Chapter Text
Veritas POV
It had been so long since Veritas had felt this refreshed, or relaxed. He wouldn't trade his work for anything, but constantly keeping up appearances was exhausting. Currently as a side project he'd been trying to figure out a way to covertly connect his home back to Teyvat, so he didn't need one of his father's to warp him into the pocket dimension, but so far that had been a total bust. Teyvat was weird, the only universe that he had found so far that seemed to be completely hidden from the Aeons view, they were the only planet that Veritas had heard of that had Archons for Lords sake! The closet he'd come im his research is being able to connect his home on Amphoreus to the home he'd been given in Veritas Prime University's residence grounds. Handy sure, but two open worlds being linked was jot the same as linking to a hidden pocket world.
Veritas sighed and stretched as he wandered from his room out to the kitchen, sidestepping his dads foot as it shot out to try to trip him as he walked past. His dad snickered without even looking up from his book to see the venomous glare Veritas shot him, himself not pausing on his way to the coffee grinder. That trick may have gotten him his whole childhood, but it had been a long time since Veritas had kissed the kitchen flooring.
"I'd advise you learn new tricks," Veritas quickly loaded new beans to grind and got started, faintly hearing his father's book be placed on the table.
"No need, that trick still gets your father." Figures. He rolled his eyes as he finished making his coffee and took a seat across from his father at the table.
"Where is Baba anyway? I noticed his shoes were gone," he began as he stirred some sugar into his mug.
"He's running lectures today at the Akademiya. Speaking of, I've already been receiving requests for you to hold some guest lectures now that words gotten out that you're back." His father's face twisted in disdane. Seems he still hated teaching as much as he had when Veritas had last visited. It was a fundamental argument that arose between his father's often.
Alhaitham was highly sought after to give lectures, given he was one of Haravatats most successful graduates, and one of the leading authorities on Deshret language translation, however the man always declined. Many believed that when his father's married he would begin to give lectures like his husband did, yet he remained steadfast. He believed that students could learn anything they needed to via reading, his research or others, or through field research and inquiry. His other father, Kaveh, thought opposite. He believed that knowledge should be passed down by hand, or rather mouth, at any given opportunity. And that you should always accept requests for help in the name of learning.
Veritas sat somewhere between his two fathers ideals. He believed his dad was far too rigid and trusting in people's own ownance and motivation. His refusal to give lectures has long painted him as selfish and miserly, combined with his rigid schedule in relation to his work, many at the Akademiya believe him to also be lazy in combination with selfish. This was completely untrue of course, his father valued work life balance for its mental and physical benefits, and would readily answer any scholarly questions as long as they were asked within his office hours. Veritas himself adopted the same attitudes towards his work, usually quickly leaving Veritas Prime after class, or returning to his home immediately after missions for some rest and relaxation.
However, Veritas clearly believed that people need a firm hand in guiding learning, an influence that lead him to being a professor, taking after his other father in that respect. Kaveh was unfortunately known for being too giving, willing to throw himself through the wringer for others benefit, which Veritas did not believe in doing whatsoever. He believed, privately because he was too smart to ever speak his opinion on his matter to his father, that he had adopted the best mix of the two beliefs.
"And what have you told the Sages?" His father finished the last mouthful of his breakfast before answering.
"Nothing, my job is finished now that I've passed the message along. Do what you want, though I thought you were here for a break? Wouldn't teaching while here negate that?" He had a point. Veritas continued drinking as he thought on the request. He hasn't planned on any academic pursuits while here, but he also wasn't immediately opposed. "Whatever you decide just let me or your father know, we'll both be in at the Akademiya today." His father quickly washed his plate before grabbing his cloak before heading out the door, but not before messing around with Veritas' hair. 30 odd years old and yet feeling like a kicked kid, he doesn't know how his dad does it.
~
Later didn't find him any closer to an answer. With Mehrak with his father, Noor in his drawer out in the wider universe and not so much as a rubber duck with him, Veritas found himself wandering through the house in search of the foxes. His father's had had the foxes since before Veritas had been alive, but they hated speaking about how they got them, his baba especially. If there was one thing growing up with his dad taught him, it was how to respect others privacy... to their face.
He found the trio tumbling in the garden, coming dangerously close to squashing his babas berries. He sat and skittered his hands through the grass, watching the foxes as they popped their heads up and raced over to play. He chuckled as he remembered the incredulous look on Aventurines face the first time the man realised that he could be good with animals.
Not long after he first had encountered Caelus from the 'fabled' Astral Express on Herta Space Station, Veritas had shown up at Aventurines apartment in Pier Point. He remembered gently juggling the three cats as he tried to reach the doorbell while remaining his dignity. The effort had been worth it, the pure shock on Aventurines face when he had opened the door was burned into his memory. The widening of those electrifying eyes, soft and guardedly hopeful as they moved from each of the cats to meet Veritas' own eyes.
Seeing the man dressed down and comfortable, completely free of his over the top persona, had taken Veritas' breath away in a way that he knew he was completely fucked. Up until that exact moment, watching the shorter man almost lying timidly move aside to let him in while cautiously reaching for one of the cats, Veritas had reasoned away this decision in any way he could. That this didn't mean anything, he just knew that Aventurine was lonely and could use company.
Lies.
No, not lies. A completely rational and logical decision to make regarding a colleague.
Fool.
He was not. The cat cakes needed homes after that disgraceful woman had disregarded her own creations with not a single thought. He had never been so glad to not be a part of the Genius Society than when watching that depravity play out in front of him. Aventurine needed company. A win-win.
This tug of war had continued, through that whole visit, through subsequent missions, through the fateful briefing for what would be the most harrowing experience of Veritas' life so far. After his speaking to his father's days ago, and remembering the way that Aventurines hair had swayed in a halo as he gently scooped one of the cat cakes from his arms, he knew that he has been lying to himself from the moment they had met.
He carded a hand through the foxes fur, a steadying motion as the memories warped from the man he somethinged cuddling his new trio of cat cakes, morphed into him clutching his head while a devil in angels wings beared down upon him. He hated himself for the way he had to stand and watch as Aventurine writhed under the Harmony, having to seem unphased as that mad man had turned to him in glee and grinned. Watching the way Aventurines eyes had met his, so much pain and confusion swimming in them. It had almost broken Veritas' composure. As Sunday had been watching his reaction like a hawk, he had slowly turned from those desperate eyes to pretend to distract himself with a book.
He could feel one of the foxes balance on one of his knees and push its face under his neck, another very insistently pushed its way under his free hand as he felt tears wet his cheeks. His mind was lost to memories, standing atop a building as he watched Aventurine taunt the Astral Express crew and that fake Galaxy Ranger. He had been too horrified to even hide his eyes with his bust as the womans sword had cut through the air, Nihility swallowing the man he always seemed to draw himself back to.
He had raced to exit Penacony's dreamscape, stealing his way into Aventurines room where he had sat next to the pool that held his body. He had kept his fingers firmly pressed to the gamblers vital point on his wrist, even finding himself waking with a stiff neck after sleeping slumped next to the pool. He had felt his pulse race and then slow to a sickening crawl, hoping upon hope that the man whose wrist he held tight would awaken. Distantly he could hear the foxes whine.
Slowly he blinked, tears streaming in silent rivers down his cheeks as his gaze refocused on the familiar garden and his childhood pets who were distressed in his lap. Gathering them into his arms, he gently laid his head unto them as he let himself feel his grief for a man who was still alive.
~
Kaveh POV
Mehrak barrelling into him mid-lecture was low on the list of things he had expected to happen today. Winded, he grabbed the edge of desk and wheezed as his darling whirled around his head in a series of furious beeps and alarms, the machine clearly distressed. A few of his students shouted in concern as he caught his breath, himself quickly waving them off as he gained the strength to straighten himself again. He was not a young man anymore, this he was bitterly reminded of as he clutched his back and gingerly lowered himself into his seat. A sharp clap and the room fell silent.
"On this painful note we will be stopping here for today. I would love to answer any further questions you may have for me but let me first recover." He waved off his students as they scuttled out of the room, dismissing any offers to fetch a medic or his husband. Once the room was cleared he turned to the now silent but still fairly distressed Mehrak.
"Something grave better have happened for you to do that Mehrak, you know better than to behave that way! And in front of my students of all places!" Mehrak warbled a low beep before immediately shining a distress signal from Noor in front of Kavehs face. That was strange, Faraaq had left Noor behind, she should be hidden away. This was an old fail-safe alert he had installed in Noor when had first built the bird when his son was still a small child.
"Is Noor malfunctioning Mehrak? Run a remote diagnostic please dear." The machine beeped quickly, flashing up a prerun diagnostic check on the mechanical bird. A flash of pride flared through Kaveh at his little lights intelligence. However the pride quickly melted into confusion when he noted that Noors checks had come back fully functional. But why had the extreme distress alert been triggered? Especially while Faraaq was home with them for once. And audio clip was attached to the alert, and within seconds of starting the recording, Kaveh had Mehrak bundled into his arms and was sprinting through the halls of Akademiya towards the scribes offices.
Bursting into his husbands office he watched as Alhaitham startled, nearly ripping the report he had been reading in two.
"This better be good for you to come screaming in here like that." Kaveh noted the glare on his partners face, but dismissed it immediately to brandish Mehrak to Alhaitham.
"You're fine, Noor's transmitting a distress signal!"
"Noor's broken then, Faraaq is home and she is locked away. You didn't seriously scare me half to death for something you could solve with a diagnostic check?" Oh he was going to rip his husband limb from limb, whether he loved him or not.
"I already have asshole and the check has come back clean." He noted his husband finally giving Mehrak a look of interest.
"Okay I'll bite, what distress signal?"
"The distress signal. The one you called me overprotective for programming." Alhitham turned back to him with interest.
" Wait, the one that alerts you if Faraaq is emotionally distressed? You didn't remove that?"
"Yes! Well, I mean, no I didn't remove it, honestly I forgot I ever programmed it, but yes that's the alert!" Finally he gets it! Kaveh gestured for Mehrak to come to him. The briefcase dutifully floated its way over.
"Listen to this, Noor recorded what set off the alarm," he continued as he moved to Alhaithams side with Mehrak in tow, setting up the recording. The sound of gutwrenching wails filled the room, muffled slightly from wherever Faraaq had stored Noor. They were the kinds of wails that tore your heart open upon hearing, true and devastating pain giving them power. Alhaitham turned to him, eyes widened. The sounds of thumping and banging fill the recording before a beat of silence, Kaveh whipping his head back to Mehrak. What was happening? The sound of scrabbling against wood and footsteps echo ominously through the recording. Movement and the sound of a drawer opening and wood splintering, before the audio clears considerably. Kaveh turns back to Alhaitham in a panic. Someone not of Teyvat had discovered Noor! This was bad. This was so, so bad. Catastrophic even! An echo of panic was reflected back at him from his husband as chirps enter the recording and finally an unfamiliar voice rings out, still strained from his wailing.
"Oh hello gorgeous, why did that mean old doctor have you locked in that stuffy drawer?"