Date: Sat, 12 May 2001 20:41:07 -0700
From: Lael Stalnaker <vanyelashkev@pacbell.net>
Subject: Near Collision: Chapter 12

This is a work of fiction. It contains material that might
be considered by some to be objectionable, i.e., graphic
sexual contact between consenting men. If this is likely to
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you continue to read, it is with full knowledge and
understanding that it is your own doing and no other's. In
that case, enjoy the story!

All of my stories are now collected at http://www.laelnet.com
There is a wide range of stuff, so give it a look see. As
always, I can be reached at vanyelashkev@pacbell.net. I can't
promise a quick turn around, but I always answer email.
Thanks for all of your support over the last year guys!

-----------------------------------------------------------


"Near Collision"
                  By Lael Stalnaker

Chapter 12: Maybe This Isn't a Good Idea

  Skyler sat on the patio, thinking as he watched the sun
come up. He hadn't slept well and so came out to listen to
the silence of the early morning. Stars were still faintly
glimmering their last before the sun peaked the horizon.
The birds had yet to make their presence known with the
adulation of the new dawn.

  He sat in his robe, waiting. Neither immortal had been
there when he came out. Skyler could only assume that they
were off in the Dream Realm. At least, that's what he
hoped. He let his sight fade and checked on Jeremy. His ex
was sleeping fitfully, still no doubt terrified of the
events from the night. Skyler felt a certain satisfaction
that the ugly green-yellow light was fading rapidly. That
could only mean that Anteros had withdrawn his energy. A
good sign, after last night's brawl.

  He flitted back to his waiting body and opened his eyes.
The morning looked even better already. Skyler took a deep
breath and slowly exhaled. Then he froze. That damn stray
cat was sitting on the fence in front of him. A grin
gradually spread over Skyler's face. This battle would end
now and permanently. The cat sat, tail twitching, staring
down at Skyler.

  Suddenly the cat's nose wrinkled and an indignant meow
burst forth. Skyler just grinned and waved to the rapidly
retreating backside. He had put a scent trigger into the
cat's nose. Anytime the cat touched the fence; an
overpowering grain alcohol smell would overpower its
sensitive feline nostrils. His roses should now finally be
safe from cat urine. Small victory, but satisfying.
Skyler sighed. Not that his day was going to be any easier.

  He still needed to get things straight in his head
concerning Bryce and Joshua. More to the point, what they
were and would do. Immortals without holds, checks or any
sense of modern understanding, loose on the world. Skyler
knew that there were definitely others, but it appeared
that at least these two were his to deal with. He had to
find a way to bring them up to speed. Their sense of right
and wrong belong to an ancient age when might was right and
the gods too powerful to gainsay.

  He watched the sunrise, the sky shifting its colors toward
the ultramarine of day. The birds finally began their
tribute to a new morning of sight. Skyler sighed. This was
going to be hard. He knew the legendary pride of the Greek
immortals. How does one make them understand the modern
world without stepping on an emotional land mine?
He needed Ethan's logic to get through this maze of
contradictions. Between them both, they might be able to
get the point across without an all out battle of wills.
Skyler could only hope at this point. He rose to his feet
as the world began stir. He could make out the sounds and
smells of people getting ready for the day. Turning on his
heel, he went back into the apartment to see if Ethan was
up yet.

*******

  Eros strode through the halls of his palace, deeply
disturbed. A scroll was clenched in his fist, nearly
crumpled into ragged scrap. He turned down another
corridor; headed for the rooms he had put Anteros in the
night before. Reaching the doors, he pounded his fist on
them, thunder sounding throughout the palace.

"Open up, Brother!" Eros called out.

  The doors swung back and Anteros stared at Eros. He had not
seen his brother this upset in millennia. He stepped back
and to the side allowing Eros entry. Eros stepped in and
went into the sitting room. He threw himself onto the
divan, strangely disturbed. Anteros followed and sat more
calmly on a high-legged stool. His wings twitched, black
shimmering in the glow of morning light through the
skylight over head.

"Something amiss, oh elder Brother?" Anteros asked, now
curious.

"Something is indeed amiss, sibling. I woke to find this
upon the foot of my bed. None of the servants can tell me
how it got there. Though they are only bits of energy,
still they observe and report all to me that happen within
these walls. It disturbs me greatly. Here," Eros tossed the
rumpled scroll to his brother.

  Anteros caught the missive easily and carefully unbent the
paper so that it would unroll smoothly. Using both hands,
he brought the scroll out into the sunlight sifting down
from the ceiling. He scanned the words, then started over
to read more slowly. Once finished, his hands fell to his
lap, the paper once more abused without thought.

"Does this mean that Apollo knew so long ago?" Anteros
asked uneasily.

  Eros shrugged, "Possibly, but though his sphere included
prophecy, I have come to believe that much that comes
through the oracles originates well beyond our ken. What I
have seen through the centuries implies that the Universe
at large may sometimes use a mouthpiece that belongs to
another. I believe this is the case with that," he stated,
pointing to the scroll in Anteros' lap. "Apollo may never
have even heard of it. Especially with the chaos at the end
of our days together as family. I would dearly like his
words on this matter. For, if he knew and said nothing..."

"I cannot see Apollo holding back such news as this,
surely. To know and not tell us all, such a betrayal is
beyond belief. Sooner would I believe that the Cybele had
no way to give this warning to us." Anteros said firmly.

"Well, it is in our hands now, for better or worse. The
words are vague but the message clear. They match the ill
dreams that plague me in the mortal world. We will have to
share this with our bonded both. I dislike bringing such
ill tidings to those I love," Eros replied.

"Aye, I agree."

"As for the matter of last night... I think it best that we
do not butt heads with our bonded. The links are too new
and might easily shatter under the strain of ill will
amongst us. Curb your instincts until a more suitable time.
I understand that you meant well, but how are they to know?
Surely you can see the wisdom of this?" requested Eros.

  Anteros re-rolled the scroll while thinking on his answer.
It irked him that the mortals so misunderstood his need to
assuage the wrongs done in Love's name. It was too much a
part of his nature, his ultimate being to simply push aside
and ignore without complaint. He handed back the scroll to
Eros, more than pleased to release the ill-omened thing
back to his brother.

"Aye, I will do my best not to provoke them. The strength
of Skyler! It is still a bitter taste to know defeat at his
new-made power. He outfoxed me so quickly that I did not
even realize that it was he. And Eros... that was simply
his spirit. Think of the power of the three combined, for
we both know that it is only partial strength that goes
with the wandering spirit into the night. His body, mind
and soul combined will harbor a strength that we of Olympus
never knew. These strange times have bred new men, it
seems. I think that only my longer experience would sway an
all out battle in the end to my favor. Though, I doubt
either would survive to enjoy a victory long. The drain
might well kill me as nothing else can."

"Why Brother! I believe that is the most you have spoken in
my presence, ever, at one go! Truly, the world has turned
inside out!" laughed Eros.

"Laugh as you like, but this changes things. They will have
to be guarded, for one of them holds the answer to the
riddle. I have no idea which of them it could be. And now
we have to watch for the third party. Can you make anymore
of the rest of it?" asked Anteros, flicking his wings back
in irritation.

"We should get back soon. There is much to talk about,"
said Eros.

*******

  Ethan groaned and pulled the covers back over his head. He
really didn't want to get up yet. His sleep had taken up
all of 3 hours of a night of restless tossing and turning.
Each time his arm had hit the unoccupied space next to him,
Ethan's eyes had popped open. He missed the warmth of his
bonded next to him.

  Giving it up as a lost cause, Ethan flipped the covers back
and sat up. The sun was just fully past the horizon. He
stumbled into the bathroom and sighed with relief as his
bladder emptied. Yet another reason to get up. He showered,
keeping his head up under the spray of hot water. He hoped
it would help clear his head. No such luck since it just
made him sleepier.

  Toweling off, he shaved and wandered back into his room.
Dressing quickly in shorts and sandals, he plopped himself
down in front of the computer. It was still running the
program they had started days earlier. No luck so far, but
there was still a huge pile of entries left to enter into
the system yet. He worked on that for an hour, rapidly
entering data and found that his head was clearer once he
stopped. Nothing like plain facts to bring order to chaos.
Yawning, Ethan left off and went out into the house. As he
came to the living room, he saw Skyler come in off of the
patio. There was no sign of the immortals. Smiling, he went
into the kitchen and began to make breakfast. Surely the
others would show up before he was done cooking. Ethan was
surprised though when Skyler followed him in.

"Were you able to sleep?" asked Skyler. Ethan shook his
head as he grabbed a carton of eggs out of the fridge.

"Me either. I was up with the sun, thinking. We need to
talk before they get back from where ever they wandered off
to."

"What about Sky?" inquired Ethan as he continued with
making breakfast.

"Well, we have got to get those two to understand that this
is not ancient Greece and the world is not full of ignorant
peasants any more. We can't have them dispensing their own
justice as they see fit. Theirs is too heavy handed and
possibly totally out of line. You see what I mean,
don'tcha?" asked Skyler.

"Yeah, I do."

"Any off the cuff ideas?" probed Skyler.

"Give me a sec. I'll give ya an answer when we finish
breakfast. I guess I should make enough for them too, in
case they show."

"Ether! I was hoping to get this sorted 'before' they get
back. Why are you avoiding this?" asked a now exasperated
Skyler.

"Huh? Oh... I guess I hate the thought of disagreeing with
Josh. Everything is still so new between us. And I am
sorry, but I think Jeremy really did have it coming to
him."

"Great! So he deserved a death sentence? Don't you get it?
That's what the end result would have been!"

"How do you know that?" demanded Ethan.

"Who is the mythology expert here? Did you not understand
what Bryce said about the arrow I intercepted? That the
poison on it is lethal? The punishment does not fit the
crime, my bloodthirsty bro. Greek gods are famous for their
over the edge punishments, even if they end up regretting
it later."

"Oh." Ethan became thoughtful.

"Yeah. Now do you get why I am concerned? The morals of
ancient Greece have no place here. We have got to get them
to see this. We are the only ones that they will listen to.
I need help finding a way that won't bruise their egos.
Will you help me or not?" Skyler pushed.

"Yeah, I'll help."

"Ok, so any ideas?"

"Well, it comes down to finding out how important their
ways are to them. Then we have to make them see that we are
not the people they are used to dealing with and haven't
been for hundreds of years. With a bit of luck, they should
accept that readily enough. Neither of them is stupid. If
all else fails, we simply tell them that we will be forced
to withhold our help if they insist on doing things their
way." Said Ethan thoughtfully as he set the prepared food
on the table.

"That's about what I came up with myself, but I'm glad to
hear it from you bro. Hopefully that ends any further
disasters. Thanks," said Skyler as he sat.

  They ate in a now comfortable silence, concentrating on
their own individual thoughts. Just as they were finishing
up the last bits on their plates, they both sensed the
arrival of the missing pair. The immortals faded into view
near their respective lovers. Skyler and Ethan calmly
chewed and swallowed what was in their mouths. Bryce pulled
out a chair and sat down heavily. Josh stood behind Ethan
and wrapped his arms around his bonded's shoulders. The
silence grew.

  Bryce played with the parchment scroll, rolling it between
his hands. He looked up at Skyler and smiled faintly.
Skyler's eyes caught on the moving parchment, a frown
suddenly creasing his forehead. Bryce's hands stilled and
his smile lessened. Ethan finally noticed the scroll
himself and stiffened. Joshua's hands tightened briefly and
he pulled back Ethan's chair. He then plopped himself into
Ethan's lap, putting his arms around Ethan's neck.

"I am sorry for all that happened yesterday, Skyler. Though
words do not take back actions long done, I hope that you
can forgive the trespass. I forgot your request for amnesty
for the fool. It will not happen again, my word on it,"
offered Joshua into the silence.

"I accept."

"I too offer my apologies, most beloved. I should have
thought more carefully before intervening. I will make sure
to hear you out in any future situation. Joshua and I have
come to the conclusion that there must not be conflict
amongst us from now on and for the foreseeable future.
Things are unraveling. This was left on my bed in the dream
palace last night. Read it for Ethan, since he does not
speak Greek and definitely not that of so long ago. We need
to discuss its contents immediately," said Bryce.

  Skyler took the offered scroll and carefully unrolled it.
The letters were handwritten and slightly erratic. Faded
with age, the words swam in his sight until he forced his
focus to shift as needed from clear to faint and back
again. Once he had puzzled all the way through it once
slowly, he reread it more quickly. His brow furrowed. He
read it out loud for the final time,

"When Love hears Dream's call
Within the Sleeping Lord's Field,
Though he be not there,
Pay heed and awaken mankind's shield.

"Within the circle of the Sun,
Death and Death and Death and Death
Each on four legs will come,
Driving from mankind their Mother's breath.

"First two, then four, then five in all,
The witnesses gather, the mortals two,
For they shall bear witness
To the passing of the Old to the New.

"Should they falter from their task,
And forsake that which empowers the sane
None shall survive the aftermath
And Death triumphant shall reign

"The witnesses start the Gathering
Seeking that long plundered
Two mortal and three not
Bring together those ancient Sundered.

"When the Immortal clan
Is once more whole,
The next task is sixfold
To check the Death toll.

"Old must welcome New
Granting that blindly withheld
Immortal transformation of two
Past and Present into Future must meld.

"Find the others that are Old
>From the peoples of ancient states,
For each their place to stay
Knotted by us, the Fates.

"Guard the mortals from themselves
Lest the day end in red
Once the first Battle starts
Or all living are now Dead

"Call forth with Battle cry
All the world's elementals find
For the Battle will be lost
If not fought by Nature's kind.

"Bring together those who know
The growing of the field and its call
Should the First linger long,
A Blight upon the land shall fall.

"Pandemic sweeps the World
New fear and old merge in the night
Disbelief destroys none
Mankind prays for healing light.

"The final Death cannot be stopped
By Heaven's hand nor Hell's neither
The riddle is spoken long before:
A mortal's mind holds the tether.

"Each in their order comes,
Sweeping from land to land
Mankind laid to rest in drifts
With but a touch of hand.

"One Death, and all is possible
Add the Second, Hope withers on barren limb,
Add the Third, Chance is thin
All Four together, the World ends," finished Skyler. "Wait,
there is a final paragraph... 'Thus says the Cybele,
last of Delphi's voices. This being her final prophecy
before her death. And lo, there shall not be another after
her.' Ok, that's it," said Skyler.

  They sat in silence, absorbing the words. They echoed
within their minds. Skyler felt as if the words were now
branded directly into his brain, an ancient long dead
woman's voice hissing within.

********

  Smoke roiled and twisted on the barren plain. The smell of
sulfur stank in the dry air. A deep crevice gaped open as
the earth shook and groaned with internal agony. Rumbles
and crashes echoed into the open air as the crack in the
surface grew, seemingly torn by the ground's shaking.

  The smoke began to circle and spin over the misshapen
ground. A deep red glow filtered up into the yellowed air.
A final trembling split wide the tortured earth and rock.
The smoke hissed up in billowing poisonous clouds. Within
the deadly smog, a form shaped. Four limbs straddled the
opening, red gleaming off of polished metal.

  The words spoken in the other world echoed here, within the
Dream Realm. Glowing eyes scanned the surroundings, finding
satisfaction that there were no living creatures for miles
in any direction of this cursed spot. Laughter boomed
forth, and surely, had there been anything living, it would
have died at the mere sound of that creature.

*******

  Ethan sat in front of his computer inputting the stack of
information that never seemed to end. He wished there was a
faster way to do it. His brow furrowed and then he came to
a decision. He scanned the top sheet with his eyes, reading
quickly, and then stared at the monitor. Instantly words
appeared. Ethan grinned and kept reading. Now, as he read,
the words appeared on the screen less than a second after
he read them.

  He split his attention, now that it was a matter of reading
and sending the words straight into the machine. Ethan was
worrying at the words of the prophecy in the back of his
head. They all had sat silent for a long time, absorbing
what it had implied. Bryce then told them that there would
be no further deviations from the real purpose. Skyler had
been relieved that it was not necessary to go into their
earlier planned discussion. Ethan was just as relieved. The
immortals had come to the right conclusion on their own, it
seemed.

  When the pile of data was down to half its original size,
Ethan stopped and stretched. He felt an intense
satisfaction that he had found an effective use for the
power granted him by Anteros. Ethan was not given to the
kinds of experiments that his twin reveled in. Then again,
Skyler seemed to have a better understanding of the
possibilities inherent to the gift.

  The computer pinged suddenly, bringing Ethan's attention
swiftly back to it. The data stream had stopped and
highlighted one of the names from the list. There appeared
to be a strong chance that an immortal, other than their
own pair, was here in California. Ethan mused on the
information. Another idea was forming and he debated the
wisdom of checking it out.

  After several minutes of deep thought, Ethan decided to go
with the new idea. He saved the results of his search
program and sat back comfortably in his chair. His eyes
drifted shut and his body relaxed. Light patterns began to
play across his closed eyelids, gaining speed rapidly and
changing so fast that they became nothing more than a
quicksilver flicker. His chin soon rested on his chest, his
mind now out and elsewhere.

********

  Thousands of pinpoints of light raced in a stream before
Ethan. His eyes took in the sight with awe. He concentrated
a moment and the stream slowed to a crawl. The pinpoints
became broad bands and he looked down at them carefully. He
shifted his mind, changing the light into recognizable
information that he could use. He laughed with delight,
reminded of the scene from Matrix when Neo looks down the
hotel hallway, seeing it as streams of code.

  Though far cruder, the information highway did in some ways
resemble the movie. Ethan studied the flowing light
patterns below him. He was still unsure exactly how he was
doing this, but he knew that he was breaking several laws
of physics. Ethan glanced back, looking for his entry point
into the data stream. He almost panicked when he could not
readily identify it. Then he noticed a faint cord leading
along his back trail. Silvery and insubstantial, it showed
up as he slitted his eyes and used peripheral vision.

  Even more curious now, Ethan willed himself back to the
entry point. He found himself facing himself, from the
inside of the computer monitor. He frowned, thinking hard.
He would have thought it more logical to enter through the
drive of the computer itself. Ethan examined all of the
information showing in his 'sight'. Within seconds, he was
able to comprehend what everything meant and how it
appeared to his altered state.

  He groused to himself as he recognized a subtle virus
twisting and turning within his hard drive. It was slowly
eating into the computer's memory and would eventually
cause nothing but 'fatal error' messages as time
progressed. He tightened his focus and reached forth with
his mental hands. He caught the 'head' of the virus as it
quietly consumed valuable space. He clenched his fingers
and crushed the thing. Then he hauled each part of it to
him, back tracking the course it had taken. An intense
satisfaction crept through Ethan as he annihilated the
insidious thing.

  Ethan swept his senses through the rest of the memory on
the hard drive; cleansing and fixing those places that
needed it. Soon the job was complete and Ethan decided that
he had done enough exploring of this new realm for the day.
It would not do to get caught up and forget to return. With
a last look around at the incredible display of light
structures around him, Ethan retreated back to the monitor
and out into his body.

  He opened his eyes and sighed. His mind reeled with all of
the possibilities this discovery opened for him. Ethan really
had not believed that the power given him by Anteros had
any practical real effects in the physical world. He was
skeptic enough as it was, even with some of Skyler's more
flamboyant tricks as proof. Still, this was an application
that could really help, in a number of ways. His intimate
knowledge of computers and programs now took on whole
worlds of meaning. Ethan grinned to himself as he listed
things in his head. Yes, things would prove to be very,
very interesting as he discovered all that he could do in
the computer virtual world. Let Skyler have access to the
Dream Realm, Ethan would have the Virtual one as his own.

  Satisfied with the experiment, Ethan only now realized the
deep weariness that prevailed throughout his body and mind.
The energy cost was something he would have to consider for
the next time. No sleepless nights before hand. The grin
faded as he thought of the possible things that could go
wrong. Until he knew more, caution must rule his actions.
He debated telling the others his discovery, but ended up
not wanting to share his new toy.

  Ethan lowered himself onto the bed, exhausted beyond
description. He wondered if Skyler felt this way after his
ventures into the realm of power. He sighed to himself. His
eyes felt so heavy that he knew he had to sleep and
recover. His breathing evened out and his body relaxed.
Ethan slept, at peace with himself.

*******

  He woke to hands caressing his face. Joshua knelt at the
side of the bed, his hands feather light as they traced the
lines of his jaw and cheeks. Ethan smiled sleepily. Joshua
stopped his stroking, letting his hands cup Ethan's face.
The smile pierced his heart, sending a surge of exultation
through his being, that this smile was for him alone.

"Hungry?" Joshua whispered into Ethan's ear.

"Yes, but not for anything to eat," Ethan whispered back.

"What for then?" asked Joshua, puzzled.

"For you! I missed you."

"Oh! What shall we do about it then?" inquired Joshua,
pleased to no end.

"Well, I want another shower. The humidity is bad today.
Join me." Ethan said as he leaned over to kiss Joshua.

"As it is your wish, so it is my delight. Though, it has
been night now for some hours. Come, let us make use of
your marvelous bathing room." Joshua took Ethan's hand and
helped him to rise from the bed.

  Ethan glanced at the window, startled to find that the day
was gone. Still, sweat trickled down his back and sides
from the heat of the day. He desperately wanted to get
clean. Even more, he wanted Josh. He quickly stripped and
tossed the soiled clothes into the hamper in his closet.
Turning back to Josh, he found the muscular form already
naked and Josh's smile beaming at him. Ethan felt a massive
twitch from his groin as he gave Josh a long, slow,
appreciative, going over with his eyes. He never tired of
looking at him.

"Come on, stud, into the shower!" commanded Ethan, his
voice low with need and desire.

  Joshua walked into the bathroom and hopped up onto the
counter. He still did not like taking the initiative, much
preferring the fascination of seeing what his bonded would
do in any given situation. He enjoyed the variety
immensely. His rear felt slightly chilled from the counter
and he squirmed a little. Ethan soon had the shower going
and pulled Josh off the counter by both hands. Joshua
delighted in the impish grin Ethan wore.

  They both climbed into the shower, allowing the water to
flow over and around them. Joshua savored the feel of the
hot water cascading around him as Ethan moved around him.
He closed his eyes and leaned into the spray, his hands
resting lightly on the tiled wall under the showerhead. His
entire body felt fit to melt in the soothing heat. Fingers
began to lightly trace circles and swirls along his back
and sides. Goosebumps rose in their wake. Joshua shivered
with desire.

  Ethan picked up a sea sponge from the shower ledge and
applied some liquid soap to it. He then began at Joshua's
neck and lightly trailed it up and down the broad shoulders
and back in front of him. He lingered along Josh's calves
finally finishing at his feet. Soapy suds slid along the
contours of the sculpted muscles. Ethan turned Joshua
around, allowing the flowing water to wash away the lather.
He began as carefully on the front as he had done the back.
The sponge trailed along the ribs and stomach, following
the natural valleys of the body under his hands. He paid no
special attention to the groin... yet. Once Josh was
covered in bubbles again Ethan turned him again to rinse
him. Joshua let Ethan do as he liked, still passively
waiting to see where things went. He closed his eyes again,
savoring the feel of Ethan's hands all over his body now.
Ethan slid around, coming back under the water himself.

"My turn, sexy!" said Ethan.

  Joshua nodded and opened his eyes again. He took the sponge
from Ethan's hand and moved him further from the water. He
squeezed the sponge over Ethan's head, letting the soapy
water pour down onto Ethan. He added more soap and began
his own bath treatment for Ethan. He massaged the soap onto
him, using the sponge. It slid and slipped everywhere along
Ethan's body, gliding everywhere that Joshua could reach.
He pulled Ethan further from the water and turned his whole
body white with bubbles. He began to follow the sponge with
his other hand, pressing lightly into the skin, smoothing
taut muscles. Ethan groaned with the pleasure that the
touch brought him.

  Joshua lingered on Ethan's crotch, soaping it into a mound
of bubbles that soon could not contain Ethan's growing
erection. He knelt carefully, to better observe his prize.
Joshua focused intently on it, sliding his suds slickened
hand along its length. Ethan's breath whistled between his
clenched teeth. Joshua sped up his stroking, then stopped
abruptly. Ethan looked down, admiring the profile below
him. Joshua rose back to his feet and kissed Ethan.

  Ethan backed into the water slowly, drenching them both
again. The bubbles slid from him, helped along by Joshua's
hands. The kiss lingered, with water pouring down between
them. Ethan let his own hands wander, seeking all of the
places he knew would excite Joshua. He also lingered at the
well-muscled backside, kneading the muscles. Joshua pressed
into Ethan's body, enabling them both to have contact down
their entire bodies.

  Joshua began to copy all of Ethan's hand movements,
shadowing them. Ethan's pulse throbbed in time with his
rapid breath. He ached for Josh to be in him, but first he
wanted to taste him. He slid down onto his knees, water
pummeling his back, neck and head. Joshua braced his feet
along the sides of the shower, resting his hands on the
back of Ethan's neck. His eyes widened as Ethan's warm
mouth engulfed him in one fluid motion. His hips tingled
where Ethan's hands gripped him tightly to keep his
balance.

  Joshua placed one hand on the top of the shower door to
steady himself as Ethan's head began to bob rapidly. The
other hand trailed through Ethan's wet hair at his neck.
Ethan released Josh from his mouth and began to lick and
suck on Joshua's scrotum. He trailed one hand down from
Josh's hip and between the splayed legs of the man above
him. He gently lifted the leg, which Joshua placed on the
shower ledge in the corner. Joshua leaned forward, his
chest resting on his raised thigh, his hand sliding from
the shower door to now brace against the wall as Ethan
licked even further back. Josh gasped as Ethan's tongue
slid over the sensitive nether skin.

  Ethan flicked his tongue back and forth over the skin behind
Joshua's scrotum and then further back still. The mild
after taste of the soap didn't bother him at all. When he
reached the place that indented, he pushed lightly.
Joshua's body shuddered under his touch, delighting Ethan.
He let his free hand, the one that had lifted Josh's leg,
begin to stroke the ridged hardness that rose above his
head now. He kept his eyes closed, reveling in the water
that pulsed against his eyelids, not needing sight to do
what they both wanted badly. He probed harder, feeling Josh
suddenly relax the tense gateway to the battering of his
tongue. Josh moaned again, even louder. The sensitive
nerves at his opening quaked with the in and out motion of
Ethan's intruding tongue. Time lost meaning as the purest
form of sensual touch became his only reality. It
intensified as Ethan stroked him in time with the rhythm of
his oral maneuverings. Josh could even feel Ethan's breath
against his skin, warmth that cooled quickly within the
pounding watery atmosphere. Nothing mattered, nothing
existed now except for where body touched body, skin slid
on skin. It was almost a shock when Ethan stopped.

  Ethan slid himself further between Joshua's legs, doing a
unique limbo move, his back nearly touching his heels as he
moved out from under him. His hands trailed along Josh's
inner thighs as he slid along the smooth surface of the
shower floor. Once out from under Josh, Ethan turned around
and stood again. He ran his hands over the tightly muscled
surface of Joshua's backside. He could feel Josh tremble
under his fingers. He ran his tongue from the small of
Josh's back up his spine to his neck. In the process,
Ethan's body was now pressed firmly up against Josh's.
Ethan felt his granite like erection slide between Josh's
legs, pressing firmly up against his underside and scrotum.

  Josh opened his eyes and turned his head back to look at
Ethan. Through he daze of ecstasy, Joshua found Ethan's
face so near his own. Ethan leaned even closer, bringing
his lips to Josh's. They kissed, fused together the length
of their entire bodies and beings. Joshua began to arch and
unarch his back, causing Ethan's erection to slide back and
forth between his legs. An eternity later Ethan broke the
kiss. He reached around Joshua and picked up the soap bottle
that had been forgotten by them both.

  Rubbing the soap along Joshua's back, Ethan slid it closer
and closer to the spread cheeks. Joshua's position left him
utterly open to Ethan. Joshua reached up and pushed the
shower nozzle to the side. With the water now cascading
down the wall, instead of over them, the soap clung to
Joshua. Ethan slid the soap down the muscled valley,
carefully soaping the smooth skin. Once the suds were
thick, he slid the soap even further down, running it along
Josh's underside and over his own flesh. Dropping the soap,
Ethan slid his fingers up and down Josh's exposed areas,
pushing in gently each time he came to the site of his
earlier tongue invasion. His two fingers slipped in easily
after a couple of pushes. Ethan gathered more bubbles onto
his fingers and pushed in again. Over and over this went
on. Joshua was moaning as Ethan's fingers entered and again
when they left.

"Enough teasing, beloved," Joshua finally whispered.

"OK," came Ethan's whispered reply.

  He pulled his body back, letting his erection slide
gradually out from between Joshua's legs. Ethan gasped as
his blood-engorged erection came free and smacked up
against his stomach. He had never felt so hard in his life,
before this moment. Making sure that he was completely
covered with soap, he guided himself up to Joshua. He
pushed lightly, waiting for Joshua to adjust to the much
bigger intrusion. Within seconds Ethan gritted his teeth as
the tip slid past the opening. He felt as if the tightness
as going to cut him in two. Ethan nearly slipped and fell
as Joshua abruptly pushed back against him. More than half
of his length jammed into the tight space. Ethan's breath
hissed out from between his clenched teeth. He leaned
forward and thrust his hips. He quickly reached the rest of
Joshua's body.

  Joshua twisted his waist slightly, reaching a point that
enabled him to see behind him better. He savored the feel
of Ethan within him. All of his nerves tingled, signals of
pleasure spreading as he felt Ethan begin to move. Ethan's
fingers kneaded the muscles on Joshua's shoulders. He drew
back, nearly coming free of Joshua, then pushing back in to
the hilt. Slow and steadily, Ethan moved in and out of the
warm tightness that gripped him. He trailed one hand down
Joshua's side and snaked a hand around to grip Joshua's
hardness.

  Ethan stroked Joshua, his still soapy hand firmly embracing
the silken hardness. Joshua was now pushing back into the
incoming motion of Ethan's penetration. They became one in
the sense that synchronicity, without mistake or false
movement, carried them both. They were fluid, smooth,
together in their shared ecstasy. Gradually, the pace
increased, the motions between them more brisk, almost
sharp. Joshua was blissfully aware each time Ethan pushed
over his prostate and then dragged back over it on the
outstroke. Jolts of pleasure, sharp and clear flowed out in
waves each time. Josh gripped down with his inner muscles,
heightening the experience for them both.

  The rhythm of motion gradually reached a body pounding,
frantic level. Ethan was lost in how good Joshua felt and
wanted it to go on and on. His hand zipped up and down
Joshua's length, stimulating Joshua from outside as well as
from within. Ethan finally reached the point of no return,
though he tried desperately to hold back. His free hand
wrapped over Joshua's chest, pulling him tightly upright
against Ethan's chest as he pounded into him. His hand
became a blur as he stroked Joshua in time with his
frenzied thrusting from behind. Joshua twisted his head
back and Ethan captured his lips in a soul-devouring kiss.

  Groaning with a near pleasurable agony, Ethan felt his
nerves reach their zenith of ability. His nerves spasmed
and his knees nearly crumpled with weakness. He could feel
the pressure within surge to an unbearable peak and then he
exploded. Pulse after pulse shot through him and out
through his overloaded connection to Joshua. The sound of
his skin smacking into Josh's became louder than the spray
of water against the tiled wall of the shower's interior.
The impact of his body into his lover's added another
dimension to everything he was feeling. Then Joshua clamped
down and held tight with his internal muscles, bringing
Ethan's last few jets of ejaculation to new heights. Their
lips still locked together, Ethan could only moan as he
came to rest buried deep within Joshua. He sagged into the
strong body under his.

  Joshua broke the kiss between them, lightly. Ethan's eyes
were closed, shuttered tight. He smiled, aware of every
point of contact between them. He could almost make out
each individual hair rubbing against his backside. He
intensely liked having Ethan in him. He liked the way it
made them one. Joshua sighed in disappointment as Ethan
finally withdrew. Only then did he become aware of his own
raging need for release. Ethan's hand still had him in a
death-grip.

"Your turn babe," breathed Ethan into Josh's ear near his
lips.

"What do you mean?" asked Josh, still in a daze of
conflicting sensations.

"I want to give you what you gave me."

  Ethan turned Josh around and planted his lips to Josh's. He
stroked gently, keeping Josh at a near fever pitch of
arousal. He then bent carefully to pick up the soap bottle,
still feeling slightly weak in the knees. He handed the
soap to Josh and turned to present his backside. Joshua
carefully maneuvered them both to the far end of the
shower. He took both of Ethan's hands into one of his and
pulled them up over his head, up against the shower wall.
This caused Ethan to lean forward just enough to make it
easy for Joshua to get where they wanted him to be.
He lathered Ethan's skin as carefully as Ethan had earlier
done his own. When the soap bubbles were thick and
everywhere, Joshua reapplied the soap to himself.

  He kissed Ethan's neck and brought himself in close. With amazing
accuracy, he hit the right spot and pushed, hard. Ethan
gasped as he was invaded. He immediately relaxed with all
of his concentration. Joshua slowly pushed in once his
massive erection made in through the now unguarded opening.
Ethan felt as if Joshua was going to fill his entire
insides before they reached the end of that impaling shaft.
Then, to his amazement, Joshua's pubic hair scratched the
sensitive skin of his open rear.

  Joshua waited a moment; savoring having his shaft
completely embedded in Ethan. He wondered at the trembling
of Ethan's body under his. Reaching around Ethan's waist,
he found that Ethan had regained his former hardness with
startling speed. Joshua gripped him and began pulling in
time with his own strokes into the furnace of heat that was
Ethan. He hammered into him, jolting Ethan with the impact
of his groin into Ethan's muscled backside. All too quickly
Joshua neared the pinnacle. Ethan's earlier manipulation of
him had him more than ready to seek refuge in orgasm.
Ethan had not taken such a pounding in ages. Josh's
miniature grunts as he slammed home spoke volumes for the
total concentration that he was giving to bringing an end
to his near painful build up. Ethan was just as surprised
when he found himself shooting again so soon after the
last. It had crept up on him and then roared through him.
This time it was nearly painful, but just as powerful. He
felt his inner muscles bunching and contracting down on the
shaft that flew in and out of him. Joshua was going so fast
that he actually was totally leaving Ethan's body now and
immediately pushing right back in. It made the experience
for Ethan even more of a mind-blowing event.

  As Ethan's body caressed and grabbed at him, Joshua lost
the ability to hold back any longer. He pulled all the way
out and slammed back in, over and over. Just when he
thought he could hold out no more, Josh felt the pressure
within his rock hard shaft reach critical and spray Ethan's
entire insides. He continued to pull all the way out and
back in. Soon Ethan's outer body was as covered with filmy
white liquid as his inner one. Joshua went on until every
last spasm ended and he could no longer move. He buried
himself one last time and released his grip on Ethan's
spent shaft. He nuzzled into Ethan's neck and then licked
behind his ear.

  They both stayed still for long minutes, breathing heavily
into the water-laden air. Joshua pulled free at last and
let go of Ethan's hands. He turned Ethan around and pulled
him close for another mind numbing kiss. Once they were
somewhat rested, Ethan pulled back.

"Time to finish cleaning up love," he suggested into the
afterglow.

"I agree. We both seem to be very sticky again," replied
Josh.

  As they stepped back to the water end of the shower, Ethan
marveled at what they had just experienced. Sex with his
immortal always seemed better than the time before. Nothing
paled; nothing lost its appeal. He turned the nozzle back
toward them and stepped into it.

"Oh Shit!" yelled Ethan.

"What happened?!" asked an equally startled Joshua as the
water nailed them both.

"We've been in here so long, the water went cold!" Ethan
yelled as he quickly tried to turn the hot water knob
higher still. All in vain, they had drained the water
heater as thoroughly as themselves.

----------------------------------------------------------
That's it for this chapter. Sorry about the delay. A lot
of stuff going on again. I am juggling stories now, working
on them in a random rotation. Hang in there, more will be
forthcoming. I do need to do some on the spot research for
this upcoming chapter... *grin* I am going to take a look
through the West Holywood clubs and bars. It's relevant
to this new chapter, planned for almost a year! If you
have any suggestions for where the twins might go clubbing,
give me an email soon so I can go take a look at the layout
of the place. I decided I would prefer to describe a real
place for this, instead of making it up. Email me with
suggestions at: vanyelashkev@pacbell.net.