Getting out of the suit

Alex woke up with a groan, his head pounding with the mother of all hangovers. The first thing he noticed was the distinct, familiar feeling of his own male body. The weight on his chest was gone. The curves of his hips had vanished. He was himself again. He was lying on the comfortable leather couch in Julian’s apartment, a blanket draped over him.He sat up, his head swimming. Julian was sitting in a nearby armchair, sipping a cup of tea,already out of his suit and back in his normal, comfortable clothes.

“The... the suit,” Alex croaked, his throat raw.

“In the washer,” Julian said calmly, taking a sip of his tea. “It was... rather dirty. I had to take it off you last night. You were passed out.”

A flush of shame and confusion washed over Alex. The memories of the night were a chaotic, fragmented mess, but the image of himself on that table, being used by those two guys, was crystal clear. “Oh god,” he mumbled, burying his face in his hands. “I’m so sorry. I’ll... I’ll pay for the cleaning, or if it’s ruined...”

“Don’t be silly,” Julian said, a hint of amusement in his voice. “The suits are designed for...vigorous use. They are quite durable.” He stood up and walked over to a sleek black box sitting on his coffee table. He opened it. Inside, nestled on a bed of black satin, was the Junko Enoshima suit, clean and perfectly folded.

“I believe this belongs to you now,” Julian said.

Alex stared at him, dumbfounded. “What? But... I can’t afford this. This has to be worth a fortune.”

“Consider it a gift,” Julian said, his eyes glittering with that same enigmatic light Alex had seen when he’d first met him. “A starter piece for your new collection, perhaps.” He closed the box and pushed it towards Alex. “There is only one condition.”

“What’s that?” Alex asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Julian smiled, a true, genuine smile this time, and it was somehow more unnerving than his detached composure.

“You have to come back and show me how you use it again sometime.”