BEASTARS - Instincts (Story & Art!)

[CW: Manipulation, jealousy, weight gain, stuffing, light humiliation]

[This story doesn’t directly follow the plot of the source material.]

[All characters in this story are 18+. You should be too.]

Juno took a deep breath as she walked down the school hall. Nervously, she glanced at the clock one more time.

Perfect, she was a minute early. She had nothing to worry about.

Well… that wasn’t true.

She had a lot to worry about. But at least being late wasn’t on that list.

She steeled her nerves. She’d been preparing herself for this all day. At long last, she was going to tell Legoshi how she truly felt. It was now or never. Next week would be the festival, and there’d be a dance… it was perfect! There’d be no better time to–

RIIIIIIIING!

There it was. The bell.

Juno stood aside from the door to let all the eager students pass by to head home. She offered polite smiles and waves to anyone who recognized her and said hello. Finally, once the tide had passed, she rounded the corner, and–

Juno felt her breath catch in her throat.

Her eyes widened as everything around her stopped moving. The world seemed to freeze in place.

Suddenly, it was as if she were imprisoned in that very moment for eternity. There was Legoshi… standing over the table of a small white rabbit. In his hand, he held out… a flower.

Looming over the girl, he offered the beautiful bloom to her where she sat, looking up in awe at the kind gesture. Her cheeks were dusted pink in fluster. She didn’t smile, but there was reserved joy sparkling in her dark eyes.

Juno had never felt pain from witnessing a sight until now. It stabbed her like a knife, and as soon as she could control her body again, she quickly threw herself back out through the door and out into the hallway.

Tears spotted the corners of her eyes as she tried to keep herself from outright sobbing. Especially as Legoshi finally walked out the door, passing by without seeing her.

“O-Okay. It’s a plan. See you tomorrow then, alright? Four o’clock.” he said with a sheepish laugh.

“It’s a plan, wolf.” the bunny flirtatiously shot back with a giggle. Legoshi gave one last smile to her, and was on his way down the hall, seemingly in a hurry.

Juno’s hands were shaking. She couldn’t think straight. What should she do? Go after Legoshi? Or just… find somewhere to cry in peace?

Before she could decide, the choice was made for her.

“Juno, why don’t we just talk?” she heard the rabbit call to her.

Juno’s heart sank again. Without a word, she slowly shuffled into the empty classroom, standing in front of the rabbit’s desk.

“Hello, Haru. Looking as lovely as ever.” Juno said plainly. “Even for a pathetic little bunny.” she added with a sigh.

As backhanded as it was, the compliment was truthful. Haru was beautiful, and she always had been. Juno had no idea how Legoshi could be attracted to a bunny, but… if he had to choose any of them, she supposed she could understand why he’d choose this one.

Her fur was such a brilliant, pure white. Her face was adorable. She was so petite and cute and feminine. Even if she was an herbivore, Juno had to admit how pretty she was.

“You as well, Juno. Even if you’ve put on a bit of weight, you look beautiful.” Haru returned the compliment… with a slight thorn of her own buried underneath.

Juno gasped, her face red as she instinctively looked down at herself.

She’d… only put on a couple kilograms. How had Haru noticed? She was certain that it was impossible to tell under her uniform. She truly looked no different at all.

Dammit, Louis. We can’t keep meeting up. It’s starting to show…

As if her thoughts were spoken aloud, Haru just smiled.

“We herbivores have an eye for these sorts of things. You know, which carnivores have been eating well.” she said with a small laugh.

There was a taunting inflection in her tone. As if she were prying at Juno’s insecurities to make sure the wolf didn’t even think about coming anywhere near Legoshi.

“I know how you feel about him, Juno. But I’m sorry to say, you can forget it.” Haru stated plainly.

Juno tried to keep a growl out of her throat as she glared down at the bunny.

“And why is that?”

“Because, Legoshi wants to talk tomorrow, and he has a ‘surprise’ for me. Only one thing that could mean…” Haru said with a smirk.

Juno’s eye twitched. “You’re… making things official?”

Haru leaned back in her chair. “Guess you took too long. Or… maybe he’d just rather have a… ‘pathetic little bunny’ rather than a wolf like you.” she mocked with a little wink.

Reaching down to the table, she grabbed the flower and turned it around in her hand once or twice, before holding it out to Juno.

“Here, a consolation prize. I bet it still smells like him. You tell me. Wolves’ noses are much stronger than ours, right?”

Juno grit her teeth at the mocking offering, and turned around.

“I’m just… glad you’re happy, Haru.” Juno huffed, trying to remain dignified as she stormed out the door.

“For what it’s worth, Juno, I intend to treat Legoshi very well!” she called after the wolf, waving the flower with that saccharine smile on her lips.

Juno wasn’t exactly in the best headspace as she walked the street towards the usual meetup spot at the cafe. As the sun hung lower and lower in the sky, she felt herself growing… tired.

This week had been exhausting. Both emotionally, and physically. Juno’s legs ached as she made the long walk. For the life of her, she couldn’t remember it ever being this draining before.

At the very least, Louis wasn’t hard to spot. The handsome, attention-hungry theatre student sat poised in his seat, ears perked as he heard Juno approaching, but still made no show of turning to greet her.

Juno whimpered as she approached, listening to her stomach growl. She shuddered, trying to push down the sensation.

“Sorry I’m late. I stayed back to clean up a bit.”

Louis snorted. “No you didn’t. I stayed back to clean. I didn’t see you there once.”

Juno tried to stifle a gasp, embarrassment washing over her at being caught in the lie so bluntly. She tried to formulate an excuse, but found her thoughts distracted. As she looked down at the seated buck, she felt her aching stomach rumble again, and a drop of sweat ran down her cheek.

He was right. She hadn’t stayed back to clean. This was the real reason she was late. Before every meeting, Juno found herself needing to build up her mental fortitude. To share a private meal with an herbivore… it was no easy task for a carnivore to handle.

The amount of self-control that was expected from carnivores in day-to-day life was nothing to scoff at on its own. But to wrestle with hunger in the private company of an herbivore? That was self-control that Juno, unfortunately, did not possess naturally.

Louis’ glaring eyes bit through her thoughts with ruthless efficiency. “Sit down,” he practically hissed out the words, “before you make a scene.”

Juno did as she was told, and was luckily able to pull her attention off of her own embarrassment as a waitress came about to their table.

“Hello! How are you two doing this afternoon?” the woman asked as she pulled out a tab of paper and a pen.

“Oh, just wonderfully. You poor thing, are you the only waitress on staff tonight? They must keep you busy.” Louis answered, his charismatic air flooding back to him as easily as breathing, as if Juno weren’t even there at all.

As Louis spoke and got the woman to laugh, Juno took in the sight of the waitress. She was a sheep, and a pretty one at that. However, at a glance, it was clear that she was a bit overweight. The cafe’s uniform was tight on her, and it hugged her generous figure plainly for just about anyone to see.

She was friendly and chipper, but her body language made it clear that she was uncomfortable in the outfit. It showed her figure off so prominently that it made Juno’s mouth twitch. She felt saliva in her mouth.

The wolf scratched nervously at her arm. If there was one thing more difficult than maintaining restraint around an herbivore… it was maintaining restraint around a fat herbivore. She bit her fang down against her lip harder and harder, trying to let the stinging distract her from whatever thoughts were trying to bubble up to the surface.

Louis spared Juno a glance amidst his preening and idle chatter, narrowing his eyes as he recognized the struggle clearly written across the wolf’s face.

“I must apologize! Here you are, as busy as can be, and I’m striking conversation. How rude of me.”

“O-Oh no! Not rude at all!” the lamb laughed sheepishly, clearly a bit flustered to have such rapt attention from a handsome gentleman like Louis. “What can I get for you two?”

“A green tea and an apple pastry for myself, and a vanilla latte and strawberry pastry for the lady, please.” he said politely, folding up his menu and handing it to her without so much as a glance Juno’s way.

“Of course, right away.” the sheep said with a bow.

As she hurried off, Juno tilted her head towards Louis.

“H-How did you know that–”

“You’ve ordered that coffee the last three times we came here, and you needed something to eat. It doesn’t take a genius.” he interrupted, shaking his head with a snicker.

Juno opened her mouth to speak, but no words really came to mind. Instead, she merely let silence hang for a long while, before a new thought came about.

“Did I… upset you somehow?” she finally asked. “You seem annoyed.”

Louis could always be a bit prickly, but this seemed more aggressive than that. He seemed downright agitated.

The question seemed to catch him off guard. This time, he was the one who had to consider his answer for a moment, before shaking his head.

“No… Sorry. Your instincts aren’t your fault.” he answered rather cryptically.

Juno raised a brow. “My… instincts?”

Before she could get an answer, the order came about. Despite being the lone staff, the waitress was remarkably quick. She offered a polite smile as she handed out the drinks and pastries. “Please enjoy.”

Louis offered a grateful smile in return, and moved to have a sip of his tea.

With a sigh of relief, Juno’s hand darted to the plate to recover her pastry, biting in without hesitation. A small mewl of delight came from her as she bit into the sugary strawberry filling.

For just a moment, her mind was under control, and she could think straight.

However, her relief was cut short as Louis’ voice barged its way into her thoughts. He kept to a quiet whisper, but his tone was stern and impossible to miss.

“You think I haven’t noticed the way you look at me when we meet like this? You always arrive hungry, so it shows clearer on your face than it ever does at school. It torments you to be left alone with me. Every second we spend together is another war fought against your own urges.”

Humiliated by the blunt accusation, Juno desperately shook her head, sending crumbs everywhere. “Th-That ishn’t true!” she cried through the mouthful.

Louis rolled his eyes. “Swallow your food first, please.” he said, offering a napkin across the table.

“Of course it’s true. You’re a carnivore. It’s in your nature. That’s why I’m not offended by it. You natural-born hunters can’t help yourselves. You’re a slave to those instincts, when it comes right down to it. Once I realized that, it stopped sickening me as much. Now, I almost pity you.”

Juno scoffed. “You make it out like carnivores are nothing more than wild beasts.”

She gave an annoyed laugh, before reaching toward her latte to wash down the mouthful of pastry.

“Would that be inaccurate?” Louis asked blatantly.

Juno’s cheeks puffed and her eyes widened. She choked to try and not spit out her coffee at the thorny question.

“And here I thought you were always so eager to preach that herbivores and carnivores view eachother as equals!” she snapped, her face red with anger. She barely realized how much she’d raised her voice.

However, as Juno glanced around, she saw just how many glances she’d drawn from the other tables.

A carnivore getting riled up at an herbivore? That was never a good look. She took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself down.

“Don’t you just know how to make a girl feel good about herself…” Juno sighed sarcastically, suddenly wishing she could just disappear from everyone’s sight.

“I believe honesty is important if we’re going to work together to drive Haru and Legoshi apart. I’d prefer to see it done before either of them have a chance to do something they might regret.”

“Well… honesty doesn’t have to be so blunt and crude. Besides, I think we’re a bit late. I spoke to Haru earlier.” Juno lamented, idly picking at her pastry and taking small bits here and there.

“Apparently Legoshi had a ‘surprise’ ready for her at the end of the week. She seems to think it means they’re finally going to make things official. And… I’m inclined to think she’s right. What else could it be?”

Juno put the pastry down and laid her head in her hands, groaning in defeat.

“That stupid rabbit… he just falls into her hands. I tried to do everything I could. And it just… it wasn’t enough.”

A long silence hung in the air once more. Juno felt herself on the verge of tears… but she wasn’t about to let herself cry in front of this pompous little stag.

With a deep, shaky breath, she sat herself upright, and politely picked up her pastry to finish.

“I suppose that means we lose.” she said with all the lady-like dignity she could muster.

While Juno finished her pastry, Louis seemed to think for a moment. Finally, he took the opportunity to speak.

“Well, if you ask me, it doesn’t seem all dire. You and Legoshi seem to be spending more and more time together, at the very least. You two have indeed gotten closer.”

“Mnfh–!” Juno nearly choked as it was stated so bluntly. Flustered, she reached for a napkin to wipe the crumbs from her lips as she swallowed the last bite.

“It… has been nice, I’ll admit. Before, he hardly ever even gave me the time of day. But recently, I’ve… at least been able to catch his glances throughout classes. Or talk to him here and there…”

She remarked the thought with a wistful sigh, and Louis simply snorted. It was as if her silent wishes that it had been more than just glances and words were audible to the buck.

He took a long drink of his tea, and rested his head in his hand. “And you haven’t thought to be more forward?”

“You don’t think I’ve tried that? I’ve done everything I can think of! My options are… limited in a school environment, you know.” Juno spat in return, the slightest bit of agitation inching back into her voice.

Slowly, her eyes began to wander once more, and she found herself scanning the relaxed buck all the way up from his legs to his shoulders, her mouth ever slightly beginning to twitch and water.

Distract herself with conversation as she may, instincts were still instincts. She was a carnivore, and to her most primal, feral thoughts, he was nothing but prey. Especially as she let herself become agitated… self-control waned.

Despite her best efforts to conceal her wandering mind, Louis’ eyes honed in almost immediately on the change of behaviour, dilating and locking onto her like a prey animal whose survival instincts were kicking in. However, rather than fleeing or hiding, he merely rolled his eyes and leaned forward to push his uneaten pastry towards the struggling wolf.

“Eat this. Before you insist on venison as the next entrée.” he huffed indignantly, only using his index finger to slide the plate, as if he intended to put as much distance between them as physically possible. Even as he gave off the air of fearlessness, his survival instincts were still very much at play.

Juno felt her cheeks warm. It was humiliating, being fed just to stave off a primal urge. She opened her mouth to object, but as the air washed across her tongue and snout, she felt her own saliva begin to drip down her teeth. That sensation that she was starving washed over her anew like a wave.

Instead of forming a rebuttal, she moved to snatch the buttery pastry instead. With barely even a moment’s hesitation, she sunk her fangs and tore in, warm apple-cinnamon filling gushing over her taste buds as she neared the center. Her shoulders raised with a delighted whimper, and then slouched in relaxed bliss as the distraction of flavours proved sufficient in letting her guard drop for a moment. She tried to savour every second while it lasted.

Louis scoffed in disgust at the lack of restraint, but couldn’t help the red blush that dusted his cheeks at the display. There was something so… taboo about an herbivore witnessing the sheer loss of control of a carnivore. It was so natural and strange at the same time. It was as if, for just a moment, he was a hidden third party that she had no concept of. The deer had left Juno’s train of thought entirely, in a world of her own. So Louis simply got to… witness her.

A wolf–not just any wolf, but a beautiful, captivating apex of her species–indulging the desires at the forefront of her mind in front of a creature that nature would have deemed her prey had they been in the wild.

By the time she finished her dessert, she’d eaten with such fervor that drool strung from her lips to her claws as she pulled her hand away a couple inches. Louis struggled to avert his gaze from the outright lewd sight. His leg tapped against the floor a few times before he managed to compose himself enough to clear his throat and get her attention.

“Are you quite finished?” he scolded, still as red-faced as he had been throughout the display, a hand covering whatever of his flustered expression he could hide from her.

The question pulled Juno from her dulled mind and back to reality. Her ears laid flat with humiliation, and she whimpered as she hastily reached for a napkin on the table to clean her mouth and fingers.

“Y-Yes. And–… Hey, what happened to you wanting to help me?” she finally spoke up, straightening herself out with narrowed eyes.

“I didn’t say I wanted to help you. I said I wanted to get Legoshi away from Haru before they did anything stupid. Don’t twist my words. We merely happen to be working towards a shared goal, so you might gain something out of this.”

“So far, I’ve gained nothing from these meetings.”

Louis’ leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs with a small smirk. His hand fell away from his face as his tone turned to something ever-slightly mocking in nature.

“Well, I wouldn’t say ‘nothing’…”

Her confident posture faltered slightly as she felt the uncomfortable tug of her belt under Louis’ gaze. She bared her teeth in a grimace and groaned, a hand subconsciously reaching towards that unfamiliar new curve that had begun to develop over her stomach.

It was subtle enough that she could hide it with loose clothes, but she knew that if she didn’t get her appetite under control soon, that wouldn’t last long. Already, her school uniforms were getting more snug around the hips and waist, she’d noticed. And, it seemed, so too did Louis.

“How dare you… S-So rude!” she whimpered, a tone somewhere on the line between a bitter hiss and embarrassed discomfort under the buck’s judging eyes as she tried to hide herself as best she could.

Louis shook his head in amusement, finally breaking his gaze from the wolf as he stirred his drink and looked toward the amber-lit street under the sunset.

“I don’t say that just to tease. You might’ve unintentionally given yourself an opportunity without realizing it.”

Juno’s embarrassment gave way to confusion, her head tilting as she peered at Louis searchingly.

“I… don’t understand. An opportunity for–... what?”

Louis sighed, seemingly annoyed how long it was taking the wolf to catch on. “For Legoshi’s attention, obviously. Was that not what you said you seek most of all?”

“O-Of course it is! It’s what I’ve sought to the point of exhaustion… ever since the day I first met him. But I don’t understand how… this would do anything but drive him further away.” she huffed, reaching down and running her fingertips across the fabric over her midriff, feeling the slight bit of paunch that now pushed softly back against her touch. The feeling of it made her nose wrinkle in disgust.

She wished more than anything she could have felt Legoshi’s claws gently touch her stomach when it had been slender, toned, and perfect. Carved into the exact physique of what a wolf should be. Instead of… this.

She’d missed her chance. Her best self couldn’t catch his eye. And now, she’d fallen into… whatever this version of herself was. She hated it. It felt like her only chance had slipped just out of her grasp. She’d been too slow to grab it.

And now, she was only getting slower.

“I disagree. You said it yourself, he’s spoken to you more than he ever did before. He’s even stolen glances, like the shameless dog that he is.” Louis said matter-of-factly before he took another drink.

“D-Don’t talk about Legoshi that way! He’s far more gentlemanly than you give him credit for!”

“He shows the barest amount of restraint, I’ll give him that. It’s more than I can say for most carnivores.” Louis shot back without hesitation, shooting a look at Juno. He could see bits of her feast still stuck between her fangs.

His gaze made her uncomfortable all over again, and Juno found herself awkwardly trying to clean between her teeth with her claws, shame dusted across her cheeks in a bright red.

“Regardless, I think you’ve found that your assumptions are being proven incorrect, and you refuse to see it.” Louis explained.

“I still don’t get what you’re saying. You mean… you think Legoshi is… attracted to… this??”

Louis shrugged his shoulders. “Who can say? But I do know one thing. That mutt’s attention is feverishly clasped to a rabbit who makes his self-control waver just as easily as yours. It’s clear that he mixes adoration and lust with what might simply be hunger and instincts.”

Louis abbreviated his point with a long drink to finish his tea, as if just to make Juno wait in anticipation for every word he might offer. He gently placed the cup on the table, and considered for a moment before he spoke again.

“He’s confused. And frankly, you can use that to your advantage. Use his instincts against him. You tried to seduce him as a strong, capable hunter. And you failed. Perhaps your best chance… will be as his prey.”

Juno’s eyes went wide, her face crimson as her ears laid flat against her head. Her lips quivered as she even tried to parrot the word.

“P–...P-Prey?”

Louis nodded. “Carnivores get excitable when they see fat herbivores. It’s taboo to ever mention, but it’s simply a quirk of their biology. Herbivores all know it. Not only is it distasteful to be overweight from a social perspective, but it’s outright dangerous. You never know how far a corpulent body might push the limits of a carnivore’s self control.”

“But… I’m not an herbivore. Why would–?”

“Like I said, Legoshi is confused. It’s impossible to know what he wants. He doesn’t know what he wants. Even his own instincts are tied in knots. You can see it in his face every time he struggles against his own brain, the idiot he is. I don’t think it would take much to confuse him in your favour. I believe that’s why he’s subconsciously been spending more time with you. You’ve already begun twisting his instincts, and neither of you even realized.”

Juno felt humiliation warm her face even further as she led her hands back to her stomach, gently sinking them into the faint inch of plushness that now rested across her. At last, she allowed herself a moment to take in the damage for herself.

Had Legoshi really been able to notice the difference already? She thought she’d hid it so well.

And, more importantly… did he really like the change?

Louis seemed to take the long silence as uncertainty. Finally, his patience seemed to wane, and he stood up.

“Believe me or don’t. It doesn’t really matter, at this point. It seems we’re a bit late on driving a wedge between the two anyway.”

Louis opened his wallet to leave a generous tip for the relatively small meal that he’d barely even taken part in, and straightened his sleeves.

“I suppose this will be the last of our meetings then, Juno. Sorry that you didn’t get more out of them.” he apologized in a distinct monotone.

With that, the buck took his leave, jacket over his shoulder as he made his way down the street.

Juno was still processing. She couldn’t even get out a proper ‘goodbye’, simply finding her mouth opening and closing without a word forming.

This… doesn’t make any sense. Legoshi? My Legoshi? Finding that sort of thing attractive? He’s not some weirdo. He’s just a normal wolf, with the same preferences like any other… right?

“Ma’am?”

Juno gasped as she was ripped out of her thoughts. The waitress stood there, awkwardly offering a polite smile her way.

The sheep seemed even more nervous now without Louis around, leaving her alone with the carnivore that had been eyeing her up and down.

“S-Sorry, what?” Juno stammered.

“I was asking if I could take those plates. And if there would be anything else I could get for you?”

Juno awkwardly fumbled to grab the plates and hand them to the kind woman, before grabbing her menu to hand her.

“N-No that will–”

Before the words came out, she stopped herself. For just a moment longer, she let her eyes run up and down the sheep’s figure. However, this time, it wasn’t due to primal hunger.

Juno’s mind was scheming. It was hurtling towards an opportunity that seemed like it might be her last. She had a feeling she knew exactly how that sheep had piled on all that extra weight. It must be hard working at a cafe like this with such tasty food…

“Actually, on second thought… yes.” Juno said softly, pulling the menu back into her hands and daintily opening it. “Can you offer a bit of insight? What are some of your personal favourites here?”

The question seemed to catch the woman off guard, but the sheep thought for a moment.

“O-Oh gosh, where to start… I always love the cheesecake selection. Oh, and our frozen yogurts are amazing. I’m fairly plain, so I like the vanilla myself. Oh! And the pizzas here are incredible. We’re also pretty renowned for our fried rice as well. And of course the carnivores always adore our sushi plates and egg sandwiches.”

Juno closed the menu. “Excellent. I’ll take an order of all of those. And another latte. As well as a smoothie… and a milkshake, please. T–... Two milkshakes, actually. One vanilla and one strawberry.”

Juno’s cheeks burned red with how gluttonous she felt just from listing out the order. But her mind was made.

If ruining her figure was what would win Legoshi… that’s exactly what she’d do.

Click!

“Nnngh…”

Juno flicked the light on and stumbled in, groaning. As she closed the door behind her, she placed the heavy bags on the coffee table and took a second to catch her breath.

It had been a relief when she saw that the lights were off. She didn’t want to have to explain where she’d been to any of her roommates. Nor did she really want to see their reactions to the sheer state of her.

Slowly, she huffed her way to the mirror and inspected the damage for herself. Her eyes widened as she saw the strange curve of her belly. She’d never seen it so swollen before.

Try as she might, she couldn’t remember a single holiday or festival where she’d ever eaten so much. The once flat stretch of her midriff now pushed prominently against her tight uniform. The belt dug in underneath the curve, making the swell all the more pronounced.

She felt her cheeks flush red with humiliation as she felt the way her fingers trailed along the curve, as if she were feeling the circumference of a ball. It was such a… strange sensation.

“How can he… like this?” she whispered under her breath in disbelief.

With a deep breath, she shook her head. The ‘why’ didn’t matter. If he did, that was enough reason for her. Her work had only just begun. She had a lot more eating to do before tomorrow.

She collected her bags one by one. Even after pigging out at the cafe, and making several stops at various restaurants on the way to order vegetarian burgers and ramen bowls, Juno had stopped at the market to fill bags with as much food as she could before they closed. She had her work cut out for her.

Sparing one last glance at herself in the mirror, she winced at how ill-fitting her uniform had started to look. “I… really need to change out of this if I’m going to do this…”

Once she got to her room undetected, Juno tossed the bags on her bed and began undressing. She struggled a bit more than she was used to with her belt, wincing at the discomfort of trying to reach past her bloated stomach to unclasp it.

After she pulled it loose, she stripped her dress off by the shoulders first, having to wiggle her hips a bit to get it to stop tugging. With a wag of her tail to help shuffle it free, she pulled the fabric over her head and sighed in relief as she felt the tight, clinging sensation finally be relieved.

With nothing but underwear left as the only real obstacle, she decided this would be sufficient comfort to do this. Something about eating completely naked felt… grotesquely piggish. Even if it was in the privacy of her own room.

At last, Juno took a seat, and carefully opened the first bag. She slid a greasy box from it and laid it in her lap. As she opened the lid, the mouthwatering scent of fried potato wedges covered in melted cheese wafted through the air.

She barely noticed her tail starting to wag or the saliva trickling from her lip. Juno still felt so stuffed, but somehow, her body was willing to keep eating.

Maybe Louis had a point. Maybe we are just wild beasts. The thought was an embarrassing one to entertain… but at the very least, in this moment, any truth it held would work in Juno’s favour.

And so, she dug in. At first, the bites were dainty. One small wedge of cheesy potatoes at a time. But as bite after bite followed suit, Juno began using her claws less like precise instruments and more like shovels to pick up several at a time, whimpering as she tried to catch all of them in her mouth without letting any of the grease or cheese make a mess of her fur.

When Juno had perused the market, she had first intended to find healthy options so as to maintain some semblance of a balanced diet while she performed this… ‘experiment’ of hers.

However, she soon realized that healthier options would simply be too slow of a method for packing on weight. She needed results by tomorrow. And so, she instead turned towards the tourist food stalls and fast food selections within the marketplace. She’d lined her bags with such a grandiose collection of grease and junkfood that it’d been nauseating to think she’d soon be dumping it into her poor body.

But those concerns didn’t matter right now. This was for Legoshi.

That was the thought that ran through her mind each time her pace slowed. Whenever the discomfort of a full stomach began to settle in. Whenever the bloating of air trapped inside her made burps bubble past her lips despite her efforts to stifle them. Whenever her mouth got tired from chewing. Whenever she felt so heavy and lethargic that she swore she couldn’t move a muscle.

None of it mattered. She refused to let it slow her down for even a second. She didn’t have the time. She needed to eat as much as she could before tomorrow. That’s all there was to it.

The first bag she finished easily. By the second, Juno’s breathing was getting heavy. By the third, her bed and her underwear were starting to stain with sweat from the sheer effort.

By the fourth and final bag, Juno felt as though she was going to burst. There were still a few boxes of takeout in it, but even looking at them made her cheeks puff with the sensation that everything was about to come back up.

Juno whimpered. She felt like she was about to cry. Was she going to be a failure again? This time, she finally knew what she had to do. If she couldn’t pull it off, the blame would be on no one but her.

Juno fell back in bed with a ‘Fwumph!’ She laid on her back, sprawled out and half-naked, groaning lethargically as she tried so hard to ignore the stretched discomfort of her bloated stomach on top of her.

It felt so dense and heavy. As if it had been packed so tightly that all of the junkfood she’d been dumping in were compacted into a drum-tight ball. As her claws gently rubbed at the irritated, tight flesh, she let her hands softly settle into her fur, resting for a moment.

Even as overheated as she was, it was almost pleasant to feel the heat of her belly between her hands. She felt her cheeks go red at how surprisingly nice it felt to have her own hands gently massaging the swell. The relief it gave her felt so… intimate.

Her eyes rolled as her mind wandered. It flashed with brief thoughts. Images of her hands being replaced by Legoshi’s. Feeling his breath against her cheek as he felt what she’d done for him.

She whimpered and crossed her legs, feeling a warmth start to grow between her thighs. Suddenly, she wasn’t sure if the dampness of her underwear was only from sweat.

“D-Do you… r-really like this?” she whispered under her breath. She closed her eyes, whimpering as she could distinctly feel Legoshi’s hands replace hers, gently gliding across her fur and massaging the tight, turgid flesh.

Juno… her mind seemed to purr back to her in Legoshi’s voice.

Juno moaned, her shoulders shaking as she drank in the word. Her name, so plain in everyone else’s voice, sounded like music when it was in his.

“L-Legoshi… I-I–ooUUUURRRP!”

Juno’s whimpers were cut short as her eyes shot open, her back arched from the sheer force of the belch that was ripped out of her.

It was so loud and so forceful that it left Juno simply… lying there in the aftermath. She blinked once. Then twice. She could barely believe that it had come from her.

Knock, knock!

“Juno? Is that you? Are you okay?” called a voice.

Juno wanted to scream, but all she could do was gasp and shoot upright, sitting and trying to cover her indecency as best she could. Unfortunately, she only had two arms, so while they focused on trying to keep her upper and lower end fairly concealed, nothing stopped her balloon of a stomach from being on full display.

All at once, Sheila barged in.

“I just wanted to–Whoa! I am… so sorry! Am I interrup–”

“N-No, no! H-Hah… s-sorry, just… uhm… d-dealing with something right now…” Juno awkwardly stammered for a reason behind the strange behaviour.

The cheetah tried not to stare, and merely offered a sympathetic look to Juno. “Awwwh, I’m so sorry. Is it Legoshi? Honestly, Juno, I think you could do better. Please, promise me you won’t waste tears over him, okay?” she consoled.

Sheila could only keep her eyes from drifting for so long before they finally settled on the bloated swell that sat in Juno’s lap. Her cheeks went red, and her eyes widened, but she clearly tried to keep her reassuring smile on in order to not seem too obvious.

Juno’s ears laid flat. This was humiliating. She could practically see every thought written across Sheila’s face clear as day. They’d only recently become roommates, and Juno was NOT making an excellent impression, if she had to guess…

“J-Just… needed a night to myself, y’know? To get my mind off things and move on, I-I suppose.” Juno lied, forcing on an awkward smile.

The feline didn’t really know how to respond. Obviously this binge-eating wasn’t the healthiest coping mechanism, but she didn’t want to be rude to her new roommate. So, she simply nodded her head with a sheepish laugh.

“R–...Right! That’s always a good first step. W-Well, don’t let me bother you then, Juno. Just… call if you need anything, alright?” she insisted, slowly backing away towards the door.

“O-Of course.” Juno said with a nod, trying hard to keep any last scrap of dignity she might still have.

Once the door was shut, Juno shot up out of bed to go lock it, nearly falling over from the sheer strain of hefting such a stuffed belly along with her.

With a whimper, she doubled over, cradling her stomach gently as she looked back at the unfinished bag with anguish.

“Time to finish what you started, Juno…” she groaned.

“Alright, everyone! Take your seats!” the small red panda instructor called out.

The final class of the day. Most of the students were tired by this period, so even the instructor seemed to be half-asleep as the lesson began. It was mostly a study day anyway, so he hardly seemed to mind as most of the students talked amongst eachother.

Off to one of the side tables, Haru turned around in her seat to smile at Legoshi.

The grey wolf kept his head down, his ears lying flat as he pretended not to notice. Haru just rolled her eyes at the feigned ignorance and snickered.

“I know you can see me.” she teased.

“Shh. You’re gonna get us in trouble.” Legoshi whispered back.

Haru raised a brow, gesturing to the professor.

“How? No one’s even paying attention to us.”

Legoshi glanced to his side. She was right. Even the red fox he shared a table with was turned around, talking to some friends behind them.

With a sigh, Legoshi lifted his head and offered a sheepish smile.

“Alright, alright, fine. Well, what’s so important that you’re wasting precious study time to tell me? Weren’t you the one who said you needed to get on top of your grades in this class?” he teased with a soft laugh.

Haru smiled. There was something so endearing about the way Legoshi tried to tease. There was never any malice in it. It was always so… innocent.

“Just wanted to make sure that those plans were still on for tonight? You know, that ‘surprise’ you promised me. Unless of course you forgot…” Haru said, rolling her eyes. A bit of teasing of her own.

Legoshi seemed panicked by the mere thought. “No no! O-Of course I didn’t forget! After class, four o’clock, outside the market. I remembered, don’t worry.” he declared, the words almost sounding as if he’d practiced them every night just to implant the memory in his brain.

Haru giggled, almost snorting as she shook her head. “I know, you silly wolf. I’m teasing. Just make s–”

“Juno… please take a seat.” the instructor said apprehensively.

His voice cut through the chatter, and one by one, heads of students began to hone in on the wolf at the front of the class.

Juno the wolf… had certainly put on weight. She wasn’t fat by any means, but everyone who saw her simply went slack-jawed. The girl who had looked the same as she always had just two days ago, now looked like she’d transformed overnight.

Her belly was no longer a swollen balloon like it had been that morning, but instead, a gentle layer of plush fat had settled across her body. The belt and skirt of her uniform squeezed tightly against her hips. Her belly pushed outward against the front of her dress, spilling gently over the belt in a pooch of fat. Even her chest looked a bit bigger, her bra seeming a bit more uncomfortable of a fit than usual.

A silence hung over the class as she made her way to her seat, whimpering in humiliation as she felt the sting of countless eyes on her. Her face was crimson red, and every step made a small part of her body jiggle from the movement. With shaky hands, she held her skirt down as she took her seat, wincing at how her dress quietly creaked as she sat.

Haru felt her face contort in disgust. Had her words really gotten to Juno that badly? Or was she simply letting herself hit rockbottom now that she knew she’d lost?

In truth, she’d expected better from the wolf. Juno was a beautiful, strong creature. One that could have easily had almost anyone she wanted all to herself… all except Legoshi. Had losing to Haru really sent her spiraling so badly that she’d let her own body be ruined over it?

She turned to Legoshi to make a comment, before the words died in her throat. Legoshi’s eyes were glued to Juno. He couldn’t seem to look away. At first, Haru had hoped that it was in the same disgust that she’d felt at the sight… but as she noticed the sweat trickling down Legoshi’s face, and the redness of his cheeks… she realized that was unlikely to be the case.

Juno kept her head down. She wanted to cry. Everyone was staring at her. This was completely humiliating. She couldn’t believe she’d believed Louis. Only now did she realize that this might have been some sort of cruel joke from the stag.

Of course this wasn’t going to work. Why would Legoshi ever–

Her heart practically jumped into her throat as she spared a glance his way, just to catch his eye. At first, shame burned across her cheeks, assuming he was just gawking in disbelief like the others.

But… no. There was something different about the look he gave her. She couldn’t quite place it, but she kept trying to peek at him. To see what it was.

She spent an hour of the class just trying to decipher what was in his mind every time they caught eachother’s eye time and time again. As the clock ticked on and the bell drew near, finally, she gasped.

She recognized that look. It was the same one he gave Haru. It was the only time she ever saw a look on Legoshi’s face that didn’t feel entirely innocent. The one time it seemed there was more to him than just the polite, awkward exterior that he always projected.

The one time that his truest, deepest wants came to the surface. And for the first time… those desires were for Juno.

She nearly melted in her seat at the breakthrough. She couldn’t believe it. Louis… might have been right.

Riiiiiiing!

As the bell chimed, students shot up from their seats, eager to finally be free from their academic confines.

Juno wasn’t sure what to do. She’d only have a few seconds to try and stop Legoshi before he left with Haru. Desperately, she began gathering her things, and turned to–

Juno gasped as she bumped into someone as soon as she turned from her table. Her feet slipped, and she reached out for something to hold onto.

“W-Whoa! Careful–” Her ears perked as she heard that voice.

She opened her eyes, and saw Legoshi holding her by the arm to make sure she didn’t slip. A shaky breath was all that escaped her as thanks.

“I-I…. I…”

“S-Sorry, I… didn’t mean to bump into you like that. I just… I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“O–... Okay?” Juno repeated, disappointment shifting her voice.

Was that really the only reason he was looking her way? Concern?

Juno could feel tears starting to corner her eyes.

“Yeah… You seemed… k-kinda exhausted when you came in. Have you been… getting enough sleep?” Legoshi gently asked, avoiding the clear elephant in the room that lurked in the space between him and Juno.

Juno opened and closed her mouth, unable to find a response.

Haru shot glares towards the wolves as she packed her bag, her fur standing on end in annoyance.

“Uhh, Legoshi? Shouldn’t we get going?” the rabbit asked through gritted teeth, as if using every ounce of willpower she had to not lose her temper at the display before her.

“O-Oh, right! S-Sorry, coming!” he called.

Juno felt his hand leave her arm. It felt as if her heart broke in that swift movement, falling like broken glass into the pit of her stretched stomach.

No… I can’t let this happen… I can’t! It’s now or never. I’ll never forgive myself if I don't try! It’s time to find out how he really feels!

As Legoshi turned, Juno seized the wolf by the wrist, and practically threw his arms around her.

“Oh, Legoshi! It’s terrible, isn’t it?” she whined in distress, laying her head against his shoulder in theatrical despair.

Haru’s eye twitched as she watched, her mouth going agape.

What is she–...

“W-What?! W-What do you mean, J-Juno?” Legoshi stammered, completely caught off guard and standing like a statue with Juno draped across him.

“It’s all these days I’ve been spending with Louis! I don’t know how you do it! Being around an herbivore all the time without feeling like you’re starving! The hunger is unbearable! Look what he’s done to me!” she cried, urging Legoshi’s hands down to her stomach.

Legoshi’s eyes went wide. His lips twitched. Offering an argument against any of this was impossible.

He was speechless.

As Juno urged his hands to her belly, he shivered as his touch sunk into plush fat on the other side of her tight uniform. She was… so soft. Her belly wasn’t muscular or lean at all anymore. She has such a plump, soft stomach now. Even if she wasn’t fat, she’d certainly gotten chubby. It was impossible not to notice the difference… especially when his hands were sinking into it.

Haru was stunned. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She’d never have expected a stunt like this, even from a girl as desperate as Juno.

But what baffled her most was… why was it working??

Was Legoshi really attracted to… that? What the hell was the matter with him? Why wasn’t he appalled? Why did he seem so hypnotized by such a grotesque show of gluttony from a carnivore? As far as Haru knew, that wasn’t any sort of mating ritual between wolves that she’d ever heard of. And she’d certainly been doing a fair bit of research lately.

Juno bit her lip. It was so hard to keep her composure. Something about the feeling of Legoshi’s large hands holding her like this… it felt so intimate. In this moment, she didn’t care how much of a pig she looked like. She just wanted this instant to last forever. She just had to keep from moaning outright in the middle of class. Even if everyone was already halfway out the door, that would certainly draw attention.

So instead, she tried to muster enough self control to speak clearly, and brought her lips to Legoshi’s ear.

“Don’t you feel it? How much I’ve let myself go?” she asked softly.

Legoshi’s throat was dry. His body was shaking. As he saw Juno’s large eyes staring up at him, all he could do was offer a sheepish nod.

“I-I… I suppose so…” he whimpered in return, his tail wagging behind him feverishly.

“So you’ll help me? You’ll keep me away from Louis tonight?” Juno asked innocently.

Before he could even form an answer, Juno let her weight push back against him. She laid her head against his chest. She pushed his hands tighter against her belly. She lifted her tail and let her plump rear settle against him.

She bit her lip, and tried not to let out a moan.

That gave her the answer she needed. She could feel Legoshi’s bulge push right between the curves of her ass through her skirt. He was excited. More excited than she ever expected him to be.

If his attraction hadn’t been made clear before, it was unmistakeable now.

“You’ll stay with me all night?” Juno let herself weigh down against Legoshi’s excitement one last time to tempt him as she asked the question gently. She could practically see every fur on the wolf stand on end as he shivered, drool trickling from his lips.

“O-Of… Of course.” he finally managed to whimper back, trying desperately to clear his throat and control his thoughts.

“I-I… I’ll stay by your side today, Juno. I promise.”

Before Juno could even speak, Haru interrupted, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

“What? What about our plans?” she snapped, a face somewhere between rage and betrayal as she glanced between the two.

Legoshi quickly pushed himself away from Juno, trying to straighten himself out and hide his lower half behind a table.

“O-Oh! I-I… hmm… do you… think we could reschedule for another day? Juno really needs my help tonight.”

Haru’s ears laid flat. “You’re blowing me off for her?”

“N-No! Not at all! Just… how about tomorrow? Will that work?”

Haru just shook her head and made for the door. “Whatever. Do what you want. It’s not like we’re dating anyway.”

Legoshi reached out towards her. “H-Haru! I…”

He couldn’t find the right words. She was right, they weren’t actually dating yet. But, still… That didn’t make it feel any less wrong. Him and Juno had made a display, and it was hard to consider it anything other than intimate... Even if he couldn’t understand why his thoughts were racing like that just from touching Juno’s stomach.

As if to confirm what had caused it, Legoshi gasped as Juno came up behind him. He felt her stomach press against his back as she wrapped her arms around him.

“I hope I didn’t cause any problems?” she said innocently, laying her tail over his.

“N-No… no, don’t worry, you didn’t.” he lied with a kind smile, before helping her gather up the rest of her things. “I suppose, let’s… get going.”

Juno gave him a warm, lovestruck smile as he handed her bag over. “Let’s!”