No One Can Know

“Pete!” Gabe busted in the bathroom door, “What are you doing? I heard you moaning…”

Pete yelped and haphazardly covered himself with the transparent shower curtain. Nearly a month ago, he had swapped bodies with Gabe’s girlfriend of 3 years, Talia.

“I— uh, just getting clean!” Pete stammered.

But he knew Gabe knew he had been pleasuring himself in Talia’s body.

"Clean? It sounds like you're doing more than washing up in here!" He stepped closer, the tension in the steamy bathroom palpable.

Pete's heart raced. He had meant to be discreet, to avoid this very confrontation, but the thrill of being in Talia's body was difficult to resist.

"Look, man," Pete said, attempting to keep his voice steady, "This is… complicated."

He shifted awkwardly under the sheer fabric that clung to him, not entirely sure how to explain.

“Give me a break, man!” Gabe whined, “It’s been weeks now since you swapped with Talia. I’m horny as fuck. And, yet, you are the one who’s getting to touch her body… Nevermind that you’re fucking touching my girlfriend’s body like …that.”

“I didn’t choose to be in her body.”

“Yeah, but you’re the one making the most of it,” Gabe snapped.

“How do you think I like being Talia?” Pete gestured to his curves, exasperated, “You think I like being a girl? Pretending I’m her when we’re in public? Living with you 24/7? I feel like a prisoner with how you’re keeping tabs on me.”

“I wasn’t trying to keep tabs, man. It’s just… it’s weird, okay? You’re in her body, and it feels like you’re enjoying it more than you should. Do you even think about how much this is messing with me?”

“Look, Gabe, I’m not trying to take anything away from you. I get it; this is messed up for both of us.”

“I just miss her, man,” Gabe let out a heavy sigh and leaned against the bathroom counter, “And I hate seeing someone else in her body.”

“I know,” Pete said sympathetically.

“And, by the way… I don’t think I’ve gone this long without having sex since Talia and I started dating. You have no idea how frustrating this is!”

Pete’s stomach twisted at Gabe’s admission. He hated that he was Talia right now, but he hated even more the thought of Gabe feeling this way every time he saw him.

“You’re enjoying being in her body, aren’t you? Feeling what it’s like to be a woman?”

Pete opened his mouth to talk but no sound came out.

“From now on, no more rubbing off without me.”

“What do you mean, ‘without you’?”

“I mean, you’re going to be living in her body for who knows how long. It’s only fair,” Gabe stepped closer.

“Gabe…” Pete’s heart pounded, “You can’t just—”

“Can’t just what?” Gabe shot back, “You’re living in HER body, Pete. MY Talia.”

Pete swallowed hard.

Gabe grabbed the shower curtain and yanked it aside, exposing Pete fully.

“Stop,” Pete pleaded, his voice barely a whisper amidst the steam, “You can’t just barge in here like this.”

Gabe combed his fingers through Talia’s long hair, “I miss her touch, her warmth… You’re right here, though. You’re Talia now, and I need her. I need to feel something real, Pete.”

Gabe’s hand moved down until it reached Talia’s chest.

“Gabe, please,” he said, trying to take a step back, but the slippery tiles beneath his feet betrayed him. 

He stumbled slightly, catching himself on the edge of the tub, “You can’t just treat me like I’m her. This is… this is wrong.”

“But you are her,” Gabe insisted, his voice low and intense, “You have her body. Just let me connect with her again.”

As he spoke, his fingers traced the curve of Talia’s collarbone, sending shivers down Pete's spine, “Aren’t you at least …curious …what it feels like to have sex as a girl?”

Pete had been curious—hell, the very thought had crossed his mind more than once since the swap—but he wasn't ready to cross that line. Not like this.

“And what if I say no?” Pete challenged.

“Then you’ll keep hiding in here, pretending it’s not happening. You’ll live your whole life never knowing what it feels like for the opposite sex, regretting that you didn’t take the chance while you had it,” Gabe brushed his fingers against the smooth skin of Talia's arm, “Don’t you want to understand what she feels? How it is to be her—completely? And who better to try it with than with your best friend?”

Pete felt trapped, caught between the strange freedom of Talia’s body and the loyal friendship he shared with Gabe.

“No one can know,” Pete finally whispered.