“I can’t stand it any more!” cried Marsh.

Everyone at the mall food court table stared at her, as well as a number of the people from around them.

“Yeah, the sexual tension between you and Vance is killing us all.  Make with the kissyfaces or break up already,” quipped Dan.

Marsh dumped her purse on the table, and three spiders skittered out.  She swiftly dispatched them with a balled fist.  “I’m sick and tired of the spiderhole.  Can I please move in with you, Vance?”

“Wow, way to put him on the spot,” giggled Sasha.

Vance nodded.  “Especially after the... incident.”

“Oh come on, just because you turned back to male while I was sleeping over?”

“And you were cuddling me at the time.”

Marsh’s face went white.  “I was?  What?  Is that why you were so weird afterward?”

Vance pushed back from the table, and started to pace.  “What was I supposed to think?  My best friend is a cute girl, and it was supposed to be for a month but then I helped her make it for a year and it sounds like maybe she wants to stay that way and I don’t know what to do with that either.”

“Only a year?” asked Dan.

“I’ll go for longer next time.”

“How much longer?” asked Vance, looking away from Marsh.

“I don’t know yet.  Kiss me?”

Vance turned to stare at Marsh.  “You... Why?”

“Please?”  Marsh did not bat her eyelashes, she just stood up and opened her arms.

Vance closed the gap between them slowly, then accepted Marsh’s hug.  The kiss started a little later, after his eyes had closed.  It went on for quite some time, to raucous cheering from their friends.  When they finally came up for air, Vance’s arms were holding Marsh tight enough that she was having a little trouble breathing.

“About bloody time,” said Dan.

Vance glared at him.  “This isn’t easy for me, okay?”

“Or for Marsh, I think you’re squishing her.”

Vance let go and took a step back as Marsh wheezed for air.  “It’s okay,” she gasped.  “Really.”

“So now...  Uh...”

“You owe me an answer... about the whole moving in thing,” said Marsh.

Vance gnawed on his lip.  “There’s only one bedroom.”

Marsh smiled at him prettily.  “I know.”

“And you’re not planning on sleeping on the couch.”

“Nope,” giggled Marsh.

“Is he always this clueless?” asked Dan.

“Nope.  He just needs...”  Marsh frowned.  “You know what I’m offering here.  And I know you want it.  So what’s the problem?”

Vance paced away from Marsh.  “Clarity, I guess.”  He turned to pace back toward her.  “Are you really offering to be my real, actual, proper girlfriend?”

“Yes.  I will be your real, actual, proper girlfriend.”

Vance opened his arms for a hug, and Marsh nearly knocked him over in her enthusiasm.  “See?  You’re fretting over nothing.”

Vance chuckled softly.  “I suppose I was at that.  Is it okay if I still occasionally get a little weird about all this?”

“As long as I’m allowed to snuggle you even when you think it’s weird.  No more cutting me off.”

Vance bowed his head.  “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.  Just... please don’t do it again?  We can talk about it.  About anything and everything.”

“I promise.”

“Yay!  You guys will help me move, right?”

There was a chorus of groans, but every one agreed they’d help.  Once Dan offered to venn everyone extra-strong for the move, they perked up.

The group trooped off to the Venn Machine, and Vance blinked as Dan and Jeff emerged seven feet tall and bulging with muscles.  “Oh yeah, this is more like it,” cheered Jeff.

Charlie ended up male for the evening, though Sasha stayed female.  The muscles looked good on her.

“Want a boost, sweetie?” asked Marsh.

“Would it be churlish of me to refuse?”

“Nah, we’ve got this.  You two need to figure things out without throwing even more transformation into the mix,” said Dan.

Boxes were acquired, and Dan’s folks had a minivan they could borrow, so before Vance knew it they were on their way to the spiderhole.  Marsh didn’t have all that much she needed to move.  They swiftly packed her “Marsh clothes” into a few boxes, and her computer gear into several more, and were on their way.  An hour after Vance said yes, Marsh was moved in.

The crew cheered the two of them raucously, then headed off to go wrestle alligators or something.  Vance missed that bit, he was suddenly and quite overwhelmingly alone with Marsh.  In his home.  Where she now lived too.

“So.  Actual, real, proper girlfriend,” said Marsh.  “What does that entail, exactly?”

“Apparently, it involves you and me in the same bed,” said Vance with a straight face.

“Sleeping?”

Vance raised an eyebrow.  Marsh giggled.  “Okay, yes, but only if you’re okay with it.”

“If I’m okay with it?” repeated Vance.  “I mean, you’re the girl.  Isn’t that...”

“Oh, sweetie.  This is not going to be any kind of normal relationship.  I’ve wanted you since that first kiss, and I’ve waited and waited and...  I can wait a little more if this is going too fast.”

“My head is still spinning.  It’s really hard to believe you’re here.”

Marsh slithered up close to him, and opened her arms for a hug.  Vance accepted it readily, and sighed.  “Easier to believe like this.  Why is this so hard?”

Marsh slipped a hand down to Vance’s crotch.  “Why is that so hard?”

Vance laughed.  “My body sees you as a sexy woman.  And my heart.  It’s just the brain getting in the way.”

“Fuck your brain.”

Vance snickered.  “I’m sure Dan could figure out a way to make that possible with the Venn Machines.”

“Ew!  I mean...  Wait, is that something you’d be into?  How would that even work?”

“I dunno.  Modify your mouth so that... no, no, I’m not going to speculate.”

Marsh purred.  “Good.  Don’t wanna brainfuck you.  Just regular fuck.”

“Oh, this is already plenty of a brainfuck.  I still hear Marshall when you talk, a little anyway.”

“Mmmm,” said Marsh.  She nuzzled in for a kiss, and was gratified at Vance’s response.

Marsh said not a word.  She slowly and very deliberately unzipped her dress and let it slither off her shoulders, then down further, pinned by an arm so that it barely covered her chest.  She backed toward the bedroom, one finger crooked as the other held up the dress.

Vance followed closely, grinning.  Until Marsh tripped on the hem of her dangling dress and nearly fell.  Vance darted forward, and scooped her up in his arms.  Once he’d done that, there was nothing to it but to carry her on to the bed.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly.

Marsh nodded silently, eyes shining.  She slid the dress off further, then kicked it away from the bed.  She posed as provocatively as she could in her plain black bra and panties, and wished she’d worn her pretties.

Vance’s gaze raked over her body, leaving her skin heated.  His first touch was tentative, then she grabbed his hand and shoved it over a breast.  He looked into her eyes, and she nodded.

There were no more words needed, though Marsh did not manage to stay silent very long...

*** *** ***

A week later Vance and Marsh were once again at the mall with their friends.  Vance unsubtly encouraged the group to go to a wing of the mall they rarely visited, one with goods that were out of their budget.  Marsh stopped in front of one of the jewelry stores, transfixed by all the sparkling things on display.

Vance tugged her hand, and they headed inside as the others watched on, bright-eyed.  Soon Marsh was eagerly trying rings on, until they found the perfect one.  Before their eyes it was set in a lovely little display box, and tucked into a bag.  Then right there in the store, Vance went down on one knee and offered the ring up to Marsh, who accepted with glee.

The friends all gathered around to admire the ring, which was very sparkly indeed.

“It fits you so beautifully, Marsh,” cooed Sasha.

“Which means it won’t fit if you change back,” noted Dan.

“Was that your plan all along?” asked Marsh softly, as all eyes turned to Vance.

Vance blushed.  “A little?  I mean...”  He shook his head.  “No.  That is not part of the deal.  I would love it if you stayed as Marsh, but I cannot, will not, force you to make that part of the agreement.”

“Ah.  Pity.  I was looking forward to that bit.  So... I’ll do it anyway.”  Marsh got down on her knees in front of Vance, her hand bearing the bright ring still holding his.  “I solemnly vow that as long as I have this ring, I am your Marsh.  You can venn me as you like, and I will love you no less for it.”

The high-pitched squealing from the others drowned out Vance’s answer for a time.

Vance waited until they were done, then pulled Marsh up into a hug.  “That was very sweet of you.  I’ll try to prove worthy of it.  But... were you serious about the ‘venn you as I like’ bit?  Because I have some ideas...”

Marsh snuggled up against Vance.  “Then let’s get started.”