Even in here huh.

LANCE

Before I knew it, I came home safe and sound. That's the good part. The bad part? Magnus came with me. He said he doesn't have a place to live for the moment. Considering he just got dropped from the sky only to crash in deep mud – I kinda imagine this day doesn't work out well for him.

I gave him my clothes. Led him to the bathroom to shower. I ordered three boxes of pizza and slump on the sofa. Waiting for Dad to come home and Magnus to finish. Pizza guy arrived in twenty minutes. I scoured through channels while stuffing my mouth with steaming food from heaven.

When I check the time it's already over an hour and Magnus wasn't finished taking a bath.

"Oh crap, tell me he didn't slip on the floor and hit his head." I stuffed the last bit of my slice and leap towards the bathroom. Just beside the kitchen, is where our bathroom is. I knocked on the door five times before I heard a surprise Eeek and the shower turn on.

"Magnus? Are you alright?!"

I heard him cussing and hissing like a horny male cat going after the female cat to mate. I twist the knob - it opened alright.

What greeted me is a familiar sight. Magnus is flinging his arms and doing some sort of a voodoo dance with his foot alternately tapping the wet floor. When I said familiar, it's not the voodoo dance he's trying to pull off against the sprinkling water - it's his manly 'thing' bouncing like a glowy stick, except it's hairy and full of fat.

Considering I just ate a whole box of pizza and my stomach's full - too full it can't digest any food if the eye see a grotesque scene. No wonder I vomit the pizza on the spot.

"Lance? What's wrong?"

God knows where his towel was. Nor his self - shame. I'd like to think God must have put it to someone else by mistake. So if you there is too ashamed of your body shaped or shy from letting others see your thing - can you donate some of that 'shyness' to this Adonis dude? I think he needs it more than his brain.

"Let's get that clean!" He exclaimed in delight. He grabbed the hose Dad stuffed behind the oval bathtub and connect the end to the faucet. He dragged the loop towards my pizza vomit and sprinkled the water like a fire fighter with no common sense.

"Buurraaahh! You take that huh. Come here you little squirty orange lumps - I'm gonna flush you right out to the pipe!"

I watch him painstakingly leading what's used to be my pizza into the drain. And he's mesticulous at it. I groaned inwardly.

If there's olympic games or world record for an idiot who's good at flushing vomits to drains he would have been the champion.

At the direction of the living room, right where our front door is, the sound of footsteps, door opening and Dad's voice called out.

"Lance?"

"Here!" I answered.

"Oh, bathroom you taking a shower? Holy Socrates pizza again? No. No. Let's eat these roasted chicken I got from Pete. He cooked his five hens and gave us a whole package."

I bet there's still blood on it.

"This will be delicious. I heard his wife slowly roast this in the oven."

We're talking about that shrilly woman who frequents in salon for nail treatment and massage. You ever think she'll properly remove the giblets from the chicken's insides?

"Oh! The smell! God, I miss chicken."

And I miss the pizza Magnus flushed in the drain.

"Tell me when you're done. Let's eat this together."

"Umm, about that Dad would you..." I trailed off, whispering 'I'll introduce you to Dad' to Magnus. He shuffled in his feet while scrunching up his face.

'What?' I asked in a low voice.

'I don't want to meet your Father.' He whispered.

'If you're gonna stay here with us of course you'll have to meet him.' He attempted to back away and pick up his clothes but I grabbed his arm, preventing him from escaping.

"Dad can you come here for second? There's someone I'd like you to meet."

'No,you don't!' he started hissing and pulling on my hand to let go.

'Behave won't you? Here -' I fetch the towel on the rack at our right,hanging innocently at the wall.

'Wrap yourself with this. At least you won't embarass him with your thing.'

Magnus look down to where I'm nudging my nose. When he realized he was naked he snatch the towel from my hand and hastily covered his lower part.

I smile in relief.

"What you're not in the shower?" Dad suddenly came up behind me. He's dressed in his stuffy navy blue suit, but where his shiny brown leather shoes usually is - he replaced it with white slippers.

Dad and Magnus made an eye contact. That's when I notice Magnus is suddenly on his guard, tense shoulders, chest puffed out in what almost seem as a salute. While Dad crossed his arms.

Eyeing Magnus from head to toe. His face frowning. In a heartbeat I think my nerves gonna explode. I just remembered Dad hates it when I bring people to our house. With his paranoid compulsion, he thinks I'm putting myself in danger by bringing strangers inside.

"You're friend?" Dad gruffed. I immediately nod.

"You." Dad is using that rough deep voice of his again. And that's a warning.

I thought he's talking to me. When I look up, his eyes are set on Magnus.

"What do you want with my son?"

Magnus hurriedly looked away.

"I asked you a question Ranker."

At that moment, both Magnus and I froze. Just the word 'Ranker' flip my danger signal to its maximum.

Magnus told me bits of his story back to his world. About his position as a Ranker, they're duty as soldiers. And how they're enemies - the Faeries kept his fallen comrades captive in the prize of the Seeker - which is him.

Magnus immediately pulled me to his side. Then kept me behind his back. He flipped something in his hands and two identical swords sprang out of nowhere.

"Who are you?"