"225... 228..." Tufted ears lowered slightly as Tach craned forwards slightly to see the scale's numbers steadily increasing. The lynx was performing what seemed to be a nightly ritual for him, his evening meeting with the electric scale in his bathroom to check his weight. To his dismay, the numbers were still going upwards; the feline frowned and tried to will them to go back downwards, back to the lower 200s or even below, but as always mind didn't seem to beat matter, when the matter was the extra weight that he had on his frame! Giving up, Tach just leaned forward, his forehead pressed lightly against the bathroom wall as the numbers finally started to slow and reach the peak of his weighty situation. "...239. That's three more pounds since last week..." With a sigh, Tach stepped off of the scale and walked over to the bathroom mirror to look at himself with a sigh. As always, the same dusty brown lynx stared back at him, darker fur contrasting with the lighter white underbelly that was only becoming more noticeable as the latter stretched around a growing belly. Tach was no stranger to his reflection and the slow changes that had been occurring as he viewed it day after day; a slightly chunky lynx, he was more than a little overweight, and it was beginning to show on his frame more noticeably by the day. It was becoming particularly apparent in the curves of his waist and the slight sag of his middle, which was just barely starting to droop over the waistband of his pants. Sighing again, the feline turned his attention away from his midsection, knowing he was probably dwelling on it too much again. Instead he let his eyes rise up to meet his reflection's gaze, amber-brown irises gazing into the glassy surface. Dark brown hair hung gently from his head, with softly tufted ears poking out along the sides. Twin stripes of black crossed each cheek just above where the pale cream of his underbelly met the dust-colored back fur before his cheeks simply puffed out into the fluffy masses that were characteristic of his species. He wasn't an unattractive feline by his own measure, Tach conceded, though he certainly didn't think the extra weight was doing much for his appearance. A little dieting would do the trick, of course, and once he dropped that extra weight he would be right as rain in his own eyes. *A little dieting, huh...?* Tach confronted his reflection gloomily, *That's what I tell myself every night, right up until my belly starts grumbling the next morning...* The lynx had been trying to lose weight with absolutely no success for the past month. It had started when his weight had peaked over 220 pounds, which in his book was far too heavy for any feline species that was supposed to be as lithe and agile as his was expected to be. Immediately Tach had set about dieting and working on ways to remove the excess weight from his middle, starting with low-calorie meals and cutting out snacks between meals altogether. The last was the most difficult; the lynx had gotten used to grabbing a small bag of chips or a pawful of cookies whenever he walked past the kitchen, meaning that he had cut out a large part of his consumption just by removing snacks from the equation. Of course, the plan had backfired, and made things even worse. Tach had a condition, one that he reluctantly admitted to; whenever he got particularly hungry, thinking went out the window and eating instincts took over. Once his belly started grumbling, the lynx tended to head to the kitchen and make up one of everything, maybe two, and proceeded to follow that bout of culinary preparation with a good hour of feasting on his creations. Many times, Tach had snapped out of his "feeding frenzy," as he liked to call it, to find himself sitting at the table with a row of emptied plates before him and a round, full belly resting heavily in his lap. It was these brief binges, these momentary losses of control that were causing him to put on weight so readily. In the last month alone, he had gone from just below 220 pounds to nearly 240, a twenty-pound gain over only four weeks! It was becoming a very vexing situation, Tach had to admit to himself, but he couldn't seem to get himself out of the loop. He tried to reduce how much he ate at meals instead of cutting out snacks, but all that did was making him hungry faster than his original plan. The lynx had then tried a "water diet" like several people suggested, drinking lots of water whenever he felt the urge for a snack, which helped him feel fuller but didn't quite satisfy his need to fill his belly with actual nourishing food. In the end, he had gone back to snacking, trying to reduce his portions somewhat, but while it hadn't activated his hunger pangs as readily, the trick hadn't yet helped slow his gain either. "What am I doing wrong...?" Tach asked his reflection as he looked in the mirror, before he sighed once more as his stomach gave a grumble. Looking over at the clock on his nightstand, just outside the bathroom door, the lynx saw that it read just after ten in the evening. "...And right on cue, my belly says it's time for my evening snack." Rather than trying to hold back lately, Tach had just simply gone along with his natural cravings for food, figuring it was better to eat enough to satisfy himself rather than binging because he had let himself get too hungry again. His body had gotten used to a specific feeding schedule, and putting off its demands for too long led to the inevitable feeding frenzy that Tach was trying to avoid. "Let's see... what to snack on tonight." Grabbing a shirt from the hamper nearby, Tach tugged the white t-shirt down over his frame as best as he could. The cloth was getting a little tight around his middle, the lynx noted glumly, but he managed to pull it down far enough to cover his slightly protruding belly and hide it from view. In his bedroom, Tach was used to going around shirtless, as his stubborn refusal to increase his wardrobe size past the first X made his slowly-shrinking shirts more and more uncomfortable. Thankfully the waistband of his pants tended to be elastic, giving a bit more breathing room as he tried to solve his weight dilemma, but often enough the lynx went shirtless for the sake of comfort. However, when he left the bedroom, Tach had become increasingly self-conscious about putting on a shirt, especially when he knew his roommate was in. Gwen, a lovely female bobcat (they had argued the semantics of being called a bobcat versus being called a lynx, as they were the same thing, but in the typical female way Gwen insisted that they were different and that she be referred to as a bobcat), was often sitting in the living room with her reading tablet, either browsing through new books or just surfing the internet at large, and Tach had always been uncomfortable being shirtless around his roommate. The additional weight around his belly had only become even more reason for self-consciousness, and as a result he tried to grab roomy shirts that hid as much of his extra girth as he could, lest he embarrass himself further. Gwen had been rather accommodating about his dieting and his eating problems, and had made sure to keep food in stock so that they didn't run out while also trying to help think of ways to help curb his hunger pangs. She had suggested the water diet initially, and though it had worked to an extent, it just wasn't satisfying enough and eventually Tach had resumed his normal eating habits. The bobcat had been talking about a new herbal mixture that was supposed to simply be sprinkled over food, one that would do some chemical something-or-another to ease his appetite and tell his body that he was full before he actually was, though it hadn't arrived yet; there had been some mix-up in the delivery despite the recent efficiency improvements in the tube postal system, and they were about three days late because of it. "Snack time already?" Gwen looked up even as the door to Tach's bedroom let out a heavy creak, the un-oiled hinges a bit rusty and easily alerting the sharp-eared feline. The male lynx blushed a bit at her comment but shuffled past his roommate and into the kitchen, delving through the shelves in search of something edible for him to munch on and satisfy his cravings for the evening. Before he had finished digging through the first cabinet, Gwen spoke up, not even looking away from her tablet. "Third shelf in the cabinet above the oven, Tach. There's some low-calorie crisps that are supposed to be flavored like chocolate chip cookies, and a friend of mine suggested they're very filing." Giving a nod of thanks to his roommate, even though she didn't see it, Tach moved over to the indicated shelf and reached it with only minor difficulty; he had to raise his arms up above his head, as the shelf was at an absurd level, but with his own six-foot height it wasn't particularly difficult to reach. He wondered how Gwen had gotten to it, however; at only five foot three, she was a fair deal shorter and probably had to stand on a chair to reach the shelves up above the oven. Maybe it was her idea of putting them out of reach as a joke, as she seemed to often forget just how great the difference between their heights was. As he grabbed the bag of crisps indicated, Tach felt a slight breeze across the lower part of his belly, and realized with a blush that his shirt had slid upwards slightly as he had reached for the shelves. The very bottom of his curved middle was barely exposed, not even a half-inch of soft white fur sticking out, but even so the lynx quickly lowered his arms and tugged at the cloth again, doing his best to suppress his embarrassment. His weight was getting out of control if his shirts wouldn't cover his front completely anymore! It was a good thing Gwen hadn't seen, or at least seemed not to have; Tach was already embarrassed about his additional weight as it was; how much worse would it be if his roommate saw how noticeable it was becoming! Tach popped the bag open as he regained his composure, dipping his paw in and drawing out a pawful of what Gwen called "crisps." They were sort of like small cookies, barely bigger than a quarter each, and shaped in small hexagons. Speckled with bits of black that were probably supposed to be the "chocolate chip" flavoring, they hardly looked appetizing or filling. Shrugging, the lynx stuffed the pawful in his muzzle and swallowed them down quickly, grimacing slightly; the chocolate chip taste was highly artificial and poorly done, giving more of a burnt cookie impression rather than one from the shelves. Still, it was something to fill his belly, and while the taste wasn't the best, it would do for now. Low-calorie stuff was supposed to taste bad anyway. "Bleh... I hope your friends were right about this stuff being filling, because it's not that good." Tach complained as he sat down heavily at the kitchen table, pulling out one of the chairs and leaning with one arm on the table, the other dipping into the bag occasionally for another pawful of the somewhat bland snacks. Gwen lowered her tablet for a moment and looked over at him, peeking over her small glasses briefly and raising an eyebrow. "You should be happy you're getting any help there, bucko; it may not be the best, but you're the one who wants to cut down on your eating. Maybe being tasteless makes you less eager to stuff your face, mm?" The last statement cut to the bone, but Tach was used to the teasing comments that his roommate gave him. She knew that he was a bit sensitive about his weight, but at the same time she used it as a barb whenever she felt the lynx was complaining too much. Gwen wasn't one to pull her punches, and while it helped that she was so determined to get her way, particularly when it came to helping him with his dieting, Tach often found himself biting back his own harsh words at times. The two of them were good friends, but it seemed even the best friends fought, and certainly Gwen's way of "helping" drew a few words from either side from time to time. So instead of retaliating, Tach just gave a mumbled "I guess so," and left it at that, resuming his munching. A beep from the tube that ran near the front door of the house had them both jumping, as it indicated that a package had arrived. With the new tube-line system that had been invented a few years back, it made for convenient package delivery that didn't require drivers or specific hours for deliveries to arrive; a shipment could arrive in the middle of the night or at normal afternoon hours, so that even when one was out at work during the day or out on errands, they wouldn't have to deal with the post office hassle of "missed packages;" they would just be left waiting in the delivery box of the individual houses. Gwen got up first, indicating to Tach that she would get it, and let out a happy squeal once she checked and pulled out a box that was roughly the size of a quart of milk. "It's here!" Tach blinked at his roommate's outburst before she waved the package at him. "This is the stuff we've been waiting for, that appetite-dulling powder that got lost in delivery." The lynx found himself intrigued and went over to view the parcel, but Gwen pushed him aside and took it to the kitchen, turning on a light to better read the instructions on the side of the box. When Tach went to look as well, he just got pushed away again; apparently, the bobcat didn't like someone reading over her shoulder, so the male just shrugged and headed back to his bedroom, bringing the bag of crisps with him. Tach suspected that the bag would be empty by the time he went to bed, given his appetite of late, but in the morning all of that would be resolved thanks to the stuff that Gwen had ordered. Closing the door behind him, the lynx let out another sigh and relaxed slightly, and blushed as he realized his belly was starting to stick out from under his shirt again. Taking a deep breath again and "sucking in" his gut as he had been subconsciously doing all night, Tach tucked his shirt back in before just shaking his head and taking it off altogether. Who was he fooling, here? He knew for a fact how much his weight was starting to show, judging by how often he looked at himself in the mirror. Rather than dwelling on it, the lynx just made his way back to the bed and lay atop it, heads resting on the soft pillows with the bag lying open next to him. Flipping on the television and dipping his paw into the bag from time to time, Tach began to flip through the channels, deciding to catch a show before he went to sleep. "I wonder what's on tonight..." ---------------------- Sunlight streamed through the window as the automated system that had been programmed into Tach's room opened the window shutters in accordance to the time that had been set by the lynx the night before. It was a unique alarm system, one that he was particularly fond of, as the light woke him without difficult and prevented him from getting back to sleep easily. There were days where he wished that there was a "snooze" button like the alarm clocks of old, where he could roll back over for another five or ten minutes, but for the most part the lynx liked to remain punctual and start his day rather than lazing about in bed. Only fat or lazy people lazed around in bed, after all, and he was not willing to admit to himself that he was either just yet. The smell of sizzling pancakes out in the kitchen drew Tach out of bed almost as much as the sunlight did, pulling on his slippers as he stretched and climbed to his feet. Subconsciously the lynx pulled at the waistband of his pajama pants, pulling them up slightly to help conceal the curve of his belly somewhat even as he tugged on another t-shirt, one that had a better stretch to it than the one from the night before. Heading out the door, wincing at the creak of the rusty hinges as he always did (he really had to get around to getting them oiled!), Tach made his way out to the living area, where he was greeted with the sight of Gwen in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Since they had started living together, the two of them had agreed on a cooking schedule that tended to work out for the both of them. Being the early riser of the two, though Tach was hardly one to sleep in, Gwen generally handled breakfast while Tach handled dinner, and the two of them just handled their own meals for lunches. It was a simple system that adapted to their sleeping and living schedules, and there had never been much fuss with it yet. Tach also had little reason to complain, as his feline roommate was rather skilled at the stove, despite her vehement argument against female stereotypes. It helped that Tach was just as good when it came to cooking, which mollified her arguments somewhat, but that aside every one of her breakfasts was usually worth her sometimes sharp attitude. Already a large stack of pancakes were sitting on a tray in the center of their dining room table as well as a pair of table settings and a large bottle of maple syrup. Two small plates of bacon along with a tray of hash browns were also laid out, and over at the stovetop, Gwen was preparing eggs in the skillet, scrambled by the look of it. Tach couldn't help but lick his lips at the spread of food before him, especially since his belly was grumbling particularly loudly after the insufficient snack the night before. Appetite demanded that he eat his full fill this morning, or he would be regretting it with another of his feeding frenzies by early afternoon. Thankfully, there appeared to be plenty of food. "Don't start digging in just yet, fluff-face." Despite having the same facial features he did in terms of the tufts of cheek fur that stuck out, Gwen was fond of that nickname for him. "Let me get these eggs done first; I added that appetite duller to them, so hopefully we can start seeing some results today. I also wanted you to test if they altered the flavor at all; I was told they're mostly tasteless, but I want be sure anyway." Tach nodded despite the grumbling of his stomach, sitting at the table and doing his best to keep his paws in his lap rather than digging into the large mound of pancakes only an arm's reach away, though it was certainly difficult to resist temptation; judging by the smell, Gwen had mixed chocolate chips into the mix, likely to make up for the poor snacks from the night before. "Here you go; let me know how it tastes!" Gwen placed a plate of the scrambled eggs before him before returning to the kitchen to make her own, without the added supplement. Tach didn't need an invitation to eat, as the rumblings from his middle were becoming particularly insistent, and he grabbed his fork and began to dig in. The eggs were well done, with a little cheese and small bits of ham mixed into them, and as Gwen had hoped the added powder didn't alter the taste at all. This was the kind of meal the lynx could enjoy; it tasted great, bordering on fantastic, but it would help cut his appetite so that he could begin his diet in earnest and hopefully shed a few pounds. The eggs were quickly demolished between the hungry feline's appetite and their tempting taste, finished without a trace of hesitation. Tach licked his lips, enjoying the warm sensation of the freshly-cooked food within his belly, the soft tingle of heat filling his middle. His appetite left him little time to appreciate the wonderful feeling, however; in a moment, the lynx felt another grumble in his belly, a sign that it was nowhere near full and that he had to start satisfying it again soon before his mind kicked into "feeding frenzy mode," as he glumly referred to it as. Looking across the table, Tach's eyes settled on the hasher of bacon sitting off slightly to his left, conveniently just within reach, and his stomach decided before his brain that it would be the next dish lost to his appetite. Peeling off strips of the thick, greasy bacon, Tach found them to be just cooked enough to have a layer of crispiness to them while maintaining some flexibility, so that it wasn't like biting into bark. The bacon crunched lightly in his teeth, but at the same time felt like it was practically melting on his tongue, leaving a tantalizing tease of a taste before sliding into his stomach to join the eggs already consumed. Four or five vanished in the space of a few seconds, and before he knew it, half of the plate was gone. Blinking as he noticed the sudden displacement of meat, Tach blushed and realized that his appetite was starting to pace ahead of him, causing him to eat more than he had intended. He had to leave some food for Gwen, after all! Well, since the bacon had to be pushed aside despite the tempting smells, there was always the stack of pancakes that had been standing tall in the center of the table and demanding his attention, the smell of lightly burnt chocolate chips rising from them, or the seasoned hash brown platter that was next to them. Both were tempting options, but Tach's paws worked on auto-pilot and caused him to grab the nearest plate, which happened to be the hash browns. Grabbing the ketchup and liberally piling it onto the mix of seasoned and shredded potatoes, the lynx added a light layer of salt and pepper atop it as well to mix with the already flavored meal. Grabbing his fork and stirring the whole dish into a mess of ketchup-smeared potatoes, he licked his lips once more and dug in. The potatoes were easy enough to scoop into his muzzle, and had a mixture of herbs and a light glaze on them that added to their flavor; though he couldn't place what the exact seasonings were, Tach could taste butter, the ketchup, and the added salt as particularly prominent additions to the well-cooked potatoes that had a slight crisp to them. They were practically shoveled down, with pauses only taken to chew and swallow, but every bite was wonderful. The lynx had forgotten (well, not really forgotten; his taste buds were just reminded daily) just how wonderful a cook Gwen was, and this meal, just like any of the others he had eaten, seemed to outdo the ones prior. Once the hash browns were gone, Tach couldn't resist the allure of the pancakes anymore. Stabbing his fork into the stack, he came back with five skewered upon the utensil while a sixth slipped off to fall on his plate anyway. Placing the stack on his plate, the lynx spread them out as best as he could rather than leaving them in a tower-like pile before grabbing the jar of syrup and pouring it over each one individually. Not even the smallest section of pancake went without being soaked in the sticky maple coating that covered them completely, soaking the entire plate and nearly drowning the food in syrup. There was never too much syrup in Tach's mind, though; the sweet stickiness was just too good to ignore! Grabbing his knife, the feline tore into the first of his many victual victims with gusto, stuffing the pancake into his muzzle. The taste of syrup in its thick, sugary mass mixed with the sugary pancakes and the hint of chocolate as his tongue found some of the hidden morsels within the dish drove his mind and stomach wild for more, and soon the first of the pancakes were gone. Two more vanished in only a minute, torn apart as Tach gave into his hunger and allowed himself to lose a little bit of control. Soon his plate was cleared, but the lynx wouldn't let himself stop at that point, and refilled his plate to repeat the process. In a few minutes, a full dozen pancakes had vanished into the hungry feline's belly and a few more were working their way there. After a short time, the blissful haze of feeding ended, and Tach snapped back to reality, blinking in surprise. He had been enjoying the pancakes, and then had just zoned out. A tight feeling in his middle drew his attention before he could dwell too much on it, and he looked down. Stifling a gasp, the lynx felt his face go crimson as he noticed the roundness of his middle as it protruded outwards a fair distance. He had gone on some binges before when hunger had gotten the better of him, but never had something like this happened! Tach's belly, normally soft and a little padded, now looked like he had swallowed a basketball that protruded very visibly from his midsection and caused his shirt to ride up. Doing his best to force down his surprise, the lynx pushed himself away from the table and stood to retreat to his room before the evidence of his greedy gorging became evident to his roommate. As he did so, however, his overly-full belly shifted and the tight feeling came back again, causing the feline to sit down with a groan. He was just so *full*! Resting a paw on his middle, Tach leaned back a moment and felt just how round and tight his middle felt after he had stuffed himself like some kind of prize turkey. There was only a little give from the small layer of fat that was normally present, but right after that the lynx found the resistance of his stretched belly. The pressure elicited another groan of fullness from Tach, and he suddenly discarded the idea of getting up; he was just too full to stand, no matter his efforts. "There we go, my food is done... wow, what happened to you?" Tach's ears stiffened in surprise before his face went even brighter red, if it was possible. He had forgotten Gwen for the moment, lost in just how full and heavy his belly felt, but in a moment the bobcat was around to his side, putting down her own plate of eggs and staring quite obviously at her roommate's midsection. "What in the world did you do? You look like you blew up a balloon in there!" Gwen, with her normal lack of tact, prodded at the bulging sphere that strained at Tach's shirt a few times, finding it to be solid and drawing a few more groans and pants from the lynx as his overstrained belly was further disturbed, feeling tight as a drum. "I, ah... overate a bit... ugh..." Gwen gave her roommate a flat look that said that was the worst understatement of the century, and Tach quickly shut up. The bobcat's paws ran over his belly lightly, fingers pressing softly into the heavy coat of cream-colored fur that covered his middle, murmuring softly. Tach leaned back and let out a soft sigh of contentment; though he was embarrassed as anything to have anyone's paws on his engorged belly, let alone those of his roommate, he couldn't deny that the feeling was heavenly. Fingers worked into the full sphere of his middle, relaxing the stretched skin a bit and easing the cramped muscles, giving him a slightly warm and tingly feeling throughout. After a moment or two of this, Gwen pulled back and gave her roommate a half-worried look, tilting her head in inquiry. "There, that better?" Tach leaned forward and pulled himself up with a little difficulty, and though he was still far fuller than he could remember normally being, it didn't feel as painful or tight as before, and he could at least stand without feeling like he was going to burst. Laying paws on his protruding belly, the lynx frowned; it may have been his last meal before the appetite dullers helped him start on his diet, but even so, he had really let himself go! Tach couldn't imagine why he had just lost his head there, when he had plenty of food before him. Certainly he hadn't done anything to trigger a feeding frenzy to *that* degree! Gwen, coming around beside him, noticed his look of confusion. "Maybe you should lie down for a bit, let your stomach relax. After this, though, you're skipping lunch! This was supposed to be your last 'big' meal before your diet, but I hadn't expected you to stuff yourself like a pig!" Tach's ears dipped back, his blush growing; he really had made a fool out of himself with breakfast, and was a little ashamed by his loss of control. His roommate's expression softened at that guilty look, and she gave his shoulder a soft pat. "Don't worry about it; just get some rest and I'll handle the dishes." Tach gave a nod at the suggestion; the thought of lying down and just letting his belly digest all the food in it was a good one, and so he shuffled back to his room as quickly as he could. Peeling off his shirt, as even the XL garment wasn't hiding the protrusion of his belly any longer, the lynx crawled into bed and tried to get comfortable so that he could sleep. It was strange, though; normally, Tach slept on his side, but with how full his belly was, it felt strange and the extra pressure on his stuffed middle was certainly unwanted. The lynx found himself lying on his back instead, his gut protruding above him and reminding him, embarrassingly, of just how far he had let himself go. Rising upwards, just below the horizon of his vision while his head lay back on the pillows, the padded mound of his middle was constantly visible in front of him. Without thinking about it, Tach laid his hands on his full gut, his fingers pressing lightly into the taut surface. Slowly he rubbed downwards, the soft pads of his paws pressing lightly against the stretched skin below, and the lynx let out a soft purr of pleasure at the warm feeling he got just rubbing at his stuffed middle. The feline let his fingers stroke slowly against his belly, rubbing in gentle circular motions, barely pressing into the fur-covered mass. His toes curled with delight; there was no way to express just how much he enjoyed the sensation of having his full belly massaged and kneaded. There was just something subconscious about it, something enjoyable; if he had thought about it, the lynx would have been mortified to be enjoying his overstuffed belly. But for now, he just felt himself sinking into bliss at the warm sensation in his middle, and slowly drifted off to the gentle pleasure. ---------------------- Tach woke up suddenly, eyes blinking rapidly as he tried to adjust his vision to the midday light. Groaning as he sat up, the lynx looked about and checked the clock next to him, finding that it was still early afternoon; he had only been asleep for a few hours. His stomach certainly felt a fair deal better now that his body had been given enough time to digest the heavy meal he had eaten only that morning, though guiltily, Tach almost regretted it. There was just something about being full to nearly bursting, having such a heavy and tight sensation in his middle, but the thought of enjoying such a thing was quickly pushed away; he was trying to lose weight, not gain it! Attributing the enjoyment of being full to predator's instincts or something, Tach pushed himself out of bed to get back to his day. Standing, the lynx let out a soft oof of surprise, feeling strangely out of place. It was hard to explain, but it felt as though his balance had shifted slightly, like he was leaning forward slightly; standing up completely straight, Tach felt an unfamiliar but light strain on his back, almost causing him to slouch forward once more. Frowning, the lynx wondered if he was getting sick or something, as none of these feelings were normal. He headed to the bathroom to check himself out in the mirror and grab a thermometer; it was possible he was catching a cold or something, though from what he couldn't imagine. Arriving in the bathroom, Tach reached for the mirrored door of the medicine cabinet when he suddenly froze, blinking in surprise. Something about his reflection had seemed... off. Lowering his paw, the lynx turned towards the larger mirror over the sink, only to have his jaw drop in surprise; there was no way that the feline reflected in the mirror could be him! No, the rounded features in the glassy image were not familiar at all; he had to just be tired or something, seeing things while his eyes were fogged over from sleep. Tach blinked a few more times before rubbing his eyes and trying to clear out the last remnants of exhaustion, but the image refused to vanish. Leaning closer, Tach examined the reflection, dreading what he saw; whereas he had been a slightly overweight lynx before, the image reflected back at him had to be a good ten or fifteen pounds heavier than the normal. Though his face remained mostly unchanged, the feline's features was starting to show a noticeable roundness, looking ever so slightly more padded than before. More visible, however, was the soft curve of his body; his hips were certainly a bit wider, and his chest looked a bit softer, showing a bit of rolling curve to it as it began to show the starting sag of weight. A turn to the side showed his arms and legs were slightly thicker, and to his embarrassment his rump stuck out a bit further, stretching the waistband of his pants a bit more around the hips as well. But that sideways view also framed the biggest change to Tach's body as his paws slowly lowered to the increased belly that sat heavily above his waistband, round and thick with new fat. Still maintaining its slightly rounded appearance, the jiggling mass was starting to sag over his pants where before it had only protruded. His middle was a fair bit wider too, the beginning of rolls forming around the sides to create love handles that led down his sides towards the apex of his enormous gut. The lynx pressed his paws against that hefty layer of blubber that now rested on his middle, expecting to wake up from some dream rather than facing the reality that sat before him. But there was no such luck; his paws pressed up against the soft, jiggling mass of fat around his middle. Numbly, Tach moved over to the scale, wondering why he was doing so; he dreaded to think what the numbers said now, if this was true! As he walked over to it, he noticed a lot of little things, like the difference in his gait with more weight forward than before. He hadn't reached the point where he had to widen his stance yet, thankfully, but he could feel the brush of his pants legs against one another as his thighs threatened to meet in the near future. The weight of his belly was no more noticeable too; the lynx felt it sway slightly to either side with every step, almost like a pendulum, further causing him to blush as he realized that he was about to find out just how big he was now. He dreaded the number that would face him even as he stepped onto the scale, taking a deep breath and praying that it wasn't nearly as bad as he expected. Unfortunately, Tach had no such luck. "240... already heavier than the last time I weighed myself... 245... 253..." The numbers continued to increase for a few moments longer before finally slowing down. "262... 263... 265." Biting his lip, the lynx stepped off of the scale and headed back towards the bedroom, ears lowered as he considered the readout. Two hundred and sixty-five pounds... that was a full twenty-six pounds heavier than Tach had been only the day before. How was that even possible? The lynx had heard of some pretty fantastic things, as oddities cropped up on the news all the time, but never had he imagined that something like this could happen! No one put on nearly thirty pounds in one day! Grabbing a shirt from the drawer near his bed, Tach tugged it on absently, trying to mull over his problem. It couldn't have been the meal from earlier that morning; though he had overeaten by a fair deal, at most it would have added a couple of pounds that would have been worrying enough by themselves. But twenty-six pounds from that meal? That was impossible! Something had to be wrong; maybe he really was sick or something. He had heard of colds causing people to put on a little weight, but that was mostly from being bedridden and unable to burn excess calories. There was nothing that he could think of that would cause such a rapid gain in weight! A cool breeze drew Tach's attention to another problem caused by his new size; his shirt, which was an XL, didn't quite cover his whole torso. A look in the nearby mirror showed that the lynx's belly protruded a fair bit, jutting out roundly before sagging over his waistband, the shirt leaving a good two inches of pale-furred gut visible even when he tugged at it to try and cover his middle. Blushing in embarrassment and realizing that despite his stubbornness he would have to move up to 2 or 3XL clothing, he peeled the tight shirt off and dug through his clothes to see if he had anything large enough to fit him, or at least something that would stretch enough to cover up the worst of it for now. Finally, Tach managed to come up with a button-down shirt that he had gotten as a gift sometime back, one that had been mismarked on the hangar and was actually a 2XL rather than his normal XL clothing. Doing up the buttons, the lynx frowned at how poorly the shirt fit; though it completely covered his belly now, he could feel the buttons pressing into his chest and belly slightly, the shirt stretched by his new weight. Still, it was enough for modesty's sake, and with a resigned sigh Tach decided that it would have to do for now. He dreaded explaining this to Gwen, or even just going out into public to get clothes for his latest "growth spurt," but he would handle those in time, he supposed. First, however, came the other thing he dreaded; as he struggled into his shirt, his belly had given the telltale warning grumble of hunger, which meant he had to go at least satisfy his stomach. Tach swallowed, hoping that with increased size hadn't come an increased appetite as well; the last thing he needed was more help with his already weighty situation! The lynx sighed as he headed out the door of his bedroom, tufted ears twitching as he listened for his roommate's presence; his best bet for now would be to make a quick raid of the kitchen and take it back to his room to avoid notice. Tach didn't feel like answering the awkward questions that would come up once his new weight was noticed. Thankfully, Gwen seemed to be out; the lynx didn't notice any sign of his roommate, which meant that he had a little more breathing room to slip out into the kitchen and grab a bit to eat without encountering her. Quickly Tach hurried into the kitchen, digging through the cabinets. He was a bit disappointed at his findings; apparently they were running low on groceries, which would explain his roommate's disappearance, but did nothing for his current situation. Frowning, the lynx headed to the refrigerator where he found that there were at least a few containers of leftovers from previous meals to be heated up. Grabbing all of them, as his appetite was getting demanding, the feline made his way over to the microwave with a few plates, putting in a mixture of rice and grilled chicken for his first dish and setting it to cook. As he waited for the timer, Tach's gaze wandered around the kitchen. After a moment it fell on a small bottle he didn't recognize, one that almost looked like one of the bottles from the spice cabinet. It had no label on it, but it looked like some kind of herb. Having done some cooking himself, however, the lynx realized that it wasn't anything he recognized, and he pondered what it could be. Then it hit him; this was probably the appetite duller that Gwen had ordered for him, the one that was supposed to help him curb his appetite. Fat lot of good that had done so far; he had only made a pig out of himself at breakfast. Tach found himself wincing at the unintentional mental pun, reminded of the extra weight on his frame since earlier that morning before. The microwave went off, and Tach quickly removed the plate before setting in a new one that had the two barbecued pork chops from a few nights back along with a side of mashed potatoes. While they were cooking, he grabbed a fork and his first plate, leaning against the counter as he prepared to begin eating. Before he did so, however, he grabbed the bottle from the counter and looked at it again. The stuff was supposed to curb his appetite, help him eat less so that he could lose weight, and though it hadn't worked Tach felt he also hadn't given it a fair chance yet. *Maybe I should give it another go; it probably hadn't had time to kick in before...* Since there was no label and thus no instructions, the feline just popped the top of the bottle and sprinkled some on the chicken before pausing and adding a dash to his rice as well, stirring the latter up to add it to the whole side. Once that was done, Tach dug in with gusto, picking up the chicken with his fingers and tearing it off the bone with his teeth. It was tender and well-seasoned, the latter of which was once more unaltered by the appetite-dulling addition, and the meat came off easily with every bite. He paused briefly to stop the microwave when it beeped to announce that his next dish was done before returning to his current meal, scooping up several forkfuls of rice to complement the chicken. The layer of butter with a little salt and a lot of pepper gave the rice a rich flavor with a slight kick thanks to the pepper, and the lynx certainly approved of the meal as much as he had a few days back. Once the first plate was done, Tach set it aside and brought out the pork chops, adding a knife to his utensils as well. Before he began eating, he absently grabbed the bottle from the counter next to him and sprinkled a bit more onto his food, figuring more could never hurt. He started off cutting pieces from the meat, enjoying the well-done dish and the layer of tangy barbecue sauce that coated it, but after a few bites his appetite demanded a slightly quicker pace, and so he just used his fingers again, licking the sauce from them whenever he put them down to take a few forkfuls of mashed potatoes. The latter had been soaked in a rich gravy, one that was just thick enough to give it a presence rather than just a flavored additive, and the potatoes just melted in his mouth. After finishing both plates, the lynx felt his stomach grumble with dissatisfaction; he was still hungry! That gave him a moment of pause as a frown crossed his muzzle; he had just eaten two whole meals, which would have left him feeling stuffed normally, but here he was still desiring more food! It was as Tach feared; as he had gained more weight, so had his appetite gained intensity, demanding more food than before. That wouldn't help his diet at all! It was lucky that he had the appetite suppressants, which would hopefully kick in sooner than later; he hated to think what would happen if he kept eating like this at every meal! It occurred to him, however, that maybe the suppressant was already working, and this was his appetite *after* its effects. If so, the thought of being without them gave him a feeling of dread; if he was this hungry with the appetite duller, what would he be like without? Reminding himself to ask Gwen to order more when she got back, Tach went back to the refrigerator to see if there was any food left. Unfortunately he had just cleaned out the last of the leftovers, and so there was nothing left but a near-empty gallon of milk and the eggs. He was too hungry to consider cooking right now; he needed something to eat, and soon! Knowing that he would probably regret the decision later, the lynx decided that it might be best if he went out to eat. There were several restaurants in the general area, and none of them were a long walk away; if he hurried, Tach figured that he could beat his hunger pangs enough to avoid one of his feared feeding frenzies. The lynx eyed his wider midsection doubtfully, wondering if he could hurry nearly as much before with the extra weight. Still, his appetite could not be ignored, so the feline grabbed his shoes and keys before heading for the door. He paused however, considering, and went back to grab the bottle of appetite suppressant; he never knew if it could come in handy, and was afraid to face his potential appetite without it. After that the lynx hurried out, heading out onto the landing of his apartment and locking the entrance behind him. Descending down the single flight of stairs that led from his second-floor apartment rather than taking the elevator as much for the sake of hurrying as for what little exercise it provided, Tach made his way out onto the sidewalk and made a left, heading for the nearest restaurant. The one he knew of was a pretty simple buffet, with moderate-quality food for a very low cost, something that made it a nice place to visit. It wasn't too fancy, but at the same time the price was right for any budget, meaning that the lynx could get his fill without having to worry about how much came out of his wallet. He had gone there to eat with friends a few times, though often Tach had been avoiding buffets to resist the temptation to just let himself eat and eat. The only reason he was going back now was because it was conveniently close and because he had to fill his stomach soon! Pushing his way through the diner's doors, the lynx quickly paid with his card, swiping it briefly for entrance into the building and heading immediately for the food bars. A tray was grabbed as well as several plates before Tach hurried over to the first area he could find that didn't have much of a wait to it. Conveniently it was the section that had most of the various meat dishes with only a few sides; chicken, turkey, and ham were all on display with custom orders for pork or steak available at the counter. The lynx filled one plate with several slices of thick honey-baked ham, the sweet glaze luring him over to its platter first, and then tossed a few pieces of turkey on for good measure. The chicken and pork he passed on, having already finished some earlier, and he didn't have time to wait for a steak to be cooked so he headed to the next bar. The second counter was for breads and small sides like bowls of fruit, so the lynx grabbed a few sweet rolls and a bowl of cantaloupe (the latter after a moment's consideration as he realized eating healthier would probably do wonders for his weight) before realizing that his tray was full and he couldn't fit anything else on it. Tach headed for the nearest table, as guests were expected to seat themselves rather than wait on ushers to direct them, and he set his tray down hurriedly before seating himself as well. The chair gave a creak beneath his more pronounced posterior, causing him to wince slightly, but his stomach growled louder than the chair creaked, and promptly won out in the battle for his attention; the chair could wait until later. Tearing apart one of the sweet rolls, Tach also tore up the ham and placed several smaller slices within the roll to form an impromptu sandwich so that he could fill his stomach faster. The lynx took a large bite out of the roll, holding it in one paw while starting on the cantaloupe with the other, alternating between the two with every bite. The sandwich was finished far faster, so Tach made up two more and focused on those instead, leaving the fruit forgotten as he instead alternated between sandwiches, one for ham and one for turkey, tearing into them and finishing them in only a few bites each. This pattern continued until all but the fruit was gone, and the last was eaten with in an almost offhand manner. Tach's stomach let out another grumble; he *still* wasn't satisfied! Worried about what this meant for the future, the lynx nonetheless pushed himself up from the chair, feeling the increased tightness of his shirt across his front. He could definitely feel the buttons pressing into his swollen middle, and looking down he saw the faintest hint of cream-white fur in a gap between two of the buttons where the cloth was getting a bit stretched. Still he did his best to suck in his gut, which had little effect, and headed back to the buffet for more. He knew that he shouldn't, but at the same time his appetite goaded him on, made him hunger for more, and so he resigned himself to at least satisfy his hunger. This time, Tach made his way over to the bar with the sides and smaller dishes, as it was now clear of customers and more accessible. The lynx layered his plates with mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, stuffing, and a few more rolls before he headed back to the meat area and grabbed a few more slices of the rich ham that had so satisfied his taste buds before. Heading back with a tray that felt heavier than the one before, Tach settled himself once more, hearing that same distinct creak again. It didn't sound like it came from his chair, though; the lynx couldn't place the sound, and frowned at it, but hunger demanded his attention once more, so he ignored it and went back to stuffing himself. Forkfuls of food were shoveled into his muzzle, stuffing and pilaf mixing on his plate while the complemented his mashed potatoes as well. Tach found himself eating faster than he normally did, tearing through his meal with an unusual energy that bordered almost on fervor, one that had him cleaning his plate in only a few minutes. The lynx blinked as he realized that his tray was empty yet again, and that he was starting to finally feel satisfied, his appetite dying down. Licking his lips, Tach let out a soft sigh; he had eaten far more than he would have liked to, but at least his hunger had died down for now, and he could hopefully start getting himself into a better routine. That was twice now today that he had pretty much let himself go, and realizing such was a bit worrying; at this rate he had no chance of losing weight, only putting it on! Pushing himself to his feet with a groan, Tach placed a paw on his belly, feeling how tight and overstuffed it was again. He had probably eaten far more than he should, but the lynx had learned better than to argue with his appetite. Standing with some difficulty, leaning forward due to the weight of his full stomach, the feline straightened himself out to head back to the apartment. As he did, however, a loud "ping!" echoed through the restaurant, causing Tach to pause. A clatter on the table in front of him showed what he feared the sound was, increasing the lynx's sense of dread as he examined it closely. A single button sat on the table right next to his cleared plate, one that had just freed itself from his shirt. Tach blushed as he examined it, and looked down to see a very clear gap at the apex of his rounded middle. Thankfully, the color of his shirt was pretty close to his fur, and so it didn't show up too visibly unless closely examined. Still, it was enough to know he had just popped a button on the largest shirt he had, one that had been baggy on him only a day or two before. With a crimson blush forming on his cheeks, Tach quickly headed for the door, eager to make his way back to the apartment so he could hide in his room and pretend none of this had ever happened. He only felt worse when a too-deep breath freed another button from his shirt, this one just above the first and revealing a much larger gap of a white-furred belly that was far too big in his eyes. The trip back to the apartment was something between a fast walk and a jog, as Tach didn't want to draw attention to himself but at the same time wanted to get back to his apartment as fast as he could. Thankfully he managed to avoid the notice of others, though the entire way he felt as though everyone around was staring at him, eyes on his increased weight. The lynx had to remind himself several times that he was just being paranoid, that no one was looking at him, but it didn't stop him from hurrying up the stairs and making his way into his apartment as quickly as he could. As he entered the door, Tach noticed with a glance that Gwen's shoes were at the entrance, meaning she was home. In a moment of panic the lynx darted for his room, which was thankfully the one nearest the door. Stepping inside quickly, he closed the door just as he heard the bobcat call out to him. Tach took a few quick breaths, trying to calm himself, to make his voice sound normal. A knock came at his door, causing him to jump in surprise, but he managed to stifle a yelp of astonishment before Gwen called in. "You back, Tach?" "Y-yeah." He replied quickly, probably too quickly, "I was just going out for a bite to eat. Thought I'd treat myself for once." A bite? Glumly he remembered just how much he had eaten at the buffet. "Alright, I just wanted to check if you'd seen an unlabeled bottle anywhere. It's that appetite suppressant we got for you but it's apparently gone missing. I probably just put it down somewhere weird, but I can't seem to find it." Tach realized with a start that he still had the bottle on him, in his pants pocket; he had thought to use it while he was at the buffet to control how much he had eaten. Maybe that was why he had stuffed himself so eagerly; without it, he had lost control of his appetite once more, which would explain so much. He would never go a meal without it again, if this was the result of doing so! "Uh, no, I haven't seen it. I'll let you know if I do, though." Gwen thanked him and headed back into the living room, giving Tach a moment to breathe. He let out another sigh and headed back to his bed again, sitting down heavily on it and feeling himself sink lower than he normally did thanks to his heavier weight. Glumly he started to undo the buttons on his shirt, the ones that remained, but he paused; a curiosity came over him, one that worried him a little bit but in its own way it almost excited him too. Rolling his eyes upwards and wondering why he was even considering this, the lynx closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Well, since this shirt is already ruined..." *Ping! Pop!* Two buttons came off of his shirt with ease thanks to his swollen belly and the deeper breath he had taken to further stress the remaining fabric. They fell to the carpeted floor quietly, leaving only the topmost two buttons on his shirt, and Tach found his face going crimson once more. What was he thinking, ruining his shirt like that? If it wasn't bad enough he had stuffed himself again, here he was just confirming to himself that he was getting fat! Despite the self-reprimand, though, the lynx had to admit that he enjoyed being able to do that; there was something about it that was just... pleasing. He quickly shook that thought away though, as it was a horrible one; he wanted to *lose* weight, not flaunt it! Peeling off the remains of his shirt, Tach tossed it aside and laid back on the bed, his large belly protruding above him like a rounded dome. Before it had been somewhat noticeable; now, it was hard to miss. The curve of his belly protruded far more than he thought it could on his frame, rising above his eye level by a few inches, though admittedly his estimation was based on his original frame, not the larger one that he bore now. Even so it was obvious that it was overstuffed to bursting, and he could feel the tightness in it even laying back and letting himself relax. Subconsciously, the lynx rested his paws on his full belly, pressing his fingers into it gently and rubbing the pads against it in slow circles. He was reminded of the way that Gwen had helped settle his stomach after he had stuffed it at breakfast, massaging it gently and helping him relax. Tach slowly, softly kneaded at his round middle, the skin tight beneath the fluffy fur of his body, and closed his eyes even as a soft purr escaped his throat. It felt good to have his full belly massaged like this, a feeling he doubted he'd get if it was empty. Admittedly, overeating did have this benefit, if nothing else, but Tach saw it as an empty pleasure compared to his goal of getting into better shape. His protests were feeble against the sensation of his slowly relaxing belly, and soon the lynx had lulled himself to sleep again with the feeling of his digesting meal... ---------------------- It was a few hours later that Tach woke from his impromptu nap, yawning and stretching his arms above him. His stomach felt better, having had time to digest the large meal from lunch, and no longer had that tight, stretched feeling. The lynx pushed himself up with a bit of difficulty, letting out an oof from the extra weight he actually expected this time, given the results of his last food coma. Grunting as he got to his feet, Tach took a moment to adjust to what he knew would be his new weight, pressing his paws into his large belly. It was definitely softer than before, and though it was smaller than when it was stuffed to the brim, the lynx could tell that there was a fair deal of extra heft there. With a sigh of resignation, he headed to the bathroom to view the damage from his latest binge. The mirror reflected an image that normally would have been shocking, but at this point Tach had just accepted that it was what was going to be after he had let himself go so badly. Whereas before he had been a slightly chunky lynx of just over two hundred and thirty pounds, the image in the mirror suggested someone far closer to three hundred, if not quite at that threshold. Being no taller than before only served to emphasize his increased width, and the added pounds certainly had done a lot to make him wider than before. His arms could no longer rest at his sides all the way, curving outwards thanks to the extra girth of his middle. If he relaxed his arms completely, Tach realized he could actually rest his arms with full support against his broad belly. Turning sideways, Tach examined his image more closely. The lynx was definitely past being called "chubby" by a long shot, and full on into the category of "fat." His shoulders, which hadn't been particularly broad, gave his upper torso a slightly squished look compared to how widely his belly sat to either side. Combined with a neck that was starting to get thicker and what appeared to be the onset of a second chin to complement his chubby cheeks, Tach was definitely starting to take on a somewhat bottom-heavy appearance. His chest was starting to form gently rolling mounds, hanging slightly lower than before and making his soft fur seem even fluffier, and his sides squished into a soft roll of fat that curved down along his hips until they reached his belly. And what an impressive belly it was, though he was afraid to admit it; rounded and soft, it was a gently curving mass that hung heavily over his waistband, pooching over the sides in rounded rolls that formed a small spare tire of fat around his hips and waist. The main bulk of it rested heavily in front of him, a round sphere that sagged and sank forward, covering the uppermost parts of his thighs even as he stood, and Tach suspected that, should he sit down, he would find that his lap fairly concealed from view thanks to his pronounced middle. The lynx found himself frowning as he pressed his paws into it, feeling the fingers sink down into the soft layer of fat that now hung thickly around his waistline. It all felt like a dream; there was no way he was this large, not after only a day. Sure, if he had been eating like he had today for maybe a month or so he might have put on such an impressive amount of weight, but surely not one day. Tach frowned again, wondering just what was going on. Seventy pounds; he had gone to bed the night before weighing just over two hundred and considering taking a diet more seriously, but now... the lynx suddenly considered that he had yet to weigh himself on the scale, but it was no wonder that he was more than just a little nervous to do so. Right now, he only had his own imagination to go on, his thoughts and feelings on the matter; standing on the scale would just confirm the reality of the changes. There was no putting it off, though; Tach's curiosity won out over his hesitation, and slowly he strode towards the device, taking each step as slowly as if he were walking up the steps towards the executioner's axe. The lynx noted with every step the shift in his weight, the swaying of his belly to the side opposite the knee he lifted, and the general shaking of his body whenever he made a shuffling step forward. Even the motions of his legs felt weird; with the additional weight built up around his thighs, the lynx found it chafing to walk normally, legs bending and sliding forward; instead, he had to shift his legs to the side slightly, almost in a rolling motion around each thigh to prevent them from bumping into one another. Finally he reached the scale. Looking down, Tach realized there was another problem; though he could still see the tips of his toes, the majority of his vision downwards was obscured by the mass of cream-colored fur that rose up in a mound before him, with the softer rolls of his thickened chest just above the main attraction of his enormous, jiggling gut. Though he had reached the scale, a bigger issue persisted: how would he see the reading to know his new weight? He could lean forward, but Tach dreaded the idea of doing so, feeling his body squish against itself as another reminder of just how large he was getting. For a moment he hesitated, wondering if he should just put it off, and let his curiosity remain unsated... but alas, he could not allow himself to give into such a lazy approach. He had to know. Grabbing the scale, the lynx stepped onto it with a soft sigh, closing his eyes and praying the damage wasn't as bad as he thought it was. He shifted his weight from foot to foot slightly, making sure that he kept it on the scale, and almost winced when he heard the beep that signified that the final reading was available on the display screen. Hesitantly Tach leaned forward, and he felt the rolls of his stomach and sides bunch up slightly as he began his inclination forwards, putting one paw on the wall ahead of him for balance before he had finally shifted himself forward enough to see around his expansive belly. The numbers started to come into view, and he could see the "3" at the very beginning of the reading... *Crack!* Suddenly the reading vanished before Tach could see the whole thing, and he winced; he had felt the slight give beneath his feet, and stepping from the scale confirmed exactly what he had feared. A thin crack ran right down the right side of the scale, where his foot had been when he had been leaning to see the reading, and because of the extra pressure it had simply snapped. It was a cheap scale, one that he had bought on clearance, but even so the lynx blushed to think he had broken any scale at all! What was worse was that he hadn't even had a chance to see the whole reading, though even the first number had been enough to send a shiver down his spine. The reading had displayed at least three hundred pounds, though he wasn't sure just how far above it that number had actually been. Tach's estimations ranged wildly in his head, and each was heavier than the last. With a sigh, the lynx shoved the scale into a corner with one foot before lumbering out to the bedroom again, trying his hardest not to shift into the near-waddling gait he had started to develop. It felt weird to have his thighs rub up against one another however, even only for brief moments, and so in the end Tach let his body shift into that rolling step again, feeling his belly bounce and shift to each side every step he took, only further increasing his blush. Reaching the hamper of clothes, the lynx realized that he was going to have to go out into the main apartment sometime soon, and before he could get a change of clothes more accustomed to his new weight. Gwen was probably wondering if he was alright, hiding out in his bedroom so often today, especially with all the sleeping he had been doing. At some point, Tach was going to have to face his roommate. Sighing, knowing he was far too self-conscious to go out there shirtless for all the good that struggling a shirt over only part of his belly would do, Tach knelt over and dug through the pile of clothes he had lying about, checking to see if he had anything with at least a little stretch to it to let him try and hide some of the bulging excess of his belly. The first two shirts he tried on were a no-go; when he tugged the first on, it squished tightly around his flabby chest, and barely made it down past the first half of his heavy belly. The second felt constricting around his thicker neck, and didn't even make it as far as the first, but a check on the tag showed it was only a large, one of the older shirts that the lynx had never taken the time to discard. Finally Tach found one suitable for his weight, or at least as suitable as an XL shirt could get for a 3XL or larger fat feline. Squirming into the shirt, the lynx managed to get it down most of his midsection, stopping with only a few inches left between the waistband of his pants and the hem of his shirt, leaving a moderately small gap of cream-colored fur between the two of them. A few more tugs showed that it would go no further, and Tach conceded to the reality of fabric limitations; he could only do so much given his current wardrobe compared to his new weight, and even if he had found something that would fit, his new weight would be beyond obvious anyway. *Maybe it would be better if I put it off...* Tach considered, thinking for a moment, *I can order up some new clothes online, let them arrive tomorrow, and deal with it then...* The thought of putting it off was tempting, and the lynx even took his paw from the door handle, suddenly relieved at not having to deal with explanations just yet. However, his belly decided to let out a loud grumble at that moment; after that long nap, it was pretty late, a bit after his normal dinnertime. The lynx was still a bit surprised, however; he had been sleeping all day, and couldn't have burned all of the food he had stuffed himself with at lunch. However, his stomach had spoken, and woe was the feline who ignored his belly's cravings! It seemed there was no escaping a trip out into the living area, after all. Taking a deep breath, Tach pulled open the door to his bedroom and looked out into the main apartment, noticing that the living room was dark. That was a promising sign; Gwen left the light on when she was in the room, which meant either she was in her own room or that she was out with her friends. The latter was unusual, and usually she informed him, so the lynx assumed his roommate was off in her room, either in bed early or just relaxing with her television, leaving the living area empty. Letting out a sigh of relief at putting off the confrontation about his new "portly" status, Tach quickly snuck out into the living room, thankful that even with the extra weight his natural feline grace still remained, allowing him to cross over to the kitchen Going through the nearest cabinet as quietly as he could, Tach was surprised to see that it was fully stocked, particularly with quick snacks and instant meals, things that could simply be eaten straight out of the box. A glance to the refrigerator showed several TV dinners, none of which would take more than two minutes to cook in the microwave, and there were a few tubs of ice cream in the freezer too, both chocolate and vanilla, which were the lynx's favorite. Raising an eyebrow at the sudden restocking of the kitchen, Tach realized that he had been right in his guess earlier; Gwen had definitely been out to the grocery store during the day, and had completely refilled the shelves. That was blessing right now, as the lynx's belly gave another loud grumble; he had to get some food in him, and soon! Grabbing two of the TV dinners from the refrigerator, Tach quickly tore open the box and shoved the tray into the microwave, setting it for two minutes and then moving to the cabinet. Grabbing a bag of barbecue chips and popping it open, the lynx's paw dove into the bag and came up with a handful of them, stuffing them into his muzzle. The heavily flavored chips crunched between his teeth as his paw descended again and again, keeping his cheeks full at almost all times, leaving barely enough to swallow. He could tell that this was going to be a bad bout, possibly on par with one of his worse feeding frenzies, but at the moment, Tach could only think about filling his belly with food. He could worry about the consequences later. The beep of the microwave drew the lynx's attention from the half-emptied bag, and he sucked the flavored powder off of his fingers as he set it down to retrieve his meal from the microwave. Breaded chicken fingers, the kind that many people thought were fairly cheap, along with a side of fries and a small dish of pudding let out a variety of smells as the door was opened, causing the feline to lick his lips. Tach had enough semblance of mind to stop for a moment, however, and he remembered the bottle of appetite duller; he had forgotten it at lunch, and had gone nuts with his eating, but he wasn't going to forget it this time. Digging through a pocket, feeling how much tighter the small linen container felt now that his thicker thigh pressed it out further, the lynx came up with the bottle and popped the top open with his thumb before sprinkling the contents across the chicken and fries liberally, coating them in a visible layer of the herb-like seasoning. Once they were appropriately treated, Tach dug in with gusto, not even bothering with a fork. The chicken was treated carefully as it was still hot, and the lynx nearly burnt his tongue on the first bite, but it cooled quickly as he began to dig in. The fries could have been better, still feeling slightly squishy despite the crispy outer layer, but one couldn't expect miracles from a TV dinner. And the pudding? It was hard to do pudding wrong, though it was certainly possible, and this stuff was particularly good as it began to cool, giving a rich taste reminiscent of chocolate frosting on a cake. As he finished the first dish, Tach set the second container of food into the microwave and set the timer before going back to the bag of chips, dipping his paw in quickly and resuming his gorging. At any other time he might have looked back on his wild abandonment with mortification, but right now he was just *hungry*! The lynx quickly finished the bag despite it still being half-full when he had begun; soon his paws found nothing but crumbs and powder at the bottom, and he tossed the bag aside without a second glance. There was still another thirty seconds left on the microwave, and each one seemed to tick by for an eternity, so Tach went for the cabinet again, grabbing a bag of powdered doughnuts this time and ripping off the top rather than unbinding it. The first few entered his muzzle before the microwave beeped, announcing his second dish. Tach ignored it for a few moments, taking another doughnut and stuffing it into his muzzle, the powder coating his lips and even sticking to the tip of his nose slightly, giving it a white tinge. Licking his fingers again and wiping the remaining residue on his shirt, the lynx made his way over to the microwave even as it gave another insistent beep, a reminder of the cooked food within. Pulling it open, Tach took the two French bread pizzas from their box and set them on a plate, letting the rich smells of pepperoni fill his nose. A two-liter of soda from the refrigerator was brought out to complement the food, though cups were forgone for the sake of getting the food in his belly; the lynx was far too hungry to worry about such things. The first pizza was devoured slowly at first, the initial bite eliciting a gasp from the hot sauce lightly burning his lips, but with increasing speed as it began to cool. The second didn't last much longer, going down in only a half dozen bites that were washed down with several large gulps of soda. The carbonation caused it to fizz as it went down his throat, giving him a tingly, slightly bloated feeling in his belly, but Tach let out a soft belch that made it go away quickly. Soon both pizzas were gone, leaving only the bag of doughnuts on the counter next to the lynx. Grabbing the bag, Tach caught hold of another doughnut, preparing to stuff it in his muzzle... Suddenly, the light clicked on. "...Tach?" Tach froze like a deer in headlights, eyes widening as he saw Gwen standing in the kitchen entryway, eyes wide at the large lynx shoveling food in his muzzle. He wondered how long she had been there for a brief moment, wondering if she had seen the whole escapade or if it was just the aftermath she had seen, and he couldn't decide which was worse. Embarrassment kicked in, and suddenly Tach's muzzle went a bright scarlet despite his tan fur. Tearing up slightly, suddenly conscious of the stained mix of sauce and powdered sugar on his muzzle as well as the general mess around the kitchen from his brief binge, the fat feline tried to think of some way to explain himself, to get out of this awkward situation. "I... I..." Tach stammered, unable to think of an excuse. He noticed Gwen's line of sight, and realized after a startled moment that she wasn't staring at the mess on his face; instead, she was staring at his protruding belly, which stuck out even further than before thanks to his gorging. The small strip of cream-colored fur was gone, showing instead a large, bulging roll of belly that sank over his waistband, along with the thick tire of his sides, just further adding to the appearance of his size. Suddenly realizing just how he looked, Tach suddenly grabbed the bag he had been eating from and the bottle of soda before running past Gwen, heading for the safety and comfort of his room. He couldn't deal with this, not looking like he did! Slamming the door shut behind him and locking it, something he never did, the lynx crashed down on his bed, barely conscious of the food he had brought with him, laying beside him on the bed. How could he face Gwen, looking like that? She probably thought he was some kind of fat pig, unable to control his appetite and just packing on pound after pound because of it. Pressing his muzzle into his pillow, Tach wanted to cry; how could he live down those few moments where he had been caught mid-gorge, making a fool of himself? He rolled over onto his side again, curling up as best as he could on the bed. His knees pressed into his swollen belly, but he didn't notice; he just wanted to curl up and forget the night had ever happened. As he lay in bed, however, the lynx grabbed the bag of doughnuts that lay nearby, pulling them from the bag and munching again despite his self-resentment at the moment. Where he had been eating before to satisfy his hunger, Tach was now eating to comfort himself, something to take his mind off of those last few moments in which he had seen his roommate's expression. There had been something of shock and surprise there, negative reactions that had only served to further horrify the lynx. He had hoped that, even if he had been caught, Gwen would at least be supportive, stick up for him, and help him get through this time of difficulty. Tach barely noticed when the bag was empty and discarded at the side of the bed. Instead, he just lay on his side, staring at the wall until he fell asleep. Unfortunately, not even dreams would leave him be, that night. ---------------------- Gwen leaned against the counter in disbelief after Tach had run away, a bit shocked to say the least. She had not been surprised that, given his eating habits, the lynx would put on a few pounds here and there, but the sheer amount of change that had come was just... wow. It was amazing; what had once been a slightly chunky lynx had swollen into a big, heavyset ball of feline flab. The bobcat ran a paw through her hair as she tried to make sense of it all, not displeased in the least, but still certainly shocked. It was just a lot to adjust to, out of the blue, and Gwen couldn't see how he had managed it. Gwen's eyes roamed across the room unconsciously, and after a moment her eyes caught sight of the unlabeled bottle sitting on the counter. "The 'appetite duller'..." She mumbled to herself, picking up the bottle and finding that it was a lot lighter than she had expected. Blinking, she undid the top and looked inside, shocked to find that it was at least half empty. That was nearly a month's worth of the stuff! The standard dosage was supposed to be a dash of it on one meal a day for safe use of its effects. Surely Tach hadn't been using it in large doses, right? But then again, if he had, then that would explain so much... Placing the bottle on the counter again, Gwen placed a paw on her cheek thoughtfully, leaning her elbow on the counter. She had ordered the powder specially, but despite her story of it being an "appetite duller" as Tach thought it was, the medication actually did quite the opposite. It was supposed to increase the appetite in small increments and help aid in digestion so that more of the calories were converted to fat, but it was supposed to be a subtle effect that would only be noticed over time. With as much as Tach had put on his food, however, the effects had probably multiplied considerably; Gwen thought about it, and found herself smiling slightly, wondering just how much the lynx had eaten since he had started using the powder frequently. Gwen, admittedly, had been watching Tach for a long time. Since the two had moved in as roommates, she had found himself drawn to his slightly chubby frame, a hint of imperfection among a world that expected males to be big on muscles and low on brains. Tach was quite the opposite, a friendly and outgoing guy whose thoughts and feelings came before his appearance, and that alone had made him attractive. Admittedly, as his weight had climbed thanks to a combination of good eating and a generally sedentary lifestyle, Gwen had come to admire her roommate's growth, and had thought to encourage it slightly, to let him get more comfortable with just being him, and maybe get him to continue growing. As long as he was happy, would it be such a bad thing? "Maybe I should tell him..." Gwen mused, looking at the bottle again. She had been far too sneaky so far, rather than approaching Tach and explaining her feelings. Was that wrong of her? Should she have been more encouraging from the outset rather than acting behind his back? "Yeah... I'll tell him in the morning. I'm sure he doesn't want to see me right now..." ---------------------- Tach was dreaming. In his dream, the lynx had woken up from the night before to find himself larger, just as he had been doing the entire day. However, what he had woken up to was far more extreme than before. Whereas before it had been a gain in the double-digits, Tach's newest growth had easily gone into its third digit, pronounced particularly by his belly. The lynx was horrified to see the massive mound of his gut rising above him, a thick layer of blubber that was easily above eye level even with his head elevated on the pillow behind him. Disbelievingly, the feline's paws pressed into that blubbery mass only to find solid flab, his fingers sinking into the mass by at least an inch with the soft, fur-covered bulk sagging to squish over the furthest knuckle of each digit. With a grunt, the lynx pushed himself to a sitting position, but that took a few minutes of wrestling with his new body. His arms were pushed out slightly thanks to the girth of his enormous belly, and his chest had developed into two flabby moobs, thick rolls of fat moving around his upper torso and squishing against his upper arms. Fingers that had swollen past sausage-thick pressed into the bed's sheets as he tried to right himself, though the first effort had him panting as he managed to get his head and shoulders up only to meet resistance as his chest pressed up against his gut. He couldn't bend fully anymore, especially with how thick and padded his torso had become, and Tach had been forced to lie back on his back again after his failed attempt. Trying again, the lynx wisely twisted his fat body, feeling his enormous backside slide across the bed's surface with difficulty, dragging the sheets with him as he couldn't easily lift it with the limited leverage his legs had. Soon his thickened thighs loomed over the bed's edge, and the lynx managed to lever himself upwards, his gut squishing and undulating as it sagged across his lap, spreading thickly to droop off of either side. Panting, Tach groaned as he put his paws to either side, leaning himself forward atop his gut to keep his balance and prevent him from falling back. He felt so *heavy*! Every bit of his body seemed to weigh down, and the very act of sitting up was a bit of a strain on his back and chest. But he wouldn't let himself stop there. Putting a paw on his dresser, the lynx hauled himself up, feeling the weight press down on his thick legs and his feet absorbing the impact with difficulty that already had his thunder thighs shaking from the burden they bore. It took a moment, but soon he was standing... and Tach found himself regretting doing so. His entire body bore down on his legs, causing him to stumble slightly, but he managed to keep standing. Shuffling forward, the overly-obese feline found himself past even the point of a waddle; with how thick his fat legs were, they were constantly pressing each other apart, giving him a bowlegged appearance that required him to swing each limb out wide in order to take a step forward. It was a very awkward feeling, causing his whole body to sway and twist about, resulting in the jiggling of his hefty chest and broad belly, among other things. Slowly, but surely, Tach made his way to the bathroom, not noting in his sleepy haziness that he somehow fit through the doorway without difficulty, and shuffled his way before the mirror. He almost fainted at the image he saw before him, his jaw dropping completely at the view. He didn't recognize the bloated mass of feline in the mirror before him, the wall of fur and fat that filled a good portion of the reflective surface. Tan and cream fur filled Tach's vision, flowing along a body that was covered in rolls and curves while sagging heavily downwards, its heavy weight sinking towards the floor. Tach's torso alone was enormous; whereas his chest had been somewhat rounded and soft before, now it was two pronounced mounds of flesh, sinking down atop the mass of his belly. Each one looked as big as a small cantaloupe, if a cantaloupe was melted down to sag and jiggle like Jell-o, and they continued in rolls of fat that tucked under his arms, preventing him from letting the limbs rest completely vertically. His belly was even bigger, like a fat beach ball, a balloon that had been filled with water until it sagged down to his knees. But where a balloon was smooth and stretched, the lynx's fat gut sagged and jiggled in soft rolls that squished down over his waistband, fat converging in thick mounds that squished into a spare tire around his waist and hips. Speaking of those hips, they were wider than before, far wider. Though the rolls of fat that pooled over his sides from the spare tire of his blubbery gut gave his belly an impression of being the widest part of him, Tach's hips weren't far behind, curving out in a smooth, rounded shape that flowed down into his thick thighs. A turn to the side showed that his rump stuck out embarrassingly far, thick globes of jiggling fat that his boxers (where had his jeans gone, anyway?) could barely contain, with the uppermost curves sticking out and threatening the integrity of the waistband. The mounds squished outwards and attempted to do so downwards, barely contained by their cloth prison. The lynx's thighs weren't far behind, wide enough each to compare to his former waistline, and they constantly jostled against one another no matter how much he widened his stance; he had simply resolved to walk as wide as he could to prevent the worst of the chafing. Even Tach's *face* was fat; his cheeks looked like overlarge grapefruits were stuffed into them, but it was pure layers of lard that squished up against his muzzle. The length of his muzzle looked stubby thanks to the flab surrounding it, causing it to sink in slightly and squishing his whiskers outwards along the curves of those rounded cheeks. Multiple chins pushed up from beneath, supported on the tire of his blubber-laden neck that pushed them up slightly; only his tufted ears and cheeks suggested that he was a lynx and not some furred relative to a whale, given his enormous and expansive appearance! And yet, despite the horror that the image would have normally produced in him, Tach looked at himself in the mirror and thought aloud to himself. "...This doesn't look too bad, does it?" the lynx murmured, staring at himself in the mirror and examining his flesh-laden body. Admittedly it was far from the cultural ideal of a sculpted and built body, but as he examined it, Tach realized that he was... well, comfortable with his appearance, for lack of better words. He didn't see himself as the kind of person who could achieve a "perfect" body, as he didn't have the drive to work out and practically live at the gym, and with his relaxed and quiet lifestyle, keeping weight off would be somewhat difficult too. In the end, it seemed he was destined to be fat. But was that really all that bad? Admittedly, as large as he was, Tach found movement was somewhat difficult, and that it was a bit uncomfortable weighing down so heavily. But he could see that, with the right person, he could enjoy such a life. Someone to snuggle up against him, to rub a paw through his belly fur, to kiss at his rounded cheeks and to feed him dinner... admittedly, the lynx found himself enjoying the thought. It wasn't the sort of impulsive "I have to do this right now!" thought, either; it was something the lynx could see himself adapting to, something he could grow into, pun intended. It was one of those inevitable acceptances of life, those compromises that everyone made to just be themselves; again, would it really be that bad? "I don't really think it would..." ---------------------- A surge of sunlight through the window caused Tach to groan and block the light with one paw, squeezing his eyes shut as he rolled over in bed to try and adjust to the sudden increase of brightness in his room. While he appreciated the alarm system, for once he found himself wishing he had set it a bit later; he was feeling well-rested and refreshed, and certainly would not have minded another half hour of sleep. Still, that had been his fault for forgetting to unset his alarm the night before, so he was just going to have to deal with waking up now. That didn't mean that the lynx had to like it, though! Rolling over again onto his back, Tach let out another groan at the renewed assault of the light on his eyes, but he pushed himself up into a sitting position, noting the increased pressure of his belly against itself. It wasn't nearly as great of an increase as it had been the day before, but the lynx certainly felt a little heavier, and he could tell the difference in the rolls of his softened body. Yet despite that, he didn't find himself all that upset; embarrassed and shy about it, yes, but not upset or worried. One of his paws pressed into the flab-filled pelt across his belly, fingers gently kneading and rubbing at the expansive mass, causing it to shift and wobble slightly from the motions. Tach actually found doing so to be somewhat enjoyable, to feel the heft and weight of his soft body, and the feeling of his paw rubbing his sensitive belly. The lynx's thoughts went back to the dream he had just woken from, one he now knew was certainly a dream; he was nowhere near that big! Still, he remembered his resolution, to just be what he was becoming, to enjoy just living the way he was. If he wanted to change, he would have to work towards it, but until he decided to actually work towards something like losing weight, Tach had resolved just to accept what came. Would it really be that bad to be a little fat? Who knew; he might even enjoy it. The feline then thought back to the night before, when he had run from the kitchen. Remembering the look of shock on Gwen's face, his own cheeks burned again, and he reminded himself that he needed to talk to his roommate. That would certainly be a hard conversation, though; she was probably really worried about what she had seen, considering how hard Tach had been trying to lose weight. Still, it needed to be done; the lynx had accepted what would be, and if he was going to continue living with Gwen, then she was going to have to accept it too. She didn't have to like it or encourage it, but she had to understand how things were going to be from now on. Sighing, the lynx went to the bathroom to wash up, realizing that he still had powdered sugar caked across his muzzle. A few minutes was all it took to clean off his paws and his muzzle, and then a change of shirts after that made him at least look a bit more presentable. Though the shirt still didn't fit well, in fact worse than the last one by showing off a good quarter of his bulging, fattened belly, Tach was at least comfortable with how well it fit on the rest of him without squeezing too much, which would do for now. Mentally he noted that he needed to order bigger clothes, probably a 4 or 5XL to go with his likely growing waistline, but that was an issue for later. Heading out into the living room, Tach caught the smell of sizzling bacon again, meaning that Gwen was in the kitchen cooking. She seemed to particularly favor a "traditional" breakfast of bacon and eggs, with the side dish varying between pancakes, waffles, or just simple toast. Well, breakfast was as good of an excuse as any to start just living his new fatty lifestyle, and though he would be stuffing his face, albeit not as crazily, the lynx figured a meal would be a good start. Waddling to the kitchen, Tach caught sight of Gwen at the stove, just finishing up an omelette in front of her. The bobcat gave her roommate a warm smile, though it was a strained one, and came over with the eggs slid onto a plate to set before Tach before his roommate sat across from him. They spoke at the same time. "Tach, we need to talk." "Can we talk for a moment?" They paused, surprised, before laughing at the awkward timing of their conversations before Tach spoke up first. "Let me start. I've been thinking and... well, I've realized that maybe that diet idea wasn't the best way to go." Gwen seemed to freeze, as if she was hanging onto his every word. "I mean... I'm not like... *trying* to be fat to where I get sick or something, but... I've realized that it's probably just as bad to force myself to do something my lifestyle can't really handle." The lynx rubbed a paw through his hair, shifting a bit uncomfortably as he tried to find the words he was thinking. "I mean, uh... I just... I guess I'm just content with how I am. If I eat a lot, so be it. If I want to lose weight, I need to make sure I have the drive to do it; otherwise I'm just kidding myself, right? It's... just that I'm going to go with what is, and that's that. And that probably means I'll get a bit heavier, but... yeah. I hope you're not upset, I know you were really trying to help me." Gwen paused as he finished, resting her chin on her palm and looking thoughtful. Her eyes were distant, and her expression seemed to be a combination of guilt and doubt, which made her look more like she had a stomachache. Finally, however, she spoke. "I have a confession to make, then." Tach blinked in surprise; that wasn't what he had expected to hear. "I, uh... may have not been completely straightforward with you either, as much as I hate to admit it." "Huh?" The bobcat sighed and folded her fingers together before her, resting her chin on her hands. "I... sort of lied to you. That appetite duller? It's not what you think it is. It's... well, it's quite the opposite, actually. And it's probably my fault that you've been putting on so much weight; I let it get out of my sight, didn't warn you how to use it right... and because of that, you've been growing a lot more than you should have." Gwen looked troubled by that last bit, forcing it out. Tach started to connect dots at that point. "...Wait... 'than I should have'? What do you mean by that?" Gwen held up the bottle, the one that was supposed to be helping Tach with his diet. "This... this is from a company that's meant to help anorexics eat more by encouraging appetite and slowing the consumer's digestion a bit to enable them to put on a healthy amount of weight. On a normal person, it just makes it easier to get heavier." Tach frowned, but it was a thoughtful one rather than an angry one. "And well... I sort of got that knowing what it did, and lied to you about what it did. I just... I guess I sort of liked you being you, rather than being miserable with your diet, and... well, maybe I think you look cute now, just the way you are..." For once, Tach was surprised to see a blush growing on his roommate's face, a very rare occurrence indeed; Gwen seemed to rarely ever get flustered, let alone shy. Yet despite that, the lynx smiled and stood to stride across the dining room, reaching over to grab his roommate in a big hug. Despite being a little upset that she had lied to him and been so sneaky about what she was doing, at the same time, he couldn't help but be happy; he was worried that Gwen would be upset, yet here she was, happy to see him this way, finding him cute... and honestly, hearing that last bit had been the best part of it all. Tach had worked so hard because he had thought the extra weight took away from his appeal, was what others didn't want to see in him; to find someone that liked him, someone that was fine with just who he was, was just wonderful beyond words. "Well, I guess you got what you wanted as always, huh?" Gwen looked up at the lynx's teasing words, finding herself pressed against his ample chest as his thick arms wrapped around her, his rounded, soft cheek squishing up against her warm one. "I can't ever seem to win against you, huh?" The bobcat laughed, still a bit shy after her confession, but she returned the embrace happily, wrapping her arms around Tach's wide neck. The two of them shifted so that their noses were touching, their eyes looking into one another's, and slowly they leaned in a bit closer, their lips meeting for a soft, gentle kiss. It lasted only a moment, a fraction of a moment, but for the two it was like hours of bliss before they parted and just smiled at one another. Gwen, still a bit embarrassed, grinned at her roommate anyway. "Yup. I always win." ---------------------- *One Year Later...* "Dinner time!" Tach looked up from the book he was reading as he reclined on the bed of his now-shared bedroom, the pillows piled up behind him to pad his back and neck a bit to ease in the support of his body's weight, to see Gwen standing in the doorway pushing a small cart in. The two of them had invested in a cart for an easier way of getting the food to Tach, rather than trying to get the lynx out to his food. Though he was far from immobile yet, the lynx's continually increasing weight had made it a slow and sometimes difficult process, especially after the second time they had the doors widened to accommodate him, and so to make the whole process easier Gwen simply carted food to the bedroom to feed her boyfriend at meals rather than requiring him to get to the table. He could do that on days where he felt a little less lazy, which weren't too uncommon; though they ate in the bedroom more often than at the table, the latter wasn't completely forgotten. In the last year, Tach had filled out quite a bit more, topping nearly six hundred pounds. The lynx had encouraged use of the weight gain powder that Gwen had ordered back when the whole gaining thing began, and that had lasted for about three more weeks before running out. Since then, the two had been keeping at his growth naturally, letting it happen rather than enhancing it with herbs and drugs. Though the weight gain had been much slower, it was also much more preferable to the lynx, who was happy letting his body just do what it would. He was still growing larger, and found himself actively enjoying his growing size, but at the same time it wasn't a rushed affair. It was more about the journey, not the end result. The lynx, despite his gains, still did not resemble the image from his dream a year ago, but that was partially because he had struggled to not maintain that exact appearance. Instead, the fat feline had worked on his body, allowing it to build up fat but keeping a layer of muscle under it, particularly in the legs and waist so as to make the weight easier on his back and mobility. Tach had done some research, unsurprised to find several online communities that were all about gaining weight in a healthy manner, and had found out that it would be the best way for him to remain able to get about while also being able to continue growing. He wanted to enjoy his gain, rather than just get big and stuck, and so the lynx had worked long and hard to maintain his new form. As a result, Tach didn't look like a drooping mass of Jell-o. Sure, he was fat, heavy, and round, but the way he carried it and the way it stuck to his frame gave him a much larger overall look. His chest, though it was thick and heavy, mounds of fat squishing downwards across his frame, pressed up against a belly that was much more curved and thick, protruding outwards with only a bit of sag to it so that it took on a rounded shape rather than one sheet of fat rolls that hung awkwardly on his frame. His hips were wide as always, his thick rump squishing outwards and his thighs stretching the legs of any pants he wore, but again it was more of that general roundness rather than just sag and flab; he looked big and bulky, heavy with enough definition to maintain a favorable appearance. The lynx was spread across his two-thirds of the bed, his broad shoulders and wide waist taking up a majority of it, but nonetheless there was more than enough room for Gwen to sit down beside him with the cart on the side next to her. Pulling a tray from the cart, she placed it on the bed before her and grabbed the first plate, one containing three thick, juicy pork chops layered in barbecue sauce, practically sizzling still on the plate. Grabbing a knife she cut off a big portion for her fat lynx, bringing it up to his muzzle with a smile. Tach shifted, getting into a better sitting position, before opening his mouth and letting her pop the meat in. The bobcat smiled back at her boyfriend, handing him the tray, which he rested atop the curve of his belly, right below where his chest rested against it. While he ate, Gwen leaned into Tach's side, resting her head on his wide shoulder and letting her arm drape across his large belly, delicate fingers pressing gently into the rolls of fat that rested across his thick sides. The lynx let out a soft, rumbling purr as Gwen kneaded gently into his belly, letting him enjoy a belly rub with his meal. Her paws remained only for a few minutes, however, as the pork was soon gone, the plate emptied and needing to be replaced. The bobcat put up with it playfully, giving Tach a pat on his large belly, which caused it to ripple and jiggle, before she went back to the cart and came back with another large plate, this one with the last remaining pork chop as well as an extra-large helping of rice pilaf atop it soaked in a light country gravy that added to its flavor. Tach gave a happy smile and began eating again, while Gwen resumed her vigil at the lynx's large belly, her hands once more gently pressing and rubbing into the mass of flesh. The meal continued for a good twenty minutes, going from dish to dish and ending with a nice desert, a thick slab of yellow cake with chocolate frosting atop that was fed to Tach by the forkful rather than letting the lynx finish his meal himself. He didn't complain though, just enjoying himself, and he sat back to let Gwen finish feeding him the cake. He smiled at her as he always did, content with the way their lives shaped out to be; they were both happy with one another now, enjoying just letting things be as they were. Truly, this was a great relationship for them. Once the food was finished, the plates set aside for cleanup later, Gwen just leaned in close and gave her boyfriend a kiss on his rounded cheek, getting a warm arm around her waist in return that pulled her into a gentle, loving embrace against Tach's wide side. The lynx nuzzled at his lover's tufted ears playfully, while Gwen rested her head on Tach's chest, her free paw still gently rubbing along the globe of his fat gut, encouraging the digestion of the food in his stomach with her soft massage. The two of them sat there for a good twenty minutes in that embrace, the lynx snuggling Gwen close while the bobcat rubbed at her boyfriend's belly and sides, causing him to purr loudly from the fingers on his sensitive, full belly. "Life is good, isn't it Gwen...?"