Melone sat in the quiet room waiting for his turn with the therapist. He was at least glad that the person was a stand user. Risotto had made sure to arrange that. It's hard to talk to someone when they can't understand something fundamental about you. A man opened the door and looked into the waiting room.
"Melone Bellucci?" Melone stood up. "The doctor is ready for you."
He took a deep breath and followed the man into the therapist's office. He really didn't know what to expect but he was incredibly nervous. As he opened the door to the room, there was a pink haze. It smelled sweet. It caught him off guard.
"Come on in, please, don't be nervous. I'm Dr. Florence." A woman waved him into the room. He felt his muscles relax. He continued to look around at the haze hanging over the room. "That's my stand, The Machine. It's ability, Shake It Out, helps to relax people and make them more comfortable talking." She held a small device in her hand. It was emitting the pink substance into the air. "Is it okay if I use it? If it makes you uncomfortable I can put it away. It won't make you say anything you don't want to say. It just makes you more open to saying what you want."
"I guess that's fine." He walked into the room and she gestured for him to sit. He obliged with a nod. He was feeling a lot more comfortable than when he'd walked in. His nerves were dissipating.
"May I call you Melone?" She asked. He nodded. "Okay, Melone. So tell me. Why are you here?"
"Well, I'm here cause my boss made me come. But it's really because of my partner. He told my boss I need help."
"Okay. Do you think you need help?"
"I don't know," Melone said honestly.
"Okay, well. You said your partner…"
"He's my partner at work. I think he did it to get me back."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, I went to our boss first about his anger issues and the boss put him in Anger Management. So I think it was revenge," Melone sighed.
"If it was just revenge, why would your boss have agreed to it?"
"Yeah, well I guess maybe I should be here. I need to be fixed."
"Therapy isn't about fixing a person. It's about talking things out and recognizing things we can work on. So why do you think you need fixing?" She looked at him earnestly.
"My partner said a lot of stuff about me. I think the rest of my team agrees with it even though none of them ever said anything. I think they're scared of me." Melone couldn't believe he was being so candid. It must be her stand, but that would mean these were all things he really wanted to say out loud, right? Maybe he just really wanted someone to listen since Ghiaccio wouldn't. Did he even want to talk about this to Ghiaccio?
Yes he did. The smoke even made his mind honest to himself.
"Do you feel comfortable telling me what happened?" She tilted her head and smiled. He did feel comfortable, like he trusted telling her anything. He didn't even know her, yet he felt prepared to tell her everything of the last two months. This stand ability was incredible. It would be an incredible ability in Passione's intelligence. They wouldn't need to torture people, they would probably just willingly spill their souls.
"I usually don't care what people think. I've always been called a freak cause I'm just so open about what I like. Feet really turn me on and that disgusts my team members. My partner in particular has really hot feet." Melone licked his lips thinking about them.
"Anyway, he called me out about it and then started insulting my stand. You see my stand creates a homunculus. It takes DNA from a 'father' candidate of my choosing and then seeks out potential women that it can mix it with as the 'mother' or host. I analyze blood type, birthdate and sexual preferences to choose the ideal candidate. It then impregnates the mother-and before you say anything, it doesn't penetrate so it isn't rape- and then it will feed off her body until it's ready to be born where it will completely consume the mother's matter into itself."
She sat staring at him in silence. If it bothered her, she didn't show it. She took a deep breath before speaking.
"You made a point of telling me it isn't rape. Why?"
"Because Ghiaccio-my partner-said it was but there's no penetration! Then he started yelling at me saying that anything can be sexual abuse, like touching, rubbing and even words. That isn't true is it?"
"Well, if any of that is unwanted attention, it would fall under the abuse category. I'm well aware of your connections to Passione so I won't comment on the useful nature of your stand to your group. Your stands are part of your work. However, it is more concerning to me how you view women."
"What do you mean?" Melone asked.
"Based on what I know of you so far, I would expect you to be more…emotionally involved in your choices of women. Instead it appears more as a science, detached like you were a cattle breeder. Do you take any pleasure out of the process?"
"No, it's not sex! That's what I keep trying to tell Ghiaccio. Everyone thinks I'm just raping women. I mean, I suppose they don't survive the ordeal in the end but it's not sexual," Melone snapped. She tapped her pen for a moment as she considered his words.
"Can your stand 'impregnate' men?" She asked. Melone considered this a moment.
"Hmm, I had never considered that. I'm merely combining DNA and there isn't an actual birthing process that would require a womb. I should be able to." He didn't see why not. He usually found women to be easier targets than men. Women don't fight him as much.
"I mean since it's not sexually motivated is there a reason you couldn't use men?"
"I suppose not. I've just never really considered it. Mating is between men and women and usually I have male DNA in my posession," Melone explained.
"Mhm, mating. Again, that's a very clinical way of viewing it. You were also very adverse to the idea of it being sexual in nature, rape, as you put it. Have you ever been in a relationship with a woman?"
"...um, well not officially," he said. Dr. Florence raised her brows and he continued, "I wouldn't call them girlfriends."
"Why not?"
"I never got close enough, I didn't really know them. I'd see them occasionally but there wasn't any connection. Girls like me until they get to know me. Then they're creeped out by me. Guys don't seem to care, as long as they can get off with me."
"Is that why you keep it casual then? So they won't know the real you?"
"Yeah, I guess it's easier that way," Melone said sheepishly.
"That must get lonely."
"Well, I have Ghiaccio," Melone said.
"Your partner? The one who said all that stuff about you and your stand?" She sounded confused.
"Well, yeah it sounds bad, but he's the only person that really knows me. Usually he's just generally annoyed by me but we get along. But the last two months have been really different. He gets really angry at me for little things, blows up. Not that he doesn't do that to people anyways, that's why he's in anger management. But like, it's me specifically. Usually I can calm him down or switch topics to get his mind elsewhere but he seems stuck lately. I don't know how to talk to him. That's why I went to Risotto, my boss, about it," Melone sighed. "Then he blew up at me recently about all this. I just...I didn't know he really felt that way about me."
"It sounds like you really care about what he thinks," Dr. Florence said.
"I do. He thinks I stabbed him in the back by going to Risotto but I just didn't know what to do."
"Did you talk to him about it?"
"No, he's really hard to talk to when he gets like that. It's like his brain shuts down and he doesn't hear anything you say. Like this one time, I was laying in his lap-"
"Laying in his lap?" She perked up.
"I don't really have personal space. Also, it riles him up and it's funny." He smiled.
"Have you ever wondered maybe why he gets riled up by it?" She asked. Melone shrugged.
"I don't know, it doesn't seem to bother him that bad."
"I'm gonna stop you there. You just said earlier that he said even touching can be sexual abuse. Maybe he doesn't like it and that conversation was his way of telling you that." Melone sat in the silence that followed. "Did he ever tell you to stop, or get off of him?"
"Yeah...but it was always joking." Melone's voice was small.
"Some people are very uncomfortable with touching. It may just be a personal preference or it could be something deeper. Past trauma could lead to a person not wanting anyone to touch them. Or sometimes if a person is confused with how they feel they may lash out against another's touch."
"You think Ghiaccio was abused?" Melone leaned in.
"I don't know enough about your friend to say. I know in the past I've had rape survivors show a similar dislike for being touched. I've also had people that struggled with their sexualities also dislike being touched by the same gender since it triggers uncomfortable feelings in them they aren't ready to deal with yet. I also have seen children with autism hate being touched because of the sensory overload it causes to them. All I'm saying is there could be a number of reasons why your friend doesn't want to be touched and you should respect that if you still want him to be your friend."
"I guess you're right," Melone said. She nodded, took some notes and looked back up at him.
"I think that was a good first session. So how about we work on not touching people this week and see if you notice a difference in your relationship? Maybe he'll be more inclined to talk to you if he doesn't feel so uncomfortable." Melone nodded. "Alright, I'll see you next week then. Thank you for coming in, Melone."
Melone stood up and walked out of the office. He got his phone out and texted Ghiaccio to come pick him up. He decided to wait for him outside. It was cold, he wished he'd brought a coat. He'd at least worn a turtleneck today. The leaves were falling off the trees. He watched the colorful leaves fall towards the ground and get caught up in a wind created by a car flying past. Could Ghiaccio have been raped himself? Is that why he was so angry about Melone's ability? He didn't know anything about Ghiaccio's sexual preference. He just clammed up when Melone talked about sexual stuff. Not that they ever discussed personal experiences, just sexual acts. Just general lewd conversations. Sometimes the rest of the guys would jump in on those conversations because many of them had opinions on different sexual acts.
"Blowjobs," Formaggio said after Melone polled the room on what the best sexual act was and why. "They feel the best. A warm mouth, slight teeth." He sucked in a breath.
"Do you give or just receive?" Melone cooed.
"Eww, no way."
"You don't reciprocate? What a bitch," Illuso said. "Probably why you don't keep girls for very long."
"Then I bet your thoughts on rimming are much the same?" Melone leaned over the table sensually in front of Formaggio.
"Oh fuck off. That's just sick," Formaggio groaned.
"That's your preference," Prosciutto interjected. "Some people like that."
"Is that your preference?" Illuso laughed. Pesci looked like he'd rather be anywhere else right now.
"I'm just saying everything is subjective."
"I bet he wishes the boss would do that," Illuso laughed and Prosciutto flushed angrily and flipped him off, stomping off into the kitchen for another drink.
"Pesci's a virgin so he's probably super vanilla," Melone said and Pesci blushed. "What about you Illuso?"
"Doggy. Hottest position." Illuso thrusted his hips once and motioned spanking. "Gives you full access to that ass."
"Ooh! That is good." Melone looked over to Ghiaccio who wasn't paying attention at all. He just wanted him to pay attention to him. Melone belly-flopped onto the couch overtop Ghiaccio's lap who was looking at something on his laptop sitting on the table in front of him.
"Hey! Get off me!" Ghiaccio scowled at him.
"What about you, Ghia?" He spun around so he was on his back over his lap. He extended his arms over his head and shimmied in his lap. "What do you like?" Ghiaccio looked at him and swallowed.
"For you get the fuck off me." Ghiaccio pushed up his glasses in a huff.
"You're no fun, Ghia." Melone pouted and sat up to continue the conversation with the others. He never found out what Ghiaccio's preference was that night, or Risotto's since he was meeting with Bucciarati that night about a mission.
He did tell him to get off. He wasn't that angry about it which is why he thought Ghiaccio knew it was just teasing. Now that he reflected on it, his reaction may have actually been discomfort. He felt bad for putting him in that position. He heard a car horn and yelling.
"Melone! Get in the damn car already! I don't have all day to wait for you." Ghiaccio stood up in the car and waved to him. The days were getting shorter, the sun was already going down. Melone got up and walked over to the car opening the door. He sat down and pulled his seatbelt on. "Well, did they fix you?" Ghiaccio laughed. He seemed to be in a good mood right now.
"Not quite but we're working on it. I'm quite the case, don't you know?" Melone's lips pursed into a smile. Ghiaccio snorted and pulled away from the curb. He turned on the radio and they jammed to a song they both liked. They usually alternated between Melone's love of techno and Ghiaccio's hip hop beats.
"Did you hear that Luca is vying for Capo?" Ghiaccio offered as he drove.
"Oh really? Spill the tea," Melone purred. He saw that look in Ghiaccio's eyes when an idiom was uttered. It was about to get fun.
"Melone, tell me why one needs to spill a beverage in order to share gossip? I get that women are supposed to gossip over tea parties and shit but why are they spilling it? Like spilling secrets? You can't spill secrets! What the fuck?!" Ghiaccio raged. Melone just giggled. This was the anger he could handle and wouldn't want him to change. He thought this side of Ghiaccio was cute and fun.
"Well, babe, tea is a play on the letter T meaning truth. It's just a turn of phrase." Melone watched Ghiaccio blanch. He seemed uncomfortable again, but Melone couldn't figure out why. He continued to rage as though he hadn't been affected. Melone smiled. "Di molto."
"And another thing! It's molto bene! Di molto isn't even grammatically correct you dumbass!" Ghiaccio raged.
"I know," Melone smiled.
"Then why do you do it!?" Ghiaccio screeched.
"Cause it winds you up so tight, tesoro mio," Melone said in a sultry voice. Ghiaccio got quiet and chewed on his cheek in thought. "Cat got your tongue, mio amico?" That sent him over the edge and Ghiaccio raged about the cat's biting tongues the rest of the way back to the house.
Ghiaccio had noticed that something was different about Melone but he couldn't place what it was. Something strange in his behavior. He still acted the same, being overbearing and flirty and at times obscene but there was just something that felt off. He didn't figure it out until the night before his next session. Ghiaccio and Formaggio were about to leave to meet Illuso for a job when Melone stopped him. He placed a hand on his shoulder and as Ghiaccio turned to look at him, Melone pulled his hand back like he'd been burned.
"I-I...just, you forgot this. I noticed you've been taking it with you everywhere. Didn't want you to forget it." Melone handed him his anger journal.
"Thanks." He put it in his bag and nodded to Melone as he turned to go. That was weird. He looked almost scared to touch him. And that's when it hit him. Melone hasn't touched me all week. He was used to the lavender haired man hanging all over him. Everything about Melone was incredibly excessive, but now that he'd thought back, he couldn't think of a single instance of him laying a hand on him since he came back from therapy. Is he acting like this since I mentioned that about touching? He facepalmed in the passenger seat. It was just like Melone to overreact and misinterpret what Ghiaccio meant. He took everything to extremes.
"What's the matter with you?" Formaggio asked, glancing at him from the road.
"Melone." Ghiaccio didn't elaborate.
"I don't know how you work with him." Formaggio shivered.
"At least his stand is useful," Ghiaccio shot back. He didn't really like it when the others bagged on Melone. They didn't know Melone like Ghiaccio did, they didn't have any right to talk shit about what they don't understand. Not that Ghiaccio understood… he was a creep... he was gross.
"It is too useful! I killed that senator with a fucking car, you prick. You weren't even involved in that mission."
"Yeah, you tell yourself that." Ghiaccio pushed up his glasses.
"At least my stand isn't creepy."
"Well, damn, you've got that going for you." He scowled. He knew he was going to have to talk to Melone at some point, but he hadn't been as annoyed lately. So maybe he would just keep quiet and let therapy do it's work.