Hold Him Close To Feel His Heartbeat
Summary: Larry organises a karaoke night for the residents of the museum, and also plays matchmaker. Who knew that a karaoke song would bring everyone's favourite roman general and cowboy together? Jedediah/Octavius, obv.
A/N: italics is Octavius singing, boldis Jedediah, bold italics is both! XD Also, its cheesy and romantic, just as it should be. So don't like it, don't read it. Song is 'Tell Him' by Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand.
-x-
Late one Friday evening, Larry Daley sat at his desk in the middle of the grand entrance hall of the Museum of Natural History. See, Larry was the night watchman. He sighed gently, before looking at his watch. He smiled to himself. His eyes flicked up just to see the gigantic skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex come to life.
"Rexy," he shouted, causing the dinosaur to look round, and jump around excitedly, as Larry produced the giant rib-bone from underneath his desk, before throwing it for the giddy dinosaur.
"Good boy," he said. "I'll go get the car." Larry jumped up from his seat before heading around the museum to do his rounds. He passed the Easter Island Head, who badgered him for 'gum-gum', which he did not have any of. The big head had eaten his last gum the night before.
"Sorry, fat-head," he joked. He walked away, hearing 'dumb-dumb' muttered as he did. He walked into the diorama room, catching glimpse of the miniatures going about their business. He moved over to the Roman Empire diorama first.
"Evening, Octavius," he said to the miniature Roman General, who was sitting on the fountain in the middle, apparently lost in thought. But he jumped up and smiled when he saw Larry.
"Good evening, my liege," he said, drawing a fist up to his chest before bowing lightly. "Is it time to play with Rexy?" Larry nodded, stretching out his hand and letting the little general climb aboard.
"Let's get Jedediah," Larry said, moving over to the western diorama. There was cheering and cursing coming from the western, but Jedediah emerged from his tent, placing his hat upon his head as he did so.
"Hey, Gigantor," he shouted when he saw Larry. He ran forward and Larry put his hand out from Jed to climb onto. Jed saw Octavius already sitting on Larry's hand, looking quite happy.
"Evenin' Octavius," he said with a grin, before planting himself next to the general. Larry carried them back to the main hall, to collect the little remote control sports car. Jed looked up at Larry.
"Hey, Gigantor! Ain't there nothin' else we can do, jus' for one night. We're always drivin' that car round, playing with that big ol' dinosaur. Can't we do somethin' else for a night?" Jed asked, before looking at Octavius, who nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, it is pretty tiresome doing the same thing every night. That dinosaur never wants to stop," Octavius said.
"What would you like to do?" Larry asked, as he let them off his hand and onto the desk. He sat down on his chair, looking down at the two miniatures. Jedediah shrugged him shoulder, and Octavius had his confused face on.
"Well, I dunno, Gigantor. It was just a suggestion. Can you not find somethin' for us?" Jed asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Okay Jed! Okay, I'll make sure I have something for tomorrow night," he said. "But right now you have to get in the car. There is a very impatient dinosaur in the entrance hall," he said, with a smile. He put the remote control car onto the floor, before tying the string to the back. He set the two miniatures on the floor, who both ran to get into the car.
"We better go get the bone," Larry said, walking in front, as Jed fired up the engine of the plastic car, racing off into the museum.
-x-
"What in the blue blazes is that thing, Gigantor?" Jed exclaimed, the following night, as Larry dragged a large square object behind him, along with a plastic bag.
"This ... is what I brought for tonight," Larry said, setting the bag on his desk before setting up what was in the box. There was a small screen TV in the large plastic bag, along with microphones, cables, CD's. Then, out of the box, Larry pulled out...
"A karaoke machine," Larry exclaimed excitedly. Jed and Octavius just stared at him.
"What, my liege, is a karaoke machine?" Octavius asking, peeking his head over the edge of the desk to look at the contraption Larry had brought.
"Well, what you do is you plug in these," he said, holding up the microphones. "You then pick a song from one of the CD's and you sing it into the microphone, reading the words off the TV."
"Oh no," Jedediah piped up. "Ol' Jedediah don't sing, partner."
"Jedediah, it will be fun," Octavius tried to reason.
"That's easy for you to say, Ockie. I've heard you before, singin' to yerself. You're good at it," Jed said, noticing the colour rising in Octavius' cheeks from the compliment.
"You have heard me in the past?" he clarified.
"Yeah, Ockie. You were pacin' around the empire, and I came lookin' for you ..." Jed admitted. "And I heard you." If it was possible, Octavius turned an even deeper shade of red. Redder than the colour of his tunic. Jed couldn't help but smile. "Aww, Ockie's so cute when he's blushin'," he teased.
"Come on, guys," Larry said. "You said you wanted to do something else other than play with Rexy. I looked through everything at my apartment. This is the only think I could find." Jed crossed his arms over his chest, sighing dramatically.
"How about we get the rest of the guys and they can have a go first, see how fun it is," Larry suggested. "Then you can decide whether you want to sing or not."
"Fine, fine, Gigantor," Jed said. Larry smiled before he went to get the rest of the residents of the museum. Jed and Octavius just looked at each other. This would be fun.
-x-
Soon enough, the karaoke was underway. Larry, himself, started first, murdering a song called 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' by Whitney Houston. Jed had put his hat over his face. He was embarrassed for Larry. Octavius simply wanted to cut his ears off. But he knew he had to grin and bear it. Then Attila the Hun got up and simply grunted his way through 'My Heart Will Go On', which made half of the residents all snigger and laugh. Ahkmenrah had decided to get up and join in, and sang 'Somebody to Love', by Queen before Teddy Roosevelt and Sacagawea got up and sang 'Don't Go Breakin' My Heart', laughing and holding hands as they did. Larry laughed happily, as the residents were all enjoying themselves.
Octavius looked over at Jed. "Why not sing with me?" Jed looked up quickly, rather surprised.
"You mean, t'gether?" he asked, taking off his hat and worrying the rim gently. "I dunno, Ockie. I can't sing."
"I won't do it myself. Please, Jedediah," Octavius asked. Jed looked him in the eye, almost losing himself in the chocolate brown of those eyes, God, those eyes. A moment passed before he realised he was staring at the Roman general, who hadn't seemed to notice much.
"Octavius, you wanna go next, buddy?" Larry asked. Octavius nodded.
"Pick a duet, my liege. Jedediah will be singing with me," he said, noting the look of surprise on Larry's face before he smiled and nodded. Octavius grabbed Jedediah by the sleeve and pulled him over to the microphone. Larry laid the microphone down on the desk so the miniatures could have easy access, before he pressed shuffle on the songs, coming up with their song choice. Larry pressed play, and the song started up.
"Octavius, you go first," Larry said, smiling when the Roman nodded. He watched the screen intently as the words started up;
'I'm scared
So afraid to show I care
Will he think me weak
If I tremble when I speak.'
Jedediah couldn't believe what he was hearing. Octavius had such an amazing singing voice. He had only heard him sing quietly to himself before, but to hear his voice through a microphone in the grand entrance hall made him shiver. He watched with awe as he carried on singing.
'What if there's another one he's thinking of?
Maybe he's in love,
I'd feel like a fool,
Life can be so cruel,
I don't know what to do.'
Octavius had looked over at Jed whilst he had been singing. That's when Jedediah realised; the song was about him. About him and Octavius. About Octavius' feelings for him. He realised it was his turn and looked at the words on the screen.
'I've been there,
With my heart out in my hand,
But what you must understand
You can't let the chance
To love him pass you by ...'
Both miniatures looked at each other once more, Octavius blown away by Jedediah's voice. Why he told him he couldn't sing, would be a mystery to anyone. Larry watched them from next to Teddy and could tell there was something going on. He smiled. He liked to play matchmaker. The Roman and the cowboy looked at the screen and saw the word 'both' come up, their voices mingling together for the first time.
'Tell him
Tell him that the sun and moon rise in his eyes
Reach out to him
And whisper tender words so soft and sweet'
'I'll hold him close to feel his heartbeat'
'Love will be the gift you give yourself.'
Jedediah shuffled closer to Octavius while the instrumental played. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, as if no one else was in the room, before Jedediah turned back to sing again.
'Touch him,
With the gentleness you feel inside'
'I feel it ...'
'Your love can't be denied,
The truth will set you free,
You'll have what's meant to be
All in time you'll see.'
'I love him'
'Then show him'
'Of that much I can be sure'
'Hold him close to you'
'I don't think I could endure,
If I let him walk away,
When I have so much to say.'
Jedediah cast another glance at the roman, who looked back at him. There was love and adoration in his eyes. He had no idea about the general's feelings.
'Tell him,
Tell him that the sun and moon rise in his eyes,
Reach out to him
And whisper tender words so soft and sweet'
'Hold him close to feel his heartbeat'
'Love will be the gift you give yourself,
Love is light that surely glows,
In the hearts of those who know,
It's a steady flame that grows.'
'Feed the fire with all the passion
You can show.'
'Tonight love will assume it's place'
'This memory time will not erase'
'Your faith will lead love where it has to go'
Larry watched the two of them in awe, getting lost in the music and lost in the gazes they were sending each other between looking at the words on the TV screen and the other. Their voices were incredible together. The roman soldiers and cowboys who had come to watch were cheering for their leaders, in between wolf whistles and cat calls.
'Tell him,
Tell him that the sun and moon rise in his eyes,
Reach out to him
And whisper tender words so soft and sweet,
'Hold him close to feel his heartbeat'
'Love will be the gift you give yourself.'
The roman and the cowboy looked at each other once more, before Octavius reached over and he took Jedediah's hand in his own, caressing the back of his hand with his thumb.
'Never let him go ...'
Jedediah closed the gap between them, his lips pressing to the Roman's, delicately. There was silence around them as they kissed, before the entrance hall erupted into applause, making the two miniatures break apart. They both looked around at their audience with a smile.
"Way to go, guys!" Larry called out, clapping and smiling. Octavius turned to Jed, moving him away from the microphone so they weren't heard.
"I need you, alone, right now!" he said, with a smile. "I love you, Jedediah."
"I love you too, Ockie. My place or yours, boss?" Jed asked, grinning from ear to ear.
"Either," Octavius said, both of them rushing for the sports car and speeding off the diorama room. Larry shook his head. They may be miniatures, but that was one scene he didn't want to walk in on.