Anubis lifted his head when Yeosang dropped his blanket on the couch and massaged his stiff neck. His eyes were expectant.

"Fine, you can stay," Yeosang informed him and something lit up in Anubis' eyes, but it might have been as much mischief as it was joy to have a place to stay in this foreign world. He was about to list off all his godly demands, but Yeosang cut him off.

"First of all, you need a proper name to blend in. People will look at us like we lost our minds if we call you Anubis," he demanded, and Anubis pushed out his chest.

"But that is my name. Revered by many. Given to me by the gracious mother Isis after my real mother abandoned me. It means power, it gives me meaning. Mortals should honour it."

Right, Anubis was the child of an affair. Osiris, god of life and death, was seduced by Nephthys, the wicked air-deity bonded to Seth, the malicious hound. The frightening pair were infertile, so Nephthys sought the one whose seed would surely spawn a child in her womb. But out of fear of her husband finding out and getting enraged, she abandoned young Anubis to be eaten by jackals in the desert, where Isis picked him up and adopted him as her own. Despite his heritage most vile, Isis' influence as the goddess of magic and wisdom and wonder made yet a dutiful helper of Anubis. He was dedicated to his task, not too involved in the wars on the pantheon.

Now that he spoke of it, Yeosang wondered which of the many tales spoke true. All of them? How many affairs and deceits had Anubis seen while brooding over his embalming equipment?

"They won't understand your magnificence. And we don't need a cult in your name. We need you to not stand out because the guards of this world don't appreciate that."

Yeosang didn't need this prideful bird prancing around outside, seeking members of his harem. To protect Anubis, it was best to keep his mouth zipped shut.

But the god looked mighty upset. After his many years of sleep or non-existence or whatever he had done, he looked forward to being bathed by beautiful maidens in milk and water and to douse himself with gold and jewels. Yeosang couldn't offer him any of that. Just food and that the police didn't take him back in.

"A world most depressing. Why did humans make so much progress but not in the worship of your deities?" Anubis grumbled, gloomy at the sight of Yeosang's flat since this was all he got. A roof, some strange devices. Some scholar who denied him his every desire.

But Yeosang stood firm.

"We thought them unreal. Until one woke among us. If all the world is exposed to divine intervention, you may step forward. But not before that, alright? Promise me, or I won't help you," he threatened, and Anubis flung his hands into the air.

"Do whatever pleases you! I only found you oracle for guidance, so I must stick to your side until we find my people." Still, he pouted to himself.

Relieved, Yeosang leaned back against the kitchen counter.

"So, Jongho? What do you think of Jongho? It's something different," he suggested, just rolling with the first name that popped into his mind.

Anubis eyed him warily, searching for a trick in his expression. As if already, Yeosang was dishonouring him.

If he mistook Yeosang as a being of mischief, all the better. Yeosang might get away with ordering him to be normal after all.

"Does it have any meaning? Any godly essence?"

"No... I'm ethnically Korean, so it's a name in the language of my parents. Your looks pass for it. Or do you prefer an Egyptian name?" Right, maybe it was fair to at least keep him in his cultural circle, though the dominant language in that area was now Arabian.

But Anubis shook his prideful head, never lowering his chin.

"I'll take it. If you think I must guise myself, then a name from another kingdom hides me best. I will be this Jon-ho."

He was arrogant like any other god, but Yeosang supposed he got a good deal with him. If he had been forced to babysit Seth or Apep or one of the other sinister figures of Egyptian legends, he might have thrown the towel.

"Jongho, yes. Then I will call you that henceforth. My name is Yeosang, in case you forgot," he said, satisfied to meet on a middle ground. Though he wasn't sure it would hold, Anubis' inability to speak any modern language came in handy. He couldn't mess up too much while Yeosang had an eye on him.

For now, he just cocked his head, but he indulged Yeosang's many demands.

"Is it common for a lord and a servant to call each other by name here? I will snap my fingers if I require your service."

Yeosang battled his need to grimace. Baby steps.

"I'm not your servant, and I need you to understand that from the beginning. I won't wash your feet and I won't obey your whims. This deal of ours is an alliance. A field of study for me. And I am your guide in a foreign world. Let's leave it at that, alright?"

Anubis pondered him, his stiff posture and his speech, making every second sentence a threat. Ultimately, his lips quirked into a smile and it was surprisingly handsome, if not for that cockiness in his posture.

"My, you sure aren't married, are you?" He snickered, and Yeosang was left baffled.

"Can you shut up?" It was his tired brain talking, perhaps his modern man communicating his needs frankly. But Anubis roared like thunder.

"Is this a way to talk to a god?!" He sprung from his seat and Yeosang lifted defensive hands. It was too late to start a fight. He was tired, and he needed to figure out how to arrange around Anubis' presence in the morning. For tonight, he should just get as much rest as he could.

"Fine, I'm sorry. But I mean it. Your time is long over or yet to come, whichever it is. You misbehave here, insult people, the guards will lock you up. Don't kick animals. Don't treat people as objects. Don't take items I don't give you. And don't talk about all this crap where other people can hear you. You are not a god to the folks on the street. You are just another man."

Thoughtful, Anubis settled back down. He caressed his chin again. It might not be easy to reform all his views overnight, but Yeosang at least wanted him to be careful with what he said.

"Hmm, I once pretended to be a mere man to investigate in my brothers' and sisters' temples. Oh, the joys of all the blushing maidens. They all bow their heads to a god, you see? Nothing like you."

"I'm not a maiden..." Yeosang muttered, piqued again, but he left it at that to move on. "So, make it your game to be as human as you can be. I would like you not to touch anything you don't know. Ask me if you need anything, please. I'll explain to you how this world works. We work together and meet in the middle."

Anubis nodded, satisfied with that proposal at last.

"You know about my people, so I prefer you over those grim-looking guards. I will treat you with respect worthy of a king. In turn, you shall be my wise oracle to guide me."

Satisfied, Yeosang pushed off the kitchen counter. His legs were stiff after all the back and forth, and it was long past his bedtime. He would look like death in the morning.

"Good. Then think about how to postpone your kingdom come. Meanwhile, I will try to make you comfortable and fix the mummy issue." He opened his closet to draw out his inflatable mattress he used whenever guests were over. While it expanded, Anubis looked at it liked a spooked bunny, not getting too close to it unravelling by itself.

Yeosang yawned, digging through his bathroom closet in search of a spare toothbrush.

With his legs tucked up on the chair as if the mattress was a snake on its way to attack him, Jongho called over to him.

"But I look forward to my rule. None of your petty issues with my manners will matter once humanity kneels before me."

If anyone saw him cowering in that chair, they would never kneel before him. Yeosang just scoffed to himself, not telling him that.

"I don't need to hear it! So just settle down, yes?"

He returned with a wet towel and the toothbrush, not daring to put any toothpaste on it in case Anubis died a sudden death from the minty sharpness.

"Here, wash up with this. I'll explain the rest of my home to you tomorrow, so for today you just have to sleep. You know how to do that, right?"

Compliant, Jongho wiped his face before he began stripping right in front of Yeosang without missing a beat. Mortified, he whipped around to stare at the wall while he kept brushing his teeth. He only caught slivers of tan flesh he had already seen before, but his cheeks felt warm.

If not for his insane, divine soul, Jongho was a handsome man.

The god snickered to himself as if amused by Yeosang's manners, before he also brushed his teeth. Yeosang showed him the bathroom when they were done, explaining how to use it. He could only pray Anubis cared for hygiene, but he did get the god who embalmed the dead and needed to keep his hands clean, so that was a win.

After preparing another glass of water for him to keep next to his mattress for the night, Yeosang instructed him to lie down and brought him an extra blanket in case he got cold from the European climate. Anubis didn't let the mattress from his eyes when he straddled it, surprised by the comfortable give.

"I'll turn off the light, okay? Just stay here, and if you wake up before me, look out of the window or something. No adventures without me, okay?"

If he was hungry, he could hunger. Yeosang wouldn't waste precious sleep to feed an immortal.

But Anubis nodded. His inquisitive eyes flicked to the light on the ceiling.

"I'm curious how you can reach that contained fire of this world."

Yeosang hit the switch, and a startled squeak sounded in the dark.

"Magic," he just said dryly before he opened the door to his room.

"Sleep, yes? Open a curtain if it's too dark for you."

Anubis didn't reply, hopefully brave enough not to be afraid of monsters in the dark. Yeosang knew he was having a hard time understanding this world, but a sadistic part of him only wanted Anubis to suffer more. Damn cocky god.

He retreated into his room and locked himself in. Though worried for his flat in the night, he wouldn't risk waking up to that madman next to his bed at 3 AM.

When he finally made it into his cosy nest, Yeosang dropped onto his mattress at the end of his battery life. He sunk in as if onto a cloud, barely able to lift a finger and take off his glasses.

The blue light of his phone screen harshly bit at his eyes when he felt for it.

Wooyoung had texted him again, worried about the cryptic message, but he promised to stay up and keep an ear out for them until he knew Yeosang was safe. With heavy eyes, Yeosang typed out a reply.

Hey, the situation resolved itself. All cool now. I'll explain one of these days. Thanks for waiting.

The ping of a response was almost immediate, catching Yeosang's fluttering lids. The letters blurred before his eyes. After being haunted by doubts, it was high time for some longer rest now.

Glad to hear it. Be safe, Yeosangie, and good night. We'll talk.

Feeling loved, Yeosang let his phone sink and crawled under his covers. He hugged his pillow, as he had been doing for as long as he could think. On other nights, loneliness struck and made him wish he had a Seonghwa to cuddle, or even Wooyoung and his babbling mouth, but tonight, he was too exhausted to fantasise. He passed out almost immediately, praying his house would still be standing when he woke up.