"Yes Lothar, since Medivh's passing I've been tasked with being the temporary Guardian until a new, proper one has been trained. That involves tending to Karazhan and cleaning up the tower. The Kirin Tor have at least been kind enough to clean up the Font since... the last we've been there."

Khadgar paused and chanced a glance at Lothar, who seemed to process his pain in rapid time before turning his blue eyes expectantly back to the mage.

"There are some books I need to read as well. I'll return to Stormwind in a week's time."

"Ensure it is only a week, Khadgar. My sister is expecting you by then."

Khadgar blushed slightly and couldn't stop his smile. "Your sister is too kind to offer me a room in the keep."

"And access to the library as well." Lothar smirked and couldn't help his eyes as they scanned Khadgar's figure. "It will be good to keep you close at hand. We can keep you out of trouble. Mages are good at that, aren't they?"

Khadgar's blush deepened from receiving rare attention from the man he admired, even though it caused him discomfort in more ways than he wanted to admit. "I may bring a few books from Karazhan to add to the library, honestly."

"Just don't blow the place up." Lothar skimmed Khadgar again before dismissing him.

Khadgar, finally feeling like he might have a chance to breathe, quickly drew up the proper runes and teleported to Karazhan.

It had been less than a week since the Dark Portal's opening and their defeat of a demon. The Kirin Tor had insisted Khadgar, despite being the former Novitiate who had renounced his vows, take over temporary Guardian duties for Azeroth. He knew their reasoning was threefold; they hadn't a replacement yet, he was more powerful and capable then they would have liked to admit, and the royal family readily trusted him. There was no other choice until they had trained a new Guardian, which would easily take another decade.

Khadgar didn't see a downside to the appointment, especially when he knew he had the ability to dictate his own terms on the matter. One of them being that he could do his duties from within Stormwind, a condition that Lothar and his sister had only been too relieved to hear.

He spent his final day before Karazhan ensuring he had enough mana potions that the royal family could spare him--which turned out to be enough to sustain at minimum a month of daily mana drain--and an unhealthy helping of fresh and preserved foods to take along for the trip. He couldn't help but think they expected him to be gone longer than a week, but he had promised them only the week and he intended not to break that promise.

With a laden satchel and a smile, he bid them a temporary farewell and teleported to Karazhan.

The first day upon returning, Khadgar had been utterly relieved to discover the Font contained only the renewed stream of pure leyline energy. No golem, and no... well. He knew Medivh had been delivered to Stormwind for a proper burial. He was present just two days' earlier for the ceremony.

Nobody then had known he would be the replacement Guardian. Nobody yet knew he was the one who killed their original Guardian.

That first day was spent repairing the tower of its damage from the fight against the Fel. A day that Khadgar would never forget, and not just from the adrenaline, the fear, and the loss of Medivh.

Being exposed to the Fel is something one never really forgets.

Khadgar spent his second day ensuring all books had a home in their bookshelves. This involved hours and hours of summoning and switching floating bookshelves with grounded ones, and sorting the tomes within by subject. This led into day three as his voracious mind easily became sidetracked with the sorting and instead began consuming the knowledge within the pages. He had been up for 36 hours before his hunger made itself known and he quickly set to work on the basket from Stormwind. He gladly munched from the laden bundle as it floated along with him for his reading duties.

He was quite surprised when it ran out just as nighttime on the third day arrived. He didn't have the time to process that a week's worth of nutrition had only lasted him a day of absentminded munching, as he was beyond tired from skipping a night's rest and lazily conjured himself a nest of pillows and blankets to slumber right on the library's floor.

His fourth day passed much the same way as the last. He slowly sorted through the library, doing more reading than cataloguing. Eventually his hunger pulled him away from the task and he went in search of the kitchen. He was surprised to find pristine food in the pantry, berries and fruits and vegetables and breads and meats. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised, since Moroes likely had everything enchanted to last well beyond its usual expiration.

He grabbed a sampling platter of food and a bottle of wine from the well-stocked rack and returned to his task.

Midway through his fifth day as he continued his routine of snack, read, sort, get fresh air, restock snack, and repeat; he noticed something rather disconcerting.

His clothes were getting considerably snug. Uncomfortably so.

Khadgar frowned and tried to tug his shirt to more comfortably lay against his body, but it wasn't just his shirt. His thighs felt restrained in his pants; the lower half of his leggings were trying to ride up on his thicker calves.

His chest and back also felt much too tight and uncomfortable, and upon making his way to find a mirror, all the while releasing unflattering noises of discomfort, he finally saw the issue.

He had put on weight.

Too much for just several days, even if they had been filled with snacking that was a tad past indulgent. Perhaps gluttonous.

Khadgar flushed furiously as he turned around to get a good look in the mirror. He slowly shed his top layers to get a good look at the damage that had been done; though it was a struggle for how tight they had become.

He stared at his body in the mirror in dismay. He'd had a bit of baby fat for years, a thin layer of pudge to substitute any semblance of muscle in his soft mage's body. But now his belly had a faint but noticeable curve that would likely be visible even through the carefully layered shirts he'd used to hide the figure he never was comfortable with.

With a soft groan, he used a magic spell he'd memorized but never needed in the past to increase the size of his clothing slightly. It made his sleeves and pants just the tiniest bit longer, but gave his increased weight room to move within the garments.

Magics of many kinds ran through his mind as he tried to figure out how this had happened. He knew he'd eaten too much of the food from Stormwind in one day, but it wasn't enough for him to pack on the pounds like he had in mere days.

Thoughts of the magically preserved food from Karazhan's pantry hit him.

If they were enchanted to last beyond their natural lifespan, perhaps they were enchanted in other ways.

Khadgar knew that Moroes and Medivh made the trip up and down the tower's multitudinous steps many times a day. More times than a mage needed to do so in order to keep in shape beyond working solely on the mind.

The food was enchanted to be more more calorically dense than normal, Khadgar realized much too lately for he'd absentmindedly snacked on way too much of it.

He began frantically searching through the tomes in the library in hopes to find a spell that might take off the extra pounds.

He couldn't face his friends like this.

He had already been self-conscious about his chubby physique before, especially considering how slim and fit everyone else in the keep had been.

Khadgar searched the rest of that day and all through the night, skipping food and merely sustaining himself on sips of wine.

Khadgar awoke on the sixth day to a mild hangover from too much wine and not enough water. He conjured himself some bread and water, safe in the knowledge that his own conjured food wasn't bastardized in a way to make him even fatter, and soothed his aching head while it continued to search for answers.

As he frantically searched for the necessary spell, thoughts of his friends at home in Stormwind invaded his mind. One in particular was the man who frustrated him at every turn; Lothar.

Anduin Lothar had been a thorn in Khadgar's side almost since they had met. They had been at odds, with Lothar constantly seeming annoyed and inconvenienced by the mage, ever since the start of their adventure.

Lothar made fun of Khadgar's weakness, of his softness, as a mage. It was an easy comparison for a warrior surrounded by other warriors on the battlefield.

He'd constantly acted as though Khadgar's mere presence annoyed him endlessly, and had thrown so much sarcasm and mockery his way that it infuriated the mage more than whittled him down.

Worst of all was the fact that all of the ridicule wasn't merely words, it was in how Lothar looked at the mage. Everything that was voiced was evident in how Lothar would constantly study Khadgar, making him feel inadequate and insufficient. Small as a person but too big for his age; too soft and chubby and uncomfortable in his own skin.

He knew his build was average for a mage, but for a warrior it was unsuitable.

And that was the worst part about it all.

Khadgar didn't hate Lothar for all of the ridicule and judgement. He couldn't, because since that damned first day, he'd fallen hard for the man.

And every slight, every mocking and every disgusted look he received, only made Khadgar want to try harder to earn the warrior's approval.

He knew he was pathetic. To be vying for unrequited affection. And the recent development of gaining even more weight and looking even more unfit for a partner of a warrior--

Khadgar searched and searched well into the night until he finally passed out from exhaustion.

He was running out of time. He'd awoken nearly at midday and knew he had only hours left to rectify his accidental error.

With a speed he'd never managed before, he focused and skimmed through the books in search for answers. Just as he thought the venture was hopeless, he paused and stared at the aged paper with faded text. He quickly flipped a page ahead, and then behind; and then back to the page that had stopped him in his tracks.

He had found it. The spell that would make him slimmer.

And if he was lucky, it would also remove his baby fat as well.

He giddily memorized the spell and ran it repeatedly through his mind, factoring in the translation for the weight he wanted to lose as well. He knew the spell had to be recited perfectly and properly the first time; ancient Elven magic like this was particularly precise and he knew casting it wrong could backfire.

With only an hour left until he had to leave, Khadgar turned to the mirror once again. He shed all but his underclothes in preparation for the spell; it didn't require removal of his garments but he couldn't wait to see his body looking much more slim and socially acceptable.

Khadgar smiled and took in a deep breath, holding his hands up and waving his fingers in a gentle motion as he recited the spell and weight loss goal perfectly.

Arcane blue filled his eyes and he felt the tingle within his entire body as the light grew brighter and brighter until the room plunged into darkness.

His body had ceased its magical glowing and his eyes quickly readjusted to the ambient lighting. He looked into the mirror with a grin--only for his expression to shift into horror.

Instead of losing the thirty pounds he had desired, he had gained thirty more.

A strangled squeal escaped his throat as he stared at his thicker, fatter body and he finally dropped down to the floor to clutch his legs--his thick thighs in his arms as he hugged himself insecurely.

It had been a while since he'd broken down like a child, but he didn't know what else to do. He'd performed the spell just so and it had still backfired on him in the worst way possible.

He wept.

Pathetically.

He didn't know how he could face his friends like this.

But he had promised.

Khadgar dared not try the spell again for fear of it adding even more weight to his overweight frame. He had a tricky enough time of resizing his clothing yet again, manipulating the garments larger but shrinking certain spots so that it would properly fit him.

As if anything truly fit his fat body.

He adjusted his waist sash on the thickest part of his belly. It didn't hide even a pound of his weight, and even if it could have, the extra flab just below his chin was visible in the mirror no matter how he held his head. It was worst when his chin grew anywhere close to his chest, but it was a losing battle regardless.

He sighed and tried to flatten down his clothes to look presentable. He knew he could do no more in attempt to rectify his cushy appearance, and he reluctantly knelt down to draw the runes that would take him home to Stormwind.

Maybe, just maybe, he would get lucky and reach the throne room before Lothar spotted him.

Taria wasn't a mage, but she understood the potential and volatility magic could offer and would understand his unfortunate mishap.

He knew Lothar would only mock him relentlessly.

He shuffled through the halls as quickly as he could toward the throne room, easily catching the curious and confused gazes of the guards as he went. They recognized the mage but his change in size caused them quite a bit of confusion.

He wasn't too much farther from his goal, but he was dismayed to find his stamina was being sapped from carrying the extra weight on his frame. He may as well have been carrying a heavy stack of books through the winding halls for how he was starting to huff and pant in his rushed stride.

"Spellchucker?"

Khadgar stumbled a step as Lothar's voice echoed down the hall. He tried to hasten his pace but his leg muscles were already burning for the increased strain, and his warrior friend easily caught up to him and grabbed his arm.

"Khadgar? Are you alright?"

Khadgar couldn't stop Lothar from forcing him to face the man. He was simply too strong for the winded mage. He managed a pathetic glare of embarrassment as he faced Lothar, his face flushed red from humiliation while beads of sweat threatened to fall from his wild dash for the throne room.

"By the Light, what happened to you?" Lothar reached forward and cupped Khadgar's rounded cheek in alarm. He gave a gentle squeeze--he couldn't help himself--and Khadgar slapped his arm away indignantly.

"Magical accident," Khadgar bit out as he finally regained his breath. He grit his teeth and tore his eyes away from Lothar's. He didn't want to risk seeing mockery in them. "Laugh all you want."

"I highly doubt this is a laughing matter." Lothar reached out and placed a hand on Khadgar's rounded belly without thinking, pressing his hand into the softness there. "You--"

"Yes, I'm fat, I'm disgusting, thank you Commander," Khadgar snapped as he grabbed Lothar's wrist to tear it away from his body. Tears threatened at the corners of his eyes as he turned to bolt off and run, but his new weight slowed him down and before he knew it, Lothar's hands were squeezing into his thickened wrists and his plush body was pressed against a warrior's toned and muscular physique.

"Please," Khadgar wheezed as he turned his head away in shame. "Please, just let me go."

"I'm not hurting you, Khadgar."

"Yes you are!" Khadgar finally lost his fight with pride as he unleashed his insecurities. "You have been since we met! You're constantly mocking me and staring at my body. You're always making fun of me and-and I thought that maybe you would respect me if I wasn't so soft but that damned spell--that damned spell didn't work!" he finally cried out in shameful admission.

"You did this to yourself because of me?" Lothar stared into the aching brown eyes that were brimming with tears of frustration. He released one wrist in favor of tracing Khadgar's cheek once more, but he didn't squeeze its roundness. He traced it gently and affectionately, his thumb wiping away the tears that fell.

"I-I was so tired of you judging me. But now I've made it even worse." Khadgar wanted so badly to lean into Lothar's warm and tender touch, but he feared it would somehow only earn more mocking. Even if his brain tried to tell himself that the gentle action probably wasn't Lothar teasing him.

"Khadgar," Lothar sighed in disbelief. He forced Khadgar's chin up to meet their eyes. "I was never judging you. I was admiring you."

Khadgar bit his bottom lip and swallowed nervously as the words sank in. As the raw honesty in those blue eyes made his heart ache.

"You--you found me--attractive?"

"I still do." Lothar released the other wrist and ran his hand from Khadgar's hip to the middle of his back. The touch was tender; reassuring. But so strong and certain.

"How could you though?" Khadgar finally allowed himself to show weakness and he leaned into the hand on his cheek. "Especially now. I'm so fat."

"You are beautiful, Khadgar." Lothar pulled the young man close, trying to put all of the love he had for the mage into the embrace. "Inside and out."

He had been doing so well--so well! Khadgar finally broke in that embrace, allowing the touch of the man he craved to comfort him.

Even if he knew Lothar was only trying to keep their new Guardian sane.

"So tell me Khadgar," Lothar murmured gently as the mage finally calmed and collected his emotions; "how exactly did you mess up a spell quite like this?"

"I followed the instructions perfectly," Khadgar insisted with a petulant tone and a pout that was all too cute on his round face. "The spell was ancient Elven and it was to change one's weight. I only chose thirty pounds. I don't know what-"

"Thirty pounds?" Lothar gawked at Khadgar in alarm. "Kid that would have made you underweight. What were you thinking?"

"No it wouldn't have," Khadgar grumbled with a fresh blush. "There was enchanted food in Karazhan's pantry--I didn't know it was enchanted beyond a manipulated shelf life--and I only found out after I had eaten so much of it."

"You ate that instead of the food we gave you?"

"...I ate that all in one day," Khadgar admitted with a face beet-red from embarrassment. "I didn't realize I was doing it, I was reading and I have a bad habit of snacking when there's food around..."

"No wonder you've always had that cute bit of pudge to you," Lothar grinned as he rubbed his thumb over Khadgar's neck fat. "You're just a natural glutton, no magic needed huh?"

Khadgar's expression set in an angry frown and he pulled out of Lothar's once-comforting embrace. He disappeared from the space without a word, though a faint glittering of arcane wisped off down the hall and Lothar just made out the mage before he disappeared again.

Khadgar's extra weight might have made escaping and running from the warrior difficult, but he was perfectly able to Blink his way out of the situation.

Lothar realized much too late that he'd definitely chosen the wrong words of endearment.

Khadgar had not enjoyed his visit with his queen, even if she was probably the most compassionate and understanding woman he'd ever met.

He had Blinked into the throne room for an audience with her and had found himself at spear-point instantly. And despite being the Guardian and the trusted friend of the queen, the hesitation from her and the guards due to the shock of how different he had looked thanks to his extra weight, had hit his pride pretty hard.

He left out the details of his situation that had earned Lothar calling him a glutton, and had just insisted his weight was due to the backfire of a magical spell. He assured her that it wouldn't interfere with his Guardian duties, though she could read his uncertainty in the way his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

She visited him in his quarters later, finding him laying on his side in the bed while reading from one of his magical tomes. Arcane blue glowed in his eyes and he mouthed words she couldn't hope to understand, but as soon as he spotted her entering, the chanting and arcane glow disappeared.

"Lady Taria, to what do I owe the visit?"

"I am allowed a visit to my friend, am I not?" Her words held no snark, only warmth.

"Of course. My apologies." He smiled for her company, and quickly sat himself up on the bed with a huff.

"Are you feeling well? I can't imagine such a rapid change to one's body is an easy adjustment."

"It's honestly not," Khadgar admitted as he gazed dismally at the curve of his belly. He added the Karazhan's foods' weight gain to the spell's weight and realized just why it had been so hard on him. "Fifty pounds at once is a lot. It doesn't sound like that much, but my body isn't used to it at all. Just trying to hurry through the halls earlier winded me. And trying to shift positions, it's so... it's made me feel so slow."

"And you can't reverse the spell?"

"If I knew what I did wrong, perhaps. But as well as I can read ancient Elven script for spells, I'm not intricately acquainted with everything about their spell craft. And unless you can grant me an audience with their historians and mages, I'm kind of out of luck."

"I shall do my best to arrange it." She smiled when his gaze snapped up to her in surprise. "Khadgar, I am the queen. You are my friend. I would do this for you even if you were not the Guardian whose good health was paramount to Azeroth's protection."

Khadgar blushed, knowing the latter reason she named would be the one used to coerce elves to assist him.

"Thank you, ma'am."

Taria smiled and bid him goodnight before departing.

Khadgar only hoped she'd manage to make that meeting happen. He hated his body.

He knew that Lothar did, too.

"Khadgar?"

The mage's head whipped up to his doorway in alarm.

Taria had only just left his quarters when her brother appeared as if to take her place.

"Commander--"

"Look, let me explain. Please."

Khadgar sighed and gave a nod, though he bunched up his blanket around his belly in an attempt to try and make it less noticeable.

"I want to apologize for my word choice earlier. It was ill-timed and I regret any discomfort it may have caused." Hesitant blue eyes met surprised brown. "I really do find you quite attractive, Khadgar. I only hope that one day you come to feel the same way about your body."

"I think that says more about you than it does about me," Khadgar said before he realized it. He swallowed and looked down, still painfully aware of the roll of fat on his belly as he sat there. He would have apologized, had he not felt that he was speaking the truth. "I don't know how this could ever be seen as attractive. I'm not sexy, Lothar. I'm fat. It's that simple."

"Do other men or women with extra weight on them disgust you?"

"What?" Khadgar blinked and shook his head. "No, of course not."

"Then why do you feel that way about yourself?"

"It's... it's different. It's me. My body. My choices led me to this. Like you said, I'm... I'm a glutton. That's how you see me. That's how everybody will see me. The runaway mage who cozied up to royalty and is using it purely for greed and pleasure." Khadgar crossed his arms over his chest, trying further to hide his middle to no avail.

"Is that really what you feel?"

"No. Yes. I don't know." Khadgar swallowed and averted his gaze to the floor. "I-I am a glutton. This happened because I couldn't control myself at Karazhan."

"This happened because you're shy and a bit vain and misused magic."

"I am not vain. I love you despite your scars, tell me how that's vain." The words were out before he could stop them. Khadgar always had been stubbornly outspoken to a fault, and his face flushed red as he started to stammer an apology--not for the admission of affection, which he was dying inside for, but for mentioning the scars and risking hurting Lothar. "I-I don't find them to take away from your beauty--I mean--I'm so sorry Lothar-"

"As tempting as it is to let you continue," Lothar said with a grin that couldn't be erased; "I would rather you tell me more about this secret affection you seem to have been harboring."

Khadgar's face was pure red again and he gaped up at Lothar with his lips parted in what Lothar would call a complete mental freeze.

"Perhaps you can show me instead." He descended upon Khadgar, straddling the mage's hips as he kneeled on the bed. His lips met Khadgar's forehead, and once he felt no argument from the young man, only a gasp and shaky exhale and trembling hands on his waist, he took those full and inviting lips in a kiss.

"Lothar," Khadgar breathed in such a shaky whisper as if it were a forbidden act. His hands squeezed as Lothar moved his lips to Khadgar's neck. "Please..."

"Please what, spellchucker? Don't stop being outspoken now. Don't go shy on me. Tell me what you want."

Khadgar swallowed and squeezed his thick thighs together as he released an embarrassing whine. "I-I want--oh Light, I want you--"

"Good," Lothar murmured as his hands traced the mage's ample ass before squeezing and earning a cross between a gasp and whimper. "Because I want to show you just how beautiful you are."

And Khadgar, honestly, believed that Lothar could make him believe.

At least for the night.

At least for their time together.

Kisses led into suckling fingers going to places Khadgar had only imagined before. His hips bucked involuntarily as Lothar's hand slipped under his pants and stroked him tantalizingly and his desire became overwhelming, and soon Lothar had removed his own clothing and requested the same of Khadgar.

The mage froze.

He was so, so ready to do whatever Lothar asked of him, but to strip and show his whole body--

Even Khadgar hadn't yet seen his own fully naked body since he'd gained the extra weight at Karazhan.

"I-I-I can't," he stammered pathetically. "I-I haven't--I can't-"

"Khadgar, please." Lothar returned to Khadgar's side and placed kisses to his cheek, his chin, his neck. "You're gorgeous. I've wanted you almost since we met. I've always dreamt of how you would look under those silly mage clothes. Please show me."

"No," Khadgar released in a strangled whisper. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned away from Lothar, swallowing thickly but failing to hide his tears. "No, I-I can't."

"Why not?" Lothar reached forward to Khadgar's cheek again, but the mage shied away as he trembled and the first tear fell.

"Because I don't look like that anymore. I'm-I'm a fat mage now."

Lothar was quickly learning just how insecure his young friend was and how careful he would have to be with his words.

"I want to see you, Khadgar. I want to see the man I love. I want to see you in your full beauty. Not hidden by clothing. Please."

"You won't like what you'll see," Khadgar insisted with a murmur as he stalled in stripping.

"Let me be the judge of that." Lothar's hand found its way under Khadgar's tunic and teasingly rubbed at the softness that was the bottom of his belly. He held in his smirk as Khadgar released a whine of pleasure.

It only took another round of kisses on his neck and Lothar's other hand slipping under his clothing to massage his belly for his choice to be made.

"Okay," Khadgar said shakily. "But--I-I haven't been fully nude since I gained all of this weight," he finally admitted.

"I'll be the first to see it, to see you and your beauty," Lothar said with an awe in his tone that Khadgar didn't miss. "Thank you."

Khadgar flushed again and leaned forward to kiss Lothar lovingly, longingly, desperately. And he hated the fact that his emotions were so rocky that his tears were still silently coming and he could taste the saltiness in their joint kisses.

"I need you to do it," Khadgar murmured as he took Lothar's hands and placed them on his top. "You strip me."

Lothar took to the task tenderly and reverently, slowly disrobing Khadgar of each layer until he reached the inner tunic. He leaned forward and licked his tongue slowly up Khadgar's neck before murmuring a promise of devotion into it, causing his younger partner to shiver and moan.

He slowly slid the bottom of the tunic up and revealed the soft flesh beneath. His hands traced the curves as they moved, and Lothar groaned softly from the frustration in his loins as he saw more and more of the beautiful mage in front of him.

Just as the tunic had made it up to his chest and Khadgar was beginning to doubt once more, he heard Lothar growl and attack him in a heated kiss.

"By the Light, Khadgar, you are gorgeous."

Khadgar cried a bit more and allowed Lothar to kiss his concerns away. He raised his arms and the tunic was finally gone, leaving only Lothar for warmth to trace his soft body with kisses and licks and nibbles.

Khadgar still didn't think Lothar's worship of his body was warranted, but he didn't want it to ever stop. His moans, groans, and whimpers were proof enough of that.

"Lothar," Khadgar groaned. "Lothar please."

"What do you need, Khadgar?"

"You." As if to elaborate, his hips writhed in need.

"I want nothing more." Lothar kissed the apex of Khadgar's round belly and the strip of soft dark brown hair that ran down it, joining the boyish chest fuzz with the more mature patch in his groin. "Do I have your permission to strip you there?"

Khadgar whined needily. "You're asking?"

"I respect you as much as I love you, Khadgar."

Khadgar couldn't believe he had once mistaken Lothar's love for disgust and his teasing for torment. His heart was blooming as bright as the Light within him.

"Please, Anduin."

Lothar stared at Khadgar for the use of his first name, but he merely broke into a happy grin and attacked the mage in more fervent, hungry kisses before turning to the task of peeling the pants away.

Light, how he couldn't get enough of Khadgar's body, his submission, his trust.

And those thick thighs.

He couldn't wait until Khadgar grew into them and they were wired with muscle from carrying the extra weight on his boyish frame.

Lothar nearly came just from that thought alone.

"Oh Khadgar," Lothar breathed as he drank in the body below him with his eyes, his wandering hands, and how he also soon would be with his throbbing dick; "I wish you could feel about your body what I do when I look at you."

Khadgar swallowed thickly and surrendered to the fit man above him. "You're going to have to show me."

Lothar's tongue ran across his lips as his eyes sparkled with excitement and lust.

It lit a fire within Khadgar's heart and his belly.

"Of course, my beautiful little mage."

Khadgar later would ask himself why Lothar used the word little while looking at his thick body with a dick bigger than Lothar's, but as soon as a calloused hand slid along his inner thigh and worked its fingers slowly and progressively inside of him, he lost all ability to think.

"Oh Light, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh Light, Anduin, by the old gods and the spirits of the land, oh my soul--"

Lothar kissed Khadgar before spells could be added to the fervent chattering of the man beneath him. He was brimming with as much excitement as he was lust and passion.

"Khadgar," he growled affectionately as he gathered the leaking precum from the mage's hard dick and used it to lubricate his hole; "I want to fuck you. I want to fuck you so hard that you'll forget this silly lie that you're not the most beautiful being on Azeroth."

"Make me forget," Khadgar gasped with desperation borne from Lothar's love and teasing and his own insecurities. It consumed Lothar's heart. "Please, Anduin."

Lothar kissed his beautiful mage and went to work giving Khadgar exactly what he wanted. He began slowly until the man cried out in a pleading whine and asked for it faster.

"Light, Lothar, please."

Lothar wasn't complaining. It didn't matter how fast he went, he could see the ripple of motion across Khadgar's belly and thighs every time he thrusted into him, and it only drove him more wild every time.

He tried to restrain himself, tried to wait until Khadgar came before he did; but having the mage all to himself--and he wouldn't lie that the man's new body definitely did something for and to him--he finished inside Khadgar before the mage could come.

"Fuck, Khadgar, I love you so much," Lothar rasped as he gently pulled out and kissed the mage ravenously. He worked his way down Khadgar's electrified and aroused body, his lips worshipping the soft and curvy temple as his hand worked that hard dick to keep him rooted in the moment.

"Please don't stop," Khadgar whined desperately. "Don't ever stop."

Lothar obeyed the mage below him and continued the motions, keeping Khadgar just at the edge for much longer than he would have without the begging.

He would have loved to give Khadgar that glorious release, but Khadgar had asked for more and he hadn't begged for finality. And Lothar was more than content to just satisfy his pudgy partner endlessly, bringing him so close and then back again while using his free hand and his lips to memorize every part and pound of the mage's body.

Alas, nothing could truly last forever.

"Light," Khadgar wheezed pathetically. "Anduin I-I need you to--please, please, I n-need release."

Lothar obeyed immediately, quickening his ministrations until Khadgar finally came in his hand with a euphoric cry.

He took advantage of Khadgar's spent state to quickly wipe away the milky fluids with the mage's tunic before settling into the bed next to him, knowing that his love's insecurities could be alleviated by immediate reinforcement.

And, honestly, Lothar wanted to lay next to the man and hold him close.

"I'll be honest," Khadgar uttered with a content sigh; "I didn't think this was how we would get together."

"Oh? And what was your fantasy?"

Khadgar blushed slightly as Lothar ran his hand admiringly across his bare belly.

"Well, for one, I wasn't fat. And you weren't trying to convince me I wasn't."

"Just because you've got some extra weight on you, it doesn't mean you're not incredibly attractive." Lothar ran his hand around the bottom of Khadgar's belly, tracing its curve and earning a shiver from him.

"So you keep trying to tell me." Khadgar swallowed and cleared his throat. "I had thought that maybe I would save you after a battle in the field using my magic, and you would realize that mages aren't so inferior to warriors, and that you would come to me and thank me. Properly."

"Properly, hm?"

"Which may or may not include asking me if it's really so hard to toss around magic spells. And I could explain to you how it was in fact much harder than you realized, and you would shut me up halfway with a kiss."

"You've definitely thought about this." Lothar grinned and pressed a kiss to Khadgar's fluffy neck.

"Well, you do treat me like magic is much less important to brute strength."

"And yet we call on the Guardian in times of need. One mage above all who can turn the tide of Azeroth's survival. I do recall you doing that before becoming the Guardian, temporary or not."

"So you do see the value in magic?"

"Kid, you could do things I never even dreamt of with your spells and power. I might specialize in strength and agility whereas you aim for intelligence and dexterity, but I'm smart enough to know that we each have a highly trained skill set that would take a lifetime for the other to master."

Khadgar's bright brown eyes and smile made Lothar's heart flutter. He reached up to stroke the scruffy cheek with a content smile.

"That's what I want to see out of you. A happy mage."

Khadgar blushed faintly and ducked his eyes shyly, still smiling happily. "I think with you, I can manage that."

Lothar had been doing his best to convince Khadgar that the young man was still very attractive despite his magically-induced weight gain, but the mage was still very sensitive about the subject. He had used all of the tried and true methods; words of encouragement, lewd looks, surprise kisses, and reassuring ass-grabs.

Still, the mage spent most of his time bouncing between his quarters, the keep's library, and Karazhan's wealth of knowledge as he threw himself into his studies and searched for a possible answer to his portly predicament.

"Bookworm, come with me. We have a job to do."

Khadgar looked up from his book-laden desk in the Stormwind keep's library. He hadn't been expecting the interruption, and it showed in his sleepy eyes.

"A job? What?"

"A scouting mission. There's been reports of suspicious activity near Northshire, and Taria wants us to go check it out."

Khadgar glanced down at his texts and then back at Lothar with an uneasy frown. "That seems pretty simple of a task for Stormwind's best warrior and mage."

"Oh don't worry, it's doubling as a training mission. We're taking some new recruits to train them in how to handle field situations. We're there mostly to supervise and teach."

"Oh." Khadgar began slowly moving the books into distinct piles, clearly stalling for time. "And you really need a mage on this excursion?"

"We're not sure what we'll encounter. It could be as harmless as baby murlocs, or as dangerous as a camp of orcs in the trees. We could use your magic as a backup."

Khadgar swallowed and nodded before pushing himself to his feet with a slight huff. "Okay. I'll get ready and meet you in the barracks."

"Wonderful." Lothar grabbed Khadgar's wrist as the man passed him, giving it a twist and pulling the mage against him for a kiss. "Don't take too long. You'll miss the new recruits scrambling as I give the orders."

Khadgar flushed and couldn't help but lean into the kiss, pressing himself against Lothar. He knew the man enjoyed his plush body, even if he couldn't fathom why.

"You're terrible, Anduin. You should treat those men better."

"I'm treating them the best anyone can. They need to strive for improvement or they won't succeed in the field." Lothar grasped Khadgar's rear and gave it a wanting squeeze, earning a blush from the mage.

"You don't treat me like that. You pander to me constantly."

"I'm not hopelessly in love with them and worshipping everything about them." Lothar's hands settled one on Khadgar's cheek and one happily wrapped around his waist. "Besides, I think I criticized you enough when we first met."

"Agreed," Khadgar murmured as his arms wrapped around Lothar's waist. He leaned in for a much deeper kiss, but it soon ended when Lothar began to pull away. "You have to stop teasing me like this, Anduin."

"I'm not teasing you, love. I'm just showing some affection in between inescapable duties." Lothar pressed a kiss to Khadgar's forehead and gently stroked his cheek. "Now get ready for the trip."

Khadgar swallowed uneasily at the idea of going back out into public with his rotund figure. He gave a weak nod, not even attempting a fake smile as he left the library before Lothar.

I've really gotta work on that boy's confidence.

Khadgar was endlessly thankful that they all had rode out on horseback. He may have spent most of his teenage years traveling on foot, but that stamina didn't translate to the extra fifty pounds he'd gained in the span of two days at Karazhan, and that he still hadn't adjusted to in the few weeks since.

He rode with the hood of his cloak up, much as he did when he rode with Lothar on his first trip; though it was less to keep out the sun and stave off insects, and more to hide his rounded face and roll of his neck.

Light, how he hated how he looked.

Taria still hadn't managed to get any elves to consult on his botched spell attempt. He had asked her just the night before, and she'd apologized for the lack of results.

He sighed as they passed through the gates leading to the Abbey. He didn't want to be on this silly scouting mission, as much as he'd always enjoyed his outings with Lothar in the past.

The new recruits had been sneaking glances at him since they'd left Stormwind, and they weren't very subtle about it either. And he knew it wasn't because he was a mage or their newly appointed Guardian; he'd heard them mention him with incredulity in their voices-

'That's our new Guardian?'

'How is he going to protect us? He looks like he can't even run into or away from battle.'

'Do you think that extra padding he's got will stop an orc's hammer?'

Khadgar kept his gaze down at the flicking ears of his horse as they rode, wishing Lothar and Taria had just left his fat ass to stay inside the privacy of the library.

Lothar sure liked to call Khadgar beautiful and gorgeous and his body a temple, but every word he heard about him outside of that lovely warrior's voice reminded him that he was not a vision of beauty.

"Khadgar?"

Khadgar glanced up to see Lothar pulling his horse up next to his own. He tried to smile, but he could see how pitiful an attempt it was from the frown on Lothar's face.

"What's wrong?"

"I just don't feel comfortable showing off... this in public yet." Khadgar motioned to himself with a frown. "I was hoping to lose some weight first."

"You're still you, Khadgar. Even if you look a little different."

"Different. The word you're looking for is fatter, Anduin." Khadgar glanced around to search for danger, if only to avoid Lothar's gaze. "No amount of kind words will change that fact."

"I don't understand why it bothers you so much. Wasn't my affection the main reason it bothered you?"

"In the beginning, yes. But... even if you accept me, I know not everyone will." Khadgar didn't want to reveal the criticisms of the new recruits. Honestly, a part of him felt that he deserved it, for being a glutton and a mage who messed up in his magic so badly that it got him into this situation.

"You haven't even given anyone a chance, Khadgar. Don't judge people before they judge you."

Khadgar cast a sidelong glance at Lothar with an unreadable expression before turning his gaze back out to the horizon. They had ridden a decent distance toward the mine North of the Abbey, and a flash of light suddenly caught his eye.

He quickly attempted to cast a shield spell, but the arrow pierced his horse's side before he could complete the incantation. His mount crumpled to the ground and he rolled to the side, eyes wide in alarm as the remaining horses cried in panic and threatened to scatter.

Khadgar rapidly casted an ice wall barrier between the arrow source and their troops for safety. He staggered to his feet amidst the shock, looking up at Lothar who was trying to corral the recruits and their horses.

"Khadgar! Are you hurt?"

"No Commander," Khadgar replied before reinforcing his ice wall shield after an arrow broke through but lost its momentum and landed mere inches from one of the recruits' location. He huffed slightly from the exertion and excitement, and then jogged closer to the others. "I-I don't know how long this will keep them at bay. Their archers seem highly skilled."

"So I've noticed," Lothar hissed. "I didn't expect such hostility for a simple scouting patrol. But I suppose there's a reason you and I were matched together beyond just our chemistry."

Khadgar couldn't help his wry smile. "Well, you'd better get this under control before the ice fails again. It's not winter, you know."

Lothar nodded and grouped the recruits up, eagerly barking orders. Soon enough he instructed Khadgar to drop the ice shield and led the charge with shields at the ready.

Khadgar did as instructed and dispelled the ice, and then ran after the others to offer his aid in battle.

Only, his horse had been crippled, and he was on foot. And his weight was not taking well to his hurried pace.

He was halfway to the location of the others when he stumbled and went down, gasping for air as his lungs heaved and panted.

By the Light, he was not used to feeling so out of shape and useless.

He forced himself to his feet and surged forward with everything he had, but he couldn't even complete a spoken spell for an arcane blast for how winded he was.

He hit his knees again as his heart pounded and his lungs screamed. His head spun round, though not enough to miss another horse going down and its rider becoming pinned.

Khadgar staggered to his feet and ran toward the recruit; it was one of the few who had criticized him earlier in the patrol. He used magic to throw the horse off of the recruit, helped the young man to his feet, and then motioned to Lothar for regrouping.

He stumbled but remained upright as he rushed toward the group. He stopped, stopped, to lean his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath.

Fifty pounds was way too much, all at once, for field action.

"Khadgar, keep moving!" Lothar cried, urging his horse to kick at one of the offending archers.

Khadgar did his best to keep up with the others, but without a horse and with a body not used to carrying what was on it, he consistently lagged behind, stumbled and fell, and struggled to catch his breath.

"Khadgar!"

Khadgar saw the man running toward him. A warrior or a thief of some sort, with a rapier in hand eager for mage blood.

Khadgar didn't have the air to cast the man back. He had to dig deep, pulling something from within his arcane core, and cast the incantation-free Arcane Explosion.

He was again on his hands and knees, winded from the exertion. He watched around him as the recruits followed Lothar's orders quite well and all came out victorious.

While Khadgar struggled just to get his breath back.

Tears threatened to well from shame. He hung his head and focused on steadying his breathing, and had almost managed it when Lothar pulled his horse up next to him.

"Khadgar, get on. We're heading back."

Khadgar gave a short nod before climbing slowly to his feet, his legs like jelly from all of the strain and the adrenaline. He tried to heft himself up onto the saddle behind Lothar, but his legs hadn't recovered yet and he failed multiple times.

"Are you injured?" Lothar frowned as Khadgar merely shook his head. He offered a strong hand and easily pulled the spent mage up and behind him. He didn't miss the fact that Khadgar's grip was on the saddle and not on himself. "Okay everyone, let's head back. You all did very well today."

Khadgar closed his eyes and simply remained quiet.

He had done awfully.

"Are you sure you're not injured?" Lothar had asked Khadgar shortly after dismounting. He grabbed the mage's sleeve to stop him from his attempt to bolt away. "Khadgar. You took a decent fall off that horse and then your balance and stamina were heavily compromised."

"Heavily," Khadgar laughed bitterly. "In poor quality and in how damned fat I've become."

"Khadgar-"

"I wasn't hurt when that horse went down, Commander, I really am just too unfit for being in the field now." Khadgar gazed down at his round belly, something that always seemed to be in his field of vision no matter how he tried otherwise, while his legs still trembled from the earlier strain. "Your recruits knew it before you did. I don't know why you thought it was a good idea to take me out just to have me flounder pathetically in front of them."

"You saved our lives, Khadgar. Without that ice wall we wouldn't have had the time to regroup."

"I got lucky. Did you see every other time where I couldn't cast the most basic of spells because I couldn't breathe? Because I'm too fat to run now?" His earlier tears had finally broken free and one rolled down his cheek. He shied away from the touch when Lothar tried to wipe it away.

"Perhaps it was too soon for an unknown field mission," Lothar mused quietly. "But that doesn't change the fact that without you, the outcome of that conflict could have ended very differently. Any one of us could have taken that first arrow and not just your horse."

"And the subsequent arrows my ice blocked," Khadgar sighed. "I know, but that doesn't change the fact that I nearly became a liability because I couldn't keep up."

"You'll have to work on building your stamina," Lothar insisted with a tone that said he'd decided on the matter. "Less reading and more walking and exercise until you adjust to the extra weight."

"I'm trying to research ways to rid myself of this extra weight," Khadgar protested. "That stupid elven spell can't be the only one out there-"

"Magic isn't the answer to everything, Khadgar. I'm sure you've noticed that already." He poked his finger into Khadgar's middle pointedly. He was unsurprised when his hand was smacked away by an angry mage. "Try it my way, will you?"

"What, just accept being fat and useless? Maybe you like this-" he motioned to his body; "-but nobody else does, especially the man living with it!"

"Once you adjust to it, you won't be as useless as you think you are." Lothar reached forward and placed his hands on Khadgar's hips to draw him closer, but the mage surprised him again by managing to escape his strong embrace. He held in a sigh, but couldn't keep the annoyance out of his tone. "Khadgar-"

"Just go train with your recruits, Commander." The formality of his words was intentional, Lothar knew, and it frustrated him. "They need positive reinforcement after a conflict like that. Not for you to pander to the fat failure."

Before Lothar could argue with him, the mage had Blinked himself away once more, leaving the warrior highly annoyed at that particular type of magic.

Khadgar had been making haste to retreat to his quarters when he heard a familiar voice.

Oh, how he hated that he could only Blink once in an hour.

"Lady Taria." he greeted her with a clear lack of enthusiasm.

"Did the scouting not go well today?"

"Nobody was injured, save two of the horses." Khadgar swallowed and cast his eyes down, still feeling like an utmost disappointment. "I apologize ma'am, but I must return to my research. You can hear the full report from the Commander."

He began walking away without a proper dismissal, causing Taria to look after him in shock. He had only ever been polite and friendly to her before then.

"Perhaps, but I would like to hear your own personal account." Further alarmed when he simply ignored her, she started after him. "Khadgar, as our Guardian, you must answer to the queen."

Khadgar paused only momentarily before swallowing, his voice thick with sorrow and self-loathing. The air around him began to shimmer as he dug deep for an early Blink.

"Go hear the report from your brother. I'm no Guardian."

He was gone once again.

Khadgar hadn't been long in his quarters trying to recover from too quickly recasting Blink when Lothar angrily slammed open his door.

"You have some nerve, Khadgar."

Lothar's only response was a set of exhausted, annoyed brown eyes glaring at him from where he sat at his desk.

"You had no right to brush off Taria just because you're upset with your performance today. She doesn't deserve your moping, she had no part in it. The backfiring spell was entirely your own fault, so don't take it out on her."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child, Anduin-"

"Then stop acting like one!" Lothar strode forward and grabbed Khadgar's chubby chin, forcing those angry brown eyes up to him. "Your weight wasn't our doing, but we are trying to help you get through it. Will you stop fighting us?"

Khadgar swallowed down his anger and sighed, allowing Lothar to see his full dejection. He leaned into the strong hand as it quickly shifted to cup his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Anduin." Khadgar tried to force down his emotions again, but as soon as he spoke he began to cry. "I just--I don't feel like me anymore. And not just because of how I look. I can't do what I used to. I can't run, I can't cast spells when I get winded which happens way too easily, and everything I do takes double the effort it used to. I don't want to take it out on anybody else, but I-I just--I feel so stuck and frustrated. I'm sorry."

Lothar pulled Khadgar to his feet and swamped the man in a hug, knowing it was exactly what he needed. He kissed Khadgar's forehead, then noticed just how unsteady the mage was on his feet; how weak he felt.

"Khadgar? Were you actually injured?" Lothar rubbed his thumb over the wet cheek as tears still leaked from those tired eyes.

"Only my pride," Khadgar sighed. "I used Blink again too soon. Between that and the field outing earlier, I'm just exhausted."

"Then rest." Lothar led his slow mage over to the bed and laid him down, unable to not smile when his top rode up and allowed his belly to poke out a bit. "Can you promise me that you won't get up to go read again?"

"I think so." Khadgar pulled his shirt down when he noticed the draft, and then groaned softly as he closed his eyes. "Thank you, Anduin."

Lothar leaned in and gave a kiss to Khadgar's forehead, earning a tired smile. "I love you, Khadgar."

"Anduin." Khadgar gazed up at his friend with longing in those tired eyes. "Can... you stay?"

Lothar had promised his sister an update on Khadgar's condition after visiting with him, but he knew she would understand if it came later. He climbed into the bed next to Khadgar, wrapping an arm around his middle as he buried his face into that short brown hair.

Lothar gently stroked his hand over Khadgar's clothed belly, tracing its curve as he pondered just why it appealed to him so much. He figured it wasn't a usual preference, and he knew Khadgar wanted it gone.

Just as Khadgar's relaxed breathing made Lothar think he had drifted off, he spoke quietly. "Anduin?"

"Hm?"

"Do you really think... that I could ever get used to this weight on my body?"

Lothar smiled and kissed Khadgar's neck fondly. "Met a warrior once, from Lordaeron. Barely taller than you and double your weight. He out-sparred me every time."

"Really?" Khadgar's voice held surprise and hope.

"Yeah. But you're starting from the body of a thinner mage, so it's going to take effort."

"I really don't like being fat," Khadgar murmured as he clutched Lothar's arm against his soft belly. "But it's even worse to be held back because of it."

"We'll work on it together. Now rest, love."

Love. Khadgar could get used to that.

Khadgar had apologized to Taria shortly before dinnertime. Though he'd been spending most meals in his room with mere conjured bread, at her request he joined the queen and her brother and children for a real meal.

"It's good to see you dining with us again," Taria said with an honest smile as Khadgar savored the roast lamb. "Can we expect this to become a regular occasion?"

Khadgar glanced up to see the warm invitation on his queen's face and he smiled, giving a short nod. He glanced over to Lothar who was enjoying the meal as well, though he was watching Khadgar fondly, and the mage's smile only widened.

"Good. I know the children will like having you back at the table to tell stories and show off magic. Right kids?"

Adariall, who had always been delighted by magic, gave a polite nod, while Varian spoke quite abruptly.

"Uncle Anduin, why do you like fat men?"

Everyone at the table froze. Khadgar stopped mid-chew, giving one cheek a slight puffy chipmunk look to it.

"Where did you hear that?" Lothar asked, glancing at Khadgar who swallowed the bite uneasily while staring at his plate.

"I heard one of the guards talking to another today. They didn't know I could hear them. They said you like fat men because you had sex with Khadgar."

"Varian!" Taria scolded her son. "We do not say such things at the table!"

Lothar glanced at Khadgar again, able to see the mage trying to shrink in his seat as his cheeks burned in humiliation.

"The truth is that I love Khadgar, much like how your father loved your mother. He just happens to have messed up a spell that made him a little bigger. How he looks doesn't change how much I love him."

Khadgar gazed up at Lothar in surprise, though the adoration in those bright brown eyes mirrored the affection.

"Oh." Varian looked between his uncle and the mage. "You love Uncle Anduin too?"

"I do," Khadgar said with a warm smile. "I really do."

"Okay." Varian smiled and returned to his food, completely content with having a second uncle around.

Khadgar glanced around at everyone as dinner resumed like nothing had happened, with the exception of Lothar gazing at him fondly. He couldn't help but feel at ease among them, and happily resumed his dinner with family.

Lothar had insisted Khadgar work on his stamina, but he didn't think it would begin before daylight the next day while he was trying to sleep.

Khadgar groaned in misery as Lothar roused him and spoke of a nice bright and early start, but Khadgar had argued that it might be early but it sure wasn't bright because there was no daylight at all outside. Lothar simply laughed and tossed a set of training tunic and breeches to him, insisting no more would be needed since they were just going to train together.

The mage bemoaned the unsaintly hour and asked why they had to begin so early.

Lothar reminded him that, as regent king, he had many duties during the day and so they had to begin before the day actually started.

Khadgar sighed and pulled himself out of bed, changing quickly into the clothing--only to find they were fairly snug on him. He shot Lothar a look of indignation while motioning to how poorly it fit him.

"Whups. Guess we don't actually have your size in the training room."

"Somehow, I'm not surprised." Khadgar muttered some words foreign to Lothar and the garments glowed a faint blue before increasing in size. It gave him room to freely move around, and he looked a little more comfortable with the idea.

"Well, I guess magic can be useful for more than I realized." Lothar stepped forward and pulled Khadgar against him, licking his lips. "Pity. I would have loved watching you move in those tight clothes."

Khadgar blushed madly and directed his annoyance to the floor. "No, you really are terrible. Getting pleasure from my suffering."

"I never hear you complaining at night when I make love to you." Lothar grinned and rubbed Khadgar's neck fat, if only to have the man gaze up at him so he could steal a kiss.

"And you never will." Khadgar smirked when the kiss ended. It was an intoxicating sight for Lothar; that smug grin with those blown pupils. "In bed with you... is the only time I don't mind my new body."

"Good." Lothar's hands traced Khadgar's belly, hips, love handles, back, ass, and teased at his thighs. "Because you will never stop hearing me rave about it."

Khadgar laughed and shook his head. "You damn deviant."

"Since the day I fell for a mage." Lothar stole one final kiss from Khadgar before taking his wrist and pulling him from the room. "Now let's go improve your stamina so I can safely drag you with me into the field again."

"Yes, Commander."

The two began their simple training session with stretching and warming up. Though Khadgar was still plenty flexible, his warmup routine revealed just how poorly he was for carrying that extra weight, both in stamina and how it threw off his balance.

Lothar ended the warmup earlier than he normally would, since he could tell from Khadgar's panting that he probably wouldn't get a full workout session anyway.

"Okay. Pick up that wooden staff. You're going to learn how to defend yourself with it." Lothar grabbed one of his own, intending to teach the mage how to defend himself if winded in the field.

"Staff huh," Khadgar panted, but did as told and picked it up. "Had to go… with the… mage weapon."

"Would you rather try to carry around and swing a heavy steel sword?" Lothar motioned to the rack of wooden training swords.

Khadgar huffed and motioned to Lothar's staff, as if to say he was ready.

Which, Lothar should have known, he clearly wasn't.

One quick sweep across the back of Khadgar's legs and the man went down with a breathless Oof!

"Watch for attacks from all angles. Not just right in front of you." Lothar pulled Khadgar back up to his feet, and then readied another fighting stance.

Khadgar nodded and got ready to defend himself again, and though he deflected the first blow, a second one hit him in the shin, taking him down on one knee with a wince.

"Don't let one hit take you down. Staying on your feet can mean the difference between life and death."

Khadgar used the staff to pull himself to his feet again. He really wasn't enjoying this lesson, even if he got to do it with his lover.

"Strike at me. Come on." Lothar easily deflected Khadgar's weak and sloppy thrust, but he didn't use the opportunity to strike back. He simply instructed Khadgar how to properly wield the staff and use body motion as well to strike. "Again."

The second result was much stronger and more assured, and gave Lothar hope for progress.

Until Khadgar leaned too far forward and lost balance, falling flat on his stomach with a more wheezy Oof.

"I'm trying to teach you, not torture you, Khadgar." Lothar helped him up, not happy with how winded the young man already was. Of course, it didn't help that the air kept getting knocked out of him. "Watch your balance. Smaller strikes for now. We'll learn the motions before we apply power."

Khadgar nodded and returned to his fighting stance, watching what Lothar did and copying as best he could. He had no further falls, though his stamina steadily waned over the hour-long lesson, and by the end his movements were losing precision and he'd worked up a decent sweat.

"Okay, we're done today." Lothar gazed at the sunrise in dismay. He was really enjoying the sparring lesson.

"Oh, thank, the Light," Khadgar panted. He sat on a bench against the wall and leaned back, catching his breath and trying to recover his shot stamina.

"We're doing this tomorrow, too." Lothar almost felt bad when he saw the chagrin in Khadgar's eyes. "But we're done for today. Go get cleaned up, it'll be time for breakfast soon."

Khadgar nodded, stood on trembling legs, and then walked off much less energetically than he'd arrived.

Khadgar's efforts were rewarded that night with a warrior who was desperate to forget the day's stresses by being with his round mage. Whether that included intimacy or not was of no concern to him; he simply wanted to be with the man.

Still, Khadgar did have the entire day to recover his stamina, and he very much wanted to wreck it once more by wrapping their bodies together and working up a sweat for the second time that day.

They made love together, with Khadgar asking about the day, and Lothar only squeezing those thick hips tighter as he angled his own to find the spot that finally shut the mage up.

He loved Khadgar's mind, and his mouth, and that he honestly cared. But this moment was about them, and he did not want to think about the bureaucracy of the day and what it would mean for the morrow.

Again, Khadgar cried out in a happy mix of unintelligible speech. Lothar smiled and finished as well and merely collapsed with the man, wrapping his arms around that soft torso and his leg over Khadgar's.

Khadgar thanked the Light that if nowhere else, he at least had stamina for the bedroom.

The second morning was a more pleasant awakening for the mage, since his partner had slumbered with him all night. He awoke to gentle strokes across his belly, the shirt that had been covering it pulled back for ample access.

Between the two of them, when it was just love, Khadgar didn't mind his new shape. Laying together at rest, his extra weight didn't leave him feeling restrained.

He smiled and ran his hand through Lothar's hair sleepily; fondly. He wished they could lay there forever just doting on each other, but morning wouldn't be long and then so would the duties that called Lothar away and left Khadgar to his Guardianship and magical research. He knew he needed to make the most of their early time together, even if it did involve making a fool of himself during training.

Khadgar donned the cleaned training clothes and gladly followed his partner to the barracks for his training, despite still being sore from the day before.

Light, how he really wished they could have spent the morning in bed.

They had just finished stretching and warming up when Lothar halted Khadgar's reach for the staff with a hand on his wrist. Confused brown eyes gazed up at him, and he simply pulled Khadgar close to peer achingly into them.

"Anduin?"

"I love you, Khadgar." He pressed a gentle kiss to those soft lips, tender and chaste, and held it for much longer than usual. "But... I have to go."

"Go? We just started."

"No. I have to leave Stormwind. The orcs are causing problems at the southern border of Dun Morogh and the dwarves have requested our aid."

Khadgar's eyes widened and he shook his head minutely, never severing their gazes. "But that's--you'll be gone for--"

"At least a week. Maybe longer." Lothar brushed a hand through Khadgar's hair and smiled. "I'm taking our best soldiers. You have nothing to worry about."

"Take me too," Khadgar insisted, his bold tone edged with desperation.

"No." Lothar placed a finger on Khadgar's lips to silence him. "You must stay here and watch over Taria, Varian, Adariall, and all of Stormwind in my absence. And improve your strength and stamina. I intend to test it when I return."

"I'm not going because I can't, aren't I?" Khadgar placed a hand to his belly with a frown.

"I really do need you here to protect everyone. You might still be in training, but you are the Guardian. I want you to focus on Stormwind and her neighbors. Elwynn, Westfall, Duskwood, Redridge." Lothar pressed a kiss to Khadgar's forehead. "Please."

Khadgar swallowed and gave a nod. He managed to keep his voice steady as he spoke. "Yes, my lord."

"Thank you, my love." They shared one final long kiss before Lothar waved forward a young man that had been waiting off to the side.

Khadgar recognized him; it was the recruit from their venture whom he'd rescued from the pinned horse. One of the several who had made comments about how unfit he was for his position.

"Khadgar, this is Carlas. He has volunteered to train you in my absence." Lothar didn't miss the mage's surprise. "I trust he will train you well, and hopefully not cause you too many injuries."

"If his training style is anything like yours, I don't have much confidence in that." Khadgar smirked as he tried to leave Lothar with a fond memory of their parting.

Lothar's eyes raked over Khadgar's body as he returned the smirk, his eyes burning with the promise of ravaging the mage as soon as he returned from war. "Nobody's training style is like mine."

Khadgar blushed furiously and knew he'd been outdone. "May your journey be swift and your victory absolute. Safe travels, Commander."

He turned and picked up the staff to begin training with Carlas. Lothar watched him for another minute longer before turning to head off for the journey.

"So," Carlas stated as he effortlessly parried Khadgar's novice attacks, "it's true, then."

"What is?" Khadgar blocked one surprise attack, but Carlas must have been trained by Lothar because the mage's legs were swept out from under him again, leaving him wheezing and gazing up at his young trainer.

"You and the Commander. You are..." He gazed down at Khadgar, inspecting the mage's huffing form and rounded body. "Together."

Khadgar may have felt much too big recently, but at that moment, he felt so small. This man couldn't have been more than a year or two his senior, but he could put Khadgar on his back with such ease that it was laughable. And with the unreadable expression as this kid assessed him...

Khadgar merely swallowed and nodded.

"Interesting." Carlas offered a hand to Khadgar, easily hefting him back up to his feet. "So it's true then about you, too?"

Khadgar gripped his staff in one hand and steadied his breath to defend himself with magic if need be. He only hoped he was being overly cautious. "What about me?"

"Your weight. It's all from magic?"

Khadgar looked down and then back up, clearly startled by the question. "Uh, yeah. Some ancient magics should probably stay ancient."

Carlas smiled for the first time since Khadgar had known him. "It would seem so. That's why your performance on our mission was so terrible?"

Well, Khadgar certainly couldn't argue with the kid. He took a better look at him; short blond hair, crystal blue eyes, and a build that would be lanky without the muscle honed from spending his youth doing hard labor.

"Unfortunately, yes. I've been unable to find an answer to this with more magic, so Lothar decided we should solve it the old-fashioned way."

"I think it's a good way. Even if you do find an answer to it with magic, it's good to be able to adapt to any situation." Carlas thrusted forward with his staff, hitting Khadgar flat across the chest and knocking all air from his lungs. "Especially if you can't breathe to cast a spell."

Khadgar hoped this kid wasn't as merciless as he seemed. He held his staff up as the kid attacked again, and he triumphantly blocked it and was able to get air back into his lungs--until the end of a staff stuck him in the gut, causing him to fold over and drop to his hands and knees, his own staff clattering to the ground.

"Well, at least I know where to start with you." Carlas gave a little kick to Khadgar's staff with a smirk. "Commander Lothar was right. You are a novice."

Khadgar reached for the staff again and stubbornly staggered to his feet to face the young soldier, determination clear in his entire form.

"And you don't give up either." Carlas smiled again with much less mirth and gave a spin of his staff. He looked eager. "Good. Let's go."

To say Lothar missed home and the comfort of his cuddly mage was an understatement. His venture lasted much longer than planned, the single week turning into a month due to repeated battles and one of his men being injured so badly that he needed bedrest.

Even traveling via gryphon from Ironforge was too risky; the orcs had proven themselves to be as adept at wielding a bow as they were with melee weapons. He didn't even know if any of his letters to Khadgar or his sister made it through.

He at least had the solace of knowing all was well at home. Khadgar had likely foreseen the risks of aerial mail, so he'd manifested a way to send the letters by magic. They would always end up smacking the warrior's face bright and early in the morning, as though imitating a wake-up call. Never anything impressive was held within; just quick scribbles of kingdom goings-on and an I love you.

It made the distance easier to bear.

Still, he was beyond glad to be arriving through the gates of Stormwind with his men. Their arrival had been spotted miles in advance and there were many people present to welcome them home, though none of his immediate family was in sight and definitely no chubby mage.

Lothar eventually found his family safe at the keep. The children tackled their uncle immediately, both elated to have him safely back and to hear all of the stories of his month-long adventure.

Lothar promised them stories, but only at dinner when their whole family was together. He gladly hugged Taria when she approached, but she could recognize the longing in his eyes.

"He's been in the library since breakfast," she said to his unspoken question. "He's thrown himself into his studies since you left."

"But his letters said-"

"Oh, he's been a very good Guardian this past month. He's overseen the safety of the neighboring regions just as you requested, has studied up on military strategy and attended war room meetings, and has offered much good advice and the occasional magical aid."

"He's been out in the field?" Lothar couldn't hide his concern. He wondered just how much Khadgar could have improved in a month.

"Very rarely, and almost always on horseback. He still prefers to hide himself away from the public eye and focus his efforts on magical studies."

"And us!" Adariall insisted. "He likes to teach me about the properties of flowers and tells Varian and I both stories about magic in Dalaran!"

"He plays with us too!" Varian piped up happily. "Mages are very good at hide and seek."

Taria held in her giggle, but it showed in her bright smile.

"Well, it appears he has taken good care of you both while I was gone. I'd better go thank him."

Lothar did indeed find his partner in the library. He was surrounded by floating books and papers that lazily circled him, both hands encircled with arcane runes as an animated quill scratched notes and Khadgar murmured something in ancient Elven language.

Lothar couldn't help but stare at the mage fondly. He held himself so confidently, and he'd chosen some new garments as well. A beautiful navy tunic with a wrapped silver vest overtop, its fabric hanging below his waist much like his old one had. The waist sash sat a bit lower and wrapped under his belly instead of crossing its apex, allowing Lothar a better view of the lovely curve.

Which, he noticed as he took a closer look at the mage; had grown.

It wasn't much, but Khadgar had managed to gain a few more pounds in the month he'd been gone. He swallowed uneasily at the thought, hoping the mage had continued his physical training in his absence. Sure, he loved him regardless, but he wanted Khadgar capable and happy.

"Should've known you'd be reading."

Khadgar jumped with a start, the arcane flaring brighter in his eyes as the books all flew outward for several feet before hitting the floor. The floating inkwell spilled on the hardwood and soaked through the notes he'd just been taking, but Khadgar paid it no mind.

"Anduin!" The mage leapt forward and rushed him, engulfing him in a hug. A strong hug. "By the Light, Anduin, I missed you so. I hadn't heard back from you."

"I sent letters," Lothar insisted. "I don't think the orcs wanted any communications though. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for me, they can't stop a lovesick mage."

"You did get them!" Khadgar grinned and kissed his partner lovingly, and laughed as Lothar stroked his neck affectionately.

"Yes, I did. They told me of many things from home. Things I wanted and needed to hear." Lothar turned Khadgar's face to gaze into those brown eyes, his free hand caressing the curve of his belly. "But they didn't tell me about this. Have you been messing with that magic again?"

Pink flushed across Khadgar's face and he smiled sheepishly. "Do you hate it?"

"I think I've drilled it into you that I can't hate it. It's you. I just worry about you."

"You have nothing to worry about. I'm doing just fine. And now you're home."

"You say you're fine, but you're still trying to change yourself with magic-"

"No, Anduin, I'm not." Khadgar blushed even more as he motioned to the platter of meats and cheeses and berries on the desk nearby. It was more than halfway picked through. "I-I just have that bad habit of... snacking. And I've been doing a lot of research and reading lately..."

"Giving into your gluttonous desires, hmm?" Lothar pulled Khadgar against him, pressing that plush body against his own. He reached down to give Khadgar's ass a good squeeze, and was delighted to find that it was thicker as well--and felt as though it had more muscle than it had before. "Have you been training?"

"Every day," Khadgar purred as he pressed happily against Lothar. "I can show you if you like."

"Good. Barracks, now."

"Oh, I-I meant in uhm, in bed, in private-"

"That will be for tonight." Lothar gave a hungry nibble to Khadgar's neck fat, earning a soft moan from the mage. "I want to see you move, not just feel it."

Khadgar groaned softly and nodded dumbly, his brain silenced by lust. He barely registered the warrior's body leaving his and his wrist being pulled toward the door.

Dutifully Khadgar followed Lothar to the training area. Dismally, he noticed that they were far from being alone; they had an audience to watch their Commander train with his fat mage.

"As nice as that vest looks on you, it's not made for fighting. Take it off."

Khadgar had to agree. He did so, not without a blush as Lothar could see the tunic underneath was the slightest bit snug on him.

Lothar didn't speak, but his eyes promised to explore every new pound that night. He tossed Khadgar the training staff, waited for a nod, and then rushed forward.

Khadgar's performance was a far cry from the first day they had trained. He held the staff as an extension of his body, moved fluidly to block every opening, parried every blow, and even easily dropped into a crouch to sweep Lothar off his feet and onto his back.

Lothar's surprise was clear on his face. He sat up and raised his eyebrows, then nodded his approval. "Good. Now, you take the offensive."

As soon as Lothar stood, Khadgar did as instructed. He was still fighting an experienced warrior, so every blow that he attempted was thrown off. Still he persisted, even as Lothar leapt onto the stone wall to gain ground and test Khadgar's balance.

With barely a huff, Khadgar jumped up and followed right after him, proving his stamina and balance had improved considerably. He continued his assault, stopping only when his foot slipped on a smooth stone and he nearly went down, but Lothar's hand on his tunic steadied him.

"I'm impressed." Lothar loved the way those brown eyes lit up from the praise. "You've improved a lot in a month."

"I've had a good teacher." Khadgar motioned to Carlas, who was watching them with a smirk. "He rides me harder than you."

Lothar raised a brow at the phrasing, but just Khadgar wasn't terribly familiar with innuendos. He nodded to Carlas in approval, glad to have competent young soldiers in his ranks.

"Good. I do believe we're going to have a celebratory dinner tonight. I want you all there."

The soldiers practically cheered. They knew the legends of good food and drink in Stormwind keep, and were excited to hear the tales from their Commander.

Khadgar, meanwhile, simply smiled fondly and put his vest back on, wrapping the fabric and tying the braided sash into position.

"That really does look great on you," Lothar said as he watched his mage in approval.

"It's a new style I'm trying out." Khadgar fiddled with the sash, but it rode down toward his hips again. "I can't get the sash to sit higher, though."

"It looks good like this." Lothar placed his hands on Khadgar's middle, almost as though cradling it. "The curve is more visible."

"Only you would see that as a positive." Khadgar rolled his eyes, but then swallowed nervously when he saw several soldiers had nosily stopped to watch them. "Um, we have an audience."

"We'd better give them a reason to look, then." Before Khadgar could question him, Lothar's hands slid outward to rest on Khadgar's back and he took the mage in a deep, loving kiss.

Khadgar sighed happily and hooked his arms around Lothar's shoulders. He smiled, waved his fingers as his eyes lit up blue, and he wordlessly teleported them from the crowd.

Lothar stumbled back after their arrival, clearly disoriented from being teleported without warning. He looked around to find they were in his quarters, and Khadgar at least had the sense to look sheepish.

"I'm sorry, Anduin. I didn't want an audience. And-"

"Did you teleport us?"

"...Yes?"

"Without runes or an incantation?"

"I've been taking my studies as seriously as my training. I've learned some shortcuts. It's-it's not perfect yet. I still need words for most spells, but I can cast some without words, at a greater cost of mana."

As though to drive the point home, Khadgar suddenly slackened in weakness. Lothar quickly grabbed him and barely kept him upright. He marveled at the weight of the mage; he may have gained a bit more fat, but plenty of lithe muscle as well.

"I think you should rest." Lothar smiled when Khadgar sighed in annoyance. "You did well in sparring today. I never expected you to improve so quickly."

Khadgar's tired eyes brightened for the praise, and he couldn't stop the happy smile. "Thank you."

"Now. You go clean up and rest for dinner, and I'll do the same." He began walking Khadgar to the door, but the mage suddenly stopped. "Khadgar?"

"I haven't seen you in a month, Anduin." Khadgar gazed longingly at his love. "We're going to do the same thing. Let's do it... together."

Lothar could tell Khadgar hadn't the energy to turn the activity into anything more, so he smiled and nodded.

They would save the real fun for the evening, but he could definitely get a head start on inspecting his love's fantastically furthered fluffy form.

Dinner in the castle dining hall that evening was filled with sounds of laughter, merriment, and tales of valor and victory.

Lothar of course kept Khadgar in his sights at all times, although it was plenty easy to do for multiple reasons; for one the mage was plenty big enough to pick out in the crowd, and he was always returning to Lothar's or Taria's side throughout the evening.

And, to Lothar's amusement, each time Khadgar reappeared at his side, he had consumed more food and alcohol and carried a brighter smile. He also clearly cared less and less about the periodic comments about his size and weight, as it no longer held him back and his family didn't mind it at all.

Somewhere approaching the end of the dinner, Khadgar was drunk enough to wrap his arms around Lothar's middle from behind him, to press his body up against the regent and kiss his neck playfully; and Lothar was just inebriated enough to not mind that their not-very-secret relationship was being revealed to everyone in the room.

"Should get you drunk more often," Lothar chuckled and reached behind him, aiming for Khadgar's ass but the mage was a little wider for that reach and he simply grasped him--somewhere. "You're very handsy."

"You've been terribly missed, Anduin. By everyone." Khadgar kissed a little higher, nearing Lothar's ear. "Taria was worried when you didn't send letters."

"I sent them!"

Lothar could almost feel the grin in Khadgar's words as his ear was gently nibbled on. It sent shivers through him, and he knew that several people had taken to just gawking, but he didn't care.

"I believed you were safe. It gave her comfort."

"You should not be speaking of my sister while you're using your mouth like that," Lothar said in a low tone that was not so light with frustration. He quickly turned around to be facing the mage and took in that dopey grin, that flushed drunkenness that was almost reminiscent of when he was out of shape and out of breath.

Khadgar however had improved himself positively; to better carry his new body, but also to ensure his partner continued to enjoy the figure he so seemed enamored with.

And, Lothar reasoned, Khadgar was probably in better shape than he ever had been, extra pounds be damned.

"So tell me," Lothar said as he found himself rubbing that belly curve as he blushed--the Lion of Stormwind, blushing while being affectionate with a rotund mage; boy, would the gossip spread in the morning like wildfire. "Taria had told me you'd been waiting to hear from the elves about that spell that made you..." He pressed his hand into the softness there and groaned softly, embarrassing himself for just how drunk he seemed to actually be--he'd tried not to be so obvious about his craving for the mage's body, at least when they weren't alone.

"You still have not heard back from them?" He tried to recover his embarrassment and fell completely short, since his hand was still there with his thumb gently rubbing circles through the fabric. He desperately wanted to be stroking his shirtless partner, but that would have to wait for later.

"I have," Khadgar said as he placed his hands on Lothar's hips, enjoying the pure muscle under his grasp. "They came a week after you had left for the North."

"And?" Lothar noticed Khadgar had started to drift off dreamily; though, he was pretty sure it was because he was still caressing that beautiful belly.

"Mmm... looks like I found a spell that was meant to be found by the unawares." Khadgar exhaled in absolute bliss. He could get used to this; just having Lothar worship his body as he gave into hedonism. If only they weren't such important figures in the fight for the safety of all of Azeroth. "The spell notes spoke of slimming one down and giving them a more appealing figure. But in fact, it's designed to do the opposite."

"It what?" Lothar blinked in surprise, momentarily rattled from his relaxed stupor.

"It was meant to deceive its reader." Khadgar grinned stupidly; though he at least looked a bit sheepish as he elaborated. "It was a prank spell. It never reduced one's weight. And a spell to counteract it, to actually remove the prank spell's weight, was never recorded. So." He pressed his cushy body against Lothar once more, gazing drunkenly but lovingly into the warrior's eyes. "If I wanted to lose weight, it would have to be the good old fashioned way."

"Hmm." Lothar wrapped his arms around his drunken mage's waist. "And do you want to?"

"Honestly?" Khadgar laughed loudly, completely carefree, gathering even more eyes onto them. "I don't care. And you like it. So no. I don't plan on it."

Even Taria was watching them curiously, although she was attempting to scold her brother, however mildly, with just her gaze.

"I want whatever makes you happy," Lothar said as he lowered his voice so only Khadgar would hear him. "I love you, in any size or shape. And I would have you no matter how you look."

Khadgar merely smiled, his bright eyes sparkling and lighting up Lothar's world. He leaned in and took Lothar in a brief kiss, until he remembered that they were kind of in public and had to show some level of decorum.

"Well regent, you should go mingle with your people." Khadgar beamed happily. "I think your sister would like it if I mingled as the Guardian. We can talk more together... about doing things together... after dinner."

Lothar wasn't drunk enough by a long shot to miss the obvious euphemism, and he merely shooed his partner away with a grin.

He was so glad that dinner was nearly over.