CW: diarrhea, tummy aches, gas, minor body image issues, belly rubs
Imagine somebody who’s very shy about his body. He’s shy about being thicc, mainly - his chubby belly, soft thighs, and fleshy arms all make him try to avoid taking off his shirt.
One weekend, he gets… sick. He wakes up in the morning feeling a little urgent, so he goes to the bathroom. It starts out normal, but his tummy still feels unsettled, so he rubs it a little and waits. When he finally manages to let it out, it’s mushy and loose, and he grimaces as it burns. Maybe it’s just the spicy food from yesterday, he thinks, and cleans up.
He and his boyfriend make breakfast, and he eats that without a problem. But a couple hours later, he’s feeling kind of sick again. His lower belly is feeling bloated and full, and there’s a gurgling in his gut he doesn’t like. He shifts uncomfortably, letting out a loud fart.
Good thing his boyfriend doesn’t laugh. He just smiles at him over the top of his book as he excuses himself hurriedly, and doesn’t comment when he puts down his own book and gets up to go to the bathroom a little while later. Nothing much comes out - it’s just a whole load of gas at first. He groans a little, feeling unsatisfied, and wipes himself just in case.
“Feeling better?” his boyfriend asks.
“I’m okay,” he replies, a little embarrassed. He tries to keep from rubbing his belly, which still feels bloated. He doesn’t want to draw attention to himself, since he knows his boyfriend will try to comfort him, and he really doesn’t feel good about having his chubby stomach touched.
He doesn’t really want to eat lunch, not really, but since there’s food that’s been prepared… He gives in and sits down at the table, forcing down his portion. The trouble is that his tummy is all kinds of messed up today, so his stomach is aching and overstuffed while his guts are grumbling and hurting, too. He barely manages to get everything down, stifling an uncomfortable burp.
The jig is up when his boyfriend suggests that they go out for a walk in the afternoon, after lunch. He winces and puts both hands on his belly, cradling his rioting abdomen. It’s clear enough to his boyfriend that he’s not feeling well, so he suggests that they sit on the sofa instead and watch TV. Bit by bit, his boyfriend inches his hand over until it’s resting on his tummy, and he jerks away abruptly.
“What’s wrong?” his boyfriend asks gently.
“I - I don’t want to be touched there,” he stammers, grabbing a cushion and hugging it to hide himself.
“Alright. But you seem to be in some discomfort, and I want to know what’s wrong,” his boyfriend persists.
“Oh… I’m so stuffed from lunch, and I think my gut is a little upset,” he admits, looking away. “I just… I just need to digest.” He covers his mouth again as he lets out another tight belch.
“Okay. Come here, okay? I promise I won’t touch your cute little belly,” his boyfriend coaxes, and he moves over reluctantly, still hugging the cushion. His boyfriend puts an arm around his shoulder and encourages him to lie down on the cushion he’s laid out on his lap. Gently, he starts massaging his scalp until he relaxes a little. His stuffed stomach unknots itself, becoming merely full instead of an angry ball of tension, and he even dozes off for a few brief moments.
He’s awoken by a loud, booming fart that erupted without his permission. His traitorous guts had continued digesting and producing gas, and now he groans, feeling how stretched his tummy is. This really sucks. “Sorry. Excuse me,” he apologises miserably.
“That’s okay. Is your stomach still feeling upset?” his boyfriend asks, keeping his tone casual as he continues to pet his hair. He screws up his face and palms his own belly, letting out a pained breath. Something gurgles inside him, and he’s forced to let out more gas abruptly.
“Sorry again. I… I guess I’m not feeling so good,” he explains, trying to sit up.
“No, it’s okay. I just want to help you, baby,” his boyfriend soothes, moving closer to hold him from behind. “Since your tummy is still hurting, will you let me give you a belly rub?”
He bites his lip, torn. On one hand, he really wants to be comforted. His tummy is feeling pretty awful - his intestines are bubbling and distending with gas at least, and he doesn’t know if he’ll have diarrhea again. But his belly… he doesn’t want his boyfriend to see how he looks, especially now that he knows he’s bloated.
“Just keep the cushion over, okay? I won’t see anything,” his boyfriend suggests, and he finally nods. As his hand descends on his tummy, though, he can’t help but tense up, jerking a tiny bit. His heart speeds up, and his breathing speeds up too, until his breath comes in short, shallow pants.
“Relax, baby,” his boyfriend murmurs, his heart breaking a little at how skittish he is. “Just breathe with me, okay?” He exaggerates his own breathing, taking long deep breaths in and out until he finally manages to calm down. Only then does he begin rubbing his upset tummy, his palm sweeping in slow circles around his whole belly.
It helps - it really does. Over the next ten minutes, he releases quite a bit of gas, even relaxing enough to admit that his lower belly is hurting now. His boyfriend switches his attention to his lower tummy, slipping just his long fingers under his T-shirt to knead his lower gut without saying a word about how he finds his belly cute. A cacophony of gurgles result from the kneading, and he groans a little at how his tummy is cramping up.
“I think I gotta go,” he moans quietly, and his boyfriend lets go of him. Getting up, he locks himself in the bathroom and shudders as he expels more loose slop, hugging his belly tightly as he whimpers and winces through the cramps. When he finally finishes up, there’s a sheen of sweat on his forehead already, and he just rests for a moment before he cleans up.
“Feeling better now, baby?” his boyfriend asks when he stumbles out.
“A little,” he mumbles, a hand still on his own tummy, which is no longer as bloated, but still sore.
“Here. Drink some water before you lie back down.” He picks up the mug gratefully, getting down half of it before he leans back in his previous position. He reaches for the cushion again, but this time, he doesn’t flinch when his boyfriend’s hand reaches under his T-shirt to rub his tummy.