Chapter Text
3 weeks later the mysterious sickness that had had Aiden in a chokehold had subsided, making for a much happier Aiden. His mood had been all over the place, but lately he had been overall content.
There was just one problem that seemed to persist: His bladder had shrunk considerably, had been that way for… Well, for a couple of weeks. Maybe even more. He hadn’t really noticed when he was starting to need to pee more, but it had been that way for a while, actually…
“Aiden? Is everything alright? You’re tripping on your feet.”
The young man was brought out of his trance by the concerned voice to his side, and when he looked towards it, he saw two big, brown eyes belonging to Lady Edith staring at him.
“Ah, no, it’s fine.” He lied, trying to distract the girl by changing the subject. “Is it just me or is it getting hotter these days?”
This made Edith smile a little and look down on the path in front of her, only nodding as a reply.
The two ‘lovebirds’ had been told to go for a walk in the late April weather, and Aiden was feeling like someone had put him in an oven for him to cook; it was that warm. He was also feeling terribly bloated, looking like he had been eating way more than he actually had.
And the worst part about it? The bloatedness just wouldn’t go away.
Aiden had had to order the tailor to sew some new clothes, because his old suits were getting a little too tight around his middle. They were actually also getting a little too tight around his chest, too… And hips.
But it was okay. Aiden wasn’t eating that much, after all, and soon the bloatedness would go away, making the old suits fit once more.
Or at least he hoped so.
However, the need to pee would not disappear so easily. Aiden would have to excuse himself soon, unless he wanted to make a fool of himself in front of his financée.
“Lady Edith, I-”
“Oh, look at the roses! Aren’t they just beautiful?” Lady Edith said enthusiastically, going directly for a patch of white roses that were blooming beautifully. She bent down to take a whiff of them, her long, brown hair falling down and framing her face. It looked kind of beautiful… If Aiden had been attracted to her.
He wasn’t attracted to her in the slightest, but in the late afternoon sun, she looked prettier than he had ever seen her.
And apparently Aiden was the same, because suddenly Lady Edith was blushing while looking at him.
“What?” Aiden asked, looking a little annoyed.
“It’s just… You’re glowing.” Lady Edith replied shyly.
“Glowing…? What do you mean?”
“Your hair looks so full and strong, your complexion is more clear than most girls… Have you changed your nighttime routine?”
Confused as all hell, Aiden blinked at Lady Edith, trying to make sense of her foreign words. “Uh, no? I’m the same as I’ve always been.”
Lady Edith came closer, blush adorning her cheeks underneath her round glasses. “You’ve changed, Mr. Fairflax. I see it every time I visit you, how you’ve stopped going to brawls at the bar, how you’ve cut down on your alcohol intake at parties… It suits you.”
Now she came very close, so close Aiden could feel her slightly ragged breath on his cheek. She was nervous. “There are also the bodily changes…”
She whispered in his ear, something that could have been mistaken for a kiss if looked at from the right angle. “You really do look better with some meat on you…”
Edith didn’t touch him, but she might as well have done it. He quickly pulled back, looking offended by her words that cut deep. “Y-You’re being preposterous! I’m the same as I’ve always been!”
And with that, Aiden stormed out of the garden, incredibly offended and hurt by Lady Edith’s words. How dare she!
He might have been putting on a little bit of weight, but that was just because he hadn’t been feeling well for a long time! And now that he was better, maybe he had overindulged a little… But he was still very much the same!
By the time Aiden had come back to the mansion, leaving Lady Edith behind in the garden, he quickly entered the bathroom and did his business. The relief was instantaneous, making Aiden wonder if this was just another moment of the moodiness that always seemed to disappear as suddenly as it came.
But as he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he saw that Lady Edith had been right. His hair was fuller, his skin looked crystal clear, and…
Looking down on his bloated middle, he realised that it was bigger than it used to be. And as he put a hand on it, it also felt quite firm.
Maybe Lady Edith was right. Maybe he had changed… But not for the better.
Sighing in defeat, Aiden let the hand fall away. He’d have to change the other way soon, or else he’d never be able to redeem himself.
He definitely didn’t want to be the kind of guy that Edith liked. He’d rather want to avoid her as much as he could, even if she was his fiancée. If he lost some weight, maybe she wouldn’t find him attractive…?
It was worth a try.
Giving himself a mental pat on the back, Aiden felt his resolve get stronger, and he knew he could do this.
He just had to stop gaining weight.
Easy.