A Return To Form

She'd warned him this would happen. Multiple ties, in fact. She smirked to herself, remembering an amalgamation of her warnings. "Chase, I'm just not sure it's a good idea. You remember how I was." Then he'd swear that she was different now. She'd tried not to laugh as she'd continued her warning, "You don't know me like I do, baby. So what happens when I begin to crave the attention of other men, hrm?" While she'd never been a whore and in all their years had only slept with other men a handful of times, it had always been to get back at him for some fucked-up shit he'd done. They hadn't even been very attractive. They were just there. Except for that one time with Billy... still, she had always loved male attention and gotten plenty of it.It was part of her ego. Her confidence. The very things that had withered and died over the past two years, when she'd gained nearly forty pounds after the removal of half of her thyroid and lost herself. He'd been the one to suggest losing weight. She had resisted at first, because she was certain she'd become just as self-centered, lustful, and cruel toward him. She had warned him. When the signs started to show, she'd warned him again, at which point he'd gushed forth about how she could do no wrong and how perfect she was. And he meant it too. She could tell.

So here they were. Six months after their initial conversation, she was Thirty-five lbs lighter, five foot eight, and a very healthy 150 lbs, broad-shouldered with perky C breasts and a figure that was quite feminine despite the air of masculinity she had about her. At least that's what she liked to call it. Others simply said she was incredibly intimidating. That something about her expression made even the most fearless of men shrink. She reveled in it if truth be told. She knew she was strong. She knew she was tough. She did have an air about her, but it was just a natural confidence that she'd found again after two years of shame, depression, and hiding away. She'd always been in shape, walked three miles a day and lifted weights to stay toned. Especially after she'd had their first child. It had been that way since she was 16, but then two years ago when she'd gone to the doctor and they'd taken out half of her thyroid, everything had changed.

Chase had even found religion, which, because of his BPD, only made him worse. After a year of that insanity, she'd finally used magic to influence his will and watched as he slowly was swayed away from Jesus and back to her. She smiled to herself again, remembering his apostasy and her words when she'd told him she'd "crushed Jesus in the fight" for his soul. He had been furious, but only for a moment. She could see the longing to fall at her feet in his eyes, but she wouldn't allow that. Not yet. That was when the weight loss had begun, and now on their 16th wedding anniversary, she had finally reached her goal.

As she rolled up to the stoplight, she glanced up into the rearview mirror, appraising herself and trying to see what others did.Her black hair was short; the close-cupped cut framed her face, while the bangs barely reached her eyebrows. Her large, honey-brown eyes peered out of sockets dark with eyeliner and shadow while her septum ring glinted in the pale light, the stud on her wide nostril proudly protruding. She'd always hated her nose and thought it too big, but the truth was that it fit her face with its prominent cheekbones and soft lips perfectly. Her heart-shaped face had every man filled with desire at first sight, even those who despised piercings and short hair on a woman.

The moving shadows of pouring rain, which pelted the windshield, danced across her face as she glanced over at her best friend Sarah, who sat leaning against the passenger door listening intently to 'Mother Superior' by William Control as they pulled into Macy's. She'd invited her friend out shopping for a second opinion on a new wardrobe. After all, none of her clothes fit her well anymore, and she wanted a new style. "Are you okay?" She asked the brunette as she put the SUV in park and gathered her umbrella.

"Huh? "Oh yeah, I'm great!" The 30-year-old exclaimed with a smile. "It's just nice to be out doing something fun. I feel like I haven't gone anywhere in a while."

She smiled again, her eyes a deep hazel. Sarah was very pretty; her long brown hair in ringlets cascaded over her shoulders, while her thin figure was draped in a white blouse, a loose tie with a black vest, and black straight-legged jeans, while several thin colorful bracelets, two of each representing a different color in the Pride rainbow, adorned her wrists.

The lesbian had been her friend for years, and she'd never judged her despite her disapproval of her 'movement' and politics. "Well, let's go." She said as they both exited the car.The tall woman strode confidently toward the doors of the mall, her umbrella held high as she and her friend chatted. As she entered the mall, she smirked a little as she caught a man's gaze and stared back at him until he looked away. Her smirk widened a little as she saw his face go red. Her umbrella closed as she walked quickly, Sarah's steps having to quicken as they made their way into Macy's. As they walked toward the women's section, she pulled out her phone and sent a text to her husband.'Hey love, we're inside the store. What did you say you wanted me to get again?'

'Get anything you want, baby. You deserve it all. I'm sure you'd look sexy in a sack.' He replied. She smiled, her heart fluttering as she typed out a quick response. 'I'll see what we can find. Be back later. Love you.'

"Damn, I think you unnerved that guy." Sarah giggled as they entered the store, heading for the junior's section.

"Yep." She smiled as she shoved the phone in her purse as she continued through the racks of clothing. The only real thing she knew she wanted was a pantsuit. Something that would accent her figure but make it very clear that she wasn't some submissive bitch.

"So what are you going for?" Sarah asked as she followed behind her. "Well, I definitely want at least one pantsuit. But something fitted, not loose."

"Oh wow."

"Mhm. Then I guess some corporate/casual wear. I have jeans, and I ordered some stuff from Hot Topic, but I'd also like some nice stuff too, ya know?" As she spoke, she paused in front of a rack of dresses. She'd never been the type to wear dresses, but something caught her eye. It was a black and grey fitted dress. Not too long. It would come above her knees, and the top looked to be cut in such a way as to accentuate her breasts.

"Yeah, definitely get that. You'd look great in it."

"I'm not sure. I've never been much for dresses. Plus I'd need some heels."

"You don't wear heels now?"

"Not for years, mostly flats these days. But I guess it would be funny to tower over Chase even more." Miranda murmured. "He's only 5'6" and I'm 5'8". I'd be 6 feet in heels." She watched as Sarah's face went from surprise to horror to amusement.

"Jesus Christ, girl." She whispered. "How have I never noticed?"

"I dunno, but he's shorter than me. I actually have to tilt my head down when we kiss."

"Why did you marry a midget?"

"Because I love him, duh. And you have seen the man's face. He might be small, but he's a handsome son of a bitch who has barely aged since 18. Even you would admit that."She chuckled.

"I guess." She replied. "But seriously, it doesn't bother you?"

"Not at all. I think I kinda like it, honestly. I mean, I've always been more dominant anyway, and he's more like the woman in the relationship."

"Wow," Sarah replied.

Miranda smirked at her friend's reaction as she pulled the dress off the rack and held it to herself as she looked in the mirror. It was cute. The black dress was a V-neck with black lace sleeves and shoulders with grey and black lace on the sides and the skirt.

"It'll look great on you." Sarah smiled as she looked at her friend.

"You think so?"

"Yeah. Get it. And I'm pretty sure I just saw it in your size. Hold on." Sarah said as she started to rifle through the rack.A moment later she held it up, a big smile on her face. "Size 7, found it."

"Damn." Miranda whispered. "It's been a while since I wore that." She smirked as she took the dress and headed toward the dressing room. As she walked, she looked over the rest of the racks. She didn't see any more dresses that caught her eye, so she headed inside.Sarah sat on the couch outside the dressing rooms, her legs crossed as she checked her phone for any missed messages from her girlfriend as Miranda walked inside and quickly shed her clothes. As she tried on the dress, she smiled at her reflection. It fit her like a glove, accentuating everything. She smiled even wider as she noticed her breasts being pushed together, the black lace making the perky mounds look larger and her cleavage deeper. She felt a little thrill at the thought of Chase's reaction. He'd always loved her breasts; even when she was overweight, they'd been perky."I think I'll take this." Miranda said as she stepped out of the dressing room.

Sarah looked up, her smile fading as she stared at her friend. "Jesus fuck." She whispered.

Miranda chuckled. "That good?"

Sarah stared, her mouth agape. "I'm trying not to drool." She replied. Miranda laughed, her breasts shaking as she did so. "Well, I'll take that as a compliment. Shut up and I'll change. Let's see what else we can find. Oh, and I'm going to need new underwear too, so we have to look for that." She turned around and headed back inside. As she closed the door, she looked in the mirror again and smiled. "He's not going to be able to control himself." She chuckled to herself. "I can't wait to see the look on his face." As she changed, she felt a little excited at the thought of him seeing her in the dress. It had been a while since she'd dressed up for him, and the thought was making her wet. She tried to push away the thought and focus on the task at hand, but as she pulled her clothes back on, the sensation only intensified. She clenched her legs together. "Fuck." She whispered. She tried to ignore it as she pulled open the door and stepped back outside, her dress in hand. "Okay, let's continue."

As she walked over to Sarah, her friend stood and followed her deeper into the store as they searched through the racks. As they passed a mirror, she smiled. It felt good to be back in shape, and she had to admit she'd missed the looks men gave her. As they turned a corner, they found what they had sought. On display were suits of every cut, color, and style imaginable.

"So what's your color?" Sarah asked.

"Black, burgundy, tan, and maybe a royal blue? be on the lookout for burnt orange too. That's what I'm thinking anyway. Then maybe some nice plain shirts and a couple of button-ups underneath? What do you think?" Miranda asked as she ran her fingers over a black blazer.

"Mhm. You'd definitely look like a badass bitch." Sarah smirked.

Miranda chuckled as she walked down the rows. As they reached the end of the aisle, Miranda turned and walked back toward the center. "I am a badass bitch." She replied as she stopped in front of a tan-colored suit. She held it in her hands, her fingers trailing along the material as she appraised it. She held it up to herself. It was perfect. The tan suit had a fitted blazer and straight-legged pants, which would likely fit her like a glove. As she looked at herself, she decided she could easily wear it without a blouse. She smirked, knowing it would show off her occultic full-chest tattoo."What do you think of this?" She asked.

"I think that would look amazing on you," she replied with a bit more force than intended.

Miranda smiled. "Me too." She replied. Sarah took it from her and draped it over her arm as Miranda moved on. They found a black one that she decided she would wear with a white button-up, then a burgundy one and a royal blue one. As she was deciding on the shirt for the royal blue suit, she had a thought. "Hey Sarah, do you want to do something for me?"

"Sure."

"Okay, so... don't take this the wrong way, but would you mind going and finding me some nice bra and panty sets? Something appealing? I'm a 34C." Miranda asked as she held the shirt to herself and looked in the mirror.

"Uh, yeah. Of course. Any color you want?"

"Surprise me." She watched in the mirror as Sarah gave her a surprised look. She quickly smiled and walked away, leaving Miranda to look through the button-ups. A few minutes later Sarah was back, with five sets of push-ups and panties in her hand. One was a set of red lace, while one was white, another green, one leopard print, and the last was black lace with blue stitching. "Perfect." Miranda replied as she took them from her. "Now to the change room." She had already paid for the dress and sets, so she walked confidently toward the dressing room. A few minutes later she was dressed in the tan pantsuit, the blue button-up unbuttoned to mid-chest, her breasts exposed. She smiled at her reflection. The suit fit perfectly, the blazer ending just below her waist, while the pants were tight and fit just right. As she turned to look at herself from behind, she smiled. Her wide hips and round ass filled out the pants perfectly, the high waist making her look more curvy and feminine than she would have imagined. She turned back around to face herself; she imagined the looks she'd get and smirked. As she took a step toward the door, she paused and glanced back at the mirror, looking at herself. She decided she loved the way she looked. Pulling open the door, she stepped back out.

"Oh my god." Sarah whispered as she stared, her mouth open. "You look amazing. Like... like a power lesbian." She giggled.

Miranda threw her head back and laughed, then smiled at her friend. She pulled out her phone. "I have to show him." She giggled as she snapped a selfie and sent it to him. "Power lesbian, huh?" She felt the heat rising on her cheeks as they headed to the register to pay for the undergarments, one set suspiciously missing. "I like it. I'll own it." She replied with a smirk as she typed a message out to Chase. 'Hey baby, look at me.' She hit send as her phone buzzed.

'Jesus fucking Mary on a stick, baby. You look amazing.'

'Sarah says I look like a dyke lol.' She giggled as another message came in.

'You know you do lol. But that's not a bad thing. I don't mind.'

'Never said it was bad. I kinda like it.'

'Of course you do. Anyway you look fucking amazing, baby. Can't wait to see you in it.'

Miranda smiled again, her heart skipping a beat as she sent her response. 'I know. And of course you like me looking masculine.' She typed as she looked for a response. It came a few seconds later.

'You don't look masculine.'

'I do, baby, but that's not bad. It's okay; we both know that you're a fence sitter. You can stop denying it.' She sent the message and waited, a sly grin on her face.

A second later the response came.'Yeah. I know. I just don't like admitting it.'

'I know. It's okay, sweetheart. I wouldn't have married you if you weren't how you are. See you in a bit.' As they walked back to the car, Miranda's phone buzzed.

"What's up?" Sarah asked.

"He says he's home." Miranda replied.

"Ah. Wanna just cut the day early?"

"Nah. It's cool." Miranda replied with a shrug, watching her friend put the bags in the car. As she opened the car door and started to get in, she paused, then looked back at her friend. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Sarah smiled at her. "Uncomfortable?" She laughed. "No, you didn't. I was just... admiring you. Nothing weird."

Miranda stared at her for a long moment, her eyes searching Sarah's face. She shrugged. "Okay." She replied as she got in the car.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Sarah looked at her, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Just something I've never told you. Don't worry about it." Miranda put on her seatbelt and started the car. They drove in silence for several minutes before she finally spoke up. "So you really think I'm hot?"

Sarah's face went bright red, but she quickly collected herself. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I? I mean... shit."

Miranda laughed. "I think you're hot too. No homo."

She shook her head slowly. "You know... I do not get you, Miranda." She said with a chuckle. "How are you conservative? With everything about you?"

Miranda chuckled, "I dunno. I just am. It's not my fault that the people who I agree with politically don't get along with me. I tried, but fuck that Little House on the Prairie shit." She laughed. She could feel Sarah's eyes on her as she drove.

"Okay, so how are you not liberal? Everything about you seems at odds with the right wing. You literally wear pentagrams."

"Well, first, the reason I'm not a fucking liberal is they can't make up their minds on what a woman is. And I'm not a liberal because I don't need the government to protect me. I can protect myself. I'm a strong woman."

"Okay, that's fair. I guess."

"I'm not a Christian. I am a witch, and that's what's up with the pentagrams. I can't get behind the abortion thing or the whole 'we need to tax more' thing. Or the 'we need to make it harder to buy guns' thing."

"You don't think there need to be stricter gun regulations?" Sarah asked, sounding surprised.

"Nope. Guns don't kill people. People kill people. We need stricter mental health regulations. The people that kill people aren't sane. And don't try to give me the whole 'but they passed the background check.' Yeah? They passed it because the government doesn't care about mental health. And usually the guns aren't legal in the first place."

"Okay, but... aren't you kind of anti-Christian, and yet you side with the fanatics?" Sarah asked.

Miranda chuckled. "Fuck them and fuck Christ. I already crushed his face in the dirt when I took my husband back. They know who I am and how I snatched my husband from their little Catholic cult, and that's why they don't like me. And because of how I look. They know I beat Jesus in the fight for my husband's soul."

Sarah laughed. "That's dark."

"Fuck yeah, it is." Miranda replied. "Anyway, I've got my own morals. I have my own beliefs. But I can tell you this: I believe in the 2nd amendment, I believe in limited government, I believe in freedom of religion, and I believe that if you want to murder a baby in your stomach, that's your business. Make your blood sacrifice. I just want no part of it and won'tvote for it. I don't want it supported by the government. And as for the LGB community? Even without the T, It just seems weird to me. I was fine with it until y'all started championing trannies in the space of twenty-four hours."

"Jesus, I swear you're a radfem sometimes." Sarah laughed. "Fucking terf."

"Goddamn right. But considering that, am I really that conservative?" She asked with a chuckle as she pulled into the restaurant parking lot.

Sarah was quiet for a moment. "I mean, I guess not. You're definitely different."

As they stepped inside the restaurant, the aroma of fresh sirloin and bread hit Miranda like a brick. Her mouth began to water as they followed the hostess to their table. As they sat, Miranda took a sip of water and glanced at the menu. The two women ordered their food, and the conversation flowed as they waited. Miranda wasn't oblivious to the sidelong glances they received from both the staff and families fresh out of church and the assumptions written plain across their faces. "Well, don't they look appalled," she said.

"I was just noticing," Sarah replied with a smirk.

While in most places the sight of two women, dressed in rather dykish fashion together at a restaurant, had been normalized for years, somehow the small southern city in which they lived had remained very conservative despite the growing number of transplants who were currently flocking to move there. "I think they think this is a date." Miranda murmured with a chuckle.