Chapter 9

Fizz normally never worried about his clothes fitting right or fitting a bit loose on him. Most of his clothes from when he had worked with Mammon were skin tight, so his figure was always slender.

But when he went to put on his normal outfit this morning, he noticed it seemed to fit a bit more snug than usual. He placed a hand on his stomach and his eyes widened at realizing he had gained weight. Panic immediately set in as he raced for the bathroom, stepping onto the scale.

Sure enough, he had gained a couple pounds.

Fizz began to panic more, fear filling him as he remembered how much Mammon had hammered into him that he had to be a certain weight and could not gain any weight because he had to look good for the cameras and the robots were already expensive to adjust, something that would often tick off the greedy spider.

Fizz looked at himself in the mirror, his eyes full of fear. Though he wasn't working for Mammon anymore, he could still hear him getting on him about his weight.

Looking around the bedroom and seeing Ozzy wasn't there at the moment, Fizz quickly put on a baggy hoodie and some comfortable pants, placing on his jester cap last. He instantly began to feel better as the softness of the hoodie helped him calm down and he headed out of the bedroom, not seeing Ozzy or Oliver, but then remembering the young one had a doctor's appointment that day and Ozzy had taken him to the doctor so that Fizz could sleep in since he had done a show at the club the night prior.

He headed out of the palace, glancing around to see the guards that Ozzy had around the palace standing at their posts, taking their jobs seriously. Some were obvious while some were more subtle. Fizz appreciated that they gave him space, but were watching just in case.

He headed down the street, his stomach growling a bit, but he bit his lip, feeling scared all over again. Suddenly, four arms scooped him up and he yelped in surprise. "Aaah!" He cried out.

"Whoa! Easy, hon!" A sweet voice spoke up and he turned his head to see it was Bee. Relief filled him instantly and he sagged in her arms. "Oh, hon, are you okay? I didn't mean to scare you that badly."

Bee looked at the jester with a worried expression, but he plastered a smile on his face. "I'm okay, Bee," he said. "And it's okay. I was just deep in thought."

His stomach growled again and she smiled. "So deep in thought that you didn't hear your stomach growling?" She asked gently before she began walking. "Come on. Let's get some breakfast. My treat."

Fizz opened his mouth to decline, but felt a hand gently cover his mouth. "Nope, nope! No declining," she said sweetly before noticing his expression and she paused a moment. "Fizz? Are you okay, hon?" She asked, her face looking worried again.

He wrapped his tail around his legs and she looked at him sympathetically. "Alright, I know that face," she said before going into a clothing store nearby. The workers didn't stop her as Bee went into a dressing room with the jester and she noticed that it was sectioned off and soundproof, so it was completely private. "Okay, this will do," she said before gently setting Fizz down and kneeling down so that she was at his height. "Fizz, talk to me," she pleaded. "I know that look. I've seen Tex make it a few times when he was worried about something or scared I'd be mad at him."

The jester looked up at her. "I...," he tried to begin, but his stomach growled again, making him wrap his arms around it as if to quiet it.

Bee had a sinking feeling she knew why he was acting that way. "Fizz," she said gently. "Are you feeling unwell? Have you been sick lately?"

She placed a hand on his forehead to check for a fever and Fizz let her, knowing she wouldn't hurt him. "No," he said. "I'm alright."

But she shook her head. "No, you're not alright," she said, her tone still gentle but also brooking no argument. "Fizz, are you afraid you might eat something that doesn't agree with you?"

The jester immediately saw what she was doing and he appreciated that she was trying to delicately ask what was wrong. He looked up at her and she looked back at him with a knowing look. "Is Mammon bugging you again?" She now asked.

"No," he said truthfully, looking away.

"But?" She prompted gently.

He looked at her, starting to tremble, to which she hugged him. "Hon, what's got you so scared?" She asked, rubbing his back. "Tell big sister what's wrong and I'll give those fears the scare of a lifetime."

Fizz chuckled at that, though he appreciated that Bee thought so highly of him. He snuggled into the hug, starting to feel better. After a bit, he took a deep breath and looked at her. "It's...It's hard to talk about this," he admitted.

"I've got nowhere to be," she said, smiling gently.

He swallowed hard and lifted up the bottom part of his hoodie, revealing his stomach. "Bee...do I...am I...?" He trailed off and she waited patiently for him to continue. He took another deep breath. "I'm gaining weight," he said.

Bee blinked. "Where?" She asked, not seeing it herself, though she was looking at his stomach.

"You don't see it?" He asked her, his face looking worried.

Oh, now she was beginning to understand what was bugging him and it made her so angry that Mammon had made the funny jester so self conscious of his weight. "Fizz, is it okay if I touch your stomach?" She asked gently.

He nodded and she placed a hand on it gently, noticing that her hand could wrap halfway around his waist. This made her angrier at Mammon and she took a deep breath before smiling at Fizz. "You know what I see?" She asked, a mischievous idea coming to her.

"What?" He asked.

She grinned and suddenly pinned him down, making him yelp. "I see a tummy just begging for tickles and lucky for you, I'm a good tickler," she said, her lower two hands tickling the jester's stomach and belly button.

Fizz shrieked with laughter as she did that. "AHAHAHAHAAHAHA! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" He laughed out.

"Oh, yes," she giggled. "Here come the raspberries."

The jester squealed as he felt Bee blow multiple raspberries into his stomach, a few landing right on his belly button, making him squirm before Bee continued tickling his stomach with one hand and tickling his ribs with the other hand, making him laugh again before she blew raspberries into his neck, making him squeak.

She giggled as she watched him laughing from the tickle torture. "Yup, this is just what you needed," she said before letting him up. "And it's my job as your big sister to cheer you up when you need it."

Fizz flopped tiredly on the floor after Bee had stopped tickling him, chuckling a bit as he looked up to see her wiggle her fingers at him and he quickly pulled his hoodie down over his stomach to protect it, making her laugh before she scooped him up in her arms.

"Now, how about that breakfast?" She asked. "I'll get your favorite."

He smiled at her and she hugged him. "Fizz, don't let Mammon's nagging get to you," she said. "You don't work for him anymore and I know Ozzy would rather you gain some weight and look healthy rather than be so thin that we're worried you might get ill."

Tears came to his eyes at her kind words and he hugged her back, crying into her shoulder, to which she let him, rubbing his back gently. "I'm not saying that to be mean, hon, but because I care and I know Ozzy cares too," she soothed him.

He sniffled, looking up at her. "Thank you, Bee," he said, not flinching as she gently wiped away his tears with a hankerchief.

"Come on," she said, smiling. "Can I see my favorite brother smile?"

He chuckled and smiled. "There we go," she said with a nod before heading out of the dressing room. She paused as she saw a cute hoodie that would fit Fizz just right and she smiled as she bought it, giving it to the smaller being. "Go put that on and we'll head out," she said, gently nudging him to the changing rooms.

Fizz didn't hesitate when he saw the hoodie was in Ozzy's colors and he quickly put it on, folding the other one up carefully. He looked at it and sighed, wondering what to do with it. An idea sparked into his mind and he quickly waved down a worker, asking her for a few items. She was surprised, but gave him what he asked for and he paid her handsomely, even though she at first tried to refuse the payment. He insisted though and she accepted in the end, surprised by the amount.

Fizz worked fast and before long, the hoodie he had worn this morning was altered to have four sleeves instead of two and he stepped out in his new hoodie, carrying the altered hoodie in his hands, having folded it carefully.

Bee squealed when she saw him wearing the new hoodie. "You look so cute!" She said with a smile.

He smiled back and then looked at her. "Bee, I was wondering what to do with the other hoodie and...I want you to have it," he said, handing it to her. "It's clean and I altered it a little."

She accepted it, gasping when she saw it had four sleeves. She quickly slid it on and it fit her perfectly. "It's perfect!" She said before scooping up Fizz and spinning around, making him laugh as he held on. "We're hoodie buddies!" Bee squealed, making the workers all smile too.

The two soon headed out and Bee took him to a nearby restaurant, the waitress leading them to a private table behind closed doors and to Fizz's surprise, Ozzy and Oliver were there too. "Oh, good, you both made it," Bee said, smiling as she set Fizz down and the jester went over to the rooster, who scooped him up and hugged him.

Oliver waved happily to Bee, who scooped him up and spun him around. "There's my favorite nephew!" She said, making him giggle and she gasped. "You can laugh now!" She said happily, spinning him around more.

Fizz chuckled before looking up at the rooster being. "How'd the doctor appointment go?" He asked.

"It went well. Our little Oliver is healthy as a bull," Ozzy said, smiling. "I got a text from Bee moments ago and she asked me to bring Oliver here and that you two would be on your way."

The jester looked away for a moment as his earlier insecurity came back. "Did...Did she tell you what happened?" He asked quietly.

"She mentioned that an old fear of yours had surfaced and she was helping you to face that fear," the larger being said before smiling gently. "And I'm pretty sure I know what that fear was."

"You do?" Fizz asked in surprise.

"You think I didn't notice you not eating as much lately?" Ozzy asked gently. "Even Oliver noticed and was worried about his papa."

The jester now felt guilty that he had worried his son. "I'm...I'm sorry, Ozzy," he said.

"Hey now," the rooster said, scooping him up. "I'm not mad, Froggie. I'm actually glad you talked to Bee about this. I know Mammon's demands of you being thin wasn't right, but I wasn't sure how to broach the subject to you since I didn't want you to think I was making fun of you."

Fizz smiled appreciatively at him. "I know you wouldn't, Ozzy," he said. "I just...it can be hard to...forget that I don't have to follow Mammon's orders anymore."

"I know, Froggie," Ozzy said gently, one gloved hand gently cupping the right side of Fizz's face and a gloved thumb gently rubbed his cheek, making the jester close his eyes and lean into the touch. "I want you to get to a healthy weight, okay? Can you do that for me, Fizzyfrog?"

The smaller being smiled and nodded. "For you, big guy," he said.

Bee returned with Oliver and set the boy down in a chair before sitting down in a free chair herself. "Alright, let's get ordering. I'm starving and I can hear a few growling stomachs," she said.

Ozzy and Fizz laughed heartily and Oliver giggled before the doors opened and the waiters and waitresses brought out a massive breakfast buffet, making Fizz's eyes widen. "A whole buffet?" He asked in surprise.

"A whole private buffet," Bee said with a grin. "Eat as much as you guys want and I mean as much as you all want."

She winked at Fizz when she said that and he smiled gratefully before they all dug into the delicious food, Fizz's earlier insecurity vanishing with each bite.

This idea just hit me while I was at work the other day and I was like 'Yeah, this one would make a good chapter. :)'

Please leave a review, but no flames!

GoldGuardian2418