Even If It Means War || Ennead

Slow mornings

Despite being a god of the Duat now, Anubis still didn't feel quite at home. Watching his father torture souls was not exactly his favorite way to pass the time, but here he was.
The usual calm had been disturbed when word had reached the underworld, about Horus' firstborn, his heir Imsety.

To everyone's disbelief, it was said that Seth, the former god of war, was the one who had birthed the boy. No one could quite get behind why or how Horus and Seth ended up conceiving a child after being enemies in a trial for Egypt's throne.

Countless theories were being passed around but Osiris didn't seem to care for any of them,
He was sitting on his throne, a deep angry frown engraved on his face which was only lit up by the fire of a nearby torch.

What was going through his head, Anubis could not tell, but it was something dark. His father only made the souls suffer like they were now when he was angry about something.
He thought back to that night he was intimate with his Uncle. It was only later that he realized how wrong it all had felt.

"Anubis," Osiris called for him, "I will go out into the living world tonight."

"Do you need me to find you a suitable body?"

"No, I already have someone in mind."

—-

Waking up next to Horus was like waking up in the embrace of the warm sunlight. His skin was always warm and soft, perfect to the touch.
But getting used to waking up in his embrace was different. Seth protested at first when Horus stopped sleeping in his own bed and instead joined him every night.
It's been a couple of weeks since the reveal and things have been tough.

Not only because Hathor kept giving Seth dirty looks whenever they stumbled upon each other in the palace right until she left for one of her own temples.
Seth didn't blame her, he did steal her husband after all. But he didn't feel all too sorry either.

Nephthys was barely more than a shadow in the palace but he could feel her eyes on his back anytime he and Horus were outside together. She was always lurking around.

Then there was Isis. She kept avoiding him every chance she got as if she could not bare to see him around. Seeing her precious son with the man who made her live in the streets and the slums must have felt like a betrayal. He did feel a little sorry for her.

But seeing Imsety, whose new name he was still getting used to, happy was all he could ask for and he wouldn't compromise on it.

"You're thinking about something again.." Horus groaned into Seth's head and pulled him closer under the sheets.

"I'm thinking about your mother."

"Don't."

"Then about Nephthys."

"Don't."

Seth chuckled mischievously which only earned him a light bite on his shoulder.

"Are you jealous?" He eyed his nephew with a grin that quickly turned into a lip bite when Horus looked up and their eyes met.
Waking up next to Horus also meant seeing him without his headdress more often.
Seth had fallen in love with those blue eyes, the same ones that their son was now showing off proudly.

"There's nothing to be jealous of, Horus." he assured him, "Nephthys didn't love me...at least not as much I loved her. And besides, you're the one I'm with now."

Horus seemed to think for a moment, "I still don't want you to think about her."

"I won't."

"Good."

Horus' jealousy was different than Osiris', Seth realized. Because while Osiris' reaction to his jealousy was to rape Seth and claim him against his will, Horus simply pouted his jealousy away and became clingy.

And oh did Seth love it now when Horus got clingy. Feeling those big hands on his hips as they pulled him closer, caressed and worshipped him...Seth loved every second of it.
Which ultimately resulted in him provoking Horus more often.

It felt nice to be wanted, but not wanted for his body, wanted for who he truly was. Somehow Horus managed to look past his walls and love the person behind them.
And that's something that nobody managed to do before.

"Because you have me now." Horus kissed him once, twice...and then Seth lost count.
He noticed how Horus straight-up refused to call Seth 'his'.
He much preferred to clarify that it was Seth who owned him. That it was he who was in control, at all times.

And it helped.

"You're still married.."
"Not for long. I'll divorce Hathor as soon as I have Ra's approval and then..."

"Then?"

Horus smiled, "Then I want to marry the father of my child. If he wants me too."

"You'll never get Ra's approval. Hathor is her Favourite." Seth sighed.

"And I'm the beloved king of Egypt."

Seth rolled his eyes, "Right, I forgot." He didn't forget. Losing the trial was a huge humiliation to him.

"Seth..." Horus smiled and kissed him, "You realize that by marrying me you'll be my consort...and my equal, right?"

"I never wanted to be king." He only ever wanted to protect Egypt but he failed at even doing that.

"You used to protect Osiris while he was ruling over Egypt, would you like to do the same for me then? Protect Egypt for me?" Horus tilted his head as they looked at each other.

"I don't have my powers and I'm not a god. Technically, I should be out in the desert right now, suffering." Seth chuckled bitterly.

"All you ever do is suffer. You deserve to be the king more than me."

"What, so if I asked you to abdicate and let me be king you would do it?" Seth raised an eyebrow.

"No. Because you were not a very good king and I still need to fix Egypt. And the Ennead would probably skin me to the bone if I let that happen–" Horus grabbed Seth's hand before it could smack him, "But I still love you very much!"

"I hate it when you use logic on me."

"Because I wouldn't lie to you."

Seth sighed and pushed a strand of hair behind his ear. Sometimes Horus could be so blunt that it made him look stupid.

"Father?"

"Yes?" They answered simultaneously.

Imsety laughed, "Um...I'm hungry."

Seth sat up, "Oh...I'll go tell the servants to bring us some food."
Seth learned to control his hunger, even as a demigod but all Imsety ever knew was hunger. And instead of controlling it, he learned that food wasn't a luxury he could have. Until he became the son of a king, who spent the last few weeks reassuring him that he could ask for anything he needed.

His initial reluctance to ask for even the most basic things had Seth feel like a horrible father and Horus ended up comforting Seth at night while Imsety was sleeping.

Seth slipped out of the room and went looking for the servants. Usually, they were everywhere but not today. Seth was about to turn the corner when suddenly someone stepped in front of him and they bumped into each other.

"Wha–"

"Seth!"

Seth froze and slowly looked up. It felt like the entire ocean washed over him right then and there, paralyzing his entire body as he stared up into the eyes of his brother.