The subway station was a dim cavern, echoing with the distant rumble of trains. I stood there, lost in my own thoughts, when it happened a sudden, desperate embrace. Arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. I blinked, startled, and found myself face to face with a teary-eyed stranger.

"I love you," they whispered, their voice trembling. Their eyes held a lifetime of longing, as if they'd been searching for me across centuries.

I stumbled back, my heart racing. Who was this person? Why did their touch feel both familiar and foreign? But before I could ask, they spoke again.

"You don't remember, do you?" Their fingers brushed my cheek, leaving a trail of warmth. "We've danced through time, you and I. Always crossing paths, always missing each other."

I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

And then they told me—the impossible truth. They were trapped in a time loop, reliving the same moments over and over. And in every iteration, I was there—the one who noticed, who cared, who lent a hand when they stumbled.

"You gave me directions when I was lost in 1920s Paris," they said. "You shared your umbrella during the London Blitz. And in ancient Rome, you saved me from a chariot collision."

I shook my head, disbelieving. "But why? Why me?"

Their gaze bore into mine. "Because you're kind. Because you see beyond the ordinary. Because you've always been my lifeline."

As they spoke, memories flickered—a crowded market in Marrakech, a snowy night in Kyoto, a sun-drenched beach in 1960s California. Each time, I'd been there, a silent companion in their fractured existence.

"But why confess now?" I asked, my throat tight.

"Because this is the last loop," they said. "The final chance to break free. And I realized—I love you. Across time, across dimensions, I've fallen for you."

I touched their cheek, feeling the weight of their longing. "And if we escape this loop?"

"We'll find each other," they vowed. "In this life or the next. We'll create our own moments, untethered by time."

Together, we stepped onto the platform, the train approaching. The world blurred, and I clung to their hand. As the train doors slid open, they kissed me a kiss that tasted of forgotten centuries and infinite possibilities.

And then we stepped through, leaving the loop behind. The station dissolved, replaced by a moonlit garden. Stars winked overhead, and I knew we were free.

As we swayed in each other's arms, I whispered, "I love you too."

And in that timeless space, we danced a teary-eyed stranger and the one who'd always been there. Our love, a melody echoing through eternity.

Sometimes, love transcends not only space but time itself.

© bearwolf101