The Harem Ch. 03

What? You don't need to buy me stuff.

Of course I don't to need to. That's why I want to. Join us? Please?

Sure thing, Kiddo. See you soon.

Awesome. Text me when you get here? I'll meet you in the parking lot.

Lol. Fine. I'll text you when I get there.

Love you, Rach.

Love you too kiddo.

Rachel had to work to keep the dreamy expression and hot joy from showing. He said "i love you." He was going to buy her something just because. Obviously those were perfectly normal brotherly things to do, but a girl can dream can't she?

But the outlets? That was a bit of hike wasn't it?

It wasn't too long a drive. She texted Mark as she pulled into a parking spot and then arranged to meet him at the closest store.

He didn't see her at first and she got a chance to admire him. He was well dressed in a fitted sports coat that dressed up his graphic t-shirt and jeans. It was a simple, almost artistic look that made him seem older. More confident. More... himself. There was something different about him, Rachel thought. Something about the way he stood, the way he held himself. There was something... lighter. When he saw her and their eyes met, she knew what it was. The Beast was uncaged. Mark wasn't trying to hold it back anymore. People cleared a path for him as he walked to Rachel. Her heart was in her throat as she tried to take in the reality of Mark unleashed. She was lightheaded at the idea of all that power and passion off the leash and in the wild.

"Hey there," Mark said. "A couple of rules before we begin. ok?"

Rachel nodded. She would have agreed to anything in that moment. Anything to just be near him when he was so... alive.

"My treat. So no arguing about price tags. Got it?"

Rachel managed to get her voice back. "You can spoil me as much as you want."

"Rule two - no arguing about styles. I get to pick."

"Mark..."

"Hey, my money, my choice. Deal?"

Rachel pretended to think about it, before agreeing. "Fine. Just don't make me wait too long for lunch, ok?"

Mark smiled and Rachel felt her heart kick up a pace. It was a predator's smile. It was the cat who knew he had cornered his mouse, but it wasn't fear or apprehension that made her heart race: it was excitement. What plans did he have in store for her?

He took her hand. "Come on then."

I'm not spending too much on Rachel, just like with River it's a handful of basics. We should be done soon.

Susan shook her head at her son's text. Your sister has clothes.

I mean, you can call them that. I think "vaguely human shaped sacks" might be more appropriate

My son the fashion designer. I never would have guessed.

There was a pause between text messages. An odd sort of pause. At first Susan assumed Mark was talking Rachel into trying something on, but then she got another text. Actually, I think I'd prefer photography. Portraits you know? Fashion and makeup are a part of that. Is that ok?

I think it's brilliant.

It was only later that it occurred to Susan that Mark was unsure of his desire to pursue photography. She didn't dwell on it though. They sat in the bar of a nearby restaurant, waiting for Mark and Rachel before being seated. River was fully dressed and her makeup was perfect. Mark had been right of course, River's color while pale, had different undertones to Rachel and required different shades. "Sit up straight, Honey." she said to River. "And mind your lipstick."

River looked at the mirror behind the bar, adjusted her posture but then stopped and just looked at herself. Susan could understand why. It was hard not to see a second daughter. A second daughter who looked amazing. Mark had knocked it out of the park with his clothing selections. She wore fitted, black jeans that made her legs and ass look fantastic. Mark had paired it with a soft, lily white blouse with a delicate scoop neck and billowing sleeves that was fashionably loose while still allowing River to show off her trim waist. More than a few men at the bar had given her appraising looks, but none had built enough courage to do more than look so far.

"You are attracting quite a bit of attention," Susan muttered to River.

"What?" She asked.

"Don't look," Susan said. "They might take it the wrong way."

River glanced around in the mirror and shook her head. "They aren't looking at me. they're looking at you."

Susan checked her own reflection. Mark had let her dress herself, although she was curious what he would've picked out for her if she had let him, but he had insisted she change before going out. Apparently jeans and a t-shirt weren't good enough for today. She wore a modest skirt reminiscent of 1970s hippie fashion with a simple fitted top. It looked good, but it was decidedly unsexy and Susan was under no illusion that she was the object of anyone's attention. Except maybe Mark. She suspected that he had spent as much time thinking about her and watching her as he had spent watching River.

"Hardly." Susan took a sip of her coke. She was driving home after all. "Now, let's go get a seat. Mark and Rachel will be here soon and we want to be at a table when you tell Rachel.

River was so nervous that she felt her palms grow slick with sweat. She couldn't sit still and kept on fidgeting and looking around, as though someone would recognize her for Mark's brother and say something embarrassing about it. But no one said a word. The waitress came and took their drink and appetizer order. People mulled around the tex-mex place minding their own business and never once suspecting anything odd about a woman and her daughter having lunch together on a Saturday afternoon.

"There you are!" Rachel sat down with a huff. "I had no idea Mark enjoyed shopping so much. I'm exhausted and hungry. Please tell me you ordered appetizers."

River only barely registered that his sister wasn't wearing her usual clothes. Like herself, Mark had bought her a bunch of basic clothes: jeans, slacks, a dozen tops and t-shirts and who knew what else. She was wearing some of her new purchases as she sat down - capri jeans that showed off her legs and her hourglass waist although Susan could tell that Rachel was self concious about her butt in those jeans, and a corset top that also emphasized her hourglass shape and her breasts without squeezing too tightly. Her cleavage had garnered almost as much attention as River had, only with Mark on her arm no one even thought about approaching her. She had a half dozen bags from as many stores at her feet as Mark sat down across the table from her.

"All your favorites," Susan said.

Rachel turned to river. "What did the Kid buy you Riv-" she cut herself off mid sentance. "I'm sorry, I thought you were my brother. I know that sounds horrible, but...." she stopped again and took a closer look. Then her eyes widened. "River?" She whispered.

"Hey Rach," River whispered back.

Rachel put a hand to mouth. "Oh My god!" She whispered/screamed. "You look amazing! That's so not fair. How do you get to look so good when I look like this."

"Now wait a minute," River said, "You look hot as hell. I've always told you that you need to wear better fitting clothing."

"I look like a stuffed sausage," Rachel said, "you look like... like a fucking butterfly!"

"For the record," Mark said, "You look like a 1950s pinup model Rachel. And River, you look like you belong in your own skin. Now, let's eat. I'm starving too you know."

River spent the meal absorbed in the fact that Rachel wasn't freaked out by the fact that River liked to be "her" sometimes. Rachel spent the meal trying to get every bit of information out of River about this. Is it an all the time thing, do you want to be 'her' or 'him' kind of questions. The twins were so wrapped up in their conversation with each other, that they didn't notice the little touches that Mark and Mom exchanged. They didn't notice the way he would reach over and grab her hand sometimes. Or how she would touch his arm when talking to him.

They didn't notice any of it until Mark stood up from the table at the end of the meal and the obvious outline of his hardening cock strained against his jeans. "You two still have lots to talk about," Mark said, "I'll pay for lunch, but you're on your own now. You can drive home when you're done, and I'll take Mom back now."

Mom stood up and linked her arm through Mark's. "That's a great idea." She waved at the twins. "See you at home."

The twins sat in stunned silence for a moment before glancing at each other with embarrassed red faces. But of course they were twins. They didn't need to say anything. They didn't need to admit to seeing Mark's cock to one another. They didn't need to admit to wanting it to one another. They knew. Rachel smiled.

So did River.

"Glad I'm not the only one."

"Me too."

"Let's put our things in the car and get a coffee."

Mark and Mom walked out of the restaurant like a long time comfortable couple. "That was naughty of you," Mom said in a low voice. "Showing the girls your cock like that."

"Do you think River is trans? Or does he just like being a she sometimes?"

"I asked her that," Susan said, "She wasn't sure, but she does prefer being called 'she.' What do you think?"

"She's been out of the house all day, and not had the threat of a panic attack," Mark said. "I don't remember the last time he -" Mark stopped himself. "I don't remember the last time she went this long in public without some kind of breakdown."

"You're right," Susan said. She leaned her head on Mark's shoulder. "I love that you notice these things. You've always been so gentle and in tune with us all."

Mark turned his head and kissed the top of his Mom's head as they walked through the parking lot. "Anything for you. We'll have to bring her along gently. It's one thing to come out here and go shopping, far from everyone we know, it will be another to transition."

"It's a big step."

They got to the car and Mark turned his mother so that she leaned against the car to face her son. "Look at me. You said last night that this is the happiest you've seen me in years."

Susan nodded. She put a hand on Mark's chest and ran felt his heart beating steadily. "You're lighter too. I noticed that today."

"Because I've stopped pretending about who and what I care about. I've stopped denying myself something I've wanted for a long time, and I've allowed myself to want it the way I want it. River is the same only she can't let go of the controls that are making her miserable. She has to actively change to realize who she is and what she wants. I'll do anything I can to help her do it too."

"She'll have to take the lead, Mark. On that, She needs to lead. Ok?"

Mark didn't just agree. He didn't blindly follow. He took a deep breath and examined himself. He took a close look at his own feelings and motivations before answering. "On the path of her getting what she wants, we will have to push at times."

"Yes. But we'll need to figure out how to recognize when we're pushing too far or too fast, and stop."

Mark nodded. "That makes sense. I can do that."

Mom smiled, wrapped her arms around Mark's neck and planted a loving kiss on his soft lips. "Good. Now get in the car. I have a surprise for you."

Mark raised an eyebrow but did as he was told. Once they were both in the car and buckled in he asked, "So Mama, should I take the long way home," He leaned over and brushed his lips against her neck, "or should I just drive up to the roof?"

Mama's breath caught in her chest for a moment. "I thought I had a surprise for you?"

"That's what you said."

"Then you should get us home as quickly as possible." Mama adjusted herself so that she was leaning against the passenger door. She pulled up her top in a teasing little dance until her bra encased breasts gleamed out at him. "If you can get us home before I cum, then I'll give you an extra surprise at home."

Mark smiled. "Hoping River and Rachel won't stay shopping long?" He drove out of the parking lot.

"I'll tell them at some point. Hopefully a bit more tactfully than having them walk in on us."

Rachel and River walked around the outlets drinking their coffee and talking.

"We should get Mark a thank you gift," Rachel said "What do you think?"

"That's a great idea. What should we get him though?"

Rachel looked at River again and couldn't help but be amazed by the transformation she saw. Where she was used to seeing her scrawny, misfit brother, she now saw a petite and smoldering woman. If her sexual preference had been in doubt before, it was even more so now. River wasn't just pretty now, she was hot. She was flat out beautiful in a very modern sense. "He's our brother," Rachel said, trying to focus on the matter at hand. "I'm sure we can come up with something."

"How about the new RPG uh... shit what's it called?"

"River," Rachel said, "Gift for Mark, not for us."

"OH yeah." River blushed. "Um...ok." She thought about it some more and shifted her weight uneasily from side to side. "So this isn't going to sound like a gift for Mark, but..."

"Spit it out."

"Ok, what if we got ourselves some nice clothes, like the clothes he got for us, but we picked them out, and then we offer to model for him? So he could take some pictures of us?"

"You're right, that doesn't sound like a gift for Mark," then Rachel smiled, "He'll love it anyways. Come on. I know just the dress for you. We can match."

"No," River said, "We can't match. He said you look like a 50s pinup model. You should buy something from HotTopic or someplace you can lean into that look."

"Fine," Rachel said, "I'll pick out something for you, and you can pick out something for me."

"Deal."

They took their time shopping, discovering, much to their own surprise, that they enjoyed shopping together. They enjoyed looking at clothes together. They enjoyed trying on clothes and showing off for each other. Rachel especially enjoyed watching River parade around in her underwear and was tempted to suggest a trip to the lingerie store, just so she could see River in different underwear. And how long had it been since they had seen each other naked?

River, for her part, was equally enthralled by Rachel's curves. She was envious of her sister's breasts and ass, but she also found herself drawn to them. River couldn't help but notice how attractive her sister was in the right clothing. Not just attractive, but downright sexy. It distracted River from their shopping more than once, and she found the need to walk with shopping bags in front of her while she waited for her bulge to disappear. Thankfully the cut of the clothes were such that they didn't emphasize her cock and she was able to hide with relative ease. In the end, it was River who insisted on buying lingerie for themselves. "It'll be part of the fun, she said. "This way we have more than a dress to show off for him. We should really make this special."

"I don't know," Rachel said.

"Who you trying to convince?" River asked, "You or me?"

They laughed as they ran to the intimates store.

They had only taken a few steps in when a woman greeted them. "Hello. Welcome to intimates. Anything I can help you find?"

"Something sexy," Rachel said.

"Something that matches," River said at the same time.

The sales clerk grinned. "I know just the thing. Come over here." She led them to a section of the store with elaborate and expensive pieces. "Now you two have very different body types, so we can get you something that matches in color, but to get the most bang for your buck you're going to have different styles." She gestured at the display in the obviously more adult section of the store. "Tell me what kind of style you like and we'll see what we can work with."

"I don't know about styles," Rachel said, "to be perfectly honest, my brother picked out these clothes." She looked at a set of gently colored pastel lingerie. "But I like those colors."

The woman nodded. "How about you, young lady?" She asked River.

River blushed. "I don't even know where to start." She looked around, "I like the colors that Rachel has there, but I'm not sure about the design."

"That bustier wouldn't look very good on you anyways. But before I pick something, are we looking at something that would be a surprise under... a dress say? Or are we talking about something that would just be a surprise?"

"Under something," they both replied.

"Would it help if we showed you?" River asked, unsure. "Sorry. Normally I just buy packs at walmart. This," she gestured around, "is new to me."

"Oh honey, we are going to have so much fun." The saleswoman took a measuring tape from a pocket. "Step into a changing room and strip down to your panties. I'll need you braless to properly measure you."

"Oh I'm-" Rachel said but the saleswoman shook her head.

"Darling, I don't know what size you think you are, but you're wrong. Let's get you fitted properly, ok?"

"um-" River started to say but felt her voice catch in her throat.

The Saleswoman didn't miss a beat. "Honey, my niece went through the same thing." She nodded to a younger, larger woman behind the counter. "You're safe here. And we carry a special selection of options to help tighten and tuck things, if you take my meaning. We don't keep them out front, but I'll bring some for you to try on once we get your measurements." She made a shooing motion to the two of them and they very meekly went into the dressing rooms.

Rachel and River stood in their panties, separated only by a curtain. They weren't back lit. They couldn't see each other through the curtains, which were appropriately thick, but that didn't stop them from imagining what was on the other side.

"Hey, River?"

"Yeah Rach?"

"Thanks."

"I should be thanking you."

"If not for you, I don't think I'd ever have the courage to try have the stuff we're doing today. I certainly wouldn't be buying what we have bought just to pose for someone."

"Ditto."

They shared a nervous little giggle.

Standing so close together, nearly naked and so completely exposed, had both of them fighting to control their breathing. Rachel's breasts felt so much heavier than normal. The cool air in the dressing room was not uncomfortable, but she felt it playing against her naked skin until she thought her nipples were going to carve her initials in the air. She imagined her twin on the other side of that curtain just as naked. She imagined touching her. Being touched. Her sexuality was as confused and jumbled together as she had ever felt it. She wanted Mark. She wanted Mom. She wanted River. Did she want River her sister, or River her brother? Did it matter? Did she want both? Her mind flashed back to the pictures they had taken together before Mark's prom. She remembered the feel of his strong body, of pressing into him just to feel his strength against her. She wanted to feel his hardness. And that Kiss. Not just the one they had shared, but the one he had given Mom and River left her trembling in the dressing room.

She wanted them all. But that was wrong. That was so wrong. She was such a fucked up perv. She turned away from the curtain and covered her breasts as she tried to get herself under control. She heard the saleswoman pull back the curtain and talking to River. River laughed. It was a bright, gentle sound. It was a laugh that suited her. Calling River "her" suited her. Rachel wanted to cry. She was hot and horny, and she could never have what she wanted. She could never let anyone know how she felt.

River was breathing hard on her side of the curtain. The saleswoman had been professional, kind, and left a half dozen different options for her to try on. As she tried on the first, high waisted panties with high legs in white satin with a sheer teddy, her mind wandered towards her brother. She swore her lips were still swollen from that kiss. She could still feel his cock pressing into her ass. She could feel him holding her there, not captive, but safe. And Rachel was just there. River was torn between nervous excitement, fear, and mind numbing arousal. Rachel was there. Just there. Her soft curves were within reach, hidden behind a curtain that was no more an obstacle than a line in the sand. And yet how incredibly out of reach. Rachel was everything River wasn't. She was a woman. A real woman - curves and all. She wanted to show Rachel the lingerie. She wanted to see Rachel's eyes go wide and glassy, and she wanted to see her and the hypnotic curves she could display.