Chapter 1 - a bit of a confession

(In celebration of the Supreme Court's ruling on same-sex marriage, I offer this reposted, newly edited story.)

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On our first date at the coffeeshop, Leonard told me he had been slender since college. "Slender" doesn't begin to describe the downright scrawny boy I saw before me. He was six feet tall and 140 pounds. When I first saw him in a tight tshirt, his ribs showed, and there was just no meat on his bones whatsover. I could count every rib.

As he ate donut after donut, the white soft cream sticking to his perfectly-shaped lips, I couldn't help but think of Leonard as a challenge.

My name is Hal, and this is the story of my most amazing relationship with Leonard.

Leonard was just discovering himself when I met him. Although there had been opportunities in college, he had never actually sought out a gay lover until he met me.

And I brought him not only out of the closet but also into my kitchen and dining room, so to speak.

We met through a blind date, suggested by a mutual friend, Linda. She gave me his phone number and said, "He may be the one for you, Hal, but go slow." That evening, Leonard and I talked over the phone. We talked a lot about food, and he mentioned how he loved to eat. This really intrigued me.

"I love to eat a lot also," I said. "Actually, I have about 30 pounds I should lose." I was lying to him. I had much more to lose than that. "Does that bother you?" I asked.

"No," Leonard said, a bit of excitement in his voice. Then, he cleared his throat. "To tell you the truth, I am a bit of a chubby chaser. I have always enjoyed the idea of a man with a more than a little meat on his bones. So, do you have a potbelly or what?" He paused. "Oh, I have never told that to anyone. I am a bit embarrassed."

"No reason to be embarrassed," I said, trying to sooth him a little. "You and I may have a lot in common. Anyway, as Popeye would say, 'I yam what I yam!' And yes, I have a bit of a pot."

We laughed together and made arrangements to meet for coffee the following evening.

I fell for Leonard the moment I saw him, love at first sight - despite his scarecrow appearance and the blue suit which hung on his bony shoulders like it would on a wire hanger. His shirt was black, and he had a gold tie, showing off his blue eyes and blond hair. He had the face of a mythical Greek god, truly stunning.

"Oh," he said when he saw me. "I guess I overdressed." I was stuffed into my too-tight tshirt and jeans which were struggling to contain my bulging waistline. He looked me up and down before saying, "You're plumper than I imagined." He smiled sweetly, such a beautiful mouth, all bow-shaped dark red lips and white teeth.

"Oh, I suppose I shaded the truth a little on the phone," I chuckled, feeling my fleshy gut bounce and jiggle. "I guess I have more than 30 pounds to lose." I chuckled, then added, "Well, maybe 50 or 60 or 80."

Indeed, at 5'8", I weighed nearly 230 pounds. We drank coffee, and I watched him eat three stuffed Boston Creams in about 15 minutes. I did not eat, telling him that I had just had a huge meal -- another little lie, but I was so intrigued with watching him pack away so many calories, I really didn't feel hungry.

"Sorry for being such a pig," he said, his mouth full of the last donut as he took a drink of coffee.

"You have such a great appetite, your metabolism must be awesome," I said.

"I can eat and eat and never gain," he said, patting his flat stomach.

We made small talk about our interests, music, politics, and I was careful not to reveal too much about myself. Not yet anyway. We seemed very compatible, and we made arrangements to meet for dinner at my place the next week.

I welcomed Leonard into my apartment, greeting him with a big glass of wine at the door. The aroma of food hit his nose full force, and I watched him smile with a heavenly look on his face. I led him into the dining room, where his eyes widened at the feast I had prepared for him.

On the dinner table was a seven-course meal, including incredibly tempting desserts. Leonard circled the table, noticing my many plaques and awards for cooking contests on the walls.

What I had not yet told him was that I am a restaurant and wine critic for a local entertainment blog site. On the wall also was my degree from a French culinary school.

"Wow, very impressive," Leonard said.

"Yeah, it was while learning to be a chef that I got this," I said, patting my rotund belly, looking all the more pronounced in my tight kitchen apron tied in the back. "Let's eat while the food is still hot," I said, pulling a chair out for my guest.

We sat down to dinner and pleasant conversation. After about an hour, Leonard pushed himself back from the table a bit. He looked completely and utterly stuffed. And he had yet to get around to dessert.

"I must say I have never had a more incredible meal," he announced. "But . . . ," he burped loudly, ". . . I simply cannot eat any more."

"Nonsense," I said to him. "I remember you eating those donuts. I know you have a sweet tooth."

"I am stuffed, really," he insisted as I pushed a chocolate pie across the table toward him.

"I can see I'm going to have to work on improving your appetite," I chuckled. "I like men who are healthy eaters. How else can I indulge my love for cooking?"

"I will try to eat some dessert after a while. Let's rest first."

We retired to the living room where we gazed into each other's eyes and made some brief chit chat about sports or some such thing before the talk turned to sex.

"I am very attracted to you," I told him. "I hope you don't think me too forward. I can see us becoming close friends and even lovers."

"I like you too," he said, his eyes a bit glazed from all the food and wine.

"I just have one concern," I said a bit nervously.

"What is it?" he said as I filled his wineglass.

"Well, I have a bit of a confession to make." I paused a bit afraid to go on.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have become just soooo sooo lazy lately. I wish I could become fat and lazy, but that's a whole other topic.

This story was inspired by an obscure anonymous weight gain story involving a heterosexual couple. It was probably written 10-20 years ago, but I always liked how the relationship was so beautifully written in such a wonderful vignette. I want to continue exploring yaoi writing, and this seems a great way to do so.

For a lazy wanna-be-fatty like me, that is.