He chuckles quietly and then asks the question I've been longing to hear, "Emily Grace Mitchell, will you be my girlfriend?"

Without a moment's hesitation, I let out a high-pitched squeal of pure excitement. Unable to contain my joy any longer, I steal his lips and plunge my tongue into his mouth, savoring the taste and the feeling of our bodies pressed together in a passionate embrace.

Our lips meld together in a fervent and passionate kiss, our tongues tangling as we eagerly explore each other's mouths. Our hands roam freely over each curve and dip of each other's bodies, igniting sparks of electricity with every touch. The heat between us intensifies with each passing moment, filling me with a sense of longing and desire.

Aiden breaks away from our kiss and then chuckles with his eyes shining in delight. "I take it that was a yes?" He asks in an amused tone.

I nod vigorously, unable to form any coherent words. He grins and pulls me even closer to him, causing my heart to flutter uncontrollably in my chest.

"Good,” he murmurs, then pulls me against him and my lips are captured in another passionate kiss.

We continue kissing until we're both breathless with our bodies pressed tightly together as we revel in the newfound realization that we are officially a couple.

With each second that passes, I feel my love for Aiden growing stronger and I wonder how I ever would've survived without him in my life. He's been my best friend, confidant, and now, my boyfriend. I almost lost all that.

We stay like this for what feels like hours but is probably only a few minutes before reluctantly pulling away for air. As we catch our breaths, Aiden brushes a stray strand of hair from my face and tucks it behind my ear. His smile makes my heart swell with happiness.

Leaning forward, I gather him in a tight hug. "I love you," I whisper, my voice husky with emotion.

"I love you too," he replies.

I pull back far enough to look him in the eyes. “Do you?”

I ask because I’m not sure if he really does. How do I explain this? He loved me as a friend, but that isn’t romantic love. He rejected my confession when I was still a boy as well, but then again, he’s straight so that makes sense. Now, the question is: Can he really be in love with me simply because I’m a girl now?

Aiden senses my uncertainty and places a reassuring hand on my cheek. "I know it's hard for you to believe, but it's true," he says softly. "You're still the same person I've always known and cared about.” He caresses my cheek gently with his thumb, sending shivers down my spine. "Emily, you’re the same person just in a more beautiful form."

I slowly shake my head as I look at him. “No. That’s not true. Not in the way you mean it anyway. You rejected me when I was a boy. You were still hesitant now until I forced the issue. So the question remains: Do you truly love me, or just like me a lot. Honestly, I don’t think you can, yet,” I murmur quietly, my voice tinged with sadness. I want him to love me for me, not me for what I look like now.

Aiden sighs and lifts my chin so our eyes meet. "You're right. I was an idiot before, and I know my past actions haven't shown it, but I do love you. This new you…" He pauses, searching for the right words. "You changed yourself into someone even more beautiful than I imagined, but it's not your appearance, it's who you are inside. Your kindness, your intelligence, your goofy sense of humor." He smiles, apparently remembering the good times we shared together. "Now that you're in this body…" He trails off, blushing himself now. "Well, you gave me a reason to imagine a life with you that I couldn’t consider before.”

I bite my lower lip uncertainly as my heart flutters. I want to believe him. I love Aiden so much it hurts, but if he doesn’t really love me then what? Would I just be a walking, talking sex doll? And yes, if he loves me and wants me, he can have me.

So, which is it? Love? Like? Something in between? Or something entirely different? I want to believe that when he said if I were a girl things would be perfect. I never once considered that they might not be when I decided to have my gender changed.

I study his face, searching for any trace of deceit in his eyes, but they remain fixed on mine, patiently waiting for me to speak. "Aiden..." I struggle to find the right words. He encourages me to continue, giving me the time I need to express my thoughts. "I want to trust you, but more importantly, I need to feel truly loved by you," I confess. "Not just tolerated or settled for because it's easier than rejecting a pretty girl. I want to be your everything, and I want you to feel the same way about me. It hurts when love is one-sided." I hesitate, unsure if I should say what's on my mind, but ultimately decide that I have nothing left to lose. "Aiden, I am willing to give you my everything and yes, that includes sex. So please, if saying yes is simply the easy way out, then say no and tell me to leave. It'll hurt, but not as much as finding out that you only said yes simply to avoid conflict. Does that make sense?"

He reaches out and strokes my hair gently. "Emily, I..." but before he can say more, I hold up a hand. "No, Aiden, wait. Let me finish." He nods slowly, his thumb caressing my cheek tenderly. "I need to know that you're sure about this because if we do this, there's no going back. Ethan is gone. He's not coming back and I don't want him to. I get you miss Ethan and that you loved him as your friend. However, I’m not Ethan, I’m Emily, and while I want to be your friend, I also want you to love me as more than a friend. Not only do I want, I deserve to be loved that way. I want you to love me for me, not what’s between my legs, not because I used to be Ethan, and not because I was your best friend. Can you do that?"

The next few minutes felt like an eternity as Aiden looked at me, his gaze diffuse as he seemed to consider every word that I had just said. Finally, he cupped my face in his hands, and I held my breath in anticipation of his response.

"Emily, you gave me some tough homework there," he says quietly, his eyes filled with emotion. "You’re right, I love Ethan and I miss him, and while you used to be him, that doesn’t mean you are him.” He pauses and smiles for a moment. “I’d certainly never expect him to dress this stylishly,” he quips, which makes me giggle softly. “Regardless, I think you’re wrong on several points you made. You and Ethan are the same person unless you are trying to tell me they wiped your mind in addition to changing your gender. So, that means you are still my best friend and I love you. Now the remaining question is: Do I love you as a friend or is it romantic love? Last I heard, the definition of romantic love involves a mix of passion, sexual attraction, attachment, and commitment.” I nod in agreement with his summary of the definition. “I’m willing to commit myself to you and not just because it’s easy or I don’t want to refuse. We’ve been attached for years, so there’s that. I’m definitely attracted to you sexually as well. Finally, going by the kisses we shared earlier, we definitely have passion, too. So, yes, I love you.”

I stare at him, unable to believe what I just heard. He professed his love to me, and even better, it wasn’t because of who I used to be. He accepts me for me. A million butterflies have decided that now is the perfect time to take flight in my stomach, and I can feel the blush spreading across my cheeks as I process his confession.

Aiden continues while I’m still trying to wrap my mind around what he said. “So where does that leave us?”

Aiden's confession leaves me feeling giddy and overwhelmed, and I struggle to find the right words to respond, but something inside me just clicks, and I realize that there is no need for words. Instead, I lean forward and press my lips against his in a fervent kiss.

Aiden's lips met mine with an eagerness that fans the flames in my chest. Our tongues entwine in a passionate dance, releasing years of unspoken desires and building a fire between us that burns ever brighter with each passing moment. It’s exhilarating, like unlocking a secret vault of emotions that have been confined for too long. As our kiss deepens, everything else fades away, leaving only the intensity of the kiss and the overwhelming feeling of rightness in the moment.

As we break apart, Aiden's eyes are filled with so much emotion that it makes my heart swell. "I guess that answers my question," he says with a breathless chuckle.

I couldn't stop smiling as I nod in agreement. "I think that was a pretty clear answer," I reply playfully.

Aiden pulls me into a hug, and we sit there for a moment just reveling in the warmth of each other's embrace. “I love the way you answered.”

"Me, too," I admit with a laugh. "Well, at least we have our answers."

Aiden turns to me with a serious expression on his face. "So, what happens now?" he asks quietly.

Without hesitation, I take his hand in mine and intertwine our fingers together. "Well, how about for now you give me another kiss and then we’ll see where this goes," I say confidently.

Aiden grins from ear to ear as he says, "Sounds good to me."

And being the good boyfriend who listens when his girlfriend asks for something, he kisses me. Long, deeply, and passionately.

As our lips meet in a tender embrace, the world around us seems to dissolve into a blur of forgotten background noise. Aiden's touch is like a gentle caress, igniting a spark of warmth that spreads through my entire being, enveloping me in a warm cocoon of shared passion.

Had I thought that I couldn’t get any more aroused, then I would’ve been proven wrong mere moments later when his fingertips slowly trace along my thigh, under my skirt, around my hip and finally, he gently cups my pert butt in his large hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. If his fingers were just an inch or so further forward, he’d have found undeniable proof of just how aroused I am.

He pulls away from the kiss, his eyes dark with desire as I bite my lower lip and moan softly. “Aiden…” I whimper.

“I know, me too,” he agrees. He nods indicating my chest. “May I?” He asks huskily.

I blush slightly as I consider it. “Aiden, would you mind if we slow things down? God knows I love you and I definitely want to make love to you, but even so, this is, like, moving way too fast.”

A look of understanding crosses his expression. “Yeah, of course, I’m sorry. I just…” His words trailed off as he blushed slightly.

"It's alright, really." I say with a reassuring smile as I caress his cheek. "We have all the time in the world, don't we?"

Aiden nods firmly. "Yeah, you're right. We do.” He pulls me in for another hug and rests his chin on top of my head. “So…" He drawls out, his voice teasing. "I take it we're official now?"

"We damn well better be," I sulkily state, my voice muffled by his chest, which seems to surprise him. I giggle and tell him, "Yes, Aiden, we are."