TF (merging, a bit of melting)

How did you talk to boys? It was a question that was occupying Sam’s thoughts much of late. Especially when he was supposed to be concentrating on yoga.

In his one Starbucks town, yoga sessions were run out of the local gym. And when he was sitting on his mat, supposedly thinking of his flow, he was actually thinking of the stacked muscle-rippling gym queens in the gym area. Well, it was hard not to when they were lifting and shredding and posing right outside.

Sam was not the muscle-rippling type. He was the opposite of the muscle-rippling tight - slim (he liked to think of himself as lithe but he was probably just skinny), slightly too tall, emo hair swept across his face, hiding his slightly too large ears. No amount of exercise or working out was going to change that. He was one of those guys who could eat whatever he wanted and never put on a pound.

Sam did not have a problem with his sexuality. He did have a problem with shyness. He fantasised about the big gym guys, and how one of them might one day be a boyfriend for him. First, though, he had to talk to them. Which meant putting words in a certain order and then opening his mouth and letting them issue forth. Words like “hi, nice day outside” or “hey, you’re a regular here too?” or even “so, you finished with these weights?”

There was one guy in particular who was just so damned cute. Aidan was his name, Sam had learned. He was watching him right now on the rower, imagining how good it would feel to be wrapped in his arms.

It seemed impossible.

Sam sighed and, as the class ended, began to roll up his mat.

“Big sigh for such a skinny guy.”

He turned and smiled. “Lena! I didn’t know you were taking this class.”

“You missed this?” Lena said, pointing to her hair, a shade of blue not found in nature. Last week it had been pink; the week before, green.

“Yeah, I can’t imagine how. Where were you sitting?”

“Right up there back. I got here late and sneaked in. But why the sigh, girl?”

“Ah, just ruminating on my love life. Or rather, my lack of a love life.”

“Hey, me too. Well, we’re finished here. Want to get a latte and swap miseries?”

“Actually, now you mentioned it …”

*

They’d chosen a table at the front of the cafe, which had proved unfortunate for Sam, since Aidan and one of the other gym guys were sitting outside on the other side of the front window.

Lena was fiddling with her septum ring. “You know those guys?” she asked, reaching for her vanilla frappe.

Sam hadn’t even realised he’d been staring. “Um, just to look at. From the gym, I mean. You see them working out some times.”

“Let me see.” Lena leaned over the table. “Woah! See them working out some time? With muscles like that, I imagine they’re at the gym 24/7.”

“Um, yeah, they’re pretty stacked.”

Lena snorted. “Stacked like the pancakes at IHOP. That guy could rent his arm out as a nutcracker.”

“I think he’s cute.”

“Eh, he’s good looking. But you know what -“

“Please, if you’re about to tell me that looks aren’t everything, don’t. I might have to kill you.”

Lena grinned. “Why don’t you go outside and say hi?”

“Oh god, no. No, no, no.”

“C’mon, the worst that could happen is …”

“That I totally embarrass myself and have to go live in a cave in Tibet.”

“It’s just putting words in the right order.”

“Sorry, tongue co-operating not. Like Yoda I sound would.”

Lena sat back. “You’re not kidding. This is really impossible for you.”

“Why wouldn’t it be impossible for me?” Sam scowled. “Look at me, and look at him! One of these things is not like the other … I mean it’s okay for you, you’re a girl, and cute, and sexy - people look at you and think oh look, it’s Hello Kitty in human form. They look at me and they think, hey, whatever happened to pipe cleaners?”

“Pipe cleaners?”

“They were these long thin pieces of … oh, forget it. I’m never going to have a boyfriend.”

“They’re overrated, you know.”

“Says the girl who could have any boy she wants. God, I wish I had muscles! I could match those guys, I could talk to them, I could … what’s that look?”

“Who, me?”

“Yeah, that look.”

“Well, I was just thinking … you know my aunt’s a witch, right?”

*

One week later …

Sam looked nervously at the two glasses of green liquid. “Are you sure they’re safe?” he asked, not for the first time.

“Look, it’s like I said,” Lena said, tying her hair back in a ponytail. “I’ve used my aunt’s potions before, and I’ve never not had a good time.”

“I can’t believe your aunt is really a witch.”

“They prefer the term ‘magic Americans’. And technically, all my mother’s family are witches. But it’s pretty much only Aunt Polly who really keeps the tradition going.” She pulled her T-shirt over her head.

“Uh, Lena, what are you doing?”

“I’m taking my clothes off. Why, what does it look like I’m doing?”

“Like you’re taking your clothes off, I guess.”

“Well, mission accomplished!” She pulled her tights off and stood in her underwear.

“So … should I undress too?”

“Huh? No. In fact, it’s important you don’t.” Lena sighed. “I guess I should take my piercings out too. That might take some time.”

“So … are you sure this is safe?”

“When are you going to stop asking me that?”

“When you answer it.”

*

Lena, now naked, picked up one of the glasses. “Well, I guess we’re ready. Bottoms up!” She put the glass to her lips and quickly drained it.

She winked at Sam. “Okay, watch this. I bet you’ve never seen anything like this before!”

And she melted.

It was as if her body had turned into a liquid like custard. Her feet vanished, her legs dissolved, and her crotch sank into a growing puddle of pink girl.

More of her melted away, her breasts, her arms, until she was a head poking out of a pool of pink goo. Then her head dissolved too, leaving her eyes and mouth floating on the surface of the pool.

She giggled. “Works like a charm! Well, strictly speaking, it actually is a charm …”

Sam had been watching all this in a state of panic, his eyes bugged out, his mouth open. As Lena spoke he was finally able to croak a few words out. “Lena! You’re … you …”

“Are liquid!” Lena said cheerfully. “Don’t worry, it’s only temporary. Doesn’t hurt a bit, either. Well, come on in!”

“What?!”

“Drink the potion, join me in here. Just step into me. It’s okay.”

Sam looked at Lena’s happy face on the floor, then at the glass of potion. For a moment he considered running screaming from the room, but where would that leave Lena? And if truth be told, melting did look pretty amazing.

He picked up the glass. “Well, you were right.”

“About what?”

“I have most definitely never seen anything like that before.”

*

Later on Sam realised he must have melted in less than a minute. It didn’t seem like that when he was doing it.

Something inside him began to tingle. Gingerly he stepped into the puddle of Lena, trying hard not to step on her features. He was wearing shoes, so he didn’t feel her, but to his surprise she was of a much firmer consistency than he’d thought - more like jelly than a real liquid.

He glanced down at his feet and was riveted by the sight of them flowing into his friend. They were spreading out now. Was he getting shorter? Yes, his knees were getting closer to the growing pile of ooze. He crouched over and put his hands in the goo. They seemed to dissipate into the mess.

He was up to his chest now and the pool was growing much larger. He could see Lena’s left eye over on one side of him, while the other eye was being pushed to the edge of the puddle. Oh! His neck was dissolving now. His head tipped backwards, and he could feel his hair turning liquid. His face was tipped up at the ceiling … how much of him was left? His chin … no, that had gone …

The pond now was quite large, and featured four eyes and two mouths floating around in it. Sam’s mouth opened. “What do we do now?”

“Now for the real fun part!” Lena said happily. “Think about yourself as having muscles. Think about how you’d look.”

Sam closed his eyes - partly to concentrate, but mostly because having his eyes moving around the pond’s surface was giving him vertigo - and tried to picture a lovely ripped body, just like the gym guys.

He opened his eyes again when he realised he was growing taller again. He had a new head, and it was rising out of the goo - no, it was being made from the goo -

More and more of him emerged, his shoulders, his chest, his arms … that thing …

And man, he was ripped.

He was so muscle-bound, he could win a bodybuilding competition. Hell, he could win all the bodybuilding competitions.

“Woah!” he cried. “There’s so much more of me!”

***Well, there should be. I’m in here too, right?***

“Lena!” Sam cried. “Where are you?”

***I’m in your left pants pocket. Heh. Where did you think I would be? I’m in you!***

“So,” Sam said slowly, trying to take it all in, “we’re … merged? You and me are in the same body?”

***That’s what the potion does. It turns two people into one larger person. In this case, shy boy and cute girl make muscle man. But hey, why are we still talking? Go to the bedroom!***

Sam blushed. Truth to tell, he had noticed that thing in his pants …

He could feel rather than hear Lena sigh.

***I meant, there’s a full-length mirror in there. Go check us out! I want to see us!***

Oh. Well, he could do that too.

Sam stepped in front of the mirror and gasped. Yes, he already knew he’d gained a considerable amount of muscles, but seeing it for himself … oh man!

***Pretty cool, huh?***

“I’ll say.” Sam flexed his left biceps experimentally. The big ropes of his arm muscles bunched up most attractively.

His clothes had somehow expanded to fit his new frame. He lifted his shirt up and marvelled at his six-pack.

***Did you notice the eyes?*** Lena said in his mind.

Sam hadn’t. He peered at his face. For the first time he noticed that he no longer looked exactly like himself. Rather, he was a perfect merger of himself and Lena. Including his eyes, one of which was brown, like his usual eyes, and one of which was green, like Lena. He suddenly realised his voice sounded rather more like a deeper Lena too.

What else had changed? Well, there was that sausage in his undies …

***Go ahead,*** Lena said. ***I know you want to.***

Grinning, Sam dropped his trou.

Impressive.

Very impressive indeed.

It suddenly occurred to Sam that for the first time in his life, he found himself attractive.

*

Strutting.

He was actually strutting!

He was strutting down the street, catching the eye of quite a few ladies and a couple of men. They seemed almost hypnotised by his physique.

As did he.

If no one was watching, he would just rip his shirt off - literally, he could do that without even thinking about it - and check out his pecs.

***Careful, girl, people are watching,*** an amused Lena said in his head.

He didn’t care. The more the better, really. He didn’t want to hide from their eyes. He’d had enough hiding for a lifetime. Here was a chance to be on show, and he liked it.

And he turned and walked into the gym, hoping one guy in particular would be there.

*

It was late but the gym would still be open for another hour. Aidan was doing bicep curls when he heard the voice behind him.

“Hey there. You using those 10-kays?”

He looked up … straight into the eyes of the most perfect specimen of a man he’d ever seen.

He was tall, his dark brown hair falling over one side of his face, although there was a blue stripe on the side of his fringe. He was wearing a tight black T-shirt that stretched most attractively over his ample chest. He had a cocky grin planted on his face that said he knew exactly how well-built he was.

And he was built, alright. Aidan was no slouch, he’d been working on his body for almost a decade now. But this guy … if Aidan was a gorilla, this guy was King Kong.

“Uh, no man, help yourself,” he muttered.

“Thanks.” The dude picked up the weight like it was a paperweight. He flexed his biceps and Aidan swore they could have taken an eye out.

“So,” the guy said casually, “you’re a regular here?”

“Pretty much,” Aidan said. “Been coming for about six months now. Ever since,” and here he looked straight into the dude’s eyes, “I broke up with my last boyfriend.”

The dude’s grin grew even broader.

“How about you?” Aidan said. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around this gym before.”

“Uh, this is my first time … you could say.”

Weird way to put it. “Well, nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

“Hey, did I introduce myself? I’m Aidan.”

The dude put his hand out. “Sam.”

Aidan did a double take.

“Another one?”

“Sorry?”

“Nothing. It’s just … there’s another guy called Sam I know.”

“Oh, okay. Friend of yours.”

“Well … not exactly.”

*

The bar was pretty empty at this time of night. There was a couple of barflies propped up across the room, but they had this table and the area to themselves.

“So … “ Sam raised his bottle. “To working out?”

“Thanks man.” Aidan clinked his own bottle with Sam’s. They both drank deeply.

“How long you been working on your body?” Aidan said casually.

“Uh … not as long as you’d think.”

“A quick responder, eh? Wish I was like that. Naw man, I gotta really work to keep myself fit.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I used to be a little butterball when I was a kid. I finally got sick of the bullying and started to work out.” Aidan sighed and drank more beer.

“I find it hard to believe you were ever overweight,” Sam said.

“Oh, believe it. Plus I had braces and thick glasses. It was like a big sign saying ‘let the beatings commence’.”

“Wow. I used to be bullied too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I didn’t always have these muscles.”

***Ain’t that the truth,*** Lena said.

They drank in silence for a few minutes.

“So, uh, this other Sam …”

Was it his imagination or was Aidan blushing?

“It’s nothing. Just a guy I have my eye on.”

“Some other guy at the gym?”

“He’s in the yoga class.”

***Woah, can we just rewind for a second there?***

“Yoga class?”

“Yeah, you haven’t seen it? There’s a room at the back of the gym and they have classes there, you know. They do yoga four times a week and this guy … I think he might be the only guy in the class …”

***That’s right, you are!***

Sam managed not to burst out with “yeah, that’s me!”

“So, he’s good looking?”

“Oh yeah.” A dreamy look came into Aidan’s eyes. “Tall, lithe, nice hair, good sense of humour - there’s this kawaii girl in his class and I’ve heard them talking, it’s like a couple of comedians …”

He barked a laugh. “I don’t know why I’m even telling you this, man. But I can’t stop thinking about him. You know a few days ago I saw him and his friend in a cafe, and I insisted to my pal Carmine that we grab a table out the front and have coffee, just so I could watch him through the window.”

***Well, this is interesting.***

Typical Lena understatement, Sam thought. His mind was reeling.

“So, uh, this dude doesn’t know how you feel?”

“Oh God, no.” Aidan was definitely blushing now. “I’m still working up the nerve to talk to him. I’ve always been a shy guy, you know? But I’m planning on taking a few yoga sessions.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh, that’s not to stalk him. I want to stop being so muscled up. I think I can afford to take a bit of bulk off, you know?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay, it’s not just to stalk him.” Aidan had the cutest grin, Sam thought. “Oh man, I really don’t know why I’m telling you this. I’m not usually so talkative with strangers. I guess I just feel a connection between us, you know?”

“A connection?” Sam felt his hopes rise. Only to be dashed.

“Sorry, I don’t want to give you the wrong idea. You see,” Aidan said with a smile, “you’re just not my type.”

*

***I wasn’t expecting that.***

“Me neither,” Sam said glumly. They were back in Lena’s apartment, and he was slumped into the sofa. With his new bulk, he was sinking through the cushions to the base. It occurred to him there were drawbacks to being so buff. Including that two beers hadn’t left him even slightly buzzed.

***I don’t know why you’re being such a glum bum. You’ve got a hot guy who says he’s interested in you - the real you!***

“Huh? Oh yeah! You’re right!” The realisation hit Sam and he broke out in a grin. “I felt like I’d been rejected … but it wasn’t me, was it? Oh God, Lena, what am I going to do?”

***Uh, smile at him when he’s in the yoga class and say hey, want to grab a coffee?***

“I guess that would do it … if I can work up the nerve …”

***If I had control of this body I would be rolling my eyes right now. What does he have to do? Kidnap you and elope?***

“Well, that would be a start, yeah.” Sam grinned. “Lena, if I could hug you, I would!”

***We can arrange that. Not that it hasn’t been nice being part of the ride, but …***

“So how do we do this?”

***Just stand in the middle of the room and let me take care of it.***

*

Now that he knew what was going to happen, Sam found melting both exciting and arousing. Losing his shape, becoming just a pink blob … well, it felt liberating. When muscle Sam was merely a puddle it split into two, and Sam and Lena gradually formed their usual bodies out of the mess.

Sam enveloped Lena in his arms. “Thanks, girl. That was amazing. Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Well, you could always ask Aidan if he has any straight brothers …” Lena giggled. “Aw, don’t worry about it. Anything to help my pals. And I got to melt, don’t forget - that’s always fun!”

“It was fun, wasn’t it?”

“We’ll definitely have to do that again. Only next time …”

There would be a next time, Sam knew.

“Next time … how about we try being a girl together?”