Anubis had been absent for two days and when he had returned, he had spent a lot of time just sitting on the roof of the building, looking at whatever he was seeing. Marc had long since given up on trying to understand the deity. The weather had started to turn gray, drizzly and a lot colder in the past week, which was just about normal this time of the year, but it didn't affect the entity. No matter the conditions, Anubis just sat there.

Steven smiled in welcome whenever the god accompanied him to the museum or sometimes even for a quick grocery run, always in canine form. And always unseen. Why he bothered to be a canine instead of his jackal-headed, nine feet self was anyone's guess. No one could see him.

"You have forged an alliance with the shadow demon."

Khonshu scowled, the darkness within his empty sockets reflecting that scowl perfectly. There was something of a cold, hard sheen to them that only another god could perceive.

"I have not allied myself with anyone," he stated, voice low and slightly rough.

"Yet Apophis dwells in this realm."

He scoffed. "Apophis dwells wherever he wants. I will not and I cannot stop him from choosing his lair."

Anubis wrinkled his nose, ears twitching a little.

"He is also not an enemy," Khonshu added in a gravelly, low voice. "His differences were with Re."

The jackal-headed entity grimaced; it was actually half a smile. "Legendary moments. Yet, he never held much use for humanity."

"That was for us to believe."

"They didn't build him any temples or worshipped him. Well, a few might have prayed to him, but his role was one of evil and damnation."

Khonshu shrugged.

"Your avatar mentioned a confrontation with him."

He tensed. "Yes."

"Which you survived."

"Apparently," he muttered sarcastically.

Anubis smiled humorlessly. "Apparently. No god risks a confrontation with one of the elementals. No sane god," he added pointedly.

Khonshu gave him a sharp look. "He attacked my avatar."

"I… see…?"

There was a long silence, then Khonshu expelled a breath he didn't even need. "Apophis guards an Unholy, which my Knight came to take. He was outmatched."

"So you, a god, entered the fight?" The tall ears flicked. "Of course you did. He is your soul-bound. I take it you didn't win?" There was a slight note of sarcasm there. And laughter.

The moon god growled.

"Of course not. He let you live. Now he allies with you. Curious."

"We came to an understanding," Khonshu muttered. "It's not an alliance!" There was an almost stubborn insistence to the last words.

It got him one of those curious head-tilts. "Maybe. Maybe not. An agreement, of sorts."

"And I do not rule over this realm, Anubis. I protect the travelers of the night, and I serve my vengeance through my chosen. Apophis' presence within this realm doesn't affect me."

The other god appeared doubtful, but he didn't dig any further. At least in that direction. "He has an avatar."

"He does."

"A bond-mate. Soul-bound like yours."

"Yes, he has a bond-mate. No, it is not like my own bond to my Knight." The words sounded like pressed through gritted teeth.

"I find that… unexpected."

He shrugged.

Anubis rubbed his snout. "You are the first of us to… take that risk… A soul-bound. A path with no return to what you were before. The same taken by the shadow beast," he raised a hand as the rags flared and the winds picked up, "almost the same path, I understand. You and your avatar are not mated. Apophis chose that way. The only one of the elementals. The Chaos. You stand out because you have anchored within an exceptionally strong and very much unique avatar. Someone who has given you what none of your kin could."

His eyes roamed over the landscape, hands clasped behind his back, posture tall and proud. Anubis had had to deal with a lot of change within the short amount of time he had been completely free now; Khonshu understood to a degree. Change had come to him quite unexpectedly and rather suddenly, overrunning him to a degree. He had made painful mistakes; horrible, painful mistakes. And he had nearly lost everything.

"Do you trust in Apophis' word?" the former guardian asked after a long minute.

He inclined his head. "Yes."

The milky white eyes reflected surprise and some doubt. Understandable.

"Apophis has proven to be… useful… As has his avatar."

Anubis' ears flicked. "I see."

"Probably not," Khonshu replied, though not as unkindly as it might have sounded. The gravelly growl was almost teasing. "Apophis is a… special case."

It got him a chuckle. "Like you, old friend. Like you. Maybe I am, too. I'll need some time to get used to the changes."

Khonshu shrugged.

"You have grown a lot," Anubis continued. "You are far more than the god you once were."

The moon god just looked at him.

"You harbor a power I have never seen within another. Yes, you are still as single-minded when it comes to the protection of those you chose, as you are of your Knight. Now you also have an edge that would make me hesitate to confront you. I believe it's one reason why Apophis took an interest, since elementals usually ignore us simple gods." He smiled derisively. "I remember Maat always looking through any of us, unless it suited her needs. Wherever her mind was, it was never on the same plane as us."

Khonshu harrumphed.

Anubis smiled. "This makes you a powerful sentinel of this realm, which in turn elevates the realm of humankind. I will make sure to honor your trust in me, to be a guardian again." He bowed his head.

And with this gesture, the former guardian of the underworld disappeared.

Khonshu let his eyes roam over the roofs of London, with the gray sky above, threatening rain and maybe a few flakes of snow. Right now, it was just a cold and dreary day.

He didn't care. The elements didn't affect him.

Anubis' words rang in his head, but he refused to dwell on them.

He was a guardian, a protector, of a realm he had refused to abandon, unlike most of his kin. That was it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Marc had never been into celebrating any kind of holidays ever since he had left his home and joined the Army. Steven, on the other hand, loved to bring out some decorations and he enjoyed the lights all over the city, right down to the massive Christmas tree at Trafalgar Square.

Marc just sat back in the mind-space as Steven strolled through the markets, looking at all kinds of handcrafted things. He would never confess that he enjoyed it. Not the holiday, not the season, just… the normalcy. Steven's enthusiasm, his wonder, his excitement, and the way he could just sit down and look at the string lights.

"It's beautiful. Like every year," he said softly.

It's lights, Steven.

"And you're a grouch, Marc."

He rolled his eyes.

"I like it. It's… nice."

It is, Marc said softly after a while. Not much into the holidays, but the lights are nice.

"You want to stay Taweret's avatar?"

Layla nodded. Marc interlaced their fingers and she leaned into him. They were comfortably curled up on the bed, the TV running in the background, and the lights were barely illuminating the flat.

It was just before Christmas that Layla returned from a short trip. She smiled at the scraggly little tree that Steven had 'rescued'. He had still paid for it, but there had been a heft discount. It didn't look as bad as a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, but it came close.

"It's the spirit of things," Marc had said with a shrug as she looked at the brightly decorated little thing. "It's a normal day for me, but Steven likes to go all out. I know we'll be watching cheesy movies all night."

Now they were alone in the flat, with Steven giving them privacy, and Khonshu was nowhere to be seen.

"Why?" Marc asked after a long moment.

"I can do a lot of good."

He made a non-committal noise.

"I'm still her temporary avatar. We made that clear right from the start. I have an out the moment I want to."

Marc stayed silent.

"She's also not Khonshu." The last statement was filled with gentle teasing.

He chuckled. "There's only one of his kind."

"And he's all yours," she told him with laughter in her voice. "Even if I have to share you with him. Taweret's not a vengeful goddess, one of justice and truth and all that. She's a caring one."

"Women and childbirth." Marc raised his eyebrows.

"Yes. Caring, protective, all that Khonshu is, too, but in a different, less driven and loud way."

There wasn't a single reaction from Khonshu. The moon god was probably hanging around, of that Marc was sure, but he felt little to nothing along the bond.

'Consideration' hadn't been part of Khonshu's mind-set or in his vocabulary. He would never have called the Khonshu of old anything even remotely close to considerate, caring or protective, though he had been all that; in his own way. In his own, rather twisted way. He had been a manipulative bastard most of the time, with a volatile temper and surrounded by a dark cloud of endless anger. Sure, he had never outright lied to his avatar, but he had also done his worst to get Marc to follow his commands.

That had changed. A lot. Not the chip the size of the pyramids on his shoulder; that was still there. He still bore all his scars, all his anger, for the world to see, but he had changed when it came to Marc Spector.

"And being the Scarlet Scarab comes in handy when dealing with thieving scum, graver robbers and looters, as well as shady dealers," Layla pointed out. "Gives me an edge."

"Scarlet Scarab," Marc teased.

She elbowed him gently. "Not everyone can be a Moon Knight."

"Hm, true."

"I also got a kick-ass costume."

"You do," he hummed, kissing her head. "You look bad-ass in that kick-ass armor."

Layla grinned. "Got you all hot and bothered?"

Marc felt a flush, then rolled his eyes at her laughter.

"You okay with this little arrangement?" Layla asked after a while.

"I don't decide over your life. Ever. It was your choice and I… I think it was a good one." He tightened his embrace for a moment. "A really good one."

There was a small echo deep inside him. It wasn't Steven, who had retreated to give them their private time. Despite his behavior and his apparent disinterest in Layla as Taweret's new avatar, Khonshu approved.

It had been a really good decision.

The armor would protect her. It was all Marc wanted. Layla's life had always been a bit more on the dangerous side of an archeologist's life, but with the appearance of Moon Knight and Khonshu in her life, it had become very, very dangerous. They were hunting for risky magical items and had run into a demon-god and his avatar already. Layla wasn't a damsel in distress, but she was vulnerable when compared to Moon Knight.

She sat up and met his eyes, probably reading all of that in his eyes. As much as he had hidden from her in the past, he was an open book now and he wanted her in his life. He needed her in his life.

Layla smiled, soft and warm, then kissed him gently. "We'll kick ass," she whispered.

"We always do," he replied just as softly.

Whenever he was hanging around the flat, Anubis was still read through the copious selection of books, magazines and old newspapers, and he had by now discovered the merits of TV, though he mostly watched it with a slightly confused or mystified expression as he let the documentaries inform him of what humanity had been up to. He didn't limit his choices to just ancient Egypt. He had a broad interest in just about anything. That he could use the remote to change channels or switch to a streaming network helped.

Steven usually sat at his desk, working through whatever, browsing the internet, or reading e-zines. He wasn't even bothered by the background noise of yet another movie, documentary or show.

Marc just muttered about getting someone a pair of headphones.

"Can gods get homesick?" Steven asked as he strolled through the early morning streets, breakfast burrito in one hand, coffee in another.

He stopped at the fountain where the man playing living statue had always been; the man who had apparently either found greener pastures or given up on earning money this way. Steven hadn't seen him since coming back from Egypt two years ago.

Khonshu stood next to him, looking almost thoughtful. "Possible."

"Do you think Anubis misses his home? All you guys are there, right?"

"Most."

Steven shot him a smile. "Present company excluded, of course."

Amusement flooded him.

"Do you miss your home?" he veered off the originally question as that thought struck.

Khonshu met his wide eyes, took in the earnest, worried expression, and part of him wound around Steven's soul in a brief hug. "No. There is nothing in that realm that binds me."

"You had… uhm, friends or whatever you call it."

"Acquaintances. Companions. Possible allies. I miss nothing of the Overvoid, Steven Grant. My bonds are to this realm, as is my loyalty. Even given the chance, I would not return. It is a past I do not want to revisit."

There was a brief, warm thrum coursing through him and Steven smiled. "Glad to hear it," he said softly. His eyes roamed over the empty fountain plaza. "Anubis might miss going home, though."

"It is possible, but the portals are closed for him. Should Osiris grant him pardon to visit the home realm, he will never be the same as he was before."

"But doesn't a pardon mean he gets reinstated? Everything else forgiven and forgotten?"

"Misdemeanors, yes, those are ignored. Mostly."

"Like you almost revealing the gods to humankind all the way back then?"

Khonshu inclined his head.

"But turning back the night sky and kicking Ammit's ass… well, that was too much?" Steven asked with a teasing smile.

Another nod.

And Anubis had raised the dead and sentenced two souls to eternal loss. That was… even worse, probably. Well, not, absolutely worse than manipulating the sky.

"He is free to roam every realm," Khonshu said calmly. "His choice is to remain here. He doesn't have to."

"And he lives with us. For some reason. Reading my books."

It got him a chuckle.

Steven still felt bad for the former guardian of the afterlife, but least he didn't need a job to earn money to eat and have a roof above his head.

A little silver lining.