Glory Days

[Amnoartist]

    
Author’s note: The following story is an ongoing project based on an outline provided by a generous patron. All content herein is subject to their preferences and desires based on that outline. The first four chapters are published now, with all proceeding chapters to come on a regular basis.


Glory Days
Written & edited by Amnoartist
Chapter 1

Jason could still scarcely believe it after all this time. It numbed his heart to know he was gone. So suddenly too, like a flash of light. The memories would still be there at least, which, in a way dulled the pain. But they wouldn’t ever bring him back.

His mother, Nicola, took it the hardest. She was there when it happened, the anger and depression so overwhelming that she couldn’t help but blame herself for it. And it showed. She had become so distracted by her self-guilt that it impacted her job to the point of being let go, which only let her depression fester. In time, she turned to comfort-eating, consuming tubs of ice cream by the gallon on a daily basis, doubling her weight in a matter of months. Jason knew something had to be done — and soon — else he would lose both parents sooner than he’d like.

So that was why he convinced his mother to go through his father’s things. He heard it was therapeutic for those going through grief, so hoped it would help his mother start to accept. She felt alone in her depression, but knew just from looking at Jason as he handed her an old photograph of her husband that she wasn’t.

“This was when your father was in his boy band.” Nicola wanted so hard to smile, knowing her husband’s music from his teens helped form powerful happy memories. But they were blocked out by her grief. Seeing her husband sport his classy mullet only reminded her of his passing.

Jason was wracked by his own guilt. Seeing his mother look at the photo deadpanly only made him regret giving it to her, angry at himself for thinking so selfishly. Jason may have accepted his father’s passing sooner, but that was no cause for thinking the rest of his family was ready. “Sorry, I’ll put these back,” he said, reaching his hand out to receive the photo.

“No. No, it’s okay. I was just reminiscing.” Nicola thumbed the photo for a minute, thinking deeply about the past before putting the photo down on the armchair’s rest.

Jason’s twin sister, Krista, came from the hallway with an old box held in her arms. Huffing, she clearly struggled with the immense weight of her father’s clothes piled into it, but wanted to do her part. Like her brother, she had mostly accepted her father’s passing, though did have the odd moment of sad recollection when alone. “Found these in the attic. No idea what you want to do with them though.”

Nicola looked, somehow managing to sort through the pile mentally despite her state of mind. The old green trench coat could be donated to charity, while the Oxfords were still in nice enough a condition to keep. The rest would need to be sorted more delicately.

Jason rummaged through the box of photographs again, looking for the old photo of the family together at Italy the previous year, but couldn’t seem to find it. He was so sure it was in this box, the one marked by coffee stains. It was a shame. That was the last time they were on holiday together before—

“Hey, look.” Krista flashed an old faded photograph at her mother, whose responding expression spoke for itself, her mouth falling open slightly as her eyes flickered with life for the first time in months.

The photograph she presented wasn’t just any old photograph, Nicola taking it from her daughter with a level of eagerness matching a curious child, but one dear to the mother on a personal level. To be precise, it was a photo of a woman in her late twenties wearing a bikini on a stage, her body sculpted to boast powerful muscles, presenting what was known as a front double bicep pose.

“Where did you find this?” Nicola asked, her voice evidently chirpy.

Jason and Krista looked at one another knowingly. It was the first time their mother said anything with such passion and eagerness in months. “I found it in that box I brought down,” Krista said.

“Who is it?” Jason asked, looking at the picture intently, marveling at the sculpted figure.

Nicola didn’t immediately answer, taking a moment to look at the picture with a soft smile. The first in months. Jason and Krista noticed that too. Whomever this person in the photo was, they were the key to cheering their mother up. Maybe if there were more photos lying around…

“It’s me,” Nicola said. She, of course, knew her son and daughter would barely believe that claim, but it was the truth. Every word of it.

“You were a bodybuilder?” Jason’s eyes were like saucers.

“Not just a bodybuilder, but a pro bodybuilder,” Nicola pointed out, proud of the fact. It was starting to flood back now. The training. The stage performances. The posing. The fans. All of it. “I won trophies and championships. I won the Miss Olympia four years in a row.”

“Miss Olympia?” Krista’s brow furrowed with confusion.

“It’s only the highest ranking professional female bodybuilding competition ever. Winners get the title.” Nicola’s image shifted to somehow not dissimilar to being proud. And she was. She worked harder than most to get the title not just once, but four times in a row. “Your father was a fan. A big fan.”

“But you told us you met Dad at a bar,” Jason pointed out.

“Well, I wasn’t quite sure how my kids would feel about knowing their mother was being bigger than their father, so I might’ve told a teeny tiny lie.” Nicola blushed, smiling. God, it felt so good to finally talk about the thing she loved doing most.

“Wait. You were bigger than Dad?” Krista’s eyes bulged out in disbelief.

“Well, I had to be. Besides, he certainly didn’t mind. He quite liked what we did in the bedroom.”

Krista looked at the photo more closely, scrutinizing every detailed muscle her mother proudly boasted. It was such a far cry from how her mother both looked and felt now. “I don’t get it. Look at you here, in your physical and mental prime, confident as can be, and a literal champion. What happened?”

“Ha. Your father got me pregnant with you two is what happened. On the night of my last contest, no less.” Nicola remembered that night all too well. The moves, the moans, the desire for more, the bed shaking. And then her husband took his turn to try doing the same. “He convinced me to tone down the workouts when I started showing, doing less and less as I got further along. Then after you were born, I settled firmly into motherhood.”

“Don’t you miss it?” Jason asked.

“Sometimes.” It hurt Nicola to know she was right, even though seeing the age-old photo did bring back powerful memories and stirred a fire in her belly that hadn’t burned in years. There was, of course, a way to shed the fat quicker than usual, but her age would no doubt be biggest factor. “Enough about me. Let’s keep going through your father’s stuff. I want to donate the trench coat and clothes to charity but keep the Oxfords.”

Jason and Krista went back to rummaging through the old boxes, while Nicola looked at the old photograph again, flooded by memories.

***

The stark revelation about their mother had completely changed Jason and Krista’s views on dinner. Ever since they could remember, their meals consisted of pizza, chips, steak, burgers — anything and everything practically greased with fat and packed with calories. It was a complete contrast to the formerly lean and powerful woman the twins had no idea was their mother at one point in life. It was a good thing Jason and Krista were wise to take better care of their health once they grew out of their teens. They were by no means as fit and healthy as their mother once was, but it was better than nothing. It also helped them get a clearer view of the circumstances behind their father’s untimely passing.

“So what age were you when you started bodybuilding? Because I can’t imagine it was easy either way.” Jason grabbed a burger practically dripping with grease from the plate. He didn’t have the heart to confront his mother about the unhealthy nature of their meal, knowing such foods were comforting in her time of grief. There was a cruel sense of irony knowing it was basically a heart attack on a plate.

“Jason, you haven’t stopped talking about this since we found that photo.” Nicola smiled, admiring her son for his curiosity. A part of her wondered what life would be like if she were forthcoming about her past from the start. “I started when I turned sixteen, competed when I turned seventeen and got my pro card the next year.”

“You managed to compete within a year?” Krista had initially moved on from the photo when she finished sorting through her father’s stuff, but her mother’s comments had certainly piqued her interest. The young woman knew next to nothing about bodybuilding, but it didn’t take much to figure out her mother being stage-ready within a year, especially when still in her teens, was rather quick. “How?”

“I will admit to have taken steroids during prep. That was another reason why your father wanted me to tone down the workouts.” Nicola noted her son and daughter’s shared shock, which was of course understandable. Steroids were dangerous if not used properly, something Nicola was aware of at the time, but knew sacrifices would have to be made to win. “The use itself he was okay with. It was when you two were on the way we knew things would have to change.”

“How much did you take?” Jason’s curiosity heightened. So much of his mother was still a mystery to him, as though he was yet to fully know her. It was as if, which was partly true, she led a secret life.

“Well, that depended on what I used, since some steroids are stronger than others. I even used some unsuitable for females to maximize my output.” Nicola’s eyebrows furrowed in thought, casting her memory back to find the names of steroids she used both regularly and irregularly. “There was Halotestin, Anavar, Winstrol, Dianabol, Deca-Durabolin, Trenbolone. I even used estrogen blockers from time to time.”

“Jesus Christ, mum. Wasn’t that dangerous?” Krista could barely believe her mother willingly put her body through such strain, daring to wonder what her insides would be like.

“Oh definitely. But I liked the thrill, the power and strength that all came with it.” Nicola’s eyes glistened in her remembrance of the past, the feeling of being strong, confident and powerful. Such memories would drive Nicola’s being, give her a sense of purpose. But that was all in the past. It depressed her.

Looking at the greasiness just reminded Jason, kept his thoughts solely on his mother’s former powerfulness. The confidence and strength. She needed that again, but he knew that desire wasn’t as strong as before. She would need help.

“Did you see how confident you were in that photo. You ever thought about taking bodybuilding again to rebuild that confidence?”

Nicola could see where Jason was coming from. She knew all too well that her confidence had been shattered, not just by her husband’s death, but the fact her own personal life was a shell of itself. Nicola, in point of fact, hadn’t felt like herself in years. She adapted to the changes that came to her life, the pregnancy with the twins being the powder-keg that set them off. “Jason, I know you mean well, but I’m far too old and much too fat to ever come close to how I looked back then. It’s something for me to look back on and be appreciative of. That’s why I have all the contest photos in the attic. Can’t remember where exactly because it’s been so long, but they’re there.”

“There are even more photos?” Jason’s eyes lit up. “I don’t understand why you’re ashamed of what you’ve achieved as a bodybuilder.” Jason saw his mother’s face contort into one of disapproval. He obviously overstepped.

“I’m not ashamed. It just depresses me to know I’ll never be that confident again.” Nicola’s face turned gloomy, reminiscing both her husband and her achievements as a bodybuilder, the memories clashing together to amalgamate. Before long, the misery got the better of her, causing the mother to make a quick escape from the kitchen, leaving Jason and Krista.

“Well done,” Krista said sarcastically, moving away from the table. “Dickhead.”

“What? I didn’t mean anything by it?”

***

Midnight. Jason never had much reason to be sneaky, but his mother’s comments about there being more old photos from her bodybuilding years definitely prompted him to act uncharacteristically. He swore his actions were born out of a desire to see his mother’s old confidence return, or at least out of curiosity.

The attic was blighted by dust and cobwebs. No-one was ever up there, save for the twins’ father to bring down the Christmas tree and decorations. In point of fact, Nicola made a point of the twins not being allowed up there when younger for fear of their safety. The old wardrobe in the corner always stuck out, a massive thing with silver knobs that glistened when light cut through the overhead window.

Jason smirked, approaching the wardrobe. He had a hunch what he was looking for would be in there. All the other boxes had already been taken down, looked through and sorted out earlier. The knobs turned, the wardrobe’s doors groaned woodenly, the bolts rusted and aching for oil. A cloud of dust burst forth, catching Jason off-guard to numb his throat. He coughed.

When the cloud cleared, Jason’s focus turned to the shelves one by one, each packed with boxes, some old clothes that hadn’t yet been sorted through, and odd trinkets. And that was when he saw it, staring right at him from the hanging rail no less, the pink sequins sparkling. His mother’s old posing suit, the last she ever wore. Jason dare not hold it, its beauty unmatched, worrying even touching it could do some damage. He bent down to inspect the box on the bottom shelf instead, utterly convinced the fact this one stood on its own implied some level of importance.

And it did. Opening the box, Jason’s eyes practically lit up with excitement when he saw its contents, an entire trove of photos of his mother in her bodybuilding years. There were dozens of them, some more faded than others, but all never failing to show the woman in all her powerful glory. And her confidence. It sparkled and burst with life in each, boasting smiles and poses that demonstrated the woman Nicola once was, here, was her best self.

 Jason again swore his actions were born out of a desire to see his mother’s old confidence return, or at least out of curiosity. But the more photos he sifted through, noting how between some of them his mother was noticeably bigger and more defined, it became clear there was more to Jason’s want to help his mother rebuild her confidence. He found a photo of his mother boasting an abs and thighs pose in the bikini he found. She must’ve been no older than twenty at the time, yet already bigger than Jason’s father ever was. It was surreal. It was...hot. His underwear tented as an erection formed, his inspection of the photo persisting and morphing into something darker.

Was Jason getting turned on by his mother? No. No, he couldn’t be. That was wrong. Yet the confidence, power and strength were all traits in her Jason found himself admiring stronger than one’s son should. In fact, confidence such as his mother’s then was what most people would strive towards. It was that confidence, power and strength Nicola needed to turn her life around. Jason knew, though, that his mother wouldn’t change her tune so easily. Push would have to turn to shove. And Jason intended on shoving hard.

[Amnoartist]

Chapter 2

Jason had broken his plan to help rebuild his mother’s confidence down into three key factors: diet, workout and steroid use. All three were dependent on one another. If just one failed, Jason’s goal would collapse. He could already envision the endgame, seeing his mother strut confidently on stage and boast her trophy-winning muscles and get the crowd going. Admittedly, Jason boned up at the thought as he sat at the computer browsing for the necessities to realize that vision.

He may have had less body fat than his mother, but Jason knew next to nothing about how to properly diet, and even less on how to stick with it. It was only because he was an active person that he was able to keep his weight modest. He was by no means a physically strong guy either, especially compared to his former champion mother. Taking everything into account, Jason was in the best shape of his life, so far. Given his lack of knowledge in how to diet, Jason had to start things off by purchasing some dietary books. But he wasn’t best pleased by some prices.

“£50?” Jason’s eyes bulged out. Surely there was an equally efficient guide out here for cheaper? And to think the book he was looking at happened to be the industry standard. He caved, of course. It was all for a good cause, after all. But spending that much money on a single book had opened Jason’s eyes to the reality that was the world of retail: it was damned expensive.

Jason had a second tab opened on his web browser, the contents of it he was understandably more cautious around. After working up the courage to do so, Jason actively started searching for an online store that sold steroids. To his understandable surprise, however, there were a lot of them. Jason’s understanding of steroids was that they were illegal performance-enhancing drugs, which was true. But an extension of that belief was that they were hard to come by. This was no longer the case in today’s world, where they were regularly and openly sold to all kinds of interested parties. In Jason’s case buying the steroids wasn’t the problem. It would be finding a place to hide them all from his mother.

Jason jotted down the list of items he was looking for, mentioned previously by his unsuspecting mother the night before. Winstrol was the first he picked up, eating away at his wallet with a hefty price of one hundred pounds sterling. Anavar was forty, Dianbol at eighty, and Trenbolone being the most expensive at one-forty. Jason could scarcely understand how his mother was able to afford all those things on a regular basis back in the day, not to mention coupling that with paying for food and bills, when it cost so much. Of course, Jason stuck by the belief of it all being for a good cause. It definitely helped with swallowing the bitter pill that was purchasing all the expensive stuff to make his goal a reality. Anything to help his mother.

The steroids ordered, Jason next made an account on a forum dedicated to bodybuilding and asked members for advice on steroid use. He was particularly interested in the perfect balance of their use that would help with maximizing growth without any adverse effects showing. It was in this conversation things got a little bit interesting, as several members had varying opinions.

CeleBoost: Just go ham on them, kiddo. It’s your body.
TaintedDream: Didn’t you hear? He wants to minimize adverse effects.
FixCookie: I’d argue there is no “perfect” balance. Every body is different - literally.
TaintedDream: Yeah, it’s something you’ll have to find for yourself.

Clearly, visiting the forum wasn’t the best idea Jason had made lately. For obvious reasons, he deliberately foregone telling the people replying to him that it was his mother he wanted to roid up, without her knowing. If he was honest about it, there was no telling what they would think. At that point Jason realized he would need to find that balance himself. Which, considering he was basically doing everything else anyway, didn’t come as much of a surprise, really.

***

“Whatcha doing down there?”

No matter how much one worked out or used steroids, Jason knew the key to shedding fat was a good diet, which was why it was the most important factor in his plan. He knew his mother’s diet wasn’t the best, but that had to change - quickly. Jason was by no means the best cook in the world, but he knew the basics, enough to get things going. He bought a pancake mix to make some pancakes and strawberries for the family’s breakfast, but he had to be careful on how it was all put together.

“Oh, nothing. Just putting together some pancakes for breakfast.” Jason opened the false wall panel, the perfect hiding spot for the drugs he’d purchased knowing his mother’s knees were too weak for her to bend down. He mulled over the options. Should he start off with Deca, Winnie, or something else? He’d mix them with some fat-burning pills to help get things going, to help his mother’s physique come in quicker. It would, of course, still take weeks, months even, considering the need to workout too. Jason was giving his mother a little nudge.

Nicola could smell the pancakes all the way from upstairs, sat upright watching some TV. She’d normally be downstairs by now, doing the exact same thing as her caring son, but knowing he instead took the role of chef that morning allowed her to feel a bit lazier than usual. “Be sure to make some for your sister too.”

Jason poured the second pancake mix into the skillet, opening the Winstrol bottle to put four pills squarely in the middle, concluding his sly actions with the further inclusion of three fat-burning pills. He would mark which pancakes would be his mother’s by leaving hers slightly burnt around the edges. His plan was perfect. All that needed doing now was making Kristy’s pancakes, adding the strawberries, and pouring some orange juice.

***

Jason knocked on the bedroom door, his other hand dexterously holding the breakfast tray. He could hear Kristy’s annoyed grumbling from her room across the hall. More often than not, Jason shared the same mentality about getting up so early in the morning as she did, but things were different now. Jason had a plan that needed putting into action. A plan he was so confident in that it completely drove his existence, changed him.

He opened the door, sharing his mother’s warm smile as she saw the tray of pancakes presented with such care, the golden syrup drizzled over the starchy foodstuff. Nicola did wonder why Jason was suddenly so attentive towards her, knowing he usually wasn’t, save for birthdays or when she was ill. But this was just another normal day. Perhaps it was better to not think so much about it, though. He was doing this out of the goodness of his heart, after all.

“Thank you, darling.” Nicola moved in to kiss Jason on the cheek. He didn’t expect to blush so profusely, much to his mother’s surprise. Taking the cutlery from the corner of the tray, Nicola prepared to dig into the heavenly meal prepared by her son. Though she couldn’t help but frown a bit at the burned edges. “Get into a fight with the skillet?” she jested.

Jason smirked. “Been a while since I last made pancakes.”

Nicola’s first bite was pretty telling. Had a distinctive crunch to it that made Jason’s heart plummet. Maybe the roids and fat burners weren’t coated by the pancake mix properly, so it stood to reason he’d get caught out by his mother before his plan to help her even kicked off properly.

“Mmm! Nice crunchy texture.” Nicola licked her lips before taking another forkful. This bite was more pronounced than the first, as if the initial one was taken in caution. After all, Nicola wasn’t used to her son cooking.

Jason smiled. He was in the clear. Two elements of his plan were firmly put in place. Now for the third: workout. This was vital, yet Jason knew it was best to start things off slowly, to ease his mother back into the world of fitness. “So, uh…I was thinking, if you were up for it, maybe we could go for a walk later?”

“A walk?” Nicola was understandably confused, yet equally intrigued by her son’s suggestion. She knew him to be an active person, but even before his father’s untimely passing, was never known to spend much time with his mother. This was especially true in her case because she liked to go for walks in her free time prior to those unfortunate circumstances. Be that as it may, Nicola knew her chances of doing well in a walk nowadays would be slim to none. She could fell her pudgy gut just by breathing. “You can’t be serious.”

Jason knew he’d need to convince his mother a bit. The sun was out, so the weather alone was convincing enough for most people. But Nicola needed some extra reassurance. “Just a short one. Maybe around the park just once? Come on, it’ll be good for us.”

Nicola knew Jason meant well. But she couldn’t shake the possibility of people laughing at her body for how fat it’d gotten. The comments. They’d just chip away at what little remained of her self-esteem. She couldn’t risk that. But how would her husband feel? Would he want his wife to be dominated by other people’s opinions, especially when he knew how confident and unmoved by them she used to be when a champion bodybuilder?

Jason looked at his mother with a sense of hope.

***

"Come on, you're doing great." Jason could hear his mother's ragged breaths from behind, huffing and puffing like there was no tomorrow. Sweat trickled down her brow and neck, the summer sun beating down on her burning neck. “Just a few more steps.”

Nicola could see the bench up ahead. It was definitely more than ‘just a few more steps.’ Honestly, she felt she would collapse at any moment, her heart thumping like a drum, sweat blurring her vision. Nicola knew this was karma for letting herself go so badly over the years, then getting worse after her husband passed. This was a bad idea and she knew that, regretting the decision to go for this damned walk, in hindsight.

Suppose it wasn’t all bad. It went without saying Nicola dreaded any kind of comment members of their homey community might offer in passing, saying rude things behind the woman’s back. But that wasn’t the case. Understandably, most comments were sympathetic towards Nicola regarding her husband’s death, some going a bit further by cheering her on for trying to shed the ‘extra fluff’ gained from the depression. It helped boost her confidence a bit.

Maybe Jason was right after all.

Eventually, Nicola arrived at the bench, Jason already sat there with his water bottle, handing his mother’s as she took her place next to him. Jason could hear the wood creak under his mother’s blubbery ass, her breaths heavy and ragged. They didn’t really travel that far, a quarter of the way around the park at most, but Jason was proud of his mother for having the courage to go out at all and face so many people who could have abject opinions of her appearance. Luckily, of course, there weren’t any so far.

Their luck, inevitably, would run out at some point. In the next few seconds, to be exact.

“Nicola! I knew that was you! Could see your fat ass all the way from across the park.”

Jason glared.

The moment she saw Pam Davidson approach the bench with a smug confidence, Nicola’s own dwindled, withered away like a dying flower. As much as Nicola hated Pam for flaunting said confidence, she had every reason for it, especially in front of Nicola. Pam was a forty-something year-old housewife with a lot of time on her hands, supported by her lawyer second husband, boasting beautiful blonde locks of hair, flawless skin and deep green eyes, wearing hot pink gym shorts with a matching gym top. But it wasn’t this obvious beauty that set Nicola off. It was the fact Pam openly boasted abs.

During her first marriage, the boastful Pam used to be as fat as Nicola was now. At that point, a sharp contrast existed between the two women - Nicola, the epitome of confidence, Pam, a housewife wracked by depression brought on by a damaged marriage from her cheating husband. But now the coin had flipped. All Nicola could do now was stare enviously at Pam’s abs, noticing even the slightest details in her obliques bulged out.

“Oh, that’s right. You used to be a bodybuilder, didn’t you?” Pam knew she dug deep into Nicola’s soul with those words, knew the sport to be something she was passionate about. Pam ran her hand over her washboard abs teasingly, feeling the distinct bumps and grooves, knowing the display would drive Nicola around the bend. “I have to say, while I was confused by your decision to be as big as you were back then, I can definitely understand why. The confidence, Nicola. Not to mention the compliments.”

Jason drew his eyes off Pam, though couldn’t help but offer the slightest glance at her abs when she tilted her body slightly to the side. Her obliques became more pronounced, bulging outwards. The woman spent countless thousands of pounds of her husband’s money on diets and workout programs that gave her the body she now proudly flaunted.

She scoffed. “And look at you now. A sad sack of shit nobody wants to talk to. Those people cheering you on for coming outside? I wouldn’t think too deeply about it. They’re just feeling sorry for you. You don’t get a medal for doing what’s expected of you. No wonder Greg decided to die.”

Jason really, really wanted to punch Pam in the face. He knew her to be a hypocrite — ironically, one that got him hard for having such great abs — but hitting her even to defend both his mother and his deceased father wouldn’t put him a better light. Or would it?

Pam straightened up and looked at the silent Nicola condescendingly. “Now if you’ll excuse me. I’ve got a tight body to maintain and a hot man to fuck later tonight. A few of his friends are coming over.”

Jason watched Pam walk off in confidence, her firm glutes pressing into the material of her shorts, bare calves bulging outwards. It was cruel how he was getting hard over the body of the woman who just insulted his deceased father.

Nicola broke down into quiet sobs, burying her face into Jason’s chest.

In hindsight, the walk was a terrible idea after all.

***

Nicola’s confrontation with Pam changed everything. The pieces seemed to click into place then, the mother’s determination rebounding, knowing she’d sat around for long enough — in fact, longer than that. She was, of course, right that Greg wouldn’t have wanted her to wallow for the rest of her life. She may have been ind her mid-forties, but Nicola knew so much of her life was still ahead of her. And something had to be done to ensure she could spend as much of what was left with her son and daughter.

It had been years since Nicola prepared any kind of diet, but it all seemed to come back to her over time. Calculating carbohydrates, balancing out caloric intake, choosing the food options with less fat on them. Boiled chicken, rice, vegetables— it was all coming back. Jason could hear the pots and pans clattering all the way from the hallway as he approached. A smile crept up his lips. He hadn’t seen his mother this enthusiastic and determined in years as the whole chicken was slapped onto the worktop. Pam’s goading comments must’ve really cut into her.

“I’ll show that bitch Pam how…”

A part of Jason was getting excited though. Without realizing, his mother was piecing together the third part of his plan to rebuild his mother’s confidence. Jason obviously couldn’t piece together a diet to save his life, so his mother doing it for him was like a sign from God that what he planned to do was meant to happen.

Jason, of course, had his own plan to enact, waiting for the perfect moment to shove more roid pills into the meal for the much-needed kick. “If you want, I can do it for you. It’s no big deal.”

Nicola smirked. Her son was so kind and thoughtful. She trusted him well enough to do it, the system she’d set up easy enough to follow. “Thanks. I’ll be in the living room until you’re done.”

Jason smiled shrewdly. Reaching into the false wall panel, he pulled out the Dianabol and Anavar pill bottles. He postulated whether to put one or the other, or both drugs in this time. On top of that, he wondered if he should lace all the chicken at once or just the chunk he planned on cooking right now. Should he put double in this time? How much was too much? So many questions that suddenly needed answers.

“You okay in there?” Nicola asked, noting the silence.

“Uh, yeah, just checking the temperature for this,” Jason shot back quickly, dumping what had to be over half the contents of both bottles up the chicken’s cavity. That had to be enough, surely? The plan wasn’t to eat all the chicken in one sitting, but divide it equally for portions over the next week. Steroid-stuffed chicken. What wasn’t to like?

[Amnoartist]

Chapter 3

Five weeks later…

“Sweetie, could you hand me that blouse over on the bed there?” Nicola hummed a cheerful tune as she got ready to get some groceries for the next week. Jason had left earlier in the day to hang out with some friends from college, the cinema first, then to the nearby pizzeria for a quick bite. He did ask Krista if she wanted to come along, but politely declined. Truth be told, she couldn’t stand some of her brother’s friends, especially Nial who kept hitting on her.

When Krista turned from the bed with the blouse, her body froze on the spot when she saw her mother remove her bed gown, revealing her modestly sculpted back. Enough flab was still there to get a hold of, but most of it seemed to have been shed, stripped away. As if that wasn’t enough to catch the daughter off-guard, she also noticed her mother’s calves, not as chubby as they used to be. It was odd. Krista knew about the recent changes to her mother’s diet and training regimen, but she hadn’t been at it long enough for any real changes to be noticeable this quickly.

Nicola saw her daughter’s face through the makeup table mirror, an amalgamation of confusion and surprise, and chuckled. “What?”

Krista wasn’t sure how to broach this subject. She knew her mother was conscientious enough about her body without someone dear to her heart pointing out things about it. Did her mother even know? What would happen if Krista did say something? “Nothing, it’s just…” Oh, great — she’d have to say something now. “…have you felt anything…I dunno…differently, lately?”

Nicola pondered. Come to think of it, she did feel lighter, for lack of a more appropriate word. Though that was all just from the careful diet, cutting out all the bad stuff. As much as she liked to have a small bar of dark chocolate in the evenings, the mother knew they’d be detrimental to her personal goal of shedding weight. “I do feel like I’ve lost a few pounds, which is great. I want to lose about twenty kilo before I find myself in a healthy weight again. Think I’ll start weight training next month.”

“Wait. You haven’t been weight training yet?” Krista looked at her mother’s capped shoulder again, then to the bare arm extending out to grab the expensive bottle of perfume. She was pretty sure the older woman’s bicep bulged out slightly. So if she wasn’t weight training yet, how were Nicola’s arms displaying such muscle? They were by no means as big as they were once were, but still a noticeable difference to how they were weeks ago.

“Of course not. I’ve only been taking walks on a daily basis. Been thinking about renovating the attic into a gym too. It’s high time that room was getting proper use.” Nicola took the blouse from Krista and stood up to put it on.

Krista was surprised, to say the least, not sure how her mother had only been at her diet for a few weeks, yet had somehow shed a amount of fat from her frame than was possible without some kind of help. Nicola didn’t seem to mind, of course, but Krista was concerned.

***

Frankly, Jason didn’t really want to go to the cinema with the buddies, more roped into it through peer pressure than a genuine desire to hang out. What was it this time? Another CGI-fest horror flick remake? A sci-fi sequel? He hadn’t really been paying attention, his mind elsewhere, thinking about his mother and her progress. She had to have lost around, what, ten percent body fat now? He was desperate to find out, but Nicola was still self-conscious about how others viewed her and kept wearing baggy clothes. In time, though, her confidence would return and she’d start showing off.

Jason couldn’t wait for that day. He heard his friends get amped up by the movie’s epic moment as his mind calculated the steroid dosages and fat burner pills for the month ahead. He had them rationed to last the rest of the month. If his mother kept taking one of each with every meal, she’d lose another five percent body fat and gain just as much muscle mass. Jason knew it was best to start things slow, but frankly — like with the movie on the silver screen — he was starting to lose patience a little. He obviously didn’t want to go overboard, but it wouldn’t hurt to up the dosages just a nudge, would it?

When Jason saw one of the actresses in the movie come on screen, his focus quickly shifted to her. She wasn’t quite like the other actresses, with a muscled back in full view for the audience to either appreciate or be repulsed by. Judging by the prolonged shot on screen, it was obvious the director wanted the audience to lean towards the former, which Jason certainly did. He didn’t brandish a full erection — not that those around him would notice in the dark — but a tingle was definitely felt at his nether regions. Seeing the actress’ powerful muscled back reminded him of the photo of his mother he found, which didn’t help in suppressing his feeling. Maybe if he thought of something else—?

“Hey, you want some nachos? Kailey and I are going to get some?”

Jason turned, his mind half-focused. He forgot Nial and Kailey were sat next to him, so concentrated on the movi—the buff chick to care. Come to think of it, he was a bit hungry. Nachos wouldn’t dot it for him though, but something a bit—he looked at the woman again, a quick glance—meatier. “Nah, get me a hot dog. With mustard and jalapenos. Oh, and a can of Blue.”

Nial rolled his eyes as he left with Kailey. He’d miss a chunk of the movie because of Jason’s appetite now. Great. But unbeknown to Nial was the fact that was Jason’s plan. His erection wouldn’t go away, and neither would the actress with the muscles, or Jason’s mental image of his mother in her place. With time desperate, Jason had to resort to equally desperate measures. After making sure the coast was clear, he put his hand down his jeans. It was a good thing they decided to sit at the corner seats at least.

The actress had since stripped naked to tip-toe into a massive, steamy bath, disrobed to reveal her powerful body from the front, abdominal muscles frontally displayed on screen. With each delicate step her calves rippled, hamstrings twitching in tandem. As the woman’s face took the focus on the screen, Jason didn’t see hers, but his mother’s. That was all which was needed to get him going.

He didn’t furiously stroke himself in his battle against time, but rather took it slowly, appreciated the moment he found himself part of, imagining the moment on screen had evolved into something between himself and his mother. He would wash her body after a hard day of working out just for him and she would flex for the same reason. In time, they would eventually share the bath and find themselves in a loving embrace—

It was just a dream, of course. But like his intention to help build his mother’s confidence and body again slowly becoming a reality, who wasn’t to say Jason could pull that off too?

[Amnoartist]

Chapter 4

Early May…

Jason had been watching his mother work out for the past fifteen minutes, sat at the living room couch cross-legged. He was supposed to be finishing up a book chapter for college, but Nicola didn’t seem to mind the odd glances here and there. She had the dumbbell weight doubled up recently, which was obviously a good sign. Going by Jason’s rough estimates, Nicola could be stage-ready by the year’s end. Sure her body wouldn’t be as big as when she took to the stage before retiring, but it was a start.

Jason stared at his mother’s shoulder. Some definition was able to show itself without much trouble for the first time, an exciting prospect. Jason could imagine massaging his mother’s lats after a tense workout. He suspected his father readily participated in this act years ago, jealous of the insane opportunity the man was given. But now things could be different.

Nicola’s forceful grunts had gotten deeper of late, likely a result of the steroids Jason had been secretly ladling into her every meal. Sometimes he second-guessed whether he’d given her enough, or should there be more. Never less. Always more. Always more. It was as if Jason didn’t have a limit in regards to how far he would go to help bring his mother’s body back to its former glory. Maybe even surpass it. That excited him, seeing his mother with even bigger muscles and greater strength than before. The confidence would match it all, of course. No doubt Nicola would feel as though she could take anyone on.

The dumbbells were dropped to the mat at the woman’s feet. She hadn’t bothered to wear any socks that day, so the veins in her feet were particularly noticeable this time around. Where they always that freaky-looking, all thick and twitchy? Or was it something to do with the steroid cocktail? Granted, Jason wasn’t concerned by it or anything. In fact, he thought of it as an interesting change, a key moment in his mother’s metamorphosis into something greater.

His viewpoint shifted to her hamstrings, twitching in correlation with even the slightest of her movements, sweat trickling down from her sweaty booty shorts. Jason wasn’t used to seeing his mother wear something like that, but his go-to explanation for such changes was her boost in confidence. She bent down into a stretch so her fingers touched her toes. A relatively simple and innocent enough motion, if it wasn’t for the fact her glutes pressed against the shorts so tightly all that could be seen was the angular muscles taking up all the space and sucking in all the air.

Jason’s cock twitched.

When the stretching was done, Nicola turned to face Jason. His face wasn’t entirely beet red, but somewhat flushed from the thrilling display he’d just witnessed. Nicola’s sports bra was equally drenched in sweat, so her modest breasts were slick with it, shiny and pleasing to look at it. Neither of the said a word to one another, but they still knew. The looks they exchanged helped tell the story. With each breath Nicola’s abs rippled, a six-pack starting to show through her skin, flanked with obliques. God, one could grate cheese on the woman’s stomach even in its current state, Jason knew.

But his mind sought to look at things a bit differently. Seeing his mother’s rippling stomach, he imagined it jutting outward, bloated and full to bursting from pregnancy. A pregnancy he’d induced from fucking her so much. Being father to his own mother’s kid was something Jason’s cock couldn’t seem to move past, throbbing and poking up in his shorts shamelessly. His imaginings didn’t stop there, of course, seeing his mother work out during the pregnancy as much and as hard as before. Maybe even harder, as if being pregnant gave her more strength and energy than not.

Nicola eventually noticed the erection and smiled, expressing a reaction most mothers wouldn’t. She stare at her son’s excitement contemplative, as if wondering whether she could take its size, clearly larger than her deceased husband’s.

“My room. Ten minutes. Don’t be late.”

Jason’s eyes widened in his predictable disbelief. He heard what his mother said, clear as day, but still couldn’t believe her. “What?”

“You heard me, mister. You clearly didn’t get that from your father, and I haven’t had a dick in me in months, so…” Nicola brushed her hand over Jason’s shaft, giggling girlishly at the throbs under her palm. It was so firm!

Jason watched his mother pace off upstairs. He decided to hang back a bit to mentally prepare for the moment ahead. How would he start off? With worshiping her muscles? Maybe just go straight to sex? Come to think of it, who even said it was up to him what they do? Nicola might take charge and force Jason to do things he had no idea he’d end up liking. God, he couldn’t wait to—

“Jason!”

Krista nudged her brother forcefully, rousing him from his daydreaming. He’d been staring into space for the better half of a minute now, likely missing out on some key details his sibling enthusiastically shared over the kitchen counter. “Geez, you were in a world of your own there. You’ve even popped a boner.”

“Shit.” Jason blushed, moving his hands over his crotch. Krista scoffed. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen an erection before, though catching her brother’s was certainly awkward. Jason looked at the freshly baked lemon drizzle cake on the counter, their mother’s favourite, hoping the distraction would calm him down. “Sorry.”

“Uh-huh. Anyway, the cake’s all done, though I did most of the work.” Krista inspected the cake obsessively, checking for burnt edges which she hated. In her free time, baking cakes was her passion, the same way she thought masturbating was her brother’s. But what did she know? “I’ve put an even mix of steroids and fat burners inside. There are some sleeping pills in there too.”

Jason hesitated. He still wasn’t sure if filling Krista in on his scheme was a good idea, going against his better judgment. The only reason he did tell her was because he knew she was smart enough to figure out what was going on, sooner or later. Granted, Krista reacted better than Jason thought she would. Well, she still didn’t like the fact her brother was going about his plan so secretively, behind her back, even though she understood why he was doing it at all. She wanted to help her mother too.

“Gotcha. Then when she’s blacked out, we put this in her.” Jason removed a syringe filled with a curious liquid from his pocket, placing it next to the cake. It was a genius plan the twins shared. All they wanted was to bring their mother’s strength and confidence back. It was harmless, the intention good. But it was undeniably almost evil too. But they didn’t seem bothered by it.

“Exactly. Now, remember: inject into her glutes. Mum’s less likely to notice the track marks there than anywhere else.” Krista opened the drawer and pulled out a knife to cut the cake in half. She heard the soft crunch of the pills as they came in contact with the blade, the powdery substance lightly spilling out to the dish, which was then blowing away. Jason put the syringe back in his pocket.

At that moment, the twins heard the front door click open as their mother returned from her jog. She had gotten so energetic lately. A part of her was curious about how that was the case, but most of her mental focus was split between prepping her meals and workout block for the next week, and the next jog an hour from now. As if having four already wasn’t enough. She wore a sports bra and booty shorts similar to the one in Jason’s dream, equally drenched in sweat, her heart rate pacing wildly.

“You kids want something to eat? I’m starving.” Nicola paced past her son and daughter swiftly, opening up the fridge to grab a fresh bottle of water, replacing the one she’d gone through on her workout. She poured some on her head to cool off, chugging the rest in one go, then went for another bottle, going through half of that before stopping. It was an impressive thing to look at, the twins noted.

Eventually, Nicola noted the cake. Jason and Krista knew their mother would take half of it now for herself, and leave the other to be shared between them, just like old times. But that was the old Nicola, the Nicola who would happily live on lemon drizzle cake if she could. The Nicola before the twins now was different. The Nicola from years past was slowly starting to show itself day by day. This Nicola looked at the cake scornfully, turning her nose up at it, even though it was likely made by her kids purely out of kindness.

“Is that dessert?” Nicola noted the twins’ nods. She loved lemon drizzle and they knew that, but my God, were they trying to undo all the progress made so far? Granted, it was inexplicable as to how so much fat was shed over the past few weeks so quickly, but that wasn’t something worth complaining about. Maybe the big guy upstairs finally decided to shed some light on her after her bereavement. “Eh, you can share it between yourselves later if you want. Too many calories in it for me, I think.”

The twins just looked at one another, absolutely dumbfounded by the twist. Now, what were they going to do? They couldn’t exactly force their mother to take the cake, could they? Could they? No, they both had limits. Jason decided to take the matter head-on however he could. “You sure you don’t want just one slice?

“Yeah I mean, it’s not like if you do take it you’ll put on ten pounds or anything.” Krista grimaced, reading back the words retrospectively. In a way Krista was wrong. Her mother would put on ten pounds— just not the kind of ten pounds she expected. “Think of it as a tiny cheat meal for taking all those jogs today.”

Nicola looked at the cake differently then. Maybe just one slice wouldn’t hurt. Besides, it did look beautiful with the layered latticing over the top. Was that cream on it too? The larger cake looked like a heart attack waiting to happen, but one slice — one slice was a reward in itself in Nicola’s eyes. Caving in, she took the slice near the dish’s edge and bit into it. Her face scrunched up, smacking her lips.

“A little crunchier than usual. And the taste…it’s a bit bitter. Did you forget to add something or—”

“We baked it with some different ingredients,” Krista cut in quickly, covering her tracks with a lie. “A new type of flour with twice as much protein as normal flour. We wanted to make sure you were at least getting some protein from your cheat meal, so…yeah.”

“That explains the bad taste.” Hearing about double the protein convinced Nicola to take another slice, then another. By the time the twins’ brains registered what their mother was doing, she’d already eaten half the second slice and snagged four more in her hand to gorge on. “Has quite an aftertaste though,” she added, bits of cake rolling down her chin and landing at her feet.

Jason froze, pretty sure he saw his mother’s sports bra getting tighter across the shoulder. Just before it started getting good though, Nicola stopped to yawn.

“I’m pooped. All those jogs must’ve caught up with me. Time to hit the hay for a few hours.” But that didn’t stop the mother from nabbing yet another piece of cake before shuffling out of the kitchen. “You can order something in for dinner.”

The twins looked at one another with shrewd smiles. They would wait a few minutes before going ahead with the next part of the plan, Jason pulling the syringe out from his pocket again.

***

Nicola was out for the count before she knew it, snoring loudly. She wasn’t even under the covers properly, her body half-dangling over the bed like she was drunk and collapsed. This was the perfect opportunity for Jason to enact the last part of his shared plan with Krista. He didn’t have to bother with sneaking, his mother was so out of it, casually drolling on the covers. It wasn’t the prettiest of sights, but what could he do?

With the syringe in hand, Jason moved up to the bed and stared at his mother’s ass for a solid minute, drawn by their angular shape, still sucking in the air as if flexed even in her sleep. She mumbled, startling Jason for a few seconds, the syringe wobbling in his loosened grip. If he was caught, God knows what would happen. Taking a breath, he gathered his composure before taking hold of his mother’s booty shorts with his free hand to pull them down slightly, just enough to expose both ass cheeks. They were tighter than Jason expected, even after seeing their shape under the shorts, causing him to stiffen up. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling a bit, seeing his weeks-long secret plan finally pay off with some tangible results. Results he could touch. And he did, running his free hand over his mother’s glutes to get a better understanding of how strong muscle was even at such an early stage in development.

Nicola mumbled again, but this time Jason steeled himself to stay put, confident enough to not only keep his hand on his mother but rub her with his thumb. She may have given birth to him, but Jason knew the Nicola before him was his creation, slowly taking shape day-by-day, inch-by-inch, pill-by-pill, and now dose-by-dose. It was an exciting prospect to see just how far Jason could, even if just theoretically, take his mother’s transformation. Stronger, sure, but how much stronger? Where would she plateau? Of course, Jason couldn’t help but wonder how long it would be before his mother found out the truth, knowing he couldn’t keep up with the secrecy forever or someone would slip up. But by then, when she was both confident and strong enough, would she even care about the “how”?

Jason readied the syringe and injected the contents into his mother’s ass. It was his first time injecting something into anyone but felt confident enough to do it after watching a tutorial on YouTube about ten times. He felt proud at the moment though, knowing if he could do it once, he could do it ten, fifty, even a hundred times over, his mother getting bigger and stronger with each dose. There was, of course, the possibility he might decide to up the dosages over time, ensuring faster growth. But that was something to consider later, pulling his mother’s booty shorts back up.

The decent thing to do now would be to help put her to bed properly, wouldn’t it? He pulled the bedsheets back…

***

While Jason was busy doing the right thing of helping his mother to bed, Krista was busy using the computer going over a spreadsheet she and Jason shared, dedicated to her transformation. She was meticulous with the details: when Nicola should eat and how much to maintain a healthy weight, when another injection or dose should be taken and how much in it. She even considered when was best to sleep to ensure maximum growth potential. Granted most of the work was done by using her mother’s own spreadsheet as the baseline, and some dietary and bodybuilding books at her side as reference points, but Krista opted to add some extra details to help flesh it out more.

Looking at the data, Krista could see Jason was right: if their mother maintained the same regimen throughout the year, she’d be in decent shape by the end of it. A good goal to achieve, for sure. But if Krista’s additional details were taken into consideration, Nicola could be in better shape by autumn, and even compete lightly in the winter if she wanted. Of course, Krista suspected Jason no doubt had his own ideas on this, which they would discuss in confidence later.

The forceful grunts from outside distracted Krista from the planning, her eye catching their neighbor Pam in her back garden bench-pressing. The weather afforded her the opportunity to wear a string bikini that helped boast the tighter, stronger frame she’d been building over the last few months, a complete contrast to its previously flabby self. Her lawyer husband’s wealth helped give the woman the body she now possessed, but that wasn’t who she was with on this occasion.

He was a big guy, like a proper bodybuilder, shirtless and tanned by the sun, stood by the bench as Pam’s spotter. Krista couldn’t quite catch what he said, but it was obviously something complimentary towards Pam, what with the soft giggle she offered between reps. They were clearly friendly towards one another. Granted, whomever this guy was, he was Pam’s personal trainer. But there was friendly, and then there was Pam’s kind of friendly.

When she finished her set, the first thing Pam did was flex her pecs, watching them ripple and roll, pressing her chin into the thick, almost armour-like flesh. Who wouldn’t do that, knowing they had such a body that could be effortlessly displayed? Her shoulders were capped and striated, almost pumpkin-like in shape. And her abs, fuller and more prominent under the minuscule layer of fat, flanked by obliques equally distinctive. In truth, Pam looked contest-ready right there and then. It was in watching her that Krista realized something: even after the past few weeks of Jason sneaking steroids and fat burners into their mother’s food, Pam was still ahead both physically and mentally.

Krista mentally focusing too much on the stark differences between her mother and Pam meant she didn’t notice the neighbor getting flirtatious with the huge personal trainer. That was, until the one moment when they were practically chest-to-chest. His was obviously larger and more developed, but that didn’t stop him from admiring Pam’s own hard-earned developments, brushing his hand over her left pectoral.

There was weird moment then that Krista noted. They looked at one another. They didn’t do anything beyond that. Just looked. But it was telling. There was an obvious spark between Pam and this guy. And her poor husband had no idea.

Speaking of the Devil—

“Shit.”

Krista noticed Pam’s husband pull up in the driveway. Judging by Pam’s reaction, she wasn’t best pleased. Her hands flailed frantically for a moment before staging herself to look like she was still benching. Though if she had her way, the woman would likely have decided to take the moment between her and the trainer elsewhere.

Pam’s husband had moved through the house and into the garden, at which point he had slipped into a casual conversation with the personal trainer. They shared a laugh, but it was clear the personal trainer still felt awkward. Krista was pretty sure she heard the name Chad mentioned, of all things.

Pam pulled up from her staged benching and grabbed the small towel hanging over the garden chair, next to which was a table with an assortment of pill bottles on it. Pam opened one of them and plucked out two pills to swallow without water. When that was over with, she turned to her darling husband with a feigned smile.

Pam’s husband gestured to the patio door, suggesting they take the conversation inside, to which Pam seemed to agree, staying close to her hulking new toy boy. Krista maintained her observations for a bit as Pam halted at the steps leading into the house to slip into sandals. It was nothing of interest really, Krista noticed. But her curiosity got the better of her, and even came back to bite her before she realized, seeing Pam freeze before clocking Krista looking out from the window.

“Fuck.” Krista ducked into a squat. She hoped to God Pam didn’t notice her, but who was she kidding? Of course she did; she’d been standing there watching for long enough that getting caught was her own damn fault. Hoping the coast was clear, Krista pulled herself up to look again.

Pam was gone.

[Star_trooper]

Wow, I feel like this is something that is going into the legendary list.  If this story keeps going in this pace it'll sure be a classic masterpiece in the next few years.
Hoping for more++

[Wookey]

This is a great story in the making

[bertmacklinsbrother]

This has been an excellent read so far!  Very nice work.  The descriptions are spot on, and I'm a sucker for a nice slow growth story with lots of questions as to the upper limits!  I'll be reading with excitement every time you update.

Cheers, my friend!

[Ascalon]

an excellent read so far and I hope you continue to write this story.

[taoschild]

Really enjoying this so far and I like the fact that it might go in different directions. 

[Amnoartist]

Chapter 5

Mid-June

Nicola had decided to make good use of the warm weather by sunbathing, something she couldn’t have enjoyed in recent years. But with her body fat melting away, and muscle tone starting to come through, she could finally, once again, wear a bikini with confidence. On the small deck table at her side was a homemade cocktail and bowl of fruit to enjoy. It was a good thing the neighborhood was quiet, as it typically was; she could finally just…relax. Sure, the woman had done her fair share of exactly that over the years, watching TV and eating comfort foods to her heart’s content. But this was the right way to do it, sunbathing and flawlessly flaunting a hot body to boot.

Jason wasn’t typically one to lie in the sun himself, but recent events and developments had compelled him to act differently. He wore a pair of shorts and shades, his sandals scuffing off the decking as he moved to the other chair adjacent to his mother. It was in this relatively innocent moment he noticed the stark difference between them, outside of the obvious tannning brought by the sun, his milky white contrasting with her bronze. Jason couldn’t help but compare his stomach with his mother’s, how his wasn’t in any way something to drool over but wasn’t exactly fat either, yet her’s was starting to reap the rewards of her dieting, workout regimen and Jason and Krista’s stealthy implementing of steroids and fat burners. In fact, Jason could see his mother’s abs start to pop out with minimal effort as she laid there on the chair, a modest four-pack striving to push itself to the surface. Some oblique development was noticeable too. Jason knew his mother hadn’t done any exercises yet to warrant such growth, so surmised it had something to do with all the steroids he’d been ladling into her food lately.

When she shuffled a bit to raise her left leg up, Jason’s eyes shifted their focus to the muscles his mother unintentionally yet flawlessly displayed. It was obvious her daily walks were starting to really pay off now, with the way her quad muscles bunched up to slightly bloat and jut as they held the position, angular calves slightly crusted with veins. It was glorious.

“You can touch it, you know,” Nicola casually blurted out.

Jason took a moment to be sure of himself. No, this was no dream this time. The invitation his mother extended was very real. And that fact was what made Jason hesitate. He wouldn’t do that in a dream. He wouldn’t dare miss out on an opportunity like this, yet there he was, stammering and acting like a fool, just standing there.

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.” Nicola’s eyes peered out from behind her sunglasses, looking sharply at Jason’s beet-red face. “You were staring at my abs for a solid minute there before I pulled my leg up.”

Had it really been that long? Jason hadn’t noticed.

“Besides, you wouldn’t be the first to do it. I had horny teenagers fawning over me in the years before my retirement from professional bodybuilding, before your father got me pregnant.” Nicola could see Jason was still unsure of himself, wracked with nerves. A rather adorable display, actually. It seemed he needed some confidence of his own. “Oh, come off it, Jay. You’re only touching my leg. It’s not like I’m letting you put your finger inside me or anything.”

“Well if you’re okay with it, I suppose it can’t hurt.”

The words were easy enough to roll from Jason’s tongue, but even then, his trepidation persisted, looking at his mother’s bulging thigh muscle. A layer of vascularity was visible, subtle yet distinctive enough for Jason to notice the veins forking and twisting. His fingers rubbed together delicately, Jason mustered just enough courage to place them on the limb. He didn’t do much else beyond that, self-doubt swamping him. How much touching was too much? It was questions like that which affected Jason.

“For God’s sake, boy. Do it like you mean it.” Nicola grabbed Jason by the wrist, pulling his arm down closer to her leg she was so eager to flaunt with soft, rippling flexes. Her son’s hands grasped the powerful appendage with a new sense of eagerness. He gulped. God, he never knew muscles could be this fucking hard. And to think this was all his doing. Sure, Krista played a part, but it was Jason’s idea, Jason’s dream, Jason’s vision being realized. It excited him, to say the least. He just hoped his mother wouldn’t notice. At least not until the time was right — a few months yet when Nicola would win her contest. Then they’d both have rewards of their own.

“And my abs. Whatcha think about them?” Nicola’s fingertips traced the brick-like shapes protruding from her stomach. Smiling, she relished in knowing Jason was just as eager to feel them as her thick leg. It reminded her so much of the past, sighing. “Mmm. You remind me of how your father used to touch my muscles. He was soft too.”

“Uh…” Jason took that as a compliment, of course. But he certainly didn’t expect his mother to say something like that. At least not in real life and instead in his fantasy dream world. Were the realms of reality and fantasy starting to meld together, or was Jason’s perverted mind just playing tricks on him? Maybe his mother didn’t mean the words to come off the way they sounded. But that didn’t stop Jason from thinking otherwise. Jason was just so set on having his mother to himself that he believed, one way or another, everything she said was layered with an eroticism aimed to his benefit.

“My body’s already built like a track star. And to think I haven’t even started weight training yet! I think it’s time to change that, don’t you think?” Nicola shuffled to sit upright, pulling Jason away from his gentle touches. Nicola took a moment to think. Yes, it was time: time to take things up a notch and put some real mass on. She didn’t quite understand how her fat was shedding so quickly than normal but that wasn’t something to lose sleep over. Not when she had developed abs this quickly. “Yeah, if things keep on track until then, I’ll have a body good enough for the regionals in the winter. If I win that, it won’t be long before I hit the Miss O stage.”

“The Olympia? Thinking that far ahead already, are we?” Jason quipped. He knew his mother would hit the O stage when she wanted, presuming he and Krista stuck to their plan well enough, but until then, he had to keep up appearances, acting none the wiser and dubious.

“You have to. When you’re a bodybuilder, you gotta keep focused on something. Whether that’s just adding another inch to your arms or getting a V-taper doesn’t matter. To be a bodybuilder is to focus.” Nicola registered the words just rolled from her tongue. Truthfully, she hadn’t focused on something worthwhile for quite some time. So to know her thoughts were shifting their focus to winning the regionals, then the Miss O, meant the age-old mindset of being a bodybuilder was starting to dust itself off.

Nicola couldn’t refrain from offering a slight smirk at herself, knowing that. It made her wonder about the future that laid ahead, not just her return to competitive bodybuilding, but generally speaking. Seeing her body reform into its former confident self made Nicola think working as an office clerk no longer suited her: it wasn’t as active a job as she felt herself becoming. She needed to be on her feet, needed to keep herself active. To that extent, she was seriously considering quiting and seeking a job elsewhere. Though of course that new placement needed lining up first. The issue was where.

Jason moved his hand away from his mother’s abs, glancing at her arm. There wasn’t much definition there to look at, much to his disappointment. But he knew that would change soon enough, convinced Nicola’s statement about starting proper weight training would put everything into overdrive: the diet, dosages — everything. He’d heard stories about bodybuilders big enough to pack away enough food in one meal to satisfy a family of four for a week. There wasn’t enough to those stories to make Jason think there was a layer of truth to them, but that didn’t stop him from wondering: once enough steroid dosages were sneakily pumped into her, and her working out had developed into a perverted obsession, would his mother do the same? Eating to grow, grow and grow.

It was all just a dream for now, a foolish delusion dancing around inside Jason’s head, teasing him. But so was the idea that Nicola would regain her confidence. Now she was raring to return to the stage, to spread her wings once more. And Jason was the cause of that. Perhaps if he just pushed himself enough, dared to up the ante a bit, even that fantasy could become a reality. There was no limit to Jason’s imagination, to how far he was willing to take things.

And Nicola had no idea.

***

When the opportunity presented itself, Nicola decided to enact a plan of her own. It didn’t involve working out, dieting or even drugs like Jason’s, but, on a personal level, felt just as important to the larger goal. In her bedroom wardrobe was a cardboard box. It must’ve been a good twenty or so years old now, judging by its fading texture. Inside were VHS tapes of Nicola’s contests, all varying in quality. Some were professionally produced, whilst others were recorded by avid fans too shaky from watching to keep the camera straight. Nicola’s deceased husband, Todd, was one such fan. In fact, it was his fan recording Nicola was watching right now.

Whilst there was a layer of it involved, Nicola wasn’t watching the video for posterity’s sake. If anything, she was looking at her past physique like a judge to spot any fundamental flaws in her form, shape and general presentation. Nicola wasn’t usually this analytic towards herself, but in her goal to come out of retirement and wow the crowd, she endeavoured to make a point. She wanted to make it feel as though, despite the twenty-year gap between contests, she had lost neither her touch on the sport or any of her crowd-wowing mass. She was going to bring her A-game right out the gate.

“Held that lat spread for too long.” How hadn’t Nicola noticed that before? God, no wonder she was marked down. And the abs & thighs afterwards: not flexed hard enough. It was embarrassing to think this was Nicola’s last contest before the pregnancy with the twins. What were her fans thinking? She buried her face in her hands, crippled with shame. “Fuck.”

Maybe Nicola was just being too hard on herself though. Todd didn’t seem bothered by his wife’s presentation. Sure, he was her husband and would no doubt side with Nicola regardless. But still. She could hear his voice in the tape, muttering softly so he didn’t take over from the crowd’s atmospheric cheers. He knew Nicola’s routine by heart. “Lat spread. That’s right, nice and tight. Hold it. Great, now go to— Front double bi!”

Nicola smiled. It was eerie hearing Todd, like listening to a ghost. A flicker of heartache was felt then. Nicola didn’t quite expect that. Nope. Not at all. She hoped looking at her posing routine in the video would distract her from it, but hearing Todd again only made things worse. She didn’t expect his soft-spoken words of support to cut deep. Maybe digging out the old tapes was a bad idea right now.

The tape was spat out of the old video player and held tightly in Nicola’s hands. She thumbed the edges gently, contemplating. How soon would it be before she dared to hear Todd’s voice again? If at all. Nicola needed to go through the tapes to examine her physique, but the trouble was she couldn’t remember which ones had Todd in them. She couldn’t bear to hear him again. Not right now anyway. The tapes would have to be sorted, somehow. Just not by Nicola.

“Jason, can you come here a sec?”

Jason’s journey from his room to that of his mother wasn’t long, a single left turn after crossing the threshold in the hallway. He saw her sat on the bed holding the tape. They looked at one another long enough to know something was up, but Nicola didn’t say anything. So Jason didn’t either.

“Yeah?”

“Can you sort these tapes for me? I want the ones with your father at the back of the box and those without at the front.” She put the tape back in the box, at the back.

Jason’s brow furrowed, confused. Why would his mother want the tapes of his father put at the back? “Are you sure? You don’t want—”

“I’m sure,” Nicola blurted out, cutting Jason off. She moved off the bed and headed to the door. “Let me know when you’re finished.”

Jason didn’t get a chance to say much else, his mother already halfway down the staircase by the time he turned around. Looking at the cardboard box, he scoffed. There must’ve been over thirty or so tapes in there. And he was expected to go through and sort them by the ones his dad was in? Bit of an odd request, but okay.

Time to get started.

[Amnoartist]

Chapter 6
Late June

“A personal trainer?” Krista stashed a bunch of bananas into the shopping trolley, glancing at her mother mulling over the wide assortment of protein powders. So many flavours — toffee, chocolate, strawberry… Nicola didn’t know whether to choose one or all of them. The woman’s frame had filled out a bit more over the last few weeks, evidenced by her blouse tightened across the shoulders. “Are you sure that’s a smart idea?”

“How hard can it be? It’s no different than when I trained myself all those years back. I’m just helping others now.” Not being able to choose, Nicola opted to take one of each protein powder. That alone added an extra £100 to the shopping total. Could all this even be afforded, Krista fretted. It wasn’t just the protein she was concerned about, but the other stacks and stacks of foodstuffs her mother was rather mindlessly tossing into the trolley. She’d probably go through it all in the same week, too. Krista saw the bright side: at least it was healthy food. “Sure, I’d put some weight on over the years, but it’s not like my understanding of dieting and training had vanished into thin air,” she added.

Krista grumbled to herself, supposing her mother’s words were mostly true. She’d been dieting, yes, but most of the physical changes came from the twins’ scheming. “Have you at least got a client to get things started? Can’t call yourself a personal trainer if—”

“Oh, you’ve reminded me! We gotta go to the printing specialists next, to get some flyers done.” Nicola rummaged through her handbag and pulled out what was the master copy of the flyer she planned to hand out and post later in the week. It had Nicola in a sports bra on the front, boasting a bicep flex and showcasing her abs, with a few buzzwords about fitness and self-improvement thrown in for good measure.

“So, no client? You quit your well-paying job at the office to be a personal trainer and you don’t even have a client yet?” Krista scoffed. She couldn’t believe her mother was so confident in her future as a personal trainer that she’d do something that reckless. “You don’t even know if people will come.”

“They will.” Nicola sounded so sure of herself, then. She grabbed two eighteen-litre bottles of water off the shelf, hauling them over to the trolley. Her biceps popped slightly, just enough for a modest pump. By the time she placed the bottles into the trolley, veins had risen to the surface of her wrist and bicep. “Besides, the results speak for themselves.”

Krista watched her mother raise her arm into flex and look at the lemon-sized bicep pop into full view. Most people would congratulate a woman Nicola’s age for having a fit body, but Krista was livid because she knew the truth: Nicola wouldn’t be in even half as good a shape as now if it wasn’t for her and Jason’s ‘contributions.’ Of course, Nicola wasn’t exactly being smug or anything. It was just— she had no idea how little her actions actually affected her changes. But Krista chose to stay silent on the truth. There was no telling how it would affect her mother’s confidence.

“Now, come on. We’ll finish up here, then go to the printers for the flyers.”

***

“Sorry, lady, no can do.” The printing specialist looked at Nicola’s flyer studiously. He could see a lot of effort had been put into it but knew no time could be squeezed into issuing out even just a few copies. “Would love to help, but I’m booked clean through the day.”

“The whole day?” Nicola was crushed. The day was off to such a great start, and now this? What was she going to do now? Taking the flyer from the printer, she contemplated giving up on her hope of being a personal trainer right then, practically visualizing crawling back to her old desk job and slaving away at a nine-to-five. “Who books the whole day through?”

“Come on, Mum. Let’s just go someplace else.” Krista didn’t know what to think. She knew if her mother was distraught enough, she’d slip back into her anxiety and lose her confidence. Something neither of the twins would want after working on improving it so intensely.

“Someone paid a lot of money for their order to be printed in bulk.” The specialist pointed out. He glanced down at the flyer still held firmly in Nicola’s hand. Then realized. “Huh. Come to think of it, their flyer wasn’t much different from yours.”

“Hm?” Nicola’s eyebrow furrowed in curiosity. From looking at him, it was clear the printer was intent on not saying much else beyond that. That annoyed Nicola. How was he going to say something like that, tease her, and then not follow up on the subject? “What do you mean?”

“Mum.” Krista flashed a copy of the curious print order in her mother’s face. The daughter knew Nicola would react negatively, one way or another, but definitely didn’t expect her face to turn green with envy when she saw that the flyer had—

“Pam!” Nicola snatched the flyer from Krista and glared at it. A mix of emotions swam over the woman then: the initial jealousy, followed by anger, a sense of anguish, but it was the jealousy that was most prominent. Why wouldn’t it be? “Pam’s starting personal training classes, too? The bitch!”

Krista was torn. A part of her knew what being a personal trainer meant to her mother, but there was nothing that said Pam couldn’t be one either. Granted they were both neighbours and not on the best of terms right now. But competition was healthy. This would give her mother a reason to keep pushing. There was, needless to say, the fact Pam had the edge in publicizing her personal training courses.

“I mean, look at her in that! To have gotten as big as she is so soon, she has to be on something. Or multiple things at once.” Nicola looked at the pic of Pam on the woman’s flyer. Her shoulders alone had practically doubled in size since Krista noticed her working out with Chad a few weeks back, capped, pumpkin’d and striated. There was even a curious vein bulging on her forehead. “She’s making a lie out of her own advertising and promises.”

“Um, Isn’t that like the pot calling the kettle black?” Krista said with a soft tone.

Nicola’s eyes narrowed coldly. “That’s different. I intend to train people properly. Pam’s implying that people can get a body like hers naturally, but she’s built like that because of drugs.” The mother begrudgingly put the flyer back into the pile at the desk. “Besides, I haven’t touched steroids in years.”

Krista gulped.

“You shouldn’t be advertising that woman’s lies,” Nicola scolded the printer.

“Hey, I’m just doing my job, lady.”

“Uh-huh. Well, do it better.”

***

When the car pulled into the family driveway, Nicola wasn’t so eager to get back into her usual grind. She hesitated. Was there any point in pursuing her plan in becoming a personal trainer knowing her next-door neighbour was a step ahead in doing the same? Sure, Pam would be making a lie out of her offerings, but when she was likely going to be the only personal trainer the neighbourhood had to offer, it wasn’t as if people would be any the wiser. Nicola thought about spilling the beans on Pam, but that would just make things between them worse and make herself viewed as a Karen, likely.

Krista had already left the car and started hauling the shopping bags into the house. She wanted to say something that would rouse her mother into action, but the words weren’t easy to find. Krista could tell her mother wanted to be a personal trainer, so something had to be done about getting the flyer copied. There was an idea. It would work, but wouldn’t appear as professional as Nicola wanted.

Nicola mustered the willpower to leave the car. She immediately regretted that decision, seeing the large truck stop just outside Pam’s house. A group of guys climbed out, moved to the back of the vehicle and pulled up the shutters revealing the dozens of boxes stashed inside. Nicola knew from the hunch she felt what the boxes contained, what they collectively pieced together.

“Ah boys, you’re here. Great! Just place them all in the basement and we’ll do the rest.” Pam stood at her front step watching the delivery men haul the boxes through her garden. She wore sporty clothing that helped accentuate her physical developments, the capped and pumpkin’d shoulders Nicola mentioned earlier on full display. She wore slippers, but that didn’t stop her calves from bulging out, veins tracing the angular muscles.

“You sure you don’t want any help with putting it together, miss?” one of the men queried in passing as he shifted a box through Pam’s hallway.

“Oh no, it’s fine. I’ve got some help with that already lined up.” Pam glanced out to the side of the house, from which Chad emerged. The personal trainer ran his hand through his blonde quiff and smiled at one of the delivery men. Chad wasn’t wearing much, save for a pair of shorts, putting his musculature on full, proud display for all to see. The delivery men were envious of him, his thick pectorals staring at them. Pam bit her lip. “Chad here’ll take of it.”

“Sup, man?” Chad extended his arms out at one of the delivery men, hoping to take the box from him. It was his job, but the weight of that box would likely put his back out. Best give it to someone more capable. Someone stronger.

Chad took the box, then headed inside. Pam couldn’t resist looking over her shoulder to gawk at his angular glutes pressing into his shorts. She sighed contentedly. Chad was just so hot and dreamy. When Pam turned around again, she finally noticed Nicola looking over from their shared waist-height fence.

“Oh, hi Nicola. Just getting some stuff delivered for my new home gym. I’m starting classes as a personal trainer.” Naturally, there was a sense of narcissism in Pam’s tone. She wanted to rub it into Nicola’s face, and it was working; the mother barred her teeth in a thinly-veiled casting of jealousy. “Was going to ask if you wanted to be a client, but it looks like you’ve finally got your weight in check, somehow.”

Nicola grumbled.

“Have you seen my new flyer?” Pam reached out to the hallway table and grabbed the flyer sitting on the top. She made sure to flash it a few times, making a point out of it, knowing it would piss off Nicola. Of course, Pam was clueless about her neighbour sharing the same goal in being a personal trainer, but the fact she beat her to it gave Pam the exhilarating feeling of one-upmanship. “I’ve already gotten a few clients lined up.”

Nicola couldn’t bear to keep up her silence. She had to say something, but no doubt it wouldn’t exactly put Pam in her place. She was still ahead, after all. Come to think of it, she was more physically developed, too. “Don’t you think I know you’re using steroids?” Nicola shot back.

“What of it? I know you did.” Pam folded her arms over her chest and sucked her teeth, knowing a valid point was made. It was a strange thing, seeing both women’s positions had flipped, where Pam used to be fat at the time of Nicola’s reign as a bodybuilding champion, and now Nicola mentally found herself in the former Pam’s place. Both women may have, more or less, matched physically now, but Pam was in the lead. Something Nicola never suspected would happen. “You were popping steroid pills like candies when a champion bodybuilder, all those years back. I never understood why you obsessed over working out. But now I do. The power.”

“That’s not what I’m getting at. You’re making a lie out of your advertising.” Speaking from experience, Nicola could tell Pam had hormones flowing through her veins right now, and her body was starting to hint at it. “Your clients will think you’ve gotten that body of yours from hard work, but you haven’t.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I’ve read up on bodybuilding. You can only get so big naturally before needing a ‘pick-me-up.’ So I decided to just cut out the middle man, so to speak.”

Nicola scoffed, scarcely able to comprehend what she just heard. Pam just admitted to using steroids from day one. This Chad character Nicola had just been introduced to was likely involved, but there was no telling how deeply. “So you’re just going to offer drugs to your clients from day one, too?”

“If they want. It’s my business, Nicola. I don’t see how it bothers you so much…unless it does.” And that was when it clicked with Pam. She couldn’t believe it. Oh, this was too good to pass up on gloating over. She was fitting to burst into laughter. “Oh, I get it! You wanted to be a personal trainer, but I beat you to it. And because of that, you feel threatened by me.”

“No!”

“Oh, come off it, Nicola. You know I’m right. You wouldn’t be so pissy otherwise.” Pam wanted to drive the point further. She had to. She got off being right about other people, knowing she was better than them. She moved closer to Nicola so only the fence was what kept them apart, but there was no denying the energy between them: the distinct sense of rivalry. Pam smirked, looking at Nicola’s abs. Her own were more developed and distinct, almost blocky in shape. “You know I’m more muscular and you can’t stand it.”

Nicola watched Pam turn to present herself in a back double bicep pose. The ripples of her back revealed themselves beautifully, moving like gentle waves. Her hands were held out openly to retain a more feminine presentation. Nicola’s jealousy blossomed. She had to put some serious work in to not beat Pam, but just simply catch up.

“Getting bigger every day, hon. You’ve no chance of catching up.”

“Is that a challenge?” the mother queried.

“You bet it is.” Pam glared. She could do with the thrill of this challenge. Or rather, she could do with putting Nicola in her place. For years she’d been belittling her, and now it was Pam’s time to come up on top and take the crown. “First to be the biggest by year’s end and have the most successful personal training business.”

“Alright, you’re on.”

The two women begrudgingly shook on it. It was the first time they’d seen some sense of agreement on anything. And no doubt each of them would do whatever it took to win. No holds barred.

“By the way, Pam,” Nicola said to the departing woman. “It’s dangerous for you to be fooling around with that toyboy of yours. Even if he has a nice ass.”

Pam scoffed before slamming the door shut.

***

Chad could tell Pam was frustrated. Her steps descending into the basement were louder than usual, not to mention the odd curse word was tossed here and there. The stud was in the middle of putting together his client’s new dream home gym, having done it several times before with his own that was continually improved and expanded over time. Taking an odd glance at the woman, he stopped, his quads pressing forcefully into his shorts.

“Something got you down, babe?”

“It’s that bitch Nicola. I finally have a bit of one-upmanship over her and she can’t stand it.” Even now, it irritated Pam. In the spur of that moment, the two neighbours agreed to the challenge, but could Pam see it through? Could either of them? She looked at Chad, now back at piecing together the equipment. Not only was he younger and stronger than Pam’s workaholic husband, but he had experience as a handyman, too. He had completely re-plastered and painted the basement walls with a colour tone to match the metals of the equipment he was now assembling. Chad had done more physical labour in a week than Pam’s husband did in the past year! “You know, you look hot doing that,” the woman admitted.

“Heh. I get that a lot.” The leg press was done. Now it was time for the bench. Despite his experience, it would probably take Chad some time before Pam’s gym was pieced together completely. Looking out through the slit window, he could see the sun was already starting to set. He was of the mind to stop for the day and continue tomorrow, but it wasn’t as if Pam’s husband would be in a rush to get home. Chad stood and turned, positioned perfectly so the newly-built mirror wall reflected his glutes for Pam to see. She bit her lip. “I’ll be busy down here until, say, ten. That okay?”

Pam didn’t immediately respond, instead, she marvelled Chad’s handiwork. She envisioned herself in place of the bench press’ nuts and bolts he screwed in place, imagining Chad run a hand down her cleavage in his dutiful task of taking such worshipful care of her as the equipment, her heart racing as a droplet of sweat trickled down his bare pectorals. Why couldn’t her husband look like this? Why did he have to work a job that had him away weeks, sometimes months at a time? Why did she have to think such carnal, adulterous thoughts and wish they were real? But they could be, couldn’t they? All Pam needed to do was approach Chad and press her lips to his. So why didn’t she? It was obviously something she wanted to do, but she was held back. It wasn’t fear of the consequences. In fact, the idea of getting caught was just as thrilling.

She could feel that sense of one-upmanship crawl up again. Pam knew Nicola was alone, a newly-widowed mother of two. If Pam was able to seduce Chad, that would be yet another win against her. And two was always better than one. Maybe—

Chad realized his question was left unanswered. He turned his attention from the bench-press, only to immediately regret it, not expecting what happened next. Chad’s lips pressed against Pam’s, gently at first, then with more fervour and in a more exploratory manner. The pecking was soft, delicate, but the passion was there, struck like a thunderbolt. Chad felt Pam’s hand run up his leg, then squeeze tightly, admiring the firm, muscular buttocks that drove her mad.

They looked at one another, not saying anything about what just happened. They simply let it be.

“How do you feel about steak for dinner, then?” Pam looked.

“I like mine medium.” Chad smiled.

[bertmacklinsbrother]

Great addition to the story!  I'm really enjoying the read and the development of these characters!

I'm really excited to see Nicola and Pam become true competitors!

[Amnoartist]

Great addition to the story!  I'm really enjoying the read and the development of these characters!

I'm really excited to see Nicola and Pam become true competitors!

I'm sure there'll be some interesting things in store for them both!

[quick]

You did it again.  Another amazing story.

[Amnoartist]

You did it again.  Another amazing story.

Hey, thanks Quick! Hope you stick around because there's more to come