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On a good day, Olruggio makes it to bed before sunrise. On a great day, Qifrey shoos him into their bed at what may even be a healthy time.
Olruggio had just finished his latest commission early, had a delicious dinner, and been smacked on the head for even joking about going back to work.
“You're terrible and a nuisance,” Olruggio grouses as he slips into his soft silk pajamas to cuddle with his wonderful husband in their new bed. Qifrey's bed was too small to hold them both, and he'd adamantly refused to sleep in a hammock.
“I love you too, Olly.”
Olruggio flushes, still getting used to Qifrey's honest words. In the absence of what has kept him tightly-wound for all his life, Qifrey has bloomed his already overwhelming affections into a proper attempt on his partner's life.
“Mrgh,” Olruggio responds. He tries his best to shove all the feelings he can't word into his grunt. “Are the girls in bed?”
Qifrey's sweet eyes crease at the corners, donning the same soft look he always gets when his apprentices are mentioned. “Yes, they're all settled. Tetia seemed antsy, but I left her some Marktea. I told Coco to make sure Agott doesn't stay up late studying, too.”
Olruggio stares at him. “Y'think she actually will?” His back lets out horrifying cracks when he stretches his arms to the sky. Qifrey winces in sympathy for a chronic overworker.
“Not a chance, but at least Agott will have company. Dear heavens, you know you scare me with your bad posture enough already without the creaking.”
“Heh.” Olruggio scratches his cheek. Luckily, his beard isn't scruffy enough to demand a shave before bed.
Olruggio gives in to Qifrey's pushing and flops face first into the downy bliss of bed after a long day. After a second of breathing in linen, he turns himself over so Qifrey can lay down too. At some unimportant time before joining him, Qifrey had turned off the lights. Guided by feel alone, Olruggio traces up his face to gently unstick his spectacles. He licks a thumb to rub off the glue, ignoring how Qifrey squeals.
“Y're fine, ya big baby.”
In protest, Qifrey turns to face away from him. This presents the terrible notion of going to bed without a goodnight kiss. Hrm.
Olruggio encircles Qifrey's waist, his hands laced together loosely. He noses at his love's neck and peppers kisses below his ear until Qifrey gives up and giggles. “I do have an oil to remove the adhesive, you know. I don't have to be slobbered on,” he says. However, he's turned his face to Olruggio to say this and so finds himself getting very much slobbered on.
If Qifrey has become open with his words, Olruggio has at least become open with his touch. He flutters kisses across his whole face, even pressing feather-light lips to the scars the Silverwood left in the remnants of Qifrey's eye. “There y'are, gorgeous thing.”
Qifrey throws his own arms around Olruggio, tugging him down in a hug until Qifrey is being mostly suffocated.
“...Still don't get how you're comfortable like that,” Olruggio says, but relaxes and drifts off easily. All his troubles with sleeping seem to be awfully solvable when Qifrey's in holding range.
—
The first thing Qifrey does when he stirs awake is frown. It's too dark out to be a reasonable time, even with him being an early riser. He squints, trying to make sense of the blurry, dark bedroom. What in the world woke him up?
He's flung himself around in his sleep, but that's typical. His dear Olly is on his back an arm’s reach away. That actually is odd to Qifrey, who is fully aware that both of them are heat-seeking cuddle menaces.
There's…hm. With his glasses off, Qifrey can only wonder why a cloud is in their bed. A pink cloud. A pink Tetia cloud. Ah.
“Tetia, sweetheart?” he whispers, instinctively checking her forehead for a fever.
The cloud shifts toward his hand, and her bright eyes flutter open. “I had a nightmare, Master Qifrey, I didn't want to be alone," she says back, hushed and small.
Qifrey scoops her into his willowy arms as fast as he can. “Of course, Tetia. We're always here for you. Want to talk about it, or just sleep?”
Tetia burrows against his chest. He can feel her smile against his steady heartbeat. “Just sleep, please. The dreams don't matter with you around.”
Qifrey squeezes her and smiles into the fluff of hair at his chin. “Of course, my dear.” He hums a tune without words or aim until her breathing slows.
—
It can't be more than a few clock marks later when Qifrey awakes again to a tugging on his arm. When he turns blearily, Coco retracts her hand and shuffles in place nervously at the side of their bed.
“Um. Sorry I woke you up, it's just that I saw Tetia come in looking upset. Is she alright?” she says while standing on tiptoes to try and catch a glimpse of her fellow apprentice.
Qifrey's heart melts even further. “Yes, I believe she just couldn't sleep. Would you like to lay up here with her? I bet she'd be glad for your thoughtfulness.”
Coco nods so hard she makes herself dizzy. She throws a knee up on the mattress and scrambles up. Qifrey just barely manages a hand against her back for support before she's made it up and wiggled against Tetia. “Goodnight, Master Qifrey!” Coco loudly whispers, and begins to snore in little chuffs within minutes.
With his girls calmed, Qifrey settles down himself. Yes, quite right that he sleeps some more. He's supposed to be a role model.
—
Qifrey, once again, wakes up before he wants to. This time, it's Richeh planting her elbow directly in the soft spot behind his ankle.
“Hello there Richeh,” he manages without sounding too pained. He sighs in relief when she moves her arm and settles at the foot of the bed. “You've come to join us?”
“Rich-alone. It was not pleasant,” she offers.
Qifrey laughs softly under his breath at how crowded the bed has become. Between him and Olly, Tetia is sprawled out wide and Coco is nestled up against Olly’s side. Now with Richeh at the end of the mattress (laying primly on her back, hands folded) they're truly approaching carrying capacity.
—
Agott is the only one of their girls with any sort of stealth. It's probably for the best with how often they get lost anyways, but in the present it just means Qifrey didn't actually notice when she slipped into their bed, completing the set. The sun filters through their windows, freshly risen, and Agott is curled up into the tiniest ball possible smack-dab in the middle of their pillows, her back to the headboard. Qifrey has to put a hand over his mouth so he won't squeal in sheer excitement. The arm not keeping him quiet is notably trapped. Agott’s tiny, ink-stained, calloused hands clutch his bicep tight like a stuffed toy, and her head rests lightly on his own cheek. The book behind her implies that she hadn't meant to fall asleep. Even better.
Qifrey feels like an explosion waiting to happen. He's so very content. It's addicting to finally experience. Comfort has been tinged with pain and danger for Qifrey for a very, very long time. Now the only pain he feels is the numbness of his arm and a dry throat in need of a drink of water.
Olruggio’s deep blue eyes meet his. His jaw stretches wide in a yawn, then his brow furrows deep as he clearly takes stock of the situation.
“We've got intruders, Qifrey,” he grumbles. The effect is diminished by his hand gently tucking the blanket back over Tetia's shoulder.
“That we do,” Qifrey responds, and smiles so wide that when the dam bursts and tears flow, they follow the curves of his cheeks. “I'm so happy, Olly. I couldn't have dreamed up a future so picturesque for myself, but here I am.”
Olruggio carefully stretches across the chasm of sleeping girls to wipe his tears. “No more of those tears, we've had plenty. You fought for this life, and you earned it. Now go back t'sleep, and relax.”
Qifrey chews his lip. “I should start on breakfast, Olly.”
“And wake up Agott when you move?”
Checkmate. Qifrey's face falls at the very idea.
“Ngh, well…I do suppose I can lay a while longer and go for a simpler meal. What do we have to work with? Could do toast with prism jam.”
Olruggio rolls his eyes and flicks Qifrey right between his eyebrows. “I know you heard me. Thinkin’ later. Rest, you beautiful worrywart.”
Qifrey laughs and assents. When he falls back on his pillow, it squeaks and yips. Oops.
Coco's brushbuddy wriggles out from under him, puts one spiteful paw on his face, and jumps up to curl on top of him. Its tail loops over his eye, covering the world in a fuzzy white darkness.
“Can't argue with that, I suppose,” Qifrey murmurs. He gets another angry bap from the brushbuddy for being noisy.
Really, he only intends to rest his eyes and not actually sleep. Only for a few minutes, and then breakfast.
—
A shaking of his shoulders gently rouses him. This time, the sun has long since risen from its slumber.
Olruggio stares smugly down at him. Somehow, everyone snuck out of bed without waking him.
“I've never seen you sleep in so late. Thank you for letting yourself relax,” Olly tells him, a hand spread on his chest to keep him from lurching out of bed.
“Master Qifrey! Master Qifrey! We made you breakfast in bed!” comes the peeping of his little ducklings.
At Olly's permission, Qifrey sits up with their blankets loose across his lap. Coco carefully walks to his side with a tray.
“I see that you have, my sweet girls. Thank you very much for this food,” Qifrey says, taking the tray and trying very hard not to weep at the love he is blessed with.
Agott steps forward. She's controlled as always when she speaks, “We made you an egg salad spread on toast. Richeh made you saltpork bacon, but. Well.”
Qifrey looks at the two pieces on his plate, one of which has been definitely nibbled on. He laughs. “I love it, thank you all. Is this Willowgrape tea I spot, too? You really have spoiled me this morning.”
He ruffles all four girls’ hair, then eagerly digs into his breakfast in bed. He sends them outside to play, and makes a quiet prayer for Coco to not launch herself into danger while he takes his eyes off her to eat.
After his plate is cleared and taken away by a giggling Tetia, a thought comes to him. He calls to Olruggio just before he can escape to his workspace. “Olly? How in the world did the bed support all of us on it? I know the wood we chose is strong, but…” he trails off, fingers tapping his chin.
Olruggio becomes Olredggio.
“I. Err. Hurgh. You've got eyes, check for yourself!” Olly huffs, tone clearly embarrassed. He scampers off to his work with a tap of his shoes and a whoosh of air.
“Really, that was unnecessary,” Qifrey grumbles, but curiosity wins. He swings his feet off the bed and crouches by the bedpost. He has an inkling of an idea of what he's looking for, anyways.
It takes some searching, but—there.
At the footboard, elegantly burned in with Olly’s familiar magic, a reinforcement spell.
“He calls me sappy, but he made sure this could hold all of us. Oh, Olly,” Qifrey says to himself, heart beating fast.
A loud yell startles him.
“Master Qifrey! Agott got stuck in a tree without her Sylph shoes!”
Qifrey pulls on his robes quickly, but his burning smile never fades. A teacher's work is never done.
He loves it all.