The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Honey flinched away from their soft touch and buried his face in his own forearm. Thankfully, it was his non-injured one. He stayed there for a moment, chest heaving, before he nodded.

“Nah, you didn’t say the wrong thing. Guess I’m just real sensitive right now. Everything seems to set me off.”

“That is alright. Perhaps you should sit for a little while?” Arquis suggested. He’d just been through a lot. Scraping his hand, yelling, exposing himself to the both of them. Talking about subjects that he clearly struggled with, like money and whoever he owed. He’d been right about the inn. It seemed a source of misery for him, more a prison or a trap than a workplace.

“Alright. Alright, yeah, I’ll do that.”

Honey sat down hard on the side of the bed opposite from where Rin was laying. He nibbled at one of his nails again, a nervous habit if ever there was one. Arquis gently removed his hand and set it on the comforter.

“Bad habit,” Honey muttered. “Sorry.”

Rin immediately pulled back at the flinch. "It's alright." they said, very softly. "It's…it really is, Honey. Please just sit down and…and breathe for a moment." their voice strained for a moment, and they cleared his throat again, sipping at the tea to try and soothe it. They took a few deep breaths, brows pulling together for a moment.

Honey looked over at them, his own brow furrowed. Their voice really didn’t sound too great. The fact that he was also apparently having a difficult time breathing wasn’t comforting. He wondered if he really should get them that stuff for his throat.

Arquis had noticed the issue as well. With a fond yet worried expression, he came to their side and stroked his thumb down their cheek. He could still feel the heat there. It didn’t seem to be a super high or dangerous fever, but it also didn’t seem like it would be letting up soon, either. He went on one knee beside the bed and looked up at his partner lovingly.

“That did not sound right, my love. Medicine might be necessary.”

Rin looked down at Arquis, shaking their head. "I'm fine. It's just, uhm, a cold or a bug or something." they replied quietly, taking a few more sips of tea. "Please. It's nothing." their voice did sound a bit more strained now, but he was fine. He was fine. They had to be.

Arquis took his hand and rubbed his thumb over the pulse point in their wrist. While it soothed him to feel their heartbeat, it didn’t stop him from worrying. Was he imagining the slight pallor to their complexion? The tension in his voice? That glassy quality of their eyes? Surely not.

“It is not nothing. You sound unwell, my dear. I am not positive that tea alone can cure you.” He paired that with a small, charming smile, then kissed the middle of their palm. “No matter how much of it you consume.”

“Yeah. Your boytoy’s right. Even if it’s just a cold or something, you still don’t gotta suffer through it, y’know? Might as well get some meds in you. The good stuff, the kind that’ll knock you out. I’m sure we’ve gotta have those somewhere.”

“Boytoy?” Arquis repeated, bewildered.

“Trying it out. Don’t like it?”

“That is not even remotely related to the subject at hand,” he argued. As if remembering where he was, he suddenly turned back to his partner. “So? What do you think, love?”

Rin shook his head quickly. "I-I can't do the, ah, the drugs. Medication." he said, stumbling over his words a little bit. "I can't…I can't do that, please don't make me do that." he had had too many drugs forced into him by Lysander, and the idea of more terrified him. He took another sip of tea, hands shaking faintly.

“Oh,” Arquis breathed, heart aching. “Oh, my love, I had forgotten about that. I am terribly sorry. You do not have to take anything that you do not want to take.”

Honey looked both guilty and mortified. “I didn’t know. Swear, I had no clue. Wouldn’t have said it like that if I did. Wouldn’t have said it at all.”

Arquis took their hand, frowning at how it shook, and squeezed it. He wasn’t sure what to do next. It was understandable that Rin wouldn’t want to take medication due to his past, but he was ill and apparently growing even more so. Not using medicines for recreational purposes was alright, but denying them in a situation involving his health was risky. Would he deny himself antipyretics? What if he began to get worse? Would he be fine with cough syrup? This was dangerous business, indeed.

“If medicine is out of the picture, then perhaps there are natural remedies that could help. Vapor or steam, for example, often tends to clear congestion. Water will keep you hydrated. A cold bath might bring down your fever.”

Rin nodded faintly. "It's…it's fine." they said softly, still holding onto their tea. "I'm fine. It's just a cold or something, I don't need anything." they cleared their throat again, looking down at the mug of tea in their hands. He closed his eyes.

Arquis felt a surge of worry rise within his chest. “It does not have to be fine. And while you might not need anything, nobody here will fault you if there is something that you want.”

Honey was giving the two of them space. He’d settled into a spot on the edge of the bed. One of his legs was dangling over the side. His knee bumped up against the mattress as he fidgeted with his sweater. He was quiet. Not guilty any longer, just quiet, sensing that they needed room to talk.

The nobleman removed the cup of tea from his partner’s hands. It had gone cold, and there wasn’t much left. He cupped their face and gently massaged his temples.

They shook their head faintly, leaning into Arquis's hands and taking a deep breath. "Okay." they breathed. They didn't really want anything. Thye just wanted to help Honey, without upsetting anyone, but they weren't feeling great and it was so hard to try and help.

“You have done so well, my dear,” Arquis murmured, almost as if he’d read their mind. The way they leaned into his hands made him smile. He kissed them right between the brows, smoothing away the creases there with his lips. Their skin was still very warm under his mouth.

“Probably shouldn’t do that.”

He looked at Honey, baffled. “I should not comfort my partner?”

“Nah, that’s fine. Kissing, though. Bad idea. He’s sick.”

He hadn’t thought of that, but it was a very solid argument. If whatever Rin had was in fact infectious, it would be dangerous for Arquis to catch. Especially if it had anything to do with the chest. He’d just recovered from the poisoning and asthma incident of the previous week, and even then his lungs still weren’t in the best shape.

But that didn’t matter. His lover was hurting, and he wished to help. He fixed his expression and kissed Rin again, this time on their jaw.

Rin just stayed cuddled up to Arquis, quiet and tired despite only having woken up a few hours ago. He still felt overly warm, and chilled at the same time. "'m fine." he mumbled, even though he clearly wasn't.

Honey hopped off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. There was the unmistakable sound of someone rummaging through a cabinet. A moment later, he returned with a glass thermometer.

“Just remembered I had this,” he said as he came over to Rin’s side of the bed. “Lovey had a cold a long time ago, and Divinity got all worried. Went out and bought a whole bunch of stuff for sick people. Soup, some medicine, tea, y’know. Rest of it went bad, but this is still in working condition.”

He tipped Rin’s chin back and slipped the thermometer in their mouth. Arquis stroked their arm with his hand, whispering praise under his breath. They did look rather tired. It was just their luck that they’d fall ill after making it all the way out to the inn. He remembered his persistence when walking all that way through the snowy night, their bravery in the carriage, his charisma on stage at the party. How irritating, that they’d made it this far only to not be able to enjoy it.

Honey took the thermometer out and whistled. He tipped it so Arquis could see the results. “Yeah, definitely sick. Sorry, sweetheart. Looks like you’re gonna be bedridden for today.”

Rin grumbled faintly, leaning his head on Arquis's shoulder with a tired sigh. "'m fine." he insisted. "Just…I'm just a bit cold, that's all. I'm okay." they sighed softly, shivering and drawing the blankets closer around their body.

Arquis gently removed the top blanket and moved it to the side. They needed to keep warm, but getting too hot would only make him worse. It’d cause him to sweat, which would lead to dehydration, and keep his body heat high. He kissed them apologetically on the cheek.

Honey took the thermometer to the bathroom to clean it. In the meantime, Arquis slipped his arm around his partner’s stomach and adoringly caressed their side. He pulled them in close.

“I think you are cold, my dear, because of the fever,” he teased, though it was gentle. “Which would mean that you are indeed ill. Would you like to return to our room? I did mention a bath earlier.”

Rin shivered again when Arquis took one of their blankets, curling closer to him in order to leech his body heat. He shook his head faintly. "Don't wanna leave Honey alone." he replied quietly. "Don't want him to hurt himself." they closed their eyes, exhausted and starting to ache more and more noticeably.

There it was again, that lack of self-preservation. Arquis wished his partner would be more selfish. He clearly wasn’t feeling well, and he didn’t look it, either. But even still, they were trying to make sure that someone else was alright. He made a quiet, disapproving humming sound.

“Honey will be alright. He has Pretty to watch over him, and if you do wish to leave, then I can send her to fetch Lovey and Sugar as well. You do not need to worry about him any longer, at least not for today. Let us worry about you instead. This fever of yours is not horribly high yet, but that does not mean it cannot worsen.”

Honey re-entered the bedroom and flopped down onto the mattress. His hair fell into his eyes, and he grinned, looking foolish and youthful once more.

“What’re you lovebirds whispering about?”

Rin stayed cuddled up to Arquis, tired and aching but not wanting to leave Honey alone. When the young man came back in, they looked over at him, giving him a very soft, very faint smile. "It's…it's nothing. It's fine." they said, voice quiet. He shivered again, pressing closer to Arquis in search of warmth.

Before Arquis or Honey could say anything to that, there was a series of knocks on the door. It swung open to reveal Lovey. She was wearing a very pretty, pale pink nightgown with lace and ruffles. It even had a bow on the bosom. Her light blonde curls bounced on her shoulders as she turned to say something to Pretty. On her feet were dainty socks with fur-lined slippers in the same shade of pink as her dress.

“Hi, everyone!” she chirped in a singsong voice. She held up Sugar, who Arquis hadn’t realized she was holding, and beamed. The little dog was wearing tiny pink boots. Her tail wagged at hyper speed when she saw Honey. Despite himself, Arquis flinched.

“Hello, Lovey. Might I ask you to lower your voice, please? Rin has fallen ill.”

She looked at them and frowned. “Oh, you do look quite flushed! Poor thing.”

Rin whined very faintly when the door swung open, hiding his face in Arquis's shoulder. "'m just tired." he insisted, shaking their head. "That's all. 'm not sick." they knew they were sick; god, they knew it. But they weren't going to admit it out loud, not now, not when they didn't want to leave Honey. Not when Honey had said that he wanted to hurt himself or worse.

“Aw, give it a rest already, handsome. You’re sick. Got a nice little fever going and everything. Denial doesn’t work when we’ve got the facts to prove it.”

Honey’s words were said mockingly, but he was clearly worried for them. He gestured for Lovey to draw the curtains over the window and get rid of most of the lights in the room save for one large, unscented candle. She lit it with ease and set it on the vanity. Arquis smiled gratefully at her. In return, she did a miniature curtsy. The glitter in her light pink eyeshadow and lip gloss shimmered in the candlelight.

He wrapped both arms about his lover, combed his fingers through their hair, and sighed. “Love, really. There is no need to be so stubborn. It is alright.”

He pressed close to Arquis. "I don't want to leave Honey alone, Arquis. What…" they would feel absolutely awful if they left and then Honey hurt himself, or worse. Their words were said in a whisper, quite enough that Honey wouldn't be able to hear what he said. He didn't want to make Honey feel bad, not when that would just make the risks worse.

“He would not be alone. Lovey is here now, and if we asked her to stay I believe that she would,” Arquis responded in an equally quiet voice. He rubbed his hand in slow circles on their shoulder, then stopped, exhaled, and hugged him tightly. “I know that this is hard for you, but you have to understand that you are not responsible for him. You have done your best to help him and have in many ways succeeded, but you must now help yourself. You are not well, my love.”

Honey and Lovey were chatting amongst themselves. She put Sugar on top of her brother, giggling as the dog leapt up his body to lick at his face. He groaned and laughed as well. The dog was ecstatic. She yipped happily, spun around, and looked at Lovey expectantly. Lovey complied, sitting on the bed and scratching under the puppy’s snout.

Arquis tried his best to pretend that Sugar wasn’t there. His entire body had gone rigid, however, and he looked the other way when she barked.

He inhaled softly, staying pressed close to Arquis. "I know, I just…what if something happens, and if we were here it wouldn't have?" they asked, very quiet. "I don't…I can't…" he hid his face in Arquis's shoulder, taking a deep breath. He still felt chilled and cold, and his head hurt.

Sugar, apparently sensing their worry, wiggled away from her owners and darted to his side. She lightly clawed at his hip. Her paws were still in boots, however, so it was more of patting than actual scratching. She dug her tiny nose into their ribs and let out a whine.

“Think she’s worried about you, sweetheart,” Honey remarked. His accent grew a bit stronger when he was concerned. He leaned over and placed his palm between their shoulder blades.

Lovey hopped up and came around to their side of the bed. She exchanged a glance with Arquis, who continued to stroke through their hair. It was growing damp with cold sweat. Fever sweat, as Marsiquia used to call it whenever he would fall ill.

Then, to his surprise, she asked, “What happened to your hand?”

Arquis looked down, feeling a spike of panic. He had forgotten to put his glove back on when she’d come in. “Ah, nothing. That is a matter for a different time.”

She nodded. “Oh, um, alright.” And then, sweetly to Rin, she asked, “Would you like to go to your room for a nap? You really look like you could use some rest.”

He reached over and gently scratched Sugar's head between her ears, shaking his head faintly. "'m fine." he replied, staying close to Arquis. "I don't…I don't need to leave or…or anything." he was still exhausted, though, and his words betrayed that.

Sugar whimpered and bounced onto his back. She sniffed at the nape of his neck before turning to look at Lovey. The young woman bit her bottom lip, ruining her lip gloss, and patted her dog’s side. That didn’t seem to help. The puppy barked urgently. Honey picked her up with a sigh, shushing her.

“I know you might not wanna, but you really don’t sound good,” Lovey fretted. She walked to the bathroom and came back with a cool, slightly damp cloth. Arquis thanked her with a smile before very gently wiping his partner’s face. They really were beginning to take a turn for the worse, he thought. Still not in drastic shape, but his skin had an unnatural, clammy pallor to it.

“I can carry you,” Honey offered.

Arquis instantly shook his head. “You are not putting anymore stress on that wrist. It needs to heal. I, on the other hand, have no such injury, and would be more than glad to help you back.”

Rin frowned. "You're not carrying me, Honey, not with that wrist. You've already been too rough on it." he took a sip of his water to try and soothe his throat, shaking their head a little bit. He stayed close to Arquis, shivering for a moment. "It's nothing. 'm just…'m just tired. And cold. I'm fine."

“We already have proof that says otherwise, my dear,” Arquis said with a shake of his head. He was fond of them, truly, but he really wished they would take care of himself. It was hard to watch him take care of everyone else and deny themself the same treatment. If it had been Honey that was ill, he knew that they would have done everything in their power to nurse him back to health. That was what he had done for Arquis, after all. He remembered their strong arms under him as he carried him up the hill.

“Please?” his voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “Rin, this behavior is worrying. You are not fine, and you do not have to be, so please let us help.”

Rin frowned a little bit. "I'm fine." they insisted, then coughed softly, a grimace pulling at their face. "I…I promise, 'm fine." they knew they weren't being truthful, but god, it was so hard. They wanted to take care of Honey, not have to be taken care of by everyone else.