The late afternoon sun bled into the horizon, streaking the sky with hues of amber and rose. A gentle breeze stirred the tall grass around them, carrying the scent of earth and wildflowers. Caelan and Elise walked in silence along the edge of the meadow, their hands intertwined.
The warmth of her palm pressed into his was both familiar and foreign—a sensation he couldn't fully reconcile. The hand he was holding was his own, technically. But the way she curled her fingers into his, the delicate way her thumb traced circles against his skin—it was unmistakably Elise.
She glanced at him through her lashes, her hair catching the sun and turning to gold. He found himself staring. Despite the strangeness of their situation, she was still the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
Her lips curved into a faint smile. “You’re looking at me like you’ve never seen me before,” she teased softly.
Caelan’s thumb grazed her knuckles, slow and deliberate. His voice was low, almost reverent. “I haven’t. Not like this.”
Her breath caught slightly. His words weren’t meant to be poetic, but they made her chest tighten all the same. She squeezed his hand and looked down at their feet, watching how the wildflowers brushed against their ankles as they walked.
When she spoke, her voice was quiet. “Do you ever wish we could stay like this?”
He stopped walking. The question hung between them, heavy and unspoken until now. She turned to face him, the wind tugging lightly at her hair. He could see the vulnerability in her eyes, the way she searched his face as though bracing for disappointment.
“Do you?” he asked softly.
Elise swallowed hard. “Yes,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
A breeze stirred the meadow, rustling the tall grass around them, but neither of them moved. Caelan stared at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. And then, without a word, he stepped closer, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. His fingers lingered against her skin, sliding down to her jaw, then lower, tracing the elegant line of her throat.
“Then let’s pretend,” he murmured.
Her lips parted slightly. “Pretend?”
His voice dropped lower, rough with longing. “Let’s pretend this is forever. Just for tonight.”
Her heart stumbled at the tenderness in his voice. For a split second, she wondered if she should remind him that they were living in borrowed bodies, that this wasn’t sustainable. But when his hand slipped around her waist, pulling her closer, she realized she didn’t care. She didn’t want to waste another second on rationality.
Her hands slid up his chest, slowly, savoring the warmth of his skin. It was still strange, touching his body with her own, but it no longer felt disorienting. It just felt right. She tilted her head up, and before she could say anything, his lips found hers.
The kiss was gentle at first, almost tentative—a question, a request. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, tugging him closer. She tasted his sigh against her mouth. His arms wrapped more tightly around her, his hand splaying across her lower back, anchoring her to him.
The world around them faded—the meadow, the sky, the sun dipping low. All she could feel was him—the warmth of his lips, the slow slide of his hands down her spine, the trembling exhale against her mouth.
She broke the kiss first, barely pulling back, her lips brushing against his with every breath. Her eyes fluttered open, and she found herself lost in his gaze.
“I love you,” she whispered before she could stop herself.
Caelan’s eyes widened slightly, as though the words had caught him off guard. But then his features softened, and his hand rose to cradle her cheek. His thumb brushed over her lips, as if memorizing their shape.
He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. “I love you too,” he breathed. The words left him easily, like they had been sitting on his tongue all along, waiting to be spoken.
She smiled, blinking back tears she hadn’t realized were forming. “Say it again,” she whispered against his lips.
Caelan’s hands slid around her face, tilting her chin up so he could look at her properly. His eyes were molten with warmth, with affection so intense it almost hurt.
“I love you,” he whispered again, his voice barely louder than the wind. “I love you, Elise.”
And then he kissed her again, slow and deliberate, as if he could pour every ounce of longing and devotion into that single moment.
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The sky had turned indigo by the time they made their way back to the cabin. The fireplace crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the wooden walls. Caelan and Elise lay together on a makeshift bed of pillows and blankets on the floor.
Elise was curled into his side, her fingers tracing delicate patterns over his chest. The room was warm, but she pressed closer to him anyway, needing the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath her palm.
His fingers brushed through her hair, slow and methodical. He stared at the ceiling, a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes were distant.
“Talk to me,” she murmured softly, echoing the same words she had spoken by the lake.
Caelan exhaled slowly. “I was just thinking…” His voice was hushed, almost unsure. “If we switch back tomorrow, you’ll have to leave this behind. Leave me behind.”
Elise propped herself up slightly on her elbow, looking down at him. The firelight danced across his face, illuminating the sharp angles of his jaw, the faint crease between his brows. She pressed a gentle kiss there, smoothing the worry away.
“Do you think that will change how I feel about you?” she whispered.
He swallowed hard, his hand trailing down her spine. “It might.” His voice was so quiet she almost didn’t hear him. “What if… you only love me because of this? Because of how close we’ve been through all of this?”
Her chest tightened. She cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. “No,” she whispered fiercely. “That’s not why.”
Her lips brushed over his, slow and lingering. “I loved you before I even knew it,” she breathed against his mouth. “When we go back, I’ll still love you. Because I don’t love the body. I love you.”
His hand slipped around her waist, anchoring her to him. He kissed her softly, reverently. His lips trailed along her jaw, down her neck, pressing gentle promises into her skin.
Her breath hitched when he whispered against her collarbone, “Stay with me.”
She pulled back slightly, cradling his face between her hands. Her eyes softened. “I’m not going anywhere,” she promised.
And in that moment, she meant it. The reality of their situation—the body swap, the uncertainty of what came next—faded into insignificance. She didn’t care what bodies they were in. All that mattered was that she was his, and he was hers.
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Sunlight filtered through the wooden slats of the cabin, painting golden stripes across their tangled limbs. Elise stirred first, blinking sleepily against the morning light. She shifted slightly, only to find herself wrapped securely in Caelan’s arms, his face buried against her neck.
For a moment, she simply watched him. His hair was mussed from sleep, his lips parted slightly, his breathing slow and even. Her heart clenched with tenderness.
She brushed her lips over his forehead, her voice barely louder than a breath. “I’ll always find you,” she whispered.
His eyes fluttered open, and when he looked at her, he smiled sleepily. His arms tightened around her.
“Good morning,” he murmured, his voice husky with sleep.
She smiled softly, brushing her lips against his. “Morning.”
For several blissful minutes, they stayed tangled in the blankets, exchanging lazy kisses and murmured promises. Neither of them wanted to leave the sanctuary of their shared warmth.
And as the sun climbed higher into the sky, they clung to each other, knowing that no matter what happened next—no matter how unstable their reality was—they belonged to each other.
No body, no boundary, could change that.