Archive of Our Own

Steven was setting the table while Arthur watched over the chickpea soup on the stove. This dinner would make it official. Even as he fiddled with the daffodils he chose as the centerpiece, all he had to do was look over to Arthur in the kitchen and feel peace calm him. He looked down from the flowers to his fiancé to the simple band on his finger and smiled. This was it. The night he was going to tell his brother about the engagement and ask him to be his best man. That he wanted his brother to finally say he was okay with this relationship. 

As if he knew Steven was looking at him, Arthur turned from the soup to look at him. They smiled at each other. “How does everything look?” Steven asked.

Arthur left the stove to come over and give the dining table an appraising eye. “It’s perfect,” he said, wrapping his arms around Steven. They looked into each other's eyes and smiled. Steven’s eyes practically sparkled. He didn’t often meet another person’s eyes, but Arthur was different. He could sustain eye contact longer with him than anyone he had ever met before.

”Do you think Marc will handle the announcement well?” The thought of his brother had Steven fussing over the table setting again.

Arthur sighed. “I think your brother will have plenty to say about it.”

”That is not what I asked,” Steven retorted, making his way around the table, checking every angle.

When he made his way back around to his fiancé, Arthur took Steven’s hands. “We’ve been together for a long time now, Steven. He must realize that we’re taking our relationship seriously. We have an apartment together. We even have Bast.” 

Hearing her name, Bast looked up from her bed and meowed at Arthur. The small black cat with yellow eyes, named after their shared love of Egyptian history, was a newer addition to the family, but it felt like she had always been there.

Steven moved to the cat’s perch and scratched her head and chin. “Yeah, but he’s always going on about how you’re a phase I’ll grow out of. Something about rebellion and the allure of an older man.” His voice changed to the baby talk they used when talking to the smallest member of their family, scratching Bast’s neck as she purred and stretched.

”I’m not that much older than you,” Arthur protested.

”I think a lot of it is the cane.”

”Isn’t the age gap between him and Layla pretty close to ours?”

”You know, I think it’s actually about the same. Steven seems to think that being a few minutes younger than him means I’m still a child.”

Arthur came over to Steven and Bast, giving the cat a scritch of his own. “He is certainly wrong about that,” he said.

Steven reached into his pocket and took out the envelope he had there, considering whether or not he should put it at Marc’s place at the dining table.

”How many times have you taken that out to look at?”

”I don’t know, maybe three? It’s not that much, really.”

”It’s starting to get crumpled.”

Steven looked at the envelope, panicked. “Should I make a fresh one?”

”No, it’s perfect. We already went over it. It says everything you need it to.” Arthur took Steven’s hand and gave it a squeeze, looking at him with exasperated affection.

Steven returned the look and gave Arthur a kiss. “We should check on the soup,” he said, getting up and moving to the kitchen. Arthur moved with him, stopping him before they rounded the counter and turning him around.

”Don’t worry about the soup,” Arthur said softly. “I set it to simmer.”

Steven smiled, trapped between Arthur and the counter. They came together, Arthur raising Steven to sit on the countertop between his legs. His hands reached under Steven’s shirt, still warm from the stove. Steven reached out and wrapped his legs around Arthur’s middle. They had discovered this was a perfect place and position due to Arthur’s leg and fell into their familiar rhythm easily. Steven could only be grateful he still had his pants on when he heard Marc’s interruption.

”What the hell is going on here?” Marc shouted from the door. “You invited us over to dinner and this is what I have to look at?”

Steven and Arthur stopped instantly. Steven jumped from the counter, knocking Arthur’s teeth together. “Marc? I thought you were coming at six.”

”Look at the clock, Steven,” Marc was incredibly forceful in his anger.

Steven dutifully looked at the kitchen clock. “Ah… it’s after six. Right.”

”We do have a doorbell, Marc,” Arthur said, completely calm in the face of Steven’s brother. He stood up with his cane now in both hands.

”Family doesn’t knock. That’s why I have a key,” Marc said, holding up the key Steven had given his brother.

”Family does knock when they don’t want to see things they can’t unsee.”

Marc stared daggers at Arthur. “I didn’t expect you to be having sex on the kitchen counter when I was already late for the dinner you’ve insisted on having.”

”We were not having sex on the counter. Not that that would be a problem, of course. I mean, this is our home and we are consenting adults in a committed relationship. Of course, it's not as though a commitment is absolutely necessary. I don't want to make anyone feel ashamed…”

”Marc, why don't you tell us what you expected to see when you barged into your brother’s apartment,” Layla interjected, coming in behind her husband. “Weren’t you saying something about catching your brother in a fight with his boyfriend?”

Steven smiled. He could always count on Layla to relieve tension. He checked Arthur to make sure he hadn’t hurt him when he jumped from the counter, taking his face in his hand. Arthur nodded that he was fine.

”Well, I figured the honeymoon period had to be over by now.”

Layla scoffed, her arms folded in front of her now. 

“Don’t worry, they’re clearly just as cheesy as they were last month,” Marc gestured at the show of affection between his brother and partner.

”Ignore him,” Layla said, putting an arm around Steven. “He just wants to make Arthur as uncomfortable as he possibly can.”

“I'm fine,” Arthur said. “Marc should be more worried about how he's making Steven feel.”

“It's okay. Marc is always welcome. I mean, I do wish he would pay a little more attention to the circumstances he's in, but-” Steven was cut off.

“Hey, I pay plenty of attention. It's not my fault if you decided to have fun just because we were a few minutes late.”

“I told him to knock first,” Layla interjected. “He took the opportunity to barge in when I left my purse in the car.”

Marc growled in response.

The knot in Steven's stomach grew. How could everything go so wrong so fast? “Everything is fine,” he said a little too loud. Everyone turned to look at him and Steven looked at the centerpiece and turned it a little, not looking at anyone. “I just mean that the food is ready. The soup can't simmer forever. I would appreciate it if we could just all sit down and have a nice meal.”

“I'm sorry, Steven,” Layla was the first one to respond. “Let's start the evening over. We could even leave and come back again.” She dragged Marc back to the door and opened it.

Steven smiled. “No, you don't have to do that.”

But Layla had already dragged Marc out the door and closed it. Steven looked over at Arthur, who just shrugged. “I say we just go with it.”

Layla knocked on the door. Arthur made a show of going over to open it. “Well hello Layla. It's nice to see you again. Can I take your jacket?”

“Certainly,” she said, making a show of taking off her coat and handing it to Arthur so he could put it on the coat rack. She came over and gave Steven a hug and peck on the cheek. “It's so good to see you, Steven. I'm glad you invited us tonight.”

Marc dragged behind his wife, making a show of taking his own jacket off and placing it on the coat rack. “Yes, it's so good to see you and Dr. Harrow not making out like teenagers on the kitchen island. My appetite hasn't been ruined at all.” 

Layla swatted Marc. “I mean, it's good to see you,” he revised.

Steven smiled. “I'm so glad you could make it tonight. Please, take a seat.” He pulled out a chair for Layla, who made a show of seating herself. Marc took the chair next to her and sat down a little more reluctantly.

“Arthur made a terrific chickpea soup for tonight,” Steven moved to the kitchen to fill the bowls that were laid out next to the stove. 

“And Steven made a wonderful arugula and fennel salad to go with it.” Arthur took the salad bowl from the fridge and took the tongs from beside the bowls, taking a moment to kiss Steven’s cheek before moving back to the dining table, taking time to carefully plate the salad for each guest. By the time he finished plating the last salad, Steven was bringing over the soup, laying them each down carefully.

As he placed the last bowl, Marc exclaimed, “What is that?”

Confused, Steven turned to his brother. “What?”

“On your hand,” Marc pointed at Steven's ring.

“Oh,” Steven looked down at his hand. He hadn't expected this to be the moment. In his head, he they had finished their food and would be amiably talking about something and he would say something to the effect of I have some wonderful news, and now his plans were ruined. He should have taken the ring off for the beginning of the dinner, but it made him so happy Everytime he looked down and saw it he could hardly bring himself to take it off for a shower, let alone for dinner. He looked to Arthur, who took his seat at the table and gave him a supportive nod and held out his hand. Steven sat, taking the proffered support. “We’re engaged.”

“Congratulations!” Layla exclaimed. “I knew it! I told Marc before we left that today was different. Can I see the ring?”

Steven felt his fears melt away for a moment as he held his left hand out to his sister-in-law. “You're kidding,” Marc seethed from the other side.

“Marc…” Layla started.

“No. This is too much, Layla. And you just congratulate him like it's nothing? You know what I went through because of Harrow.” He turned from his wife to his brother. “And you. Of all the people in the world, this is the one you choose to spend your life with? If I could change anything, I would go back to the day I introduced you two and make sure you never met.”

There was a moment where everyone seemed frozen. “You don't get to treat us like this in our home,” Steven looked at his brother, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears. “I know Arthur isn't your first choice for me. I know you have a history. But Arthur didn't make your decisions for you. You chose to say yes to Khonshu after Arthur found his freedom. You chose to guard dangerous digs in Egypt.”

“You never told me you introduced them,’ Layla crossed her arms and gave Marc her own look of disappointment.

“I don't like thinking about it.” Marc started eating his soup, clutching the spoon with a vice-like grip, staring into the bowl.

“It's actually odd that we hadn't met before that,” Arthur took Steven's hand as his fiance sat next to him. “Steven was still working on his thesis back then and it was only by happenstance that we were out on different digs and kept missing each other.” They shared a warm look as Arthur gave Steven's hand a squeeze.

“I'm glad we hadn't met yet, honestly,” Steven said. “I wouldn't want to break any rules of conduct with students and teachers dating. Of course, since he wasn't my advisor and I didn’t take any classes from him, it probably would have been all right. I checked the code of ethics for student/teacher relationships and it didn't have anything on quite this situation. The balance of power is really important with these situations. The point is that we would have met eventually with or without you. But I’m really glad you were there anyway, Marc.”

“You’re glad I was there to facilitate you meeting your future partner…Really?” Marc stopped eating and looked at his brother.

“Well, yeah. I mean, it was good to know the history between you before anything really happened between us. I would rather that than be surprised down the road.”

“Let me get this straight,” Marc leaned forward on his elbows. “The circumstances of your meeting don't matter that much because you were likely to meet anyway. That's fine. But you were glad I had a history with him. A history that included being there when Arthur broke his contract with Khonshu, setting me up to become the next avatar of a capricious ancient Egyptian god?”

“That's not at all what I meant.”

“I'm sorry that Khonshu came to you, Marc,” Arthur tried to meet his eyes, but Marc kept his gaze on his brother. “Truly, I am. If I could have made sure Khonshu would never have the opportunity to take another avatar, I would have. But Steven is right. Khonshu cannot enter an unwilling host. You had to let him in.”

“Yeah, well, it's not much of a choice when you're choking on your own blood in the middle of the desert.”

Silence enveloped the apartment. Spoons scraped against bowls and there was crunching from the salad. Steven wondered just how things had gone so poorly. This was worse than his imagination had come up with when he played the night in his mind. He wasn't sure how long everyone had sat in stony silence, eating, but it was long enough that Bast came by and started threading through his legs, meowing for her dinner.

“Excuse me, I'm going to go feed Bast. I'll be right back,” Steven said, rising from his chair without looking at anyone.

“This is the best chickpea soup I have ever had,” Layla said. “Could I get the recipe later?”

“Of course,” Arthur replied.

Steven washed his hands and came back to the table. “I'm sorry, Marc,” he said, glancing up at his brother. “I know you had an impossible choice to make.”

“You never talk about what happened to you out there,” Layla said, laying a cheek on her husband's arm.

“Yeah, well, there are some things that you don't talk about, aren't there?” Marc managed to say. “Things like death and servitude to a god you didn't even know existed the day before.”

“You know, this may be the best place to talk about it. I know it's not ideal but I know what it's like to be under Khonshu’s thumb. And when I agreed to be his avatar, I wasn't in dire straits like you. I was a stupid undergrad who thought he could change the world,” Arthur said.

“And you got out.”

“And I got out.”

“That's all you have to say about it?”

“I was only released after my leg was crushed in a car accident. I got out, but I was also abandoned after I wasn't considered useful anymore. I didn't know that Khonshu would choose you. I was looking for an answer to why he abandoned me.”

Marc finally looked at Arthur. “Why would you want Khonshu in your head?”

Arthur took a moment to consider. “You have to understand that by the time Khonshu left me, he had been with me longer than I had been without him. I devoted my studies to him. I became a professor based on the knowledge I got from him. And none of that mattered in the end. He left me when I needed him most. He could have healed me, but he decided that it wasn't worth the effort…” he trailed off and went back to eating.

“Marc didn't tell me how my father died until I confronted him about it,” Layla said, wiping her hands and mouth on her napkin. When Marc gave her a wounded look, she continued. “What? It's true. I just mean that you’re not very good at confrontation.”

“First of all, I didn’t even know it was your dad at the time. Second, I was hired for my discretion. You don’t get far in that line of work by ratting out your clients,” Marc turned to his wife.

”I know. And that’s why I eventually forgave you. There was so much going on with that dig. No one could have seen the consequences. Taking a group of archeologists who spent more time in the classroom than in the field to a site that was in the middle of a territory dispute is a lot.”

”And that’s before we come to Dr. Harrow, who apparently wanted to get Khonshu back in his head. It’s not easy to do your job when you don’t have crucial information.”

“I want you to know that I never blamed you, Marc,” Arthur said.

“No, apparently you were looking at me and thinking I would be a good fuck.”

Steven’s face reddened. “Marc, I don’t think that’s appropriate.”

”I was never attracted to you Marc. Believe it or not, you and your brother are very different people.”

“You sound just like I used to imagine, you know,” Marc turned to his brother. “I had this idealized version of you that would tell me I was an idiot when I did something stupid. I'm glad I wasn't so far off the mark.”

Steven fiddled with his spoon, his leg bouncing, not really looking at anything. “I wish you wouldn’t do that, Marc,” his voice was small. “I’m a real person, not some phantom. I don’t want to be demonized or idealized. I just want to be your brother.”

“Steven—“

”No, I’m not finished. I don’t like it when you tell me that you wish I hadn’t met Arthur when it was one of the most important days of my life. I want you here for the important moments. There was a time when I didn't think I would get to have this. Mum didn't exactly like the idea of a gay son, you know. When she died and I found you and Dad, I was so scared of what you would think of me. And I know that's selfish, but I was.”

Arthur offered his hand to Steven again.  He took it and sniffed, finally looking up to meet his brother's gaze. 

“You know I don't care about that,” Marc put in.

“I know that now, but I didn't know it then. Seeing you put Arthur down so much brings me back to the times I tried to bring someone home when Mum was alive…” Steven trailed off and quickly wiped his eyes.

“Did you know I had a girlfriend in school?” Layla asked.

A desperate laugh escaped Steven and Marc just sighed.

“What? It's true. I really loved her and I thought we would be together forever. I always knew I liked boys and girls, but Egypt isn't the safest place in the world for gay or lesbian relationships.”

“What happened to her?” Arthur asked.

“Well, we were kids. It didn't work out. We kept in touch for a while, but then I just stopped hearing from her…I don't know what happened. But eventually, I met Marc. I don't think a childhood romance can really compare.”

Marc squirmed. “Yeah, yeah. Adult relationships are great.”

Layla laughed, eyes sparkling. “I'll tell you what, when I first saw you, I thought you would be great in bed.”

Now Arthur joined in her mirth. “I could hardly take my eyes off of Steven when we first met,”

The brothers were both red faced now, Steven with embarrassment and Marc with frustration, but they were both smiling.

“It's funny because I never thought Marc was anything special. You might be identical twins, but you're so different. I could tell right away that something was different about you,” Arthur swept an errant curl from Steven's forehead. “I'm glad I got to meet you that day.”

“I didn't even know Marc had a twin brother until his Mom’s funeral,” Layla said.

“It was like a real life version of The Parent Trap,” Marc said. “Dad took me and stayed in the States and Mom took Steven and they ended up here.”

“I don't think I could leave a child behind like that.”

“I don't think Mum thought she could handle more than me at the time. I was pretty sick when I was little,” Steven said.

Marc snorted. “I guess that's one way to put it.”

“Sorry?”

“I just mean that you weren't really sick, Steven. Mom only left me behind because she blamed me for you nearly drowning.”

Steven frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“That's why she left me behind. She thought I had almost killed you and then she just left with you one night.”

Steven’s mouth hung open for a moment before he spluttered. “Marc, I had leukemia.”

“What?”

“I had childhood leukemia. I was in and out of treatment. I don't even remember whatever you're talking about. I just know that one night, we were all together and then we weren't. I don't have many memories from childhood, honestly.”

Marc nodded slowly, tension growing. Then he slammed his fist down on the table, startling everyone. “I'm taking a walk,” he said, making a beeline for the doors. 

“Marc,” Layla said, but he was already out the door. She turned back to the table. “He does that sometimes,” she picked up her napkin. “He always comes back,” she started twisting the cloth in her hands.

The silence hung in the air. “I'm sorry,” Steven said.

Arthur immediately came to his partner's aid. “No, Steven, this isn't your fault.”

“I'm sorry,” he repeated. “I'm sorry. I didn't know…I”

“No, Steven. This is just how he copes. He has to take it in and churn it in his mind before he can talk again.” Layla came around the table and knelt next to Steven.

Steven nodded, but there were tears in his eyes. “I wanted a nice dinner, yeah? I thought it might go a bit pear, but I didn't think I would make him leave.”

“He'll be back,” Arthur consoled.

“I had it all planned out. I had this stupid card I was going to give him and ask him to be my best man. I knew he might not be thrilled, but I thought he would see how happy Arthur makes me and that would be enough. I know I can't fix anything. I can't believe I've been so selfish,” he trailed off.

“For what it's worth, Steven, I don't think you're asking for too much.”

“You really aren't,” Layla leaned in, giving her brother-in-law a hug. “And you're not selfish for wanting your family to be happy for you.”

“I hate it when people just walk away. When I was little, Mum would walk out of the flat when she was mad, or she would leave me alone in hospital and I never knew when she would be back. I would cry and cry. When she finally showed up again, she pretended nothing happened. That I was overreacting. But we did disappear,” he looked from Arthur to Layla. “I never saw Marc or Dad again. Not until Mum died. I barely remembered them,” he swallowed. “I don't want to lose Marc again.”

“I would never let that happen,” Layla said, gripping Stevens' neck. “Even if Marc gets mad, even if he takes a time out, I’ll still be here. And we're a package deal.”

Steven nodded.

“I know I said that I felt abandoned by Khonshu, but you helped me see that I could be more. That I could move past him,” Arthur said. “You showed me that there is joy in making a home. I love you so much, Steven.”

Steven moved from Layla’s hug and threw himself into Arthur's arms, holding him close. “I love you, too.” 

Layla stood up and went back to her seat. “Can I get some more soup? It really is delicious,” she said, picking up her bowl and moving into the kitchen.

She was already ladling herself another helping when she heard Arthur tell to go right ahead. When she came back to the table, Steven and Arthur were back to their original positions, finishing their own servings.

“It really is good, Arthur,” Steven said.

“Your salad pairs with it perfectly,” he replied.

“I can't believe this food didn't help keep the peace,” Layla said, her mouth full.

“Well we hadn't started eating yet.”

“That must be it. He was hangry.”

Steven hiccuped a laugh and Arthur tried to hide his smile with his napkin.

“Did I mention that I love your flowers? My wedding bouquet was centered with daffodils.”

“I remembered you telling me that,” Steven leaned in, smiling again.

”He was so nervous about the centerpiece,” Arthur said, his eyes twinkling. “He kept looking at your bridal photo and comparing them. He wanted it to look close enough to remind you of the wedding and different enough that it wasn’t too obvious.”

Layla laughed. “Steven, you already warned me about tonight. And Marc doesn’t pay attention to things like flowers.”

”I hoped it would sort of soften the blow. Even if he didn’t think about the connection, maybe he would subconsciously feel calmer,” Steven said.

“That is so sweet…and a little unhinged,” when she saw Steven look down again, she added: “And I love them.” Once Steven looked up again, she continued. “So, when are you thinking for the wedding?”

”We were thinking next fall,” Arthur said.

”That’s barely a year away. Can you get everything done by then?”

”Um, we’ve been planning it a little longer than I may have told you, Layla,” Steven said sheepishly.

“He's made spreadsheets,” Arthur said.

“As in, multiple spreadsheets?” When Steven nodded, she continued. “Marc and I barely planned anything. I was lucky to get my bridal pictures done and a dress ready.”

“How much time did it take you to get ready?” Steven asked.

“I think three months? We just got sick of it and decided it wasn't worth spending the money for something big.”

“Steven has a dedicated savings account just for this. There's no way we can go too small,” Arthur said.

“Arthur,” Steven said, scandalized. 

But Layla just smiled. “I think it's sweet. You didn't even know if it would be possible, but you planned for it just in case.”

“It makes sense to have something set aside for big life events,” Steven shrugged. “Even if marriage wasn't always an option, I hoped for a stable relationship with a home.”

“And I can't believe I'm the lucky bastard who found you,” Arthur said, looking at Steven. Then he turned to Layla. “I never really cared about conventions like marriage before I met Steven. But now, I think I want it almost as much as him. His enthusiasm is hard to not get caught up in.”

“I'm sorry,” Layla stood up. “Do you mind if I just go to the bathroom? I promise I won't run away.”

“Of course not,” Steven said.

Layla walked to the bathroom and closed the door. Then she pulled her phone from her pocket and brought up her text thread with Marc.

Layla: You need to get your ass back here and apologize to your brother.

Layla tapped her foot, waiting for a response.

Marc: ...

Layla: I know you're reading these texts. I'm serious here.

Marc: I just needed some air.

Layla: …

Marc: I haven't even been gone that long.

Layla: You didn't even let him tell you his news.

Marc: I know.

Layla: I swear, if you ruin this for your brother, I will divorce you and marry him.

Marc: …What?

Layla: …

Marc: Would Steven even want that? I don’t think that would work.

Layla: …

Marc: Maybe if you got your cousin.

Layla: Just get back here.

Marc: Yeah, I hear you.

Layla: And remember how I told you to keep it together tonight?

Marc: I remember.

Layla: Well, I really need you to keep it together this time.

Marc: 👍 

Layla flushed the toilet and put her phone back in her pocket. Then she turned the faucet on, giving it a few seconds. By the time she came back out, Steven and Arthur had cleared the table they were playing with their cat. Steven had a fishing pole with a feather attached to the string and he was waving it in front of the cat, who was preparing to pounce. Arthur held a treat, ready to give it to her when she successfully killed the feather. Layla leaned against the wall and watched them.

Bast caught the feather and gave a killing bite. “Good job, Bast,” Arthur said and placed the treat next to her.

Once she left the feather and attacked her treat, Steven scratched her head. “Well done!” Bast purred and leaned into the scratches until she nearly lost her balance.

“That is the cutest cat I've ever seen,’ Layla said.

Steven and Arthur turned to her, both smiling. “You won't get an argument from me,” Arthur said.

“You guys cleaned up so fast. I didn't even have a chance to help.”

“You could do the dishes if you really want to.”

“Oy, don't make her do that,” Steven exclaimed. “She's our guest.”

“No, I'm not just a guest. I'm also family. And family gets to help with cleanup,” Layla moved to the kitchen.

Steven hurried after her, unwilling to let her do the dishes alone. Soon, they were side by side, scrubbing away.

“We put Marc's food in Tupperware so you can take it home with you,” Arthur said from the dining room. “It's in the fridge.”

“Marc had always preferred your desserts, anyway,” Layla said, still concentrating on the dishes.

“Steven made an Asian pear and vanilla bean sorbet. It's in the freezer. He also made pizzelles to go with it.”

“Are you serious? That sounds amazing.”

“I can get you some to take home,” Steven said quietly.

“Oh, I don't think that will be necessary. If Marc doesn't come back soon, I will eat his portion and rub it in his face. We can take pictures and text them to him. He'll be devastated.”

Steven snorted and Layla smiled. They were able to finish the dishes without noticing the time. Soon, Steven was dishing the sorbet with Layla coming in behind with the pizzelles while Bast napped on Arthur's lap in the dining room. 

Steven lingered over the last dish, remembering that they were still missing Marc. Layla was ready to get her phone out and put him on speaker when there was a knock at the door.

Steven and Arthur exchanged a look of surprise. Layla let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding in and said “thank God,” under her breath.

Steven moved to get the door, not wanting to make Arthur disturb Bast’s nap. He lingered once he got to the doorknob. “It's okay,” Arthur said when Steven looked back at him.

The knob turned and when the door opened, Arthur, Steven and Layla saw Marc standing there, looking at his shoes. “Marc,” Steven breathed.

“Hey. Am I too late for dessert?” Marc asked.

“No, of course not. Come in,” Steven hurried back to the kitchen island where he had the dishes laid out. “I was just scooping the sorbet.”

Marc shuffled back into the apartment. Bast jumped in front of him and hissed, her tail and back raised up. “Bast, no,” Arthur scolded, but she had already pounced on Marc's shoe.

Steven snapped his fingers and Bast immediately scampered into the bedroom and hid under the bed. “Are you all right?” Steven bounded back to his brother. Layla leaned against the counter and took the scoop in her hand.

“I'm fine,” Marc said, bringing his foot up to examine his shoe. “That cat is a real firecracker.”

“She's a good judge of character,” Layla said.

“You did disrupt her nap,” Arthur added.

Bast’s eyes glowed from the darkness in the bedroom, two little yellow eyes out of reach, watching Marc suspiciously.

”Yeah, yeah. Animals don’t tend to like me much,” Marc dusted off his shoe and stood up before moving further into the apartment.

”She was fine earlier,’ Layla reprimanded. “Maybe she just doesn't like it when people leave in the middle of dinner.”

Marc shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I always come back.”

“Maybe that's not the point, though. Maybe you should apologize. Tell her that you'll try to do better.”

Marc flashed a look at Layla and she nodded towards Steven, whose eyes were glued to his brother. He clenched his jaw.

“I'm sorry.”

He glanced at his brother.

“I'm sure Bast understands,” Steven said with a lopsided smile. “Take a seat. I don't want the dessert to melt.” He turned back to the kitchen and started setting out the dessert with Layla’s help.

Once everyone was sat around the dining table once again, Marc took his spoon and slid it into the sorbet. “Oh my God, this is amazing,” he scooped another spoonful. “How are you so good at desserts? I thought you were an egyptologist.”

“My specialization is actually in archeoastronomy, so I don’t just study Egypt. Although most of my research has been concentrated there.”

“That still doesn't explain how you got so good at making treats,” Marc crunched down on his pizzelles.

“I told you he was just hangry,” Layla teased.

“You did what?”

“I said that no one could be angry with the food Steven and Arthur provide at their table.”

“Didn't you know that everyone in the archeology department is also a gourmet chef?” Arthur said.

“And the archeoastronomists make the best desserts,’ Steven said conversationally.

“Why?” Layla asked mischievously.

“Don't say it,” Marc already knew where this was going.

“Because their pastries are heavenly,” Arthur said with a straight face. 

Steven pursed his lips together.

“Okay,” Marc said, taking another spoonful.

“And their sorbets are out of this world,” Arthur continued, shaking his head like it was inevitable.

Steven burst out laughing.

“This is what does it for you, Steven?”

“Erm, yeah,” Steven smiled, looking at Arthur. “He always knows how to make me smile.”

Marc looked from Arthur to Steven. “Okay.”

Steven turned back to his brother. “Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

“Finally,” Layla exhaled.

Steven exchanged a glance with Arthur as he reached into his pocket. Arthur nodded in encouragement and he brought out a slightly wrinkled envelope and slid it across to his brother.

“What's this?” Marc asked, taking the envelope and opening it.

“I wanted to ask you something and I didn't quite know how to say it, so I made this card. I hope it's not too silly.”

Marc had taken the card out and was looking at it as Steven trailed off. He read the front slowly.

I Can’t Say I Do Without You

Will You Be My Best Man?

He turned the card over.

Marc,

I am so excited to ask you to be my best man. I know Arthur isn’t the person you would pick for me, but I know you will support me and there’s no one else I want by my side more. I’m so glad to have you back in my life. After Mum died, I thought I was alone in the world, but now I have more family than ever.

Anyway, Layla told me to keep this short, so all I can say is that I hope you’ll say yes.

All My Love,

Steven

Marc had a hand over his mouth as he read the card. By the time he was done, tears threatened to fall. 

“Marc?” Steven ventured.

Marc stood up from his chair and rounded the table to his brother, taking him up in a bear hug. “I won't let you down Steven.”

Steven hugged his brother. “You won't let me down. I just want you to be here.”

Marc held him tighter. “I will.”