Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 02:45:28 EDT
From: LaelSt@aol.com
Subject: Near Collision: Chapter 2

OK folks, you know the routine, usual disclaimers, so forth, so on.
Any comments can be directed to LaelSt@aol.com or ICQ #11938988.
All emails will be answered. By all means, be honest.

"Near Collosion"

                  By Lael Stalnaker


Chapter 2: Second Sighting

  Skyler nudged the apartment door closed with the
back of his left heel. He tossed his backpack onto the
dining room table and looked around for Ethan. Usually
Ethan beat him home by an hour. It was lunch-time or
there about. Going back through the kitchen, he found
a note stuck on the fridge with a magnate.

         Sky,

     Staying on campus 'til late. Programming bugs
     turned up. Came home for notes. No idea how
         late tonight. See ya tomorrow.

                                Ether

   Skyler shrugged to himself and tossed the note onto
the counter. The apartment was too quiet, so he turned
on the TV to VH1. He then hauled out the massive
reference books he had been lugging to and from school
for this entire semester. His main drive currently was
working on a theory that the Romans had corrupted the
Greek myth of Eros into Cupid in a way that lost the
essential point of the stories. Skyler was beginning
to really regret opening this particular can of worms.
He wasn't making much headway with the translations
from Latin and Greek. It helped that he spoke both
fluently, but his reading skills in it were not as
good. Besides, the Greek was the older version rather
than the modern.

  After working for a couple of hours, Skyler called
it a day before he threw the books out the window,
along with all of his notes. It was totally
frustrating to think that he had a vague notion of
what he wanted to prove, but no way to track it down
efficiently. He just wasn't having any luck today with
making sense of the stories. With a grunt of disgust,
he shoved his materials back into the ragged army-type
pack. He had always been hard on his stuff, so he
tried to get the sturdiest material he could get a
hold of easily. This particular pack had made it
through 1 year, but was already looking pretty
trashed.

  He got up and threw his bag into his bedroom. After
looking at the time, he decided it was OK to give up
the ghost of studiousness for the day. Skyler wanted
to unwind now. That meant making a trip over to the
auto parts store and seeing if the things he had
ordered for the Ranchero had come in yet. Fixing the
old car had become his favorite pass time. A friend
had given it to him. His mission in leisure life was
to get the car back into perfect condition. It still
had a long way to go. Skyler was enjoying the
challenge though. He debated on whether to call the
parts store or just go. He gave in to the need to just
get out of the house.

  He locked up and walked out to the car. Skyler
inventoried all the work he needed to do as he stood
examining the car before getting into it. He needed
to: fix the gas gauge, fix the clock, change out all
of the glass for new, fix the driver's side mirror,
have the entire interior redone from top to bottom,
have some body work done and then repaint. Skyler
sighed to himself. There was probably more that needed
to be done, but the list was already long enough to
last him for months. He got in and pulled out slowly.
The drive over to the store semi-relaxed him.

********

 Skyler pulled into the parking lot and nearly popped
a vein. The canary yellow Harley was parked in the
small section reserved for bikes. As he pulled into a
space, he flicked on the radio. Sure enough, his
favorite song was on. Shivers ran down Skyler's sides.
It was too weird for words. He shut down the car and
just sat there for a while. The motorcycle was
definitely the same one. This time, Skyler noticed the
license plate on the bike. It was one of those
California customized jobs that read "Erotic". 'What
the hell?' Skyler thought to himself. He stared
blankly at the license plate. How odd?! He wandered
through the stories in his head from studying earlier.

  He pulled the keys from the ignition and hauled
himself out of the car. He walked over to the Harley
and began to really look at it. It looked brand
spankin' new. Except, Skyler knew, that this
particular one hadn't been made for over 40 years. It
was amazing. Feeling a little dazed, Skyler left the
bike and wandered into the parts store. He looked
right and left as he went down the aisle to the back
counter. The guy was nowhere in easy sight. Feeling a
little disappointed, he checked with the sales person
on duty about his back orders. None had come in yet,
so Skyler wandered into the extra's aisle to see if
there was anything he wanted there.

  As he stood looking at some seat covers, a chill
shot down his spine. Skyler fought to keep from having
a visible case of the shakes. He shook his head and
wondered where the hell that had come from. He took a
step backward to get a better look at the seat covers
that were on display. He felt something under his heel
just as he put his full weight down. A gasp of pain
yelped out from behind Skyler. He quickly lifted his
foot again and embarrassed, turned to apologize. His
apology froze in his throat.

  Deep brown eyes, currently pained, gazed into his
own hazel eyes. There seemed to be almost a faint
light deep within those brown eyes. Time stretched out
into eternity. Skyler shook his head to get a grip on
himself and opened his mouth to try and apologize once
more. He recognized those eyes from his dreams. The
words barely came out as a faint and dim whisper.

"I am so sorry! I had no idea that you were behind me.
Are you OK?" Skyler managed to get out.

  The incredibly handsome man in front of him grinned
and nodded. Skyler glanced down at the fellow's feet
and blushed. The guy was wearing what looked like a
reproduction of ancient roman sandals. Skyler even
knew the company that produced them, Wild Soles. He
had on a bright teal tank top with a tiny bow and
arrow logo on the left breast. Black Levi's cut-offs
finished off the apparel. The same metallic blue
mirror shades were perched on the top of his dark
brown hair. When Skyler lifted his eyes back up from
the floor, they were again captured by the limpid
warmth of the eyes of the man in front of him. Skyler
also now had an idea of the height of this gorgeous
specimen of manhood. They were the same height, to the
inch!

"Don't worry about it," came a slightly accented soft-
spoken response. Those intense eyes never left
Skyler's.

  The silence finally got to Skyler and he had to do
something. He was completely aware that he might never
have another chance to speak with, much less see, this
electrically charged person again. The awkwardness of
the situation was also beginning to make him highly
nervous. His forehead had broken out in a light sweat
and his heart raced toward his throat.

"Uh, hi. Do you own the Harley out front?" Skyler
choked out. 'God! That sounded so lame!' he thought to
himself.

"And you own the old Ranchero. If I remember right,
the one that almost 'rear ended' me a couple of days
ago." Skyler could hear the tiny emphasis on 'rear'.

  Skyler's knees almost buckled under him. The biker
remembered that whole thing! Strong hands reached out
to catch him as vertigo swooped down on Skyler. They
eased him down onto the edge of the lower shelf of the
aisle. Then, they gently pushed his head down to a
point between his knees.

"You OK yourself? Just keep your head there for a
minute till the dizziness passes. I did not mean to
startle you so badly. My name is Bryce Jackson." came
the gentle voice from over his head. After a pause it
continued, "Get these spells often?"

"Nnn...no. First time this has ever happened. I have
no idea why now." Skyler mumbled. He was really
distracted by trying to place the accent.

"Let us get you out of here. I do not think that the
entire store need know of your indisposition. Let me
help you to your car. I think it might prove to be
less public and also afford you some small amount of
privacy," offered Bryce.

  Skyler made no resistance to the hands that picked
him up easily by the shoulders. When he began to weave
as he walked, Bryce put one hand on Skyler's elbow to
steady and guide him through the store. His touch on
Skyler's bare skin sent a bolt of sensation throughout
Skyler's body. It almost felt electrical and
incredibly intense. They made their way out of the
store without further notice or incident.

*******

  As he fumbled the car keys out of his pocket, they
fell to the ground. Sagging against the car's body,
Skyler nearly burst into tears at this point. Nothing
like this had ever happened to him before and
certainly nothing anywhere near as embarrassing as
this whole encounter was turning out. Bryce bent down
gracefully and scooped up the fallen keys. He unlocked
the car door and opened it. Skyler collapsed onto the
driver's seat and did actually burst into tears. The
embarrassment rose to new heights. He hadn't cried in
front of anyone other than Ethan since he was 13. He
was completely confused and mystified by what was
happening.

  Skyler nearly hit his head on the interior roof as
Bryce leaned into the still open car door and
whispered something into his ear. In his confusion,
Skyler could have sworn that it was Greek. But, not
spoken like any Greek that he could readily recall
hearing before. In his startled state, he lost track
of what the words meant. He looked up and into the
eyes that were mere inches from his own. The vertigo
cleared from his head and the faintness receded as
well. 'How remarkable,' Skyler thought to himself.

"Feeling a little better now? Perhaps it was the heat
of the day that incapacitated you. Have you eaten
today?" enquired Bryce. When Skyler shook his head,
Bryce smiled, "Well, there you have it. Not eating and
the heat of the day must be the cause of your feeling
ill. I have a proposal. Let me take you to get
something to eat. I do not think that I can, in good
conscience let you drive in this condition. Or would
you prefer to call someone to come get you?"

"No! I mean, I think I will take you up on the lunch
offer. Thank you so much for helping me out to the
car. I have no idea what is wrong with me!" replied
Skyler. "Ummm, how are we going to do this? My car or
your bike?"

"Do you feel up to a ride on the back of my Harley? I
do have a spare helmet. One never knows when it will
come in handy." Bryce offered.

  Skyler's heart began to pound rapidly again at the
thought of being on the Harley with Bryce. It was
almost too eerie for words. The dream of a couple of
days ago flashed through his reeling mind. Things were
happening so fast. Maybe too fast. He just couldn't
get a grip on how all of this was happening.

"Let's go on the bike. Maybe the wind from the ride
will help. After we eat, you can drop me off to pick
up my car," decided Skyler.

"As you wish. I have a place near here in mind." Bryce
offered Skyler a hand up out of the car. He locked the
door and handed the keys back to Skyler. The
expression on his face was unreadable as he led the
way over to his Harley. Once there, he unlocked a side
compartment and pulled out a helmet that he then
handed over. His own helmet was resting carelessly on
the seat of the bike. Bryce helped Skyler onto the
slightly sloping back-end of the Harley and then slid
gracefully in front of him. With a massive roar, the
Harley purred into life.

*******

  The wind swept around them as Bryce gunned the bike
out of the parking lot. The forward motion threw
Bryce's ass firmly into Skyler's crotch. He felt a
twitch from his already half hard penis. It was just
too similar to the earlier dream. Skyler was finding
himself incredibly aroused by the blurring of dream
and reality. As Bryce leaned into a turn, Skyler
automatically leaned with him. He found that his hands
were firmly ensconced at Bryce's waist. He was
beginning to regret choosing to take the bike. It was
going to be a while before he could get off the bike
without his arousal becoming public exhibition of the
most flagrant kind. His habit of not wearing underwear
abruptly became a liability. The shorts he was wearing
were just loose enough to allow his erection to move
very freely. To make matters that much more
complicated, Skyler knew that there was no earthly way
that Bryce was oblivious to the bulge that kept
nudging the crack of his ass with each motion of the
bike.

  The ride over to Bryce's mystery restaurant seemed
both incredibly long and at the exact same time far
too short. Skyler just gritted his teeth together and
held on. Not too long after the close and personal
ride began, Bryce pulled the Harley into another
parking lot. He waved a hand over to the building,
pointing out the place he had in mind for the
impromptu lunch. It was a small place off the beaten
path called The Sci-Fi Cafe. Skyler snorted to himself
as he noticed the name. As if this day or week for
that matter, weren't bizarre enough. Bryce suddenly
braked and Skyler slammed into his backside. It was
darn near painful.

"I hope this will suit our needs," Bryce commented as
he finally cut the motor to the bike.

"I trust your judgment. Ummm, I... well, I am feeling
a little odd right now. I'll join you in a moment,
OK?" Skyler hedged as Bryce offered his leather-clad
hand to help him off the bike. He slouched forward to
try and get his over sized T-shirt to billow out over
his massive and highly visible erection. Bryce smiled
and Skyler nearly lost track of why he had been
embarrassed. There seemed to be that faint light at
the back of Bryce's eyes as he stood staring into
Skyler's. When Skyler finally got back into focus
within his head, the entire problem seemed to be too
silly for words. He then accepted Bryce's hand and
swung down off the bike. Absently, he nudged his
erection up into the waistband of his shorts. With the
oversized T-shirt he was wearing, no one would really
be able to tell anything was off kilter. Bryce pulled
off the fingerless gloves and tucked them into his
helmet. He took the helmet form Skyler and set both on
the seat of the Harley.

  They chose a sidewalk table on the end farthest away
from any customers. While they waited for the food
that they had ordered, Bryce asked question after
question about Skyler's life. The entire time, he kept
those deep brown eyes completely focused on Skyler.
Skyler was so lost in them, that he lost track of the
questions and answers. By the time the food arrived,
he was at a loss as to what had happened now. All he
knew was that things just kept getting stranger and
stranger, but somehow not frightening him. Despite the
absence of fear, there was still a vague unease with
how the events were unfolding. Each time he looked
into Bryce's eyes, all thoughts of anything being odd
just dissipated.

  Skyler did feel better now that he had eaten. He sat
sipping iced tea and answering the questions asked. It
bothered him that he couldn't place the accent that
was so subtle in Bryce's voice. It was so damn
familiar yet not. Finally, he had had enough and
refused to answer any more.

"So, what is it that you do Bryce?" Skyler finally
asked when the silence began to stretch out too long.

"Mostly nothing, I do travel frequently though. I
suppose you could say that I am an old fashioned
student of human nature. The way human beings think
and dream intrigues me," Bryce replied without
hesitation.

"Oh... So you have a psychology degree?" asked Skyler.

"You could say that, yes. Feeling better?" countered
Bryce.

"Much. Thank you for lunch. Ummmm..." Skyler fumbled
with his napkin for a minute and then asked, "Can I
see you again?"

"I think that it is safe to say that you most
certainly will. What are you doing tonight?"

"Well, I'm supposed to be doing research, but I can
put it aside for a night. I need a big break from it
anyway," answered Skyler.

"Then let us get together tonight and talk some more.
You have captured my attention, Skyler Thompson. I
think that it is time to return you to your car."

  Bryce laid some bills onto the table to cover lunch
and motioned for Skyler to precede him back to the
bike. Goose bumps rose along Skyler's neck at having
Bryce behind him. He hopped onto the Harley and pulled
the helmet onto his head. Bryce swung himself into
position and started up the bike. With the bike still
idling, Skyler was shocked as Bryce purposely scooched
his ass back until he was firmly planted against the
insides of Skyler's thighs. The erection that had
finally faded over the course of eating lunch sprang
back to full life within 10 seconds. He could feel the
heat of Bryce's body through the 2 layers of clothing
that barely separated them. His rock hard boner was
pressed tightly in the cleft of Bryce's physically
perfect bubble butt, running up his beautifully
muscled back. Bryce reached back and took a hold of
Skyler's hands and pulled them around his waist to his
stomach. There, he placed the fingers together, patted
them gently and gripped the hand controls for the
Harley. Skyler practically choked in astonishment and
shock. He, however, did not let go of Bryce's middle.

  The feel of Skyler's fingers on the ridges and
valley's of Bryce's clearly defined stomach muscles
nearly drove him wild. Then the Harley started forward
with a tremendous lurch. This, of course, shoved Bryce
back into Skyler. His hands slid down Bryce's stomach
from the inertia. To his amazement, they didn't go to
far down the flawless body. They came to rest against
the tip of a pretty damn impressive erection that
quite clearly reached Bryce's bellybutton. The sudden
forward motion also pressed the entire length of
Bryce's back against Skyler's chest. He could feel the
pure, unadulterated power that the biker's physique
wielded. Involuntarily, Skyler's mind returned to the
vivid images of the second dream. He almost lost
control of his grip when he began to feel Bryce
chuckling.

  The ride back to his car left Skyler feeling that
the world had gone surreal. An intense euphoria
flooded through him. Yet... a part of him was
screaming that this all was going way too fast and
definitely too far. As the ride continued it's way
through eternity, Skyler pushed those thoughts as far
from the front of his mind as he could. His sense of
caution faded and the delight of finally feeling like
a complete sexual being took the forefront. There was
an intense tingling at every point of his body that
touched the man in front of him. Far too soon for his
satisfaction, they arrived at his abandoned and
forgotten car.

*******

  Skyler slid reluctantly down from the still purring
Harley. He removed the helmet and held it out to
Bryce. Surprisingly, Bryce just shook his head with a
small smile. Skyler's jaw fell open in total
disbelief.

"What do you mean?" asked Skyler incredulously.

"Exactly what I implied, Skyler. I want you to keep
the helmet. I have a distinct feeling that you will
ride again with me. Therefore I gift it to you. Be
polite and accept it without protest," explained
Bryce.

"All right. I don't quite understand why, but ok.
Thank you!"

"I will see you later this evening. When the moon
reaches mid-sky, look for me." Bryce turned, walked
back to his Harley, mounted it and took off.

"Wait!" called Skyler after the rapidly vanishing
form. Too late though, the motorcycle was already far
down the street with a roar.

  Skyler stared at the helmet in his hands. The
unreality of the situation hit him front on now that
Bryce's distracting presence was gone. There were a
lot of questions swirling around Skyler's head at the
moment. Most of them would not have a satisfactory
answer any time soon either. He unlocked the Ranchero
and hopped in.

********

  Once he got home, Skyler checked the messages on the
answering machine. Nothing important showed up for
him. He laughed softly to himself when he recognized
Tanya's whiney voice imploring Ethan to call her back.
The only other message that had any importance was
from Ethan himself. He was calling to let Skyler know
that it looked like it was going to be an all nighter
at the computer lab and to go ahead and eat without
him. With a sigh, Skyler slumped onto the couch and
thought about the afternoon's events. The strangeness
of the whole affair kept popping up.

  He sighed again and got himself up off of the couch.
Too much to do and he had slacked off today longer
than he had intended. Bryce had kept him talking for 4
hours! He turned on the TV and began straightening up
the living room and kitchen to the tunes playing on
VH1. Skyler liked doing housework to the latest music
but didn't really like using the stereo. In a
relatively short time, the apartment was in pretty
good shape.

  Then he went through his Tai Chi exercises. The
smooth rhythms and flowing moves brought him back into
a calmer state of mind. Once he had completed his
pattern, he dropped himself down into the lotus
position to meditate for a while. He hoped that would
help to get rid of the last lingering confusion of the
day.

  His eyes flickered open as the sun went down. The
crimson and peach sunset was a beautiful way to come
back to awareness of his external environment. The
meditation did what he had expected. All of the events
of the afternoon were now clear and uncluttered by his
emotional response. His questions also had a direction
now too.

  First, how had Bryce known his last name? Skyler
didn't remember ever introducing himself with his full
name. In fact, he had not introduced himself at all!
Second, what was the accent? It was on the tip of his
tongue but wouldn't come out. Third, how the hell was
this guy going to find his apartment? He hadn't even
asked where it was. The implications began to frighten
Skyler. Was he being stalked? What did he mean that he
would show up when the moon reached its zenith? That
would place the time at about half an hour after
midnight for this time of year.

  Next the physical oddities of the afternoon filed
through his mind. He had never had vertigo before in
his life. Yet, he had had a really serious case of it
within moments of meeting Bryce face to face. Then the
way it just vanished at the car. The losing track of
his thoughts was so unlike his usual self also. The
fact that he couldn't remember the whole question and
answer session with anything remotely approaching
clarity bothered him too. Mental fingers snapped
suddenly. Where had the gloves come from? He knew with
certainty that Bryce had not put them on in the auto
parts parking lot, yet had taken off a pair in the
cafe's lot. Finally, agreeing to let him come over?
What the hell had he been thinking? Normally, Skyler
would never even consider asking someone over after
just meeting them for the first time. Skyler reviewed
all of these questions again and again, seeking some
kind of logic to the events. It just didn't make any
kind of sense no matter how he looked at it.

  He finally convinced himself that there was no way
that Bryce could show up. The phone number was
unlisted, so he couldn't use that to try and find him.
Skyler decided to just put it all out of his mind. Hot
erotic dreams were one thing but he was having a lot
of difficulty accepting the reality of Bryce and his
very obvious interest. He really wished that Ether
were going to be home tonight. He would feel a lot
better if he could talk this all out with his twin.

  He made himself something to eat and then picked up
the book he had begun over the weekend. Maybe some
recreational reading would relax the mental and
emotional twisting. Around 9, he put it down and
switched the TV over to the WB to watch Roswell. He
really liked the way the show was developing. He taped
it for Ethan to watch the next day. He would have been
really disappointed if Skyler had not taped it. They
both loved the show.

  Skyler drifted off to sleep not long after the news
began its usual litany of the day's garbage. He was
still draped all over the couch, with one over his
legs thrown over the back of it. He was exhausted. Too
much had happened in too short of a time. The sleep
became very deep.

*******

  Waves pounded into the rocks that were scattered
along the cliff-shore. The moon's light was very
bright on the wave tips as they rolled in. A huge ring
was around the moon high overhead. Fairy rings, Skyler
remembered his mom calling the phenomenon when he and
Ethan were still very little. The memory brought a
small smile to his lips. He walked out to where the
surf was meeting the small stretch of sand. His bare
feet barely sank into the tightly compacted wet sand.

  Skyler looked down at his naked body in the
silverish moonlight. It seemed to reflect off of his
body in shimmers. The fine hairs on his legs and arms
sparkled and glittered. He was almost glowing.
Delighted with the unusual effect, Skyler began to do
cartwheels along the sand.

  He whirled down the beach in total abandonment to
the moment. The world seemed to turn under his hands
as they touched the sand with each flip. He changed
methods in mid leap and began to do them with one
hand. Then he switched to back-flips. He was happy
that he could still do them after being away from
gymnastics for so long.

  Once he was out of breath, he let himself fall to
the sand. He lay there breathing deeply and watching
the moon. Slowly, his attention came back to the
beach. A figure stood further down from him. It was
facing the water and calling softly in a language he
knew but couldn't place. It sounded so entreating. The
figure fell to its knees and began to weep.

  Skyler got to his feet and approached the forlorn
man. He noticed that this person was also without a
stitch of clothing. Not that it really mattered. The
despair in the voice pulled him closer. Skyler
couldn't bear how desperately unhappy this person
sounded. He felt that he had to comfort him or be over
whelmed by the sadness that communicated itself
plainly to Skyler. The figure crumpled to the sand and
continued to weep desolately.

  As Skyler approached the man, he began to understand
bits and pieces of what he was saying. Something about
'where have you all gone' and '...being too different
for the age...' and '...world has changed so much' and
'more than even a mortal could bear, much less an...'.
The phrases implied something, but Skyler ignored that
for now. He reached the man and sank to his knees
beside him. Automatically, he reached out and gathered
the shaking body into the comfort of his arms. A
tremendous heat radiated from the man's body. Skyler
became immediately worried that it was a high fever.

  The man kept his face turned away but also nestled
into Skyler's chest. His arms reached around Skyler's
waist and clenched him close. The sobs grew harder. He
had stopped speaking entirely now. Gradually the heat
dissipated and the tears faded. Skyler continued to
hold the man and stroked the dark hair the rested on
his chest. The head lifted from his chest and turned
up toward him. Bryce looked into his eyes.

"Do you understand? Do you 'know'? Will you help me
find the others? Will you stay with me?" he asked in
rapid succession.

"I do. I don't. If I can. I will," answered Skyler
simply.

  Bryce put a hand to the back of Skyler's head and
pulled him down into his lips. The heat was intense.
Skyler surrendered to Bryce's demand and allowed the
kiss. Powerful waves of feeling roared through
Skyler's blood and body. Vertigo again swept his
senses ever closer to oblivion. He opened his mouth
and admitted Bryce's tongue. Bryce gently probed as
far as he could around Skyler's mouth and tongue. The
effect on Skyler was near to bursting his swiftly
pounding heart. He then leaned back and told Skyler,

"Wake up now. Skyler, awake. Leave the dream realm and
meet me again in yours."

  Skyler resisted. He wanted to stay here. Things made
more sense here than they had in the waking one in a
long time. Yet, in the end, he found himself unable to
resist the pleas to wake. Bryce had grown warm and
then nearly burning hot with each entreaty to wake. As
if he were expending enormous energy to expel him from
the dream. Skyler watched unhappily as Bryce and the
beach faded away. Even then, he continued to fight
against the tide of coming wakefulness until darkness
ultimately closed on all that he had seen. His eyes
fluttered open to the sound of a gentle knocking on
the front door.

  Skyler bolted up off of the couch, completely awake
and alert. He was close to panic. His pulse raced.
Sweat broke out all along his body. He could almost
hear Bryce through the door, but he knew that no words
were actually being spoken. If he understood the dream
correctly...

  He approached the door with dread. This could not be
happening! It just wasn't possible. Madness reared its
head within his mind. Cracks appeared within the
depths of his soul. He staggered to the door and
reluctantly peered through the peephole in the door.
Bryce stood there, hands in his pockets. It was almost
as if he knew that Skyler was now at the door and no
longer needed to knock. Skyler almost collapsed
against the door. All of his struggling and internal
mental fighting had amounted to absolutely nothing.
The impossible had occurred. Bryce was *here*.

  After a few moments, Skyler was unable to resist any
more. He unbolted the door and unlocked the door
handle. Slowly, within a cyclone of mental anguish, he
opened the door. Bryce stood there, wearing the same
clothes as earlier. He looked even more handsome than
before. His eyes immediately sought Skyler's. They
seemed to read the conflict within him. A certain
sadness creased his brow as he acknowledged Skyler's
dilemma with the tiniest of smiles.

"May I come in?" Bryce asked quietly.

  Skyler nodded and stepped back from the door. He
swung it further open and stepped to the side. Bryce
seemed to gather his dignity around him like a cloak
and stepped inside. Skyler shut the door and led Bryce
into the living room. He motioned for Bryce to sit
wherever he wanted. Bryce chose the couch. Skyler took
an armchair. He stared at Bryce without speaking. His
mind was still in shambles. Bryce just sat quietly,
waiting for Skyler to start speaking.

  The silence went on and on. Skyler finally pushed
aside all of the conflicting emotions. He stared at
Bryce in fascination. He purposely said nothing,
playing a waiting game. He decided to test the dream's
authenticity and revelation. Within his mind he asked
over and over,

'Who are you?'

  Bryce smiled and replied verbally to the unvoiced
question,

"You have the answer within your heart already, if you
but look and trust. You know me by many names. I have
existed since man first looked outside of himself for
help and understanding of the world around him. I have
many faces and many reasons to be. Wars have been
fought over and because of me. My mother is but a
larger aspect of myself. Time ceases for many in my
power. I linger on, even in the face of the
impossible. Dreams nightly beseech me. I bless many a
night walk with the moon's bright light. Many words
have been written or sung in every age of the world in
my honor without ever naming me. Without my help and
existence, life becomes meaningless and heartless.
Spring is my time, but I am not limited to it. Day and
night are as one to me and mine. Tragedy is my
stepchild, just as bliss is fully mine. Too much of my
attention and another of my stepchildren, jealousy,
rises to prominence. You know full well who I am. Give
me my name."

  The name stuck in Skyler's throat. The sheer
impossibility of it stunned his poor modern mind.
Still, Bryce was right, Skyler did know his true name.
Actually, several of them, from different languages.
He shuddered with the effort of keeping his grip on
reality. His doubts kept pushing all else away. At
last, with one final mental thrust, he spoke the name
he knew best. There was barely enough air in his lungs
to whisper,

"Eros?"

  Bryce nodded.

"In another time and place, yes that is one of my
names. I have been alone a very long time. In this new
time and place, a new one seemed to be best. After
all, I do not exist to many now. At least not in a
physical, interactive form. I am reduced to being a
concept, a paraphrase, a nonentity. I am presently a
paradox in the modern world. You called to me in your
loneliness and knowledge of the old stories. No, not
consciously, but from your heart. I could not do
anything but respond. My power is still strong, but
often veiled now. I usually only manifest it in
dreams, for the protection of your modern
sensibilities. After all, the height of my glory is
but a distant memory to a select few. Many do not even
know my ancient names. I come to you because your
heart called me and... because I need your help."

"My help?" squeaked Skyler.

"Yes, your help. I am lost. I have vague rumors of my
family. Do not look so surprised. Yes, they are all
still in existence. I just cannot find them. I miss
the company of immortal equals. Man has risen far and
rivals the old gods. This I do not begrudge as some of
the eldest do. I enjoy the fact that man has come far.
You still have farther to go though. I look forward to
the day when we all will truly be equals in every way
that matters. But, enough of that sad tale. I also
come in answer to your own dreams. I find you
irresistible and desirable. It has been a very long
time since a mortal has gained my admiration, much
less my..." a tremor interrupted Bryce/Eros' speech.
"Love," he finally managed to finish.

  Skyler sat in totally stunned shock with the final
pronouncement. His head whirled in confusion. The
impossible had come to roost on his couch. Finally he
just accepted. His eyes did not betray him. Awe
replaced disbelief. The full meaning of the day's
events would have to wait. Questions would be answered
over time, as he was able to digest them. However, one
very pertinent one had to be answered before he would
allow himself to surrender to this glorious
circumstance.

"What of Psyche, your wife?" asked Skyler pointedly.

"She is also long missing. Do not place all belief in
the old tales though. She is my wife and yet not. She
begrudges nothing of me nor I her. My very nature does
not tie me to one or another. However, in this time
and place, if it is your desire, I do so. I choose
you. No other. My power is bound to you, if this is
what you truly want. It will not interfere with my
duties. It will bind my physical self to you. Does
this meet with your wishes?" finished Bryce/Eros.

"OK, I think I can accept that. I need time to absorb
all of this. If you truly want my help, we must play
by my rules. It won't work otherwise. Give me a minute
to think, alright?"

"As you wish," replied Bryce/Eros calmly with a grin.

  Bryce sat back into the sofa and relaxed into the
cushions. A small smile played across his lips
briefly. Skyler did his best to ignore him as he
pondered everything that had hit him over the course
of the day. Finally, he came to a decision that he
could live with.

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

So ends Chapter 2 of this behemoth. I hope you all
like really long stories, cause this one don't look
like it is going to be very short! Chapter 3 should
take me about 2 weeks from when this is posted.
Comments, ideas and advice will be gratefully
acknowledged. :)