Chapter Text
Horus
Horus opened his eyes to see the ceiling of Seth’s room covered in late morning sunshine. He’d been spacing out a bit after his orgasm, saw Seth fall asleep, and followed right after. He couldn’t recall being that relaxed in a long while, and he couldn’t even remember dreaming.
He looked to his right to see Seth laying on his arm. Seth had his eyes shut and was facing Horus, his expression calm. His long red hair was a bit of a mess, in an attractive way as usual, and his limbs were curled around him, but he hadn’t moved off Horus.
Horus wasn’t sure whether he should free his arm, pull Seth over, or just sit and do nothing. So he opted for the last, drinking in the sight of Seth voluntarily being so close. Horus wasn’t sure what he felt staring at Seth looking so comfortable. Seth wasn’t yelling or fighting him. Just relaxing. Like he didn’t want to move. And Horus had done that.
Horus’ chest was hot. He wondered, Am I happy? Happiness for him usually meant Seth suffering at his hands. It meant control, tears, desperation, and the realization that Horus’ will was law. Yes, Seth was voluntarily doing what he was doing now, because of things Horus had done that somehow made him feel comfortable enough to be like this, but Horus wasn’t sure if he could trust feeling accomplished. Could Horus do it again, or would he fall back into bad habits?
He found… that he wanted to do this again. He wanted to show just how good he could make Seth feel. It was a kind of victory, too: showing Seth that Horus was the better option. Far more so than Nephthys, and certainly than Osiris. If Horus was to stand in the shadows of others, than he would burn as bright as the sun. And his reward would be Seth against him, crying in ecstasy, not pain or hatred.
Horus wondered if Seth would allow this again, or was it only possible because of Seth’s moment of weakness after facing Nephthys? Horus had felt so powerful when Seth just… listened and let Horus do his work. When they were working together, not against each other. He knew Seth was still wary, still angry, but it was pleasurable. They’d both enjoyed it, and not just physically. There’d been no trap waiting for either of them, even if now Horus wasn’t sure about it all.
Is it meant to be like that? Horus wondered. Nephthys had spent her entire marriage to Seth lying to him after all, so it wasn’t like Seth’s previous relationship hadn’t been without tension, at least on one side. And Osiris had lied to Isis for much of their relationship. Maybe an undercurrent of something wasn’t abnormal, or at least being wary of it. After all, Seth had lived for thousands of years, many of which Horus didn’t know about. And Horus wanted to learn about them, too, with Isis’ regrets, Osiris’ rage, and Anubis’ bitterness.
I want him at my side for more than just sex, Horus thought, gazing at Seth as the warmth continued to fill him. And the discovery humbled him. Isis had talked to Horus a number of times about finding a true partner, and the wonder of it. The last time, it was still some years before they came to Heliopolis, and they’d been sitting together in one of her temples, watching the humans work. Isis’ eyes were on humans who were laughing together, clearly enjoying themselves. “You might not find someone, Horus, but… if you do, make sure it’s someone who will stick by you. Someone who supports you in difficult times, and whom you can support in turn.” She gave him a fierce look, her gaze burning into him, letting him know this was important. “And never betray them. Betrayers like that are the worst.”
Horus frowned, but kept listening, unsure where she was going with this. She seemed to be thinking of something specific. Horus had never trifled with humans in such a fashion, and he’d never betrayed Isis.
Isis sighed and looked away. She looked strangely tired. “If you have problems with them… talk to them about it. Let them know.” She breathed in deeply. “Honesty is an important part of those kinds of relationships.” She looked at him worriedly. “And maybe… maybe they’ll break your heart, too. But I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Mother, is something wrong with Father…?” After all, there was only one partner for Isis.
Isis shook her head, but she wouldn’t meet his gaze. “I just know that, like the day my siblings and I stopped following our parents around, one day you will do the same. And I realize… I have no idea what that future of yours will look like.” She sighed. “But I hope you get to have it, even with Seth’s damn followers chasing us... And I hope it’s a happy one.” She smiled at him. “And that I’ll be here if you need me, too.”
Horus stared down at Seth and imagined Isis would only have more harsh words to say about this situation. She’d been shocked by Horus’ comments about wanting Seth for his own, and his refusal to back down from it. But what if it was a more regular thing? If Horus and Seth started officially sharing quarters? If Horus had Seth at his side during official functions, and even took Seth’s counsel? Was her newfound allyship with Seth still too fragile, under so many years of Seth’s cruelties? Or could Horus trust her to stay by his side, still?
Seth stirred and his eyes slowly blinked open, looking blearily at Horus.
Horus gazed back, unsure of what to say. Partly it was because Seth was just… beautiful. And Horus didn’t know how to express that in the moment. He could only stare, spellbound. It seemed like the desert stretched out beside him, reaching into the horizon. Burning and unforgiving, threatening to swallow everything whole.
Seth grimaced and rolled away, and he was almost no more than a man again, probably annoyed to discover he’d been cuddling Horus.
Horus almost laughed, but he knew it would only anger Seth. “Was it bad, then?” Horus asked, instead. He’d said he’d make it good, and he thought Seth enjoyed it, but if he was wrong…
“No,” Seth said, quietly. “No, it was fine.”
Horus breathed in, glad. “Good.” He would have appreciated better praise, but he went with what he could get. “You seemed to sleep well.” If Seth had nightmares, they would have woken Horus.
Seth made a vaguely agreeing noise, but didn’t turn back to him.
“I enjoyed it,” Horus said. “It was nice. The way you felt. Seeing you enjoy it.” Horus knew that part of Seth’s insecurity lay in how he had potentially unknowingly treated Nephthys cruelly. This was not true, of course, but perhaps all Seth needed was reassurance that Horus had enjoyed it…
“You always enjoy it,” Seth said, dismissively.
Horus frowned. He knew that was true, but still. It was different this time. Horus’ eyes traced the line of Seth’s back, down to his ass, already free of the marks Horus had made crushing them together. Horus didn’t know if he’d left handprints on Seth’s hips before, because there was nothing there now, but it seemed like he would have, with the way he’d been holding the older god. Horus realized he wanted a way to show that Seth was his. Something that would get Nephthys to know her place. One day of pleasure wouldn’t change that, any more than their months together had changed it. I want her out of your mind so you can focus solely on me.
“Osiris never cared how I felt,” Seth said, quietly.
Horus’ eyes widened, surprised at the topic change.
“He just did whatever he wanted,” Seth continued. “I had to beg him to slow down, and he didn’t listen anyway.” His back was tense, likely because he was remembering.
Or does he fear my mockery? Horus wondered. “It’s always his way, with no care for anyone else.” Horus wondered if Osiris had ever truly listened to Isis. Osiris had certainly never listened to her much in the time before the battle with Seth. And he’d never listened to anyone else, let alone Horus. “He’s a bull-headed moron.”
Seth made a noise, and Horus was surprised to realize the older god was laughing. “Yes. He is.”
Horus smiled.
“When Isis ran from me,” Seth said, “I thought… I thought I was wrong. For just a moment, even after everything Osiris did… I thought I was wrong.” There was fear in his voice. Uncertainty. “Everyone loved him so much. I did, too, once. Maybe I just… Even after everything, somehow, I thought I was the one who was wrong.”
Horus grimaced, disliking that, but finding it strangely relatable. “The first time Osiris and I sparred, he broke my arm.”
Seth looked over his shoulder in surprise.
Horus met his gaze unflinchingly. “I went to my mother to cry. She healed it and said… it would make me a better warrior. That I had to work hard, so that I could face you, one day. Because you wouldn’t let me run away with just a broken arm.”
Seth grimaced. “Isis never treated Anubis that way.”
Of course she didn’t, Horus thought with irritation, he’s Anubis and everyone loves him. He was never on the run, with his life at risk. “Things were different. She loves me. I know that. She always has. But fleeing Heliopolis and losing Osiris changed her.” Horus sighed and turned his head back so that he could stare at the ceiling. “I never spoke to her about Osiris being harsh again. I’d go to her to heal my injuries, or just work through them. If Osiris was harsh, clearly he was just being an example of what I should strive for. And if I continued to find fault in him… I kept it to myself.”
“That’s unfair to you,” Seth said, sounding irritated. “Even Anubis criticized me sometimes when he was young. And he could always go to Nephthys. She was more sympathetic to him.”
I think even he felt stifled at times, Horus thought. But Horus also didn’t want to speak up about Anubis. “Sometimes I thought Isis’ most human aspect was that she seemed to worship Osiris. And given how little we had when we were on the run, with few enough friends or shelter, I didn’t want to take that last thing from her.”
Seth scoffed, clearly disagreeing. “It was probably for the best, I suppose. I doubt she’d have listened. Osiris was a good liar.”
Horus smiled. “It’s nice to talk about it now.” All those years of pent-up feelings, and he could say them freely, without judgment. “All those years I spent working to get revenge for him, and now that it’s done… I don’t care anymore. He and I are done.” Horus had thought he’d feel pain at it, but he’d dismissed thoughts of a good relationship with Osiris years ago. They were simply coworkers in a conspiracy. And now that Osiris showed even more of his true colors, Horus would have nothing to do with him, other than to crush him if he came after Seth again.
“You and Anubis deserved better fathers,” Seth commented.
Horus shrugged. “Was Geb so wonderful?”
“…He slept a lot,” Seth replied. “He and Nut were often busy with their duties or each other. And then there was the war. And then we had Egypt to look after. I don’t know that he got much time to be a father, honestly.”
“Is that how you excuse his faults?” Horus asked, turning to look at Seth’s back, so he saw Seth sigh. “That he was simply busy? He’s a god, he had forever to be busy with you, as well. Perhaps that’s where Osiris learned his own parenting.”
“Maybe Osiris learned something from him,” Seth said, “But no, I never thought about it much. Mother and Father went through so much just to have us be born that I suppose it never occurred to me to think about it that way. And we’re gods, so why did it matter?”
“But you tried to be a good father to Anubis,” Horus said. “You thought he deserved more for some reason.”
“…I wanted him to have an easier time than we did,” Seth said. “I wanted to be someone deserving of his affection.” He looked over his shoulder again, so Horus could see some of his red eye. “Just like you deserved a father worthy of yours.”
Horus felt his throat thicken at that. Seth of all people felt that Horus deserved better than he’d gotten as a child. He knew Seth was trying to stop Horus from turning into Osiris or something, but… this was different, somehow. It was true that Seth had been a prime reason Horus had suffered in his childhood, but still… What would things have been like if I had grown up here, around him?
“I can only imagine how terrible he was as a father and a teacher,” Seth said as he looked ahead again. “If he felt something should be done, he just did it, regardless of whether or not it was right. And Isis still trusted him for the most part.” He sighed. “A lot about your actions makes unfortunate sense.”
Horus grimaced. He supposed that was fair.
“But you care about my feelings, too,” Seth said, surprising Horus. “That’s something your father never did.”
Horus smiled. “I learned from Isis, too, I think.” Perhaps all his good traits, what few he had, were from her.”
“Yes. And perhaps not all the faults you found in your parents were with Osiris.” Seth sat up and looked down at Horus, who gazed up at him, confused. “And perhaps you fought against them both in your own way.”
Horus frowned. “I honored Isis.”
Seth moved over and pressed against Horus’ right side as he reached out and placed gentle fingers over Horus’ face, circling Horus’ eyes. His touch was soft and curious. “You have her gaze.”
Horus didn’t move. If Seth tried to attack him like this, Horus could stop him. And he was surprised at how bold Seth was being.
“If you’re their vengeance,” Seth said, gently petting the soft patch under Horus’ eyes, “perhaps you’re going to end both their failures. Not just in stopping me, but also failing you, and any gods who come after you. And maybe in the doing you’ll bring in a new age that’s your own.”
“With you at my side to show me where I’m going wrong?” Horus asked. Horus’ right hand want around Seth’s legs to rest against Seth’s side. He was needy, but he felt it was warranted. He had planned to undo the mess those before him left behind, but it was strange to hear the thoughtful hope in Seth’s words.
Seth snorted, but there was a soft smile on his face. Something almost like fondness. “Perhaps. It’s hard for me to be worse than Osiris at this point, at least when it comes to advice.”
“I’m already far more open with you than I ever was with him,” Horus said. “He never cared for my opinions. He barely even wanted to be around me and saw that as a chore.” He gazed up into Seth’s concerned gaze. “Don’t you? You wouldn’t be at my side if not for Maat’s spell.”
“…I do see this as a duty,” Seth said, his words honest and firm. “If I were given the option, I don’t know for certain that I’d be at your side.”
Horus refused to let himself be unhappy about that. He’d intended to trap Seth from the beginning, and now Seth was trapped. It made sense.
“But,” Seth said, making Horus perk up, “recall that I chose to stay. And being with you is not a chore. It’s a learning experience. A truly enlightening one.” He smiled. “I would have drowned in my own self-pity if not for you.”
Horus smiled, grateful Seth was being so charitable. “So I can be useful for something.”
“You can be useful for a lot of things,” Seth corrected him, surprising Horus. “You’re a capable god, and you can accomplish much when you don’t focus purely on revenge and your urges. And you have your own wisdom, too.”
Horus studied Seth’s red eyes, the fine lines of his face.
“It’s because of you that Anubis ascended,” Seth said. “It’s because of you that Isis has accepted the truth. It’s because of you that I’m not drowning in wine and incense. That Nephthys came out of her cell.” He breathed in deeply. “I care about what you have to say. Not just because it controls my life and the lives of so many others, but also because there is a power in your thoughts and opinions to change things for the better.” He leaned down. “And if I stay around you, maybe I’ll learn how to be like that, too.”
Horus’ eyes widened, even as Seth dropped down to place his lips against Horus’. The kiss was hesitant, but Seth stayed in place. Horus’ heart raced.
When Seth finally pulled back to break the kiss, his eyes were heated.
Horus studied Seth for a moment, before pushing him back onto the bed. Horus moved over him and leaned down to kiss him again. Horus’ left hand buried itself in Seth’s hair to cup the older god’s head. Their legs tangled together. Horus’ right hand clasped Seth’s left, pressing him into the bed.
Seth made a noise that Horus swallowed, but didn’t try to get away.
When Horus finally broke the kiss, he leaned down and pressed their foreheads together. “Then we’ll learn together.”