Vic woke up feeling like shit. His head was pounding and his mouth felt full of cotton. He felt sore and stiff. His gut felt hollow and was screaming for food. Opening his eyes was almost painful, and he squinted against the sunlight streaming in through the window. "How much did I drink last night?" He muttered as he glanced around. At least he was in his own bedroom, not that he remembered much past being at the bar with his friend Trisha last night.
Throwing back the sheets, he sat up slowly. At least he hadn't fallen asleep in his clothes, but he hadn't managed to get his pajama bottoms either. Well, it wasn't the first time he had slept naked. Rubbing his eyes, he stumbled to his feet, feeling off balance as he stumbled towards the bathroom. Despite the fact he was starving he was feeling gross and decided to get the shower going and warming up as he leaned his head against the cool tile to try to dampen his headache.
Finally the water in his shower was steaming and he stepped inside, letting the water pour over him. It seemed to wake him up and reinvigorate him. He lathered up his loofah and began to scrub himself down trying to wash off the feeling of yuckiness, though his hands slowed as something didn't feel quite right.
He pinches his stomach, managing to grab a couple inches of flesh between his fingers, which woke him up completely. He wasn't a gym rat or anything, in fact he was always a bit on the scrawny side and that was the problem. He was the type of guy that could eat anything and never gain a pound. How could he have missed gaining weight though. Not that it was a lot, but looking at himself he seemed just a little thicker than he used to be. Maybe now that he had hit 30 his metabolism was slowing down. Or the stress at work was finally catching up with him.
Now curious, he quickly rinsed himself off and jumped out of the shower. Drying himself quickly, he stepped on the scale and stared at the number. Ten pounds. He had weight himself yesterday and somehow he had gained ten pounds in one day? That couldn't be right. "Guess I need to start hitting the gym more." He muttered to himself, giving his stomach another pinch.
Stepping off the scale he went to the sink to brush and stopped as he spotted himself in the mirror. "Hell, I look like shit." His eyes were bloodshot, and his short brown hair was a complete mess. Worse was the stubble all along his jaw and cheeks. More than he had ever let himself grow before. More than he thought he could grow. Vic had always been mostly smooth, and incapable of growing a beard. Sure, he only really had to shave every couple of days, but it looked like he had skipped a whole week, despite the grooming he had done before going to the bar.
He had hoped maybe to bring someone home to celebrate his thirtieth, but the lack of anyone in his apartment blew that idea out of the water. With a grunt he grabbed his shaver and cleaned himself up, unable to stand the itch of the stubble now that he noticed it. A quick stop in his bedroom to throw on a tee shirt and some pants he headed out to fix himself some breakfast to finally quell that rumbling in his stomach.
He stumbled to his fridge, still feeling a little off and tore open the doors to find.. nothing. His water pitcher was filled at least, but for food there was only a couple lonely vegetables and a container of leftovers that he had forgotten about and sure as hell wasn't going to open now. Sure, he hadn't shopped since last weekend, but he knew there had still been some food in here, if he had snacked on it all in the middle of the night no wonder he had put on ten pounds. His stomach growled in annoyance. "Fine. Fine. I guess I can order something then do groceries."
As he closed the door however, he noticed a note stuck on with a magnet.
Running out to do some errands and get you some groceries.
Borrowed your spare key. Be back this afternoon.
- T
At first Vic wondered if it was Trish, but he had been friends with her since elementary school, and this was not her hand writing. This was angular and blocky, and Vic would bet his last five dollars it was written by a guy despite...
Well, despite everything. It couldn't be. Maybe he had brought someone home last night, but it wouldn't be any guy. Vic had never been interested in men, though some had tried to hit on him, slim and youthful most thought he was a perfect twink. But he had only ever been interested in women. Maybe it was a girl with dude-like handwriting. Had to be. But he couldn't wait for her to get back with groceries, nice as it was for her to get them. And a little worrying she knew where his spare key was, but Vic assumed he must have showed her. Unless it was Trish by some stretch.
He grabbed his phone and decided to order something to eat from one of the few of the breakfast places on the ordering app. His stomach rumbling made him order more than he normally would, but he could always store it he reassured himself. Though as soon as he finished ordering a text rolled in from one of his coworkers, Dave.
"Dude. Where are you? The morning meeting started ten minutes ago"
Vic blinked. Morning meeting, it was Saturday. Then he looked at his phone, staring at the date. No, it was Monday. How was he missing a whole weekend?! That explained some things, but the holes in his memory were worrying. For a moment he considered begging out sick, but that would be worse calling in this late.
"Sorry, having some computer issues, be on in a sec."
He ran into his bedroom and grabbed one of his button up shirts, quickly tossing it on and frowning at how tight it felt not only in his stomach, but in the chest and arms. "Fuck.. what the fuck happened?" But he couldn't think of that right now as he rushed over to his work computer in the second bedroom and quickly logged in, pushing back his hair and hoping he looked at least half-way presentable. Not that he had to contribute, but the camera would be on him.
He logged in trying to look like he had finally got it working and sent a quick apology in the chat for being late as he tried to focus on his manager's droning while he sat on mute. A ding from his phone drew his attention, Dave pinging him again.
"Wow, you look like shit. Rough night?"
"Thanks"
"No really, you look sick, maybe you should ask Lou for the day off."
Vic looked at Lou, still droning on about last week's status before getting to this week's agenda then looked at himself in the little window at what his webcam captured. His eyes still looked angry and bloodshot, despite his shower his hair was still a mess, and he was showing an obvious five o'clock shadow despite shaving less than thirty minutes ago. He rubbed his jaw and felt the coarse short stubble already present. For the rest of the meeting he tried to angle himself so the camera couldn't get a good view of him, but maybe Dave was right. Missing a whole weekend was worrisome enough that maybe he should do see a doctor.
"Victor. Stay on, I want to talk to you." Vic's attention snapped up as Lou called him out as he ended the meeting. He nodded and waited for each of his coworkers to drop off before unmuting himself, ready for a tongue lashing for being late. Instead he got an, "You alright, you don't look well?"
"Sorry Lou, I don't. I thought maybe I could tough it out but I think I'll need the day." Vic tried to make his voice sound a little rough, though he didn't need to fake too much of it.
Lou may have been a boring droning boss, but he was usually pretty fair and simply nodded. "Sure. Take it, let me know if you'll need more by this afternoon."
"Thanks, Lou."
"Don't mention it." Lou dropped the call, and Vic did so a moment later himself, staring at the monitor for a long while. Something was definitely going on with him. But the thought of going to the doctor about it worried him. That is until he heard the door rattle.
He thought it might be his delivery, until he noticed it was the sound of a key in the lock. T, whoever that was must be back. Vic pocketed his phone and prepared to meet this woman, looking like shit. The door opened and closed before he made it out of his office, rounding into the living room he stopped dead once his spotted the person in his kitchen.
T, if that's who this was, was one of the biggest guys Vic had ever seen. A good few inches over six feet, he wasn't only tall, he was burly. His arms and chest were thick and heavy with muscle, but he also had a noticeable gut that stretched out the tee he was wearing. Instead of making him look fat, with the muscle he just looked more solid and sturdy. His legs were sturdy trunks holding him up. His wavy hair was a little on the long side and held back in a short tail, and he had a thick but well trimmed beard, both in a pale blond that almost seemed white in direct light. But he wasn't old, maybe 35 unless Vic missed his guess. Vic felt something he couldn't explain pulling him to this man. He had never been interested in men, but there was something about this bearish blond that seemed to tug at him, and not in an altogether sexual way, though he did feel some of that stirring in him, too.
The man looked at him then laughed, and when he spoke it was a deep gruff baritone. "See you finally reverted. Good thing, too." He went back to packing Vic's fridge with food. "I ran into your delivery guy at the door." He motioned to a tied up bag on the counter. "Hope you ordered enough for both of us."
"T?" Vic asked, and the question in his voice must have caught the man's attention because he looked at Vic with narrowed eyes.
"Trey, yeah." The name didn't seem to strike anything in Vic, even as the man came around the counter and closer t Vic, looking concerned.
"Ah shit, don't tell me you blocked it?" Trey sounded more disappointed than annoyed. "I've heard some will do that after their first. Should come back though." Trey reached out and placed his hands on Vic's shoulders.
Part of Vic wanted to flinch back, away from this stranger. But another part seemed to want to instinctively trust him. As the hands settled on his shoulder his mind flooded with a memory.
He was at the bar Friday night, Trish and him were checking out the girls and who might be interested in which of them. Se headed off to the bathroom and Trey approached. He remembered feeling that same pull. Asking Trey if he wanted to come back to his place. Sending Trish a text he was going home with someone. Then..
He snapped back looking up at Trey. Quickly he dug his phone out of his pocket and went to his texts, seeing the one with Trish. Starting with the one he sent Friday, there was some back and forth between them, her asking for details on his "date" and him being coy about it. He remembered none of it. Then he looked at Trey. "We slept together." It wasn't a question.
"Several times." Trey replied with a grin. That explained the soreness he couldn't quite pinpoint. Trey sighed. "Damn, it'd be easier if you remembered. Well, sit down and maybe I can answer some questions. But you're in for a weird month."