Exploring the Bounds of Normal

We spent the next few hours kissing and fondling each other, exploring my boundaries, and discovering my willingness to be an eager recipient of Mike's dominance, it had been uncomfortable at first, but he took his time moving slowly until the comfort turned to pleasure.

Moaning loudly, I noticed Mattie hiding in the shadows touching herself, I reached out my hand to her, motioning for her to come closer, she stopped at the edge of the bed, taking my hand, "Please," I moaned again, and she dropped her panties, climbing on top of me, lowering herself over my face, I wrapped my arms around her legs and buried myself in the familiar taste of her sex.

It didn't take long for Mattie to start to moan, I could feel my own excitement growing as Mike thrust deep inside me and Mattie began to breathe in the short quick breaths I had come to recognize as the harbinger of her pleasure. It was indescribable, Mike thrusting as far inside me as he could go, shuddering violently as he filled me with his seed, Mattie's soft cry as her body shuddered above me, filling my throat once again with her warn juices as I covered my stomach with my own sticky nectar. Luciara would have been proud. We collapsed in an exhausted heap, Mattie kissing me deeply as Mike licked the mess from my stomach.

We climbed under the covers together in silence, I wrapped Mattie in my arms as Mike pulled himself close behind me resting his hand on my shoulder. I woke up the next morning on my back with Mattie on one shoulder and Mike on the other, Mattie's hand on my chest over my heart and Mike's holding my cock. I laughed to myself at the symbolism as I lay there listening to them sleep.

Mattie woke up first, "Well, this isn't exactly what I had in mind, but I'm glad you had a good time," she smiled at me as she moved her hair out of her face.

I kissed her sweetly. "You are the most amazing woman in the world. What did I ever do to deserve you?" She just smiled at me.

Mike gave me a gentle squeeze, letting me know he was awake. I turned and kissed him, too.

"Thank you for last night, for being so patient with me." It was so easy to fall into those big brown eyes.

"So, how does this work?" Mike smiled at Mattie and then at me.

"I guess for now, we take turns. I'll even let you go first," Mattie laughed, and I turned my attention to Mike and his glorious morning wood.

When he was spent, I took my time making sure Mattie understood she was the most important person in the equation, as her orgasm faded, I traced a path from her lips to her neck, stopping at her breasts and then down across her stomach; finding her moistness, I began working on her second orgasm. Mike took me from behind and once again, the three of us came together, laughing and collapsing in a sweaty mess.

Mike decided not to stay for breakfast. I kissed him, thanking him for taking such good care of me. "Anytime, he smiled and winked."

"I'd like that," I said it before I thought about it.

Mattie smiled and slid her hand into mine. "I think we can arrange something," she pulled me toward the kitchen.

"You're really ok with me and Mike like that?"

"As long as I know you still want me, I think I can handle it." She got quiet for a minute. "Did it hurt?"

"It was a little uncomfortable at first, but then it felt really good. I mean, he made me cum, twice. Why?"

"It's just I can't do what he did for you, and I want you to be happy. So, if I have to share you with him now and then, I guess I can, especially if I get to join in sometimes," she smiled a huge smile, "that was amazing."

The flight to Austin was uneventful, Mattie and I discussed how much of what we were going to share on this trip, wondering just how much of their son's new life my parents were going to be able to handle, there was so much they didn't know.

My mom and the twins were waiting for us at the baggage claim. April ran up to Mattie before anyone could stop her. "Are you going to be my aunt? My friend Claire has an aunt, and she buys her ice cream. I like ice cream."

Mattie laughed and picked April up, giving her a big hug, "Probably not your aunt but maybe something even better, but I'm not sure just yet, tell you what, you ask your mom if it's ok and you can call me Aunt Mattie and then I can buy you and your sister ice cream, even if it's not official how does that sound?"

"Yeah, ice cream, Ashley did you hear, we get ice cream!" April wiggled out of Mattie's arms and ran to her sister.

My mom laughed and I introduced her to Mattie," High Mattie, please call me Sarah, and you know they'll be pestering you for ice cream all the way to the house, you may be in for more than you bargained for."

"I think I can handle it, so how do you tell them apart, anyway, there has to be a trick?"

"Well, April is the shy one that just conned you into ice cream. Ashley is a little more subdued, but to be honest, I get them confused sometimes, too. I usually just go with girls when I need to get their attention."

Ashley walked up and took Mattie's hand. "Aunt Mattie, are we really going to get ice cream?"

"If it's ok with your mom, I think that would be fun."

I grabbed our bags while my mom and Mattie chatted. Mattie had one twin on each side, holding her hands, singing a made-up song about ice cream as they walked out to the pickup area. I just smiled and watched as the raven-haired girl took over another piece of my life.

The twins got their ice cream and my parents fell in love with Mattie as quickly as I had.

After dinner and after Aunt Mattie tucked the girls in, I decided to just go for it, at its worst, Mattie and I could catch a flight back to Connecticut the next morning, at its best, my parents would be fine with what I had to share. We sat at the kitchen table, and I told them about moving out of the dorm and the apartment Mattie and I would be sharing.

When I explained that it would be cheaper and less trouble than Mattie sneaking into my dorm room every night, my dad agreed.

Next was the biggie. I pulled out my laptop and brought up a select group of pictures of the Halloween party, showing them our costumes. My dad recognized us immediately. He had been the one to introduce me to the kingdoms of Ascalia. I told him who Mattie's father was, and I thought he was going to have a cow.

It was my mom who made the connection." Chris, you look very pretty in that costume," she continued to scroll through the pictures of the party. "Most guys would look uncomfortable dressed like that, with the makeup and everything. I mean, it looks like you're wearing a corset. Is there something you and Mattie are trying to tell us?"

"Um yeah mom, there is, please try to understand," I shot nervous glances at both my parents.

"Maybe if you just showed them the rest of pictures, Chris," Mattie put her hand on my arm. I clicked on another folder and started to scroll through the pictures of Christy. My dad looked confused. My mom thought for a minute or two and started commenting on how cute that outfit was and how much she liked that pair of shoes.

"So, you dress like that all the time now?" my dad finally asked.

"Not all the time, but I enjoy it, it just feels right. I don't understand it, but it calms me down when I get stressed, and I enjoy being pretty."

"And Mattie, you're ok with this?"

"I kind of talked him into it," she smiled sheepishly. "I saw how much fun he had at the party, and I thought he might like to dress up some more, so, it's sort of my fault."

"Sarah, what do you think," my dad let out a heavy sigh," the girls are too young to understand."

"Pete, the girls have already seen it, there was a man at the mall last week, in the food court, Ashley told him he looked pretty in his dress. I've never seen someone smile as big as he did. I think it will be ok. But Chris if the girls know, everybody will know, you understand that, right?"

"So, you guys are ok with this, Mattie and me living together and me dressing?" my stomach was in my throat.

"Chris, your mom and I love you more than anything and we could try to keep you two apart and try to make you stop dressing, but what would that do besides tear us apart. I got your grades the other day and none of this seems to be impacting your school and I look at you two and I see your mom and me, so yes, I'm ok with it. It will take some getting used to, but I'm ok with it."

My parents turned out to be a lot more laid back than I had given them credit for. As we were getting ready for bed, my mom stopped by my room, "Chris, this is a lot and your dad and I are behind you, but do me a favor, that one picture from the party, the one of you kissing that boy, I'd not show that to your dad just yet," she kissed me on the cheek and said goodnight.

Mattie and I stayed in that apartment for three years. Christy had slowly taken over about sixty percent of my life with Mattie's approval.

Henry and I had become very close, with his encouragement, I had even switched my major to English with an emphasis on creative writing when a short story assignment had taken on a life of its own and gone from a simple love story to a sweeping 70,000-word romantic adventure novel, his publisher had even picked it up and scheduled it for release just after the first of the year. If it did well, they would want possibly two more for starters.

I got to be with Mike about twice a month, which was perfect. Mattie even joined us from time to time.

Henry sent my dad his own set of signed first editions and mom and Kate became good friends.

And so, here I am, a twenty-one-year-old bisexual, cross-dressing college senior with a book deal, a hunky part-time boyfriend a super-hot full-time girlfriend with an amazing sex drive and rich parents, what's left to tell?

We are just getting started.

Part 3.

Did you know that scientist have found particles that prove the universe exists in as many as thirteen dimensions, maybe more? Think about that for a minute. We know of and can kind of explain three, maybe four dimensions; and there are thirteen of them. Wow, it makes my brain hurt when I think about it.

Robert Heinlein, another Hugo award-winning author, probably more famous than Mattie's dad, even wrote a book called 'The Number of the Beast' about the concept; people slipping between dimensions, some so like others, it was difficult to tell them apart, except for very subtle details. I tried to read it, but when they ended up in Alice's Wonderland, I had to quit. It does possibly give a little credibility to things like, say, magic, that have permeated our history for as long as we've had a history, all kinds of totally inexplicable things that defy what we 'know' about the small number of dimensions we think we understand.

* * *

"Chris, hurry or we're going to be late, and I don't want to miss the game," Mattie was talking about the costume guessing game at her parents' Halloween party. I was feverously putting the finishing touches on a short story that was due the next day before I got into my costume. Mattie had everything laid out. She was going as Mata Hari and I was going as a belly dancer.

Some might have considered it cheating because the assumption would be that our costumes were a set, but Henry had already told me I was not eligible because of my previous victories, so we figured the point was mute; I still needed to do my hair and makeup to match Mattie's, so I had plenty to do.

Retyping the last line for the fifth time, I saved the story and hit print. My creative writing professor was old-school and demanded all submissions be on paper. As the printer went to work, I got up and got ready.

My hair was now past my shoulders and with the help of a little chemistry and the stylist Mattie and I went to, had subtle reddish highlights, my nails were already done in a lovely shade of almost purplish pink that matched Mattie's, with her help, I was quickly ready to go.

Looking in the mirror, it still surprised me how good Christy looked. Mattie had gotten me some self-adhesive breast forms for my birthday, and they finished out the costume perfectly.

As we were leaving, I heard the printer start to glitch and went to shut it off, so I didn't have to pick a full ream of paper up off the floor when we got home. I pulled my short story out from the bottom of the pile and set it on my laptop and that's when I saw it, a single piece of paper had hit the puzzle box perfectly and had wedged itself in a small crease in the box, I looked closely and could see the white of the paper through a small pin hole in the side of the box, "Mattie, do we have a needle?"

"Sewing kit in the bathroom, and whatever you're doing please hurry."

It took three tries, but the needle slid into the hole, and I heard a soft click, adjusting one slide this way, another that way, rotating a third and the box popped open. Inside was a simple gold ring, neither feminine nor masculine but very beautiful in its simplicity, with some type of engraving around the inside of the ring.

I looked at it closely and couldn't make out the characters or what it said. Deciding I wanted to show it to Henry and Kate, I slipped it on my finger. It fit perfectly; I felt a strange sense of satisfaction flow through my body as I turned to meet Mattie at the car. It felt like some cosmic force had righted some great injustice. I couldn't tell for sure, but I thought for a second the ring was glowing, and I could have sworn the engraving had been inside the ring.

The party was epic as always, and at the end of the night, Mattie had finally won. Her prize was a beautiful painting of a scantily clad, very full-figured woman, reclining on a sofa, a flea market find Henry had picked up in upstate New York while doing a book signing for his latest novel. I showed the ring to Kate and Henry. Kate sketched the runes from the ring, telling me she had a friend at the university that specialized in ancient languages and perhaps he could give some insight into what they meant.

Mattie and I were both graduating a semester early with me going to New York right after Thanksgiving to review the cover art and make final decisions for my book and Mattie going to San Francisco to interview with the Museum of Modern art for an assistant curator position, it would be the job of a lifetime for her and the first time since we had met that we would be apart.

I could feel the tension growing, but could never put my finger on it. Little things, glances, and benign comments that weren't. By the time Thanksgiving dinner was over, it had reached the tipping point and right there at the table, in front of her parents Mattie exploded, accusing me of not loving her anymore, ranting about how Christy had taken over and that I spent too much time with Mike and that I wanted him more than her.

Being totally unprepared, I launched into defense mode, reminding her that it had all been her idea, that none of it would have ever happened if not for her putting me up to it. Henry and Kate tried to interject, but neither Mattie nor I would hear them.

It went on for a good thirty minutes before Mattie stormed out, locking herself in her room and refusing to let me in, "Just go away," I could hear her breaking down behind the door, wanting so badly to wrap her in my arms, "I hate you, Christy, I hate you," was the last thing she said to me. I collapsed at her door, crying at the pain in my heart those words had wrought.

"Come on Chris, she's just scared," Henry helped me to my feet, leading me down the hall to the guest room I had shared with Mike that night so long ago, "you guys have been together almost 24/7 for a long time and tomorrow, you're going to be 3,000 miles apart, but it's going to be ok," he tucked me into the big bed, "you'll see, everything is going to work out."

I knew he was right but cried myself to sleep, anyway.

I dreamed about Mattie and about Mike and about my mom and dad and the twins and about Kate and Henry.

I dreamed that I was Clara, the heroine in my book, facing almost insurmountable odds in a completely unknown future. I could feel myself tossing and turning, what sleep I got was haunted by Mattie's words, fitful and full of those same dreams, always going back to Clara.

I was in a video game, designing a character, she was tall, her hair was brown with red highlights, thin and fit, with long slender arms and delicate hands, long legs crowned by a small tuft of pubic hair, a slight waist and tight stomach with firm breasts slightly larger than my forms but not as impressive as Mattie's, and very beautiful. She had my face. I woke up with a start.

Running to Mattie's room I found it empty, then frantically downstairs to the kitchen, Kate had been crying, too, she handed me the note Mattie had left for me and offered me a cup of tea. I sat down hard, nodding, and trying to decide if I was ready to read the words my love had left for me.

Chris,

I love you so much it hurts.

I am so sorry for what I said to you last night, none of it was true, I was just scared, scared you would hate me for what I was about to do.

- you are so beautiful laying there; I can't bring myself to wake you -

All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, please remember that and please forgive me for not doing this in person, but I knew if I did, I could never leave. They offered me the job in San Francisco, and I said yes. I am not just going for an interview; I start next week.

Chris, you can't come with me, I need to start this part of my life on my own, I need to know I can stand by myself in the real world; perhaps when your book tour comes through, I will get to see you.

I do and will always love you,

Mattie

I read the note over and over, Kate set my tea next to me and started running her fingers through my hair, I was numb, I buried my face in Kate's waist and started to cry, she just held me until there were no more tears left. I took a sip of my tea and wiped my eyes, the rich Earl Grey, with just the right amount of sugar and a dash of milk, was still warm and made me feel a little better, "So, Mattie's gone already?" I looked up at Kate.

"And Henry went with her to help her get set up," she smiled at me, but the sadness in her eyes told me she was hurting, too.

"So, I'm going to New York alone," it hit me, "to meet with Elaine?"

"Well," she paused, "Mike would probably go with you." A sparkle found the corner of her eye.

"That would be fun, but I'm not sure it would help." I couldn't help but smile. "Kate, what am I going to do without Mattie? Everything I am is because of her, I'm not even sure I know which parts of me are real without her," and it dawned on me that maybe she was in the same place, "That's why she left, isn't it?"

"Come on, let's go wash your face and I'll fix your makeup for you, and we can talk about it, you look like a racoon."

We sat in the sunroom drinking tea and talking, watching a light snow softly cover the gardens behind the house, Kate told me what she and Mattie had talked about last night, explaining how difficult it had been for her to leave me, helping me understand that for the very reasons I had guessed, they had agreed it was a good idea. If what Mattie and I had was true, it would be there when we both figured out who we really were.

My phone rang. I answered it without looking at the number, "Mattie?"

"No Chris, it's Elaine, I need to run something by you before we meet on Monday, The team has been going back and forth on this and we wanted to get your input," she paused, "now don't take this the wrong way, but your book has a strong female lead and is pretty much a romance novel, we think it would hit a larger market if it we published it under a female author, everybody does it, even Henry. The leading contender is Christy Lee, or we could use C. L. Thomas. What do you think?"