Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/5029297.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      F/M, M/M, Multi
  Fandom:
      Night_at_the_Museum_(Movies)
  Relationship:
      Larry_Daley/Ahkmenrah, Kahmunrah/Lancelot, Jedediah/Octavius_(Night_at
      the_Museum), Theodore_Roosevelt/Sacajawea_(Night_at_the_Museum)
  Character:
      Larry_Daley, Ahkmenrah, Octavius_(Night_at_the_Museum), Jedediah_(Night
      at_the_Museum)
  Additional Tags:
      The_obligatory_internet_au, complete_with_fanfic_writing, Smut, and
      tumblr_ridiculousness
  Stats:
      Published: 2015-10-19 Chapters: 1/4 Words: 13013
****** Compass ******
by disenchantedphoenix
Summary
     Tablet Guardians human AU with side Jedtavius/Kahmunlot.
     Larry discovers a book series he can really get into, even if it
     might be a little juvenile. Through an Ao3 review, he stumbles upon a
     small tumblr community centered around these books. For better or for
     worse, he joins it. Internet friendships ensue. Convention trips
     ensue. And romance ensues, which makes a certain person's parents
     very upset, considering their son is still a few months away from
     turning eighteen. Nobody told Larry. And when he finds out, he
     freaks. Ahk doesn't want to take no for an answer, but Larry forces
     him to, at least for the time being.
     Sometimes our compass breaks,
     and our steady true north fades.
     But we'll be just fine.
Notes
     So this is the first chapter of my NatM Big Bang fic!! Thanks to
     demilarrydaley and nerdybumblebee for being my artist/beta!!!! I
     honestly doubt that I will meet the deadline for completion though,
     because this story turned out to be much longer than originally
     planned for.... oh well, I guess that means more tablet guardians for
     everyone lol.
     Anyway, I do have a an important warning for this one: There is
     underage, as you can probably tell from the summary. Ahk is
     seventeen, and although Larry isn't aware of that fact until later,
     underage is underage, and there is smut. I marked it with a long line
     of asterisks so that it could be skipped over if anyone wants to do
     that.
     Basically this fic is gonna be split into four (really, really long)
     parts. Each part is named after a Sleeping at Last song (bc im a hoe
     for Sleeping At Last now) So part 1 goes with the song North. Idk if
     anyone really cares about that, but I for one find it cool when music
     fits a story :P
     Anyway, that's enough notes! Here ya go!
See the end of the work for more notes
                         Smaller than dust on this map
                       Lies the greatest thing we have:
                     The dirt in which our roots may grow
                        And the right to call it home.
 
In the end, everything was Nick's fault.
Larry's seven year old son just had to love a stupid television show. Had to
watch it every weekend. As soon as Erica dropped him off, he immediately dashed
to the couch and turned on the TV, completely engrossed in the world of Time
Warp Trio.
When you only see your son two days a week, every second is precious. Larry
didn't argue, only attempted to use the show as a means to bond with Nick. And
it worked, because Nick simply loved to gush about the characters. They were
like his friends, and Larry found it all very endearing.
That is, until he began wondering more about the premise of the show, even
going so far as to watch old episodes online. Purely as a way to understand
Nick a little better. Or at least, that's what he tried to tell himself. But
the truth was, out of nowhere, Larry was beginning to adore Time Warp Trio. The
idea of a book transporting people to a random time and place in history
whenever it chose had so much potential, and Larry began wishing for much more
than an educational cartoon. The history nerd in him was practically vibrating
with excitement.
In time, this interest led him to the internet. With a few searches, Larry was
able to find a book series inspired by the show, following the exact same
premise, except for the fact that each episode was an entire novel. And they
were targeted towards young adults, offering a slightly more mature storyline.
He had never been more embarrassed picking something up at the library, but
that was beside the point.
They were exactly what Larry hoped for. The author had taken the young
characters, turned them into adults, and used the idea of modern men stuck at a
random point in time to explore the inner workings of history, sexuality,
royalty, government, and everything in between. It was a moderately sized
series, but he devoured them in only a few weeks.
His favorite, by far, had been the ancient Egyptian one. While not only giving
a wonderful glimpse into the lives of pharaohs and slaves alike, there had been
a ridiculous amount of subtext between the pharaoh and one of the main
characters. It never developed into anything however, which Larry found
disappointing as well as strange, because this author had never shied away from
writing same-sex relationships.
The one pairing that would have made so much sense, that would have been
literally perfect in every way, was thrown out the door as the men returned to
their own time with an almost impossible stroke of luck. Really, they should
have been stuck in ancient Egypt forever. Then maybe Sam and his pharaoh could
have had something going on. Larry began obsessing over the idea.
Which is how he found himself in his shadowy living room, sitting in front of a
bright computer screen at 2 a.m, trying to decide whether or not to publish his
first fanfic.
Arrow hovering precariously over the post button, he sighed. He was a good
writer, he knew it, but Larry had never shared his work online, not when he
knew that every word he wrote was subject to criticism and ridicule.
Not to mention that no fandom existed for some stupid book series based off of
a kid's show.
Larry was weirding himself out just by being a fan of them. He had ships, for
God's sake. Now that he was twenty-seven, had a strong career, a son, and was
slowly but surely working towards both teaching and history degrees, he had
hoped to have left behind all those nights spent in front of a computer. He
wasn't a teenager anymore, and the divorce was long behind him. And yet, here
he was.
With a shake of his head, he pressed the post button. Most likely, no one would
even read it; his story was just another one of the millions out there, and it
wasn't even for a popular fandom. He could take it down in a couple weeks,
shove it into the depths of his writing folders, and forget he had ever stooped
this low.
Whatever. It was late, and Larry was going to bed. He'd deal with the aftermath
in the morning.
                                      ***
True to Larry's predictions, his fic, entitled Banks of the Nile, was ignored
for close to a week, save for a few Kudos. Nevertheless, when he opened up
email notifications from Ao3, he was absurdly proud. Even if it the topic was
outlandish, his writing must be at least halfway decent.
Then, on another melancholy night filled with Chinese takeout and trash TV, he
opened his email to see a comment notification.
Where before his head had been lolling back against the couch, eyes drooping
and thoughts of calling it a night beginning to surface in his mind, now he
surged awake. The carton of rice in his lap came dangerously close to tumbling
to floor.
This was it. This would be the first of many people to berate him for writing
something so utterly stupid. Over the course of the last few days, Larry had at
times hoped the fic would miraculously delete itself. That would save him the
trouble of obsessing over the sad number of hits and subscriptions. In
retrospect, maybe that number had been a good thing. No one was around to poke
fun at him.
With a certain amount of trepidation, Larry opened the email.
 
AhkmenRAWR left the following comment on Banks of the Nile:
OMGOMGOMG JESUS FUCKING CHRIST ON A BIKE I'M SCREAMING RN THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.
Okay I'll try to calm down a little lol. This is a wonderful story with amazing
writing and I am quite literally dying at the moment. Sam forced to be a
servant of the pharaoh? I think I know exactly where this is going ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Please please please continue with this. I'll die if you don't!
 
Well, that was.... unexpected. Shocking, actually. Not being one to share his
writing, this was the first time Larry had ever received a compliment on his
work.
There were not tears in his eyes, he told himself resolutely.
He quickly typed back a response.
 
Wow, thanks a lot! I pretty much assumed there weren't any fans of these books.
It's cool to see that someone else likes them.
 
With the reply sent, Larry sat back, trying to comprehend this sudden turn of
events. But before he could get much thinking done, a new notification was
popping up. It came less than five minutes after the first.
 
AhkmenRAWR replied to your comment on Banks of the Nile:
Oh my god dude no, there's actually a little community of us on Tumblr. You can
check under the TWT tag for content and junk. Come and join us!
 
Larry practically shuddered. Too much of his time as a young man had been spent
scrolling through a blue dashboard. Not that he hadn't enjoyed it, but that was
beside the point. Between his job and online classes, he didn't have time for
the distraction. Besides, he was an adult now; he shouldn't be wasting his time
on social media when he could be, like, paying taxes and shit. Yeah.
Yet he was going to do it anyway. The thought of people to share his interests
with was just too strong.
For the first time in more than five years, he logged into his old account,
going directly to the TWT tag. Greeted with an array of fics, art, headcannons,
and just plain friendly discussions, Larry knew he was already in way too deep.
An hour after entering the tag, he x'ed out. Typing his old url,
historytwistlarry, into the address bar, (and yeah, okay, maybe he didn't have
the best taste in usernames, but he wasn't clever enough to change it now) he
set about giving his old blog a makeover.
                                      ***
Throughout his entire his work day, Larry's mind would stray to other things,
wondering just who was a part of this so-called TWT community. Would these
people accept him? Nothing was certain, but as usual, Larry feared rejection.
Too many times, people who he’d thought were his friends turned out to be
pretending in the hopes of personal gain. And when they realized that Larry had
nothing to offer, they left without warning. Trusting had never been easy, but
it had more to do with self-perception than anything else. Larry just didn't
like himself.
He was getting better, though. Two years after the divorce, two years of
wandering the city in search of a job, a friend, a place to belong after the
one person who promised to love him no matter what decided to say goodbye, and
now his life was finally back on track. But it felt so precarious, as if
everything he'd accomplished hung by a thread, and the threat of a sharp pair
of scissors hung just over the horizon. Finally, Larry was feeling good, and he
didn't want to screw that up.
Once home, after a procrastination period filled with food and homework and
television, Larry sat himself down in front of the computer and waited,
nervous, for the familiar blue screen to load. He was surprised to already see
a message notification.
 
Ahkmenrawr said:
Hey! You joined!! Welcome to the trash pit man.
 
Hmm.
Quickly, he typed back a response, asking this mysterious person just how they
managed to find his tumblr.
 
Ahkmenrawr said:
You reblogged the entire TWT tag bro. Wasn't hard to figure out. Nice URL btw.
 
In the darkness of his living room, Larry blushed. He’d known that he was being
a little over enthusiastic, but now he was even more embarrassed. Had it really
been that conspicuous? For a few moments, Larry fretted over his actions,
unsure of what to type back. While he was doing this, though, Ahkmenrawr must
have noticed his silence. They sent another message, this time on fanmail.
 
Yo we're all on Tinychat if you wanna join
 
There was a link at the bottom.
Should he? Larry debated with himself. On one hand, he had nothing better to
do. It wasn't as if he had friends to hang out with. Maybe he'd make some, even
if it was only online. On the other hand, he might embarrass himself. Probably
would embarrass himself. And they might hate him. But now this Ahkmenrawr
person was expecting him to join, and he couldn't exactly ignore the invite.
With a sharp exhale, Larry clicked the link.
Tinychat was new to him, but it seemed simple enough. Beside the chat window, a
small list of names appeared, showing all people entered in the room. At the
top was AhkmenRAWR, followed by Smithandwesson,  and then Octodaddy.
 
Smithandwesson: Hey, who's the newcomer?
AhkmenRAWR: This is the person I was telling you about! The one who wrote the
fic.
Smithandwesson: In that case, how's it goin? Really like ur writin
 
There was a pause. Larry had no idea what to say. Instead, he stared at the
screen while seconds turned into minutes, and his own incompetence was
stifling. Fingers hovered over the keyboard, but try as he might, he could give
them no direction.
 
Smithandwesson: So.... historytwistlarry. Nice name.
Historytwistlarry: Yeah
 
Another pause. What the hell was he supposed to say?
 
Historytwistlarry: I have bad taste in usernames.
Smithandwesson: We all do
AhkmenRAWR: Obviously
Octodaddy: I agree.
 
Larry laughed a little; they definitely weren’t wrong.
 
Octodaddy: Hello, by the way. Have you ever done the fandom thing before?
Historytwistlarry: Yeah, some. Only with larger ones though.
Octodaddy: Small can be fun too. Trust me.
 
It seemed as though the others were trying their best to make him feel at ease.
Larry steadied himself; took a deep breath. Maybe he could handle this.
A glance to the right told him that more people had entered the chat. Now they
were joined by Whosyourpresident, Shoshonegirl, and FrenchToast.
 
AhkmenRAWR: The gangs all here lol.
Whosyourpresident: Hello boys!
Shoshonegirl: How is everyone doing?
Smithandwesson: Just fine ma'am. Thanks for askin
Octodaddy: I’m doing well :)
Whosyourpresident: Oh, someone new! Hello there, historytwistlarry.
Historytwistlarry: Hi. You can just call me Larry if you want.
Whosyourpresident: So tell us about yourself. What brought you here?
 
Larry grimaced, running a hand through his hair. Should he explain about Nick?
No, that would be weird. They didn’t need to hear about his son.
In all honesty, he felt like pulling his hair out. Internet conversation had
always come a little easier than face to face, but still, he had his issues.
Not to mention the fact that they'd met literally seconds ago, and now Larry
was being asked for information he didn't necessarily want to give. For all he
knew, these people could be internet weirdos wanting to harvest his flesh or
something. Stranger things had happened.
 
Shoshonegirl: Dear, don't you think that's a little forward? Maybe we should
introduce ourselves first?
Whosyourpresident: Quite right. My apologies.
Smithandwesson: I'll go ahead and do intros then. You can call me Smith or
somethin. I don’t really care. Anyway, I live on a ranch out west, takin care
of horses and such. Ya get the idea.
Historytwistlarry: Wow, that's actually pretty cool
Smithandwesson: Well don't sound so surprised. As for the others,
Whosyourpresident and Shoshonegirl are married. Got a pretty cute son too, if I
might add.
Shoshonegirl: Thank you, dear. That's sweet.
 
Feeling a little intimidated, Larry began trying to formulate his own answer.
These people were certainly friendly, no question there, but they seemed to
know each other very well. Awkward as he as, Larry didn't think he could ever
be a part of their group. But it was about time he started developing social
skills, so, resolutely, he trudged on.
 
Smithandwesson: FrenchToast is french, obviously. He probably wants to speak
for himself.
FrenchToast: Hello, welcome to the group. Forgive me for not being very active;
I'm working.
Smithandwesson: And that right there is why I never went to college. Too much
work.
Octodaddy: You never went to college because you're an idiot.
Smithandwesson: Aaaand this is Octodaddy. He's a royal asshole.
Octodaddy: I happen to be very nice, thank you. I just can't stand your
arrogant ass. Anyway, greetings from Rome. It's really fucking hot here. Send
help.
Smithandwesson: It is not that hot over there. Stop whining.
Octodaddy: It is right now!
Smithandwesson: No it's not.
Octodaddy: How would you know?!
 
With a raised eyebrow, Larry watched as the conversation quickly escalated. The
ping of a new message came faster and faster with each new retort, although the
quality of their insults seem to decrease with every second that passed. It was
all rather ridiculous.  
For such a small, close group, they seemed like very different people.
Interesting as well. Larry had no idea what he had to bring to the table. Was
he funny? Not really. Attractive? Yeah, right. Intelligent? Eh. He didn’t have
much to offer.
Abruptly, a message popped up in the private chat window, denying him the
chance to dive further into self-resentment.
 
AhkmenRAWR: Those two don't get along very well lol
Historytwistlarry: Yeah, I can see that.
AhkmenRAWR: It's best to just let them get it out.
 
He risked a glance back at the group chat. Messages were still coming
rapidfire.
 
Shoshonegirl: BOYS! You are embarrassing yourselves! Stop it!
Octodaddy: Jupiter, you're right. Besides, I can't reason with him.
Smithandwesson: Fine, but only cause Wea asked.
Shoshonegirl: Good. Now Larry, share with us a little. That is, if you don't
mind.
 
Shit. He still had no idea what to say. A divorced father who spent his days
with wax museum exhibits and read children's books for fun wasn't exactly the
epitome of cool and interesting. More like the epitome of creepy, actually.
Best not lead with that.
After a moment, he began typing.
 
Historytwistlarry: Uh, well, there's not much to say. I've always been really
into history and stuff, and then I found these books, and.... yeah. I really
like them.
 
He cringed. Why? Why was he like this? Why couldn’t he ever talk like a normal
human being?
 
Octodaddy: Are you a teacher, or something like that?
Historytwistlarry: Studying to be a history professor, yeah. Right now I'm a
docent at the Museum of Natural History.
 
The effect of those words was instantaneous. Once again, the chat exploded.
 
AhkmenRAWR: SERIOUSLY?!? I wanna go there so bad
Smithandwesson: Wow, we got us a smartypants on our hands. That's real cool
Octodaddy: Interesting! I adore museums.
 
The rest of the chat was spent discussing a little bit of everything, and Larry
slowly relaxed. The others were asking him about the museum, the exhibits, and
about any facts he could repeat from his endless string of classes. History was
his specialty; he was in his element. With this subject, he was able to keep
the conversation going, and the others seemed to love the little bits of
historical knowledge he could bring to the discussion. While most of the others
had knowledge in a specific area of history, (for instance, Smithandwesson knew
a lot about the American west, while Whosyourpresident seemed to be an expert
in military strategy) Larry knew a little of everything, and could fill the
gaps in their knowledge. It left him feeling inexplicably good.
One by one, the others logged off, called away by various responsibilities or
time zone differences, until the chat was empty except for himself and
AhkmenRAWR. The conversation didn't decline; in fact, it became even more
vibrant. Not only did the two of them share the same interests in books, but
they liked the same movies, music, and television shows, too. It wasn't until
he had spent a good two hours completely glued to the screen that Larry looked
up and realized that it was well past two A.M.
 
AhkmenRAWR: And did your hear their newest album? Holy fucking shit man. Fucked
me up
Historytwistlarry: Shit, sorry. Gotta go to bed. Work in the morning and stuff.
AhkmenRAWR: Okay. Will you be back tomorrow?
Historytwistlarry: Probably. Not sure when though.
AhkmenRAWR: Yay! I'll keep an eye out :)
Historytwistlarry: bye
 
Feeling almost giddy, Larry logged off. Maybe posting that fic had been a good
idea after all. Maybe, just this once, he could let something good happen.
                                      ***
His prediction served true. Larry quickly fell back into his old routine of
waking up, checking tumblr, going to school (or in this case, work) and
checking up on things again as soon as he arrived home. There was never more
than a few new posts in the tag a day, though really, TWT still gave him
something to do. At this point in his life, there was no one he could really
call a friend, not since Erica. Sometimes, it felt as though everything was
stagnating, even in the midst of college and a career. This new obsession gave
him an escape.
Scrolling through the tag, he rolled his eyes at the newest answered asks. It
seemed as though Smithandwesson was still looking for a fight.
 
Smithandwesson asked:
I hope u know that ur art is fuckin shitty like do u even see it???? A fuckin
five year old could draw better.
 
Octodaddy had answered back in defense of his work, not to mention calling the
other man's writing “a disgrace to society, and nothing short of a
laughingstock.”
This happened at least twice a day. It didn't matter how many times
Shoshonegirl chastised them, or how hard the others tried to make them act
civil. Nothing worked. Sometimes, it was like playing referee to a boxing
match. That was over the internet. Where the opponents could do nothing but
scream like little children.Not much fun, in other words.
Ahkmenrawr, on the other hand, was always pleasant. Out of the entire group, he
was quickly becoming Larry's favorite, and the two of them talked almost daily.
The other man always had some new story to tell, whether is was an AU idea or
something that had peaked his interest in TV or music. The stream of ideas
never seemed to stop, and considering Larry frequently got bored with the
monotony of everyday life, that could be a blessed relief.
Deciding to check in on his friends, Larry clicked their urls one by one.
Octodaddy had reblogged some interesting poetry, Shoshonegirl had shared some
beautiful nature photos, and FrenchToast had commented about how much he hated
midterms. Typical stuff. However, Ahkmenrawr's latest post made him pause.
 
Kahmemes asked:
You're so god damned stupid why does anyone even bother to suffer your
existence?
 
The answer was a simple “rude”, but Larry felt an uncharacteristic flair of
anger. How dare they? No one deserved to to be treated that way, much less
Ahkmenrawr, who was always so sweet and kind to everyone.
Clicking on the offending blog, Larry was immediately greeted with a horrendous
green and gold theme. The content seemed to consist entirely of black and white
photography, which revolved around depressing themes. And there was the
occasional meme, though still devoid of color.
A strange combination, to say the least.
He debated sending an ask demanding to know just what this asshole thought they
were doing, but decided against it. He didn't want to start things, not yet.
Instead, he sent a message to Ahkmenrawr.
 
Hey, what was up with that Kahmemes person? Do they do that a lot? That was
really rude what the hell.
 
Sitting in front of the computer, Larry worried at his lower lip. He should be
working; there was a textbook open on his lap that needed studying. But he
couldn't seem to concentrate, not until Ahkmenrawr replied. Soon, however, his
worries were relieved.
 
Lol yeah that happens a lot but its just my brother. He's only sort of serious.
Cause he's an asshole. Anyway get on Tinychat im bored af.
 
Larry smiled, glad that Ahkmenrawr wasn’t upset. That seemed like a harsh thing
to send, even between siblings. Nevertheless, if the other man didn’t care,
neither would he.
Tapping his fingers against the desk nervously, he debated only a moment before
setting his book to the side, only temporarily of course, and logging into
their chat room.
 
Historytwistlarry: I'm gonna fight your brother.
AhkmenRAWR: He's a black belt so I mean
Historytwistlarry: I'm gonna yell at your brother from a distance.
AhkmenRAWR: Thank. But I have a black belt as well so I can take him. Believe
me.
Historytwistlarry: Whoa that's cool. Anyway though, who puts the word meme in
their url? What the fuck is a Kah? Actually, while we're on the subject, what
the fuck is an Ahkmen?
AhkmenRAWR: My name, thanks. Ahkmenrah.
 
Larry rubbed his forehead. The ability to delete sent messages would be pretty
stellar right about now. “Why do you always have to make an ass of yourself?”
he asked the empty room. “Just once, say the right things.”
But wow, that was an interesting name. He tried it out, speaking it aloud. It
seemed to roll off the tongue, the perfect little mixture of three syllables.
The strange, kingly name made it's owner seem exotic in a way Larry knew was
wrong, but was still fascinating nonetheless.
 
Historytwistlarry: Fuck, sorry. Didn't mean to sound rude about it.
AhkmenRAWR: Nah it's fine. Weird name, I get it.
 
It was a weird name, but Larry had heard ones like it before. History books
were full of them, possibly even a duplicate if he bothered to look hard
enough, which he might. He leaned closer to the screen.
 
Historytwistlarry: It's Egyptian, right?
AhkmenRAWR: Correct. I'm impressed. You into Egyptian history?
Historytwistlarry: Wow, how could you have guessed?
AhkmenRAWR: lol :P
Historytwistlarry: So do you live in Egypt?
AhkmenRAWR: pfft no I live around Westchester in NY.
 
Larry sat back, blinking a few times. Seriously? There was no way.
 
Historytwistlarry: Dude, that's like an hour from me.
AhkmenRAWR: Whoa man. Maybe I'll come visit some time ;)
 
Somehow, Larry had a feeling he wouldn't mind that.
                                      ***
Time passed quickly, and Larry flew through his writing. He was surprised to
find that, even after so long, building stories still came easily. It was as if
his mind were a balloon that someone had poked a hole into, and now the words
flowed relentlessly out. Between work and classes, it could be hard to find the
time to put pen to paper (or in this case, fingers to keyboard), but Larry
managed to do it. With each new chapter, his friends were quick to praise, and
they always thanked him for writing. Currently, he and Smithandwesson, whom he
now knew to be named Jedediah, were the only writers in the fandom, and Jed was
too busy to write anything more than the occasional one-shot. But thanks to his
friends egging him on, Larry had succeeded in hitting the halfway point in just
over a month. What's more, smut had happened. Though Larry had to push through
the furious blush on his face while writing it, he somehow managed to press the
post button. He was fairly certain Teddy and Wea had skipped that section, and
he didn't fault them in the least. Jed and Octavius, however, had read it. And
Ahk had definitely read it. The other man couldn't seem to stop talking about
the sex scenes, digging into the most minute details and making his own
additions until Larry was sufficiently flustered in more ways than one. And the
others loved getting Larry worked up as well. It wasn't hard, after all.
Biting his lip, Larry clicked on his own blog for what must have been the fifth
time. He was nervous, though he really had no reason for it. Earlier that day,
Nick had convinced him to post a few pictures of the two of them, one in which
Larry was wearing a pair of plastic Harry Potter glasses, under the boy's
assertions that they made him look exactly like the character Sam. Nick knew
all about Larry's internet friends and wanted to meet them more than anything,
but Larry was holding off on that front. He trusted Ahk and Teddy and everyone
else immensely, but it still took convincing for Larry to post the photos. And
now he was obsessively checking the notes. Octavius, Wea, and most of the
others had seen it and left pleasant comments about both him and his son, but
it seemed as though Ahk had yet to notice it. Larry couldn't stop refreshing,
exceedingly curious as to what the other man would say. His heart fluttered as
he realized the note count had risen.
 
Kahmemes reblogged this and added: You look absolutely ridiculous. What the
hell is on your face? Good to know my brother's friends are uglier than him, I
suppose.
 
Heart dropping to rest somewhere around his stomach, Larry stared at the
screen. This had been a bad idea. Obviously he looked ridiculous; that was the
point, but.... maybe it wasn't as funny as he'd thought. A glance back to the
other photos, now with a more scrutinizing eye, and he found a thousand more
flaws than before. He looked just as bad without the glasses, and now that fact
was painfully obvious. Why had he bothered? Best to just delete the photos now,
before anyone else saw.
Before deleting, though, something made him refresh one last time. His hand
hovered over the delete button, wondering whether he should ignore the newest
addition. The note count had risen again. Apprehensively, he scrolled down to
read.
 
Ahkmenrawr reblogged this and added: Shut the fuck up Kah, you wish you could
look this good. Who do you think you are, telling the most handsome man in
existence he’s anything less than perfect?
 
Larry's mouth flew open, a fluttery sensation filling his stomach. He could
barely believe what he was looking at; had Ahk really defended him so ardently?
Struggling to swallow, he read the words again. And a third time. Try as he
might, he couldn't seem to fully comprehend them.
Surely, Ahk had only said that to make him feel better, or maybe just to piss
off his brother. And anyway, isn’t that what you were supposed to do for
friends? Defend them? Ahk was just trying to be nice. Still, Larry made sure to
thank him profusely.
A few minutes later, the reply came, and Larry assumed to see the mandatory
“you're welcome” message, and then they'd be stuck in an awkward conversation
loop revolving around a situation that he’d already rather forget. Instead,
what he found was quite different.
 
Ahkmenrawr asked: Well it’s true. So what's up you meme loving fuck? Get on
chat.
 
Larry couldn't help the grin spreading across his face. Quick and simple; no
formalities. He should have expected that from Ahk. Logging onto Tinychat, he
saw that the conversation was already underway.
 
Smithandwesson: Anyone else get jealous of larger fandoms?
AhkmenRAWR: What do you mean?
Smithandwesson: How come we can't show up to conventions, huh? I just wanna
cosplay a wild west character, damn it!
Octodaddy: You cosplay a cowboy every day of your shitty life.
Smithandwesson: -narrows eyes-
Octodaddy: :)
Historytwistlarry: You know, there's nothing stopping you from doing it.
Smithandwesson: What, show up to a convention in TWT cosplay? I'd be the only
one there, wheelhorse. Ya know how stupid I would look?
Historytwistlarry: Not if we went as a group.
 
There was silence in the chat, and for a moment Larry was afraid that he’d
crossed a line of some sort; maybe they weren’t really that close. But then:
 
AhkmenRAWR: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Octodaddy: AMAZING
Smithandwesson: Now theres an idea worth hearin!
 
Larry snorted, unable to contain laughter. Really, it was an obvious
suggestion. How had these people survived without him?
 
Historytwistlarry: There's gonna be a convention near me in a few weeks. Think
everyone can get to NYC?
Smithandwesson: Wait, let me get the others.
 
Slowly, the names listed in the corner began to increase. Once everyone was
present, Jed explained their plan, and everyone waited with bated breath for
reactions.
 
FrenchToast: Mon Dieu, why have we never done this before?!? I will drive all
the way there if I have to! Does anyone mind if I bring my boyfriend?
Smithandwesson: Not a problem! Im always up for a road trip. Count me in!
Shoshonegirl: I think Teddy and I will have to decline. We can't leave Jean-
Baptiste with a sitter for so long. We wish you all the best, though.
Historytwistlarry: Aw, that's too bad.
Smithandwesson: Won't be the same without you.
Whosyourpresident: You're too kind!
Historytwistlarry: Can you make it, Octavius? That's pretty far for you.
Octodaddy: I'm sure I can book a flight, just send me the details.
Historytwistlarry: Awesome! That just leave you, Ahk.
AhkmenRAWR: Let me just.... check my schedule.
 
Larry sat idly as they waited for Ahk to return. Teddy and Wea had left the
chat, and Nippy was inevitably working. In times like this, Larry would often
get a kick out of watching the drama unfold between Jed and Octavius, but it
seemed as though tonight the chat would be eerily quiet. In fact, he'd made a
mental note that the two men didn't seem to be arguing much as of late. No
exploding the chat, no angry messages on tumblr. Only stony silence. Strange.
 
AhkmenRAWR: Hey, I'm free! But uh, my brothers coming with. He seems to think I
need “protection.” Whatever.
Historytwistlarry: Great! I'll find out all the details and make sure you guys
get them.
Smithandwesson: This is gonna be good.
                                     ***
A week later, and all the plans were finalized. Save for Teddy and Wea,
everyone was coming, and the air of excitement permeating their little niche of
the internet was exhilarating. Larry had taken off work for the day, and may or
may not be putting off some classwork, but it was just this once. He'd graduate
eventually. As for cosplay, after some deliberating, he chose Sam. Boring,
maybe, but he was already equipped to make the costume, and besides, the
resemblance really was uncanny.
Larry should have been writing a paper. Instead, he was scrolling through
tumblr for what felt like the tenth time that afternoon. Skimming the posts for
something interesting and knowing he needed to get back to work, Larry was
about to ex out when his eyes landed on a new TWT post.
He stared, mouth falling open. In the photo, a young man was looking almost
shyly into the camera, his green eyes partially obscured by dark curls that
fell forward due to the slight tilt of his head. In this photo, he was wearing
an elaborately jewelled collar which fell against bare bronze skin. A second,
full body picture showed off a long blue and gold skirt, and a third had the
same man holding up a half finished cape. The caption read, “Pharaoh cosplay is
coming along nicely. Finally putting my mother's sewing lessons to good use.”
Larry scrolled back to the top, checking the url for confirmation. This was
Ahkmenrawr.
He blinked.
Apparently, he'd befriended a sex god. Would have been nice to know before
hand.
And wow, Ahk was younger than he'd thought. Twenty, maybe? Twenty-two? With
Teddy and Wea not coming, that made him the oldest in the group. It also made
Ahk the youngest.
Resolving that he should get back to writing, Larry logged out, but not before
reblogging the post. He agonized over what to add, finally settling on
“Amazing!” He wondered if Ahk realized he was talking about more than just the
cosplay.
                                      ***
Standing outside the convention hall, Larry was beginning to wonder if this had
all been a huge mistake. The group had agreed to meet outside the door at noon,
right as things were starting to kick off. It was already half an hour past.
Was everyone late? Had they gotten lost? Or had they decided that his idea
wasn’t worth it after all? Hell, were they even real?
Unconsciously fiddling with the plastic glasses in his hands, (because no way
was he putting them on yet; let him look ridiculous as part of a group, thank
you, not standing there alone) he scanned the crowd once more. And then,
finally, his eyes landed on a familiar face. Coming towards him, amidst the
people milling about on the grass, was a Roman general, tan skin contrasting
brightly with the red and silver of his armor. He immediately threw his arms
around Larry, and the latter got a mouthful of feathers from the man’s helmet.
“Hey, Octavius,” Larry smiled, excited to finally start meeting his friends
face to face. “How you liking New York?”
Octavius laughed awkwardly. “It’s…. interesting. America always is.”
“Can’t argue with that. Nice job with the costume, by the way.” Larry gave the
armor another appraising glance, impressed by the intricate breastplate and
skirt. It looked incredibly authentic.
“Thank you. Hey, I think Nippy was coming in behind me. Although,” Octavius
came closer, talking quietly into Larry’s ear. “He’s a little, er, smaller in
person, so I’d-”
Abruptly, they were joined by two others, and Octavius cut himself off with a
cough. Directly in front of Larry stood a man that must have been a good two
feet shorter, although the wide hat did add some height. This was obviously
Nippy, who had promised to dress as his namesake, Napoleon Bonaparte. The
historical figure had also made an appearance in Time Warp Trio, much to the
man’s excitement. Nippy waved a vibrant hello; it seemed as though he was
barely able to contain himself, constantly moving and bouncing around. Behind
him stood a man that was significantly less excited, judging from the grimace
on his face. Nippy was leading him by the hand, making it impossible for him to
break away or run off, although Larry could tell that he would jump at the
chance to do either. The dark suit and grayscale makeup he wore completed the
picture of a sullen, dangerous looking man.
“It is good to finally meet you,” Nippy told them both, in a surprisingly thick
French accent. He pointed to the man that was his shadow. “This is the
boyfriend I told you about. Say hi, Al.”
Al only glared. “So these are the internet weirdos you talk to?” He eyed
Octavius’s skirt with derision. “You need to make new friends, babe.”
Now it was Nippy’s turn to glare. “Don’t be rude.” He tugged on Al’s hand
sharply, which was still in his grip. “Now say hi.” To Larry and Octavius,
Nippy commented, “Don’t mind him; he’s a grouch. Dressed as some mobster
character from a TV show, and he has the nerve to call  us the weird ones.”
Al growled. “Hello,” he finally managed, though it sounded hard and forced.
An awkward silence permeated the air, as no one was sure what to say. A few
times, Octavius tried to venture into pleasant conversation, but Al’s presence
made it almost impossible. The silent glares and rude comments coming from
Nippy’s boyfriend were putting a damper on things. Needless to say, Larry kept
his mouth shut.
Thankfully, they were saved a few moments later by the approach of a tall,
blond cowboy.
From the time the idea of a meet up arose, Larry had been dreading this moment.
While things between Jed and Octavius had been silent as of late, they had been
by no means friendly. He feared the worst; a blow up argument, getting them all
kicked out of the convention, being banned for life. The works. Additionally,
he feared playing the role of moderator as Wea so often had to do online. Larry
was not up for that, not at all. But all those worries were abruptly put to
rest as Jed’s eyes landed on Octavius, and he broke into a wide grin.
“Octie!” He shouted, so loudly that it caused a few patrons to turn and look as
Jed went running across the grass. Octavius did the same, and they met in the
middle with a fierce hug. Jed even went so far as to lift Octavius off the
ground and spin him in a circle, much to the shock of the others. Larry could
only stare, slack jawed, as the two carried on like old friends, continuously
laughing and hugging.  
Nippy was the first to find words. “What is this?” he asked, a hint of a smile
forming. “I thought the two of you were sworn enemies. What has happened?’
“We worked things out,” Jed grinned, speaking with a Southern twang that fit
him perfectly. “Messages an’ such, y’know how it goes.”
“But you guys haven’t been talking on the chat,” Larry cut in. “Like, at all.”
“I believe that is what the private chats exist for.” Octavius raised an
eyebrow at their surprise. “Were we really that bad?”
They all nodded in unison.
“Ain’t that embarrassin’” Jed commented, although he didn’t seem to care very
much. He turned to Larry. “Hey Laredo, thanks fer havin’ this great idea.”
Jed’s expression was one of pleasantness as he greeted each of them in turn.
That is, until he really noticed Nippy for the first time. Eyes wide, he
exclaimed, “Whoa, kemosabe! Didn’t expect you to be so short!”
Behind Nippy’s back, Al had begun to make frantic neck-cutting motions in an
attempt to shut Jed up, but it was to no avail. Nippy’s face went red, and he
glared at Jedediah, crossing his arms tightly. “What did you say?! What!?”
Jed immediately backtracked. “I,  uh…. I asked if you played any sports,”
Nippy still glared suspiciously, and Larry thought it was about time they went
inside. He held open the door.
“But Ahk ain’t here yet,” Jed said. “We can’t very well go in without ‘im.”
Larry thought for a moment. The convention hall was beginning to fill up, and
they didn’t want to miss out on anything. “How about you guys go ahead, and
I’ll wait for him out here? We’ll catch up as soon as we can.”
Jed shrugged. “Sounds fine to me.” He walked in, Octavius at his side. Nippy
gave Larry a friendly nod and followed, Al in tow.
Resuming his position by the door, Larry’s worries returned. Out of their whole
group, Ahkmenrah was the person he was the most excited (and the most nervous)
to meet. He was going to show up, right? Larry checked his watch, astonished to
see that it was almost an hour past their original meet time. Ahk had to be
coming… After all, he had worked so hard on his cosplay, and even though he was
endlessly complaining about his brother tagging along, the idea of finally
meeting his friends in person seemed to be the only thing on the man’s mind as
of late. Hopefully he hadn’t gotten cold feet.
Then Larry saw it. The flash of gold cape as someone exited a parked car. The
glint of sunlight off of an insane amount of jewelry, and the bright glare of a
tall, regal crown resting on the head of a ridiculously attractive man.
All at once, it occurred to Larry that he might be in much deeper than
originally planned. Ahk had begun running toward him, recognition and
excitement in his eyes, and he had no fucking idea what to say.
As he stood there, mouth open, Larry began to have second thoughts about this
plan. Clearly, he wasn’t prepared.
His silence seemed to be leaving Ahk, who was now standing in front of him,
uncertain. The other man raised an eyebrow in question, while unbenounced to
him, Larry was doing his best not to reach out and touch his face just to make
sure it was real because good God.
“Hi?” Ahk ventured. “You are Larry, right?”
Larry blinked once, hard, and shook his head. “Yeah, no, sorry. It’s me. I
just…. you did a really good job on the costume.”
Ahk smiled brilliantly, and Larry felt his knees go weak.
It was then that he registered the presence of a man just behind Ahk, wearing a
decidedly less flattering pharaoh costume. The green and gold tunic was garish,
as was the scowl on the face of it’s wearer. Larry thought he had a pretty good
idea of who this was.
“And you must be Kahmunrah?” He tried to keep his tone as pleasant as possible,
even as the rude comments given to both himself and Ahk surged into memory. He
tried to push the anger aside; there was no need to start a fight, not now.
“And I suppose you’re this historytwistlarry person that my brother won’t stop
going on about?” Kahmunrah practically spit the words, nose upturned. Larry
noticed that his speech was characterized by a very pronounced lisp.
Beside him, Ahk blushed. “Kah!”
The man rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s just get this over with.”
“What’s the matter, you don’t like the costume I made you?” Ahk crossed his
arms, recovering a bit of his composure. An impish smirk settled on his face.
“And where’s the wonderful crown I made to match it?”
“At home, where it belongs,” Kah growled. “It was horrible, and so was the
wig.” He ran a hand through his short hair. “I will not be seen in public like
that, not when we have our father’s reputation to uphold.”
“It was supposed to be a shitty crown,” Ahk replied, before striding through
the doors of the convention hall, clearly expecting them both to follow. Kah
glared at Larry again, and barged on past.
Curious, Larry wondered what their “father’s reputation” was supposed to mean,
but he was much more concerned with the idea of Ahk talking about him. The
thought put a fluttery feeling in his stomach.
“So where are the others?” Ahk asked once Larry had caught up. “I thought
they’d be here by now.”
“They are, somewhere. I told them to go ahead while I wait for you,” Larry
replied. He rubbed his neck self-consciously.
“Thank you, then.” Ahk had stopped walking, and now he looked down, a small
smile on his face. “That’s very kind of you. My brother insisted on driving, so
naturally we took a few wrong turns.”
Kah appeared beside them, with crossed arms and a frown. “I only insisted
because you drive too fast,” he said grumpily. “You’ll get us both killed.”
“At least I get us where we’re supposed to go,” Ahk retorted.
Abruptly, Kah threw up his hands. “I am done listening to this,” he snarled,
and Larry was taken aback by the sudden venom in his voice. “All I’ve heard,
all the way here, is abuse. Isn’t it enough that you’re our father’s golden
boy? Do you really have to rub it in? I’m finished.” He turned and began
walking away, speaking over his shoulder. “Find your own way home. I-” And then
he was cut off as he marched straight into a nearby cosplayer.
                                      ***
Kahmunrah did not want to be there. He did not want to be chaperoning his
little brother around New York City wearing this God awful dress—no, tunic, it
was a tunic—but there was no way in hell he was letting Ahkmen go off and meet
strangers alone, especially strangers he had met online. Kah didn’t like the
look of them, especially this Larry fellow.
Brotherly instincts were what brought him here, but now, standing next to
Ahkmen while the other man, as usual, attracted the attention of everyone in
the room despite being dressed like a clown, he had never felt more second-
rate. Kah had never lived up to his little brother’s looks or his talents.
Nothing, in their parents’ eyes (and in his own) would ever make Kahmunrah
comparable to his brother. Except maybe intellect, but a lot of good that did.
He was still second-rate, second-favorite, and second-loved. Yes, he resented
Ahkmen for it. How could he not?
But that didn’t mean he was going to let baby brother get kidnapped and
murdered in New York City.
Of course, he wouldn’t really leave Ahkmen to fend for himself. He never did.
But he needed to get away for a moment; just for a little bit. That way he
could still keep an eye on Larry, but be spared from his brother’s incessant
sass.
This knight was never part of the plan.
With his face turned to yell at his brother, Kah didn’t notice the man directly
in his path. That is, until his face collided with a cold metal breastplate.
“Shit!” He rubbed his cheek, ready to glare up at whoever had the nerve to get
in his way. “Can’t you see that I’m trying to-”
Kah’s words stopped. His movement stopped. Really, everything seemed to have
stopped because this man had the bluest eyes he had ever seen, and the nicest
blond hair that looked soft enough to touch, and sweet Rah above why was this
happening now.
Their eyes locked, and the other man’s mouth slowly spread into a smile. There
was something mischievous about it. “Hello there,” he said. “Sorry to get in
your way.”
Kah searched for words, licking his lips. The man’s eyes were much too
hypnotic. “It-it’s fine,” he replied, shaking his head a little, trying to
clear his thoughts. Unbelieveable, the way he was losing his wits so quickly.
And his cutting wit. Kah could have kicked himself. “No harm done.”
“Still, you should let me make it up to you.” The knight took his hand and
squeezed it lightly, and Kah did the most undignified thing he had ever done.
He squeaked. Like a mouse. But the man was still smiling down at him, and Kah
couldn’t seem to care about pride at the moment.
As usual, brother dearest had to ruin everything.
“Kah, please stop bothering people,” Ahkmenrah broke in, rolling his eyes. “I
thought you were leaving?”
Kah watched the strangers eyes land on his brother, and his heart dropped. He
wrenched his hand away. There went any chance of…. whatever Kah had been hoping
for. If the stranger’s eyes were on his Ahkmenrah, then there would be nothing
left for him. As usual. “If leaving here means being rid of you, then yes.
Consider me halfway back to our ancestral homelands.”
“Shut up, you virgin,” Ahk retorted. Really, the typical teenage vernacular was
astounding.
Even so, Kah felt himself turn a deep shade of red. He and Ahkmen were never
playing Truth or Dare again. “I… so are….” A quick glance at the knight told
him that the man was amused. In fact, the look on his face as he gazed at Kah
was something akin to predatory.
Suddenly, he slipped an arm around Kah’s shoulders, regarding Ahkmen cooly.
“That’s a very rude thing to say, you know.”
Ahkmen seemed surprised. He raised an eyebrow. “He’s a rude man. You can have
him.” And when his brother grabbed Larry by the hand and walked off quickly,
Kah couldn’t find it in himself to object.
The knight grinned. “Name’s Lancelot. Really. I promise I’m not just trying to
stay in character. And who might you be?”
The effect of this stranger’s looks were beginning to dull, albeit slowly.
Kah’s wits were returning. “Kahmunrah. Really.”
“Well,” Lancelot began. “If you’re so set on leaving, then you best give me
your number first.”
This time, he only blushed a little. “Hmm. I think I might stay, actually. Give
me your phone.”
Eyebrow quirked, Lancelot complied, holding out the device. Kah was quick to
enter his number.
                                      ***
“You sure everything’s going to be okay with your brother?” Larry asked as Ahk
pulled him away. The feel of their hands together was…. distracting, to say the
least, but he was much more concerned with Ahk having a way to get back home.
Ahk scoffed. “Yes, he does this at least once a week. Everything will be fine,
trust me.” He searched the crowd. “Now, where did everyone else go?”
“Dunno,” Larry replied. He couldn’t find any familiar faces. “But, uh, I think
we might get along fine on our own for a bit. Until we find them, of course,”
he added quickly.
“That sounds great. And I think you should keep ahold of my hand, just so we
don’t get separated. And for cosplay purposes. Is that okay?” Ahk smiled again,
innocently.
“S-Sure. Good plan.”
They wandered aimlessly for a while, perusing through merchandise for sale and
checking out other cosplayers. As it turned out, Ahk had a huge interest in
Homestuck (one that Larry didn’t share, but he wasn’t about to say anything of
that variety). Watching Ahk fawn over the troll costumes was just too cute. At
one point, he even took off his crown and put on a pair of those little horns.
He turned to Larry expectantly. “How do they look?”
“Adorable,” Larry replied before he could stop himself. He felt his face heat
up.
Ahk looked away shyly, fingering the jewels around his neck. “Guess I’ll buy
them, then.”
On impulse, Larry stepped forward. “Let me get them for you.”
“No, there’s no need,” Ahk said replied, laughing a little. “Trust me.”
They moved on, eventually ending up in a coffee shop that was tucked away to
the side, a small room adjacent to the main hall. Claiming a table in the
corner, Larry was grateful to get away from the crowd for the time being. The
view that the window offered was a nice one, and Ahk seemed to appreciate the
picturesque scene of the city, bathed in late afternoon light. The man picked
at the danish he’d bought, taking a sip of his heavily sugared coffee. More of
a milkshake, really. Larry’s own black coffee and bagel seemed bland in
comparison.
“I don’t know how you drink that,” Ahk commented. “It’s so bitter.”
“I could say the same to you. All that sugar; it’s a wonder you don’t have
diabetes.”
Ahk laughed, his eyes meeting Larry’s. Larry noted that they were a clear,
almost glassy sort of green, Nothing came to mind except water. An ocean,
maybe, or a river.
Suddenly Ahk sighed, glancing down at the table. He was doing his best to hide
his shy smile; biting his lip and turning away. “I can’t believe I’m finally
meeting you,” he said, as though he were divulging a secret.
“Yeah,” Larry answered. “It’s great to finally meet you, too. And hopefully
you’ll get to meet everyone else before the days over.” He scanned the crowd
for what felt like the hundredth time, but could find no cowboy hat, no French
soldiers. And no one was answering their phone. It seemed as though the others
had just upped and disappeared.
“No, I don’t think you understand.” Ahk didn’t seem to be able to meet his eyes
for more than a few seconds, periodically glancing down, up, back down. For a
moment, Larry was lost in the pattern, and he barely registered what Ahk was
saying. “You, specifically. I…. think that you’re very intelligent, and very
kind. And quite attractive too, if you don’t mind me saying.”
Larry blinked once. Twice. “T-Thank you, Ahk,” He didn’t understand where that
had come from, though he wasn’t about to complain. Mind straying back to the
comments Ahk had made on his photos, he wondered now if maybe they had
contained some truth. It made him smile. “You’re pretty interesting yourself.”
“Not as interesting as you.”
“What?” Larry laughed. “You think the life of a divorced father is
interesting?”
“Oh, very.” Ahk was practically gushing. “I mean, you work at such a cool
place, you’re going to become a professor…. You just seem to have everything
planned out.”
Larry was about to scoff, to say how incredibly far from the truth that was. He
had no idea what he was doing anymore; it had become routine to just take each
day at a time and hope he was going somewhere. Some days, things looked up, but
others, particularly the ones full of failed exams and McPhee’s angry yells,
decidedly did not. But before he could say any of that, Ahk’s eyes strayed over
his shoulder, landing on something else.
“Is that Jedediah?”
Sure enough, Jed had finally found them. The rest of the group followed not
long after. They had a good time, finally being able to talk in person was
doing wonders for their friendship. Even Nippy, whom Larry hardly ever talked
to, was beginning to feel like a best friend. Looking through booths took up
much of their time as well, although Jed’s loud, raucous laughter caused them
to get more than a few dirty looks.
They took many pictures as well. Particularly Larry and Ahk, as their costumes
represented the fandom’s main ship. Goading from the others almost convinced
them to kiss for the camera, but in the end, Larry decided it would be
inappropriate, and besides, Ahk was acting much too shy. Every time they
touched, an arm around each other or an embrace for a picture, and Ahk would
blush, barely able to look him in the eye.  
Unfortunately, time passed quickly. It wasn’t long before Al and Nippy said
their goodbyes, Nippy already talking about classes and exams happening in the
next few days. Jed and Octavius were the next go. Together, Larry noticed with
some amusement.
“Think there’s something going on there?” he asked Ahk as the two men left.
“Considering I caught them making out against the wall when I went into the
men’s room, I would say yes. Very much so.”
Larry laughed, although he couldn’t say he was surprised. One look at the two,
and a person could see that they were smitten for each other. A drastic change,
to say the least.
He glanced around somewhat awkwardly, taking sight of the emptying hall. “Guess
it’s just you and me, then.”
Ahk smiled. “Yeah.”
“We should probably find your brother. It’s getting kinda late.”
“I suppose so.” As Ahk took out his phone, Larry noticed that the smile had
fallen from his face. A few seconds later, he motioned Larry closer, speaking
low. “He says he’s busy.”
“Oh, well I guess we can head somewhere else, then. Actually, there’s some cool
music stores around here I’d like to show you.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Ahk spoke his next words into the phone. “Kah, I’m
leaving with Larry, okay? Don’t look for me.”
Surprisingly, that was the end of the conversation. “He’s really alright with
this?” Larry asked. “I mean, don’t take this the wrong way, but I get the
feeling he’s a little overprotective.”
“Definitely,” Ahk commented. “But he seemed preoccupied. Dunno what that’s
about. Though he did say, and I quote, “Don’t get murdered. Mother and father
would never forgive me.”
“Noted,” Larry replied. already pulling out his keys. “My car’s this way.”
                                      ***

Turns out, Larry had neglected to account for the fact that most of those
stores had already locked up for the night.
“Well,” he said, staring at the dark windows, the CLOSED sign dangling in the
wind. “That’s out of the question.”
Larry was embarrassed at his lack of forethought. He was better than this. But
Ahk didn’t seem to care; the man only shrugged easily. “We can just drive,
then. Hang out and stuff.”
“Sounds fine to me.”
So they drove. And talked. Music blared from the radio, and Ahk was flipping
stations every other song, giving Larry the details of this band or that
singer, all while belting out the songs in the most off-key voice Larry had
ever heard. It took some prompting (and some learning of lyrics, for Larry
wasn’t familiar with current music) but soon he was singing along with Ahk.
They were both horrible, but somehow it worked.
“Who sings this again?” Larry asked, forced to yell over the radio.
“It’s Hey Mama. Nicki Minaj.” Ahk yelled back.
“You like her?”
“I love her. Onika is bae. Kah hates her, though. My brother,” Ahk paused, and
with a flip of his hand, gave Larry a conspiratorial, disgusted look. “Is Iggy
Azalea trash.”
Larry had only understood around half of those words, but he smiled
nonetheless. And when Ahk’s hand drifted over to touch his own, the one that
was resting on his knee, he squeezed back. It had been the next in a string of
seemingly careless, gentle touches, and he hoped the pattern wasn’t ending
anytime soon.
And wow, this guy could talk. About everything. Not that Larry minded; he was
the kind of person who preferred to listen, maybe offer advice or a comment
here and there, but overall to stay quiet. Unless the topic was history, he
would much rather hear what the other person had to say.
He learned that Ahk’s family had come to America when he was very young, but
that he still had a few memories of his old home. He learned that Ahk adored
music and art and books; anything remotely creative seemed to be his forte. He
learned that Ahk consumed sweets like they were some sort of life force, and
that he loved to learn anything, on any subject. He soaked up information like
a sponge, which may have been what had gotten him into an educational kid’s
show. And Larry learned that Ahkmenrah’s father, Merenkahre, was a no-nonsense
business professional who ran his own software company and looked down harshly
on Ahk’s “useless” creative tendencies.
“He wants me to inherit the company, but I don’t know.” For a moment, Ahk’s
vigor drained away, and he withdrew into his seat. “I have no idea what I want.
I wish he would just give the company to Kah.”
“Merenkahre. Hmmm,” Larry repeated the name to himself. He got the impression
that Ahk came from money, maybe a mildly well-known family. It was possible he
had heard of them. “Got a last name?”
Ahk scoffed. “You couldn’t pronounce it if you tried.”
“Fair enough. But we should probably start heading back now.” The sky had gone
dark, and the only thing visible for a ways down the road was open field, no
cars coming from either direction.
Ahk pouted. “Pull over first.”
“I can’t just stop in the middle of the road, man.”
“Pull into the grass, then.”
“I can’t drive into someone’s-” Larry started, but Ahk had already maneuvered
the wheel from his grasp and steered them into a deserted field.
With a sigh, Larry put the car in park. “Why are we here?”
“Because it’s nice.” Ahk closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against
the seat. “It’s quiet. I like it here.”
Humming in reply, Larry leaned back as well. There was silence for a time. He
listened to the buzzing of insects in the distance, felt the warm air drifting
in through the open windows. To be honest, serenity was the most apt word he
could find to describe this place.
“Has anyone ever told you what an amazing writer you are, Larry?” Ahk asked,
finally breaking the silence. His head was turned slightly so that he could
look Larry in the eye.
“You really think so?” Larry replied quietly.
Ahk nodded. “You could write books. Everything was so good; the
characterization, the plot…. and the smut.”
Larry gave a series of coughs, trying to hide his embarrassment. “Yeah, well, I
u-uh, don’t have all th-that much, uh, experience writing the stuff, so….”
“You obviously have some kind of experience,” Ahk said. He was biting his lip
again, looking up through hooded eyes, and Larry really wished he wouldn’t
because it was ridiculously sexy. “Why don’t you show me what you know?”
Larry’s mind slowed to a halt; he could faintly hear the gears grinding in his
ears. Did he want to do that? Without a doubt. Truthfully, he’d wanted to do
just that since Ahk had begun posting photos online. But the idea was too wild
and too daring for his liking. They were grown men who had just met for God’s
sake, not teenagers, and they were not about to fuck in this car.
Except they were. All these thoughts were running through Larry’s head as he
slowly closed the distance between them, pressing their lips together in a
chaste kiss that didn’t stay chaste for long. Ahk was on him in an instant,
with tongue and teeth and hands, leaning over the gap between the driver and
passenger seats. Clearly, he wanted to be in Larry’s lap, but the lack of room
prevented it.
With one hand curled behind Ahk’s neck and still holding him close, Larry broke
away. “You really wanna do this? Here?”
Ahk seemed uncertain for a moment. He opened his mouth and closed it just as
quick, visibly deliberating. Larry was about to call everything off when Ahk
nodded.
Larry stared at him, wondering what was going on in that head. Who could tell
why this beautiful younger guy wanted anything to do with a divorced dad who,
mind you, was still wearing these God forsaken Harry Potter glasses. “Okay.” An
awkward pause. They stared at each other. “Get in the back, then.”
Purposely moving slower, Larry watched as Ahk climbed out of his seat and took
the few steps to the rear door. His hand shook as he took the handle, but he
slid easily into the back nonetheless, stretching out on the seat.
Larry slid in the opposite side, throwing the glasses onto the floor as he did
so. There was something about the warm air, the silence around them, that made
him speak quietly. “What exactly did you want me to show you?”
“Oh…. you know.” Ahk was vague, his voice slightly higher than normal.
“Anything you want.”
           *********************************************************
When his mind drew a complete blank, Larry panicked. When was the last time
he’d had sex, anyway? Then his thoughts began to stray to his story,
remembering what he’d written. Sam and the pharaoh had slept together, but what
exactly had gone on between them? He forced himself to think back. There had
been kissing, yes, kisses that had strayed downwards.
Planting his arms on either side of Ahk’s body, he kissed the man briefly on
the lips before moving to his neck and biting down gently over his collarbone.
He felt a hand curl into his hair, could hear Ahk’s slight gasps and little
noises combining with the buzz of cicadas outside.
As he trailed downwards, Larry’s grasped the top of Ahk’s jeans. He’d changed
out of his cosplay before they’d left the convention hall, seeing as a pharaoh
was pretty conspicuous. Now he wore tight fitting pants and a low v-neck t-
shirt, and Larry wanted nothing more than to get them off. He looked for
approval, and after a little nudge from Ahk, he pulled them away.  
Ahk was already hard, and Larry wasted no time in running his tongue up the
length, trying to take notes from his characters as he did so. What would they
do here? In more ways than one, they had the experience. A brush of his lips
here and there, and then, taking Ahk into his mouth, Larry began to suck him
off in earnest, head bobbing with the motion. Ahk let out a gasp, and his hips
arched upwards, bringing him further into Larry’s mouth.
“I take it you like that?” Larry asked, backing away.
Ahk squirmed, trying to pull him back. “Very much.”
“Good,” he said with a little smile. It was strange, considering Ahk hadn’t
been a real person to him until a few hours ago. Well, he’d been real, but not
someone to see in the flesh; he’d had no real body except for the breathtaking
photos on his blog. And now, not only did he have a body, a serious, real life
form instead of only words over the internet, but he was offering said body to
Larry, and it was unbelievable, really. He maneuvered back to his hands and
knees, more than ready to continue. But before he could resume his activities,
Ahk stopped him.
In the shadows, all he could see was the basic outline of the other man’s
features, feel the tightening of the fingers wedged into the fabric of his
shirt, and hear the heaviness of Ahk’s breath. “Fuck me. Please.”
“You sure you want that?” Larry was dubious; this wasn’t exactly an ideal
location. Although he wasn’t about to refuse.
“Yeah.”
Larry leaned to the glove compartment above the passenger seat, pulling out a
small bottle of lube and a condom. When he’d shoved those things into his car,
he had laughed, but now he was grateful. Turns out, a person really could need
this stuff at the most unexpected times.
Coating his fingers generously, he slid one inside of Ahk, holding his breath,
and began to move it slowly. The act made him nervous, though he couldn’t
understand why. Maybe because it made everything real.  
Without warning, Ahk grabbed hold of his wrist roughly.
“This okay?” Larry asked, concerned. “It’s what you wanted, right?”
“Yeah,” Ahk repeated, his voice a little breathy. “Only…. do you mind going
slow?”
“Whatever you need, hon.”
Almost leisurely, he went about the process of stretching Ahk, keeping his pace
steady and making sure enough time had passed before he added another finger,
and then eventually, a third. At times, Ahk’s hand would return to his wrist,
though now it was to pull him deeper inside. He took that as a good sign.
Honestly, he only wanted Ahk to be comfortable. Larry could sense the
nervousness coming off him in waves, even though this had been his idea from
the beginning. In an effort to calm him, Larry brushed kisses along his body as
he worked. It was then that he realized, belatedly, his feelings for Ahk may
run much, much deeper than just sexual attraction.  
Eventually, once Ahk was sufficiently stretched, he backed off again, causing
the other man to whine.
“I thought you wanted this,” Larry teased, pulling his own pants away and
letting them pool around his thighs.
“Hurry it up, then.”
Ahk’s words were joking, but there was a slight tremor in his voice that Larry
couldn’t ignore. As he angled himself between Ahk’s legs, he asked, “You sure?
You sound scared.”
“....Maybe a little?”
In the darkness, Larry gave a sympathetic smile. “Been a while?”
“You could say that.”
“Well, I for one find that hard to believe. Just relax, okay?” He pushed inside
of Ahk as slowly as he could manage, but the other man hissed nonetheless.
“Sorry; I’m sorry,” he murmured soothingly, pressing kisses along Ahk’s neck,
willing the man to release the tension in his muscles. “It’ll feel better, I
promise.”
His words proved true. Ahk loosened up after a few moments, and Larry was able
to give him slow, steady strokes. As Ahk’s hands scrabbled and clutched at the
seat cushions, he moaned, one legs splayed out over the divider between the
front seats, the other resting near the back window.
For Larry, this was straight out of a dream. Out of all the possible endings
for this night, fucking Ahk in his car had definitely not been on the list.
This was a crazy fantasy, something he would have never allowed himself to
think about. But now it was happening in real life, and Ahk felt amazing and
sounded amazing, and Larry couldn’t keep his hands away.
Picking up speed, Larry left rougher kisses along Ahk’s neck, at one point
biting down hard and relishing in the gasp that came from the other man’s
mouth. He ran his tongue over the red mark, and Ahk pulled him closer with a
whimper.
“Really…. really close,” Ahk panted, fingers digging into Larry’s back.
On a whim. Larry curled his hand around Ahk’s cock and rubbed in slow pumps,
slower than his thrusts, just to send Ahk’s senses spiraling. The other man’s
eyes flew open, and he arched toward Larry, breath hitching. And then he was
spilling over Larry’s hand, falling back against the cushions.
The sound of total euphoria that came from Ahk’s mouth was enough to send Larry
over the edge as well. Unable to keep his balance, he lurched forward, forehead
falling against Ahk’s.
               ************************************************

They stayed like that, breathing heavily, for some minutes. Darkness had fallen
even farther, but he could still see the glimmer of Ahk’s eyes just beneath
his. He ran his hand along Ahk’s cheek, brushing away the stray curl that had
stuck to his skin. It was a surprisingly intimate gesture, and Larry had done
it without even thinking.
As neither of them spoke and the high wore off, the silence took on a less
comforting quality. Instead, it only seemed to get louder.
“So…,” he began lamely. “That happened.”
“Yeah.”
“I guess we should…. head back?”
“Probably.”
Larry didn’t feel right just getting up, nor did he particularly want to. As a
compromise, he pressed his lips briefly to Ahk’s cheek before moving away. They
dressed in silence, Larry throwing the used condom into the grass (and yeah,
okay, that was gross and unsanitary, but he was not keeping it in his car) and
soon they were both back in the front, car pulling back onto the road. Ahk
flashed him a smile, and commented on how they might leave the radio off this
time. Larry smiled back, but that turned out to be the end of their
interaction. He noticed how much more subdued the other man seemed. In fact,
the closer they got to the city, the more he seemed to recede into himself,
curling up against the window and staring straight ahead. Larry shot periodic
glances at him, beginning to get worried.
“Hey,” he said, once they were within a few blocks of the building where the
convention had been held. “Do you know where your brothers at?”
Ahk started, staring at him as if he’d materialized out of thin air. “Uh, not
really. It’s pretty late.”
“True. You can stay the night with me if you want. Just shoot him a text so he
knows.”
“Okay,” Ahk mumbled, pulling out his phone. The glare of light from the device
illuminated his face, and Larry caught sight of the strain in his features, the
crease in his forehead. “Everything okay?” he asked.
“Yup.”
His home was some twenty minutes away, in the suburbs, and there was no
conversation for the entire drive. The vibes he was getting from Ahk became
increasingly worrisome, and Larry began to wonder what had gone wrong. Once
they had pulled into his driveway, Ahk got out and followed him silently into
the door. Inside, it was close to pitch black. He threw their things onto the
couch, not bothering with the lights.
Turning to Ahk, he said. “So yeah, this is where I live. Make yourself at
home.”
There was no reply.
“Ahk?” He made his way closer to the other man in the dark. “You alright?”
Hugging himself, Ahk was standing against the wall, watching him with
frightened eyes. Concerned, Larry reached over Ahk’s shoulder to flip on the
light, and the man flinched away from him violently. “Okay, something is
definitely wrong. Did I do something?”
“No,” Ahk replied, arms wrapped around his torso. He took a deep breath. “I’m
just starting to think that maybe sleeping with some random guy from the
internet wasn’t the best decision. I mean, I barely know you. And now I’m in
your house. In the middle of the night. And Kah’s not even answering his
phone.”
Larry blinked back surprise. Belated reactions, to say the least. Considering
how friendly Ahk had been only a few hours ago, he’d abandoned all thoughts of
things being awkward or strange. He understood, though. In Ahk’s place, he
would probably be wary as well. He took a few steps back, holding up his hands
and smiling in what he hoped was a calming manner. “Hey man, you know me. We’ve
been talking for months. I won’t hurt you.”
“I know you won’t.” Ahk tried to play it off with a self-deprecating grin, but
Larry could tell that he was still unnerved. “Sorry. I have an overactive
imagination.”
“Did I ever tell you that one story?” Larry asked, deciding to try something
else. He didn’t want to lose Ahk, not after everything that had happened. He
didn’t want the other man to be scared. No, he wanted to see where this thing
was going to lead. One night, and he was already feeling like a kid again. It
was intoxicating.
“Which one?” Ahk asked. Obviously, the question took him off guard.
“The one about the kid that came in the museum, and he’d gotten lost in the
city and couldn’t find his mom. So I convinced McPhee to let me take a few
hours off, and I took the kid around everywhere looking for his mother.”
Ahk’s eyes lit up with recognition, and he smiled. “Oh, yeah. And she ended up
being right across the street, but you didn’t know until like two hours later.”
He seemed to find that fact amusing.
“Yep. God, I was pissed. The kid was happy, though.” He held his hand out.
“See, I’m a good guy. I promise I’m not a murderer. I don’t have the time for
it.”
Ahk laughed, and his posture seemed to loosen up a bit. He looked relaxed
again. “And how do I know you’re not making that up?”
“I guess you are gonna have to trust me a little bit,”Larry joked, and then
added, more seriously, “But really, you can sleep wherever you want. I don’t
mind. Hell, I’ll even help you get a hotel room if that would make you more
comfortable.”
“No, it’s fine,” Ahk shook his head quickly, taking the outstretched hand. “I’m
sorry for freaking out.”
“Don’t worry about it,”he replied easily. He led the way down the hall, pushing
open the door to his bedroom. “You can stay in here, and I can crash on the
couch if you want.”
“No, I don’t want to intrude like that. I can take the couch.”
Larry paused. It seemed they were at an impasse. “Or we could share?” he asked
carefully. “If you’re okay with that?”
Deliberating for a moment, Ahk ran a hand through his hair. “Okay,” he finally
said, giving a small smile. “I think that would be fine.”
“Cool.”
After lending Ahk a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, Larry pulled back the
covers and they both climbed in. Ahk didn’t seem to know what to do. After a
few seconds of staring at the ceiling, he turned his away, his back towards
Larry, and faced the opposite wall. Larry let him, although he was craving the
man’s touch.
Would it be crossing a line to put an arm around Ahk? It wasn’t much compared
to what had been going on only an hour ago, but all the same, he didn’t want to
be the cause of the man’s discomfort. He argued the points over in his mind for
some time until it felt as though his head was spinning. Finally, he edged over
slowly. His arm came to wrap around Ahk’s torso, pulling them closer so that
Ahk’s back was pressed against his chest. “Is this okay?” he murmured.
“Mmhmm,” Ahk muttered sleepily. He even went to far as to scoot closer.
Larry intertwined their fingers together, and soon the fast-paced activity of
the day had him falling asleep, a warm body pressed against him. That was
something that hadn’t happened in a long while, and Larry couldn’t contain the
giddy feeling rising in his stomach as he drifted into unconsciousness. Things
really were turning around.
End Notes
     I hope you enjoyed part 1. I can't really promise an update anytime
     soon, but I promise that when it does come, it'll be good ;)
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
their work!