Work Text:
For once, it was Larry who found Ahk at meal time. He crossed paths with the Pharaoh in the second floor hallway overlooking the entrance rotunda.
The young man stood tall, back straight, hands resting lightly on the railing. A fleeting thought ran through Larry’s head: how many times had Ahkmenrah observed his own subjects from a similar position? It struck him how quiet, calm, and with dignified the young man could be.
He shooed the thoughts away, focusing on his task at hand. Larry stepped up to the railing and took in the scene below for himself.
On one side of the rotunda Jed and Oct were competing to see who could perform the most donuts in the RC car. Cowboys and Romans observed from the sidelines and cheered the two on. They cheered equally loudly whenever the car veered wildly off-path and threatened to crush the upturned Dixie cups acting as barrier cones.
On the other side, one of the Middle Eastern costume mannequins was giving some sort of performance for the other cultural heritage mannequins and a few statues. She was alternately speaking, singing, and making what could only be sound effects while gesticulating powerfully.
And, of course, through it all there was the never ending parade of animals.
Without a word, Larry handed a Styrofoam container sideways, waiting until Ahk noticed and took it.
A puzzled look crossed Ahk’s face. “What’s this?”
“I dunno. How about you open it and find out?”
As Ahk flipped the lid open, Larry anticipated his reaction. He wasn't disappointed.
Ahk’s eyes widened, taking over his face. He gingerly plucked one of the fried balls out of the container and bit into it. A giant smile crossed his face. He chewed and swallowed. “Where did you get this?”
“A place over on 78th street. It’s called falafel.”
“That’s not quite what we called it. And it’s not quite the same, but still…” He consumed the rest of the ball and turned his eyes up in thought. “It does bring back a lot of memories. Falafel. How did you know?”
Larry smiled. “Research. How do you think I got so good at this job?” Larry teased. Ahk didn't stop smiling. “Let me have some, scoot.”
Larry crowded next to Ahk and they finished off the container while trying to interpret the story the mannequins were trying to tell.