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Qifrey, as quietly as possible, pushed in the door. The lights in the atelier were as dark as could be, except for the hearth in the room. The creaking of the door screamed through the silent house, causing him to cringe.
He checked all directions cautiously, especially for a specific Watchful Eye, though usually he’s locked away in his workshop, slowly closing the door.
“Coast is clear”
Clutching his side, Qifrey dragged himself into the living room to rest by the fire and warm himself up as he decided where to go from here.
“So shall I gander a guess where ya been.”
A shiver ran down Qifrey’s spine, a mix of pain and of a familiar deep voice that seemed to reverberate gently in the room.
“Well, there goes that plan…”
That practiced smile pulled on Qifrey’s face (a graceful lesson given to him and unintentionally used against the teacher), welcoming his (partner in pain) long-time friend.
“My dear Olly, pray tell what you're doing out and about at this hour! Would you like me to whip you up a snack once I get cleaned up?” Qifrey gleefully
Olruggio sends a look of irritation, but worry clouds those blues.
“Wipe that smile off yer face. When will this be enough, Qifrey”
Qifrey’s eyes widened just barely as the mask deepened. “Whatever are you saying? I just went out for some air and hit a few mishaps.”, wincing ever so slightly at the wound.
“Is ‘his what we callin’ the Brimmed Caps? Air? Yer a bloody bloke if ya think I would believe ya? Has age caught up to ya that you lie so weakly? How much can I cover for ya before the Knights are on us? What of this atelier? Your apprentices?”
What about me?
Qifrey’s eyes widened. “Olly… what are you even saying?”
Olruggio’s eyes burned. "Tha knows I know you're after the Brim Caps, don't tha? Do you have any idea what it's like, knowing you're out there chasing some half-baked lead, throwing yourself into stupid, dangerous shite on the hope it'll be enough? Do you know what it's like wondering if this is the last time I'll see you walk out that door? Every time you leave, I can't help thinking... this might be it. Every goodbye gets harder. Every cup of tea, every drink we actually get to share, becomes something I end up holding onto because I don't know when we'll get another. And every single time you disappear, I find myself getting ready for the possibility that I'll have to sit the girls down and tell them...that you aren't coming back. So don't stand there acting like your lies are making things easier for me. They aren't."
Qifrey looked away, unable to look at Olruggio’s face.
“Qifrey, when will it be enough?”
The silence of the atelier loomed over the two like a blanket, letting the words linger in every corner.
“I… never believed your excuses. I was the one who taught you to lie, and every night I regret it, but I trust you, Qifrey. I believe in the adventures we shared; I believe in the promises of the future we made; I believe in the boy who told me he wanted to live somewhere closer to the stars”
Qifrey’s hand clenched on his wound as another fisted his cloak, tears starting to build up. Olruggio walked over and grabbed Qifrey’s hand, guiding him to the sofa.
“Don’t think I wouldn’t end up noticing; sit ya arse down and remove ya shirt. I’ll get the kit”, Olruggio said, stepping away to the closet.
Qifrey reached out hesitatingly for Olruggio’s retreating figure. “Olly, wait I- why do you wait for me? Why do you believe me?”
“Why do you even care for me?”
Olruggio stopped suddenly, shoulders slumping. He glanced over his shoulder with a wry smile.
“Tha knows t'answer to that”
It wasn’t a question nor an answer, just a statement. Qifrey knew the answer…
“But I don’t want to believe it”.
Qifrey felt a sting in his eye and the onset of a headache. He heard the unmistakable footsteps approaching, looking up into ocean-blue eyes that had always felt like home.
The only water I would willingly drown in
Olruggio kneeled gently, moving Qifrey’s hands away from the wound, assessing it carefully. With the steady hands of a craftsman, Olruggio disinfected it and meticulously wrapped it up. He then took Qifrey’s hands, repeating the process, wrapping up cuts even Qifrey had not noticed. Olruggio took Qifrey’s wrapped hands, placing a gentle kiss on them, causing Qifrey to let a light gasp escape, and gently resting them against his forehead.
“Qifrey- I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this. Even if we witches have to lie, I never wanted thee to have to lie wi' me. It's got me wondering if I'm making thee uncomfortable... if maybe I should just leave. Or if I'm just unreliable and a burden on thee.”
Qifrey's eyes widened in panic.
“My Olly unreliable? Blasphemy. How could I, a useless, pathetic waste of space, make my star feel like this”
Qifrey rested his forehead against their clasped hands.
“Olruggio, my dearest friend, I have placed an unfair weight on you, and that is all my fault. Please forgive me.”
Olly lightly squeezes their intertwined hands. “I dun't care about all that. I'd gladly be there for anything you throw at me. All I want is for you to be here by my side. To wake up to the girls' chatter and curiosity, your smile, and food made wi' love after a hard day. I want to be here, with our little family, in the home we've built together. That’s where I belong, wi' you. I lo- ”
Qifrey suddenly moved forward, and Olruggio’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden softness cutting him off. His eyes flutter shut, his hand moving up to Qifrey’s neck, feeling the soft hairs there. Qifrey slowly moved away, but Olruggio turned Qifrey’s face towards him, pressing his lips against Qifrey’s again. Qifrey melted into the kiss, running his hands on Olruggio’s sides, before settling on Olruggio’s waist, giving it a sharp squeeze, causing a quiet whimper to escape Olruggio’s throat.
A painful pressure pushed against Qifrey’s damaged eye, causing him to suddenly push Olruggio away, causing him to stumble.
“Qifrey? Why did ya st-“, Olruggio saw the devastated face Qifrey made, effectively shutting him up.
“Olruggio, I have to go, I need to-“ Qifrey said, getting up, but Olruggio grabbed Qifrey’s sleeves, immobilizing him.
“Qifrey, please tell me what ails you? I don’t care about what ya did, please let me help you. You don’t have ta do this alone.” Olruggio held Qifrey’s hand in his to bring their intertwined hands to rest on his cheeks, his face melting into an expression of warm adoration and reverence.
“Qifrey,…”
Qifrey’s eyes widened in horror.
“Please, God, no, please don’t do this to me, my star”
“Olly…please don’t,” Qifrey weakly pleaded
“I love you”
Everything seemed to happen in a matter of seconds. The silverwood grew towards his star, and the roots breaking out of his feet, the branches enveloping his body, slowly growing to fill the space of the atelier.
“No surprise that the parasite would grow towards the most radiant person in the room”, Qifrey thought bitterly.
Olruggio’s mouth drops, eyes flitting through fear, confusion, and worry.
“Qifrey, w-what is this? Is this… Silverwood? Why would Silverwood be coming from y-”
Olurggio's eyes widened in horror. “No… it could not be.”
Qifrey laughed weakly. “You always were too clever for your own good.”
Olruggio, slowly holding his head in his hands, “I am killing you. Everything I do, I do out of love for you, our girls, and every drop of happiness, of peace I feel from being here with you… I am killing you.”
Qifrey shakes his head gently. “Never, my love. You are the only reason I am alive and able to keep fighting. The only reason I am even able to be here with you is because of the promise I made to you. The sacrifices you make.”
Olruggio ponders this for a second, “Silverwood's nowt like t'other plants. Most o' them scatter their seeds by gettin' beasts to eat 'em, or lettin' wind an' water carry 'em off. But silverwood? Nah. Its seeds burrow into livin' hosts, animals mostly, though by t'looks o' things, humans an' all, and live off 'em like parasites. Once they're lodged in, they don't just grow whenever they fancy. They feed off a body's happiness an' peace o' mind. They bide their time till host's found enough comfort, enough calm, like they've put all that nasty business behind 'em. Which means t'other side's true an' all, if tha's full o' misery, anger, fear, or tha's never truly at ease a-”
Olruggio looks up to Qifrey, worry and fear making a tumultuous storm in his eyes, “Oh, Qif, what have ya been doing?”
Qifrey's gaze made Olruggio’s heart tighten.
“Get my pointed cap and pull down the flap of fabric.”
Olruggio looked bewildered but obliged, picking up the discarded white cap, feeling around till, to his surprise, a flap came down, revealing the spell hidden in there.
Olruggio quickly met Qifrey’s eyes, showing him the spell.
“Whose bloody foolish idea was this?”
“Whose do you think?”
Olruggio's wet laugh rang out clear like chimes.
“Did ah ever say something like, 'A couple o' memories are nothing if it means ah get another adventure wi' ye?”
Qifrey let out a sad chuckle. “You really don’t change… and we also made a promise to be partners in pain”
“Course we did. I reckon that's when our tassels were switched. I'd always hoped it were a proposal... or some grand romantic gesture, something daft like that.
But to find out it meant a promise like this...Some promise to protect everyone but yourself. That's not the future I ever wanted for us. Honestly, I'm still trying to decide whether to kiss you senseless... or wring your bloody neck”.
Qifrey let out a wet, broken laugh. Olruggio could only watch as the silver branches continued to creep over Qifrey's body, swallowing him inch by inch. For the first time in years, he found himself utterly at a loss.
“Is this why you've been so hell-bent on chasing the Brimmed Hats? I knew you were going blind, but... to find out this is what you've been hiding… Damn it, Qifrey!”
Qifrey’s lips tightened into a line of tears he didn’t realize had built up, spilling over. “I sometimes considered just freeing you by letting it consume me…”
Olruggio lurched up, “Absolutely not. If I'd known, I'd have tied myself to your side, and we'd have found another way. Together.”
Qifrey smiled, a rare genuine one that lacked any of the formalities of the mask he wore, though not as wide, it made up for it with the emotion in his eyes.
“Whenever I left and felt anything like that, I would look up to the sky and be reminded that the most handsome, stunning, kindest, most radiant star was waiting for me back home...”
Olruggio blushed a deep red, rubbing his goatee.
“Have you looked in a mirror recently? I think you've always been the prettier one. Hair like the snow in Ghodrey... eyes that catch the light like an open sky. I've been looking at them for years.”
Qifrey chuckled, a light flush dusking his cheeks. “ …and a promise made to a bright-eyed Ghodrey boy that gave up himself to save a foolish damaged boy. How could I ever betray such trust?” Qifrey forced out, feeling the branches starting to constrict him.
Olruggio took the spell in his fingers.
“Qifrey, before I do this, could I ask you something?”
“Anything, my star.”
“Have I professed my love before?”
Qifrey nodded. “But, this always happens so…”
Olruggio lets out a dry laugh, “I guess this would ruin the mood”.
Qifrey smiles at that.
"Will tha make me one promise?
Not as a witch.
Not as my partner.
Just... to a Ghodrey lad from Naakiwan Downs...
Who's been in love with a Silverwood lad for longer than he can rightly remember.”
Qifrey nods, his throat choking, though not only from the Silverwood.
“When all this is over...will tha let me call thee mine?”
Qifrey cries as he nods fervently. Olrugio smiled radiantly.
“Well then... the girls and I will always be waiting for you at home. So promise me you'll come back. Come back to us...Come back to me. I don't think I could bear it if you didn't.”, Olruggio said, placing his lips on Qifrey's, sealing the promise. Qifrey tilted his head slightly to deepen the kiss, drinking in every breath and sound Olruggio made as though it were his last.
“My guiding star in the sky, I promise you, I will always find my way to our family,” Qifrey says, placing a kiss to Olruggio’s neck, feeling the branch growing larger
Olruggio bends his head towards Qifrey, placing a kiss on Qifrey’s forehead and the seal over his eyes.
“I love you, Qifrey"
Olruggio whispered as his eyes closed. The Silverwood immediately retreated into Qifrey, the guilt eating away at him.
Qifrey catches his lover in his arms, holding him close as he wept, the tears falling into ebony hair.
“I love you too”