Chapter Text
Olruggio wasn’t sure if he was going insane or if he just desperately needed a nap.
For about three weeks now, he had been unable to enter the same room as Qifrey without feeling like his blood had caught fire and was burning him alive. Anytime Olruggio so much as glanced at the other man, he would find Qifrey either laid out as if he was waiting to be devoured or poised like he was being painted, and it was taking a serious toll on his poor heart. His best friend had gone from his sweet and thoughtful self to a seemingly oblivious seductress in the blink of an eye, and Olruggio was beginning to think it was just his imagination feeding off his deepest desires instead of an actual reality.
He hadn’t really walked into the main room and found Qifrey lounging on the couch with a book, his robes pooled around his slim waist and his skintight black turtleneck rising slightly in time with each of his breaths. No, Olruggio was clearly still asleep, lingering in a dream where he would then walk over to the couch and pull Qifrey into a searing kiss. One of his arms would trace down Qifrey’s back and wrap around his waist as the other would slide into his hair, and he’d –
“Olly? Are you feeling alright? You’ve been standing there for a bit…” Qifrey trailed off, tilting his head coyly as he gazed at Olruggio from across the room.
“Ohh yeah, I’m t-totally fine… great, yeah. Great. Why wouldn’t I be?” Olruggio stuttered, desperately trying to keep his heart from jumping out of his chest. He attempted to lean against the doorway, but was too flustered, and miscalculated how narrow the space was. His elbow only grazed the entrance as a result, and his face smacked unceremoniously into the wooden frame with a loud thud .
“Pff-t hahahaha” Qifrey giggled, hiding his face behind the book while he laughed. He peeked playfully over the top of the novel after Olruggio had regained his bearings, clueless to the absolute chaos he was brewing in Olruggio’s heart.
Olruggio had long since accepted his feelings for his best friend, along with the understanding that said friend was also a bit oblivious when it came to romance. Qifrey wasn’t great at letting people in, and that combined with him being ostracized as a child meant he’d had very few meaningful interactions with people who weren’t Olruggio. This had often led to him misinterpreting other people’s behaviors and intentions, or flat out not recognizing specific social cues. While he had definitely learned more as he’d matured, Qifrey had been notoriously unable to perceive romantic relationships when he was younger. Whenever their peers had gotten into relationships, he would have no idea who was coupled up with whom, claiming he’d “never really noticed they were in love.” Plus, no one had taken the time to tell Qifrey about any of the common romantic gestures between witches, so he had never found out about Olruggio’s crush on him either.
The two had been inseparable for years, and Olruggio eventually developed a crush on his sweet and ambitious friend. He’d gone through all the proper courting gestures – giving him little handmade gifts, making him treats, and finally trading hat tassels with him. Olruggio had thought they’d been dating for 3 months after they’d swapped their tassel ornaments, only to hear Beldaruit ask Qifrey about it one day in passing and heard him respond with “We traded tassels cause we’re best friends!”
Heartbroken, Olruggio had tried to ask Qifrey about why the other didn’t want to be his boyfriend, but quickly realized that it wasn’t so much that Qifrey didn’t want to date him but that he literally had no idea that was Olruggio’s intention. Nothing between them had changed that much anyways after they had started “dating”, so Olruggio simply swept the misunderstanding under the rug and held onto his feelings. He decided to continue staying close, hoping that maybe one day they really could be partners like that, even if it took a while. Qifrey was enchanting – like a single star in the night sky, his existence a light which demanded the attention of all those seeking beauty from the darkness, and Olruggio was more than willing to look.
Therefore, it was no surprise when Olruggio began to catch the little changes in Qifrey that had been occurring since they’d moved to the atelier. He’d always been watching, admiring Qifrey and all his allure from afar, and had been delighted to see a new side of him. Sure, they’d spent a lot of time together before, but living together and sharing a space that belonged to them was new. Only he got to see the furrow in Qifrey’s brow when nothing interesting came in the mail, the way his ears would glow red when Olruggio called him out for hogging too many blankets on rainy days, and how he’d slowly fall asleep to the sound of the wind dancing through the leaves of the countryside. Olruggio was grateful for each simple moment he caught as they established their life here.
So, when the behaviors of his best friend had gone from subtle, mundane adjustments, to what could only be described as provocative seduction, it was only natural for Olruggio to think he was going crazy.
-
He distinctly remembered the inciting incident from a few weeks ago, after he’d returned from an event for a client in Kalhn. Olruggio had burned the candle at both ends for multiple days leading up to the trip and had promptly passed out for around 10 hours upon coming back to the atelier.
That day he had awoken slowly, keeping himself in that fuzzy state between being awake or asleep for a while, enjoying the time to himself to just laze about. When he’d finally mustered up the energy to unravel himself from the covers and wander about the atelier, his head had still been a bit foggy and his limbs still a bit uncoordinated. He hadn’t heard Qifrey rushing around the corner of the kitchen and the two abruptly collided with each other, neither reacting fast enough to move out of the way. Olruggio had stumbled a bit but remained upright, while Qifrey had slipped to the ground, the mixing bowls he’d been carrying clattering to the ground in a cacophony of piercing bangs.
“Ah, Qifrey I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you were there. Let me –” the words faltered in Olruggio’s throat, failing to form in his mouth as he looked down at Qifrey. His friend was perched on the ground, the left strap of his robe falling off his shoulder, one hand pressed against his temple with the other holding him upright, his back arching delicately as he shifted to look up at Olruggio.
“Mmmh~ Olly” Qifrey whined, “sorry I didn’t hear you coming, I guess I just had my hands too full and…”
Although Olruggio could recall every detail of how Qifrey had looked in that moment – from the faint blush that rose to his cheeks to the graceful way his legs had been bent on the ground beneath him – he was unable to recall much of what Qifrey had said. After the other man had all but whimpered his name looking up at him from the kitchen floor, Olruggio’s brain had stopped processing any new information. It had been torn between finding a way to preserve what he’d just heard or searing the vision of Qifrey in front of him into his mind’s eye forever.
Eventually, his brain got over the shock to his system and Olruggio averted his gaze as quickly as possible, still reaching out a hand to help Qifrey up off the floor. His face felt like it was melting.
His embarrassment grew exponentially when he heard Qifrey laugh from the other side of the room, having already gotten up and returned to bustling around the kitchen. Mortified, Olruggio’s hand shot up to cover his face.
“Hahaha, you really are still half asleep, aren’t you?” Qifrey had said as he looked over his shoulder innocently, reaching for a new mixing bowl. His back curving gently as his arms stretched up into the cupboard, the sight accompanied by quiet huffs of frustration as he couldn’t quite reach it. It was like he was tempting Olruggio to come over and wrap both hands around his lithe waist, then raise him up the few centimeters he needed to grab the offending kitchen item. However, by the time Qifrey had maneuvered the bowl into his grasp and brought it down to the counter, Olruggio had already word vomited something about going back to sleep and was hastily retreating to his room.
-
Looking back, he should have definitely noticed something had been different about that morning, but he’d been too overwhelmed by the debacle to really think about the details. He’d only fallen more in love with Qifrey over the years, and thought he knew everything about the other man. The problem had to be just in his head. Leaving for one inconspicuous weekend only to come back to the man of his affections whining his name and collapsing like a damsel in distress is just a result of sleep deprivation, right? Olruggio eventually chalked the whole thing up to being way more tired than he’d originally realized and did his best to sleep the incident off.
As similar encounters began occurring on a regular basis, however, Olruggio stopped being able to reasonably explain away the change in Qifrey’s behavior.
And make no mistake, Olruggio was not exaggerating in his analyses of these situations. Qifrey was acting differently . While he could, perhaps, be accused of leaning into hyperbole when depicting Qifrey, he was convinced the energy in their atelier had shifted dramatically. After years of knowing each other, he’d never felt as though Qifrey was flaunting his good looks – Olruggio wasn’t even sure Qifrey knew he was attractive – but it certainly felt like Qifrey was challenging him into looking now.
After the incident in the kitchen, Qifrey had inexplicably started bumping into Olruggio more and more around the atelier. While their home wasn’t necessarily large, it also wasn’t small enough to warrant the number of collisions. At first Olruggio had been flustered, but when his embarrassment turned to worry and he questioned if Qifrey’s eye was ok, the behavior switched up. His friend simply waved him off and said he was still adjusting to the new space, which had seemed like a perfectly reasonable answer to Olruggio.
Then Qifrey had started wearing his robes differently, which had certainly caught Olruggio’s attention.
When they were younger, Qifrey had always kept his cloak and tunic on properly, seemingly comforted by the layers of fabric being wrapped around him. The clothes had served as a shield, a way to separate himself from the prying eyes of others in the Great Hall.
Therefore, when he first saw the straps of Qifrey’s robes loosely tied around his waist and just his black turtleneck out on display, Olruggio had been surprised. So surprised, in fact, that he’d forgotten to look at where he was walking and slammed his toe into the edge of a table (he had not been proud of the words he’d uttered in that moment, nor of his tongue-tied stupor when Qifrey had rushed over to check on him). It had taken a while to get used to seeing Qifrey dressed down like that, but eventually Olruggio had been able to avert his eyes for longer and accept it as a part of daily life.
Olruggio had done his best to come up with excuses for the collisions; the wardrobe change; the occasional times he’d walk into a room and see Qifrey lounging around attractively; the infrequent suggestive sounds he’d make when doing chores; the times when more than one of these factors was combined into a single moment – everything. But there was no reasonable explanation. They had been living in the atelier long enough to be comfortably adjusted, and Olruggio wasn’t that sleep deprived.
The events of the current day only proved to him that he was correct. Qifrey was one hundred percent, without a doubt, acting purposefully different.
-
Having composed himself after headbutting the door frame, Olruggio sat down in a chair adjacent to the couch Qifrey was resting on. Despite his earlier blunder, he was determined to adjust to Qifrey’s new and unusual habits. Olruggio didn’t want to make his friend uncomfortable by acting dodgy or avoiding him, and he was convinced that Qifrey probably didn’t notice the moments when his heart or mind malfunctioned anyways (surely, he would have said something by now if he had).
Therefore, acting as normal as possible was the way to go. Olruggio picked up a nearby book himself, something about magic history, and began reading from the beginning.
A comfortable silence soon fell over the two witches, each absorbed in the pages in front of them. After some time, Olruggio heard Qifrey begin shuffling about, placing his book down and stretching languidly before standing up.
To Olruggio’s credit, he did not lose focus from the words in front of him. He read on unbothered, his eyes following the line of text detailing how witches had been blessed with power –
Until suddenly Olruggio felt a hand land firmly on his shoulder, startling him so badly he jolted, and the book tumbled to the floor. Qifrey recoiled his hand, looking apologetic.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, Olly! Let me grab that for you.”
He watched as Qifrey leaned down slowly, his arm reaching for the book following the movement of his body as he elegantly bent over. Olruggio’s line of sight was now focused on his best friend’s waist. In a panic, his eyes darted to the left, but then darted down to avoid staring at Qifrey’s rear, a blush rushing to his face. His eyes then met Qifrey’s, the man staring intently at Olruggio, a small smile gracing his face, as if to ask, “ are you watching ?” Then, he quickly snapped back upright, his chest puffing out ever so slightly.
A quick moment passed where neither man made a move. Olruggio could feel his cheeks being dyed a deep red as he tried to process the action from a second ago. As he failed to say anything, Qifrey quickly thrust the book into Olruggio’s hands, then made a relaxed exit.
“Here you go! So sorry about that Olruggio. If you need me, I’m going to start making lunch right about now.”
“Uh-huh, sure thing…” Olruggio replied weakly, a hand coming up to cover his brow.
Glued to the chair, the book remained unopened in his lap for some time as Olruggio gathered his thoughts. Qifrey had clearly been watching Olruggio’s reaction as he had deliberately bent down and then snapped back up in a surprisingly eye-catching manner. It had been so simple that if Olruggio had not already been suspicious (or had not properly averted his eyes, as any respectable gentleman would), he wouldn’t have thought twice about there being any intent behind the action.
But that didn’t seem to be the case. Qifrey was being deliberate, and he was nothing if not determined when he decided on something.
And Olruggio was going to figure out exactly what that was.
Somewhere between three to four weeks earlier….
Frustration had never been a stranger to Qifrey.
It had squirmed its way into his heart as a child, stubbornly putting down roots and quickly becoming one of the only constants in his young life. No matter the time or place, or how hard he had tried to ignore it, Qifrey had often found himself reminded of its presence.
Sometimes it was the soft twitch of his brow when Beldaruit scolded him for sneaking off at night. At other times it was the pounding behind his eye when tears fell because another lead was just a dead end in disguise. It was the burn in his arm after repeatedly failing to get a spell right, the ringing in his ears left behind by the whispers of witches scrutinizing him in the Great Hall, and the uncomfortable dampness that lingered after getting caught in a rainstorm. That emotion most people hoped would be an infrequent passerby seemed to have found a cozy home within a broken boy and decided to stay for as long as it could.
But over time, Qifrey had really begun to think that his unwelcome friend had gotten bored. He was no longer an entertaining host, having learned how to keep his emotions in check as he got older. Qifrey had embraced magic, took his master’s teachings to heart, built a wonderful friendship, and eventually passed the test to become a professor himself. And now, he had new constants to focus on, like his dear friend Olruggio and their life in a newly built atelier, and the excitement of lively apprentices on the horizon. It was a life full of promise and contentment, with no need for such a negative emotion to stay for the long-term.
However, it seems like that vile little thing known as frustration had simply gone into hibernation , waiting for a moment to sneakily rear its head once more when the time was right.
And really, it was no surprise he hadn’t recognized frustration for what it truly was this time around. How could he, when there had never before been a memorable instance where Olruggio was the sole cause of his frustration.
Olruggio’s presence, from the moment he’d met the other, had always been a source of stability and comfort. He somehow always knew exactly what to say when Qifrey was feeling nervous or upset, and had stuck by Qifrey’s side when no one else even wanted to go near him. Olruggio was his partner in crime for impromptu adventures, had helped him find the courage to face his fears, and now had moved out to the countryside with him as Qifrey’s watchful eye. The man was heartbreakingly earnest and endearing, and if Qifrey thought about it hard enough, he swore he could still feel the firm grip of Olruggio’s hand around his when they swore they would tell each other everything. Their friendship had its ups and downs at times like any normal relationship, but it had never been anything severe enough to even leave a dent in the bond they had forged.
That’s why, when Qifrey had begun to feel off, he had simply chalked it up to the new environment. Surely, being so far from almost everything either of them had known was bound to be a little uncomfortable, and while they were extremely close, they had never formally lived together before. So of course, seeing his best friend curled up on the couch, snoring softly by the fireplace on a cool night was going to make his palms sweat a little bit. Doesn’t everyone’s pulse jump when they see their roommate that they’ve known their entire life pouring over their new project at the dinner table? And would it really be so unreasonable to assume that no one else feels like their chest is about to explode because someone dear to them is sleeping on the other side of the house instead of right next to them?
Even if he had wanted to put a name to all those emotions, it certainly wouldn’t have been frustration.
And yet, here he was, watching Olruggio awkwardly bustle around the kitchen because he had stayed up so late working on a new project that he had put their pots in the fridge and their milk in the cupboard, that Qifrey realized he was frustrated . He was frustrated because he wanted something more. He wanted to be able to walk up behind Olruggio right now, slide his arms ever so gently around his shoulders, and impede his quest to fix the kitchen with a kiss on the cheek. He wanted to squeeze himself between his friend and the couch on cold nights, hold his hand while he muttered over a new spell, and snuggle under the covers of the same bed.
He wanted.
And he was frightened by the force of that want, annoyed that he couldn’t just get up and grab it.
The abrupt realization made Qifrey’s entire body freeze and then swell with heat so fast he was pretty sure steam was coming out of his ears. He sat unmoving for so long that he almost didn’t notice Olruggio had turned to him and was now speaking.
“…Qifrey?”
“Hm?” Qifrey managed to respond, doing his best to appear as if he simply was zoning out instead of having an earth-shattering revelation.
“I wanted to know if you were going into town today, we’re almost out of bacon.” Olruggio’s sigh of exasperation was laced with a hint of knowing fondness. “What has you so distracted this early in the morning? I know for a fact you’re not as tired as I am.”
“Oh, that’s a fact, is it?” Qifrey smiled, falling into the conversation easily. Although it felt like a scalewolf was crashing around in his head, desperately trying to shed its scales and cutting up everything Qifrey thought he knew about his emotions in the process, this he could manage. He knew how he and Olruggio fit together – the same way they had fit together for years.
“It better be a fact, and if you tell me anything to the contrary I’m going to insist you go back to bed right now.” Olruggio had his hands on his hips, trying to appear intimidating despite looking like he would pass out any second himself. This sweet man and his hypocritical self-care advice, how did Qifrey only just realize how gone he was for him?
“I suppose it is most definitely a fact, then.” Qifrey murmured, turning his gaze away from his friend. “You should go and get some rest yourself.”
Olruggio grunted in agreement and then shuffled off to his room. The second he was far enough down the hall that he couldn’t be bothered to turn around even if he heard something, Qifrey shoved his face into his hands and let out a small groan.
What was he going to do?!
Mind racing, Qifrey considered his options. Speaking about emotions was never his strong suit, but it wasn’t one of Olruggio’s strengths either. Neither of them had ever been too articulate, conveying their intent through actions better than through words. Just the thought of outright saying that he wanted more than what the two already had felt selfish. How on earth could he possibly ask for more after he’d been allowed so much, and then explain that more entailed soft touches and warm hugs and…yes, that was certainly out of the question.
He also couldn’t just start acting off his desires either, that would only complicate what they already had going on. Hell, he didn’t even know if Olruggio would want him like that. The man was adorably sentimental, their hat tassels were a perfect example of that trait, but those just symbolized their friendship, right? He couldn’t even think of anything else that would indicate Olruggio would be interested…
But maybe he could figure it out? After years of being friends, if Qifrey slowly tested the waters to see if Olruggio was interested in something a little different relationship-wise, then he’d be able to tell for sure, right? And if he was interested, maybe Qifrey could get exactly what he wanted.
A smile formed on Qifrey’s face as the beginning of a plan that could potentially backfire – and cause some serious trouble for his dear friend – took shape in his mind. Of course, his best and most accessible option was to seduce Olruggio into wanting something more as well.
And for the first time in a long time, he listened to that frustration deep within him, and used it to come up with a solution to his problem.