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The events of that night – watching Amber's first real pigout, navigating your residual feelings, and Rya's steadfast support of you and your kinks - represented something of a turning point. You and Rya agreed to continue giving Amber eating suggestions, and Amber's answers to those challenges became markedly more gluttonous without your prodding. From that point forward, you absolutely believed her whenever she said "I want to be fat" out loud. Never ones to disappoint, you and Rya spent many an enjoyable evening writing out detailed lists of foods and quantities to eat, though you always ensured that the submitted assignments emphasize culinary exploration rather than indulgent quantity.
For her part, Amber absolutely seemed to be scarfing down everything in sight. The samplings in her video clips started looking less like samplings and more like full meals in of themselves, plus she was definitely plumping up as the weeks marched by. Though the videos were certainly a (slightly guilty) turn-on for you, they also kept you grounded, and helped you feel like you were making a difference in her life.
Amber's overall demeanor was just plain "nicer" than you could ever recall. Seeing her literally grow from the bitchy person she used to be did in fact help you process your complex feelings for your ex, and Rya was also able to settle some of her longstanding angst over her past history of disastrous dates. Seeing Amber's newfound outlook on life, and with the support of your accepting partner, the two of you managed to clear the decks of a lot of baggage, and were able to focus on enjoying life and each other.
Eventually you and Rya make good on an earlier promise, and do in fact move in together. Rya led the way on picking out a new apartment, which turned out to simply be a larger unit elsewhere in the building but on a different floor. You were at first a bit nervous at the prospect of sharing a living space with her, but the cozy layout and plentiful natural light kept the space feeling comfortable, while simultaneously offering you and Rya your own areas should either of you need some solitude.
It was shortly after you and Rya had ushered out a housewarming party and ushered in a few boxes of delivery pizza that Rya realized something, and had an idea.
"Anon," she starts, "I just remembered we never gave Amber an eating suggestion today."
"It's a work day, right? And I'm sure she's already eaten. Also we've missed reviewing plenty of her videos over the past month due to how busy we were," you reply. "Amber's a big girl, I'm sure she'll manage without us."
Rya sighs, shaking her head. "It's the first time we've actually missed giving her a suggestion though."
"I know, but surely it's not that big of a deal, right? Amber's a big girl, she can handle picking her own food for one day."
"I guess," Rya replies uncertainly. "We made an agreement though, it feels irresponsible to just skip out on it."
You're exhausted, and the pizza's aroma is driving you half-mad, but you have to admit that Rya has a point. You talked a big game about responsibility and accountability during the course of Amber's unconventional treatment, so the least you can do is follow your own rules.
"You're right, honey," you concede. "But it's awful late in the day, probably not the best time to give her an assignment."
"Right," Rya replies. "Which is why I wanted to try something different. I was thinking we could start up a vidchat and eat together, the three of us."
"You want to invite Amber to a mukbang video chat?" you ask incredulously. "It'd be the first time we've talked to her without her therapist refereeing."
"I know, it's maybe a little risky, but it's a chance for her to gain some trust with us. Plus we can always just bounce if she starts acting weird."
You think for a moment then cautiously acquiesce. You text Amber and explain the situation. You don't feel great about it, but Rya makes a compelling argument that it's a good way to go. Amber is unsurprisingly enthusiastic, and quickly accepts the invitation.
You and Rya plant your fat selves onto the couch with your respective pizzas, make the call, and prop up your phone to video the two of you once Amber replies. Amber's video feed is a chaotic jumble for a few minutes as she microwaves a smorgasbord of leftovers and picks through her fridge. You have to admit, she looks oddly... alluring. She's wearing an old too-small tank top with shorts that are more shreds than anything else, and her hair is a mess. Any muscle tone she once had is long gone, her arms gently jiggling with every movement, and her thighs flabbily squishing into each other as she walks. Most shockingly, the hem of her tanktop has ridden way up, and a small but round and proud potbelly jiggles out from underneath and bulges over her waistband.
"Hey, guys," she says into her camera.
Amber's face is bereft of makeup, but the genuine mile-wide grin makes her just as pretty as ever. She's practically glowing with excitement and happiness. Her hair is also surprisingly unkempt, wavy and pulled into a ragged bun that she would never have dreamed of showing to any camera.
"Hey, Amber," Rya says. "We were just wondering if you wanted to eat with us."
"I would love to!" she says, beaming.
You open a pizza box and grab a slice, showing it off to the camera. "Mushrooms and sausage, still my favorite," you explain.
Rya chuckles and follows your lead, showing off a slice of her own pepperoni-laden pie.
On-screen, Amber rushes around the kitchen. "Just pulling together a few random piles of leftovers. Chinese, some Mexican, ooh this pasta will go great with it all too!"
You and Rya laugh and watch as Amber frantically shoos and organizes her food.
"So," Amber says, finally settling into her customary dining-table chair a few moments later, "you guys wanted to know how I was doing?"
Between shoveling down bites of food, Amber proceeds to detail how her life has changed since you broke up with her. From sitting in on her therapy sessions, you already knew a lot of it. When she confronted you and Rya outside that bar some months ago, crying about how her life went to shit, she wasn't exaggerating. But in the wake of that rock-bottom moment, things have turned for the better. She traded her cutthroat corporate job for a less lucrative, but much more laid-back freelancing gig, though that was only after a good long while of drinking and self-pity.
Amber practically deep-throats a whole tamale, then takes a big gulp of beer before continuing.
"I guess I'm happy with the new job, plus cutting loose and eating whatever I want."
She pauses to quietly burp behind her fist. "Oh, and plus whatever you two tell me to eat. It's still a pretty fun arrangement!"
You laugh and nod to Rya, who grins and tilts her head in approval.
A mote of warmth flickers in your heart for the first time looking at Amber's unkempt, chubby, happy image. Is this what it feels like to stay friends with an ex?
"Oh, before we get distracted," she says, putting down her utensils and looking intently into the camera. "Anon, I really wanted to apologize once again – unprompted, of my own volition. I still feel genuinely awful for how I treated you."
"It's alright, I'm over it," you say, surprised that you mean it, and you suddenly feel keenly aware of your tubby belly.
You notice that you've been unconsciously kneading your chub as a nervous tic, and force your hand to be still.
The on-screen Amber seems to have lost some of her happy energy, practically desaturating before you with angst.
Glancing over to Rya, she returns a small smile. "Say whatever you need to, honey," she says, patting your thigh.
You turn back to the screen, making eye contact with Amber's image. She looks slightly haunted, waiting for your reply with bated breath.
"Amber," you start. "I've made my peace with what happened. I knew our relationship was kind of off-kilter, but I knowingly accepted that risk. You didn't make me fat. I discovered that I liked overeating, and the way you goaded me on was genuinely exciting. It felt good to be doing something taboo with you. Even though things wound up taking a turn, I feel like you understood a side of myself that I didn't realize was there."
You take a big bite of your pizza for emphasis. "I... actually think I'm sorry I brought out the worst in you," you say, "but that's not a side of yourself that you should feel bad for exploring."
That coda was not something you intended to say, and you're not really even sure how the words came out of your mouth.
Amber closes her eyes and smiles plaintively. "Thank you," she says in a tiny voice.
You conclude, "I didn't dump you because of your domination and feeding fetishes. Only when it crossed over into being controlling and gaslighting is when I had to protect myself."
Amber opens her eyes and looks at you. "You really mean it?" she asks softly.
You nod. "I do."
"Okay," she says. "Okay."
"You don't need my permission," you say with a slight chuckle, "But I do hope you find some nice skinny boy that you can grow into a cuddly teddy bear!"
Amber laughs sadly then sighs, "That's nice of you to say, but I think it's better I focus on bettering myself right now. Besides, I've... Burned a lot of bridges here in Old Ridge. I've hurt a lot of people here, and that was before word got around about what happened with us."
"I'm... Sorry to hear that," you reply.
"Don't be. I deserve it. Old Amber was a cunt, no two ways about it. I'm actually really grateful I was granted the chance to patch things up with at least one person that I've hurt, Anon," Amber says.
"Well, I'm glad I could help," you say, and you mean it.
"It means so much that you gave me a second chance. Seriously."
A few long, meaningful moments pass. Even through the tiny screen, you can feel a sense of warmth and mending. Amber makes an exaggerated sigh then picks up her glass.
"Ok, emo shit done! Going to try and be more positive."
She tilts her glass to drain it of beer, then cracks another can to refill the glass.
Rya swoops in, eager to help redirect the conversation, "So you didn't mention what you've been doing for fun lately. You watch any movies? Play any videogames?"
"Let's see. Well, I'm generally making an effort to live life in the fat lane, so I spend most of my evenings stoned and snacking in front of the TV. I've actually kinda gotten into anime, and I picked up a Megabox game console plus a few games." Amber says.
Rya perks up and responds, "Nice. I'm more of a Z-Slab girl, but that console has always gotten some good titles."
The conversation stays on nerdy topics while the three of you finish your meals. You and Rya each put away a whole pizza, and Amber demolished her pile of leftovers. You muse that it could probably have fed two or three adults easily.
"Feeling good?" you ask as Amber forks the last morsels of reheated Tex-Mex.
"Oh yeah," Amber responds. "I've got the bug. There's really just nothing quite like pigging out at the end of a long day."
Rya nods in agreement, patting her fat belly with a smile. In return, Amber makes a quizzical look, a hand resting on her chubby (yet comparatively tiny) stomach.
"I think I'm ready for some dessert," she says, and promptly gets up and walks out of frame.
Rya turns to you, a mischievous grin on her face, "Do you want to join her?"
Taking the hint, you lean over to the pile of unopened delivery boxes and dig out a container of some cinnamon sticks. You and Rya immediately tear into the sticky, sugary treats but are interrupted by a thunderous belch coming from Amber's side of the call. The two of you take a moment to process the event then quietly laugh together.
You and Rya stifle your giggles as Amber reappears on the screen. She resumes her spot at the table with a carton of ice cream and a spoon.
"You manage to free up some space?" Rya teases her.
"I did," Amber says, taking a large bite. Her even tone of voice is betrayed by her blooming blush. She clearly didn't expect her belch to be picked up by the mic.
The three of you pack away some sweets for a bit when you hear an odd, dull snapping sound from Amber's side of the call. Amber freezes, her spoon hanging in midair. She jams her spoon into the ice cream, and draws an arm up to cover her breasts. Her face begins to blush again, and she's trying not to laugh.
"My bra just broke," she says between stifled giggles.
You'd been making a conscious effort to not stare at Amber's chest so far, but it's really obvious that her breasts had grown along with the rest of her. She looks down at the shirt stretched over her plump swells and lets out a squeal, jamming her hand over her mouth.
"I can't believe this happened," she says between laughs.
The three of you collapse into laughter, though Rya stays fairly sympathetic.
"Just a hazard of fat girl life," Rya says jauntily, jiggling her own melons for emphasis. "These girls have been the doom of plenty of weak bras."
"The doom of weak bras," Amber repeats in a sing-song voice. "I need to go shopping..."
Rya laughs harder at that, which sets Amber bright red and to laughing almost uncontrollably.
"Alright you two," she gasps after gathering some composure. "This seems like a cue for me to go. This was a fun meal slash chat, maybe we can do it again some time?"
"Definitely!" you and Rya say in unison.
"I'd like that!"
"Great, talk to you later, bye!"
Amber's image reaches one-handed towards her camera, and the video call ends. You and Rya take another moment to let your respective breaths return to normal.
"Well, now we've got a new friend," Rya says.
"Does it really count as new if it's somebody I used to know?" You retort reflexively.
Rya smiles and sticks out her tongue, "Yes it does, and besides you and her like to make a lot of hay about how she's different now."
You grunt in acquiescence, and settle with Rya into a relaxed, post-meal silence and finish your desserts. With a gooey cinnamon stick clutched in your teeth, you lift up your shirt and run your hands over your chubby stomach, savoring the sensations of fullness and well-earned tiredness from the day's exertion. The indulgent motion is rewarded with a few happy stomach grumbles in response, but you persist. Your skin is slightly sticky from dried sweat, and you thoughtfully knead and jiggle some pudge.
"I can't tell if I'm the bad influence, or if I'm being influenced," you mutter, mostly to yourself.
Rya smiles, watching intently as you knead yourself.
"I don't think we're being influenced," she says. "At least, not by each other."
You turn your head and look at her, expecting elaboration.
Rya explains, "We don't need to overthink it. Food makes us happy, and our plus-sized bodies make each other happy. I'll remind you that I got super fat all on my own, you know!"
"Fair enough."
You smile back, and suddenly a thought occurs to you. "Hey, Rya?"
"Yeah?"
"Remember how this new place has an expanded shower stall?"
"Mhm."
"Well... How would you feel about us breaking it in together?"
Rya giggles and leans in to give you a quick kiss. The couch creaks underneath her. "I'd like that," she says. "I'd really like that."
You grin and kiss her back.
Rya reaches out, running her hands up your torso, and pulls your shirt over your head. She crumples up the shirt and tosses it aside while giving you a cheeky look. You stand and slowly haul her to her feet. She wraps her arms around your middle and kisses your neck, running her hands over your back and squishing her generous chub against your own. In short order, you've stripped each other naked and are grabbing at each other's sensitive, soft spots. Rya looks up at you with flushed cheeks and says, "I'm sure I stink. C'mon, this will be a lot more fun when we're both nice and clean."
You simply nod. Rya gently pulls away from you, holding onto your hand, and leads you to the bathroom. You're transfixed by the rhythmic jiggling of her body as she walks, and Rya deliberately makes an effort to accentuate her vast curves.
Following her into the bathroom, you latch the door behind you, and pointedly turn the lock. Rya giggles as she starts the water, "It's just the two of us, you goofball!"
You look down at her with what you hope is a firm expression and say, "Oh, I know. But the lock is to keep you in; I feel like taking charge tonight."
Rya tilts her head and looks up at you, her face full of mischief. "You sure?" she asks.
A smug grin and a nod are your response before you gently push her into the wide stream of already-steamy water. Rya inhales sharply as the shower drenches her corpulent figure. A moment later, she relaxes, a contented smile on her face. She opens her eyes just in time to see you approaching her, soap in hand but your intentions anything but clean.
All told, the two of you spend far longer in that steamy shower than you'd strictly need. The two of you eventually stumble into the cardboard-clogged bedroom, thoroughly cleaned, wrapped in towels, skin reddened from the heat and exertion, and knees wobbly from sexual satisfaction.
You laugh as you fall onto the bed and see Rya do the same. The two of you lay on the bed panting and cooling off. You reach over and grip Rya's hand. "So, showering together – great idea." you say.
"Yeah, it was."
Rya's cheeks flush again, and she smiles shyly, "I like when you take charge."
"Yeah?" you say, smiling back. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at it..."
Rya's smile widens and she leans in to kiss you.
"I don't mind helping you practice. You're definitely strong enough to move my blubber ass around, and we've got nothing but time now..."
Your exhaustion catches up with you all of a sudden, and the rest of the evening is a comfortable, tired blur.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Time rolls by. The weeks turn to months, and you and Rya make strides in your respective lives.
Rya moves forwards one solved programming contract at a time, steadily building her reputation and starting to become a bona fide computer guru.
Your career (and waistline) makes steady progress as well. Aside from an embarrassing-yet-humorous mishap where you broke a (defective) office chair, you've only proven yourself to be an indispensable asset to your company and picked up a nice fat raise.
The two of you have settled into a comfortable routine, and you no longer dread your Monday morning. That routine does still involve sending food suggestions to your eccentric and repentant ex, Amber. The two of you manage to patch up your relationship a bit more, and she even manages to become a semi-regular third wheel of sorts. Every few weeks, you and Rya set aside some time to do a big group meal with her through the aid of video calls. Amber still dutifully uploads her ephemeral nightly videos to prove she's eating what you and Rya suggest. As the weeks roll by, Amber seems to steadily balloon bigger and bigger in each video. It's hard to imagine she ever had an eating disorder in the first place, seeing how happy a big meal now seems to make her.