Chapter Text
“Are you sure you still want to do this?” Max looks a little nervous as Charles welcomes him into his apartment. The Dutchman is shifting his weight from foot to foot and running his hands through his hair, he’s clearly agitated but he has at least shown up for their play date which Charles can only take as an encouraging sign.
“You don’t want to do it ?” Charles tries not to give away any of his disappointment, as much as he would love to have a couple of hours with Max in little headspace it’s not really fair to push. It’s a huge deal being comfortable enough to trust someone else with something so personal.
“I am just a bit…... Are those for me?” Max suddenly clocks the toys Charles has pilled up on the table - there are cars, colouring books, stuffed toys. It’s far more than Max has at home.
“I didn’t know if you would bring your own stuff” Charles smiles warmly and picks up a few of the items showing them off. He’s no idea what Max likes to play with when he is little but he has a sense that Max isn’t too sure either, “Do you think there might be something here you would like?”
“You didn’t have to go to this much trouble Charles” Max picks up a huge cat plushie and feels himself getting a little teary. It may be silly and it feels like an overreaction given how much money they both have but it’s not the cost that is really getting to him, its the fact that nobody has ever bought him toys before, not since he was a grown up. It’s understandable given most people don’t know he is little but it still makes his heart flutter to see the effort Charles has gone to, “I can pay for them if you want "
“No, no” Charles waves his arms around in protest, “I wanted to get them, I didn’t want you to be bored.”
“I probably get quite sulky when I am bored” Max laughs, he’s still not sure how much of a handful he can be when he is in his little headspace, he apparently behaved himself last time but he has no real control over whether he’ll be able to do the same again.
“I don’t know” Charles hums, “You were very cute and sweet”
“Charles” Max feels the heat blooming on his face.
“Sorry, sorry” Charles chuckles, “I am not trying to embarrass you, I am just saying, I had a really good time looking after you and if you would let me I would like to try again, we can just do a few hours like agreed, maybe play a few games and watch a film”
Max pauses and chews lightly at his bottom lip as he thinks it through. He has felt so much better this last week after only a few hours in headspace. As much as he has been denying it, it actually does help relieve stress. He’s been too afraid to try it by himself though. It’s not really safe, he’s done it once or twice before but that was quite some time ago, the chances of him injuring himself is too high to risk given how important it is for him to be physically fit. Having Charles to go to with this type of thing seems like a good idea in theory,“I can give it a go”
“Only if you are comfortable, honestly if you would prefer to do it another time or at yours or not at all - “
“It’s fine” Max lets out a rather shaky exhale “I’m just not sure how easily I fall into headspace, I don’t tend to do it”
“I read a bit about it” Charles tries to keep it casual, like he hasn’t spend hours reading up on these things over the last week or so. He has to do this right though, if Max trusts him then he’s not going to put him in danger in some way, “I thought I could sit you in front of a colouring book and leave you to relax and maybe it would work”
“I can try that” Max gnaws a little harder at his bottom lip, he’s still not one hundred percent sure if he wants it to work or not Charles really did look after him perfectly fine last time and the Monegasque certainly didn't teased him about it afterwards. It’s all still new and scary though.
“Just sit down, relax, enjoy colouring in and we will see if it happens” Charles is already setting out books and crayons and stickers and he’s gone to so much effort that Max just hopes he isn’t going to let him down. The Dutchman eases off his jacket and gets down on the floor, shuffling closer to the coffee table where everything is laid out for him.
“I will give you some space” Charles gives Max a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder before making his way through to hide out in the kitchen for a short while.
The Monegasque decides its best to keep the door ajar, just enough so that he can peer out intermittently. As he glances back the first few times he sees Max is most definitely still in normal headspace. The Dutchman is huffing and the frustration on his face is evident.
The fifth time Charles checks back he realises he might need to encourage things along a little more so he grabs a carton of orange juice and takes the plate of food he had prepared through. Max laughs the instant he looks at what Charles is serving him.
“I know, I know” Charles shakes his head, he as perhaps gone a little overboard but he has never had a little to look after and he’s been reading up on all the amazing things you can do for them and well -, Max deserves everything. He already has a million and one food designs he wants to try, in fact if anything this is one of the simplest - teddy bear shaped sandwiches and fruit cut up in to stars.
“I should get you to make my lunches all the time, very cute” Max cocks an eyebrow but gives Charles a warm smile for his efforts.
It is ten minutes later and close to the point of Charles giving up all hope when he hears soft little giggles coming from the room next door. As he pokes his head around he sees Max picking up some of the fruit and popping it rather uncoordinatedly into his mouth before going back to animatedly sticking tiny animal stickers everywhere, including his own face. Charles has no idea which sticker the Dutchman has just spotted but he squeals excitedly as he peels it off and sticks it down on his piece of paper.
The Monegasque takes a tentative step forward but stops when Max whips his head around and suddenly freezes, his face going bright red.
“Its okay” Charles hums and closes the gap so he can see what Max has been up to “the stickers are all for you”
“Thank you” Max mumbles but still looks a little hesitant, like maybe he has done something he shouldn’t.
“You want to show me all the pictures you have been making?” Charles looks down at the various scribbles all over the pads of paper. Some of them look like they were in fact completed by Max in normal headspace but fascinatingly there is a visual decline in the quality. Almost as if Max dropped through various ages. The last few bits of paper are mostly filled with squiggles and then decorated with stickers on top.
“Cats” Max holds up one of the pictures and nervously shows it to Charles.
“Wow” Charles gets himself down on the floor so he can properly admire the picture Max is showing him. The Dutchman is looking expectantly like he is waiting to find out if he did a good job or not, “They are amazing cats Max”
Max’s lips curl upwards at the sides into a shy sort of smile.
“I think they are brilliant” Charles feels his heart clench at how happy the praise seems to make Max. The little is grinning a lot wider now and pulling other pictures out to show him. There is one that is meant to be of dogs and another of a lion and one of a car. They are all mostly swooshing lines and shaky circles but Max starts to get a little more confident with each positive reaction he gets. By the end he’s grinning from ear to ear and thrusting all his artwork in Charles’ direction.
“I don’t know which one is my favourite” Charles looks them all over, “They are all so good”
Max makes a happy little shriek and clasps his hands together, his face still decorated with an array of stickers. Charles can’t help but think the next few hours are going to be wonderful.
***
“Ready or not here I come” Charles shouts through to the living room. As he walks in he spots the curtains in his apartment settling and can see Max’s feet poking out from beneath them. If that had not been enough to make this the easiest game of hide and seek ever then the constant giggling from behind the curtain would have given Max away.
“Is he under here?” Charles bends down and looks under the sofa and hears the giggling get louder, “Hmmm maybe he is behind here” Charles looks behind one of the chairs, trying his best not to chuckle as he hears Max’s laughter loud and clear from behind the curtain. The Monegasque shuffles around the room, looking everywhere and anywhere he can think to look. He even opens up some drawers and mock sighs when Max isn’t there. As he sees Max’s feet bouncing up and down with excitement he decides the little is finally ready to be found and pokes his head around the curtain.
“Ahhh there you are?!”
Whilst finding Max might not have been a surprise, Max’s reaction is. The little squeals loudly and then throws himself at Charles. The Monegasque stumbles backwards but just about manages to grip hold of Max who has practically launched himself into his arms and is now cuddling into him as tightly as possible.
“I couldn’t find you for ages” Charles laughs as he wraps his arms around Max, “I thought I had lost you”
“No” Max giggles, “Was hiding”
“It’s a good job I found you” Charles steals a quick glance at his watch, he had promised to help try and ease Max out of his headspace after a few hours so time is a little short but he’d quite like to get the little settled before bringing him back around, “I have a treat for you”
Max’s eyes light up and he eases himself away from Charles’ body just enough to be able to look at him.
“I have some sweeties if you want them” Charles grins as Max nods enthusiastically and makes little grabby hands towards thin air, “so I thought we could watch a film and eat them. What do you think?”
“Yes please!” Max is practically bouncing up and down again, he has a lot of energy. Charles isn’t sure if its just the way littles are or if it has something to do with the amount of Red Bull the Dutchman drinks. Either way it seems like trying to calm things down might be a good way to end what has been a rather short play session. Charles just hopes Max has enjoyed the experience enough to do this again and perhaps extend the headspace time.
“Lets get you on the couch then” Charles hums as he takes Max’s hand and gets him to settle down on the sofa. The Dutchman still appears to be looking around for the sweets but hasn’t yet complained about the fact he is still waiting, “Do you want a film about cars, or dinosaurs or cats?”
Max’s brow furrows and he pushes his lips out as he tries really hard to concentrate before finally deciding on cats. It’s a good choice, Charles thinks, as he starts up the Aristocats and nips through to the kitchen to get Max’s small bag of pick n mix sweets.
“And because you’ve been so good today you can have a whole bag of sweets all to yourself”
“I can share. Is good to share” Max beams as he takes the small bag and licks across his lips before offering them up to Charles.
“You want to share your sweets with me?”
Max nods and shuffles himself up to Charles the instant the Monegasque sits down on the couch.
“Thank you Max” Charles smiles as he picks a sweet out and pops it in his mouth. The little grabs his own sweet and practically launches it into his own mouth almost smacking himself in the face in his excitement. He’s a few sweets down before he finally starts paying attention to the singing cats on screen.
The selfish part of Charles would love to keep Max like this for the rest of the day but he’s not going to go against ‘Big’ Max’s wishes. They need to take baby steps if this is going to work as a long term arrangement. Besides they really do have a lot to work out if they want to make it a permanent. There would be routines to work out and food to plan and, as much as Charles doesn’t want to think about it, there may be a need to discipline. Nothing too drastic, Charles doesn’t get the sense Max is a bad little, but perhaps a time out or something similar. They aren’t really decisions Charles can make for himself though, a caregiver/little agreement was suggested on the internet for new pairings. Just something to make sure they are on the same page. For now though Max seems happy and content and if little Max is happy then Charles can be happy.
Max eventually finishes off the rest of his sweets and turns his attention back to the film. Charles has no idea if the little understands too much of what is happening but he has been laughing along and swinging his legs about and humming when the music comes on.
“Do you need something Max?” Charles can’t help but notice the little staring off every now and again.
Max shakes his head but chews at his lip.
“You just have to tell me”
“Kitty” Max makes a scrunched up little face but then looks back at the table where the huge cat plushie is still lying out.
“You want kitty to come and watch the film with us?”
“Please” Max looks back at Charles hopeful, “He would like the cats”
“I bet he would” Charles jumps up and grabs the squishy off the table along with a blanket. As he comes back and hands the cat over Max pulls it straight to his chest and gives it a huge squeeze and a kiss before whispering something into its ear and facing it towards the television. Charles decides not to pry into what was said.
“You want the blanket around you?” Charles is already trying to tuck the brightly coloured blanket around Max. Luckily the little seems happy enough to let him do it. As soon as Charles has Max all wrapped up he drops back down next to him on to the sofa.
“'tis nice here” Max mumbles quietly, Charles isn't sure if the little is talking to him or the plushie cat.
“You like hanging out with me then?” Charles feels a nice warm pleasant feeling unfurling inside himself. It’s all well and good having caregiver tendencies but actually trying to look after a little is a whole new world for him so he is glad that it appears to be going well.
“You are fun” Max smiles “And nice. I like you” The little shuffles himself closer and grabs the edge of his blanket so he can also wrap Charles up in it.
“I think you are very nice too Maxie” Charles hums as he leans in and plants a kiss on Max’s head and lets the little yawn and stretch and snuggle up as tightly as possible to him, the stuffed kitty plushie still perched on his lap and facing the television as he buries his head against Charles’ body.