Growing Soft 4 (Patreon)

“Open,” Darling instructed.

Miia bent her eyebrows at him, jaw still working over her last bite. She glared at him suspiciously before swallowing and opening her mouth.

Another sausage patty was deposited into her waiting maw, and she’d scarcely closed her mouth over it before he’d grabbed another in his fingers and said, “Open.”

Miia twisted her chewing lips into a frown. His grin tilted upward at the sides, becoming cheeky and fun. She raised her arm and poked him in the side. “Caut i’ oot,” she said over the breakfast food.

His smile widened. “I will if you just open,” he said.

Miia rolled her eyes, opening her mouth without swallowing. He dropped the patty in, and Miia closed her lips before he raised a plump sausage to her mouth. She frowned at it before chomping over half, tearing it free from his fingers and sipping it into her mouth. Her forked tongue skated the bottom of the meat, absorbing the delicious grilled taste that Darling had taken to feeding her each morning. The extra salt he’d begun to use greatly heightened the pleasurable taste.

Breakfast in bed had to be one of the greatest things Miia had ever experienced. She’d begun to associate the feelings of her full tummy with the heady giddiness that came over her after making love, due in part to how easily it was for the pair of them to slip into each other’s grasp when he was feeding her. Being hand-fed by Darling was one of the most intimate and warming affairs Miia could have. When her wonderful husband wasn’t being a stinker, that was.

“Open,” he demanded.

Miia’s weighty tail twisted, and the man was caught off guard as it flicked him in the side. Miia reached out and took the plate from his hands as Darling was launched off the corner of the bed with a panicked yelp, followed by a bout of laughter. The giddy sensation quickly overcame Miia as well, and when she saw his giggling grin pop up over the side of the bed, she could hardly help herself.

Her tummy folded over itself, her developing love handle accentuated by her movement. Her breasts sat comfortably atop of the soft round curve of her advancing belly, now permanently smooth and softer than jelly, jiggling madly as she fought to quiet her snorting laugh through her full mouth.

“I was wondering how long that’d take,” Darling said, his hand coming atop of the bed to lift himself. Miia’s tail automatically shifted to him, and he righted his grip to be on her. She felt the muscles in her lower body tense as they assisted him upright. On autopilot, Miia continued to munch on the plate, making quick work of the small mound of meat while Darling moved forward into the room.

Miia sighed amorously through her nose, as her mouth was quite full. Her Darling glowed in the golden morning light, wearing nothing but his boxers and a pair of nightwear shorts, admiring the world outside without an inkling of modesty. Miia, who over the last month had formed the habit of sleeping starkly nude, due in part to her nightgowns increasing discomfort around her middle, wouldn’t even get out of bed if the curtains weren’t at least partially pulled. She was trying to get in the habit of remembering to just close them each night. Let the sun bother the rest of Japan for a little while longer and let the increasingly lazy lamia lay in bed for another thirty or forty minutes.

“It looks like the heat wave is here. The last of the snow’s melted,” Darling said. He looked over to Miia, pointing outward. “The trees are still barren, though. Wanna see?”

Miia took another three sausages into her mouth, making delighted noises as she chomped on them before she tensed the soft muscles she had in her belly, pulling herself up in bed. She moved gracefully off of the side of the bed and crept along the western wall of their home to look out of their bedroom window.

She took another moment to appreciate just how the sun illuminated her husband. His skin seemed to glow in the light, his broad chest leading into those strong shoulders. She felt her eyes pulling in on his arms, gazing on the curve of his biceps. She felt her forked tongue flick at her fang, and lightly tasted the juicy scent of meat on the air before moving closer to the window. 

The sunshine caused the air to be a tad warmer, here. Marginally more comfortable, but infinitely more exposing. Miia was sure to only show up to the tops of her shoulders around her purple drapes as she peered out the glass.

Outside, the shining sun loomed high in the sky. The stone path of their front yard was barren now, though she noticed a couple of birds prancing around their large lawn. A number of looming trees and a small wall sheltered their home from the main road, and set them aside from most of the modern, boring architecture that afflicted the town.

“Mhmm,” she said before swallowing her sausages and sending them tumbling into her filled tummy. “Yup, looks like it. I bet Papi’s gonna be excited that she can fly around again.”

Darling chuckled. “I was more thinking about you,” he said. His finger came over to Miia’s side, and poked firmly into her soft, pudgy stomach. 

She noticed how deep it sank and felt the blush heating her lips. “Me?” she asked, reaching down and taking his hand. She felt the muscles in his arm tense as she put it against her side, so now he cupped her the curve of her hip. He turned to her placing his other on her cheek. She nuzzled him affectionately. “I’m comfortable right here,” she said.

He snorted. “I can see that,” he said, his eyes glinting down at her nude body.

Miia felt the heat on her cheeks redouble. “W-what’s that mean?” she asked, her eyes shifting to the side.

Raising his hand from her hips, Darling pinched a handful of Miia’s stomach with a strong grip, making her gasp. “You haven’t gone outside once since you got here,” he said with an amused look. “It can’t be good for you, it’s been almost a month.”

Miia shifted from side to side. He’d noticed her belly, and she couldn’t blame him. It was more than a little obvious how much the girl had been eating over the past few weeks. The deepest storm of winter may have faded, but the rising temperature couldn’t compete with how quickly Miia’s weight was trundling upwards. “I-I…” she paused, unsure what to say. She’d never had to acknowledge it since Christmas, when she was just soft. Now, all at once is seemed like such a massive thing. She wasn’t just soft, she was fat! Not just fat, super fat!

“H-hey,” Darling’s stutter snapped Miia’s attention off of her panic, and she looked into his eyes. She felt hot, pressed this close to him, and her sensitive skin seemed to pull inward as she tried to suck in her gut to hide the curve of her tummy. Still, she could recognize the concern in his eyes, realized he could see her self-doubt flaring. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Miia slithered away from the window, her tummy tightly pulled inward, which felt even more uncomfortable as it bore the weighty meat of her three-course breakfast. “Mhmm!” she said, trying to lean forwards so her larger breasts would hang. “I’m just excited!”

Darling looked at her flatly, his jaw tucking to the side. “Excited?” he asked.

She nodded rapidly. “Yeah! For spring! That’s all,” she said. She backed to the bed with a nervous giggle, feeling a sudden sense of shame over her brazen nudeness. She lifted a thick blue woolen blanket, draping it over herself and hiding her tummy.

He glanced back outside, and again the sunlight struck his chest aglow. Miia’s nostrils flared as she found herself comparing her doughy belly to his firm chest. She wrapped the blanket tighter.

“It’s still winter,” he said, seemingly confused. “It’s just a bit of a warm spell, probably because how bad Christmas was.”

Oh, God. He thought Christmas was bad! Miia’s tummy fluttered with butterflies, remembering how she’d scarfed down bowl after bowl of ice cream that night. She had made such a pig of herself. Then, she remembered what Darling had been doing to her, how his tongue had graced the taut skin of her stuffed stomach, and her blush became even heavier as the emotions inside began to tumble against one another.

Not knowing what to do, and desperate to take her mind off the scandalous memories, Miia practically pounced on the plate of meat. There wasn’t much left, only about eight sausages, four slices of bacon, and a pair of patties, but she scarfed them down while trying to focus her mind on the here and now. How much did she weigh now? Had Darling noticed?

Of course he’s noticed! He’s the one who is feeding you so much!

Well maybe he wouldn’t be constantly feeding you so much if you weren’t constantly eating everything put in front of your dang face!!

Her eyes squinted toward her husband as he looked out the window, tugs of suspicion spinning her around while she chomped through the plate. Then she gazed down at herself. Even through the thick wool, she swore she could see her curvy outline.

Like shattering glass, a horrifying thought clattered through Miia’s mind. What if he was losing his attraction to her? 

Quickly, she began to examine. When was the last time they’d made love? 

Three days ago? 

Oh, no! Three days, he must be losing interest! 

Miia’s teeth sawed through the final fatty bite of bacon, worry increasing even further. She let the plate sit onto the bed, leaning back to the pillows and lifting the blanket over her mouth.

“Darling…” she paused nervously. 

He turned to her, eyebrow raised. 

She peered over the top, amber eyes searching his face. “Do you… do you think… umm…” She couldn’t manage it, not so brazenly. What was she even trying to ask? 

He came back to the bed, laying a hand on her exposed tail. “What is it, Miia?”

She felt her grip on the blanket loosening. His brown eyes were filled with warmth. Comforting, caring. Miia’s internal monologue seemed to fade before it, and she felt the confidence of their love returning to her. “I love you,” she said, letting the blanket fall past her toothy grin.

Darling chuckled, breathing lightly through his nose. His fingers tightened over her tail. “I love you too.”

He made to get up from the bed, but Miia’s tail slowly spread out, wrapping over his lap. He looked down to it as it ensnared him, while Miia’s eyes looked guiltily towards the side. She shifted on the mattress, deliberately casual. While she knew she had his love, she was trying to figure out if she still possessed his lust. “I was… umm… I don’t know how to ask this…” she admitted.

Darling paused, and he looked cautious. “Err… okay?” he said. “Well, you know you can ask me anything, right?”

Miia bent her head. Her hand fell protectively over her smooth belly, and she tried to muster the self-confidence to ask what he thought of her body.

However, the gluttonous lamia had spent nearly every moment of every day over the last month indulging in languid comfort. Winter made her naturally more lethargic, though having a constantly full belly only reinforced the lazy attitude she’d developed. While trying to build herself up to ask the question, Miia’s mind was also recklessly searching for any out she could snag onto to avoid the conversation.

It found one when she realized she could simply ask someone else for advice. Another girl, a master of romance that would teach her how to ask Darling the question in such a way that he just had to say he loved her pudgy body.

“Do you know where my phone’s at?” she asked.

His face tightened. “You didn’t know how to ask where your phone was?”

Miia shifted again. “H-hey, I haven’t used it since the day after Christmas, and I wanna call Mero.”

His mouth tugged down at the corner, eyebrow rising speculatively. “Alright,” he said, his eyes flicking to the nightstand. “Have you tried checking your dresser?”

Miia turned, saw her pink phone sitting atop of the white stained wood. “Oh…” she said, tucking her chin backwards. “Ahah… yeah.”

Darling sniggered, and she tightened her tail around him in response. He raised his hands placatingly, and she kept from further squeezing, releasing him and reaching over to her phone. He sighed as he hefted himself out of bed. “Alright, I’m gonna head downstairs.”

Miia hummed, “I’m gonna invite Mero over!” she told him.

“Ah, alright,” he said. “I’ll make sure we have something for her for lunch. I think we have some tuna fish.”

Miia’s eyes flicked up from her phone. “Oh, what were you thinking about making?” she asked.

He shrugged. “Dunno. How about…” he tapped his finger against his chin, “a couple grilled ham and cheese sandwiches?”

Miia’s tail waggled excitedly. She loved toasted ham, the memory of the scent trickled up her nose and down into a gurgling tummy. “Are you gonna make the soup too?” she twisted her hips, swaying in a cutesy manner.

He chuckled. “Sure, I’ll make you soup too.”

“Yay,” she said, closing her eyes and flashing a broad grin. “Thank you, Darling!”

He nodded to her before leaving the room. Miia turned back to her phone. She swiped the unlock screen open and fingered through the apps, accessing her contacts to call Mero. She pressed her thumb onto Mero’s name, and the phone began to dial. As it rang, blissful thoughts about the wonderful taste of honey glazed ham filled Miia’s mind until she felt her rounded tummy vibrate in hunger beneath her. 

Her face scrunched up in madness, throwing the blanket clear of her body.

“How the heck are you still hungry?!” she bitterly hissed, smacking the roof of her belly.

******************************************************************************

Mero rang the doorbell to the Kurusu estate. She blew a warm breath into her chilly fingers. The winter air wasn’t all that bad today, but it always had a habit of drying out her wet skin, causing her to feel exceptionally itchy beneath her fine black and white dress. She squirmed for a moment in her wheelchair before the door opened.

“Ah, Mero! Come in,” Master invited, extending a hand to her. She bowed her head before taking it, pushing the electric wheelchair forth and over the threshold of the home. 

“Good afternoon, Darling,” Mero said once she was inside, once more bowing her head. 

Master’s mouth tilted up at the corner, and she felt a sense of reward for her choice of title. 

“Where’s Miia?” she asked.

His eyes tilted up the stairs. “Well, she hasn’t come down yet, but she’s moving around a lot up there.” He looked back to her. “She’s really loud when she’s moving back and forth so much.”

“I see,” Mero said. “Would you mind helping me up?” 

He reached down without hesitation, taking the pink haired mermaid with one arm behind her back and the other beneath her dress, cusping her large flipper. Mero made exclamation of surprise at just how easily he scooped her up and begun to carry her sideways up the stairs.

“Oh, my,” Mero said, compacting her arms to her chest. “You’ve been practicing at this, haven’t you?” she laughed airily.

He shrugged, not showing an inch of straining. “I guess,” he said. “Miia’s fallen asleep on the couch a couple of times after dinner.”

Mero’s eyes sharpened conspiratorially. “That’s all, hmm? Just a couple of times?”

A twinge of pink came to his lips. “W-well… I mean, she likes when I carry her,” he said.

She squeezed his bicep. “I can see why,” she teased.

He rolled his eyes, and she laughed again at his embarrassment. They reached the top floor and Master set her down on the sitting room couch, between the bathroom and the bedroom. They took a moment to look at heaps of clothing that were strewn about between the bathroom and the bedroom, before shrugging at one another. From the bathroom, Mero could hear a soft muttering sound on the other side of the door. 

Master went to it and knocked. “Miia? Mero’s here.”

What sounded like a whispered curse sank through the lowest part of the door. Then, “Okay!” she called back.

“I’ve set her on the couch out here,” he informed. “I’m getting her wheelchair now.”

Again she replied, “Okay!”

He turned to her and tilted his head quizzically. Mero, who’d already begun forming suspicions, averted her eyes. He went down the stairs and retrieved the chair, returning and placing Mero into it. “We’re having grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch,” he informed. “I’ve put tuna with yours. Would you like tomato on it as well?”

Mero cooed. “That sounds lovely, yes please.”

“On it.” He went down the steps, and off to the kitchen. 

Not a moment after he’d vanished from sight, the bathroom door burst open to reveal a heinously clothed, teary eyed, absolutely chubby lamia. She wore a horrible looking green pencil thin skirt that was in no way going to button at the front, and a yellow and black t-shirt that’s icon and wording were so stretched out that Mero could hardly make them out. She felt that the icon was a snake of some sort, though Miia’s breasts and tummy caused it to look more like a sausage, with her pure white skin shining through from beneath.

“Help me,” Miia whined pathetically, tugging the front of her skirt, trying to close it around her belly.

Even more clothing was discarded in piles in the bathroom. Mero closed her eyes and took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then let it loose. “Alright,” she said, wheeling herself in. “Let’s see the damage.”

Miia slithered backward, her fangs nervously exposed over her lower lip as she made way for Mero. She lightly slid the bathroom door to the frame behind the mermaid before clicking the lock with her thumb, all the while tugging down on her shirt and trying to make it stay past her belly.

The bathtub had been filled, and the heater was obviously chugging along as steam rose from the warm water. It made for a pleasant setting for such an obvious disaster. 

Mero turned to Miia and looked her over from crest to tail. Her skin was even paler, not to mention much softer, than she’d been during Christmas. Her red hair glimmered over her pasty white skin, making her look almost like a ghost while she sweated over tugging her shirt down past her naval. She’d put on more than another few pounds, at least another two dozen. She wore no bra, and the tips of her breasts were on open display beneath her shrunken cotton shirt. Her belly, meanwhile, had developed into a fine pouch, as if she’d eaten a melon or two and stored it all in her gut. Her hips, as well, had widened outwards, overflowing her hideous skirt from every angle. Faint pink pudge of her wobbling butt hung out the top of the backside.

Even her tail had seen a fair bit of growth. It was hard to tell with how well the girl accumulated the fat in her upper body, but she was definitely thicker round the length of her scales, and her lower belly seemed to stretch slightly more between each of her ventral plates. Mero rolled forwards, probing a curious finger on her body.

Miia grunted with each poke, her arms flaring out at the sides. “H-hey, oof,” she coughed as Mero sunk her finger into Miia’s doughy belly, “C-cut it out, what are you,” she broke off, Mero cusping a hand around her breast, “d-doing?!”

Mero ignored her, lifting her shirt and tracing her fingers over her belly. “You don’t have any stretchmarks here,” she said analytically. “But,” her fingers left Miia’s stomach, which still held the shirt up high, “it looks like some are showing up… here.”

Miia gasped as Mero fingered a small red mark on Miia’s lower belly, then poked into another. She twisted, looking down at herself, but she had to tuck in her tummy to do so. “Oooh,” she moaned, fingering the spot. Then, she brightened, her thumb working quicker. “Wait, that’s not a stretchmark!” she said brightly. “It’s a-”

She broke off as a thick crack of white skin suddenly appeared through her scales, pushing outward from where her thumb had been. She sunk her finger beneath it and plucked it outward.

“I’m just shedding!” she said excitedly. “That’s what it is!”

Mero looked up into her gleeful face. “Miia, you outgrew your skin.”

Miia blinked. Her delighted relief took its time in fading from her face, casting into wide eyed disbelief. “N-no,” she said. “I only… I mean, I shed… but that’s…”

Mero looked to the floor around them. “Goodness, girl… did you outgrow your entire wardrobe?”

Miia was still gaping down at her cracked skin, peering over her tummy. Her hair had begun to bristle from the steam, and her unfocused eyes were making her appear further unhinged.

“Miia?” Mero asked.

The girl slowly rose up, on her lower belly, raising herself higher. She rose up to about six feet before toppling backwards into the bathtub and vanished into the bubbling water. A warm wave splashed over the edge and onto Mero’s lap. She pinched the bridge of her nose groaning and began to unbutton her dress.

This was going to require a touch of royal refinement.

******************************************************************************

Kimihito made his way up the stairs. In his arms he carried a plate of crackers and cheese that he’d made up for the girls, along with a bottle of wine and a pair of glasses. He figured he’d give them something to snack upon while waiting for lunch to be ready. Not that grilled cheese took long to make, but the soup Miia desired required a bit of time to simmer for the meats to soak properly into the broth.

The quiet emanating from the second floor had him turnabout curiously, wondering where the girls had gone. There was a low hum in the air, recognized as the heater for the bathroom. He quizzically looked at the door. Had Miia waited till Mero was here to take a bath?

Shrugging, he went to the door. His mouth opened to call to them but caught himself when he noticed the tiny crack of the door. A denim blue skirt was peeking through the bottom, keeping it propped. He swept it out of the way with his foot, and the door came open with a puff of steam.

“You’re worrying too much,” he could make out Mero’s voice. “So, what? It’s a couple of pounds.”

“Nothing fits me, Mero!” Miia called back, sounding exasperated. “I-I didn’t even notice till today…” there was a splash of water. Darling had frozen in the entrance. He thought he could just faintly make out the pair through the fog, Mero sitting behind Miia and rubbing her hands over her scarlet scalp.

“How could you not?” Mero asked in reply.

There was a heavy splash, and her gentle voice came away giggling. Then, Miia spoke. “I… I haven’t worn any clothes in, like, a week…”

“What?!”

Kimihito paused, feeling himself turning ever more red. He shouldn’t be hearing this, definitely shouldn’t be standing here listening, but it was turning him on so heavily. Miia had indeed spent the last week laying around in the nude, even though she’d refused to leave the room until he’d blocked every window. She’d been so absolutely languid, and he’d completely relished in the opportunity to spoil her with more and more attention and affection while she ate through their pantry like she was on a mission.

Still, he couldn’t bear the guilty feeling that came from overhearing them, and so he cleared his throat and entered the room.

Miia yelped, followed by some unseen splashing from the tub. He came through the layer of steam and saw the two girls sitting in the bath on the closest edge, now facing him. The girls’ bright hair had colored the suds of bubbles that dripped down from them, and Miia ducked her whole body up to her nose beneath the water.

None of her clothes fit. Kimihito kept replaying that in his head over and over again. Miia had gained so much weight that, not only were her clothes tight, they simply didn’t fit. He’d fed her so much, made her belly softer and rounder and her breasts heavier and jigglier and-

He coughed, trying to steel his blood flow. “I-I made you guys some appetizers,” he gestured with the plate, “and I thought you might like a drink. I remembered that you liked the Merlot, Mero, so…”

He awkwardly futzed, trying not to look at the women. He’d seen each of them nude before, but it was a naturally awkward situation for him. 

Mero cleared her throat, drawing his attention. She was looking at Miia with a grin, poking her beneath the surface. “Thank you very much, Darling. We don’t want to ruin our appetites before lunch, though.”

Kimihito grimaced. None of Miia’s clothes fit. “Oh,” he said, readjusting his grip. “Umm… well, yeah. That... makes sense.” He twisted, feeling a bit dejected.

Miia’s head rose from the bath. “Leave them here,” she ordered.

The others snapped their attention to her.

“Miia,” Mero began.

Miia’s amber eyes glared her to silence. She turned back to Darling, and she gave him a warm grin. “Thank you for thinking of us,” she tilted her head, swaying in the water. Her breasts were exposed just over the top, bubbles clinging to the large slopes. “You’re so sweet.”

Darling was losing his grip. He swallowed, then nodded. “I-it’s nothing,” he said bashfully. “Just… you know, wanted to… aha,” he went to the side of the bath and placed the platter on the lip. Then, he set down the wine glasses and removed the cork. While he poured their glasses, Miia and, more reluctantly, Mero swam over from the side. Miia immediately took one of the cheeses, dabbing it into her mouth with a happy sigh. 

Mero was looking at her through the corner of her eyes, though she took the wine glass with a bow of gratitude. “Thank you,” she said genuinely.

He nodded. “Enjoy the bath,” he said, and then made his way from the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

******************************************************************************

Miia twisted her fingers around her lamia charm bracelet as Mero shoveled through piles of clothing. Both girls were still nude, though now they’d dried off and were looking to get Miia into something rather than exploding out of it.

“You know,” Meroune said with a sigh, “this would be easier if you hadn’t been buying skintight stuff all along.”

Miia frowned into her wine glass, taking a fresh pull. “I wasn’t…” she said, flicking her tail.

Her pink flipper tilted clothing pile over. “Miia,” she huffed. “Honestly, you’ve been wearing exceptionally tight clothing ever since I met you. You’ve always been curvaceous.”

The blood boiled in Miia’s cheeks. She leaned further up upon the counter. “You do know that I met Darling first, right?” she asked heatedly. 

Her pink hair shook rapidly along with her head. “What?” Mero asked. “What do you mean by that?”

Miia shifted, leaning higher on the counter. “Well, I wasn’t exactly the girl you met when I met him…” 

Mero looked confused before her eyes widened. “You mean… you used to be thinner?”

“So what?!” she demanded, flicking her tongue out. “Darling and I have always… well…”

Mero looked down at the scattered clothing. “Goodness,” she said to herself. “I’d never expected… but then,” she shrugged her shoulders, “you two have always both really enjoyed food.”

“Yeah, you’re telling me,” Miia grumbled, looking down to her belly.

Mero snapped her fingers. “Is that what caused you having that incident around when I first moved in?”

The tear in her skin itched, and Miia had to try not to scratch. She rubbed her finger over it gently, knowing it would come in time. “Yeah…”

Mero sighed at the girl’s defeated expression. She couldn’t say she didn’t know what she was getting into by marrying the man, but she really did need to control her appetite. She decided to move the topic along. “How’s cooking going, anyway?” Mero asked.

“It’s good?” Miia sounded confused. She paused, considering the question. “Fantastic, actually…” she took another sip and thought of Darling in the kitchen. How he made cooking look like so much fun, spinning the food inside the dishes while also tending to her. “He’s amazing. You need to try some of his meat.” She could feel her breathing deepen, her nose perking at phantom smells. “He makes such good steak, and the spices he uses on beef… we had tacos a few nights ago,” she laughed, “it was the first time I had tomatoes since living with Cerea.”

Mero hefted herself backwards into her chair. She lifted her black dress from underneath her and removed her bra and lower skirt from it, before placing the other clothing on the tub. Then, she removed a half-filled glass of merlot from the side and began to nurse it. “That sounds lovely,” she intoned, “but my meaning had been on you. Remember how you’d wanted to learn?”

Her amber eyes skated the darkly colored ceiling. “Oh, that…” she tucked her chin into her shoulder, hiding her awkward grin. “I haven’t touched the oven since we got here.”

Mero’s eyes glazed openly at her doughy, pale belly. It jiggled merrily along her verbose movements. “I find that increasingly hard to believe.”

“It’s a tile floor!!” Miia whined, “And it’s the middle of stinkin’ winter!”

Mero tittered through her drink. Miia pouted at her and held the expression while Mero fixed her bra around her chest. The pink mermaid sighed before coming forward in her chair, taking the wine bottle to pour herself another. “You know, it’s still not that bad,” she said, inspecting Miia’s belly.

“Yeah, right,” Miia grunted. Her hand went to her tummy, gripping a handful of soft tissue. “I’m fat.”

The mermaid took her full cup with a shrug. “I’d say you’re chubby, but not fat. Not yet, anyways. You still have an hourglass shape, but if you keep it up…”

“Hourglass?” she asked, scrunching an eyebrow.

Mero nodded, tracing her finger around the curve of her wine. “Have you looked in a mirror? Your chest looks bigger, and so do your hips. Obviously, your stomach is catching up, but it hasn’t yet.”

Miia shifted, looking towards the bathroom mirror. She saw the truth in what Mero said. Her breasts had been large, but now she looked to be a few sizes bigger. Not a full cup, but she needed an upgrade. Her hips, too, seemed accentuated. She felt herself moving back and forth in the mirror, and she put a hand to her hip and smiled. 

She scoffed at her reflection. The pose made her gut stick out, look even bigger. She tried another, tilting her chest outward. That one looked better, allowing her breasts to hang in front of her.

Mero giggled at her side. “Let’s get you into something, first. Then we can work on poses.”

“Right,” she declared. She flopped forward and began to search through her clothes.

Mero pulled up alongside her. “Have you tried working out?”

Amber eyes skated along the clothing, avoiding Mero’s gaze.

“Mhmm,” Mero poked Miia affectionately in the ribs.

“Gluh, quit it. I’m still full from all those crackers,” she muttered.

Mero rolled her eyes. “Yes, believe me, I saw… you could have at least saved me a few more.”

Miia’s blush deepened. “I saved you some…” she said.

“Two out of twenty is merely a fraction,” Mero said flatly. Then, looking around the room, she asked. “Where’s that sweater Rachnera had given you?”

Bewildered, Miia glanced up. Then, her eyes went wide. “Spider silk!” she shouted.

She rushed from the room, with over twenty feet of tail loudly thumping against the doorframe from side to side as it raced to keep up with her excitable top. Mero held her cheek in her webbed hand. “That girl,” she sighed. 

Her fingers danced around her waist, tying the skirt into place before making ready to go after her. Then, the mermaid caught herself pausing, eyes turned upon the bottle of wine. She looked back after Miia. Quick as a flash, Mero raised her drink to her lips and guzzled it down thirstily. Gulp after gulp washed down her throat, before she released a satisfied sigh.

The wine trickled into her cup, bubbling up to midpoint of the glass. Then, feeling the lightness of the bottle, she continued to pour. The line reached to top of her glass. Mero hesitated. There was still some wine left in the bottle.

Her eyes again turned to the door. She could hear Miia bouncing around the other room. Master had been right; she was awfully loud. But the thought caused a lightness in Mero, more acceptance than any judgement. She tilted her neck back and drank directly from the bottle, two mouthfuls of the fruity alcohol sliding down her gullet and into her sloshing tummy. 

“When in Rome,” she said to herself, taking her glass and following Miia out into the hall.