A soft cloth glided over Yeosang's stomach and thighs. He grumbled, ticklish at the touch on his sensitive skin. When he opened his eyes, he saw Jongho, back in his human form, as he helped Yeosang clean up.

With a tired smile, Yeosang sat up to take over. Jongho leaned back to watch him.

"How are you feeling?" The god asked him, looking very pleased with himself, but Yeosang was thankful he cared enough to check in with Yeosang. To him, sex would be a full success every time.

But Yeosang had to recognise it was different than anything he ever felt. Absurd, magical. Stirring so many new questions, but it worked. He felt good and was down to just sleep until the morning now, not to worry about anything else in the world.

"It was otherworldly. I didn't expect you to actually know how to hold a human," Yeosang admitted sheepishly, and Jongho's eyes twinkled. He had turned on Yeosang's dim reading lamp for him while he rustled through the closet for fresh sheets.

"Finally, you accept my strengths. You may come to me anytime if you wish to forget your worries," Jongho smirked at him while Yeosang crawled from the bed so Jongho could finish changing the sheets. He used the time to put on some underwear, not near as comfortable running around naked as Jongho was.

"Don't think this will become a habit. I still like Seonghwa and as he and I get closer, I don't want to play with his heart. If the world gets saved, I will be with him," Yeosang huffed, but he was glad Anubis was easy-going about their tryst. It didn't have to be anything more.

Yeosang visited the bathroom and brushed his teeth while Jongho smoothed out his bed and he pondered to let the god sleep with him. His heat would be much appreciated and they could cuddle platonically as roommate going through a lot together right now. San had been okay with that, so maybe Jongho also would be?

But when Yeosang returned to his room, he found Jongho with a pensive frown on his features. He was lingering on the bed, as if he also thought about staying. Before Yeosang could offer, he spoke up.

"You shouldn't trust Seonghwa too much," he said, firm with his words.

Immediately, the light joy in Yeosang's heart sank.

This again?

"What?"

"The way he looks at you... Is not the way you look at him," Jongho continued slower, but the ugly tendrils of disappointment already spread through Yeosang's chest.

Was that what Jongho had hoped to happen? That Yeosang would fall for him instead? That his jealousy finally found its release?

Yeosang had to scoff. Jongho wasn't even secretive about it. Didn't try to lure Yeosang into his trap smoothly.

Of course, that was his intention. He wanted his Ra. His last few moments of sun.

A bitter smile graced Yeosang's lips. So quickly, their warmth evaporated.

"You bastard. Did you just want to get between us? So this was a mistake?" He chuckled coldly as he turned from Jongho to pick up his clothes.

The god waved his hands around in a placating gesture.

"Hear me out. I think I know who he-"

Yeosang had enough. He flung Jongho's clothes at his chest, voice sharp as it cut through the room.

"No! Stay out of this! Go sleep on your cot," he hissed, so tired with Jongho's tricks and his permanent meddling. He came here, telling everyone the world was ending, played his games to enjoy the last few days of humankind, and then dropped Yeosang straight into chaos. Leaving him alone and disoriented. He couldn't even let him have his joy with Seonghwa.

The bliss of Yeosang's body felt wrong now. He was angry at himself to have agreed to sex, even when Jongho picked up his clothes and shook his head.

"Yet again, you ignore my advice. Certainly, this foolish side is your mortal one," he commented.

Yeosang's rage boiled over. He was lonely and cold, slept with the god when he should just have refused and met Seonghwa instead, and now everything was even worse than it had been before.

"Go away!" He yelled at Jongho and the god turned on his heel to march outside.

"Ra also turned from the truth, so I see why you two ended up together," he called over his shoulder and Yeosang slammed the door behind him, locking himself in. Jongho was quiet as Yeosang threw himself onto his bed, hating the scent of them lingering in the air.

-

Yeosang went to work in the morning without talking to Jongho. They ignored each other completely while Yeosang ate his breakfast and got ready. Some space apart made it easier for Yeosang to gather his thoughts, but he was still gloomy on his way to work.

How would he face Seonghwa after all that?

Yeosang regretted what had happened, but he still felt so treacherously good. Yearned for the touch of the arrogant god who only ever played with his feelings. The tingling burn of his bites seemed to sear through Yeosang's turtleneck.

He was a mess. Every thought twisted around itself in a permanent spiral. Going to work was the best distraction he could ask for.

On time today, Yeosang hopped up their stairs, which were already nicely shovelled free of the early snow this year and covered in road salt. It crunched under his shoes when he made his way inside and cleaned the wet sludge off his shoes.

Seonghwa was unlocking the doors, and he peered around the corner when he heard Yeosang arrive.

"Good morning," he called over, sounding happy to see Yeosang.

With him, everything was fine.

Yeosang shoved aside the thoughts of all gods, allied and otherwise, to grin back.

"Hi," he replied before he took off his jacket to bring it into the back room. He left his bag there and packed his lunch into the fridge next to Seonghwa's sandwich, happy with the familiar sight.

When he came back out, Seonghwa finished his round and arranged the counter while Yeosang booted up their computers.

"How are you? Could you rest a bit?" Seonghwa smiled at him as the heaters spread their cosy warmth and made him look impossibly softer in his fluffy blue sweater. Yeosang was enraptured as ever, and he was glad about it. These days, he and Anubis developed a bond unlike any other. A kinship in divine struggles before the end of the world. Yeosang didn't want it to distract from his adoration for Seonghwa.

But his heart fluttered as always, and it came naturally to smile back.

No, he wouldn't tell Seonghwa about that night with the jackal god. Not now. If the world ended soon, Yeosang would be a coward and take his secret to the grave.

And if it didn't end... If there was the slightest chance, then he would repent and be a man worthy of Seonghwa's love.

"Yeah, everything is fine now. What did you do on the weekend?" Yeosang pressed the button to open the gate outside to visitors. They were all set up for another day of work while the snow whirled through the air in flimsy flakes, creating a white haze in the misty morning air of November.

"Watching my show, nothing much. Coffee?" Seonghwa was already on the way to the kitchen so they could settle down after. Yeosang heard him rustling with the bag of cookies they were sharing as a snack during empty hours.

"Yes, please. I was also busy with my plants. A nice time off," Yeosang summarised, typing in the password on Seonghwa's computer as well, so they could work on their files while no visitors were in.

It was a day like any other. Uncomplicated and nice. Seonghwa was Yeosang's lucky charm because he might just be ready to talk to Anubis again once he got home. Eat something, discuss their next steps in researching Apep and Seth. Looking at Seonghwa and his cute pout to himself as he waited for the coffee machine to do its work, anything else seemed so petty.

Yeosang's priority was saving him. Anything else could wait.

Seonghwa returned with the coffee and Yeosang glimpsed at the door, still closed because of the early hour and the cold weather. Their eyes met once Seonghwa lowered the cups.

"Here you go," he hummed, his velvety voice quiet in their bubble of privacy.

"Thank you. I swear yours tastes better than mine," Yeosang whispered back, and Seonghwa couldn't help his smile. He kissed Yeosang sweetly, ever so shy while they were in public, but it got Yeosang's heart racing all the same. When they parted, he hid his blush behind his first sip.

As expected, Seonghwa somehow magicked better coffees out of the very same machine with the very same ingredients.

"You smell different today," Seonghwa noticed as he sat down and scooted his chair closer to his desk.

Yeosang subtly sniffed on his sweater. He had taken it fresh out of the closet and didn't change his detergent in a while.

"Like what?" Did he eat too much garlic recently? Gods, please, no.

"Somewhat like wine... and rosemary. A familiar scent," Seonghwa pondered, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Yeosang also shrugged, too glad that it wasn't something bad to think about it.

"Smells like we should have some good food on our next date together?" He suggested, and Seonghwa coyly grinned back at him.

"That might be it. How about Friday?"

Yeosang didn't think twice. Any other plans could be rescheduled.

"Friday sounds perfect," he said and squealed to himself inwardly. This time, they could go to Seonghwa's place or somewhere outdoors, where no Jongho lurked around the corner. Yeosang would get a proper date.

"Then Friday it is," Seonghwa grinned before he focused on his screen, mirroring Yeosang's shy smile to himself.

They sat side by side in silence, each working on their documents. The clicking of the keyboard was a pleasant background noise to slurping their coffee and crunching down on the cookies. Occasionally, their hands met in the bowl and they giggled foolishly before they went back to work.

The warmth of their little bubble was safe against the cold raging outside. No people came in, so Yeosang felt himself get lazier and cosier, sitting cross-legged on his chair and relishing the fuzzy warmth of his body.

"Did you get around to finishing that project Yongguk asked us about?" Seonghwa remembered, leaning back from his computer to grab a cookie. Yeosang also sipped his coffee, pondering to sit down on the couch near the entrance and the heater for maximum comfort. Would Seonghwa join him there?

For a moment, he was so caught up in his dreams of cuddling in this cosy warmth that he didn't register what Seonghwa said. Then he rubbed his eyes.

"Hm? Oh, no, not yet," he admitted sheepishly. On the inside, he scolded himself.

Not during working hours.

"I'm also still working on my part," Seonghwa confessed before he went back to typing. Yeosang needed another coffee since he was entirely too relaxed right now, ready for a nap after a long night of rolling through the sheets with Jongho and then having little to work on. He also made one for Seonghwa to return the favour and sat back down, blinking against the blurring letters.

He caught himself spacing out two more times. Staring blankly at the screen instead of typing and then when his senses returned, he went back to it hastily. He was a little dizzy, but that couldn't have to do with last night, could it? Did Jongho trigger Ra in any way and now he was waking up? Was Yeosang drained from the energy those special powers might require?

But no, Jongho surely would have told him. He knew how bad it would be if Ra awoke while Yeosang was out and about.

When he rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to concentrate on the screen, Seonghwa looked up by his side.

Yeosang frowned at his excel sheet. Letters and numbers blurred into one mess.

"Anubis giving you a hard time?" Seonghwa checked in with him and Yeosang slowly shook his head, battling against the confusing dizziness. His limbs felt heavy as he typed in another formula.

"Not at all, he's... Huh?" Yeosang fell quiet when he realised something wasn't right. What was he missing? Some small, irrelevant part of his brain told him something had just happened, but the overwhelming majority just wanted to lie down.

Anubis. Did Seonghwa just call Jongho Anubis? Did Yeosang call him Anubis to someone else before? He had to play it off. Concentrate.

"Wait, when did I-," he began, but his head became too heavy to hold up. It fell against Seonghwa's shoulder when he scooted closer and, through his blurry view, Yeosang saw his light smile.

"It's alright now. Take a rest," Seonghwa assured him, but Yeosang didn't actually want to rest. He was cosy and out of it, but he was at work and wouldn't leave Seonghwa alone with this.

But despite his noble goals, his lids submitted to the weight on them and he leaned comfortably into Seonghwa's soft shoulder to take a little nap.