Disclaimer: Not mine! Haha, can't sue me now.

A/N: A fluffy chapter for you all! If you don't like it tough. :P

Ahmenhotep awkwardly patted her head – what was he supposed to do now? He could feel her tears slide down her face and onto him.

"What is it?"

He felt her mumble something into his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

She raised her head so that she was facing him, her face tear streaked.

"I am frustrated."

"Alright. . . that is understandable." He replied somewhat uncertainly. What was she frustrated about? Being out it the dessert or being stuck out with him?

Her grip on him loosened a little. And she sighed and sat up, pulling him up with her.

"I can't sleep until. . .I've sorted a few things out with you." Norfret said resolutely. Now that it came to sleeping, all she could think about was him and how hopeless it all was.

He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Solve what with me?"

Norfret took in a shuddering breath. "Well. . ."

Now it actually came to telling him, Norfret was less than articulate.

"Well. . .?"

"I want you to be honest with me." Norfret twirled her hair between her fingers for a moment and looked up at the sky.

The stars were still up.

"I'm always honest."

Norfret gave him a sarcastic look. "It seems like you are abusing your power."

"Abusing what power?"

"Your social status. You've have me on a string and. . .and sometimes you are so mean to me and then sometimes you're just. . . it's like you are tugging me back and forth."

Ahmenhotep's lips were twitching up into a smile. "I have you on a string?" he asked incredulously.

"Well it's what it feels like!" she said indignantly.

"I have you on a string do I eh?" This remark seemed to have increased the size of Ahmenhotep's already large ego.

Norfret didn't reply but glared at him through her narrowed eyes.

Ahmenhotep cleared his throat. "Alright so. . .what are you frustrated about?"

"I am frustrated about you, damn you! Tell me straight out; do you hate me or. . .what are you doing to me?"

Ahmenhotep seemed to think for awhile. "Well, do you like me?"

"Wh – at?"

"Do you like me?" Ahmenhotep asked earnestly.

"Right now, no." Norfret told him angrily.

"Really."

"I asked you first."

"Alright I'll tell you the truth."

Norfret leaned in expectantly.

"But first, I have to give you something."

"What have you to give to me now?"

"Close your eyes."

Norfret blinked, nonplussed. "Why?"

"Do you want to know or not?"

Norfret's curiosity got the better of her. "Alright then." Looking at him suspiciously, Norfret closed her eyes.

Alright. Now or never. Feeling much more nervous than he had been in all his life, Ahmenhotep leaned in towards Norfret precariously, and pressed his lips gently against her totally unsuspecting ones.

"Oh!" Norfret wrenched her lips apart and looked at him in total surprise, her brown eyes wide as the Greek coins.

"There. I answered your question. It's time for you to answer mine."

Norfret leaned away from him, her fingers pressed to her lips like they were burning. She couldn't register anything - her brain seemed to explode. . . or some similar feeling.

Ahmenhotep was grinning goofily, crossing his arms over his chest in a smug manner.

"Well?"

Norfret was still speechless. She felt somehow that she needed to reciprocate. Not that she logically wanted to but what she more felt like was right. . .

"Was that what you wanted to give me?" she asked uncertainly.

Ahmenhotep cocked his head to one side, as if asking her to decide for herself. Gently, brushing her lips with her tongue, Norfret kneeled in front of, him and shuffled closer so that they were inches from each other.

"I believe that talking things over logically serves better than acting on impulse." Camel dung, she thought to herself as she said this.

"Alright then, since I have already talked, why don't you talk?"

"I like it better when you talk." Norfret replied coyly.

Ahmenhotep almost choked.

"Come on then mighty prince, talk to me." She said even more suggestively.

He raised his arms and threaded his fingers through her hair at the back of her head. She closed her eyes for the burning sensation to take over her again. It came, a second later – at first gentle but their movements became more frantic, their unpractised hands and mouth exploring realms that they had never crossed before. Their embrace was unrehearsed and frenzied - controlled by the new sensations. Then as abruptly as they had come together, they broke apart with a strangled 'Oh' from Norfret. Both were flushed though the night air was near freezing. Hastily Norfret brushed her hair off her face – it was in tangles and dusty but Ahmenhotep had never seen anyone more attractive.

"So."

"So. . ."

They had said so much yet they were still in the 'so' stage. . .

"Is this the part where. . .where I say I like you?"

"Yes."

Norfret frowned thoughtfully, still embarrassed. "So if I were to say that. . .that I don't believe what Rahimere said and that I like you. . .then, what would you say to me?"

"I would say that I liked you back. But it depends on what you tell me." Ahmenhotep said diplomatically.

"Well, if I were to say that. . ."

"Just say whatever you will!"

"Oh!" Norfret screwed her eyes shut as if she was in a theatre and she did not want to see what happened next.

"Is this is what you've been frustrated enough to cry about?"

"This and a few other things combined. Well. . . alright then." Norfret took in a shuddering breath.

"I like you." As soon as she said those three words, heat seemed to pulse though her body, making her flushed – redder than the setting sun.

Ahmenhotep placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, "I would have said I liked you anyway."

Both pressed their foreheads together and laughed both incoherently saying 'we were so stupid!'

"Where do we go now?" Norfret mused.

"We go home." Ahmenhotep said like it was obvious, holding her hand in his, entwining his fingers with hers. She smiled softly,

"I know. I mean us, where do we go?"

Pulling her hand towards him, he gently placed his lips on her knuckles, "For now, I think our concern is to get home first. Now, how do you feel? Can you go to sleep now?"

"Yes."

They both lay in the sand, still holding hands, staring up at the star fields high up above the sky – they both fell into gentle sleep.

***

Norfret wasn't sure whether it was the weight of Ahmenhotep's arm that was draped around her waist or the faint pink glow of the sun or the cool gentle breeze that woke her up; but she did, gently removing his arm from her waist, she sat up, yawning. Another day. She stole a glance at the sleeping figure of her new found 'like'. He looked so . . .non – haughty when he slept, just like an innocent child. Leaning closer to him, she blew on his nose to which he responded with a sleepy mumble and a wave of his hand. Giggling, he blew harder – his eyes snapped open.

"What was that for?"

"We have to make an early start." She told him in a scolding tone.

Ahmenhotep took one look at the faintish pink glow of the sun, just peeking up over the horizon and scoffed, "I do not rise until the sun is high in the sky."

He was himself once more, arrogant and haughty. Strangely enough, it was one of the qualities that drew Norfret inexorably to him in the first place. Slapping him gently on the arm, she tried to pull him up but he was dead weight.

"Oh for the love of Hathor!" she let out exasperatedly.

"I'll be up and bright on one condition." He told her, looking up at her.

Norfret crossed her arms, "What is it?"

"Give me a good morning kiss."

She sucked her breath in and blinked.

"Back to sleep for me." Ahmenhotep said, turning his back to her.

"Alright, alright!" Blushing profusely, Norfret gave him a chaste peck on the lips.

"That was terrible. . .but I'll accept it." He said graciously. "I'm thirsty."

Norfret searched for her water skin and found it lying a few feet away from her. The fire that she had conjured up last night was still going, now a pale blue flame. Handing Ahmenhotep the water skin, she put the fire out with a wave of her wand.

"Let's have a meeting."

"What meeting?" Norfret asked incredulously.

"A strategic meeting, to enhance our performance. I do want to go back to Memphis and have a bath. . ."

"Well what choice do we have?" Norfret complained.

"You are supposed to be smart! Think of something."

Frowning, Norfret tapped her fingers against her chin. "I could apparate. . . if I only knew how."

Suddenly, Ahmenhotep brightened. "Father!"

Norfret whipped her head around looking for the pharaoh. When all she saw was the vast expanse of sand and more sand, she turned to him angrily. "What was that for?"

"I mean father would have sent out a search party for us. I am sure of it. He wouldn't leave me out here to die."

"That's right! I am sure they have sent out a search party!" Norfret exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

***

Both smiled at the thought of help coming their way. They walked towards north leisurely, occasionally stopping to look at the dessert flowers that had bloomed over night to suck in the morning dew. They held hands sometimes stopping to embrace each other or to share a kiss. . .

However by the time the sun hung over their heads bright and fiery, their mood had turned sour. They didn't hold each other because it was to hot and sticky and didn't speak much from sheer exhaustion. Their supply of water was running dangerously low and they were hungry not having eaten for more than a day now. They were getting tired. There was no place to rest, there was no hiding from the sun, its rays beating down relentlessly on them.

"Ahmenhotep. . ." Norfret gasped and reached for his hand.

"What is it?" he asked, concerned. She seemed disoriented, and was misplacing her foot. She lost footing in the sand and collapsed towards him, he only caught her just it time to lay her down gently in the scalding sand. Her eyes were closed and her lips were dry and chapped.

Hastily, Ahmenhotep wet her lips and splashed some water on her face trying to revive her. She couldn't pass out.

Not now.

"Norfret!" he cried. He tipped her mouth open and drained the last reaming drops of water in to her, also wetting her dusty locks with it. Her eyes fluttered open weakly.

"I can't. . .I'm to tired. . ."

"Come on Norfret. . . I know you are stronger than this."

She slipped away from him again, after saying, "Can we just rest here? For a while?"

There was a fine sheen of sweat all over her pale face.

"Yes. Yes, we'll rest for a while." He told her, "Just hang in there."

Ahmenhotep looked around desperately – now would be the perfect time for help. But Help was not coming. He didn't know whether it was her lying prone in the san that made the strength drain out of him or just eh stifling heat, but he also collapsed next to her, slipping in to unconsciousness.

A/N: Don't hate me for leaving it there.