Neighbors, Part 22 + Epilogues [CONCLUSION!] (Patreon)

Twenty-Two.

Neither Ashley nor I knew what our world would look like in the morning - but almost immediately after waking up we knew that everything had changed.

“What time did we leave the party?” she asked me, still cuddled against me on the bed.

“I have no idea.”

“That’s me, isn’t it? The...smell?”

“Yeah…”

She sighed. “If we just stay in this bed forever, we don’t have to talk to anyone about this, right?”

“I think so.”

“So we’re agreed then? We just stay here forever?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

And for a good ten minutes, that plan was what we stuck to. We didn’t have to say or do anything. We just cuddled on the bed, wondering what sort of destruction had been left in our wake.

As much as we would’ve liked to have stayed forever, we both knew that we needed to see what was outside the bedroom door.

“I’ll go,” I said. “I’ll scout out the living room and see if anyone’s there.”

“Okay. If the coast is clear, let me know and I’m going to make a run back to my apartment. And then...I’m going to shower for 12 hours.”

“Better make it 13,” I teased.

“Shush. Just see who’s out there, please.”

I carefully opened the bedroom door, only to immediately see that both Veronica and Lucy were in the living room, sipping from tea cups. They immediately spotted me poking my head out from the door.

“Is the coast clear?” Ashley asked.

“No...not really.”

“It appears that the babies have finally woken up,” said Veronica.

“Sleep well?” asked Lucy.

I was tempted to just retreat back into the bedroom and close the door.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

I stepped out of the bedroom completely and entered the living room. It was hard to gauge the attitudes of the women as they watched me from the couch. There was amusement in their eyes but it was certainly more than that. If I was to guess, a heavy dose of ‘We’re not mad - just disappointed.’

“I...I don’t think I should come out,” Ashley said.

“Ah, right,” Veronica said to Lucy, waving her hand in front of her face. I was blushing for Ashley.

“Maybe we change her first?” Lucy asked. “Then we talk?”

“I’ll take care of this,” Veronica said.

“Are you sure?” asked Lucy. “Because I know you had said that you hadn’t had to change a messy diaper yet.”

They talked about that?

“I mean, if you’re offering,” Veronica said with a shrug.

“I got this,” Lucy said. She stood up and walked right past me into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. I wondered what Ashley’s reaction would have been to seeing Lucy.

Veronica remained seated, though she just stared at me while smiling.

“So,” she finally said. “Did you have a good night?”

“I…” I had no idea how to answer that question. I decided to ask a question of my own: “Is...Lucy mad?”

I took a seat on the loveseat so that I was facing Veronica.

“You can ask her yourself,” she said.

I looked back to the closed bedroom door. “Do you think...Ashley will let Lucy change her?”

“Ashley wouldn’t have the ability to say no to a diaper change. From anyone.”

That sounded right to me. “What about the party?”

We could hear the sound of the shower running from the master bathroom.

“People had a good time,” Veronica said, sipping from her cup.

I had follow-up questions about that, but I wasn’t sure that I wanted the answers just yet. I bit my tongue, waiting for Lucy and Ashley to emerge before I learned more about how disastrous things were now. Veronica seemed fine with that too, as she made no effort to initiate a conversation while we waited. She’d just occasionally grin or shake her head while looking at me.

At last, and quite a while after Lucy had initially gone in to help Ashley, they both emerged. Ashley had lost her juvenile dress and was wearing Veronica’s bathrobe. She sat down next to me, and Lucy went and took a seat next to Ashley.

A tension-filled silence took over the room for a few moments.

Lucy was the first one to speak. “We were in the kitchen last night, Vee and I. Just talking. I had mentioned to her that it seemed that our babies had become something of an...item.”

“Surprising,” Veronica added. “But not entirely unexpected. Neither of you had ever done a remarkable job at hiding your feelings for the other.”

Ashley and I looked at each other and blushed.

“I suggested, teasing, that we leave the kitchen and check in on the babies,” Lucy said.

“And so we did,” Veronica added. I had to admit that the two had an amazing chemistry. “And can you guess what we saw?”

“Was...was it us?” Ashley asked.

Lucy and Veronica nodded at the same time.

“There they were,” said Veronica to Lucy.

“Making out in the middle of the party,” added Lucy as if talking only to Veronica.

“We must’ve missed a really hot conversation,” Veronica said.

“I bet we did,” Lucy replied. “I bet we missed a conversation where they got it in their heads that little Ashley would fill her diaper and then the two would run off.”

“Actually…” I said, wanting to correct them on Ashley’s diaper being planned in advance. Ashley, though, put her hand on my leg to stop me. She was right to - that detail really didn’t matter.

But now I needed to know: “Did anyone see? Were...people talking about it?”

Lucy and Veronica looked at each other. Time seemed to freeze while I waited for an answer.

“It was late,” Veronica said. “And loud. And...I think everyone was feeling a little foggy.”

“I don’t think anybody noticed,” Lucy added. “Or, if they did, they had no idea what they saw.”

Ashley spoke: “But...what about when I messed?”

“You stunk up the apartment for a minute, I won’t lie, Babygirl,” Veronica said, causing Ashley to turn beet-red. “But at worst, they probably thought you had gas. I doubt anyone actually thought that you had done a terrible poo in your pants.”

“And who could’ve predicted that you’d sleep in that?” Lucy added.

“What now?” I asked. I wanted to cut through the humiliating recap. I wanted to know where we stood. How much groveling we’d need to do.

“I think we all need to take a step back,” Lucy answered. “We need to decide what we want.”

“I…I know what I want,” Ashley said.

All eyes were on her.

“I want to be with you,” she said to Veronica. My heart felt like it was starting to break in half. But just before it could completely crumble apart, she turned to me and added: “And I want to be with you too.”

“I’d like to figure out how to make that work,” Veronica said with a nod.

“Me too,” I added.

We all looked to Lucy now. As stoic and resilient as ever, she just smiled.

“I like you, Baby,” she said to me, “I liked being your Mommy. But...I think I ended up wanting more, and I’m not sure you’ve been willing to give the same back.”

“I’m sorry… I was kind of selfish, I guess.”

“Oh, don’t be,” she replied. “I gave you all my best Mommy energy. What was I expecting to happen?”

“So,” I said, my chest heavy with guilt, “does this mean that…” I couldn’t even finish that sentence. I wanted to ask if we were breaking up. Were we ever dating?

“It’s been fun,” Lucy said as she stood up. “But...I think I should get going.”

I wanted to stop her. I wanted to ask her to stay. But I had no idea why she would, other than for my own selfish reasons.

“I have a date tonight,” Lucy added as she walked towards the door. “I should get ready for that.”

A date? Already?

“Oh?” Veronica asked. “Did you meet someone at the party?”

“I did,” Lucy said with a grin.

I was feeling sick to my stomach. I wondered at what point she had given up on me and started talking to someone else at the party. Was it after Ashley and I had fled the apartment in a fit of drunken romance? That probably would’ve done it.

“Who?” I asked. “Who did you meet at the party?”

“Yeah,” Ashley asked. “Was it...someone I know?”

“You both know them,” Lucy said.

“Oh, by the way,” Veronica said, turning to me and laughing, “I also have a date tonight.”

It took Ashley and I far too long to connect the dots. Both of us looked puzzled and offended. There we were, just having agreed on the fact that we wanted to figure out how to make something work with all of us and then she wanted to go on a date and…

“Wait!” Ashley was the first to realize what was happening. She pointed to Veronica. “You!” Then she pointed to Lucy: “And you!”

Lucy nodded.

It clicked for me too.

“You too are going out on a date together?”

Veronica laughed. “Are you babies going to be able to behave yourselves tonight while we’re out?”

Ashley was so excited that she was almost out of breath when she responded: “No...I don’t think we’ll behave at all.”

Epilogue.

“You’re not serious, right?” I asked. “Like...you’re joking?”

Veronica shrugged with that amused smile she had when she wanted to keep me guessing.

“Come on,” I pleaded. “That’s insane. That’s...ridiculous! Who would you even call for that? You can’t just, like, call some 14 year old.”

“Lucy knows somebody,” she retorted. “I haven’t met her yet, but Lucy insists that she’s a good choice.”

“Good choice or not,” I said, “what is this person supposed to do anyways? We’re perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves. We are adults. Most of the time.”

“Do you remember what happened last week when Lucy and I went to the shore for the day?”

I had opened my mouth to respond, but no words had come out. She had me there.

“Go on,” she said. “I’m waiting. Why don’t you remind me - and yourself - what happened.”

“Well...me and Ash, we both got…”

“Uh huh,” she said. “Spill it, mister.”

I felt like I was a little boy again - but the truth was that I felt that way more often than I didn’t.

“We both got diaper rashes.”

“That’s right, you did. Pretty bad ones at that too, huh?”

I nodded, my cheeks flaring.

“How long were you in those dirty diapers anyways?”

“Like...a few hours?”

“That’s what I thought,” Veronica said with a confident laugh. “I don’t think you have much of an argument. While Lucy and I are away this weekend, you’ll have a babysitter. But, I have it on good authority that she’s very eager to meet our babies and that she wants to take very good care of you.”

I could continue to protest, but I’d only be pretending to be upset. The thought of a babysitter - a stranger who knew about Ashley and I and actually wanted to treat us like babies - was kind of exciting. Terrifying. But exciting.

“Do you know her name, at least?”

“Rachel? No, that’s not right.” Veronica took out her phone, scrolling through - I assumed - a conversation with Lucy to find the right name. “Ah, here it is. Raquelle.”

My eyes widened and my heart sank a little.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Veronica said with a laugh. “Do you know her?”

“We’ve met before…”

“Well won’t that be a delight, then? You two can reconnect.”

I sighed and ran through my hair. My excitement remained, though the feeling of terror had escalated a little.

“Does Ash know?” I asked.

“I doubt it. Did you want to be the one to tell her? Or should I?”

“I can go talk to her.”

“You should probably go up there anyways,” Veronica said. “She’s got a lot to do and she could use the help.” She quickly added: “Not that I think leaving the two of you together is going to get things done any faster.”

I shrugged. “I’ll try and help. No promises, though.”

She smiled and leaned forward, kissing me on the lips. I still hadn’t gotten used to the feeling of kissing Veronica again. I hoped that I never got used to it and it felt new every single time.

Not that long ago she had said she owned me. I supposed she did. There was a piece of myself that’d always be hers, and I’m glad that she was taking care of it again.

With a smack on my padded bottom, she sent me on my way.

Out the door. Down the hall. Up the stairs. Down the other hall. I felt like I knew the path to Ashley’s apartment better than I knew my path to the bathroom of my own apartment.

Actually...when was the last time I used that?

I didn’t have to knock anymore. I just opened the door and helped myself in.

“Hey you,” Ashley said, blushing a little. “Hurry and close the door!”

“If you wore pants - or even a dress - you wouldn’t have to worry about someone in the hallway seeing you prance around in just a diaper and t-shirt,” I said.

“I’m allowed to be as comfortable as I want to be,” she said.

“And are you comfortable in that soggy diaper?”

She blushed. “Is it that obvious?”

“Maybe it just takes a baby to notice.”

She shrugged. Obviously she was in no rush to change. Or to be changed.

“How’s it going in here?” I asked. “Make much progress?”

“I hate moving,” she whined. “I mean...I’m very happy about where I’m moving to. But...I don’t want to do all this damn work.”

“Are you going to miss being my neighbor?” I asked.

“Not really,” she said with a smile. “But I’m looking forward to my new roommates.”

“Oh yeah? Tell me about them.”

Ashley had this look - it would be hard to describe. It was...effervescent? It was like she was dissolving into a cup of hot chocolate. In the best way possible.

She had that look now. She looked blissful as she spoke: “Oh, they’re so nice. There’s this woman, right? She’s very very pretty. And she takes such good care of me. And then there’s this guy…”

“Ooh,” I said. “A guy? Tell me more.”

“He’s...hmm, how do I say it?”

“I’m sure you can find the right word.”

“Like, you know how I’m a baby?”

“Oh, I know all about that,” I said.

“Well he is an even bigger baby.”

“What? No way. That’s not possible.”

“Jaime, I’m telling you, he’s the biggest stinkiest baby I’ve ever met in my entire life.”

We both started laughing before pausing to kiss each other.

“I’m really excited to move in with you guys,” she said.

“We’re overjoyed to have you. Are you going to miss this place?”

“I mean...I never spent much time here anyways,” she said with a laugh. “Besides, it’s going to be in good hands.”

“Speaking of which,” I said. “I heard that Lucy is already packed and ready to move in here. She’s basically just waiting on you.”

Ashley giggled and shook her head. “Is that true?”

I shrugged. “That’s what Veronica said. But she might just be saying that to motivate you to pack faster.”

“Ugh. Well tell Mom that I’ll be done when I’m done.”

“I’m not a carrier pigeon.”

“I’m excited,” she said, wrapping her hands around my waist to pull me closer to her.

“Yeah?”

“Living with you and Vee. Lucy being just upstairs. It kind of feels like...a family?”

I nodded. “It does, doesn’t it?”

“So did you come up here to help me pack? Or did you want to fuck me in my diaper?”

“I can do both, can’t I?”

“Which do you want to do first?” she asked.

“Oh, I don’t know…”

We both laughed again.

I’d get around to talking about Raquele, just as we’d get around to eventually packing up her apartment. There were more pressing matters to attend to now.

Epilogue 2.

“Who is this guy?”

Lucy and I had just run a few errands and were coming back to the apartment building. While checking our mailboxes, she spotted a young man exiting the elevator. His babyface was, admittedly, quite fetching.

“You ought to take a picture,” I said to her.

Lucy rarely blushed, and it was charming to see it happen now.

“He’s new here,” I said. “His name is Nico.”

“Do you think we should invite him over for dinner?”

I laughed.

“What? You don’t think we should? It’d be nice.”

“No, I think it’d be very nice,” I said. “You should tell Veronica. She’ll get a real kick out of that.”