barucai

[Mini Story] Getting to Know You

Published: February 14th 2025, 8:05:01 am

Hi Hi ✨

I hope you're having a good day. This is just a quick Valentine's day story! I might write more this weekend, but I can't promise anything! Anyway, I hope you like it :)

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Getting to Know You

"I can't believe you signed us up for this," John muttered, adjusting his powder-blue tie for the hundredth time in the dressing room mirror. The harsh fluorescent lights did nothing to hide his nervousness.

"Oh, come on," Maggie replied, applying a final touch of coral lipstick that perfectly matched her dress. "You're the one who's always going on about how well you know me. Time to put your money where your mouth is, love."

"Yeah, but that was before I saw the last episode." He ran a hand through his carefully styled brown hair, immediately messing it up again. "Did you see what happened to that banker guy? His girlfriend ended up having to carry him out!"

Maggie turned from the mirror, her green eyes sparkling with amusement. "Only because he insisted he knew her favourite book was 'The Old Man and the Sea' when it's actually 'Pride and Prejudice.' I mean, honestly."

"That's my point exactly!" John spun to face her, his hands gesturing wildly. "One wrong answer and suddenly you're dealing with a six-inch height difference. Two wrong answers and your girlfriend can bench press you!"

"I already go to the gym three times a week," Maggie teased, flexing her arm playfully. At 5'7" to his 5'11", she cut an athletic but normal figure in her fitted dress. "Maybe I'm looking forward to having a bit more definition."

"That's not funny." John slumped onto the dressing room couch, the vinyl squeaking beneath him. "I've got that big presentation at work next week. How am I supposed to face the board if I'm shorter than the conference table?"

Maggie sat beside him, taking his hand. Her silver charm bracelet - his gift from their second anniversary - jingled softly. "Hey, remember our first date? When you spent twenty minutes telling me about your comic book collection?"

"Which you secretly found endearing," he smiled despite himself.

"Which I secretly found endearing," she agreed. "And remember last month when you surprised me with tickets to that awful synth-pop band I loved in uni?"

"Cosmic Catastrophe," John nodded. "My ears are still recovering."

"My point is," Maggie squeezed his hand, "we know each other. Really know each other. Not just the surface stuff, but the real things that matter."

A knock at the door interrupted them. "Five minutes!" called a harried-sounding producer.

John stood, straightening his tie again. "Right. Just... promise me one thing?"

"Anything."

"If I do end up tiny, don't make me sit on your shoulder like that one bloke last week. I have some dignity."

Maggie laughed, standing to straighten his tie properly. "Deal. Though I make no promises about not carrying you if necessary."

They followed the producer through a maze of corridors, the sounds of the studio audience growing louder. Just as they approached the final corner, they heard a deep, feminine laugh echoing off the walls.

Around the corner came the previous contestants. The woman, towering at what had to be close to seven feet, wore a dress that showed off arms that would make a bodybuilder jealous. In those arms, cradled like a child, was her date - a man who couldn't have been more than four feet tall now, his suit hanging off him like a child playing dress-up.

"Great show, you two!" the giant woman called cheerfully as she passed. Her tiny partner just waved weakly.

John stopped dead in his tracks. "Nope. No way. I'm out."

"John..." Maggie tugged his arm.

"Did you see that? Did you see what happened to him?" John's voice had risen an octave. "He's practically travel-sized!"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The host's voice boomed from behind the studio doors. "Please welcome our next contestants..."

"John." Maggie grabbed both his hands, forcing him to look at her. "I love you. All of you. Whatever size you end up being. Now come on - we've got a show to do."

Before he could protest further, the doors swung open, flooding them with bright lights and applause. They walked onto the set, John's legs slightly wobbly, Maggie beaming and waving to the crowd.

The host, Patricia Maxwell, stood center stage in a sequined jumpsuit that caught the light with every movement. At six foot two, she was an imposing presence even before considering her muscular build - a testament to many successful shows.

"Welcome, welcome!" Patricia's voice carried easily over the applause. "I'm Patricia Maxwell, and this is 'The Perfect Match' - the show where couples prove how well they really know each other... with some very big consequences!"

The audience laughed on cue.

"Please meet our contestants for this special Valentine's Day episode - John, a software developer from Manchester, and his girlfriend of two years, Maggie, a primary school teacher!"

More applause as they took their seats in the plush chairs arranged on stage. John's knee bounced nervously.

"Now, for our viewers just tuning in, here's how our game works," Patricia continued, pacing the stage with practiced ease. "I'll ask our couple questions about each other - their habits, preferences, history, all the little details that make up a relationship. When our lovely Maggie gets an answer right about John, she'll experience what we like to call a 'growth spurt.' And when John gets something wrong about Maggie... well, let's just say he might need a new tailor!"

The audience chuckled appreciatively.

"Each round, the questions get more challenging, and the changes get more dramatic. Are you ready to put your relationship to the test?"

"Absolutely!" Maggie replied enthusiastically.

"Kill me now," John mumbled under his breath.

Patricia's smile widened. "Then let's begin round one of 'The Perfect Match'!"

"Right then!" Patricia clasped her hands together. "Round one - the basics. John, let's start with you. What's Maggie's favorite breakfast?"

John sat up straighter, relief washing over his face at the simple question. "Oh, that's easy. Two soft-boiled eggs with wholemeal soldiers, and she dunks them exactly three times each."

"Maggie?" Patricia turned to her.

"That's correct," Maggie smiled. "Though you forgot to mention I alphabetize my spice rack while waiting for the eggs to cook."

"Correct answer, but no growth for the gentlemen!" Patricia announced. "Now Maggie, what's John's most embarrassing childhood nickname?"

Maggie's eyes lit up. "Jellybean! Because he got stuck in one of those giant novelty jellybeans at a sweet shop when he was six."

A warm tingling sensation spread through her body as John buried his face in his hands. The audience watched in fascination as she gained about an inch in height, her dress adjusting seamlessly to her slightly larger frame.

"Oh!" Maggie straightened in her chair, now eye-level with John. "That feels... different."

"Next question!" Patricia continued. "John, what's Maggie's biggest pet peeve?"

"People who don't return their shopping trolleys to the proper bay," John answered confidently. "She once followed a man across the entire car park just to shame him into taking it back."

"Correct again! Maggie, what's John's go-to karaoke song?"

"'Take On Me' by a-ha," Maggie replied instantly. "He can't hit the high notes, but that doesn't stop him trying."

Another wave of warmth, another inch of growth. Her shoulders broadened slightly, her already athletic frame becoming more defined.

The questions continued, each correct answer from Maggie adding to her size incrementally. John's correct answers, while saving him from shrinking, did nothing to help his rapidly diminishing height advantage.

"Last question of round one," Patricia announced. "Maggie, what's John's most prized possession?"

"His gran's record player," Maggie answered softly. "She left it to him when she passed. He still plays her old jazz collection every Sunday morning."

As the final growth spurt hit, Maggie found herself looking slightly down at John, her frame now noticeably more muscular than when they'd started.

"Well!" Patricia clapped her hands. "That concludes round one! Why don't you two stand up and give us a proper look at these changes?"

John reluctantly got to his feet, Maggie following suit. Where she had once fit perfectly under his chin, they now stood eye to eye - though her enhanced muscle tone made her presence feel much larger.

"This isn't fair," John protested, gesturing between them. "How come I don't get bigger when I get answers right?"

Patricia's perfectly penciled eyebrows rose. "Oh, sweetie. This is 1987 - nobody tunes in to watch men get bigger. We tried that in the pilot. Ratings were abysmal."

The audience laughed as John's face reddened.

"But I got every question right!" he insisted.

"And your reward is not shrinking," Patricia patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Consider yourself lucky - last week's chap got his own height wrong and ended up pocket-sized before the first commercial break."

Maggie flexed experimentally, her newly enhanced bicep drawing appreciative whistles from the crowd. "I don't know, I think it's kind of fun. Though I might need to rethink my workout routine if this keeps up."

"That's the spirit!" Patricia beamed. "Now, take your seats, lovebirds. Round two is where things get really interesting!"

As they returned to their chairs - Maggie's movements now carrying a new grace that came with her enhanced physique - John couldn't help but notice how much smaller his seat felt compared to hers.

"Don't worry," Maggie whispered, reaching over to squeeze his hand. "At least you haven't shrunk yet."

"Yet being the operative word," John muttered, watching Patricia shuffle her question cards with a worrying gleam in her eye.

"Welcome back to round two!" Patricia fanned out her question cards dramatically. "Now, as our regular viewers know, this is where things get interesting. All effects are doubled - both the growth and the shrinking. Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," John shifted in his seat, his collar suddenly feeling too tight.

"John, you're up first. Tell me - what was Maggie wearing the first time you told her you loved her?"

John's face lit up. "Oh! She had on that yellow sundress with the little daisies. We were at that terrible Italian restaurant where the waiter spilled red wine all over it."

Patricia checked her card and smiled. "Correct! See? No shrinking when you pay attention to detail."

"My turn?" Maggie leaned forward eagerly.

"Indeed. Maggie, what was the name of John's first pet?"

"That's easy - Sparkles the goldfish!"

"Ooh, I'm sorry," Patricia shook her head. "It was actually Bubbles the goldfish."

"Bubbles?" Maggie turned to John. "You told me it was Sparkles!"

"I might have got them confused," John admitted sheepishly. "I was four, and I went through a lot of goldfish that year."

"Next question!" Patricia announced before they could discuss John's childhood pet mortality rate. "Maggie, what's John's biggest fear?"

Maggie's eyes narrowed in concentration. "Moths. Specifically the really big fuzzy ones that bump into lights at night."

The familiar warmth rushed through her body, but this time it was more intense. She felt herself stretching upward, her muscles swelling more noticeably than before. Her dress, designed for these changes, accommodated her growing frame as her shoulders broadened and her arms developed definition that wouldn't look out of place in a fitness magazine.

"Correct!" Patricia confirmed. "And with double effects this round, that's quite a growth spurt! John, your turn - what's Maggie's middle name?"

John paled slightly. "Er... Elizabeth?"

"Marie," Patricia corrected, her smile widening. "And you know what that means!"

The change hit John suddenly. It felt like the floor was rushing up to meet him, or perhaps he was sinking into his chair. His clothes felt looser, his sleeves slightly too long. When it stopped, he found himself looking up at Maggie, who now seemed to tower over him in her chair.

"Let's see how our lovely couple measures up after round two!" Patricia gestured for them to stand.

Maggie rose gracefully, her enhanced muscles flowing smoothly as she moved. John stood more hesitantly, immediately noticing how much further he had to look up to meet her eyes. The top of his head now barely reached her chin, and her athletic build made the size difference even more pronounced.

"You've got quite the physique developing there, Maggie!" Patricia noted approvingly. "Those biceps are coming along nicely. How does it feel?"

Maggie flexed experimentally, her arm showing clear muscle definition. "Different, but not bad. Though I might need to rethink my workout routine at the gym - my usual weights are probably a bit light now."

"And John?" Patricia turned to him with barely concealed amusement. "How's the view from down there?"

"Hilarious," he muttered, tugging at his now-loose collar. "Is this really necessary? The shrinking, I mean?"

"Well, we could have just made Maggie grow," Patricia mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "But our focus groups found it much more entertaining this way. Plus, it adds motivation to get the answers right, doesn't it?"

The audience laughed as John's face reddened.

"Back to your seats, you two," Patricia directed. "Round three is coming up, and trust me - you haven't seen anything yet!"

As they settled back into their chairs - John now having to hop slightly to get into his - Maggie reached over to pat his hand reassuringly. The gesture, while meant to comfort, only emphasized how much larger her hand had become compared to his.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "I think you look cute like this."

"Cute wasn't exactly what I was going for," John grumbled, but he couldn't help smiling slightly at her attempt to cheer him up.

Patricia shuffled her cards with practiced flair. "Ready for round three? The questions get harder, the stakes get higher, and..." she winked at the camera, "the size difference gets much more interesting!"

"Final round!" Patricia announced with theatrical flair. "Triple effects, maximum drama! John, let's start with you. What was the exact date of your first kiss with Maggie?"

John straightened in his chair, confidence returning. "April 23rd, 1985. Outside the Royal Theatre after watching 'The Breakfast Club.' I remember because it was raining and Maggie's umbrella broke."

"Correct!" Patricia confirmed. "Though I must say, that's suspiciously specific memory for someone who forgot his girlfriend's middle name."

"I keep a diary," John admitted, earning chuckles from the audience.

"Maggie's turn!" Patricia turned to face her. "What song was playing on the radio when John got that speeding ticket last summer?"

Maggie's eyes lit up. "'Walking on Sunshine!' He was singing along and didn't notice the speed camera."

The change hit her like a wave. Her already athletic frame expanded dramatically, muscles swelling and definition becoming more pronounced. She felt the chair creak beneath her as her weight increased, and her dress - despite its special design - strained to contain her enhanced figure. Her chest grew particularly problematic, and she silently cursed her decision to skip the reinforced bra the wardrobe department had offered.

"John!" Patricia turned back to him. "Final question - what's Maggie's biggest regret?"

John hesitated. "Er... not learning to play the piano when she was young?"

"Oh, incorrect!" Patricia's smile widened. "It was turning down that teaching job in Edinburgh to stay closer to you."

The shrinking hit him harder this time. His clothes seemed to balloon around him as he diminished, the sleeves of his jacket now hanging well past his hands. When it stopped, he found himself having to peer up over the arm of his chair to see the others.

"And finally, Maggie - what did John originally plan to study at university before switching to computer science?"

"Marine biology," Maggie answered without hesitation. "He wanted to work with dolphins until he realized he gets seasick on boats."

The final transformation was the most dramatic yet. Maggie's frame expanded upward and outward, her muscles becoming more defined with each passing second. The dress, already struggling, now clung desperately to her enhanced curves. She had to shift position as her increasing weight made the chair groan in protest.

"That concludes our questions!" Patricia announced. "Let's see our lovely couple side by side for the final comparison!"

They both stood - or rather, Maggie stood while John had to climb down from his chair. The size difference was staggering. John's eye level barely reached Maggie's abdomen, her enhanced physique making him look almost childlike in comparison. His suit hung off him like a tent, while Maggie's dress seemed painted on her newly muscular frame.

"Well!" Patricia surveyed them with satisfaction. "I'd say that's quite a transformation! Any thoughts, you two?"

"This is mental," John muttered, having to crane his neck dramatically to look up at them. "How am I supposed to drive us home like this? I can barely reach the pedals!"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Maggie said, her voice carrying a new confidence. "I can drive. Though..." she glanced down at her enhanced chest, "we might need to adjust the seat. A lot."

"That concludes tonight's episode of 'The Perfect Match'!" Patricia turned to the camera. "Join us next week for more couples testing their knowledge and experiencing some big changes!"

As the studio lights dimmed and the audience began filing out, John and Maggie faced their first practical challenge - getting to the car park.

"Here," Maggie said, reaching down to roll up his sleeves and trouser legs. "At least try not to trip."

"Thanks," John mumbled, then yelped as she simply picked him up. "What are you doing?"

"Being practical," she replied, settling him against her hip like a toddler. "It's faster this way, and these heels are actually working for me now."

They made their way through the studio corridors, drawing knowing looks from the crew. In the car park, they faced their next challenge.

"Right," Maggie surveyed their modest Ford Fiesta. "This might be interesting."

She had to duck significantly to get into the driver's seat, and even then, her head brushed the roof. The steering wheel seemed comically small in her hands. John, meanwhile, had to sit on a cushion just to see over the dashboard from the passenger seat.

"You know," Maggie said as she carefully adjusted the mirrors, "we should probably talk about some things. Like where you're going to sleep - our bed's not exactly sized for this situation."

"Or what I'm going to wear," John added, holding up his now-massive sleeve. "I don't think the shops carry my new size in the men's section."

"Or how you're going to handle that presentation next week..."

"Or what we're going to tell our parents..."

They looked at each other - or rather, Maggie looked down and John looked up - and burst out laughing.

"Well," Maggie said, starting the car, "at least we proved we know each other pretty well."

"Most of the time," John corrected, then ducked as she playfully swatted at him - her hand now large enough to cover his entire head.

As they drove home through the evening traffic, both lost in thoughts about the changes ahead, neither noticed the small camera crew following their car. After all, the show's producers had found that the "after" footage often proved even more entertaining than the main event...

"By the way," John said suddenly, "I don't suppose you've got any more surprise game shows planned?"

Maggie's innocent whistle did nothing to reassure him.