A Corn Fed Reunion: Chapter 2

Liam sat on a log by the river nervously picking at the frayed hem of his shorts. The night air was balmy as fireflies and a full moon illuminated the river. Crickets chirped all around him and critters could be heard scuttling through the brush. It was an idyllic evening despite his nerves and discomfort. For starters, Liam’s stomach was brutally distended from dinner causing his shorts to dig into his waist. He had never eaten so much barbecue in his life and had a bad case of the meat sweats. Paired with the anticipatory anxiety of seeing Jeremy for the first time in a year, Liam felt like he could explode. A cool breeze coming off the water was his only respite.

He heard some leaves rustle nearby and then the snapping of some twigs. Eventually he recognized the heavy repetition of footsteps. Jeremy was somewhere nearby but Liam couldn’t tell exactly where. The steps came closer and closer until a large figure emerged from the shadows. Liam’s jaw dropped open. That couldn’t be…

“Howdy,” Jeremy’s familiar voice, deep and sweet, cut through the night.

Liam could hardly believe his eyes. When he had last seen Jeremy the farm boy was sitting heavy, but this was a different story. A year ago one might call Jeremy chubby or even fat, but in a manner that wasn’t unusual or particularly excessive. He was probably somewhere over two hundred pounds, maybe two twenty. Nothing extravagant by American standards, certainly not in rural America. But now, Jeremy was a fucking tank.

At first, Liam could only see Jeremy’s silhouette, round and expansive. Then Jeremy took a step closer and the moonlight granted Liam a clearer view. Liam swallowed, a bit speechless as he took in the encounter. Jeremy was a beast of a man. He was positively stout with firm rolls of fat packed atop his already sturdy frame. He looked like the Michelin Man- only fatter.

“Hey,” Liam replied. “Have a seat.”

Jeremy lumbered closer and slowly lowered himself onto the log where Liam was perched. The wood creaked beneath his weight and both men wondered if it would snap. It seemed too sturdy to crumple under the weight of two men, but Jeremy was big enough for two men himself. They looked into one another’s eyes for a moment. A silence hung in the air as Liam detected a hint of longing in Jeremy’s face. The wood beneath them creaked and the log shifted an inch.

“I might be too big for this spot,” Jeremy said. “What do you say we move down closer to the river and find a good rock to sit on?”

A rock seemed better, stronger, for the two of them. Liam let Jeremy lead. The hunk of beef treaded carefully for a man of his size. Liam supposed it made sense. If Jeremy fell, he would go down hard and fast. From behind, Liam noticed how Jeremy’s love handles were now wider than his shoulders and wobbled slightly with each step. His ass had remained fat as well. Last year’s denim cut offs had been replaced with cotton sweats that were being gobbled up by his wobbling thighs. Even Jeremy’s calves and ankles looked fat. Altogether, he was completely encumbered with thick layers of endless chub.

Finally, Jeremy found a large oblong boulder with convenient indentations for two seats. They sat down side by side, facing the water. Jeremy’s legs were spread wide, seemingly out of necessity to accommodate his belly. It heaped forward onto his lap with a gravitational force all its own. Their legs touched as there was only so much room for the two of them. The skin contact sent shivers through Liam’s loins.

“Well,” Jeremy chuckled a bit. “I’ve grown a bit haven’t I?”

Jeremy patted his belly sheepishly. Liam couldn’t help but stare at the man’s body. He was just so big. This was the same guy who had inspired Liam to bulk up himself. Last summer had totally shifted Liam’s views about male beauty and body positivity and even what was sexy and desirable. A year ago Jeremy was this unattainably hot corn fed muscle hunk and now… he was obese. There was no denying it. Jeremy’s weight surely exceeded three hundred pounds. Liam’s head could hardly process it, but his libido seemed to have the answer.

“I mean, yeah,” Liam laughed. “You’ve… grown a lot.”

“That’s one way to put it. I’m a porker now, I know it. I guess it kinda started last summer after my grandma passed. I was comfort eating and drinking a lot to distract myself through those first few months. Then the holidays came…” He trailed off, seemingly lost in thought. “And boy do I love the holidays. All that food… and the sweets. Egg nog, man I love egg nog. And everyone was cooking for me and bringing me all this food ‘cause ma had passed. At that point I knew it was getting out of hand but I guess I didn’t care…”

Liam was quiet and unsure what to say. It seemed like Liam needed to get something off his chest.

“I’ve been ballooning for sure, ha!” He laughed and shook his head. “When I broke a chair at your uncle’s house that’s when I knew… Jeremy you’ve become a fat ass. And once you’re a fat ass, what are you gonna do, you know? That’s just who I am now.”

“I mean, you’re a looker,” Liam said. “Always will be.”

Jeremy seemed to enjoy the compliment despite not acknowledging it. He continued his monologue with steadfast intention.

“I guess there’s another component. I um, I uh… I… Well, I met someone.”

Liam’s heart dropped. He should have known.

“She’s great, she’s a great gal. And an excellent cook, ha!” He laughed in the same way again, almost self-deprecatingly. “Man she sure can cook and I’m just always so hungry man, sometimes all I can think about is food. It’s out of control, I’ll admit it. But you know, that’s… that’s not all I think about. Sometimes… sometimes I think about you, Liam. And last summer. What we did. I really did enjoy that.”

Liam’s head was spinning, “I enjoyed it too,” he said unsure of what was coming.

“I’ve never thought of myself as a fag,” Jeremy said casually. “But hell, maybe I am. I guess I’m half-fag. Bisexual.”

Liam was beginning to see where this was headed and it was not in his favor. He was growing irritated at Jeremy’s self-involved poetics but didn’t lash out in case there was even a slight opportunity for sex.

“Would you consider me bisexual?” Jeremy asked.

“I don’t know, Jeremy. That’s for you to decide. Can I ask why you invited me here?”

“Well I guess just to tell you that I’m, well, I’m engaged and whatever happened last summer has to stay in the past.”

“Cool,” Liam said jaggedly.

“Hey,” Jeremy turned to face Liam. The two held eye contact, Jeremy’s demeanor soft and reverential, Liam’s icy cold and on the verge of tears. Jeremy cupped Liam’s face with one hand as though they were about to kiss, but all he said was: “I’ll never forget that night.”

“Neither will I,” Liam said abruptly and stood up and headed back to his uncle’s house.