Chapter Text
“Alright boys,” Jedediah stood up on the windowsill of Nick’s bedroom. It overlooked the front yard of the house and had a decent view of the street. The yellow school bus was stopped in front of the house. Seven year old Nick Daley stepped off and started toward the front door. “He’s off an’ on his way up.”
Jedediah hopped off the windowsill and landed on the floor next to two other miniature cowboys, each of them standing at just under three inches tall. “You think he’s gettin’ the gift now?” Jack asked.
“We saw her walk in the house with it yesterday,” Ennis added. “And today’s his birthday so I don’t see why he wouldn't be gettin’ it today.”
“It’s another miniature set. I’m sure of it,” Jedediah asserted.
The sound of the front door closing drew the cowboys’ attention. The three scurried across the room and huddled around the cracked-open bedroom door to eavesdrop on the conversation downstairs.
“Happy birthday, Nicky!” They heard Nick’s mom greet him. There were a few shuffling sounds, likely Nick dropping his school bag and taking off his shoes. The mother and son exchanged some words that were unintelligible to the cowboys. There was a beat of silence then they heard the unmistakable sound of wrapping paper being torn open. They exchanged weary looks laced with anticipation.
“Mom, this is awesome!” Nick exclaimed. “Thank you!”
The sound of adolescent footsteps hurrying up the stairs made the three cowboys scatter. They found their places and collapsed onto the floor just as the boy swung the door open. He knelt in the center of the room and placed a cardboard box in front of him. He inspected for a second before setting it back down.
“Gah, I forgot scissors,” the boy lamented and rushed out of the room. As soon as he left, the cowboys rose and moved to assess the package.
“Now what in tarnation is that?” Jack snorted.
The package was a set of more miniature figures just like the cowboys. The front of the box was clear plastic and trapped inside were four very stern-looking gladiators and one decorated dapple gray mare. Three of the soldiers were dressed in simple armour but one stood out as the leader. His scarlet paludamentum and embellished helmet demanded respect.
“Emperor Gaius Octavius and his army.” Ennis read the packaging out loud.
Jack’s face twisted. “Is that supposed to be a horse? What kinda idgit puts that much metal on a horse?”
“Think we got ourselves some new competition, boys,” Jedediah observed.
The three heard Nick’s footsteps climb the stairs once again. They raced back to their positions on the floor, pretending to be inanimate, as Nick reentered the room. Without being seen, Jedediah craned his neck to get a better view of Nick unboxing the new toys.
“So cool!” Nick gushed as he freed the tiny soldiers from their plastic prison. “I’ve been wanting the Roman set.”
The boy discarded the packaging by tossing it to the side. He gingerly held up each soldier and inspected them, showing extra care to the emperor. Jedediah watched as Nick admired the toy, and he must agree the general wasn’t bad looking. His intricate armour reflected the sunlight and his sculpted face conveyed prestige and authority. Jedediah couldn’t help but admire the craftsmanship that went into his design.
“Oh!” Nick exclaimed, “You need to meet the pharaoh.” Nick dropped the Romans where he was and ran out of the room once again. Jedediah didn’t bother moving since he figured the boy would return quickly, which he did. Nick reclaimed his spot on the floor with his school bag and dug through it in search of the pharaoh. From one of the pockets, he revealed another three inch tall miniature figure of an Egyptian pharaoh. His gold embellishments and detailed garments made him stand out from all of Nick’s other toys. Some of the details were lost and chipped away from age, but he remained just as regal as ever.
Nick took the pharaoh in one hand and the Roman general in the other to have them formally meet. He lowered his voice to imitate how he imagined the pharaoh would sound like, “I am Ahkmenrah. I have ruled these lands for years. You will obey me as your ruler.”
Nick spoke to make the Roman respond, “Yes Mr. Ahkmenrah. I am Octavius, the emperor of Rome. I will do as you command.”
Jedediah observed Nick as he played with Octavius and Ahkmenrah. He didn’t know why it made his stomach twist and his chest tighten.
Nick has had Ahkmenrah for as long as Jedediah can remember. Jedediah, Jack, and Ennis were gifted to Nick for last year’s birthday and Ahkmenrah had already been there for a long time. It was no secret that he was Nick’s favorite toy. He kept him in his own special place high up on the bookshelf and out of harm’s way. He took him to school almost every day, which is why he had to fish him out of his school bag to meet Octavius. Everywhere Nick went, Ahkmenrah was close by.
Jedediah knew his place next to Ahkmenrah. He was used to not being the first choice. However, he never felt excluded. Sure, he didn’t spend every moment with Nick like Ahkmenrah did, but they still played together almost every day. Even if it was a minor role, Jedediah could count on being some part of Nick’s daily rotation. He was no Ahkmenrah, but he still cared so much for the boy and just enjoyed whatever time he could get with him.
Now, he and his cowboy brethren were haphazardly strewn about Nick’s floor. They laid forgotten as their kid embraced his newest, shiniest addition to the family. Just yesterday, that would have been Jedediah in Octavius’ position. All he could do now was watch as the Roman soaked up all the attention of the kid he loved so much. It made his blood boil.
Nick was swinging Ahkmenrah and Octavius through the air when his mom called from downstairs, “Nick, dinner’s in five minutes. I’m taking you to your dad’s after so pack a bag.”
“Okay!” Nick responded. He gathered the Romans and Ahkmenrah and placed them on his bed before hurrying downstairs.
Jedediah brought himself to his feet as Jack and Ennis hurried to his side.
“Should we go meet ‘em,” Jack suggested.
“Yeah,” Jedediah grumbled, “I wanna make a good impression.”
The cowboys wandered to the edge of Nick’s bed. Jedediah gave a sharp whistle and called, “Hey, Dex!” A second later, a large, lanky plush monkey appeared above them and swung himself onto the floor next to the three men. “How ‘bout givin’ us a lift, boy?” Jedediah asked, pointing to the bed where the Romans and Ahkmenrah were left. The monkey took the cowboys in one hand and hoisted all four of them onto the covers in one smooth motion.
“- Nicky for three years and –,” Ahkmenrah was acquainting himself with the Romans when he was interrupted by the monkey placing the cowboys next to them. “That would be Dexter and those three are Jedediah, Jack, and Ennis.”
Jack and Ennis both gave an awkward nod and wave. Jedediah just stood there menacingly with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Jedediah, this is Gaius Octavius.” Ahkmenrah noticed his disgruntled demeanor, so he singled him out.
Octavius took a step forward and held out his hand to the blond cowboy. “Just Octavius is sufficient.”
Jedediah rolled his eyes. The general’s voice sounded like a stuck-up prick then he had to go use a pretentious word like “sufficient”. It just pissed off Jedediah even more. He took Octavius’ hand in a firm, bordering aggressive, grasp. “Jedediah Smith. Hope we can get along,” he spat before relinquishing the general’s hand.
After a while, the toys reassumed their positions from before Nick left as to prevent any suspicion. Nick returned to his room and emptied his school bag from earlier to make room to pack for his dad’s. He raced around the room tossing in various clothes. Without hesitation, he stuffed Dexter and Ahkmenrah in. He’d done this every weekend for a year now. Jedediah knew the routine: first he packs his clothes, then Ahkmenrah, Dexter, and him. Jedediah waited for the boy’s tiny hands to pick him up and pack him in the bag with the others, but that never happened. Instead, to his horror, Nick picked up the Roman general and dropped him in the front pocket with Ahkmenrah. He was supposed to share that pocket with Ahkmenrah. Oh HELL no he thought to himself. The cowboy was shaking with rage.
“Nick! Let’s go!” The mom’s impatient voice rang through the house.
“I have to go to the bathroom!” Nick responded. He put his backpack on the floor a couple feet from Jedediah and darted to the bathroom.
This was his chance. Jedediah scurried to the backpack and crawled into the side pocket since all the others were zipped closed. It was probably meant to hold a water bottle or something similar, but Jedediah fit snugly inside. He hid in there all the way to Nick’s dad’s house, unnoticed.
~~~
“Nick!” Larry greeted. “What’s up, bud? How’s it feel to be the big seven?”
“Good,” Nick smiled. “Wait, I have to show you something!” Nick rushed into Larry’s two bedroom apartment, abandoning his mother in the doorway.
“Thanks, Erica,” Larry turned to Nick’s mom.
“No problem. See you Sunday, Nicky. Have fun,” Erica called from the front door before departing.
Nick dropped his backpack next to the coffee table in the living room. Larry followed behind him and claimed a spot on the sofa, interested in what his son had to show him.
“Look what mom got me,” Nick smiled, showing his dad the Roman general figure. Jedediah watched from his pocket. He could barely get a view, but hearing his kid gush about the Roman only fed the fire of his impotent rage.
“That’s so cool, Nicky,” Larry marveled. Whether it was feigned or not, Jedediah was pissed that the stupid Roman was getting his attention. “They’re just like the cowboys I got you last year, right?” Finally, a topic of conversation Jedediah could get on board with.
“Yeah, but we’re learning about the Roman Empire in history class. And I think they have cooler armour.” Jedediah cringed at the compliment.
“Alright little man,” Larry started, “I need you to go to bed early tonight. I have a birthday surprise for you tomorrow, but we have to be up early, okay?”
Nick nodded and headed to his bedroom. It was a pretty small room with only a bed, nightstand, and dresser since he spent most of his time at his mom’s. Nick didn’t keep any of his toys there, so the ones he brought were all he had. It used to be an honor for Jedediah to be chosen to come to dad’s for the weekend. He was good enough for Nicky to entertain him all weekend. Now, the Roman had stolen that glory.
Nick got ready for bed and fished Dexter out of the backpack to sleep with. The light shut off and Jedediah heard Nick shuffle into bed. He waited for several minutes until he was sure that Nick was asleep before crawling out of his pocket. He started away from the backpack when he heard unintelligible whispers coming from behind him. Jedediah turned around and crept back toward the bag. The voices were coming from the front pocket, where Octavius and Ahkmenrah were stored. The cowboy pressed his ear against the canvas to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“He’s a good man, I can assure you that much,” Ahkmenrah confirmed. “He loves Nicky very much, so I’m sure it’s just hard for him to share.”
“But he shares with you,” Octavius countered.
Ahkmenrah sighed. “Look, Jedediah’s not easy to get along with at first.” Jedediah perked up at the mention of his name. “He’s stubborn and standoffish and short-tempered. I think it stems from deep-seated insecurity.”
Jedediah pulled away. He had heard enough. Octavius was turning his friend against him. What a prick. He’s probably getting Ahkmenrah to spill all of his weaknesses so the general can exploit them. Like, how he’s terrified of spiders, being sticky, and the crippling fear that one day Nick won’t need him anymore leaving him to be forever alone and fade into useless obscurity. Right about now, Octavius is probably drafting up a plan for his soldier cronies to tie him up, cover him in maple syrup, and leave him for the spiders in the basement.
Jedediah stormed out of Nick’s room, leaving through the cracked open door. Once he was sure that Larry was also asleep, he went for his favorite pastime at the apartment: the desktop. It sat on a desk in the corner of the small living room, next to the TV. Jedediah assumes it’s probably for work, but he uses it to watch arbitrary YouTube videos while the humans are asleep.
Larry’s headphones were already plugged into the headphone jack, so he didn’t have to worry about being too loud. He struggled to crawl over the keyboard to type in the password, which he memorized one time when Nick had to use the computer for school and Larry told him how to login. Jedediah spent the next however many hours indulging in the YouTube algorithm while he assumed that Octavius was plotting against him.