Take My Body (Curse Bound 2)

Gunner huffed and ran his palms up and down Caspian’s sides. “‘Cause it’s not… It’s not like me. We’ll work out what’s going on with us, and I don’t wanna deal with yet another issue when I’m back in there.”

“I’d say it’s very much like you. Being gay really suits you,” Caspian whispered, pushing back Gunner’s lathered mane before directing him under the stream of water, so it would all wash off.

“For now just let Noah think it’s the body. I don’t know how to talk to him about it. It changes everything he knows about me. I’m his big brother. I’m supposed to protect him. He’s been through enough shit.”

Caspian let go of Gunner and handed him the pink bottle before grabbing one from his own collection. The brown shower gel disturbed the perfect sweetness of the air with a spicy, wood-like aroma. “He’s got scars. What happened?”

“He was in a car accident two years ago. His passenger didn’t make it. He survived but spent months in rehabilitation and still has issues. It’s…” Gunner took a deep breath of the scented air. “I went into debt so he could get the best care, but I don’t exactly have a good credit score, so it is what it is.”

“Oh… so the only way you could pay for it was to borrow money from a loan shark?” Caspian asked. Gunner shrunk under the weight of shame, but there was no judgment in Caspian’s gaze. “I didn’t… I didn’t think you’d do something like this.”

Gunner stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel softer than a kitten’s fur. “Why? ‘Cause I’m a shitty person?”

“What would you have thought if you were in my place?” Caspian asked, quickly washing his body.

Gunner thought back to how he’d felt yesterday, helpless against three guys who’d shoved him around and kicked him. He stilled, wrapping himself in the massive towel. “Yeah, I wouldn’t expect much of someone like me.”

“Maybe you should? Who knows how long we’ll live in these bodies. We need to work something out.”

“We can’t stay like this! What’s that amazing job your parents keep mentioning?” Gunner rubbed his face to hide it for that bit longer. He couldn’t handle Caspian’s life no matter how exciting living in this body was.

“I’m an accountant,” Caspian said with a little smile stretching his lips as he switched off the water and grabbed a spare towel. “Scared of numbers?”

“Fuck!” Gunner raised his hands in frustration. He didn’t bother picking up the towel as he walked back into the room to get dressed. “I could wing being a manager or something, but I don’t know shit about accounting. Noah’s mom does my taxes, for fuck’s sake. I kinda… I kinda thought you might be a piano player.”

Caspian blinked. “That’s… obscure. How do you know I play the piano?” he asked and wrapped the towel around his hips, following Gunner into the bedroom.

Gunner put on one of the new pairs of boxers he’d gotten yesterday, with a pattern of ice cream cones. “I was just… Your parents might have said something. And when I touched the keys, there was this feeling that I could.”

Caspian rubbed his head and picked his clothes up from the floor. “I learned to play because it’s a tradition in Dad’s family. Everyone needs to learn how to play an instrument of their choice. And they were very proud of me winning some contests, but I don’t really enjoy it and rarely play nowadays.”

“Well, then we’re fucked, because I don’t know how to be gay, don’t know how to do accountancy, and your parents already noticed that there’s something fishy about me. What about you? You seem strangely chill about all this.” Gunner pulled on the new jeans and hesitated, holding up the big hoodie, but handed it to Caspian.

“Because this is what I wanted. I no longer have a reason to be scared of other guys. I am a stud!” Caspian gestured at his broad chest with a wide smile.

Gunner watched him in disbelief. “So you just wanna take over my life?”

Caspian pulled on his jeans and shrugged. “I’m gonna fix your life. Carpe diem, Gunner!”

His confidence was both infuriating and arousing. Gunner bit his lip, about to speak when someone knocked on the door.

“Honey! We’re leaving in a bit!” Barb yelled from the other side, and Gunner’s eyes went wide.

“I’m supposed to choose a suit,” he whispered to Caspian in panic, out of breath as if he’d just run a marathon. “What am I supposed to pick?”

Caspian froze, staring at the closed door with shoulders so stiff it looked painful. “Just… a nice suit,” he said, swiftly putting on the remaining clothes while Barb knocked once more. “Whatever you like. It’s your life now.” He smiled and planted a sweet kiss on Gunner’s lips before climbing out the window.