Somehow, they made it to the weekend. Yeosang rushed home from work every day, stuttering out apologies towards Seonghwa, which he accepted with grace before telling Yeosang to go home and catch some sleep. Yeosang promised he would be there next week to lock up every day in return before he snatched his jacket and ran into the rainy October.

He missed hanging out with Seonghwa and giggling over some coffee during sweeping time, but getting home to make sure Anubis hadn't dismantled his couch was more important.

The god somewhat kept his promise to behave. He struggled to adjust to this world, permanently always forgot to flush the toilet because he was just too confused how that worked. And he had taken a bite out of the soap but not mentioned whatever it tasted like. Yeosang just found the evidence. He still made minor mistakes, but Yeosang warded off all greater catastrophes.

He showed Jongho the "Humans in the Box" he could watch for entertainment and found him some books to read and study up on Dutch with. Anubis got to use his pencils and sketchbooks to pass his time and he was indeed surprisingly clean, always busy wiping down all surfaces around him as if he were at his workplace. One thing he lauded was modern cleaning supplies.

On the weekend, Yeosang also took the time to explain the fridge to him. He came home to Jongho opening and closing it slowly, trying to catch the moment when the light went off. Though Yeosang had allowed him to go through the closets to get acquainted with the position of things, he had to snicker at him acting like a child.

Anubis immediately whipped around, fascinated by modern tech, yet often frustrated by it. Yeosang doubted the gods would keep any of it once they doused the world in flames.

"Why is there a fire in your cold box? How is it cold yet warm?" Anubis demanded to know when Yeosang came back from his shower. He promised to meet Wooyoung tonight to go out together and catch his friends up on his prolonged silence. Once he cooked some food for Anubis, the god was all set to spend some time by himself.

They weren't at the stage of letting the god cook by himself and they never might be. Not before the world ended, at least.

"It's contained in the glass," Yeosang assured him while Jongho stared at the fridge, clueless how its magic worked. Which was honestly the best way to explain it to him.

"Can you take out the items on the top shelf? We will cook something." Yeosang brought out his pots and pans, digging through his drawers for that one stubborn spatula that always jammed everything.

Jongho complied. It was ridiculously domestic to be cooking with a god in his kitchen. What next? Would Yeosang play some music as he liked to when he was alone? Light some candles for ambiance?

Yeosang often imagined this scenario, but not with the Egyptian God of Embalmment. In his mind, he always conjured Seonghwa, cooking side by side, sharing sweet kisses. Yeosang never had a proper relationship, so his lonely heart craved for that type of romance.

But here he was, with this weirdo still playing with the fridge.

"What do you like to eat?" Yeosang asked him as he tied his apron around his waist, fumbling with the straps behind his back. Finally getting up from the ground and leaving the fridge alone, Jongho stood like a lost toddler. On his way to find the next mischief to be up to.

By now, Yeosang doubted he would end the world. But he had some powerful allies who might give him his share to rule.

"Meat," Anubis replied without much ado and Yeosang peered down at the ingredients he brought, some vegetables, mushrooms, tofu and beans. He figured he could whip up something good depending on Anubis' preferences, but he didn't consider their difference in diet.

"Oh... I don't eat meat," he mumbled with a hand on his forehead. It was late, but the stores might still be open. Maybe Jongho would be okay with fish? Yeosang got sick from the scent of meat by now.

His divine grace looked perturbed. Worried, almost, as if Yeosang might be sick.

"Why not?"

"Because I like animals." There were no words for vegetarian in Demotic, but even back then, some sages and priests practised similar habits.

Anubis shrugged it off, but as far as Yeosang knew, he might just be eating the dead, so he wasn't the best example to go by.

"Then cook whatever you can cook. I won't shun a meal in this foreign world."

"A thank you is much appreciated," Yeosang grumbled as he got to work, but he was just happy Anubis didn't regard him as his servant.

He cut the vegetables and mushrooms while the tofu sizzled in the pan. The scent made Yeosang's stomach grumble and reminded him of the cats outside. They shouldn't have to go hungry while he was too stressed to take care of them. While the food stewed away, he used the opportunity to slip into his jacket and grab a can of their food as well.

"Where are you going?" Anubis wondered when he saw him at the door and Yeosang nodded to his fleece jacket.

"Get dressed and come along," he offered. Anubis said he liked cats, and maybe he could bond with them. Yeosang definitely felt like a better person when hanging out with them.

Curious where this might go, Anubis trotted along. They made it into the backyard and Yeosang huddled tighter into his jacket when the icy wind bit at him.

He wanted to bring the kittens in so badly. Their ruffled fur looked miserably thin against the winter, and the mommy cat also deserved some warmth and peace for once. But Yeosang would get kicked out if anyone caught him.

He crouched with the food and, as always, it didn't take the cat family long to peek from their hideout spots. They looked ravenous, happy to see him, but this time, they held back. Even the little ones tucked away, watching on with fear.

"What's wrong, hm? Someone hurt you? It's just me," Yeosang cooed, pushing the can closer towards them so they didn't have to come near him. The small kitten was walking much better already, recovering quickly despite the cold weather. He was glad to see it.

Anubis watched the tiny kittens with crossed arms. His brows were drawn into a strict line.

"Why are they out here alone? It's much too cold for them here. During the nights, the cats must come inside," he argued and this might be the first thing Yeosang and he agreed on.

Depressed, Yeosang slung his arms around his knees.

"I know... But they have no owner, no home to call their own. I can't bring them inside, so they live on the street."

Jongho sucked in an offended gasp, but Yeosang continued.

"I often come out to feed them. So they can grow strong to hunt their own food. They are usually happy, I don't know what scares them so much today."

"Me, probably."

Yeosang looked up to him to see if Jongho was doing anything threatening. But he just stood there, a friend of the felines, and yet they cowered away.

Cats were intelligent. Could they tell he was different? That he would bring a dark kingdom? Yeosang wished they would share their secrets.

Only the mommy cat mustered some courage to explore the situation. She kept peering back at Yeosang as if checking in with him that Jongho was fine to approach. When she rubbed up against his leg, he trailed soothing fingers through her fur.

"It's okay. He's a new friend. He won't hurt your babies." Yeosang had brittle faith in Jongho, but the god kept his promise and stood still so the mommy cat could drag the can over to her babies so they could eat. So fond of their little fuzzy heads, Yeosang watched for a few minutes before he got up.

"Come on, let's go inside and eat, too. They can finish in peace then," he suggested, and Jongho complied, trailing back into the building behind Yeosang.

Their rice was finished, the mixture of tofu and mushrooms and vegetables smelled heavenly. Yeosang placed both on the table and whipped out his plates.

Jongho leaned against the counter, about to ask more questions about the cats and Yeosang's relationship with them, but he abruptly cut off when his hand landed on the black glass of the stove. He flinched away from the scorching heat with a protesting yell and Yeosang noticed just in time to tug him away by his other arm.

"There is fire beneath that, be careful!" He also said, but the harm was already done. Jongho clutched his hand to his chest, grimacing at the pain.

"Where?! I couldn't see it!" Infuriated, he turned to the unassuming stove as Yeosang tugged his hand under the sink, cooling the burn with cold water. Jongho's skin was warm under his fingers, like that of any other human.

"It's hidden below. See these red lights? If they are on, it's hot. Don't touch that area." He pointed it out to Jongho, feeling guilty for not warning him. The whole flat of his palm was an angry red as he full on stemmed his hand on it.

Definitely never letting him cook.

By his side, Jongho grumbled. He was close enough that Yeosang could feel his breath in his hair, realising the height Anubis had on him. It was odd, at the same time familiar and human and yet as if slightly shifted to the left. Something not visible, but the knowledge of the oddity that hid in his human skin.

"This magical new world is very dangerous," he complained as Yeosang patted his hand dry carefully with a fresh towel. He tugged on Jongho's other sleeve, making sure he wasn't getting too close to a hot pot or the stove again to bring him towards the bathroom.

"Sorry about that. Come on, I'll put some ointment on your injury," he offered, but Jongho's feet were firmly planted to the ground, not budging.

"No need." He replied, tugging from Yeosang's grip.

Yeosang just turned to him, about to ask him how he planned to eat with his hand all bright in pain and the wound out in the open, when Jongho circled his wrist. Though Yeosang only caught it from his peripherals, he believed to see a brief flash of black, something that wasn't there the moment after. When he did a double-take, he just saw Jongho lifting his hand.

It was healed. The angry red gone, the pain in his brow smoothed away. Yeosang stared at the smooth flesh dumbly, but he didn't want to question it.

The answer was clear anyway.

"Let's eat," he just told Jongho instead, and he obediently sat down to get acquainted with his fork. He liked the taste of Yeosang's cooking and there was nothing in there that offended his sense of taste, so Yeosang was glad for that. Jongho even complimented his cooking in his weird, dated way.

"You would make an excellent wife. You take care of animals and people, you can cook and you are a delight to look at. Is that why you aren't married to a woman?"

Yeosang just shook his head to himself.

"Do you think I make the better woman in a relationship?"

"Definitely, yes. You are so womanly you almost need a man," Anubis said with his full chest, dabbling in the business of other gods now to spread love and romance.

It was funny how he somehow figured out a modern perception of gender and sexuality, but at the same time couldn't be more wrong in his archaic views.

So Yeosang just shook his head to himself, not explaining.

"Just eat."

They did just that. Mostly in an awkward silence, but occasionally Jongho asked about the vegetables in his food he couldn't recognise. He liked tofu, which was a relief. Yeosang didn't want too much meat around his home.

But Jongho was relatively flexible. He didn't react well to sweets or sour candies, and feeding him soda might cause an instant heart attack even when this body of his was healthy by modern standards. Perhaps Yeosang could find a few items he would enjoy as they spent more time together.

Not that either of them could know how much time that would actually be.