If Atem Lived in my Head

You're a Pharaoh!?!?!

"Stop!" My voice scrapes against my throat. Sweat makes my skin damp, my bangs cling to my forehead.

"Nuni." Atem exclaims hovering beside me. His hand rests on my shoulder. I push his hand away and press my hands to my face.

"Are you alright?" he asks concerned.

"I'm fine." I push my blankets off and slide out of bed.

"Nuni, you've only been asleep for a few hours." He follows me out of the room. I pad through the house, I only stop to grab the blanket from the couch and slip out the back door.

"Nuni, you should sleep more, you have work tomorrow." Atem steps aside as I open the porch door, that is broken too. It lightly scrapes the deck.

"Nuni." Atem sighs my name "please, you're tired." I walk down the steps. Atem right behind me.

"Please, answer me, Nuni."

"I don't want to sleep." I tell him.

"Are you afraid to sleep?" He asks me, I don't know if it's because he lives in my head or he's just really good at reading me, either way it's annoying.

"I'm not afraid of anything." I snap at him as I lay the blanket in the grass and stretch out over it.

"Everyone is afraid of something." Atem sits beside me.

"Not me." I force a tired smile.

"Nuni." Atem tilts his head as he examines me. "you still need more sleep."

"I'm fine." I lie. I am so tired. Funny, I didn't have any nightmares in Egypt.

"Something is wrong with you." He says seriously.

"That's a long list, Atem." I smirk mostly at myself.

"Tell me." Atem says, his voice is so sure and I'm too tired to argue and I don't want to go back to sleep.

"I like to be alone too much." I begin. "I don't get people, I can't relate to them."

"You seem to have very nice friends." He says. I can feel his hand reaching toward me.

"Very few friends." I tell him.

"But they are loyal." He touches my hair, he feels more like a breeze ruffling my hair. "and you are loyal to them and that is more than I can say I have."

"I'll be your friend." I yawn "if you want me to be, that is."

"I would like that very much, Nuni." I hear his breathy laugh but I've allowed my eyes to drift shut.

"and I will be your friend, so that you don't ever have to be alone." Atem's voice is like velvet his touch like air.

"It's funny." I sigh contentedly.

"What is?" Atem says.

"I don't usually like it when people touch me." I stifle another yawn.

"but?" he prompts.

"I don't mind when you do it." I say honestly.

"It's an honor to be such an exception." He jokes.

"now you tell me something funny." I prompt.

"Funny?" he repeats.

"Yes, like what I told you." I let him stroke my hair and I feel the cool night air around us and I don't feel alone. Even if I am crazy and Atem is only in my head or if he's a ghost and there really is something I need to help him stop.

"Funny..." he trails off as he tries to think of something. He chuckles the slightest bit.

"I suppose you are funny to me." he says,

"Me?" I prompt.

"Yes," he continues stroking my hair. "as Pharaoh in Egypt I had every woman and girl's attention, they praised me for nothing-"

"wait a second..." I sit up and look at him.

"What's wrong?" he asks, concern evident in his eyes.

"You were a Pharaoh?" I demand.

He smiles amused. "Yes, did I not mention that?"

"um... no." I narrow my eyes at him. "you failed to tell me that part."

"Nuni." He laughs aloud "what is that look for, I didn't think it was important."

"You're a Pharaoh!" I yell at him,

"Nuni, shush." He covers my mouth with his hands "you'll wake your neighbors." I shove his hands away.

"Don't tell me to shush, who died and made you ki-" I stopped myself at the look on his face.

"oh... shut up!" I snap at him "you really couldn't find five seconds to say 'hey, Nuni, BTWs I'M A PHARAOH!'" I shove him back but he's stronger than he looks. He catches my wrists and pulls me toward him.

"Nuni, I was a Pharaoh." He says gently.

I narrow my eyes at him. "a little late for that now, don't you think?"

"Do you want me to tell you something funny or not?" he asks.

"Yes." I look at him expectantly.

"Relax, Nuni, close your eyes." He guides me back onto the blanket but I keep my eyes on him.

"Nuni." He draws my name out in warning.

"Continue." I tell him. He sighs and rolls his eyes. He rests his hand on my cheek and hovers his face just above mine.

"This is what's funny to me about you." His face is not all that close, but it feels like it.

"Every girl desired me... except for you, you do not turn into an incoherent babbling child when I compliment you, you do not do what I say the second I say it, you do not want me to protect you."

"I don't need to be protected." I can feel my face getting red. Why am I so bad at taking compliments? I grumble to myself.

"I know, but something in me wants to do it anyway." He tells me. My face is on fire, I pray he cannot see the red under the moonlight.

"There." He says leaning back. "I have told you something funny, now get some sleep." He brushes the bangs off my face "I will keep your nightmares at bay."

"Still don't need to be protected." I tell him stubbornly as I let my eyes drift shut.

"I know," he breathes. I let a few moments of silence pass before conceding

"but thank you anyway." I pat his hand.

Sleep comes easier outside, with Atem beside me. I don't feel alone. As the last bit of consciousness begin to slip away I could have sworn I felt the lightest of touch of lips to my head.

"Goodnight, Nuni." Atem's voice sends me off. I don't have any nightmares.