The Gloaming

Chapter 1: They Meet

 " gloam·ing
ˈɡlō miNG/ - the part of the day after the sun has gone down and before the sky is completely dark: dusk
Other popular connotations: gloam, glow, glowing, glomming, glommed  "

"Seriously Jared... three... THREE smokin' jets came up to you tonight! Why bother going to clubs and parties if you're not even going to partake of the menu, dude?!" Chad groused.

"I told you, I know my mate is out there. It's gonna happen, Chad. I just know it."

"Yeah, but you're not a eunuch and those chicks were hot! You're allowed to experiment before it happens, ya know!"

"Oh, give it a rest, Chad. Stop bothering the man. I think it's sweet that Jared wants to wait." Sandy said, exasperated. "Let's get going, I'm starving! I saw a diner down the street and I demand to be fed before you two take me home."

"You wanna eat in THIS neighborhood?!" Chad exclaimed, a look of disgust on his face.

Jared rolled his eyes as his friend's snobbish attitude came to the fore.

"Hey, they wouldn't be open if there was anything wrong with the place. You know how strict Public Health regulations are. Stop stalling, and let's go!"

"Should we take the car?"

"Of course! You really wanna leave your new car in THIS neighborhood? You'll be lucky if it's still here when we get back!"

The three best friends piled into Jared's bright red sports car and drove down to the diner at the end of the block. Parking in front, they continued to joke and laugh as they made their way in.

They paused in the entry, Sandy cooing in delight at the vintage diner décor, while Chad looked as if he was afraid of touching anything for fear of germs. Jared wavered on his feet a bit, feeling lightheaded for a couple of seconds.

"Hey, you okay?" asked Sandy, noticing.

Chad immediately dropped his sneer and turned to gaze worriedly at Jared. "What's wrong, man? Had too much to drink?"

Blinking and shaking his head slightly, Jared smiled reassuringly at his friends. "Only had a couple of beers tonight. Nothing I can't usually handle."

"Maybe you're just hungry too... here, let's grab that empty booth at the back, and get some grub in ya." Chirped Sandy, trying to sound upbeat even as she frowned in concern. Taking his arm she led him down the narrow aisle, heading for one of the red vinyl covered booths lining the large window at the front of the diner.

The customer seated at the end of the long counter, turned to look at them over his shoulder as they drew near and Jared's hazel eyes locked onto the stranger's bright green eyes, and their bodies instantly stiffened, both gasping in shock, eyes widening as they stared at each other.

"Jared? JARED!" shouted Chad, as Jared pulled away from Sandy so violently she would've fallen if Chad hadn't caught her.

Jared practically fell towards the stranger, who was swiveling in his stool to face Jared, and their hands immediately reached out. As soon as their fingers wove together and they had a tight grip, a beam of light shot down from the ceiling of the diner and bathed them both in a beautiful golden light. They froze in place as if someone had hit the pause button on them. Jared was balanced on one foot, and the stranger was half out of his seat. They seemed to float in midair as the light intensified.

Sandy stared in awe, knowing that outside the diner, people could see the light beaming down from the sky, seeming to come from nowhere. She'd seen it about three times before in her lifetime, and as it did back then, this Glow was just as mesmerizing and beautiful.

Chad was staring in shock and disbelief, shaking his head when the other patrons in the diner began clapping. His jaw clenched spasmodically, blue eyes blazing, breathing hard through flared nostrils.

Sandy watched in delighted awe as the light began seeping into Jared and the strange man, making them glow brighter and brighter until everyone was forced to shield their eyes. Through her fingers, Sandy watched as the last of the golden light spilled down into them, and knowing what would happen next she instinctively stepped forward while yelling at Chad. "Catch him!" she shouted, indicating the stranger just as the two men's hands separated and they began to fall.

She managed to catch Jared, and another man near her helped to bear his dead weight. She stared in shock at Chad who had stepped away from the other man allowing him to fall to the floor, she breathed a sigh of relief when a woman near Chad managed to drop to her knees and catch the stranger's head before it impacted with the tile. "What the fuck, Chad?!" Sandy yelled.

She looked at Chad, finally noting the rage boiling just below the surface and the look of disgust on his face. The kind man who was helping her to hold up Jared, helped her to lay him down safely on the floor. Then she turned to blast Chad. "Now's not the time for your uptight prejudism, Chad! Jared needs us, and that man is his mate. Show some fuckin' respect!"

"That fucker is NOT Jared's mate. He's a laborer for fuck's sake, and he's... he's FAT!"

Sandy looked down at the unconscious man and noted that he was on the chubbier side, but seemed solid and was muscled in all the right places. So he wasn't what society called acceptable in the looks department because of his weight, but even as he laid there unconscious, Sandy could make out the fine bone structure of his face, the pouty sexy-looking lips and the long lashes she would've killed for, fanned out on the pale, creamy skin of his high cheekbones. He was still a very good looking man and she let Chad know what she thought.

"He's a guy, Sandy! Jared is straighter than straight, we both know that. When Jared wakes up you know he'll be furious!"

"Oh hush, you know no such thing. He's waited his whole life for this. He may be very happy that he's finally found his soulmate."

"I know I was when my wife and I glommed. Was the best thing that ever happened to me." The kind man offered. "Man or not, I think your friend would be very happy too if he gave it a chance."

"Oh shut up, you old fart. Jared comes from a good, respected family, he deserves better than this, this... labor slug." Chad spat, sneering at the kind man.

"And what exactly is wrong with a laborer?" asked a big man in construction gear. He stepped up to tower over Chad, menacingly.

Chad swallowed nervously, and took a step back, only now noticing the angry glares he was getting from almost everyone in the diner.

Noticing it too, Sandy held up one hand to stall anymore harmful comments that may pop out of Chad's stupid mouth. "Look, I'll handle it from here, I think you better leave."

"Jared drove us here!" Chad protested.

"Well, he won't be able to drive for a few hours anyways, and I think if you stay around here any longer running your mouth, you might end up on the Missing list. Call a cab, Chad... and get the fuck outta here!" she snapped at him losing all patience with him. She then knelt down next to the stranger, checking him over for any injuries from his fall. The quick-thinking woman still had his head cradled in her lap, and Sandy smiled at her.

Snarling in disgust, Chad whirled and pushed his way out of the diner.

A plump, older woman with rosy cheeks stepped up, introduced herself as Frannie and said she was the owner of the diner; Frannie told Sandy there were two cots in the break room that they could move the men to, if she wanted. Sandy accepted, thanking the sweet woman.

Other men stepped up to help carry the two into the back and Sandy took her time making sure they were both settled well, before dropping tiredly into the comfortable armchair closest to Jared. She wondered if she should call Jared's parents, but thought maybe she should wait and let Jared decide. Pushing back into the plush seat, Sandy noted the kind gentleman who'd been so helpful earlier was settling into the only other armchair and realized he was going to wait, too. After some introductions, Sandy thanked him for his help, then apologizing for her fatigue, she closed her eyes and almost instantly fell asleep.