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pixie-mage · 4 years

Note

4 -J with 5 being ethier +M or -Q (I really just want to see Jed being jealous hehe)

From this NatM Writing Prompt: [ x ]

(Fair warning: this one got WAY longer than I intended. It took up about 16 pages on Google Docs. Basically, I got way too inspired, so apologies if it’s long! I had a lot of fun writing it! ^^;)

Characters and Adjectives: Jedediah (Jealous) Octavius (Mischievous OR Quarrelsome)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If Jedediah’s glare could set fires, the General Store would be up in flames right about now, along with the few citizens of the Wild West who had been daring enough to go over and try to speak with the silently fuming cowboy.

Nobody knew what had their leader in such a state. Most days Jed was in a fairly good mood, and even when fights broke out between the Americans and the Romans - or, hell, if the Mayans managed to join in - Jedediah was all bright smiles and high energy, raring to take on anyone who came his way. He loved the fun of the fight more than whatever outcome it gave. Even when a strong-willed centurion managed to knock him out or give him a black eye, his negative reactions were much louder and much more expressive than whatever this was.

A young gunslinger named Billy had been watching from a distance for a while now, worried for their leader but not quite sure how to help.

“Anybody know what he was doin’ ‘fore this?” he leaned over to ask a nearby cowboy, who was on his way past with two horses and a few coils of rope. The man - George - stopped a moment to cast Jedediah a sideways glance.

“Hmph,” his brow furrowed. “Last I heard he’d been headin’ over to visit that new Roman friend o’ his. The general feller...Octo-somethin’.”

“Octavius?”

“Yeah, that’s the one,” George nodded. “Dunno what happened after that, but he came back lookin’ like somebody pissed in his whiskey.”

Billy nodded.

“Thanks, George,” he patted the cowboy on the shoulder. “I’ll head over to Rome and see if I can’t find a way of fixin’ it.”

George raised his eyebrows at the young man.

“Headin’ to Rome?” he asked. “Listen, I know we been on better terms with our neighbors since that whole shindig with th’ tablet an’ Cecil and such a few months back...but you be careful, alright boy? I still don’t trust them Skirts farther ‘n I can throw ‘em.”

“I thought Jedediah told us not ta call ‘em that anymore,” Billy corrected him.

George had the decency to look a little ashamed, tugging at the brim of his hat and looking away.

“...force of habit,” he said in way of apology. “Just be careful. Got it?”

“Yessir,” Billy nodded, and George left with a brisk nod.

Billy wasn’t dumb. He knew full well how dangerous the Romans could be when provoked. Which was why he wasn’t planning on provoking anyone, not on purpose anyway. He had made a friend of his own on the Roman side of the border, so he knew they could be just as friendly as the citizens of the Old West...if not a little snootier sometimes.

Though, before he went off on this little misadventure–

Billy cast Jedediah a glance. He should...he should probably ask Jedediah first, right?

It felt like half of the eyes of the West were pinned on his back as he approached the still-fuming cowboy. Jedediah was sitting on an upturned barrel just off to the side of the General Store, spinning and flipping one of his guns expertly in his hands, over and over and over with a sharp glare locked heatedly on the side wall of the building. Despite the fact that Billy knew Jed’s guns were non-functional, he couldn’t help the nervousness that washed over him as he approached.

“Uh...Jed?”

Jedediah didn’t look up, but he made a small irritated sound which Billy assumed was some kind of response of recognition.

“...I know you were over in Rome today, an’ I just was wonderin’ what happened over there?” Jed’s shoulders stiffened, and Billy went on. “If it ain’t my business, I’ll leave it be...but I hate seein’ you in such a state. Anythin’ I can do?”

Jedediah didn’t respond, but his gun had gone very still in his hands. Billy gulped.

“...should I go talk ta Octavius for ya? Or–”

“No.”

It was the first remotely English thing Jedediah had said all evening. Jed shot a look over toward the young gunslinger, eyes sharp.

“Don’t bother,” Jed went on. “That highfalutin toga-wearin’ ignoramus ain’t worth the effort.”

Billy blinked, surprised. He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

“I...thought he was your friend?”

“He–” Jed cut off, his mouth freezing mid-sentence. He looked as if he had been punched in the gut and he swallowed, his eyes softening ever-so-slightly. He bowed his head and took a long, slow breath.

“Yeah, well...so did I.”

Then without another word, Jedediah left his spot by the General Store for the first time in hours, his feet carrying him to the front corner of the diorama. A pile of coiled rope sat near its edge and Jed kicked at it, sending it tumbling down toward the museum floor below...all but the end which was tied tightly to the boulder at Jed’s feet. Without a word and with the skill of somebody who had been doing it for years, Jed gripped the rope in gloved hands and stepped right off the side of the display, sliding down to the ground. Then he stalked off, straight out of the room and out of sight. The heated glare in his eyes remained.

Ah, hell. Okay. Well–

Billy spun around to maybe ask someone else if they’d heard anything more on what was going on, only to find the entirety of the Wild West diorama fixing him with pointed looks, all varying between surprise, concern, confusion, and downright accusation. He gulped.

“Oh, crimany–”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A remote-controlled car tore through the halls of the Museum of Natural History, its miniature wheels squealing against linoleum and stone at tight turns, the back end swinging outward almost dangerously as its driver kept careful control of the arc.

Much like everything else in the museum, something about the tablet made the toy car more real when night fell. Where normally there would be plastic seats for show only, where normally it would have to be controlled by remote or it wouldn’t run, the car that Larry had gifted Jedediah and Octavius worked as a normal car would, complete with foot pedals and a functional steering wheel. Granted, that also meant that a crash would be just as dangerous...but crashing was the furthest thing from Jed’s mind at the moment.

The cowboy took another turn at top speed, threading through the feet of wandering exhibits like an expert, not even caring where he was going.

Octavius. That was the source of his irritation, of his...his foul mood. His...anger? No, that word didn’t quite fit what he was feeling. Jed’s jaw tightened, his knuckles going white against the wheel beneath his gloves. Whatever it was, it didn’t feel happy. This wasn’t some fluffy heartfelt touchy-feely-type emotion, not even close. Probably. Maybe. God, he couldn’t think straight…

And the night had started so well, hadn’t it? His mind began to wander.

Jedediah had taken to visiting Rome nearly every night since the battle for the tablet. Or, if Jed wasn’t visiting Rome, Octavius was visiting the West, or they were out exploring the museum together. There were nights when neither of them could get away from the responsibilities of their homes, when they had to stay in their respective dioramas and get some work done...but those were few and far between.

Tonight was no different. Jedediah heaved himself up over the edge of the Roman exhibit, dusting off his chaps and strolling into Rome as if he owned the place. He asked around, doing his best to be friendly, and after a few tries (and a few suspicious looks) he was able to figure out where Octavius was. He gave the young soldier - what was his name? Fabian? - a quick grin and a tip of his hat in thanks before making a beeline for the gardens.

Jedediah wasn’t sure what he was expecting to see when he got there. Octavius by himself, maybe...or him chatting with that Marcus fella who, if he remembered correctly, was Octavius’ second in command or something. What he hadn’t been expecting was to see Octavius wandering the gardens with a charming young man Jedediah didn’t know, his eyes sparkling brilliantly as a joyous laugh bubbled up past his lips.

The Roman looked more at ease than Jedediah had ever seen him. He was without his armor, sporting his embroidered red tunic with a belt around his waist, his helmet nowhere in sight...and his hair a stylish mess of dark curls. Light filtered in through the trees and stone statues of the garden, creating a golden halo around Octavius’ head and face, making him look younger. Handsome, even. Jed lost his footing for a moment at the unexpected thought, his breath hitching. A warmth swelled in his chest, one he wasn’t sure how to interpret or react to, and he took the moment of frozen uncertainty to take in the view. He sidestepped behind a pillar and tugged at his neckerchief with one hand.

“...rustic, perhaps,” Octavius was saying, nodding and grinning brightly to the young man who walked with him. “‘Barbarian’ seems a little harsh, but I can’t argue that their lifestyle is much more–”

“Savage?”

“Cyrus, please!” Octavius chuckled. “I was going to say ‘wild’. The Americans might not be quite as elegant as Rome, but they are an ingenious bunch and more than a little resourceful.”

“And that is enough, to you?” Cyrus asked, an eyebrow quirked in mirth.

“Why shouldn’t it be?” Octavius returned the raised eyebrow with one of his own. He stopped along the path and Cyrus turned to face him, his back to Jedediah. “Wanting to organize a truce, to offer an allegiance, would be beneficial to both Rome and America. This isn’t about surrendering, Cyrus, it is about multiplying our strengths and working with neighboring countries to achieve a greater goal. Is that not a positive step forward?” At Cyrus’ silence, he continued, his hands folding neatly behind his back. “We have yet to have a truly successful battle against the Mayans, and I get the feeling that they will not be so easily swayed to friendship. Perhaps joining forces with our American neighbors will be more beneficial than carrying on with this foolish fighting.”

“Foolish?” Cyrus repeated, scoffing. “And what of Rome? What of the expansion of the empire?”

Octavius chuckled again, stepping closer to the other man. He placed a placating hand on Cyrus’ shoulder.

“You know as well as I, Cyrus, that Rome will continue to rise in power whether we garner peace with the cowboys or not. This could very well be a valuable stepping stone in–”

“Hey Ockie!” Jedediah finally found it in himself to step out of the shadows. This wasn’t a conversation meant for his ears, he knew, and the thought of snooping for any longer was putting a pit in his stomach.

The moment Jedediah announced his presence, Octavius’ expression both brightened and tensed. It was an odd combination, one Jed couldn’t quite read, and shortly afterward Octavius snatched his hand back from Cyrus’ shoulder as if he’d been caught with it in the cookie jar. Cyrus turned to face the intrusion, his expression curious and intrigued.

“Jedediah,” Octavius greeted him plainly. He cast a sideways glance toward Cyrus before answering. “Good evening. To what do we owe this pleasure?”

Something tightened in Jed’s chest, a harsh contrast to the inexplicable warmth that had made its home there a few moments prior.

“Jus’ thought ya might like to take the ol’ sports car out fer a spin,” Jed offered, but the words felt sour on his tongue. Fake.

“Oh?” Cyrus asked, smiling wryly back at Octavius over his shoulder. “The ‘sports car’ my liege?”

“Mmm, quite,” Octavius nodded, sharing the same little smile with Cyrus. When his eyes found Jed’s again he looked uncomfortable. Conflicted.

The constricting feeling in Jedediah’s chest tightened further, tight, tight, tight, and he felt the smile slip from his face.

“Er…Cyrus, may Jedediah and I have a word in private? It won’t take but a moment.”

“Of course, my liege,” Cyrus nodded. “I imagine it won’t.” He smiled warmly at the general and reached out to pat Octavius’ shoulder, squeezing lightly before letting him go. He wandered off into the garden while Octavius quickly approached Jedediah.

“Jede–”

“Who’s that?”

Octavius blinked at the sudden question. Jed himself was a little surprised by it, but now that he’d said it, he was sticking to his guns.

“Cyrus,” Octavius said simply. “He is – well, it would be rather difficult to explain the finer points of Roman government, but–”

“He seemed awful friendly with you.” Jedediah wasn’t sure where the words were coming from, but he couldn’t stop it either. He folded his arms tightly over his chest, his boots scuffing against the stone-paved path of the garden.

“Well...yes, I suppose so,” Octavius agreed. He cast a glance over his shoulder toward the man in question. “We’ve known each other for - well, for decades, even prior to awakening in the museum. A loyal man to be sure, if not a little obstinate in his views.”

“You plannin’ on hangin’ with Mister Snooty Pretty-Boy all night?”

“That remains to be seen.” Octavius sighed, turning back to Jedediah. He smiled. “Depending on how the evening’s conversations go, I very well might. Hopefully it goes well.”

Tight, tight, tight–

“Hmph.” Jed nodded sharply, scowling. “Fine.” He uncrossed his arms and tugged his stetson a little tighter on his head, eyes blazing and temper skyrocketing. “I see how it is.”

Octavius’ smile dropped in an instant.

“I beg your pardon?”

Jed gestured in the general direction of Cyrus.

“You’d much rather spend yer time with a stuck-up highfalutin aristocrat? Be my guest,” Jed spat. “If stickin’ around means I’ll have ta watch you two sparkin’ in a corner, I want nothin’ to do with it.”

“Excuse me?” Octavius snapped, some of his old fighting spirit blazing to life out of nowhere. “I happen to be one of those so-called ‘stuck-up highfalutin aristocrats’, you – you–” the Roman general seemed to be searching for something, anything, clever to say, “–you uncouth, uneducated barbarian!”

The moment the words escaped him Octavius clapped a hand over his mouth as though he could take them back. But he couldn’t. Jedediah looked as though he had been slapped, his eyes flying wide and a manic look coming over his face.

“Am I a ‘savage’ too, toga boy?” Jed snipped, yanking off his hat and stepping up right close to Octavius, nose to nose. Memories from battles long past began to resurface, the banter and the fire in his belly so very, very familiar. “You seem ta like yer smart-talkin’ friend Cyrus so much, why don’t you take the words right out o’ his mouth?”

Octavius went pale.

“Is there a problem, my liege?”

Cyrus again. Of course.

“N-No, Cyrus, it’s perfectly alright,” Octavius was quick to stop Cyrus from interfering. He held up a hand to the man’s chest to push him gently backwards...and the tightness in Jed’s chest suddenly snapped, dropping a lead ball into his gut.

He snarled.

“Listen boy - Cyrus, right?” Jed drawled, his accent thick and his eyes ablaze. “Why don’t you take yer man Octavius here as far away from me as ya can, seein’ as if I see of either o’ you anytime soon, I’m bound to let my fists give you both a lickin’ so hard you won’t see straight for a week.”

Then, ignoring Octavius shouting his name after his retreating back, Jedediah hightailed it out of Rome faster than you could say hullabaloo.

Lost in his thoughts, not really paying attention, Jedediah almost didn’t see the lumbering mammoth until it was too late. As it was, he jerked the car’s wheel harshly to the right, the vehicle careening out of control and spinning across the museum floor with more momentum than a toy car should ever have. Inertia pulled at him, tugged at his hat, threatened to knock him against the door and the window, but he held tight to the wheel and shifted his footing on the pedals to try and regain control of the vehicle. The car swerved, tires squealing, breaks screaming–

With a horrible crunching sound and the shattering of glass, the car slid sideways into a wall. White smoke billowed from the crumpled hood, looking more like a burning cigarette than a car crash. The engine went quiet and the hall was filled with silence.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This was Billy’s mess, so he had to clean it up. Or...something like that. That’s what Charlie had muttered to him anyway. So here he was, trying his damndest to scramble his way up a wall.

Billy hadn’t had quite as much experience as Jedediah in scaling the walls below America and Rome. He had chosen a rope ladder over a rope as his means of descent from the Wild West, and climbing the rope that hung below Rome was an event in and of itself. Once he finally tumbled up over the edge of the foreign exhibit he was completely out of breath and had to take a moment, lying there on his back, to try and regain some much-needed air.

“What brings you to Rome, Billy?”

Billy opened his eyes to see a very familiar face, a young soldier smiling brilliantly from beneath golden curls. His helmet was tucked under one arm and he held out a hand to Billy, an offering to help him up.

“Fabian!” Billy grinned. He took the hand and found himself being hoisted to his feet, clutching at his hat to keep it on his head. “Howdy! Actually, I’m here ‘cause o’ Jed.”

“Jedediah?” Fabian asked, perplexed. “What of him?”

“He’s been in a right state all night,” Billy explained. He glanced over Fabian’s shoulder to see if he could catch sight of Octavius. “Been silent an’ glarin’ somethin’ fierce since he got back from Rome, then when I went an’ asked iffin I could help ‘im, he went marchin’ off and out o’ the Hall of Miniatures, mad as a march hare.”

“He was here early this evening, if I recall,” Fabian nodded, a concerned furrow creasing his brow. “He was asking around for General Octavius. I pointed him toward the garden.”

Billy quickly refocussed his gaze on his friend.

“You don’t happen ta know where Octavius is now, do ya?”

Fabian opened his mouth to respond, but he didn’t have to say a word, because Octavius himself had suddenly appeared in all his armored glory. The general was muttering rapidly to a soldier at his side, an older man who was listening with rapt attention. With a few final words and an incline of his head, the man left, and Billy pushed past Fabian to get Octavius’ attention.

“Octavius? Sir?” he called out, waving a hand and racing to catch up to his target.

Fabian grabbed at his elbow, desperate to stop him, but Billy was too quick. Octavius looked up and raised an eyebrow at the rather frantic young gunslinger.

“My apologies, m-my liege,” Fabian stammered, quickly crossing a fist over his heart and inclining his head in an imperial salute. “He...he wishes to speak with you on the matter of–”

“Jed’s run off an’ I’m tryin’ to help fix it.” A beat. “Sir.”

Octavius blinked at the rapid onslaught of information and he held up a hand to quiet the pair.

“It is quite alright, Fabian,” he placated the young soldier. “At ease.” Then he rounded on Billy, his expression sharp and focussed, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. “What was your name?”

“Billy, sir.” Billy removed his hat and clutched it to his chest, trying to be respectful.

“Billy.” Octavius nodded. “And what is this about Jedediah running off?”

“Well – sir –” Billy’s hat crumpled in his grip. “So...he left fer Rome early this evenin’ lookin’ pretty chipper, happy as a clam. He was only gone a little while...but when he came back he looked pissed as hell an’ nobody could get ‘im to talk about it.”

Octavius winced, but gestured for Billy to continue.

“So he’s sittin’ there by the water barrels, fiddlin’ with his pistols, scarin’ off anyone who done get close enough to try an’ help. And he stays there for a good couple ‘o hours. So I’m thinkin’ I might give it a try, seein’ as he’s always sorta been kinder to me than some o’ the other folk. And the minute I start askin’ ‘bout you an’ about Rome an’ such, he gets all fired up and storms on out of the Hall o’ Miniatures. We ain’t seen ‘im since, and it’s about an hour ‘til sunrise.”

Octavius closed his eyes, his expression tense, and he muttered a quiet string of Latin that had Fabian going a little pink. When he looked up again a minute concern was shining behind his eyes that Fabian was wise enough not to comment on. The general stood still for a few moments, mulling over what Billy had just told him. The hand at his sword’s hilt tightened its grip, his knuckles going white...then he nodded sharply.

“Very well.” He clapped Billy on the shoulder. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I shall set out to find him immediately, as - I’m afraid - it may be my fault that he’s in such a state.”

Octavius swept past both boys with a goal in mind, his feet carrying him swiftly toward the stables that held the horses when they weren’t being used for chariot races.

Billy watched him go with a low whistle, perching his hat back on his head.

“He’s in a state, ain’t he?”

Thwack

“Ouch! Hey!” Billy rubbed at his arm where Fabian had backhanded him. “What was that for?!”

“That was my superior,” Fabian hissed, looking more than a little annoyed. He plopped his helmet over his hair and began fastening the chin strap. “I am still new in my position and I don’t wish to jeopardize that. The next time you wish to ruffle the feathers of our general, I would be much obliged if you would, please, keep me out of it.”

“Aw shucks…” Billy fiddled with a button on his vest, looking abashed. “I wasn’t tryin’ to get you in trouble, Fay. I was jus’ worried fer Jed. He’s been acting mighty ornery lately an’ it’s worrisome.” He peaked up at Fabian from beneath his hat. “‘M sorry if I get you into trouble.”

Fabian sighed, shaking his head at the young gunslinger. An adoring smile flickered at the corner of his mouth.

“Whatever am I to do with you?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The sound of galloping hooves rang out quietly through the halls of the museum, muffled by the sounds of other exhibits passing by and by the fact that the horse and his rider were both no more than a few inches high. But even at their small stature, the pair travelled quickly through the halls, clinging to walls when possible and weaving through legs when it wasn’t.

Fifty-three minutes until sunrise.

“Jedediah!” Octavius called out, urging his steed onward as fast as he could go. “Jedediah! Jed–”

“Woah, Octavius, where’s the fire?”

Octavius drew his horse to an abrupt halt, looking up – and up and up and up – into the face of the museum night guard.

“Larry!” Octavius greeted him, clutching the horse’s reins a little tighter. “Good evening. You wouldn’t happen to know where Jedediah is, would you?”

Larry knelt down closer to Octavius’ level.

“Not exactly,” Larry shrugged. “Sorry. But I did have some vikings complaining to me earlier about him driving around in their wing of the museum. Something about him nearly tripping some of their–”

“Thank you, my liege,” Octavius nodded in thanks, not even allowing Larry to finish what he had been saying before starting off again at top speeds. The vikings exhibit was upstairs. He had to be quick if he wanted to find Jedediah before sunrise.

When he finally arrived in the wing that housed the vikings (among others) many of the exhibits there were working their way back to their displays. A few were left wandering the halls - a rather large mammoth being one of them - but the path was fairly clear of obstructions and obstacles.

“Jedediah?” Octavius called out again, hoping to hear some sort of reply. “Jededi–”

Oh.

Oh, no…

The rest of the word caught in his throat and he gasped, his eyes falling on the wreckage of a familiar blue and red car. White smoke was leaking slowly from beneath the bent hood and Octavius could see the sparkling of shards of glass littering the floor near the wreck.

“No…” Octavius whispered, his heart hammering in his chest. He dismounted his borrowed horse and didn’t even bother tying him up, covering the distance between himself and the car in record time. “Jedediah!” He leaned down, tapping on the unbroken passenger window, trying to peer inside the dark vehicle. He couldn’t see anything–

“Would you quit yer yammerin’? I’m fine.”

Octavius jerked back. The voice had some from somewhere to his right, near the hood of the car. What…? He followed the sound to find Jedediah sitting against the wall in front of the wreck, his hat in his lap and his neckerchief balled up and pressed to the side of his head. He glared heatedly at Octavius.

“Th’ hell d’you want, ‘Tavius?”

“Jedediah…I thought…” Octavius crouched before his friend, reaching toward him but faltering when Jed tensed at the proximity. “...I was concerned. You had yet to return and when I happened upon the car–”

“Well clearly I’m fine,” Jed snipped, looking away from the other miniature. “I can make do on my own.”

What was Octavius even doing here? He had seemed plenty happy in that damned garden, hadn’t he? What reason could he possibly have to abandon Pretty-Boy Curtis when he so clearly loved spending time with him?

“Cyrus?” Octavius asked, sounding baffled.

Oh. Had he said that aloud? The tightness from earlier reappeared in his chest, a tension rising in him at the mere mention of Cyrus’ name. Jedediah scowled and leveled another glare at Octavius.

“Yeah, Cyrus,” Jedediah drawled. “Him. I’m surprised you left yer lil spark behind ta come lookin’ for me.”

“My - what?”

Jedediah shook his head and let the hand holding his neckerchief fall into his lap, uncovering the slowly bleeding cut at his hairline.

“Forget it.” He pushed himself to his feet, leaning hard against the wall when the hallway began to spin in his vision.

“Jedediah, you’re bleeding!”

Jed pushed Octavius’ reaching hands away and stepped away from the wall, half walking and half staggering away from the wreckage. He clutched his hat in one hand, not quite willing to put it on with his head pounding the way it was.

“I’ve had worse.”

“Would you stop pushing me away? Please?”

Jedediah waved him off. Behind him, he heard Octavius let out a frustrated growl.

“Jedediah Smith, sit the hell down!” he snapped, and Jed’s feet actually stumbled to a halt beneath him. He could feel the Roman general’s eyes on his back, could hear the commanding tone of a leader leaking into Octavius’ words. “You’re being obstinate and idiotic, and if you don’t let me help you, then the next time I see you may very well be at the bottom of the stairs, after you have tripped and fallen down them in your stubborn attempt to make some kind of point to me.”

“Obstinate and idiotic, huh?” Jed repeated saltily, not turning around. “Am I an ‘uncouth, uneducated barbarian’ too? Or was that Cyrus talkin’ for you?”

He would hear Octavius approaching him, could hear the rattle of metal-on-metal, of his sword falling against his armor.

“You know full well I didn’t mean any true disrespect,” Octavius said sharply. “And even if I did, I have said far worse to you in the past, and never before have you reacted in such a way as this. What is the real problem here?”

“I don’t rightfully know, okay?!” Jed shouted, turning around and flinging his hat at the ground between them. “I don’t know. I just–” the cowboy ran both of his hands through his hair, the wavy strands looking even more unruly and wild than they usually did.

(Octavius tried very hard not to get distracted by the sight.)

“I jus’ know that when I was in that garden, an’ you were bein’ all chummy with Cyrus, I didn’t like it. It...it didn’t sit right. An’ maybe that’s me bein’ selfish, and maybe I shouldn’t be the one ta judge you fer wantin’ ta spend time with somebody other ‘n me, and - and–” Jed was pacing now, his feet carrying him in a small but rambing path in front of Octavius, whose eyes followed him all the while. “–and why should I care if you an’ this Cyrus fella wanna go spark in a garden somewhere–”

“You keep using that word.”

“...what?”

Jed stopped short, blinking, looking a little thrown by the odd intrusion.

“Spark. Sparking.” Octavius furrowed his brow. “My apologies, but...I don’t believe I’m familiar with the phrase.”

“A spark,” Jed said. “A boyfriend. A lover. Amator. Necessitudo. Amor.” He switched to Latin, as though it would make his meaning more clear.

Octavius stared, then snorted, then he was laughing, unable to hold it back.

“Don’t laugh at me!” Jed snapped, pointing at his friend. “I studied Latin when I was young, I know I’m sayin’ it right!”

“No - ahah - no,” Octavius held up a hand, eyes sparkling with mirth. “No, you misunderstand...Jedediah, Cyrus is not my ‘lover’.” He buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking with laughter. He muttered quietly to himself: “Goodness, Jupiter help me…”

“He’s not?” Jedediah asked, flummoxed. “Y’all seemed mighty friendly when I walked in on you.”

“Goodness me, no!” Octavius shook his head, finally calming his laughter enough to talk clearly. “Cyrus is a member of Rome’s government, and a stubborn one at that. He is firmly set in his ways. I have been working toward drawing up a sort of truce or agreement of allegiance between Rome and your people, and Cyrus remains one of the few who are against the idea. This evening I was attempting to do a bit of...oh, how would you say it...schmoozing? Currying favor with him? I believe that’s the saying.”

“...and all that talk about how it might take all night, an’ how you hoped it’d go well…?”

“Jedediah, if it went well, Cyrus and I would have spent less time discussing the matter, not more,” Octavius assured him. “I wanted it to go well so that I could be finished earlier in the evening and...” He looked a little abashed as he admitted: “...and so that I could spend more time with you.”

Jedediah stared at him, his expression suddenly blank, and all the anger and tension and frustration seemed to melt out of him.

“...oh.”

Jed ducked his head, shoving one gloved fist deep in his pocket while the other scratched at the back of his neck with the neckerchief still clutched in its grip

“You honestly thought Cyrus and I were romantically involved?” Octavius asked, the faintest of smirks dancing across his lips. “Truly?”

Jed felt the blush crawling up his neck before Octavius even saw it, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He scowled.

“Oh, shut up, Ockie,” he grumbled. “You two were bein’ all touchy-feely, an’ he kept givin’ you this smile. It looked pretty convincin’ to me, alright?”

“By the gods, you were jealous.” Octavius looked as though Christmas had come early - or whatever holiday it was that Romans celebrated in the winter. “Were you jealous?”

Jedediah glared. Octavius chortled, eyes bright and grin wider than Jed had ever seen.

“You absolutely were!”

“So what if I was?” Jed asked, his entire face engulfed in a deep blush. “I didn’t like how he was lookin’ at you. I told you, it didn’t sit right. It made me feel all–” He gestured helpless, wordlessly, toward his chest with both hands. “–all-overish.”

Octavius leaned down to pluck Jedediah’s stetson from the ground, lightly dusting it off and stepping closer to the floundering cowboy.

“If you must know, I find it rather sweet.”

“I ain’t sweet–”

Octavius pushed the black stetson into Jed’s free hand.

“Jedediah, cara, take the compliment.” Octavius tugged the crumpled neckerchief from Jedediah’s clenched fist, bringing it up to press lightly against the still-slowly-bleeding wound Jed was sporting near his temple. Despite himself, Jed found himself leaning into the touch. “Truth be told, when you showed up in the garden I was about ready to abandon my meeting to join you. Before you started arguing with me it was quite difficult for me to remember I had an important goal to achieve.”

There was a moment of quiet. Octavius reached up with his other hand to carefully hold Jed’s hair out of the way while he cleaned the wound as best he could with nothing but a wad of fabric.

“...you were there for longer than I knew, weren’t you?”

Jed stiffened.

“You heard some of the horrible words Cyrus was using to describe you and the other cowboys. You quoted them back at me, Jedediah. Don’t deny it.”

“I...yeah, I was.”

“Why not show yourself sooner? Why hide?”

“I wasn’t tryin’ to snoop, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Jed sniffed. When Octavius didn’t say anything, he went on: “You looked so blame happy when I got there, that’s all. You were smilin’ so bright it was like you were impersonatin’ the sun itself, and then you laughed. And you jus’ looked so…”

Octavius’ hand stilled, his focus narrowing in on what Jedediah was saying. And, lord above, he really must be worse off from the crash than he had thought, because he was admitting things he hadn’t even quite come to terms with himself. His expression closed off and he stepped back, out of Octavius’ reach, his grip on his stetson tight.

“So...what?” Octavius pressed gently, eyes curious.

“Forget it.” Jed took a step back, then another, then turned and started making a beeline for the wayward horse Octavius had ridden here on. He shoved his hat on his head and reached for the reins.

“Jedediah, I asked that you please stop trying to push me away,” Octavius sighed, sounding mildly frustrated. “For the love of Archimedes, stop.”

Catching up with his friend, Octavius grabbed Jed’s wrist and spun him around, giving the cowboy no room for argument.

“What were you going to say?”

Jed, to his credit, only looked mildly constipated as he warred over whether or not to speak his mind, but finally Octavius’ pleading expression did him in.

“Handsome.” Jed’s eyes flickered from Octavius’ face to the grip on his wrist and back again. “I was goin’ ta say ‘handsome’. Ya happy now?”

Much to his shock, Octavius smiled.

“Actually, that is exactly what I was hoping you would say.”

Before Jedediah could even register that earth-shattering statement, there were lips on his, and his stetson was being pushed askew by a shiny silver helmet. He squeaked - something he would later vehemently deny - and shoved half-heartedly against the polished surface of Octavius’ armor. The general pulled back, looking uncertain, and his cheeks went pink.

“I...I apologize,” Octavius stammered, beginning to step back from him completely. “If I have misread this situation entirely, then–”

“Just so we’re clear,” Jed cut him off, eyes wide and wild, his hat having fallen to the floor, “I meant what I said back in the garden.”

“...which part?”

Jedediah grabbed Octavius by the front of his armor, bringing them nose-to-nose.

“If I see that Cyrus feller so much as breathe in yer general direction, I might just give him a lickin’ so hard he’ll be seein’ stars fer weeks.”

Then it was Jedediah who was surprising Octavius, pulling him into a less romantic and more heated kiss than the one Octavius had tried to initiate. Jed had him pinned against the wall before he could react properly, the cowboy’s fingers tugging at the ties of his helmet, willing the leather fastening to release so he could kiss the man properly. Octavius pushed him back long enough to catch his breath and help with the ties. When his helmet had joined Jed’s stetson on the floor, Octavius paused to ask one quick question.

“So...would this be considered ‘sparking’? Or–”

Jedediah snorted then fell into giggles. He buried his face in Octavius’ neck, his shoulders shaking with quiet laughter. When he stood straight again his eyes were sparkling.

“You ridiculous, highfalutin – oh, c’mere.”

When Larry found them not ten minutes later, he wasn’t quite as shocked as Jedediah had expected. He had been more concerned about the car crash and how close it was to sunrise than their change in relationship status – “Whaddaya mean ‘finally’?! Th’ hell are you on about, Laredo?” – and had offered to carry them (and the horse) back to the Hall of Miniatures so they could get back in their proper positions.

“I’ll deal with the car,” Larry told them, jogging down the stairs and walking briskly toward the diorama room. “And I’ll buy a new one. But next time, please be more careful. I don’t want to be cleaning up a tiny crime scene if you spin out of control again.”

“Yeah, I’ll be careful,” Jed promised. “I lost my head tonight. Sorry ‘bout that. It won’t happen again.”

“It had better not. Now, whose horse is this?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next evening, Octavius awoke feeling better than the night before. He had promised Jedediah he would visit him tonight, but he also had a few matters to settle before then. He was in the city square with Marcus, is second in command, going over some of the finer details of the allegiance he wished to propose, when an all-too-familiar voice rang out from behind him.

“Hey Ockie!”

Octavius swiveled around to see Jedediah sauntering through Rome, looking as cocky and boisterous as ever. He murmured a momentary farewell to Marcus and went to meet the cowboy.

“Jedediah!” he greeted him, smiling brightly, if not looking a little confused. “Good evening. To what do I owe this pleasure? You do remember I said I would be visiting later, yes…?”

“O’ course I remember,” Jed said. “But I wanted to see you anyway. Make sure Mister Pretty Boy was keepin’ his distance.”

Octavius stifled a chuckle.

“Jedediah, you have nothing to fear,” he murmured in an undertone. “I told you, I have no interest in Cyrus. Only you.”

“Oh, I know,” Jed ducked his head sheepishly. His cheeks were a tad flushed. “But even then...I figured I’d make sure he knew that too, in case he starts gettin’ any ideas. Figured I’d make it clear as crystal. Y’understand?”

“Clear as…? Mmph!”

Jedediah pulled Octavius into a kiss, right there in the city square, leaving Octavius to cling to him for dear life as the draw of Jedediah’s lips threatened to pull him under. And just as Octavius was beginning to forget that people were watching, Jed pulled back to press their foreheads together, bumping noses and grinning.

“See?” he breathed. “Clear as crystal.”

Then he was gone, sidling out of Rome and sliding expertly down the rope at its border as though he had never been there at all, leaving a flustered and blushing Roman general in his wake.

Oh, Jupiter give him strength...

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

[A/N: As I’m still new to writing in this fandom, I hope that wasn’t out of character! I had a few different ideas when I saw this prompt, but this was the one that called to me the most. Billy and Fabian ended up taking up more of this than I meant for them too as well, but I sort of fell in love with them as I was writing and I couldn’t get them to leave the page and make room for the main characters. Hope you enjoyed it! ~ Pixie ]

#Night at the Museum #NatM #Jedtavius #Night at the Museum Fanfic #NatM Fanfic #NatM Writing Prompt #Night at the Museum Writing Prompt #Jedediah #Octavius

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starringbaguette · 5 years

Text

NATM headcanons (Pt1)

I did say I was gonna do these

- Further into the year, Ahkmenrah is absolutely astounded by homophobia. In Egypt there was no such thing and he only found out about this because one of the exhibits felt hurt by some tourist in the museum. He just doesn’t understand the concept

- Teddy and Sac absolutely love going to the roof. There, Sac will tell all about the constellations she used to help guide Louis and Clark on their trek across America. She may not be the real version, but she had the same memories and stories and Teddy Loves hearing her sound so happy as she talks about their advntures

- (The rest of the museum absolutely calls Sac and Teddy mom and dad)

- Jed and Oct manage to bribe Larry (Nicky) into buying more of those toy cars so they can get around the museum. They also eventually manage to get a small plane they can ride in as well

- They try to stay out of the way of the animals though. Last time they got near, they had to get Ahk to make the animals go away because they wouldn’t Stop Chasing them

- Attila absolutely adores the boy king and nicknamed “gold translator” and the other exhibits can often find Attila and the young Pharaoh having a conversation in Hun

- Teddy is absolutely bewildered when he finds out about this and asks Ahk to teach him some Hun as well

- Because of his vast knowledge of languages, Ahk becomes some sort of a translator for everyone. And because of this, he’s the one they call for when exhibits can’t get along.

- Nicky tried to introduce the Neanderthals to candy

- It was a disaster

- (There’s still a gummy worm melted to the ceiling)

- Dexter’s always casing trouble and never obeys anyone

- except for Sacagawea and Ahkmenrah he will always listen to them and no one else knows why (it’s because of Sac’s disappointed mom stare and Ahk’s disappointed+sad face that makes Dexter feel guilty)

- Although fast, Larry is absolute dung at combat, so the exhibits take it upon themselves to teach him how to protect himself. He learned hand to hand from Attila and weapons with Ahk, as well as some boxing from Teddy. Sac taught him how to dodge, which Larry thinks was one of the most helpful things he’s ever been taught

- Sac Is totally a mama bear and is very protective of the people she loves

- Attila, Jed, and Oct often walk around the museum together. Attila’s hat is comfortable and provides them a nice view of the museum.

- Even after they get the toy plane, Jed and Oct hang out w/Attila on his hat

- Attila Loves picking people up and he’ll do it to just about everyone.

- He especially loves picking up Ahkmenrah and either spins the young Pharaoh around, or sling him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes

-(Ahk loves it)

- The African mammals are allowed to roam around, but no one really trusts them until Ahk casually pets one of the lionesses with 0 fear

- “They are essentially just big cats Larry and besides, they know better than to hurt the one they know gives them life at night.”

- The mammals love Ahk and it becomes common to often find an animal hanging around him

“Hey Ahk- HOLY CRA-”

“Yes Larry she’s a snake, her name’s Kai”

“Okay oka-okay- this is fine”

- After Secret of the Tomb, Ahk felt a little hurt that his new family never asked him if he wanted to go with them back to New York. So when the British Museum came to New York, Ahk requested he stay there. His parents didn’t understand his decision but they understood that it was His decision and they allowed it.

- Lancelot stays as well, he had become Ahkmenrah’s own personal Knight even though Ahk can probably throw him through a wall

“My King! It is my duty as a Knight to protect you!”

“I can throw you to the second story Lance”

“Still!”

- Speaking of

-Ahk is actually really really strong. And no one really knows this until when he comes back from Britain and there’s a small scuffle between three of the Huns and the Romans. Attila and Octavius both try to settle it on their own but end up getting Ahk as the fighting progresses and one of the Huns threatens to step on the Romans.

-Ahk’s not please by this and literally carries the Hun over his shoulder as well as dragging the two others by their ear to another part of the museum

- The entire museum sees this and all unanimously decide to never anger their Pharaoh

“Why do you guys even need a night Guard! You can literally break someone over your knee!”

- Sacagawea finds the staff room and is delighted to see that it’s easier to make tea

- Larry finds this out and manages to sneak in a bunch of tea bags/leaves for Sac and surprisingly Ahkmenrah who loved tea while he was at Cambridge

- Attila and the huns find out about this and enjoy in the tea festivities as well since China had tea waaaaaay before England/Britain

- No one is allowed to let Attila or the Vikings to have coffee EVER

Last time it happened they had to get one of the Vikings off of the Easter Island Head and Attila himself unhooked from one of the Anubis statues’ spears

- No one knows how Ahkmenrah died, and he never tells them. What they do know is that he died very young and was put into the role as king at a very young age as well

- One of the things that Larry learned early on? Never let the Anubis statues out of the Egypt wing

Last time it happened and the animals freaked out

The statues also feared the big cats as cats were vessels for the Egyptian goddess Bast

- He also learned to never let the Mayans out of their exhibit. Last time he tried and they almost sacrificed Jed and Octavius

- Speaking of

Larry also learned that if he ever needed to find Lancelot, he could often be found either hanging with Ahk, or with Jedidiah and Octavius

- Until Ahk eventually did throw him through a wall, Lance was always beside the Pharaoh in the British museum to protect him since he was basically an Egyptian baby

“I’m not helpless Sir Lancelot, I was the Pharaoh of a Warrior civilization”

“Yes you were, but you are such a frail king!”

*Cue Ahkmenrah disarming Lance and throwing him across Egypt and nearly into Asia”

“I- stand corrected”

- Ahkmenrah never told his parents or Lance about his fear of being locked back in his Sarcophagus until he had the misfortune of being accidentally trapped in there when Tilly forgot to unlock it

- His parents and Lance are shocked by the rattling sarcophagus and the terrified child that comes falling out of it when they free him

- When they return to New York, Lancelot actually smacks Teddy and Larry for never freeing Ahk

- He eventually gets dragged off by the boy king who then fixes him with his disappointed/sad face (Lance swears that if Ahkmen stares at everyone like that then there would be no more fights as it guilts everyone)

- Nicky accidentally introduces Jed and Octavius to anime when he forgets to log off the computer in the museum

- Larry and Attila blame him when All the cowboys and romans won’t stop quoting animes for m o n t h s

- Nicky has No Regrets

#natm #natm headcanons #headcanons #there is definitely going to be a part 2 #attila #ahkmenrah #larry daley #sacagawea

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readyourimgaines · 5 years

Text

Well Wishes: Chapter One

Good afternoon readers. I decided to try writing an actual NATM fanfiction that’s more than just odd little one shots- Snafu and I are planning on still taking one shot requests for NATM. By the way, the anon that ask Ahk fluff, Snafu’s on it.

But so, I got the idea for this fanfic because of the Releasing Ahk AU I did a while back. It’s along the same idea: Larry has a sibling that works at the museum with him. Let me know that you think. -Freddie

“He wants to be bond trader,” Larry let the door full shut behind him. Adley jumped and turned toward her brother.

“Call if you’re gonna come over,” she sighed. She wasn’t really mad or annoyed and her brother knew it. She just didn’t like being startled. Adley opened the cupboard and added more noodles to the pot on the stove. “Now who wants to be bond trader?”

“Nicky. Can you believe that?” Larry scoffed. “All because of that penguin suit wearing pain in the ass,” he huffed.

“Larry, Nicky’s nine. He doesn’t know for sure what it is,” Adley kissed her brother’s cheek as she passed him walking to the spice cupboard. “Remember when I was nine and I convinced that I was going to be a doctor, then you had to get me from school when I got sick during a sheep eye dissection in high school? And now I’m looking for a job. Give it some time.”

“I guess you’re r- Wait! What do you mean you’re looking for a job?” Larry asked, tripping over his tongue.

“I uh...I quit. Didn’t give a two weeks’ notice. I just sorta walked out…” Adley leaned against the counter facing Larry as she waited for the noodles to cook. That was when he noticed the bruise on her jawline. It looked like it was starting to fade; he hadn’t seen her in about three days, but that didn’t make him feel any better.

“Alex hit you?” Larry asked, horrified.

“Yeah. He tried to talking to me at work and I walked out. I called my boss earlier and told him I’m done there.” Adley ran a hand through her hair. “I’m thinking about getting my hair cut. What do you think?”

“How short?” Larry asked. Whenever something in her life changed, Adley always got a different hair cut. For the time being, her hair reached the middle of her back and was it’s natural black. She’d cut her hair so was almost as short at his, another time she’d added dyed streaks and highlights; each time she’d let it grow out before changing it again. Different styled bangs, everything but fully dye it.

“Bottom of my shoulder blades. Nothing drastic this time,” Adley laughed.

“Do what you’re feelin’ Ads,” Larry advised. “You know, I know where you call in if you’re looking for a job. The Natural History Museum is looking for new workers. I’ve got an interview there tomorrow. I kept the number if you wanna give a call.”

Larry knew he had her. She loved history and had been considering going back to college for a teaching certificate to teach history classes to high schoolers.

“Excuse me,” Larry spoke.

“Hi,” the woman greeted.

“Hi. We’re Larry and Adley Daley. We’ve got a job interview with Cecil Fredricks,” Larry introduced himself and his sister.

“Right. He should still be in his office.”

“Great. Thank you.” Adley said. She started to go but stopped when the woman

started to speak again.

“I’m Rebecca Hutman. I’m a docent here,” she introduced herself. “Let me point you in the right direction.”

“Great,” Larry smiled.

“Larry, I know the way there, I’m gonna walk around a bit.” Adley waved and started walking. They’d been a few minutes early, so that gave her a little time. She made b-line for the Egyptology display. It had always been her favorite. There was something so interesting that she just loved looking at it whenever she was in the museum.

The giant jackals, the chests behind the sarcophagus, the glass little informational plaques. She knew more than what the plaques read, she’d done her own reading on Ancient Egypt and the Ahkmenrah Expedition.

Adley waited around corner from the guard office for her brother. When he caught up to her, they walked together to the door. “Hi. I’m Larry Daley.”

“Adley Daley,” she added with a small half raise of her hand.

“Are you Mr. Fredricks?” Larry asked.

“Mr. Fredricks was my father. I am Cecil. Good to meet you,” he shook Larry’s hand “Nice firm handshake. I like that. Tells a lot about a man.” He turned to Adley and shook her hand. “You don’t see many female night guards out there,” he noted. “Come on in. Let’s talk turkey here.” The siblings walked into the room and glanced at each other.

“The museum is losing money, hand over fist,” Cecil went on. “I guess kids today don’t care about wax figures or stuffed animals. So they’re downsizing, which is code for firing...myself and the other two night guards. They want to replace us with one new or two new guards. Couple of youngsters.”

“Sorry,” Adley said quickly, shuffling her feet.

“Well, are you gonna do?” Cecil shrugged. “I’d like you to meet my two colleagues here. Reginald? Gus?”

“Where is he? I’ll beat him with my fists!” An angry, short man yelled. Adley was taken aback by the man’s harsh demeanor.

“Gus, this is Larry and Adley Daley, the kids who want to be the new night guards.”

“Night guards?” Larry and Adley asked at the same time. Adley’s voice had more of annoyed edge to to while Larry’s a mixture of shock and confusion.

“No,” Larry went on, “the lady at the agency said this a museum position.”

“Most important position in the museum, Larry,” Cecil dismissed.

“The guy looks like a weirdie,” Gus said.

“Wonderful guard, terrible people skills,” Reginald noted.

“Now listen, lunch box. Don’t try anything funny,” Gus snapped. “I once went nine rounds with John L. Sullivan.”

“You never fought John L. Sullivan in your life,” Reginald shot down.

“Gentlemen, we have job candidates here,” Cecil reached the attention of his friends again. “They both have excellent resumes, winning attitudes…and I say let’s give them a shot. What do you say?”

“Hand on a sec. I think I might wanna have a little time just to think it over,” Larry said.

“I wasn’t told the interview was for a night guard…” Adley muttered. This museum was in New York and it was filled with priceless artifacts. She didn’t know what kind of trouble the job would bring. It was a chance to wonder a museum at night, it didn’t look like she’d have to wait long to start. If three old men could do it, she sure as hell could. “I’m in.”

“Do you want the job or not, snack shack?” Gus scowled at Larry. His sister taking it sealed his fate in his eyes.

“No, no, I want the job-”

“Larry, Adley, welcome to the night guards.” Cecil smiled. “You two meet me up on the second floor. I’ll slip into my orthopedics and give you a little tour. Arthritic knees. Not fun getting old, my friends. Go on,” he shooed the siblings.

The tour of the museum was a little slow paced for Aldey. The museum was one of her favorite places and she often found herself wishing that she could meet the people in the displays so that she could them questions that she knew the tour guides wouldn’t be able to answer.

“And, finally, this is the temple of the Pharaoh Ahkmenrah. And in that tomb right down there, the pharaoh himself.”

“Neat,” Larry mustered.

“And hanging on the wall behind him-”

“The Tablet of Ahkmenrah. Pure gold and it’s priceless. Lar,” Adley took hold of the sleeve over Larry’s upper arm as she started and Larry smiled at her excitement, “it’s rumored to have magic. During the search to find his actual tomb, the loc-”

“You’ve gotten yourself stuck with a historian, Larry,” Cecil cut her off and Adley dropped her hand from Larry’s sleeve.. “All right. Report here at 5:00 tomorrow. We’ll talk you through your duties.”

“5:00. We’ll be here,” Adley nodded.

“Moving on,” Cecil lead the way again. Adley looked over her shoulder as they left, having thought she saw a shimmer that wasn’t just the display lights on the tablet.

“Your keys. Your torch,” Cecil listed off, handing them each a flashlight but giving Larry the keys. “You’ll wanna strap those to your belt. It can get a little spook around here at night...so you might wanna put a few lights on.” Cecil paused. “All right. Flashlight, keys. What am I for-

“The instruction manual.” Reginald advised.

“You start with one, two, three…”

“Four?” Larry guessed.

“Are you cracking wise? I ought to punch you in the nose, hopscotch,” Gus berated. Adley was about to speak, but Reginald spoke before she could even open her mouth.

“Leave him alone, Gus. You got it covered, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it,” Larry confirmed.

“And if he doesn’t, I’ve got for what he’s missing,” Adley spoke up.

“Do them in order, do them all, and do them quick. And the most important thing of all to remember: don’t let anything in or out.”

“What do you mean out?” Adley called as the three older men started walking toward the exit.

“Good luck, kids.”

Adley did her best to ignore her brother being an idiot with the PA. She was walking around the museum again. Nowhere in mind. They were clocked-in, but weren’t supposed to start going through the list of another ten minutes according to the wall on the clock.

Walking through the Hall of Miniatures, she looked around when she heard someone

yawn. It wasn’t a full on yawn, but it more like the sound someone makes when they’re stretching ad they first wake up in the morning.

“Larry?” she called. “Lar, whatever you’re trying to pull, knock it off!”

“Who is Larry?” asked a southern sounding voice. Adley’s eyes grew large as she turned around. “Who are you, Miss?”

“How are you talking?” she all but whispered. “I must be dreaming…”

“No...you ain’t doin’ that,” the little cowboy shook his head. She felt something poke the back of her neck.

“What the hell?” she pulled a toothpick like stick from her neck, a numbing feeling left in an almost unnoticeable diameter.

“Aw! Come now, that’s not how to treat a lady!” the little cowboy yelled across the room to the Mayans. Adley turned, but had the sense to hold her sleeved arm out in front of her as she walked closer to the tiny Mayans. She closed the case, but didn’t lock it as Larry had the keys.

Adley turned back around saw the little cowboy looked sad. “What’s wron- I’m not gonna close you guys up. You’re not shooting things at me,” she said. “I’ve gotta be crazy,” she shook her head and started turning away.

“You ain’t crazy,” he called. “Name’s Jedediah.”

“Adley,” she said slowly. “There’s a lot of noise out there…”

“You’re new here. Huh?”

“First night.”

“And you’re not gonna lock us up?” Jedediah looked unsure.

“Ads. Thank god,” Larry panted as he jogged into the room. “I couldn’t find-” Larry slipped and landed on his back...on the old west display.

“Shit,” Adley hissed. “Everyone okay?” she asked quickly. She helped Larry to straighten, everyone looking confused. The Americans, the Chinese. Everyone.

“You sure are different,” Jed shook his head.

“Prepare the Catapults!” came a deeper voice from behind them. They turned and looked down to see a large- in number- Roman army.

“Octavius, hold on. Ain’t reason to fight ‘em. She ain’t lockin’ our box if we don’t go ‘round attackin’ on ‘er.”

Octavius signaled for the men to stand down. “You’re not?” he and Larry asked together.

“I’m not,” she held her hands up. “I already made peace with the settlement, I’m not gonna go makin’ war with the Romans. If you want to, Larry, you deal with their fireballs.”

“We shan’t be locked up. We may be small, but hearts are large...metaphorically speaking.”

“Hey, uh...Octavius, right?”

“My Lady,” he bowed lowly.

“Right. So, Larry and I won’t lock you guys up if you can behave. That means no fireballs and spear throwing. Jedediah, no guns or rocks. Right?” The two miniatures looked at each other and they both nodded.

“The hunt is afoot,” someone said from the hall.

“Hunt? Larry-”

“I’m on it.” And Larry was gone.

“We have to go. Remember. Behave, and you stay free. Don’t kill each other please. I don’t want to punish anyone else on my first night as the new guard,” she pleaded before running out of the room.

“New guards, new rules!” Jedediah cheered. “Whooh!”

“Ads,” Larry called her over.

“Ads?” the man questioned.

“Short for Adley,” Larry dismissed.

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Adley. I’ve only just met your brother. Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of these United States of America.”

“Excuse me, Mr. President. Could I ask you something?” Larry asked quickly, both siblings taking large steps to keep up with the man.

“Yes, but just one question,” Teddy said shortly.

“All right,” Larry agreed. “Okay, why? Is it just some, like, three-wishes kind of deal, or…?”

“Not at all. Self-reliance is the key to a vigorous life,” Teddy said. “A man must look inward to find his own answers. How can I be of help?” Teddy stopped and faced the siblings. The stopping was unexpected to Adley and she almost crashed into her brother.

“I don’t really know how to put this, and please don’t take it the wrong way...but isn’t everything in this museum supposed to be, you know...dead?” Larry asked carefully.

“Dead?” Teddy repeated.

“Yeah.”

“Follow me,” Teddy instructed, turning on his heel.

The siblings followed him and Adley looked widely around her, looking at everyone and waving back when different exhibits would have to her in greeting.

“Why are we going to the Egyptology-” Adley stopped herself. “The rumors weren’t rumors at all, were they, sir?”

#Night at the Museum #night at the museum fanfiction #Teddy Roosevelt #jed #octivius #larry daley #oc #read your own imagines #snafu and freddie's imagine shoppe #Ahkmenrah

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historical-kitten · 2 years

Text

Hi everyone, finally made my side blog for Night at the Museum stuff. I just finished chapter 1 of my first Jedtavius fic. I put it on a03 but figured I'd post it here, too. Comments would be greatly appreciated.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/37225573/chapters/92876968

Summary: Jedediah had planned on meeting up with Octavius, but gets more than he bargained for with a Mayan invasion of Rome, a scaly surprise guest, and to top it all off, a blow-darted Roman general. What's a cowboy to do?

Warnings: Lots of Innuendo, not graphically described violence, blow-dart inspired flirting, there's a snake...

Somnus is the Roman god of sleep, by the way.

Love Darts In

Part 1: Of Snakes and Sommus

Jedediah Strong Smith finished his glass of beer, slapping the men next to him on their shoulders. "Okay boys, ol' Jedediah's heading out."

The town was settled which meant it was time to meet up with his best friend. Jedediah walked outside and heard a familiar commotion. Those were awfully realistic drills from Octavius…

"FIRE!"

There was a faint whistling in the air next door--arrows. Jedediah was already in motion. That wasn't a drill, that there was an actual fight.

"Boys! Our allies need help! You ready to ride?!"

There were a lot of yeehaws and shouts as the cowboys started to assemble.

Normally, Jed would have stayed with them, leading them into battle, but then he heard screaming and what sounded like loud hissing--what in tarnation was over there?

That's when the true leader of the cowboys, Mayor or no Mayor, was running. "I'm coming Octy!"

Octavius was a wily enemy, more than capable of taking care of himself. Jedediah knew that better than anyone! But when the Roman general was in danger, Jedediah was going to be there, period.

The blonde cowboy stopped for a moment when he reached Rome. The Mayans had attacked again, but it was the large snake also in the diorama that gave him pause. It was a slender serpent with greenish-yellow scales covered in heavy bands of dark green. It lashed its tail, exposing a greyish yellow belly, and knocking down an entire row of battling Roman and Mayan warriors. At least it attacked indiscriminately.

In the middle of it all was Octavius, commanding his men, sword brandished in a dramatic fashion. Jedediah let out a small sigh of relief on seeing him safe.

Jedediah hurried to reach his friend. "Starting the party without me, Octopus?!"

The scaled serpent struck. A Roman soldier dropped to the ground, crying out, and that was bad enough, but Octavius ran toward the serpent with his sword up, yelling out a challenge. The general attacked the beast, giving his men time to drag away the injured soldier.

Jedediah pulled out his lasso as his friend dodged a strike. "Watch out, partner!"

"Jedediah! The reinforcements are appreciated, my friend."

"We gonna two-step this beast? Do a little dancing?" Jedediah asked as they moved in tandem, attacking one at a time so it never fully focused on either of them.

"Yes. Let us perform the...doozy dough, as you say."

"Do-si-doe, Octy."

"That is equally as ridiculous," Octavius said, dodging the tail whipping over his head. "Have you a laqueus ?"

"Lasso," Jedediah said as he held his up. "Yeah."

The duo looked at each other and nodded, having done this before.

Octavius ran straight for the creature to distract it while Jedediah lassoed its snout and jumped aboard.

He locked his ankles together under its jaw as it flailed. "Yeehaw! Can't unseat ol' Jedediah! You ain't no bucking bronco!"

Octavius jumped up behind him. "I thought I might help weigh the head down!"

The nearest Romans and Americans tossed ropes over the squirming snake until it was finally secure enough for the pair to jump off.

"Ha ha! Well done! No one can defeat the combined might of the Roman Empire and the United States of- ow." Octavius looked down. There was a large dart in his arm that he pulled out.

"Legate!" One of the soldiers cried out.

"Press the enemy, demonstrate the wrath of Mars!" Octavius ordered. "Make certain they retreat!"

The Romans saluted and left, the Americans headed off for more fun as well.

"You okay, Ock?" Jedediah asked, taking off his bandana.

The brown haired man had gone pale. "Ah...yesh?"

Jed frowned at the slurring, but hurried to tie his bandana around the wound. "We better get you to a medical tent."

"My arm has losht all shensashion." Octavius jerked his shoulder to demonstrate, but was evidently unable to convince his arm to move.

The Roman general dropped suddenly and Jedediah abruptly found himself with a heavy armful. "Octavius?!"

"Ssalve Jed'diah," the Roman said, looking up into the blushing cowboy's face with a tired and drugged smile. "Looksh like m' legs lost feeling too! I find myself des'rin' Somnus'sh embrace."

Somnus? Jedediah thought. Who the Sam Hill is that?

Could it be someone Octavius was... sparking? Where was he when Octavius was fighting that serpent, then?!

"Octagon," he started out loud.

"I shall curl upon you like a kitt'n in a bashket and doze," Octavius declared, putting his head against Jedediah's chest.

The cowboy felt his face flush even more. It had to be the exertion from the battle--lord, now he sounded like Octavius in his own head.

"Hang on partner, you're kinda heavy with that tin can on," Jedediah said as he adjusted his hold, putting one arm around the Roman's middle and lifting him back into an upright position. Then he put one of the brunette's arms around his neck. "C'mon, Oct. One foot then the other. You remember how to walk."

"I 'member lots of thingsh, Jed'diah," Octavius managed with drugged dignity. "Firs' time I shaw you... thought y' were just a barbarus ."

"Uh huh, and I thought you had a stick up your-"

Octavius kept going. "But a beaut'ful barbarus ."

Now Jedediah was completely red in the face. "Stop jawing, Tavi. You don't know what you're saying."

"Perhapsh. I've been hit by a poishon dart. What's your excushe?"

"Not poison! It's a sedative, that's all. You're gonna be fine, you melodramatic Roman. Which way to a doctor?"

"Carry me t' a couch. I shall r'cline on y' lap and purr." Octavius butted his helmeted head against Jedediah's shoulder, possibly mimicking a cat rubbing against someone?

"Ow. Quit it, toga boy. You ain't a cat," Jedediah said, eyes scanning the battle around them, watching for any enemies, though it seemed the Mayans were losing the fight.

"I love kittiesh. An' spending time with you watching them."

Jedediah sighed. "Look, October, we're in the middle of a battle-"

'And I shall keep y' shafe, this I shwear by Jupiter and...!" Octavius blinked heavily. "Ev'body else."

"He's been darted," Jedediah explained. "He needs a sawbones-"

A Roman came over. "Legate?"

"A what?!" The soldier who Jedediah vaguely recognized--Decimal? Decimate?-- asked, panicked. Apparently being dramatic was a Roman trait. "Is he hurt worse elsewhere?"

"Don't get your toga in a knot, I mean a healer! Whatever y'all call them. And-" The cowboy stopped talking as Octavius' legs went completely out from under him again and he was forced to support all his weight. "Can you help?"

Between them, they got Octavius' armor off and Jed pulled him into his arms. "Lead the way to someplace he can take a siesta. And hey, you!" He yelled at a passing archer, who paused. "Go get a healer, pronto."

Jedediah had no authority in Rome, but the soldiers did as he bid regardless.

"Follow me, General Jedediah," Decibel? said. "I am Tesserarius Arria Decimus Blandus."

"Bless you," Jedediah said as if the man had sneezed, but the Roman didn't get the joke.

"Thank you? May you be blessed in your endeavors as well. You may call me Decimus."

Jed was being listened to, respected, and given an honorary rank? Perks of being close friends with the leader.

Octavius put his head against Jedediah's shoulder. "Y'smell of manliness an' horshe," he murmured.

Really close friends, apparently.

"Seriously, Ockie?" Jedediah hissed back. "Lancelot gets 'hypnotic blue eyes' and I get 'you smell like a horse?!'"

In front of them, Decimus made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh disguised as a cough.

"Y' eyes are twin pools of gorgeous, f'bidden water. Like t'river Shtyx. I could swim in 'em for 'ternity an' never care if I drowned."

"Would you shut your big bazoo, toga boy?" Jed asked in an urgent, quiet tone, glancing at Decimus.

"Not unless y' still m' lips for me," Octavius replied, looking up into the cowboy's blue eyes.

Jedediah frowned. "Got my hands full at the moment." He paused. "Maybe Somnus can help."

"S a line from a poem I wrote. Mosht people like poetry. I shall recite y' classic vershe. 'No faithfulnessh 'n any bond, wash ever such as has been foun' on my part-'"

"Tavi," Jedediah said, trying to remain calm. His heart was doing a weird shuttering thing in his chest. "You're outta your head."

"But 'm I in y'heart?" With that, Octavius finally passed out.

Which was probably better for everyone, all told.

---

Notes:

As far as I could find, some version of the do-si-do would have been around in Jed's time.

Salve=hello

Barbarus=barbarian

Tesserarius=a rank in the Roman army, basically the guy in charge of the night guards and watch words

Bazoo=mouth

Catullus 87 is the poem Octavius briefly quotes. The other one he made himself. ;)

There will be at least another part to the story!

#night at the museum #jedediah x octavius #jedediah and octavius #jedtavius #jedediah smith #gaius octavius #natm octavius #fanfic #octavius #jedediah #steve coogan #owen wilson #humor #h/c #getting drugged by the Mayans #blow darts

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pixie-mage · 4 years

Note

I don't know if i was supposed to send two characters for the same writing prompt but i'll try this since Rexy needs some love. 9 -L !

From this NatM Writing Prompt: [ x ]

(Either way works! We all love our Puppy-saurus Rex! ^^)

Characters: Rexy Adjectives: Lonely

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From near his usual perch in the lobby, the skeleton of a tyrannosaurus rex watched from empty sockets as the museum’s night guard came tearing out of an archway on the right, being quickly pursued by a younger teen.

“You got the keys, right Nick?” the guard asked.

“Of course I did,” the teenager replied, rolling his eyes. “The only person Dexter plays ‘keep away’ with is you, Dad.”

“A simple ‘yes’ would have been fine, Nicky.”

The guard - Larry Daley - came skidding to a stop in front of the circular desk at the lobby’s center, slipping behind it and digging through a bag he had stowed there. He pulled out a single hockey glove and a goalie blocker, shaking his head in irritation as he did so.

“I thought the Mayans were past this,” he muttered. “They were behaving so well this week. And then this–”

Rexy approached Larry and Nick with his tail wagging, his bone already held tight in his teeth. He made a little whining noise in the back of his throat and bent down, looking to all the world like he wanted to play. He dropped the bone at Nick’s feet.

“Not now, Rexy,” Larry said, sounding distracted. He barely spared Rexy half a glance as he tugged on the glove, then tossed the bag to his son Nick.

There was a whirring as a small remote-controlled car sped into view from an archway on the left, through which sat the Hall of Miniatures.

“Get gaited, Laredo!” a small southern voice piped up from inside the car. “We’ve got a hell of a hootenanny goin’ on between the two halves of the hall. Them Mayans ‘re fightin’ like kilkenny cats. We had about twenty men downed by poisoned dart last I checked.”

“Tweny-four, to be exact,” a second voice spoke up, a miniature Roman General. “My men are diligent and our shields may be strong but the Mayans are an unpredictable adversary. Much like the Americans when we first were at war.”

There was a fondness in the last phrase. Not that Rexy noticed or cared, but it was there all the same.

“Now don’t you get sappy on me, ‘Tavius,” the cowboy scolded. “Keep yer head on straight. We’ve gotta get them Mayan boys under control ‘fore all hell breaks loose.”

“It already has, Jedediah,” Octavius said. There was a muffled thump from inside the car, followed by an “Ow!” from the centurion.

“Guys!”

The two miniatures stopped bickering, staring up through the tiny windshield of the car to meet Larry’s disbelieving eyes.

“Seriously?! Mayans. Bigger problem.”

“Of course, my liege.”

“You got it Gigantor.”

“Alright.” Larry nodded. “Nick and I will try and get as many of them back into Guatemala as we can. You two just - get your people to try and push them back.”

“Am I locking them up or are you?” Nick asked, already wearing a hockey glove and a blocker like his father.

“Uh–” Larry thought for a moment. “You. Better you than me, in case Dexter decides to show up for a round two.”

Nick giggled.

The remote-controlled car whirred back into motion, and the familiar noise made Rexy’s head perk up. Oh! He knew this game! He picked up his bone again and brought it over to the tiny car, tail wagging all the while. Play? Chase?

“No can do, Rexasaurus,” Jed shook his head. “We’ve got a group o’ crazy tribesmen to wrangle.”

Rexy whimpered, head tilting to the side.

“Not now, Rexy,” Larry reaffirmed, this time looking Rexy right in the eye sockets. “Later. Okay? We’re kind of busy right now.”

Rexy whined, but the group was clearly focussed on a much more important task. Larry and Nick took off into the Hall of Miniatures with the miniature car speeding after them as quickly as it could go.

The lobby fell silent.

Rexy’s tail drooped against the ground.

The dinosaur whimpered into the empty room, nobody around to hear his lonely plea. He just wanted to play. Lately, things in the museum had been so busy that Larry was always being pulled to every corner of the building...and Nick often spent more time with the huns or Ahkmenrah than he did anywhere else. Plus Jedediah and Octavius were most often seen together rather than apart, and though this used to mean they’d be happy to spend some time driving around the museum dragging a bone while their local Tyrannosaurus chased after them, it had become rather difficult to find them as of late. It had become rather difficult to find anyone to play with as of late.

And as for the rest of the museum...well. Rexy whimpered again and put his rib back where it belonged, circling the spot he stood a few times and settling onto the ground. He tucked in his tail and let out a deep sigh.

Many of the other museum occupants were still too afraid to get close to him.

With that sad little thought, Rexy found himself dozing off into a light sleep in the center of the museum lobby, completely oblivious to the smiling faces that were watching him from a distance.

“He is asleep, I think.”

“So he is. This may be easier than we first thought, my dear.”

Creeping down the stairs on soft feet, Sacagawea motioned for Teddy to stay quiet and stay where he was. She approached the snoozing dinosaur and smiled adoringly once she was close enough to see that he was, indeed, fully asleep. She nodded up toward the balcony above where Teddy stood waiting. The former president was quick to join her in the lobby.

“I will go find the others,” Sacagawea informed him. “Could you seek out Larry and Nick? The Mayans were not part of the plan tonight, but I imagine they will be finished soon.”

“Of course my dear.”

Teddy took her hand, pressed a kiss to her fingers, and swiftly followed the path their night guard had taken a few minutes prior. Sacagawea smiled softly to herself. If given the choice, she would gladly indulge herself in spending more time with her love rather than send him off on a mission...but today was significant. She had a more important task to handle. With one last glance toward the sleeping tyrannosaurus, she vanished back up the stairs and down the hall.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Rexy awoke slowly an hour or so later. His tail quivered as he stretched, huffing a breath out his nose and yawning widely, his massive teeth bared for all to see. He thought, for a moment, he might still be sleeping...because the lobby was terribly dark. It was difficult to see, and as the dino got back to his feet, he was careful not to move too much lest he trip in the dark...or worse, accidentally step on a friend. What was going on? Where was everyone? Why were the lights off? Rexy made a rumbling, questioning noise in the back of his throat, confused and curious.

“Ready?” a quiet, familiar voice whispered from somewhere to Rexy’s left. He turned his head, trying to find its owner. “Okay...3...2...1…”

“SURPRISE!”

Lights flared to life throughout the museum, the sound of switches being flipped completely drowned out by the sea of joyous voices that had filled the air. Rexy took a step back, surprised and startled, trying to understand what he was seeing.

Everyone was here. Everyone. Larry and Nick stood by the front desk, Larry with one hand still lingering near the light switches. A sea of miniatures covered the desk’s surface. The huns were grouped off to one side near the eskimos, the cavemen were all making excited noises somewhere near the back of the crowd, and vikings, statues, civil war soldiers, and more were mixed among the rest of the museum’s inhabitants. A select few animals had been let loose to join them, Dexter among them, and Sacagawea and Teddy were standing side by side near the front of the crowd. Ahkmenrah was leaning back against the desk, and when things began to settle, he murmured something in an undertone to Larry behind him.

Larry nodded. He abandoned the desk and made his way through the crowd, a paper bag in his hand, a beaming grin splitting his face.

“Happy Birthday, Rexy!” he announced, drawing another round of excited cheering from the gathered crowd. Larry’s expression was bright and warm and excited, and when he finally reached Rexy he held up a hand to pet the dinosaur’s nose. Rexy leaned into it, more than a little happy to be on the receiving end of the night guard’s affections after so long of going without it.

Not that a few weeks was that long in the grand scheme of things, but it certainly felt like ages to the puppy-like tyrannosaurus. A rumbling noise started up in the back of his nonexistent throat and he leaned down to nuzzle his skull against Larry’s chest, his tail wagging happily behind him.

“I know we don’t know your real birthday,” Larry went on, scratching along Rexy’s jaw, “but I figured the day you arrived at the museum was as close as we were gonna get. One hundred years ago today. Can you believe that?”

Rexy leaned into the scratches, making happy little noises all the while, and Larry chuckled to himself.

“Ya like that big guy?” he smiled. “Heh. Hang on, I’ve got a present for you.”

Present? Present! Rexy sniffed at the bag in Larry’s hand when the guard held it up, eager to see what was inside. Present. For him? Really?

“Yeah buddy! That’s for you!” Larry said. Rexy nipped at the bag and Larry pulled it out of his reach, chuckling. “Hang on! Hang on, Rexy. Let me get it out first!”

Larry reached into the bag and pulled out what looked like the biggest dog bone in the world. It would be huge for most dogs, but for Rexy? It was perfect. The dinosaur crouched where he stood, in full play mode, his tag wagging wildly behind him. The onlookers grinned and giggled and laughed at his antics. Larry glanced back over his shoulder at them, his eyes sparkling. He returned his focus to the overeager puppy-saur in front of him.

“I know, you’re excited,” he nodded, holding up the bone with some effort. “But here’s the thing. I can give this to you now–”

Rexy made little rumbling noises at the prospect, dancing a little on the spot.

“–or! Hang on, buddy.” Larry stifled another laugh. “Or we can see what everybody else got you. Okay? There’s more presents from everyone, not just this one.”

Rexy looked torn. Play with bone, or get more toys. Bone. More toys. Bone now. Bone later? Toys now...toys later…

It was a very difficult decision.

Until the remote-controlled car came speeding into view.

“Hey! Rexy!”

Jed was practically hanging out the window of the car, waving his hat to get the dinosaur’s attention.

“Hey there big fella!” he called, grinning ear to ear. “Guess what we’ve got!”

The car raced past, driving straight between the dino and the night guard, and it was only then that Rexy’s attention was caught by the colorful toy being dragged by the car. It wasn’t as big as the bone Larry had gotten him, nor was it even a bone at all, but it was eye-catching and made jingling noises as it was dragged along, the colorful ball rolling and bouncing slightly in the wake of the car it was attached to.

Rexy was off and on the chase before Larry knew it, and he - along with the others at the very front of the crowd - had to duck to avoid the swing of the dinosaur’s tail.

Larry grinned.

“Rexy looks exceedingly happy, Larry,” a warm voice appeared at Larry’s side. “I think this party is already a raging success and it has barely begun.”

“He does look happy,” Larry agreed. He turned to smile at Ahkmenrah, who had come to stand beside him and watch the oversized puppy play chase through the lobby and front halls of the museum. “Thanks for the idea.”

“You would have thought of it yourself eventually,” Ahk inclined his head toward the ‘guardian’, smiling all the while. “You are rather creative yourself, and you care greatly for everyone here. It would have crossed your mind at some point I’m sure.”

“Still,” Larry shrugged, pocketing his hands and turning back toward Rexy. “He’s been so down lately. Thanks for the help.”

“You are more than welcome.”

“Dad! Dad! Dad!” Nick came up behind Larry, tugging on his arm. “Can I get Rexy’s new ball out? I think the car needs to recharge soon and–”

“You don’t need to give me a reason.” Larry shook his head with a smile and pointed toward the desk. “It should be back there with the other gifts. Just - try not to let Rexy pop it on the first night. If we can get it to last a week at least I’ll be happy.”

“Sure!”

Then Nick was gone, digging through the gifts with abandon. Somewhere in the distance, a whoop and a holler rang through the air alongside a shout of “ONWARD!” as a tiny car drove whiplashing circles around the giant dinosaur looming overhead.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The night had gone about as well as Larry and Nick had hoped. The ball Nick had sought out earlier was, surprisingly, still in one piece. The exhibits had had a fun time playing some form of “keep away” with Rexy, the ball bouncing and soaring back and forth over the crowd while Rexy tried to snatch it out of the air. Attila and his men had played tug-of-war with the dino at some point, the sturdy rope they had been using now shredded and sitting in a pile on the desk. Nick and Ahk had taken a few turns riding on the dinosaur’s back, much to the enjoyment of all involved. An oversized plush toy sat in Larry’s lap (courtesy of Sacagawea and the civil war soldiers) looking a little chewed on, but mostly still in one piece. He was leaning back against the wall at the back of the lobby, past the stairs, and Rexy was curled up nearby. He was gnawing happily on the bone from the beginning of the evening.

There was about an hour left until dawn, and some of the exhibits had already begun making their way back toward their displays. Teddy and Sacagawea were organizing a small group to help clean up the remnants of the party...and Larry would join them soon too. But first…

Larry reached over, rubbing his knuckles against Rexy’s nose. The dino leaned into the affection, a happy rumble bubbling up from somewhere near his chest.

“Did you have a fun birthday, buddy?” Larry asked. Rexy’s tail thumped loudly against the floor a few times, and Larry smiled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

The guard sighed softly. His smile faded.

“I’m sorry I haven’t been paying attention to you,” he said quietly. “I could just say that it’s because the museum has been more...lively than usual lately, but that’s no excuse to make you sad.” Rexy lifted his head, tilting it in question. “I know you’ve been kind of lonely lately, and I’m sorry. Some of the other exhibits noticed and told me about it. I’m sorry that I didn’t see it myself. Nobody should ever feel forgotten, alright? That’s - ya know. That’s Friendship 101, and I’ve been kind of a bad friend. Haven’t I?”

Rexy whined softly and nuzzled Larry’s head as gently as he could. The night guard smiled weakly and held up a hand to pat the end of the puppy-saur’s nose.

“It’s nice of you to forgive me, but...still.” Larry was quiet for a moment. Then– “I know I can’t always have time to play with you, same with Nick. I have a job to do and he’s my backup when things get hairy. But I’m gonna try to be better. And…”

He looked thoughtful, as if trying to decide if he should say anything or not.

“...and I know we keep other dinosaurs locked away in the B-wing. I’ll talk to McPhee and see if we can’t get you a friend on display out here, so you have someone to play with. Okay?”

Rexy panted happily and his tail whipped back and forth along the floor, thwacking the walls on either side in his exuberance.

“Okay, okay!” Larry laughed. “Calm down, buddy. I said I’d talk to McPhee, but it’s up to him. No promises! But I’ll try. Alright?”

Rexy bumped his nose against Larry’s shoulder, then flopped his head down right up against the night guard’s crossed legs.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

When the sun rose later that early morning, and when the first few guests began to filter in through the museum’s front doors, McPhee swore the sharp-toothed smile the tyrannosaurus wore was wider than it had ever been before. But surely it was a trick of the morning light...right?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

[A/N: This was a lot of fun to write! I haven’t written much in the NatM fandom yet, so this was a really fun practice...and we all know Rexy deserves all the love. Hope you enjoyed it!]

#Night at the Museum #NatM #NatM Writing Prompt #Night at the Museum Writing Prompt #Rexy #Larry Daley #Nick Daley #Ahkmenrah #Octavius #Jedediah #Jedtavius if you squint #Tablet Guardians if you squint #Sacagawea #Teddy Roosevelt #Pixiemage Writes #Writing #This was fun #Pixiemage Answers

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