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The millions of stars above them that twinkled endlessly in the night sky, the ones that she had wished on again and again, but there was no need for that anymore, not for awhile because this feeling of being in Ian's arms was enough. It was more then enough, and the plethora of feelings that have been washing over her had been astounding.
It was sensational, the feeling of having anything that she pleased and had wanted from all of her time within the walls of the caves. Being able to stay here in the caves where she knew she will always belong, and that alone had amazed her to no end. But the undoubtable best part of it all had been Ian, that thought was as solid and unwavering as the rocks that made up her home.
It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that they had fallen asleep, curled tightly around each other. His breath causing whispers of her hair to blow out of its place behind her ear.
His arm around her waist, and the other cradled her head while their fingers were twisted together. Her leg looped around his and her foot hooked around his lower leg. Their bodies wrapped together in an uncomfortable looking way, his arm feeling as if he had pulled a muscle and her leg had gone numb from being trapped between two of his.
All was silent in the hospital except their breathing and the almost non existent whirl of the cryotank humming in the background. The noise had lured them to sleep, almost gentle and peaceful sound sending them to their dreams.
They didn't hear Doc as he step foot into the hospital, or the faint sounds of the hustle and bustle of the day beginning. They stayed asleep in each others arms past mid afternoon, and even after they had woken they laid there without a sound.
It wasn't until Doc kicked them out after a check up had their day begun, a quiet shuffle to the dark river room that included shy glances and whispers, and feather light touches while eating the normal soup and roll.
They sat at the counter, talking about her new host, Elizabeth Grant who was 24 and a professional entertainer. She tells him about the people her host has left behind, her parents who soul's had been partners even before coming to Earth and plenty of coworkers from the theater she worked among.
It was the same feeling of remembrance as when she entered any of her previous hosts, Melanie's longing for Jared and Jamie, to Pet's grief over losing her mother Cloud Spinner. But it was different this time, her host had no strong bonds that tied her to civilization, or perhaps it was her that had such a strong bond towards Ian that the rest hadn't mattered to her anymore.
Ian, who stares at her so lovingly that Melanie had called it nauseating. With his deep sapphire eyes that dazzled and dizzied her to the point that she couldn't speak. She wanted to lose herself in the depths of his eyes, mind and body.
She had never felt this way about him before, the strong grip of want having such a tight hold of her. Mel's body had been unwilling and Pet's had been to shy to even have thought of the idea. But this new host wanted to seize what she desired, wanted to extinguish the wild fire that was searing through her.
And finally her mind and body were on the same page. She couldn't help but stare, from the broadness of his shoulders to the span of his hands, and each time she found something that added fuel to the fire. Each time his grin grew a bit wider.
She figured it wouldn't be too selfish to press her lips against his, and it was something she knew but it also so new to this body. She wanted to explore it, to take her time and go through each nook and cranny. She felt it then, it was no longer a spreading wild fire, no it was a earthquake, hitting her at once and shaking everything that she knew apart.
His lips moved against hers, sliding and pressing, she felt his hands pull her closer by the waist. The air between them stifling hot, hard to breathe but even harder to pull away and her fingers began to card through his dark hair. Holding, pressing him closer, a silent plea for more.
But there was a soft chuckle as he pulled away, cool air rushing between them and settling on her heated cheeks. As if it was on command, everyone had began to file into the room for dinner and she couldn't help but let out a small huff of laughter either.
The conversed with everyone, answered each time they asked how she was adjusting. She had gone through the same thing with Pet's body, but this time it was different. It was like being in Mel's body again, without the other voice in the back of her mind.
But it grew late once again, and Ian had to get back to the fields tomorrow. It was time to harvest the crops, and they needed all the labor they could get. But they wouldn't let her help in the fields, she would be on dish duty with Sunny tomorrow. She tried pout at the remark, but found that her body was emotionally drained and didn't put up much of a fight.
So they curled up in their room once again, the feeling so similar to the ones from her soul memories, but so unfamiliar to this host. She feels the thrum of his heartbeat underneath her palm, the steady rise and fall of his chest. She could hear the deep breathing coming from his mouth from above her, she believed that her eleventh life on earth was the best that she could possibly have.
She was in paradise.