Work Text:
“Please forgive me.”
Larry felt a burst of pain in his back. He gasped loudly and staggered, falling against Ahkmenrah. What was happening? Another blossom of pain clouded his consciousness. Through his blurring vision, Larry could see the gold dagger that Ahkmenrah always carried at his hip covered in blood. Had Ahkmenrah stabbed him?
The cold stone floor met his back as the Egyptian laid him down as gently as he could. Ahkmenrah’s face was a mess of tears and kohl. “Larry, I’m—I’m—“ He dissolved into choked sobs.
Larry could barely find the strength to speak. His vision was fading fast. “Why?” he breathed out in a whisper. He could barely feel Ahkmenrah take his hand.
“Because—because I love you.”
The words pierced Larry to his soul. Memories of awkward flirting that turned into moonlit walks and chaste kisses flitted across his mind’s eye. He couldn’t piece together why Ahkmenrah would do this except . . .
His final thought was out of reach as he drew his last breath.
Larry Daley, formerly of Daley Devices, but forever Guardian of Brooklyn, was dead.
Grim anticipation followed Ahkmenrah through to the following sunset. All of the museum’s inhabitants had been asking where Larry had gone since they knew that he and Ahkmenrah were close. He simply told them that Nicky was causing some trouble and was needed back home. No one questioned this as Nicky was prone to throwing his own parties back at the Daley residence. Even so, the cavity where his heart was supposed to be was filled with anxiety.
After life reentered his body, he rushed off to the Astor Turret on the fourth floor. Construction on the turret was currently on hold due to a contracting issue. Thankfully for Ahkmenrah, this meant that no one was in there during the day. It had been the perfect place to hide Larry until the tablet could work its magic. The difficult part was yet to come, though.
Larry coughed and clutched his arms around his ribs as he woke up.
“What kind of hellish nightmare was that?” he muttered while brushing himself off. He should not have brought alcohol to the party last night. He didn’t think his tolerance was so low that one scotch was going to take him under, yet he must have been mistaken. There was no way he actually was stabbed by Ahkmenrah last night . . . right?
Upon standing up, Larry realized where he was. Why was he in the Astor Turret? No one came up here except for rentals. Plus, it was under construction.
“Oh no.”
His heart filled with dread; Larry reached his hand around to feel his back. The back of his work uniform was coated in dried blood. His blood.
Larry promptly feel to his knees and vomited. His stomach was long emptied of its contents when a figure knelt beside him and offered him a cup of water and a stack of paper towels. He cleaned himself up as best as he could. It took an incredible amount of strength for Larry to meet the other’s eyes.
“Why did you do it, Ahk?” he asked.
Ahkmenrah worried his lip. “I didn’t want to lose you.”
Larry sighed. “We had a plan. We were going to wait until after Nicky graduated college.”
“I know, but you were talking about that job offer you got with the Smithsonian and Nicky thinking of going out of state and wanting to be there with him—“ Ahkmenrah’s voice picked up speed and pitch “—and I couldn’t bear the thought of you leaving again, not after what happened a couple of years ago and I couldn’t wait and I guess I panicked and—“
“Whoa, whoa, one thing at a time. I turned down the job with the Smithsonian. Nicky hasn’t even confided in me where he wants to go. I wasn’t go to leave Ahk. I already made that clear. At least . . . I thought I did.”
Ahkmenrah held out his hand hesitantly. Larry brushed it aside gently and pulled him into a hug instead.
“I’m sorry for putting you through this,” he whispered into Larry’s shoulder. “The others are going to hate me, and I’ve tried so hard to keep their trust.”
Larry pulled back to cup Ahkmenrah’s face with his hands. “Hey, we’re going to figure this out together. That’s what couples do, right?”
“So you don’t hate me?”
Somehow, Larry found it in him to laugh. “I could never hate you, Ahk. This is going to take some time to work out what with Nicky and all and needing to have a job, but I’ve been in worse spots before.” Cautious of Ahkmenrah’s crown, Larry leaned in. “I’m going to regret saying this, but I’d thought about us starting our engagement earlier as well. So you don’t have to be sorry.”
Ahkmenrah touched his forehead to Larry’s. “Are you certain?”
“I am.” He kissed Ahkmenah briefly. “I love you, Ahk.”
“I love you, too, Larry.”
“I suppose now we’ll be together forever.” He poked Ahkmenrah in the ribs. “You can’t get rid of me now.”
Ahkmenrah snuggled into Larry’s side. “Never, my guardian.”
Larry wrapped his arms around him. He needed to call Nicky and explain his situation. He also needed to talk to the other museum inhabitants. And his boss. But all of that could wait. Right then, he was needed there, with Ahkmenrah. Truth be told, Larry needed him too. More than he’d ever admitted to Ahkmenrah or anyone else including himself. He was inexplicably tied to him and the Tablet. Being present at the museum was the only thing keeping him alive before dying. Now it would be his home for the foreseeable future.
So they remained in the shadows of the Astor Turret each collecting their own thoughts. Life went on regardless of hopes or intents. They were sure to make the most of it. It’s not like they had any say in the matter. Larry and Ahkmenrah had all the time in the world seeing as they would be together forever, only in death.