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It was about a week into the Spudsy's adventure, and everyone except for Gangle seemed to be getting bored out of their skulls. Jax was no exception. Not even being able to return to the circus and instead just ending up in a dingy apartment every night was uncomfortably close to reality in a way he did not appreciate. Not to mention that everything here just generally felt so real. He got tired, he got thirsty, he got hungry. He knew he wouldn't die if he didn't fulfill those desires, but they existed nonetheless. The latter in particular was becoming a massive inconvenience.
Out of rebellion or maybe just dread, Jax had begun pushing the time he left the apartment further and further out each day. Lying in bed at least gave him the feeling that his lack of doing anything was his own choice. It came to a head when he stayed so late that he barely had time to slide on his overalls and jog out the door before he'd be late. Obviously, he had zero regard for actual lateness, but he wasn't going to risk getting punished again. That was how he ended up flipping burgers at 11 in the morning, his stomach already complaining at the fact that he'd skipped breakfast. Screw realism.
The lunch rush was already in full swing, so there was no time to take a break. Jax continued to mindlessly slap patties onto the grill, trying to ignore how even the now-sickening grease smell radiating from them made his belly rumble and clench around nothing. A particularly loud gurgle made Zooble look up from the other grill, their eyebrows raising.
"Try me," Jax growled. He stared at the bubbling edges of the burger on the grill, swallowing back stubborn rushes of saliva. Even though he was stationed in one area for most of the day, it was still grueling work that required some kind of fuel. He used his free hand to absently prod at his stomach in the hopes that it would calm itself somehow. If the grumbles from it were getting loud enough to be heard over the children having a death match out front, it needed to shut up. The pressure only caused it to squelch, and he swallowed back an uncomfortable bubble of empty air.
"How's everyone doing?" Gangle's sugary-sweet voice called out as she spun between the assembly stations. She was the only one of them who still seemed to be having fun, although Jax suspected otherwise. He'd seen her curled up against the back stoop after work on several nights, her face buried in her knees. It wasn't his problem, so he ignored it. Whether or not it was his problem didn't affect how much the image popped into his mind, though. Unfortunately.
"We're good." Zooble gestured blandly with their spatula hand. Gangle made a grating squeak of happiness.
"That's just what we love to hear!" She patted them on the back, chasing them to almost fall into the hot grill. Turning to Jax, she batted her eyes innocently. "And how are you, Jaxy-waxy?"
"Quit calling me that. It's gotta be an HR violation. You know I'm fine." Jax rolled his eyes.
"Aww, come on! Nobody likes a Debbie Downer!" Gangle crossed her arms. "I'd like to see that frown turn upside down, mister."
"Ugh." Exhaling a sharp huff, Jax ignored her. He was in too crappy of a mood to deal with all this. He'd rather she strap him to a chair and force him to watch things he'd forget afterwards than smile like an idiot.
Gangle approached, more than a little menacingly, before a loud noise interrupted them both. It was Jax's belly, releasing a roar that sounded more like a glacier shifting into place than a tame little tummy rumble. His cheeks heated up, and he braced himself for her reaction.
"Huh? Was that you?" Gangle's voice briefly sounded a little more like herself. Jax grimaced.
"None of your business."
"But it is! You are my employee, after all! Here at Spudsy's, employee safety and well-being are our highest priority." Gangle folded her hands primly.
Jax rolled his eyes again. "Pomni got locked in the freezer literally yesterday." He flipped one of the burgers, trying not to make eye contact with Gangle.
"All the more reason to put in the extra work today...! It's time for your break." Gangle grabbed his arm, yanking him away from the stove. "You'll be able to keep up on your own, won't you, Zooble?"
"Eh?" Zooble had been examining the rows of stupid sauce that sat on a nearby shelf. They made a noncommittal sound. "'Kay."
"Wonderful! Come along, Jax." Tugging with surprising strength, Gangle led Jax away from the kitchen and into her manager office. He was deeply skeptical about what he was getting himself into, but he'd learned to stop disobeying direct orders. Grumbling, he obediently followed.
Gangle's office was small and quiet compared to the rest of the kitchen area. There was a small sofa, a coffee table, and a desk with a computer on it. There weren't any decorations aside from a drawing on a sticky note of a cat hanging from a tree branch with the words 'hang in there!' printed in the handwriting Jax recognized as Gangle's own. He wanted to make fun of her for having such a sad-looking area, but his stomach cramped and churned around the useless gases inside of itself like a washing machine. His throat tightened, and he pressed his knuckles to his lips.
"Are you alright?" Gangle ushered him to the couch and fussed over him. Jax swatted away her ribbons and curled in on himself a little in the hopes that having pressure on his stomach would calm it. Instead, he ended up belching softly into the back of his hand. It was embarrassing enough to do so when he was full, but much more so when it was a result of hunger. For some reason, having an empty tummy had always made him prone to getting burpy, probably due to his digestion still trying to work on nothing but tiny sips of air.
"Ugh." Jax swallowed back another stale burp, glancing towards Gangle. She was staring at him piercingly, so he reluctantly spoke. "Excuse me." He normally wouldn't bother (even though he was surprisingly embarrassed by it) but he didn't really want to get punished again.
"Ah." Gangle snapped out of it, smiling brightly. "No worries! Poor thing. What's going on, are you feeling ill?" She inspected him with uncomfortable intensity.
"No. I'm just hungry." Jax set his jaw. He crossed both arms protectively over his middle. "I can go back to work, sitting around isn't gonna change anything." Going back to work sounded like hell on earth, but for once he thought it'd be better than the alternative. Sitting in here with nothing to do but pay attention to how fucking starving he was would be torture.
"Hey, hey! At Spudsy's, there's no such thing as 'just' hungry. I'll go get you something right away," Gangle said. She trotted off with purpose, leaving Jax alone in the office. The moment she was gone, he considered getting up and going back to work. This thought was immediately cut off when her head abruptly stuck back in through the door and gave him a startling grin. "You. Wait. Here."
"I'm not going anywhere." He scowled, trying to hide the fact that he'd absolutely been jumpscared. Still, he obliged. The clock ticked, his stomach growled like an angry bear, and he waited. Finally, the door opened again.
"Special delivery for a super-special employee!" Gangle came in, slightly overburdened by a tray laden with various food items. She closed the door behind her with her foot and brought the tray over, depositing it on the coffee table. "Doesn't all of this look scrumptious? Spudsy's sources from all local farms to provide the best beef west of--" She paused, staring blankly for a second. "It's wonderful!"
"You're not expecting me to pay for this, are you?" Jax looked at the food skeptically. It actually looked fine, despite being pretty standard fast food.
"Nope! This is on the house. Please eat up." Rather than leaving him to it, Gangle sat down on the couch next to him and stared him down shamelessly.
"Okay... weirdo." Jax muttered. He considered refusing, mostly just to avoid giving her the satisfaction of him being in her debt, but another hunger burp gurgled uncomfortably in his throat and he slowly reached for a burger.
The burger in question was far from the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted, but it was infinitely helped by how ravenous he was. Tangy sauce, greasy meat, and crunchy onions hit his tongue, and he had to swallow mid-bite to keep from drooling on himself. It was so blessedly warm, and he felt the first mouthful slide down his throat and spread a gentle heat throughout his insides that he hadn't even fully realized was missing. It was a little messy, with sauce staining his gloves and dripping a little down his chin, but he finished the burger in record time.
"Pheww..." Jax's appetite was only whetted, and he looked at the other items on the tray. There was a milkshake, a container of fries, a box of chicken nuggets, and a second burger. Due to the generous portions of each, it was much more food than he'd normally eat in one serving. Still, he was hungry, so he put aside his reservations and grabbed the second burger.
As Jax chewed, he peeked over to see if Gangle was still staring. She was, her hands folded in her lap as she gazed at him. It was impossible to decipher her expression. He gulped down a bite and thumped his chest, trying not to eat too fast. Immediately, she perked up and scooted forward.
"You have to be careful," Gangle chided. "You could choke. Here, I'll take over. You must be way, way, way too hungry to do it yourself." She plucked the half-finished burger from his hands before he could react, swooping in to wrap her ribbons around him and draw him into a position where he could be easily hand-fed.
"W-what the-- I can feed myself!" Jax squirmed. It was one thing to have her watch him eat and another to have the food shoved into his mouth.
"It's my responsibility as your manager to ensure your safety. I've already made enough of a mistake taking so long to notice that you hadn't eaten." Gangle's voice sounded genuine, almost desperate, and she held the burger to Jax's lips. He wanted to protest more, but he was still hungry enough that he just sighed and opened his mouth. If he was fully honest with himself, even the slight touches from being held steady were more than he'd felt in years. He tried not to think about it too much, especially since he'd feel weak for not pulling away.
Jax took careful bites of this burger, the cheese still melty and pooling in the craters of the patty. Even with him making more of an effort to stay clean, being fed by someone else made it difficult. His lips were shiny with grease, a few smears of sauce still on his chin. The moment he swallowed the last bite, he expected Gangle to pull away. Instead, she picked up a napkin from the tray and tenderly wiped his face clean with all the gentle attention one would give to a fragile and precious knickknack.
"You finished that so quickly." She smiled. "Hehe. What would you like next?"
Jax was still a little stunned from everything that was going on. It was taking time for his brain to catch up with his body, especially given that so much attention had to be devoted to enjoying the delicious food. "Uh... I don't care. The fries?"
"What a wonderful choice! Spudsy's is best known for its fries. That's why it's called, um. That's why it's called that." Gangle faltered, blushing, but quickly snapped back into her manager persona. "Say ahh!"
Jax opened his mouth obediently, although he held back from saying anything. He wasn't going to debase himself, not for Gangle or anyone else. A warm fry was pushed into his mouth, and he chewed almost mindlessly. It was simultaneously almost too salty to enjoy while also being incredibly nostalgic and comforting. He could imagine being younger, going to a fast food restaurant with his father. It must have been a special treat. He tried to remember anything, whether the restaurant had a name or if he could visualize his hands as they grabbed a fry in the memory. Were they pale, dark, or tan? Did they look like the hands of a toddler, or a teenager? What did his father look like? It was no use. Everything faded away.
"Do you feel alright?" Gangle's voice broke through Jax's daze. She held out another French fry. He stared at it.
"'M fine. Hungry." He wasn't, not really. He wasn't exactly full, but two burgers had left him far from starving. Still, he opened his mouth and waited for her to put the next fry inside.
"That's what I like to hear!" Gangle grinned. "Being really, really hungry is completely unacceptable, but it's wonderful to have a good appetite."
"Yeah." Jax chewed, feeling stupid. It didn't help that hearing that he had a good appetite inexplicably caused heat to rush to his face. "What can I say, I'm still a... growing boy."
"Mhm!" It looked like he'd just handed Gangle a million dollars, just from how her eyes lit up. She quickened the pace she was feeding him at, happily shoveling fries into his mouth. He struggled a little to keep up, although he'd never admit to that.
Finally, the container of fries was empty. Jax was starting to get a little full. His mouth was dry and salty, and he greedily sucked at the straw that was presented to him. Cold, thick milkshake washed everything down. It was sweet and creamy, a sharp contrast to the oily food he'd had so far.
"Hahh..." Taking a breather, Jax pulled away and let out a sigh. "Crap, I... that hit the spot."
"Hehe, you have a bit--" Gangle scooted even closer and reached out to wipe some milkshake off his lower lip. He blushed.
"You were giving it to me too fast." It had been his own prerogative how quickly to suck down the shake, but he didn't need to admit that.
"It's okay! There's no need to be embarrassed. I'm used to messes!" Gangle gave an angelic smile. She was straddling one of Jax's legs, a fact he'd taken way too long to realize. It had felt so comfortable and right that he hadn't made an effort to pay attention. Still, he didn't move away.
"Shut up. I'm not messy." Jax scrubbed his mouth with the back of his hand, although it had already been cleaned. Gangle just tittered and grabbed the box of chicken nuggets.
"Okay, next up!" She opened it to reveal several rows of golden brown nuggets, each one just larger than a quarter. Still, there had to be dozens packed in there.
Glancing at the box, Jax suddenly second-guessed this progression of events. "Nah, I'm done. I'm full." He'd eaten the burgers and fries so quickly that it had taken time for his fullness to hit him. Now, a solid lump of food was sitting with relative comfort in his stomach. He could stop now. He should, if he didn't want to end up making a fool of himself. His middle disobediently grumbled, quietly protesting being done.
"Are you sure? Don't you want to finish? You'll get a special reward if you do~" Gangle leaned closer, her hands on both of his shoulders. "I know you can do it. You're such a wonderful employee."
"I-I..." Jax eyed the chicken nuggets nervously. He wanted so badly to destroy the part of him that was jumping up and down like an obedient dog at the idea of getting a reward if he managed to eat them all. It was humiliating to be at someone's mercy, especially if it was Gangle. Still, he found himself shrugging. "Fine. You'd better make it good."
"I think you'll like it." Gangle smirked, grabbing the box again and feeding him the first of many nuggets. They were cheap and rubbery in the best way they could be, tasting exactly like the ones he'd eaten when he was younger. Each one was exactly the same, no irregular textures or flavors to speak of. Even now, it was a little comforting. Jax accepted each one, chewing slowly before letting his throat muscles drag them down to his gradually filling belly. At one point, Gangle paused and leaned even further in to gaze at his mouth. He bristled. "Do I have something in my teeth? Quit staring."
"Mm..." Gangle peeked back up at him. "I was just noticing what sharp teeth you have. It's really impressive." She reached out one delicate ribbon and tapped his pointed canines. They were only visible when his mouth was properly open, usually appearing as a cartoony and flat grin. He surprised himself by not pulling away.
"Freak... My teeth aren't interesting." Jax halfheartedly fought back by sticking his tongue out a little to lick Gangle's ribbon. She pulled back, but looked more flustered than disgusted.
"Incredible." Sighing happily, Gangle grabbed another nugget and fearlessly shoved it into Jax's mouth. Apparently, the lick had only incentivized her to be more bold. He rolled his eyes and gulped the morsel of chicken down.
It took longer than either of the burgers for the nuggets to be decimated. By the time only a small handful remained, Jax felt like he had a belly full of warm cement. He was having to catch his breath between bites, with Gangle occasionally holding the milkshake to his lips so that he could wash down some of the food. Of course, that only added to the heaviness he felt weighing down his stomach.
"You're almost there~" Gangle sang. Things were slowing down, and Jax hiccuped weakly around the next bite. He felt so incredibly full. The box of nuggets hadn't looked that big, but they were really adding up. He swallowed queasily.
Finally, Jax managed to cram in the last bite and gulped it down with determination. His breath came in short huffs, and he groaned as Gangle wasted no time pressing the straw of the milkshake to his lips. "Uff... can't..."
"Shh... You can do it, sweetie. There's just a little." Gangle's voice was so sweet that his dazed mind couldn't find the strength to protest. He reluctantly swallowed. She hadn't lied -- there were only about two sips left. The straw made an empty sucking noise, signifying that he'd managed to do it. He'd eaten everything.
"F-fuck..." Jax didn't swear often, but this seemed to deserve it. A tiny part of him questioned why he'd ever allowed himself to get into this state, but he let it get swallowed up by his all-consuming fullness. "I'm gonna pop."
"You did such a good job!" Gangle's ribbons roamed across the surface of his belly, which had been stretched taut with everything that was packed into it. "I knew you could do it."
"I'm... pretty awesome, yeah." Jax hiccuped again, jostling his stomach. "Ow."
"Poor thing. Don't worry, you'll feel better in no time. You just need to digest a little." The rubs felt way too good to be real. Jax tried not to moan, only succeeding in giving a strangled whimper instead. When Gangle's hand dipped into the firm area below his ribs, it felt so overwhelmingly good that the sound morphed into almost a sob.
"What's the reward?" he gritted out, barely audible. He was determined to minimize how much of a fool he made of himself, which meant holding back any burps or more borderline sexual-sounding noises. He wasn't doing very well.
"You have to be patient," Gangle teased. "I want to make sure you're feeling well before I give it to you." Her ribbons lingered on his shoulders, where the straps of his overalls sat. They were a little more snug than usual, the push of his rounded belly causing the entire garment to be dragged down a little. She tilted her head. "Would it help you feel better to get these tight clothes off?"
Jax grunted noncommittally, blushing. He wanted to tease her, to ask if she was coming onto him. The main reason he didn't was that he knew he'd get humiliatingly flustered if she actually agreed, and that was seeming more and more likely with how bold she was being.
"Hey, hey." Gangle leaned closer, tilting his chin up. "Use your words. I'm not going to do anything you don't want."
"Y-yeah. Whatever." Jax's face burned. "Sheesh, you're really..." He trailed off as the overall straps were carefully slid off his shoulders, the top being folded down to allow his tummy to relax out into the open air. He sucked in a relieved breath.
"I'm what?" Gangle asked, looking amused. She splayed her ribbons against the crest of his now-bare stomach, a sensation that was far more intense than when it was held back by the overalls.
"W-weird..." Jax was stammering almost every word at this point, his heart in his throat. It felt so good to be touched like this. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been touched at all, let alone so gently and lovingly. It was hard to attribute 'love' to it, since he didn't want to get his hopes up, but it was also hard to deny the tenderness in each of Gangle's movements. Her smile widened as she stroked his sides, slowly moving to cup his underbelly.
"If you don't like it, I can stop." She gazed at him challengingly.
"Just keep... keep doing that."
"Understood." Gangle continued the rubs, tilting her head curiously as she lifted his tummy up a little bit. "Aww, you have fur here! That's so cute."
"It's cause it's winter -- what do you mean, cute?!" Jax balked. His entire face must have darkened to magenta at this point, the flush creeping down his neck. "I'm not!"
"Sure, sure." Gangle's ribbons continued to twine idly over the surface of his gut. She petted the fluff that she'd mentioned, an extra coat of fuzz he always grew around the winter season. Then, pressing in more firmly, she began to coax his digestion into beginning to process the mass of food. It was uncomfortable at first, making him wince and stifle embarrassing whines, but it gradually began to soothe the angry pressure that had built up.
"Oof, that's..." Jax instinctively arched his back, seeking even more contact. It was hard to tell how much of it was a desire to not have a stomachache and how much of it was just wanting more and more affection. He was stuffed to the brim, but he still felt like he had been starving for years. It was taking all of his effort not to grab Gangle and bring her into a crushing embrace just to feel a little more warmth.
"Does it feel good, sweetie?" Gangle wasted no time with the praise, making it difficult to focus.
Jax opened his mouth to protest again, not believing himself to be any kind of 'sweetie', but a gas bubble slid up his throat and he had to quickly shift to cover his mouth before a small but deep burp rumbled against his palm. It was tiny by most standards, but was much richer and heavier than he was used to. He smacked his lips tiredly, tasting salt and cream, then remembered that he was in company. "'Scuse me. Or whatever."
Gangle only brightened. "Nice job! You need to make room in your belly if you're going to feel better." She traced a circle on the top of his stomach, smiling. "You know, it's so cute. Earlier, you sounded completely different when you were hungry. I feel lucky to get to experience what your tummy sounds like when it's happy."
"T-that's so gross." Jax thought his head might burst into flames. It had to be objectively ridiculous, that someone would notice and comment on what his burps sounded like. Still, he imagined that his blush was spreading across every inch of his skin.
"I don't think so! I love being able to hear that I've done a good job keeping you well-fed." Gangle hummed, rubbing around some more. "Let's see if we can make any more space~"
Against the silent protests of Jax's dignity, he allowed her to continue to try to coax out air from him. Her ribbons slid over and around his torso, one pressing in just below his ribs while the other delivered soft pats up and down his back. It was a losing game to try to hold back, so he just ducked his chin to his chest and let out a couple little belches. As embarrassing as it was, they did feel incredibly relieving. He hadn't realized just how much air he'd accidentally swallowed by eating so quickly.
After several minutes, a pressure rose in Jax's chest and he raised a hand to his lips. "Uurp." He burped into his fist, almost reaching a volume that could be considered normal to most people. As much as he disliked being impolite in this specific way, he privately wished he didn't have such weak burps. It wasn't very manly. Suddenly conscious of himself again, his gaze lifted to Gangle's. He wasn't quite sure what he expected.
"There you go. Good boy." She smiled warmly, patting his back. "Did that feel nice?"
Jax felt another wave of heat wash over him, made worse by the realization that he'd been waiting for exactly that. He craved more praise, to be told that it wasn't just okay to be greedy and comfortable at the expense of manners, but that it was worthy of being rewarded for. He melted into the couch, almost drunk off of it.
"Y-yeah. I guess," he mumbled. As a last-ditch effort to divert the conversation before he turned into a gross little puddle of feelings, he managed to continue. "I want the prize now."
"Mm, okay. You've earned it." Gangle leaned closer, winding her ribbons all the way around Jax until he was encased in a warm hug. He wanted to lash out, to say that this was a lame reward and that he wanted something really good. He wanted and wanted and wanted it, but all he did was put his arms around her as well and hide his face in her shoulder. When she spoke again, her voice was right in his ear. "Can I kiss you?"
Jax's posture stiffened, but he stayed silent for a moment. He somehow wasn't surprised, but his brain was split between some sections screaming for him to say yes and some screaming for him to say no. In the end, he shocked himself with his answer.
"No." His voice was quiet, not angry. Gangle shifted curiously.
"Okay, I understand. Is there a reason?" He knew that she could tell, that she wasn't stupid. He'd practically been begging for it this entire time. Still, he couldn't do it.
"You're not the same as usual. You're doing a show." Jax sat back enough to meet Gangle's eyes. The mask she had on was so unlike her usual one, even if only a few elements had been changed. The ever-present smile on her lips faded.
"Why does that matter?" she asked. "I'm not lying."
"Yeah, yeah. I know. Still. I want my reward to be from you." He tried to sound a little cool, but it came out way too genuinely for that to work out. His face burned. It was such a corny line, he couldn't imagine it working.
"I guess... just for a minute." Gangle sighed, briefly releasing him from her hold. She nervously grabbed the edges of her mask and tugged it off, setting it aside. Underneath was her usual tragedy mask. She glanced back, less confident now. "T-there."
Jax stayed quiet, too embarrassed to request anything. He knew he'd kissed people before, back in the real world. He couldn't remember any of their faces, but he could remember the sensation of lips on his. The sting of braces against his lips in middle school, the taste of stolen beer a few years later. Lipstick smeared on his face like an allergic reaction. He'd never wanted to feel anything too much. Now, he felt like there was nothing left to do to keep from feeling. He was open, and desperate, and that somehow made it feel like it was the first time.
It helped a little that Gangle looked infinitely more nervous. She had lost a lot of the confidence that the manager mask had given her, although there was still a boldness in her actions that was a bit more evident than usual.
"Okay..." Taking a deep breath, Gangle leaned closer. She tentatively brushed her lips against Jax's forehead. She was surprisingly warm, and the surface of her mask was not entirely hard in the way he'd expected. She moved down, then hesitated. Unlike before, this was teasing in an entirely genuine and accidental way. Jax huffed.
"C'mon, ribbons." His voice sounded horribly soft and desperate, and he cut himself off from saying more by looping his fingers through Gangle's neck ribbons and tugging her forward to press their lips together. She squeaked, then relaxed.
This was different from the kisses in the past. Despite initiating, Jax let himself relax and allowed Gangle to take the lead after a moment. It felt comforting to let go. He knew that he probably tasted a little too much like grease and that she was pressing closer a bit too aggressively, but it didn't matter. For just a moment, he didn't have to be tough and emotionless and mean. He could enjoy being kissed, hearing the anxious little half-noises Gangle made against his lips.
Pulling back, she looked down at him in a mirror image of his own shock. Her mask was flushed. "W-was that okay?"
"Don't ask me..." Jax muttered, shy. He averted his eyes and tried not to blush too much. He knew he was failing.
Gangle paused, then gave a little giggle. "Hehe... I've never done that before."
"You're 26, that's gotta be--" Jax was interrupted by another kiss. With this one, he could feel that Gangle was smiling.
"Yay~ I feel like I unlocked a new ability." She looked very pleased with herself. Jax stammered, finding it hard to get back into a snarky mood. Did I seriously give her a way to shut me up that easily?
"Whatever. Just keep... keep going." He gave up, surrendering himself as he flopped back against the couch. Gangle seemed happy to comply, her eyes gleaming with a hint of the confident energy her manager mask had.
They kissed, only breaking apart for air, for a few minutes before Gangle moved to trail a few pecks down Jax's neck. He pressed the back of his hand to his lips, no longer having anything there to muffle the shameful noises he was making. His head was spinning, and he outright yelped when she sucked lightly at the spot where his shoulder met his neck. Tears sprung to his eyes, more out of overstimulation than any negative reaction.
"God..." His voice came out weakly. It was mortifying to have a reaction like this just from being kissed and nibbled at, but it went beyond that. With how full he still felt, it seemed like every inch of his skin was raw and sensitive. He wanted to be touched and held gently, and each time he was it sent a lightning bolt of heat through his ears and down to his toes.
"You did such a good job..." Gangle murmured. "You ate so well." Her ribbons continued to knead at his tummy, soothing any lingering indigestion. Jax gave a muffled whine.
It was difficult to tell how much time had passed. The shifts between soft kisses, strokes and rubs on his stomach, and whispered praise simultaneously created a rhythm that lulled him into a daze and overwhelmed him. Jax squirmed when his belly protested briefly and sent up a little bubble of air. He politely angled the resulting small burp away and into his fist, but still worried that it might kill the mood. Instead, Gangle just hummed and gently pressed a kiss to his throat.
"'M still... I'm stuffed," Jax complained as an explanation.
"I know." Gangle pulled away, recognizing that any more would probably cause the other to pass out. "You need to rest." She seemed to suddenly realize how much time had passed, her eyes darting to the clock on the wall. "Oh, crap!" It was 1pm. Two whole hours had passed since they'd left. Somehow, nobody had come to check during the lunch rush.
Gangle immediately looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack, untangling herself from Jax and getting up to anxiously pace the room. He briefly considered holding on and keeping her in place, but he shoved that thought down. She was muttering to herself, her hands fluttering in the way she normally disguised as she grabbed her manager mask again. Jax had always noticed little repetitive movements like that, but it was something he'd elected not to use when making fun of her. Even now, as his brain scrambled to recover some shred of dignity by turning everything on her and saying something mean enough to erase this whole event from the record, he resisted. He flopped back on the sofa and sighed, one hand going to massage his tummy.
"What if we all went home?" he asked lazily. Gangle stopped in her tracks.
"We -- I can't do that! I was going to let you take the day off, but that means I need to be extra on top of things as the manager!" She fiddled with the mask some more, unsure on whether to put it back on or not. Jax rolled his eyes.
"You know this whole thing is fake, right? It's not like we're even making real money. It doesn't matter." He paused. "You can keep believing your stupid stuff about all this meaning something in the end, but just... loosen up a little. Nobody's gonna die." Surprising even himself (although at this point it felt like a drop in the bucket), he patted the spot next to him. "Get back over here."
Gangle hesitated, then resolutely walked to the door. Jax sighed and sat back. He couldn't exactly control her. Closing his eyes, he let his shoulders loosen.
Just as he was about to doze off, the door opened again. Gangle stalked back inside, visibly flushed, and plopped down on the couch. "I-I did it. I told everybody to go home." She was quivering with relief and anxiety, glancing over repeatedly for approval. "Zooble got into the stupid sauce and started eating all the finished burgers instead of taking them to the customers, so it ended up being kind of a bust of a day anyway."
"Damn. I didn't think you had it in you," Jax admitted. "Pretty -- urp -- impressive." Grimacing, he prodded at his belly uncomfortably. "I'm gonna be feeling this for a while. Now that you're off the hook for manager stuff, you're free to help out."
"Okay!" Gangle looked far from disappointed, wasting no time cuddling up to his side and placing a ribbon atop his still-slightly-bloated tummy. Jax felt achy, overstuffed, and a little unsteady from all the stimulation, but that touch felt like home.