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That evening I sat alone on my bed with the windows open. The first night of spring had turned surprisingly warm and pleasant. Lights glittered along the riverfront. The neighborhood bagel factory filled the air with the scent of baking bread. I was listening to my SAD playlist and wondering how it was possible that my birthday had been only a few days ago.

The world had changed. The sun god had returned. Apophis was free from his cage, and although he'd been banished to some deep part of the abyss, he'd be working his way back very quickly. War was coming. We had so much work to do. Yet I was sitting here, listening to the same songs as before, staring at my poster of Anubis and feeling helplessly conflicted about something as trivial and infuriating as...yes, you guessed it. Boys.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," I said without much enthusiasm. I assumed it was Carter. We often chatted at the end of the day, just to debrief. Instead, to my utter amazement, it was Anubis, and suddenly I was very aware that I was wearing a ratty old T-shirt and pajama bottoms. My hair no doubt looked as horrible as Nekhbet's. Carter's seeing me this way wouldn't be a problem. But Anubis? Bad. Bad, bad, bad, very bad [Okay, Carter, I was only accentuating how bad it is!].

There were a lot of questions I wanted to ask him then. What he was doing here, why he was here, and so on. Rather than asking any of those more important questions, I found myself saying, "I never knew you had manners, seeing as how you can just pop into my room without my permission."

Anubis's chocolate brown eyes softened as he gazed at me. I flushed under his eyes. "That would be...impolite, yes?"

"Good point," I agreed hesitantly, shifting nervously on my bed. "So, um, what are you doing here?"

He seemed to have noticed the unwelcoming tone of my voice. "I am sorry, Sadie Kane. I'll go."

"No! I mean...that's all right. You just surprised me. And—you know...we have rules about boys' being in the girls' rooms without, um, supervision."

I realize that sounded terribly stodgy of me, almost Carteresque. But I was nervous.

Anubis pursed his lips, and I couldn't not stare at him—okay, fine, more at his lips. "I'm not a boy, you know," he reminded me, "and I am, technically speaking, older than you."

I glared at him, hating the fact that he was teasing me again. When had he ever not teased me? "Right. I suppose if you leave the door ajar...Er, what brings you here?"

"Can't I come and visit you?"

How flattering.

Anubis and I. Together, alone, in my bedroom. I swear if he didn't leave soon, my mind will probably explode.

"You know, I really am glad that you survived the past few days," Anubis said softly.

"Uh, thanks, I guess?" I muttered, my cheeks burning. I involuntarily flashed a glance towards my Anubis poster. Anubis himself, I'm sad to say, followed my gaze, and I saw a small smile tug at the corner of his lips [Carter, shut up! I may mention his lips a lot, but it's not because I want to kiss him!].

He gestured to it. "That is an interesting painting you have there, Sadie Kane."

I played with a strand of my hair and stared at the floor. "Sadie," I said firmly, "call me Sadie. You don't have to be, ah, formal with me." The perfect way to avoid his comment.

"Very well, Lady Kane," he assented, and I frowned at him.

"Just Sadie," I repeated. Though I had to admit, there was a nice ring to Lady Kane, especially when Anubis was the one who addressed me in such fashion.

"Sadie," he echoed, and I felt my heart pound painfully fast in my chest. I hope he couldn't hear it.

Anubis let out a sigh. "I wish I could have helped you more," he admitted finally, bitterly.

I looked shyly at him. "You helped enough," I told him quietly. "You, er, without you, we wouldn't have been able to awaken Ra. And besides, you're a god, and gods aren't supposed to associate themselves with humans too much, right?" I felt hot tears of frustration began burning in my eyes. "This is so bloody unfair!"

He crossed the room and sat down next to me. "Sadie," Anubis murmured, but I ignored him.

"I hate this!" I rambled on, fuming, "I hate everything! I hate having to save the world! What about my own life, huh? Did the gods ever think how much this ruined my ordinary life? I hate them! I hate the world! I-I hate the fact that I really really like you!" Realizing that I had said the wrong thing, I gasped and covered my mouth with one hand, tears still streaming down my cheeks.

Gods. This was bad. Very, very, very bad.

Anubis removed my hand with his, and his gorgeous brown eyes softened. "Oh, Sadie Kane, what am going to do with you?" He breathed, brushing my tears away with his other hand while still holding onto mine.

I didn't know what he meant by "What am I going to do with you?", but I didn't care. All I did care about was the fact that he was sitting next to me, and he was holding my hand.

And, being the idiot I was, I offered, "You can kiss me." [There, Carter, I actually gave him permission this time!]

Anubis stared at me as if I had just told him I was hosting Bast—which, of course, would be impossible—and I blushed again.

"You're not sick or anything, are you?" Anubis asked hesitantly, studying me and tipping his head to one side. He was worried about me. Aw, how cute. "You don't have a fever?"

"Really, Anubis, if I had a fever would I still be sitting here with you right now?" I scoffed, annoyed yet pleased at the same time.

He shook his head, mystified. "Good point," he said, echoing my earlier words. And before I could say anything else equally embarrassing, he leaned in and gently pressed his lips to mine.

My back was unable to support the sudden contact, and I felt myself melting at Anubis's kiss. I collapsed backward onto my bed, pulling Anubis down with me. "Mmm..." I mumbled in bliss.

"Sadie?" My annoying brother's voice called from outside. "Is there someone in your room with you?"

"Crap. Carter," I mouthed to Anubis, and he sat up, helping me up at the same time.

"I'll see you soon, Sadie," Anubis promised me, giving me another quick kiss on my cheek before vanishing from the room.

Carter poked his head in to find me by myself. "Were you speaking to anyone?"

"Just to myself," I grinned at him sheepishly, feeling extremely lightheaded as I remembered the feeling of Anubis's lips on mine...

"You're not sick or anything, are you?" Carter demanded, repeating what Anubis had said earlier. "Your cheeks are red."

I glared at him, hating him for interrupting that moment.

"Oh, shut up."


Disclaimer: I sadly do not own the Kane Chronicles, no matter how much I wish I did.

A/n: The beginning bit was from the book. This is a random idea I had while rereading the last chapter...What if Anubis was the one who visited Sadie instead? Hope you liked it! Review?