"And the winner of this year's Halloween princess boutique is… Bowsette!"

My excitement was paired with shock as my name, or my cosplay character's name was called. My sister cheered extra loud from the small crowd of assembled guests, no doubt proud of the hand she played dolling me up for this. Still, I had reservations as I clicked over to the announcer. As I stumbled I heard someone murmur "so method" to my right and I flushed in embarrassment at the naive praise. 

The only reason I was playing a newly minted princess so well is because this was my first ever night in a dress and heels. The audience didn't seem to notice and frankly, I took no pleasure in imagining how they would react to find out. Would it be disgust? What started as a wild idea had quickly spiralled into an entire event; custom tailored padding, an expensive black dress, and a spa day of all things. I didn't even want to get started on all the makeup we bought that I doubt I will ever use again.

The announcer beamed up at me, their fake vampire teeth oddly shiny next to their immaculate makeup. I was shaken from my thoughts as they grabbed my hand and placed the cheap oscar trophy knock-off in my palm. The crowd roared with laughter at my stumbles but I couldn't help but smile nervously at the attention. Somehow none of it felt mean-spirited even though I was amongst strangers. 

"And now for the auction!"

My eyes flew wide as I looked in confusion and panic between the crowd, announcer, and other participants. Snow white hid her mouth behind a giggle as I watched, mortified, while a book-keeping desk was wheeled up beside the stage. My sister shrugged when I caught her eye, mirroring my confusion as I was led to stand in a spotlight. 

The bidding began and passed in a blur and it was only when I tried to step off the stage that I realized they were bidding on me. The announcer stood beside me, holding me in place by the waist as Mario, a gerudo woman, and Kratos took turns placing the highest bid. 

Before I knew it though I was being corralled again, led by the hand to the woman in a gerudo outfit who had apparently purchased me for the night. I couldn't even catch a glance of my sister before I was ushered into a small curtained stall on the side of the bar the party had rented for the night.

The din of the party was cut down as she pulled the heavy curtains closed behind me. I sat as directed on one of the wooden liquor crates while she restacked some of the boxes sitting on the U shaped bench lining the room. I kicked idly at the sheared off bolts on the floor. I supposed there would have been a table or pedestal there back when this place was a strip club.

"So, Bowsette…"

I was immediately taken by the timbre of her voice, hearty yet soft as it shook me. It made me want her to say my real name, just to be called by her. I blinked as her lips turned into a sly smile. I had been asked a question while I fancied myself being bathed in her voice.

"Wha?" 

I cursed my ineloquent response, feeling my cheeks flush further as her rumbling laughter filled the room. 

"I said: where do you see the night going my dear?"

I fussed with the front of my dress, trying to get it to lay flat as I sought for an answer. I tried to come up with some sort of plan before I admitted defeat, my desire to not keep her waiting won out over my pride.

"I… don't know. I didn't know there would be an auction. I didn't think I would win." My voice caught as a tight fear gripped my chest. Like it or not, this woman had paid a lot for my company and somehow I felt compelled to live up to expectations. This thought triggered a panic in me so consuming that I didn't realize I was crying until I was sitting across her lap, bawling my eyes out into her chest and dizzy from the emotional high and oxygen deprivation. 

"It’s okay sweetheart, it's nothing to stress about. Let's get you back out there. You don't have to do anything."

I shook my head as I wiped my eyes and tried to find my voice. "No, I… it's okay. I can do this. Just give me a second." She nodded, waiting as I wiped the black smears of makeup off my hands and calmed my breathing. 

"So." My voice still shook as I addressed her, "What did I sign up for?" I flinched as she brushed the hair of my wig back and I tried to force myself to relax a bit. It was scary having so much intimacy out of nowhere but something inside me motivated me to be good. Nevertheless she noticed my discomfort and removed her hand. I cursed my fickle state and mourned the loss of her touch as I waited for her response.

She opened her mouth to reply but we were interrupted by my sister yanking the curtain back. It rattled like a shower curtain as it dragged over the old curtain rod. I looked up in shock, my embarrassed blush mirroring hers as she looked us over.

"Hey sis…" I shrugged sheepishly as we sat at a sort of stalemate.

My sister pulled the curtain a bit behind her and seemed to stare over our heads as she cleared her throat. "Are you uh… okay?"

I nodded, following with a stammered affirmation as the gerudo woman giggled a bit. "I'll keep you posted if I need anything…"

My sister nodded, continuing to nod as she stepped back through the curtain and pulled it closed.

I buried my face in my hands, I felt vaguely soothed by the relative cool temperature on my face. "So… you were saying?" I tried to sound cool and unaffected by the interruption but I could tell I failed miserably.

"Well… the idea is we would do anything and everything we both consent to. And, don't freak out, but I was hoping you would let me get you out of that dress and fuck you silly."

My jaw dropped at their proposition, it completely caught me off guard and sent a fiery heat to my stomach. I felt hooked on a new drug I had never tasted before: desire. Sure I had felt it for others before but to be desired was the hit I'd never had so pure. I basked in the warmth for the half second it took for my rational mind to catch up. The part of me that knew this was an act ripped the warmth away and I felt ugly perched on the lap of a goddess. 

"W-well…" I stammered. I tried to meet her eye but looked away immediately when I saw the kindness in her expression. "You see…"

My determination fizzled as I considered the implications of coming clean now. The disgust I would see in her expression. Already a dark part of me began to hatch a plan; a daring ploy to get my new drug. 

I felt myself grow a little more confident as my act came back together. "Maybe we could play without getting undressed?"

I hid behind my smile as she raised an eyebrow in interest and I tried to match her confidence as I climbed off her lap.

She watched me intently, seeming to pierce through to my soul as she looked me over. "You don't seem certain, but maybe we can work up to that."

The gentle rejection threw me off completely, and a flip in the script from desire to a near dismissal caused my eyes to water involuntarily. I didn't get a quick explanation as she stood up, dragging me by the hand through the curtain and around behind the tables of the dimly lit bar. The auction droned on, pulling most of the other party members' attention as she led me to the bathroom.

I pulled back a bit as she pushed open the door, but my protest was lost on her steady grip. 

"In ya go." her voice rumbled, barely perceptible over the revelry behind us.

I clammed up as I crossed the threshold. Feeling like an unwitting invader, a spy into secret territory. Whether she noticed it or not she made no further remark, guiding me to stand in front of the mirror. 

The mess was severe. I didn't think about how my makeup would look. A small part of me thought i'd end up with some weird Furiosa badass look, but it was clear that the result was just pitiable. I almost liked it. The tiniest part of me liked how I looked vulnerable and in need of protection despite the studded collars and angry red hair. But mostly I just felt confused. 

Lost in my appearance it took me a few words to catch up to the taller woman addressing me again. 

"--fixed up and then we can go from there okay?"

I nodded, resisting the urge to wipe at my face further. I found that it was not my day for expectations being met because rather than pulling out makeup supplies or even turning on the sink she started out by gently covering my eyes, shushing my protests as she began to murmur unfamiliar words behind me. 

Her hands felt warm and I found myself relaxing as she brushed her fingers over my eyebrows and across the bags under my eyes. Any tiredness or soreness evaporated as she massaged my face gently but the real surprise was that when she let go, I opened my eyes to find my makeup perfectly intact, perhaps better than it was originally. My eyes seemed larger, but subtle changes seemed to be everywhere. Anywhere I focused it felt like someone else's face, someone prettier. 

She giggled behind me as I leaned into the counter, going on tiptoe to peer at my reflection up close.

"How did you do that?"

Her giggles became a full laugh as she steadied my hips behind me, "If you had been listening you would have heard me tell you it's a glamour, little one."

"Like magic?" I turned my head, analysing all angles as I took it in. 

My sister had been skilled before, working magic with shades to "contour" or something and trick my eyes into seeing something that wasn't there. But that didn't look quite right up close. Don't get me wrong, it looked good, but this looked so much better. 

"Yeah, like magic. I didn't take you to be the vain type though." 

I felt my face burn as I straightened, meeting her eyes through the mirror as she watched me with a bemused expression. I had the growing suspicion that I simply would never catch up to everything going on tonight.

I clammed up a bit as she wrapped her arms around my stomach and breathed over my ear. "Anything else you want me to tweak while we are here? 

I resisted the urge to squirm as she ran her hands down over the front of my dress, I felt sure she could feel the pads on my hips and I leaned forward, blushing as I involuntarily pushed my butt into her to avoid her feeling my tuck as well.

"Oh you are such a fun toy to play with. Well worth the price." 

I shuddered at the possessive pseudo-praise. The internal battle I was fighting was getting too intense to process. Some deep seated impulse told me that she was safe and protecting me but a scared and increasingly panicked part of me screamed "stranger danger" on repeat. 

I squirmed out of her embrace, taking care not to meet her eye as I took steadying breaths. "Would you like to go sit down somewhere?"

I kicked myself internally at my poor attempt at playing it cool but the gerudo woman didn't take the opportunity to tease. She took my hand again, lacing our fingers together this time as she led me back through the door. My heart thundered as I immediately lost the ability to focus. My entire world became her hand around mine and balancing as I followed where she led. Though I could see, I saw nothing and similarly all of my senses other than touch reported to a brain on vacation.

The ecstasy of hand holding didn't wear off until I was somewhere completely different, perched comfortably across her lap in a small booth at the back of the room. It occured to me that I had already memorized the patterns of her bracelets when I traced them for the fourth or fifth time. 

"Such an easily amused pet." Her breath was hot on my ear again but I didn't shiver this time. I was far happier to explore different ways to fit our hands together. Logically, I knew that it wasn't quite appropriate to do this with a stranger but she started it so logic could go fuck itself.

I felt a little proud of myself for not having lost her words this time, taking it as a sign I was learning. I pulled a can of cola out of the small ice bucket on the table, popping it open before taking her free hand in mine on my lap once more. I smiled as she adjusted to cover my hand instead, not even looking as she sipped whatever cocktail she had ordered. 

"So. I feel like it's a little late to ask, but what's your name?" 

She took her time putting the glass down before responding. "You may call me Mistress." Seeing my chagrined expression she rolled her eyes. 

"My name is Mary, what's yours?"

I stalled, mouth already open to reply as I realized I had forgotten myself again. It's not that I was embarrassed of my name, I actually felt rather happy with "Steven" but I felt torn again. Unwilling to lie, but not wanting to tell the truth just yet either. I scrambled. Possibly taking seconds to reply as I weighed my options.

"Riley." 

My middle name seemed androgynous enough, I'd gone by it back in middle school for a while anyways so it seemed almost not dishonest. 

"Riley is a pretty name." 

Having her say my name was every bit as wonderful as I'd hoped. I found myself considering changing my name everywhere just to see if someone could say it half as lovely. My daze of irrationality was broken though as the conversation moved on. 

"So Riley, is this your first time in a dress?"

My heart stopped cold. It must have. She knew I was a boy. Was this all a game then? Of course she knew, why wouldn't she have known. Maybe she even bid on me just to mess with me. Like some sick joke and here I was dancing along to the tune. 

"Hey, hey, it's okay, baby girl. I'm just trying to make small talk, you're doing great, it's not like it's obvious I swear." 

I felt stunned, nearly physically ill from the whiplash of panic and pseudo-relief. I'd laid out my own minefield of conversation topics with this lie and now I was having another panic attack tonight. I couldn't even count how many this was and it didn't feel like clarity to realize that. 

"It's because I'm a boy."

Half of me tried to pass it off as a funny bit of trivia. Laughing it out as if it wasnt news at all, as if that would make it just a bad joke if she reacted negatively. Even as she smiled back my mind raced projecting out best and worst case scenarios in my head, disgust, amusement, surprise. I couldn't even imagine how someone would like that surprise.

My nervous laughter trailed off as she watched me. Her appraising gaze hard to read. 

"Okay." She shrugged a bit as she took another sip from her martini glass.

As the pause dragged on I continued to watch her for any further reaction. We waited on each other to pick up the conversation.

"Did you want me to use masculine pronouns and pet names or something?"

I was already replying before I'd even processed her response, "No, I mean, maybe? I don't really want to but am I supposed to? Is this not a big deal to you at all?"

Mary shook her head, a small smile returning to her lips as she looked down at me. "Nah, no big deal at all. We can do whatever is comfortable for you, baby girl."

I stammered, further surprised by her positive reaction. But she didn't leave me time to reply before going on.

"So how are you liking the dress then? Everything you hoped it would be?"

I nodded slowly, holding my can of coke with both hands as I took a sip to keep from spilling. "Yeah, it's all been a surprising amount of fun. A little taboo ya know? I dunno. It's all too new and exciting to fully process."

"Mmm that's good, Why Bowsette for the costume?"

I laughed as she flicked at the little horn/crown headband combo I had stuck to my wig. "It's just my favorite meme right now. Some of the fanart is really fun but mostly I like this one comic where she has this entire redemption arc and stuff."

"Oh? You fancy yourself getting swept off your feet by Mario?"

She laughed as I blushed and fussed with my horns, "No, I'm happy with how the night turned out. I-mean. Like a real mario? Or for the bidding thing? I'm confused." 

She laughed harder as I stumbled to recover. "So why did you choose a gerudo woman?" I deflected as she recomposed herself.

"Oh, it just seemed like a good fit for a tall girl ya know? I considered Zarya from Overwatch too, but temp red dye was easier than a haircut or a wig. 

"It looks great, I'm a fan." 

"Awwww thanks!" I swatted at her hand as she pinched and wiggled my cheek. I tried to mock pout but I couldn't help but smile. It felt nice to be around Mary.

"So now that we've had our little heart to heart can I fuck your brains out?" 

I laughed at the absurdity of the situation, squirming as she held me by the waist and kissed at my neck. 

"I'm using those brains!" I whined as she pulled one of my arms behind my back and held my jaw to bite at my ear. Her grip was light enough that I could escape but I was much more interested in playing along.

"Mmm I disagree. Silly little pets don't need brains." 

I gasped as she pulled my face to hers, leading me in a kiss that left me dizzy and panting. 

Any euphoria I felt from holding hands must have been a raindrop compared to the ocean of sensation her kiss forced on me. If I had ever kissed before it didn't count next to this. Nothing could count for anything next to this. 

"So just to be clear since we have established brainless fucking is back on the table–" Mary lifted me off her lap with ease, depositing me on the floor as she stood to lead me out. "–how far do you want the costumes to go?"

I blinked several times, growing increasingly confused as she glanced back while leading me to the door. 

"What do you mean?"

"Which one am I fucking senseless? Riley? Or Bowsette?"

"Uuuuuuhhh." 

"You're hopeless." She laughed as she led me through the door.

"Wait, I gotta tell my sister where I'm going." I fished my phone out of my bra, scanning the crowd in the ex-stripclub for a familiar face. My text messages revealed she had already left me alone, including a candid pic of my flustered ass in Mary's lap. It was a good view though… I shook myself out of my thoughts and sent a quick message telling her I didn't need her to come pick me up. I also updated her where I was going and I turned on the GPS share feature too, just to be safe.

"Okie dokie." I looked back up at Mary once I had my phone situated away again. She led me out to the curb and tucked me under her arm as she hailed a ride on her phone. Once she sent the request she turned her attention back to me and squeezed my shoulder gently.

"Oh!" My blush returned as I remembered her question. "Right. Bowsette or Riley. Yeah. Uh… Bowsette? I'm not looking for heavy roleplay but–" I lost steam as my train of thought plowed into the gutter. 

"Okay princess, do you want me to spruce up the costume with a bigger glamour?"

I quirked an eyebrow as she put air quotes around "costume" but was more distracted by the implications of the glamour. I touched my lips idly, almost glad I couldn't possibly blush more at the implications. Would it feel like I was a real girl? Would I get to see what I would look like as a girl? I tried to rein in my enthusiasm as I imagined the result. 

I forced a cough, trying to act casual as I slipped my arm around her waist in return. "Uh, yeah that sounds fun."

"Mhmmm" 

Mary smiled, a twinkle in her eye as she directed her attention back to the street while we waited on the cab.

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It didn't take me long to forget the cab driver existed as we rode to Mary's place. She had gotten a bit handsy as we waited and now that we were in the back seat of the car I was enthralled by the all out attack. Every once in a while the car would jerk suddenly, and one time I even heard the fading blare of someone's horn but none of those things did much to distract me from Mary. 

Well… mostly… I started to get carsick after what I assume was a couple minutes so with a whispered explanation she permitted me to sit up and watch out the front window. Letting me focus on the horizon to calm down. Luckily the ride seemed to smooth out too and we held up a whispered conversation as we enjoyed the rest of the journey.

She half carried me up the steps to her flat, not that I was impaired, or even *really* weary from the uncomfortable shoes, it was just fun to be half carried. I would have thought that the unfamiliar experience of being the short one in the room would be scary and upsetting but tonight it was just another detail. I didn't make it two steps over the threshold before she unzipped my dress and yanked it over my head. I squealed my protest but it fell on deaf ears as she left me at the door, in nothing but the boyshorts I had bought for the occasion. 

I cupped my chest to catch the falsies before they came unglued and nearly screamed again when I felt my own hand. I was on my way to check the front of my boyshorts too until Mary cleared her throat across the room. She had already hung the dress up and now I was caught standing in her entryway feeling myself up. 

"Now, now, princess... Manners." She waved a finger at me as she hung my dress on the door.

I felt a delightful knot clench in my stomach as she admonished me. But the weirder thing was that it seemed like she had made the falsies real, they hung in a way I assumed was realistic as I bent over to take off my shoes and they bounced as I skipped a bit to join her at her bedroom door. 

"The panties too."

I tugged the boyshorts off, almost regretting that I didn't have the presence of mind to take my time and make a show of it.

As I moved to step past her into the bedroom she held out an arm and caught me. "Are you familiar with the stop light system? Red, yellow, and green to tell me how you are feeling?"

"I get the gist I think… yeah." I shifted from foot to foot, feeling absurd holding this discussion while I was naked and she was fully clothed.

"And let's avoid word play too. No means no and you tell me what you mean. Period."

I nodded, letting out a murmured "yes" as I struggled to meet her intense and piercing gaze.

"Yes what?"

A knot of doubt formed in my stomach and I felt indignant at the demand for honorifics. I felt chagrined at the trapped feeling, wanting to talk back and be playful but also recognizing that this wasn't the subject to sass on.

"Yes mistress." I kept my tone level and subdued, resisting the urge to fidget as the moment became a bit tense.

"Good girl." 

She directed me to sit on the bed as she adjusted the lights and began shedding some of her jewelry. I watched with interest as some of the more exotic pieces reverted from gleaming gold into mardi gras beads and glowstick bangles once they hit the counter. 

However, she still wore her bra-like top and skirt when she turned back to me.

I didn't have time to crawl up completely onto the bed before she shoved me backwards, bouncing me off the mattress as she climbed on top. I struggled to uncross my legs under hers as she slid her hands down my arms.

Before I could even consider resisting, she grabbed both of my wrists, wrenching them up above my head and pinning both of them with one of hers. 

I squirmed and tried to free my hands, rolling side to side to as Mary giggled at my struggle.

"Are you okay baby girl? You're awful fidgety right now." She released my hands as she sat up a bit, her laughter renewed as I clamped my arms down, covering my stomach and curling in a bit.

"Oh no!" She mocked in a sing-song voice. "Is wittle Bowsette ticklish?"

My face burned in embarrassment as I flinched and writhed away from her hands.

"She is!" She pulled my arms away once more, holding them away from my sides as she blew a wet raspberry above my belly button. I shrieked in surprise, barely avoiding kneeing her as I giggled involuntarily. The absurdity of the situation compounded as she continued to kiss over my stomach. 

"Stoooop" I whined, gasping in relief as she relented. 

"We're hardly going to get anywhere if you can't handle a bit of tickling." She teased as I wiped at the wet spot on my belly and caught my breath. 

I frowned at the joking admonishment. Feeling ashamed and uneasy again at how things were progressing. "I just don't want to pass out or have an asthma attack or something…" I didn't meet her eye as she laid down beside me.

"Are you prone to asthma attacks?" She rested her hand on my stomach as she asked, causing me to stiffen for a moment. 

"I haven't had one since high school but I haven't been in a tickle fight in a decade either." I rested my hand over hers, smiling a bit as she pulled it out to cover mine instead.

"Do you trust me to tickle responsibly then? I think it's adorable and I promise I won't try to tickle you to death."

I bit my lip as I looked between her eyes. It wasn't a matter of trust at this point, I'd felt pretty invested emotionally from the first time she expressed desire, as dangerous as that was. No, it was just a matter of how far I wanted to bare myself to her. 

"Yes… Mistress." I caught myself after a moment when she raised an eyebrow. And she smiled warmly as she took my wrists in her hand again. 

I tried to calm my breathing as she held my arms across my chest, wincing and jumping as she ran her other hand over my stomach. 

I took a deep breath as she lifted my hands back above my head, gasping as she palmed my left breast. I arched my back, pushing into her touch as she squeezed. I felt something tightening in my stomach as she massaged my chest and I made even more undignified sounds as she kissed my other breast too.

My breathing grew heavier as I squirmed and relished in the attention, the sensation surprised me though, not because it felt super sensitive, but because it felt real. Whatever glamour she had done had transferred sensation across but I found that it was the context of the touch, her touch, that drove me wild. 

Inarticulate profanities slipped from my lips as her hand trailed lower. The feeling disappeared for a moment as she rolled on top of me, forcing her leg between mine. The silky fabric of her skirt and top brushed against me, causing my breath to catch yet again before her hand returned and found its mark. 

"Fuck!" 

Mary giggled as I found my voice, suddenly articulate as she cupped my simulated sex.

I had grown somewhat accustomed to the feeling of absence during the ride home and previous activities but I was floored with the sensation of what I had gained. 

However, as quickly as it started it ended, her hand trailed over my stomach again and she held my chin as she placed a light kiss on my lips. 

"You're pretty worked up aren't you, baby girl?"

I groaned my response pulling at my trapped hands as she gave me a meaningful look. 

"Yes!"

I groaned louder as she released me, undisguised disappointment on her face.

"This 'mistress' stuff doesn't come naturally to you at all does it?" She rolled her eyes as I shook my head in response and I mumbled out a weak "sorry" as she sighed.

"Well, I can't hardly reward such behavior now can i?" 

I frowned and shrugged, increasingly chagrined at the digression from the previous activity.

She sat back, crossing her legs and leaning back on her hands. "You told me you wanted to roleplay."

I sat up, tugging my wig off and scratching at my scalp as I mirrored her posture. She smirked a bit as I covered my chest. I slouched as I sat across from her on the bed.

"I… don't really know what I want? I guess I just wanted to have fun and I thought it would be more fun to ha- have sex as Bowsette instead of Riley–" I choked on my words a bit. Feelings of shame and regret washed over me as I realized the truth for myself.

"–It wasn't about being the character… it was about being the girl…" my voice came out barely above a whisper as I put the words together. Of course when I put it like that it sounded even more depraved. I had already played dress up but now I had lied and manipulated a stranger into magically helping me for my own sick enjoyment. 

"Then we don't have to roleplay, Riley. It's fine. We can figure something else out."

Tears filled my eyes as her kind words fueled my self loathing. I was so exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of the night that I didn't even resist as she crawled behind me and pulled me to sit in her lap. My sobs came out weak, and my abused tear ducts ached with my chest as she handed me a tissue and rocked me side to side. 

"I'm trying to understand." Mary murmured into my hair as I calmed down. "I promise it's not a big deal to do these glamours for you. I'm not put out. Sure it's more emotional maintenance and affection than I usually put into a little fling but I still think you're adorable and fun to be around."

I laughed, somewhat bitterly, in agreement. I was no expert with flings but it had certainly not met my expectations either. 

"I… appreciate that. I feel like a bit of a nutcase though right now. I got so wrapped up in taking and taking that I just… I feel monstrous. On top of all of this crossdressing business. Like, who am I to play at being a girl like this?"

Mary snorted, shaking me in her lap for a second. I looked up at her but she shook her head. "Sorry, go on."

"No, I'm sorry. I tricked you and lied to get you to like me and now I'm crying in your lap to get your sympathy and I should just stop wasting your time…"

Mary rubbed at her eyes for a long moment but her arm remained around my waist, trapping me in her lap in a non-threatening way. 

"Ooookay. So first off that's a shitty thing to say and don't you dare start apologizing for that too. I'm not a therapist so this might not help but we'll just have to deal." She tossed my used tissue away and pulled my chin to face her, "We gotta break this cycle of self pity and loathing and it's going to require you to trust me and just take me at my word for a bit. Okay?"

I reluctantly met her eye, nodding and murmuring "okay" as she continued to stare me down. 

She let go of my chin and brushed her fingers over my hair for a second, "Good. So the first and only thing you did wrong tonight is give me that loaded apology. We can do better than that. Second, whether it helps you to hear it now or not, the only person you seem to be tricking here is yourself. If nothing else, wanting to look how you want is self-expression. Expressing yourself isn't dishonest. Third…" Mary trailed off, losing steam in her argument. 

"Goddamn eggs," she muttered under her breath and I raised an eyebrow in confusion. 

"Forget about it." She waved dismissively and loosened her grip around my waist. She pointed to the bathroom. "Go look in the mirror and tell me truthfully if you want me to take the glamour off."

"I don't want you to take the glamour off." I tried to seem completely sure and at some level I did feel sure... But that level also had some scary baggage to unpack so I didn't dwell on it.

She rolled her eyes and pushed me off her lap gently. 

"Well go look anyways, stinker."

"No." I let a teasing tone slip into my voice as I pushed back, crawling up to straddle her lap.

"Oh dear, someone is getting sassy." I let out a yelp as she tossed me off of her, sprawling me onto the middle of the bed. Before I could continue she was on top of me, the wrestling wasn't as forceful this time though, and I managed to avoid getting completely pinned as we fought to restrain each other. 

"Awful big talk for a ticklish little girl."

I didn't have time to process the threat before she pulled the arm that I was holding up. I let go and clamped my arms down to defend my exposed ticklish zones but it was too late. She wiggled her hands under my arms and I screamed and writhed in response. There was too much ground to cover and she was everywhere, miraculously avoiding my flailing legs as she played me like an accordian.

Soundly defeated, I cried for mercy; gasping as she relented and let me catch my breath.

"So I know I talked up fucking your brains out a bunch but I don't think that’s a good idea."

Her statement caught me off guard. Moreso because it didn't sound like a rejection, and I didn't even find myself taking it as such. I shrugged, wiping sweat from my forehead as I coughed to clear my throat. I felt ambivalent about the let down. Sex seemed pretty off the table anyways with the multiple melt-downs and I somehow doubted I was at the end of those anyways. I glanced at her alarm clock, squinting and biting my lip in frustration to read the analog arms. 

"It's only 10pm, what do you want to do instead?"

Mary laughed. "Well we've already done makeovers and talked about feelings so I guess we should put on a chick flick and smash some sangria." 

"What, like some sort of sleepover party?"

"Mhmm." Mary tossed me my boyshorts, smacking me in the face and following with a tee shirt. I pulled on the clothes as she changed out of her cosplay to similarly casual clothes. 

"But if I must pull my trump card, I paid for the night so I get to choose the activities." She stuck out her tongue teasingly, making me momentarily forget any disappointment I had. It was a weird feeling. I had steadily warmed up to the concept of losing my virginity tonight but at the same time I was relieved; like a pressure to perform had been lifted. 

I tugged at the hem of the band tee she had given me, it didn't even cover my belly button if I lifted my arms but when I looked down to see how awful I looked I felt sorta cute. I was shaken from my thoughts as Mary just left the room, flicking off the lights as she went. 

By the time I caught up to her in the living room/kitchen area she had popped the top off of a bottle of wine and was turning on her TV with voice commands. 

"What're we watching?" I leaned on the bar separating the two rooms. 

"Mulan I think. Though I'm considering The Matrix too."

"Those don't sound like chick flicks. Also I haven't seen the matrix." I sat up at the counter as she cluttered the area with bottles of juice and fruit. 

Mary slapped her hands to her cheeks in exaggerated surprise. "Whaaaaaat? Well that's what we are watching for sure! Hey shithead! Play the matrix!"

I double checked for roommates, already reasonably sure she didn't mean me as she talked over my head. No additional people appeared but the TV turned on, presumably in obedience to the command.

"That's not a very nice name for your TV.” I caught an orange as it tried to escape the counter. She seemed to have an entire genre of citrus fruits out for whatever this drink was.

“It doesn’t know any better.” She winked and started combining ingredients, I peeled the orange as directed and took my offered glass as she brought the pitcher and a bag of cheddar popcorn to the couch. I stood uncertain as she set everything down and grabbed blankets but I only put up the smallest protest as she dragged me into the nest she had made in her lap. 

She backed up the movie a bit to get back to the beginning before wrapping the blanket around me and cocooning me in her lap. I would have been concerned about getting too hot, but with the iced drink and ridiculously cold apartment I welcomed the warmth.

Mary talked through the movie, initially I was rather perturbed, but I quickly found I enjoyed her commentary almost as much as I liked watching the events on screen playing out. Safe and comfortable, I drifted off to sleep easily as the movie ended.