Gone Soft

Ch. 4 - Friends.

A few weeks had passed since then, and I and Austin had grown even closer, he was my only friend and I was his. Yes, occasionally people would give us stares in the hall as we walked together, but nothing serious. We had first, second, and seventh periods together, so afterward we would often walk home together since neither one of us had our license. Despite all the time we spent together, I really didn't know him that well, what was his home life like? When did he eat? As I had never seen him eat, not at lunch or after school. This worried me some, did he starve all day to overindulge the second he got home? Something held me back from asking.

In chemistry class

Mia: I was in a rush this morning, running late as usual. I quickly walked to the back of the room where I found Austin, usually, he would notice when I came through the door and wave "hi" or something but today he was distracted, with a frustrated look on his face. I sat down, and turned my head towards him, he wasn't wearing a sweatshirt today! I smiled as he made little frustrated "grunts" here and there. His hands were at the bottom of his shirt, tugging it down over his belly, but when he would get it over his stomach, the back of his shirt would ride up. I spoke in a calming voice "Austin? Is everything all right?"

He paused, "oh... Uh yeah, everything's fine." His hands rested, still pulling on his tight marron polo. "I... My parents uh made me wear a polo today to school, my hoodie needed to be washed... annd well this one shrunk in the wash but polos are so expensive that I haven't bought another one yet! I hate polos." Liar... we all know it didn't shink in the wash- you got fatter that's all.

"Ah, yeah me... They're so itchy and unforgiving!" Something deep inside me wanted too badly to pull the shirt down around his waist, make it fit a little better. Before I knew it, my hands were at his waist, gently tugging the shirt all around, barely tucking it into his pants. When I had done this all the way around, I looked up at him, his mouth was hanging open, and his eyes looked at me, fruitful and confused. "Um, does that feel any better Austin?"

He blankly looked at me, shocked. He turned his head away and whispered "Yeah.... Thank you."

I nodded and continued on with a normal conversation for the rest of the day.

Austins Pov: (Last night)

Ack! It's midnight already! I finally finished my assignment, "gruhhhhguh" I looked down to see my stomach rumbling. "Crap I'm starving... A little snack before bed couldn't hurt!" I hastily made my way down to the kitchen and opened the fridge. I took out a box of cookies and a jug of milk and brought them to my room. "The cookies are kinda small sooo... I'll have four of them, that's it.

Austin had made five trips to the fridge in just a bit, as it was now going on 3 am. Austin found himself with no more cookies, or milk left, sitting in his crumb-filled bed.

"CRAP! Oh nooo noo..." Tears started down my face "No I did it again! I'm such a pig... I can't control myself at all! Jim (Austin's step-father) will kill me if he founds out I ate this much again!" He leaned back on his bed frame "uhhh I'm so full it hurts" as he fell deep into a food coma.

"AUSTIN AUSTIN JR WAKE UP RIGHT NOW YOU PIG!"

I quickly awoke to Jim screaming in my face, as I had fallen asleep last night without cleaning up, and I had slept past my alarm. "I- I'm so sorry ill clean it up! Right now!"

"This is disgusting! You're disgusting! Eating me and your mom out of house and home!" Austin started bawling as he covered his eyes.

"Now your crying! Over WHAT!? I'll give you something to cry about!" Jim quickly ravaged through Austin's closet as Austin watched him closely. Jim took out the polo shirt Austin had bought at the beginning of the school year, it barely fit him then, so he knew it definitely wouldn't now, especially since his stomach was still bloated from his feast last night.

"Here, you're wearing this to school today. No questions asked. Maybe it'll make you think the next time you gorge yourself!"

Next thing I knew it was the first period. "Oh no, I have to see Mia today!! What if some of my stomach hangs out she could definitely tell this shirt is a size too small!" Mia... why has she been so nice to me? I want to tell her I like her so badly, but I know she could never feel the same about me... probably pities me, and that's why she said yes to being my friend... did I force her to? What if she felt guilty about saying no? Oh nooo ughh... Just need-to-pull-this-stupid-shirt-down- ugh! Nothings working!!

"Austin? Is everything all right?" Mia said in a quiet voice

Shooootttt! Crap she probably saw me trying to pull it down!! So embarrassing!! What do I say??
I mustered in a small voice "oh... Uh yeah, everything's fine. I... My parents uh made me wear a polo today to school, my hoodie needed to be washed. I hate polos." Before I knew it her arms were at my waist, I was shocked! Should I suck in my stomach?? What is she doing? I could feel her thin hands working to tuck my shirt in... Why did it kinda feel nice though? No one ever touches me there.. before long she had finished, she actually made it fit? For a few seconds, it was awarded but then we continued on in a normal conversation.

Mias pov: That night

School had ended, and it was late when Mia got home. After she had showered she flopped onto her bed. She signed, thinking about the day. "What had gotten into me in Chem class? I probably scared the poor boy to death! I didn't want to see him struggle like that!" But in reality, I knew it was more than that... I was oddly attracted to his... chubbiness?

Even when I was little I had this weird obsession with... Fat people... when I got access to the internet I would look up pictures of "Fat people" on the internet and aimlessly scroll, telling myself I didn't "like" the way they looked but then why would I keep doing it?

Sometimes at night too, I would stuff pillows and blankets under my shirt to make me look "fat"... I had a weird want to experience what it felt like to be a little overweight... These thoughts about my childhood made me question... "Why did I feel and think that way? Don't others find fat and rolls unattractive?

I thought of Austin... I wanted so badly to be close to him, hold him, squish his belly... SQUISH HIS BELLY!? "MIA are you INSANE!!" What the heck!? Ok, something is very wrong, I never feel this strongly about someone! Many would label me as Ace or Asexual. But I don't like to be categorized... And plus it's never really been important before.

I quickly opened the internet browser on my phone... "Why am I attracted to chubby people?" what has gotten into me...

Two hours later, and a bunch of rabbit holes... "I still have no answers." I've read about fat fetishes... butttt I've never seen Austin eat so I wouldn't know if I would like that but it doesn't really pique my interest... All I want to do is cuddle and hold him... Be wrapped in his comforting arms.... "AH," I snapped out of my daydream. Maybe my "type" isn't a flat stomach and muscles like everyone else? Maybe I just like his soft curves better than rock-hard abs? I mean... muscles aren't as cuddly? It would be like holding a plank... I thought to myself, as I spooned a heap of pillows and blankets, imaging they were him... "Not even close to being the same," I told myself.