"Huh.” Dakota tilted her head as she watched Nika and August leaving work together. “Where do you think those two are going?”

It was the end of the day on Friday, and normally Dakota would have been thinking of nothing more than getting home as fast as possible so she could collapse into bed. This week, though, she was feeling better than ever. She was beyond any and all tiredness, and that meant she had the energy to be curious about what her two coworkers might have been doing. They were very clearly going somewhere as a pair, something that was almost unthinkable for Nika. August wasn’t usually much of a social butterfly either. Although admittedly, plenty had changed over the past couple of weeks.

“Who knows?” muttered Julian, who was gathering his possessions a short distance away. “I heard them making plans earlier. I guess it’s just some after-work bonding.”

Dakota clapped her hands together, making him jump. “That’s a great idea! We should all try to be better friends, don’t you think? Let’s do something!”

Julian blinked. “What, you and me? Right now?”

“Why not?” Dakota replied brightly.

It was funny - once, spending quality time with Julian would have been the last thing she’d have wanted to use her Friday nights for. She’d have been too afraid of his mean comments to even consider it. Lately, though, he’d seemed much less threatening. Julian seemed smaller, somehow - not to mention much, much better behaved. And Dakota, meanwhile, was practically overflowing with confidence. She wasn’t afraid of anything.

“What would we even do?” Julian asked, looking at her dubiously.

“Hmm.” Dakota thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers. “I know! Why don’t we go shopping? We both need some new clothes, right?”

Julian blushed a little at that. He didn’t deny it, though. He’d been complaining about it under his breath all day, but even if he hadn’t been, it was obvious just from looking at him. All the clothes he wore were completely the wrong shape, oversized in some places and woefully undersized in others. He looked like he was simultaneously about to trip over the hems of his trousers, and split them at the seams around his hips. It was clearly completely untenable.

Dakota’s plight was similar; the only difference was, she wasn’t embarrassed by it. Not in the least. In fact, she seemingly reveled in the way her too-small clothes looked on her growing body, pulling tight around her ass and riding up around her waist to expose her plump, swelling belly. She’d spent so much time hiding from her own body. Now, she wanted to make up for lost time and show it off as much as possible. Still, it was only a matter of time before her current wardrobe stopped fitting her altogether, and besides, it had dawned on her that some new outfits could serve to show off her new body in even better and more appealing ways.

“I dunno…” Julian replied uncertainly. “I just, you know, need to get back in the gym. Once my wrist is feeling better, I mean. Then everything will-”

“Julian,” Dakota said, interrupting. She took a step towards him and dropped into a low, firm tone of voice. “Won’t you come with me?”

He completely froze. The blush in his cheeks deepened, and he started squirming just a little. Dakota smiled. She loved it when she had that effect on people. More and more, she was learning to wield her new body to get what she wanted. Julian was particularly vulnerable, something that never ceased to amuse her. All she needed to do was use just the right voice and get nice and close to him, where she could remind him of just how much bigger and softer she was compared to him. She had so much raw presence, now that she’d put on some weight. Now that she knew how to use it, it was like a light bulb she could turn on and off at will.

“U-um,” Julian stammered. He was trying to look anywhere but at Dakota - and failing. “T-that’s… um…”

“Of course you will,” Dakota decided. And then, because she knew it would seal the deal: “Good boy. Now, be a doll and grab my coat?”

She turned and started walking towards the exit. She didn’t need to watch to know that Julian was going to do exactly what she wanted - and that he was going to be red as a beet while doing it.

Confidence felt good.

***

Three hours of whirlwind shopping later, Julian was tired, thirsty, and very, very embarrassed - not to mention confused. He’d been confused about a lot of things lately, but the most immediately pressing one was: why couldn’t he say ‘no’ to Dakota?

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” Dakota said from across the table, in that sweet, honeyed, irresistible voice that made Julian shiver and tingle all over. “You’ve barely touched your food.”

It was true, he hadn’t. After Dakota had pronounced them done with shopping for the day, she had decided they would go somewhere to eat. So, laden with shopping bags, Julian had taken them to one of his favorite places in town: a local bar and grill that he sometimes liked to visit after a hard day’s work at the gym. Somehow, though, he didn’t seem to have much appetite for the hunk of steak on the plate in front of him.

“T-the clothes,” he muttered.

“Don’t be silly, honey.” Dakota giggled. “You look amazing.”

Despite himself, that comment made Julian smile a little. Then, immediately, he scolded himself for it. What was going on with him? His head was completely scrambled by how flustered he was. The changes to his body were embarrassing enough when he was simply at home or work; now that he was out in public, it was unbearable.

Especially given what Dakota had made him wear.

At Dakota’s urging, he’d purchased an entirely new wardrobe, and she’d insisted he change into one particular outfit right away. He couldn’t believe he’d agreed. Julian was now dressed in a black crop hoodie that left his midriff completely exposed. Dakota had told him it would make his shoulders look good, but apparently by ‘good’, she meant ‘slender’. Then, to pair with it, he was wearing a pair of incredibly tight-fitting, incredibly short hotpants that drew attention to his widening, feminine hips - exactly where Julian didn’t want it. Embarrassingly, Dakota had insisted on buying the shorts in women’s sizes. She’d said they would look better, and that no one would be able to tell.

Julian was pretty sure they could tell.

He’d tried to persuade her to let him wear long pants by telling her that his legs were getting cold. To his absolute horror, that had only resulted in her plucking a pair of striped, thigh-high socks off the shelves for him to put on.

He should have refused. Why hadn’t he refused? Why did he get so damn tongue-tied whenever Dakota - or Nika, for that matter - told him what to do?

And why did obeying make him kind of happy?

There would be time to answer that question later, Julian had decided. For now, he just needed to make it through the evening and get home, preferably without attracting too much attention. The only saving grace, frankly, was that Dakota’s outfit was proving to be even more eye-catching than his.

Dakota had been buying clothes for herself too, and she had also elected to change into something right away. In her case, that ‘something’ was a black, cozy, ribbed sweater dress that despite being brand new was still somehow a size too small. Julian suspected that was intentional. Dakota’s figure had been filling out just as quickly as Julian’s had been slimming down, and as such the dress had to stretch to fit Dakota’s new curves. The result was nothing short of pornographic. Absolutely nothing was left to the imagination. The swell of Dakota’s growing breasts, the inviting curve of her belly, the way her ass squashed and jiggled as she sat down - all of it was on display. The material was stretched so thin you could even see her skin tone underneath - and the lacy lingerie she was wearing. Besides the sweater dress, all Dakota had on were tights. All the better to show off her unbelievably thick thighs, Julian supposed. Julian had no idea how she had gained so much weight so fast. Maybe all those Shift sodas had something to do with it.

If his coworker was looking for attention, she was getting exactly what she wanted. All the waitresses were doting on her. They were all but falling over themselves to serve the fertility goddess that had entered their presence, ensuring incredibly quick service for Dakota and Julian both, and Dakota loved to reward the waitresses with little pieces of attention - a touch, a smile, a laugh, a kind word - whenever they came over. And it wasn’t just them. More than once, Julian had noticed random strangers almost trip over because they were so distracted with ogling her. Dakota seemed aware too, even if she didn’t react. She was obviously feeding on the attention, like she was a queen presiding over a feast. It was quite something.

So was her meal.

“C’mon, I mean it!” Dakota insisted, after swallowing another bite of the biggest burger Julian had ever seen. It was one of those challenge meals, but Dakota seemed to be making short work of it. “You look seriously good like this, Julian. It’s the perfect new style for you. I’m sure you’ll be getting plenty of action before long.”

“A-action?” Julian exclaimed, as Dakota sipped at her wine. That prospect filled him with a dizzying mix of pride and humiliation. What kind of action could he possibly get, looking like this?

“Absolutely,” Dakota purred, before taking another bite. Julian had to admit, there was something almost hypnotic about watching her eat. Her effortless gluttony only added to her strange, goddess-like presence. “Let me put it this way: I can barely keep my hands off you.”

Julian, who had been half-heartedly picking at one of his fries, almost choked. His cheeks went from warm to burning hot, and Dakota giggled. Again: why couldn’t he stand up for himself? And… why did it kinda feel good all the same?

Actually, if Julian was being completely honest, the one thing killing his mood more than anything else was that, despite everything, he wasn’t getting a whole lot of attention. Sitting next to Dakota, almost no one was looking at him. It was a strange emotion. Did he actually want to get stared at that way? Like a piece of meat? Surely not. He was a guy! Even if Dakota made it seem dignified and powerful, it would surely be different for him. And yet…

Abruptly, Julian stood up. His throat was dry, and more importantly, he needed a moment to gather his thoughts. Dakota looked at him in surprise.

“I’m going to order another drink,” he blurted out, and walked over to the bar as fast as he could without running.

Julian perched on a bar stool and tried to calm himself down by breathing slowly. As he did, he read over the menu. Normally, he just ordered a beer, but today he fancied something sweeter.

“Um… hey,” he said slightly guiltily, flagging down one of the bar staff. “Could I get a mojito?”

Just moments later, Julian found himself addressed by an oddly familiar voice: “Julian? Is that you?”

Julian twitched, almost spilling his drink in the process. He really hoped that wasn’t who he thought it was. He turned his head, and his worst fears were concerned. It was Ari.

Ari was one of his regular gym buddies. Meeting up for a long workout followed by a hearty meal was a regular weekend ritual - one that Julian had been flaking on lately. Ari was just about the last person he wanted to see, at least until he got whatever was happening to him under control. As the two of them shared a look, though, it quickly became obvious to Julian that he wasn’t the only one going through some changes.

Out of all of Julian’s gym buddies, Ari had always been the manliest and the most muscular. That seemed to have changed, but whatever was happening to Ari was obviously different from what had happened to Julian. Unlike Julian, Ari stood even taller than before. Most of the extra height seemed to have gone to their legs, and that, along with some subtle but noticeable muscle redistribution, had left Ari looking almost perfectly androgynous. All of Ari’s facial hair was gone, they were sporting some pretty impressive lip and septum piercings, and, perhaps most strikingly of all, instead of dark brown curls, Ari’s hair was now jet black, long, and silky.

If not for Dakota, Ari definitely would have been the most striking person in the entire restaurant. They were like some kind of tall, athletic, goth, elfin prince. There was no denying it: Ari had become really, really hot.

“H-hey, Ari,” Julian said nervously. He was suddenly conscious of how high-pitched and effeminate his voice sounded. “Um, you look… wow.”

Ari smiled. They projected effortless self-assurance. “I know. And thanks! I don’t know what it is; I just changed up my workout a little and started getting some incredible results! I made a few personal style changes, too. It all feels amazing. It’s like they’re putting something crazy in the water these days, you know? I’m glad to see you’re doing well too, I hadn’t seen you at the gym in a little while.”

As Julian watched, Ari reached into their workout bag, pulled out a bottle of Shift soda, and took a few swigs. He noted the flavor - Strong Rounded Blackberry. It made Julian realize that he was seriously craving another of the Pleasing Peach sodas that had become a regular part of his day.

“I… I just… uh…” Julian spluttered, grasping for an excuse. “I-I sprained my wrist! Gotta let it heal before I get back to lifting. Doctor’s orders, you know?” He laughed uncomfortably. “I-it’s crazy what happens when you let yourself go, huh? I need to get back on the horse.”

To his surprise, Ari frowned. “Let yourself go? What do you mean? You look better than ever!”

As shocked as Julian was by that, he couldn’t quite suppress a happy, giddy giggle. “Um… you really think so?” He started tapping his fingers together anxiously.

“Absolutely!” Ari said whole-heartedly. “There’s nothing wrong with a few changes. Maybe you should just embrace it! That’s what I did - I actually use they/them pronouns now. It’s a good fit.” They tilted their head. “How about you? Maybe… she/her?”

Julian squealed. He actually squealed. In a desperate attempt to hide how much his cheeks were burning, he looked down, put his hands between his thighs, and squeezed his legs together. “N-n-n-not yet,” he blurted out.

Ari shrugged. “Sure,” they said. “Whatever you’re most comfortable with. I’m just saying, though. You look cute as hell, and you should feel good about it.”

Julian was deeply aware of how hard his heart was pounding as Ari slipped onto the stool next to him, and then reached out to clasp their arm around his shoulder.

Between guys, it would just have been a normal, friendly gesture, but Julian immediately knew something different was going on.

Ari was flirting with him.

His gym buddy was flirting with him, touching him, and calling him cute.

And it was making Julian very, very happy.

He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. A kind of light-headed, giddy happiness was bubbling up inside him and threatened to make him completely lose his cool. Julian kept having to fight off unfamiliar urges, like the urge to squeeze Ari’s hand or cling to their arm. Julian felt like a lovestruck schoolgirl, and that wasn’t new. It was the same feeling Dakota had been giving him all day. Why? What did it mean? Julian had no idea. He just knew that there was something warm and safe and reassuring about being small and cute, and standing next to someone big and strong.

Julian was so happy, he couldn’t bring himself to scold himself for that thought.

“Juli?” came Dakota’s voice. “There you are! I was beginning to think you’d gotten lost.”

Julian flinched. Why did she have to use that name in front of Ari? She’d kept dropping it on him all day, despite his protests. The worst part was, he didn’t even dislike it.

“Juli, huh?” He could hear the smile in Ari’s voice before he even turned to look at them. “That’s pretty.”

Julian had to look down to hide his face again. He didn’t want either of them to see how hard he was smiling.

“You two know each other?” Dakota asked, as she approached. She must have finished eating; she exuded satisfaction. “What a coincidence!”

“We’re gym buddies,” Ari replied easily. “We go way back.”

“Is that so?” Dakota seemed amused. “You must be close.”

She nodded significantly, indicating Ari’s arm around Julian’s shoulder. A moment passed, and then Julian took it away.

“I’m sorry,” they said, good-naturedly. “I didn’t realize I was intruding.”

“You’re n-” Julian managed, before Dakota overruled him.

“Don’t worry,” she said, offering Ari a friendly smile. “He’s not taken. Not yet, anyway. We’re just enjoying a little dinner date, that’s all. Maybe I’ll send him down to you at the gym tomorrow. I’m sure the two of you can work up a nice sweat.”

Julian’s eyes shot very wide.

“Thank you,” Ari said easily. “You’re doing a great job with him, by the way. I’m sure I’ll love seeing how it goes. See you… Juli.”

“W-w-w-wha…” Julian stammered, as Ari stood up and left. What the hell was that? They were talking about him like he was a shared pet, or a piece of meat they were passing around. It was humiliating!

And yet, again, it left him blushing, and with an insistent need growing between his legs.

“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart,” Dakota purred. She scooped Julian up onto his feet, hugging him against her sinfully soft, plump body. “Now, let’s get going. We still need to hit up a few more places.”

Julian paled. “I-I thought we were done.”

“Not yet,” Dakota said. “You need something else. You’ve been whining about your height all evening. I have the perfect thing in mind.”

“C’mon,” Julian complained under his breath, shaking his head in futility. He could guess what she was thinking about, and it was making him squirm. “S-surely not-”

“Oh yes,” Dakota insisted. Her tone brooked no disagreement. “Heels!”

***

“I’m just saying,” August shouted, struggling to be heard over the sound of the loud music playing in the bar. “Don’t you think it’s, like… totally weird?”

“Huh?” Nika shouted back. She was having a hard time making out her coworker’s words. The bar was much louder than she’d expected, and besides, she was currently pretty distracted.

Asking August out to a bar after work on a Friday had been an act of pure impulse. She’d been trying to work up the courage to go to a lesbian bar like this for years, but in the moment, it had come effortlessly. Nika had been feeling bolder and bolder lately. She’d told herself it was a nice way to show solidarity with August as she transitioned, but really, she had an ulterior motive: August looked extremely hot.

Whatever kind of HRT August had been taking was working wonders for her. Recently she’d been developing a jaw-dropping hourglass figure, complete with tits Nika would have sworn couldn’t have been natural if she hadn’t watched them growing day by day. Of course, it also helped that August had shifted her wardrobe from shapeless hoodies and jeans to tiny dresses and tight tank tops - all in bright pink. Leaning even further into the hyperfeminine look, August had taken to wearing a full face of makeup at work to accentuate her increasingly-soft features. She’d even bleached her hair platinum blonde. It was quite the transformation.

August did seem very ditzy and airheaded, however. Nika had noticed that quite a few times. She was always forgetting things and giggling to herself. It was a surprise, but nothing to be concerned about, Nika thought. She was probably just enjoying her new body. Who wouldn’t be?

“Shift!” August said insistently. “It’s, like, everywhere! I mean, just look around!”

Nika nodded, trying to look thoughtful whilst she was staring at her coworker’s tits. August seemed completely preoccupied with the subject. Admittedly, it had been a surprise to learn that the lesbian bar had been serving a whole menu’s worth of drinks made with Shift soda, but Nika didn’t see why it was a big deal. She was just glad to get her fix of Amazonian Apple outside of work. Probably, it was just a big marketing push from a new brand. What was so remarkable about that?

“Isn’t it… like… kinda…” August pouted as she groped for the right word. “Suspi… suscus… fishy!”

“Why?” Nika grunted, taking another sip of her cocktail. “It’s just a drink, babe.”

August tittered a little at being called babe, but did her best to recover. “But, like, it’s not even just that! Everyone’s always so, like, weird! Here, for example. Isn’t everyone else totally, like…”

Nika looked around. Again, August did have a point. Nika didn’t have much experience with which to judge - this was the first time she’d ever been to a bar - but the atmosphere was a lot raunchier than she’d expected. The Shift cocktails were flowing quickly and freely all around, and so Nika was tempted to just attribute all the unusual behavior to alcohol, but there was something more than that too. There were a lot of pretty incredible body types on display, and Nika thought she’d noticed some people getting even more incredible over the course of the night.

She didn’t see why that was such a big deal to August, though. Nika shrugged.

“C’mon, Nika!” August pouted, which Nika thought was just adorable. The trans girl then took a moment to sip at her bright pink Shift cocktail, and seemed to lose her train of thought for a few seconds before finding it again. “Not that it’s, like, bad, but don’t you think some of the stuff happening to us has been totally crazy too? And we’ve all been drinking a whole lot of-”

“Hey, can I get another Milk Mango cocktail?” a total stranger interrupted, sliding up to the bar between Nika and August. August pouted again, but this time Nika was too busy admiring the newcomer’s tits. She looked up at Nika, batted her eyelashes, and offered a shy smile. “And, um, I’d love to buy you a drink too.”

Nika blinked, and then grinned. She still wasn’t used to this, even though it had been happening all night. Lesbians were coming up to hit on her now. Knowing that her new look was paying off was a huge confidence-booster. All those hours she’d started spending in the gym were hours well spent. Women loved her muscles, and she’d decided the best way to show them off was with a nice, tight t-shirt that highlighted her biceps and her abs. Obviously, she’d been right.

“I’d love that too,” Nika replied smoothly. She flexed casually, like she was just stretching, and watched the busty stranger sigh fondly. “But I’m not here alone, actually.”

She nodded at August, who was still huffing. The stranger blushed. “Oh! I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to… um, you just looked kinda bored, so I thought…”

With those nervous half-explanations, she backed away and vanished into the crowd.

It was truly a shame to have to turn her down, Nika thought. The woman was lovely, and Nika was sure they could have shared a fun night. She had one of those incredible bodies August was so worked up about. She had huge boobs - bigger even than August’s, and without as much ass or hips to balance it out. Somehow, being all chest made her boobs look all the more appealingly pornographic, especially since she’d so obviously been a bottom. And… had those been lactation stains on her top?

“Nikaaaa,” August complained. “That keeps happening!”

“Sorry, babe,” Nika replied, smiling. She couldn’t help it. August didn’t seem to understand just how cute she was. “I’ll keep turning them away.”

“She said you looked bored!” August wasn’t so easily placated. “You gotta listen to me! This stuff is, like, important.”

“OK, OK! I’m listening.” Nika smirked behind her glass as she took another sip of her apple cocktail and savored the familiar flavor of Shift. Moments later, strength and warmth coursed into her muscles. She didn’t really see what August was so agitated about, but she did like that August was a pretty girl, and focused entirely on her. Maybe she should change the subject. Talking about this all night wasn’t her idea of a good time. “You know, if you don’t want other girls to think I’m not taken, maybe we should start looking a little more… together.”

August scrunched up her face in a frown. “Like, what do you mean?”

“Why don’t we get a little closer?” Nika shifted down the bar and put her arm around August’s waist. “Like this.”

August looked surprised, but one of those delightful, ditzy little giggles escaped her throat. She was having a good time. That was exactly what Nika wanted. “Um… gosh…”

“See?” Nika said. “Just relax! Enjoy yourself!”

“Um… but…” August kept giggling. She leaned into Nika, and it was like she was struggling to keep all her thoughts in her head. “But this could be, like, actually really super important! I mean, I like, want to have fun! Totally! But it’s just, like… there’s something going on, Nika, I swear. With me and you and Dakota and Julian! And then the soda, is like, totally everywhere, and, I dunno, maybe it’s all just, like, one big coin… um… coinci… um…”

“Uh-huh.” Nika nodded without really listening. She reached over and used the backs of her fingertips to brush August’s hair out of her face. “You know, you’re really pretty, August.”

Twin spots of pink blush appeared on August’s cheeks, and she started tittering hopelessly. “You, um, really think so?”

“Absolutely.” Making August blush and cling to Nika felt good. Nika wanted August to feel good too, and lately she seemed to know exactly how to make girls blush. “More and more every day. I can barely keep my hands off you.”

“W-wow!” August let out a pleasure-stained gasp as Nika squeezed around her waist. “I mean, um… y-you two, Nika. You’re, like, sooooo hot.”

“Yeah?” Nika smirked, leaning closer. “Wanna do something about it?”

August giggled again. She looked like she was right on the cusp of saying ‘yes’ before she paused and blinked. “W-wait, um, we can’t! Cause, y’know, we’re like, um… coworkers!”

“Oh.” Nika blinked too. For all August’s airheadedness, Nika had been the one getting caught up in the moment. What was she doing? They were colleagues. Friends. This was meant to just be a way of hanging out, but Nika had been treating it like a date. It was completely inappropriate. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“No, um, it’s fine.” August looked more than a little crestfallen as Nika pulled away. “I just meant, um… it’s not that I don’t want… we just, we shouldn’t…”

The two of them lapsed into an awkward silence for a moment before another unfamiliar voice interrupted them: “Well, if she won’t take you home, babygirl, why don’t you give me a shot?”

A tall, muscular woman placed herself between Nika and August - facing August, this time. Nika blinked. She wasn’t the only one who had been getting plenty of attention, of course. A cute, bright girl like August had been catching plenty of looks. Whenever someone started wandering over, though, a little look or nod from Nika had been enough to head them off. Not this time.

“The name’s Dana,” the intruder said. “What do they call you, cute thing?”

“Um… August.” August giggled, confirming what Nika had already figured out: August was totally helpless in the face of a handsome woman flirting with her.

“Pretty name,” Dana replied smoothly. “I’ve had some good times with a May and a June. I’d love you to be next.”

Nika frowned. Dana was almost as tall as her, and just as buff. Suddenly, Nika had a rival. She hadn’t been expecting that, or what it would make her feel: a heady mix of competitive, possessive and protective. The drink in Dana’s glass made her raise an eyebrow. It was the same distinct green color as the one in hers. They were both drinking Amazonian Apple Shift cocktails.

“Hey!” Nika said loudly. “Butting in much?”

“Huh?” Dana turned to look at Nika, a swaggering grin on her face. “I’m just shooting my shot! It’s up to August if she wants it to hit. Is that a problem? I just heard you two agree that you’re just friends.”

That left Nika momentarily speechless - but she wasn’t about to back down. Normally, any kind of interpersonal conflict made her want to sink into a hole in the ground, but now it just made her blood run hot.

“Yes, and we’re here for a friendly night out,” Nika growled. “So could you please leave us alone?”

Dana didn’t back down. She seemed just as argumentative as Nika. “Like I said, that’s not up to you.”

As one, both muscular women turned to face August. She stared at them, eyes darting between them both. The bimbofied trans girl looked like she couldn’t believe how lucky she was.

“Um… gosh…” August tittered. “You’re both so… I mean, like… um… wow…”

August lifted her drink, took another sip, and then dissolved into yet more flustered giggling. Nika rolled her eyes. Obviously August was too tipsy and too air-headed to make a decision.

Dana was coming to the same conclusion. “How about this?” she said, turning back to Nika. “We settle this with a nice, friendly little contest.”

“What does that mean?” Nika cocked her head. 

“Simple.” Dana reached up and rested her elbow on the bar. “We arm wrestle.”

Nika blinked. At first, the idea seemed completely ridiculous. Arm wrestling over a girl? It was like something from a bad movie. The more she thought about it, though, the more a wild grin started to come over Nika’s face.

In just the short time she’d been going, the gym had already ceased to be a challenge. No one else she saw there could ever hold a candle to her. But here was a chance to truly put her new strength to the test. It was a thrilling prospect.

How could she refuse?

“Fine. You’re on.”

They shifted along to the corner of the bar, so they could sit opposite each other. August followed, watching breathlessly, and a small crowd started to gather as Nika and Dana squared up against one another. Both of them were grinning.

“Ready?” Dana asked, as they clasped hands.

Nika paused just long enough to down her drink. “Ready.”

A heartbeat later, the two of them started wrestling.

Nika grunted as she gripped down, planting her elbow firmly on the bar and engaging her arm muscles as much as she could. Dana was pushing back against her every bit as hard. Nika hadn’t been expecting an easy win, but it was still exciting to discover that there was someone out there every bit as strong as her. This wasn’t like pushing Julian around in the office bathroom or having friendly competitions with her new gym buddies. This was someone who could actually, conceivably, beat her.

But that didn’t mean Nika was going to lose. Not with August watching.

For the first ten seconds, neither one of them moved. Dana and Nika were evenly matched. The only signs of their exertions were the beads of sweat forming on their foreheads. After fifteen seconds, Nika’s muscles started to scream for respite. She didn’t let up.

Then, Dana twitched.

That twitch was the boost Nika needed. Dana was weakening. All Nika had to do was keep up the pressure - so she did. And slowly, gradually, the other woman’s hand started moving towards the table.

About halfway down, Dana renewed her efforts. Rallying her strength, she managed to halt Nika’s advance - but only just. Gravity and mathematics were on Nika’s side now. Dana couldn’t keep this up, not with her arm at that angle.

After twenty-five seconds, Nika brought Dana’s hand slamming down against the wood.

A cheer went up around the small crowd that had gathered to watch the show. Nika threw up her arms and cheered. Dana rubbed her sore right hand with her left, and smiled ruefully.

“Damn. Well, you got me, fair and square.” She extended her hand back towards Nika - this time, offering a handshake. Nika took it. “No hard feelings. You two enjoy your night!”

She nodded to August, winked at Nika, and then drifted off. With the show over, the crowd dispersed. Suddenly, it was just August and Nika again.

“Oh my god!” August squealed, wrapping herself around Nika’s arm and pressing close. “That was like… wow! You’re soooo strong, Nika. It’s, um… r-really hot.”

August blushed and looked away. Nika could immediately tell what both of them were thinking: they were co-workers. They were meant to be hanging out as friends. There were some lines they shouldn’t cross. It was inappropriate.

With Nika’s brain still bubbling with the happy endorphins she got from working out, all of that suddenly seemed far, far less important.

So, she put her hand on August’s ass and squeezed a little.

August yelped, then moaned, and then started clinging to Nika even tighter. She was blushing and smiling happily, and didn’t make even a single move to pull away.

“Nikaaaa,” she whined, despite her obvious pleasure. “W-we… um… we s-shouldn’t…”

“Shouldn’t what?” Nika growled into her ear.

“Y’know…” August giggled. She was obviously having trouble concentrating. “Workplace… um… workplace relationships are like… b-bad…”

Nika laughed. “This doesn't have to be a relationship, babygirl. I’m not gonna take you home. We’re just having a little fun.”

“B-but…”

“Now that I’ve made it real clear that you’re all mine,” Nika interrupted. “I think it’s only right that I show you a proper, good time.”

She punctuated her words by groping August even more roughly.

August squealed in delight. “I-I guess… yeah…” She giggled again. “All y-yours?”

Nika paused for a moment to think. She didn’t want to behave too possessively, but she was certainly feeling it. Having a girl - her girl - on her arm just felt right. And what mattered most was that she could tell August wanted it.

“That’s right,” she affirmed. “For tonight, until we leave this bar, you’re all mine.” Nika bent down and put her lips to August’s neck, and kissed. She made sure it would leave a mark, too. August moaned even louder.

“I was… um…” August giggled. She sounded more air-headed than ever. “I was trying to um… like… figure something out? It was… um… like… the drinks?” She giggled again, and looked up at Nika with big, adoring eyes. “I guess it, like, doesn’t matter. For tonight, I’m totally all yours.”

Grinning, Nika nodded. “Yep. And on Monday, well…” She licked her lips. “I’ve noticed Dakota’s been getting very touchy with you too. Maybe she and I should have ourselves a nice, friendly little contest.”