chapter 18

The next week, Gwen bought an extra large scale, so that they could continue to chart Martin's weight-gain. Gwen was not only willing to help him with daily tasks as they became more difficult, but enjoyed it, as if it gave her a kind of special purpose. No one had ever been as good to her as Martin; to be able to look after him, even in little ways, filled her with pride, as she knew that she was fulfilling a purpose for him that Mort would not. In return, Martin took her on dates--out to dinner, of course, or to the movies, as long as the theatres had armrests that could be lifted up to accommodate his enormous girth.

Though the relationship remained generally platonic, Gwen did not mind allowing people to think that Martin was her boyfriend. Some part of her enjoyed the shocked expressions she glimpsed from people who were unable to believe that such a slim, fit woman would choose to be with such an obese young man.

Still, Martin knew that he couldn't keep growing--he didn't want to be such a burden that he could not work and help Gwen financially. As it was, work was already becoming very difficult. He had to request a new chair because his huge ass and love-handles simply could not fit into his old one.

His frequent walks from his desk to the vending machine were enough to render him winded, and summer at his weight was profoundly uncomfortable.
His gut hung now between his thighs, a constant counter-weight, his belly so huge that he had trouble reaching around it with his arms.

But the pay from work was good, and soon he had saved up enough money to get what he had wanted more than anything else: to pay for Gwen's yoga and fitness training course.
At first, she did not want to accept it.

"Gweny, let me do this for you," Martin inveigled.

"OK, but I'll pay you back--"

"No, you won't!" he cried.

Eventually, Gwen relented, and Martin could see how happy it made her to be able to do what she loved, and make a career from it.
Within a few months, Gwen got her certificate and became a qualified yoga instructor and gym teacher. Martin liked to watch her working out, marveling at her flexibility and grace.

"You are so perfect," he said, his Skyrum game paused as he watched her execute a bird pose on the mat.

"Perfect to some, devilish to others," said Gwen, grinning as she came out of the pose.

*

Martin knew that his weight had finally peaked at around 200kg when he found that he had not gained for several months. He was almost four times Gwen's weight. Mort immediately wanted to up Martin's calorie intake, and suggested weight-gain shakes and powder, but Martin politely refused.

He had done what Gwen had suggested--he ate to his heart's content, and had become huge as a result.
He was more concerned about disappointing Gwen than about disappointing Mort, but Gwen was nothing but pleased at his decision, as he was being totally true to himself. If he ever decided to gain more, or to lose, the decision should come from him, not from Mort or from anyone like Chad.

"But you still can't resist my wicked ways," Mort would purr when he and Martin were alone, and the food tasted all the better because Mort was the one feeding it to him.

Martin had not seen Chad in over a year, when one day they received a call from someone who must have been Chad's new girlfriend. Apparently, Chad had been hospitalized after a dangerous blood clot.
Martin broke down into tears, even though Chad's girlfriend assured him that Chad was going to recover.

"Oh my God, and I haven't even talked to him in ages or anything!" Martin cried.

He would not feel better until they went down to Sydney to visit Chad in person. Gwen and Mort accompanied him for moral support, and they took turns driving Mort's car. Gwen knew that Mort was coming in preparation to defend Martin from Chad's jibes, and she appreciated the gesture.

"I hope this will at least take him down a peg," Gwen said cynically on the drive.

*

When they arrived at the hospital, they signed in and were directed to Chad's room. Martin was slightly out of breath when they arrived; Chad sat up in bed, looking less tanned and sicker than when last they had seen him. Gwen saw his eyes widen with shock at the sight of his brother waddeling towards him, belly swaying proudly back and forth.

"You really have to take better care of yourself darling," said Mort, ironically tapping a cigarette out of the packet as force of habit. Chad ignored him completely.

"Holy fuck Martin, is that you? Fuuuuuck, I knew you were pilin' 'em on, but Jesus! You're huge, man!"

"I know I'm fat, Chad," Martin said patiently.

He lowered himself onto the chair at Chad's bedside and sat back, his belly sitting hugely in front of him. He grasped rolls on his sides with his chubby hands and wobbled his belly too and fro, as if to emphasise his growth even more. "I'm huge and obese and unfit," Martin said with a sigh; "but I like it. I mean, I don't like it when I have to rush all the way down here to make sure you're OK! But I just love food way too much to ever not be fat."

"I prefer to think of it as 'more to love'," said Mort.

"And before we get into a diet plan, can we please talk about how you ended up here?" Gwen said quickly, before Chad had the opportunity to object.

Chad had the good grace to look chastised. "Yeah.... Me doc said I need to lay off the 'roids," he admitted.

"I was so worried about you!" Martin cried.

Chad managed a smile, and said quietly: "Thanks man." He placed his hand briefly on top of Martin's.

From then on, Chad barely said anything about Martin's weight. Of course, there was a brotherly jab now and then, but nothing like before. It turned out the steroids had given him permanent health problems, so, while he could still return to more or less his usual life, he had lost his moral high ground.

"Not that that's any great loss," Gwen remarked.

*

The mood was much happier and more relaxed as they made their drive home. They took frequent stops so that Martin could sample some of the local cuisine. Even without gaining, his appetite was so enormous that his belly demanded food virtually every hour.

"He could have taken that worse, I guess," he said while driving. Mort was in the passenger's seat with his bare feet on the dashboard, and Gwen in the back.

"You know I've always found him a bit of a bore," Mort remarked, blowing smoke out of the window.

"Yeah, and I always kicked his ass in athletics," said Gwen. Mort and Martin laughed.

Martin's belly, pressing against the steering wheel, let out a loud rumble.

"I'm really hungry, guys. Mind if we stop for food?"

"Poor thing, we can't have you wasting away," said Mort, rubbing Martin's belly, causing Martin to blush.

"I saw a sign back there," said Gwen; "What d'you say we turn this into a foodie road trip?"

The End