A kitchen heart to heart (And a few drinks...)

“I… I don’t usually drink.”

Grace grew a little quiet and contemplative, staring at the selection. Even though anyone else here would only see Lisa, there were moments like this when I could really sense my shy girlfriend, buried underneath the popular girl’s flesh.

“But…”

She continued, eyes roaming across the various bottles.

“… you know, I’ve always wanted to come to a real college party and cut loose. Maybe it sounds a little strange, since you know I’m shy. But sometimes I’d see these coming of age movies, or party films, or sit-coms with young people, or whatever. Seeing them party and make friends, it just looked so… liberating. So totally free.

Maybe a part of me hoped I could have experiences like that too, when I got to college. But, you know. I’m really not confident in myself at all. But now…”

She tilted her head to look at me, originally tilting it upwards, expecting our usual height dynamic, before laughing a little and glancing down at me.

“… but now, being here as Lisa, it’s totally different. It’s like I feel so much more comfortable, like being her gives me a license to live how she would. Like there’s not the same weight of anxiety, or fear, or consequence for ‘Grace.’ Like, of course Lisa would be at a party on Halloween with all her friends! Do you now what I mean?”

She bit her lip now, gazing at me, a small, nervous sense of wonder in her eyes. Saying all that was a deeper admission, and I could tell these thoughts have been some of the things weighing on her inside.

Seeing her be so open with me, so real while she shared her intimate feelings, it just made my heart melt. I scooched closer to her, leaning up to her ear, grateful for the height boost from my heels, even though the heels Lisa wore mainly cancelled them out.

“Grace… I so totally, absolutely, get how you feel. Actually, you might be surprised… I can really relate to it too.”

Her eyes, even close enough to my face to be out of focus, widened.

“R-really? But, you’re not shy Alex. You seemed so confident, I mean, you even got turned into a monster and just took it all in your stride. Even though you must have needed it so badly, you didn’t turn me into a skinsuit without my permission in the library back then. Even though it was tearing you apart, you still resisted, for my sake. Anyone who would fight their nature so totally like that for the sake of others can’t be evil.”

I laughed a little, my heart growing heavy with feeling for Grace. This moment was so intimate, so strange yet so hot. Bonding by the kitchen counter at a college Halloween party, the young couple opening their hearts to one another, while wearing two beautiful best friends as their perfect costumes.

“That… that really means a lot, Grace. But I’m not really the knight in shining armor. I’m not even really brave. Back in high school, I was really kind of a nobody. I had the worst crush on a girl in my class, and I couldn’t even think straight around her or be myself. I was always so awkward with her… so when I eventually asked her out, obviously she totally rejected me.

After that, I really stopped trying. School just became a formless blur, waiting to leave. I kissed some other girls at parties, sure, but they cared about me even less than I cared about them. I wasn’t brave, smart or passionate at all. Coming to college, I really wanted to experience living, just like you said. I wanted those same parties, bonding with people, really living a real life!

Getting turned into a skinwalker really threw a wrench in the works. Maybe it looked like I had everything together, but there were nights I spent miserable and shivering, hating myself, being horrified at the monster I now was. It felt like I could barely think straight from all the fear and anxiety I felt.

I… I still don’t entirely know how you could accept me when I told you the truth. I mean, I’m a monster. Like, not even human anymore, something so much worse. But you still cared about me. You’re the real knight in shining armor, Grace. You’re the real one who saved me.”

She gasped a little, before hugging me tightly. We squeezed our bodies together, as close as we could, almost needing to feel each other just to express how we were feeling.

“You know, Alex…”

After what felt like minutes just embracing each other, Grace whispered in my ear.

“… I actually think these powers can be kinda good for you. And us.”

“Oh…?”

“I mean, think about it. We both wanted to come out and experience parties in college, cut loose, have a good time. Isn’t that what we’re doing tonight? Without you, maybe I would have been too shy to do this.”

We broke apart from the hug, as I stared into her eyes. It was still so trippy seeing Lisa’s golden flecked browns, yet somehow almost being able to see Grace’s soul behind them. She continued, with a warm, bashful smile.

“But now we’re at a party with some of the most popular people on campus, dressed in, ahem, some of the best costumes we could ever be wearing.”

“That’s true…”

I turned, looking at our reflection in the glass of the window behind the counter. Being night outside meant it was all too easy to see ourselves, and there was no way to view anything other than two gorgeous young women staring back.

“You always look good, Grace, but I’m definitely way hotter than I used to be now.”

Grace leaned closer, whispering in my ear.

“Mhmm, actually I always liked how you looked Alex. Althoughhh, I won’t deny… you wear Emmy really, really well.”

One of her hands squeezed my thick, indulgent ass, pulling me close as our hips bumped against each other.

“Aaa! You slut!”

God, I sound so insanely bratty saying that with Emmy’s voice…

“Ehehe, sorry Emmy, I couldn’t resist. You’re just way too sexy.”

Now I was the one biting my lip and blushing. I’d called ‘Lisa’ a slut, but I couldn’t deny how getting handled like that had gotten me wet. We hadn’t even started drinking yet, but we were already so close to just fucking rough and wild in our stolen skins.

I shook my head, trying to dispel some of the horny energy that was taking me over, feeling the bounce of my brunette hair on my shoulders with the motion.

I’ve got to get away from these feelings, at least for a couple of hours… we’ll savor Halloween first, and then…

“Ahem, uhmm so! Let’s start with shots!”

I reached out and began pouring tequila into some shot glasses, taking advantage of the pre-cut lime and well placed salt shaker some considerate soul had left out so conveniently.

“O-okay! I’ve never done shots before.”

Grace stuttered it out, although I could tell among the nerves she was still excited.

Lisa definitely has done shots before, so I have to wonder if any of her drinking prowess will carry over to Grace now she’s wearing her skin?

“Alright, sooo. Give me your hand.”

“Hmm?”

She sounded curious as she reached out, only for me to pour salt on the back of it.

“W-what are you doing?”

I just laughed at her confusion, coming out as an adorable giggle when filtered through Emmy’s voice.

“It’s a tequila tradition!”

I poured the salt on the back of my own hand, marveling for just a second at how much smaller and cuter it was now I was wearing Emmy.

Is it weird that I kinda prefer being Emmy to being me…? She’s actually the perfect picture of short-stack cute mixed with stacked bad bitch…?

“Mhmm, so basically you lick the salt, take the tequila shot, and then suck on this lime slice.”

I continued, although my explanation barely seemed to lessen Grace’s confusion.

“Just try it! Okay, so three, two, one!”

I egged her on with a cheer, before we both blasted through each motion. I had to try not to laugh as I watched Lisa’s face contort when she tasted the tequila, although she did drink it all. I nearly laughed again at the relief in her expression as she sucked on the lime slice.

“Oh my God, people do this for fun?”

“Ahahah, yeah! Well, it’s an acquired taste. Expensive tequila can be tasty, although that’s not usually what anyone is drinking at these kind of parties.”

“PLEASE tell me the next drink we have will be a little more chill?”

I just kept giggling at how dramatic she was being before curtsying all cute, jokingly saying:

“Let barmaid Emmy whip you up something nice, Madam.”