The Right Time (Lestappen)

Help Me (part two)

TW: Same warnings as previous chapter so please feel free to skip if you might find it upsetting. Also, as before, characters are based on real life people but actions are purely fictional (not how I think they would actually act!) 

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Seb had been horrified as he glanced down at the leaflets in his hand and had quickly ushered Max into his drivers room where they could be clear of the prying eyes of the media. Max sat down on the small couch but had instantly flown into a panic as Seb went to lock the door behind them. The visions of being locked in the therapy room were so vivid that Max felt for a second that he was back there, trapped, unable to free himself. Seb could see the younger man clutching at his chest trying to get air into his lungs. He knelt down beside him trying to calm him down but Max was shaking so much that Seb considered the possibility that he needed to call for medical assistance.

"No, please" Max managed to stutter breathlessly, not wanting anyone else involved.

Seb reached out his hand and Max gladly took it, squeezing it tightly as he tried to count his breaths in and out. Seb watched him closely, he could see the dark circles under the younger man's eyes, Max really did look exhausted. Even worse the eyes themselves were dull, lifeless, like the spark had gone out. Seb wondered how long Max had been like this and how everyone had missed it. As Max slowly brought his breathing back under control Seb started to question him, trying carefully to tread the fine line between working out what was happening and not stressing Max out too much. Max bit down on his lip trying to hold the tears in as he explained that the the leaflet belonged to his dad and that he had already booked his trip there.

"Don't worry, nobody is going to send you here, okay? I promise, I won't let them." Seb said reassuringly and he meant it, he couldn't think of anything more abhorrent, "They won't hurt you okay?"

With that Max started crying and Seb gently leant in to allow Max to cry on his shoulder. With Max's permission he wrapped the younger man in a hug, holding him softly as Max's shoulders started to rise and fall in a ragged movement as he sobbed loudly. It was then that Seb realised that the leaflet he had been handed had been marked up and a feeling of dread washed over him. Max wasn't just afraid of what might happen to him, he was terrified of what had already happened to him.

Seb tried to ask what had been happening but Max couldn't answer, even if he wanted to he couldn't get the words out of his mouth. He didn't want to explain, didn't want to have to verbalise it. Words would just serve to make it all seem more real and he was desperate to try and block it out. He knew that if he was to open his mouth for too long he would just scream until there was no breathe in his body, until his vocal cords no longer worked. If he started screaming he would never stop.

"Do you have someone you can stay with tonight? You can stay with me if you need to, or if you prefer I can see if you can stay in the room next door. I just want you to be somewhere you feel safe" Seb asked.

"I have somewhere back at the hotel" Max whispered, hoping that Charles would still welcome him into his hotel room like they had always done before, "I just need my things from my drivers room but my dad is there"

"I can come with you to get your stuff, you can wait outside whilst I gather everything" Seb spoke softly and calmly but inside he was furious. Max had made it clear he couldn't face the police being involved at the moment but there was no way Seb could let Jos get away with this. Now wasn't the time though because he needed to get Max somewhere safe.

"Everything will be fine, you are safe now, I won't let anything happen to you okay?" Seb reassured Max and Max allowed himself a small smile as Seb squeezed his hand gently.