In which  shindenwolf finds himself locked outside a hotel on a very hot day in Mexico. He needs to find a way to beat the heat before becoming a wolfie puddle. Fortunately, some locals decide to invite him to a restaurant for a meal or three, but we all know that with Shinden eating, it doesn't take much food to turn him into a big wolf in a small town~

A quickie gift for Shinden's birthday (I say quickie, even though it's a month late lmao) featuring  dragontzin and  psychicthehedgehog as cameos. I've been having fun giving my fat stories more build up like this. Heck, this story ended up being about 3k words longer than I intended too lmao. I really liked trying to paint what a hot, sunny day in a small town in Mexico would look like, at least from an outsider's perspective.

I hope you enjoy the story~ It's a bit experimental, so please let me know what you think! ^^

---

Shinden sighed. Why did it have to be so hot outside?

The wolf lifted his aviator cap off his head and ran his claws through his white hair, wincing at how damp with sweat it was. He was practically melting in his uniform, every movement making him sticky and uncomfortable. Even fanning himself with his own hat was almost too much effort to be worth it, but the slight breeze it generated did aid his overheated face. Gross, even his jacket cuffs were sticking to his wrist now.

With hopeful eyes, Shinden slowly turned back to face the hotel, silently pleading for the doors to open. Alas, the hotel was still firmly shut, the big red Cerrado sign inside practically mocking him. “Stupid sign,” the wolf huffed indignantly, fogging up the glass door. “I bet you feel high and mighty, telling me not to check into my room early. I bet there’s a fan and plenty of A/C in there too!”

Realizing he was talking to a paper sign, Shinden sighed again, folding his pointy ears. As the fog faded off the glass door, the sweltering wolf soon found himself looking at his reflection, wincing.

He was definitely not dressed appropriately to be standing outside during a Mexican summer. His dark brown jacket felt like it weighed a million pounds, pressing his shirt against his uncomfortably-moist chest. Even unzipped, it still hung heavily off the lupine’s slim shoulders; if only there was a coat-rack outside he could hang it on. He had to spread his legs out to make wearing his army green khakis bearable, as if yelling at an inanimate object didn’t make him look silly enough. The wolf also silently cursed nature for bestowing him with a tail unusually long and fluffy for a canid, the 5-foot long limb completely covered in thick, floofy fur, much to his dismay.

And his face; not even that was spared from the desert heat. Just a few days ago, his reflection had been energetic and fierce, his bright yellow eyes alert and focused when he learned he would be deployed in Mexico to test fly a prototype jet in the desert. Now, those very same eyes were hollow and gaunt, as anyone’s would be after standing in 100 degree weather for several hours. At the very least, the balmy heat hadn’t affected his teeth. He was quite partial to his pearly whites, sporting two large canine fangs that jutted down to his neck even when his maw was closed, as well as an oversized carnassial on either side of his mouth that poked out much the same way. He wasn’t a sabertooth wolf for nothing!

With his depressing self-reflection finished, Shinden tore himself away from the glass door to return to people watching, his current hobby of choice while he waited for the hotel to open. There were plenty of other furs outside as well, many of whom hardly seemed to mind the weather. There were even two kids practicing soccer on the road, playfully shouting at each other in Spanish, while also making sure to quickly dash out of the way when the occasional car rolled by. There weren’t FIFA material by any means, but he was impressed nonetheless at the fancy footwork the tiger cub had, as well as the sheer energy that little gecko possessed despite the weather. For a couple of youngsters practicing in the street, they were pretty good!

The lupine felt a pang of anxiety watching those kids, wondering where their parents were and how they could be left alone without any supervision, yet hardly anyone seemed to mind as the two continued their game. He envied that sense of community and trust these small towns had, where young furs could play out in the open unsupervised and nobody seemed to notice.

He also envied them for how much more appropriately dressed they were! Everyone walking by wore shorts and T-shirts, sometimes sporting hats big enough to make Shinden’s look like a glorified fan. Save for the young tiger and gecko playing soccer, everyone also seemed to be walking towards a destination, most likely one that was under shade or inside. Shinden was the only one standing outside alone, the foreigner wincing as he realized just how much he stood out. Suddenly, he found himself grinning as the energetic gecko found his big play, stealing the ball from the tiger and running up and down the street with it. The excitement on the reptile’s face was infectious!

Alas, the fun had to come to an end when an older tiger woman walked by the sidewalk, shouting at the two in Spanish. Shinden watched in dismay as the two youngsters picked up the ball and ran after her. So much for his entertainment. With nothing interesting to distract him, the aviator wolf was back to suffering under the intense heat.

Although, for just the briefest moment, he could have sworn the heat wasn’t as bad as he remembered, as a large shade loomed over him.

“¡Hola!”

“Durf!” Shinden yelped in response, nearly jumping out of his boots in shock. Whirling around, the wolf’s heart pounded in his chest as he looked up at the looming figure.

He couldn’t see properly with the sun in his eyes; all he could discern from the intruder was that they were big! Very big, in fact, standing possibly at 6 and a half feet tall, and almost half as wide! They could more than easily shove over a skinny twig like Shinden! The wolf gritted his sharp teeth nervously, his lengthy tail tucked between his legs.

“¡Hey! ¿Qué haces saliendo a la calle vestido así? ¡Estamos como a 40 grados!”

“I-I’m sorry?” The wolf whined, holding up his paws defensively. With the hat in his claw blocking the sun from his eyes, Shinden finally got a better look at the stranger, his ears folding in embarrassment.

It turns out the male standing right in front of him wasn’t 6 and a half feet tall; his feathers just made his silhouette appear to be that way! Shinden had never seen a Western Dragon with such an impressive plumage before, his jaw slowly lowering at the sight. Large feathers sprouted out from on top of the avocado-hued dragon’s head like hair, the fiery feathers in front being the tallest and reddest before tapering down to smaller, yellower feathers in the back. The vibrant plumage matched very well with the drake’s avocado-green scales and yellow underbelly; he was one of the most impressive-looking dragons Shinden had ever seen before!

He was also one of the most well-fed dragons, if that hefty paunch was anything to go off of. The oversized reptile tilted his feathery head, curiously regarding the shocked wolf before him, before giving him a dimpled smile. “Sorry, I didn’t know you only spoke English. I was asking what you were doing standing around outside wearing clothes like that. It’s 40 Celsius!” He chuckled, his voice heavily accented.

“O-oh.” Shinden sighed silently through his nose, relieved that the “giant” stranger was actually eye-level with him. More importantly, he was glad the dragon wasn’t as fierce-looking as most of his counterparts. “I’m, uh, here on some work-related business, actually. We just got in a couple hours ago, in fact. I was planning on spending the night here before staying at work for the next few days but...well,” he shrugged, gesturing to the Cerrado sign on the hotel door.

The feathery dragon snickered. “Yeah. Tia also works at the daycare during the day, so she won’t be back for another couple hours.”

“Oh,” Shinden blinked, his ears drooping. Hopefully Tia wouldn’t step in the Shinden puddle he’d end up becoming when she finally returned.

The drake tilted his chubby head yet again as he craned his neck higher, ruffling his head feathers. “Where’s your suitcase, mate? Is it under that big tail of yours?”

“Huh?” Shinden lifted his fluffy limb out of instinct, before chuckling awkwardly. “Heheh, nah. I left it at the base. I was only gonna stay the night here, since they’re still working on my room,” the wolf explained. Indeed, all he had on his person was his favorite toothbrush in one of his jacket’s many pockets; that, and his specialty toothpaste, of course.

“Ah, that’s a shame. Otherwise, you could store your jacket in there so you wouldn’t have to wear it,” the lardy local frowned. Suddenly, he perked right back up. “Hey, you said the base, right? Did you mean the airbase at area 33?”

“Yeah, that’s the one!” Shinden’s yellow eyes gleamed. “You’ve heard of it?”

“Of course! A buddy of mine works there, actually! Sometimes, he invites me over and shows me around! Man, I’m so jealous you guys get to work with those cool planes!”

The wolf blushed slightly at the praise, a slight smile sneaking its way across his muzzle. “Heh, yeah. It can be pretty exciting.”

“I bet! And since you work at the same place my buddy does, that means we are already practically friends!” The dragon beamed, extending his chubby claw. “My name is Dragontzin Quetzalli, but you can call me Tzin for short.”

The lupine smiled. “I’m Shinden Wolf.” The wolf quickly wiped his paw on his thigh, cleaning it of any sweat before reaching for the drake’s outstretched hand. “It’s great to meet you, Tzin.”

“Likewise!” Tzin shook the lupine’s arm with a ferocity that nearly sent him stumbling over! Rather than letting him go, the drake held onto Shinden’s arm, gently nudging him forward. “C’mon, let’s get you out of this weather! I can’t have my new friend passing out from Heat Stroke!”

“Durf?” The skinny pilot found himself stumbling forward. Apparently, he was now going on a walk with the tubby dragon. “Erh, alright then. Where are we going?”

“To Psy’s restaurant, of course!” Tzin explained happily. “I was just on my way there myself, actually. Hope you’ve brought your appetite, because Psy can really cook!”

“Appetite?” Shinden blinked. “I-I dunno. I’m not that big of an eater.”

But Tzin shook his head. “I don’t believe that for a second! I’m sure you can eat plenty, with teeth that sharp! You’re like a vampire!” The dragon snarled playfully, showing off his own fangs.

Shinden chuckled nervously. “H-heh. I guess-” he was interrupted by the big meaty arm wrapping around his shoulders, the sabertooth wolf letting out another surprised “durf!” That seemed to be the end of that discussion as the dragon practically forced him along, the wolf really wishing his new friend wasn’t pressing his arm so tightly against his sweaty upper back. Still, he couldn’t stay upset: some shade, friendly company, and maybe even a few cold drinks to pass the time did sound nice.

---

The wolf was more than satisfied with his decision once he stepped through the restaurant’s front doors. While it was still warmer than he would have liked, the building interior was far cooler than standing in the sun, finally giving the canine a chance to breathe. His satisfied grin must have been obvious, for he heard Tzin chuckling next to him. “Feeling better?”

“Extremely.” Shinden sighed, closing his eyes.

“I’m glad to hear it! I’m gonna go grab my buddy Psy real quick, if that’s ok with you. I can’t wait to introduce you to him!”

“Take your time,” the sabertooth wolf muttered out of reflex, still relishing in the cooler air. He didn’t realize what he had just said until after he opened his eyes, finding himself alone within the building.

It was the same situation as earlier, the wolf standing awkwardly while looking around. It was a cozy little restaurant, with lots of warm orange and brown color scheme that matched the desert exterior. The interior wasn’t very large, basically a large room with doors leading to a small kitchen and a set of bathrooms along one of the walls. Large fans spun wildly on the ceiling, their sound mixing with the mariachi music being played throughout the room. Several other furs, mostly families, were sitting at tables enjoying their meals. Shinden’s ears lowered when he noticed some of them giving him a curious stare. He shouldn’t be surprised. He stood out like a timberwolf in a desert, after all.

Fortunately, the pilot didn’t have long to wait. His large tail swished excitedly when he noticed Tzin returning from the kitchen, this time accompanied with another dragon. Like Tzin, this dragon was quite soft in the middle, but instead of colorful feathers adorning his head, the grey-and-white drake had a mop of purple hair. “Heeey! So you’re the wolfie Tzin was talking about!” He exclaimed in a heavy accent, his face lighting up into a wide, dimpled grin.

Shinden chuckled bashfully in response, scratching the back of his head. “Heheh, that’s me! It’s, erh, nice to meet you, Psy.”

“Likewise!”

Shinden reached out a paw for a handshake, but was instead pulled into a very tight hug, the wolf squirming slightly as he was forcibly shoved against the pudgy dragon’s embrace. Psy was pretty strong for someone who weighed at least 400 pounds! Eventually, Shinden broke free, the dragon chuckling. “Man, it felt like I was hugging a furnace! Aren’t you hot, wearing all that?”

“A little,” the wolf huffed. He was certainly warmer after being wrapped up in a hug like that, though!

“Yeah, I bet! You look like you’re dying, man! C’mon, take a load off!” Psy gestured to a vacant table, one large enough to seat at least 8 furs. Reluctantly, Shinden obliged, and slowly slid off his jacket.

A moan escaped his lips, the wolf feeling an explosion of steam rising up from his sweaty shoulders. God, why didn’t he take this thing off sooner? Immediately, he felt a hundred pounds lighter, and a hundred degrees cooler, the overhead fans doing an excellent job in cooling down the overheated wolf. Shinden was so relieved, he hardly noticed himself slumping into the wooden chair, letting his jacket drape along the back of his seat. He was perfectly content to just sit there and cool off, even if he did feel a bit exposed; he only wore a black tank top beneath his jacket, after all.

Not to mention how good it felt to finally get off his feet. Good god, were his legs sore! He must have been standing stiff-legged for hours! The canine couldn’t help but close his eyes; he could have fallen asleep on the spot, if he chose to.

Shinden’s ear perked up as he heard Tzin pull the chair back beside him, the heavy-set dragon grunting softly as he sat on the creaking seat. “Heheh, you’re looking comfy!”

“Very.” Shinden gave a toothy smirk. Slowly opening his eyes, the wolf was surprised to see Psy had walked off.

Tzin chuckled again. “I still don’t know why you didn’t walk inside a store or someplace cooler while you were waiting.”

The wolf shrugged. “I didn’t see any signs in English, and my Spanish skills are, er, nonexistent. I was afraid I’d end up somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be and getting yelled at in Spanish.”

Tzin tilted his head. “That’s because we don’t get many tourists. Believe it or not, most of us speak English quite fluently, actually. A lot of us work at that air base, after all, and everything there’s in English!”

“Oh.” Shinden folded his ears, briefly disappointed that he never considered that fact. He probably could have saved himself hours of standing in the excruciating heat.

But Tzin didn’t seem to notice the canine’s change in demeanor, the dragon leaning his chubby head onto his claws. “Hey, I’m kinda glad you waited around outside, though. I probably wouldn’t have ran into ya otherwise!”

Shinden couldn’t help but snicker. “That’s true. And I’m really grateful you did. Any longer and my jacket would have melted onto my body!”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that!” Tzin laughed along. “Tell ya what: after we’re done here, let me show you around town for a bit. We’re not a tourist attraction, but we’ve still got a ton of great stuff to try!”

“Oof, I dunno, Tzin. Honestly, after standing around for so long, I think I’d like to turn in early tonight,” Shinden admitted. Even now, he yearned for a soft bed to lay on.

But Tzin’s grin just widened, dimples forming on his soft cheeks. “You just need a little...how you say...pick-me-up! You’re like one of your planes: just need some fuel, and you’re good to go! And it looks like Psy is about to bring us some fuel right now.”

Shinden turned to see where Tzin was looking, hoping the other dragon wasn’t carrying actual jet fuel to their table. To the wolf’s surprise, Psy was carrying not one, not two, but three massive platters of tortilla chips, which wobbled precariously on his broad arms.

“Sorry about the wait, friends. Wasn’t expecting Tzin to bring back a friend, but then again I shouldn’t be surprised,” the dragon chuckled, sliding the platters onto the table.

Shinden’s eyes widened: he had never seen, nor smelled, salsa and guacamole like this! In the middle of the chip-covered platters was a bowl filled with sauce, each bearing a different color.

Seeing the lupine’s shock, Psy chuckled. “You know what guacamole is, right?” He asked, pointing at the platter with the green paste.

When the wolf nodded, the drake continued. “Fresh avocados, grown right next store! Very, very yummy!

“And this here,” he pointed to the bowl with muddy brown salsa. “It’s very hot! Muy picante! A gringo like you should take little bites.”

Snickering, he pointed to the last bowl, filled with a bright red dip. “This is a special home made recipe. Not as hot, but still tasty! Should keep you busy while I go make dinner!”

“Dinner?!” Shinden’s ears shot up, frowning. “I-I don’t have much money on me. I’m not-”

“Heeeey, it’s fine, amigo! Tzin was gonna eat half my stock anyways!” Psy grinned, leaning forward to poke the blushing dragon’s yellow belly. “Besides, I’ve never had an American try my food before! I gotta know what you think. So don’t worry, it’s...how you say...in the house!”

“W-well...If you insist,” the wolf muttered, before “durf”ing as Psy slapped his back before heading back to the kitchen. He was worried he was taking advantage of their generosity, the canine’s ears folding as he noticed many of the restaurant’s patrons were still watching him. He really didn’t have much money on him, only enough to pay for his room tonight. He’d love to at least give Psy a tip for his amazing service, at least.

Tzin, seemingly reading his mind, gently scooted the nearest platter of tortilla chips towards the sulking lupine. “Just try a few, friend, and tell us what you think. I’ll eat what you don’t finish, promise.”

Judging from Tzin’s portly midsection, Shinden believed that last statement. With a half-hearted smile, the sabertooth scooped up a small glob of guacamole with a tortilla chip, sliding it between his massive overhanging fangs and into his mouth.

Crunch.

He grunted, blinking rapidly. Skies above, that was good! Really good! Not wanting to double dip, Shinden shoved the rest of the chip into his mouth and reached for another, scooping up a larger portion of the guacamole. He practically shoved the entire morsel into his mouth, his smile widening.

“Good, huh?” Tzin asked from beside him.

“Mhm!” ‘Good’ didn’t even begin to describe it. He could taste the fresh avocado, seasoned perfectly with cilantro, tomatoes, and a bit of onions, with some jalapenos for that little kick. He was never buying store-bought guac again! Before he knew it, he had devoured two more chip-filled portions of guacamole, his fluffy tail wagging.

Shinden’s ears flicked up as he heard a scraping sound from the table. “Try the others too! There’s more than one flavor, ya know!” Tzin teased, sliding the other two platters closer to the sabertooth.

Not wanting to offend his hosts, the sabertooth went after the red salsa next. The flavor of tomatoes and other ripe vegetables exploded into his maw, transporting the lupine into a garden of eden, surrounding his senses. He smelled, saw, and especially tasted tomatoes, the bitter-ish flavor blending perfectly with the salty tortilla chips. Each bite was dense and filling, yet it left him yearning for more.

He even went after the spicy brown salsa, despite being warned how picante it was. Earlier, he had no intentions on trying any spicy food, given how overheated the wolf had been prior to stepping into the restaurant. Indeed, his fears were confirmed when on a single bite, Shinden’s eyes started turning red, tears leaking out. Delicious or not, his tongue was on fire!

And yet, he wanted more!

He couldn’t stop himself from trying two more bites, one after another. It was a challenge; to see how much of the fiery salsa he can squeeze into his mouth, even if it blurred his vision and made his nose runny. It was exciting; when had anyone used the term “exciting” to describe food before? And yet, the sabertooth’s heart was pounding in his chest as he piled down bite after bite, savoring the intense flavors.

To his delight, he found the guacamole actually helped cool his mouth down after eating the spicy salsa. With this new knowledge, the sabertooth ate through the platters in a set pattern: the spicy lit his tongue up, the guacamole cleansed the fire, and the homemade prepared the bonfire to be lit again.

All the while, Tzin slowly nibbled on a few tortilla chips here and there, watching with fascination as Shinden tore through the appetizer. Realizing what a glutton he was, the wolf pulled himself away from his snacks, his cheeks bulging with food. But Tzin laughed and gestured back at their spread. “Don’t let me stop you, friend. Enjoy yourself! You’re finally looking relaxed.”

Well, if Tzin said it was ok, then there was no reason to deprive himself of such fantastic flavors, right? Flicking his fluffy tail, the sabertooth continued eating in his set pattern. It would be quite some time before he got to experience such authentic mexican cuisine, after all; he wanted to savor every last bite. So, he urged himself to eat his fill, only stopping when he felt he was full.

And yet, that feeling didn’t come until after the last chip vanished behind the lupine’s muzzle.

“Hurf...that was fantastic,” Shinden smiled, gently wiping a few crumbs off his muzzle. He couldn’t believe he ate so much, those three enormous platters now a desolate wasteland of crumbs and bits of dip. He felt like a pig, but reminded himself that Tzin had some too, right? Not all of that ended up in his gut, right?

Speaking of which…

“Hah! Looks like Wolfie’s starting to show his fangs!” Psy exclaimed as he strode across the restaurant, all to gently poke the wolf’s belly. “And his appetite! I know those big teeth of yours weren’t just for show!”

Shinden let out a surprised hiccup in response, blushing softly as he looked down at himself. What was once a hollow, almost concave, middle had blossomed into a full on gut. His belly lifted up his black shirt, revealing a fluffy grey orb that brushed against his upper thighs, a testament to his earlier gluttony. With a whimper, he slowly placed his paws on his gut and, to his horror, watched them sink into the squishy surface.

Since when were chips and dip supposed to be so fattening! He didn’t eat that much, right? Yet, to his left, Tzin looked hardly any different from his usual plump self, too busy picking his teeth with a claw to notice Shinden’s plight.

Unfortunately, Psy didn’t notice either, the silver dragon smiling wide. “You don’t need to say anything, amigo. I can tell by how quickly you demolished those chips that you loved them! Don’t worry, I’ll have the rest of your dinner out in a moment!”

Oh no. Shinden’s heart skipped a beat; he had forgotten there was more to this feast! “W-wait!” The wolf leaned forward, preparing to stand up when-

RIIIIIIIIIP!

Shinden’s face turned beet red when he heard that noisy tear, followed by a slight breeze down south. Since when had his pants grown so tight? With an anxious grin, the chubby wolf slowly seated himself back down. Suddenly, he wasn’t in the mood to be standing up anymore. “Heheh...sorry, just...needed to stretch my legs a bit. This is gonna be a light dinner, right?”

“Light?” Psy chuckled, shaking his ample gut. “Wolfie, do I look like I make light food?” And with that, the dragon waddled off, leaving Shinden to sweat nervously. He may need to request a larger uniform at work tomorrow…

The wolf’s yellow eyes nearly bulged out of his head when he saw Psy return, along several other chefs, rolling in trolly after trolly of food. Screw a larger uniform, Shinden would be lucky if he could fit through the front door after all that!

He gulped nervously, watching the entirety of the 8-person table fill up with dish after hearty dish, their combined smells almost intoxicating. His potbelly rumbled, as if he hadn’t just eaten a bucket of chips and dip just a few moments earlier. There was so much food, the wooden table was actually creaking beneath their weight! Much like his chair would be creaking beneath his soon.

Looking for a way out, Shinden slowly turned to Tzin. “Erh, heh...you, uh, were you gonna sample some with me?”

To his horror, Tzin shook his head. “Nah, friend. I gotta watch what I eat. I don’t wanna get fat, ya know?” He smirked, patting his soft belly. “You go ahead, though! I’m dying to see what you think!”

Apparently, Tzin wasn’t the only one curious to see Shinden sample the smorgasbord. Psy stood right behind him, alongside a couple other furs in the restaurant, looking at him with wide, excited eyes. Even some of the chefs stayed around, happily pointed at the dishes they contributed. Shinden gulped nervously, realizing there was no way he was getting out of eating without offending anyone. Or without showing off his torn pants. Durf.

Accepting his fate, Shinden picked up a fork and pulled the first dish closer to him. No less than 5 tamales filled the plate before him, but the wolf only intended on taking a single bite. He was supposed to be sampling the dishes, after all, not stuffing his face. Feeling all eyes watching his (broader) shoulders, the chubby wolf slid his fork inside the corn husk, scooping up the insides, and took a bite.

“Well?” Psy asked curiously. “How is it?”

Shinden didn’t respond immediately, too busy shoveling down a second and third forkful. “How is it,” Psy had asked, but truthfully Shinden couldn’t begin to think of the proper combination of words to describe how delectable this was! Meats, cheese, fruits, vegetables, all thrown together into a scrumptious mixture, complete with seasoning! The idea of combining so many flavors of food into one dish should have been disastrous, yet it somehow works! He couldn’t get enough of them! Even as he felt his pants dig deeper into his waistline, or his shirt rising higher, Shinden happily took bite after bite, working through tamale after tamale.

He didn’t even realize his mistake until after he took the final bite.

“The wolfy likes it!” Psy cheered, and the rest of the restaurant guests cheered as well. Not Shinden, though. He was too busy looking down at himself, mortified.

One dish. One single, fattening dish, was enough to make him go from somewhat chubby to downright tubby! His grey belly no longer rubbed against his thighs, so much as rested on them, a big sphere of wolf chub that rose his black shirt over halfway up his chest. Not only that, but the wolf could feel the effects of his meal elsewhere; his cheeks felt fuller, softer. His neck gave a bit of resistance when he turned to look at himself, his shoulders also looking just a bit broader. His legs practically filled the entirety of his pants to their limit and then some, that tear in his shorts having widened considerably. He was almost as wide as the chair he sat on!

And that was just one dish! No wonder Tzin and Psy looked so plump. In fact, to his horror, he was actually looking wider than them!

“C’mon, friend, try the enchiladas next!” Tzin exclaimed, sliding the next platter forward.

Shinden’s eyes narrowed at the cheesy, dough-wrapped meal before him, as if challenging his next dish. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath through his nose to calm his mind, even if that effect was undone when he felt his pants tear slightly further. He can do this. He was the ace pilot of his academy; he had the willpower needed to only take small bites. He won’t clear out all of these enchiladas.

At least, he thought he wouldn’t, until he cleared out all those enchiladas.

There was no stopping Shinden anymore. The primal wolf within him had awakened, and it commanded him to devour everything in sight until he was fit to burst; which, given how quickly his belly was expanding, wasn’t likely to be any time soon! He couldn’t help himself! He had never experienced flavors so rich, savory, and flavorful before; he wanted to make sure his mouth was never empty of this divine food! He had quickly forgotten he was supposed to be critiquing the meals being handed to him, too busy sliding plate after plate of food down his greedy gullet to get a word in!

Yet no one stopped him! No one seemed to care that Shinden’s large pants were being ripped and torn apart, or that his shirt barely covered his chest anymore. No one said a word about the wolf’s belly filling his lap, or his back digging into his chair rest. Instead, all he heard were cheers of joy, as others urged him on, calling out the names of their favorite dishes.

“The taquitos! Eat those next!”

“Sope! The little round things! Try those!”

“The pozole next! Ea- oh, he already ate that!”

With so much food going down his throat, much of it being warm and spicy, Shinden was starting to feel parched. Thankfully, the chef’s were prepared; a bottle of ice cold Coke was presented to the tubby sabertooth, who had been too busy stuffing himself to notice one of the waiters fetching him a refreshment. Muttering a thanks, the wolf tore it open, foregoing the use of a bottle opener in favor of one of his oversized fangs, before taking a sip.

Then a swig.

Then a gulp.

He had heard tales about the fabled Mexican Coke, but was not prepared for the sugary-sweet nectar that passed his lips! He had meant to take a sip to wet his lips, yet found himself chugging nearly half the bottle in one go. And even then, he only stopped to let out a muffled burp, before going back to drain the bottle dry.

And then it was back to more food.

Just like with the chips and dip, Shinden ate in a pattern: polish off an entire platter, then wash it down with a couple bottles of Coke. Rinse, and repeat. Thankfully, someone was always there to replenish his empty bottles of soda, although the sabertooth’s fangs were becoming sore for being used as bottle openers. He ate, drank, and ate some more, much to the merriment of the others around him.

He only stopped once his stomach pressed into the table.

“Hurp!” Shinden stifled a hiccup, folding his ears. He didn’t need to look down to see how large his belly had grown, big enough to make reaching for more food quite the hassle. Oh lordy, had he gotten fat or what!

“C’mon, wolfie, don’t tell me you’re full already!” Psy cried out in dismay; there was still so much food left!

“I-I’m not!” Shinden muttered back, before wincing at his stupidity. There went his one excuse to finally squeeze his way out of this mess! Curling his tail at the feeling of being the center of attention, the fat wolf let out a sheepish response. “I... can’t reach the rest of the food.”

Indeed, there were too many empty plates, and too much Shinden, in the way! Each of his empty bottles also balanced precariously close to the edge of the table, serving as a reminder of how much Shinden drank and ate. The big wolf tried to look down, but was met with the sight of his own grey chub; somewhere, his shirt must have torn off of him entirely! Did these kinds of restaurants have a no shirt, no service policy?

Apparently not, for the wolf let out a loud grunt as he felt another plate slide into his gut. Leave it to Tzin to ignore how enormously fat his friend had grown, insisting the sabertooth continue his binge. “There ya go, buddy! Try this tinga next! This one’s my family’s recipe, believe it or not!”

Oh no. Shinden gulped, reeeeeaching past his billowing belly to grab at the bowl of shredded chicken and tomado, letting it rest on his shelf of a chest. After taking a break from eating, he was starting to realize how incredibly stuffed he was, the sabertooth unsure if he could eat another bite! Yet, with how ravenously he tore through those previous meals, everyone was expecting him to continue eating with that same ferocity. If not, he would come across as someone who didn’t enjoy or appreciate their meal, the thought making Shinden’s ears fold.

“...It smells delicious.”

With a halfhearted smile, Shinden tried channeling his inner wolf and began tearing through Tzin’s dish, much to everyone’s enjoyment.

---

“Dios Mio! If I’d known you’d eat every last bite, I woulda made more food!”

Shinden could barely even muster the strength to reply, letting out a muffled burp in response. Good gravy, he was full! He felt like he pulled a muscle sliding the last of those churros down his throat; that muscle being his stomach, of course. Did stomachs have muscles? God, he was so full, he was having stupid conversations with himself!

Others chimed in on how impressed they were with Shinden’s appetite, yet the sabertooth was too bloated to pay attention, weakly rubbing his arms along what little of his belly he could reach. He wasn’t just full, he was fat! Massive! Enormous! His belly spilled out before him, a perfect sphere of grey and white chub that looked big enough to take up a third of the table if he rested on top of it! His chubby cheeks were the size of grapefruits, wobbling with the slightest movements, visible even in his peripheral vision. The damage was only worse the lower you went, his rear completely engulfing the tiny chair he sat on (seriously, how was it still standing?)

In short, if one dish was enough to make him go from chubby to portly, then one meal made him go from portly to downright massive!

Shinden’s eyes fluttered shut; he was genuinely fighting to stay conscious. A sharp jab to his gut was enough to wake him back up, the wolf letting out a muffled belch when he looked at the feathered dragon poking him. “You still wanna head out and see the rest of town? I promise ya, the nightlife is something else!”

The wolf had to stop himself from groaning in response. He had lost all track of time inside, only noticing now the starry night sky through the restaurant’s windows. “M-maybe another time,” Shinden muttered, still rubbing his stomach. All he wanted to do was to roll into bed and pass out into a much-needed food coma. He’d probably get an earful once he got back to the airbase; he’d be stuck jogging around outside for months until he could fit into a plane again!

Tzin was insistent. “Are ya sure, bud? I promise, it’s really something else! Nothing like you’ve seen at home, I bet!”

Shinden ignored the rambling dragon, sloooowly hauling himself onto his feet. The wolf had to rock himself back and forward before finally heaving upright, wobbling precariously on his feet. It would take quite some time to get used to hauling around so much bulk, the lardy lupine struggling to stay upright as he slowly waddled, the floorboards creaking ominously beneath his steps. As he moved, Shinden was suddenly aware that he was completely pantsless, his underwear being the only clothing item to cover his massive rump, the pink-heart design no doubt stretched tightly around him. Shame. As he moved, his huge hips bumped against his chair, knocking it down along with his jacket. The bloated wolf winced; his loose-fitting jacket could barely fit around him as a bib!

He tried waddling out, but Tzin was right beside him, the chubby dragon looking rail thin in comparison. “Look at you, raring to go! I like your enthusiasm; let’s get going!”

Shinden blinked, holding up his pudgy paws defensively. “W-wait, I didn’t-” he was interrupted as Psy grabbed one of his hands, unable to reach the other past that tremendous gut.

“C’mon, Wolfie, it’ll be fun! I bet you’re craving something sweet after all that spicy food, yeah? Miguel has an amazing ice cream parlour!”

Oh no! Shinden was about to say something when Tzin grabbed his other paw, leading him forward. “Don’t forget Jose’s fish taco shack! We’re right by the ocean, so everything’s super fresh!”

Shinden’s eyes widened. This was not happening! He already resembled a beached whale, yet everyone was trying to feed him further?! Was this all some sort of conspiracy to turn him into a tourist attraction?! He tried to pull back, yet despite his immense weight, found himself waddling after the dragons. To his horror, the entirety of the restaurant’s occupants surrounded the spherical wolf, a third dragon chiming up.

“Oh, take him to Felipe’s bar after that! You saw how quickly he tore through those coke bottles! I betcha he’d love some beer next!”

“Good thinking!” Psy called out, as they all worked together to squeeze the engorged wolf through the front door. Shinden let out a quiet durf. It was going to be a long night…

---

“Now where’d that idiot disappear to?”

Jen growled in frustration, the timberwolf frowning at the hotel before her. The other day, Shinden told her he would look for a hotel in town, despite her offering to let him sleep in her room numerous times, and yet the only hotel Jen could find had a big red Cerrado sign on it.

Growling impatiently, Jen checked her watch. 11:54. Shinden was almost 4 hours late. Her stubborn boyfriend didn’t answer any of his calls, and given the locked hotel, it was unlikely the other wolf had simply slept through his alarm. Gritting her teeth, she started walking down the sidewalk, her brown hair fluttering in the hot wind.

It wasn’t like Shinden to be late to work, the wolf loved being a pilot, almost as much as Jen liked being his chief pilot, yet this wouldn’t be the first time Shinden had gotten himself wrapped up in some strange shenanigans of one sort or another. He was a fully capable adult, yet Jen still felt responsible for her mate, even as she mentally planned the lecturing she would give the big-toothed wolf when she found him.

Only problem was: she had no idea where to look.

The entire town was empty, and bizarrely so. She had been told that the streets were normally lively, the locals being very nice and friendly people. Her first assumption was that someone invited her boyfriend out for a few beers, and figured a few beers eventually turned into a few more. While not expecting Shinden to be passed out drunk on the sidewalk somewhere, she made sure to peek down every alleyway she came across, just to be safe.

Once she strode deeper into town, she paused, frowning at the sight before her. When did this little town get a blimp? She couldn’t imagine such a thing existing here, yet what else could be so big, round, and grey? Jen saw it peek over many of the surrounding houses, furrowing her brow. The airbase needed to be informed if anything larger than a kite would be taking up precious airspace, and judging by how massive that blimp was, it looked ready to take off at a moment's notice. Perhaps Shinden had stayed behind to inform the locals here of that fact. Or, God forbid, her loving boyfriend was responsible for something like this in the first place? She couldn’t begin to imagine how many beers the sabertooth needed to drink before thinking that could be a good idea!

Flicking her lengthy tail, the engineer strode deeper into town. As she drew closer to the blimp, she faintly picked up the sounds of music far off to the distance. The closer she came, the clearer the music, followed by cheering and laughter. Was there a party being held at the blimp’s location?

She found a massive crowd by the enormous grey ovaloid, partying and dancing not just next to the blimp, but on it as well! Ladders were placed all along it’s side, making it easy for anyone to clamber aboard. People were laughing as they awkwardly fumbled about on top of the grey object; Jen even noticed a large rectangular outline drawn onto the blimp in chalk, big enough for two teams of adults to play soccer. “How strange,” she muttered to herself, rubbing her chin as she took a closer look. She couldn’t make out an undercarriage beneath the blimp. Stranger enough, a blimp that size shouldn’t be so squishy, yet the other furs could have used the wobbling mass as a waterbed if they wanted. And since when were blimps so furry-

“Oh my God, that’s Shinden!”

Jen’s green eyes widened as she recognized the blimp’s coloring matching her boyfriend, her jaw dropping to the floor. Her boyfriend was massive, bigger than she had ever seen him before, and he wasn’t even in his dragon form! No wonder that “blimp” was looking so squishy and jiggling; he must have been eating all night! And given how the very air was rich with the scent of grease and salt, it wasn’t much of a mystery where Shinden found so much food.

Huffing indignantly, Jen strode forward, ignoring the greetings of the locals as she clambored onto one of the ladders. The wolfess let out a surprised yelp when she stepped onto the pilot’s massive sides, not at all used to the spongy, squishy texture of her boyfriend’s body. That didn’t stop her from stumbling forward, climbing higher and higher above any rooftop, passing dozens of furs bearing wheelbarrows of homemade cooking.

Eventually, she made it to her pilot’s head, a small face swaddled by two enormous cheeks. Surrounding that face were several furs, including two pudgy dragons, all chattering away to the blimped wolf.

Shinden, however, looked like he was hardly paying attention. His half-lidded eyes told Jen he barely got any sleep all night, his maw simply hanging open, letting the parade-line of furs stumble up to his head, dump their cargo into his pudgy muzzle, then waddle back down to refill their wheelbarrow. He was a bottomless pit, or perhaps the inverse of one; a limitless blob!

She stared in stunned silence before marching towards the front of the line, politely excusing herself. “Pardon me. I need to speak to the fatso here,” she explained in perfect Spanish, much to the delight of the locals.

Soon, she stood before Shinden’s head, the mountain’s eyes slowly widening as he noticed Jen’s shadow cross over his face. “O-oh, hey, hun! H-having a good morning?” He smiled awkwardly, trying to shy away into his own cheek chub.

“It’s past noon, love,” she muttered, hands on her hips. “Care to explain this?”

Shinden blinked. “E-erh, explain what?”

“This!” She gestured outwards. Shinden practically had his own horizon, an enormous sprawling mound of grey and white wolf! The timberwolf had became the main attraction of the town overnight, and judging by how his flabby sides were starting to rub against many of the buildings below, he wasn’t finished growing quite yet. He was massive, yet Jen knew that she could leap right off his side and land on Shinden’s bulbous, puffy rear. Her boyfriend was quite bottom heavy.

“O-oh, that!” Shinden chuckled, trying to act dismissive. Seeing his girlfriend’s unamused expression, the wolf gulped hard. “W-well, I was waiting to get into the hotel, a-and I needed someplace to cool down. T-then this dragon named Tzin came by, and invited me for a meal and-”

“A meal?”

“Erh,” Shinden blushed, his enormous cheeks a few shades redder. “It… sorta turned into a few meals.”

“I can see that,” Jen rolled her eyes. “I thought you had more self control than this!”

“I-I do!” Shinden whimpered. “But it’s really good food! You need to try some!”

“And end up the K2 to your Mount Everest? No thanks.” Jen crossed her arms. “What am I gonna do with you? We’re gonna need so many flatbeds to haul you out from town. I better call the boss and-”

“Umm,” Shinden interjected, wincing when Jen shot him a glare. “Could you...hold off on that? I promised Maria I’d try her famous tamales, and Alejandra her diner’s fried fish, and then Miguel was gonna come by with more-”

“More food?” Jen couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Shinden was usually so conscious about his weight. “Shinden, you’re the size of a city square! We could see you in orbit if we wanted to! Why on earth do you want more?!”

“They’re really nice people! I don’t wanna make them feel bad,” the wolf whimpered.

Jen sighed and stared, stared at her boyfriend. Her cute, pudgy, mountain of a sabertooth, looking so sad at the thought of not being able to finish his meal.

She found herself grinning.

“Tell ya what, love.” She leaned against his colossal cheek, playfully patting his nose with a finger. “We’re a little short on parachutes, but I don’t think that’ll be a problem if we have a mile-wide cushion to land on. Luckily, we won’t be needing a cushion for another few days. You get what I’m saying.”

Shinden gulped nervously. “I wish I wasn’t.”

“That’s too bad.” With a toothy grin, Jen stood up, gesturing to the growing line of furs climbing on her boyfriend’s gut. “Hey, everyone! Shinden says he’s starving!”

The resulting cheer was deafening, and Jen could feel her pilot jiggling wildly as furs scrambled onto the mountainous blob, no doubtedly bearing incredible amounts of fattening food. She smiled proudly, before giving that big chubby cheek of his a quick kiss. “See you after work, honey.”