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If one were to ask any of those who knew him best, practically all of them would clamor for the opportunity to express in full the many reasons they believed Olruggio of the Torch to be the most selfless person in their orbit. Truthfully, he believed himself rather selfish.
Selfish for how he hardly wanted to leave the atelier at all over the course of the last several months; how often he concerned Qifrey with his flagrant disregard for his own wellbeing; for the brusque manner in which he regarded nearly everyone he spoke to, with the exception of one.
That one being Qifrey himself.
He was mindful enough toward the girls, of course, knowing how sensitive they were, but Olruggio hadn’t been prepared for the radical shift within himself to be so all-encompassing once Qifrey had been relieved of his curse. It were as though the years of stored affection Olruggio contained had bubbled over into a veritable tidal wave that would’ve drowned his beloved if not for the equilibrium matched only by Qifrey’s own fervent longing.
It had been difficult to think of much else, let alone work, but nevertheless the gears of his mind were turning in brief moments of lucidity on his journey home. A kindly enough noblewoman had insisted on hailing a Pegasus carriage for him, and even going so far as to pay the fare, but not before imparting to him the knowledge that a friend of hers had just borne a baby—her first, as a matter of fact. Naturally, sleep was a luxury the poor woman was hardly afforded due to the baby’s crying, and “oh, how nice would it be for her to finally get a full night’s rest. Surely the sort of problem a brilliant mind such as yours would be able to solve?”
A lack of sleep was something Olruggio knew too well, but he’d hardly the knowledge of how to properly care for an infant, and all of their girls had been well beyond the age for such needs by the time they entered Qifrey’s tutelage. The baby’s parents had already ruled out sickness and other abnormalities, so now it was just a matter of finding a tool that would help him sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time. But what could that be?
Olruggio leaned into the corner of the carriage, nose buried in a small cushion he’d begun traveling with. The scent of Qifrey had all but vanished from the pillowcase he fashioned around it, which was much too big for the size of the cushion, but it didn’t matter. He could bear the many discomforts of travel the way he always had, but somewhere along the way, the separation between he and Qifrey became too much to bear. He tried not to think too hard about how it made him feel like a baby, and yet… Maybe he could use this to his advantage.
Maybe.
But for now, he was being politely stirred awake by the coachman. He was finally home, and oh, what a relief it was.
He could hear the distant laughter of the girls behind the atelier, interspersed with protests from Agott.
“Ugh, my components!“
“We told you to leave them inside!” Tetia laughed, not sounding the least bit sorry. Olruggio could tell the other girls were trying to stifle their own laughter as best they could, but there was no way he was going to mediate their quarrel right now.
The scent of freshly baked bread greeted him upon entry to the atelier. Because Qifrey refused to do anything in half measures, it smelled like a sun-dried tomato & herb loaf that was likely intended as part of a light lunch when the girls came back inside.
Olruggio toed off his shoes, careful not to stain the clean floor mat, and nearly tripping in the process. He simply couldn’t wait to find Qifrey, but was suddenly very glad to have refrained from calling out to him. From further inside, likely the washroom, was the sound of singing.
“Oh, Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountainside.”
Since when could Qifrey carry a tune? Had Olruggio ever heard him sing before now? He couldn’t remember, but then again, there were many things that he couldn’t remember; gaps that blurred the line between dreams and reality.
“The summer's gone and all the roses falling
It's you, it's you, must go and I must bide.”
Quiet as the dead, he traipsed further so as not to spook him, like a deer in the woods. Qifrey was terribly self-conscious about even his best attributes, and Olruggio was not about to add one more to the list.
“But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow.”
Olruggio peered around the corner of the washroom, its door open wide enough to see Qifrey folding linen sheets upon the table beside the wash barrels, smoothing out the wrinkles with a metal contraption engraved with a steam seal. A wooden handle was affixed to the top to make it easy to hold, and Olruggio had been referring to it as the humble “iron.” He was still tinkering with ways to make it more efficient to market broadly.
“And I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny Boy, oh, Danny Boy, I love you so.”
Olruggio swore his heart skipped a beat on the last refrain. Was there nothing Qifrey couldn’t do? Master witch; Teacher; Cook; Swordsman; Lover… And he could sing the sweetest melody Olruggio had ever heard. How could Qifrey be his?
Qifrey’s shoulders tensed before he turned around, calling out, “hello?” Girls?”
Well, shit. Olruggio almost felt bad for interrupting him, but he had to make his presence known sooner rather than later. He stepped through the doorway, taking Qifrey by surprise. Several emotions collided into one upon his face, and he suddenly didn’t know what to do with his hands.
“Olly? I wasn’t expecting you back for another day, at least.”
No answer but the soft hiss of the iron abandoned on the table.
“Are you all right? I’m just finishing up some laundry while the girls are enjoying the weather. I have a feeling they’re splashing about in the brook even after I expressly told them not to, so—“
Olruggio lifted his head, his sapphire eyes meeting Qifrey’s lone ocean one, before nearly collapsing into his chest in an embrace. As a boy, he once resented being of shorter stature than his peers, but now he treasured the way his head slotted perfectly into the crook of his lover’s neck as though it were always meant to be there.
Bereft of all creature comforts, he inhaled the woodsy scent of balsam and juniper that was especially potent without the presence of Qifrey’s restrictive black undershirt. Instead, he wore a breezy, long-sleeved summer top embroidered with flowers bordering its broad neckline. Paired with it were loose-fitting drawstring pants.
Olruggio could’ve eaten him alive at the sight, though he settled for planting a firm kiss at the base of his throat. Qifrey swallowed thickly, tightening their embrace.
“Missed you somethin’ fierce. Didn’t know you could sing.”
Olruggio snaked his hands beneath the hem of Qifrey’s shirt, trailing up his spine so gently it made him tremble. Even as his back reflexively arched away from the touch, it pushed their chests closer together. Emboldened by Qifrey’s responsiveness and careful to leave no trace, he glided his lips against the swanlike column of his neck, nipping at various intervals that earned him a whine.
“Olly,” Qifrey ground out between stifled breaths. “This is hardly the place to hold a proper reunion.”
“Thought I told you not to push yourself too hard b’fore I left.”
“Ah, well clearly you see fit to push my limits this afternoon, my love.”
“Hmph, nothin’ of the sort. Consider this a… Vertical expression of horizontal desire. Given my way, I’d have you on your back.”
“Olruggio!”
“Or your front, just so long as I can have you.” Olruggio punctuated his plea with a kiss to Qifrey’s exposed collarbone along with a squeeze of his ass.
Qifrey straightened up to his full height and gripped Olruggio’s chin to meet his gaze once more. Try as he may to look imposing, he couldn’t contain the laughter that bubbled out of his throat after a beat.
“My dear, the bags beneath your eyes have turned to trunks. I think it best that we resume this activity after you’ve had some rest and a proper meal, yes?”
Olruggio looked at him like a man flayed alive; like Qifrey would vanish into thin air if he dared let him go.
“Aye.”
A cheshire grin spread across Qifrey’s face before he leaned forward to capture Olruggio’s lips in a deep kiss, bullying his thigh as far as he could between his skirts. Olruggio was knocked slightly off balance, but a moment was all he needed to rut pitifully against Qifrey’s leg before he pulled away completely. As with all things in their lives, Qifrey had to have the last word.
“I’ll make you pay for this, you know.” Olruggio growled, utterly betrayed.
Qifrey was already leaving the washroom. Satisfied with his handiwork, he called back, “With interest, I hope!”
˚༺☆༻˚
True to his word, Olruggio took a brief nap before lunch was prepared. Just as he entered the kitchen, the girls had come tumbling into the house after one another. The sun had already dried their clothes, but they still managed to track some dirt through the freshly cleaned entryway, much to Qifrey’s chagrin. He sighed inwardly, returning his focus to stirring a fragrant vegetable soup, but the look wasn’t lost on his partner. Qifrey was just as exhausted as he had been.
“Girls, why don’t you go wash up before we eat?” Olruggio directed with practiced calm. “Then maybe afterward I can share the treat I picked up on my trip.” That immediately piqued the girls’ interest.
“Yes, master Olly!”
Once he was certain the girls were out of range, Olruggio approached Qifrey from behind to lie a grounding palm against the small of his back.
“Anything I can do to help, love?” Olruggio murmured into the shell of his ear.
“Mm, not right now, but I appreciate the thought.”
Qifrey smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Olruggio could tell he was tired in a way that he didn’t want to admit, but for now he wouldn’t press the issue.
“‘Course. Don’t worry about the entryway, though. I’ll have one of the girls lend me a hand with it later and remind them all not to enter the house in dirty shoes.”
Qifrey ducked his head, wiping away a few stray tears he didn’t want Olruggio to see even though it was fruitless.
“Thank you, Olly, truly. I’m sorry for being difficult; I’m just a lot more tired than I thought, and…”
“Hey, shh with that, now. C’mere and let me hold you properly this time?”
Qifrey didn’t need to be asked twice. With a shuddering breath, he let himself be wrapped in Olruggio’s arms once more. The speed at which the tension left his body was its own sort of magic.
“M’sorry I was such a brute earlier. I don’t know when the time between saying goodbye and arriving home became an eternity, but it is. I missed you terribly, sweetheart.” Olruggio spoke in a tone that Qifrey had come to know as reserved for him alone, preening at the sudden smoothness of his otherwise gravelly voice. He pulled back just far enough to cup his cheeks.
Qifrey chuckled. “It’s quite all right. It feels good to be wanted, and I do want you back, but I probably overestimated my limits for today.”
“Well, you needn’t worry about that. I fully intend to still treat you later on once the ducklings are off to bed.” Olruggio pressed a kiss to Qifrey’s palm, making him blush a fierce shade of pink that was all the more evident due to his fair complexion.
“Blech,” came a voice in the distance that sounded an awful lot like Richeh’s. “They’re being mushy again.”
“Aw, I think it’s rather sweet. Right, Agott?” Agott could be heard sputtering something unintelligible, clearly flustered by Coco’s assumption.
“W-What are you asking me for?! Honestly, you’re all an embarrassment. I’m not even hungry anymore.” Agott turned away from her gaggle of giggling friends to make toward her room in a huff before Olruggio called out to them.
“Now, now, ladies, your master went to the trouble of preparing this nice meal for all of us. Plus, aren’t you curious what I brought back from my venture?”
That got all of their attention. The girls seated themselves in a flash and awaited the distribution of soup and sandwich fixings. Even brush buddy made a polite enough appearance at the table, sipping from its water dish and pecking at whatever nibbles it could get its paws on from Tetia.
As the pair turned to sit, Qifrey caught Olruggio by surprise with a brief peck to his lips, mouthing a “thank you.” Olruggio could only nod, a flush spreading across his cheeks to match his mate’s. The table all at once erupted in a chorus of “awws” and “yucks” in equal measure, but at least Qifrey’s smile was genuine.
˚༺☆༻˚
The little surprise that Olruggio had planned for the girls turned out to be more useful than Olruggio thought it would be. It was a bundle of small, ornate bags of elderflower-flavored hard candies with a dollop of honeytree nectar in their centers. They were delicious on their own, but dissolvable in warm tea as well—a function that Qifrey found especially pleasing. Aside from the uniquely flavored candy, what initially caught Olruggio’s attention were the bags themselves which were woven with flowers and animal patterns. Even Agott, who didn’t much care such things beyond their utility, seemed taken aback by how lovely a gift it was.
Having bid their thanks, the girls aided Qifrey in cleaning up after their late lunch before settling into their evening routines. Soon enough their days would grow shorter with autumn being just around the bend, but for now the atelier was full of summer warmth. All was as it should be, but Olruggio was keen on having his lover to himself come nightfall.
˚༺☆༻˚
“It was awfully kind of you to think of the girls while you were away, you know.” Qifrey hummed, stroking Olruggio’s cheek with his free hand, the other wrapped around his shoulder as they lay in bed.
“That was nothing. They’re good kids; they deserve a little somethin’ once in a while, but I’m glad you all enjoy it.” Olruggio wiggled ever nearer to Qifrey, smoothing out the wrinkles in the thin robe he was wearing. He seized the opportunity to sneak his fingers beneath the fabric, tracing shapes against his bare flesh. In some ways, he was plagued by the thought that he had grown to needy, too reliant on Qifrey’s newfound ability to give and receive affection, that he would inadvertently end up forming a chasm between them even after so many years in one another’s orbit. Forever torn between the want of casual familiarity and an everlasting sensation of novelty.
“Yes, of course,” Qifrey responded, distractedly. “And what about you, for that matter? I take it work has been steady and well?”
“It has been, sure. Can’t complain about good business, but…”
“‘But?’”
Olruggio swallowed audibly, avoiding Qifrey’s gaze. He looked nigh ethereal, framed in the candlelight on the side table. He would not cry, dammit.
“Maybe I’m just growin’ sentimental, but I miss you when we’re apart and I miss you when we’re together, too. I dunno how it’s even possible, but you feel like, like—“ Miraculously, Olruggio found the resolve to meet Qifrey’s eye again. He wore the sort of expression he held when consoling one of the girls: free from judgment or pity, but with great concern. “Smoke. Like you’ll slip through my fingers if I don’t hold you tightly enough.”
“For that, I am to blame. Believing something in your mind and believing it in your heart are separate matters entirely, and I don’t fault you for having doubts. I want you to know, though, that no matter how great the distance between us may be, all of my roads lead back to you.” Qifrey turned onto his back, arms outstretched in invitation, which Olruggio accepted gratefully. He situated himself comfortably against Qifrey’s chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart. It’d been too long since he last indulged in the sensation; not since their sleepovers when they were children, most likely.
“Thank you, love. No sense dwellin’ on water under the bridge, but I wouldn’t complain if we never had to leave this bed again, either.” Olruggio kissed Qifrey’s neck chastely, eliciting a giggle from his bedmate who tightened his hold on Olruggio.
“Yes, well, fortunately for you it’s not as though anyone else is excited by the prospect of having me all to themselves. Rest assured, I am yours and yours alone. Until breakfast time, at least.”
The two shared a hearty laugh, content to simply enjoy one another’s presence before Olruggio remembered Qifrey singing earlier in the day.
“That song you were singing earlier… Is there more to it, or was that all?” Olruggio asked. He was quickly growing exhausted, but couldn’t resist the allure of Qifrey’s singing voice if he would allow it.
“There is, but it’s not a particularly happy end. I wouldn’t want to upset you.” Qifrey had been running his fingers through Olruggio’s short locks, knowing how much he enjoyed it.
“Perish the thought. Hell, I’d be happy as a lark hearing you read from an instruction manual, but knowing how well you can sing? Please, humor this fool.” Olruggio asked sweetly in the way a puppy might plead for its master to hold it. It squeezed Qifrey’s heart in a vice, and just like Olruggio himself, he could deny his beloved nothing.
“But when ye come, and all the flowers are dying
If I am dead, as dead I well may be
Ye'll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an Ave there for me.
And I shall hear, though soft you tread above me
And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be
For you will bend and tell me that you love me
And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me.”
Qifrey stiffened against Olruggio self-consciously. The implication wasn’t lost on either of them, how closely they’d come to being separated forever, and all Olruggio could think about was never having known that Qifrey could sing so beautifully. A treasure unearthed that would’ve otherwise remained buried.
Olruggio sat upright to cup Qifrey’s cheeks in his hands. He hadn’t seen Qifrey appear so unsure of himself since they were boys.
“That was lovely, sweetheart. It must be hard letting others see these more sensitive parts of yourself, but I’m fortunate that you trust me enough to share them with me. E-every time I think it’s impossible to love you more than I already do, well—“ All of Olruggio’s words came tumbling out in a rush, syllables wobbling and colliding with one another to culminate in a language that only Qifrey could decipher.
“Olly, you needn’t regale me with every word. It feels good being able to do these things for you simply because I love you. You know that, don't you?” Qifrey brought Olruggio’s hands to his lips, kissing his knuckles, and felt proud of the way he continued finding new ways to fluster him.
“Aye. My heart has always been yours.”
The pair settled back down into the sheets with Olruggio’s head tucked beneath Qifrey’s chin once more. For him, there was nothing more soothing than the rhythmic thrum of Qifrey’s heart with the knowledge of their combined sacrifices that made it all possible. Curled up together like this, he could almost forget they were two separate bodies. No other comfort could compare.
Come to think of it…
Olruggio recalled the baby of the noblewoman’s friend; the inconsolable one who cried out at night. Combining the ticking sound of a clock with a mechanical pulse that replicated the sensation of a heartbeat, may be just what the baby needs to make it through the night. He would have to tinker with the logistics of such a project come morning, but the more he thought about it, the more excited he became. The idea warmed him to his core, knowing that this could be yet another creation borne from his love for his dearest friend and greatest love.
“Oh, and Olly, I’ve been meaning to ask: Have you any idea where our pillowcases have gone? We seem to be missing a few.”
Olruggio hesitated for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of whether he cared to bear the indignity of admitting that he'd probably lost more than one after squirreling them away on work trips. They smelled of home; of Qifrey. “Ah… I’m afraid not, but I’m sure they’ll turn up again soon enough.”
What could be the harm of one last secret?