Chapter Text
If you were to ever ask Olruggio his first impressions of Qifrey back then, It would be simple.
Cold, rude, and reserved.
If you ask him what he thinks of Qifrey now? He’d say his a great witch, teacher, and one of his best partners
But if you were to ask him on a deeper level, I don’t think he’d be able to fully grasp just how to explain it.
Qifrey, who’s hair was white as snow, eyes so blue it almost seemed to sparkle like water when the sunlight hits. Which is ironic since Qifrey hates water, Olruggio knew that.
And if you were to ask him, “what do you see Qifrey?” His sure and swears on his heart that Qifrey was his best friend. Nothing more and nothing less. It was simple to speak those words out, it was easier. And it lessened the ache in his heart, but sadly the pain his throat doesn’t.
He doesn’t understand himself when he got these feelings, in fact. He probably doesn’t even believe it himself, thinking his just mixing up platonic love with romantic. That had to be it right? It has too.
Because if he believed it hard enough, perhaps the pain will go away. The need to hide will go away, the need to suppress his feeling will go away, perhaps the endless fear that crawls in his stomach will go away, perhaps the sleepless nights from staring at the ceiling thinking of the endless ways of what will happen will go away. And most importantly, the flowers would go away.
Olruggio doesn’t understand when the flowers developed, nor did he even know what it meant until he found a book in a library all about it and from rumors from the great hall.
Hanahaki disease, a rare illness where the host coughs up flowers and petals.
Its cause? Unrequited or one-sided love.
But it didn’t make sense, Olruggio didn’t like anyone from his knowledge. He doesn’t remember ever liking someone or even formed a thought. It took him days to try and figure out, he never told anyone. Made frequent lies when he coughed, brushing it off as an cold that will pass.
Even rambled about how people were too worried really, his fine. It wasn’t like it was becoming worse.
“It’s just a small cough, it’s nothing alright?” Olruggio spoke gruffly, humming as he drank water once more. Rambling toward the man beside him. Sighing as he finally looked up took look at the man, before feeling his heart stutter.
Qifrey stared right back at him, probably was staring at him longer or the moment Olruggio was speaking. Olruggio wouldn’t admit it. But he never really expected to see Qifrey look that soft.
It wasn’t like he never saw Qifrey soft,he always was around the girls and when teaching them spell and what-not. But he never really expected to see it pointed at him. While Qifrey is much more different to his younger self. The cold, distant and quiet boy with hair white as snow. Olruggio damn knew himself that the same trait that stayed was how reserved and secretive he is.
Olruggio has never much seen Qifrey look like that, maybe if his back is turned he does. But if he knew one thing about Qifrey, was how thick his mask is.
“It’s probably because of how much you overwork, you should rest properly, Olly” Qifrey sighed out and shook his head “Should I prepare tea every time before you sleep?”
“Ah, there’s no need really” Olruggio sighed out, rubbing the nape of his neck and leaned back into the soft cushions of the couch “I can manage, the cough will pass like always.”
Olruggio doesn’t need to look up at Qifrey to know he was staring at him with unamused and with disbelief, he could feel it in the air, if anything he could probably cut an knife because of how heavy it felt.
“You never know how to rest, making another contraption and another” Qifrey sighed out, but smiled before moving toward the kitchen “You’re too kind olly, it’s probably one of the traits that make you so unique.”
Ah, there is goes again. That stutter in his heart and the pain in his throat. Olruggio hated it. So that’s why the flowers were developing, he knew it.
He just refused to believe it, he refused to believe or even acknowledge the feelings he had for the man, How his eyes would wander towards him unconsciously, how he his heart stuttered and stumble at each compliment and act of kindness towards him.
He knew the cause of the flowers now, and it was because of a white haired witch he was best friends with.
And he couldn’t be more afraid.