always felt different when he was around. The world was brighter and softer.

(uhhm idk probably keep Honey/Ari and move Arquis/Rin? that sounds good)

Ari blinked, cheeks flushing faintly as he glanced down at his own hand. "Oh! No, I'm not…that's not…" he cleared his throat faintly. "I'm not pregnant. I was just…lost in thought. That's all." he replied, shaking his head quickly. "I was just thinking about, uh, my…future. I suppose. Like…my own ability to become pregnant and what that could do to me mentally, and physically, and…and that sort of, uh, thing." he cleared his throat faintly, now embarrassed by his own oversharing about himself. He hadn't needed to say anything else, and instead he had babbled on like an idiot. "Sorry. I shouldn't have…I shouldn't have rambled like that."

He held onto Arquis, kissing his cheek. "Oh, darling." he whispered. "I adore you, my love. From the bottom of my heart." they kissed him again, smiling a little bit.

(okie dokie! after this one, then, if you don't mind sending the private message?)

Honey scoffed, though he was still clearly smiling. "That was, like, a minute of talking. Hardly counted as a ramble." He reached to take Ari's hand in his own, smoothing his thumb over his knuckles. "Do you think you'd want them? Kids, I mean. I haven't decided myself. Maybe someday. I don't know. I guess I'd be worried about being a bad parent, y'know? Seems like somedays I can barely take care of myself. Not sure how I'd do raising a toddler."

It was one thing to babysit Lovey's child and another to have his own. He knew this whole conversation was probably oversharing, but he kind of liked the vulnerability between him and Ari. Tucked away in their little fort, it felt safe to dream about the future.

Arquis repeated the sentiment before placing both of his palms on their stomach. He very gently pushed him backwards until their shoulders were against the rim of the bath. Then, while still sort of over him, he leaned in and pressed their lips together.

(yep!)

He smiled a little. "I do, I think. I just…I don't know how a pregnancy could affect me, uhm, mentally, you know? With the…dysphoria? I believe that is the translation into Anvillean?" he cleared his throat faintly. "I don't have a lot of bottom dysphoria, generally, but, uh…I don't know what would happen if I was pregnant. I don't know…how that would affect me. It might not…I don't know." he ran his free hand through his hair, giving Honey a faint smile.

Honey hummed sympathetically and gave his hand a squeeze. Dysphoria had never been something that he'd had to deal with, but he knew how difficult it could be from past experience with others. He couldn't even begin to imagine how pregnancy might complicate that whole ordeal.

"You could always adopt," he pointed out. "Lot of kids out there that need help. Though I also wouldn't blame you if you don't wanna. In Anvillea, adoption is a really long, screwed up process. Not sure what it's like in Kevra."

He nodded slightly. "Yes, that's true. Adoption can be…the Kevran adoption system can be difficult to work with, especially for, ah…well. There are a few complicating factors, for me, that would make adoption difficult." he could not remember if he had gone into detail with his family and his background of nobility. If he had not, he didn't want to get into it now. Not when they were having such a nice, sweet time right now.

Honey listened and nodded patiently, offering him an understanding smile. He wasn't sure what Ari's background was like, but he understood being in a complicated situation.

"Yeah, I get it. Trust me, I do. I just think that it'd be nice to take in a kid and give them a real good home life. Especially a kid who's seen a lotta hardship. A kid who really needs some guidance and protection." There was a lump in his throat suddenly. This was hitting extremely close to home. "You know what I mean? I'm not saying that having your own kid's worse or anything. Not at all. But, y'know, it's just something I've thought about before."

"Yeah, I get it." he replied in a soft tone. "It's just…it's all complicated, I think." he gave Honey a soft smile, gently squeezing the blond's hand. "And that's okay. We'll figure this out, whether separately or, uh, together." his smile turned a touch embarrassed again; he didn't want to make Honey uncomfortable, not at all.

"Yeah. Oh, yeah, definitely. Didn't mean to imply that we were, like, gonna have kids together. But I also didn't mean to imply that we weren't! Or aren't! Unless that's weird to imply or not imply." The blond shook his head, exasperated, and patted Ari's wrist. "You know what I meant. Or didn't mean. Or, uh, kinda sorta meant? I don't know. Words feel hard right now. I'm gonna be quiet and eat another sandwich. Gotta put something in my mouth. Food! I meant food! Not you! Not that I was thinking about putting any part of you anywhere near my mouth."

Well. He'd just about made everything worse. He rolled off Ari’s lap onto one of the other pillows and groaned into it. Speaking wasn't always his strong suit.

Ari began to laugh as Honey began to fumble and stutter, shaking his ehad faintly and grinning over at the blond. "I get it." he replied. "I think." he finished his own sandwich, giving Honey a moment to compose himself after that whole meltdown of communication ability. He was still laughing softly to himself, though, a smile pulling at his mouth.

Honey just groaned again. There were times where he was smooth and alluring, and usually he could turn on his charm at the drop of a hat. Today, it seemed like he was having a lot of trouble. His tongue wasn't just tied. It was basically a useless, unforgivable, traitorous knot. He bit the tip of it out of frustration, then swore in his head.

"Nice of you to pretend that I'm making sense," he finally said, after his poor tongue had stopped aching. His lips curved into a pout as he glanced at Ari. "But real rude of you to laugh at a man down on his luck. Consider it from my angle. Here I am, little old me, being humiliated in front of the man of my dreams. Do you not tire of mocking me? Does your cruelty know no bounds?"

Ari snickered faintly, covering his mouth with a hand. "I, uh, am not mocking you." he replied, clearing his throat. "But alas, my cruelty knows no bounds." he shrugged a shoulder, looking over at Honey. "My laughter is fueled by your embarrassment." his words were very clearly teasing and gentle, not at all cruel or mean.

"No," Honey fake wailed, throwing his hands up dramatically. His wrist twinged. He ignored it. Healing was a pain, as it turned out. He flopped in front of Ari and threw an arm over his eyes. "I shall never recover from this knowledge that you have shared. Woe is me! I'll die here, forsaken, drowned in the laughter of a man I once called my date."

He stuck his tongue out, emphasizing his faux death, and made his whole body go limp. One of his eyes opened just a crack.

"You better be mourning me. Or else I'm gonna haunt you. Terribly. You'll never eat another sandwich in peace."

Ari laughed, watching Honey's theatrics with a grin on his face. "Oh, of course I'm mourning." he replied, doing his best to school his expression into a somber one. It was difficult, though, and his mouth kept twitching at the corners in an attempt to laugh again. He compromised by covering his face with his hands, shaking his head.

Honey saw his lips twitch and made an offended sound. He remembered shortly after that he was supposed to be dead. Well, no one could put on a perfect performance every time. He lifted his hands into the air and wiggled his fingers menacingly. His wrist throbbed again. Just like last time, he paid it no mind.

"Having sensed a most horrendous betrayal in the world of the living, I have risen from the void. To haunt you. Like I promised I would." He flopped over a few inches and, improvising, kissed Ari's knee. "You feel haunted yet?"

Ari uncovered his face, clearing his throat faintly and snickering softly at the kiss. "Only slightly, dear Honey. Only slightly. I don't think that that haunting was strong enough yet, not at all. You must haunt me a little more, I think, before I truly feel the effects of your haunting." he laughed softly, smiling down at Honey.

"You telling me to haunt you harder?" Honey asked, quirking a brow. That sounded like a challenge, and oh, was he feeling competitive. He rolled into a sitting position and looked over at Ari. His expression was calculating. Suddenly, his arm snapped out behind him. He ripped one of the blankets from the door and threw it over himself. Five seconds of adjusting later, and he was dressed like a classic sheet ghost. He waddled on his knees over to Ari, but instead of doing anything particularly spooky, he lifted the sheet and kissed him on the forehead.

"Boo," he whispered, grinning despite himself. The whole thing was ridiculous.

Ari laughed, smiling up at Honey from where he sat on the pillows. "How terrifying." he replied, smiling. "I think that that was a sufficient haunting, as I feel quite petrified with fear." he was laughing even as he spoke, reaching up to rest his hands on Honey's shoulders. "I am shaking where I sit."

"That's exactly what you deserve, you scoundrel," Honey scolded. He tapped him on the nose as if he was a dog. Just as he was about to say more, undoubtedly going to continue his little charade, there came a knock on the door.

"Good morning! I'm sorry to bother you, but is Honey in there?" It was Lovey. She must've come to check on them after last night. He called for her to step inside and heard the door swing open. Through the gap created by him taking one of the blankets, he could see her legs and fuzzy pink slippers. She laughed brightly.

"Oh, that looks so cozy! I didn't mean to intrude, but, um, Sugar's been going wild all morning, and I thought she might want to see you." She bent down and placed the dog on the floor. Immediately, the pup sprang forward and bounced into the fort, landing on Ari's stomach. She barked several times in a row. The blond reached over to pick her up in case she got aggressive, but he stopped when he saw her tail wagging.

Ari smiled at Lovey, then grinned at Sugar, reaching up to pet the little dog. "Hello, Sugar~" he crooned, a smile still tugging at his mouth. "Aren't you so cute? Aren't you such a sweet little cutie?" he babied her, laughing a little bit and petting Sugar gently. "Such a sweet little thing, yes you are, yes you are!"

Honey flopped onto his stomach and then wiggled halfway out of the fort so he see his sister better. She'd done her hair in a ponytail, and her lips were painted baby pink to match her dress. Keeping her legs warm was a pair of cream colored stockings.

"Like I said, I'm just here for a minute. I've gotta go to work the front desk." She retrieved a pink mask with ribbons from the pocket of her dress and held it for him to see. Her expression softened. "Pretty's out talking to the people selling the house. She said she wanted to see if we could move in any sooner."

"There's no rush. Baby's not gonna be here for, what, several months? You've got time."

"Yeah, but I don't like the thought of you being here any longer than you have to. I know you're gonna say that it's fine, but it's not. This place just isn't safe for you anymore."

"What, and a house is?" He didn't mean to sound so angry, but his face had gone bright red. "Doesn't matter where we hide. People can find us anywhere. You know that. Remember what happened last time, when-" He cut himself off, remembering that Ari was still there. Absentmindedly, he reached over and gave Sugar’s head a scratch. The little dog no longer looked so excited.

Ari quieted at their conversation, looking up at the two of them with concern in his gaze. "Is everything alright?" he asked slowly, sitting up and poking his head out of the blanket fort. "Or is this, uh, not a conversation that you want me to be here for?" he didn't want to interrupt them, but he wanted to help, somehow, if it was possible to do so.

Honey blew out an exasperated breath and pinched the spot between his brows. This really wasn't Ari's problem to deal with. Besides, they were in his room. It'd be rude to have an argument when they weren't in their own space.

"Yeah, handsome, it's alright. Got a bit heated, that's all. Right, Lovey?" He looked up and immediately felt like he'd been sucker punched. His sister was visibly upset. She wasn't crying, but her eyes were suspiciously damp, and he saw her lower lip tremble. "Oh. I didn't mean to, uh, say that stuff."

"It's okay! Really, you're right. It's fine. We're good! Just, um, I guess I'll see you guys later." She hurried out the door as if she didn't want to hear another word. Honey didn't blame her. He'd basically blown up at her for no reason.

Ari looked between the two of them, and pulled back into the blanket fort so that he wasn't interrupting as much. "Sorry." he said softly, as Lovey left. He knew it wasn't his fault, but he was still sorry for the argument and for the upset that had happened. He gently scratched behind Sugar's ears, not wanting the dog to feel stressed and upset about all of this.

Sugar wagged her tail so hard that her entire body wiggled, and she gave Ari a few licks on the wrist. She seemed calmer than before. That was likely due to the fact that Lovey had left, meaning the pup couldn't see that her owner was distressed. She trotted in small circle in Ari's lap before curling into a ball.

"Yeah. I mean, nah. Don't be apologizing for stuff that's not your fault. But yeah. That sucked." Honey scratched at his forehead before raking his hand through his hair. "Damnit. Not sure why I said any of that. Shit. I hope she's gonna be alright."