Chapter 2 - giving in

It was amazing and at the same time a little disgusting how right his friend should be. Two months after his arrival in the capital of the known world, Quintus didn’t recognize himself, both in terms of how smooth he had become on the societal parquet and the toll all the festivities and orgies had taken on him. His whole body had turned soft. The damage seemed to be greatest to his midsection. Where once years of training and exercise had formed hard muscle and abs, there was now a doughy, pillowy flab expanding, even standing out a little over the belt of his tunic. However, everything else was running exactly as planned. Apparently, Rome and its senators where really ready for a man of the military.

»This is an important evening. Gaius is one of the most influential senators in current history. It is an honour, that he wants to meet you. Also, this is a family occasion, which marks it as even more special. His oldest son will leave to earn his own merits in one of the provinces.« Appius seemed more thrilled than usually at the prospect of making a total hog of himself in public.
A few hours later, Quintus found himself at a lavish country house a little outside of the city, greeted by the fattest man he had ever seen.
»Appius. What a pleasure. And I see you brought me the new man of the hour. Quintus, I assume?«
Before he had the chance to say anything at all, the other man continued, »how nice of you to follow the invitation to my humble home.«
They joined an assembly of around ten men, all of them resting on divans. It wasnt difficult to pick out Gaius three sons among them. Soon, the evening started to evolve as Quintus had learned it would. Gaius honoured him to be his first vis-a-vis, chatting with him about this and that and though the more experienced man hid it well, Quintus perceived his attempt to learn more about his political views. Overall, Quintus was of the opinion he managed well enough, rolling himself to a divan a little more distant to heir host to allow the next poor fellow to try his luck.
However, together with desert, the women of the family arrived in the hall with the high ceiling, something that had never happened at any of the other festivities he had been invited to.
Gaius wife led their way, followed by, what Quintus assumed were the wives of his eldest two sons. Only after that came the most beautiful woman he had ever set eyes on. She held her voluptuous form upright and walked gracefully behind the other women. Her full honey-blonde hair waving in curls down her back. Her full cheeks where of the colour of sweet peaches and her plump lips where curved into an absent smile.
Servants handed out plates with deserts and Quintus lost sight of the beautiful girl, being involved with two other strategically important business men, Appius had introduced him to.
He was full to the brim, when he finally fled to the divan at the far most corner of the hall, near the alleyway to the terrace to rest his swollen body. He stared at the sky full of stars outside, shining over the lights of the city in the distance. Was this really worth it? He felt a little ashamed of himself, fattening himself up while smearing honey around the top crowd just to belong. Was this really him?
Someone cleared his throat next to him. »I am sorry. I didn’t want to startle you.«
He turned his face to the newcomer and hold in his breath. It was the beautiful girl from earlier. He tried to sit up straight, feeling his crammed belly pressing against the fabric of his tunic. »Hello. We have not been introduced. My name is Quintus.«
She smiled shyly. »I know who you are. May I sit with you for a while?«
He shifted himself a little, so there was room on the bench for her as well. He couldn’t else but notice how taut the material of her dress stretched over her midsection when she sat down beside him.
»I am Flavia. Gaius second-born daughter.«
»I am honoured by your presence, but isn’t it a bit unusual, that you sit here with a total stranger?«
She smiled again. Her eyes flew over his desert plate that hasn’t been touched yet. »I come with a proposition from my father. And this is a family orgy. There are no strangers here.«
He frowned. »A proposition from Gaius himself, hm?«
»Yes. But you are right. Probably we should learn to know each other a little better before talking business.« She took one of the sweet dumplings and towed it towards his lips. He parted them automatically, feeling the slightest tip of her fingers sending a jolt to every inch of his body.
She smiled innocently. »He wants you to train my brother Gaius for his mission in the provinces. He still has four weeks and my father wishes him to return, preferably unharmed.«
Quintus noticed the concern in her voice and wanted to calm her. He grabbed for another sweet dumpling and this time, he brought it to her lips. As soon, as she had swallowed, he took a cup of sweet cream and set it to her lips as well. He felt himself harden as she emptied the whole cup in one go.
Flavia beamed at him, still a drop of cream in the corner of her mouth. »Now it is your turn again.«
»I don’t think I can take any more.«
She looked at his protruding gut. »May I?«
Unsure about the level of self-control he was still able to exercise, he just nodded. Flavia’s hands started to massage his heavy belly softly. He belched several times, but finally he felt a little less stressed.
»Now now, there is a little room again. It would certainly impress my father, if you could empty the desert plate.«
He shook his head at the fully loaded plate in front of him. »I really want to impress Gaius, alone to be able to see you again, but this is a thing of impossibility.«
She chuckled. »Will you help my brother?«
He nodded.
»Then I will help you a little.« She made him lay down on the divan, to make more room for his belly and then started to feed him. Every now and then, Flavia allowed him to feed her some of the treats as well. After a while, when he felt about ready to burst, she had mercy and started to stuff herself instead of him. They were pretty far away from the next divan and therefore had a certain degree of privacy. When Flavia was almost done with the rest of the plate and her breathing came strained, he laid his flat hand on her gut, feeling how full she was. She didn’t push him away, but instead shifted a little, so that her plump belly pressed a little into his own. A moan escaped him and he started to stroke over the taut fabric of her dress.
A gong sounded through the hall. Hastily Flavia rose, her cheeks now more the colour of ripe apples. She tried to hold herself as upright as before, but he could clearly see the heavy round of her belly only insufficiently hidden by the blue silk of her dress.