To Breathe or Not to Breathe (Night at the Museum fanfiction)

Mortal enemies? Something more?

Ditched by my only guy friends.

How pathetic.

I sat on the straight-backed chair near the side of the room, arms folded sardonically. Really, why did they have to abandon me like this? Now I was alone!

Well, maybe not abandon. And plus, I was kind of worried. Ahk had looked a little bit upset with Nathaniel. Hopefully they didn't do anything stupid...

I sighed and tried to placate myself by watching the crowd of people and trying to pick out which ones were the exhibits, which... wasn't very hard. They were dressed in their normal, historical clothes. I guess people thought they were dressed up as the historical figures, when in reality they were the historical figures.

That was a cause of amusement for me.

My eyes focused on the figures of Anubis and Bast pushing their way through the crowd. Anubis saw me, and his eyes lit. He spoke to Bast, who snapped irritably at him, but then followed him towards me.

I could already tell he and Bast had an... interesting relationship.

Anubis stopped in front of me, half-grinning. "Hello, Emily," he greeted, bending down to kiss my hand.

He didn't see Bast hiss angrily at his action. I caught a flinty glare shot in my direction before she looked away haughtily. It was so fleeting that I wasn't sure if I had imagined it or not.

"Hi," I said, smiling.
He stepped back. "Where are Nathaniel and Ahk? Have they both... left you?"

Puzzled, I tilted my head. "Why would they be with me in the first place?"

He began to laugh.

I narrowed my eyes. "What?"

He laughed harder. Beside him, Bast just glared at the wall.

Folding my arms, I shot him a look. "Was it something I said?"

Anubis just shook his head, amusement glittering in his dark eyes. "Never mind. It's nothing."

"Hmm." I glared suspiciously at him.

He straightened, still grinning. "So, they were with you?"

I nodded reluctantly. "And then Ahk found out I was Nathaniel's date, and he asked to speak with him in private, and they both left me. What is up with Ahk?"

Anubis snorted. "What, indeed."

I shot him a stare. "Do you know something I don't?"

Anubis was the picture of innocence. "What? Me? I'm just a..." he shot Bast a sideways glance, "stupid, foolish, inadequate dog, to quote a certain hairball-coughing, nosy cat."

Bast glared daggers at him, speaking for the first time since they'd joined me. "I am not either of those things."

"Then why are you afraid of me?" he asked, leaning closer to her. I felt a twinge of amusement. He was such a flirt, even when talking to his mortal enemy, a cat.

She stepped back even as she protested. "I am not."

"Dogs chase cats, you know," he continued softly, stepping closer. "You're just lucky I've never felt the need to... hunt." His voice had a menacing edge, but underneath it all I saw that he wasn't serious -- I didn't think he would ever truly hurt her. Underneath his soft, dangerous tone there was a different light in his eyes. A light of... longing, maybe? Tenderness, even?