"Are you done?" Larry asked as he looked around. Damien nodded, still trying to catch his breath now that his laughter had finally stopped. The huns also nodded. Attila's crying over and his anger at Larry faded. The two of them seemed to have reached a understanding. The night guard huffed and strode over to look down on the chaos below. "Guys stop!" He shouted. None of the exhibits listened.
"Guys quiet!" The Easter head bellowed. It bounced around the museum in echoes. The exhibits all stopping in surprise at the volume of the voice. "My dum dum wants to speak".
Larry nodded at it gratefully before turning to address the museum inhabitants. "Listen to me. Now this here is king Ahkmanrah", Larry gestured to Ahkmanrah with one hand. Damien huffed, wanting to correct the title to pharaoh but he let it slide. "It's his tablet that brings you to life every night. And those old night watchmen. They stole it. Now we need to find those guards and get the tablet back and we need to do it before morning. Now my Civil war guys!" The human sized civil war dolls all snapped to attention. "You guys search the planetarium. And you, explorer whose name escapes me".
"Columbus", Nicky hissed.
"Right Columbus. You take the Neanderthals and swept through animals and invertebrates. Jed, Octavius. Their van is parked out back, go take care of it".
Down on the reception desk, tiny forms barely visible, Jed raised his hands. "Oh no, I'm not working with toga boy".
"Romans work alone", Octavius added. Jed smacked him on the leg. "Ow!"
"That didn't hurt. Don't be a baby".
"Yes it did!"
"Ow!" Jed cried out as Octavius kicked him in the butt. "Argh that was much harder!"
"Guys", Larry called. "Come on. Jed, Octavius. Take away the fact that you guys were born two thousand years apart. You guys aren't that different. You're both great leaders who want the best for your people right? Civil war dudes! You guys are brother for gods sake, you've got to stop fighting". The miniatures and civil war dolls all looked at each other nervously.
"North wins!" Damien called out. His British accent strong as his lips quirked up in amusement. "If that's any consolation. Slavery's bad. It's a fact. Get over it". Larry gave him a half hearted glare. Damien shrugged unapologetically. "What? They would have found out sooner or later".
"As I was saying!" Larry continued. "With out that tablet all of this, this coming to life at night thing. It all goes away. Now I don't want to let that happen but I need your help. We've got to get this done but we need to do it together. Now who's with me?" A small cheer. "Who's with me!" Larry shouted again. The cheer was bigger this time. Damien threw his hands up with a yell, the moment too good to pass up.
"Alright! Let's do this people!" The museum filled with more cheers.
Damien turned and grinned at Ahkmanrah's expression. "This is turning out to be more exciting than I anticipated", the pharaoh breathed. He met Damien's gaze and beamed. "Thank you for freeing me".
"A gentleman keeps his promises", Damien replied. Ahkmanrah took his hand and interlocked their fingers. Damien squeezed them together, feeling warmth when Ahkmanrah squeezed back.
——
The civil war soldiers found Gus in a hall at the back of the museum. The small old man was tied up and marched at rifle point back to the main hall, shouting and swearing the whole way. While Reginald was discovered by Columbus and the Neanderthals near the African exhibit. Damien watched as he too was marched back to the main hall and the two old men were tied up. Both of them very grumpy and sour about the whole situation.
"Very good Men!" Larry called, throwing the civil war puppets and Neanderthals two thumbs up as he passed. The puppets and Neanderthals all cheered. Damien wasn't sure how the puppets could look proud with no faces but they managed it very well.
He hurried after Larry and Nicky, Ahkmanrah at his side as the four of them jogged through the museum. "Where's Cecil?" Larry muttered to himself as they all walked quickly. He took the time to pause and peer quickly into each exhibit but the museum inhabitants were doing their jobs and Cecil was no where to be seen. "He must have gone out back". Larry broke into a run and Damien followed.
Ahkmanrah frowned as he ran. His shoulder cloak billowing out behind him as they crossed through the museum. Damien wondered if the crown was really as heavy as it looked. If it was then Ahk had a very strong neck. "It makes me anxious to think of this man with my tablet", the pharaoh sighed. "It is a great treasure".
The doors to the loading dock and storage room at the back of the museum burst open with a bang as Larry pushed through. The massive metal loading doors were open and they stopped in the frame. Damien panted heavily, his breath becoming fog in the night air. It was snowing. The grey alleyway covered in a few inches of pure white snow. Damien felt slightly cold in his thin desert wear. He held out a hand and caught a snowflake on his fingertips. It melted almost instantly but the briefness still brought a smile to his face. The snow reminding him of Christmas's spent in London as a child. He was never a one for cold, as he always shivered easily, but the snow was something he had not seen in years. It was weird to miss it.
"They've vanished!" Nicky exclaimed. The alley was missing the red van which the thieves were planning in escaping in. Damien had been too caught up in the snow to notice. Nicky turned to his dad with wide eyes. "How are we going to find them?"
"I may have an idea", Larry grinned. "You guys wait here!" He pointed a finger at them then ran off back into the museum. Ahk and Nicky both watched him go with confusion. Damien shrugged and held out his hands in effort to catch another snowflake.
"It's cold". Damien turned to see a awed look on Ahkmanrah's face. The man was watching the slowly falling snow with wonder. He shivered in his cloak and kilt, the material even thinner than Damien's clothes. He held out a hand and his green eyes widened even further as he caught a snowflake. He looked up and grinned widely at Damien, face joyful and flushed from the chill. "Is this snow?"
"Yeah", Nicky giggled as he pressed the toe of his trainer into the white substance. "Have you ever seen it before?"
"Only through the windows at Cambridge", Ahkmanrah replied softly. He was distracted by another snowflake. "I have never felt it before".
Damien bent down and scooped up a handful of the substance. It crunched in his bare hands and he took care not to compact it too much as he stood up. He stepped over to Ahkmanrah, snow held out in his hands like a gift. Ahk blinked then cupped his hands together eagerly. Damien dropped the snow into his palms and Ahkmanrah let out a little gasp at the feeling. "Cold!" He yelped. Damien giggled.
"Of course it is. It is frozen water crystals. Not cold enough to be hail but not warm enough to be rain", Damien said. "A lot of northern countries get this type of weather in the winter. Often around Christmas".
"Christmas", Ahkmanrah repeated. Water was dripping from his hands and he dropped the remainder of the snow back onto the floor so he could warm up his fingers. "That is a religious ceremony right?"
"Only if you're Christian", Damien smiled. "Other religions have other celebrations. Such as Yule, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa".
"Wonderful", Ahkmanrah beamed. "The world is so amazing". Damien felt a tug at his chest and instinctively turned back to look out over the snow strewn New York. His cheeks burned and it wasn't just from the cold.
From between them, Nicky giggled.
Unedited
AN: It's a bit Late but I hope you all had a good Christmas 2020, despite the shit year.
YOU ARE READING
Night life || Ahkmenrah
Fanfiction"For what it's worth, I am glad you were the one to find me". "I think I was looking for you before I knew what to look for". Ahkmanrah x Male oc. Night at the museum.
