Chapter Text
“Well that’s odd…” Olruggio said, scrunching his nose at the odd cloud formation in the distance.
“A storm!” Coco shivered, just about ready to click her feet together and fly away on those dangerous glyphs of hers. The other three girls were huddled between Olruggio and Qifrey.
Olruggio had just woken up, mysteriously outside just after dusk. He could recall coming out to view the sunset and discuss… something important which he couldn’t remember now. He must have dozed off.
“But that’s so sudden!” Tetia exclaimed fearfully. She pointed frantically out at the horizon. “Look at it! It’s like hundreds of horses are running on the water!”
“Hurry, inside the atelier, girls,” Qifrey instructed quite urgently. He tapped the backs of Tetia and Aggot to prompt them back home but all the girls stayed motionless, transfixed on the horizon.
“Girls-“ Olruggio was about to demand they listen but was interrupted by an over powering gust of wind whipping through their bodies. Qifrey swept over Aggot, Tetia, and Richeh protectively, while Coco tumbled backward into Olruggio. The girls all screamed in fright.
“Inside! Now!” Qifrey demanded, more sternly, “don’t fly, the wind will knock you out of the sky!”
The girls nodded and frantically ran down the hill toward the atelier, clutching to one another’s robes in fright and excitement.
Olruggio found Qifrey’s elegant face, cheeks burning red in the cold—though it looked like he’d also been crying recently on top of that, for his eye was slightly puffy. Their glances locked together and there was an unspoken agreement between them. Olruggio wanted to pry answers out of Qifrey but now was not the time. They’d seek privacy later, and have a discussion.
Another gust of wind burst over the hilltop and stole Qifrey’s hat which was astray on the ground. The two watched helplessly as it spun up into the sky before dropping down the hill, closer to the girl’s. Qifrey seemed frozen in place.
“A winter storm from the sea at this time of year…” Olruggio tho it aloud. “We must protect the atelier from it.”
Qifrey didn’t even nod. His face was numb, his expression unmoving as stone. He was lost elsewhere and not even Olruggio could hope to pull him out of his own head.
“Qifrey-“ Olruggio reached forward and grabbed the other by his robe sleeve— “you’ve lost your hat.”
His face lifted as if in surprise. More like, he just realized this was true. The hat was on the ground, down the hill, in isolation.
“My hat- right-“ Qifrey tugged his sleeve out of Olruggio’s grasp and made haste down the hill.
By the time he reached his hat, the other following just behind him, snow flakes were dancing threateningly across their vision. The snow skated mesmerizing patterns across the wind, carving beautiful, elegant lines in the harsh cold that loomed behind them. The winds threatened to tear their skins and the snow, though gorgeous, was a promise of danger.
The girls were waiting for them impatiently, screaming and shouting for them to hurry inside as they held the door open. The snow and wind whirled around them like an enchantment melding to a curse. The wind sung a haunting melody as it ushered them through the door. It hissed when the girls slammed it shut, firmly pressing their bodies against it as if they were the only ones standing between the winter storm and this precious atelier.
“It isn’t even winter,” Olruggio said in disbelief, feeling out of breath but exhilarated.
Qifrey was acting rather strange. He was awfully fidgety once the door was closed. He carelessly placed his hat aside by the door, a usual place for it to be. When Coco reached for him, he was dismissive and rushed away, disappearing into the lower corridor while muttering to himself.
“Is he going to come up with a spell?” Tetia wondered out loud.
“Perhaps,” Olruggio said to the pink haired girl, patting her head comfortingly. He did not believe this to be so. Qifrey was agitated with something and he knew it couldn’t be the storm.
Olruggio took off his own cap and laid it next to Qifrey’s, beside the shoe rack. He looked warily over the girls, trying to mask his nervousness. “Hurry, make sure all the shutters have been closed!”
Aggot was already on it. She’d disappeared before Qifrey had. The remaining three nodded, inflated with some playful thrill from the new mission, and set out to protect the atelier.
Olruggio’s eyes glared down the lower corridor. The atelier was nearly dead quiet now. He could hardly hear even the whistling of the winds outside. He set off to find his old friend, though careful not to be too loud himself. For some reason, that felt as though he’d be imposing on something.
He found Qifrey occupying himself in his study, frantically already turning through pages of a book. He must have been searching for a spell in his notes to protect the atelier with. Olruggio thought he ought to help since, after all, he was the one skilled with fire and therefore heat to combat the cold but when he stepped into the study, Qifrey immediately turned away, as if to shield what he was doing.
“Qifrey, old friend, allow me to help,” Olruggio beckoned. Qifrey mutely shook his head and continued to turn pages so fast, they might accidentally tear. “Qifrey-“
“I’m busy thinking, Olruggio,” Qifrey cut him off.
Olruggio halted, chest tightening. He struggle to say anything at all, perplexed by the strange and, to be frank, rather rude reaction from his friend. Unable to prose a question, he willed himself to step forward. He was silent, as if to creep up on Qifrey and surprise him. He felt somewhat ridiculous sneaking like this so he pretended to cough.
Qifrey snapped the book shut and looked sharply over his shoulder at Olruggio. His eye was seeing with pain and frustration. “DON’T.” He warned. “I’m figuring out a- I’m…”
“That’s a fiction book,” Olruggio observed, “you don’t even know what you’re doing. Is there a way to combat this storm or is there not?”
Qifrey turned away once more. “I don’t know.”
Olruggio dared to get closer and delicately took the book out of Qifrey’s hands. It was an old book. Just a fictional story. Nothing about magic. He set the book aside but remained away from Qifrey’s front to give him the space he needed. Something was clearly wrong and he dared not to impose.
Qifrey’s head dipped shamefully. Olruggio noticed how his lip quivered, and how he subtly brought his hand over his mouth to assume a thinking position—but Olruggio had noticed the tremble.
“Perhaps the storm is unnatural and the only thing we can do is ride it out,” said Olruggio softly, “don’t worry too hard about it. The girls are busy barricading the windows. I will make sure they’re safe and warm in their beds here soon. We’ll have to find a way to get the snow away from the door but that’s a problem for later. Those winds will blow a grown man right off his feet and it would be pointless for us to hurt ourselves.”
“You keep forgiving me,” Qifrey mumbled.
“Pardon?”
“Every time… you forgive me. And it’s like-“ he choked up on his words- “ripping my heart out to keep myself from letting it take me.”
Olruggio paused, studying him carefully. This wasn’t about the storm. Something was eating away at his friend, if it had not already consumed him whole. There was a tear gliding down his cheek already. It spoke loud enough. That was what made Olruggio decide to let the snow keep them in. He feared this would be the only time they could exist alone together with both their hearts in each other’s careful hands.
He chose not to speak. He waited for Qifrey to fill the silence with answers. If he had nothing to say, Olruggio would have to be content with that. Thankfully, he did say something.
“I’ve done such a terrible thing…” said Qifrey, still not looking back. “I cannot say it, else I’ll wind up doing it again.”
“If it is guilt weighing you down, let me share the burden.”
“You cannot share it,” Qifrey mumbled.
“You’re very clearly not in your right mind at the moment, Qifrey,” said Olruggio. “You don’t have to tell me anything. There are other ways I can lift your burden, even if only temporarily.”
“How?”
Olruggio dared to reach forward and take the other’s hand. “For instance,” he began, “I can assure you, you aren’t a bad person. You are a wonderful master to your apprentices even if I’m clearly the better teacher.”
“Hey-“
“You are an important friend,” Olruggio continued, “no matter what you’ve done it cannot outweigh all the good in you.”
He lifted Qifrey’s wrist which was limp and trusting. They were now square with each other and he could sense Qifrey’s eye tediously scanning over him.
“It’s not so simple,” he finally said, “I have failed you-“
“Nonsense,” Olruggio curtly dismissed. “You are as wonderful as snowfall. Everyone is excited to see you when you arrive and your presence is gladly embraced. You believe you are dangerous, which is true for the snow. But there is delight in it, in you, that vastly outweighs the fear of the cold.”
“Olly…”
“I know I sound like an old sap, but I have to get it off my chest. It hurts to see you this way. So often you are and I cannot understand it.”
“You’re too forgiving.”
“If you wounded me I would still forgive you.”
“Believe me, I know.”
Qifrey pulled his hand back. Olruggio reluctantly let go.
“It is cold,” Olruggio said, “I will build us a stronger fire. You should get changed.”
“Make sure the girl’s room is extra warm,” Qifrey requested. “Please.”
“Of course. And I’ll have a fire welcome to be shared in my room if you want to step in.”
The invitation was forward but not out of line. Qifrey hardly reacted to it. He was already stepping aside with the intention of seeking his quarters to do as he suggested. Olruggio was content with the answer not given.
Some time later, just as he promised, Olruggio’s chambers were warmed by a well lit fire. He’d gotten changed already and was writing a spell to capture warmth in packets he could give to the girls to stuff under their blankets, should they get too cold, when Qifrey finally came to him. He stood in the frame as if uncertain he was welcome in the room. Olruggio had to beckon him inside before the man gave any thought of stepping through that door.
“The snow is accumulating fast,” Qifrey said.
“I’ll figure something out for it,” Olruggio replied, “but if I clear the snow now it’ll only come back for me to do the chore again and again. And sometimes prefer to do things the easy way that doesn’t require me going out in the cold more than once.”
That got a smile out of Qifrey. He reflexively covered his absent eye—a habit Olruggio noticed he picked up about a year ago. He assumed it was out of bashfulness, like showing pleasantness was something to be embarrassed about.
“I was coming to say goodnight,” said Qifrey, keeping his hand there and forcing a frown, “Tetia was already asleep when I went to say goodnight to the girls. They’re all to excited yet so exhausted.”
“I bet so,” Olruggio chuckled.
“Well then,” Qifrey nodded, “goodnight.”
He turned to leave.
“Wait,” Olruggio reached out without thinking, “I uh- have a-“ he swiped away his useless spells and gave Qifrey his full attention- “I wasn’t finished.”
“With what?”
“Assuring you,” Olruggio said politely. “I need you to believe it.”
“I believe it.”
“Well then… I need you to do something for me then.”
“Of course. What is it?”
“Assure me.”
Qifrey slowly blinked in surprise. “What for?”
“I need to know if I’m-“ Olruggio tried to suppress his embarrassing stammer, “if I’m doing this right?”
“Your spells that you just discarded?”
“No, not them,” Olruggio felt the heat and shame rising to his face, “I mean this.”
He motioned his hand to gesture himself and Qifrey, back and forth. Qifrey seemed to get a bit more fidgety.
“It just baffles me,” Olruggio began, “how time and time again it’s like- an ever repeating cycle. I feel like I’ve been reaching out for so long and you’ve been reluctant in return. It hurts to see you struggling like this and I just want to help you. My friend, why don’t you let me help you?”
“You do help me.”
“Let me correct myself,” Olruggio said. He looked right at Qifrey. “Why don’t you let me love you?”
The other didn’t respond. There lay the problem. For years now, the same issue. Olruggio felt like something happened between them that he must have brushed over. Qifrey knew it too. It was quite obvious. After all, it already felt like they were in a relationship together. Even if only as wonderful and tremendous as a queer platonic partnership, they were together. Qifrey’s reluctance was the only thing in the world that could hurt Olruggio.
“I… do…” Qifrey averted his eyes. “You see why I am a horrible person, surely.”
“Will you let me?” Olruggio said, “if only for one night, just stay with me.”
Qifrey waited a while to answer. Eventually, he nodded, and closed the door behind them. The warmth of the fire beckoned him closer. He kept his eyes on the floor.
“I’m excused,” said Olruggio quietly.
“As am I,” replied the other.
Olruggio guided him up to his bed. He had control of the fire yet still he monitored it with his eyes. Qifrey climbed into the bed first and rolled over on his side to keep away. His barrier was not yet broken. His heart was concealed.
“Olly…” Qifrey sighed, “I want nothing more than… simple things.”
“I am the same.”
Olruggio lay on the bed beside him. Both did this under the guise of ‘needing warmth in the cold.’ But in truth, the room was hardly cold at all. The storm outside had little effect on the inside of the atelier. It was their heart and shared bond that needed thawing.
“I care for you,” confessed Qifrey, “I know you know that but I feel I have to keep convincing myself of it. I don’t want to hurt you, ever. I don’t want to bar you from… everything.”
“I don’t mind your reluctance and absent words so long as I am your partner. You’re my friend. I care for you too.”
“I do love you,” said Qifrey, though now it sounded like he was having a conversation in his head about Olruggio rather than actually talking to him directly. “That’s what hurts. I can never be… a certain way. I am ready to accept the ill fate awaiting me but I refuse to leave you behind so… that’s how I know it.”
“Look at me, please.”
Qifrey rolled over, and now they faced each other. His blue eye was flattened and full of despair.
“I hate that you keep forgiving me,” Qifrey whispered.
“Of course I do,” Olruggio whispered back, “I always will.”
“I care for you.”
“I know.”
“And I do love you.”
“I know.”
Olruggio allowed his eyes to close. A smile tugged slightly at his lips. Being beside each other was enough. He needed little more than this.
“I’m glad you stay with me,” Qifrey finally said.
“I always will.”
He felt Qifrey inch closer. Hesitantly, he felt him place his hand on his own. His fingers were cold, itching for warmth. Olruggio’s thumb caressed those fingers, and held him there. With absolute minimal contact, they lay together, one knowing that should he get any closer, a curse would consume him, and the other knowing he was content with something as grand as this. To be by his side forever, if only as a friend, was all he would ever ask for.