Derek leaned forward on the edge of the couch cushion, his tongue between
his teeth as he focused on the television in front of him. His fingers
worked the controller he held in his hand and, on-screen, his character
shouted as she kicked and punched.
"Man, Chun-Li is cheap," Steven said.
"Fuck. You." Derek answered. He glanced at his friend for a moment
before unleashing a combo that brought Steven's character down to a
sliver of health.
The two young men sat at opposite ends of the couch, cursing each other
as their characters ducked, blocked and lunged.
"Goddammit!" Derek yelled, gripping his controller. The game showed a
replay as his character, Chun-Li, took a round-house kick to the face to
finish her off. "I was so fucking close!"
"Karma's a bitch, man," Steven laughed, grinning wide at his friend.
"Another round?"
"Nah," Derek told his friend, standing to stretch and knuckle at his
back. "Lost three rounds in a row. It's not my night tonight. You
wanna grab some drinks over at Doyle's?"
Steven shut down the game and turned off their television. "Yeah, not
too late, though. Got that meeting at 8 tomorrow to go over forecasts."
"Is that tomorrow?" Derek asked. The men grabbed their wallets and
headed to the back for the shoes.
"Every day this week, man," Steven sighed. "We fucked up some purchase
orders so now we gotta review all of our procedures and see where we went
wrong. It's bullshit. And not even my fault."
"Should've applied to the shipping department like me," Derek said. He
pulled his keys from his pocket and opened the back door to their house.
His car's alarm chirped when he unlocked the door. "I'll drive. Not
gonna drink too much. And, hey, shipping department's easy."
"There's nowhere to go from shipping," Steven said, sliding into the
passenger seat of his friend's car.
"Justin started there," Derek replied. He started the car, backing up
into the alley. "He's warehouse manager now."
"You want to work with those assholes out in the warehouse?" Steven
asked. "They're a bunch of fucking twelve year olds. And Justin's not
going to retire for forty fucking years so now there's really nowhere to
go."
"I'll deal with the warehouse for that much money and, besides, I could
make it up to general manager or something from there."
The two young men argued back and forth along the drive through the city.
The sun had nearly set completely and the sky was a dark orange with
patches of deep purple. Street lights clicked on as they made their way
downtown. There was no heat in their argument; they'd been close friends
since middle school and knew each other well. Their friendship had even
survived college when they'd seen a lot of friends and couples find
different paths in life.
Derek's car crunched through the gravel near the bar as he slid into an
open parking spot. Since it was an early Thursday, the lot was mostly
empty. However, a few cars were parked near theirs and they could hear
faint laughter from inside the building. Steven pushed the door open and
walked in with Derek following.
"Steven! Derek!" a voice called out. The two men glanced at the bar,
waving at the woman behind the counter. "Your usuals?"
"I'm telling you, she likes you, man," Derek whispered, smiling at the
bartender.
"It's her job, Derek," Steven answered. He walked through the bar,
nodding at a few people he knew vaguely. "She's just friendly."
"I've seen her look at you when you aren't watching," Derek said. Both
men sat on stools at the far end of the bar so they had a view of the
entire place. "She looks over at you and sees the star quarterback.
That towel she has isn't to wipe the counter, it's to wipe the drool from
her face."
"I wasn't the star anything on the team, you ass," Steven growled.
"Yeah but you look it. And she sees it," Derek told his friend. "Look,
Tina was, what, two months ago? It's done, man. Get yourself out there
again. Candace is hot. I mean, seriously, look at her ass. And those
freckles! And- Hey Candace!"
"Two Mac & Jacks for my favorite boys," the bartender said, setting two
coasters on the bar and tall amber glasses of beer on top of them. "It's
been dead for the last two hours. Not even one drunken marriage
proposal. I think I'm losing my touch."
"So you're still available?" Derek asked with a wide smile that wavered
slightly when Steven's fist connected with his knee.
"For the right man, absolutely," Candace said. She turned to nod at an
order from down the bar. "Not sure I'll find him in this crowd but a
girl can dream. Time to tend to the flock, gentlemen. Enjoy the beers!"
Steven and Derek watched the girl turn. She wore light blue jeans that
hugged her hips and ass. A large rhinestone heart covered the back
pocket of her jeans. Derek elbowed his friend with a knowing look.
"Hell," Steven swallowed, his eyes locked onto the bartender's tight
jeans. The girl was petite but her jeans hugged the slight curve of her
ass.
"Maybe you should borrow her towel," Derek laughed. He sipped his drink
and the two settled into old conversations and arguments with Candace
occasionally stopping by to fill their drinks and chat with them.
Eventually, Steven yawned, hiding his open mouth with a wide hand and
long fingers. He hadn't been an exceptional player on his high school
football team but he'd played well and, as his friend had mentioned, he
was built for it. He was long and lean and could grip the ball one-
handed. Rarely was he single throughout high school and even college.
Derek envied his friend sometimes but he knew a lot of it was down to
personality. Steven was driven where he simply wasn't.
"Time to go," Steven said, yawning wide. "You good to drive?"
"Yeah," Derek answered, dropping a $20 on the table. "I didn't drink so
much tonight."
"Awww," Candice said, appearing from seemingly nowhere. "The night is
young and I'm bored. I only have a couple more hours on my shift and I
thought you'd both keep me company until I got off."
"Another time, Candice," Steven said, smiling sleepily. "Tomorrow night,
probably. I don't think we have anything planned for Friday."
"Nope," Derek answered. "Be good, Candice."
"Always," the girl answered with a grin. "Tuck Steven into bed all safe
and sound for me. Looks like he's asleep on his feet."
Derek gave the bartender a mock salute as he followed his friend from the
bar. A flyer near the door caught his eye. The bar had a bulletin board
for local business and customers to leave cards and advertisements for
various events and a brightly color ad for the city's comedy club grabbed
his attention.
"Huh," Derek said, touching the bottom of the flyer to lay it flat
against the board. A drawing of an old school magician with a top hat,
goatee and white-tipped black wand covered the top of the paper.
"Telesto the Magician. Magic and hypnotism. This Friday."
"You coming?" Steven called from outside.
"Yeah," Derek said, glancing at the page quickly before stepping into the
cool night air. He shivered and rubbed his arms before unlocking his car
with his remote. "Hey, there's a hypnotist at the Laugh Club tomorrow.
Wanna check it out?"
"I dunno, man," Steven said as he climbed into his friend's car. "Saw
one when I was a kid and it seemed pretty sketch. Even little kid me
could tell it was fake. I think the lady just used a friend from the
audience. It was dumb. Made the guy cluck like a chicken and shit."
"Well, I've never seen one," Derek told him as he eased the car onto the
street, merging with the sporadic traffic. "I think I'll go. Hey. Why
don't you hit the bar and spend some alone time with Candice?"
Steven yawned, his jaw cracking. "Eh. I'll think about it. Why don't
you talk her up, anyway? When's the last time you went on a date? A
year ago?"
"Almost six months," Derek said. "She likes you, not me. And I saw the
way you looked at her. You like girls with a nice ass and she's round."
"Yeah, yeah," Steven said, closing his eyes as his friend made swooping
motions with his free hand to crudely illustrate Candice's body. "I'll
think about it."
-----
Derek rolled his head on his shoulders and stared at computer's monitor.
His eyes flicked down to the time in the bottom-right hand corner of the
screen and then back up to the shipping program he was using. He blinked
his eyes and yawned, stretching back with his arms raised. His joints
popped and he sighed.
"Last one," Derek said to the empty office. He typed from the file on
his desk, entering the information before submitting it. "The rest can
wait until Monday."
With another stretch, Derek stood back from his desk. He locked his
computer, grabbed his jacket and made his way through his office with his
phone out.
Hey, Derek texted Steven. You decide if you're going to the club or bar?
Show starts soon.
They have drinks, yeah? Steven texted back as Derek sat in his old
Toyota, waiting for it to warm up.
Two drink minimum like the strip club, Derek responded. I'm headed there
now. About twenty minutes.
Yeah, I'll go, Steven wrote. I'll be there a little after.
Derek put his phone away and drove off, dropping his visor to block the
setting sun. He hummed along to a song in his head and tapped on his
steering wheel while his mind wandered. He found himself thinking of
Jennifer, the last girl he dated, and he frowned, pushing at the thought
of her.
"You should move on, Derek," he told himself out loud. Jennifer had been
pretty in her own way. Black, curly hair with chubby cheeks and a little
bit of a belly but fun in bed. Her problem had been that there was
nothing else. She worked a simple job and had no hobbies and clung to
him too much. He'd had to break up with her three times until she'd got
the hint. She still texted him sometimes.
He'd never tell Steven or anyone else but the problem he faced was that
sex just wasn't that important to him. He enjoyed it but was just as
happy cuddling or spending time by himself. It just seemed nearly
impossible to find a girl who was the same and he struggled to even talk
about it.
"Move on and find some other nice girl," he murmured, turning smoothly
onto another road. He didn't want to admit to himself that he was more
bothered by Steven starting to wonder about him than the lack of a
partner itself.
Derek looked ahead to see the comedy club in front of him. A small line
of people slowly made their way inside, urged on by a large man in a
simple but nice suit. He held a clipboard in his hand and passed out a
piece of paper to everyone filing inside. Derek slid into an open spot
by the curb, a block away.
Cold wind swarmed Derek when he opened his car door and he hissed through
clenched teeth, forcing him to clutch his thin jacket tighter to his
body. With a quick glance for oncoming traffic, he bolted for the
sidewalk and walked quickly to the club. The young man rubbed his arms
while waiting in line.
"Welcome to the Laugh Club," the bouncer told Derek at the door. The man
seemed to be on auto-pilot and he delivered the speech with a nearly
robotic voice. "We've got a waiver for you to sign for the hypnotist
tonight, in case you're called up. Just fill it out and hand it to the
guy at the door inside. Two drinks minimum, alcohol or not. Have a good
evening."
Derek hurried inside with the paper clutched in his hand. The club's
lobby was filled with couples wandering and laughing and a few people
ordering food and drinks from the concession stand. The young man joined
the line for tickets while looking through the form.
"Shall hold harmless etc etc," Derek said quietly, skimming the page of
text. "Hypnotism for entertainment purposes, hypnotist not affiliated
with The Laugh Club. Not responsible for- Oh, sorry, ticket for one."
The cashier took Derek's card while he borrowed one of their pens to sign
the form. He glanced at it again but saw nothing unusual that jumped
out.
"Here's your card back, sir, and your ticket. Hold onto the ticket for
your two drinks," the cashier, a young man in a classic bellhop outfit
slide the items toward Derek. "And I can take your form for you if
you're finished."
"Oh, yeah, thanks," Derek said, taking his card and the ticket. "Is the
form normal?"
"Yes, sir," the cashier answer. "We give them out whenever there's
audience participation. It started after we had one woman try to sue us
when a previous hypnotist made her temporarily forget the number two."
"The number two?" Derek asked, his eyebrow raising. "What do you mean?"
"She just couldn't remember it," the young cashier replied. "She'd count
one, three, four and so on. But it went away after a day and I think the
manager gave her free tickets. Now we have the forms."
"Haha, no fucking way! That's wild," Derek laughed. "My friend thinks
it's bullshit but I've never seen one. Can't freakin' wait."
"Well, enjoy," the cashier smiled. "There are two comedy acts at about
thirty minutes each and then the main act afterwards with the hypnotist."
Derek glanced at the doors for Steven before making his way into the main
theater. Round tables filled the room with a large, raised wooden stage
set against the back wall. Derek threaded through the tables, some
already filled with couples and groups of friends, until he found an
empty one near the stage.
As the young man sat at the table, a waitress approached. She wore high
heels with thick fishnet stockings, black bikini bottoms and a tight
tuxedo top, complete with a bowtie. Derek grinned at her and she flashed
a brilliant smile in return.
"Hi, my name's Mandy and I'll be your server tonight," the girl said.
"What drink would you like to start with?"
"I'll take a rum and coke," Derek said, handing her his ticket. The girl
marked half of the ticket with a hole puncher before returning it. "I'm
good without food tonight, I think."
"Alright," Mandy told him. "I'll be back with your drink and check on
you later for your second one. Enjoy the show!"
Derek watched her turn, the black coattails of her outfit twirling over
her slim ass. He admired the girl for a moment before looking again for
Steven. His phone buzzed and he grabbed it from his pocket.
Getting ticket now, Steve had texted. Where r u?
Near the front, on the left, Derek wrote back. Mandy returned, setting
his short tumbler down on a white napkin. He thanked the girl and she
left to deliver more drinks. Already got a drink.
Conversations buzzed in the room, the sound growing louder as the tables
filled with people. Derek sipped his drink until Steven walked in. He
waved to his friend and Steven nodded in return, weaving between tables
full of people.
"Did you read the form?" Steven asked while he lowered himself into a
chair next to Derek.
"Skimmed," Derek answered. "Seemed okay."
"All bullshit," Steven told him. "I bet the hypnotist brings the pages
to hype people up."
"The club says it's theirs," Derek said, shrugging. He took a moment to
explain what the cashier told him while Mandy took Steven's drink order.
The microphone on the stage squealed and everyone focused on it. The
club's owner, standing center stage with the mic in hand, cleared his
throat, smiled at the crowed and spread his arms. "Welcome to the Laugh
Club!"
People clapped and the man made a half bow. He was older with gray
peppering his black hair and thick mustache. He was dressed in black
slacks with a blue-striped button down shirt with a thin black tie.
"The first of our three acts is a comedian from Chicago who's beginning
to make a name for himself in larger circles and we're thrilled to have
him here. Please welcome Robert Stevens everyone!"
A large young man pushed through the curtain at the back of the stage.
His cheeks were red and his eyes twinkled in the bright stage lights
overhead. Derek settled back while the man launched into his routine -
comedy based on stories from his childhood mostly but mixed with stories
as a new parent of a young child. The two friends laughed a few times
but mostly sat quietly, sipping their drinks.
The second act was introduced as Derek and Steven ordered their second
rounds. A tall black woman with a straight face stepped onto the stage.
She was dressed simply, seemed to glare at the audience and she opened
with a fart joke that brought everyone to tears. It started simply,
building into more and more of a farcical story with the comedian at the
center until the punchline was delivered with the woman's same dour
expression.
Most of the woman's jokes revolved around her dating and personal life
and the more hilarious ones involved her dysfunctional family. Derek
laughed the loudest at a joke involving a bad first date where the
woman's parents showed up coincidentally mid-date and a large fight broke
out. At the very end of the routine, the woman finally smiled to thank
the audience and several tables stood to applaud her.
The club's lights dimmed as the owner took the stage again. He looked
around the audience, making a show of drawing everyone's attention. In
the ensuing silence, he took the microphone from its stand to speak into
it. "Ladies and gentlemen. For one night only, all the way from Italy,
may I present the amazing Telesto!"
Audience members applauded again, whistling loudly as the curtains pulled
back completely to reveal the magician and his props. Telesto stood with
his arms open and a wide grin splitting his narrow face. He was older
and lean and entirely dignified in a full tuxedo, complete with coattails
similar to what the waitresses wore. His white-gloved hands held a black
wand with his right and a top hat with his left.
Telesto bowed with a flourish, tapped the hat with his wand and spun in a
circle. Pure white doves launched themselves from his hat, fluttering
around him before settling on the floor in a straight line. The audience
oohed and aahed and Derek heard a few people gasp. The magician smiled
again and suddenly stamped his foot while dropping his hands. The doves
vanished in clouds of white smoke and the crowd cheered and hollered for
more.
Derek lost himself in the show, mesmerized by basic acts like a volunteer
from the audience being sawed in half or elaborate card tricks or objects
appearing and disappearing into thin air. When the hypnosis began, the
young man leaned forward, rapt. Beside him, Steven sighed loudly and
rolled his eyes.
A large group of people were called up and hypnotized into believing they
were chickens and they crowed and pecked and moved their arms as if they
were wings. A young woman was called up and told that "the" was really
"a", "cats" were "children" and "dogs" were "adults". She was asked to
tell a story about going to the humane society to adopt an animal and she
delivered a story, seamlessly switching the words around to hilarious
effect. A drunken man was brought up and hypnotized into believe that
everyone had vanished from the room and he'd wandered, terrified while
trying to figure out what had happened.
"Now," Telesto said after escorting the young man from the stage. "I
need two volunteers for my last act! Do I have any volunteers?"
Several hands shot up in the audience and Telesto struck a pose, a finger
under his chin as he surveyed the room. His eyes flicked from person to
person until they landed on Steven and Derek.
"Ah," Telesto beamed, his eyes shining. Behind him, a slim young woman
cleared the stage while another brought two plain chairs up. "You two
will do wonderfully. Please come up to the stage."
"No," Steven said, crossing his arms on his chest. Telesto's smile
widened and he raised an eyebrow, glancing at Derek.
"Dude," Derek begged. "Please. I want to try this."
"No," Steven replied, his lips pressed together into a thin line. "No
way."
"Come on," Derek told him. "This is your chance to see if it's a scam or
not. Look. Just go up there with me. I'll do the dishes for a whole
fucking week. All of them."
The muscles in Steven's jaw bulged as he stared at the magician. Seconds
passed while the audience called for the two men to go up. Finally, he
sighed and uncrossed his arms. "Fine."
"Yes!" Derek yelled, jumping up from his chair. The crowd cheered as
Steven pulled himself up from his chair grudgingly and followed his
friend onstage.
Derek glanced around, suddenly nervous as he stood in the spotlight. He
could feel everyone's eyes on him and he wanted to slink back to his
table. Telesto appeared at his side to lay a hand on his arm.
"Don't worry about the audience, young man," Telesto said quietly. His
voice was gentle and reassuring and very different from his boisterous
stage voice. He guided Derek to one of the two chairs and gestured at
Steven to take the other one. "Just have a seat and pretend they don't
exist. You'll be fine."
"Now," Telesto said loudly, standing back from the chairs. "May I have
your names, gentlemen?"
"Steven."
"Derek," the young man answered, leaning forward to rub his sweaty hands
together. He licked his lips and then leaned back when he realized how
anxious he looked.
Telesto regarded the both of them for a moment, as if deciding what he
should do with them. He smiled for a moment and quickly turned serious.
"You're obviously good friends," Telesto announced for the crowd. "I'm
sure you've known each other for a long time, yes? So, tell me: what do
you both think the other needs to be more successful or happy in life?
Steven?"
Steven's frown deepened and his jaw worked as if he were chewing on
something unpleasant. Finally, with a loud sigh, he spoke. "Derek
doesn't need much. He's smart and gets along with everyone and doesn't
let anything bug him. I think about the only thing is he could use a
little more self-confidence."
"Mmm," Telesto nodded. "Very diplomatic. Derek?"
"Man, Steven's got it all," Derek answered. "He's handsome and works
hard and all the girls drool over his muscles. He's got goals in life
and he's working towards them. Fucking- sorry for the language, he's a
catch, man. He just takes too long to make a move. So I dunno what that
is but that's about the only thing I've noticed."
"Good friends indeed," Telesto said. His assistant appeared behind him,
carrying a simple folding chair. He thanked her as she opened it for him
and he sat down, behind the two men. He pulled out a small chain with a
golden disk attached to it. "Attend me, please. If you would both look
my way."
Derek stared at the gold disk. Every other time Telesto had merely
spoken to the audience member to put them under. Now the disc began
spinning on the chain while Telesto held it steady.
"Listen to my voice but watch the disk," Telesto intoned. "Feel yourself
relaxing from the top of your head to the tips of your toes and fingers.
Feel your mind and body opening to new possibilities and realities."
The disk spun, gathering light. Light pulsed as the flat of the disk
faced Derek but it seemed to rotate faster and faster until it was a
blur, surrounded by a halo of light. Derek's eyes opened wide as the
stage and audience faded, leaving the glowing orb and Telesto's voice.
His arms and legs pulled at him and his scalp prickled as every nerve
seemed to stand at attention.
"Sleep, now," Telesto said quietly. The room was utterly silent as Derek
and Steven's heads drooped forward at the same time. "Raise your heads,
gentlemen. And open your eyes."
Steven and Derek sat up with their eyes open, staring into the distance
over each other's shoulders. A single glass clinked in the audience and
car's horn blared faintly in the distance.
"You are both in a bar," Telesto continued. "Steven, you're sitting at
the counter and you've just arrived after a long day at work. Derek?"
"Yes," Derek replied, his voice even and without emotion.
"Tell me," Telesto said. "What is Steven's ideal woman?"
"Steven loves a woman with a nice ass," Derek answered in the same flat
tone. "Not outrageously big but firm and round with wide hips and a
smaller waist. And good tits. Not too big and not too small and tight,
too. No sagging. A big handful for him."
Someone in the audience laughed but Telesto held up his hand with his
index finger extended and the room fell silent once again. "And her
personality?"
"Nice girls," Derek said dreamily. "I never asked but every girl he's
dated has been kind of dumb. But sweet. And flirty. He loves when
they're forward and I think that's because he takes too long to make a
move. The sweet girl in public that's a dirty slut in bed and horny all
the time."
"Yeah!" a random man shouted in the audience and a few people, men and
women laughed in response.
"Please," Telesto said, his voice and expression pained. "Derek, you are
that ideal woman and you've just walked into the bar. You eye the room
until you see Steven."
Derek shifted in his seat, standing up straighter. His blank face broke
into a mischievous smirk and he stood as he took on the scenario. The
young man brushed a finger along his ear as if tucking a loose strand of
hair away.
"You find Steven to be your ideal man," Telesto continued. "You approach
him at the bar and you feel self-confident and sure of yourself. You
decide that this is the man you want and you will have him. Both of you
now, take on your roles and show us what would happen. Only, please, no
touching. Let's keep this respectful for everyone involved."
Steven stood, leaning forward slightly as if he were standing at the bar.
He glanced around, nodding at nobody while tapping out a beat on the
invisible bar with his fingers. Derek stood behind Steven and he looked
his friend up and down slowly, admiring the view of him. Pausing to
stare at his friend's ass, Derek's cheeks turned red and he tugged at his
earlobe, rolling it between his fingers.
Still behind his friend, Derek fumbled at his Polo shirt, unbuttoning one
and then two buttons. He tugged at the shirt, pulling it down to expose
more of the light brown hair on his chest. Finally satisfied, he stepped
up beside his friend.
"Hey," Derek said, glancing at Steven.
Steven looked over at Derek and his eyes widened. The young man tried to
be subtle while checking his friend out but he kept stealing looks at his
friend's flat hips. "Hey yourself."
Derek leaned forward a little and Steven's eyes followed, staring down
his friend's shirt. Steven shifted uncomfortably while clearing his
throat and looking away. Derek giggled in return, winding his finger
through the nonexistent long hair he imagined he had.
"I don't know how someone so hot could be sitting alone," Derek rumbled
in his deep voice. His fingers played with the last button on his shirt
and Steven watched him do it. His fingers trailed down the shirt and
around the breasts he didn't have until they rested on the pretend bar.
"Mind if I buy you a drink?"
"Only if I can buy the second round for you," Steven said. He turned and
the thick bulge in his pants was apparent to everyone in the audience. A
women whispered something loudly in the audience and the table laughed
before being quieted.
Derek looked down, smiling at his friend's crotch. He leaned forward, his
cheeks and ears burning. Again, he played with his earlobe until he let
go and reached down to touch his friend's crotch. "I know something else
you can give me in re-"
"Stop!" Telesto barked urgently. Derek and Steven froze with Derek's
hand inches from his friend's pants. "Apparently, impertinence is
another quality Steven looks for in his women. I believe I'd said no
touching."
The crowd erupted with laughter as Telesto told the two men to sit down.
"I will count backward from five to one and, when I'm finished, you will
be awake and feel your changes taking root. You will be more confident
and forward and feel free from past restrictions."
Derek and Steven sat while Telesto began counting backward. At "one"
they both sat up, blinking their eyes and looking around as everyone
laughed and cheered for them.
"What happened?" Steven asked. He looked down at his erection and then
quickly up again. "Why do-"
Telesto raised his hands to explain but a loud, drunken voice called out
from the audience. "Why don't you ask your girlfriend why you got a hard
on!"
"Now-" Telesto tried to say. Steven looked at him, at Derek with his
shirt unbuttoned and then back at Telesto.
"Man, fuck you," Steven said. "Fuck all of you."
Derek watched his friend storm off the stage. He felt flushed with an
odd warmth radiating from his core. The young man ran a trembling hand
through his hair and then blushed as several people catcalling him.
"Steven, wait up!"
The cold night air outside the club made Derek gasp. He turned and
caught sight of Steven at the end of the block, nearly at his car.
"Hey, Steven!" Derek called out. "Wait a second!"
"Not in the mood right now, Derek," Steven said. His car beeped and
flashed its lights as he unlocked it. "I knew I shouldn't have gone
there."
"Come on, man," Derek said, finally catching up to his friend. "It's
just a stupid hypnotist show. He probably just-"
"I don't even care," Steven told his friend. "Just drop it, okay? It's
all funny until you're the one standing there being laughed at. It's a
bunch of bullshit and I don't even want to know, alright?"
"Yeah, man, alright," Derek said, wrapping his arms around himself. "You
going back to the apartment?"
"No," Steven said, walking around to the driver's side. "Just gonna go
out. Clear my head. I'll be home late."
"Alright," Derek said, nodding his head. He felt a strange, dull ache
around his heart and he hesitated a moment before continuing. "You
aren't, uhh, you aren't mad at me, are you?"
"What?" Steven asked. He looked at his friend as he held the car door
open. "That's stupid. It's not your fault. It's the fucking magician
and the drunk assholes in the audience. I'm just feeling off. I'll be
okay later. Go home before you freeze to death, man."
"O-okay," Derek said through chattering teeth. He rubbed his arms as
relief flooded him, calming his odd, sudden nerves. The young man ran a
finger around the top of his ear while watching his friend drive off.
After a minute, he crossed the street to his own car. He sat in the
driver's seat while the car idled and warmed up.
Derek sat back in his seat, staring through his window into the distance.
He thought back to the show, struggling to remember what happened. He
could remember going on stage. He remembered sitting and talking about
what Steven needed to work on. His finger touched his right earlobe and
he pulled and squeezed at it gently. There was a light. Pulsing and
throbbing. Warm. Filling me with warmth. Filling me.
A car passed, its headlights shining through Derek's window, forcing him
to blink. The vision faded and he took a shaky breath, squirming in his
seat. He felt feverish and his cock was hard, caught painfully in an
awkward angle in his jeans. The young man adjusted himself, shrugging of
the fragments of the memory.
Checking his rearview and side mirrors, Derek eased away from the curb
and onto the road. Traffic was light on the drive home and Derek found
himself thinking of Steven and hoping he was okay. He looked upset and,
despite what he said, Derek worried that he'd done something wrong. Best
to just talk to him about it, he thought.
Derek pulled into his assigned parking spot in the apartment complex. He
glanced over to Steven's spot and found himself disappointed that it was
empty. The young man hurried out of his car and up the flight of stairs
to the apartment he shared with his friend. The smells of the apartment
welcomed him but the warmth made him sigh happily. He kicked off his
shoes by the door and walked through the livingroom to his bedroom at the
end of their hallway, glancing into Steven's room as he passed.
I hope he's okay, Derek thought to himself. He hummed, brushing a finger
against the tip of his ear. Bending over, he took his blanket, bundling
it against his chest and walking back into the living room to sit on his
side of the couch. He wrapped himself in the blanket, grabbed a
controller and woke the console with the press of a button. The
television clicked on as the console hummed to life. Maybe I should text
him?
The television glowed brightly in the semi-darkness. Derek wiggled over
to the center of the couch, monopolizing it since Steven wasn't there.
He looked over at Steven's side for a moment and realized he missed his
friend. Derek's hand strayed over to his phone while the game booted up.
Hey, Derek texted. He frowned, his fingers hesitating over the on-screen
keyboard. He looked up, staring at the game's main menu while trying to
figure out what to say and what was bothering him. He felt antsy and
just off compared to earlier. He reached over to Steven's spot,
picturing him there and it made him feel a little better. Derek moved a
little further over to Steven's side of the couch while typing on his
phone.
Thinking about you, Derek wrote before frowning again. He started at the
words as if they were unfamiliar to him. He was thinking about Steven
and the words had just naturally come to him while texting but, now that
he read them, he realized they sounded wrong. He blushed and erased the
words. Hope you're okay out there. I'm already at the apartment for the
night. Later.
Derek sent the text and put his phone aside, shifting completely over
into Steven's spot. He settled himself down, lifting both legs up to
curl them under himself while leaning onto the arm of the couch. He
breathed deeply, smelling the faint scent of Steven's shaving cream and
deodorant. The young man burrowed deeper into the couch as a slow, lazy
heat began to build in his stomach. His cock stirred but didn't harden.
The game flashed as Derek played, fingers flailing over the buttons as
his character fought against computer opponents. He caught himself
glancing at his phone, looking for the message notification light and
then cursing when the computer beat him. After several losses in a row,
he turned the system off and stood.
Derek stalked into the kitchen, opening and closing cabinets. He felt
full of nervous energy and slightly flushed. He stared into the fridge,
pushing against his stomach and the faint ache he felt there. The cold
air of the refrigerator felt good against his bare arms and face and he
shivered, biting his lip at a sudden line of electricity that seemed to
race up his spine. His cock stirred and Derek pushed at it, groaning
quietly.
Closing the fridge door, Derek glanced around, squeezing his cock through
his pants. Moving through the kitchen and living room, he turned off
lights and grabbed his phone and blanket, making his way into his bedroom
and kicking his door closed with his foot. He stepped around piles of
clothes, tossed his blanket and sat at his small desk, waking his laptop.
He unzipped himself with one hand while pulling up a browser to load a
porn site.
Derek clicked through videos until he found a highly rated video titled
"Horny little bimbo can't get enough of my cock" with picture of a girl
on her back, legs spread. He clicked on it and sat back, tugging and
squeezing and pulling at his dick.
The porn started with the girl on her back on the bed. She wore a loose
t-shirt but nothing else and Derek looked her over before staring between
her legs. The camera moved and a man's belly and cock came into view.
Derek rubbed faster, grunting as the man teased the girl's wet pussy with
the head of his dick. The girl whimpered, raising her hips and the man
moved back, letting his cock slip between her swollen lips for just a
moment. She moaned and Derek watched the man's cock, the head of it
glistening from the girl's wetness. He licked his lips and his hand
jerked erratically.
"Yes," Derek whispered. He twisted as his arm rubbed against the side of
his body, just above his hips. Goosebumps rose in waves along his arms
and the back of his neck and he shivered from how sensitive and warm he
felt.
Onscreen, the man pushed the girl's shirt up, exposing her bare breasts.
The lay heavy against her chest and the man's fingers went to her small,
pink nipples. Derek's hand moved slowly, slipping into his open Polo
shirt, his thumb brushing his own tiny nipple through coarse chest hair.
He rocked his hips as a small spark lit through his body down to his
cock, forcing a moan from him. His eyes flicked down to the man's cock,
staring at its thickness.
The girl reached down, spreading her pussy open, rocking her hips back
and forth, begging for the man to fuck her as he teased her and pinched
at her nipples. Derek grunted, feeling the edge of his orgasm just out
of reach. His eyes fixated on the girl's pussy and blood rushed to his
face and ears, burning them.
"Please," Derek whispered with the girl on the video, his eyes glazed
over. "Please."
"You want my cock?" the man asked the girl. "You want to feel me inside
of you?"
"Yes," Derek hissed, echoing the girl again. He pinched and rolled his
nipple as static filled his ears. The man slowly entered the girl. The
faint ache deep in Derek's stomach shifted, becoming something else
entirely. Derek's hand froze as he watched the man's cock filling the
girl. He could almost feel it himself.
The flush along Derek's cheeks creeped lower along his neck and he
shivered again, lost in the scene before him. Slowly, he began pumping
himself again, licking his lips and groaning as his cock strained for
release.
Derek pulled at his tiny left nipple, rolling it between his fingers. The
skin around the nipple darkened. Small bumps formed and the skin bubbled
up, pushing at the hairs of his chest until his nipple sat atop a woman's
soft, puffy areola.
The video continued and Derek began sweating as his cock ached in his
hands. His free hand slipped to his balls and he held them while pushing
at his taint, instinctively trying to relieve the odd emptiness within.
Sudden music made Derek look up and blink repeatedly. He was breathing
heavily and couldn't remember most of the video but it had ended and the
total play time showed nearly fifteen minutes.
The young man groaned, squeezing at the base of his throbbing cock. He
closed the lid to his laptop and went to his bed, pulling his pants off
by stepping on the pant legs. Once in bed, Derek rolled to his back and
closed his eyes with his legs spread.
Enveloped by his soft bed and blankets, Derek pictured the porn he'd seen
earlier. He replayed it in his mind, looping the man teasing the girl's
pussy until he asked her if she wanted him inside. He groaned as he
jerked himself to the memory of it and his heart pounded in his ears.
You want to feel me inside of you? The man asked inside of his head,
pushing his cock inside the girl. Derek bit his lips, twisting his legs
in bed. He was so close, had been so close for a long time but something
held him back. He gripped his leg with his free hand, brushing his
fingers against the skin between his balls and asshole. Again. You want
to feel me inside of you?
"Yes," Derek whispered. His Polo shirt tented as his nipples hardened.
And grew. His tiny useless nipples twisted, pulling at the puffy areola
to grow thick, pushing at his shirt. A wet spot formed above his right
nipple, soaking his shirt and he groaned as the rough fabric slid against
his new, sensitive nipples. Static roared in his ears and he pressed his
fingers hard against his taint. "Inside."
"Yo," a voice called from outside Derek's room. "I'm back."
Steven! Derek thought and then he cried out, turning his face to press
his mouth against his pillow, hiding the noise he made as he came. His
hips and legs shook and he felt a warmth on his belly. Too late, he
realized he hadn't used a tissue while masturbating and now he could feel
the spurts of his own cum against his body..
Steven moved around the apartment and Derek heard the bathroom door open
and close. His muddled thoughts drifted sleepily and his post-orgasmic
body felt like it weighed a ton. In the bathroom, the faint susurration
of the running shower relaxed Derek even further. He could picture
Steven stepping into the shower, naked and muscular.
Derek's large nipples tightened and he groaned and moved and fell asleep
to the sound of his friend showering.
-----
Cold light streamed the window above Derek's bed. The young man snorted
and blinked and turned, wrapping his arm around the blanket next to him.
A few birds chirped and he opened one eye to look for them through the
window. He knew he couldn't fall back asleep so he lay for a while,
letting himself wake up.
I wonder if Steven's awake yet, he thought. He moved, sliding his body
along his bed, groaning as he stretched. A strange pressure in his gut
that reminded him he had to pee and he sighed, smacking his lips.
Derek yawned, stretched again and swung his legs over the side of the
bed. He pulled his shirt off, shivering as it slid against his body and
then dug around for a mostly clean pair of boxer-briefs. Padding through
his room, avoiding piles of clothes, he opened his door and stepped into
the hallway, making his way to the bathroom.
Hiding another yawn behind the back of his hand, Derek turned on the
faucet. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear and leaned
forward, cupping cold water into his hands and then splashing it against
his face. Derek reached for a towel just as he heard the faint chime of
Steven's alarm going off.
Drying his face, Derek looked up at himself in the mirror. And froze.
Beneath his chest hair were two fat, brown nipples surrounded by a halo
of darker skin. His eyes widened and he reached for the right nipple
with his free hand. His finger brushed through his chest hair some
pulled free, leaving a small patch of smooth skin behind. He hesitated
and leaned closer to the mirror and then brushed his fingertip across the
nipple.
Derek shivered. He felt the touch in his gut as if a nerve ran directly
from the nipple to his cock. He pulled at the nipple and hissed through
his teeth, rubbing his legs together at the pleasure of it. The nipple
hardened, twisting and rising on his chest and the urge to pee
intensified.
"Fuck!" Derek whispered loudly. A few chest hairs fell to the sink below
him.
"Hey man," Steven said sleepily as he opened his bedroom door. "You
gonna shower?"
"Fuck!" Derek said more loudly. He dropped the towel he'd been holding,
grabbed the doorknob and closed the bathroom door too hard.
"Damn, man," Steven said outside the bathroom. "You alright?"
"Y- yeah," Derek stuttered. His heart raced in his chest and he blushed
at the thought of Steven seeing him. "I'm- I'm just going to take a
shower. Need to wake up."
"Okay," Steven replied. "I'm going to put some breakfast together if you
want some."
"Thanks!" Derek answered too loudly. The nipple he'd messed with was
throbbing slightly and he felt an answering throb from his cock.
Derek turned the shower on and then sat on the toilet while the water
warmed. His mind raced as he relieved his bladder. Some allergic
bullshit? He wondered. Can- not enough testosterone do it? I knew I
fucking should've gone to the doctor about my sex drive. Ah, shit.
Goddammit.
The young man stood and flushed the toilet. He'd calmed but still felt a
nervous energy that seemed to pool in the pit of his stomach. His cock
stirred and he pushed at it.
He wanted to touch his nipples again. To pinch and pull them and feel
those sparks along his body. Derek bit his lips, pushing the urge away
and feeling his face burn as he thought of Steven. He used that shameful
thought to keep him from touching himself. He pictured his friend staring
at his nipples and laughing. Derek's cock stirred, throbbing with the
pulse of the energy in his belly.
Looking at my nipples, Derek though through the building static in his
head. Naked in front of him. Blushing in shame. Aching-
Derek drew a shuddering breath, pressing a steadying hand against the
wall and licking his lips. The static in his ears began to fade and he
brushed long hair away from his ears before tugging quickly at an
earlobe.
Steam filled the small bathroom and Derek breathed deep, drawing in the
heat. The young man stepped into the shower, bowing his head to let the
water run down his body. He rolled his head with a sigh as the hot water
needled into his neck. Derek ran his fingers through his hair and it
slid down his neck slowly to hang loose, an inch below his jaw.
Leaning back, Derek wiped streams of water away from his forehead and
then gasped as the shower drilled into his nipples.
"Oh!" Derek said, stepping back from the water. He bit his lip, glancing
at the closed door through the shower curtain and then stepped forward,
letting the water cascade over his body. His cock swelled, bobbing in
front of him with each heartbeat. The young man pressed a hand against
the wall in front of him and slide the other around his chest. A dull
roar started in his ears and he gasped as he squeezed against his chest.
A voice echoed in the roaring of his ears: ... feel me inside of you...
Steven's voice now, rather than the man from the video.
"Y- yes," Derek said, rolling a fat nipple between his fingers. The
man's chest hair slid down his body with the water flowing along his body
and into the drain to leave smooth skin behind. He pulled at his nipple
and the skin beneath swelled into a soft bump.
Derek squeezed his tiny breast, moaning. He kneeled carefully, grabbing
his cock as he lay back against the bathtub. His balls ached painfully
and something within his body felt wrong and empty but Derek jerked his
cock frantically. His mind fixed on the scene from the video - the man
sliding his cock into the girl and her eyes rolling back as she arched
her back. The falling water seemed to caress his sensitive body.
"S- so- yesss," Derek panted, seeing the man's (Steven's, his fevered
mind told him) cock again and again, sliding against the girl's wet lips,
parting them and entering her.
You want to feel me inside of you? Steven asked him, inside the loud
static roaring in his mind.
"Y- y-" Derek stammered and then the young man threw his head back, his
mouth wide open as he came. His legs jerked, slamming against the
faucet. "F- f- fuck!"
Slowly, the roar inside his head subsided and Derek unfolded carefully,
covering the tiny bumps on his chest from the shower. He stood, washing
himself quickly.
Freshly showered, Derek stepped out of the tub and dried himself off.
When he reached his chest, he patted himself dry. The man's longer hair
curled above his shoulders and he brushed it back without a thought.
After a moment's hesitation, Derek wrapped the towel around his body and
above his budding breasts. He blushed to the tips of his ears and the
nervous energy he'd felt before returned.
"Please don't be outside," Derek whispered. He opened the bathroom door
slowly and peeked out, holding the towel tight against his body. Metal
clanged from the kitchen as Steven cooked and Derek could smell bacon and
eggs. Quickly, he slipped through out of the bathroom and hurried to his
own room and shut the door.
The towel slid to the ground and Derek shivered as the soft fabric
dragged at his nipples. He looked down at himself and bit off a curse
when he saw the faint bulge of his new breasts. The nipples above his
breasts were erect and aching slightly. Carefully, Derek prodded his
chest. They weren't exactly breasts but the skin was softer than his
chest and moved when he pushed it. Beneath that, he could feel a few
tiny bumps of fat.
Something seemed off but it took him a moment to realize what was wrong:
his nipples were lower on his chest After a couple decades of staring at
himself in the mirror, the slight difference was incredibly distracting.
Derek hunted for his cellphone and then woke it, picking through his
contacts to dial the doctor's office. He sat on the edge of the bed,
hunched slightly before tucking a few loose strands of hair behind his
ear.
"You've reached Dr. Stewart's office," a voice said in his ear. "If this
is an emergency, please hang up and dial 9-1-1. If you would like to
leave a message for the nurse, press 1. If-"
"Hello, you've reached nurse Pam," the message continued when Derek
pressed the number '1' on his phone. "If you've reached this recording,
I am busy with another-"
"Hey!" Steven yelled from the kitchen. "Breakfast is up if you want
any!"
"Okay!" Derek yelled back, huddling further to hide his nipples as if
Steven were in the room with him. He blushed at the thought. "There in
a second!"
"-and number and I'll get back to you as soon as I can," the nurse
finished.
"H- Hi," Derek stuttered. He felt suddenly self-conscious and his ears
burned while he tried to think of what to say. "This is Derek Miller
and, uhh, I've got, uhh, well, something going on with my chest? Maybe
an allergic reaction? Or, s- something?"
After leaving his callback number, Derek dug around for clean clothes.
He settled on a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt from one of his favorite
bands.
"Alright. You've got this," he told himself. The young man reached for
the door but something caught his eyes and he looked down. Derek's
nipples poked against his t-shirt, forming two obvious bumps. "Fuck!"
After more hunting, Derek found a heavy hoodie that he pulled on. He
glanced down at himself and breathed a sigh of relief when he couldn't
see his nipples. A cold drop of sweat slid between his shoulderblades
but he forced himself to open the door and step out.
"It's gettin' cold, Derek," Steven said from the kitchen. "I ain't
waitin' all day."
"Shit, man," Derek cursed as he hurried into the kitchen. "You didn't
have to-"
"What?" Steven said, looking up from his plate. He was shirtless with a
single, simple golden chain hanging loose on his neck.
"Ah, I-" Derek swallowed and moved to cover his sudden awkwardness. He
tugged and rolled his earlobe in his fingers and could feel the nerves in
his nipples lighting up. Red crept up his chest, hidden behind the
hoodie. What the hell? He thought to himself.
"Did I spill something?" Steven looked down.
"Oh, no, sorry," Derek said as his cheeks began to burn with heat. His
cock twitched and he winced at a twinge of pain within his balls. The
twinge flared again before fading to a slow, empty ache. He busied
himself by grabbing a plate of food until he felt himself calm. "Just,
uhh, early. Brain's not working right yet."
"You cold?" Steven asked with an amused look, his left eyebrow raised.
"Hah, yeah, a little," Derek answered as he sat at the table. Studiously
ignoring his friend, he dug into the food with relish.
"I can see that," Steven said.
Something in his voice made Derek look down and the fork dropped from his
nerveless fingers. Two small, almost unnoticeable bumps pushed against
his hoodie. Derek hunched over with a nervous laugh and the bumps
vanished. "H-hah, yeah! Cold, I guess. Hah."
"What're you up to today?" Steven asked, stabbing a few chunks of
scrambled eggs onto his fork. "Wanna hang out? Play some games maybe?
Just kinda fuck around and stay inside all day?"
You want to feel me inside of you? A faint voice echoed in Derek's head.
His cock stirred again and he bit his lips. "N-no, I think I'm gonna go
out for a while. Do some shopping. I'll probably be home later,
though."
"Cool, man," Steven answered. He chased a few pieces of food on his
plate with his fork and then finished up, rinsing his plate in the sink.
Derek watched him, his eyes catching on the hard muscles of his triceps
and biceps and then down to his hands while he cleaned off his plate.
Another sharp pinch below his cock made him shift on his chair and he
looked away. Still, he cast one last look at the other man and his long,
strong fingers. His gaze swept across Steven's wide shoulders and back.
Derek shivered and then forced his eyes to his plate with his jaws
clenched and his nose flared.
What the hell is wrong with me? He asked himself. He could feel the
nervous energy burning along his core and his erect nipples throbbed
beneath his hoodie.
"Gonna read for a while in my room," Steven said. He walked to his room
while he talked. "Text me when you're on your way back and we'll hang
out, yeah? I might go to the bar tonight."
"Y- yeah," Derek replied, leaning against the table. Sweat beaded on his
hairline and his hair lengthened slowly, tickling the skin along his
neck. The chemistry within his body shifted and he gasped as a hot spike
of pain stabbed through his stomach. Derek laid his head against the
table while his guts churned and he closed his eyes against the waves of
nausea.
The knot of pain and energy pulsed as the young man's uterus began to
form. Small hairs lifted along his arms and neck and back and he
drenched his clothes in cold sweat. His hair, shoulder-length now, clung
wetly to him.
Eventually the nausea passed and Derek opened his eyes. He sat up
slowly, weak from the pain that was only just now fading. The young man
brushed his hair back and groaned, pressing his hands against his sore
stomach. He turned and the room swam so he gripped the table until the
room stopped spinning.
"Fuck," Derek groaned. He stood, carefully, ready to bolt to the
bathroom but the pain and nausea simply vanished as if it'd never been
there. The smell of food turned his stomach so the young man threw away
his food, washed his plate and stacked it with Steven's plate. Taking a
deep, shuddering breath, Derek grabbed his keys and wallet and left.
Derek wiggled in his car seat, shifting to try to find a position that
would make him feel comfortable. His tailbone seemed to ache but no
amount of moving or leaning alleviated the dull pain.
The young man's first trip was short and he soon found himself parked at
his doctor's office, staring at the "Closed" sign. He'd driven up to the
door, close enough to read the handwritten note that said the nurse was
gone and Derek remembered she'd been heavily pregnant the last time he'd
been in.
With a sigh, Derek drove off, following his phone's directions to the
urgent care center. The little office was located in a huge shopping
center and he wound the car through the parking lot. He turned the car
off and then sat, staring at the building in front of him. A sense of
dread gripped him but he exited his car and went inside.
The muted interior of the health clinic was full of coughing and sneezing
and wheezing and the dull droning of a local newscaster. The lights were
too bright and the floors too shiny and Derek nearly turned around as
soon as he'd entered. He forced himself forward where a bored
receptionist pointedly ignored him. A sign in sheet, secured to the
counter with a thick wire, had a list of names and Derek added his to the
bottom.
Now signed in, Derek glanced around the room and then made his way to the
corner, far away from everyone else and the TV. His jeans dug into his
side and the plastic chairs were uncomfortable, forcing him to squirm in
his seat to find a good position.
What am I going to do? He thought to himself. A cold fist seemed to
grip his heart and he stared at the floor in front of him. A single bead
of sweat slid from his hairline, down his neck and chest to curve around
the slight swell of his nearly flat breasts. The young man shivered and
hugged himself.
Time passed slowly and people shuffled back and forth. Occasionally a
side door would open and the nurse would call for someone. Derek looked
up nervously every time the door opened but otherwise spent the time
staring inward and occasionally checking the time on his phone. The
longer he sat, the more he felt the cold fingers tightening on his heart
until, two hours after he arrived, he suddenly stood up and walked out
without a single word.
Yeah, doctor, Derek imagined himself saying. I was just minding my own
business when suddenly I grew tits. No big deal, right?
The young man shivered at a sudden gust of cold wind and he hurried to
his car, starting it as soon as he sat inside. He lay his forehead
against the steering wheel with a heavy sigh. He could picture the
scenario and it shamed him. The doctor would examine him and see his
changes, order tests that he'd have to miss work for and find some excuse
to tell Steven while it was all happening.
He didn't want to admit to himself that the biggest reason was simply
because he was terrified of what they'd find. And so he lied to himself
and said he would wait for his doctor's office to open Monday.
Derek's hips pressed against the band of his jeans. The soft skin bulged
as his hips widened, bones shifting within to match the growing uterus.
He groaned as his ass swelled and skin overflowed his too-tight jeans.
The young man pressed at his belly and a few exposed stomach hairs flaked
away. The pressure built from within sudden, sharp cramps made him hiss
through his teeth.
"Fuckin' A," Derek growled quietly, looking around the shopping center.
He unzipped his pants, sighing in the sudden relief of pressure. A large
Target dominated the shopping center and he shifted into reverse to drive
over to it. The cramps were dull but would flare occasionally as if
something was digging into his stomach with sharp claws and he prayed the
bathrooms were empty at the store.
Parking quickly, Derek stepped out of his car and quickly made his way to
the store. The overly large hoodie hid the front of his unzipped pants
but not the curves of his new, larger ass or hips. Halfway to the store,
the cramps eased and then vanished as they had earlier.
"What the hell?" Derek said out loud, stopping in front of the opened
automatic doors. He slid his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and
then pressed them against his stomach. There was still pressure and a
faint need to pee but the pain was completely gone.
When two young women stepped around Derek to go into the store, he
excused himself and stepped inside after them. Derek glanced around to
find the men's section and then walked through the store, tugging
occasionally at his pants to keep them up. He stared at the floor in
front of himself, ignoring everything and everyone around him in the
hopes that they wouldn't notice what he was doing.
Safely in the mostly deserted men's section, Derek tried to zip his
pants. The zipper caught halfway up, refusing to move. He glared down
at his stomach, trying again and again before stomping his foot and
cursing.
Derek moved to the jeans section and he pawed through them until he found
a size larger than he normally wore. He grabbed the jeans and stalked
angrily over to the changing room where a busy store employee was racking
unwanted clothes. He took the jeans into the changing room, kicked off
his shoes and eased out of his old, tight jeans with a luxurious sigh.
The young man leaned against the wall and pulled on the new pants. He
zipped them up and buttoned them and then looked at himself in the
mirror.
The jeans fit entirely wrong. He could feel them pinching his balls and
digging into his crotch. The front of the jeans were pressed tightly
against his thighs but the backs hung loose. He turned and stared,
frowning at the back of jeans. The bulged awkwardly at his waist. And,
although he'd chosen pants with the same length, they seemed to be too
long for him.
"Maybe a different brand?" He asked himself, turning back and forth and
pulling at the crotch.
Seeing himself in the wide, full length mirror gave him an idea. With a
quick look around the room, as if someone might be standing in the room
with him, Derek pulled his shirt and hoodie off, letting them fall to the
ground.
Derek's eyes were immediately drawn to the flare of his hips. He stared,
wide-eyed at his body and the way his skin seemed to just curve outward
to the sides. The young man pressed his hands against his hips and then
around to his ass, feeling their generous curves.
"What the-" He whispered, staring at himself.
Movement dragged his eyes upward to his chest. His fat nipples were
shifting lazily and, as he watched, his flat breasts seemed to fill as,
within, milk ducts and fat formed. The nipples pushed out while his
breasts bulged. He grabbed his chest, squeezing the soft skin and flesh,
trying to hold the skin down against his body. He stared at them and
knew now, undeniably, that he had actual breasts like a woman and not
just a strange allergic reaction.
Derek hefted his small, warm breasts and then looked down at his wide
hips. A rude voice called out in his memory: Why don't you ask your
girlfriend why you got a hard on?
"Oh. Fuck," Derek whispered. He lunged for his phone, digging for the
number to the comedy club.
"Laugh Club," a feminine voice answered in Derek's ear. "Can we help
you?"
"H- Hi!" Derek said. He looked away from the mirror and tucked loose
strands of hair behind his ear. "Uh, I- is Telesto the magician there?
Can I speak to him, please? It's urgent."
"Oh," the voice replied. "I'm afraid he left this morning."
Derek's heart sank. His eyes flicked to the mirror and then away. "Uh.
Is. Is there a number I can reach him at? Does he have an office
nearby?"
"No, I'm sorry," the woman said. "I mean he left back to Italy. I can
give you the number for his agent but I believe Telesto's flight won't
land until tomorrow."
"Oh god," Derek said. "H-hold on, I'm going to put you on speaker so I
can save the number. Go ahead please."
The woman gave him the number and Derek entered it into his phone and
thanked her before hanging up.
"Oh, fuck," Derek said, pacing the small room. He winced as the pants
squeezed his balls. "Fuck fuck fuck!"
"Sir?" A young woman asked from outside the changing room. "Is
everything alright?"
"Yes!" Derek said, his heart leaping suddenly into his throat. "I'll-
I'll be out in a minute. Sorry!"
Derek pulled his shirt and hoodie back on, followed by his old pants. He
struggled into them but left them unbuttoned. He stared at himself
before leaving the room and his face paled.
He could see the bulge of his breasts in the hoodie now and his nipples
tented the thick fabric.
Goddammit! He raged mentally, grinding his teeth as his cheeks reddened.
He stood and thought for a moment with his eyes squeezed shut. A low
buzz hummed at the edge of his hearing. I have to do something until
Sunday. Until I can talk to Telesto. The fuck- Goddammit. Steven will
see me. I can't. I can't let him see me like this. He saw my nipples
and there's no way I can hide this from him. God. What would he even
think of me? Staring at my breasts like he did this morning. Eyeing me
and seeing my hard nipples only now it'd be my breasts all soft and warm
and aching for his big, strong hands and-
Derek blinked rapidly, shaking his head to clear the buzzing. He stared
at the door for a moment while trying to remember what he'd been doing.
I have to do something until Sunday, he told himself.
Opening the door, he handed the store's pants back to the worker waiting
outside. The young man hunched his body to hide his breasts and then
walked through the store until he stood in the women's section. The
blush from his cheeks was creeping down his chest and his heart seemed to
thunder in his ears.
"E- excuse me," he said quietly to a passing employee. His hands began
to sweat and he stared at the worker's feet. "D- do you have something
to h- hide- to make it so- I just. Breasts. To flatten them a little?
F- for someone else."
"Oh, honey," the worker said quietly, touching his arm. "It's okay.
Yeah, follow me. I can show you some sports bras in our fitness
section."
Derek wiped away a