The next morning

Marianne woke up, surprisingly, headache free. Her mind felt refreshed and clear, and she might have thought she hand't been drinking at all, if not for the suspicious gap in her memories. She'd probably done something stupid, and Tessa absolutely wouldn't let her forget it, but they'd have a laugh and that would be the end of it. Humming contentedly, she fastened her gloves and went to find Tessa.

Her girlfriend was in the kitchen, unusually pensive as she sipped her coffee. Marianne eyed her cautiously as she poured her own cup and sat down opposite.

"Hey, Tess, how are you feeling after last night?"

Tessa raised her eyebrows. "Oh, just splendid," she drawled, something sharp in her tone. "Listen, we need to talk."

Marianne had a bad feeling settling in her stomach. "Sure," she chirped, keeping her voice overly cheery. "What about."

Tessa set her mug down. "I need you to be honest with me. Why do you wear those gloves."

"You know I don't like to talk about-"

"I know, Mari!" She slammed her hands down. "But whatever you're hiding caused this!"

Suddenly, she stood up, and Marianne watched in horror as her girlfriend's torso extended further than it should have been able to go. She realised with a jolt that she was wearing her largest, baggiest shirt, and even then, she could see matte-black skin poking out from below the hem. Tessa stepped towards her, at least 6' now, and pulled up her shirt, exposing her black, leathery 12-pack to her girlfriend.

Marianne scrambled back. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" She braced herself for whatever punishment would follow.

Instead, Tessa just placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "I'm not mad, Mari. I'm just disappointed you couldn't trust me with your secret." She guided Marianne to a chair. "Now, can we please talk about this?"

Marianne gulped. "Fine. I... I was born with magic. Anything living thing I touch with my bare hands, it transforms. I can't control it, and I never meant to do what I did to you. I'm sorry, and I understand if you want to break up with me."

"Break up? No, no way would I break up with you!" Tessa cupped her girlfriend's face in her hands. "I understand why you wanted to hide this from me, but I'm not going to break up with you because you can't control your magic. It's just another part of you."

"You're not angry?"

"Hurt at being lied to, yes. Shocked, and maybe a little alarmed at my changes, yes. But I won't leave you, Mari." She blushed, and looked sideways. "And... I want to explore your powers more, too."

She looked aghast at the suggestion. "What?"

"I don't mind if you transform my body. You might even be able to gain some control, too."

"I... I can use my powers on you?"

"Any time you like, honey," Tessa assured, and quickly removed one of her gloves. "Any time you like."