Kindness of Strangers (Original: Harun/Musa)
Title: Kindness of Strangers Author: catdevigri Fandom: Original Pairing/characters: Harun/Musa, Cesni al-Rahar Rating: PG Warnings: None Prompt/challenge you're answering: Musa has amnesia -- does Harun try to help, or take shameless advantage of the situation? Musa felt a bit off from the moment he stepped out of bed that morning. As he washed his face and fixed his hair he couldn't help but feel concerned that something troublesome would happen to him that day, but with work to take care of back at the governor's palace, he couldn't exactly just decide to skip out on his job and spend the day at home. Figuring that the feeling would probably just pass anyway, Musa drank some orange peel tea, made sure that all his necessary papers were rolled up in the scroll case he carried whenever he was working, and headed out of his cramped flat along the rickety wooden stairs. Crack! The step gave way beneath him and he tumbled down, smacking his head squarely on a railing.
Musa sat dazed against the building for about five minutes, trying to get his bearings together. "Wh-what was I doing?" He glanced up at the apartment building. It didn't look familiar. He rubbed his head and stood up shakily. Actually, none of this seemed familiar. Musa wandered along the street, seeking something, anything, that would jog his memory. Was that tree a place he'd been before? Argh, this was so confusing! ...This wasn't the city he'd grown up in! What was he doing here?
"Musa, my friend, what's that big lump on your head?" Harun, the governor's son, approached his acquaintance cheerfully. He didn't see Musa standing around like this very often. He was usually too busy being industrious to just stumble around like that.
"What?" Musa mumbled. Who was that? How did that blond fellow know his name?
"Are you feeling alright?" Harun queried nervously. There was something weird about he way Musa was squinting painfully at him.
"I think I hit my head...But who are you? Why are you asking?"
'Who are you?' Had Musa lost his memory completely? "Musa, you work for my father," Harun explained patiently, "We spend lots of time around each other at the governor's palace. ...I'm Harun."
"Oh, Harun..." Musa echoed. The name had a certain memorable ring to it. Harun. WHat a soft, pretty name. "Yes, I see," he agreed blankly.
"Come with me and I'll get you some ice for your head." Harun wrapped his arm around Musa's shoulders and led him in the direction of the expansive palace that served as Governor al-Rahar's home.
"So, what do I do for your father?" Musa wondered, allowing Harun to gently move him along.
Somehow the situation called out to Harun's sillier side, urging him to take advantage of the situation while it lasted (he was certain that Musa's amnesia would be short-lived). "You're," he stumbled slightly over his words as he tried to tell a plausible lie, "You're my personal servant, Musa. That's why I was worried when you didn't show up at the usual time. That's why I went out to look for you."
"Ah, hmm, that's nice of you," the young scholar smiled at the supposed sincerity Harun was showing him.
Inside the palace, Harun retrieved a chunk of ice from the icebox in the pantry and wrapped it up in a towel before passing it on to Musa. "I'm sorry to be so much trouble," Musa apologized, holding the freezing towel to his forehead.
"No, don't feel upset. You're always helping me out. I would never consider you a burden," the governor's son chuckled knowingly. He wondered if Musa would be angry when the whole thing was over. For such a usually kind young man, Harun was being a real pain in the neck this time (and he knew it).
"Well, what would you like me to take care of first today?" Musa asked his supposed master.
"I feel like sitting back in bed and doing some reading. You can peel me some fruit, fluff my pillows, and rub my feet," Harun grinned boldly.
"Um, yes," Musa acquiesced, following the governor's pampered son back to his room, and setting to work on the bed, smoothing sheets and shaking pillows while Harun watched happily. The blond was soon lying back and skimming a volume on spiritual exercises while Musa rubbed his feet (which honestly tickled more than he had expected). It was not unpleasant being fussed over.
"Harun? Are you in there?" came the governor's smooth voice.
"Err, um, Father," his son stammered, but to no avail as Governor al-Rahar opened the door to the unusual sigh.
"Musa?" he gaped curiously. This was certainly out of character behavior for the scholarly office assistant. "Why aren't you at work? ...And why didn't you ever say that you liked my son so much?"
"What?" Musa queried cluelessly, as Harun buried his blushing face deep within his book.