# Laurel (Parts 1-5)- by Starling (~BHM, Romance, ~SWG)



## Starling (Jun 20, 2008)

_~BHM, Romance _---it’s the 21st Century and an FFA can be the aggressor to a shy fat guy if she wants

*Laurel 
By Starling​*
*- Part One *

The day was unusually hot and sticky for so early in the summer, the kind of day Chris hated more than anything. It was on days like this that people walked around without shirts on and flocked to the public pool. Chris felt less than comfortable doing either of those things, which meant that he was usually left to spend the day solitary and sweaty.

In the time it took him to walk from his job at the Office Supply World to his car, his shirt was already stuck to his back. He turned the air conditioning all the way up and drove to pick up his little brother from day camp. Chris arrived a few minutes early, and spent the time sitting in the parking lot in the cold comfort of his car. A little before three, he saw a group of kids accompanied by two young women headed toward the lawn by the parking lot. 

One of these young women immediately caught Chris’ attention. She wasn&#8216;t particularly tall, and veered ever so slightly toward the heavy side of average, though this only served to enhance her extraordinarily feminine figure. Chris noticed, while trying not to feel like a pervert, that she had very large breasts, as they seemed about ready to burst through the fabric of a camp shirt that fit the girl perfectly everywhere else. She had shoulder length reddish brown hair, and sideswept bangs that framed a face with high cheekbones, large eyes, and full lips. Chris spent so long ogling that he failed to notice other parents picking up their children, and he rushed out of his car to get his little brother. 

As Chris approached the girl, he began to feel nervous, and pulled his shirt away from his body so it wouldn’t cling, and tried desperately to suck in his chubby stomach. 

“Who are you here for?”, she asked brightly, flashing Chris a pretty smile. Chris noticed that her eyes were a delicate shade of light green, not an eye color he had ever seen before. She was wearing a nametag, and Chris looked down to see the name &#8216;LAUREL’ written in cheery bubble letters. 

“Who are you here for?”, Laurel asked again, and Chris looked up to see a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. He realized that it looked as if he had been staring at her chest this whole time, and his face reddened with humiliation. 

“I’m uh…here uh…um…Timothy’s my little brother”, he managed to get out. 

As if on cue, Timothy bounced over from where a group of kids were playing tag. 

“All right Timothy, it looks like you are good to go”, Laurel said sweetly. She looked over at Chris and smiled again. 

“And what can I call your handsome brother?” she asked Timothy with a grin. 

“That’s Chris, but I don’t really think he’s handsome”, Timothy replied, making a face. 

Laurel laughed. “That’s probably a good thing”. 

Chris felt his face go red again. Was she…she couldn’t be…she was flirting! He forced himself to say something. 

“I’m going to assume you’re Laurel” was what he came up with. He hoped she thought it sounded clever, and not as hopelessly stupid as it did to his ears. 

To his relief, Laurel smiled again. “That I am. Hopefully you’ll come by and pick up your brother more often, now that we’re on a first name basis and all”, she said with a laugh. 

Chris smiled back at her. “Definitely”. 

On the drive home, he only half listened to Timothy’s tales of day camp. He was distracted by his interaction with Timothy’s pretty counselor. 

“She thinks I’m handsome,” he thought to himself. For a few minutes he couldn’t keep a smile off his face until he considered that she might have been joking, making fun of him in a backhanded way. But she seemed so sweet. 

Then an even worse thought crossed his mind. What if she was that way with everyone, using that same flirtatious manner with every balding father who came by? It made sense that she would be, it would help her job to have the parents on her side. Chris sighed. It was nice while it lasted at least, but really, who was he kidding? He was too quiet and far too tubby to get much serious notice from the opposite sex. 

His mixed feelings toward the previous day’s encounter didn’t stop him from offering to drop Timothy off at camp the next day. His parents were more than happy to let him, and Chris found himself desperately wishing he would have a chance to talk to Laurel again, and perhaps sound a little more intelligent this time. 

“You’re pathetic”, Timothy said as he slid in the backseat. 

“How?”, asked Chris. 

“You’re only offering to take me &#8216;cause you have the hots for my counselor”. Timothy was remarkably perceptive, even for a nine-year-old. Chris just laughed and shook his head. 

When they got to the camp, Laurel and a different girl were outside signing kids in. Chris and Timothy walked up, and Laurel gave the pair of them a smile. 

“Hey Timothy! Jess has got a game of soccer going if you want to play”, she said, gesturing toward the other girl. Timothy looked from Laurel to Chris, and made a shameless kissing noise before darting off. Chris tried to keep himself from blushing yet again, but it was no use. Laurel smiled at him. 

“Timothy’s a bit of a handful sometimes, isn’t he?” , she said. 

“Yeah”, Chris readily agreed. “My parents are too old to have a kid like that, that’s why they love it when I’m home to keep him in line”, he said with a smile. 

“He’s a good kid though” Laurel said, looking to where he had jumped into the soccer game, “Very friendly. And athletic - he’s always the best at the sports we do”. 

“He is”, Chris acknowledged with a nod, looking to see his skinny brother outrun the rest of the kids to get to the ball first. 

“I think he got all the athletic genes in our family though”, he added with a sheepish glance toward his own round middle. Laurel’s eyes also flicked to his stomach for a moment, and Chris tried yet again to suck his gut in as far as it would go. She looked back to his eyes with a smile. 

“Nothing wrong with that”, she said cheerfully, “I’ve never thought skinny was a good look myself”. 

Chris didn’t mean to stare, but he couldn’t help himself. He hadn’t heard anyone say anything like that before. 

“Well…I have to go to work”, he told her, for lack of anything better to say. 

Laurel smiled and nodded. “Will you be back to pick up Timothy, or are your parents?” 

“Oh, me, they both have to work late again”, Chris told her. He might have been fooling himself, but he could have sworn that she looked excited. 

“See you at three, then” she said. 

“Can’t wait!”, Chris replied, before he had a chance to censor himself. 

Chris was less than useless at work that day, with his mind fully focused on when he would see Laurel again. He was lucky that working at the Office Supply World wasn’t particularly difficult, though the pay was decent and on grueling hot days like these the air conditioning was a godsend. When his shift ended at 2:30, it was all he could do to keep himself from running to his car to get to Timothy’s camp. 

He was early again, and once again he saw Laurel and the other girl (was Jess her name?) come out with the kids. Laurel noticed him in his car and raised a hand in greeting. When Chris came out, Laurel walked a little bit toward him and handed him a slip of paper. 

“Just thought it might come in handy”, she said. Chris unfolded the paper and there was a phone number written on it. Underneath Laurel had written &#8216;Call me!’ with a smiley face. Timothy came over, and they were leaving all too soon. 

If Chris had been distracted before, he was beyond all hope now. He held the piece of paper with Laurel’s number as if it contained the secrets of life itself. He could barely drive, and poor Timothy’s stories once again fell on deaf ears. At dinner he was nervous and quiet, and he barely ate his dinner, partly because of nerves and partly because, well, he couldn’t help but assume that Laurel’s apparent interest in him was due to the fact that he wore baggy clothes that hid his chubby body well. He didn’t want her to be disappointed when she realized how chunky he really was. 

He picked up the courage to call her at about ten that night. After stumbling over a few minutes’ worth of awkward conversation, Laurel asked him if he wanted to go to dinner and a movie the following night. 

“Dinner?”, Chris echoed, “It’s…it’s too hot to eat out in this weather. Let’s just meet up later and see a movie without dinner.” What he didn’t really want to tell Laurel was that he was terrified of eating in public. He always felt like people were staring at him, or laughing as the fat kid wolfed down his food. Laurel agreed to meet up after dinner, although she sounded a bit disappointed. 

Chris let his parents drop Timothy off and pick him up the next day; he felt like he would be overdoing it to go see Laurel at work if they were going out that night, plus he had a later shift at the Office Supply World. 

After work, he rushed home and took a shower. When he got out, he winced as he saw his body in the full length mirror. Last time he checked, he weighed 237 pounds at just under five foot ten. But that was over three months ago, and he knew he’d gained weight. His stomach was round and soft, and he had dark red stretch marks on his lower belly and his chubby hips. 

His thighs were doughy and his back creased with two thick rolls of fat. He didn’t even want to look at his ass - he knew it was huge to begin with, and it could only have gotten bigger. His cheeks flushed with color as he felt embarrassed just looking at himself. While he hoped things would go well with Laurel, he found himself desperately wishing he wouldn’t be expected to take his clothes off anytime soon. 

It had been so hot during the days recently that it stayed warm well into the night, so Chris put on a pair of nice jeans, though he noticed they were getting painfully tight, and a lightweight, loose fitting black T-shirt that looked decent and managed to hide the fact that his stomach was bulging over the top of his too-small jeans. He skipped dinner with the family, as he hadn’t eaten all day and didn’t want to ruin it now. 

Timothy laughed at him and made jokes about his interest in Laurel before he went, but Chris did manage to get the grudging compliment that he “looked okay for a fat dude” before his little brother was off and running outside. 

His parents told him to have a good time and to not drink and drive - since he was nineteen and only home for the summer while college was out, there wasn’t much else they could tell him. 

Chris hit traffic and was a little late to the theatre, which he was secretly pleased about because he hated standing places alone. Although he reasoned that Laurel probably felt the same way, and he felt bad to keep her waiting. 

She was leaning against a railing when he saw her, and he had to stop and catch his breath a second. She was beautiful when she worked at camp in cheesy T-shirts and old jeans; after hours, she was stunning. She was wearing a navy blue cotton sundress with a halter top and deep neckline that accentuated her chest. Her hair fell down her shoulders in soft waves, and she had on a pair of dangling gold earrings that matched her gold sandals. 

She looked effortless and incredible, and Chris realized that he was going to look embarrassingly mismatched next to her. Laurel saw him and waved him over. 

“I was starting to think you stood me up”, she said with a sideways smile. 

“I just hit traffic”, Chris said. “Sorry to keep you waiting”. Laurel gave him a genuine smile this time and a hug, and Chris bought them both tickets to the next movie showing, he didn’t really care what it was. 
When they were inside the theatre, Laurel grabbed his arm and pulled him to the concession stand with surprising force. 

“If I’m going to let you buy my ticket, the least you can do is let me buy you some overpriced ice cream since it’s so hot”, she told him. Before Chris could protest, she had bought two large bowls, one of which she slipped in his hand, and the other she kept for herself. 
Although he still felt uncomfortable eating in front of her, Chris smiled at the gesture. 

“Thanks” he said, and before he could shut his mouth the words “You look really really good. Like a goddess.” had slipped out. 

A goddess? Seriously? Even Chris knew he was pathetic. To his surprise, though, Laurel blushed. 

“Thanks”, she said. Her big light eyes looked him up and down and she smiled. “You look good yourself”. 

Although he was incredibly nervous, Chris somehow found the courage to slip his free hand around Laurel’s waist as they walked into the theatre. 

As soon as they sat down, he felt Laurel shifting a bit, and before he knew it, she stuck a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. 

“You have to eat it before it melts”, she whispered with a giggle. Chris squirmed a bit, but he felt a little better since it was so dark no one else would notice. Besides, Laurel evidently didn’t have a problem with watching him eat, as she was literally shoving food down his throat. 

It wasn’t until after all the previews and a few minutes into the movie that Chris noticed Laurel hadn’t eaten any of her ice cream, and yet when he checked, both bowls were empty. She had given him her bowl as well. Chris was confused and a little uncomfortable. 

He couldn’t quite shake the feeling that she was making fun of him. Like she could feed the fat boy two bowls of ice cream instead of one and he wouldn’t notice. Although, Chris admitted to himself, he really hadn’t noticed. 

As the movie progressed, he and Laurel got closer and closer to one another, and as the climax of the film played itself out, Laurel was snuggled into his chest and had one leg draped over his thighs. Chris was sure Laurel could hear his heart pounding, and he sucked his poor stomach in like his life depended on it. His only regret was that he couldn’t suck in his thighs as well, as he was sure Laurel could tell how big they were, and then had to laugh at himself as he realized that he probably spent more time stressing over his thighs than Laurel ever did. 

As they walked out of the theatre into the still oppressive heat, Laurel stood on her toes a moment and whispered in his ear “Do you have anywhere else to be?”

Chris shook his head, not caring to inform her that he usually didn’t have anywhere to be. 

“Well…um…my roommate’s out of town…”, she let the sentence trail off, and Chris noticed she actually seemed nervous for once. 

“Oh.”, he told her. Again, another brilliant answer. It was Laurel’s turn to blush furiously. 

“Well…if you want to like, I don’t know, follow my car…we could hang out there a little…if you want to…you don’t have to or anything, I was just saying…” The thought flashed through Chris’ mind that if he went back with Laurel, chances were good that he would at least be required to lose his shirt. 

He briefly considered turning her down until reality got a hold of him. Here was this drop dead gorgeous girl who had an amazing personality to boot practically begging him to go home with her. How often did this happen in the life of a regular guy? Not often. Even less often in the life of a regular fat guy. So he did the intelligent thing and followed Laurel back to her apartment.

(Continued in post 8 of this thread)


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## Tad (Jun 20, 2008)

Wow, great to see such a nice story starting in your very first post, Starling!


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## fat hiker (Jun 20, 2008)

Very good, starling!


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## Undine (Jun 21, 2008)

So sweet; I like it! Will we see more? Pretty please?


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## Ichida (Jun 22, 2008)

OOh i love it


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## Starling (Jun 22, 2008)

Thank you guys so much! I'm working on Part Two, so hopefully it should be up in the next couple days!


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## ashblonde (Jun 22, 2008)

I absolutely love all of these new bhm romance writers - this is a wonderful start!


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## Starling (Jun 22, 2008)

*Part Two*

“So you live here?” Chris asked as they walked through the door. Wow. He sure was smooth.

“Yeah,” Laurel said with a laugh. “I’m from across the country, but I go to school here so I figured it would just be easier to live with one of my sorority sisters and get a job than go all the way home and back.” 

“Understandable,” Chris nodded as Laurel maneuvered him towards the living room. 

“You hungry or anything?” she asked, a little hopefully.

“No,” he answered, although it wasn’t quite true. “I shouldn’t be hungry anyway,” he continued with a glance at her, “since I ate all your ice cream on top of mine.”

He looked to her for an explanation of her behavior. Laurel for a moment looked like she’d been caught stealing. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened for a moment as her cheeks colored. However, the guilty look was quickly replaced with a theatrical look of supreme innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said haughtily, and flounced into the kitchen.

Chris followed her and watched her pull various things out of the refrigerator. “What are you doing?” he asked after a bit of observation.

Laurel pretended not to hear, and busied herself making sandwiches. “Since I couldn’t get a handsome boy to take me to dinner earlier, I guess I’ll have to eat now,” she said woefully to the room at large.

“It was too hot to eat!” Chris exclaimed in mild protest.

“I have air conditioning,” Laurel said, handing him a plate with a grin. 

Chris looked down at the food. He didn’t know what to do. This was a lot different from ice cream in a movie theatre, and that had been terrifying enough. He’d be eating right in front of her with all the lights on. He tried to give her the plate back. “I’m really not that hungry,” he said apologetically, and then reddened when his stomach rumbled in protest.

Laurel gently pushed the plate in Chris’ direction again. “I have way too much food here, especially with my roommate gone. You’ll be doing me a favor to eat some of it.”

Chris swallowed. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. She wanted him to do her a favor. He could do that, couldn’t he? She wouldn’t keep offering him food if she didn’t want him to eat it, anyway. It might even be rude to turn her down. He reasoned that his shirt must be looser than he thought. It was the only explanation he could come up with for why a pretty girl wouldn’t be giving him a hard time about his weight. 

Laurel grabbed a plate as well, and they both sat down on the living room couch. They talked while they ate, about school and their jobs and anything else that came to mind. Chris started to feel more comfortable, and managed to finish off the sandwich and chips on his plate. As they continued talking, Chris noticed Laurel’s eyes were on the roll of blubber across his middle. He tried to yank his stomach inward, but it was hard to do sitting down. He felt embarrassed and anxious. She was probably disgusted. She probably regretted asking him back to her place. He shouldn’t have eaten anything. He stood up and pulled his shirt loose. 

“Where…where do you want me to put this?” he asked, gesturing to the empty plate. Laurel hopped up beside him and took the plate in one fluid motion.

“I’ve got it,” she called cheerfully, as she disappeared into the kitchen once more. She returned with two glasses of ice water. “Thought you might be thirsty,” she said, handing him one.

Chris smiled at her. She was sweet. Maybe she hadn’t meant to stare at his stomach. Although, Chris thought unhappily, these days it was getting kind of hard to miss. 

They went back to the couch and Laurel snuggled close, resting her head on one of Chris’ soft shoulders and interlacing her fingers with his. “I’m so happy you’re here,” she said after a while.

“Really?” 

“Really,” Laura affirmed, leaning upward and giving Chris a light kiss. Chris gave her another light peck, but when he began to move away, Laurel reached behind his neck and gently pulled him in for a much deeper kiss. 
Chris had to admit nothing like this had ever happened to him before. He had next to no experience in the romance department, as the two girls he had kind-of-sort-of briefly dated both acted like they were going for Olympic gold in shy and reclusive. He couldn’t imagine either of them kissing him like this. 

Just as he was getting lost in the moment, he felt something that made his blood run cold. Laurel was gently reaching up his shirt. He breathed in sharply and pulled away the instant he felt her soft hand on his warm fat stomach. 

He hoped he didn’t look as embarrassed as he felt. “Sorry,” Laurel said softly as he sat up.

“It’s ok,” Chris said with a nervous laugh. “It’s just…well…I…never mind.” How was he supposed to explain crushing insecurity to someone as confident as Laurel? After asking again if anything was wrong and hearing nothing was, Laurel nuzzled herself back into Chris, and after a few awkward moments, they picked up where they left off.

It was a long while until Chris felt Laurel reach up and flick off the lights. A few moments later, his stomach turned in knots as he felt her hands around his belly again, and realized she was lifting up his shirt. He was too terrified to move, so he didn’t even bother to stop her. Laurel noticed he had tensed considerably, and ran a hand through his sandy hair. “Relax, hon,” she whispered encouragingly, and gave him a reassuring kiss on the lips just before she pulled the shirt up over his head. 

Even in the dark, Chris felt enormous and exposed. He was too scared to move or speak or even to breathe really. He didn’t have any baggy shirts to hide behind now, and Laurel was going to realize just how big he was. And just how small his pants were, he remembered with a grimace. To his surprise, Laurel ran her hand through his hair again, and started kissing him like nothing had changed. He began to relax again, though he stopped short when Laurel squeezed one of his chubby thighs. “Stop worrying,” Laurel whispered as he pulled back again, “It’s no fun when you’re self-conscious.” That was easy for her to say. She wasn’t the one stuck looking like a beached whale. He said something to that effect out loud.

“You’re the handsomest guy I’ve seen in a long time, so don’t even start,” Laurel told him, and she looked like she might mean it. Chris felt her hand slip down to his stomach again, where she started rubbing the soft fat in gentle circles.

Chris was immediately seized with a moment of panic, and held his stomach in as far as it would go. He felt an overriding sense of confusion. What was she doing? He was worried she was making fun of him. What if she wasn’t actually interested, and hooking up with a fat boy was some form of bizarre community service? Or worse yet, some sort of sorority hazing ritual? But she didn’t seem bothered by the fact that he was embarrassingly out of shape. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying rubbing her hands all over his pudgy stomach. And he had to admit, as lost and terrified as he was, what Laurel was doing felt good. Really good, actually. 

“You ok?” Laurel asked. She could probably sense his unease, even in the dark.

Chris bit his lip a moment. “I guess,” he said, unconvincingly.

“What’s wrong?” Laurel persisted, putting both her hands in his.

Chris shrugged. “It’s just…that…I’m…fat.” It took a long time for him to spit the sentence out, and his voice dropped to a whisper on the last word. 

Laurel wrapped her arms around him and pulled herself close. “I like that about you,” she murmured.

“What?” Chris wasn’t sure she’d heard him properly. One of Laurel’s hands moved down, and tenderly squeezed a roll of fat on Chris’ side.

“I like this. I think it’s cute. And I think you’re ridiculously sexy.” The words were surprising, but it was the look in her eyes that convinced Chris she was telling the truth. 

All he could do was look at her. He didn’t have a way with words to begin with, and he couldn’t possibly start to think of a reply to that. After an age of silence, he managed to whisper a single word. 

“Thanks.”

Laurel’s gorgeous pale eyes met his, and she smiled brilliantly. Chris couldn’t help but smile back. This girl was something else. She thought he was sexy. Ridiculously sexy, to be exact. Not that he would be good looking if he went on a diet and lost a ton of weight. She thought he was sexy right here, right now, with his stomach hanging out over his tiny pants, and his double chin and his fat ass and everything. All night she’d been kissing him like he was about to leave for war, and she liked the way he looked without a shirt on. She even liked watching him eat, which probably explained all the food. He was still confused, and deep down he was still pretty nervous, but he was beginning to feel like he’d struck gold. 

It was then that he had the misfortune to look down at his watch and realize it was past two. “I have to go, it’s pretty late,” he said reluctantly.

Laurel looked crushed. “But we’re…we…can do this again, can’t we?” she asked hesitantly.

Chris smiled at her as he stood up. “Anytime you want…it’s only been a few days, and I’m already crazy about you.” 

He hadn’t meant for the last part to come out, but there it was. He half expected her to laugh, but Laurel perked up.

“Funny, I feel the same way,” she said, flashing him the same pretty smile she had the first time they met. Chris leaned down and gave her one last kiss before pulling his shirt back on.

“Timothy and I will see you bright and early tomorrow morning!” he said as he left.

“Can’t wait!” he heard her call after him.

_Story continued in post 15_


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## Vader7476 (Jun 22, 2008)

I love how this has started so far. It helps that your writing style is simpe, refined, and elegant. Absolutely perfect. :wubu:


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## Undine (Jun 23, 2008)

Eeeeeee, wonderful! More, more, more!


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## fatmac (Jun 23, 2008)

Sweet and simple, but romantic and believable. Very nice


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## Ichida (Jun 24, 2008)

eee!!!! **Squirms around impatiently waiting for the next piece**


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## Tad (Jun 24, 2008)

Another great FFA & BHM story--what is in the water these days? (whatever it is, please don't take it away!)

Or in other words, I like it


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## CAGIRL (Jun 24, 2008)

Can't wait to read more!


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## Starling (Jun 25, 2008)

*Part 3*

After managing a few hours of sleep, Chris awoke to the smell of bacon. Pulling on his clothes, he wandered into the family kitchen, where his mother was making breakfast. He was hungry, and let his mom fill his plate with eggs, bacon, and buttered toast. 

“Nice to see you eating again, sweetie,” she said pleasantly.

Chris sat down to his breakfast, feeling better than he had in a long time. Last night with Laurel had been incredible. He just hoped he wasn’t falling for her too quickly. He didn’t want her to get tired of him. 

Timothy burst in a few minutes later, and practically inhaled twice as much food as Chris in about half the time. Chris always marveled at his little brother’s metabolism, and had been genuinely jealous of it at times. Having devoured his own meal, Timothy prodded Chris to eat faster so they would be on time to his camp. 

“Some of us take time to chew,” Chris pointed out, but in a few minutes they were on their way. 

When they got to the camp, it looked like Laurel and Jess, the other girl, had switched duties. Laurel was out in the field leading a game of &#8216;Red Light, Green Light’, while Jess was at the plastic table with the sign-in sheet. 

Timothy didn’t even pause at the table as he ran to get into the game. Any kind of competition absorbed his interest. Jess watched him go with a laugh.

“I guess that means Timothy’s here,” she said. She looked up at Chris. “And you’re his…”

“Brother,” Chris finished for her. 

“Brother,” Jess murmured to herself, filling in the sheet. Her pen stopped mid sentence, and she seemed like she had suddenly remembered something. Her eyes moved up to Chris again, and she looked him up and down with renewed interest. 

“You’re Timothy’s brother?”

“Yeah,” Chris said. He had a feeling he knew what was coming next. Usually people said something like &#8216;But you look nothing alike!’ which, Chris knew, just meant they hadn’t expected Timothy’s brother to be fat. 

“Laurel told me all about you,” Jess said instead. 

“She did?” Chris asked, surprised.

Jess nodded. 

“Rave reviews,” she told him with a conspiratorial giggle. 

Chris was dumbfounded. As affectionate as she was in private, he hadn’t honestly expected Laurel to tell people she was getting involved with a fat guy. Stranger yet, Jess didn’t act like there was anything weird about it. He briefly considered the possibility that maybe his weight wasn’t as big an issue as he had assumed. 

A man and his daughter came up to the table, and Chris stepped aside so Jess could sign them in. As he turned to go to his car, it sounded like someone was jogging towards him. He turned around and saw Laurel. 

“Hey, stranger,” she said breathlessly.

“Hey,” he said with a smile. 

“So what? I take you home and suddenly you aren’t even going to come over and talk to me?” Laurel pulled her pretty face into a pout and pretended to look angry. 

“I didn’t want to bother you while you were working.”

“I’m always up for being bothered by you,” Laurel said with a grin. “Especially while I’m working.” 

Chris wanted to grab her and kiss her right in front of Jess and Timothy and at least a dozen children. Instead he said, “Speaking of work, I’ve got to get going.”

“Pens and printer cartridges don’t sell themselves,” Laurel agreed solemnly. 

Chris was absentminded and uninvolved at work for the third day in a row, and other people were beginning to notice. 

“Everything ok -- like, with your family and everything?” his coworker Andy asked. Andy was tall, broad shouldered, and fat. Chris had always felt a sense of solidarity and camaraderie toward him, as they were the two heaviest guys at the Office Supply World.

“Everything’s fine,” Chris assured him. “Everything’s better than fine, actually.”

He told Andy about Laurel. Well, he told Andy that he had gone out with a girl named Laurel and had a great time. He was too embarrassed and shy to go into the specifics of the night before. 

Chris put in a valiant effort the rest of his shift to keep his mind on the task at hand, and not let it drift to thoughts of Laurel. Unfortunately, his efforts were largely unsuccessful. He accidentally called three female customers in a row &#8216;Laurel’, and Andy stared at him like a man gone mad. 

“Get it together, man,” he said with a grin, and slapped Chris on the back. 

After an intolerably long time, Chris was off work and back to pick up Timothy. 

“What are you doing tonight?” Laurel asked when she saw him. 

“Nothing,” Chris told her, hoping she wouldn’t pick up on the fact that he had no life whatsoever. 

Laurel smiled. “Well, since I’m by myself the next few days, it’s kind of lame to cook for just one person…if you wanted to stop by or something, I could cook for…well, you know…two.”

Two dates in a row? And she cooked, too? Chris couldn’t believe his luck. He did feel a bit anxious, but he reasoned he had already eaten in front of her last night. Twice. He could do it again if it meant he got to see her. 

“Wow, yeah, sure. Definitely. I’d love to.” Could he sound anymore desperate?

“Good!” Laurel beamed. 

Timothy, who’d heard the whole conversation, made an elaborate pantomime of vomiting all over the place. 

Chris paced around his room in the third outfit he’d tried on. He wondered if Laurel spent this much time getting ready. Not likely. She always made being beautiful look so easy. 

He went into the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He was the same depressingly fat guy he’d been the day before. He found himself wondering how much he weighed these days, though in the back of his mind, he didn’t really want to know. He grabbed his stomach and jiggled it in the reflection. And Laurel thought that was sexy? She had to be out of her mind. 

Laurel told him to be there at 7, and Chris pulled into her apartment complex’s parking lot at 6:59 on the dot. When he got out of the elevator onto the fourth floor, he stood irresolutely in her hallway for a few long seconds. He still couldn’t quite believe Laurel was for real. After several moments of trying to slow down his heart’s breakneck beating, Chris knocked on Laurel’s door. 

In deference to the heat, Laurel had her hair in a ponytail, and was dressed in a pair of nice black Bermuda shorts, black patent leather flats, and a shimmering purple top. 

“Hey!” she said, giving Chris a hug and a kiss on the lips. 

“H-Hey,” Chris stammered, feeling his heart pounding again. He tried to say more, but as he went to open his mouth, Laurel turned to go into the kitchen, revealing the fact that her top was backless. Chris stood looking after her until he gathered up the presence of mind to follow her and close his mouth. 

“I hope you’re hungry,” Laurel said. “I was in a cooking mood and I went a little overboard.”

That was an understatement. Chris’ eyes widened as he saw a platter with enough chicken parmesan to feed a medium-sized family sitting on the counter. Next to that was a large bowl of salad, and a plate of hot rolls. 

“You realize you were cooking for two, not five, right?” He said with a laugh. 

Laurel rolled her eyes and told him to sit down. He obliged, sitting at the small table in the corner of the kitchen, and felt horrified when the collapsible chair creaked heavily under his weight. He looked quickly over at Laurel, but she apparently hadn’t noticed. 

A few minutes later, she came over with two plates, one of which was stacked high with food. Chris had a sneaking suspicion that one was his. He was right. 

As soon as she set the plates down, Laurel came back with a pitcher of iced tea and two glasses of water held precariously in the crook of her arm. 

“I felt like making iced tea, too, since it’s been so hot out…but I’ve never made it before, so I got us some water in case it’s terrible”

She poured Chris a glass, and he took a sip. Iced tea was not Laurel’s strong suit. He took a few more polite sips until Laurel tried some, made a face, and promptly poured the whole thing out. They stuck to water after that. 

“I’m a much better cook,” Laurel promised as Chris picked up his fork. 

She wasn’t lying. The chicken parmesan was incredible. Chris dug in with gusto, his food inhibitions (at least around Laurel) having been severely lessened after last night’s conversation. Plus he wanted to show her how appreciative he was that she’d put so much effort into cooking for him. Laurel looked happy to see him enjoying himself. 

Chris was fully absorbed in their flirtatious, funny conversation, and completely lost track of how much he was putting away. It was only when Laurel eagerly offered him seconds that he realized he’d finished off his first helping. 

“Well…I probably shouldn’t, these pants barely fit as it is.” 

Had he really just said that? He was outdoing himself with embarrassing comments of late. Laurel breathed in sharply.

“You’re going to have to buy new pants anyway, right? So you might as well send those ones off in style,” she said, giving him a look. 

She had a point. And the food was really good. So he handed his plate over. 

By the time he finished his second large helping, Chris felt decidedly queasy. He stood up to help Laurel with the dishes, thanking her for dinner. 

“Of course,” she said brightly. “I’m glad you liked it.”

“Probably too much,” Chris admitted, looking down at his stomach. It looked huge. 

Laurel put her hand on his stomach, pressing her fingers lightly into its softness. “You are so freaking gorgeous,” she whispered.

“So are you,” Chris said with a grin. 

Laurel lost all further interest in cleaning, and led Chris down the narrow hallway to her room.

_Story continued in post 20_


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## Risible (Jun 26, 2008)

Great job, Starling!


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## Ichida (Jun 26, 2008)

yummy!!!111!!


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## iheartsquishys (Jun 26, 2008)

more please!


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## Starling (Jun 29, 2008)

Thanks again to everyone who has been reading this! This is the first BHM story I've ever written, and I can't tell you how idiotically excited it makes me to realize people actually read what I write! I'm slowly but surely coming along on what will probably be the last part, and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone!!!



....That DID sound really idiotically excited, didn't it? Oh well .


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## Starling (Jul 1, 2008)

*Part Four*

 260. 

Chris had literally jumped off the scale when the numbers came up. He sat on the edge of the bathtub, looking at it out of the corner of his eye. That couldn’t be right. He must have done something wrong. Gingerly, he tiptoed on the scale again. 

260. 260? As in two hundred and sixty pounds? Chris shook his head in disbelief. That was a lot, especially on a guy who wasn’t even five ten. 

The last couple weeks with Laurel had done wonders for his self-confidence, especially in relation to his weight. But that was when he still considered himself 237 pounds, a guy who wouldn’t be bad looking if he hit the exercycle every once in a while. However, he hadn’t been hitting the exercycle, and he’d managed to gain twenty three pounds in the three months since he’d last weighed himself. 

“Crap,” he said to his reflection. 

He knew he’d gained weight, but he thought it was just about ten pounds or so. He thought he could still get away with calling himself chubby. But he was closer to three hundred than two hundred pounds now, and there was nothing chubby about that. 

What was Laurel going to say when she saw him? They were supposed to go out that night. But she’d seen him yesterday, and he’d looked the same. He reasoned he’d probably been in the 260 range the whole time they’d been dating, and he knew Laurel liked him as he was. 

Chris sighed. It was easier to accept being fat when he didn’t realize just how fat he was, though. 

“At least I know why none of my clothes fit,” he said aloud as he went back to his room.

He was working the early shift at the Office Supply World that day, which meant he was off by one. He stopped by Timothy’s day camp, where the kids were splashing around in the pool. Laurel and Jess sat off to the side, dangling their feet in the water, their faces half-obscured by oversized sunglasses. 

As he let himself in through the gate in the chain-link fence, he noticed that there was a very athletic-looking and shirtless lifeguard on the other side of the pool. He appeared to be ogling the two counselors shamelessly. Chris half hoped one of the kids would fall off the diving board or something else would happen to refocus the lifeguard’s attention. 

“Hey, Chris!” Jess called, noticing him first. Laurel looked over. 

“Hey, handsome,” she said, getting up to give him a quick hug. 

Laurel tried to get him to sit down beside her, but Chris remained standing. It was a little awkward, but he didn’t want the buff lifeguard to notice how his belly squished into a thick roll of fat when he sat down. Eventually, Laurel stood up as well.

“We still on for tonight?” she asked. 

“Of course.” 

Laurel had invited him to a friend’s party that evening. He was a little nervous about it, to be honest. While he was thrilled that Laurel wanted to show him off to her friends, the whole party atmosphere tended to intimidate him. However, his train of thought was interrupted by the shouts of the lifeguard.

“Hey, Laure! Come over here!” he said, waving her over. 

Laurel came, grabbing an unwilling Chris by the wrist as well. Had he just called her Laure? They had nicknames? The last thing Chris wanted to do was go talk to this guy. 

“This the new boyfriend?” the lifeguard asked when they came over. 

“Yeah,” Laurel said brightly. “Chris, this is Tyler. Tyler and I had bio together all last year,” she explained. 

“Oh,” Chris said. He felt oddly jealous. 

Tyler hopped off his lifeguard’s chair long enough to shake Chris’ hand. 

“You guys going to Brady’s thing tonight?” he asked when he was back up. 

Laurel nodded. 

“Jess going?” Tyler asked, his eyes on her as she stood at the edge of the pool, yelling at a pair of unruly children. 

“Not yet,” Laurel said with a shrug. “But that was because I asked her. If you asked her to come with you, I’m sure you’d get a different answer.” 

Tyler’s face lit up, and Chris felt his jealousy subsiding. 

Laurel offered to drive Chris to the party that night, as he didn’t know where it was. He was in his room trying to get his shoes on when he heard his mother let her in. Chris’ mom had only met Laurel a handful of times, but Laurel was already one of her favorite people. Chris walked out to hear his mom tell her that she was “the best thing that ever happened to my boy.”

His face turned bright red with mortification, but Laurel gave him an understanding look when she caught his eye. 

“Ready to go?” he asked her, as he was more than ready to leave. 

Laurel nodded, and they walked to her car. She looked amazing as usual, in a denim mini skirt, red heels, and tight black top. Chris noticed his shirt was feeling pretty tight as well, though he doubted the effect was the same. 

The party was already full of people when they got there, and Chris felt himself freezing up the way he usually did when he was with large amounts of people he didn’t know. Laurel noticed he seemed withdrawn, and asked him if he was all right. 

“Yeah, fine,” Chris said with a smile he hoped looked natural. 

To be honest, he wasn’t fine. He was worried everyone was going to wonder what he was doing here. This wasn’t his usual crowd of people at all. He could practically hear them asking each other what Laurel was doing wasting her time with such a fat loser. 

Weighing himself that morning didn’t help matters either. He felt like he had the number 260 stamped across his forehead for everyone to see. 

Laurel seemed to know everyone there, and it seemed like every single person at the party wanted to come talk to her. Chris started to feel a bit like a car on a show lot, as everyone who came by to say something to Laurel wanted to check out her new boyfriend as well.

After they had been there about fifteen minutes, a highly intoxicated young man joined the group surrounding Laurel and Chris. Before Chris knew what was happening, Laurel jumped into the newcomer’s arms for a hug with a squeal. 

“Hey Laure, I’m glad you came!” the guy slurred out, running his hands somewhat clumsily through her hair. 

“Well, of course, Brady, it’s not like I’d miss out on one of your parties,” Laurel giggled back. Chris started to feel decidedly nauseous. 

He looked at the guy in whose arms his girlfriend was currently entangled. He was nice enough looking, if a bit on the heavy side. Like your typical fat frat boy, Chris decided. 

“So word on the street is you have a new boyfriend or something?” Brady asked Laurel, swaying unsteadily. 

Laurel smiled and nodded, her typical response to the question people had been asking all night. 

“Brady, this is Chris - Chris, this is Brady” she said, leaving Brady’s embrace to go over to where Chris stood awkwardly nursing a beer. 

Brady looked Chris up and down with a grin, and Chris held his stomach in for all it was worth. Although he was probably getting to the point where such efforts were wasted. 

“Now why doesn’t that surprise me?” he said to Laurel, giving her a significant look. Laurel apparently understood, as she blushed heavily and giggled. 

Chris wasn’t sure what they were talking about - some sort of inside joke? About him? But Brady didn’t seem to mean anything malicious by it. In fact, he seemed oddly pleased to see the pair of them together. 

Brady muttered something incoherent about needing to work the room, and gave Laurel a quick kiss on the cheek. He patted Chris’ shoulder (or at least tried, his depth perception was a bit off) and said something to the effect of “She’s a keeper” before ambling away. 

“Well…he seemed…nice,” Chris said, not sure what other adjective to use. 

“He is,” Laurel agreed. 

“How do you know him?” Chris asked, although he felt he had an idea. 

“Well, I bumped into him at a frat party at the beginning of the year, and we got to talking, and I guess we hit it off. So we became friends after that and…well…we kind of dated for a while, too. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that before we came, but I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it.” 

Well, at least Chris’ suspicions were confirmed. And a couple new suspicions surfaced. 

“Was he…um…like, the same…size…when you guys dated?” He was so obvious it bordered on the tragic. 

Laurel shook her head.

Of course not. He probably gained weight and then she dumped him. That’s what always happened to guys. Or at least that’s what had always happened to Chris in his very limited experience. 

“He lost a lot of weight after we stopped going out,” she continued, sounding disappointed. 

“Oh.” The ever intelligent answer. 

There was something he wanted to ask Laurel, but at that moment Tyler and Jess walked through the door. 

He and Laurel went over to talk to them, and Chris was relieved to see some familiar faces in the room. What he had to say could wait.

Story continued in post 24


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## Ichida (Jul 2, 2008)

OOOO more about brady n stuff lol


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## Phoenix (Jul 5, 2008)

Fantastic Starling, keep it up! I've never really been interested in BHM stories (I keep averagely slim myself), but I've been in those awkward situations so many times that you've got me totally hooked. If only we could all find a Laurel! Can't wait for the next post. -Phoenix


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## FreneticFang (Jul 7, 2008)

Can't remember the last time I was *this* big a fan of a story to actually BEG for the next chapter. 


*grovels* Please more!


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## Starling (Jul 23, 2008)

*Part Five*

Chris finally had his opportunity to question Laurel later that night or early the next morning, depending on the frame of reference.

Tyler and Jess had had the brilliant idea to go shot for shot against one another, which left neither one in a fit state to drive. 

Laurel had found them a few hours later passed out in the bathtub, and Chris helped her load the pair in her back seat. By the time they had dropped them both off, it was nearly dawn. 

You know, my apartments just right down the street, youre more than welcome to spend the nightwhats left of it, at least, Laurel told him with a smile.

Chris took her up on her offer after hearing that Laurels roommate was once again gone, lured away by an out-of-town boyfriend. 

After an enthusiastic bedroom escapade, Laurel lay with her arm around Chris waist, tracing his belly button with a finger. Chris looked over at her, suddenly remembering their encounter with Brady. 

So your ex was a pretty big guy? he asked, hoping to sound casual. 

He used to be, yeah, Laurel said. 

Chris thought he was a pretty big guy now, but figured he wasnt really in a place to judge. 

That didnt bother you? he kept going. 

Of course not, silly, Laurel said with a laugh, giving him a kiss on the cheek. 

There was something he had heard about once, that had come to mind when he first met Laurel, and which came back again tonight after he met another guy she used to date. 

Laurel, are you How was he supposed to put it? 

Laurel looked at him expectantly, her finger tickling the edge of his belly button again. 

Am I what? she asked pleasantly after a few more moments silence. 

Are you like a chubby chaser or something? Chris said quickly, feeling embarrassed. 

For once, Laurel had nothing to say. 

Then she laughed. 

Well, technically, I guess, yeah, she replied. 

She sat up a little. But I mean, the term itself is pretty ridiculous. If Im a chubby chaser, that makes you a redhead chaser or something, she said with a laugh. 

People like what they like, she continued as she flopped back down next to him. 

Her philosophizing was nice, but not really getting Chris anywhere. 

But what you like isfat guys, right? He was beating a dead horse and he knew it, but the whole concept was so strange.

Yeah, Laurel said simply, giving his belly an affectionate pinch. 

Chris found himself extraordinarily pleased to hear that.

So whyd he lose weight? he asked. 

Who? Laurel said blankly. 

Brady. After you broke up. 

Laurel shrugged. He didnt like it as much as I did, I guess.

Did he know you liked it? Chris asked, hoping Laurel wouldnt question his interest in her ex. 

Laurel nodded and smiled. 

Yeah. He was the first guy I told. He kept trying to diet and stuff when we were first going out, and I kept sabotaging it. Finally, he called me on it, and I told him it was because I preferred him bigger. He was never really psyched about being fat I dont think, but he liked that I liked him as he was. He still teases me about liking fat guys, though. Im pretty sure he introduced me to every one of his even remotely chubby friends after we stopped going out, she finished with a laugh. 

Chris was quiet for a while, running things over in his head. He wasnt sure how to put what he was feeling into words, but he pulled Laurel in for a passionate kiss. 

Youre something else, he told her happily as she lay in his arms. 

Not surprisingly, Chris was late for work the next morning. 

For once he hadnt eaten anything at Laurels, and by the time he ran into the Office Supply World, he was starving. 

Dude, where have you been? Andy asked with mild alarm when he saw Chris. 

Chris only grinned back in response. 

Aaaah, good night with the lady friend, Andy joked. 

Chris attention was distracted by a box of doughnuts in the break room. He quickly excused himself from Andy and made his way over. Unfortunately, his coworker Erin came over at the same time. 

Erin was still in high school, but liked to act like she was much older. She was very thin with a lip ring and glasses, and was what Andy referred to as nerdy hot. Chris generally preferred the term huge bitch. 

Are you getting a donut? she asked as if nothing were farther from the realm of possibility. 

Yeah, I was going to, Chris said. 

Erin looked him up and down quickly, her eyes resting pointedly on Chris middle. He didnt even have a chance to suck it in. He admitted to himself that it wouldnt have made a difference. 

I wouldnt if I were you, she said in a concerned-but-not voice. 

Chris took a donut anyway. 

If you arent going to try and watch your figure for yourself, at least have some respect for your girlfriend. I doubt she likes looking at a tub of lard, Erin said nastily as she took a donut for herself. 

Chris couldnt help but laugh at the phrase watch your figure. 

Actually, Laurel happens to like all this, he told her triumphantly, brushing a hand along his stomach. 

He doubted he had ever enjoyed a donut so much. 

A few nights later, Laurel once again invited him to go out for dinner. 

Despite having been an item for a few weeks, Chris had failed to take Laurel out for the standard dinner date. He was content to eat at her house, but still felt nervous eating in front of complete strangers. 

He realized he couldnt turn her down without a valid excuse, which he didnt have, and he wasnt the type who could make things up on the spot. 

So he agreed, trying to keep the reluctance out of his voice. 

They planned to go to a new classy casual restaurant that had opened up near the University. 

Chris knew it was going to be packed with sophisticated, beautiful, and achingly cool young people. Laurel would probably know them all. 

Chris pulled on a pair of pants, trying to ward off the gnawing insecurity that kept creeping up on him. 

The pants were a recent purchase, a few sizes larger than Chris usually bought, but they didnt slice into his stomach the way his older pants did. 

His belly hung over the top slightly, and Chris tapped it with a finger. It trembled like jello. 

He smiled to himself as he realized that he wasnt as disgusted or horrified by this as he used to be. His stomach, along with the rest of his body, was growing on him, no pun intended. 

Even if he couldnt quite bring himself to think of his tubby body as sexy or wonderful or whatever Laurel referred to it as, he had to admit that it was appealing in a way. Kind of comfortable looking. 

He sighed. He doubted that comfortable would be the word that came to the minds of the people who would get to watch him shove food in his fat face that evening. 
Half an hour later, he stood in Laurels kitchen. He had bought her some flowers on his way to her apartment because girls liked flowers, didnt they? 

He also figured they would be a little more subtle than, say, a card that said Thanks for being the best thing that ever happened to me. 

Although his mom might still send one out on his behalf. 
She had thrown her arms around him and kissed him when he gave them to her, then darted off to find a vase. 

How did you know sunflowers were my favorite? she asked brightly as she put the vase on her table. 

Chris just smiled and shrugged. He didnt. 

Laurel told him she had to go grab some shoes, and Chris looked down and noticed for the first time she was barefoot. He followed her into her bedroom, and sat down on her bed as she rooted around in her closet for a bit. 

She finally came out, holding a pair of shiny black pumps over her head like a trophy. Ive been looking for these for forever! she exclaimed, sitting down next to Chris to put them on her feet. 

She was wearing a short, strapless green dress which enhanced her already large chest while showing off her surprisingly muscular legs. Chris was shamelessly pleased to observe that quite a bit of cleavage was exposed as she bent over to pull on the heels. 

Straightening up, Laurel leaned over to kiss him lightly.

Ready to go, pretty boy? she asked as she hopped back up. 

Chris nodded and stood up as well. 

Laurel, you look really umsexy, he said shyly, looking at her. 

So do you, Laurel said, giving him a playful slap on the behind. 

The restaurant was just as crowded as Chris expected, with just the sort of people he expected to be there. Laurel did know quite a few of them, and some Chris recognized from Bradys party. 

Laurel gripped his hand tightly as the hostess led them to a table, so that they wouldnt get separated in the crowd of people milling about. Didnt any of them realize that they were supposed to sit down in a restaurant? 

Chris looked down at the menu. Everything sounded good, and he was pretty hungry. But he didnt want to order anything that would make the people around him think So thats why hes such a fatass or something like that. 

What are you thinking of getting? he asked Laurel, just to gauge what he should consider. He hoped she wouldnt order a salad. 

Probably the scallops, Laurel said. You?

Chris looked down at the menu. The scallops came in a butter sauce with roast potatoes. Not a salad at all. 

As he was thinking of an answer, a group of four girls, three blondes and a brunette, came through the door. They were all tanned, stylish, and very pretty. 

Laurel! one of them exclaimed, and they all started towards their table. How did Chris know they would probably be friends of hers?

Those are a few of my sisters, Laurel said. Sorority sisters, she clarified with a laugh when Chris looked stunned. 

Hey guys, she said with a grin as they encircled the table. 

One of the blondes looked over towards Chris with a questioning glance. 

This is Chris, Laurel smiled. The guy I was telling you about. 

Chris braced himself for disgusted looks or outright laughter. Instead, the girls let out an almost simultaneous Awwww. 

Chris, these are my sisters Katie, Natalie, Julia, and Ashley, Laurel continued the introductions. 

For the life of him, Chris couldnt have guessed which was which. 

Laurel and her friends started talking, but the conversation was too confusing for him to follow. After a few minutes, Laurel asked So what brings you ladies here?

Oh, you know, we figured wed come check this place out, since it seems like everyone from school either has been here or works here, the brunette said with a laugh. 

I tried calling you like three times to come with us, but you never answered your phone, one of the blondes said. 

Laurel fished her phone out of her purse and looked at it briefly.

Oh, wow, sorry. I had my phone on silent for work, and I guess I forgot to take it off.

Thats all right, babe. We can all go to the movies or something later this week, the blonde who tried calling Laurel said. 

Definitely, Laurel told them as the hostess came over to lead the girls to their table. Which, Chris was thankful, was across the restaurant. 

The waitress came over to take their order, and Laurel ordered the scallops as promised. Chris, after a moments hesitation, ordered roast beef and steak fries. Laurel also ordered an appetizer of roasted artichoke dip. 

This place has only been open for like, five weeks, and theyre already famous for it, Laurel explained as the waitress walked towards the kitchen. 

Chris looked around, waiting to see if any of the surrounding tables were criticizing his menu order amongst themselves. It didnt look like anyone particularly cared, or had even noticed for that matter. 

When the waitress came back with their artichoke dip and bread, Chris once again looked around the room to see if anyone was watching. Again, no one was. 

He picked at the food a little hesitantly at first, but since it was in fact very good, he found himself starting to eat somewhat normally. 

He started to worry again when their main dishes were brought out. He should have ordered a salad or something. 

But that would have been just as bad. Then people around would think, Well Im glad that guy realizes hes a huge fatty and is trying to do something about it. 

Something wrong? Laurel asked as he stared down at his dinner. 

Nothing out of the usual, he said with an apologetic smile. Laurel knew how he felt about eating in front of strangers. 

Youre doing great, no worries, she said with a grin, rubbing his leg under the table. 

He was lucky Laurel was such a brilliant conversationalist. Her stories engaged his attention, and kept his mind off the people around them. Before long, he was eating like he would were it just the two of them. 

The food was delicious, and Chris had eaten all of it. By the time the waitress took their plates and dropped off the dessert menu, his new pants were starting to feel a bit like his old ones. 

You want dessert? Laurel asked.

I dont think I have room, Chris said. Which was true. 
Fine then, well share, Laurel said with a perfectly innocent smile. What are your feelings on Key Lime Pie? 

The waitress brought out their pie a few minutes later, which Chris secretly suspected was the size of two slices. He leaned back in his chair.

Youre shameless, he said to Laurel with a laugh.

I know, she said, batting her eyelashes. 

He ended up having more than half their dessert, since Laurel divided it into two very uneven pieces and handed him the big one. 

Shameless, he said again as he took a bite. 

He was happy to observe that not a single person had started whispering throughout their dinner. The thought crossed his mind, and not for the first time, that perhaps he judged himself more harshly than others would. 

He paid for dinner, although Laurel offered to split the bill with him, and she wrapped her arms around him tightly as they exited the restaurant, letting go only to wave to her group of sorority sisters as they passed. 

They went back to Laurels apartment, neither one of them quite ready to call it a night. 

After a few minutes of conversation on the couch, Laurel had gotten up and walked down the hall to her bedroom, waving at Chris to follow. By the time he got into the room, she was already pulling her dress up over her head. 

Chris grinned. Laurel was certainly a girl who knew what she wanted. 

Afterward, they both lay breathless, Laurel with her head resting on Chris stomach, and Chris running a hand up and down Laurels back. Chris wasnt sure that he had ever been so happy. 

Laurel? he whispered into the darkness, hoping she wasnt asleep already.

Chris? she murmured back. 

III love you, he said, blushing immediately. 

Hed never said that to a girl. Had he waited long enough? Was this the wrong time? What if she didnt love him back? That would be horrible, he thought with a sinking feeling. 

He felt Laurel move, lifting her head off his stomach, and shifting until she was parallel with him. He could feel her green eyes on him, even in the dark. 

I love you too, she whispered, and he could tell from her voice that she was smiling.


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## Undine (Jul 23, 2008)

I'm sitting here with the biggest, most ridiculous grin on my face because that was just about the sweetest thing, ever.

Dare we hope for more?


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## Tad (Jul 24, 2008)

Undine said:


> I'm sitting here with the biggest, most ridiculous grin on my face because that was just about the sweetest thing, ever.
> 
> Dare we hope for more?



Ditto, ditto :bow:


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## Starling (Jul 27, 2008)

Right now I'm not thinking there is going to be more to this story, I kind of like where it leaves off. But anything's possible, and if I do decide to add more, you lovely people will be the first to know .


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## Undine (Jul 28, 2008)

Starling said:


> Right now I'm not thinking there is going to be more to this story, I kind of like where it leaves off. But anything's possible, and if I do decide to add more, you lovely people will be the first to know .



I've got to admit, a tear came to my eye knowing that this could be it for Laurel and Chris...

But that certainly doesn't mean I can't continue to obsessively read what's already here and hope that a new, different story takes shape in your mind and begs to be let out. 

Seriously, though, thank you for this wonderful story. I've enjoyed reading it sooooo much.


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## FreneticFang (Jul 29, 2008)

Starling said:


> Right now I'm not thinking there is going to be more to this story, I kind of like where it leaves off. But anything's possible, and if I do decide to add more, you lovely people will be the first to know .



Nuuuuuuu

oh pls pls more!

You can't leave it here *begs*


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