Little Maxie

Chapter 8

Of course, the relief he felt was suddenly smashed when Lewis spoke, looking resigned.

"He's a little," Lewis stated, gesturing to Max, who was still hidden behind Daniel.

"Max is a little?" Daniel repeated, feeling the betrayal suddenly grip him. Max was a little, and his rivals knew, but not him, his former teammate. Daniel swallowed the feeling, burying it for the moment, "and why are you guys here? Are you his caregivers, or just sitting?"

"Neither" Lewis said reluctantly, "look I just found out he was a little the day before yesterday, and it was on accident. From what I understand he has no caregiver,"

"What, no caregiver?" Daniel asked, slightly shocked, and somehow slightly appeased that Lewis only had found out on accident.

"No, I don't think he has," Charles said, "he didn't seem to think anyone should be helping him. It was just yesterday evening when I found out. He hadn't come down for dinner,"

Daniel nodded, remembering that Charles had asked about Max the day before. Somehow the fact that no one knew about the little made him feel slightly less bad, even though he felt selfish to think those thoughts.

"Maxie doesn't need anyone," the voice behind him came, slightly muffled because he was still pressed into Daniel's shirt, then the head poked out, looking at Lewis with a slight glare, "meanie,"

"Meanie?" Lewis sputtered out, "I was just trying to help. The paci is broken Max, if the plastic breaks off it can get stuck in your throat, that's dangerous,"

Daniel looked down at the arms around his waist, and then took the paci from Max, who immediately protested, and finally let go of Daniel in an attempt to grab the item back. Daniel just turned out of reach, looking at the big tear in it.

"No, Lewis is right, this is dangerous," he said when Max made another lunge for it.

"But it's mine," Maxie said, tears gathering in his eyes, "give back,"

"Don't you have any other?" Daniel asked, and Maxie shook his head, still crying and making grabby hands for the item.

"He doesn't have a lot of stuff," Charles muttered, looking at the crying little, who was still just wearing a diaper, even though it wasn't that warm.

"You know, I think this is Lando's," Daniel said.

"He didn't want it anymore," Max said, sounding slightly desperate "give back,"

"Did he give you a broken paci?" Daniel asked in surprise, not ever having expected Lando to hand something like this to Max.

"He didn't want it anymore," Max repeated again, clearly evasive, making Daniel quite sure that the other little didn't know it was gone.

"Lando said his old one had a hole in it," Daniel said, "and that he had thrown it away. Did you take it from the garbage?"

"Mine," Max said again, the tears now seeping out of his eyes, "please?"

Daniel looked at Max in surprise, not wanting the little to cry over this, and not really understanding the whole situation. The little shivered and held out his hand, making Daniel feel bad for keeping the item from him, but it was true that it couldn't be used anymore, not like that.

"You know what, I'll make you sure you get a new one, if you go with Charles or Lewis to get dressed, okay?" Daniel asked, looking at Max, who blinked at him with wet eyes. The little hesitated for a few moments, looking at the paci and then at Daniel.

"Promise?" he said, and Daniel smiled, holding up his pinky.

"I swear," he said, glad when Max took the step forward and folded his pinky in Daniel's and they shook on it.