Chapter Text
In hindsight, Qifrey probably should have taken a minute to evaluate the situation logically before letting these words leave his mouth.
Not even a minute. Just a second, perhaps. A moment.
But no. Instead, his newly freed omega brain took one look at the Knights Moralis holding his pups and decided that several decades was far too long to have taken a backseat in Qifrey’s life.
Forget logic, forget manners, forget societal norms. They could pry Qifrey’s apprentices from his cold dead hands, thank you very much.
So forgive him if Witch-Qifrey was not at the helm when Omega-Qifrey blurted out, “Olruggio is my alpha.”
Yes, Qifrey probably would have said anything in the moment to keep those pretentious jerks from taking his girls away from him, but of all the things he could have said, he really wishes it hadn’t been that.
—————
When Qifrey woke up that morning, it was to the feeling of soft fabric against his face and the scent of embers in his nose. Squeezing his eye shut in a desperate attempt to capture a few more moments of blissful sleep, he let himself get lost in Olruggio’s smokey scent as he clung to his best friend’s cloak.
Four short months ago, Qifrey would never have dreamed of letting himself relax in a nest of his making, surrounded by the scents of his pups and his trusted Watchful Eye while his pack slept peacefully in their beds nearby. But ever since Coco—his wonderful, brilliant Coco—had found a way to free him from the wretched silverwood curse that had been wreaking havoc on his body for decades, Qifrey was finally allowed to feel safe again. And gods, did it feel good.
Granted, allowing himself to feel comfort again did not come easily. For the first month or so, Qifrey was practically bedridden, watching the world go by in a haze and fearing the curse could come back again at any moment.
But eventually, he began to accept that he was finally free.
And he had a lot of life to make up for.
The shift started slowly at first. When he was finally deemed strong enough to sit up on his own, his apprentices were allowed to visit. When the infirmary door first slid open, Qifrey was expecting to be rushed by a flurry of green, pink, and blue hair, with Agott sneaking in softly behind them. Even Olruggio, who had argued with the healers that he needed to be at Qifrey’s side from the beginning, tensed up like he was preparing to catch the girls if they tackled the omega too hard. But instead, Qifrey was met with the sight of Coco standing in the doorway with tears in her eyes, staring at him like she had a million things to say but couldn’t find a single word. Tetia clung to her left arm, lip wobbling and eyes wet, and Richeh poked around Coco’s right arm, her sleeve wriggling restlessly before a furry, white head poked out of her collar (Qifrey would have to ask her later how she snuck the brushbuddy in. He was certain that was against the rules, but at the time, he appreciated the familiarity of the creature’s fur against his neck). Agott stood dutifully behind them, ever his mature pup, but he could see the way her eyes widened when she saw her mentor pale and covered in bandages, but alive.
Taking pity on his students, Qifrey spread his arms and smiled at the girls, letting them know it was okay to hug him now. Not needing to be told twice, the white-haired man soon found himself with an armful of crying pups, all babbling apologies and well wishes and telling their mentor how much they missed him. He began reassuring them, thanking them, and drying their tears, feeling the familiar instinct to scent the pups rising in his throat.
Whereas before, Qifrey would have likely swiped his wrist across their heads just long enough to appease his inner omega and reassure his apprentices of his presence, now he had a different thought. He could scent them—properly this time. And he would be alright.
Without a second thought, Qifrey curled Tetia to his chest, tucking Coco’s face into his neck and pulling Richeh and Agott against his sides.
And for the first time since he was a child, Qifrey purred.
The girls have scarcely left his side since. He was released from the infirmary a few weeks later, and his apprentices insisted that at least one of them should stay with him at all times in case he collapsed or felt the curse returning. After heavy negotiation and the promise of fresh butterscotch cookies for the week (Qifrey’s favorite, Olly remembered), Olruggio managed to convince their determined pups that one of the girls or Olruggio could stay with Qifrey, and the omega would still be safe.
Looking back, that day was likely the drop that opened the floodgates. The girls—his sweet, precious, thoughtful girls—wanted to ensure Qifrey was given all the comforts he had previously been denied, starting with the softest nest the pups could manage. All afternoon, Tetia and Coco dragged armfuls of their favorite blankets and pillows, Richeh trailing behind them with an armful of clothes she must have stolen from Olruggio’s closet. The man in question raised an eyebrow at the blue-haired girl as she slunk by, but said nothing. Agott was mysteriously absent that afternoon, and Qifrey was touched to find her hiding out in his bedroom and sorting each of the offered materials by softness and the strength of their scent. That evening, Olruggio guided Qifrey to his room, an arm around his waist to steady him, where the girls proudly displayed the day’s work. Qifrey settled into the nest under the hopeful smiles of his apprentices, and he was surprised at how quickly his inner omega relaxed into the pile of fabric. A proper nest was one of the many things Qifrey had given up for fear of the curse taking over, and he had forgotten how much he’d missed nestling into a plush fort as opposed to his old stiff mattress.
But the greatest comfort of all was when Coco excitedly began to tuck her mentor in, piling blankets upon blankets around the witch to form a protective cloth cocoon. She stepped back to admire her work, and Qifrey opened his mouth to thank her when he felt himself choke up. Staring down at the fabric in his lap, Qifrey inhaled the light, floral scent of pups mixed with Olruggio’s deep, smokey musk. And underneath it all was his own bubbling petrichor scent.
His glands were still recovering from years of neglect, so his scent was far weaker than the healers would have liked. But now that he was starting to relax, his scent glands were working more readily, and his Qifrey’s atelier finally began to smell like him.
Glancing back up at Olruggio and his apprentices, Qifrey was startled to find himself tearing up. The girls, worried they had overstepped, began frantically apologizing, but Qifrey fervently shook his head.
“It’s perfect,” he had said, taking the girls’ hands in his own. “Thank you all so very much.”
That night, Qifrey tucked his apprentices into bed after assuring them that he would be there when they woke up before following Olruggio back to the kitchen.
“You really should try to sleep,” Olly had insisted, but Qifrey gave him a small smile.
“I will,” he promised, pulling a kettle down from the shelf, “eventually. But my mind is far too active to sleep just yet.”
So Olruggio sat with the blue-eyed witch, despite Qifrey’s insistence that he was fine, Olly, truly. I don’t want to keep you up. But his best friend just grumbled something about how he already gave in to making the girls cookies. If they found out he left Qifrey alone after promising he’d look after the man, those four would have his head. So Olruggio finished a small spell and steam began seeping out of the kettle, and the two settled in for tea and a much needed conversation. If it ended with Qifrey in tears in Olruggio’s arms, the alpha was kind enough not to mention it.
When Qifrey finally started to yawn, Olly patted his shoulder and began clearing the dishes, ushering the omega off to bed. Giving the alpha a grateful smile, Qifrey turned to leave the kitchen only to find his green-haired apprentice standing in the doorway, rubbing her arm and staring at the floor.
“Coco!” He rushed to her side immediately, ignoring the wave of dizziness that came with moving too quickly. Qifrey hurriedly assessed her for injuries, letting out a breath when he found no obvious cuts or bruises. Hearing Olruggio’s footsteps coming up behind him, Qifrey cupped the girl’s face in his hands. “Coco, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”
Small tears dripped down onto his hands as Coco sniffled. “It’s silly,” she tried to backtrack, reaching up to rub at her eyes.
Qifrey sighed. “My dear, if it brought you to tears, I’d hardly call it ‘silly.’ Did you have a nightmare?” The girl nodded.
“We were having a picnic, like we did when I first got here and met Olly, and I forgot the sandwiches. You said you’d go back and grab them, but after a while you didn’t come back, so we went looking for you and you were…you had turned into…” Running a hand down Coco’s back, Qifrey barely registered Olruggio’s sharp intake of breath behind him. Ah, Qifrey thought, that explains the tears. “Master Qifrey, I was so scared I’d lost you!” Coco wailed as she flung herself into his arms. Shushing her gently, Qifrey held her tight and scented her hair until her sobs eased back into hiccups. Well, this certainly won’t do, Qifrey decided.
“Coco,” he started, meeting the child’s eyes as she slowly raised her head from its place against his chest. “You all did such a wonderful job on that nest earlier, but I must admit, it might be a little big for me to sleep in alone.” He tucked her hair back behind her ear and smiled when her eyes turned hopeful. “Could I perhaps trouble you for a sleepover tonight? It’s been so long since I’ve slept in a proper nest, I’d feel much better knowing you were there with me.”
Sweet Coco was already nodding before he finished talking. “Yes. Yes, of course! Thank you, Master Qifrey.” She threw her arms around his neck and cuddled close to him,
Qifrey shook his head. “My dear, I should be the one thanking you.”
Tucking Coco into his left arm, Qifrey dusted off his legs and moved to stand, gratefully accepting Olruggio’s proffered hand to pull himself up. Swaying slightly due to the pesky dizziness, Olruggio pulled Qifrey against him until the man found his legs again. Qifrey thanked him, and the alpha moved to take Coco from his arms, likely to ensure Qifrey could focus on walking safely to his room. But a sudden surge of panic swept through the omega’s bones, and he bared his teeth at Olruggio just briefly, wrapping both arms securely around the pup in his hold.
Seeing his dear Olly step back in alarm, Qifrey snapped back to his senses. Olly is not a threat, Qifrey reminded himself. Stupid omega instincts. This is why I ignored you for so long.
“Apologies,” he gave Olruggio a sheepish smile, loosening his grip on Coco just slightly, “But Coco is just fine where she is.”
Olruggio only shook his head, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “Nah, I should’ve known better. She’s almost asleep again as it is.” Sure enough, Qifrey looked down to find that Coco was indeed drifting off again, and he preened, pleased that his pup was calm enough to give off her usual content scent again.
Distracted, Qifrey missed the way Olruggio’s eyes softened at the sight of the two omegas, the man quickly turning away so Qifrey wouldn’t see his blush. He’d never admit it out loud, but it warmed Olruggio’s heart each time he saw his friend content enough to let his omega side take charge.
“I’ll go grab her blanket from her room, and then you can take her to bed.” Nodding, Qifrey started up the stairs past Tetia and Richeh’s room while Olly went ahead to find Coco’s bedding. Qifrey was leaning against the wall, listening to Coco’s breathing and trying to settle his own instincts when a small, sleepy voice called out, “Master Qifrey?”
Qifrey looked up to see Tetia standing in her doorway rubbing sleep from her eyes, Richeh and the brushbuddy yawning behind her. “Whatcha doing up still?”
The omega smiled, walking over to pull the girls into a side hug that Tetia eagerly returned, Richeh leaning against him happily. “Sorry to have woken you. I’m afraid Coco here had a nightmare, and I thought it may help ease her nerves to have a sleepover in the wonderful nest you all made for me today. Would you care to join us?”
With the way Tetia squealed, you would have thought she won the lottery. “Yay! Yes, please! I’ll get my stuff! Richeh, you coming?”
“Wonderful!” Qifrey smiled, shushing Coco as she stirred in his arms, “But try to keep it down a bit. I’d feel bad if we woke Agott up with all this noise.”
“Little late for that,” Olruggio called out as he appeared in the hall with Coco’s blanket. A black-haired figure huddled behind him, clutching a pillow awkwardly.
“Agott!” Qifrey hurried over to ruffle his apprentice’s hair affectionately. “Terribly sorry about the noise.” Glancing down at the pillow in her arms, he added, “The others are coming to spend the night in my new nest. I’m afraid I was feeling a bit lonely at the thought of spending my first night in that big nest all alone. I would love if you were to join us, if you’d like.”
Agott nodded, mumbling a short “Yes, please,” and tucked herself against Qifrey’s side. Qifrey decided he could do better than that and scooped her into his free arm, turning to find Tetia and Richeh ready for bed.
“Come along, girls. Let’s get to bed.”
That was the first morning Qifrey woke up to his pack members sharing his nest, but it wouldn’t be the last. Over time, the girls accepted that Qifrey would be there in the mornings even if they slept in their own beds, and eventually Olruggio deemed Qifrey strong enough to come get him in the middle of the night if there was an emergency and started sleeping in his own room again. But every once and a while, there would be a soft knock at his door, and a sleepy pup would wander in and curl up next to their mentor, needing the extra closeness. And Qifrey would hold them tight every time, letting himself fall asleep to the peaceful rhythm of his pack’s heartbeats, feeling safer than he had since he was a child.
A pack. He had a pack now. Glancing around at the gifts and clothing his girls had brought him since he returned home scattered around his nest, Qifrey was overcome with the need to purr, his omega preening at the thoughtfulness of his pups. Gathering an item from each of his apprentices, and Olly’s cloak as an afterthought, Qifrey hugged the items to his chest and let himself bask in the warmth of his pack. He was cured, he was safe, and he was loved.
A loud, metal crash echoed from the kitchen, followed by Tetia’s panicked yips, Coco’s whines, and Agott’s angry chastisement.
Yes, Qifrey truly was home.
Stretching his sleepy limbs, Qifrey slunk out of bed, resolved to help his pups with breakfast.
He paused. Since when was he calling them his pups so easily? Gods, four months without the curse and he was going soft already.
Though, he smiled to himself as he heard Olruggio’s clipped voice attempting to diffuse the kitchen conundrum, was it really such a bad thing to care for his pack?
Slipping on his robe and tucking his pack’s gifts safety back into his nest, Qifrey set off down the hall.
Arriving at the kitchen, he was met with what looked like oatmeal all over the walls, the scent of burnt toast, and a massive bowl of fruit towering over his apprentices' heads. The girls were covered in the same sticky brown goop as the walls, and Olruggio was attempting to pass out brooms while encouraging them to ‘quiet down so Qifrey can sleep. He needs as much rest as he can get.’
Qifrey felt a familiar flutter in his chest hearing the way Olly looked out for him even when he wasn’t present. It was just one of the many reasons Qifrey had fallen in love with this man ages ago when they were still students themselves. But he wouldn’t dare admit these feelings to Olruggio. After all, the alpha had spent his life as Qifrey’s Watchful Eye, putting up with his eccentricities and accepting each new apprentice Qifrey brought to their door (albeit reluctantly). Not to mention these past four months of helping Qifrey heal and caring for the girls when he was out of commission. Unfortunately, Qifrey knew Olly better than anyone, and he feared he could never be sure if Olruggio returned his feelings for real or if he claimed to love Qifrey out of a sense of duty. And for all the hurt he had caused his best friend over the years, Qifrey would hate to force him into a relationship he didn’t want (even if every fiber of Qifrey’s being ached to be held by the alpha’s strong, muscled arms). No, Qifrey was a man of class and poise, and he would pine for his beloved Olly in the shadows like a gentleman instead of professing his love to the world, thank you.
And pine he certainly would.
One unfortunate (at least according to Qifrey) side effect of being freed from the silverwood curse is that Qifrey has finally loosened the leash on his long-suppressed omega instincts, and they want something in return.
And that something is Olruggio.
Every time Qifrey so much as glances at Olly, he goes weak in the knees. He noticed the alpha before, of course. How could he not notice the handsome witch that smelled like warmth itself who stood by his side for years despite Qifrey’s continued dishonesty and still looked at the blue-eyed witch like he hung the stars? But this was different. Now, Olruggio’s smile made his petrichor scent flare. Qifrey equated Olly’s fiery scent with safety itself. His protective snarl when Qifrey or the girls were in danger made the omega want to fall to his knees and submit on the spot.
Needless to say, Qifrey was head over heels in love with Olruggio.
Thankfully, most of the time, his instincts are more concerned with his apprentices. Or, as his omega so helpfully has been calling them, his pups. For so long, Qifrey has had to fight the urge to scent his pups when they were upset, or keep himself from piling them all into a pack nest on the living room floor for some well-deserved cuddles. But now, he can act on those feelings without fear, and his pups are thriving under their mentor’s attention.
Smiling to himself, he swiped a finger down the wall and popped it into his mouth. His tastebuds exploded with brown sugar, cinnamon, and blueberry. “Mmm,” Qifrey hummed. “That’s delicious!”
Five heads popped up in unison at the sound of his voice. Tetia flashed him a brilliant smile and bounded over to wrap her arms around his waist. Qifrey caught her easily and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, the other coming up to card through her tangled hair. “Good morning, Master Qifrey!” She beamed up at him. “We were trying to make you breakfast in bed, but umm…” she trailed off, looking around the room at the splattered food.
“It turned into breakfast on the walls,” Coco added sheepishly.
“Not to worry,” Qifrey assured them. “Cooking takes practice. Why don’t I help you? We can all make breakfast together this morning.”
“That’d be great!”
“Thank you!”
“We appreciate it!”
“Yay!”
————
“So full. Can’t move.” Tetia slumped down onto the table.
“I told you not to have all those pancakes. You’ll get a stomach ache!” Agott rolled her eyes.
“But they’re just so yummy!” Tetia lamented. “Master Qifrey is the best cook in the world! See? Richeh is even getting thirds!” The girl in question gave Tetia a thumbs up as she gobbled down her latest pile of fruit, oatmeal, and pancakes covered in syrup.
Qifrey flushed, “Thank you, Tetia. I appreciate the complement.”
“That’s no excuse for skipping out on dish duty,” Olruggio warned, standing over the sink with a scrub brush in hand. “The five of us are gonna clean up while Qifrey rests.”
“Really, Olly, that’s not necessary. I’m happy to help—“
But Olruggio stood firm. “Ya made the food, so we’ll clean up.”
Qifrey sighed but accepted his role as the conversationalist while his pack finished cleaning.
All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it!” Coco called, drying her hands on a dish towel before racing off to the front door.
“I’m coming too!” Tetia bounded after her.
“Hey! You can’t leave us with all the work!” Agott fumed, chasing after them.
Richeh shrugged at the two men left in the kitchen and followed the other apprentices. Qifrey laughed softly at Olruggio’s deadpan expression before pushing his chair back to head to the door himself. Out of the corner of his eye, Qifrey saw Olruggio move as if to catch him before backing off, the alpha still getting used to Qifrey getting his strength back. Olruggio settled at his side as they headed to the door, chatting softly before Agott’s panicked “Master!” rang through the atelier.
Olruggio sprinted the last few steps to the door, his eyes narrowing and a low growl rising in his throat.
Who could possibly set Olruggio off like that? Qifrey wondered before he finally arrived at the door.
Five of the Knights Moralis stood on his doorstep glaring at his apprentices.
Oh.
Shit.