Chapter 1 - A Hungry Halloween

This is a semi-realistic romance and the weight gain will be non-linear -- peaks, valleys and plateaus -- while focusing on the two lovebirds.

***

Bess looked amazing, Merrick thought, but then, he always thought that. Her Halloween costume was mostly sweet, a kind of ethereal fairy or something, but the pastel blue corset that pushed her boobs up added a soupcon of slutty to her look. She was giggling Gay Greg – a self-imposed title – and his boyfriend along with a few of the other theatre majors.

Technically, Merrick should have been with them. He was double majoring in theatre and creative writing, with big dreams of plays, movies and novels published under his name. Those classmates were his friends and usually good company. But he sat alone, nursing a beer and trying desperately to ignore the bowl of candy by his elbow.

It had been a rough year. He’d decided to take an extra class last spring to dedicate more time to his senior project this year, and while he’d done well in all his courses, the stress had taken a toll. His already chubby – no, to be quite honest, fat – body ballooned into a truly fat – no, obese, immense, enormous were all more accurate – man’s. He’d tried to lose the weight over the summer, but ended up with an internship at a local theatre company as an assistant director. The long hours on his butt had meant he grazed nonstop on whatever the vending machine held, but the show had been a wild success. He’d gotten a glowing reference from his supervisor, and an invitation to direct his own show when he graduated, so maybe the weight gain had been worth it.

Merrick really wasn’t sure about it though. He’d had to buy new clothes a few times as he swelled out of his old size, 3x, to 4x, to 5x and now even that was getting tight on him. His arms stuck out at his sides, lifted by the thick roll of fat that had met with his moobs and now banded his torso. Even his upper arms had rolls, a thick crease in halfway between shoulder and elbow as his body searched for new places to pack on fat. His thighs had a similar roll that forced his legs apart, as if his belly wasn’t doing that enough.

Ugh, and his damn belly, the piece de resistance of his rapid weight gain. It was riddled with stretch marks ranging from silver to an angry red, though Palmer’s vitamin E oil seemed to be helping to fade them. It pushed his legs wide and hung down a few inches over his belt while still pushing forward, entering every room a few seconds before he did.

He’d started walking a few minutes a day, hoping the exercise would take a few pounds off. It didn’t. His walks had become a little longer, and a little longer, but though his legs were stronger he hadn’t lost an inch.

That said, standing was exhausting so he sat, and all of his energy right now was being redirected to his will power. Though he could drain a six pack and barely get a buzz thanks to his size, he was limiting himself to two beers and no snacks. Merrick was absolutely miserable, the bleak, sharp kind of misery that was only honed by being alone in the company of the happy and carefree. If being hungry would help get him the internships, connections and opportunities he needed though, he’d willingly starve.

Though he *really* wished he didn’t have to. He sighed glumly and watched Bess and his friends goof off. He liked the other people in his program, but Bess was special, and not just because she was gorgeous. Barely five three with a dramatically hourglass shaped figure, she was serious about acting and playful about everything else. While everyone still peeked at their script the week before dress rehearsals, she was off book in the second week. Her performances made audiences sob, or crack up so hard that the actors had to wait several seconds before their next line lest they be drowned out by the uproarious laughter.

Sometimes, in the wee, small hours, he’d fantasize about being a big name director and getting to cast Bess in Oscar winning movies, making her dreams come true. Even then he barely allowed himself to fantasize about what he really wanted: holding her, kissing her, telling her just how special she was in his heart. They were good friends, and they’d shared many heart to heart conversations, but he knew she’d never want a blimp like him.

Okay, he reminded himself. Stay strong, don’t eat junk, take walks, and maybe next year you’ll look like an average dude and maybe then he could… and maybe then she might… the Maybes tended to follow each other in a depressing train.

He was considering whether he should leave when Bess half pranced, half stumbled over to him. She was definitely tipsy and threw her arms around him in a big hug. Merrick was used to that, to the theatre girls treating him like a fat, sexless mascot and another surge of depression tainted the sweet comfort of her embrace. Then, she really surprised him. She sat on his lap, balancing on one of his thick thighs.

He wished he could shrink and disappear. He wished he had gotten up to leave several minutes ago. He was the fattest he’d ever been and the most beautiful woman he’d ever known was pressed into his blubber.

“Hey Merrick,” she said, raising her voice in the loud party. “Why aren’t you hanging out with us? Wanna come dance with me?”

*Dance?* Jesus, he’d bring the house down if he started to move too much. “Nah, I’m just chilling. I’m going to head out soon.”

Bess frowned, not the playful pout he’d seen her use, but a sincere expression. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m just… I’m self-conscious.” He shut his mouth before he said more. In the past, they’d shared their insecurities and fears. Bess had some idea of how much shit he’d had to put up with for being a big guy, but at this size he was on another level.

“Aww, Merrick,” she said and patted his arm. “It’s a Halloween party. Indulge a little. I’ll stand right by you and beat up anyone who says anything.” Her lovely slim hand gestured at the bowl of candy by his side.

He replied, “I really want to eat better this year. I want to look at least okay at interviews after we graduate.”

“You look okay right now. Better than okay, I think you look good,” she said. Merrick swore her eyes looked soft and affectionate, though maybe it was just the punch in her system.

He shook his head ruefully, his caramel brown curls bouncing with the movement. “Bess, you’re always really nice to me, but you don’t have to lie. I’m the biggest I’ve ever been.”

Her eyes looked a little sad despite her smile. Bess leaned in closer. “I know, and I think you look good.”

Merrick flushed, his already rosy cheeks going bright red. He stammered and plucked at his clothes, unable to form words. Her bottom, soft yet lithe with the muscles of a trained performer, felt so good on his huge thigh. Shivers ran through him every time she shifted, especially now as she leaned against his big belly.

“So, what would help you realize that you looked good? To feel like you could enjoy yourself?” Her lips were inches from his ear, and her hand rested on his chest, just above the swollen curve of his belly. She reached across him clumsily and her breasts grazed the outer swell of his gut unconsciously, teasing him with their full softness. Bess picked up a piece of candy and looked into his eyes as she unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth. “You’re sure you don’t want one?”

His teeth sank into his fleshy lower lip. The bowl was full of his favorites, peanut butter cups, chocolates filled with caramel and fondant, and long stalks of red licorice. Her eyes pleaded with him, and she plucked a peanut butter cup from the bowl and held it up to him. Finally, he sighed and said, “I do.” He held his hand out, palm up, expecting her to drop it into his grasp.

Instead, she unwrapped it and leaned against him with a conspiratorial grin. “Open up,” she giggled. This felt like something out of a dream. He opened his mouth slowly while she gazed intently into his eyes. A sweet, subtle smile played on her lips, and it deepened when he closed his mouth, chewed and swallowed. “More?”

Merrick felt like they were in a quiet bubble surrounded by the noisy party, full of drunk, happy college students. The tipsy girl in his lap was looking at him like he was the center of the world, and damn it, yes, if he had to admit it he wanted more. He’d skipped dinner in a vain attempt at looking smaller, and his belly growled.

She even giggled at that. What was happening? He looked back at all the times that they’d hung out and nothing like this had ever happened. Well, except for the time she told him it was cute when a guy had a big appetite after he’d eaten a whole pizza by himself. Oh, and the other time she fell asleep on his belly while they were on a Star Trek binge. And then there was that time she’d asked him to the winter dance and barely left his side the whole evening. And then… several dozen other instances bubbled up in his memory. At the time, he’d thought she was just being affectionate – she was with her theatre friends in general – and that it would be impossible for her to be interested in him.

Merrick suddenly felt very, very stupid.

And very, very, *very* hungry.

Without breaking eye contact, he drained the last of his beer. An unfamiliar and very risky impulse arose.

“Do you want to get out of here?” he heard himself say. He felt like someone else was controlling him. “We could go back to my room and… hang out.”

“And eat candy?” she asked mischievously.

Merrick looked around the party, and at the candy that few others had touched while they saved room for borgs and jungle juice. “Let’s take the bowl,” he said decisively. It was like the side of him that made him such a damn good director suddenly sat up and took charge of the situation.

“Okay,” said Bess with a disbelieving giggle and followed him out of the room. They departed from the house party into the chilly October night. Bess shivered in her flimsy costume as the sweat on her body suddenly cooled.

“Come here,” said Merrick and held an arm out. He felt drunk even though he knew he wasn’t, but this courage was coming from somewhere. She let out a happy sigh and trotted under his arm. Her own, much slimmer arm wrapped around his back as far as it could go. To his great surprise and delight, her hand floated down to the bulging roll over his belt, the huge, blubbery ring that connected his back fat to his lower belly, and stroked it fondly.

He wasn’t so sheltered that fat admirers were unfamiliar to him, but he’d just never expected to find one in his own backyard, so to speak. Merrick pulled Bess in closer, squishing her into his soft body. She looked up at him with bright, sparkling eyes.

“That’s better,” she cooed, and nestled her head against his moob. Her small hands were in constant motion over his blubber, each caress feeling like a compliment and filling him with pride and happiness.

And so, bowl of candy under one arm, gorgeous girl under the other, Merrick walked back to his apartment in a very different mood than he’d left it.