[TG] Married to the Idea - Part 1 (Patreon)

After their marriage counsellor swaps their minds David and Whitney have to see what life is like in one another's shoes if they ever want to get their original bodies back. 

~

David watched as Whitney hesitated merging into the right lane, ensuring they missed their turn off.

“We’re going to be late.” He sighed; she didn’t answer him.

That was what she always did when she knew he was right but didn’t want to admit it. Sometimes he swore she’d rather swallow her own tongue than admit she was wrong about something. He should have insisted he drive; she was such a hesitant driver she always ended up taking the most circuitous possible route every time.

“If you’d just overtaken that truck earlier-“

“I’m sorry, but I’m actually careful with this car.” Whitney snapped, “Remember that time you decided to rush the yellow light and ended up rear ending that Honda? Our bank account sure does.”

“That was one time!” He couldn’t believe she was bringing it up again, “Months ago and I wouldn’t have had to rush if you hadn’t taken an extra half an hour to pick a dress!”

Whitney just huffed making David roll his eyes. They couldn’t even drive for thirty minutes without fighting these days. Arguing on the way to a marriage counsellor, there was some irony there, he was sure. Why they were even bothering was beyond him but Whitney, ever the perfectionist, refused to just let him get the divorce papers. She’d told him he was a quitter, that marriage was hard work and that she wasn’t going to just give up and become another part of the ever-growing statistic. As if she knew a damn thing about hard work. Given little other choice he started to dial the counsellor’s number, may as well inform them they were going to be a while.

~

Whitney shot David a smug smile when they walked into the office with five minutes to spare, giving her plenty of time to sign them in at the front desk. She still didn’t totally trust David not to fill in one of the forms incorrectly on purpose so they would miss their appointment. If it were up to him, they’d have gone their separate ways already but she wasn’t about to let that happen. With her platinum blonde hair and vibrant green eyes, she knew she would be able to find another husband in a snap but that wasn’t the point. When she’d met David in college, he’d been a slob, she’d been the one to get him focused for his finals and clean up his act, she’d turned him into a real gentleman. Hell, he probably wouldn’t have landed that job as a bank executive without her pushing him to do it and now some broad off the street was going to reap the rewards of her hard work? Not on her watch.

When they first started dating, people used them they were the embodiment of opposites attract. David with his strong jaw, dark hair and heavy muscular build and her with her pale skin, emerald eyes and white blonde hair made quite the contrast stood next to one another. She’d gone to great pains to ensure they looked presentable, buying the finest clothes not only for herself but him as well. Not that he appreciated it. Every time they went shopping, he would moan and mumble through the whole affair and thoroughly spoil it, but what choice did she have? If it were up to him, they’d walk around wearing discount store polos and people at the Country Club would talk.

David was bouncing his leg impatiently like a child when she returned to sit with him in the waiting area. She could place her hand down on his knee to try and get him to stop but knowing David he’d miss the subtlety of the gesture and start another argument and the last thing she wanted was a scene. She could already feel the judgment from the secretary behind her desk at them simply being here. After what seemed like much longer than five minutes thanks to David’s bouncing leg continually squeaking the floorboards the secretary waved them inside.

The office was light and airy, with a plush couch against one wall facing a leather arm chair. Seated in said armchair was a woman looking every bit the professional with her pencil skirt and white blouse. They were both a little too tight, Whitney noted, stretching across her hips and chest but not so much that it seemed obscene. She smiled at them warmly, red hair spilling over her shoulders as she stood and held out her hand.

“Nice to meet you both, I’m Dr.Bennet but you can both call me Lucile.”

Whitney and David both shook her hand in turn before taking their seats at the couch. Whitney sat up straight, attentive and ready while David reclined back, she couldn’t help but narrow her eyes a little at that. Even after all these years of coaching David hadn’t learned how important first impressions were.

“So,” Lucile started, “I can see from your application here you have been married five years? What is it that has you coming to see me today?”

“Disagreements mostly.” Whitney started and David snorted in response. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. God, give her strength.

“Fights more like.” David continued for her, “I can’t do anything without her getting upset that I did it wrong, or too slow or too fast or something else. I don’t think we’ve had a peaceful discussion in months.”

Lucile just nodded as David continued to describe their drive here as an example and Whitney grit her teeth, feeling her cheeks burn. He was treating this like some personal therapy session to vent all his problems.

“David is under the impression that we should simply give up and split.” She cut in finally, “But I know marriage is something to work at.”

“This isn’t school Whitney, she isn’t going to give you a gold star for sucking up to her. I just believe in being practical. We’re both miserable why not just make a clean break of it? We’re not even thirty yet, we can make new lives. Happy lives.”

“We were happy!” She threw up her hands in frustration, “When you listened to me once in a while!”

David opened his mouth to continue arguing when Lucile cleared her throat discreetly.

“If I may?”

Whitney felt her cheeks redden further, even David had the awareness to seem embarrassed.

“I think perhaps you continue to fight because you are arguing in circles.” Lucile suggested, “I don’t think either of you is truly listening to the other so, let’s do a little experiment. David, what do you want out of this relationship?”

“I want out of this relationship.”

Whitney bit the inside of her cheek; he was probably so proud of that little play on words.

“Okay then, what about this relationship is making you ‘want out’?”

To his credit, he seemed to take a moment to think, even look a little guilty before he sighed.

“All Whitney cares about is appearances. It’s all make up and outfits and perfume.” He rolled his eyes, “All materialistic stuff. She’s always going on and on about ‘people will talk’ as if that even matters! I don’t give a stuff what the rich bitches you play cards with at the club think of me, Whitney. You want the truth, Lucile? The only reason she won’t sign the divorce papers is because ‘people will talk’ at her precious club. I worked my way up to where I am but since she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth that’s all she has to care about!”

Whitney pursed her lips. For all his talk of hard work he certainly didn’t put any into their marriage.

“Oh, spare me the bootstrap talk!” She hissed, “My uncle was the one who got you that internship at the bank your senior year-“

“Now now,” Lucile held up a hand, “Whitney, why don’t you tell David why you don’t want to divorce.”

Seething, she composed herself.

“I am simply aware that presentation is important.” She started, “For example, you would hardly take clients in a hoodie and jeans would you, Lucile?”

She simply gave a small nod to continue.

“David and I were once close. I miss that closeness. He doesn’t know me anymore and what’s worse is he doesn’t seem to want to. I do work hard keeping our house in order but he never appreciates what I do.”

David looked like he was going to make a remark but Lucile narrowed her eyes ever so slightly and he stayed silent. It went on like this for another fifty minutes, taking turns airing their grievances; David’s apathy, Whitney’s obsessiveness, David’s coldness, Whitney’s insecurity etc. By the end of it Whitney had a headache and the distinct feeling they’d gotten nowhere. If anything, she was even angrier with David than she had been when they walked in. Maybe he was right, maybe this wasn’t worth it after all.

“Like most couples I see, communication seems to be the issue.” Lucile smiled sadly, “unfortunately, you two seem uniquely skilled in hearing the others words without taking in their meaning. So you just keep talking past each other.”

She stood; hand raised to her lips in thought. The room was silent for a moment and Lucile came to some sort of internal decision before giving a quick nod, seemingly to herself.

“I think you both need to step into one another’s shoes for a bit.” She announced, beckoning them to join her by the window.

As they did, she took a hand from each of them and ran her thumb across the wedding bands on their fingers.

“These rings signify your bond together.” Her voice seemed heavy with meaning, “I want you both to go home and rest well tonight. Tomorrow, you’ll start a journey together. One of understanding.”

Whitney nodded though to be honest, she didn’t really understand what Lucile was on about. She let go of their hands and smiled knowingly.

“I expect I’ll see you soon.”

As they walked out of the office, she could hear David swearing under his breath.

“Well, that was a waste of money.”

She bit her lip, not wanting to let him know she agreed.

~

They’d gone home from the appointment and spent the evening apart as usual. David went to bed late, waiting till Whitney was asleep to avoid any late-night discussions about their appointment. As he stirred the next morning, he could feel her back against his. Groggily, he rubbed at his eyes and felt a crust spread across his face. Blinking in confusion he looked down to see tiny black specks on his hand.

Except it wasn’t his hand.

Dainty, with long fingers and manicured nails, a diamond engagement ring on his finger currently marred by the black substance he now recognised as mascara. As he gaped a few strands of white blonde hair fell over his face with almost comic timing. He yelled in shock but it came out high pitched and feminine.

“What on earth-!“

That was his voice!

He whirled around and came face to face with…himself? Sitting up on the other side of the bed, a hand over his mouth in shock.

“What the fuck.” David breathed, his voice still alien; no, not alien, he knew this voice intimately but it wasn’t his own.

“David?”

“Whitney?!”

For a moment they both gaped at one another before scrambling to their feet in a panic.

“This has to be a dream!” Whitney said, now in David’s body.

“How just…how the fuck? HOW?!” David paced.

The image would almost be comical, Whitney’s lithe frame pacing seriously back and forth while David’s sat perched on the end of the bed mermaid style. There had to be sole explanation, some logical way this had happened.

“Does…does your ring feel funny?” Whitney asked after a moment and David realised it did. There was a subtle warmth radiating from his wedding band, it seemed to almost vibrate subtly around his finger. Then he remembered:

“The marriage counsellor!”

“Lucile?”

“She said we needed to walk in each other’s shoes!”

Whitney scoffed and crossed her arms, a look that looked particularly immature and pedantic with her new body.

“That’s a metaphor.”

“This ain’t no metaphor! Look at us!”

Whitney bit her lip; she didn’t tell him off for using the word ‘aint’ which was not a ‘proper’ word as she so loved to remind him. David continued to pace, running through their appointment in his head. Lucile had said the wedding bands were their bond, right? They had to be a key somehow, the fact that they seemed to thrum with some unknown energy only confirmed it. David gripped the ring ready to rip it off but found it wouldn’t budge. Whitney’s thin arms had no muscle to speak of but even so, she should have been strong enough to pull a ring off her finger!

“I can’t get mine off either.” She lamented, tugging uselessly at the band of golden metal. “This has to be it right? If this is some sort of spell then the rings have to be what’s holding it in place.”

Just saying it made her flush and David had to look away to avoid second hand embarrassment, his face looked ridiculous with that expression on it.

“Okay, let’s just, shower, eat and get ourselves down to that office of hers and she’ll straighten this all out.”

Whitney nodded, taking a deep breath and steeling her gaze.

“Right, you go shower, I’ll pick us out some clothing. God knows you won’t be able to sort through my outfits.”

David just rolled his eyes, of course that’s what she was worried about right now. Walking into the ensuite David divested himself of Whitney’s nightgown and turned on the shower, breathing in the steam in an effort to calm his nerves. They would work this out. They would. He couldn’t live the rest of his life like this. Thankfully it was the weekend and he didn’t have to call the office to think of some excuse for his absence.

Stepping under the warm spray he grabbed his usual soap and began to lather; the familiar smell was a comfort. He may be Whitney for a few hours but at least he didn’t have to smell of that rose perfumed soap she insisted they spend $40 on each week.

As he washed, he looked down at Whitney’s body, taking it in from this unique angle and frowned. She was skinny, always had been and while she didn’t have the biggest curves in the world, they were nothing to sneeze at but from this angle he felt a twinge of empathy. Often, Whitney had complained about her weight and he’d fobbed her off about it. It was so obvious to him she wasn’t fat he’d assumed it was some half-baked way of getting his attention. But looking down now, he could see how the angle tricked his eyes, that small roundness in his stomach looked so much bigger than it had in the mirror a moment ago. He shook it off. Her body still had plenty to appreciate! He ran his hands over it, the curve of her hips, the slope of her shoulders. Everything was so soft and smooth compared to his own body and he felt himself appreciating, even enjoying the feeling.

Lathering shampoo into his now long hair he leaned back and let the water run down his new form. It felt good, relaxing even. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d actually enjoyed a shower, more often than not it had been a matter of quickly getting clean and getting on with his day but now he took the time to enjoy the sensations against his skin.

The soap glided down his new body and he found himself exploring it. To say it had been a while she they’d slept together would be an understatement. Now, not only was he getting to see Whitney’s naked form but feel what she would feel. He cupped her round breasts and marvelled at the weight there, Whitney wasn’t what most would consider a busty woman but her breasts were magnificent. Perky, with plenty to grab which is exactly what he did with them. Massaging the warm skin and enjoying the sensations that ran through his body as a result. His curiosity peaked he considered taking his wandering hands lower but stopped himself. If Whitney walked in on him getting off in her body he would never hear the end of it.

When he walked out of the shower, steam still rising from his pink skin Whitney was sitting, arms crossed on the bed.

“Is today really the day you decide to take up twenty minutes in the shower?” She sighed before walking past him, “I hope there is some hot water left for me. I’ve laid your outfit on the bed for you.”

Twenty minutes? He hadn’t been that long surely, she was exaggerating as women were want to do.

He looked at what Whitney had picked out for him; black stockings, a red skirt and white blouse with some simple gold jewellery and low heels to match. A plain white set of bikini underwear and lace bra rested on top. He pulled on the underwear and set about trying to put the stocking on only for his manicured nails to immediately tear a hole in them when he tried to pull them up.

Swearing under his breath he tired again, hoping the tear would be hidden under the skirt. The material was so smooth and thin it kept bunching up in one place and stretching in another, ladders began to form under the hole and David threw them down in disgust. Slipping the skirt on without them only to have another problem present itself. The bra.

Getting it on wasn’t hard per say but how was he supposed to get those little hooks together at the back? He struggled for a few minutes, fruitlessly twisting his body in an effort to see what he was doing. A chuckle made him jump and he saw himself, Whitney, leaning against the ensuite doorway wearing nothing by a towel.

“Do you need some help?”

He blushed.

“Here, let me.” Whitney smiled, turning him around and hooking the bra up.

The soft material felt nice against his breasts and the support really did help. Looking in the mirror he looked at his wife’s body, really looked and studied it for the first time in an age. The skirt showed off the curve of her ass without calling attention to it and the bra cupped both his round breasts perfectly. The self-consciousness from the shower faded slightly and he felt a small smile work its way onto his face. Whitney clucked her tongue disapprovingly as she picked up the remains of her stockings. With a shake of her head, she chucked them into the bin in the bathroom and retrieved a new set.

“Sit.” She ordered curtly, pointing to the bed. He had little choice but to do so.

Gently, Whitney picked up his foot and showed him how to bunch the stockings up at the bottom.

“Then you just, gently pull, releasing the material as you go.” She explained before gesturing for him to try.

The smooth nylon felt wonderful against his skin as he raised it. Now that he knew how, it wasn’t actually that hard and once again he took to the mirror and admired how they looked. Who’d have thought a little transparent material could work such wonders showing off his legs.

‘Whitney’s legs’ he reminded himself mentally a moment later.

He buttoned the blouse and tucked it in, twirling in front of the mirror. He had gotten so lost admiring the now completed outfit he didn’t realise Whitney was waiting for him until she cleared her throat. He turned to apologise and found himself speechless. Whitney had dressed in a simple yet handsome button up shirt, pushing the sleeve up to show off her forearms, his forearms. The pants were fitted and the gleam of the golden belt buckle somehow managed to pull the whole look together. With her dark hair combed to the side Whitney had somehow managed to make his body look professional, approachable and sexy all at once.

Normally, he just put on whatever suit or shirt was first in his line of sight. He never knew he had such a disarming outfit in his collection, how had he never put those items together like that? David felt something coil in his gut, not nerves or dread but…attraction. Whitney’s body responded to the feeling with a burst of butterflies and a subtle warmth between his legs and he felt his cheeks reddening at the realisation. How could he be getting turned on by…well, by himself!

“Are we going?”

David cleared his throat and recentered himself, trying his best to hide the husky edge to his voice.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

~

The drive back to Dr. Bennet’s office was awkward and silent, the former being quite normal but the latter was new. Whitney had begun to think it was impossible for her and David to be in the same tiny, confined space without arguing and yet here they were. Then again, the circumstances were certainly not something they ever thought they’d have to deal with.

Whitney had to admit, showering as David had been…interesting. Obviously, she was aware of morning wood as a concept but for obvious reasons she’d never had to deal with it personally. The temptation had been there of course to take care of the issue discreetly and have the water wash away the evidence but she’d restrained herself. It seemed like a violation to touch David’s body that way without his consent, even if he wasn’t inhabiting it right now. Instead, she’d turned the water icy and diligently tried ignored it. Tried being the key word.

She knew what David liked of course and she couldn’t help but wonder if his body would still like them now that she was in his place. What would it feel like to have a finger run across the head and down the shaft? Or to grip tight and pump slowly until she was right on the edge? Such thoughts had meant her shower had been almost entirely freezing.

Walking into the office the receptionist gave them a small smile before waving them towards Lucile’s office without a word. The look on her face told Whitney that they were not the first couple Dr. Bennet had done this to and the idea made her temper flare. How could she have not warned them? She had wanted to stop and give her a piece of her mind but David took her by the elbow and tugged her onwards, the same look of rage on his face.

Lucile did not seem perturbed at all when they stormed in without knocking. She simply closed her laptop and sat back in her chair looking calm and authoritative, somehow that made Whitney angrier.

“What have you done!” David’s voice boomed louder than she expected from her throat and she found she liked it. There was a power that came with being a man she had never felt.

“What you needed.” Lucile answered calmly, as if that wasn’t some cryptic bullshit.

“Cut the crap.” David growled, “We never asked you to do anything like this!”

“I said I gave you what you needed, not what you wanted.” Lucile responded, “Tell me, have you argued as much as usual this morning?”

There was a pause.

“Well, no but considering what has happened that’s understandable!” Whitney responded finally “I mean, we have a bigger issue to deal with here!”

“Exactly,” Lucile clapped her hands together, “Now you can both take the time to properly understand what it is to be the other and you have a problem that can only be solved with collaboration.”

“B-but I have to go to work on Monday!” David cried.

“And I have a committee meeting for the Country Club!” Whitney added.

“Well then, you will have to figure out exactly how to break this spell before the end of the weekend.” Lucile said, “Or perhaps prepared one another for your respective duties.”

“You can’t be serious.” They both replied at the same time.

“Whitney could never do my job!”

“David would never be able to handle the meeting!”

Whitney turned and gave David a withering look, something he returned. That familiar irritation started to grow but Whitney stamped it out, she would be the bigger person here. David looked ready to snap and she quickly stepped between him and Lucile.

“Fine. What do we need to do to end this as quickly as possible?”

Lucile smiled warmly.

“Simply work together. Once you understand each other, the rings will come off.”

“Fine then. David, let’s go.”

“You cannot seriously be taking her side in this!” He gaped, “Whitney, she could be lying, we could be stuck this way forever if she doesn’t reverse it!”

Whitney looked down at Lucile, sitting behind her desk poised and confident, but not cruel. She was taking no pleasure in this.

“She’s telling the truth.” Whitney sighed, “and I don’t think anything we say will make her reverse this. We just have to do as she says.”

David’s face turned red, twisting Whitney’s own features into a mask of rage that she had never thought possible. Swearing under his breath he stormed out, she couldn’t really blame him she felt like doing the same thing. Biting her tongue, Whitney moved to join him.

“Good luck!” Lucile called after them.

Whitney wanted to slap her.

Part 2 Coming Soon: As a bonding exercise David and Whitney decide to test out their new forms together.