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It starts, as it often does, when Olruggio overhears two elderly witches praising Qifrey.
More specifically, they had been exchanging pleasant words about him for his recent efforts to correct an error in the magic that controlled the Great Hall’s mist basin. Even with the vast talents and skill that resided in the hall, they’d found themselves shorthanded, leading to Beldaruit’s summoning of his old apprentice. It had been a rare visit to the sea bed for Qifrey, one he’d swallowed his apprehensions towards in favor of restoring its denizens' comfort with a few flourishes of his drawing hand.
After all, the place was a cauldron of bad memories and nightmares, brewing a dreadful potion that Qifrey would be feeling the side-effects of for years to come. But, he’d attended to his duties as an adult witch with his usual poise. The issue was solved quickly, the combination of his and Beldaruit’s expertise working a magic of its own, and he’d been sent home with praiseworthy gossip trailing behind him rather than the usual scandalized whispers.
Plus, he’d returned to the atelier with only minimal complaining about how he was damp and sleep-deprived.
So, yes. Olruggio was absolutely beaming to hear that others had appreciated the gesture.
It came as no surprise then, that he found himself passing over a tad more money he’d been expecting to spend as he passed through the Great Hall to deliver a commision. He’d never comprehend what warranted the hefty price tag of Qifrey’s favorite bookmark tea, however Olruggio figured it must be worth it if it pulled a smile from Qifrey that he could only describe as priceless.
Anything that gave Olruggio the opportunity to be the source of that gentle, genuine grin was worth the salary of his exhaustion and head-scratching. Even if said exhaustion was the source of many of Qifrey’s scowls and scolding too. Olruggio just liked it when Qifrey paid attention to him.
It felt impossible, that after all these years he still found a way to fall even deeper in love with him. No sea bed trenched low enough to compare.
When Olruggio returned to the atelier, he was relieved to see Qifrey making the finishing touches to dinner in the kitchen. The girls were seated around the table, chatting about their progress with the latest seals Qifrey had tasked them with mastering, their expressions pleasant and calm. Brushbug shot up from its nap at the sound of his arrival, scampering from Qifrey’s shoulders to climb onto Olruggio’s instead. He scratched its head and chuckled.
The girls turned to look at him with a chorus of welcoming.
“Ah, Olly. Perfect timing,” Qifrey called to him. He spun around with a cooking pot in his hands, a charming smile on his lips. “Dinner’s ready. Put your hat and cloak away and come join us.”
Olruggio obeyed and their dinnertime routine proceeded as usual. The delicious food accompanied the animated conversations, sated the girls and settled them down for an evening of reading and playing before they eventually shuffled upstairs to bed. Once the final goodnight had been called, the time for the adults to begin their evening together arrived.
Well, after Qifrey had finished cleaning the kitchen and Olruggio had sorted out the laundry, that was.
Eventually, Qifrey collected the equipment for bookmark tea from the kitchen, his usual grade of bookmarks in tow as he prepared to brew some for himself and Olruggio as he so often did when the children went to bed. He placed them down on a low table by the hearth, setting up the stands and filling the kettle with water from a waterdrop buoy. Olruggio took his cue to draw a pyreball seal and watched as Qifrey hung the kettle above it.
With the water boiling, Olruggio grabbed the box he’d hidden under his cloak on the couch when Qifrey wasn’t paying attention. Clutching the gift behind his back, Olruggio sat next to Qifrey and tapped his knee to get his attention. Qifrey cocked his head to one side, looking up from his book questioningly.
“I’ve got somethin’ for you,” Olruggio said. His slight embarrassment warmed his cheeks, which he hoped Qifrey would blame the flickering fire for.
“Have I forgotten something important?” Qifrey looked confused. Relief relaxed into a smile when Olruggio shook his head no.
“Just felt like it,” Olruggio smiled, wobbly but sincere.
He placed the box of bookmark tea on the floor between them. Qifrey exhaled in disbelief, then chuckled warmly. Despite knowing with absolute certainty that he’d bought Qifrey’s favorite, Olruggio still felt nervous that he would’ve found it silly or a touch too unexpected. Thankfully, the look on his face, the grateful way he looked at him and squeezed his knee, melted those doubts away.
“Thank you,” he grinned. Qifrey placed a protective hand on the box, a teasing look shining beneath his glasses. “Though, I fear I should be hiding the baking equipment from you.”
“Fortunately for you, I’ve learned my lesson,” Olruggio huffed. “Whatever happened to ‘it’s the thought that counts’?”
“Oh, your first thought was wonderful! Buying me some expensive bookmark tea to thank me, truly a kind thought,’ Qifrey hummed. “The second thought, however…”
With narrowed eyes, Olruggio crossed his arms and flicked his head to the side. A small smile creased at the corner of his lips. “What about it, Master Qifrey?”
Qifrey laughed at the display and continued. “The second thought could have taken some feedback and adjustments. Perhaps I’ve been neglectful during my lessons on bookmark tea. I only thought to include the girls, I never thought about how your education could also be lacking.”
“Alright, you’ve made your point. At least the girls appreciated the cake,” he grumbled. Olruggio snuffed the fire seal as the kettle began to whistle. “Here. For you. No flour or eggs in sight.”
“What a mercy that is, dear friend,” Qifrey set a teacup beneath the stand holding the bookmarks and took the kettle in hand. “However, the cake was indeed delicious. I only panicked because the quality of tea was unnecessary for the use you chose. Rather, tea of this caliber is best enjoyed fresh and hot as, well, tea.”
“Tea is best served as tea? Eloquent.”
“Quiet,” Qifrey laughed with a smile.
Olruggio watched as Qifrey poured the water over the bookmarks, liquid waterfalling in shades of pink; pale after passing through the willow grape bookmark on top, then flushing to a gentle rose after seeping through the cherry blossom bookmark beneath.
The steam billowing from the teacup sculpted itself into willow grape leaves and cherry blossoms from the smoke binding seal Qifrey had etched into the saucer. Qifrey hummed softly to himself as the water slowly filled the teacup, a familiar tune that reminded Olruggio of their days spent exploring the many winding pathways of the Great Hall. A smile remained a constant on his lips as he sang.
“Here,” Qifrey gently nudged the teacup towards Olruggio. “So you can learn just how large an error you made by baking this into cake.”
“I thought you were done,” he groaned. His woes were met with a carefree laugh from Qifrey. “Also, I bought these for you. Two isn’t a lot, you should enjoy them both. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine with the regular stuff.”
“Try it,” Qifrey said.
“Try it- are you listening to me?”
“Delicious tea is an experience best enjoyed when shared with others.” Qifrey removed the used bookmarks from the stand and set new ones in their place. He spoke with a reflective murmur, a whisper of a deeper sentiment he wouldn’t speak aloud. “We can always buy more tea. Evenings like these aren’t so easily purchased.”
The statement took Olruggio by surprise. So tender it was spoken, hardly disturbing the calm evening air that bathed them. His heart fluttered. He pulled the teacup closer to his lap and gazed at the sculpture of steam, breathing in the gentle aroma of grape that bloomed under his nose.
“Thanks,” Olruggio murmured. He was loath to disturb the peace they’d found themselves in so suddenly. “I’ll be sure to learn my lesson, then.”
Qifrey laughed gently as he poured water over the second set of bookmarks. The water bled into the same pretty pink that Olruggio’s had, the scent growing thicker as another sculpture of steam rose from the surface. Undrunk, the tea had already permeated their spirits with warmth and aroma; dancing wisps of delicious calming air that seemed to settle in their temples with every inhale.
When Qifrey lifted his cup, the sculpture of willow grape leaves and cherry blossoms collapsed back into nature’s gentle chaos. He smiled at Olruggio, giving a pointed look to the other teacup to urge him to pick it up and join him. His eye creased at the corner, the sign of genuine joy shining in his iris.
“Class is in session, my dear.”
Olruggio couldn’t stop the laugh that burst from his chest.
“Qifrey, stop,” he said between chuckles. “Master Qifrey went to bed an hour ago. Let’s just enjoy the tea and put all baking related matters to the back of our minds.”
“Deal,” Qifrey grinned.
They took a moment to look at each other before driving their noses to the brims of their cups, taking a deep breath and letting the aroma swirl through their senses once more. Then, they raised their cups to their lips and took a sip of the rosy liquid.
The taste bloomed instantly on Olruggio’s tongue. Though mild at its core, the fresh taste of flora and fauna sat rich on his taste buds. The willow grape was refreshing and herbal, sweetened only by its scent, with the cherry blossoms adding a mellow floral note that balanced the tea perfectly. It amazed him how even the smell had added to the depth of the flavor, how an ultimately mild tea could taste so strong yet sweet and delicate at the same time. The aroma of grape was blissful as he took another sip and sighed at the pleasant way the liquid sat on his tongue.
“Delicious?” Qifrey asked. His pointer finger tapped against the side of his cup, as though nervous Olruggio had not enjoyed it. As though Olruggio wasn’t dangerously close to moaning at the flavor and draining the cup in seconds.
“Far too delicious for cake.”
“Now, have we dropped the matter or not?”
Fond but exasperated, Qifrey placed his teacup back on its saucer.
“Now, we have.” Olurggio insisted. He placed his cup down too, if not to deter himself from wasting the tea once again by chugging it.
A lull descended upon them. A quiet calm, soothing as the sound of a river trickling over rock. It was so peaceful, so easy to spend evenings like these with Qifrey. The way they existed so naturally, as though they’d been doing it for centuries, overwhelmed him with a feeling of home that could never be attached so strongly to a place made of brick and timber.
He fell in love all over again on these nights. The flicker of the hearth’s flame in Qifrey’s eye was so warm and inviting. He wished to nestle himself into his chest and take his place in his heart.
Olruggio wanted to spend the rest of his life being teased over his knowledge of bookmark tea. He would purposefully mistake his words and get things wrong, just to hear Qifrey correct him kindly, then talk about it for hours and hours with such a passion that they could both forget the problems that plagued them during the day. To hear him speak, to be worthy of his excitement, was a bliss that Olruggio would move mountains to protect.
To come home to the warmth of the atelier he shared with Qifrey, to bask in something as simple as domesticity with him, was all he ever needed for the rest of his life.
Olruggio felt he was getting old. Yet, what a joy it was, to grow old with Qifrey.
“Is this what the rest of our 30s are gonna be like? Drinking fancy tea once the kids are asleep. Should we half the amount of fruit wine we ferment next season?” Olruggio looked into his teacup and sighed, fondly.
“Now, you’re not thinking creatively enough,” Qifrey waved a finger in the air. “Tea liqueurs and cocktails are something we’re more than familiar with. We can enjoy the best of both worlds, we just need to add more tea to our next batch.”
“Maybe we should add more thorn tea to the stronger liquors. It might stop me from passing out after a couple of goblets.”
“There’s that innovative mind I know so well,” Qifrey chuckled. “Though I fear not even a gallon of thorn tea could stop you from falling asleep after a strong drink. For a man who can hold his liquor, you have a terrible tolerance for even the slightest bit of fatigue when you aren’t working.”
“Try having my sleep schedule and see how easy it is to keep your eyes open when you’re tipsy and work-free.”
“I fear the girls’ education would suffer if I did that,” Qifrey said.
“Can’t argue with that,” Olruggio sighed.
With every sip they took, the fatigue that had settled deep into their limbs began to slip away. Their backs held less tension, the distance between them growing shorter as they melted closer to the other’s body in their relaxation. They both yawned, the removal of the uncomfortable tug of exhaustion allowing them to fall into a peaceful sleepiness instead.
Olruggio guided Qifrey closer to him. He wrapped an arm around his waist, his fingers tracing shapes into the expanse of clothed skin as he felt Qifrey’s chest collapse with a serene sigh. Qifrey leaned his head against Olruggio’s neck, the pair of them adjusting their positions until they were comfortable resting against each other. When they’d settled once more, Olruggio pressed a kiss to Qifrey’s scalp and buried his nose into his hair.
He loved to occupy this comfortable space of the peninsula that was theirs. Not his, nor Qifrey’s, but the result of a relationship that had weathered countless storms with trust and devotion. Their feet steady on the earth they stood on, never shaking so long as their eyes could still meet or their hands could still reach out and touch.
The moon leaped higher into the sky. It pulled the liquid in their cups to their lips as they drank in blissful comfort.