Work Text:
Since their return to New York, Octavius hadn’t seen Jedediah for two night straight. It was beginning to worry him where the cowboy could’ve gone to. He had asked Larry, who had no clue, Theodore, who had no clue, Ahk, who also had no clue and even Atilla, who, just as the rest, had no clue where Jedediah could be. When Larry heard the news, he was also beginning to worry.
The sun had just set and everyone came to life. Octavius had to shake his stiff limbs before ordering his men to lower the ladder of the Roman Diorama. His men obeyed, dropping the rope ladder down and Octavius descended immediately. The ladder to the Western Diorama hadn’t been lowered yet, so he yelled to the cowboys to lower it. They also obeyed to his wishes.
‘’Have any of you seen Jedediah recently?’’ Octavius asked the first cowboy he met with.
‘’Dunno pardner, I think he’s been reclining in that tent of his,’’ the cowboy, a young man named Johnny, answered him. Octavius thanked him and went on to looking for the missing cowboy’s tent anyway.
He found it, way in the back of the exhibit. Octavius opened the tent flap to peer inside. He spotted the signature cowboy hat, bandana, vest and boots at the entrance. When he looked further, he saw a figure, curled up in himself, laying on a flat bedroll. Jedediah.
Octavius removed his helmet before entering and laid it down on the ground. The sight nearly broke his heart.
‘’Jedediah?’’ he carefully said as he approached the figure laying on the bedroll. A head slowly looked up and turned to meet with Octavius.
‘’Hey Octy,’’ Jed said back and he rolled over to be facing Octavius.
‘’Is this where you’ve been for the past few days?’’
Jed’s gaze was downcast. He looked.. ashamed? Sad? Octavius couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
‘’You know you can tell me anything, right?’’ Octavius said and carefully laid a hand on Jedediah’s shoulder.
Jedediah leaned into the touch before opening his mouth. ‘’Yes, I was here for the past few days, I suppose.’’
‘’At least you were close, Larry and me were almost afraid you had run outside and got turned to dust,’’ Octavius smiled a little, hoping to lighten the mood. But to his surprise, Jed’s face completely fell and he looked scared. ‘’Oh Jedediah, I’m sorry, it was meant as a mere joke, my deepest apologies.’’
‘’It’s fine, Octy, it’s all handy dandy,’’ Jedediah tried to smile.
‘’Jedediah, I can tell you are not doing well, could you perhaps tell me what is troubling you so much?’’ Octavius placed his other hand on Jed’s other shoulder, for support, letting Jedediah know he was there for him.
Jedediah suddenly laughed. ‘’As I said, it’s all handy dandy, Octy, nothin’ to worry ‘bout!’’
‘’If it was all ‘’handy dandy’’ as you say, why did you hide in your tent for two nights in a row, Jedediah? You had us so worried! I was very worried about you!’’ Octavius said, removing his hands from Jed’s shoulders.
Jedediah was shocked by Octavius’s sudden words. ‘’Really Octy, I’m fine, I just needed some time for myself,’’ he tried. ‘’It’s no big deal,’’
‘’It is a big deal when someone you care deeply about suddenly disappears from the radar for days on end and you have no clue what’s going on with them,’’ Octavius explained, with his back turned to Jedediah and trying to hold back tears.
‘’Why do you care so much for ol’ Jedediah anyway?’’ Jed smirked, not getting the hints of distress coming from Octavius.
Octavius balled his hands into fists, still holding back tears and turning around in an instant. ‘’because I love you, you idiot!’’ he yelled. He was taken back by himself, since when was he so impulsive and hostile towards Jedediah of all people?
Jedediah smiles. He doesn’t take this seriously, Octavius thinks.
‘’I love ya too, you dingus, we’re friends, remember?’’ that was not the answer Octavius was looking for. The tears he had been holding back made their way out and stained his cheeks. Octavius shuffled to the other far end of the tent and let himself fall to the floor, hugging his knees close to his chest.
This made Jedediah realise the mistake he had made. He got to his feet and slowly approached Octavius. ‘’Hey Kemosabe, it’s alright, I didn’t mean it that way, I’m sorry,’’ he tried, but was only met with more sobs from Octavius.
He sat down next to Octavius. ‘’Alright, here’s the deal,’’ he starts after a long beat of silence. ‘’You stop the sobbing and I will reveal why I was out here, yeah?’’
Octavius lifted his head. Tear-stained brown eyes met blue eyes. They stared into each-others eyes for a bit longer before Octavius nodded and wiped the tears away.
‘’Alright, so,’’ Jed began. ‘’That hourglass prison thing really messed with ol’ Jedediah’s head,’’ he confessed. So it was about the hourglass. The one which Octavius had saved him from. ‘’I really thought I was goin’ to die, but then gigantor came along, but I was thrown out of his hands before he could get me out.’’ Jedediah takes a deep breath before continuing. ‘’I was scared, Octy, really, really scared!’’
‘’But you lived,’’ Octavius wobbled, his crying had not fully come to a stop yet.
‘’Thanks to you! Because when I saw you on that squirrel, you were almost like my knight in shining armor!’’
‘’Well, I am wearing armor, so part of that is true,’’
‘’But you are! You saved me from my imminent death! I owe it to you,’’
‘’Don’t be ridiculous, Jedediah, I am not your knight in shining armor, as you said it yourself, I am merely your friend,’’ Octavius sighed and looked away. He suddenly felt a fingers on his chin turn his face back around to face Jedediah.
‘’You want me to prove it do you?’’
‘’Prove what?’’
Jedediah laughs. God, he’s really being an idiot right now. He slowly leans towards Octavius, allowing him some time and space to he could lean away if he didn’t want to. Instead, Octavius did not move, he let it all happen. Their lips touched, it was chaste and soft. Jed’s rough, chapped lips glided over Octavius’s smooth, soft ones. Jedediah kept his thumb and forefinger on Octavius’ chin as Octavius wound his arms around Jedediah’s neck. Jedediah’s stubble tickled Octavius’ face and he started to giggle a little. They slowly broke apart.
‘’Is that enough prove?’’ Jedediah was the first to speak.
‘’Yes, it was,’’ Octavius smiled.
‘’I love you too, Octy,’’ Jedediah said. ‘’I got all these damned butterflies and now I can finally speak about them.’’
‘’I’m glad, Jedediah, because I had the same struggle,’’ Octavius leans his head on Jedediah’s shoulder and they sit in silence for a while.
‘’I have an idea,’’ Jedediah suddenly declares and rises to his feet. He grabs Octavius by his wrists and hauls him to his feet. ‘’Why don’t I show you how much I appreciate you saving me, knight in shining armor? Show you how much I really love you,’’ he smirks, but Octavius seems oblivious. Jedediah lays back on his bedroll.
‘’Jedediah, I don’t seem to understand completely what you me-‘’ his words are cut off when Jedediah suddenly yanks Octavius on top of him and starts kissing him. Gently at first, but more intense later on. ‘’You understand now?’’
‘’Oh yes, I do,’’ Octavius smiles and receives another hungry kiss from Jedediah.
Some time later, both of them emerge from the tent, holding hands. They walk to the edge of the Western Exhibit, where Larry and Ahkmenrah were waiting on the bench.
‘’Hey Jed! How’re you doing, buddy?’’ Larry asked as soon as he spotted the tiny cowboy.
‘’Oh hey gigantor, I’m doing fine, Octy and I are going for a ride now,’’ Jedediah flashed a big smile at the man.
‘’Alright then, have fun,’’ Larry smiled back.
Larry and Ahk watched the two tiny miniatures climb down the ladder and get into the toy car, that was nicely parked underneath the bench. As the car drove off, Larry turned to Ahk.
‘’Do you think they noticed that they were wearing each other’s hats?’’
‘’Let them have their moment, they seem happy,’’ Ahk smiled proudly.