Chapter 44 — Midnight’s Embrace

Elara lay in her crib, pacified and swaddled so tightly that she couldn’t move a single muscle. Her arms and legs were bound snugly against her body by the soft, restrictive fabric, leaving her utterly helpless as she stared up at the ceiling of the dorm room. Time had lost all meaning; it could have been minutes or hours since she’d been tucked in like this. Her bladder throbbed with an insistent ache, a pressure she’d been fighting to contain despite knowing the inevitable outcome. She clenched desperately, trying to hold on just a little longer, but nature refused to wait. With a defeated sigh muffled by the pacifier in her mouth, she felt the familiar warmth spread through her diaper. The heat bloomed across her lower half, soaking into the thick padding as it swelled subtly beneath the swaddle, pressing back against her skin. The sensation was both a relief and a quiet humiliation, the wet heaviness settling in as a reminder of her lack of control.

Across the dimly lit dorm room, Quinn was in a similar state, confined to her own crib. Elara could sense her restlessness even from this distance—the faint rustling of fabric, the occasional muffled huff around her own pacifier. They were both trapped in this infantilized limbo, unable to do anything but endure. But after a few minutes of shared silence, punctuated only by the soft crinkle of their diapers, Elara heard something unexpected. A quiet snap, followed by a shuffle of movement that didn’t sound restrained. Her eyes widened slightly as she strained to listen over the steady thrum of her own heartbeat. Was Quinn… free?

A moment later, the side of Elara’s crib rattled softly as it was lowered. Quinn’s face appeared above her, a triumphant little smile curling her lips despite the pacifier still nestled in her mouth. She leaned down close, voice barely a whisper as she spoke around it. “I managed to undo the rune on my swaddle. Took forever to figure out the pattern, but I got it.”

Elara’s breath hitched, hope flickering through her as Quinn placed a palm against the tightly wrapped fabric binding her. The warmth of her hand seeped through, and moments later, Elara felt a subtle tingle—a faint hum of magic unraveling as the runes woven into the swaddle began to loosen. The constricting hold on her limbs eased bit by bit, the fabric slackening until she could finally wiggle her fingers and toes. Her chest rose with a deeper breath, relief washing over her even as the weight of her soaked diaper remained an uncomfortable presence.

Quinn worked quickly, peeling back layers of the swaddle until Elara’s arms were free enough to push herself up slightly. “There you go,” Quinn muttered under her breath, glancing over her shoulder as if expecting someone to barge in at any second. “Can’t believe that actually worked on yours too.”

Elara sat up slowly, wincing as she stretched her stiff muscles, the ache of being bound for so long lingering in her limbs. She reached up and tugged the pacifier from her mouth with a small pop, letting it dangle by its clip as she rubbed her jaw. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice hoarse but genuine.

Quinn grinned, plopping down beside her in the cramped crib, the mattress dipping slightly under their combined weight. “Don’t mention it,” she mumbled around her own pacifier before pulling it out and setting it aside. Her eyes glinted with a mix of mischief and relief in the dim light filtering through the dorm room window.

Elara glanced around the shadowy space, the faint outlines of furniture barely visible in the dark. “What do we do now?” she asked, keeping her voice low, half-expecting some unseen consequence to catch up with their little escape.

Quinn just shrugged, stretching out on her side next to Elara, her shoulder brushing against hers in the tight confines of the crib. “I was feeling lonely more than anything. Just came to chat… and, if you’re up for it, cuddle.” Her tone was casual, but there was a softness there, a quiet need for closeness after everything they’d endured.

Elara’s lips curved into a small grin as she shifted to nestle in beside Quinn, curling up as the smaller spoon against her friend’s warmth. The crib wasn’t made for two, but they made it work, their bodies pressed close under the thin blanket. “I’m up for anything that doesn’t involve Mommy and Daddy’s excessive control,” she murmured, letting out a soft sigh as Quinn’s arm draped lightly over her waist.

“Tell me about it,” Quinn muttered into her hair, her breath warm against Elara’s neck. “I just needed a break from all that. Being stuck like this… it’s too much sometimes.”

“Yeah,” Elara agreed quietly, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of the blanket as she soaked in the comfort of not being alone. The heavy warmth of her soaked diaper still pressed against her skin beneath the loosened swaddle, but Quinn’s presence dulled the sting of it. Their shared vulnerability hung unspoken between them, a silent understanding binding them closer.

“You okay?” Quinn asked after a moment, her voice barely above a whisper as her hand rested gently on Elara’s hip. “I mean… after everything today.”

Elara hesitated, then nodded slightly against the pillow they shared. “I think so. Just… tired of feeling helpless. This helps, though.” She tilted her head back a bit to glance at Quinn’s face in the dark. “What about you?”

“Same,” Quinn admitted, her fingers tightening just a fraction on Elara’s side. “But lying here like this? Feels like we’ve got a tiny piece of control back. Even if it’s just for a little while.”

Elara nodded, her head resting against the shared pillow as she absorbed Quinn’s warmth beside her in the cramped crib. “Do you think they’ll slow down ever?”

Quinn shrugged, her hand draped over Elara’s midsection, pulling her even closer until their bodies pressed snugly together. “Probably not, or at least, not till after the House Cup,” she muttered, her voice low and tinged with resignation.

“What do you think the Cup is going to be like?” Elara asked, turning her head slightly to catch Quinn’s expression in the dim light.

Quinn sighed, her finger lazily tracing small circles over Elara’s tummy through the thin fabric of the loosened swaddle. “Hell if I know, but it’ll probably be embarrassing. If they’ve been preparing us for the Cup this whole year…” She let the thought hang unfinished, heavy with implication.

Elara grimaced, a knot forming in her chest. If Mommy and Daddy had been grooming them for the House Cup with all these extreme acts of humiliation—being swaddled, diapered, and stripped of every shred of autonomy—then whatever awaited them at the actual event was bound to be worse. The constant belittling, the forced vulnerability, it all pointed to something public and mortifying. She could already imagine standing before a crowd, padding crinkling loudly with every step, cheeks burning under judgmental eyes while Mommy and Daddy beamed with perverse pride.

“They’ve turned us into spectacles already,” Elara whispered, her voice barely audible. “What’s left to make it worse?”

Quinn snorted softly, her breath warm against Elara’s neck. “Don’t ask. You’ll jinx it. But if I had to guess? Probably some kind of competition where we’re paraded around like… well, you know. Babies. Or pets. With everyone watching.”

Elara shuddered at the mental image—crawling or waddling in front of cheering students and professors, diapers on full display, maybe even being judged on how ‘well-behaved’ they were. “I don’t think I can handle that,” she admitted, her fingers tightening on the blanket. “Not after everything else.”

“You won’t have a choice,” Quinn said bluntly, though her tone softened as she squeezed Elara’s side. “Neither of us will. But hey, at least we’ve got each other to get through it. Makes it suck a little less.”

“Small comfort,” Elara muttered, though she nestled deeper into Quinn’s embrace anyway, craving that closeness. The faint crinkle of their diapers underscored every tiny shift, a reminder of their shared predicament. “If it’s as bad as I’m picturing, I don’t know how I’ll keep from breaking down right there.”

“We’ll figure it out when it comes,” Quinn replied, her hand stilling on Elara’s stomach. “Maybe we can sneak off during it. Cause a distraction. Something. Anything but just taking it lying down… well, metaphorically.” She smirked faintly at her own joke.

Elara managed a weak chuckle, though her mind still churned with dread. “Yeah. Maybe. Let’s just hope it’s not as awful as we’re thinking.”

“Hope’s about all we’ve got right now,” Quinn agreed quietly, pulling the blanket up higher over them both. “For now, let’s just stay like this. Forget about Cups and control freaks for a bit longer.”

Quinn’s finger continued to trace idle patterns over the top of Elara’s diaper, not with any intent, just a restless motion to fill the quiet between them. The faint crinkle of the padding responded to each gentle drag.

“Did you ever imagine this place would be like this when you got that letter?” Quinn asked, her voice low, almost lost in the shadows.

Elara let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “What the fuck do you think? Of course not.” She paused, her tone softening as she stared at the ceiling of the crib above them. “Though, looking back at it, I probably should have figured it out.”

“What do you mean?” Quinn pressed, shifting slightly to prop herself up on an elbow, looking down at Elara with curiosity.

“The welcome letter,” Elara explained, her voice tinged with a mix of disbelief and hindsight. “It came with a personal note from Mommy… and a diaper she wanted me to wear. At the time, I thought it was some kind of weird joke or hazing thing.”

She could feel Quinn wince beside her, the subtle tension in her body as she processed that. “There was no way you could have possibly known,” Quinn said softly, her hand stilling for a moment before resuming its absentminded tracing. “Don’t try to shoulder responsibility for what they’re doing to us.”

Elara shrugged, nestling deeper into their embrace, seeking more of that comforting warmth against the lingering weight of her thoughts. “It doesn’t stop me from wondering ‘what if,’ ya know?”

“And what would you have done if you had figured it out?” Quinn asked pointedly, her tone cutting through the haze of regret with pragmatic clarity.

Elara opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Truth be told, she wasn’t sure. Her mind spun through half-formed scenarios—tearing up the letter, confronting someone about it, or just never showing up—but none felt real or actionable. She closed her mouth again, frowning into the darkness.

“Would having known made it easier to decide to come here?” Quinn pushed further, her voice gentle but insistent.

“Oh, hell no,” Elara laughed, though there was no real humor in it. “I think even if I had known, I would’ve been delusional and thought there’s no way it could be this bad. Like I’d convince myself it was exaggerated or something I could handle.”

Quinn huffed a quiet laugh of her own, settling back down fully beside Elara, her arm tightening around her midsection. “Yeah, isn’t that how it always goes? You tell yourself you’ve got it under control until you’re knee-deep in shit—literally, in our case.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Elara groaned, shifting slightly as if she could escape the heavy reminder beneath her. “I just keep thinking there had to be some clue I missed beyond that stupid letter. Something in how they worded stuff or… I don’t know.”

“They’re good at hiding what they really are,” Quinn murmured, her finger resuming its lazy path over the diaper’s surface. “That’s why we’re here. They know how to make crazy sound normal until you’re too far in to back out.”

“Guess so,” Elara sighed, letting her eyes drift shut for a moment as she focused on the steady rhythm of Quinn’s breathing behind her. “Still sucks to feel like I walked right into a trap without even blinking.”

“Hey,” Quinn said firmly, nudging her lightly. “We both did. Doesn’t mean we’re dumb—it means they’re manipulative assholes. End of story.”

Elara sighed, her voice barely above a whisper in the dim dorm room. “What do you think they’ll do when they find us like this tomorrow?”

Quinn shrugged, her shoulder brushing against Elara’s in the tight confines of the crib. “Probably the same thing if they found us still swaddled in our cribs. Short of a spanking, I’m not sure what else they could, or would, do.”

Elara nodded, feeling the weight of their small rebellion settle between them. Quinn’s hand had drifted lower, resting between her legs now, fingers probing the soft, squishy padding of the soaked diaper. The touch was light at first, almost absentminded, but it sent a subtle tingle through her. “Are you trying to start something?” she asked, her tone half-curious, half-teasing.

Quinn’s fingers dug in a bit more deliberately, teasing through the thick material as Elara felt a warm kiss press against the side of her neck. The sudden contact made her gasp in surprise, her pulse quickening. “Does it matter?” Quinn murmured against her skin, her voice low and playful.

“Well, yeah,” Elara shot back with a smirk, though her breath hitched slightly. “You’re playing with me like you want something.”

“This? This isn’t playing,” Quinn replied, her tone dripping with mischief. Suddenly, her fingers pressed in firmly, swirling right atop that sensitive spot through the padding. The pressure sent a sharp jolt of pleasure through Elara, pulling a soft moan from her lips despite herself. “THIS is playing,” Quinn teased, before easing up just as quickly, leaving Elara trembling with the lingering sensation.

“You asshole,” Elara muttered, a mix of frustration and amusement in her voice as she turned over in Quinn’s embrace. Their faces were inches apart now, eyes locking for a heated moment before their lips crashed together in a hungry kiss. It was messy and desperate, all pent-up tension spilling out as their mouths moved against each other. Quinn’s hand stayed pressed between them, resting on the diaper but not moving—just holding there as a tease while their tongues tangled.

Elara pulled back just enough to catch her breath, her chest rising fast. “You’re going to get us caught if you keep this up,” she whispered, though there was no real protest in her tone.

“Let them catch us,” Quinn breathed back, her lips brushing against Elara’s jaw now. “I’m done caring for tonight. Just wanna feel something good for once.” Her hand shifted slightly, thumb grazing over the padding again, testing.

Elara bit her lip, stifling another sound as warmth sparked under that touch. “You’re impossible,” she hissed, but she didn’t pull away—instead, she leaned into it.

“Shut up and kiss me again,” Quinn muttered, not waiting for a response before capturing her lips once more. This time it was slower, deeper, her hand moving with more purpose now—rubbing steady circles through the thick layer, building that heat bit by bit. Elara’s hips twitched involuntarily, chasing the sensation despite herself, soft whimpers escaping into the kiss.

“You’re going to make me lose it,” she gasped out when they broke apart again, her voice shaky.

“Good,” Quinn smirked against her mouth. “That’s kind of the point.” Her fingers didn’t let up, pressing just hard enough to keep pushing those sparks through Elara’s core, dragging out every reaction she could get.

Quinn’s forehead pressed against Elara’s, their breaths mingling in the tight space of the crib. “I don’t want to feel their control, Elara,” she whispered, her voice raw with need. “I don’t want to think about classes or the Cup, or anything. I just want to escape for a while. I just want to be here, in this moment.”

Elara nodded, her eyes locked on Quinn’s. “I want that too, Quinn.” Their lips met again, a desperate collision of heat and longing. Quinn’s fingers slid up to caress Elara’s chin, holding her in place so she couldn’t pull away even if she wanted to. Their tongues danced, the kiss deepening as they poured everything into it—every frustration, every stolen bit of defiance.

They broke apart just enough for Quinn to murmur against her mouth, “Before the night’s over, I’m going to get you to cum at least five times.”

Elara giggled, a flush creeping up her cheeks as she threw a leg over Quinn’s hip, pulling herself closer. “Make it six.”

Quinn’s grip tightened, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. “You greedy little thing.” She captured Elara’s lips again, hard and possessive. “By the time I LET you cum the first time, you’ll be moaning my name.”

Elara whimpered, her blush deepening as the words sent a shiver through her. Quinn didn’t waste another second, setting a steady rhythm with her hand over the thick padding of Elara’s diaper. Her fingers pressed and circled through the material, firm enough to build that slow, aching heat in Elara’s core. Each movement dragged out small gasps from her lips, her hips shifting instinctively to chase more of that friction.

“You’re already squirming,” Quinn teased, her breath hot against Elara’s ear. “Going be a long night if you’re this worked up already.”

“Shut up,” Elara muttered half-heartedly, though her voice trembled as another wave of sensation rolled through her. She knew any chance of getting much sleep tonight was all but gone—not that she minded right now, not with Quinn’s touch stoking that fire inside her.