#did we even get a magic/larry fic hates*x fic from this

[jrueships]

UNCANCEL WINNING TIME. N O W.

[bohemian-napsodyy]

Operation: Cabin Fever (Ahkmenrah x Reader)

Summary: After Ahk starts feeling a little down from almost never leaving the museum, you’re inspired to come up with your most risky plan yet.

Word Count: 5.7k (this could be NATM 4 in itself jfc it’s so long, I’m so sorry)

Warnings: no real warnings, but Larry’s pizza falls on the floor

A/N: So i just realized after going through my masterlist that even though I have a handful of Ahk hcs, i’ve never done a full-ass fic for him before??? THIS IS THE FIRST ONE?!? So that makes me even more excited to post this?!?!?! :D

I also got so invested in this to the point of making a playlist to listen to while you read!! if that’s your sort of thing of course :)

Stay Alive -- Jose Gonzalez

Bones -- Michael Kiwanuka

Blue Spotted Tail -- Fleet Foxes

‘Tis Autumn -- Nat King Cole

Everybody Loves Somebody -- Dean Martin 

If you don’t feel like listening to the whole thing, at least listen to the first two, I think they capture the vibe really nicely (and i may or may not have teared up a bit while listening to them as i wrote this oopsies)

Enjoy, my loves! <3

You knew something was wrong when you showed up at the museum and Ahkmenrah was nowhere in sight.

That wasn’t like him at all. He almost always was waiting in the main entrance, the smile on his face like sunshine as he ran to greet you with a tender kiss.

You looked around, glancing from side to side, almost expecting Ahk to be hiding somewhere in preparation to scare you.

But then you frowned. You knew Ahk was mischievous at times, but he had never, and would never, do anything that would make you worry like this.

“Hey, Larry?” You called out, frowning as you quickened your pace through the main hall. “Larry!”

The night guard stepped out of the break room at the sound of your voice, Dexter perched on his shoulder.

“Hey, Y/N!” Larry called out, beckoning you over with a friendly wave. You heard Dexter chitter some sort of monkey ‘hello’ to you. “You’re just in time, I ordered pizza again!”

“Thanks,” You replied quickly as you approached. “I’m not really hungry right now, but maybe later.”

Larry frowned. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you turn down pizza so fast, what’s wrong?”

“Have you seen Ahk?” You asked, your voice filled with worry. “He’s normally here to meet me by the time I show up, and I was even late getting here today, but he’s nowhere in sight.”

“Now that you mention it Y/N, you’re right, that is a little weird.” Larry mumbled, half to himself and half to you. “Normally Ahk comes running from his exhibit whenever there’s pizza... he’d never turn it down.”

“Do you know where he’d be? You didn’t see him leave, did you?”

Larry frowned, shaking his head. “He wouldn’t do that, I don’t think. Check his exhibit first, and let me know if you don’t find him.”

“Okay,” you answered, already making your way down the hall. “Thanks, Larry!” 

“Bring him over for pizza when you find him!” Larry called out behind you. You could just barely hear Dexter as he chittered along in agreement. 

You raced down the hall until you reached Ahk’s exhibit. Nothing seemed out of order as you walked in — the Anubis guards bowed to you ever so slightly as you passed them. Even though they knew you better than anyone else in the museum, and they’d never hurt you, Ahk’s guards still terrified you sometimes.

“Is Ahk here?” you asked one of them, craning your neck as far back as you could, attempting to make eye contact.

The guard nodded, gesturing silently to the back corner of Ahk’s exhibit. Sighing with relief, you quickly bowed to show your thanks and raced over to Ahk’s sarcophagus.

Your beloved pharaoh was slumped down on the floor, arms crossed over his middle as he gazed tiredly at the floor. When he heard the echoes of your footsteps approaching, you caught him quickly look up, startled like a wild animal. When he realized it was you, Ahk resumed his previous slump of a position.

“Hey,” You greeted him, setting your bag down on the stone floor as you plunked yourself down beside him. “Everything okay? What’s going on?”

Ahk glanced at you, an appreciative smile gracing his features as he caressed your cheek gently.

“I’m just fine, Y/N.” He sighed, gazing into your eyes deeply before looking back down at the floor. “Really, I am.”

You raised your eyebrows doubtfully. “Larry ordered pizza…”

No response.

“…And I noticed on my way here that the janitor put fresh bags of Cheetos in the vending machines earlier today. Want to go raid them all like last week?”

“I’m not hungry,” Your boyfriend dismissed your idea with a limp wave of his hand. You shuffled closer, looping an arm around Ahk’s shoulders and pulling him in close to you.

“That doesn’t sound anything like you.” You commented with a sad smile. “You’d already be running to the vending machine before I’d even say the word ‘Cheetos’.”

Ahk simply sighed, and he slowly leaned over until his head was resting gently on your shoulder.

“You can tell me anything, Ahk,” You whispered softly. “Really. What’s going on?”

“Sometimes…” Ahk began tiredly. He reached over and took your hand gently in his. “…I feel as though I may have been better off without the tablet.”

You frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Look at the life I live, Y/N.” Ahk sighed, gesturing halfheartedly at his exhibit. “I can only see you at night. We only spend time here. You tell me stories all the time of all the wonderful things that happen in New York during the day, and I cannot experience any of them.”

You could almost feel your heart breaking as you listened to your boyfriend’s words. You wanted nothing more than to take him on a roadtrip, camping, even just a day trip to Long Island. But the tablet wouldn’t let you two do those things together.

“I have not left the museum in a very long time,” Ahk continued sadly. “It has begun to feel like a prison more than a second chance at life. Sometimes… sometimes I feel I would rather die once more and never wake again.”

You sighed, placing a kiss to the top of Ahk’s head gently. His words kept replaying over and over in your mind, making your heart feel like a heavy piece of metal in your chest.

“Don’t say that,” you scolded him gently, looping both of your arms around him in a hug. “Ahkmenrah, please don’t say that.”

“And why not?” The look he gave you was heartbreaking. His eyes were glassy with tears that threatened to fall at any moment. “You rarely sleep anymore, Y/N. You visit me when you should be asleep. And I have not seen Ra’s sunlight in centuries. The tablet’s magic has become more of a burden to both of us than a blessing.”

“But Ahk, being with you has been the best adventure of my life. Sure I have to take break room naps every now and then, but I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.” You answered, squeezing his hand reassuringly. “You might hate the tablet right now, but I’m telling you — it’s given me the greatest gift of my life.”

“And what is that?” Ahk asked doubtfully. You couldn’t hold in your giggles.  

“You, you goose!” You slapped his arm playfully. “What did you think I was going to say, the Easter Island Head?”

Your question earned a smile from your boyfriend. You ruffled his hair gently.

“Wait here,” You said, reluctantly untangling yourself from Ahk’s embrace as you pushed yourself up off the ground. “I’m going to pull some strings and see what we can do.”

“About what?” Ahk asked, mirroring your movements as he stood up as well. He started towards you anxiously.

“It’s a surprise!” You smirked. “But it’ll make you feel a bit better, I promise. Just… sit down! Don’t follow me. You can’t know about this… yet.”

Ahk sighed with a nod. “Alright.”

“I’ll be back!” You called out, dashing out of his exhibit so fast, you almost crashed into one of the cavemen hobbling by. 

“Larry!” You called out breathlessly. “Larry! I need your help!”

At the urgency in your voice, Larry and Teddy emerged from the break room and ran over, their faces full of concern. They each held a pizza slice in hand.

“What’s wrong?” Larry demanded worriedly. “Where’s Ahk?”

“He’s fine,” You dismissed with a wave of your hand. “He’s over in his exhibit, like you said. Ahk’s got… cabin fever.”

Larry widened his eyes in disbelief. “Cabin fever?”

“He’s just having a bit of a hard time dealing with always being stuck here in the museum.” You explained quickly. “Listen, I have an idea, I need your help.”

“Yeah, anything, what is it?” Larry asked. He seemed to have forgotten about the half eaten pizza slice in his hand.

“Ahk was telling me he’s never really seen the day in a long time, and we obviously know why…”  You began. Teddy took a bite of his pizza as he listened intently.

“…So I need you to confirm something for me. The tablet only activates at sunrise and sunset, right?”

“That’s right,” Teddy nodded. “Y/N, certainly you knew that already-”

“That’s my point!” You exclaimed excitedly. “I can take Ahk out to catch the start of dawn, and be back here in time for sunrise!”

Teddy and Larry were silent. They shared stunned glances as they gaped at each other.

“Absolutely not.” Larry declared, cursing a moment later as a large portion of his pizza toppings fell to the floor. “Dammit, that was the last slice of Hawaiian— look, Y/N, I know you and Ahk are a… thing… and I know how much he means to you, but I can’t let you take him out that early… I mean late… I mean… you know what I mean.”

“What about sunset?” Teddy offered with a hopeful smile. “Immediately after we all come back to life!”

You shook your head. “Ahk has seen the sunset before.” You replied, an edge of disappointment in your voice. “And by the time we get him changed into normal clothes and get outside, it’s already dark.”

Larry shrugged sadly. “Look kiddo, I think it’s really nice that you want to go to this length to help Ahk, but you have to realize how dangerous this is.”

Teddy nodded along with Larry in agreement. “Lawrence has a point, my friend. Ahkmenrah is the only living being in this exhibit. We don’t know what would happen if we lose him. We could lose the tablet, too.”

You sighed in defeat, gazing sadly at the pieces of ham and pineapple from Larry’s pizza that were lying on the floor.

“Besides,” Teddy added, touching your shoulder gently. “If things went wrong, you would suffer a great loss, Y/N. If something happened that wasn’t according to plan… you’d never see Ahkmenrah ever again. The tablet won’t be able to reverse that.”

“But I’d have it under control,” you protested weakly. “I’d set alarms on my phone, I’d have all of Ahk’s stuff ready to go for when we get back, I’d leave plenty of time.”

“Sorry, kid.” Larry shook his head, taking one final bite of his pizza. “I won’t allow it.”

“But-”

“No is no, Y/N. It’s just too risky. Teddy?”

“Yes, Lawrence?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Keep an eye on this one for me. Make sure she doesn’t leave the museum.”

“Larry!” You protested, your eyes wide at his request. “I’m not a child!”

“I know,” Larry replied, shrugging as he made his way back to the break room. “But I’m just taking precautions! Better hurry if you want pizza — it’s almost gone.”

You groaned, burying your head in your hands. You had to come up with a plan B, and fast.

To your surprise, Plan B came to you less than 24 hours later, in the form of Larry’s son Nicky. As soon as he walked in the doors of the museum that night, dressed in a similar hoodie and sweatpants like the ones you gave Ahk to wear outside on occasional evenings, you had your idea.

“Nicky!” You hissed, grabbing his arm and dragging him around a corner before anyone else could see. He yelped in surprise.

“Hey, what the hell-” You cut him off, shushing him harshly.

“I need your help,” You whispered. Nicky frowned.

“Oh no, last time I helped you I ended up babysitting Dexter for three hours while you and Ahkmenrah were up to god-knows-what in the storage closet the entire time, I’m not doing that again.”

“You won’t be babysitting Dexter.” You replied, rolling your eyes. “This’ll be easy, you’ll just have to sit there and… do whatever it is you do.”

Nicky narrowed his eyes. “Alright, where’s the catch?” He demanded.

“I’m trying to sneak Ahk out to catch the moments just before sunrise.” You explained quietly. Nicky let out a loud whoop, and you almost had to cover his mouth with your hand to keep him from giving you two away. The last thing you wanted was Teddy coming over to ask what you were up to.

“Watching a sunrise?” He asked, a mocking tone edging its way into his voice. “Is this another stupid ‘aesthetic date’ right off of Pinterest or something?”

“Oh shut up,” you grumbled with a sigh. “Look, Larry won’t let me leave the museum, he thinks it’s a bad idea-”

“I’m with Dad on this one,” Nicky interrupted with a smirk. “That’s so lame.”

“Nicky!”

“Okay, okay… sorry.”

“He’s getting Teddy to follow me around almost everywhere.” You added quickly, glancing behind you nervously to make sure the wax president wasn’t lurking somewhere nearby. “I need a decoy.”

“Oh,” Nicky smiled as he pieced together your plan. “You want me to be Ahkmenrah?”

“Exactly!” You exclaimed, beaming. You were thrilled that he understood.

“No thanks.”

“What!? Why?”

Nicky rolled his eyes. “There’s no way you’re getting me to wear that outfit of his.”

“Oh, come on!” You protested. “All you have to do is sit in Ahk’s exhibit with your back to the entrance, you don’t even need to say anything-”

“When was the last time his clothes were washed? He’s like… hundreds of years old!” Nicky argued with you in a hushed whisper. “I don’t even think he wears underwear, does he?”

You were about to answer, when Nicky held up his hand to stop you.

“Don’t… don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.”

“I’ll proofread your Ancient Egypt essay for you if you help me.” You countered with a sigh. Nicky raised his eyebrows.

“Help me with my research, and I’ll agree… on one condition.”

“Fine. What is it?”

“I’m not wearing Ahkmenrah’s clothes.”

You paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to work through Nicky’s one rule.

“Could you do me a favour then, and run back to your place to grab another pair of sweatpants and a hoodie?”

“I think I know what you’re getting at. Sure, but it’ll cost you.”

“How much?”

Nicky smirked. “You write my introduction, as well as help me with my research.”

You groaned. This boy was insufferable sometimes.

“Fine.” You mumbled. Nicky beamed.

“Great! I’ll be back in a bit.”

Nicky dashed off just in time. As soon as he ran out the door, yelling to his dad that he forgot his laptop back at his apartment, Teddy rounded the corner.

“Good evening, my friend.” He smiled at you, patting you kindly on the back. “Any plans on this wonderful night?”

You shrugged, trying your best to act normal. You were never a good liar, and you hoped Teddy wasn’t very good at picking up on lies.

“Not sure.” You said casually, throwing in a shrug for good measure. “There’s a new show that just came out on Netflix that Ahk and I might watch together.”

Teddy nodded in approval. “Is our friend feeling any better?”

“Not really,” You admitted. That wasn’t a lie, Ahk was still pretty down in the dumps. “I’m sure after a few days, he’ll be fine.”

“I think so too,” Teddy agreed with a firm nod. “Perhaps I’ll suggest another dance party to Lawrence. Ahkmenrah seems to enjoy those. I could use a good party myself, in fact.”

You couldn’t help but smile at Teddy. He had a heart of gold. 

“I’d enjoy that too,” You replied, your heart beginning to race as you caught Nicky sneak back in, a backpack on his shoulders. He pointed down the hall towards Ahkmenrah’s exhibit before dashing off that same way. You had to hurry.

“Thanks, Ted. I, uh, I think I’m going to head off and visit Ahk now. See if we can make it through an entire season before sunrise, y’know?”

“Very well. Enjoy your evening, Y/N.” Teddy tipped his hat to you with a smile before continuing down the hall.

As soon as he was out of sight, you sprinted over to Ahk’s exhibit, almost tripping over your own feet as you did so. Nicky approached you quickly, Ahk right on his heels with an extremely puzzled expression on his features. To your surprise, Sacagawea stepped towards you as well.

“If you’re using decoys,” Nicky began with a smirk. “You’re going to need someone to cover for you as well.”

“Oh shit, I totally forgot.” You mumbled underneath your breath. “You’re a lifesaver, Nicky, thank you so much.”

“Does this mean you’ll write more of my essay for me?” He asked hopefully. “Absolutely not.”

Nicky gave you a harsh glare, before unzipping his backpack rushingly. He pulled out two black hoodies, and matching pairs of black sweatpants.

“Get Ahk to put these on now,” Nicky explained, shoving the clothes at you, then Ahk, who frowned even more at the black clothes in his arms. “Make sure Teddy and my Dad see he changed his clothes, and if they ask, just say he wanted to be more comfortable, I don’t know.”

“Y/N, love, what’s going on?” Ahk asked you slowly, his eyes darting from you, to the clothes, then to Nicky as he tried to piece everything together.

“It’s a surprise,” you answered simply with a smile, nudging your boyfriend playfully. He looked less than satisfied with your answer as he eyed you dubiously. 

“Is it alright if I admit I’m a little afraid of your… surprise?”

You grinned at Ahk. “I’m just as terrified too, but that’s what makes it more fun. Now put those on.”

Ahk glanced nervously at you and Nicky, who nodded in agreement. Before you knew it, Ahk had already begun to untie his shendyt, right in front of all of you.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” You, Nicky, and Sacagawea all yelled at the same time. Ahk froze, looking like a deer in the headlights as he stared at you with wide eyes, completely startled.

“Ahk, not here.” You said gently, unable to suppress the giggle that began to surface.

“But you said to put them on now-”

“Normally when we say ‘get changed’,” Nicky added, his face a mask of utter terror. “It means go somewhere private, put on your clothes, and then come back.”

Ahk nodded slowly as he quickly stepped out to the bathroom just a little ways down the hall from his exhibit.

“Now,” Nicky declared, turning to you. “I already talked to Sack when you were still over with Teddy, and we’ve got a plan for you.”

“You’re going to wear your clothes until just before you leave.” Sacagawea explained gently. “Then at the last moment, you’ll put on the clothes Nicky gave you. I’ll wear yours, and Nicky and I will take your place.”

You nodded, impressed by their plan. For someone who only got wind of your idea less than an hour ago, Nicky sure knew what he was doing.

“Y/N, you’re certain you’ve got this under control?”

You were interrupted out of your thoughts by Sacagawea’s voice. She placed her hand over yours worriedly.

“It’s quite close to sunrise… you’re sure you can make it back in time?”

You took a deep breath, quickly dismissing Teddy’s words from yesterday as they entered into your mind once more.

“I can do this,” You told Sacagawea firmly. “I’m prepared — I packed music, blankets and tea to keep us warm, and I also researched exactly when sunrise is going to happen.”

“You’ll be back before then, I hope?”

You nodded. “My first alarm is set for twenty minutes before sunrise. I’ve got three more alarms set every five minutes afterwards, just in case. That’s more than enough time to run back. We’ll just be across the street.”

Sacagawea smiled, wrapping you in a firm hug, which you struggled to return because of the clothes in your arms.

“I believe you,” She said gently. “I just want you two to be safe.”

You nodded in reply, returning her smile. “We will. I promise.”

“Y/N, what exactly are we doing that involves me looking like this?”

Ahk’s voice made you turn around, and you couldn’t stop the smile that bloomed on your face.

He stood at the entrance to his exhibit awkwardly, shifting his weight from either foot as he gazed at you nervously. The hood of Nicky’s pullover was over Ahk’s head, and along with the fact that he was in all black, he looked a bit like one of the shady characters you tried your best to steer clear of on your nighttime walks to the museum.

He looked absolutely adorable.

“What do we do now?” Ahk asked you with a frown as he approached, setting his carefully-folded Egyptian robes gently into his sarcophagus. You simply smiled as you looped your arms around his neck, pulling Ahk in for a swift yet gentle kiss.

“We kill some time. Want to start season two of Gilligan’s Island?”

Nicky and Sacagawea met you two in the break room at precisely five o’clock in the morning, the pair looking almost comical as they showed up wearing nearly the exact same thing as you and Ahk.

To say you were exhausted was a major understatement. You had spent the first two hours watching Gilligan’s Island with Ahk. The two of you had re-positioned the couch so that from the entrance, you’d only be able to see the back of your heads.

You caught Teddy poke his head into the breakroom briefly once or twice, but luckily he never hung around longer than a couple of seconds. So far, everything was going perfectly according to plan.

That being said, you wanted nothing more than to take a nap, especially with Ahk settled behind you on the couch. His arms were wrapped snugly around your middle, and he felt so warm. All you wanted was to close your eyes… just for a moment.

But you couldn’t. Ahk still didn’t know about your plan, and you were afraid that you’d nap for too long and miss your chance. So instead, you kept yourself awake by playing Monopoly for the remaining two hours.

Nicky smirked at you as he took in your current position on the floor. You were lying on your stomach, staring blankly at the game board with your face smushed against your hand as you waited for Ahk to make the next move.

“Ahk, it’s not chess,” you grumbled, rolling your eyes at your boyfriend, who was staring intently at the game board as if he were trying to move the pieces with his mind. “Just roll the dice and move it already.”

“Quiet, Y/N.” Ahk shushed you as he closed his eyes, shaking the dice gently in his hands. “I intend to win this round, but I need Thoth to hear my prayers and come to my aid. He cannot hear me if you keep talking like that.”

“Someone’s competitive.”

“I hate to interrupt your game, lovebirds,” Nicky began with a laugh as he took a seat beside Ahk. Sacagawea stepped over and carefully sat down next to you. “But I believe it’s time to begin Operation Cabin Fever.”

Your eyes widened in excitement as you bolted upright, feeling a sudden surge of adrenaline run through your veins. You accidentally nudged the game board as you stood up to grab you backpack, earning a loud cry of disbelief from Ahk.

“Y/N, how dare you interrupt my prayers to the gods, I-”

“You better go,” Nicky chimed in, nodding to the door with a laugh. “Someone’s getting grumpy.”

You giggled, grabbing Ahk by the hand and racing out of the break room with him stumbling after you.

“Y/N, may I ask you something?” Ahk asked you just as you ducked behind a wall, checking quickly to make sure Larry or Teddy weren’t anywhere in sight.

“Yeah, of course.” You answered, squeezing Ahk’s hand reassuringly. He frowned at you as he tugged his hood off.

“Please, I beg of you, on behalf of all the gods that watch over us, what in Amun’s name are we doing?”

“Well…” you began, trailing off as you sprinted down the hall once more towards the receiving bay. Checking either hallway once more quickly and finding that the coast was clear, you quietly opened the door and ushered Ahk through.

“Remember how you said you hadn’t seen sunlight in centuries?” You asked, closing the door behind you as quietly as you could. Ahk’s eyes widened as his reaction closely mirrored Larry and Teddy’s from yesterday.

“Oh no,” Ahk whispered quietly, already tugging you back to the receiving door. “No, Y/N, I love you very much but I don’t believe this is a good idea.”

You sighed, closing the distance between you and Ahk as you placed you hands gently on either side of his face.

“Ahkmenrah,” You said quietly. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do.” He answered softly, bringing one of his hands up to caress yours. “I trust you with my life, Y/N.”

“Then please,” you whispered with a small smile. “Please trust me on this one, Ahk. You know I’d never hurt you.”

Ahk nodded, leaning his forehead against yours as his arms circled around your waist.

“I know.”

You kissed him quickly. Just as he began to pull you closer and recapture your lips once more, you broke off with a laugh.

“What is it?”

“You’re shaking, Ahk.” 

He smiled anxiously, bringing his hands up in front of him -- they were trembling.

“Y/N, I’m afraid you’ve succeeded in terrifying a king.” Ahk mumbled matter-of-factly. You shook your head with a smile as you took his hand in yours.

“Come on, scaredy cat,” You laughed, carefully stepping down the stairs before starting your run to Central Park across the street. “We don’t have much time.”

You raced across the street, Ahk in tow, just as the indigo sky began to morph into shades of lavender and turquoise. Quickly shrugging off your backpack, you pulled out the blanket you had crammed in there, and spread it out on the ground.

“Do you need any help?” Ahk asked gently, placing his hand on your back as you dug around your bag.

“Take these,” you said with a smile, passing him two thermoses you had filled with tea. “And sit down, get comfy.”

Ahk gave you an appreciative smile and kissed your cheek before settling on the blanket, tugging your hand encouragingly to join him.

“Hang on,” You mumbled, digging around in your backpack. “I need one more thing, I know it’s in here.”

As you settled down beside your boyfriend, you pulled out a pair of earbuds, which you connected to your phone. You passed Ahk one, and he stared at it with a frown.

“What’s this?” He asked, inspecting it as if it were some sort of scientific specimen.

“You put that in your left ear,” You explained with a smile, as you put the other earbud in your right ear. “Like this, see?”

Ahk frowned, nodding, before doing the same.

As Nat King Cole began to play softly, you intertwined your fingers between Ahk’s and rested your head on his shoulder. He, in turn, leaned his head gently against yours.

“Look up,” you whispered. “Dawn is coming.”

The two of you sat together, holding matching thermoses of tea, as you watched the last of the night begin to fade away.

“Is this what you get to see… for an entire day?” Ahk asked you breathlessly. You looked over and saw his gaze entirely fixed on the pinks, blues, and purples that now filled the sky. His eyes were glassy, and as you gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, a tear slowly trailed its way down his cheek.

“You’re seeing the most beautiful part of the day,” You answered quietly, pausing to kiss your boyfriend’s cheek. “Everything else is… a little plain.”

“It’s been so long since I saw Ra prepare to rise.” He whispered, reluctantly taking his gaze off the sky to look at you. You almost started crying as well when you saw the emotion in his eyes. You had never seen someone look so entirely moved by something as simple as this.

“Nicky and Sacagawea…” Ahk continued, a little frown blooming on his face as he took a tiny sip of tea. “You got them to do all that… for me?”

You nodded, smiling at the thought of all the hectic planning you’d had to do over the last 24 hours.

“My initial idea didn’t require this much, uh, Mission Impossible-style planning,” you answered sheepishly. “But as soon as I mentioned taking you outside, and so close to sunrise too, Larry immediately put his foot down. He made Teddy my official ‘babysitter’.”

Ahk’s eyes widened, and he let out a little laugh. “Is that why Teddy kept walking by my exhibit earlier?”

You giggled. “Yes Ahk, that’s exactly why. Larry didn’t want him to let us out of his sight, in case I tried to sneak you out.”

Ahk nudged your shoulder playfully with his own. “And yet you snuck us out anyway.”

“You bet your ass I did. I wasn’t going to just sit there while you were feeling down. I had to do something to help.”

Ahk leaned forward, caressing your face tenderly as he pulled you in for a kiss. He smiled into it, before pushing you back onto the blanket. His lips moved softly against yours as he deepened the kiss, pausing only to lean his forehead against yours minutes later.

“No one has ever done anything so considerate for me, Y/N,” he whispered, placing a kiss tenderly on each of your cheeks. “Thank you. You are truly one of a kind.”

You felt your eyes prickle with happy tears at Ahk’s words. You reached up and booped his nose gently with the tip of your finger.

“I love you, Ahk.” You said simply, unable to shake the smile that bloomed on your face. He captured your lips with his own once more briefly.

“I love you more, Y/N.”

A loud ringing noise suddenly cut off the Dean Martin song that was playing from your earbuds, and you realized with a sinking feeling of utter disappointment that it was time to pack up and head back to the museum. Sunrise would be arriving soon.

“What was that?” Ahk winced, yanking his earbud out of his ear as he sat up in alarm.

“Sorry,” you apologized, pushing yourself up onto your feet and starting to shove everything back into your bag. “That’s the signal for us to go.”

The two of you packed up wordlessly, Ahk helping you speed things up by tying the blanket around his shoulders like a cape after he saw you struggling to cram it back into your backpack. Dean Martin still played through your earbuds as you raced back across the street to the museum.

“How much time is left?” Ahk called to you from over his shoulder as he yanked the receiving door back open, letting you pass through first.

“We’ve got just under ten minutes to get you back into your usual clothes!” “We’d better hurry then!”

Before you knew what was happening, Ahk had raced back over to you and picked you up, one arm supporting your back and the other under your knees. You yelped, instinctively wrapping your arms around his neck as he sprinted down the hall. The two of you laughed excitedly, high on adrenaline to the point where Ahk almost tripped, nearly sending both of you flying down the hall.

“You two are having fun, I see.”

Ahk skidded to a halt, and you realized with horror that the two of you had run into none other than Teddy. He sat on his horse, staring amusedly down at you as you still remained in Ahkmenrah’s arms.

“Well, you see, we were j-just…” Ahk stammered, glancing at you for help. He was just as bad of a liar as you were. But to your surprise, Teddy smiled.

“If you hurry straight to your exhibit,” Teddy whispered. “I’ll pretend I never saw you. I’ll also pretend that Nicky and Sacagawea never took your place.”

“You knew?” You asked, your eyes widening in surprise. Teddy let out a hearty laugh.

“Your trick may have worked for the cavemen, but not for me.” Teddy announced proudly. “And besides, I’d recognize Sacagawea anywhere.”

You sighed, your gaze falling to the floor in disappointment.

“The important part is,” Teddy continued, a warm smile on his face as he gazed admirably at the two of you. “You made it back in time, just like you said. Now, I’m not encouraging you to do it again, but if you hurry along now… I won’t say anything to Larry.”

Your eyes widened as you grinned at Teddy. Before you knew it, Ahk was already running once more. 

“Thank you Ted!” You yelled back as Ahk sped down the hall. “You’re the best!”

“Safe returns, my friends!”

You giggled with glee as the two of you made it back to Ahk’s exhibit, where he finally set you down. Dropping your backpack on the ground, you raced over to Ahk’s sarcophagus and dug out his usual clothes in order to help him change back.

Before you knew it, Ahk was whipping off his hoodie and sweatpants right in front of you, desperate to get his clothes back on in the handful of minutes you had left before sunrise.

“You know,” you began, biting your lip as your currently-shirtless boyfriend reached for his armbands. “It’s too bad we don’t have more time right now, otherwise we could’ve taken this to the storage closet again.”

In return, Ahk glared at you as he tugged his shendyt back on. “How dare you say something like that right as we have to say goodbye!”

You laughed, stepping in to kiss him goodbye quickly, before setting his crown gently on the top of his head.

“I’ll be here tomorrow, my king.” You whispered teasingly, before placing a small kiss on the shell of his ear. “As soon as sunset arrives.”

He smirked, pulling you in for one last passionate kiss before settling into his sarcophagus.

“Deal.”

[atruththatyoudeny]

Monthly Reads | January 2017 ❤ THANK YOU TO ALL WRITERS FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND SHARING YOUR STORIES! ❤

Special mention⭐ & Top 5 + 16 more stories under the cut:

⭐ 2017 HL Prompt Challenge ⭐

“A small group of us came together to do a prompt challenge with fast deadlines to have some fun and see what we can do, and this is the result. Hope you enjoy!” Authors: taggiecb, afirethatcannotdie, QuickedWeen, waytoomanypeopleintheaddisonlee, Awriterwrites, allwaswell16, LadyLondonderry, lululawrence Prompts so far: Foundation, Bloodsucker, Hinge, Scream (revealed today)

Where Your Heart Is

by anhcor & tvshows_addict | College AU | hate to love | slow burn | 154k Louis is ready for his brand new adventure. So what if he suffers from a genetic condition that prevents him from being touched? College is going to be awesome. It has to. Karma kind of owes him right now. Forget about his overprotective mother, or Liam-- his entirely too chipper step brother-- or his mess of a roommate. Forget about the gloves he has to wear at all times. He’s here to expand his knowledge, write and drown himself in books -- No matter how distracting ‘Hallway Boy’ may be-- The obnoxious, flirty frat wannabe determined to become the bane of Louis’ existence. Or, a college AU set in San Francisco where two lost boys who seemingly have nothing in common find inspiration, each other, and themselves in the process.

Black With Autumn Rain

by whimsicule | thriller | crime | magical realism | 93k “Thank you,” Geoff says, taking a sip of his tea. “What did you tell him?” Louis has a sip as well, lets the tea burn down his throat too quickly, too hot, and he feels it all the way down to his stomach. “The truth. Essentially,” he replies after a moment, licking his lips, relishing the slightly bitter taste of the brew that’s never quite strong enough for Louis’ liking. At least it’s not decaf. “That my dog scented it. That I didn’t touch the body. That I came here first thing.” Geoff nods pensively. “Did he believe you?” “Probably not. There’s only so many people who can drown on dry land before it gets fishy.” or: Harry is a journalist, Louis has lots of secrets and the moors aren't exactly the ideal place to rekindle a lost romance.

Hold My Heart

by Awriterwrites & phdmama  for H/L Exchange 2016 | famous/non famous | Mile High Club | Actor!Louis | Doctor!Harry | 14k “Excuse me, mate, I’m the window seat here.” The voice was soft, apologetic, and accented in something a bit unfamiliar — northern England, maybe, Harry thought. “Oh,” Harry jumped to his feet and moved aside, “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you standing there.” The other man laughed as he swung a bag into the overhead compartment and slid into the seat. “You were well caught up in that book, mate. What are you reading?” Harry paused, wondering how to explain the fact that he was reading an epic and x-rated romance that was the story of a relationship between a prince and the man he’d enslaved. “Oh, you know, just some fiction my sister recommended.” He turned to look at the man and froze. Sitting next to him was Louis Tomlinson. *** Or, the one where famous Louis Tomlinson offers his hand and a lot more to his seat mate on a transatlantic flight.

What do you mean he's coming?

by MediaWhore for HL Famous/Not Famous Fic Exchange | Childhood friends | famous/non famous | actor!louis | photographer!louis | 15k When Harry accepted to be his sister’s Maid of Honour, despite how non-traditional of a choice he was, he didn’t think writing a speech for the wedding reception would be this hard. Now, not only does he have less than two weeks left to find something moving and inspirational to say, but Gemma just confided in him that her old childhood best friend is going to be in attendance. The one who moved to LA and they haven’t seen in fifteen years because he was too busy becoming an Academy Awards winner. But hey, no pressure. It’s just Louis Fucking Tomlinson. Harry is screwed.

Singing to tiny dancer

by BriaMaria | Famous/Non famous | Actor!Louis | 22k “Yes!” Harry punched a fist into the air. He laughed at the confusion that wrinkled the little space between Louis’ brows. “What?” “You’re flirting with me,” Harry smiled, letting his dimples pop. Louis’ face went blank for two seconds and then he rolled his eyes, one side of his mouth lifting. “Am not.” “You soooo are,” Harry sang out, poking him in the shoulder. “You like me.” “I was simply showing you how to actually bring… what did you call it? Your A-game.” Harry adopted a patronizing expression, sure it would piss him off. “And you did great. Really.“ “Oi, fuck off,” Louis said, but he was actually laughing now. Outright. It was gorgeous and Harry wanted to live in this moment forever. It was the very best one he’d experienced. He wanted to always remember the image of Louis’ crinkled eyes, the sound of his breathy giggles, the smell of citrus that radiated off him as he swayed in his amusement. And Louis didn’t even know his name. Or ... When everything gets to be a bit too much for A-list actor Louis Tomlinson, he runs back to the town he had never really called home and the boy who was the only one he did.

Beautiful Star 

by tommoandbambi for We Wish You a Larry Christmas Fic Exchange | famous/non famous | kid fic | christmas fluff | 17k “You know, when I pegged you for a druglord, I wasn't exactly challenging you to make me believe that you actually are one. What is this place?” Louis says after he swallows over the mild panic that's building up in his throat over the fact that he's literally sitting in front of the cause of his teenage sexuality crisis. or, the famous/nonfamous kid!fic AU wherein harry and louis have to host a school Christmas party and harry isn't actually a druglord.

Play The Odds 

by alivingfire | College AU | friends to lovers | 26k Harry and Louis are best friends since childhood who, after a night of drinking, find themselves locked in a bet: first one to kiss the other a thousand times wins. Wins what? They don't know. Glory, Harry supposes. Bragging rights, though those don't do much in this economy. All Harry knows is that this is one bet he can finally win. What he doesn't expect, though, is what happens when he starts kissing his best friend on a daily basis. Namely, he doesn't expect falling head over heels in love with his best friend. Now all he has to do is make sure the bet never ends, so he never has to stop kissing Louis.

Runner On Third 

by kikikryslee for H/L Exchange 2016 | slow burn | friends to lovers | 40k As Harry stood there, the other man turned around, and he knew he was correct in who he thought it was. “Louis?” he asked, still not quite believing it. Louis blinked. “Harry? Wh– what are you doing here?” “I work here,” Harry said. “What are you doing here?” “Um, I’m picking up my brother. The nurse called and said he was sick.” Harry felt like he was going to be sick. “Wait, Ernest is your brother? Since when do you have a brother?” “Since about seven years ago, I guess. Wait, how do you know Ernest?” “I’m his teacher.” “You’re his what?” Louis exclaimed. Harry gulped. This was going to be a long year. --- Or, the AU where Louis and Harry were best friends growing up, but lost touch after Harry moved away. Ten years later, Harry has moved back to town, but he and Louis don't pick up where they left off.

Taken Over By The Feeling

by whyidontknow1 | angst | fluff| baker!harry | 53k After almost a year of increasingly troubling behavior, Louis agrees to let his sister live with him. It's a last resort before more drastic measures are taken by their mom. Harry Styles runs Given A Chance, a program for troubled and disadvantaged teens out of the bakery he owns. He offers the kids in his program what he believes they need to start on a different and better path for their lives. Louis learns all too quickly that Harry's goodwill does not extend to him. Only because he happens to remind Harry of an ex he'd rather forget. It's not the smoothest of beginnings, but in the end Louis' own issues might be the real problem.

Haven't You Heard 

by allwaswell16 for HL Christmas and New Year Fanfiction | Christmas fluff | 8k Harry Styles has been in love with Louis Tomlinson since they were eighteen. After six years together, Harry is ready to propose to the love of his life. The holidays strike him as the perfect time for a romantic proposal, but his well-meaning friends and family (including his self-appointed best friend, Niall) seem to thwart him at every turn. Or the four times Harry tries to propose, and the one time he gets it right.

If My Yesterday is a Disgrace, Tell Me That You'll Still Recall My Name 

by Trytoescapeit for HL Christmas and New Year Fanfiction | 16k The boy, right now in front of Harry, most definitely has familiar blue eyes and the same thin lips. Those lips. Small, bitten things that are so close to splitting. All he can think of is a chorus of his name. Louis, Louis, Louis, and the name means nothing to him until the boy looks up. OR Harry and Louis are childhood friends for only a year when Louis moves out of town. Fast forward to the future and Harry is a used-to-be rich kid who cut off his family's inheritance to build a life of his own and Louis owns the small cafe that's hiring. Harry spends three days trying to get Louis to remember him (because he never forgot)

Let Me Be Good For You

by onlyhuman | canon compliant | PWP | 12k His distress over the bun is nothing compared to the thrill Louis feels shoot up his spine at the outfit Harry’s donned. He’s changed into leather jeans that cling to his legs, hugging his thighs snugly. On top of it, a floaty, black sheer shirt is contouring his frame, doing absolutely nothing to hide his puffy nipples or the endless array of tattoos scattered across his torso. It’s Louis’ favourite outfit in the entire world. Or, Niall's only birthday wish is to go clubbing with his boys in Vegas. Harry ruins it all by wearing that god forsaken black sheer shirt.

Oh How I Hate This Red String Of Fate

by CalamityK for H/L Exchange 2016 | soulmates | angst | 13k Harry thought being able to see people’s strings die would be the worst thing about his gift, until at twenty-two he finally met the other end of his own. --------- Or that soulmate AU where Harry can see the red strings of fate that tie everyone together.

Like a boomerang

by youwilll | Groundhog Day AU | College AU | 48k AU in which Harry gets trapped in a lift, Louis gets stuck in a Wednesday, and it's always February 2nd. Until it isn't.

Life as we know it

by Rearviewdreamer | friends to lovers | kid!fic | 34k When a couple dies unexpectedly Harry and Louis are brought together to care for their daughter.

Counting the stars behind the clouds

by simplestardust | blind character | friends to lovers | 28k The problem wasn’t that Harry was blind. The problem was Harry himself. or, in which Louis plays keyboard as part of touring singer Harry's back-up band, and spends his time stuck between being oblivious and in denial, while Harry just wants to know how many stars there are in the night sky.

Head head heart

by Anonymous for Sub Harry Fic Fest | canon compliant | BDSM | Dom/Sub | 11k After Dunkirk has wrapped filming, Harry struggles with his inability to reach subspace. He tries taking the matter in his own hands before Louis intervenes with a plan of his own.

Reduce Me To A Pleading Cry (Break The Skin and Tantalize)

by Anonymous for Sub Harry Fic Fest | BDSM | Dom/Sub | CEO!Harry | 37k As the CEO of Styles & Styles, Harry Styles cuts a brooding and handsome figure at the helm of a very successful business. His reputation for intensity is well known, but you would be intense, too, if you had to work numbers all day, give countless orders, and conduct endless meetings. When all you really want to do at night--ache to do--is give away the reins, let someone else make the decisions, be ordered around for once, just--let go. Harry has reached his breaking point when one touch from a man whose very stance commands attention leads him back to a place he thought he’d never return. Or Harry is a broody submissive boss, Louis is a natural dom who works in the mail room at Styles & Styles, Niall is a matchmaking oracle, and a slender, dark haired man stands mute at the coffee stand encouraging others to spill their secrets.

(I didn't mean to) fall in love tonight 

by zouisclimax | High School AU, mpreg | 35k Harry texts him back a thumbs up emoji before leaning forward and throwing up again. He groans, but stands after he’s done, wiping his mouth with toilet paper, and flushing the toilet. He washes his mouth out as best as he can before steeling himself and heading back to class, trying his best not to cry. He tells himself that there is no point in worrying when he doesn’t even know if there is anything to worry about yet. He still feels sick. [or, the American boarding school AU where Harry's infatuated with Louis and one night flips his whole world upside-down]

With your love we could breathe underwater

by luminescents for HL summer fic exchange | fantasy | Mermaid!Harry | 28k Harry’s brow furrows, a look of confusion spreading over his face. “But I am real. I exist, see,” he says, raising a hand out of the water and wiggling his fingers at Louis. Louis finds himself relaxing a bit. Harry seems harmless really. And he’s quite cute, for something that’s not supposed to exist. If Louis is indeed having a hallucination right now, at least it’s a cute one. AU where Harry is a mermaid, Louis is a human, and they both discover a lot more than they anticipated.

Sex Shop Fic Verse: It's My Pleasure To Introduce You  & Switch Out The Batteries

by LoadedGunn | Sex Shop AU | 8k Louis cannot help himself. He stretches a bit so he can whisper in Harry's ear, "That's what I'd do to you, when you're close to coming. Just think. You'll be so overwhelmed but you won't want it to end, not really, so I'll switch it to the seventh setting, give you just a few seconds to catch your breath but then it'll rock inside you, right against your spot, so hard you won't be able to breathe, but before you can finally come it'll stop again. How long do you think you could keep it there, just staying right on the edge?" "I couldn't," Harry whispers, definitely shivering now. "I just couldn't tease myself like that, I'd have to touch my cock. If I wanted to... I'd need someone to do it for me." Louis slips his hands from Harry's fingers to his wrist, where he clutches hard. "You would." Or, the AU where Louis is the most helpful sex shop salesperson in the history of sex shops, and Harry really was just looking for a vibrator with simple instructions (yet ended up getting a hands-on demonstration).

by istajmaal, LoadedGunn | BDSM | Dom/Sub | Daddy kink | Gangbang 88k Harry raises an eyebrow. "Sex dice?" "Yup," Louis nods. "You know the ones we sell, one die for a body part and the other for an action to perform on that… part." "Isn't that what old married couples buy from you to spice things up?" Louis frowns and opens his mouth to tell Harry off, but then he catches his absolutely dreamy expression and can only laugh. "Yes dear, we're just like any middle-aged married couple. Except for the fact that we're in our twenties and have a box full of bondage gear under our bed." Two years after meeting in a sex shop, Harry's just returning to Louis from a month-long tour in the States, and they come up with a wholesome bonding exercise.