[In a different situation, Horus might not worry enough about the sounds coming from Emmanuel’s bed to get up and check on him. If he hadn’t been badly injured, with one of those injuries being a head wound, there would be less concern about a symptom of something more serious appearing in the dead of night. But Horus doesn’t sleep very deeply in general and might be a bit more tuned into Emmanuel’s well being on this night in particular, so he can’t keep himself from tiptoeing over and examining Emmanuel’s face in the darkness.
He doesn’t look great. Sweaty, flushed, face pinched up in reaction to what must be quite a strong sensory trigger - maybe fever, Horus thinks. Maybe something has gotten infected.
Emmanuel lets out another strangled sound and thrashes his legs and Horus decides he can’t leave this alone. Resting one knee on the bed, he reaches out to grasp Emmanuel’s shoulder and give it a shake.]
(( The external stimulus of the shift in weight on his bed combined with hands laid on him pulls Emmanuel immediately from sleep. Unfortunately, those hunter's instincts are what rise first. The priest's eyes fly open, wide and wild staring up without really seeing Horus looming above him. But his hands are up, too, pushing at anything they can reach: his face, his chest. Give it a second or too and his feet will join in on the action. ))
Whoa, whoa! [It's not exactly hard to hit Horus in a sensitive spot right now, so he's quick to recoil before Emmanuel lands a blow that'll really hurt.] It's just Horus! You're safe, man!
[Jeez, is that what he looks like when he's really in the zone and ready to demolish someone? Emmanuel barely even looked human for a second there, the way instinct took over behind his eyes.
Horus takes a step back from the bed with both hands up, a clear sign of surrender, and that broadens his field of vision enough for him to see how Emmanuel has kicked his blankets off him during the struggle - and that allows him to see the state of Emmanuel's sleep clothes, specifically the bottom half.
Oh.
It's so unexpected that Horus's brain just sort of switches into offline mode, arms falling back to his sides and face completely blank with shock. Well... that can sound like pain sometimes...]
(( It really is just instinct for the first solid minute of consciousness. Just all wild eyes and flaring nostrils like some of scared animal charging. Once Horus backs away, he stills, breathing hard even as his eyes finally start to focus. That's the generations of training at work. Even fresh from sleep, Emmanuel will fight for his life.
It's probably another minute with only the priest's labored breathing to punctuate the silence. That minute when his brain wakes up, realizes what just happen and sends him scrambling for the blankets his kicked away to cover himself once more. It's dark in here, maybe Horus didn't notice... ))
No - no, I'm sorry - just, uh, thought you might be - y'know, head injuries can take a turn in the first 24 hours...
[What a profoundly awkward thing to happen right when they were starting to bond a little. Horus has never really thought of Emmanuel as the kind of person to have dirty dreams, but it stands to reason if he's an adult man who can't have that kind of contact with anybody! What a silly assumption on Horus's part, that he would be completely sexless.
But then again, has he really thought of Emmanuel as a person at all? In the strictest sense, yes, but as someone with a history? A family? Hopes and dreams? Frustrated attractions? He poured out his entire history with his uncle and some things that happened before he was even born without asking Emmanuel a thing about himself.
Horus really has to do a better job at this bodyguard thing on all fronts.]
(( There's no option to go languish in a cold shower since he's not at home... or in a hotel. Private hospital is still a hospital and he can't just go find a shower to rot in. Curling up under the blankets, he waits another long moment before... ))
My brother... My twin brother died when we were still kids.
(( Horus shared so much with him, maybe it's Emmanuel's turn to be vulnerable with him. ))
[Instead of lying back down, Horus sits heavily on the edge of his bed at the revelation. There's a question looping through his head like a wasp around meat - is that, you know, relevant? - but he's not about to ask right after being told something so devastating. He'll see where this goes.]
Our whole family are monster hunters. For generations. But demons? None of us knew how to handle them and Elijah paid the price. So, I became an exorcist to help people who went through what my family did.
[Something in Horus's chest clenches painfully tight.]
Don't. I already said it's not your fault. [He clears his throat, swallows audibly.] And thanks for telling me. I don't always... well, I guess sometimes I forget. How hard life is for humans.
[He doesn't respect humans the way he should, is what he was about to say. Instead, he quietly adds:]
Well, for one thing, it seems like you know no damn fear. Which is a pain in my ass right now, but also impressive.
[Horus chuckles, before falling silent as he tries to find the right words for what he wants to say next.]
And... I guess I'm so used to being driven by hatred because of how and when I was born, I just assumed you were the same? But you're doing what you do for love. That's a better way to live.
(( Oh, the Church would be so fussy if they knew for a second Emmanuel was trying to educate someone on faith and doctrine. ))
I think... Humans, we want to think life isn't just random chaos. We need the believe in something more. Whatever it was in the beginning, my faith is something different now. The opposition of God and Satan is usually painted as good versus evil but...
The God of the Old Testament flooded the world. He punished humanity for nothing greater than disobedience. Does that sound like a loving and caring God to you? Does it sound like someone with an over abundance of forgiveness in His heart?
Evil is often defined as acting a morally incorrect way. But human morals are far from some standard universal force. If the Devil really is evil, he'd have to change and adapt perpetually to fit every possible idea of what evil is. It doesn't make a lot of sense to position God as goodness and Satan as evil. Even the dichotomy of order and chaos doesn't quite work. There are so many unanswered questions.
If I ever meet the Devil, I'd like to ask him some.
(( And that's probably the most Emmanuel's said to anyone in one sitting in years. Congratulations, Horus. ))
[That's followed by the longest silence yet. Horus knows he's just been told something very important and he doesn't want to respond without putting serious thought into it, but he's also far out of his depth talking about things like evil and punishment.]
Then it's treated like... more of a competition. Not like Ma'at, which is meant to be eternal. One side, good or evil, is eventually supposed to win. Is that right?
[And again, this is why Horus respects him so much. All Horus wants to do is tear Set limb from limb, but Emmanuel wants to look his supposed enemy in the eye and try to understand him more thoroughly. Even after suffering such a huge loss so early. And despite having all these questions and doubts, he never stops in his task because people need his help.]
That just proves what I said. You do things for the right reasons. I think that's why Dad gave me this job - he figures I can learn from you.
[That's... not only the nicest thing Emmanuel has ever said to him, but also the nicest thing he's heard Emmanuel say about anybody.]
Yeah? [Horus's smile is audible in his voice because he's absolutely beaming.] Same here, man.
[He finally settles back into bed then, looking up at the ceiling without feeling all that tired at all anymore. With a glance over at Emmanuel's back, he asks:]
How you feeling over there? Think you can sleep again? [The most general of questions, as if both of them aren't perfectly aware that Horus knows what state he was really in.]
We can wrap this one up or go on to morning if you like.
(( He genuinely thinks Horus is a decent guy. He's looking out for someone in whom he has no investment or obligation. He's doing a damn good job of it. He's not half-assing it. He was genuinely concerned for Emmanuel's well being and how can he forget that guilt he felt because Emmanuel got his face smashed into a wall (which was not in any way due to any deficiency on Horus' part as far as the priest is concerned). Sure, maybe angry and hatred and a few other less-than-savory things are motivating him to act against Set, but Emmanuel thinks he'd be in this camp even without all that because he understands what's wrong and what one shouldn't do to others. ))
I'll get there.
(( It takes some time, but thankfully his shame at having been exposed like that went a long way in killing the feelings that inspired his stupid little fit to begin with. Once he gets back to sleep, it's mostly sound. ))
When he closes his eyes, he's immediately accosted by the mental image of Emmanuel's face while caught in the throes of what he now knows to have been arousal. Flushed, gleaming with sweat, contorted from the intensity of sensation...
His eyes fly open again. A couple of deep breaths, and he closes them.
This time he sees the outline of Emmanuel's erection straining against his pyjama bottoms and pitching a very respectably-sized tent.
Welp. Maybe Horus won't be trying to sleep for awhile.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
He doesn’t look great. Sweaty, flushed, face pinched up in reaction to what must be quite a strong sensory trigger - maybe fever, Horus thinks. Maybe something has gotten infected.
Emmanuel lets out another strangled sound and thrashes his legs and Horus decides he can’t leave this alone. Resting one knee on the bed, he reaches out to grasp Emmanuel’s shoulder and give it a shake.]
Hey - you alright?
no subject
Get off!
no subject
[Jeez, is that what he looks like when he's really in the zone and ready to demolish someone? Emmanuel barely even looked human for a second there, the way instinct took over behind his eyes.
Horus takes a step back from the bed with both hands up, a clear sign of surrender, and that broadens his field of vision enough for him to see how Emmanuel has kicked his blankets off him during the struggle - and that allows him to see the state of Emmanuel's sleep clothes, specifically the bottom half.
Oh.
It's so unexpected that Horus's brain just sort of switches into offline mode, arms falling back to his sides and face completely blank with shock. Well... that can sound like pain sometimes...]
no subject
It's probably another minute with only the priest's labored breathing to punctuate the silence. That minute when his brain wakes up, realizes what just happen and sends him scrambling for the blankets his kicked away to cover himself once more. It's dark in here, maybe Horus didn't notice... ))
Sorry...
no subject
[What a profoundly awkward thing to happen right when they were starting to bond a little. Horus has never really thought of Emmanuel as the kind of person to have dirty dreams, but it stands to reason if he's an adult man who can't have that kind of contact with anybody! What a silly assumption on Horus's part, that he would be completely sexless.
But then again, has he really thought of Emmanuel as a person at all? In the strictest sense, yes, but as someone with a history? A family? Hopes and dreams? Frustrated attractions? He poured out his entire history with his uncle and some things that happened before he was even born without asking Emmanuel a thing about himself.
Horus really has to do a better job at this bodyguard thing on all fronts.]
no subject
(( His fingers ball into fists in the bedding. ))
A bad dream.
no subject
[If it wasn't bad before, it's certainly turned bad now.
Horus should really end this interaction, shouldn't he?]
Not your fault. I'm just jumpy. I'm - gonna leave you alone now.
[And he skulks back toward his bed.]
no subject
My brother... My twin brother died when we were still kids.
(( Horus shared so much with him, maybe it's Emmanuel's turn to be vulnerable with him. ))
no subject
Shit. I'm sorry.
no subject
(( Another pause. A long shuddering breath. ))
I'm sorry I worried you.
no subject
Don't. I already said it's not your fault. [He clears his throat, swallows audibly.] And thanks for telling me. I don't always... well, I guess sometimes I forget. How hard life is for humans.
[He doesn't respect humans the way he should, is what he was about to say. Instead, he quietly adds:]
I respect you a lot, you know.
no subject
(( Him specifically? Well, that's certainly a welcome distraction. Definitely better than anything else currently going on for Emmanuel. ))
I'm not sure I understand why.
no subject
[Horus chuckles, before falling silent as he tries to find the right words for what he wants to say next.]
And... I guess I'm so used to being driven by hatred because of how and when I was born, I just assumed you were the same? But you're doing what you do for love. That's a better way to live.
no subject
I can't sit by idly if people are being hurt in front of me. That's why I can't let Set do whatever it is he's planning to do.
no subject
Have you ever met him? The Devil?
no subject
(( There's another shuffling as Emmanuel turns onto one side, back to Horus. ))
Are you very familiar with my religion?
no subject
[No.]
no subject
I think... Humans, we want to think life isn't just random chaos. We need the believe in something more. Whatever it was in the beginning, my faith is something different now. The opposition of God and Satan is usually painted as good versus evil but...
The God of the Old Testament flooded the world. He punished humanity for nothing greater than disobedience. Does that sound like a loving and caring God to you? Does it sound like someone with an over abundance of forgiveness in His heart?
Evil is often defined as acting a morally incorrect way. But human morals are far from some standard universal force. If the Devil really is evil, he'd have to change and adapt perpetually to fit every possible idea of what evil is. It doesn't make a lot of sense to position God as goodness and Satan as evil. Even the dichotomy of order and chaos doesn't quite work. There are so many unanswered questions.
If I ever meet the Devil, I'd like to ask him some.
(( And that's probably the most Emmanuel's said to anyone in one sitting in years. Congratulations, Horus. ))
no subject
Then it's treated like... more of a competition. Not like Ma'at, which is meant to be eternal. One side, good or evil, is eventually supposed to win. Is that right?
[And again, this is why Horus respects him so much. All Horus wants to do is tear Set limb from limb, but Emmanuel wants to look his supposed enemy in the eye and try to understand him more thoroughly. Even after suffering such a huge loss so early. And despite having all these questions and doubts, he never stops in his task because people need his help.]
That just proves what I said. You do things for the right reasons. I think that's why Dad gave me this job - he figures I can learn from you.
no subject
(( There's also the whole damned and saved thing, but it's not really important at this juncture. ))
Maybe? Whatever the reason, I'm glad to know you.
no subject
Yeah? [Horus's smile is audible in his voice because he's absolutely beaming.] Same here, man.
[He finally settles back into bed then, looking up at the ceiling without feeling all that tired at all anymore. With a glance over at Emmanuel's back, he asks:]
How you feeling over there? Think you can sleep again? [The most general of questions, as if both of them aren't perfectly aware that Horus knows what state he was really in.]
We can wrap this one up or go on to morning if you like.
I'll get there.
(( It takes some time, but thankfully his shame at having been exposed like that went a long way in killing the feelings that inspired his stupid little fit to begin with. Once he gets back to sleep, it's mostly sound. ))
no subject
When he closes his eyes, he's immediately accosted by the mental image of Emmanuel's face while caught in the throes of what he now knows to have been arousal. Flushed, gleaming with sweat, contorted from the intensity of sensation...
His eyes fly open again. A couple of deep breaths, and he closes them.
This time he sees the outline of Emmanuel's erection straining against his pyjama bottoms and pitching a very respectably-sized tent.
Welp. Maybe Horus won't be trying to sleep for awhile.]