The Ups and Downs of Marriage (TNT x Foxxo)

[Twisted_iN_Tux]

Sleeping unexpectedly well, Julia awoke early feeling like a new person, literally, with a new body and even an adjusted attitude and mindset. She wasn't going to fear what was happening to her, she was going to embrace it, and while she knew Jack probably wouldn't be able to feel the same way, seeing that he was on the short, er, negative end of the stick they'd been handed, she had every intention of making it as bearable as possible for him, starting with cooking him the best breakfast possible.

"Honey," she now called from the base of the stairs, "breakfast is ready."

She was fairly certain that Jack was awake now, having heard the familiar creak of their bed overhead and then the rustling of sheets. If he didn't come down in the next ten minutes or so, she would probably head up to him with a tray in hand, if she really had to. One way or another, they would be kicking this day off on the right foot. She had a feeling it was going to be an interesting day, as, more than likely, new developments were made in regard to the virus, but regardless of what those were, good, bad or indifferent, she and Jack were going to stick together, on very full stomachs!

"Honey," she called once more, before heading back into the kitchen.

Approaching the stove, she proceeded to flip the vegetable omelet she'd been working on just minutes before. There was already place settings arranged on the dining room table, along with freshly squeezed orange juice and wedges of equally fresh melon. Thankful that she had done a week's worth of grocery shopping the day before last, they didn't have to leave the home unless they really wanted to, which, again, she would be happy to do, but not Jack.

Catching her reflection in the kitchen widow, she did take a moment to admire her newly acquired curves, which she had dressed in a very flattering manner. She new it was a bit of a risk to be dressed this way, almost like she was flaunting her newfound fortune, but at the same time, she wanted to look nice for her husband, wanted him to be able to appreciate what she had nearly as much as she did.

Was she wrong to think like this?

Well, she assumed she would find out soon enough, once her husband got his ass out of bed.

"Jack," she now called from the kitchen as she easily reached for an empty plate from a cupboard she previously had to stand on tiptoes to get to. "I'm going to eat it all myself," she then joked as she slid the omelet from the pan onto the plate and tossed the dirty skillet in the sink. "You've got five minutes," she sang up the stairs as she made her way towards the dining room. Don't make me come up there, she then thought, with an unexpected smirk, as she took a seat at the table.

 

[Foxxo]

Jack awoke feeling more than a little groggy. He slept, but not well. All those nightmares left him in a bit of a sweat. It was one of those nights where your sleep is so stressful and active that you wake up more tired than when you fell asleep.

Walking into the master bathroom, he washed his face in order to try and wake up a bit more. That's when he heard his wife's voice from downstairs, counting down the time until apparently she'd eat all the food she made. He smiled at that, appreciating her lightheartedness.

Jack didn't bother dressing. He just left the bathroom and walked downstairs in the clothes he'd slept in. Truth be told he was feeling rather lazy. Also a little hungry, though not nearly as hungry as he usually felt in the morning.

As he was headed toward the kitchen he was struck by all the smells. His wife was a whiz when it came to cooking, and Jack's mouth began to water almost immediately. She was cooking eggs, for sure. A good start to the day at least. Hopefully the rest of the day would be just as good, but Jack had his doubts.

By the time he got to the kitchen, she'd already finished cooking and moved the breakfast. Jack walked to the dining room and sure enough there she was, with tons of food ready and waiting. "Good morning hun. Sorry I over slept. It smells delicious." He sat down at the table, painfully aware of how the edge of the table reached higher on his body, and that his normal chair felt a fair amount larger. "Omelets hmm? You know me so well... Thanks for making breakfast." He smiled weakly at her. She seemed to be in a very good mood.

Jack noticed the fairly revealing attire. She looked beautiful, of course, but her new developments also made him feel rather self conscious. This wasn't going to be an easy day. He also dreaded any potential updates they'd hear about throughout the day.

 

[Twisted_iN_Tux]

Smiling as Jack entered the dining room, Julia's sunny expression faltered, just a little, as she got her first good look at him.

He was certainly shorter, by over half a foot now, and he looked exhausted, although, that was probably more so from him not sleeping well, than it being directly related to the virus. As for his general disposition, he was certainly more meek than before. He seemed timid now and a bit withdrawn, like he would be content to just retreat into his oversized clothes and call it a day. It was certainly disheartening to see him like this, especially since just yesterday morning he appeared so alive and well.

"You're right, Jack, I do know you well," she stated now, as she set her fork down, "and while I would love to just sit her and ignore the elephant in the room, as it appears you'd like to do, I simply can't because I love you too much to be that cruel."

The words were flowing now and there was no going back. They needed to talk about how Jack was feeling, how he was handling this situation or, more importantly, how they should go about handling the situation going forward, given the negative impact it was having on his livelihood. She didn't want to step on toes, but she also didn't want to walk on pins and needles. They needed to set some guideline and even clear the air, before they ended up snipping at each other like the night before.

"Honey, how are you doing?" she then sincerely questioned, as she placed her hand upon his. "It's me, Jack, your wife and your best friend. You can tell me exactly how you're feeling. There's no need to put on a show, to pretend, even for a moment, that you're doing okay, because, as we both just stated, I know you too well, and, right now, you're not good."

"Not by a longshot,"she tacked on, as she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, being careful not to apply too much pressure.

 

[Foxxo]

Jack listened to her speak patiently as he sat down and begun readying himself for their meal. He had had a feeling that she'd bring up the virus, and that she'd want to talk about it. Frankly, he wasn't ready to talk about, but knew he probably should considering how fast acting it was.

At first he cut a piece of the omelette before him and ate it. "This is delicious hun. Thank you." He paused then as he chewed, and swallowed, thinking about how to proceed.

"You're right... We should probably talk about all of this. To be honest, I'm scared. I don't know what'll happen today, or tomorrow. I have this fear that things are quite finished. I don't want to end up smaller than you. I'm... I mean, I don't know... I feel like I'd just feel really self conscious if I found myself looking up at you." Again he paused to get back to the omelette, not because he was finished talking but because it was hard to talk about.

"We'll watch the news when we finish here, and try to figure something out." It felt good to take the lead, on anything really. His behaviour last night had confused him and he hoped he'd be able to get over it and start acting normally again. "We can talk further after we've gotten a few updates..."

Jack was actually rather nervous about checking for updates. Part of him thought it'd be better if he didn't know anything. Otherwise he'd have to worry about what's to come. He looked up at his wife for the first time since sitting down, and again took in her new body... Sure she was sexy like this, but it also served as a reminder of what was happening. He tried to smile reassuringly.

 

[Twisted_iN_Tux]

Tempted to protest, to insist that they continue this conversation now - which was so unlike her - Julia held her tongue. As much as she wanted to get her husband to open up, to truly express what he was feeling about the situation, even about what was happening to her - beyond saying he was scared, which she knew took effort - she could see it in his face and even in the way he was currently sitting, now just wasn't the right time, and pushing would only make matters worse.

Returning to her half-empty plate, she quietly mused over how she was feeling.

Unlike her husband, she felt more confident, even a bit emboldened by her new body. It was as if someone had injected her with a serum that not only altered her physically, but mentally. She imagined such dispositional changes came from standing taller, from feeling stronger, from looking more, well, appealing, but it was all coming at an alarmingly fast rate. Could she handle such changes if they become even more intense? Right now, she felt the answer was yes, but that could easily change in a heartbeat the way this was developing.

"Why don't you go in and turn on the news," she offered, as they neared the end of the meal. "I'll take care of the dishes," she continued to inform him, regardless of their usual routine of him cleaning since she cooked. "Would you like me to make you another cup?" she questioned, as she got up from her seat and began to gather the dirty dishes. "Or would you prefer an herbal tea instead?" she offered, as she left the room, only after giving his cheek a reassuring peck.