Chapter Text
Kaveh never knew where life would take him. If someone told him five years ago he’d be a single omega father to the most wonderful little girl, he’d laugh and say: “I’ll never be good enough to be a parent.”
However, here he is five years later with a little blond child holding his hand while standing at the entrance of Sumeru City. A city that he hasn’t stepped foot in years. A project had brought him back, back home. To say he was nervous was an understatement.
Sumeru was more humid than he remembered. He missed the nice cool breeze of Fontaine already. There was a tug at his arm and he looked down to see bright red eyes looking up at him. “Daddy? Are you okay?”
She sensed his nervousness as they stood at the entrance of the city for longer than most. He let out a deep breath. “Yes. Sorry angel. Was lost in thought. Are you hungry?”
Eagerly she nodded, smiling up at him. That smile put him more at ease, almost making him forget about his worries. “Well there’s an awesome cafe further up. Let’s get some food.”
An excited squeal from her caused many onlookers to awe at the excited blond child. Hand in hand, they walked towards Puspa Cafe. With it being midday, the cafe wasn’t very busy. There were a few students sitting while working on assignments.
A smile graced his features as he watched his little girl stuff her face with rose custard. She looked so happy, which was all he had ever wanted.
They moved to Sumeru city in hopes of this project giving them a new start. Fontaine was no longer their home and all Kaveh wanted to do was protect his little girl, Aisha, who was the spitting image of Kaveh.
Today her golden hair was in pigtail braids. There were bright strawberry colored streaks flowing throughout her hair. With her hair up, the red is more noticeable. When her hair is down, the red is hidden by bright golden locks that Kaveh was happy she inherited from him. The red hair was from him. Some small features of his little girl were undoubtedly passed down from that alpha who had no place in their home anymore. Whenever she smiles up at Kaveh, she has the cutest cheek dimples - but of course that trait is from him.
As the little family of two made it to their new small home, Kaveh was startled by a familiar scent. Desert sand with a hint of Padisarah and …wait a minute? Nilotpala Lotus? Quickly, he turned around and shielded Aisha behind his tall body.
Scarlet eyes met deep ruby eyes. Kaveh let out a sigh of relief. “So it was your scent I caught wind of. Hello Kaveh.”
Kaveh knew he was bound to run into old friends. He just wished he had another day to mentally prepare himself. Of course he should’ve known he couldn’t hide from the General Mahamatra. Not that he was trying to.
“Cyno. Hi. I um-” Kaveh stuttered, looking around anywhere but at Cyno.
The white haired general was in his usual attire, arms crossed. The little blond girl peeking out from behind Kaveh’s legs caught his attention. Tilting his head, he made eye contact with another set of young scarlet eyes, clearly afraid. Kaveh, wracking his brain for what to say, wasn’t paying attention. His attention turned to Cyno as the general took his helmet off and held it under his arm and knelt down so he was eye level with the little girl.
Kaveh watched quietly as Cyno softened uncharacteristically at the girl hiding behind his legs. “Hello. I’m Cyno. A friend of Kaveh.” A tan hand waved at the girl. Looking up at Kaveh, she silently asked for permission to talk to the stranger. Kaveh sighed and nodded at her.
She looked back at Cyno and waved her tiny hand in greeting. “Hello. I’m Aisha.”
“Nice to meet you Aisha.” After greeting the shy little girl, Cyno stood back up, looking at Kaveh. The architect seemed beyond nervous, even in the presence of an old friend.
“Are you moving back permanently? Or is this temporary, Kaveh?”
Kaveh, sighed, meeting the deeper ruby eyes. “I’m here for a job. Honestly, there’s nothing back in Fontaine for me anyway, but… I’m really not sure.”
Cyno nodded. “Well, let's meet up for dinner tomorrow. Tighnari is in town and I know he would love to see you.”
Kaveh smiled while feeling a little giddy at the thought of seeing Tighnari. He’d dote on Aisha. “Sure. Aisha will be coming with me.”
“Of course. Tighnari would love to meet her.” Cyno gave a small smile and turned away to walk away. “Don’t be late.”
Tomorrow was going to be the start of their new life in Sumeru. Aisha was going to meet his best friend, Tighnari. Kaveh started working on the new project tomorrow as well, and he couldn’t be more excited.
Things are looking up!
-_-_-_-_-
Alhaitham’s life had become a series of routines. Get up, work, leave, eat, and read before bed. With his position as Acting Grand Sage ending, he could go back to the routine work as the Scribe. Puspa Cafe was his current destination since cooking at home was never part of his nightly plans.
The sun was slowly setting as the streets of Sumeru City were flocked with swarms of scholars and pedestrians heading home for the day.
Alhaitham reached the entrance to the cafe, but before he could open the door, something collided with his leg. Looking down, he noticed a head of blonde hair and the sound of sniffles. When the child that had run into him looked up at him, he saw that her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were stained with tears.
“I-I’m sorry sir! I-I got lost. Daddy said to go t-to Puspa Cafe if w-we got s-separated.”
Alhaitham looked into the bright red eyes, an errant thought in the back of his mind insisting that they reminded him of someone. Alhaitham wasn’t really one for babysitting, but this girl's father would surely be freaking out and he wasn’t completely heartless. “Come on. Let’s sit at a table and wait for him.”
Alhaitham led the little girl inside and grabbed a table near the entrance so that she would be easily noticeable when her father arrived. The girl was still sniffling as she took a seat in the chair across from Alhaitham. The waiter approached their table, smiling at the unusual pair.
“Can I get my usual to go?” Alhaitham spoke while pulling out a book. He glanced over at the child, who was still staring at him intently with a snot covered face. “And whatever she’d like.”
“I-I um?” The girl was lost.
“The Padisarah Pudding is always the kids’ go to.” The waiter smiled at her.
The girl looked between Alhaitham, already engrossed in his book, and the waiter, unsure of what to say. She nodded, looking down at her lap.
When the waiter returned to their table with the pudding, Alhaitham peered over his book to see the little girl’s sullen face light up with excitement. Her puffy eyes now sparkled with glee as she grabbed the spoon and took a bite. That excited gleam in her eye brought Alhaitham’s thoughts, unbidden, to his senior. This little girl was a spitting image of him.
“Thank you, sir!” Her voice no longer trembled.
Alhaitham let out a hum of acknowledgement. As he scanned the text on the pages, a chime on the door signaled another patron entering. The intimidating aura of the General Mahamatra filled the room.
An employee approached Cyno . “Well hello General Mahamatra Cyno. Is there something you’d like to eat today?”
“No. I’ve got a distressed omega because his kid got lost but he mentioned a meeting point here.” Cyno scanned the room, his gaze falling on the back of the head of the little girl sitting with Alhaitham. Braided pigtails flopped as she shook her head back and forth, enjoying the soft dessert. Looking at the other patron at the table with her, he met Alhaitham’s emerald eyes. With a raised eyebrow, he walked over.
“This is not what I was expecting.” At the sound of Cyno’s voice, the little girl turned to greet him.
“Mr. Cyno!” She jumped out of her seat and enveloped the general in a big hug.
Alhaitham was confused as he watched the interaction. “Aisha. You’re smart for coming here. Your daddy and Tighnari are on their way. They wanted to check one more spot.”
Cyno pulled out a chair and sat down at the table next to Aisha. Her smile grew even wider as she began stuffing spoonfuls of the purple pudding into her mouth again. The General wasn’t in his normal work outfit, opting for a more casual look. A simple white tee shirt with black pants.
Cyno watched Alhaitham to gauge his reaction. As expected, the Scribe’s focus returned to his book. The waiter approached the table with a takeout bag. “Alhaitham, your order to go.”
Alhaitham shut his book and stood up, handing the waiter mora. Without looking back, he tucked his book under his arm and picked up the bag of food. As he passed the little girl, her hands reached out for his cloak.
Looking down, he stared into those bright red eyes. Why does she look so familiar?
“Uh Mr.-” She paused to look over at Cyno.
“Alhaitham.” Cyno spoke, watching for the scribe's reaction.
When she turned her head to face Alhaitham, her golden twin braids danced with her movements. “Mr. Alha- Uh Alhaitheem? Haith- Um.. Haitham! Mr. Haitham! Thank you for the pudding.”
Alhaitham blinked at her. “You’re welcome.”
Cyno snickered. The scribe looked at him with an unamused expression. “I see our scribe is still terrible with children.”
The tiny hand let go of his cloak and the girl resumed eating her pudding next to Cyno. “Most kids don’t come near me.”
“I can see why.” Cyno held an amused look, watching the deadpan expression from Alhaitham turn into an expressionless one.
“Well-” Before Alhaitham could finish his thought, the doors of the cafe slammed open.
All eyes turned to the two patrons who entered the cafe, clearly scanning for something. Both sets of eyes landed right on them.
“Aisha!” Alhaitham stood, stunned, watching the blond man run their way. The unusual feeling of anxiety coursed through his veins as he watched the beautiful blond approach.
“Daddy!” The girl jumped out of her seat to meet him. Alhaitham made eye contact with Tighnari, who held an equally shocked expression.
“I’m so glad you’re safe! You did so well, meeting here.”
“Mr. Cyno also said that. Oh, and Mr. Haitham got me pudding!”
Alhaitham watched as the golden haired man’s body tensed. Slowly, he rose to his feet, his gaze still on the child. The scribe was feeling emotions he hadn’t felt in a long time. When the man finally made eye contact with Alhaitham, scarlet eyes widened at him.
“Alhaitham?” His name sounded breathless as it escaped his lips, which was music to the scribe’s ears. The familiar scarlet eyes never left his own. The scribe almost stopped breathing when the scent of mourning flowers and zaytun peaches filled his senses. Kaveh.
“I see you’re back in Sumeru.” Alhaitham kept his reaction neutral as he spoke.
“I-I uh. Yes. We’ve been here about a month now.” Kaveh looked down at the child gripping his leg. A hand patted her head.
Looking down at Aisha, Kaveh missed the expression of hurt reflected in the scribe’s eyes. Only there for a brief second, it went unnoticed by everyone else… except Cyno.
Kaveh has been back for a month now? Was he trying to hide it from me? Cyno and Tighnari knew this whole time? Is Kaveh still upset about that night?
Before Kaveh could look back up, Alhaitham had already made his way to the door. “Alhaitham I-”
“I’ve got to go. Maybe I’ll see you around, Kaveh.”
A breeze ruffled through his gray hair, a deep sigh escaping him. The scent of mourning flowers and sweet zaytun peaches haunted the alpha within him. He was relieved to know that the only omega he grew to love was okay, but his heart ached knowing Kaveh had a child… A child that was not his.
He found a mate that wasn’t me.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Kaveh watched as the door of the cafe clicked shut behind the scribe. He was lost for words. Aisha moved back to sit in front of her pudding. She held out a spoon full to Kaveh. “Daddy. You look sad. Here! This pudding made me happy.”
He let out a chuckle. “Thank you princess.” After he took a bite, he looked over at Tighnari and Cyno.
“We knew this was bound to happen. Running into Alhaitham.” Tighnari spoke softly, trying not to make the other omega more upset.
Kaveh sighed, knowing his fox-eared friend was right. “I guess I just… wasn’t prepared to see him yet?”
“I know you don’t want to talk about it, but I have to ask, was he part of the reason you left?” Tighnari knew his friend. There had to have been more than just wanting to be near his mother, who had abandoned him in Sumeru city, why he had left and moved to Fontaine without notifying anyone. Of course, Kaveh never wanted to talk about it. Weeks had passed since he returned and Tighnari was still trying to get Kaveh to talk.
“Can we talk about it later?” Kaveh looked exhausted. The anxiety that his daughter was missing had taken a toll on him. He just wanted to head home and worry about feeding his child. The memories from that night before he left made his inner omega weep, and he didn’t have the energy to dodge Tighnari’s well-intentioned questioning any longer.
Tighnari looked defeated as he smelled Kaveh’s pheromones turning sour. “Only if you promise to actually talk to me.”
Kaveh heard the note of frustration in his friend’s voice. He knew he had to tell someone the truth eventually. The architect sighed in defeat. “Okay, Nari. How about later tonight after Aisha is asleep?”
Tighnari looked down at Cyno, who still sat in the seat in front of the fox. His mate nodded in approval. “Okay, I’ll be over tonight.”
“Aisha. Let’s go home.”
“Why is Nari coming over after I sleep? That’s not fair!” The little girl whined, her lips jutted out in a pout as she stared up at her father.
“Nari and I have adult things to discuss.” Tighnari giggled at the blond child. She looked dejected as she looked back at Tighnari.
“Can you come over before you go back to the forest tomorrow? Please Mr. Nari?”
“Only if you go to bed like a good girl.” She smiled up at Tighnari, red eyes gleaming with excitement.
“Okay daddy! Let’s go!”
The two men remaining in the cafe watched as the pair headed toward the door. “Something had to have happened between those two.” Tighnari spoke softly to his mate as he rested his chin on top of Cyno’s head.
“Don’t push him. He had to have done what he did for a reason. Let’s go back to my place since you’re now staying an extra day in the city.”
Kaveh was a mess as they returned home. He went through the motions of preparing food for them both on autopilot. Concern gnawed at his insides as they ate, trying to brace himself for the onslaught of emotions that was sure to come from his conversation with Tighnari.
Aisha was playing with toys as he cleaned up from dinner. His mind filtered through the thoughts plaguing his mind. The memories of that night came back crystal clear. The architect forced them in the back of his mind once again as his focus moved to his pride and joy, Aisha.
Their normal bedtime routine began as he brushed through her golden hair, sitting on the floor of her bedroom. Strawberry red locks mixed with the blond as he began braiding a single braid. Aisha was holding her green stuffed Aranara plush in her hand as she hummed a silly tune.
There was a heaviness weighing on Kaveh. The whole evening, he’d tried to keep his pheromones in check. Aisha had yet to present, so her sense of smell thankfully wasn’t well developed. However, she had a knack for sensing when her dad was upset. As he finished the braid and smoothed over her hair with the back of his palm, she turned to hug him.
“Goodnight daddy! Love you.” Her eyes were heavy and voice low.
“Goodnight my princess.” He picked her up from the floor and placed her in bed.
After tucking her in the plush pink sheets, he kissed her head. Within seconds, she was asleep, still holding on to the Aranara plush. It was one of the first things Kaveh had bought her when they arrived. She was fascinated by the story of the Aranara and had since been on the lookout for one almost every day.
Turning the lights off, Kaveh shut her bedroom door quietly. He paused in the hallway, to collect his thoughts.
Where do I even begin?
Instead of going to the living room to wait for Tighnari, Kaveh walked into his bedroom. His closet was a disaster as he wasn’t fully finished unpacking his things. They may not have had a lot of belongings, but the small closet looked positively stuffed with clothes and unpacked boxes. It was a nagging item lingering on his to do list, but he had yet to get around to it.
Grabbing the topmost box, he moved it onto his bed. There were books neatly packed in the box stacked alongside filled sketchbooks. Kaveh began pulling out books until he found what he was looking for. Long fingers traced the spine of a worn red leather book. It was a sketchbook he refused to open, but couldn’t bring himself to get rid of.
When he pulled it out of the box, he noticed the leather was dented and scratched. Feeling a little nostalgic, he traced his fingers over the scratches that now remained on the cover. He took a deep breath as his fingers gripped the binding. Closing his eyes, he opened the book.
He knew what he’d see when he opened his eyes. When he cracked his eyelids and looked down, his eyes fell upon torn pages. As he flipped through, he saw countless pages that only held half of his artwork, the other half of the pages long since ripped out and thrown into the trash in exasperation.
When he reached a certain page, his breathing hitched. The ink was smudged from tear droplets that had fallen years ago. This page was also ripped, but the half of the face that remained was the one face he would never forget.
There were two people sketched on the page. The page being ripped in half, all that was visible was the left side of the photo. A man and a child. The man had unforgettable floppy gray hair. A single tired emerald eye stared down in the photo. There were headphones around the man’s neck. Instead of the stoic face everyone had grown used to, the man held a small, soft smile in the photo. He wore a black thin tank top, showing off his strong shoulders, only one of which was visible alongside the jagged edge of the page. Kaveh’s eyes trailed to the child in the photo. The child also had gray hair, but the eye that was visible was bright red. Her hair was down, flowing over her shoulder. The child was drawn with a joyful expression, but her eye was distorted from dried tears. She wore a light red dress with puffy sleeves. A golden Nilotpala lotus was embroidered on the only side that was visible. There was a protective arm holding the little girl in the man’s lap. Kaveh looked toward the right of the artwork. Kaveh was trying to imagine what the other side he had drawn looked like. What did this originally look like complete?
Kaveh’s hand trailed over the artwork gently, tears beginning to form in his eyes. A part of him wished it wasn’t ripped. This is what could’ve been.
A tear slipped onto tattered artwork, the ink outlining a pair of headphones beginning to smudge as well. As his left hand caressed the open page, Kaveh was startled out of his reverie by a knock on the door. Quickly, he shut the book and roughly wiped his tears on the sleeve of his shirt.
Time to finally tell someone what happened.