This is a tough chapter. The next one is super cute, I promise. : \
((Content Warning: Depiction of severe depression))
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Two major tests and a lab report completely wiped Melodyâs week out. On Rosaâs side, dodging the worst of Black Friday meant she had to pull doubles, right through the weekend. A week without Rosa time felt more like a year. There was nothing to fear though. Melodyâs social penguin was about to flip from blue to red.
First, some TLC for their girlfriend. Melody had a reservation for a Board Game Restaurant and a home-spa kit for Rosaâs recovery. After that, they should be able to have some amazing ABDL time together. It was a bit of a lull at school before finals hit. Melodyâs planning was worthy of Veronica.
Pausing in the entryway of the computer science building, Melody let themself think about Veronica. They owed her a month of rent. She hadnât said anything, but Melody had as good as dropped out of Veronicaâs program. Melody hadnât had a session or done anything with Veronica diaper-wise in a couple of weeks.
It was okay though, because the program worked. Everything was great, especially with Rosa. Melody had the money, and their loans were paid off. They could pay Veronica for December before the fifth and give her a big thank you. A hug too, if she wasnât mad.
âThere you are!â A sharp voice cut into Melodyâs daydreams. Beatrix, coming in hot on Melodyâs three oâclock.
âOh uh, hey Bea. Look itâs been crazy busy andâŠâ
âYeah, I know.â Beatrix said, looking a little wild-eyed. âI am so choked up that Iâm about to blow. Come with me, I need some sugar.â
âHey, I have to get to class.â Melody said.
They almost pulled out of Beatrixâs grasp. Something in their heart stopped them. It was Beatrix. Unstoppably hot Beatrix. The girl theyâd followed to this grad school after undergrad at Brooklyn College. Could Melody say no to her? Could anyone?
Beatrix didnât seem to notice Melodyâs conflict. She was pulling hard enough on Melodyâs coat that she would have expected resistance regardless. Stumbling up to an unfamiliar door, Melody watched in surprise as Beatrix produced a key and unlocked it.
Why did Bea have a key to the CS building? Melody asked themself.
The room inside was bare except for a ladder and some tarps in the corner. Melody caught a flash of what looked like a construction logo on the keyâs chain before Bea stuffed it back in her pocket.
âAlone at last. Shit Mel, if I didnât know better, Iâd think you were avoiding me.â Beatrix wasnât wasting any time. She had her coat off and her bag tossed aside already.
âI wouldnât do that.â Melody said cautiously. They had been avoiding her of course. It had been easy up until now with all the tests and holidays.
âOh, I know. Youâre mine. The best, most obedient and fuckable toy Iâve ever had.â Beatrix grinned, shucking off her sweater. There was no blouse underneath, just a red lace bra holding her perfect breasts.
The spiderweb pattern in the red lace made Melody double-take. Bea had bragged about that lingerie set once. It was her lucky set. The one she only broke out for boys that mattered.
âBea are you sure we should do this here?â Melody asked, desperate for a way out. Not that they could tear their eyes off that glorious chest.
âAll the construction is in Hunter Hall right now, nobodyâs coming in here. Donât you pay ATTENTION?â Beatrix flicked a finger off Melodyâs temple.
âI know my girls are amazing.â Beatrix continued, hefting her breasts. âBut you donât get to stand there drooling. Get your coat off and show me that body.â
âI uh â itâs just thatâŠâ Melody stammered. They were about to cheat on Rosa. No, they couldnât do that. There had to be a way out that didnât involve Beatrix posting her blackmail.
âI forget how shy and nervous you are. Iâll warm you up.â Beatrix closed on Melody and pinned them to the wall. Her mouth was all over Melodyâs lips, cheeks, and throat.
Unable to stop themself, Melody stroked the silken skin of Beatrixâs back. They moaned softly into the kiss. It was incredible to feeling real passion from Beatrix..
Beatrix squirmed and pressed up against them with genuine desire. Her breath was hot and ragged on Melodyâs ear. An insane flash of insight lit Melodyâs brain up to Galaxy Brain status. Beatrix was hot for them. For Melody. Beatrix wanted THEM.
Melody could have Beatrix as a girlfriend.
Something literally impossible had happened. A whole new path opened up for Melody. No more diapers and weirdness, just a regular lesbian relationship. Well, a lesbian dom/sub relationship anyway. If it lasted, Melodyâs tech skills with Beaâs ability to monetize things would be insane.
They could become a hot power couple, with a billion expensive cats. On Mars.
But it wasnât right! Rosa didnât deserve to get hurt. They had something with Rosa that theyâd never expected, might never get again. Something that Melody knew she needed, deep in their heart.
There had to be a way to get some space, to figure thing out. Melody needed to think. The only thing running their head now was the monkey brain.
âYouâre holding back.â Beatrix said. She had Melodyâs coat open and her hands on their chest. âDonât be like that. Give me that lezzie love. Iâm going to fuck you so good, someone will call campus security when you scream.â
Melodyâs thoughts did a record scratch. Hearing Beatrix beg to fuck them was brain-meltingly hot. Until that last bit, which was more like a threat. The weirdness of it gave Melody enough control to push open some space between themself and Bea.
âHey, Bea.â Melody said, panting. âIâve wanted you for so long. Itâs so amazing now that you want me too, that youâre so hot for me. But we have to talk aboutâŠâ
Beatrix froze. âDid you just pump the breaks?â
âI need to think.â Melody said. âSeeing you beg is so hot itâs messing me up. But I canât justâŠâ
âYou think I was begging?â Beatrixâs eyes dilated until their color was gone.
âWell you were kindaâŠâ Melody said.
âYou fucking bitch!â Beatrix screamed. âIs that what you think? You think Iâm â some fucking simp? That Iâm whipped? BY YOU?â
Melody held up their hands in shock, trying to find the words to shut off the torrent of rage that Beatrix was vomiting at her.
âYOUâRE THE ONE THATâS WHIPPED!â Beatrix brought her hand across Melodyâs face with a resounding crack. âBY ME!â
Fury and terror warred on Beatrixâs face in an ugly combination. She was trembling all over. Melody was trembling too. They touched their cheek, and their fingers came away damp and red.
âYou RUINED this for me.â Beatrix raged. âI just needed some goddamn stress relief and you had to fuck it up, like you always do. So now neither one of us gets anything!â Beatrix snatched up her coat, sweater, and bag.
âYouâre unbelievable. Ungrateful. Stupid. Bitch!â Beatrix was trembling more than ever. It was hard to tell from the intensity of her emotion, but she looked more afraid now than angry. âIâll text you later and youâd better be ready to make up for this. FUCK!â
On that last scream, Beatrix stormed out of the room. She hadnât bothered to put her clothes back on. The door slammed behind her, hard enough to make Melody wince.
Melody stumbled out of the room a while later. Their class was halfway done. Not that it mattered. They werenât going to be able to understand a single thing a professor said. Rosa had a class that got out around this time. She might still be on campus.
The magic of text messages brought them together on an icy circle of brick, at the base of a hill that sported the Universityâs ugliest statue. It looked like a rusty snowflake sneezing a lightning-bolt. It was especially bad next to Melodyâs beautiful girlfriend, beaming when she caught sight of them.
âMelody! Baby, what happened to your face?â Rosa asked, shifting from delight to concern.
âItâs uhâŠâ Melody swallowed hard, trying to figure out how they could explain.
âLet me see.â Rosa took Melodyâs face and peered at the thin cuts that Beatrixâs fingernails had laid across Melodyâs cheek.
âI um â the thing is RosaâŠâ Melody floundered.
âWait, is this lipstick all over you?â Rosa frowned. âMel, whatâs going on?â
âBeatrix â ambushed me. Kind of.â Melody said. There was a yawning pit growing in their stomach as Rosaâs face grew more concerned. âI, Iâm sorry. I didnât mean to â it wasnât supposed to go that way.â
âShe assaulted you again?â Rosa asked in horror. âShe was all over you and she hit you?â
âIt wasâŠâ Melody swallowed back a wave of nausea.
Thatâs not what happened. It wasnât assault. It couldnât be assault.
âNo, not assault. I, I just didnât stop it in time. Iâm sorry, I wonât let it happen again.â
âMelody, baby.â Rosa gently took Melody in her arms, patting their back. âYou have a bruise and three cuts on your face. You are trembling and you can hardly talk to me. We have to do something about this.â
âI canât.â Melody said, their gut roiling. âI canât. You donât understand.â
âI understand that this has gone way too far. We have to get help to deal with this. We should talk to campus security, or the cops.â
âNo, I canât.â Melody said, shaking themself free of Rosaâs grasp.
âWhy not?â Rosa asked. Her cheeks were streaked with tears.
âDonât cry. Itâs okay. Itâll be okay. Sheâll give up. I just have to wait until she gives up.â Melody couldnât make themself believe it anymore. They couldnât blame Rosa for the disbelief in her eyes.
âThat is bullshit. Melody, honey, I want to help you. This is crazy.â Rosa took Melodyâs hand gently. âPlease let me help.â
âShe has pictures.â Melody said. âP-porn. Of me. I canât. If she puts those on the internet, Rosa, itâll be there forever.â
âShit.â Rosa squeezed Melodyâs hand. âThere has to be a way to deal with it! New Hampshire has a revenge porn law. We can shut her down!â
âNo, itâll still be on there. I canât â I canât stand up to her.â
âYou canât live like this. You have to make her stop!â
âI canât do that!â
âWHY?â Rosa sobbed.
âBECAUSE I WANT IT!â Melody screamed.
A terrible silence descended around them. Rosaâs eyes were wide, hurt. Melody felt hollow inside. They both fell back a few steps. It felt like a chasm opening between them.
âWhat?â Rosa asked, her tone shocked and disbelieving.
âIâve known her since undergrad.â Melody said. They knew they shouldnât explain anything about Beatrix, but the words spilled out against their will. âI followed her to ABDU. She never, she never looked at me, but now â something happened. I canât â I canât make her stop.â
âAre you and her â together?â Rosa asked. The pain in her voice shattered Melodyâs heart.
âNo â I donât think so. Rosa, I â what you and I have is amazing. I donât understand why I canât stop Beatrix. But I canât.â Melody took a deep breath.
âI tried today, but it didnât work. She was so mad! It was my fault. I shouldnât have made her mad.â Melody looked at Rosa with pleading eyes.
Unfortunately, Rosa looked more upset than ever. There had to be something they could say. A dialogue option must exist, to stop this conversation from leading to a bad end.
âMelody.â Rosa took a shuddering breath. âI donât understand whatâs happening here. But itâs not your fault. You have to stop her. If you want to be with me, you have to stop whatâs happening with Beatrix.â
âI canât! She wonât let me.â Melody sobbed.
âItâs not her choice, itâs yours!â Rosaâs voice was getting colder. âYou have to do something. Stay away from her at least. It might have â some consequences. But this is hurting you. Itâs hurting us. It has to stop.â
âThatâs easy for you to say! Youâre not the one being exposed to the entire world.â
âI know itâs not easy!â Rosa cried, her voice cracking.
âMel, sheâs already hitting you. Are pictures going to matter if she kills you? You have to stop this!â
âI canât.â Melody fell to their knees. âI canât.â
âThen I canât do this either.â Rosa said, putting a hand to her mouth. âMelody, I â this canât be happening.â
âRosa, please.â Melody said.
âPlease what? Share my joyfriend, my Little One, with a psychopath? With someone who cuts your face? Watch you get hurt over and over again?â Rosa took several steps back.
âItâs almost over. I just needâŠâ
âNo, Melody. No.â Rosa shook her head. âSomething is almost over, but itâs not the thing that Beatrix is doing to you. I have to go. I need space from this.â
âRosa!â Melody begged.
âI canât watch you do this to yourself, or to us.â Rosa wrapped her arms around herself. âDonât call me. Donât text me. Donât come see me unless â unless youâre done with Beatrix.â
Melody watched in horror as Rosa walked away. They were beyond tears. They didnât feel anything at all, not even the cold. Something had snapped. A bright and beautiful thing was lying in sharp shards at the base of Melodyâs heart.
The rest of the day was nothing. There was nothing. A gray campus and a gray town. A gray bank and gray streets driving home. Melody walked into their gray house and their gray room. Their roommates said hello to them, and Melody said hello back.
Though they gave Melody odd looks, their roommates didnât bother them. They told Melody that Veronica wasnât home. That was fine, if a little inconvenient. Melody put the rent money on Veronicaâs table in the front room of her suite.
By then, an oven pizza was done. It didnât have any taste, which was fine. A single slice made the annoying hungry feeling go away. The world was calm and gray again. With no more plans for the evening, Melody could play as many video games as they wanted.
They didnât want to play any of them.
With nothing to do, Melody went to bed. It was barely after five pm, but what did it matter? Nothing mattered. They took everything off, including their diaper. The sheets were soft. Their room was quiet. The blanket was heavy. It was the first good feeling sinceâŠ
Melody stopped thinking.
Much later, they slept.
-----
Melody woke to a harsh sound. Someone was knocking on their door. Whoever it was kept calling their name. The sheets were still soft. The blanket was still heavy. Melody stopped listening and the sounds faded. Eventually they stopped.
For a long time, Melody stared into the darkness.
Then they slept.
------
They woke to knocking again. It sounded frantic. The blanket was still heavy. The sheets werenât soft anymore. They were wet, and itchy. It didnât matter. Melody stared past the walls, into nothing. The knocking would fade againâŠ.
Instead, the door burst open. Briana was there. She was crying.
No, Melody thought. Not this. Not Briana. Please, Bri, go away.
She didnât. She kneeled by the bed in her ridiculous purple-people-eater pajamas and shook Melodyâs shoulders. She was still crying. It was starting to hurt. Everything was starting to hurt. There was bright light from the doorway and sounds were roaring loud around Melody.
A terrible sharp pain sliced down through Melodyâs chest. Every moment that they stared at Briana it went deeper. They were sobbing, shaking, and crying. They couldnât stop. The tears blurred Briana out of their vision, but they couldnât stop her voice. Nothing could stop Melody from feeling Brianaâs arms around them.
Nothing could stop Melody from feeling.
They screamed. The pain in their chest pierced into a terrible heartbreak and sent it howling out of Melodyâs throat. They were shattered, all because their stupid sister couldnât stop caring about them. Couldnât leave them alone.
Melody clung to Briana like their life depended on it.
Two more sets of arms joined the hug. Someone had closed the door. Veronica and Jane were hugging Melody now. They were talking as well. Melody hoped the words werenât for them. Their brain wouldnât process whatever was being said.
Eventually Jane took Briana out of the room. Veronica stayed, sitting next to the bed. Melody closed their eyes. They let what felt like a long-time pass. When they opened their eyes, the sun had moved. Veronica was still there.
âVeronica?â Melody asked. What they were asking, they didnât know.
âMelody.â Veronica smiled gently and touched them on the shoulder. âDo you remember that I said I wouldnât let you fall?â
âYes.â Melody said.
âItâs still true. Can you tell me whatâs wrong?â
âNo.â Melody said.
Veronica nodded. âThen we will deal with your heart later. Right now, I know whatâs wrong with other parts of you.â
âWhatâs that?â Melody asked.
âYou need food and water. You need to get up and move a little. You also need a diaper.â
âNo diapers.â Melody said.
âMelody.â Veronica said gently. âYou wet the bed.â
Melody considered. The bed did feel wet. That was a good enough reason, they supposed.
âOkay.â Melody said. âBecause the bed is wet.â
âYes, because of that.â Veronica said, stroking Melodyâs head. âSit up. Iâm going to take care of you.â
âOkay.â Melody sat up.
Everything that Veronica asked Melody to do, they did. They helped her strip them bare and walked to the bathroom in a fuzzy robe. Melody returned to their room after a hot shower to find the bed cleaned, with new sheets and blankets.
There was soup on Melodyâs desk. There was also a Briana and a Jane on their bed. Veronica put Melody on the bed and the four of them ate. Or at least the other three ate. Melody sat quietly, listening to them talk.
âOpen up.â Veronica said, holding Melodyâs spoon to their mouth.
âDonât want it.â Melody mumbled.
âDo the airplane!â Briana said enthusiastically.
Melody was surprised to feel a tiny smile on their lips. Veronica seemed surprised too.
âHere comes the airplane.â Veronica said gently, swerving the spoon toward Melodyâs mouth.
It was so ridiculous. How could Melody not smile at least a little?
It took a lot of airplane passes and one Top Gun reference from Briana, but Melody opened up for the spoon. The soup was really good. Something hearty and tomato-y. The airplane didnât need to make as many passes to deliver the next spoon. Even less for the one after that. Melody was suddenly really hungry.
When the soup was gone, it was perfectly natural to snuggle up to Briana on the bed. Melody didnât mind that their robe had fallen off. Everyone in the room had changed their diaper before. Besides, Briana was making silly noises. Every third or fourth one was so ridiculous that Melody was forced to giggle.
âIs this, okay?â Veronica asked Jane.
Melody was a little confused. Shouldnât Jane be asking Veronica? It was Veronica that was the psychologist. Anyway, Melody was feeling a lot better. The answer was yes, they thought. Right now was okay.
âItâs more than okay, itâs the right thing to do.â Jane said.
That was a weird way to say yes. Melodyâs confusion deepened.
âMelody.â Veronica said. âWould you like to play upstairs with your sister today? I know you donât have class today.â
âThat sounds fun.â Melody said. They were still sad, but Briana would be nice for that.
âI think you need a babysitter right now, and Briana canât do it. Someone else would need to watch out for you.â Veronica said. âWhat do you think about that?â
Melody considered. It was a weird thing to say, but less weird because Briana was involved. It sounded safe. It was a little piece of the precious thing theyâd lost.
âOkay, maybe thatâs right.â Melody said. âTamira kind of baby sat me once, and it was â nice.â
âI donât think sheâs available, but Iâll check.â Veronica said. âItâd be mostly me and Jane. What do you feel about other roommates babysitting you?â
âSuzie doesnât like to change diapers.â Melody said quickly. âAnd Erin is too tired.â
âThatâs your main concern?â Veronica asked curiously.
âFor babysitting?â Melody asked. âYeah, I think so.â
âWhat if Gary were to babysit you?â Jane asked. âEven though heâs a man.â
Melody shrugged. âHeâs Brianaâs boyfriend and heâs nice. That would be okay.â
âThen thatâs what I needed to know.â Veronica said. âIâm going to put you kids in the playpen. Can you play nicely together while I make a couple of arrangements? Iâll be up in about an hour.â
âYes Mommy.â Briana said. She looked really excited. It was starting to rub off on Melody a little.
âOkay.â Melody nodded. âBut I need something from my closet.â
At Veronicaâs nod of permission, Melody got off the bed and crawled to the closet. There was a murmur of surprise from the bed. Briana must have done something cute. Melody was sorry theyâd missed it.
With their objective rescued from a box in the back of the closet, Melody waddled back to the group on their knees.
âThis is Totoro-san.â Melody said. It was important to introduce him. He was missing an eye and half the wave lines on his belly. The trademark umbrella had gone long ago. He was soft though and filled with more than a decade of love.
âTotoro-san!â Briana exclaimed. âOh my gosh, you have to meet everybody in Cloudland!â
âThen weâd better get you upstairs soon.â Jane said. âYou can step out if you want Ronnie. Iâll get Melody dressed and the kids upstairs.â
Veronica kissed Jane on the lips. She had kisses for Melody and Brianaâs foreheads too.
For clothes, Jane didnât go to the dresser or the closet. She opened a box that Veronica had given Melody after the makeover. At the time, Veronica had mysteriously said it was for later.
Whatever else it contained, Jane found a one-piece pajama set in dark blue. It covered Melody from feet to the hood over her head. Best of all, it had orange triangular spines sewn down the hood and back.
Melody felt good enough in the pajama to say hello to a surprised Suzie on the way to Brianaâs room. Cuddled up to their sister in the playpen, the two of them were wrapped around their primary stuffies.
âMelody?â Briana said. There was a big question waiting behind that one word.
âBri donât.â Melody swallowed nervously. âI canât talk aboutâŠâ
âNo, not that.â Briana said quickly. âDifferent question.â
âOh okay.â Melody nodded. âWhat is it?â
âAre we little together, right now?â
Melody considered. âI think so. It feels weird. Because Iâm sad. And because RosaâŠâ
Melody bit their lip too late. Their cheeks were wet again. Briana nuzzled the tears away, holding Melody tightly.
âIâm sorry youâre sad, but itâs okay that you are.â Briana held Melody as tightly as she could.
âSomething bad happened with Rosa.â Briana said, quickly adding. âYou donât have to say what!â
Briana bumped her head against Melodyâs. âIâm here. I love you.â
âI love you too.â Melody said. They still felt like crying, in a different way now.
âDo you know how to go away?â Briana asked. âTo be really little?â
Melody shook their head. Reconsidering, they said. âIâm not sure. I think maybe, one time I got there.â
âDo you want to try with me?â Briana asked.
Melody nodded. âYes please.â
Briana grinned. âIf we do it right, youâll get to see Cloudland.â
âWhat if we donât imagine the same Cloudland?â Melody asked.
âSilly sibling!â Briana said. âWe just add them together.â
âOh, cool.â Melody smiled tentatively.
âWhy did you say that Suzie doesnât like to change diapers?â Briana asked, randomly.
âUh, I probably shouldnât say.â Melody said, then shrugged. âShe was asking if you were using your diapers for um, poop, when we were all doing the babysitting in turns. She didnât want to deal with that.â
âSheâs fun sometimes. I know she loves me.â Briana said. âBut sheâs a jerk sometimes too.â
âYeah.â Melody nodded. âShe was teasing me about being Veronicaâs kid in front of Gary.â
âOh, but youâre still figuring that out!â Briana said. âWell I hope that Veronica runs out of babysitters and has to use her. And when that happens, weâre both so far into being little that we BOTH poop!â
Melody giggled. The giggles broke into a full-on guffaw. The laughter was a little hysterical, but it felt good. Melody was wheezing a little when the chuckles subsided.
âThat⊠is a really complicated and inconvenient way to get revenge.â
âStuff gets strange up here sometimes, when youâre little.â Briana said, with a smirk.
âYeah? Do you ever get scared?â Melody asked. Strange sounded scary.
âSometimes.â Briana said. âSometimes my imagination is scary, or I get caught between big and little, and it hurts.â
âIâll take care of you.â Melody said, squeezing Briana tightly.
âReally?â Briana asked. âBut youâre sad, you arenât used to being little, andâŠâ
âBri.â Melody said. âYouâre my little sister, remember?â
âIâll never forget.â Briana said, tucking her head onto Melodyâs shoulder.
âBig siblings take care of the little ones.â Melody said, as sincerely as theyâd ever said anything.
Briana sighed happily. Melody was quiet for a bit, enjoying the moment.
âOkay, how do I go little?â Melody asked.
âHow did you do it before?â Briana asked.
âI had Rosa.â Melody said. It hurt, but not as much as they expected. Briana hugs were a powerful anti-sad.
âRight, there are other ways.â Briana said quickly. âLetâs play with our stuffies. Itâs going to take a while to introduce Totoro-san to everyone in Cloudland. I bet youâll be little by the time we finish.â
âI bet heâd like to meet everybody.â Melody said, standing Totoro up.
âWell obviously he has to meet Alanna first.â Briana said. âHeâs a very important guest.â
When Veronica came up to babysit, Melody was glad that she didnât interrupt them. Arnold the Pangolin was in the middle of a speech and if sheâd interrupted, theyâd have to say Arnold the Pangolin like a hundred more times.
Luckily, Totoro was a lot more patient that Melody was. They let him handle Arnold the Pangolin. Melody sat on their cloud-stool and sipped their cloud-wine. Mel was a little drunk off of it, but no one had noticed yet. They smiled a sneaky smile.
Paul Bennett
2022-05-13 12:04:35 +0000 UTC