Usual disclaimers concerning who should read what and whether or not it is legal for you to do so, so forth and so on. This is a work of fiction and should be treated as such.
A huge special thanks to Benji for editing. Hugs and kisses are due him for his fast and wonderful work. XXXOOO. Things will be evolving rather quickly now, so hang onto your chair, the ride gets bumpy! Enough said, read on!
"Near Collision"
By Lael Stalnaker
Chapter 6: Unexpected Arrival
Dawn threw streamers of pastel over the clouded horizon. As day's beginning became past, a figure formed high above the slumbering earth. Where there had been nothing, now a definite something. Great feathered wings snapped open to the rarefied air, cupping the vague upper breeze. The god's perfect face and form hung suspended from those wings. Eyes that blazed a sullen red scoured the ground below. A flaming nimbus of energy surrounded the figure briefly then faded as the sun lifted from semi-circle to full sphere.
Ethan woke with a start. His athletic body was extremely tense with pent-up emotion. Yesterday's strangeness was still fresh in his memory, not in the least faded. His dreams had been weird too. It was as if all of the mythology classes he had ever taken flickered past him throughout the night. He found himself still very disturbed. Ethan stretched carefully, paying special attention to his shoulders and neck. He then got out of bed. He stood at the window for a time, simply watching the start of the day.
After a quick shower and shave, he dressed. He thought about getting something to eat but didn't really feel like it yet. Ethan went to his computer turning it on. He signed onto the Net. Once there, he surfed through sites dedicated to Greek mythology. He was looking for as much little known information on Eros as he could possibly come up with. He had a plan in mind now for how to proceed with Bryce. One way or another, things would be much clearer by the end of today's waking hours.
Sunlight streaming in through the window nailed Skyler right in the eyes. He had forgotten to shut the curtains when he and Bryce had come in to bed the night before. They had lain awake talking quietly, cuddling with each other. Neither of them had been inclined for anything more physical after the confrontation with Ethan the evening before. He winced in pain as the brightness grew. He glanced down at his side to where Bryce was still sleeping, nestled against Skyler. Skyler frowned at a thought but pushed it aside for later. Today was going to be much worse than yesterday by a long shot. Skyler knew Ethan had been thinking nonstop and would continue to dig into things even harder now.
Skyler let his breath out in a deep sigh. Bryce moved restlessly against Skyler's side and then opened his eyes. He stared intently up at Skyler hoping that things would be a little better this new day. Once he could see Skyler's face clearly without the mists of sleep fogging his mind and eyes, Bryce knew that it had been a false hope to begin with. He scooted upright to lean against the headboard. Skyler almost leapt off of the bed in startled surprise as the phone next to the bed rang. Just as he reached over to answer it, the ringing stopped. Skyler could just make out the sound of Ethan's voice coming from Ethan's room.
He shrugged and leaned back into Bryce. He scooted down just enough to be able to put his head on Bryce's chest comfortably. It felt wonderful having someone to be lazy with first thing in the morning. Skyler pondered how quickly he had grown used to Bryce's body being in the same bed. They sat that way in silence for a long while, neither wanting to break the peace of the morning with speech. When Skyler had winced one too many times from the sunlight, Bryce waved an arm at the window. The black sheet unfurled itself, blocking the punishing light. Skyler turned his head a bit and kissed Bryce's chest by way of thanks for his thoughtfulness.
"You could do as much yourself now, if you wanted to," Bryce commented casually.
"What?!" Skyler asked in disbelief, twisting his head around to look at Bryce, nearly upside down with wide eyes.
"That is part of what I was trying to tell you last night. I have given you part of myself. That makes many things possible that were not before. I do not know all of what you will be able to do, but I think that you should start looking. Take your guidance from the tales of heroes and the interactions of the gods."
"That reminds me, I have question that you need to answer. How is it that you can enter my dreams? I thought that was Morpheus' realm," asked Skyler.
"So it is. One of the things that was arranged before we all left was that we would be allowed to enter the Dream Realm at need. It was hoped that we would stay in contact with each other that way. Unfortunately, it did not work out that way."
"Oh. I see. What exactly have you given me?"
"I do not know. I infused part of my being into you. What will come of it remains to be seen," replied Bryce.
Skyler chewed on that for a while before shrugging mentally. Not much could be done about it if Bryce himself didn't know what would happen. Skyler was about to say something else as a splitting pain shot through his temples. It quickly spread to the space right behind his eyes. He groaned as he realized that another migraine was immanent. The light in the room was stabbing at the core of his brain, faint though it was. Bryce started to panic as Skyler whimpered, curling into a fetal ball.
Bryce leapt up off the bed and ran through the bathroom to Ethan's room. He pounded on the door causing it to shiver with each strike he made against it. He could hear Ethan say something into the phone and then the click of the receiver hitting the cradle. The door jerked open under Bryce's fist.
"What?" demanded Ethan, irritation written all over his face.
"Skyler is having a fit of some kind. I have never seen anything like it," Bryce managed to spit out.
Ethan sighed heavily before grabbing Skyler's pills off the counter. He got the water and hurried into Skyler's room. Ethan was thankful that the sheet was already down and that Skyler was also in bed still. He knelt next to the bed while bringing the pills to Skyler's mouth. Skyler swallowed them and got about half of the water down before spilling the rest. Ethan eased him back down. He stroked Skyler's forehead in sympathy. He knew the pain was intense.
Bryce stood helplessly in the doorway watching. He did not understand what had happened. His forehead knotted with worry. Bryce watched carefully as Ethan went through the routine that the twins had used for years to deal with Skyler's headaches disguised as hell on earth. Ethan went to the window to draw the curtains closed. The sheet had been down, but there was still too much light. As a near total darkness descended, Ethan took Bryce by the arm and drew him out of the room. Bryce looked longingly at Skyler before allowing himself to be led away.
Ethan shut the doors to the bathroom on their way through to his room. Then he took Bryce into the living room. He released Bryce gently and flopped down onto the recliner. He gestured impatiently to the couch when Bryce just stood there.
"Oh, just sit down already!" an exasperated Ethan burst out.
Bryce sank down onto the couch warily. He looked about ready to jump out of his skin if Ethan so much as said 'Boo!' Ethan pondered how to start his plan. He didn't want to tip his hand too quickly. Still, maybe direct would be best. He sat watching Bryce squirm for a few minutes.
The winged figure paused in flight. The subtle signal he had been following was growing stronger with each beat of the mighty wings at his back. He floated easily with the wind, allowing time for his supernal senses to take in all the information available. Wisps of water vapor shot by a mile below his still form. He was far above the jet stream, but not in the least uncomfortable or ill at ease.
The thin chill air meant nothing. The feral brightness of the sun had no effect. This figure would do wonders in any age of man. Large hands firmly gripped his weapons of choice. Dark eyes pierced through all obstructions. Taut muscles stood out beneath tanned skin. Black hair of shoulder length occasionally whipped about in a frenzy of the wind's grip. The sun's light glinted off of gilded sandals and a belt of gold. White cloth blazed in the light.
Much as the osprey sights its victim below the blue waves, the figure watched the land below intently. He knew that he was close to the beacon that sounded so loudly in his heart and head. Eyes narrowed as he scanned the land beneath his hovering body. Tangled roads and tasteless modern homes sprawled below. Soon, he would swoop down and set things in their place. It was his nature. It was his right.
Bryce finally stopped squirming and looked Ethan in the eye. Ethan met that look with total confidence. It confused Bryce further. His feeling of unease grew by the second now. Ethan finally tired of the cat and mouse game. He nodded his head and leaned back into the recliner.
"So... my brother has fallen in love with Eros," said Ethan into the pregnant silence. Bryce nearly choked. He slumped weakly into the crook of the couch at the joining of the armrest and back. His eyes locked with Ethan's. There was no doubt that Ethan was sure of his statement. Bryce still said nothing. Ethan's eyes flicked to the coffee table then back to Bryce. His grin grew broader. Bryce looked down and then paled.
"You both should've been more careful. Leaving things lying around in plain sight could give a guy ideas."
"Excuse me?" whispered Bryce.
"Oh, don't give me that crap! I know who you are. More to the point, I know what you are. So don't try to bluff your way out of this," snapped Ethan.
"True, there is no need. You have correctly named me. It seems the Fates have chosen my course for me. How is it that you believe the evidence, rather than reject it out of hand?" inquired Bryce.
"Alcom's Razor. I'll tell ya what that means some other time. So, what now?" asked Ethan, much more calmly this time.
Bryce relaxed into the couch as he and Ethan talked for the next hour. He went over many of the details that Skyler had seemed most interested in, but giving nothing that he had not already told Skyler. After all, Skyler was entitled to far more than his twin was. Skyler was the bonded, not Ethan. Ethan settled into the situation as Bryce explained things. His nods came less often as he absorbed the information. He was wholly caught up in the details and their implications. Ethan finally shook his head, cutting Bryce off.
"No more, please! I need to think about all of this. So, you need help? 'We' should be able to. Yes, I am willing. And I think that I can help in ways that Skyler won't be able to."
Black wings snapped closed against a hard muscled body. The entity dived toward his target. He had found what he was seeking. The body became a blur as it shot downward. As the speed increased, the air resistance lessened. Within seconds, the plummeting entity had vanished. Anyone observing would have sworn that the falling object had simply dematerialized, perhaps even vaporizing.
Ethan shrank back into the recliner instinctively. Bryce's head had suddenly whipped up, his eyes blazing a flaming red. Ethan could just make out a low sonic rumble at the edge of his hearing range. It was coming from Bryce. Bryce was abruptly standing. Ethan had not even seen him rise to his feet. Bryce stared up at the ceiling. He slowly turned in place as if he were trying to see something. Ethan was becoming very scared now. Even he could feel something now. It was like something was there with them. Ethan then felt a twinge of something from Skyler just before Skyler yelled from the bedroom.
Ethan and Bryce bolted down the hall to Skyler's room. The door was stuck closed. Bryce hurled a fist at it. The impact reverberated throughout the apartment like cast iron slamming into concrete. The door did not even shiver from the blow. Bryce's fist bounced back from it as if he merely tapped it with his pinkie. Ethan absently calculated the force of the blow in the back of his mind. The door should have exploded into tiny splinters with the deadliness of shrapnel.
"My brother is in there!" said Bryce.
"You mean mine, don't you?" asked a confused Ethan.
"No, I mean mine!" snapped Bryce.
"Huh?!"
"I too am a twin. He is, shall we say, less well known to modern mortals. I do not know what he is up to though," Bryce quickly explained.
"Oh... tell me about it later! I am going to try the door from the bathroom. You stay here and keep trying this one," directed Ethan as he firmly pushed his confusion aside.
Skyler had woken up in the darkness confused as his hand trailed over the place where Bryce should have been. He almost sat up until he realized that he could taste the nastiness of his headache pills in the back of his mouth. Fortunately, the headache had been caught quickly enough to deal with it easily. He uncurled himself in the darkness, stretching himself out diagonally on the bed. He could just barely make out the voices in the living room. He groaned. Ethan was probably grilling Bryce over a slow fire.
"You are god touched," came a voice out of the darkness.
Skyler scrambled to his feet while pulling the sheet from the bed around his waist. He rapidly knotted the fabric and took a defensive stance. His arms began to circle in front of him, one hand at his elbow as the other extended fully. His body automatically planted itself into his center of gravity. He swayed in time with the rhythm of his arm movements, leaning from the thigh in the direction of the extended arm. Skyler squinted his eyes and let go of control. His sight adjusted quickly. He could just make out energy swirling around a central column. It looked exactly the same as when he had done this with Skyler. The exception being that the room was pitch black right now so the energy was a tad brighter.
Skyler felt fear creep through him before he pushed it out and away from his mind. Calmly, he continued the defensive movements. Whatever was in the room with him was not necessarily friendly. Why else would it just appear from nowhere? Skyler watched the entity warily. It simply stood there doing nothing. As the seconds progressed, Skyler decided to take action.
"Who are you and what do you want from me?" he called out loudly. Skyler hoped that his voice would carry into the living room.
He sighed with relief as he heard the others run down the hall to his room. He started as a loud thump came from the door. Someone had hit it and it did not budge. He could just make out his brother and Bryce speaking on the other side of the door.
"I have not come to harm you. Rather, to avenge you. Your sorrow sang out in the silence. Is this not the cause of it?" The picture on the dresser righted itself then glowed a sullen red briefly. Skyler flinched. He turned his gaze back to the shifting energy in front of him. It had not moved in the slightest. Skyler did notice that a solid form was taking shape out of the column.
A winged body took shape rapidly. The feathers were of deepest black that absorbed what faint glow there was in the room. Skyler moved with the flow of his circling arms until his right side was to the god before him. When his swinging arm reached a horizontal plane that pointed at the window, Skyler pushed out with his will. A faint golden light began to sparkle over Skyler's skin. The sheet over the window billowed up and caught on the hooks above. Bright sunlight flooded throughout the room as the curtains also slid aside. One part of Skyler's mind reveled in the proof of Bryce's gift to him as the glow faded. He also thought that his own training and discipline with Tai Chi helped. He flowed with the continued motion and faced the stranger again head on.
"If you come on my behalf, then name yourself. Know this too, I want no vengeance on anyone nor harm to any in my name," stated Skyler formally.
"You know already through my brother what the rule is about names. You must name me yourself correctly or remain ignorant. Cease your arm waving, I shall not harm you. Besides, why would I seek to bring down my brother's wrath on me? I see now you are his bonded. It explains much."
"You mean no harm, yet you come in darkness and bar my door?" countered Skyler. He could hear his brother in the bathroom tugging at that door. At the same time, another blow struck the hall door. Skyler raised an eyebrow. He pointedly continued his defensive movements.
The figure sighed. Dark hair curled down in waves that framed his face and neck. His expression was one of curiosity and exasperation. His wings were easily the match of Eros'. As Skyler assessed the god's appearance, he noticed that, excepting for the wings' color; he was an exact match for Eros' true form. His mind whirled as he sought the name of this particular god. It was there somewhere and on the tip of his tongue.
Ethan tugged at the bathroom door as hard as he could. Despite the bungling of the muscles in his arms, nothing happened. The door may as well been a wall for all the effort of opening it. He kicked it in frustration and noticed something odd. His foot did not bounce from it so much as slide away repelled. Brute blunt force did not seem to get anywhere. Ethan stopped and went out to his room. Then he went into his closet and rummaged around through the things on the shelves and littered across the floor. He gave a grunt of triumph as he pulled a ski pole from under a pile of boxes.
He took the ski pole with him back into the bathroom to try prying the door open. Just as he was about to begin applying some pressure he stopped. Ethan smacked his forehead in exasperation with himself. Another idea had come that might be even better. He dropped the ski pole and dashed out of the bathroom, through his room, past Bryce and into the kitchen.
Bryce barely noticed Ethan fly by him. He was furious. His brother had no business doing this. He fully intended to have it out with his own twin. This was far from acceptable. Bryce attempted one last strike at the door, more out of frustration than any hope that it would work. He then tried to calm himself. He began to examine how the door was being held shut. He saw the lines of energy that welded the door to the frame. It did not help that the door opened inward. More lines crossed the opening from inside the room. The energy was very much like an oaken bar across a castle gate. Bryce pondered what to do.
Ethan came back with a tool-chest in his hands. He grabbed Bryce by the collar and hauled him along to the bathroom. Bryce resisted for a moment, as always, before following hot on Ethan's tail. Ethan took a screwdriver from the box and also a hammer. Then he began to attack the pins that held the hinges. He made sure that the force of his blows went parallel to the door. It worked. Soon both pins fell since Bryce had quickly followed Ethan's lead on the top pin. He used another screwdriver and the flat side of a large plumbing wrench. They both could hear the murmur of voices from the other side of door they were attacking. The sounds coming through were very muffled, as if from a great distance.
"That should do it! You take the door handle and I'll get the other side with the ski pole," directed Ethan.
Bryce just nodded and began to haul on the doorknob. Ethan thrust the pointed tip of the pole into the crack of the door and also began to pry at the door. They both put their entire concentration into the effort. Bryce let his own energy flow around that which was binding the door. Soon he had managed to separate one side entirely from its mooring. He quickly thrust his own energy into the vacated space to prevent it from reattaching. The voices became recognizable now as two distinct people, although the words were still unclear. The door soon crept open a millimeter at a time. The two men kept at it.
Skyler searched his overwrought brain for the name. It was there, he knew it, but just couldn't seem to get his mental hands on it. When it finally crept out of hiding into the forefront of his mind, Skyler nearly burst out laughing. It was too ironic. He looked the winged god dead in the eye and grinned.
"Anteros," Skyler said triumphantly.
"I see that you are learned beyond most mortal kind. I thought myself forgotten in this age of modern marvels. You surpass and surprise me, my brother's bonded. You do your studies honor," spoke Anteros as his formed changed before Skyler's eyes.
The wings faded and disappeared. A black button-down shirt and black Docker's replaced the white linen kilt. The belt changed to a more modern style, only retaining a golden buckle. The sandals became black sneakers. Skyler nearly laughed as the Nike logo formed. Anteros had become the exact image of Bryce, much to Skyler's irritation.
"Did you have to pick that form?" he asked plaintively.
Skyler left off the defensive maneuvers and dropped down onto the edge of the bed. He promptly slid right off, landing on his tailbone painfully. Just as he was yelping with pain, the bathroom door fell to the floor with a crash. Ethan and Bryce stumbled into the room together. They landed on the fallen door with a smack, Ethan under Bryce. The only one upright and on their feet now was the stranger who stood near the hall door with his arms folded together looking amused. He leaned against the doorjamb casually.
The tableau froze for a minute as everyone took in the scene. Ethan was pinned spread eagle under Bryce's full weight. Both were staring in surprise at Skyler who was sitting on the floor with a red silk sheet wrapped around his waist with a pained look on his face. He was staring at the sight of his brother under the god that had claimed him. Meanwhile, the stranger had burst out into laughter at the whole thing.
Bryce rolled off of Ethan and onto his feet in one smooth motion. He went to Skyler and helped him to his feet. Bryce looked him over carefully, as if checking for bruises or other signs of hurt. Then he whirled around to confront his brother. Skyler placed a hand on Bryce's arm to try to calm him. Ethan scrambled to his feet and joined the other two by the bed. He too turned to stare at the new comer.
"A bit greedy of you to claim both, brother," said Bryce's twin with a grin as he eyed the other two.
"I have done no such thing! How dare you intrude yourself this way?!? I summoned you, not this mortal. Why did you not come to me?" bellowed Bryce. Skyler tightened his grip on the arm he still held.
"Calm down Bryce. He hasn't hurt me. Besides, I have named him."
"Didn't I hear you call him Anteros just before the door fell?" asked Ethan.
"Shit! Yeah, I did," confirmed Skyler with a sidewise glance at Ethan. Bryce stopped surging at his brother and turned to Skyler.
"Ethan has named me correctly Skyler. He knows who I am," Bryce explained.
"So, Anteros, you are Eros' twin? I've never heard of you," Ethan challenged.
"Ummm, Ethan. He is Eros' twin. He is the god of love rejected. There's only one surviving story about him and it is not well known. The only reason I know about him is that I have studied Eros for so long that I ran across the reference," clarified Skyler quickly.
"I think I will use the name Joshua for everyday. It would be wiser. What is the patronymic, brother?"
"Jackson. It was a casual choice."
"Ah, then it is Bryce and Joshua Jackson. Let us be formal and do this properly. You are?" Joshua looked over at Ethan and bowed slightly from the waist.
"Ethan St. James and this is my brother, Skyler St. James." Ethan couldn't help adding as he stared at Joshua, "This is our home that you barged into unasked."
Joshua turned his gaze from Ethan to Skyler. Skyler blushed to the roots of his hair as he grabbed at the silk sheet that kept trying to slide off of his body. It seemed politic to get dressed at this point. He tossed a pair of sandals into Ethan's room before looking for more practical things. He then went to his dresser, grabbed some shorts and a t-shirt and then headed into Ethan's room. He paused at the fallen bathroom door and glanced back at his lover and his brother.
"You should have seen the look on your faces!" Skyler chuckled as he continued into Ethan's room. He shut the door behind him.
Bryce followed Skyler into Ethan's room. He too shut the door. Ethan, now alone with Joshua, stared at the newcomer. He found his cheeks' flushing as he became aware of how attracted he was to this man. The dark clothes were a turn-on too. Joshua stared up and down the length of Ethan's body. His tastes in mortal flesh did not run all that differently than Bryce's. He began to grin as he watched all sorts of amusing emotions flicker over Ethan's handsome features. He wondered to himself why he had not materialized in so many centuries. He had apparently been missing out on some things.
"So, your concept is that of love rejected? What a bummer!" Ethan found himself lost in Joshua's eyes.
"Why? I have never been very unhappy with it. True, I have much less power available to me than my brother does or most of the others. On the other hand, I had less demands made on me too."
Ethan found himself flushing under Joshua's gaze. His senses whirled and he began to get dizzy. His emotions were also getting horribly mixed up. He tore his eyes away from Joshua and stared down at his own feet. The confusion was strongest right now. Just under that was a very definite attraction that was very nearly equally strong. Ethan almost jumped as Joshua stepped forward and reached out to touch his cheek with the tips of his fingers. Ethan's dizziness intensified sharply, and then he collapsed into Joshua's arms. Ethan closed his eyes to try and get a grip on his rebelling body.
"Sorry, I have no idea what's wrong with me," mumbled Ethan.
Joshua stared down at Ethan in wonderment. He had no idea what was wrong with the attractive mortal either. Then again, he had not had many personal dealings with them. Usually Eros had all of the fun in that way. He gently lifted Ethan into his arms and then laid him onto Skyler's abandoned bed. His brother's interactions with mortal kind had always fascinated Joshua. He was beginning to have an inkling of an idea as to what that interaction had meant to his brother. Joshua knelt down next to the bed and watched Ethan's face intently. Ethan kept his eyes tightly closed.
Skyler sat down at his brother's computer desk and got dressed slowly. The entire time, he kept eye contact with Bryce. He was peeling back the layers of the last week and trying to make sense out of so much that happened in too short of a time. Bryce sat himself on the edge of Ethan's bed and fidgeted. He knew that more of those hated questions were soon to be flying at him. Bryce sighed to himself. Mortals had truly changed from his heyday as an 'all-powerful god'. Back when, they would accept anything that happened as just another facet of how the gods' worked. Now, the slightest of things is challenged, examined, picked apart, analyzed and perhaps then, after intense debate, accepted. He could tell that Skyler was building up to a state of confrontation. Bryce even knew where it would start.
Skyler's eyes narrowed a bit as he watched Bryce. He could tell that Bryce was preparing for some thing he obviously considered unpleasant. He finished strapping on the sandals and leaned back into the chair. Skyler burst out laughing. Bryce's hangdog look was too cute for Skyler. Bryce looked puzzled and confused by Skyler's laughter. Skyler got up out of the chair and went to Bryce. He sat on the bed next to him and put his arms around him. He leaned his head against Bryce's shoulder.
"It's OK, love. Honestly. In fact, it was rather thrilling to have you pound your way to my rescue. I mean it," Skyler emphasized, as Bryce's expression still looked doubtful.
"Having you in my life has caused a lot of havoc but I would not trade it for anything. Yes, in the short week we have known each other and been together, I know that I love you. You just have to understand that things are so different that it takes time for mere mortals to adjust. Maybe more so now than you remember. That is why I have so many questions. I am trying to adapt as best I can to what last week would have been an impossible situation; the god of love wants me," Skyler further explained, gripping Bryce's waist more firmly.
"I will try to explain things more fully, my love. Please, just give me time to adapt myself. You have no idea how many things have changed. Simply no idea..." Bryce's voice trailed off.
Ethan let his eyes open again. The dizziness had passed, although it had intensified dramatically when his skin had touched Joshua's. He turned his head slightly and looked at the figure kneeling next to the bed at his elbow. Joshua had a far off look, as if he were thinking so hard that he was unaware of his surroundings. His elbows were planted precariously close to the edge of the mattress with his hands cupping his chin. Ethan took the opportunity to burn Joshua's face into his memory. He was very quickly coming to understand what was going on with Sky. These celestial beings were magnetic in appearance and in manner. Ethan found himself half-wishing that Joshua would start something, anything right here and now. He blushed faintly at the turn his thoughts had taken. He had jumped Skyler for doing just that and now he was thinking along those lines within minutes of Joshua appearing? 'What a hypocrite!' Ethan thought to himself.
Joshua came out of his inner reverie to find Ethan staring at him with those intense hazel eyes. He felt a jolt run through him. He absently lowered a hand from his cheek and ran a fingertip along the outside of Ethan's arm. A faint electrical tingle sparked at the point of contact between them. He could tell that Ethan had an identical reaction to his own. Joshua's eyes narrowed and his head turned slowly toward where Bryce and Skyler had gone. A faint frown formed on his lips as he pursued a particular thought that he wasn't sure that he liked.
Just as he was about to speak, Skyler and Bryce returned through the bathroom to Skyler's room. Skyler took in the scene with a frown and stalked up to Joshua with a frown. Then he reached out and smacked the back of Joshua's head with a resounding thud. The other three in the room froze in shock at Skyler's violent reaction to Joshua's touching of Ethan's arm. Skyler continued to scowl down at Joshua. Bryce coughed delicately into the silence.
"Why did you hit me?" asked the still stunned Joshua.
"I will NOT have you TOYING with my brother!" came Skyler's immediate venomous response.
"Brother, how much have you given him? His strength is far past mortal limits. The blow actually hurt," Joshua looked up at Bryce.
"I have given him a third of my power," stated Bryce calmly and quietly.
"What?!?" three voices came back simultaneously, rich with disbelief and shock. Ethan sat up and swung his legs to the floor. His eyes swung from Bryce to Skyler and back again. Joshua sat down heavily. He looked amazed. Skyler turned toward Bryce, shaking with his astonishment. His jaw now hung open. All three now stared at Bryce, although different things from the simple statement he had made shocked each.
"I wanted him protected. I have more than enough to spare to him. What other way could I be as sure that one of the others could not harm him if I am absent?" inquired Bryce.
"What have you done?! You didn't even ask me first. I don't know how to control what you've given me. What if I hurt someone? Bryce, I can't believe you didn't ask me first!" Skyler rounded on Bryce. Ethan was right on his heels.
"How do you know that your power won't hurt him? What were you thinking?" demanded Ethan.
"Well, you have truly stepped on the dragon's tail this time, brother. I cannot say that I blame them for their worries. We know next to nothing of the world as it is now. Many things have changed beyond reckoning. I hope that you have not fatally erred this time."
"Peace! All of you, peace! It is far too late now to wail over spilled wine. It is done. We will all deal with this as things happen. I acknowledge that I might have been hasty. There is still much else that needs to be discussed, besides this blunder. Can we leave the recriminations for another time?" requested a now blushing Bryce.
Bryce offered his hand to Joshua, who took it. Bryce then helped his brother to his feet. Skyler stared at Bryce for a moment and then turned to the ignored fallen bathroom door. That golden glow grew stronger this time. The hinge pins floated up from the floor as Skyler stared at them. The door itself rose up and aligned itself with the permanently set part of the hinges mounted to the wall. Furrows marked Skyler's brow as he jiggled the door back into the correct place. Though the door now blocked sight of the pins, everyone could hear them slide into place on the other side with metallic scraping sounds. Then the door swung inwards into the bathroom. Skyler suddenly turned to Ethan and Bryce with a funny puzzled look on his face as the glow faded from him yet again.
"How did you guys manage to make the door fall into my room? It should have gone down into the bathroom!"
"The frame warped somewhat as I fought with the energy binding it. That is why we both were caught off guard as it fell forward," explained Bryce as his cheeks colored.
"Oh. Well, as you can see, I'm learning about what you gave me," Skyler's dimples popped up and his eyes sparkled with amusement.
"That you are, my love," pride was plain in Bryce's comeback.
"Ok, let's take this into the living room where everyone can sit down. I am tired of looking up at people. There's still plenty of explanations owed all around," urged Ethan as he stood up. He swayed a little as he brushed against Joshua on his way out the door Joshua had opened for him. Skyler made a note of it for later when he could talk to Ether alone. Skyler's mind was running full tilt ahead now. The possibilities were crowding his brain. Bryce had said to use the heroes and gods as guides to his new abilities. Skyler's eye got wide at a particular thought and then his dimples reappeared. He was dying to try this new idea.
He followed them out of his room. He eyed the door with suspicion as he passed through. Skyler came into the living slowly and watched the interactions happening. Bryce had taken the corner of the couch nearest Skyler while Ethan had taken the other end. Joshua took the armchair and had dropped into it in a sprawl one leg over each arm of the chair. His arms were folded across his chest. Skyler winced at the sight. It looked incredibly uncomfortable to him, but Joshua seemed unbothered by the awkward position. That left a space in the middle of the couch for him. He plopped himself down and leaned into Bryce.
"Ok, how did you find us, Joshua?" Skyler started off.
"Your pain drew me here. It did have a large boost though. That is what woke me from my centuries' slumber. I think my brother should explain that one," answered Joshua.
"Yes, this is true. When your tears fell on me, Skyler, the pain of your emotion surged through me. I passed it through me and outward. I hoped that my brother would respond, thus making one of the lost found. Perhaps it was heartless of me, but there was no real harm in the attempt. Besides, I did not like the idea of someone escaping justice after causing such harm," Bryce amplified.
"Oh."
"So, why the stealth moves once you got here?" put in Ethan to Joshua.
"Well, actually, that was a bit of a mistake. I wanted to see who had influenced my brother enough to cause him to blast such a signal at me. I was rather surprised myself by the events. I sealed the doors because I wanted no interference from him while I looked over this mortal. Sometimes my brother's choice of partner leaves something to be desired, as far as I am concerned," Joshua stated drolly. Then he continued as the others bristled at his words, "I am pleased that this is not so this time. He chose wisely for once in his long, empty-headed life!"
Bryce started to turn red and looked as if he were going to leap from the couch at Joshua. Then he burst out laughing. His laughter went on and on. Skyler and Ethan stared at him in amazement. They couldn't understand what he found so funny. Joshua grinned. Bryce finally wiped the tears from his eyes and stifled the last of his giggles.
"You always were prejudiced in favor of males! I had forgotten that. You never did like Psyche," Bryce finally managed to gasp out.
Joshua laughed outright this time. His eyes danced with merriment at the success of his jest at his brother's expense. Skyler and Ethan looked at each other briefly, puzzled by the behavior of the two immortals. One minute they were set to tear each other limb from limb and the next they were acting as though nothing at all in the world were wrong. Both realized that there was going to be a long period of adjusting for them both. Then to further confuse them, the immortal twins began to rapidly speak to each other in twin speak with an ancient Greek base. Even Skyler could not follow it at all.
Skyler realized that he was incredibly hungry now. He pushed himself of the couch, grabbed Ethan's hand and pulled him into the kitchen with him. They could hear the immortals continue their banter back in the living room. Skyler opened the fridge and began pulling out stuff for sandwiches. Ethan started putting them together. Once that was done and the platter Ethan had put them on was nearly overflowing, Skyler hauled out some grape juice to go with them. They carried everything back into the living room. Ethan made room on the coffee table and placed the platter in the center. Skyler handed glasses of juice to each of the immortals and then sat himself on the floor opposite Bryce. Ethan took his place back on the couch.
The immortals broke off their bantering and grabbed a sandwich. No one spoke for a long time as the level of sandwiches on the platter slowly dropped. When the last sandwich had made its happy exit from the world, the four sat silently. Each was wrapped in their own thoughts. No one was quite sure were to start now or how to proceed from here. Then Skyler decided to play imp for shock value. He glowed brightly for a moment.
Skyler made rapid flicking motions at Joshua where he sat. At least that is what Ethan thought. He was totally puzzled by the action and by the reaction of the two immortals. Their jaws had fallen open as if Skyler had done something real or even threatening. What the immortal twins saw was a whole other thing entirely. To their sight, Skyler had created rings of energy with each flick of his wrist. These rings grew and expanded as they flew through the air and then encircled Joshua where he sat. The bands encased him and then grew stiff as steel. He was now stuck in the ridiculous position he had flung himself in when first sitting down on the armchair. At the least, it gave Joshua a very vulnerable feeling concerning his assets. Joshua flexed his mental muscles to attempt a breakage of the bonds holding him. To his shock, the attempt failed utterly. Skyler grinned fiendishly once that had happened.
"Here's the deal, Joshy! How dare you just waltz your immortal ass into my room uninvited? I don't care what your excuse is or was. Do not ever pull a stunt like that again, on my brother or me. Have I made myself absolutely, completely, without any question, perfectly clear? If not, you can sit there for eternity before I'll ever let you out," Skyler railed at the thoroughly astonished Joshua.
"I see you have figured out another trick," said Bryce into the stunned silence.
------------------------------------------------------ OK guys, that is it for chapter 6. I had fun with this one, if you couldn't tell. The next chapter, Chapter 7: Another Bonding, is now under way. I give up on trying to put an estimated time for posting. It backfires in my face every time. I just hope that you all still consider the story worth the wait. As always, I can be reached through LaelSt@aol.com or ICQ #11938988 . Thanks for all the support over the course of the writing; every bit keeps me going.
Side note: Yes, Anteros is really Eros' twin. I will not make up any of the gods or goddesses I use in the story(s). Also, there really is only one, very hard to find, story concerning this twin. Everything else stated about him in Near Collision is a factual as any myth can be. :)