The Strangers in the Palace (Closed)(Fantasy)

Ari smiled at Sugar again, and then joined Honey in the hallway. "Yeah." he smiled at Honey, and then started leading him through the hallway. He didn't know quite what was going on with Honey– he could tell something was wrong, but he couldn't tell what –so he didn't say anything about it. Maybe it would all be fine again in the morning? He hoped so, anyway. It didn't take long to make it to his room, and he opened the door, carefully leading Honey inside.

Rin inhaled sharply as Arquis scrambled away, sitting back a little bit to give his partner space. "I-I…" they could only assume that this was a response to their abilities. Their magic. They didn't know why, but he knew that that was probably the reason. "I'm sorry, Arquis." he breathed, not moving closer. Coming close had been what set this off to begin with.

Honey entered the room and stared at the bed for a long moment, his jaw working in silence. Then, without warning, he curled one hand in the bottom of his shirt and took it off, revealing his lean, well-muscled abdomen. The handprint burn looked even worse than the day prior. It was raised and red, and he hadn't rebandaged it while he was getting ready for their date. He ignored it entirely as he discarded his shirt on the floor.

"Alright, stranger," he said. The tone of his voice was so different that it was as if someone else was speaking. This tone made him sound passive and soft and sultry, and it exaggerated his accent. Each word came out smooth as butter with a hint of a purr. "You've got me here. Go ahead."

Arquis whimpered and braced himself for the worst. When nothing happened after the apology, he opened one eye, though he didn't relax. He was expecting a trick. But none came. All he saw were two concerned faces, one of which belonged to his loving partner. He'd probably frightened them. They'd sounded so worried earlier, when he'd fainted. He didn't want to upset him again. The nobleman bit hard on the inside of his cheek and waited for his breathing to even out. Once it finally did, he smiled pathetically.

"Apologies. I am alright. I was just not expecting… well, it does not matter, not right now." He swallowed and looked at Ophia. "Can I ask what it was that he said before he left? Perhaps I do not truly want to know."

The doctor frowned. "I could barely hear it, but it was something about someone's mother? I don't know. Seemed like a run of the mill insult."

Ari stared at him for a long moment, eyes finding the burn on Honey's torso before flicking back to the blond's face. "I, uhm, thought I was clear that we're only here for sleeping?" he said slowly, unsure what was going on. "I don't, ah, want sex. And I really don't think you do either. Can we…can we do something about that burn, though? It doesn't look good, and it can't feel good either." he adjusted the braid that Honey had done earlier, clearing his throat and taking a deep breath.

Rin kept their gaze on Arquis, still not moving. "Are you alright?" he asked softly. "Did I, ah, frighten you?" he didn't use their ability often for this exact reason; it frightened people, and he himself didn't like it either. He had never been controlled the way he could control others, but he had been controlled in other ways. It was why his ability was the way it was.

Honey's face fell, but he tried to play it off with a nonchalant shrug. He crossed the room to the bed and sat on the corner nearest Ari, folding one leg over the other. Though his expression was calm, hot shame was beginning to burn inside him. It boiled over into anger, then crested and ebbed back into humiliation. He probably looked ridiculous, sitting there with his shirt off. No wonder his date didn't want anything to do with him.

"I mean, it's fine. Doesn't hurt too bad," he mumbled, back to his real voice. When he glanced at Ari, there was undeniable hurt in his gaze. "I really don't get you."

"No, no," Arquis said, shaking his head. "No, you did not. I suppose it was just, ah, the shock of the scene, and, well, I was not expecting that. You are quite alright, my love. What is it they say? No harm, no foul."

Ophia looked skeptical, and the noble didn't blame her. It was a pretty bad lie. He just didn't want his partner to feel guilty, especially not when they'd saved both the house and their lives. Plus, thinking about the incident too deeply might cause him to spiral again. He'd already caused enough drama.

Ari blinked at him again, standing still and fidgeting with his hands for just a moment. "I, uh, don't understand." he said slowly. "What do you mean you don't get me?" he almost felt that he should be the one saying that, but he knew Honey was only acting out of trauma and pain and uncertainty. He cleared his throat again, fingers locked together as he continued to fidget just a little, unsure what else to do.

Rin swallowed. "I…" he really didn't believe Arquis, and his gaze flicked to Ophia for a moment, then back to Arquis. "Are you sure? It's okay if I did, I…I know my ability isn't one that most people would consider, uhm…good." he knew that. He knew their ability was so easily abused, knew that it would be so easy to use it to force someone into something that they were not interested in, and he knew that it caused fear inside of people.

Honey sighed, uncrossed his legs, and slouched. He balled his hands into fists and pressed them against his closed eyelids.

"First you say that you don't want sex until we know each other better, and I'm like okay, that's fine, I get it. And then we go on a date, and we do get to know each other, and then you say I can stay in your room. And sure, you say that it's not like that—that we're not gonna do anything—but that was in front of my sister. Of course you wouldn't wanna talk about that in front of her. So, I come here, expecting, y'know, and you don't want it. I don't understand. Is it me?" His voice cracked on that last syllable. "Am I the problem? I promise I won't tell anyone. If you want it, you can have it. I'm good for it. I am. And you don't have to take me out again afterwards or anything. I can go back to my room, and you won't have to deal with the fallout."

By the time he was finished with the rant, he was pretty much out of air. He gulped down a few breaths and let his arms drop. His eyes were still shut, though. He couldn't bear to look at Ari.

Arquis tried for a smile. "Yes, Rin, I am sure. We do not choose our abilities. I am not frightened of you, or what you can do." That second part was very much a lie, and the words shook as they came out. He cleared his throat. "Ophia, you really cannot remember what else he might have said?"

"I'm sorry, but no, not really. I thought maybe it was an insult aimed at me, considering I'm kinda like Honey's mother and all." The doctor groaned as she surveyed the room. She lightly touched the blackened streak in the floor. "Still can’t believe he did that. I suppose I'll have to get new carpeting in here, huh?"

Ari watched and listened quietly, taking a deep breath. "I meant what I said, Honey. I don't want to do anything. I don't know you well enough to feel comfortable having sex with you, and even if I did, you clearly are not." his words were careful, and free of any judgement. "You are not a problem. We had a lovely date, Honey. I had a good time, and I hope that you did too, but my intentions in coming here were only to sleep, and maybe to talk. Nothing more than that." his voice was soft and gentle, and he kept his eyes fixed on the young man before him. "Does that…does that make sense to you?"

Rin kept his eyes on Arquis, studying him. "Please don't lie to me, Arquis." he said quietly. "I would rather you tell me the truth and hurt my feelings than be lied to." Lysander had lied so much, all the time, about everything. He had lied and gaslit and manipulated and Rinlos would always, always rather have the truth, no matter how much it hurt. Little lies turned into big ones and they didn't want that to happen.

"No, it doesn't," Honey responded, though the heat had bled from his tone. His eyelids fluttered open. He looked exhausted. He scratched faintly at his jaw for a silent moment before continuing.

"I mean, I get it. You've got your way of doing things, and that's fine. I'm not gonna make you do anything you don't wanna do. But you've gotta understand. This doesn't happen to me. Ever. In my world, sleeping and talking mean sex. Someone says they wanna talk, we end up in bed. Someone says they wanna sleep with me, well, you can guess what happens. So no, this isn't making a lot of sense. I don't know what I can provide for you other than that. I don't know why you keep coming back. Is it guilt? Do you feel like you have to protect me or something? You don't gotta. I’ll be fine.”

"I know you're a good guy,” he added after another moment, “and that's exactly why I don't get this. Why I can't figure out what you're doing with me. What do you want, Ari?"

The nobleman's smile faded. A while ago, he'd decided that he didn't want to lie to Rin, but he thought that this specific situation was an exception. Making them feel guilty for something he couldn't control would've been cruel. Or so he'd thought. But now his partner was practically begging for the truth, and he wasn't exactly sure why. Confusion and embarrassment melded together inside of him. He turned his head away.

"Fine," he muttered, two bright spots of red burning high in his cheeks. "It frightened me terribly. Is that what you wanted to hear? That I was afraid of you? That I am still?"

He brought his knees to his chest and encircled them with his arms, then pressed his forehead to his thigh. Looking at them would make him feel all sorts of torn up.

Ari took a deep breath, trying to think of how to respond. "You're a sweet, kind, good guy, Honey. And…I really do just want to get to know you. Not so that we can have sex, not with any sort of ulterior motives like that. I just want to get to know you, and maybe help you, if you'll let me do that for you." he said slowly, looking at the blond on his bed and staying standing, not moving from where he stood. "I don't want anything from you that you aren't willing to give. If you don't want anything from me, say so, and I'll walk you back to your sister's room and we can part ways. No hard feelings."

Rin took a deep breath, eyes flicking to the floor for a moment. They had known what Arquis would say, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. "I am sorry that I frightened you, love." he said softly, and he meant it. "And I am sorry that I didn't tell you earlier so that it didn't shock you. And, ah, I would never use my ability on you, Arquis." he could think of no situation where that wasn't true.

Honey clawed his fingers through his hair, clearly distressed. He was so tired that it was hard to think straight. Nothing Ari was saying was making much sense.

"I want a lot from you," he mumbled. "That's not the issue. It's just that what I want usually doesn't matter. And I'm struggling to figure out why it does now. There's not much about me that's worth knowing. I don't want you to be disappointed when you realize that you've wasted your time."

A lump formed in his throat at that last bit, and he absentmindedly rubbed his neck, as if that would fix it. His mind really wasn't in a good place. He felt defeated and extremely vulnerable. Quite literally so, now that his shirt was off.

Arquis didn't look at them, not even when he heard the pain in his soft tone. The nobleman wasn't mad at his lover, but they'd asked for the truth, and he felt like he had to give it to him. That meant he'd have to hurt them worse.

"I know that you did not mean to startle me, and I am not upset that you did. It was not your fault. But I will never be able to fully believe you about that last part." Once it was out in the air, he winced. He sounded heartless. To clarify, he added, "Not because I believe that you wish to harm me, but because the possibility is always there. Does that make sense?"

Ari fidgeted with his fingers again, brows gathering together for a moment. "But– Honey, you are worth knowing." he protested, frowning just a little bit. "I promise that you are. I may not know you well yet, but everything that I have learned thus far has only made me want to get to know you more." he picked Honey's shirt up from the floor, gently tossing it to the blond. "Do you want to put that back on? Or, uhm, actually…maybe we can put a bandage on that burn, first?" he wouldn't touch Honey if Honey didn't want him to or wasn't comfortable with it, but that burn needed attention.

Rin swallowed softly, and nodded. "It makes sense." he said quietly. "I promise you that I never would. I hardly use my ability, for this exact reason. But it's…it's useful, in emergencies." and he hated that in those situations, they liked that they had that ability. They hated that he ever liked his ability, but at the same time…if he had not just used it on Myr, then they all could have been harmed by him.

Honey caught the shirt and spread it out on his lap. Humiliated and also a little touched by what Ari had said, he shrugged with his head down, refusing to meet his gaze. At this point, he wasn't sure he cared if he got medical attention. Maybe he deserved some sort of punishment for the way he'd been acting. Or maybe he needed that steady source of pain to keep himself in the moment. If it wasn't there, then he might slip into memories of rooms just like this one, where men weren't as patient as Ari.

"It's fine. Like I said. Barely hurts." Each sentence was short and choppy, which only made his self-loathing grow. He wished Ari had chosen for them to split for the night. The other man deserved someone better; a man that was kinder, with much less baggage. Not him, who was sullen and sorry and very tired. So quietly that it was barely audible, he whispered, "I'm sorry."

"I understand," Arquis responded, but that was all he said. He couldn't tell them that it would be alright, or that he believed his promise, because he wasn't sure any of that was true. That made him feel guilty. Rin hadn't done anything wrong. They hadn't asked for this ability. The fact that he had it meant that they themself was deeply afraid of being controlled, just like Arquis. Yet he couldn't just be fine with it, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself.

Ophia stood and stretched. She wanted to give the two some alone time, but she was also just worn out. After a long day of healing, walking around the village, and now fighting off an abusive intruder, she was ready for bed. She gave Rin a comforting pat on the shoulder before heading towards her bedroom. Before she entered it, she turned to say goodnight. The nobleman returned it softly. He kind of wished that she would stay. Though he loved Rin, he still didn't feel entirely safe around them.

"Are you sure? I can go get some burn cream for it, and we can put a bandage on it before you go to bed. And, Honey, you have nothing to be sorry for. You have done nothing wrong." he said softly. He took a few steps across the room to take a sip of water, his gaze flicking about for a moment. Once he finished drinking, he set his water cup back down and looked over at Honey again.

Rin was quiet, saying a soft goodnight to Ophia. He slowly sat down on the carpet, looking at the fireplace rather than at his partner. He knew that Arquis was upset, and they also knew that there was nothing that he could do to fix that. Nothing he could do to restore things to the way they had been, save perhaps just to give Arquis time and space to think and process everything.

Honey shook his head. "Don't need to go and do all that. You've done so much. Really, I'll be okay. Probably not even second degree."

He pulled the shirt on and then waited, uncertain of what to do next. Should he wait for Ari to get under the covers? Was he expected to sleep on the ground? He wasn't sure what the protocol for this sort of situation was. Was there some sort of subtle signal or social cue he was missing? He began to bite at his nails, more out of nervous habit than conscious choice.

After a couple of silent minutes, Arquis shifted. He finally stretched out his legs, though he still didn't look at his partner. That was too difficult. What he did instead was take off his gloves so that he could see his scars. In the firelight, they seemed darker than normal, as if they were fresher than they actually were. Each was a painful reminder of a time he didn't care to remember. He ran the pad of his right thumb across his left knuckles, tracing the marks over the ridges without a word. It was almost like a prayer. Almost.

"I suppose we should get some sleep soon. I will take the couch." He didn't say the rest out loud, but it was obvious: Rin should take the guest room. Just the idea of it was painful. They hadn't slept apart for almost the entire time they'd known each other.

"Are you sure?" Ari asked, slowly approaching the bed and sitting down on the edge. He waited a moment, thinking. "And, ah…how would you like to work our sleeping arrangement?" he looked over at Honey, then the bed. "Are you alright with sharing, and we each take a side? Or would you prefer one of us takes the floor?" he was alright sharing the bed if Honey was, but he wanted to make sure that they were on the same page about it all.

Rin couldn't stop the soft, hurt little "oh" that escaped him at Arquis's words, nor could he hide the slight slump to their shoulders. He sat still for a long, silent moment, mouth working slightly, then took a deep breath and stood up, trying to hide the hurt on his face. "I…I'm sorry, Arquis." they said quietly, squeezing their hands together. "I didn't mean…" he trailed off, and headed towards the bedroom.

The blond considered Ari's questions. Would sleeping on the floor be easier for both of them? He kind of doubted it. Doing so wouldn't really lessen Honey's fears. All it'd do is give one of them a sore back.

"Uh, sharing works, I think. I could sleep on top of the covers? I guess? Unless you don't want me to, which is okay. I get it. This is your bed, and you don't gotta share it. I've spent the night in some weird places, the floor isn't that bad."

Arquis almost gave in when he heard that wounded, soft sound, but he managed to stay put. Even still, it was clear that he, too, was hurting. The whole thing was agonizing. His mind warred with his body. Instinct told him to put distance between himself and Rin. Love told him to follow them, to kiss everything better. In the end, he did neither. He just sat limply like a broken toy. The only sign of movement was that repetitive motion of his right thumb over the back of his left hand. His chest barely moved as he breathed, and he blinked slowly. If anyone else had observed him, they might've thought he was in a trance.

What would result from this night, he wasn't sure. Maybe Rin would decide the next morning that their relationship wasn't worth it. Having a suspicious, untrusting partner like Arquis couldn't be easy. Or maybe the nobleman would be the one to break. Either option felt like it would tear him in half. He'd never suffered such heartbreak before. Loss, certainly, he'd had his share. But this love was different. He didn't want it to end.

"It's alright if we both sleep in the bed, Honey. And you don't have to sleep on top of the covers unless you want to. I don't mind if we are both beneath them. I will not touch you without your consent." Ari said softly, still watching Honey quietly. "I promise you that." he reached up to touch his braid, which was still damp, though it had dried a bit since earlier.

Rin quietly closed the door to the bedroom and sank down on the bed, taking in shaking, slightly gasping breaths. The rejection hurt more than anything else that Arquis could have done. He knew he could never convince Arquis that they had no intention of ever doing anything to him. That Arquis's fear was too deep-seated for that. But how could their relationship recover? How could they move forward, if Arquis would not or could not trust him?

Honey saw Ari touch the braid, and something softened within him. All of the memories of their date came flooding back. He remembered how soft he'd looked by the fountain, and how they'd run through the rain together. He recalled the taste of cider, before Myr's actions had made his mouth taste bitter. Ari had listened to him earlier, when he'd gotten anxious in public about the kissing thing. He could be telling the truth about the matter of consent as well. Plus, it really did seem like he didn't want sex.

"I mean, if you really wouldn't mind," he murmured, fidgeting and biting his pinky nail. "That'd be great, to go under the covers. I'm still a bit cold from earlier."

Enough time passed that the remaining flames in the fireplaces dwindled to embers, and then, after just a little while longer, to ashes. The darkness was finally enough to bring clarity to Arquis. What in the world was he doing? Rin, who he loved and adored, was all alone in the other room. He'd pushed them away, just like everyone else in his life. His fear had gotten the best of him. Hadn't that always been the case? It was the reason why he and his sisters weren't close anymore, and why he'd never had many friends as an adult. His loneliness was mostly his fault.

He felt horrid. He'd treated his partner, who'd only wanted to protect him, as if they were some dangerous criminal. Sure, he might never be able to fully erase his worry that they could use his ability against him. That didn't mean that he should've been so harsh to them. He'd basically told them to get out, even after they'd attempted to reassure him.

The noble wasn't sure what to do to fix the mess he'd caused, but he knew that he did want to make it right. His hands shook as he tried to slip his gloves on. It took several tries, but he finally managed to pull them on tight. He went to the bedroom door. Before he knocked, he hesitated. Maybe they wouldn't want to see him. Arquis wouldn't blame him. He nervously shifted from foot to foot in the dark.

"I do not mind." he confirmed softly. "You are welcome to be under the covers, and I shall not touch you in any manner." he gave Honey a gentle, sweet, kind little smile. "Though, ah, I can make no promises about any movements once I am asleep. I tend to move, and for that I apologize. If you wake up and I am touching you in any way, you can push me away. I will not mind." he cleared his throat faintly.

Rin had covered his mouth with his hands, trying not to cry. It wasn't his fault that he had these abilities, wasn't his fault that he could do what he could do. He hadn't chosen to be able to do this, and it had already, perhaps, ruined his relationship with Arquis. He hadn't chosen any of this.

The mental image of pushing Ari off the bed for touching him actually made Honey laugh. It was just so absurd. The laughter devolved into hysterical giggles, and he flopped onto his back. He patted the comforter beside him to encourage the other man to lay down as well.

"Yeah, we'll figure it out." He yawned so hard that his jaw popped and laughed again. Everything was just so funny all of the sudden. He was starting to feel delirious. "C'mon. I'm too tired to think."

Arquis made up his mind and gently knocked twice on the door. His pulse quickened to the point that he could hear it pounding away, but he had a feeling that this was the right choice. If he didn't talk to them again that night, he felt like things would only escalate. He wasn't going to lose him when they were so close by. The only thing keeping them apart was a single piece of wood.

"Rin?" He waited, feeling uncertainty and nervousness bubble within. Maybe this wasn't the right choice after all. Was it selfish of him, to bother them even more? He didn't know. "May I come in?"

Ari smiled at Honey. "Alright." he sat down on the bed, and got beneath the blankets. "We can talk some more in the morning." he gave the blond another soft smile, laying down on his back with his face tipped towards the ceiling and his braid sticking out from under his head. He was quite ready to just go to sleep now.

Rin's breathing was shaky, and he took a deep breath when he heard the knock. "You can come in." he replied, shifting back on the bed and watching the doorway. He felt awful for scaring Arquis like that. He hadn't meant to, he really hadn't, and yet they had nonetheless. He had terrified someone that they loved.

Honey fidgeted for several minutes after Ari had gotten into bed. There was no way, even as tired as he was, that he'd be able to sleep for a while. He ended up biting his nails again. After the day he'd had, they were already bitten to the quick, but he couldn't stop. He was a bundle of nerves, and that energy had to come out somehow.

Arquis very quietly opened the door and stepped inside, then closed it behind him. He'd wanted to go in with a sense of calm—to show Rin that he really was alright—but as soon as he saw them, he broke. He stepped forward as if to sweep them into an embrace. Before he reached him, though, he stopped. His heart ached as he knelt before them and looked up into his eyes. There would be no hiding this time. No lying. No acting out of panic. His lover would see the truth on his face, or so he hoped.

"I have been terribly cruel to you," he began, exhaling softly. "I have been an outright fool, and a brute, and a hypocrite, and I would understand if you wish for me to march right back out and stay on the couch as I said I would. But I could not bear it if I left things the way they were. I am here to apologize, Rin. I… I cannot… I will not lie and say that I am not still afraid. Because I am very, very afraid. But I have always let my fear rule me, and I am not willing to do that anymore. Our relationship makes me vulnerable, but I would not have it any other way. I would rather trust you and possibly face harm than live a safe life alone."

He wasn't sure if what he was saying made much sense. Oddly enough, this, too, felt like a prayer. He bit his lip nervously but didn't look away.

"I apologize for how I have acted. I should have been grateful that you saved us, and instead I rejected you. I realize now that I was mistaken in doing so."

Ari lay quiet and still for a long time, shifting just a little every now and again. Having someone else in the bed was a strange feeling that he was not quite used to, and it was throwing him off just a little bit. But it was fine. He would adjust to it and fall asleep eventually.

Rin looked over at him, trying to steady his breathing. "I'm sorry too." they said softly. "I should have…I should have told you before, so that you were more prepared. So that you knew. I…I shouldn't have just sprung it on you without warning." he knew he hadn't had a choice in that, but they still wished that they had told Arquis before. Wished that this hadn't been one of the secrets he kept.

Honey couldn't stop squirming. One moment, he swore his pillow was in the wrong place, so he moved it. The next, he flipped it over to the cooler side. Then, he tugged the blankets up around him, but when he got too hot he had to push them off. It seemed like he'd never be comfortable. Part of it, he decided, had to be the fact that this wasn't his bed. He wasn't used to it. The other part was that he was just naturally antsy.

Arquis nodded. "It would have been nice to know beforehand," he admitted, "but you really do not have to apologize for that. I understand why you might not have wanted to share that information. After all, there is a lot that I have not told you, either. You should not blame yourself for my reaction."

He shifted on his knees and placed his palms flat on the carpet. His calves were beginning to go a little numb from being under him. That didn't mean that he could move yet. For all he knew, Rin was still upset with him, and they might kick him out. Reasonably so, of course. He'd been pretty awful.

Ari cracked his eyes open, looking over at Honey. "You alright?" he asked softly, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "You're moving around a lot. Is anything wrong?" he adjusted the blankets, yawning quietly.

Rin took a deep breath. "You can, uhm, get off the floor." he said softly. "And…yeah. It's…I…I'm still sorry that I frightened you, Arquis. I did not mean to, and I am so sorry." they reached out to their partner, wanting to have him close if Arquis was alright with it. If Arquis was alright with touching them, after the way that they had frightened him.

Honey blinked, startled. Somehow, he'd forgotten that Ari was there. He was a bit embarrassed. It couldn't have been easy for him to try to sleep while the blond was tossing and turning. He hoped he hadn't accidentally woken him up; the other man did sound rather sleepy.

"Nah, nothing's wrong. Just do this sometimes, y'know? Got a lotta energy to burn. If it wasn't night and, uh, raining like crazy, I'd go for a run, but obviously I can't really do that." He yawned and rolled onto his side, then flopped onto his stomach. That didn't feel quite right, either, so he switched to the other side.

Arquis stood, but he didn't come nearer, even when they reached out. This time, it wasn't out of fear but guilt. He wasn't sure he deserved to feel a kind touch, after the way he'd been acting. His reluctance dissipated after a moment, and he moved to sit on the bed beside them. If Rin wanted more than that, then they could initiate it himself. The noble didn't want to assume that he knew what was best for them.

"Rin, you do not need to apologize. You are not the one at fault," he insisted, firmly but not unkindly.

Ari nodded sleepily, watching Honey toss and turn. "'s there anything I can do to help?" he asked, voice soft and a bit drowsy, eyes only half-open as he looked over at the other man. He knew Honey probably needed to sleep, but he had no idea if there was any way that he could help. If there was some way to help Honey get to sleep, he was willing to do it (except sex, of course), as long as Honey could tell him what he needed to do.

"I…" he trailed off, exhaling softly. "Are you sure? I…I am sorry that I frightened you, my love." he knew he had already apologized but they still felt like they needed to. They had seen how upset Arquis had been, how frightened his lover had been, and it had been their fault. They were the one that had caused that fear, even if it was accidental.

Honey glanced at Ari, prepared to tell him that there was nothing to be done, and stopped short. A blush crept up his neck. The combination of his sleepy eyes and voice was adorable. It was clear that he was fighting to stay awake, which was also very endearing. He found it sweet that the young man cared so much. Most of the other men he'd been with would've ignored him or worse, and that was assuming that they'd let him stay in the room after finishing.

"Oh. Um, I don't know. If it's real bad, I'll sometimes sneak off and grab some hot towels from the spa. They've also got this stuff, uh, that you can spray on pillowcases, and it's got a real nice scent. Jasmine or lavender or something. Knocks me out pretty quick. It's not medical or anything," he clarified quickly, "I just like the way it smells."

"I am sure," Arquis confirmed. Sure, he'd been terrified, and he was still upset. There was the slightest tremor in his hands that betrayed his nerves. But that didn't mean that it was Rin's fault. They shouldn't feel so responsible for what was clearly an accident. "In fact, it is I who should be apologizing still. I feel as if I have upset you. Would you like me to stay here, or would you prefer some solitude?"

Ari nodded a little bit. "D'you want me to go get them for you?" he asked, shifting on his side and giving another quick smile to Honey. "You can stay here and try to get comfortable, and I'll get you some towels and a pillow spray?" he was willing to do that, if that was what Honey wanted him to do.

Rin shook his head quickly. "You don't, uhm, you don't need to apologize. And, I'd…I'd prefer you stayed. I don't want…" he looked over at Arquis, tucking his knees to his chest. "I'd rather have you here, if you're okay with staying with me." he leaned his cheek on his knees, still watching his partner.

"No!" Honey blurted, sitting upright. He shifted awkwardly and slumped against the pillow. "No, stranger, you don't gotta do all that. You were already probably halfway asleep, and there I went, squirming around, waking you up. Listen, if I'm being a pain, I can just crash on the floor tonight. Really, that's okay. Just say the word."

If he moved to the ground, it was extremely likely that he wouldn't get much sleep. That was a risk he was willing to take. Ari had already given and done so much for him: the music box, the cider, the steady comfort, the offer of sharing a room. The last thing he wanted to do was take something—sleep, namely—away from him.

Arquis felt like he'd take a blow straight to the heart. That look they were giving him, paired with what he'd just said, was devastating. Had his rejection made them feel that unloved, that he was worried the noble wouldn't want to stay? Well, that wouldn't do at all. He took off one of his gloves, reached out, and took their hand.

"I would be honored to stay with you," he murmured. "It is a privilege, my love, that I am not sure I deserve."