synopsis: A new exhibit has been unveiled at the museum, and it brings out Ahkmenrah's clingy and possessive side.
The museum had always been busy around your exhibit. Children pressed their palms to the glass, breath fogging the surface as they stared in awe. Adults lingered longer than they intended, reading the placard twice, craning their necks as if expecting you to move even before nightfall. You were part of a royal lineage, after all. An artifact that felt alive, even with your coffin sealed tight.
Ahkmenrah always joked about it.
“They adore you,” he’d said one evening as you walked the halls together, hands loosely entwined. His tone had been amused, fond rather than bitter. “If I were a lesser king, I might feel threatened.”
You laughed, bumping your shoulder into his. “You? Threatened? Please.”
Your pharaoh was beloved. Not just because he possessed the tablet that brought the museum to life, but because he ruled with kindness rather than fear. He listened. He compromised. He laughed easily and treated emperors and cowboys alike as equals.
That was why no one expected what came next.
The museum acquired a new exhibit. Larry kept the details vague. Something about a recently recovered piece, closely tied to your dynasty. Another royal, though of a lesser branch. Younger. Preserved impeccably.
You didn’t think much of it until night fell.
You and Ahkmenrah were walking together when Teddy appeared on his horse, beaming as he escorted a new figure through the hall. They looked around with open wonder, eyes wide, posture tentative but eager.
“And here we are, the royal wing. And these—” he gestured with a flourish, “—are Y/N and King Ahkmenrah. His tablet is the very thing that brings us all to life.”
You felt Ahkmenrah straighten beside you, pride evident in the lift of his chin. Where you expected questions, reverence, curiosity, directed toward your lover, the newcomer’s gaze bypassed him entirely.
They looked at you.
Their expression softened, something bright and unmistakably smitten flickering across their face. “I see.” they murmured, breathless.
You felt Ahkmenrah lean closer, his shoulder brushing yours, his body subtly positioning itself between you and the newcomer. His other hand came up to rest against your lower back, thumb tracing a slow, grounding circle.
“They are my partner.” Ahkmenrah's tone was polite yet unmistakably final.
“Oh. I—my apologies.”
Ahkmenrah smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. “No harm done, but do be mindful. Some things in this museum are not meant to be admired too closely.”
Teddy cleared his throat and ushered the newcomer onward. “Plenty more to see, my friend.” As they walked away, the newcomer glanced back at you, only to find Ahkmenrah already watching them, his arm still around you.
From then on, Ahkmenrah was rarely more than a step away. If you stopped to speak with anyone, he stood at your side, hand resting openly on your hip. When you walked, his fingers laced through yours. When you laughed, he leaned in, murmuring something only you could hear.
The newcomer tried to approach you again, smile hopeful, but Ahkmenrah beat them to it. He reached for you first, pulling you gently against his chest, chin dipping to rest atop your head. “Is there something you require?”
The newcomer flushed. “I only wished to talk.”
“You may speak,” Ahkmenrah said. “From there.”
The newcomer nodded a little too eagerly, clearly taking that as a challenge rather than a boundary. “Well—uh,” they began, smiling at you with hopeful sincerity, “I just wanted to say I admire so much about your exhibit. The craftsmanship, the history, the—”
“They mean you as a whole.” Ahkmenrah interjected calmly.
The newcomer laughed awkwardly. “Yes, well, everything, really.”
You smiled politely, ever gracious despite the situation. “That’s very kind of you. I hope you’re settling in well. Waking up in the museum can be overwhelming at first." Ahkmenrah made a quiet, displeased sound in his throat.
“It has been overwhelming, but seeing you has helped tremendously. I was hoping perhaps you could tell me more about your lineage? Maybe sometime later tonight?”
Ahkmenrah’s head tilted. You could practically feel him pouting behind you. “Telling stories is very tiring,” he said mildly. “They require energy. And time. And attention.”
“Oh! I wouldn’t take much, I promise.”
Ahkmenrah stared at them. Long. Unblinking.
You sighed softly, already sensing where this was going, and lifted a hand to gently stroke through Ahkmenrah’s hair, fingers brushing over his crown in slow, soothing motions. “There, there,” you murmured fondly, just loud enough for him to hear. “I’m just being polite.”
The effect was immediate.
His shoulders relaxed. His sulk dissolved into something smug and satisfied as he leaned fully into your touch, eyes half-lidding like a pampered cat. The newcomer watched this unfold in real time, expression slowly shifting from hopeful to devastated.
“So, about that conversation?”
Ahkmenrah glanced at them again, this time looking far more relaxed, dangerously so. “Ah,” he said, bright. “You may continue.”
The newcomer brightened. “Wonderful! I was just saying—" Ahkmenrah leaned down and kissed the top of your head. “—that your presence here is truly—” Ahkmenrah kissed your temple. Then your cheek. Then murmured, far too sweetly:
“I love you.”
The newcomer stopped talking altogether. “I think,” they said weakly, “I will return to my display.”
“A wise decision.”
As the newcomer retreated, you laughed softly, fingers still combing through Ahkmenrah’s hair. “You didn’t have to intimidate them.”
“I didn’t intimidate anyone,” Ahkmenrah replied, settling more comfortably against you. “I simply existed affectionately.”
You raised an eyebrow. “You practically hissed.”
“I did not,” he said, affronted, then paused. “…Perhaps internally.”
#project hail mary
#photography
#lana del rey
