Even if Alfred was confident, there was one thing that he was insecure about, his weight. No matter what, all he saw about it was that it was disgusting, his love handles, his chest, and his hideous thunder thighs. All of it, he hated. He really wants to be with _, she was perfect. She had the best smile ever, was always cheerful and could make anyone laugh.
But, what would _ think if she saw him without a shirt, would she be disgusted like he is? He hasn't been eating as much as he wanted to because he wanted to have a better body for _. But, then he would randomly binge. He just loved fast food.
Anyway, he threw a pebble at the window of the house. A small light turned on and the love of his life opened the window, she grinned with her brilliant teeth showing, she waved and so did he.
_ always loved these midnight adventures, the rush that she always had when the street lights would come into vision for a second and disappear as if they were a part of her imagination, nothing could match the feeling.
She put her bra on under her shirt and a pair of uggs and came down the steps feeling the butterflies in her stomach like she always does with him. She opened the door and was greeted by her friend.
_ said "Ready to go!"
Alfred grinned from ear to ear and said "Let's go!" And they ran to the pick up truck.
She said "I touched it first!"
"Nu-uh, I did!"
"No, it was like five milliseconds!"
"Your just a sore loser _!"
They laughed and got into the car, he turned on the ignition and backed up out of the driveway and off they went to their favorite restaurant.
They got what they wanted in the drive through of McDonalds and ate, he got ten big macs as usual and she had fries with a milkshake. He looked at his burger and sighed, should he even eat the second one?
"Hey Al, what's up?" She asked him, her hand waving in front of his face.
He blinked and looked at her, he smiled "Aw nothing dude, just stuff on my mind."
"Al," She said "You always talk, not that it's a bad thing, but you've only spoken like ten words the whole night. What's up?"
What should he say? He doesn't want _ to know, but, she won't buy the whole I-have-a-lot-on-my-mind thing. He went for his gut instinct.
"Uh, I don't wanna talk about it."
"Why not? You can talk to me about anything, you know me. Even when Elizabeta was pregnant, I even pitched in at her baby shower! Please tell me?" She asked with those big (e/c) eyes that Alfred always caved immediately afterward.
He sighed and put the burger down and looked at his lap, he hated his thighs but they were well hidden in his pajama pants. He said "Okay." More to himself before he showed his stomach.
How is that a problem? _ stuttered "Uhm, I uh. . ." She was thinking to herself 'did it get ten degrees hotter in the car?' She loved every inch of it, she already had a crush on him, but she always loved guys with more fluff as she called it. She guessed he was insecure by it.
But, _ knew what she could do to have him show that smile again, she smiled and said "Come on out with me, I need to show you something."
Alfred was surprised by it, but did as he was told. When he stood next to her, she pointed upward and said "Look at the stars, aren't they awesome?"
He though 'you are more awesome than all of the stars in the sky.' But, he just said "Yeah."
"Our sun alone is about 92,960,000 miles wide. The other ones are even bigger though." She said with her head still upward.
"Wow,"
"Yeah, wow." She paused "Your more awesome than a star and can make me smile more than a ball of fire." She looked at him and smiled. She said, in a not very serious tone "Embrace the fire within!"
He laughed from the random outburst. She took his hand and squeezed it gently, "Seriously though, you should eat whatever you want. It's a lot better than starving yourself."
He smiled, he said "Thanks." He was honestly surprised that _ didn't mind and wasn't repulsed or anything. So, all he had to do was ask. It was simple right?
"Let's get in the car, I think the food's getting cold." She had let go of his hand and they went into the car.
They sat down and he turned on the radio on a low two. He is he going to say it? Just put it out there or what? He had no idea now.
_ bit her lip and glanced at his belly before her eyes snapped back forward. She just saw that a few minutes ago and she couldn't get that out of her head, his swollen tummy made him even more attractive.
They said at the same time "There's something I have to tell you!" They laughed and said "Jinx!"
She said "You first!"
He laughed a little awkwardly, he chickened out instead and said "Uh, it looked like you were shivering."
"I was?" She blinked.
He said "Uh . . . Yeah! Um, want my jacket or something?"
_ blushed, but chirped "Sure!" He gave her his bomber jacket and she practically buried herself in it. It made his confidence down because of how small she was for his jacket, even though she looked really cute, still, it made him realize how big he was.
_ wanted to be in this jacket forever, it was so warm and it smelled of axe and burgers. She guessed it would be the closest thing she would get.
Despite his past mood, he said "So, what were you going to say?"
Her head turned "Oh," She said and laughed a little "Um, I was wondering. . . uh, do you, uh. . . . wannagooutwithme?"
"What?" Alfred asked her. _ wants to go out with him? But isn't he fat, disgusting and unattractive? People even made fun of him and she still wants to go out with him? He remembered that she had fifty valentines cards, the least last year! And she still wants to go out with him? All of these memories flashing through his head, and she was asking him out?
"Uh, n-nevermind!" She laughed awkwardly. She whispered to herself "Why am I so awkward?"
"No! Uh, I mean, I just don't believe it."
"What don't you believe?" She asked him.
"That someone as perfect as you wants to go out with me." He said and rubbed the back of neck, giving her a full view of his slightly chubby arm.
_ gulped, but got out of her thoughts. She said "Al, your the one who's perfect. I love you every way, from your fluffy belly-" And poked his stomach "To your carefree heart."
She threw her arms around him, she said "I never want you to change." He hugged her back, she said to him "I love you."
"I love you too."
_ broke the hug and said "I wanna cuddle with you."
He smiled and she got out of the car to his side and sat in his lap, she shifted a little and sighed in content "There, that's much better."
Al smiled, he couldn't be happier than this moment. He's with his love of his life and she's sitting in his lap! No, he was wrong, it could get better! She tilted her head upward and kissed him on the cheek, it left his cheeks hot to the touch. He put his arms around her when she sat back in his lap and she sighed in content.
She asked "Hey Al?" And then yawned.
"Yeah?"
"Have you ever wondered if the stars get insecure like us? Like maybe the stars that don't shine as bright as the rest."
He laughed at the thought "Maybe." She sipped her milkshake and offered him some, he took a sip and put it back.
. . .
"_! What did you do to the scale in the bathroom?" Arthur, Alfred's brother almost shouted from the other side of the house. Alfred was off to buy something while _ was in his house just lounging around.
She walked to him with a big grin, "Oh it's for Alfie."
"Alfred?"
"Yeah," She said as she smiled at it "It's a confidence booster. See," She put her foot on it and a word showed up 'Fabulous,' she put her foot off of it and it didn't show anything. "It shows that weight doesn't matter to me and it shouldn't matter to him either. And what does matter is what's on the inside."
"Clever thinking." He commented "But what am I supposed to do when I don't know my weight?"
"Guess." She said as she smiled at his confused look. "Besides you've always been called stringbean your whole life. You can at least eat something more than those scones of yours. Anyway, I can't wait to see his face when he sees it!"
"They're actually pretty god for one-"
"Yeah, you know they are good when someone barfs just because of them." _ muttered under her breathe.
"Second, think it's a great idea. He's been feeling kinda bad lately anyway."
"Or really?" _ asked. "Why's that?"
"I shouldn't really say." He said.
"Really, you dropped something like that and are planning not to tell me?" She said doubtfully.
"Okay fine, but I shouldn't even be saying this so-" Arthur was interrupted by her.
"Yeah, I know. Don't tell him."
"Okay good. . . He actually hasn't been eating much, but he binges almost every week."
_ was stunned, how could her Alfie torture himself like that? She asked "What? Why has he been doing this?"
"I don't know, but he was muttering to himself about you being disappointed in him or something. But, last night he just ate the whole cookie jar without a care in the world." He said with confusion at first, then nonchalantly at the second sentence.
She didn't know if she should be a little angry at Alfred for thinking that or happy that he ate the whole cookie jar happily. But, she thought about her present in the bathroom and then she smiled. She said "Well, I don't think it'll happen again."
"Sorry for being the bearer of bad news dear."
"It's fine, I needed to know. After all, I am his girlfriend, I should know these things. . . Still, now I'm even more excited to see his face when he steps onto the scale!"
"You're his girlfriend?" _ nodded with a bright smile.
He muttered "Finally." She smiled at that.
. . .
During the night, after Alfred ate, he wanted to see how much he weighed. He stepped onto the scale and closed his eyes, he opened them to find the needle to point to 'lovely.'
"Huh?" Why was there a word instead of a number? He shouted through the house "Iggy, what happened to the scale?"
"Stop calling me that! I didn't do anything to it." He screamed and went back to his newspaper.
"Then who did?"
Arthur went by the bathroom door and said "Oh, it was _."
"_? Why would she-" But then he remembered what she said two nights ago. He smiled, he said to himself "Thank you _."