The sun shone in the sky behind Scotty, and Jeff marveled at how it lit up the young man’s golden hair like a beautiful halo. The two had been talking for the last forty minutes. It was still hard for Jeff to not get distracted, but he was starting to feel more even keel and settled. He listened to Scott talking. “So, let me get this straight. You have this device – the Chroni…”
“Chronivac,” Jeff inserted, when Scott faltered for the word. The park where they sat was peaceful, the warm sun felt good on his arms and face, and the hard wood of the picnic table and scent of cut grass was reassuring - not to mention being washed and wearing clean clothes - with only the faintest hint of sweat (bane of a jock).
“Yeah, 'Chronivac'... and it transformed you from some other life into this one, making you who you are right now,” Scotty finished, trying hard not to sound dubious but at the same time wondering if his lover was having a psychotic break from reality.
“Yes,” Jeff affirmed, nodding at the smashed Chronivac emitter sitting on the picnic table between them, knowing how it all sounded and not surprised when Scott was hesitant to say much.
“TransDem Labs… Chronivac 4.0…” Scott read the letters below the clean, silver company logo. “Transform for fun.” He shook his head slowly.
“Yeah, I know,” Jeff sighed. “It’s a lot to take in.” Those broad shoulders were so inviting. Jeff noticed the sun hitting the little blonde hairs on one of Scotty’s arms, and found himself wondering what it would be lick to stroke them with his fingers. “A lot to take in.”
“I mean… how does it even work?” Scott asked, struggling to understand, wanting to believe and yet horrified at the same time. “That something so powerful – that can change reality with the press of a button –" he picked the broken unit up, holding it, and looking Jeff in the eye. “That this thing could even exist and do all of that gives me a knot in my gut.”
Jeff nodded in agreement. He had never thought about it before, not from the perspective of someone not owning it or choosing to use it themselves. He suddenly felt ashamed for how selfish he was, and wished he had never gotten it. “I… I understand. But there it is. And it’s all true.”
“But how does it work?" Scott pressed with a questioning look. "I mean, do you expect me to believe you pressed a button and suddenly you popped up here and I popped into existence? Or did I exist before? And was I single, or did I have a boyfriend? Was he the you that you are now and you just took him over, or was he someone else?”
Jeff had to admit all of those were very good questions. “I don’t know,” he confessed. “I don’t have the answers to those questions. I was just... I just wanted to have a little fun,” he finished sheepishly. Now the shame hit him hard.
Scott shook his head. “I can’t believe this,” he held out the smashed emitter, looking at it with incredulity. “I’m sorry, but it’s just unbelievable… and if it were true… I mean, the sheer level of entitlement and selfishness… how could anyone use such a device? And who in their right mind would sell such a powerful device – and to kids?”
“I… I’m sorry,” Jeff felt his face burning with embarrassment. “I feel so ashamed.”
“Well, you’re very convincing, I give you that.” Scott looked seriously at Jeff. “Even if I could believe it, what happens to me if you get this thing working again and press ‘revert’?”
Jeff felt a lump in his throat, and it felt like the temperature had dropped ten degrees. “I don’t know.”
“Do I just disappear, with all of your muscles and ‘inconvenient’ gay urges you find yourself wrestling with now?”
“I… I honestly don’t know… I hope not… I would still like to be friends with you even when I get my normal life back,” Jeff offered weakly, his heart starting to ache at the thought of Scott simply vanishing from existence – not just because of his attraction to the man, but because he honestly seemed like a pretty cool guy and somehow the world would feel emptier without him - even with all the sexual attractions aside. Jeff felt tears welling up in his eyes. He hadn’t thought of any of this – he hadn’t thought at all when he had gotten the Chronivac. He just thought it would be a fun escape for awhile. And God knows he needed an escape from all the darkness in his life.
“Well, it’s not like any of this is real, anyway,” Scott laughed, his mood lightening. “I’m sorry, but I can’t honestly say I believe you...” His face got more somber again, “And I’m not sure what to do to help you, Jeff. Other than getting you to the closest mental health counselor, I mean, and I say this with all seriousness and fear for you.”
Jeff sighed. “Fair enough. I don’t think I’d believe me either, if I were you.”
“So there we are,” Scotty sighed this time. The way his Jersey curved around his muscles was so enticing.
Jeff rubbed his eyes. “How ‘bout this,” Jeff offered, “We track down TransDem Labs – it’s bound to be on the internet someplace – and go to them with this and our questions.” Jeff took the emitter, looking Scotty directly in the eye for the first time since he sat down.
“This is nuts,” Scotty shook his head. Then looked his boyfriend in the eye, and sighed. “Okay…”
“Thank you,” Jeff said with relief.
“On one condition,” Scotty continued.
Jeff raised his eyebrows, questioningly.
“You let me kiss you.”
Jeff thought Scotty was kidding, but he looked serious. “Kiss me?” Jeff gulped.
“I need to know it’s the you I remember,” Scotty offered plainly. “I’ll know when I kiss you.”
“But… we don’t even know how it all works. It won’t mean anything,” Jeff protested, feeling his cock stirring at the thought of being kissed by this man.
“It will to me.” Scott looked him in the eye intently. “If you want my help, that’s my condition. Take it or leave it.”