It's Hard to be a Man The door closed with a surprising sense of finality. The last bastion of masculinity in Patrick's mind knew there was no escaping his fate now. Hank was going to make love to him, and he was going to willingly spread his legs for his friend. Hank, with a smile on his face, moved slowly towards Patrick. He was already undoing the buttons on his shirt, exposing his muscled chest. Patrick couldn't move. His eyes were wide with a mixture of passion and terror, and his heart was hammering away so fast under the swell of his breast that he thought it was going to burst. Hank undid the last button on his shirt as he reached Patrick. He looked down at what he thought was Patrick's cousin. She seemed a little unsure of herself, which was fine with Hank. Obviously Becky didn't get out that much. She had an absolutely stunning body, and had been making very unsubtle come-on's to Hank all evening. Yet it seemed she was inexperienced when it came to sex. This was fine with Hank, he never liked it when girls tried to be dominant with him. He wrapped his arms around her slim and curvy frame. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to land this one so quickly. They kissed again. This third kiss lasted longer and was more passionate than the others. Hank's hand strayed down Patrick's back until it reached his soft posterior. After gently rubbing Patrick's ass through the leather skirt, the hand drifted down to his stocking clad thigh. Patrick could do no more than cling to Hank's body as he felt his lover's hand start to work up under his skirt. The hand slid across the silk of Patrick's panties and then down between his legs. His legs almost gave way as he felt Hank's fingers lightly stroke his mound, separated from it by only the thinnest of fabrics. Patrick buried his head in Hank's bare chest and gave a long sensuous groan. His hips bucked in time to Hank's fingers as they worked on his lips of his vagina. He was building quickly to his first orgasm when Hank's hand withdrew. Before he could protest, Hank's strong arms had lifted him up and started carrying him into his spare bedroom. He wrapped his arms around Hank's neck and smiled. Patrick's whole life as a man, and everything outside the bedroom, seemed utterly unimportant to him now. There was only the here and now. A man and a woman about to engage in the perfectly normal act of lovemaking. Without any effort Hank set Patrick down on the bed. Then he stripped off his shirt. He looked down at Patrick with fiery desire in his eyes. "Take off your skirt," he said. Patrick hesitated and then reached down to undo the short leather skirt. He had to stop his fingers shaking before he could manage it. Then he quickly pushed it down his legs and off. Hank reached down and gave a few teasing caresses to Patrick's already wet mound. "Sit up," he instructed. Patrick instantly obeyed. He let Hank pull off the silvery top he was wearing. He was glad he was wearing the white basque underneath. It was, without doubt, the sexiest piece of lingerie he had, and he filled it so well. He could tell by the expression on Hank's face that it was having the desired effect. Patrick reached forward and starting working at the belt of Hank's pants. Frantically, he tugged and pulled until he had Hank's pants undone. He pulled them down and was confronted by the large lump in Hank's shorts. Patrick's heart fluttered as he realized his face was only a few inches away from Hank's member. At the back of Patrick's mind the last part of his masculinity tried to assert itself, but it was a hopeless battle. His yearning for Hank's penis was growing steadily. Patrick edged slowly towards Hank's crotch. Infinitely slowly he rubbed his cheek against Hank's penis through the cotton fabric. He was pleased to feel it twitch in response. Patrick smiled and placed his mouth in front of Hank's cock and blew softly. He was delighted to see Hank tense in response. Hank's hand ran through his luxurious hair and then gently pulled his head closer. He took the hint and pulled down the shorts. He was so close that he was hit in the face by Hank's cock when it sprung free. He couldn't help giggling at that. Patrick reached up to hold his friend's member. Had he ever had one of those? It seemed so long ago. His trembling hand closed around Hank's hot length. Patrick planted a kiss on the head of Hank's penis. Hank tensed again and gave a little gasp. Patrick smiled, he knew intimately how that felt. He placed one hand on Hank's hip to brace himself, then he slowly slid his mouth down onto his lover's pole. "Oh...yes," Hank whispered. Patrick was surprised by how big Hank's penis felt in his mouth. There was no way he could get it all the way in without gagging. Every time he breathed in Patrick could smell Hank's masculine scent. Slowly he started to move up and down Hank's stalk, letting his tongue pay particular attention to the head as he did so. Hank gripped Patrick's head so as to control the rate of Patrick's pumping. With his free hand, Patrick reached up to massage Hank's testicles. The warm feeling in his crotch spread as he sucked Hank. He could tell by the moans coming from Hank that his climax wasn't far off. Before that point was reached, however, Hank pulled Patrick away. "Plenty of time for that later," Hank explained. Without warning he reached down and grabbed Patrick's panties with both hands. With ease he pulled the panties apart, exposing Patrick's willing vagina. Patrick allowed himself to be pushed onto his back. This was the moment of truth, the point where he became truly a woman. He knew he should be fighting it, that he had been born a man, but there was no way he could resist the feelings he had now. He was a woman. Hank's woman. Patrick's eyes were glued to Hank's penis, slick with his saliva, as his friend kneeled on the bed. Hank gently lifted Patrick's legs up and apart. Patrick rolled his head back onto the pillow and closed his eyes. He was determined to remember every sensation of this first time as a woman. Hank brought his penis to the lips of Patrick's vagina and then gently eased it in. A moan escaped Patrick's painted lips. So this was what it felt like to be penetrated. The well-lubricated walls of his vagina parted to admit Hank's hot length into his body. By the time Hank had entered him fully, it felt like every part of his body was filled by this welcome intruder. Hank's penis felt so big, though it wasn't painful to have his friend inside him. Instead it felt amazingly good. The feeling of fullness was so strange, but it was what his body had yearned for to make him feel complete. Hank started to thrust, slowly building up speed. The friction ignited a fire in Patrick's belly. He opened his eyes so he could see the man that was making love to him. Sweat was glistening on Hank's body as he moved above him and it showed off his rippling muscles really well. Patrick's nails dug into Hank's back as waves of pleasure swept over him. He was writhing in ecstasy as he rapidly approached his climax. Without warning, a fire of pure eroticism coursed through his body. He gave a strangled cry, arched his back, and squeezed with his arms and legs as tightly as he could. Hank had to stop thrusting as he was pulled as deep as was possible inside Patrick. Patrick could do nothing but lie there as his orgasm reverberated throughout his entire being. It was slow to die away and seemed to last forever in comparison to the powerful but abrupt male orgasms he was used to. Patrick opened his eyes to see Hank's grinning face inches from his own. "I've never felt this good in my life!" Patrick told his friend, and now lover, truthfully. "We've barely started, baby," Hank replied. He started to thrust again. Hank was rougher now, as his own needs became more and more urgent. Patrick could do little more than hang on, totally overwhelmed by the sensations his body was giving him. The trusting grew faster and more frantic until, with one final grunt, Hank tensed and spurted deep into Patrick. Patrick imagined he could almost feel Hank's sperm inside him, already beginning the long trek towards his womb. They hadn't taken any precautions, but Patrick didn't care. He wanted to get pregnant. To feel new life growing inside him. Hank pulled out sooner than Patrick would have liked; he was still revelling in the new found sensation of penetration. They lay in each other's arms for several minutes as they regained their strength. Patrick rested his head on Hank's chest and marvelled. So that was what it was like for a woman. So intense and so erotic. He no longer felt like a man in a woman's body. Now he had truly become a woman. He felt Hank's penis returning to life and he slipped down to attend to it. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The morning sun rose to find Patrick trying to work out his feelings. At some point during the previous night he had drifted off to sleep, and he had awoken to find that hank had already left. Part of him was relieved he didn't have to deal with Hank straight away, the other part was sorry he had left so quickly. Hank probably didn't want to run into Patrick coming home and catching him with 'Becky'. Yes, that was why Hank had left in the night. Stop thinking about Hank like you're a lovesick schoolgirl, he thought to himself angrily. He felt strange when he thought back to the events of the previous night, but he found it impossible to be revolted at what he had done. Even now, it didn't seem wrong. He concentrated on his male form and felt his feminine curves melt away. Whatever it took, he was going to have to stay male until Abigail had a cure ready. It was still too early in the day, but he decided that as soon as he could he would head over to Abigail's shop to see how far she had got. Patrick walked around the room, trying not to notice how odd and different his male body felt. Abigail would have a cure soon, Patrick told himself. Then everything would go back to the way they were before. It worried him slightly that he couldn't drum up much enthusiasm for the idea. He walked past the spare room where he had spent most of the night with Hank and went into his own bedroom. Patrick fully intended to dress in his male clothes until he saw the pile of feminine garments he had bought the previous day. He looked longingly at all the silky feminine clothes on his bed. He didn't want to wear coarse and dull male clothes. He wanted to feel soft and silky fabrics against his skin. Patrick turned away angrily. "What is the matter with you?" he asked himself out loud. "Don't you want to be a man again?" No, I don't, he realized in a flash. He had spent the week in absolute fear of losing control and sleeping with a man. Now that it had actually happened he couldn't understand why he had been so afraid. He let his body slip back into its female shape while he sorted out a dress to wear. * * * * * * * * * * * * * Abigail and Amanda had talked well into the night. It was long past midnight before Amanda headed home. Abigail knew Patrick's ex-girlfriend was still in a state of some shock from what she had learnt that day. Now Amanda knew what was going on, however, she no longer went in fear of her own sanity. Abigail woke up late and barely had time to get ready to open the shop on time. Not that there would be many customers on a Friday, but she couldn't really afford to stay shut. There was nothing more she could do to help Patrick anyway until the following day. She sat behind the counter slowly picking her way through a book on Irish folklore for the tenth time. The ritual she, Amanda and Patrick had to perform seemed simple enough, but she didn't want to make any mistakes. Abigail was surprised to hear the shop door open. Normally she wouldn't see many customers until midday at least. She looked up to see Patrick, in female form, walking into the shop. He was wearing a white dress with a surprisingly revealing, plunging neckline. "Patrick?" she asked. "What's the matter?" "Nothing," he replied, slightly bemused. "Then why are you in your female body and dressed like that?" Abigail remembered the trouble she had had convincing him, just the previous day, to wear a conservative business suit. Patrick smiled, "I'm fed up with having a migraine all the time and it'd be a shame to cover this body up." Abigail blinked, "Are you feeling alright?" "Never better," he replied. "Have you worked out a cure yet?" "Yes, but I'm not sure you'll like one of the elements of the ritual we have to go through." "What's that then?" "Your ex-girlfriend came here yesterday. I told her what had been happening and she's agreed to help." "Help!" Patrick exclaimed. "She was one who did this to me in the first place!" "Totally unintentionally," Abigail pointed out. "She genuinely wants to help. Without her, I can't help you." Patrick was silent for a few moments. "It doesn't matter anyway. Something...wonderful happened last night and now I've had time to think about it I've decided I can't give up this body." "What?!" Abigail was utterly surprised. "What changed your mind?" Patrick blushed. "Hank and me...well...we...you know." "Oh no!" Abigail said in shock. "you couldn't keep control, could you?" "No, but as I said, it doesn't matter. I'm a woman now. I should dress as a woman and act like one." "Just because you slept with him doesn't mean you have to be a woman forever!" Abigail said desperately. "You're still Patrick, and you shouldn't stop trying to break the curse simply because this happened." Patrick shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I've realized that it's what I want." "But how will you live?" Abigail protested. "You have no legal identity as a woman." "Hank will support me," Patrick replied with a smile. "In time we'll marry and raise a family." he added wistfully. "But, but..." Abigail had run out of things to say. She was totally shocked by Patrick's sudden mental turnaround. "I have to go," Patrick said. "I want to surprise Hank at the office. Thank you for all you've done." He quickly turned and left before Abigail could raise any more objections. She watched him walk past the shop window, stumbling a little on his high heels. Now what was she going to do? After a few minutes she got up and closed the shop. This was an emergency and she was going to need some help. Not far away, Patrick drove into the car park of the building he worked at. He locked his car and headed to the entrance. The receptionist called out to him as he walked past. "Can I help you, miss?" Patrick belatedly realized no-one would recognize him in his female body. "I'm here to see Hank Cox, I'm a friend of his." "If you'll wait a moment I'll see if he's in." The receptionist replied. Patrick thanked her and scanned one of the paintings hanging on the wall as he waited. "Rebecca?" Patrick turned to see Hank walking down the stairs. "Hiya, I decided to drop in and say hello." He shivered as he walked towards Hank, remembering what they had done the previous evening. Hank enveloped Patrick in a strong embrace and they kissed. Already, Patrick could feel himself becoming aroused. He knew in every fibre of his being that he was meant to be with Hank. Together, they headed up to the office where Hank worked. "We're very busy at the moment," Hank explained. "It isn't helped with Patrick being off ill a lot this week. Have you seen him this morning?" "No, I have a feeling he won't be around for awhile." Patrick replied with a playful smile. In the office, everyone was hard at work. Hank introduced him to all of the people there. He pretended he was meeting them for the first time. They were so busy Hank didn't have much time to talk with him, but he didn't really mind. He was with Hank and that was all that really mattered. It felt odd to be at work, but not doing anything, just watching the others struggling to meet the deadline. He couldn't help but be impressed by the way Hank was co-ordinating the department. Patrick thought that when he left, Hank would be a more than adequate replacement. Left? he thought in slight confusion. Why would he leave? Then the answer came to him; by then he would be married to Hank and wives were supposed to stay at home and look after the kids. Patrick tried to imagine what his kids would look like. If they took after their mother and father they'd be near perfect. Hank had to go and see Patrick's boss through the lunch break, but he told the others they shouldn't work through the hour. They needed the rest and would be no good if they were totally exhausted. Patrick headed off with Ian and Susan to a small restaurant the two often went to. They acted quite differently around him now than they did when he in his male form. Ian was, if anything, even more reserved than normal, while Susan was more open and glad to have another woman to talk to. Because Ian was so quiet, Susan led the conversation. Patrick steered it around to talking about Hank and his male self. "Hank's okay," Susan said, "but can get a bit full of himself at times. A word of warning, he does tend to be a little free with his affections. If I were you I'd keep a close eye on him." Patrick bridled a bit at that, but kept it from showing. She was jealous, that was it. Susan had had her chance and now it was too late. Patrick changed the subject, it was time to find out what his workers really thought of him. "So what's my cousin like? I've never seen him at work." Susan was quite for a moment, obviously searching for a tactful way to say what she thought of him. "He can be a bit single-minded and he can push us hard, but he really is committed to the job." Patrick smiled, "Yeah, he was always like that. It seems to have done him okay up to now." Susan nodded, "He just needs to think of the people working under him a little more. I shouldn't complain, we've done well in bonuses since he took over, even if that does mean my social life is dead. I--" Ian dropped his coffee, spilling it over the table. Susan and Patrick jumped out of the way, managing to avoid getting any of it on them. "Ian!" Susan exclaimed. "Watch out!" "S-sorry," he muttered and tried to clean the mess up with a napkin. "Are you okay?" she asked, "You look like you've seen a ghost." "I-I'll be right back." he stammered and then staggered off to the men's room. "Hope he isn't coming down with what your cousin has," Susan said worriedly as she watched him leave. "Somehow, I doubt he is," Patrick replied. What had caused Ian to freak like that? he wondered. In the men's room, Ian staggered into a stall and locked the door. He sat down heavily. He was remembering. Remembering all of it. Muted alarm bells had been ringing all morning, ever since Hank's girlfriend had appeared. He had seen her driving Patrick's car a couple of days before, but now he knew he had seen her once before that. It had been back on Monday when he had left work to head home. He had noticed Patrick's car parked down an alleyway outside some weird, little shop. Ian had edged closer and had seen Patrick inside the shop. And then Patrick had...changed! Right in front of Ian's eyes he had become a voluptuous blonde woman! The very same woman that was sat out there, right now, with Susan!