Our Last Night - part 1 (a Night at the Museum fanfic)
Summary: With the tablet remaining in London, Octavius is faced with the fact that he may never be able to see Jedediah again; Taking place in NATM 3 Secret of the Tomb
A/N: Hi!! I'm new to this fandom (even though I have been lurking for almost a year now, lmao) writer and artist here ✋ Anyway I'm posting this fic as part of the Exhibit of the Week event that @natmarchivist is running, this week Octavius is being highlighted. This is a 2 part fic, 2nd part will be posted when it's Jed's week :)
And yes I know there's tons of versions of this scene/scenario written, but here's my take on it anyway
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"Well. I'm guessin' this is where we go off partin' ways, partner."
Octavius peered over at Jed.
Larry had just left the two of them, and they were the only ones left in the Hall of Miniatures. Well, the only ones alive.
With the tablet having been brought out of the Natural history museum by the time nightfall had hit, nobody else had come alive except those who’d traveled with it. Of them included a handful of exhibits – Teddy, Sacajawea, Atilla, Laa.
And of course, each other.
Looking around now, Octavius thought again about what Jed had said a few short moments ago to Larry. About how it was quiet. It was a preview of what it would be like from now on at the museum. Because the tablet had stayed behind at the British Museum in London, along with Ahkmenrah.
Which now meant that everyone else would no longer come to life.
It was a hard pill to swallow, and a reality that Octavius partly wished he wasn’t in. But it was as it was. Everyone had made the decision together. But a part of the Roman couldn’t help but be the smallest bit selfish...
"We do not have to, you know," he said in response to Jed.
The cowboy looked at him. "What?"
Octavius scuffed the floor with his sandal. "We could simply stay as we are, here. Together. We could even, well... remain in embrace or something similar..."
He ducked his head down shyly after he suggested it. After all, like Jed said once, they were men. And in being men they typically didn't go off showcasing emotion like this with one another. They usually just roughed it together, sharing laughs and things. But this was a serious moment, the way he saw it.
When he managed to peer up at Jed, the other man actually looked like he might have been considering what Octavius was saying. There was a gleam in his eye that made the whole somber mood of the moment uplift just a little. But the next moment that uplifty feeling disappeared as Jed shook his head.
"Naw, Octy. As much as I like the way it sounds, we can't go off doin' that. You remember what we told Larry, right? We're museum exhibits. Folks n' their youngins'll look at us and learn a lil something."
Octavius nodded somberly, knowing he was right. They had a responsibility. Still, though, he wished things were different...
Jed was looking at him now with a smile that had a sort of sadness behind it, and he gave the Roman a playful little nudge with his shoulder.
"Gonna miss me, ain't ya?"
It's meant to sound a bit teasing, the way Jed always was with him, but Octavius can't find himself replying with his own usual sarcastic reply. If he did, he probably would've blatantly denied the cowboy, saying something like "Miss you? Hardly," and scoff.
This time, he just nodded again.
"Yes," he says, in a low, soft voice. "I shall. And... very much so..."
He knows he's sounding watery there towards the end of his words, but he doesn't care. This is the type of emotion that this moment was stirring in him. That Jed was stirring in him.
And Jed doesn't respond in his usual way, either, which would be a tease that Octavius got the "waterworks goin'." He instead opens his arms and murmurs a gentle "C'mere."
He's looking the same way he had when he was bidding Larry a goodbye, and while before it made Octavius sort of roll his eyes (I mean, it wasn't completely possible for a miniature to hug a full grown person, after all) right now it's exactly what he needs.
Octavius chuckles, that chuckle morphing into a light sob as he connects the two, wrapping his arms wholly and heartily around the cowboy.
He hears Jed sigh, alternating between patting his back and rubbing it in soothing motions, which Octavius reciprocates. Honestly, he could stay in that moment forever. Letting go of the man and not knowing when he’ll be able to see him again was a thought that made those stray tears slip out of his eyes as he lightly wept.
“I’m gonna be missin’ you too, boy,” Jed whispered into his ear. “More than you can imagine.” Octavius heard a sniffle a second later, followed by a chuckle. “Shoot. Makin’ me go all leaky, Octy.”
They parted, and Jed took the opportunity to wipe at his own eyes, that sorrowful smile still on his face.
When he got himself recomposed, he locked his eyes on Octavius, and cowboy and Roman gaze at each other - blue on brown, and brown on blue - like they’re trying to drink in every detail, to emblazon it into memory before the inevitable sunrise came.
And then Octavius took a chance. He reached down, finding Jed’s hand and taking it in his. Part of him thinks maybe Jed will resist. After all, the cowboy hadn’t wanted to hold his hand when they’d gotten stuck in the heating vents. And even though he’d done so on the rooftop over in London, it was when they were thinking they were about to die.
But Jed doesn’t resist. The cowboy looked down and easily interlaced their fingers together, grasping tight as he looked back up at Octavius, who goes forth with the most difficult part of all this.
"Farewell, Jedediah," he murmured softly.
But Jed shook his head. "Don't go off sayin' that, kemosabe.”
Octavius furrowed his brow a little, confused, until Jed spoke up again.
“It ain't a goodbye. It's a ‘til next next time.’"
It only worked to somber Octavius’ mood a little more. It really was wishful thinking, the way he saw it.
"But... there may not be a next time..." the Roman pointed out. He wasn’t keen on bursting Jed’s bubble, but the reality check was necessary.
But Jed only shrugged, with a hopeful glint in his blue eyes. "I'm havin' a feelin' there will be."
Octavius didn’t know why, but he almost felt like he believed him. Sure, he’s still wondering what would prompt the tablet to make its return to their museum, but he didn’t give it much thought, instead using those last precious moments to just live in the few moments left with Jed.
"Very well, then," Octavius said, lightly squeezing the cowboy's hand and smiling gently at him.
"Until we meet again, Jedediah."
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A/N: Cross-posted on AO3 as well!
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