The peak of health

Chapter 1 - The Peak Of Health

(Repost from ao3)

Jesse Johnson never thought he’d end up like this. It just sort of… happened.

He was never slim; just under six feet and reaching adulthood at 170 pounds, he always had at least a layer of soft fat on his body. He moved away for college, got a surprisingly well paying job for the college and, after dropping the sports he’d played his whole life, he packed on the freshman fifty before winter break.

Since his weight was no longer monitored by family or by coaches looking for him to improve his game, he didn’t really keep track of his weight, especially not while he went to ragers and drank his weight in cola and beer once a week. So, he didn’t pay attention when his clothes got a little too tight, or when they began riding up constantly. Just barely noticed when his shirts consistently sat right at his bellybutton instead of his hipbones. Maybe he acknowledged a bit of weight, but he figured that a wardrobe change was all he needed. He may just be growing into his adult body.

But that didn’t do much other than prolong the process. He didn’t change his habits, never made an effort to eat less. If anything, he ate more, since his increasingly soft body kept asking for more just to be able to sustain it. Then, even when he was at his limit, he’d think, another slice couldn’t hurt. Just another bowl, another milkshake, another sandwich. He’d stay later at parties, accept any dare he was given and, as a result, drink as many kegs of beer he could just because he could.

So the freshman fifty became the freshman hundred, then the sophomore seventy-five, and by the time he had enough credits for his associate’s, he’d ballooned up to three hundred and eighty pounds. His belly was firm at the top and on the sides from a beer gut, but the bottom was soft, the softness wrapping around his hips in one big roll of fat. His neck was thicker and jiggled when he spoke, and his gait became a little more laborious to accommodate the shift in his center of gravity. The clothes he’d bought less than a year prior were now riding up just the same, seams all strained and creaking with each move. His dorm always had empty soda bottles everywhere, mostly two-liter bottles that he drank all on his own.

He still didn’t notice. Didn’t pay too much mind when he had to go clothes shopping again, or when his belly was continuously entering his room a moment before he did, or when he drank an entire two liter of soda in the car on his way home from the supermarket. He didn’t notice that, when he went back to school his junior year, everyone looked at him with sympathy, nor did he notice when people pushed more food his way on instinct because they just knew he’d be hungry enough for it. He never noticed how he’d leave parties a bloated and burping mess, staggering to the gas station for snacks and eating them all before even stepping into his dorm, nor when he cleaned out every bowl of Halloween candy put in front of him during the month of October. He never noticed that his dorm was always stocked with- and, subsequently, running out of- two liters of soda, candies, chips, and various other fatty snacks.

Soon enough, spring rolled around and though the parties slowed, his appetite stormed forward. He began sneaking snacks into his lectures, paying no mind to how his belly now pushed him further back from his desk and how his legs spilled over the sides of his chair. Most people on campus knew they’d always see him with some snack or soda in his hand, and anyone that happened to have bought too much for themselves began just handing any extra food to him, leaving him delighted in the kindness of a stranger. He’d burp and hiccup as he walked, always so full that any movement would cause gas to form and escape. After a while, he began absentmindedly laying his hand on his belly, since it always needed a good rub. He would regularly order multiple pizzas and lots of soda, clearing it all out in one evening.

By summer he was barrelling toward five hundred pounds, and he was finally starting to notice the changes in his body. He’d linger in front of a mirror every once in a while, looking at all the stretch marks across the belly that hung in front of his thighs. His hands would rub the firm top part, moving just right to prompt a belch out of his belly. His back arched forwards, attempting to balance all the weight while pushing it out and making his gut more pronounced. He didn’t think he liked it, but he didn’t particularly mind it. His clothes were getting small again though; his jeans were straining to keep his wobbling ass contained and his shirts always wound up above his bellybutton after a decent meal.

One new wardrobe and a summer later, Jesse was over thirty pounds heavier and ready for his last year in college. One last rager season, and he had to make it count. All the regular party houses knew him by name, and began planning for his arrival with extra bottles of soda and kegs of beer just for him. He’d clear out a few two liters and a couple kegs before he left each one, waddling and heaving his way down the road to another party with more to drink, belly sloshing side to side, the movement causing a constant string of belches to erupt out into the night. He’d walk into another house, let out nothing but a loud belch to announce his arrival, and instantly everyone would be swarming him with cheap treats and booze. And, once he cleared out that house, he’d escape into the night to do it all again.

He barely paid attention to how his heart was beating out of his chest when he walked, how he wheezed and belched in perfect time with his wobbling gut and sweat like a racehorse in the chilled night air. He barely paid attention when he could sit in the kitchen at a party and people would swarm him, daring him to drink another soda, to eat more candy. He barely paid attention when he binged on clearanced candy at home and only felt like he’d eaten an average meal, despite the thousands of empty calories inside his belly. He barely noticed when people at work began giving him looks or when his hips began brushing every doorframe he entered. He barely paid attention when he got dared to do a pushup and his belly prevented him from doing even one, the attempt adding undue pressure on a bloated belly and pushing out a loud belch.

Between Halloween candy, savory meals during Thanksgiving, and all the Christmas cake, cookies, and eggnog, he stayed full all through the holidays and into the new year. The final rager of the season was held new year’s eve, where Jesse packed away more booze into his gut than he knew what to do with. He spent the whole party wobbling around, his belly sloshing with so much beer in it, burping every few seconds. No one kissed him- but he didn’t mind. He was busy working on one last keg before he left.

The last semester was the home stretch- just a few more months until he could be completely independent. He tried to stop all the partying and gorging to focus on his studies, tried not to be distracted by food during classes, tried not to keep his belly fit to bursting during his every waking hour, but it was no use. He was a creature of habit, and neglecting his belly’s cry for food was like neglecting a delicate routine. Even a day of restriction would make him feel like he was going to starve to death, so he decided to just embrace it.

He ate his way through exams, and on his last days of school, he continued to ignore the signs that maybe he should take cutting back more seriously. He ignored how his heart pounded as he waddled across campus, how just changing classes got him out of breath, how none of the desks could fit his growing mass. He ignored that he was almost always a burping mess, that he was probably going to get transferred to remote work because he no longer fit in the chair at work. No, he got through it and waited for graduation, excited to see his family again as they were coming to see him walk the stage.

Graduation came, and Jesse’s not sure how he got here.

Even though gowns were sized in advance, and he was assured that the garment would fit him, he put the gown on before the ceremony and checked the mirror- seeing the sure outline of his large belly hanging in front of his knees. The gown clung to his curves, and he stood there in disbelief. He couldn’t have gained that much between the fitting and the ceremony, right? He was fitted over spring break, not even two months prior.

He stripped, still in the comfort of his own dorm, and stepped on the scale out of curiosity. He finally noticed how hard it was to see past his belly, having to maneuver it out of the way to see. He weighed at five-eighty-two over spring break, there was no way it was any more than a ten pound gain…

641.

He gained sixty pounds in two months.

Sighing, he shrugged. Nothing he could do about it now. So, he got dressed- the clothes were too small again, he finally noticed. Buttoning his dress shirt was a pain, but he got it done, tucking his belly into a straining pair of slacks. He was equal parts shocked and elated that he was able to find velcro dress shoes, now that he noticed that his fingers may be too fat to tie a shoe. Once dressed, he slipped the gown back on and grabbed his cap before he headed out to his car.

He finally noticed how hard he wheezed just walking from his dorm to his car, how the two thin layers of dress clothes and a gown made him sweat buckets. He finally noticed that, even with the seat pushed all the way back, his belly pressed against the wheel and made it impossible to buckle himself in. He just hummed, looking at his belly and just taking it in for the first time. A hand rubbed back and forth over the crest of it, his eyes looking on in an odd look of respect- respect for its own dedication to such a task, dedication to fatness and to hunger. He then realized just how hungry he was and looked at the clock- he had time.

Before going to the venue, he headed through a drive thru and got as many greasy burgers as he would, parking in the lot and scarfing all of them down. His belly bulged out more and he felt his buttons straining under his gown, but he mentally reassured himself. There was no way his buttons would pop.

Once he was done there, he headed to the venue, parking as close as he could, though it was still a considerable walk from the door. He sighed and slowly got out of his car, his heart already beginning to pick up the pace just from that task. The walk to the door was slow and rough- his heart pounded in his ears, he wheezed each breath, and, by the time he got to the door, he was so out of breath that he needed to lean against the wall before heading in to collect himself. It took another ten or fifteen minutes of walking before he got to his seat, panting and letting his body finally rest after so much hard work.

The ceremony began, so Jesse let himself relax during the speeches, getting more confidence about walking the stage. It took over an hour for all the speeches to be spoken and for the announcer to get to his row. Once his row was called to the back of the line, he heaved himself up and waddled as fast as his already weak legs could carry himself to said line. He was wheezing again, slowly moving as the people at the beginning of the line each walked the stage.

Finally, it got to his name, and he laboriously climbed the stairs onto the stage, walking over and receiving his diploma. He glanced up at the screen that showed the stage for anyone too far back to see, and witnessed a sight at true overindulgence- there he was, sweaty, red-faced, and gown stained both with sweat and grease from his meal in his car earlier. He looked ahead again and headed off stage as he was directed, making his way back to his seat.

The ceremony dragged on after that. Once it was finished, however, the students were all released to go find their parents. Jesse heaved himself up and started towards the crowd, wheezing as the crowd of students parted ways when he approached. His thick legs pounded against the concrete, one slow step after the other, all his fat wobbling in his too-tight gown.

His mother and father stood at the edge of the seating area, looking around worriedly for their son. Once they spotted him, they looked at him in horror. Their once average-bodied son now wheezed with each breath and was sweating just from the short walk over to them.

“Jesse!” His mother said, hugging him. “We’ve missed you, why did you never visit?”

Jesse chuckled. “I’m sorry, I was a little too busy with my, uh… studies.” He now knew damn well that was not the case, but his parents didn’t point that out.

“You’ve… grown,” his father pointed out. His father sported a portly beer gut, easily almost sixty inches around, so Jesse wasn’t sure he had any room to talk, but he didn’t point that out.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Jesse patted his large belly. “There’s a nice steakhouse down the road if you want to grab a bite to eat so we can catch up?”

“That would be lovely, we saw it on our way in.” His mother nodded.

Jesse made the laborious walk back to his car, wheezing and coughing as he pulled off the tight gown. He looked down at his straining buttons, getting a bad feeling about just how strained they were. Nevertheless, he squeezed back into his car, noticing that it bowed on the driver’s side when he got in, and headed off to the steakhouse.

It didn’t take long for the family to get seated once they were all there. His dad suggested a table, but Jesse insisted he’d be fine at a booth. And, after a few minutes of squeezing, he was able to get into said booth, but not without a solid mound of his belly being pressed above the table, dividing his belly in two sections.

The waiter came over and asked about drinks and appetizers. Jesse’s mom got water, while Jesse and his father both got beer, Jesse getting the bottomless glass. He also asked for three separate appetizers, earning startled looks from his parents.

While his parents just sipped on their drinks and nibbled on appetizers between small talk, Jesse was downing glass after glass of beer and all three main appetizers before the waiter even came back to ask about entrees.

“Did you not eat this morning?” His mother asked with an awkward laugh, trying to break the tension.

“No, I-” he hiccupped and let out a loud burp, the beer making his stomach swell a bit, “I did. Had like, ten cheeseburgers before the ceremony.” He kept eating, letting his parents control the conversation.

Once the waiter came over to take their orders, Jesse made the ultimate decision. He was fat. Morbidly obese. So disgustingly overweight that he’d probably never be thin again. So, if he was going to remain this way, he shouldn’t resist. He ordered three separate entrees for himself- a steak, a pasta, and a salmon, making sure all three would be adequately buttered and served with greasy, fatty fries. He also ordered one last appetizer to tide him over while he waited for the entrees.

“Maybe you should cut back,” his father said. “You’re the size of four people, son.”

Jesse shrugged, shoving a potato skin in his mouth. “I know. I don’t mind.” He chewed and swallowed, his left hand rubbing the crest of his belly. “I’m just always hungry.”

“Clearly,” his mother muttered, watching warily as the waiter brought over a large tray with all the food.

It took less than an hour for Jesse to finish everything. He started asking for soda instead of beer, figuring he should be at least a little cautious. He let the various juices and sauces from his meals drip onto his shirt, not caring if it stained. It’s not like he’d need to wear this shirt again. He just ate like a ravenous wolf, calling the waiter over just before he finished to put in a dessert order. He downed another glass of soda and rubbed his belly, letting out a loud belch and letting his belly relax for a moment-

Pop!

His button flew off, hitting his mother in the forehead. He chuckled, looking down at where his gut now bulged out of the shirt. She scoffed, looking at him incredulously. He seemed unaffected, still rubbing his exposed belly to soothe it.

“Sorry, I figured that was going to happen. This shirt doesn’t fit well.” Jesse still kept the situation light.

“Son, you need to hold back,” his father pleaded. “Your body can’t handle this, when was the last time you weighed yourself?”

“This morning before I left,” Jesse answered simply, finishing off the gooey pasta before him. “Six-forty-one.”

“How did this happen?!” His mother said, appearing to be on the verge of tears.

Jesse looked at his belly and hummed, shrugging. “I don’t know. I guess I partied a lot, always did keggers… Got a lot of takeout… kept drinking soda…” He rubbed his belly with a smile, remembering what he could of college fondly. All the times he was too full to stand, his belly churning and sloshing as three separate people would have to pull him to his feet. All the times he sat at home, putting away thousands of calories worth of ice cream and pizza. “It was fun. I liked it.”

The waiter came back, setting the dessert on the table. Jesse began digging in, to his parents’ chagrin. It took only ten minutes of silent gorging for him to finish, declaring himself done with a loud burp that made heads turn towards him. “Alright, Pa, you ought to come help me up. This beast can’t get up on its own,” he still laughed, finding the situation funny.

His father shook his head in shame, but helped his son out of the tight booth nonetheless. Jesse thanked him and exhaled, his full belly putting more strain on his shirt and pants, ripping off another couple buttons and popping his pants open. He looked at his belly fondly, rubbing the red marks where his clothes dug into him. “Finally, that’s much better.”

His parents walked him out of the restauraunt, now witnessing firsthand exactly how far his body had deteriorated. He was wheezing by the time he got to the door, his heart pounding in his ears as he waddled through the parking lot. His belly led the way, wobbling side to side like a metronome to a slow, sluggish song. His parents just watched as he leaned against his car to catch his breath, as he opened the door and carefully slid in, as his car creaked and nearly bowed under his weight. It took him a few tries to shut the door since his fat got in the way.

In the end, Jesse was unsure exactly how this had happened. He started college thin and eager to start his own life. He graduated with a wobbling belly, hips so wide he now regularly got stuck in doorframes, a roll of fat for a neck and a strained heart. His lungs threatened to collapse under the weight of his body, and he could practically feel his arteries clog with each greasy meal of pizza and soda. His new apartment reeked of burps from all the soda and beer he drank, becoming so intoxicated every night that he’d routinely eat all of the food in his apartment without thinking. Walking takes too much effort anymore, and whenever he’s given the option, he opts for a motorized scooter over a regular cart.

He was the peak of health, he thought. He didn’t know why he needed three two-liters of soda to satisfy himself. He didn’t know why he would regularly get stuck in the door to his bathroom, or in his bathtub, or in his armchair. He didn’t know why the suspension in his car gave out, or why the door now bowed outwards from the rest of the car. He really didn’t know why he could feel his heart straining just when he walked out to his fridge for a third midnight snack.

No, Jesse was fine. He just had a bit of a slow metabolism. Everybody gains the freshman fifteen.