lonespark: Cassidy from "Far Beyond the Stars" (Default)
This is a no-magic modern AU where Dr. Viren is a professor researching scary questionably ethical bionanotech(?) weapons & countermeasures at Katolis University.

Dr. Harrow is recently separated from his military wife and struggling to balance family & a new job as a history professor.

It's friendship at first meeting, but as their relationship grows, Viren has to confront the conflict between his life's work and the kind of future Harrow thinks is worth any sacrifice.


aka my several times abandoned once-and-future Nano project & attempt to write something like a slowburn that kind of almost has a plot or a theme or something

First Meeting: lonespark.dreamwidth.org/120846.html

Storm and Shelter: lonespark.dreamwidth.org/244628.html

Cold and Comfort: lonespark.dreamwidth.org/222172.html





lonespark: Cassidy from "Far Beyond the Stars" (Default)
 Harrow had never lived without the threat of war. He had been a boy, and a man, and now a father, in a world of recurring alarms and drills.  Drills to prepare for attacks from Xadia, or the retaliation prompted by a first-strike attack the Coalition considered justified. 

The lockdown, the shelter-in-place order, the potential for disruption of communication and supplies... all these things were familiar. But the cause, in this case, at his new home, at the flagship university on the shoulder of Mt. Kalik, was new to Harrow. As he went through the disaster checklist and the customary process of reassuring Callum, he tried to adjust to the idea that all of this is was caused by storms. It was both more and less terrifying. Lightning and wind, hail, sleet, and snow, lacked malice, but also fear and reason.

And, for the first time, Harrow knew he would be doing this alone. The ongoing state of emergency and Sarai's devotion to her post were turning their trial separation permanent. He refrained from further attempts to beg her to quit and come home, but the fact that this change was faultless and seemingly endorsed by nature didn't make it less sad or Harrow more ready to face it.

Harrow's mother, the university's chancellor, who had invited/begged him to take this job, had no time to help. She was busy looking after her many student charges, and the other staff and their families. There were a hundred logistical fires she needed to put out, and Harrow couldn't resent that, but he could still desperately wish to be someone's first priority. 

In the evening, three days in, he had fed Ezran and was snuggling the sleepy toddler and stroking his hair while Callum drew, feeling both peaceful and overwhelmed. When the doorbell rang, Callum sprinted to the door and flung it wide open, letting in a mixture of snow and sleet, and three people, one of whom was familiar. It was Dr. Viren, the man from the daycare parking lot, herding a small boy, carrying a relatively enormous slow cooker, and a tiny girl with a picnic basket.

"We brought you dinner!" The girl yelled. "I made it myself! Dad said the recipe was probably too complicated, but I showed-"

"Hey!" The boy interrupted "I helped a lot! I chopped all the fucking vegetables!"

Viren sighed, frustration and embarrassment showing on his face and in his body language. He took several deep breaths before reproving the children.

"Claudia, it's polite to wait until you're invited in. Soren, it's not polite to use that language." Their excitement fell away as they retreated back to the door. 

Viren  knelt with practiced ease to ask Callum to get his father, but smacked his cane into the decorative umbrella rack by the door, precipitating a loud, chaotic collapse. Looking back, Harrow would always think of this as an appropriate introduction to a family of bright, awkward, impulsive, generous people who always danced their own singular steps through life.

When Viren caught sight of him he launched into what sounded like a lecture, about how bringing food to neighbors had become a tradition, and he did text first but there wasn't an answer, so they'd avoided most common allergens and followed traditional dietary rules just in case, and the meat for the stew was locally sourced, and the bread was from his uncle's bakery...

Harrow smiled warmly and and thanked him, then proceeded to ignore most of the stream of words as he guided Claudia and Soren into the kitchen and helped Callum set the table. 

Dinner went well, and afterward the three older children headed to the playroom / art studio, with Ezran toddling after them. This led to a fair amount of screaming, but no blood, an equal amount of laughter, a creative mess, a plan for a collaborative project, and enraged sobbing when Ezran had to part from Soren, aka the source of banther-rides.

Meanwhile their fathers washed the dishes together and talked. When Harrow tried to apologize for missing the texts, and for the state of the apartment, Viren yelled at him, "Stop being a judgemental prick to my new friend!" and took his phone and scheduled the cleaner for twice a week. 

That sort of thing became a pattern. Viren's opinion was that money was for spending, and resources and power more broadly were meant to be used. He had no patience for shame, but also very little consideration for the moral or social implications of most choices. 
lonespark: Cassidy from "Far Beyond the Stars" (Default)
Viren's leg didn't approve of the cold, and even with extra medication he was irritated and gloomy. Still, the kids were excited, and watching them frolic lifted his spirits as he prepared to guide Soren through the coming-of-age ritual known as Operating the Snowblower.

The ritual went smoothly, and Soren proudly puttered up and down the driveway while Claudia shoveled the steps.

Harrow poked his head out the door on the other side of their shared porch.

"Isn't he kind of young to be doing that?"

Viren shook his head. 

"He's strong and capable, and I'm watching in case something goes wrong. Normally I pay Gren to do it, but he's off at some wilderness rescue training for junior fire volunteers."

"Oh... I think Amaya is running that..."

Harrow's voice sounded strange, so Viren turned to look at him and frowned in concern. He looked exhausted and sad, almost broken. Viren laid a mittened hand gently on his shoulder.

"Hey," he said softly, "You look like you're having a rough morning."

Harrow just nodded, looking miserable.

"There's coffee and pancakes in the kitchen." Viren pointed at their front door. "I'll be in in a few minutes."

Harrow gave him a grateful not-quite-smile and headed in. Soren had cleared all the vital territory, so Viren got him to put the snowblower away, and locked it just to be safe. By the time he was done, Soren had already been drawn into a complex snow battle on Ezran's side.

In his kitchen, Viren found Harrow huddled over a mug of coffee, focused and contented like a man who had been granted his dearest wishes.* Viren stuck two pancakes on a plate and set it down beside him, earning a sound that was probably thanks from the depths of the mug. 

When Harrow handed him the empty mug with pleading eyes, Viren filled it, and poured himself another cup too, since it really was that kind of morning. Harrow ate in silence and Viren sat next to him and waited. 

"She's a morning person, like you." 

Viren nodded encouragingly, trying to summon his best supportive listening expression.

"So she always got up at, like, dawn or whatever, and dealt with the snow, and the ice, and the power outages, and the daycare information. And I'd wake Callum up and get him ready, and later the baby too, and make breakfast, and she'd come inside and we'd... uh..." Harrow stopped to wipe his eyes on the back of his hand.

"...so now I have to do all of that, and do it alone, and it just feels impossible, especially with the snow, and the memories..." He sniffled, so Viren fetched a box of tissues and held it out.

"It's stupid saying this to you when you've been doing it all the whole time..."

Viren nearly flung the box of tissues across the room making his vehement objection to that line of thought. 

"Nonono, that's completely wrong! It has to be much harder when you're missing someone you were counting on to help. If I seem more on top of things it's probably because my kids are older and more independent. Plus I wasn't, um... directly involved in the birth process, so I think you get... extra dispensation points."

Harrow looked confused. "Dispensation points? From who?"

"From the... uh... very official Single Parent League of... um...honor. Of which you've been made an honorary member.  We were going to have official badges, but that's on the Third Priority To-Do List. I keep it in a secret chamber with all the unmatched socks."

That actually got a laugh, and a sad-but-genuine smile.

Viren was trying to decide whether he should sit down again or check on the kids when Harrow said, "Thank you. You're a really good friend," and hugged him. He put his arms around Viren's waist and pressed his face against his sweater, and Viren made an attempt to return the hug by resting his arms on Harrow's shoulders. They were damp and chilled, and the position was awkward, but Viren felt happiness flowing into him, filling his heart until there was no room for any other feeling.

The kids burst in a few minutes later, leaving their wet outerwear all over and making hot chocolate and a big mess.

Since Harrow's driveway wasn't cleared, they ended up carpooling to school and work. That was crowded and loud and made Viren later than he preferred to be, but he didn't mind. Even dropping one of his quizzes in  a puddle of slush and needing to make new copies couldn't do much damage to his good mood.



*Tenure, leads on elusive research questions, and a four-year-old who still naps.



lonespark: Cassidy from "Far Beyond the Stars" (Default)
Summer semester was very nearly over, finally. It was an optional review day that the TAs were supposed to be running on their own and Viren was having a hard time convincing himself he really needed to be there, let alone on time. Claudia was finally over the worst of her sore throat but still miserable, and she had been home from camp half the week, leaving him scrambling for childcare options, plus waking in the night whimpering in pain and requiring more medicine.

He wasn't early like usual, so the customary parking spaces weren't available. Viren cursed as he drove farther from his building hunting for a spot. He drove past the daycare and decided to try there since most of the students and faculty were gone until fall. Technically you were supposed to be using the daycare to park there, but it was worth the risk. He was double-checking his laptop accessories when he heard a commotion that activated the long-dormant Distraught Toddler Alert in his brain.

"Mama mama mama no mama noooo!!!"

"I know you miss her pumpkin, but today you're going to play with the school friends."

"I'll be there too, Ez. You like the playground, remember? And the snacks..."

"No school! No no no school daddy noooo..." The child escalated to that particular soul-rattling whine-cry Viren would very much like to never, ever hear again, and there was the sound of objects hitting the concrete, followed by ragged not-quite-swearing.

"Would you like a hand? I have, um... two." Viren holds one out to the stranger, who doesn't have any free to shake. "Dr. Viren, bioengineering, been here a long time."

"Dr. Harrow, history, just starting today. This is Ezran, and that's Callum." Callum nodded gravely, clutching a decorated coffee can filled with art supplies.

Viren smiled and held out his free arm so Harrow could hand him some of the bags he was juggling, but Ezran lurched suddenly, so Viren grabbed him instead. I knocked him off balance slightly, so he leaned on the van, but even that felt comfortably familiar. At least this kid wasn't pulling his hair.

Harrow picked up the last few items, stuffed them in the tote labelled "water fun," and traded it for Ezran. Viren took another bag, and Callum took the last one, and they made their way in. Harrow hugged the boys goodbye before they were taken to their classrooms, and Viren walked him out.

Blinking in the sunlight he seemed calmer, less frazzled but more sad.

"Thank you, Viren. Some moments are just..."

"Believe me, I remember."

"Did your wife leave, too?"

"...no... There's a coffee shop down the hill. Can I buy you something? You can tell me all the ways your life is shit if that helps."

Harrow was happy to go, but when Viren tried to pay, he shook his head and covered the bill.

"Money is never a problem. My mom runs this place."

Viren stared at him. The resemblance was clear, now that he was looking for it. "Chancellor Octavia is your mother?" He rubbed his neck nervously. "We ah... we've had some differences of opinion..."

Harrow waved him to a bench as their drinks were delivered. "Let me guess, she chewed you out in vile language that doesn't use any actual profanity."

Viren recalled the recent event where she'd demanded he 'Take a break from publicly fellating the military industrial complex' to answer alumni questions.

"Yes. That."

Harrow smirked, visibly reviving as he inhaled the coffee.

Viren called the department secretary and told her he wouldn't be in all day. Yes, another urgent personal matter, but the kids were fine. Yes, he did have a tiny sliver of non-child-related life. Yes, he knew he was lucky to be unique and brilliant and well-funded.

"And hot!" That would be Silvis, yelling, as he headed off to cover the class alone.

Viren sighed.

"That's something you have to get used to in this job: students who want to get into your pants. Most of them don't want to actually try, but they sit in the front row and moon over you, or they come to office hours and ask about things they already know, or they sign up for every. single. one. of your classes even if it means they're in school for an extra year."

"I do have some experience turning people down gently."

"I guess you would, handsome bastard that you are."

"Can't say I've felt that way lately."

Viren waved a dismissive hand.

"Nonsense. You are extremely handsome for a zombie who smells like rancid apple juice."

That made Harrow laugh. The warm sound of it, and they way he seemed brighter, happier, and more whole afterward, left Viren feeling absurdly proud, as though it could be worth dedicating his life to repeat performances.

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