Archive of Our Own

It’s a wet, dreary, rainy day, which means Olruggio should be cooped up in the warmth of his workshop, or eating Qifrey’s soup while tucked under a quilt in the common space while the girls entertain themselves in front of the fire. No one wants to be out in the rain and cold. Alas, Olruggio has extremely important business to attend to and if he doesn’t do it now, he’s going to chicken out for another few weeks. Or months. Or years. Or forever.

The downpour was sudden, the day before had been pleasantly warm and sunny if not a bit on the humid side. Even just this morning felt lovely until the stormclouds rolled in. Qifrey had asked him if his business could not wait until the rain subsided, but Olruggio was a man on a mission that he has continuously been trying to psyche himself out of for the past half year.

There is a jeweler in Ezrest; an expensive one. That's why he's been working tirelessly for weeks now on more commissions than he really should take, forgoing sleep and occasionally meals for the sake of getting things done. A chunk of the money earned would be promptly put into a safe, while the rest went to the atelier's expenses. The heavy coin purse sits on his hip, hidden beneath his cloak, out of sight of pick-pockets.

This establishment has pre-made work and does custom orders. Olruggio has made rings himself, for practical purposes, but has no experience when it comes to the creation of jewelry for accessorizing and for… other reasons. He isn't sure what he would create would be to Qifrey's liking, it would probably be bland, or an eyesore, and no one wants an ugly ring on their finger.

…Really, what would Qifrey like? There was no way to ask him without giving it all away. Olruggio had to measure Qifrey's finger while he was asleep, which had been orchestrated by him putting a few drops of sleeping medicine into his willowgrape tea one evening to make sure Qifrey would stay asleep. He still felt like he was going to throw up, hands shaking the entire time as he kept an eye on the other's sleeping face.

Embarrassing.

Olruggio shuts his parapluie and shoulders his way into the building.

"Greetings, Sir Witch!" The shopkeeper calls. "Oh, Olruggio of the Torch? What brings you here?"

"I'll tell you if you can keep a secret," Olruggio replies, making a beeline to the glass case of rings. He hunches over, squinting at the selection. Most of them were quite… gaudy. Shimmering silver or gleaming gold, with giant gemstones clearly meant to signal to others around you how much wealth you had, more than anything else.

"Well, if you're going straight to the rings, I have a good idea." The shopkeeper leans forward on their elbows, eyeing him curiously. "Who's the lucky lady?"

"Man."

"Who's the lucky man?"

Olruggio doesn't look up, his finger curled over his chin thoughtfully. "I'd say I'm the lucky one."

To their credit, they don't bring up him dodging the question, nor do they push further for an answer. It's appreciated. A good salesperson knows when to keep their mouth shut. Olruggio purses his lips, brows furrowing.

No, Qifrey wouldn't like any of these. As eccentric as he could be, he didn't like drawing too much attention to himself. Olruggio leans in closer, squinting.

"Do you have anythin' less, uh…" He clears his throat. "Flashy?"

—

So he ends up making a custom order, which was much more expensive than if he just bought something in the case.

It will take some time to arrive. They offered to have it delivered directly to the atelier when completed, but that runs the risk of Qifrey or, more likely, one of the girls accidentally opening it, so he'll just pick it up himself. He'll have to go a few more times between now and the finished product, simply to check the final design and its components and approve them.

When he gets the order, there are a few little touches he knows he'll want to add himself. He has the tools for it. Something to make it even more personal.

A month later, a correspondence arrives, the messenger quadryphon tapping its beak against his workshop's window. He pushes it open and the bird flutters inside, allowing him to untie the little note from its leg.

It's ready.

—

There are two rings, a matching pair. Olruggio handles them with gloves so he doesn't smudge the pale golden surface. He's curled into a tight shrimp position over them at his workbench, inspecting every detail closely. Both of them have a single aquamarine gemstone embedded into them; it isn't huge, not particularly eye-catching. Olruggio chose it because the color reminded him of Qifrey's eye. The band itself is made of gold, which was the most expensive part of it. There is a design engraved along the outside of a shooting star flying towards the boughs of a tree; despite the small size, the detail is lovely.

He has an idea. A spell etched into the inside of the band, but what sort? It should be practical, but meaningful. Something that they would both find a use for, but wouldn't detract away from the ring itself.

Hmm…

"Master Olly!" Olruggio nearly jumps out of his skin, the rings clattering onto his workbench loudly as Tetia's voice sounds from down below. He scrambles to pick them up, quickly looking them over to make sure there was no damage, then shoving them back into the little box they came in. Did he forget to shut the door?!

He breathes in deep, turning in his seat, his heart pounding. "Need somethin'?"

Tetia blasts from the first floor up to the loft with her sylph shoes, landing gracefully in front of him. At fourteen, she's already gotten much taller, but still hasn't shot past him. It's gotten harder for her to scale him like a tree these days, though. Her hands clasp behind her back and she rocks on her heels.

"Master Qifrey wanted me to come check if you were joining us for supper," she says, sweet as candy. "It's almost ready! He's using the last of the chimegrass grains to make curry."

"Is he now?" Olruggio grunts. "Aye, I'll be out shortly. Just… finishin' up somethin' important."

"Are you okay? You look like you're gonna throw up."

Leave it to Tetia to be viciously, brutally honest, all with a smile on her face.

"I'm— fine," he coughs out.

She isn't convinced. "No. You look like that time when you ate a bad mushroom and had to be taken to the Medical Spire; or when you got food poisoning from the chowder from that one stall Master Qifrey told you not to trust; or when you drank too much on your last birthday and then spent half a clock-mark over the toi—"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" He waves his hands around frantically, face burning. Does he really look that bad? If Tetia's noticed, then everyone else will notice, too. Qifrey certainly will, and then he'll ask him about it later when going to bed and Olruggio doesn't know if he'll be able to keep it up. Maybe he does need to tell someone, just to get it off his chest so he can breathe a little better. "Can you keep a secret?"

Tetia tilts her head, lips pushing out in a pout. "Of course!"

Olruggio gestures for her to come closer, which she does. She leans in and his voice drops to a whisper, "There's somethin' that I've been wantin' to ask Master Qifrey for a while." Reaching back, his gloved hand grabs the box and brings it forward, popping it open to reveal the two rings inside. "I figure it's about time I, uh… ask him to marry me."

Tetia's eyes widen and she practically shrieks, "Ask him to marry y—mmph!" His hand lands over her mouth, cutting her off. Hopefully no one else heard that.

"Tetia! Not so loud!" He hisses out. "A secret, remember?!"

She nods a few times and he pulls his hand away. She whispers, "Sorry!"

Olruggio sighs, rubbing his neck. Tetia is staring at the rings, her eyes sparkling and mouth open in awe, cheeks red. The girl looks beyond delighted, practically trembling like a small, nervous dogtail. Her hands move to clasp in front of her, wringing excitedly.

"I bet he'll say yes," Tetia says, sounding completely certain. She nods.

"Well, I sure hope so," Olruggio says with a little laugh. "Remember, it's a secret. Got it?"

"Uh-huh!" Tetia beams at him. "Your secret's safe with me!"

Olruggio snaps the box shut and sets it back on the workbench, tucking it behind a stack of tomes. Qifrey doesn't rummage through his things, but he doesn't want to take any chances that he'll catch sight of the box before Olruggio is ready and start asking.

"Thank you, Tetia. Go on n'get ready for supper, I'll be there soon."

Giggling, she chirps out, "Thank you! Okay! See you soon!"

She whips around and flies down from the loft, practically running out the door, a blur of pink. Olruggio laughs a little, peeling his gloves off. He definitely feels a bit better now that he's told someone, less sweaty and like he's going to vomit, but…

Well.

He knows she can't keep a secret.

—

Tetia tries really, really hard. She does!

All through supper she can't stop watching her masters like a hawk, her fingers drumming against the table, all the noise around her fading into background static. She barely registers when Agott asks her to pass the ramekin of zestgrass until Coco gently shakes her by the shoulder to snap her out of her reverie.

It's just so… exciting! Master Olly wants to ask Master Qifrey to marry him! Marry him! Marriage! Wow! She hasn't ever been to a wedding before! Will they have a wedding? She hopes so! And maybe they'll help her design their outfits! Maybe even the floral arrangements! She knows some pretty spells now that would make things even more exciting! They could have a big magical dragon fly over and scatter petals and everything! Lord Beldaruit could come, maybe Alaira and Euini, those nice ladies from the Medical Spire, Richeh's brother, Master Olly's huge family, Mister Nolnoa and Tartah…

She's practically vibrating out of her skin. Oh, how is she meant to keep this to herself? Why did she tell Master Olly she could keep a secret? How is she supposed to survive until he actually proposes? When is he planning to propose? He might have some huge plans and it could take so, so long to orchestrate all of it!

When they're cleaning up after their meal, she glances over and sees Master Olly lightly bump Master Qifrey with his hip near the basin. Master Qifrey smiles and laughs, says something to him in hushed tones that she can't hear. Master Olly has that dopey expression on his face he always has when he looks at Master Qifrey.

She can't take it anymore!!!

Tetia gestures to her fellow apprentices to gather close to her. She says, her voice a conspiratorial whisper, "Everyone! Meet in my room tonight! Once Master Qifrey and Olly go to bed!"

"Why?" Richeh asks. "I want to sleep."

"Just! Trust me! Okay! I can't tell you now!"

"What're you girls up to?" Qifrey calls, an amused edge to his voice. All four of them immediately scatter with a collective shout of: Nothing, Master Qifrey!

Much to Tetia's relief, they do show up later! Everyone waits after Master Qifrey has done his rounds to make sure they're all in bed before they begin to file in.

Coco arrives first, creeping in as quietly as she possibly can, like she's worried about getting caught even though their masters are all the way on the other side of the atelier, and the sound likely wouldn't travel all the way to Master Olly's workshop. Agott, surprisingly, is not far behind, her eyes darting around before she slips inside and shuts the door behind her.

Richeh takes a little more time, trudging in with her blanket around her shoulders and looking more like she'd rather be asleep than anything.

All four girls huddle together on Tetia's bed. The lantern at the bedside glows dimly.

"What is it, Tetia?" Agott asks, keeping her voice low while folding her hands primly in her lap. "Is something the matter?"

"Nope. Not at all!" She replies. "But everyone has to promise not to tell anyone, okay? I… I already told Master Olly I'd keep it a secret, but I just… I can't! I have to tell all of you!"

"Master Olly is dying," Richeh murmurs solemnly.

"No! I already said nothing's wrong!" Tetia whines. "Okay. Okay. Is everyone ready?"

The other three girls lean in close, expectant.

"Master Olly…" Tetia breathes in, closes her eyes, squeezes her hands together. "Master Olly is gonna propose to Master Qifrey!"

There is a stretch of silence as that statement settles over them. The other girls exchange glances, their expressions unreadable, before they turn their attention back to Tetia.

"Master Olruggio told you this?" Agott's lips are twitching, like she's trying to refrain from smiling, but there is a sparkle in her eyes.

"Never thought I'd see the day," Richeh remarks, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"They weren't already married?" Coco whispers to no one in particular, looking a bit like her entire world's been turned upside-down. Again.

"When I went to ask him if he was joining us for supper…" Tetia brings her hands to her cheeks, smiling so wide her face feels like it's going to split in two. "He even has the rings! He showed me! He did! I think that's why he kept going into Ezrest by himself! There's a fancy jeweler there!"

Agott rubs her chin. "It would explain why he's been working harder than he already does these past few months—so he can afford it."

"He could've asked me for help," Richeh huffs, resting her head against her knees.

"Do you think he'll ask soon? I wonder what he'll do?" Coco tilts her head thoughtfully. "He probably won't do it in front of us, though… because if Master Qifrey says yes then they'll probably just start…"

"…Kissing," all of them say in unison.

"Do you think Master Qifrey will say yes?" Coco continues to think out loud, her eyes trailing up to the ceiling, as if all the answers would be found in the shadows and cobwebs there.

"Why wouldn't he? They've been practically common law married for years. Long before any of us arrived," Agott points out.

Tetia giggles happily, then sighs dreamily. "I hope they have a big wedding."

"They won't. Both of them hate having visitors." Agott pinches a lock of dark hair between her thumb and pointer finger and twists it. "Master Qifrey barely tolerates parties."

"It's a special occasion. You never know," Coco argues. "I think it'd be very sweet. I only ever went to small weddings in my village…"

"Well… when Master Qifrey says yes—because he will!—we can start planning things for them…" Tetia nods a few times, crossing her arms.

"If I can be in charge of the menu, I'm in," Richeh says.

They spend a little too much time huddled together like that, far longer than they should have, whispering amongst themselves about this hypothetical wedding and everyone they will invite, all the food they'll serve, trying to remember what flowers make Master Olly's hay fever flare up again…

Eventually the other girls file out one by one, sneaking off back to their rooms in the dead of night. Tetia lies there on her back under the blankets, hands curled close to her chest and knees bent. She's so happy, but so nervous.

She really… really hopes it works out!

—

For some reason, Qifrey cannot help but feel like everyone in the atelier is keeping something from him.

Olruggio keeps looking like he's constipated, or in pain, or both. When he was asked what he was saving so much of his money for, he had blanched and quickly changed the subject. He wouldn't even elaborate on what he was going into Ezrest multiple times for. Really, he was being uncharacteristically cagey in a way that made Qifrey horribly anxious.

Except Olruggio would still kiss him, make love to him, tell him he loved him, and Qifrey would wake up in his arms each morning without fail. So maybe there really is nothing to worry about.

The girls are starting to behave oddly now, though. Odder than usual, at least. They keep throwing Qifrey glances when they think he's not paying attention, whispering behind their hands, doing their best to remain inconspicuous. He thinks he must have been a bit better at being sneaky when he was fourteen, but many things happened when he was fourteen that necessitated being surreptitious.

Tetia gives him an odd look when he helps her with her injection, like she's considering something, and when he meets her gaze with a raised brow she snaps out of it and thanks him before scampering away. Hm. Weird.

This goes on for nearly a week after Olruggio's latest trip into Ezrest. Qifrey wonders if he should just… ask what's going on, because there is no denying the tension settling within the household. Draw it any tighter, and it may very well snap.

As luck would have it, that winds up not being necessary.

It's well into the evening. The girls have just gone to bed. Qifrey is pouring tea from the kettle for he and Olruggio both before they retire to the workshop, adding a splash of honey to both vessels and a bit of milk. For sleep. They've both been quite restless the past few days, Olruggio's own apparent anxiety rubbing off on Qifrey, and Qifrey prefers to avoid the sleeping tinctures if only because they make him feel far too sluggish the next day.

Olruggio has been acting especially strange today. Mostly silent, somewhat unresponsive and distant, occasionally throwing him nervous glances. He really looks quite ill, which worries Qifrey greatly. That morning Qifrey had seen him pacing his workshop, muttering something about big plans… whatever that meant. There are a million things going through Qifrey's head, none of them good: is Olruggio tired of this place? Of him? Has he found better work elsewhere? Some dashing sponsor that will whisk him away? Has his love gone cold? No, that wouldn't be right. He has nothing but faith in Olruggio, especially to tell him when something is amiss.

Yet he still can't completely ignore the anxiety gnawing at him, making his stomach hurt something fierce.

They sit in silence on the rug before the fire, sipping at their tea. Olruggio isn't looking at him. Qifrey drains the last of his vessel and places it on the rug before him.

"Olly…"

Olruggio tenses, clears his throat. He places his own vessel down. Is he sweating? It looks like it. Qifrey blinks, confused.

"Qifrey," Olruggio says slowly. "We need to talk."

Oh, well. Here it comes. Qifrey braces himself for the worst, breathing in deep and plastering a smile that feels fake even to himself across his face. "Do we?"

"Yeah."

Silence. Olruggio stares at him now, expression unreadable—which was quite odd for him. Qifrey's hands twist into his skirt anxiously as he waits for Olruggio to actually say anything else. Is it that bad? Is he trying to figure out how to soften the blow?

…Why is Olruggio suddenly blushing?

"H… hold out your hand," Olruggio chokes out. Qifrey doesn't even question it, he just does as he's told, holding his hand out palm-up and waiting.

Olruggio is fumbling with something he has tucked into his skirt. He's turned at the waist and Qifrey can't see exactly what he's doing that well at this angle. He tilts his head quizzically, like a confused puppy. Olruggio turns back to him, something gripped tightly in his fist that he then shoves into Qifrey's palm and closes Qifrey's fingers over it.

The other quickly stands up, bright red, and spins on his heel, quickly walking in the direction of the catwalk to his workshop. Qifrey blinks, then opens up his hand to see what Olruggio's given him. He holds it up to the firelight for a better look.

It's a ring.

A ring with a golden band and a small, blue gemstone. A ring with an engraving of a legend of old on the outside, each tiny detail done with precision and delicacy befitting a master of their craft. On the interior is a familiar spell, carefully inscribed into the material.

This is—

Qifrey's brain comes to a screeching halt. He gapes at the ring, dead silent, as his brain tries to sputter back to life so he can actually react accordingly.

The nervousness, the secrecy, the tension, the trips into Ezrest where now that he remembers is home to a very esteemed jeweler, Olruggio's blush…

Olruggio is halfway down the catwalk when Qifrey regains control of his own body and springs to his feet. He rushes after the other, leaving their empty vessels behind on the rug, his heart pounding. He feels a little dizzy. The ring is gripped tightly in his fist. "Olly— Olly! Hold on!"

Qifrey stumbles a bit as he reaches out to grab Olruggio's shoulder, spinning the man around to face him. The sudden movement throws them both off-balance, sending them careening into the floor in a pile of limbs. Olruggio cushions Qifrey's fall, but his spine hitting the floorboards must have hurt with the weak pained sound Olruggio lets out upon impact.

"So sorry," Qifrey wheezes, pushing himself up onto his elbows. He reaches his hand up to adjust his spectacles that had been knocked askew in their tumble.

"S'fine," Olruggio grunts. He stays laying there on the floor, and when Qifrey tries to meet his gaze his eyes dart to the side. Qifrey's clenched fist moves to settle on Olruggio's chest, where he can feel his heartbeat as wild as a stampede of liongoats.

Swallowing, Qifrey says, "Look at me, please."

The man beneath him lets out a soft, embarrassed sound, but predictably has a hard time actually going against him. Olruggio slowly drags his eyes back to Qifrey's face, his cheeks still a dark red. Qifrey's free hand slides up to cradle his face. His fingers are trembling as they push through the scratchy stubble on the other's cheek.

"Olly…" He turns his fist up and opens it, revealing the ring within. Olruggio's gaze flickers to it, then back to Qifrey's face. "Is this—?"

"I was planning somethin' different," Olruggio interrupts him suddenly. He talks fast, too fast, his accent thickening with his embarrassment in a way that only Qifrey or someone from Ghodrey could properly parse, "Y'know, somethin' more romantic, take you out on a nice day n'get ya your favorite food at that one restaurant in Kalhn ya really like n'flowers n'make sure there's music n'maybe a fancy spell or two or—"

"Olly."

"—I dunno, full moon's soon n'we're expectin' good weather for a while n' it woulda been real nice t' do it then—"

"Olly, it's fine, rea—"

"—b-but I saw ya sittin' there lookin' all worried n'sad n'thought that if I don't do it now then I won't do it ever but I couldn't get the damn words outta my mouth so I just—"

"Olruggio!"

Olruggio immediately falls silent, mouth slamming shut and his hands flying to his face. Qifrey lets out an exasperated sigh as he looks down at him, at those trembling, scarred hands trying valiantly to cover up Olruggio's flustered, blushing, handsome face.

This silly man…

"You always do so much for me," Qifrey murmurs fondly. His thumb runs over Olruggio's knuckles, feeling the thin layer of dark hair there. Gently, he scoops up one hand and pulls it away from the other's face. Olruggio doesn't fight it, nor does he fight it when Qifrey does the same with the other hand, but his eyes are scrunched shut. "Not just me. You go above and beyond for everyone."

The man below him lets out a soft huff through his nose.

"Don't you think I would have preferred something like this within the privacy of our own home anyway?" Qifrey continues with a little laugh. "You've done quite enough already, Olly. Do you truly believe I would find it less romantic without all those other grand gestures? Come now…"

He opens up Olruggio's hand. The ring is pressed back into Olruggio's palm but Qifrey keeps his hand there. Olruggio's eyes crack open, squinting up at Qifrey's face.

"How about," Qifrey breathes, "you try again?"

"Qifrey…"

"I always encourage my students to practice," Qifrey continues. "To find a way to learn that works best for them. Even if it's not what others find to be the most ideal way." He slips his hand away from Olruggio's, resting it on his chest once more to feel his heartbeat.

Olruggio takes a shaky breath. He stares at the ring in his palm for a long time. Qifrey can practically see the gears turning in his brain. Neither of them move from the floor.

Then, finally, Olruggio wraps his other hand around Qifrey's. He is so, so warm and so, so gentle. Those sweet eyes turn back to Qifrey's face, glistening with barely-restrained emotion, and Qifrey smiles at him.

Olruggio slowly props himself up until he's in a sitting position. Qifrey curls his legs beneath him, knees digging into the floorboards and feet crossed under his backside. The other's hands are still shaking; his breathing is, too. He looks anxious, sweaty, a little pale. As if he really is worried about what Qifrey will say. As if it wasn't so obvious.

There is obviously a lot that Olruggio wants to say, Qifrey can tell by the expression on his face. It's hard not to start laughing when all Olruggio is able to eke out is a little, "Marry me… please?"

Qifrey inhales deeply. He closes his eye, twists his hand in Olruggio's hold so he can thread their fingers together. Silence falls over them, broken only by the occasional owlcat call from outside, or the nighttime breeze rattling the windowpanes.

It makes him feel a bit silly, in hindsight, how worried he was over this. That he thought something horrific was going to happen, that Olruggio was keeping an awful secret, that there must have been something else, someone else, and… goodness, what a silly notion: that Olruggio would ever want to leave his side. They chose one another as children, bound together by a dark promise and a black ribbon around their fingers.

There was a time in Qifrey's life he never considered marriage an option, is all. His goal had always been this: to survive as long as he could, to find fleeting moments of happiness wherever possible despite this wretched thing that had been cursed upon him. Love was always present, but he could never take hold of it. If he could not even freely hold Olruggio in his arms, let alone think of such a thing without the roots spreading, then there was no way he would have ever thought of them becoming something beyond that. Two souls tied together as one. They didn't need a wedding band for that, though, did they? The tassels felt like enough. Their bond as it was felt like enough.

And yet Olruggio still wanted to put a name to it. He still wanted them to be something in the eyes of society, so there would be no room for doubt. So they could hold one another before the others and say yes, he is mine, and I love him.

Warm tears trickle down his face. Qifrey takes a stuttering breath, wiping at his cheek with his wrist. He can hardly get that one, single word out; it feels caught in his throat, choking him. Sniffling, coughing weakly, he manages a strangled, "Yes."

Followed by a sob, shaky and hoarse.

"Yes, Olly. I will marry you."

The anxiety on Olruggio's face melts into instant relief. With their joined hands, Olruggio pulls Qifrey in and Qifrey goes willingly, his free hand settling on the side of Olruggio's neck as their lips connect. The kiss is tender, chaste, he can taste the mix of their tears through it. They had shed many tears in the past—sometimes tears of joy, mostly tears of pain, and it feels like brand new catharsis each time, creating a new wide open space within Qifrey's chest that lets him breathe easier, that lets his emotions run free, no longer crushed beneath the heavy weight of silverwood.

"Ah," Olruggio grunts against his lips. "Almost forgot."

He pulls away from the kiss and looks down at their joined hands. He adjusts his hold to delicately cradle Qifrey's wrist instead. The ring still gripped in his other hand is finally brought up, slid carefully onto Qifrey's slender finger. A perfect fit. Qifrey watches the entire time, his lips parted, eye wide and wet.

"You knew my size?" Qifrey asks. "Now, how did you manage that? I don't recall you ever asking."

Olruggio clears his throat. "I, uh, have my ways."

Qifrey squints at him, but lets it go. For now. He might poke at it again later, when it won't ruin the mood. He brings his hand up to his lips, pressing a kiss to the stone on the ring. The metal feels warm against his flesh.

"Do I want to know how much you spent?" Qifrey says, leaning in to kiss the corner of Olruggio's mouth.

"No," Olruggio responds. "Oh, I added my own finishin' touches. There's a spell inscribed on the inside."

"I noticed. Richeh's light tracer spell, isn't it? That means there is a twin, does it not?"

"Aye. In my workshop." Olruggio takes Qifrey's hand again, pressing his lips to his palm, then to each fingertip. "That way, if you ever run off and do somethin' foolish, I'll be able to find you easier."

Qifrey chuckles. "I would never."

"You would and you have."

"I don't know what you're talking about." The feigned innocence seems to grate on Olruggio's nerves enough for the man to lean in and silence him with a kiss, his hands taking hold of his waist and dragging him fully into his lap. Which was, admittedly, the plan. Qifrey's fingers comb through his dark, messy hair, while he hums happily into the kiss. He leans in further, arms eventually looping around Olruggio's neck while Olruggio kisses against his wet face, drawing soft laughter out of them both.

He doesn't know how long they sit there in the dimly-lit catwalk, still in a pile on the floor, sharing gentle kisses and nuzzling noses. Longer than necessary, probably, but he wants to cherish this moment. Right now, he can't fathom pulling away from the man in his arms.

"Do we need to start plannin' a weddin'?" Olruggio mumbles. "'Cus I'll have to send out… a lotta invites…"

Qifrey grimaces. "If you want one, then we can have one," he replies, "but you know I don't like parties."

Olruggio grins. "Okay, then we won't have one."

At the end of the hallway there is suddenly a loud, shrill, disappointed, "Aww!" followed by a chorus of 'shhh! shhh!'

Both of them whip their heads toward the source of the noise, seeing the shadows of four teenage girls watching them from around the corner. Olruggio's face burns bright red and he's able to get past his embarrassment faster than Qifrey is to say something, his voice a thundering bellow, "It's past midnight! All of you, back to bed! Now!"

The girls all jump and scatter, squealing and giggling as the stomping of their running feet on the floor echoes against the walls.

Qifrey blinks, momentarily stunned, before he breaks out into sheepish laughter and drops his head against Olruggio's shoulder. "Ah, and I was already making plans on how I would tell them…"

"Well," Olruggio winds his arms around his waist and props his chin up on Qifrey's shoulder. "I did tell Tetia what I was plannin'."

"You told Tetia? No wonder all of the girls have been behaving so strangely…!"

"Yeah. I imagine she told all the rest the very same day."

It makes them both snicker in unison. Qifrey turns his head, nosing against Olruggio's neck before he presses a kiss to the warm skin there. Soon enough he's sure the entirety of the Great Hall will know, because no matter how much society changed, the fact that witches were incorrigible gossips remained a constant truth. He sighs, squishing his cheek against Olruggio's shoulder.

"Perhaps we should move," he murmurs. "I'd very much like to see how the other ring looks on you."

Olruggio makes a tiny flustered sound, his arms tightening.

"And I think we are owed a bit of privacy after that," Qifrey continues, his tone thick with implication.

"Right. Of course." Olruggio is lifting them both up from the floor now, one arm looping beneath Qifrey's knees and the other beneath his back. Even if Qifrey is taller, Olruggio still has no problem carrying him.

Qifrey's eye glimmers, adjusting his hold around Olruggio's shoulders. "Carrying me across the threshold already? We aren't even wed yet, Olly."

"I'll do it over and over if I have to," Olruggio replies, turning and walking the rest of the way to that heavy wooden door so he can give it a firm kick open. "And I'll treat every single time like it's the first time."

It makes his heart feel full, bursting with endless, searing love. He really hopes that Olruggio means it.

No, he knows Olruggio means it.

They have many, many years ahead of them. So many more years than they suffered.

Qifrey knows that there will still be times where they fight, where they make one another cry, where they will be tested over and over.

And he also knows this: that, like with everything since that fateful day in the Great Hall twenty years ago, they will remain side-by-side, unshakeable. There is nothing left to tear them apart. There are no more secrets to keep. There is only love, boundless and fervent, as endless as the vast sky above.

It's always been you, and it will always be you, my love.