Hollow lover (18+)

K//inger groaned softly, curling on his side. His stomach groaned mournfully.

"Shh...I know, I hear you..."

He rolled onto his back, pressing the heel of his palm deep into his stomach.

Grrrrwwwrrrlllggg...

"I tried, I'm sorry...you're going to have to be patient..."

His stomach responded with a sharper cramp that made him wince. He supposed he couldn't blame it for being upset.

He wasn't quite sure when his last meal had been, but based on the hollow feeling gnawing at him it had been at least three days.

The first day he hadn't noticed. Too engrossed with sorting his insect collection and reorganizing his pillow fort so the ones furthest from him didn't get too lonely.

Apart from that he had been busy with C//aine's adventures.

But today? He had woken up with a painfully angry stomach. And he had really tried his best to get it what it needed.

Breakfast had been a bust, since he'd lost track of morning and night and where one stopped and the other began.

By the time he'd made it to the kitchen, his stomach growling in anticipation, the table was void of everything. No food, no plates, no people.

He made a mental note to remember to ask the others to get him for lunch. Unfortunately, even if he had remembered – which, honestly...he knew he wouldn't. His mind wasn't as sharp as it once was – it wouldn't have mattered anyway.

Come lunchtime, they were all Olympic athletes in a swimming competition. He hadn't done too poorly, managing to come in third place behind J//ax and P//omni, though he did feel he was at an advantage being made of wood and having proper hands.

Z//ooble had been close behind. There had only been four finishers, because R//agatha had become waterlogged and sunk to the bottom, and G//angle's ribbons had gotten tangled in the movement of the water.

Either way, the extra exercise had really upset his stomach. It had been angry all day, but it seemed to become furious when all those calories were burned without replacement.

As soon as they had returned, he had curled up in his fort. Trying his best to soothe the cramped up aches with rubs as he stared at the clock. 5:30. Dinner was at 7. He would stay focused. He would make it for dinner. Otherwise he'd he in for a very uncomfortable night.

And when 7 o'clock came around, he tried. Truly, he did. He had left his fort and started towards the kitchen. But the lights had been bright and his stomach had ached and he couldn't stay focused.

Despite his best efforts and his stomach's pleas, he had wandered a full loop around the circus and back to the fort without a stop in the kitchen.

As soon as he blocked the opening with pillows, his stomach panged, hard enough he curled forward to press a palm to his stomach.

Right. That's why he had left. He glanced at the clock. 10 o'clock.

Dinner would definitely be over now.

His stomach snarled under his palm. He winced.

"I know...I know you're angry...ough, I don't blame you, that doesn't feel very nice, does it..."

He shifted to lean back against the pillows, accommodating to not pull the tight knots in his belly. It was impossible to ignore now.

His stomach ached horribly. Even the gentle movement of inhaling and exhaling made it growl with each breath.

"Easy...we'll try again tommorow..."

Grrrllllgrrr...

"I know, you don't believe me...I'm sorry...Just try and relax–"

GRRRRRLLOOOARRGGGLLE....

He winced, curling tightly to push his hand deeper against the cramps.

"Okay, okay, I know you're upset...shh..."

He curled on his side, hugging a pillow to his stomach to muffle the ravenous growls.

Tommorow. Tommorow he would make it to the kitchen.

(Neither he nor his stomach believed him.)

***

(And that's the fic! Now do I write a part 2 where you help him get some relief, or do we leave him to suffer indefinitely?)