Chapter 2
Rhaenyra was almost uncomfortably full, sitting upright on the couch with one leg up on the ottoman, a hand on her bloated middle. "So, tell me again what—" she stifled a belch, "—you feel is so exciting about this..." she prodded, curious as to the feelings Alicent was deriving from the act of filling her stomach past her normal limit.
Somehow, Alicent had convinced her to polish an entire platter of sliced meats, cheeses, and buttered crackers. All together, that food had to be over a pound, and it sat like a rock in her belly, her only solace being her gallon jug of water, that she took with her on all her jogs around the city. It felt nice to be this full, despite the dull ache of her stomach, but Rhaenyra considered that she definitely could get used to this, once or twice a week...
Alicent felt her face heat up and she tried to sheepishly dodge the question, "How are you feeling?" Her eyes were plastered to Rhaenyra's normally flat belly, now rounded by how full she'd made it. A bit of pride welled up in Alicent's chest, but she squashed it. The embarrassment, which usually came right after indulging in this little 'habit'— as others had called it— hit her like a truck. All the pride in her handiwork, all the safety she felt with someone— who had not only heard her out, but indulged in her interest with her— like Rhaenyra, it was dashed.
Rhaenyra snapped her fingers, a playful grin on her face, "Don't dodge my question!" She commanded, leaning to the side to get comfortable. Rhaenyra had never been this full before, and it was definitely a new feeling, even a little uncomfortable... but it was also calming...
Alicent chewed on her lip and picked at her fingers. The anxiety was building.
Rhaenyra struggled up to her feet, meeting Alicent eye-to-eye. "Hey." She put one hand gently on Alicent's cheek, "You know I'm not trying to make you feel bad, right?"
Alicent nodded wordlessly, and a shaky breath came from her mouth, before she finally said something. "I like... after you've eaten so much. It gives me this... sense of need, I like that I can care for you." She wanted to say more, as the anxiety crawled back down into the depths of her mind, where it would lay dormant again for however long. Rhaenyra made her feel... safe. She made Alicent feel safe enough to ignore her fear of judgement, and embrace her nascent confidence.
They sat in silence for a moment, each deep in thought about what Alicent had admitted in that moment, trying to formulate an idea around it, talk further about it... but sometimes, there was more learned from a peaceful silence than any conversation. The beauty of a comfortable silence was not lost on either of them as Alicent looked deep into Rhaenyra's eyes.
Rhaenyra knew Alicent well enough that this illuminated her most admirable flaw... her willingness to serve others, no matter the situation. That was why Rhaenyra was so concerned for Alicent in all her endeavors. Her dedication and devotion to being the rock on which the world rested, while admirable, was a concern for Rhaenyra, whose care and love for Alicent ran far deeper than any other relationship she'd ever had before.
That all was true in her mind, but to Rhaenyra, it was all the more reason to indulge Alicent's desire, however strange it still was to her, right now... this, she wanted it to be a safe place for Alicent to appease her constant urge to put her own needs second, but to— in a roundabout way— put her own needs, or desires, first, for once.