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"Your people have my permission to go."
Moses grit his teeth, reaching out to touch Rameses on the shoulder to provide a wisp of comfort, only to be ignored. Rameses's voice was full of anguish and pain, like he'd never heard before. It tore him to his core.
He clenched his staff in his hand and was nearly out of the room when he heard the other man speak.
"You're staying."
Moses froze, staring at his brother, bent over his only son, his face a picture of grief. Moses's many years in the desert had hardened his features, but Rameses had remained the picture of youth all these years having never had to toil, having always been treated to the best oils and ointments in Egypt. But now he looked like he'd aged many years in a single night.
"I - I don't understand. My people need me, to lead them out of Egypt."
"That's the thing, isn't it." Rameses had now risen to his full height, walking over to Moses and using his few inches to seemingly tower over him.
"The Hebrews are no more your people than they are mine. You were raised an Egyptian prince. You might think you're one of them now, but you never really were. You can never shed your upbringing."
Moses looked down, knowing it was true. "I haven't been a prince of Egypt for a very long time. I never really was one, and you know it," he said, looking Rameses straight in his warm dark brown eyes, the eyes he was all too familiar with.
"You don't think every day, I waited for your return? I never forgot, not a day passed that I didn't think of you. Then you just waltz in and think you can make demands of me? Like we never never brothers?" Rameses's voice cracked, and he turned away, too choked up to continue.
"I have a duty to my people."
"And I have a duty to our father. My father," Rameses snarled, water building in his eyes. "I cannot be the weak link, and you knew that. But you allowed," he waved his hand, "all this. Whatever, the Hebrews can find their way themselves. Guards!" He yelled to the few remaining guards in the palace, who immediately stood to attention. "Don't let him out of your sight."
"You can't keep me here."
"I am the morning and the evening star. I am Egypt. I command it, and so it shall be."
And Moses knew with a wave of his staff, he could be on his way. He knew he should probably be making a snide comment about how clearly the only one who commanded it was God, but thought better of it. His wife needed him, his people needed him. But it seemed his brother - this broken shell of a man - also needed him in that moment, and he somehow wasn't willing to part just yet.
So he used all his might to send a message from God to the Hebrews and Tzipporah and found himself back in his old room, the room he'd spent his childhood and part of his young adulthood in, back when he was naïve to the suffering going on all around him. But rather than sleep, he found himself letting all his anguish out as he broke down completely, not caring whether the guards outside could hear. He cried and cried until he knew he could cry no more.
Exhausted, he was nearly asleep when he felt strong arms wrap around him from behind, molding him in place. A wet face pressed into his neck, and he immediately recognized it to be Rameses. Many a time had he wrapped his own arms around Rameses after a particularly harsh scolding from Pharaoh Seti and they ended up sleeping entangled together, just the two of them. He found himself gripping the arms and hugging him closer.
"Oh, Rameses," he murmured sleepily. "I'm so sorry."
"My empire. My Egypt. My son, I've lost it all. I don't want to lose anything more. You're the only one I have left." He sighed, gripping Moses tighter than ever.
"That isn't exactly true, your majesty. You still have us, after all," Hotep's voice rang out in the quiet, and both men lurched awake, glaring at none other than Hotep and Huy, who sat in the corner, smirking.
"How long have you two been there?" snapped Rameses.
"Oh, just doing the rounds, you know," Hotep said.
"Just doing the rounds," echoed Huy. "Oh there, it is!" he cried, picking up a loose grape and gobbling it down.
"Get out!" Rameses commanded, and they were gone in a flash of smoke.
Rameses rolled his eyes, letting out a short laugh, the first in a long time.
"Those two are so annoying."
"Tell me about it. Hey, remember when we locked them in the maid's dressing room-" and Moses found himself reminiscing back to simpler times, back when the only thing he has to worry about what coming up with a new way to escape tutoring and get Rameses into trouble (before getting him out of it, of course). The conversation flowed easily, and soon they were laughing and talking like they'd done so many times as boys, only to be told off by their respective nannies.
"You know, after everything. I needed this," Rameses smiled, then found it slipping when he thought of his boy. His beautiful boy, who he loved with all his heart. Who he'd never get to play with and spoil again. Moses found himself turning and gripping his brother's face in his hands, not bearing his crushed look.
"I meant what I said, things can't go back to the way they were. But you will rebuild Egypt. A stronger, better one, not built on the backs of slaves."
"Hmmm, maybe," murmured Rameses, his breath warm on Moses's neck. "But some things I can never replace."
"I know. It'll be my greatest regret." And Moses buried himself in Rameses's warmth, his lips finding his brother's. Rameses deepened the kiss, pulling Moses to him and interlocking their hands.
"Wait, Ramses -"
"No, let me taste you. I've missed this." Moses felt Ramses' hands hovering over his body, delicate, as if he were a rare flower.
Slowly, both men's breathing evened out and they fell asleep, the exhaustion of the last few weeks finally catching up to them.
Moses finally woke up after what felt like days with his head on Rameses chest. The other man was still deeply asleep, his chest rising and falling silently. The worry had finally washed off his face, much of the deep pain from the previous days had finally begun to fade. Without his pharaoh garb, Rameses was softer somehow, less almighty and more human.
Slowly, Rameses came to, his playful smirk lighting up the room.
"You always were the early riser. Father would always complain - 'Son, you're going to have to do something about your sleep habits. As long as you sleep, Egypt will too. It was just one of the many things he scolded me for."
"Ramses," Moses laid his hand on his arm.
"You don't have to live up to him anymore. You know that right?"
"Easy for you to say," Rameses only scoffed. "You never had to live up to his expectations. You got to leave and frolic with the desert people. You never had to deal with the weight of an empire on your shoulders. But now that you're here," he smiled hopefully, gripping one of Moses's hands in his larger one. "Maybe you can help me rebuild and rule Egypt?"
When Moses was silent, Rameses gripped his hand tighter. "Okay, you don't have to answer that yet. But can you promise you won't leave me again? I - I don't think I can bear it."
Moses knew there was work to be done for his people, eventually. He knew he could never go back to living the life of a pampered life in the palace. But he also knew he wouldn't be able to leave Ramses. He loved his brother too much.
And so, with a smile and another kiss, he whispered, "I promise."