Little Maxie

Chapter 10

Max looked at the numbers of the elevator going down, and he felt his muscles go tense, stress making itself known. He couldn't really go out in his headspace, not like this. He was quite sure that he would slip up, being as small as he was right now.

Max realised that he would just have to get out of his headspace, because whatever Daniel might say, his dad always found out. And when he eventually did, he would be angry at Max, for not upholding the agreement they had about him not being regressed in public.

And Max knew that his dad would be angry once he found out, and when he was angry because Max didn't do what he promised to, he got punished. Perhaps his daddy might even take bunny away again!

Feeling the stress settle harder in his mind, he found it even more difficult to tear his mind out of headspace, and he started to suck his paci a bit harder trying to self-comfort and calm down enough to succeed, focusing even harder.

"You okay there?" Daniel asked when he heard the sucking sound increase, looking with faint worry at Max.

Maxie looked in surprise at Daniel, breaking his concentration and losing the vague hold he had been starting to get on his big headspace. He hesitated a bit, knowing that he already had told his worry to Daniel, but he kept on looking at Maxie with an expectant look tinged with just a little concern.

"Dad might see me," Maxie said, flushing slightly, but the concerned look from the caregiver really made it hard to not say anything. For some reason, Daniel was making him feel safe enough to talk about his silly worries, even when he knew his dad might just have rolled his eyes and told him to man up.

"He won't be there," Daniel said calmly, trying to not show how off he felt about the fear that Max showed when he talked about Jos.

"He might," Maxie said, and then flushed and shrunk into himself, knowing that he wasn't supposed to backtalk. Dad always gave him trouble when he did it in his interviews.

"Well, he knows you're a little though?" Daniel asked, trying to throw the subject in a different direction. They stepped out of the elevator to go to the restaurant, and Max looked surprised at his question.

"Yes, of course," Max answered, knowing that Daniel already knew.

"So, why should he mind you being little then?" Daniel reasoned, and Maxie blinked, shuffling hesitantly behind Daniel.

"Doesn't want me to be weak," Maxie said, softly, knowing himself that it was a flimsy excuse, "wants me to be a great driver,"

"Well, needing a little help doesn't make you weak. Look at Lando. He's a little and he's doing great this season," Daniel said, glad that there was another little with the same career. He would have a more difficult time convincing Max if he had been the only little on the grid.

"I guess," Maxie said, looking doubtful. Daniel frowned at the expression, but didn't press, not knowing what he could do to make the little more comfortable.

They reached the hotel restaurant and just when Daniel wanted to push open the door, he spotted Maxie subtly taking the paci out of his mouth, slipping it in his pocket. He stood frozen for a second, wondering if he should say something, but Maxie already pushed the door open completely himself, trying not to look at Daniel.

Daniel followed immediately after, quickly spotting the table where Lando, Lewis and Charles were sitting. He saw someone pass, frowning at the occupants, probably thinking the combination of people to be weird, but they didn't say anything.

"Come, let's go join them," Daniel said, grabbing Max's wrist and pulling him along, earning them a few more surprised glances, but that was okay. Daniel was known for doing weird and spontaneous things.