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If he is the moon, Olruggio is the sun.
But oh, tonight the light does not shine upon him. It’s a new moon, and Qifrey misses him something fierce. He holds his hands close to his pregnant belly and weeps softly. Olruggio doesn’t know the truth yet, how could he? Not about the baby, Olruggio knows that full well; it’s his after all.
No, it’s a secret far, far worse than that.
Of course, it’s only when Qifrey is alone and crying that suddenly Olruggio barges into his room. Qifrey quickly wipes his eyes and smiles at his beloved.
“Olly! When did you get back? I thought for certain you would be gone for a few days,” he says.
Olruggio rolls his eyes. “And stay away from my husband and our soon to be baby? Not a chance.”
Ah, he’s shrugged his typical work off. Not entirely unexpected, nor entirely unwelcome, but definitely a problem. Qifrey isn’t sure how long he can keep his secret. He’s not sure what’s worse: telling him or keeping it inside. He’s a proficient liar, that much is certain. But what would his silence cost him?
Olruggio leans in for a kiss but stops before their lips meet. “What’s wrong?” he asks.
Qifrey shakes his head innocently. “Whatever could you mean? Everything’s fine, the girls are all asleep and I’ve just been reading.” The girls are indeed asleep but as for the reading, that’s a bold faced lie and both of them know it.
Olruggio gives him a look. “Tell me the truth, love. What’s wrong?” It’s less of a question and more of a demand to know.
And in that moment Qifrey has two options, both of which stress him out immensely: tell Olruggio the truth, or keep him in the dark by wiping his memory. There’s a third option in there of both telling him and then wiping his memory, but Qifrey would rather not entertain that particular idea.
Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones, maybe it’s the stress of the whole situation, but Qifrey can’t stop the tears from spilling out. Olruggio sits on the bed and beckons Qifrey sit next to him. He lays his head on Olly’s lap while he plays with his hair.
“I found a cure for the seed,” he says softly. So this is his choice.
“But that’s wonderful news! What’s bothering you then?”
Qifrey sighs as he wipes his eyes, tears continuing to spill out. He takes a deep breath, unsteady as it is. “I’ve learned that it will pass from me to our baby. Our child will become a tree as soon as it is happy and safe.”
There’s a pregnant pause as the words escape his lips.
“Are you going to wipe my memory now that I know?”
It’s a fair question, one that Qifrey has considered deeply.
“No. It stresses me out just as much as not telling you, to be perfectly honest.”
Olruggio squeezes Qifrey tightly in his lap, and for a moment Qifrey almost feels safe. Almost.
“But now that I know, we can handle it together. I mean, babies cry all the time, perhaps it will be fine?” It’s overly optimistic thinking and they both know it.
“Olly, as soon as our child feels safe and loved it will become a tree! Being held in our arms while it cries could trigger the tree itself. How can I dare stress a child out that much to get it to survive to adulthood? How could we not show the greatest love in the world to our baby? That feels crueler in a way.”
Olly lets the information sink in for a moment. Of course Qifrey would feel that way. And he does too, for that matter. There’s no question he couldn’t be warm toward his own child. Hell, Qifrey’s apprentices are already like their children as it is and they both adore those kids. Practically all unmanageable teenagers now.
“We could end the pregnancy? Let it last long enough to pass the seed to, then end it.” It’s unfortunately one of the more reasonable options.
Qifrey shakes his head. “I’d rather die a tree than let our child suffer the same fate I have.” The tears spill out again. “What do we do, Olly?”
He is the moon, and Olruggio is the sun. The warmth of his beloved lets him shine brighter than ever. But there is no light tonight. There is warmth, but all he can feel is the darkness of a new moon.
“I don’t know. I wish I could figure something out, but I’m also at a loss.” Olly kisses his forehead gently. “But we’ll go through it together.”
Qifrey sits up and leans his head on Olly’s shoulder.
“Yeah. Together.”