Note: There was this kinkmeme thing I promised to do about a chubby LW and any male, complete with body shame... So I wrote it but I hate hate hate LJ you guys so it's all yours. (you have no idea, forums hate me man) If you're just here for the smut go to Chapter 3 already.
I really just wanted to write a story about Crow (oh, that man is crazy handsome)
Jelly belly Judy just jumped over a jiggling jam jar.
Ha-ha. So very funny. She was almost done with that, wasn't she? She'd lost a lot of weight in the last five months, wandering around the wastes. But she was still Jelly belly Judy, and she was still far too heavy for her own good.
Drew a lot of attention. Wasn't good, in the wastes. Wait, what was that noise? ...Just a stupid mole rat. She put it down with a snap of her bat. Her arms wiggled. Darnit!
Why couldn't she be thin, and pretty, like those other girls? Like―like Christine Kendall. Judy had the same hair color, but she wasn't anywhere near as skinny as her. She'd idolized Christine, followed her around when Amata wasn't annoying her for attention. Christine was so pretty, the boys all wanted her. Why couldn't the boys want Judy?
She trudged on, ignoring her aching thighs. Did these hills ever stop? Wait, where the heck was she? Judy looked at her Pip-Boy. Somewhere close to the Temple of the Union. Oh, good, she could stop and see if Harith was around. Needed ammo, anyway... that was why she had to use the stupid bat and feel her arms jiggling every time she killed something.
She hated being overweight. Not to mention that she could barely find armor to fit her―God, did it ever burn when she had to buy twice as much from merchants. Gary Staley always frickin' eyeballing her like "Do you really need that much food?" and that stupid Moriarty, calling her names behind her back. Gob shouldn't have said anything. It just made her upset.
Judy stopped and poked herself in the chest. Suppose I ought to be grateful I'm not flat chested, she thought. ...Don't think I mind the boobs, honestly, but this stomach flab has got to go. She could see the leather straining at her middle. I guess "lift and separate" doesn't always help. It only drew more attention to her flabby stomach.
Judy made her way through a pile of rubble. Harith wasn't at the Temple. She grumbled to herself. Well, with her luck lately... She groaned when she managed to settle herself onto a pile of asphalt and waited. Couldn't really afford not to wait, she needed that ammo. Her thighs were burning, anyway. Thunder thighs, jelly belly... she growled at herself. Maybe I shouldn't have sat down.
She must have dozed off or lost herself in a daydream. The next thing she remembered was hearing Crow's voice calling out, "Hail, Wanderer!"
Judy jerked upright and cringed. Could have gotten herself killed... She blinked wearily at Crow. "Hey, man," she called back.
"Looking for armor?" he asked, moving closer to her. His pack Brahmin followed, lowing.
"Um, no," she muttered. "Waiting for Harith."
"Ammo, then?" He smiled at her. "I happen to have some, today."
"Why do you have ammo?" she wondered. She eyed up his pack Brahmin. Something was missing... "Hey, wait, where's your guard?"
Crow's smile faded. "As with all things, the spirits have whisked her away." He sighed.
Judy felt bad, now. "I'm sorry," she said. She looked away in embarrassment.
"It happens to us all, my friend. Would you like to see the ammo?"
"Yes, please, you're a lifesaver, Crow!" Judy felt a lot better. If he wasn't that concerned, she didn't feel as bad for not really caring about his guard losing her life. He was right, the wastes were dangerous, death happened. Crow was always really easy-going, though. She should have expected him to be accepting of it.
She bartered with him for a moment, then cast an eye out at the wastes. "Man, I'm not looking forward to hauling myself back home."
"I'm not, either," he said, smiling. "Without my guard..."
Judy turned and pursed her mouth, studying his face. He looked a bit sad, now. "Where you heading?"
"Agatha's, then onto Paradise Falls. The spirits may call on me before I reach my destination." He looked pensive, staring out at the wastes. "Perhaps... an attractive young lady might care to join me?" He shot her a glance coupled with a coy smile.
Judy coughed and flushed. "I know you aren't talking about me!" She blinked and looked down, feeling her face catch fire.
"I fail to see any other ladies around," he said, teasing her. His smile widened.
She grimaced in discomfort. "Alright, fine," she conceded. "But you better not have given me a discount because you can't pay me."
"Dare I say, I am still a businessman." He smiled, easily. "You've invested in my business, that is why you get a discount." Crow's eyes were dark, shaded by his hat. She couldn't tell what he was trying, flirting with her like that. "And I most certainly will pay you to guard me."
"I guess I could come with," she mumbled. "I haven't got anything planned."
"Very good. I'll be taking off in an hour. Shall we talk, until then?"
He sounded like he intended to make more flirty remarks. Judy colored even more. "Um, I'm gonna go see if Hannibal left anything interesting behind." She turned to the Temple.
"I hadn't realized they were gone," he mentioned, off-hand. His smile disappeared.
Judy stopped in mid-stride. "Oh, yeah, I helped them get to the Lincoln Memorial. Hannibal is very happy there," she said.
Crow looked up at the Temple with a thoughtful look. "Too bad the Brahmin can't travel through the Metro," he replied. "I'll have to inform Uncle Roe."
"Aw, heck," Judy slapped her forehead. "I'm sorry, Crow." Crap, she'd taken away his customers.
"What for?" He looked back to her with a smile on his face.
"I lost you business. Shoot. Guess you'd better take away my discount." She kicked the ground, watched the dust fly up. Her legs felt heavy. Darnit, stop thinking about that.
"I'm sure we will come to terms with it," he said, and Judy turned to him with a question on her lips. But he'd already looked away, checking the Brahmin's pack to make sure it was secure. "Might as well go," he said, shooting her a glance. "Would you still like to escort me?"
Judy hung her head. "I owe you," she muttered, and picked up her stupid thunder thighs and walked along after the merchant.
Agatha was in a good mood. She played a few songs for Crow, secured her goods, and shot Judy a glance. The glance held all kinds of questions, so when Agatha scooted back to her house in the rocks, Judy followed her.
"Now, I know you aren't with that man," Agatha began, the minute they got inside the shack.
"What do you mean?" Judy settled herself on the bed and groaned in relief. Stupid Crow's long legs beat her thighs half to death, trying to keep up with him. Heck, she wasn't sure how the darn cow kept up.
"Well," Agatha said, folding her hands together. "I didn't know you were interested. Crow is a wonderful man, always helping me out. It's about time he had a lady friend."
Judy bubbled up with laughter, hearing this sweet old woman talking about something like that. She told her as much, through her hiccuping laughter.
"Now, Judy," Agatha said, sounding reproachful but still smiling. "I was married."
"I'm sorry, it's just, you're like the sweetest thing." Judy wiped her face. A trail of dirt came off her arm and onto her face and left a trail. Crap, she needed a bath something bad.
"Crow is a good man," Agatha said firmly, and Judy wondered how she would know, but honestly, she didn't want to think about Crow's "lady friends" or anything of that line. Just reminded her of her jelly belly and boys who wouldn't even glance at her. ...Though she wouldn't mind a little attention of the sort―
Shush, Judy. Don't encourage the man. Already been flirting with you, and you know it's not going to end well. Judy sighed. She was lonely. But who would want a chubby jelly belly? No one.
"Agatha―"
"You'd better move along," Agatha said, gently. "Don't want your man to leave without you." She had a knowing smile on her face.
"Darnit," Judy swore, crossing her arms over her chest. Of course her big boobs got in the way. Of course.
Crow kept moving. How he had any energy left after all the things they'd had to fight through, she had no idea. Along the way she'd agreed to follow him out to Megaton. Someone there might be able to go along with him, and she'd be at home. It was going to be a long walk. She felt half-dead already.
"So tell me," he said, as they were walking up to Paradise Falls, "how long have you been around the Capital Wasteland?"
"Like five months," she said, shaking a piece of dead bush from her leg.
"No man's scooped you up yet, hmm?"
Judy stopped in mid-jiggle and stared up at him. "What?" she sputtered.
"Curious," he replied, and didn't look back at her. She had to hotfoot it to keep up with him and her legs were shivering by the time he'd reached the Paradise Falls entrance.
"What's so curio―" she started, and looked up at where they were. "Shoot. Uh. Crow?"
"Hmm?" He turned to her, his eyes sweeping down her front.
Judy flushed red. "You know there isn't anyone here, right?"
"Dear me," he said, putting on a sad affect. "I take it Judy strikes again?"
She almost spat out her tongue, trying to defend her actions. "They were slavers, Crow!"
"I am aware," he said, shooting her a calm look. "But the land abides those who can pay." He raised an eyebrow at her. "You've been busy in the last few months."
Judy shrugged. "I'm in it to make money, too."
"Well!" Crow looked at the Brahmin, then at the settlement. "I think that it would be best to stop here, then."
"Stop?" Oh thank you God, Judy thought. "...Why?" she asked, after a moment.
Crow laughed and removed his hat, scratching at his dark hair. "You don't think I spend all day out here, walking around, do you? The spirits may drive my feet to wander, but I do need sleep."
Judy flushed even more. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that, no." She looked away and sighed. "Alright, well, I guess we can look around for somewhere to sleep." From her own recollection, she knew she didn't want to sleep on any of the now-dead slaver's beds. Ugh, filthy bastards. Who knew what bodily fluids were on the mattresses?
Crow led the Brahmin through the gate and settled it near the little cafeteria the slavers had used, looking around. "I've never actually been inside this place," he remarked. "They had a good setup."
Judy kicked the ground. "I guess." She hadn't stopped to look. She'd only shot at the bastards until her gun ran dry. They earned their dirt naps.
"You seem upset," Crow said, softly. "Something on your mind?"
"Uhh..." She grumbled to herself. "Nothing, I'm just grumpy by nature."
"Well." He stretched and hooked his hat on a post. "We're alone and grumpy in a former slaver camp. What to do."
Judy shot him a questioning look. "There's a clinic that isn't too dirty," she recalled. "...Last time I was here I took a couple of bullets through the side, had to go in there." Ugh, and her stupid fat had stopped them. She rolled her eyes at herself.
"Seems to be to your advantage, then," Crow said, as if he knew what she was talking about. He was staring at her chest, his eyes smiling.
Judy's mouth dropped. "What are you―"
He grinned at her, then, a full-out salacious grin. "You can't have misheard me."
"Wha―" she jammed her mouth shut and growled through her nose. Mmmm! Nothing! Don't even answer that―
"Is it so unusual, for a man to take interest in you?" he was asking, and he was getting closer. "You are a fetching young woman."
"Oh, yes it is," she snorted. "And that sounds really... really old-fashioned. 'Fetching'." It agitated her that he was being so forward. She even used air quotes to demonstrate her irritation, putting her hands up in front of her.
"I'm afraid my vocabulary isn't as extensive as people your own age," he said, but he was still smiling. "I do think you are downright gorgeous, Judy."
She colored right to her stubby little toes. What the hell was he―oh, no, no. She wasn't about to let some smooth-talking merchant―shoot, she had to deal with him on a regular basis―and no way in hell did he actually think she was that pretty!
Oh, shut up, Judy. You were just asking why no one thought you were pretty, this morning. Learn to enjoy it, why don't you. ...Why was everything confusing, sometimes?
"Look, Crow, thanks for the compliment, but―" She moved her hands down, toward her hips.
He grabbed up one hand and gave her a small kiss on her knuckles. "You are most welcome."
She was flabbergasted. "What, you think I'm an easy target or something?" she asked. She got defensive; it was all she could think to do―was he some cad thinking she would jump for a free lay, because she was fat? Maybe Agatha's opinion was wrong about him.
"No," he answered, and he didn't let go her hand. "Anyone who is strong enough to take out the slavers of Paradise Falls and help Hannibal Hamlin and his people find a new home, is not an easy target."
She felt her heartbeat pick up. Well, that was certainly true, but... but did he really want to...? With her? Oh god, she'd have to show him her stupid jelly belly. Ugh, no. Just, no.
"Thank you for your estimation of my ability," she said, trying to remove his hand from hers by shaking it. He was... really strong, that was sort of a surprise. "Please let go."
Crow dropped her hand and kept the affable smile he'd always had. "Again, you are welcome. Now, if you are through being bashful, might I suggest we find somewhere to sleep for the night?"
"Bashful!" Judy huffed.
"You heard me," he said, striding off with those darn long legs of his.
Heck... he was a weird one. Judy wasn't sure what to feel about the merchant. A little angry―she still wasn't sure about his intentions. A little creeped out, because who the heck hit on someone like that, in the wastes? Like... like a gentleman. She was very surprised, no one had bothered to hit on her in a long time except the guys who were flat-out desperate.
She had never―never even had sex, before. She wanted that to be special. Not some whang-bang-thank-you-ma'am sex like a whore would give.
But... Crow was different. He was handsome. And strong, oh God, she had always wanted a strong man to grab ahold of―darnit, Judy, stop daydreaming! She shook her head to rid herself of the thought.
He'd be just as grossed out by herself as she was, when it came down to it. She sighed to herself, and picked up her heavy legs to go after him.