The Body Swap (completed)

CHP44

Luke couldn't sleep. He hoped he would so that he'd maybe wake up again in Alex's body in the morning. He  lay in bed touching his face. Somehow it wasn't normal anymore. He felt like a lost alien roaming the ends of the earth trying to find his way home.

The full moon was shining brightly that night that it lit up his dark room. Luke repositioned his pillow and once again closed his eyes. After a good 3 minutes,  he opened them again, kicked his blanket away and got out of his room.

He passed by Nick's room. The door was half open and the lights were still on giving Luke enough view to see his little brother's weird sleeping position. A smile formed on his lips and he advanced towards Nick's room to close the lights.

He was about to switch the lights off when he spotted something on Nick's hand. Getting a closer look on it,  he realized that it was a photo of their family outing four years ago.

They were all in a tent that their father and Luke had put up near the lake. The sun was shining brightly that day,  Luke could still feel its gentle sting of heat as it kissed his skin. He brushed his finger over his mom's smiling face quite forgetting her warm smile. His dad who  was beside her was also smiling, his pearly whites evident in the picture. Luke missed how he taught him to play the guitar.  How he loved to see him playing music that he even set up their guest room into a music room. Everything in this picture was perfect. They were happy.. They were smiling.. Yet sometimes life would just snatch all of those away.

He sighed and put the picture on top of the drawer near Nick's bed,  thinking about how their close relatives took them in but then shoved them away. In their eyes,  the two of them were useless.

A knock on the door disturbed his thoughts. Luke closed the lights and hurriedly  but quietly walked out of his brother's room,  closing the door behind him. The knocking  didn't stop.

Who could be knocking this late?

Luke opened the door irritatedly. "What the hell do you---Alex... " He couldn't believe that she was in front of him.

She was tired,haggard and  breathless but those didn't matter because she still looked beautiful as ever. "Hey.. "she began.

"What are you doing here this late? "

"Can I come in first? "
Luke moved away from the door to give her space to enter. He closed the door and followed her into the kitchen.

Alex faced the counter. For some reason she couldn't face him. Nervousness was killing her and she felt like her heart was going to explode. She saw from her peripheral vision that he was just looking at her from behind.

"So.. How have you been? " she said,  still facing the counter. His presence made her legs turn jell-o. Not only that,  but she could smell his distinct scent all over the place.  It was driving her mad!

"I'm fine. How about you?  Your wounds? "Luke asked, moving closer. If possible,  her heartbeat grew louder and louder.

"It hurts a bit but it's fine."

"And your shoulder? "

"It's more than fine. "

"May I see your chest wound then? " Alex bit her lip and lifted her shirt to show him her bandaged wound. Luke went nearer to examine it and as he was doing so,  Alex felt the tingling sensation.

"Yeah it's better if we change the bandage. You could wait by the couch as I go get the kit. "He said casually. She nodded and he proceeded to go over to another room while Alex made her way to the couch.

'God! Stop being such a pussy Alex!', she said in mind. Luke came back holding the kit and sat besides her.

She looked at his eyes.  There was something about them that was unique. It sparkled. Was it because of her presence?

She lifted her shirt and he started removing the old bandage. Alex could do  nothing but stare at him. Finally,  she gathered her courage and began to speak up. "Sean and I broke up. "

Luke paused cleaning her wound to look up at her. "What happened? " He asked , returning to what he was doing.

"I don't know.. We just...parted ways I guess. "

He paused and looked up again.  Concern was showing on his facial expression. "Are you okay? "

" I'm fine. Shed a few tears but I'm fine. " He didn't break eye contact.

"Are you sure?  You don't seem okay."His worried look just melted her entire system.

"I'm fine. Really. " He didn't say anything and finished what he was doing with her wound. Luke kept the used bandage in a cellophane to throw later , fixed the kit and placed it neatly on the small table in front of them after which he sanitized his hands.

"You can tell me about it you know. You don't have to keep it in. "He said, positioning himself on the sofa better.

She thought long and hard before talking, "Hey Luke am I a bad person? I mean... I was crying..  I was angry a moment ago and then..  I'm here.. Chilling with you. Feeling alright. "

"Well sometimes you never really know true happiness until you let go. "

"Yeah.  Maybe my happiness is just in front of me... " Luke froze,  processing these words.  He stared at her.. At her beauty. She stared back. And for some reason, these words.. Her presence.. Made him feel better as ever.

"Yeah... "

"Can I just tell you something? " Her nervousness has passed and now she was feeling rather comfortable and open with him.

"Go ahead. "

Alex took deep breaths.  "Here I go.. I can't believe I am saying this but I actually enjoyed being a man. Being you. It made me see the world from a different perspective. These past couple of weeks surely had been a roller coaster for me. I really enjoyed it..  Truly. Even though I could've died. " She chuckled. "So I want to thank You Luke Hudson. For everything. "

Luke smiled meekly. "Yeah well being the first man to experience getting periods is not that thrilling but I did have fun also. I enjoyed your company. Our little adventure may have ended but a new chapter has begun. "

Alex smiled like a child. She finally felt free from the chains of her relationship. It did hurt but being with Luke made it all better. 

"And hey Alex. Please just be careful from now on. " He said.  She nodded happily.

"I will. " Both of them quietly looked at each other. Luke found himself staring more at her lips instead of her face.

"You going to kiss me? " Alex squeaked.

"Maybe... Do you want me to kiss you? "

"Maybe.. "  Luke leaned forward and his soft lips brushed hers.