Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 05:28:38 EDT
From: LaelSt@aol.com
Subject: Near Collision Chapter 6

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 <preferred>. 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. :)