A/N Hey guys, hope you enjoy this! I decided to change it so that Asenath and Joseph never married and never had children just for convenience's sake, but otherwise, this takes place with everything in the state it was after the movie ended.
It was almost strange, how quickly Judah began to treat me as he did Benjamin, as if trying to make up for the twenty years lost between us. In fact, it seemed that every moment he didn't spend with the youngest, he tried to spend with me, trying to draw me into conversation.
"I'm glad people have been… good to you, here. You deserve it," he said one afternoon, quiet, and I offered a faint smile, headdress and other accessories gone on the hot day in favor of nothing but my shendyt. He dressed more heavily, not used to or fond of Egyptian clothing as the others had become. Honestly he seemed less fond of most things in this area than the rest; he always seemed faintly uncomfortable, and his gaze flickered warily from place to place as though someone were hiding in the shadows.
"I only got lucky, truly, to be bought by Potiphar; he's a good man," I told him, my fondness surely being starkly displayed across my face. Judah's mouth twitched, a certain worry filling his face as I realized that he had not yet met Potiphar, not truly, and I chuckled.
"He could be," he mumbled, quiet, "but I'm not certain." I pretended as if I didn't hear, instead leaning back to gaze up at the sky. We were seated on a ledge that looked out over one of the many markets nearby, and though it was wide and not precarious, Judah still put a hand at my back right away to steady me. The sensation still confused me endlessly; I felt, for the first time, as if I had a brother, and my heart clenched both with pain and with pleasure. Beneath us, I saw Benjamin running with a girl he'd met here, young and beautiful, while Simeon chased after them laughingly. Our father, I knew, would yet be inside where it was cooler, perhaps with my other brothers, or perhaps they were off in the city exploring again.
"Benjamin seems to like her very much, doesn't he?" The worry on his face turned to fondness in an instant as he nodded.
"She seems kind enough. Have you met anyone here, brother? The woman who lives here with you, maybe?" I offered a laugh myself, able only to shake my head.
"Asenath? No, no, but she's been very kind to me. Potiphar's former wife was her aunt, you see; she fed me when I was in prison and before that we spoke often. I do care much for her, but we don't love each other." He returned my laughter with a teasing grin, still making certain I didn't fall from the ledge, hand kind and warm behind me, and I felt like sobbing in my joy.
"Well, you do have your mother's face, you know; I'm sure she'd rather someone who looked like father," he said stroking his own chin, and I returned the grin.
"You've certainly got that down, Judah; you've so many age marks upon your face, you could pass as his brother more than mine!" He laughed himself, open and easy as he always had with our other brothers, arms open to me in a way I'd never imagined. It felt like perfection, simply sitting there and teasing, finding family where before I'd seen only a stranger who hated me more than anything. We sat there for a very long time teasing one another, only rarely slipping into more serious conversation, but still I wouldn't have traded those moments for anything.
We were preparing to go back inside when I heard a familiar voice calling for me, however, and though I thought it impossible, my mood brightened further; it seemed that I would have an opportunity for Judah to meet Potiphar after all, and the man himself would certainly be able to prove his kindness to my brother where I could not. I called back to him so he could find me, and Judah looked faintly wary, standing nearer to me than was necessary, hand heavy on my arm, as Potiphar came to stand before us. His gaze flickered for a moment to where Judah's skin touched mine, frowning faintly, until it flashed to my face and he smiled instead, taking my by the wrist and trying to draw me away. Judah's grip tightened. I would never deny how much that confused me.
"What do you want?" Judah asked, voice low and slow, and Potiphar only raised a brow, looking surprised at the sudden insolence because, I knew, he was very rarely faced with such things.
"I had planned to go for a walk through the city; it's very beautiful when evening is falling. Joseph often accompanies me." He spoke calmly, and slowly, as if explaining something to a child, and I knew well enough how much that annoyed Judah.
"We have been here most of the day, so I'm certain he's tired by now. We were just planning to go back inside." I tried to speak, to day that I did not mind a walk, but Judah clenched his hand a bit and kept me quiet.
"Ah. Perhaps another time, then. I expect this is a good opportunity for something else I've been considering, however. Judah, would you mind speaking with me privately for a time?" That, I think, surprised the both of us, though likely me more than Judah; after all, thus far Potiphar had shown relatively little interest in my family. He hadn't been rude, of course, but where others had had questions and wished for stories, he had simply accepted their presence and gone on about his business as if they weren't there. Judah's surprise was tempered by suspicious, though I didn't know what reason he had for being so distrustful of the man when, as I'd said, they hadn't ever really spoken.
"I suppose. Joseph, you ought to go get some rest," he said, turning to me with a soft grin, and I nodded, turning to leave. Potiphar offered me a small smile that, had I seen it anywhere else, I'd have called nervous. I almost wanted to find some place to hide, so that I could hear what it was Potiphar needed to discuss, but I couldn't bring myself to stand the rudeness. In any case, if their conversation was of any importance to me, I would certainly hear of it eventually anyway, so instead I simply wandered back to my home and fell into my bed.