Chapter 1 - bliss

"You are soo sexy..." Her voice hit his ears, but somehow, the words fell flat. He didn't feel sexy. He never had. How could she coo to him like he was some Adonis? He knew the truth. He had always known the truth.

He kissed her on the forehead to placate her and rolled out of the bed. His bare feet sank into the carpet in the hallway. The light in the bathroom was already on, much to his dismay. He hadn't cared to look in the mirror, but now he had no choice. The face that looked back at him was handsome enough. Dark brown eyes, the color of hot chocolate but with the brilliance of the boardwalk after a rain, paired nicely with his jet black hair. It was starting to get long; he could see curls beginning to form around his ears. He swept them aside with a sigh, his hand brushing past his double chin in the process. He hated that damn thing, all that soft fat resting on his shoulders, all but obscuring his neck. His eyes continued downward, taking in a flabby chest spattered with acne and wiry black hair. My boobs are bigger than hers, for Christ's sake... He prodded the soft pads of fat with disgust, let them fall back into place, almost staring at him in the wan light as if to say, "You're stuck with me, pal. Better get used to it." He sighed yet again as his eyes reached his belly. His belly...that huge monstrosity of a thing that hung nearly to his knees, all fat, droopy, hairy. During the day, he wore black jeans up over his belly button and a black shirt in a pathetic attempt to hide his years of gluttony and self-pity. But at night, here in the bathroom, alone and naked, he could see himself for exactly what he was. He slipped his hands beneath his massive stomach, lifted it, poked it, squeezed it, hating himself more and more with every touch. A few tears began to gather in his eyes. It was a hopeless situation. It wasn't like he hadn't tried to lose the weight. Years of failed diets and cheesy 80's workout tapes had just left him even more depressed and disgusted with himself. He sniffled a little, then gasped as a small pair of hands suddenly found themselves around his waist.

"You alright, baby?" She poked her head around his shoulder; he could barely see her reflected in the mirror, her small stature leaving the top of her head about level with his chest.

"Y-yeah. Fine." He tried to force a reassuring smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. Her cute little smile faded a little, the light in her eyes flickering with a mixture of curiosity and sadness. She turned him around to face her, her hands coming to rest on his huge love handles, one of her favorite parts of his body.

"You're lying." She cupped his face in her petite hand, rubbing his cheek with her thumb, feeling the day's scruff as it scratched against her skin.

He put a hand on top of hers, avoiding her eyes. He knew where this conversation was going to go. They'd had it several times before. She would reassure him of how sexy she found him. He would fake a smile and tell her that he knew it. She would be satisfied, give him a kiss, and they would go back to sleep as if nothing had happened.

"Sweetheart...." She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, then snuggled her face into his chest, sinking her hands into his soft body as she did so. He sighed and put his arms around her, pulling her tighter into him. The girl did mean well. And there was no denying how much she cared for him, and, really, how much he cared for her in return. "You still don't believe me, do you?" Her voice was muffled by his body, but he was able to make out her words well enough.

"Hmm?"

It was her turn to sigh. She pulled away and held him at arm's length. She looked him up and down, starting at about his belly button and working her way up to his eyes with a painful slowness. He could feel his face burning under her gaze. When her eyes finally met his, his heart stopped for a moment. Just a moment, but in that brief second, that beat of his heart, he finally understood. Everything she'd been telling him for months, all the cooing and the coddling, all the affection she'd shown him, it was all there in her bright little eyes. Every bit of it had been genuine. His gaze softened for the first time since they'd met, and her smile returned, relief washing away the usual hint of sorrow in her eyes.

He pulled her close, tighter to him than he ever had. She let out a sigh of contentment, squeezed his fat sides, nuzzled into his chest.


This was bliss.