Notes:
Hey all, I decided that I'm continuing this story. If there's some confusion, I deleted the final chapter and placed a note there to explain it all.
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Charles and Brad lounged a little longer in bed, mindful of the sleeping Lando. The little most have been very tired to still be sleeping, seeing that he didn't even always need to nap.
"Max has been on his own for a while," Brad whispered apologetically after a while, starting to feel antsy knowing that the little was on his own, especially since they weren't that long after the car crash.
"Yeah, I'd rather check him out too," Charles said, his voice also a whisper, his breath tickling Brad's cheek, "he said he'd be big, but I don't know."
"He likes to downplay his pain," Brad agreed.
Both man carefully climbed out of bed, mindful of the still sleeping little in the crib, sprawled out widely. It was amazing that Max liked to share with Lando when he was in headspace, seeing that the little was taking in all the space in the crib.
They found Max sitting on the couch, playing a game on the television, his fingers deftly going over the buttons.
"Hi Max, you winning?" Brad asked, hanging a little over his shoulders.
"I am," Max said, not looking away from the screen. Brad smiled and went to sit next to him while he finished his match. Charles looked around nervously, not really knowing what he should do in this situation.
"You can sit on Max's other side," Brad suggested, the little having been seated in the middle of the couch, not leaving enough room for two on either side. He would have suggested Charles to sit on his lap, but it was a bit too early in the relationship for that. He first wanted to get to know Charles a little better.
"I won," Max said with a grin, the concentrated look leaving his face and being changed into a grin.
"That you did," Brad said smiling back at Max, who glanced at the two of them sitting on opposite sides of him. He shifted a little, feeling the wet diaper thick between his legs, and frowned.
"You know, I'm big right now. You don't need to hover or anything. I can take perfect care of myself," Max said, the frown suddenly changing into a grin, and looking meaningfully at Charles, "besides, shouldn't you two get to known each other a little better."
"Max!" Charles said, his face flushing, even while he heard Max laugh at his reaction.
"We know you're perfectly able to take care of yourself," Brad said, pretending he wasn't blushing himself, "let's check your diaper though."
"Brad, that's not necessary, it doesn't need changing," Max tried to say, shifting to the side to get away from the caregiver, but he hadn't taken into account that Charles was already sitting there, blocking his exit.
"Max," Brad said, when he touched the wet diaper, seeing the little's cheeks flush. Max barely understood himself why he was refusing the diaper change. It was something he always felt a little embarrassed about, but normally didn't pull away.
"What? It's just a little wet. We can't change it anyway before Lando wakes up," Max defended himself, glancing at Charles, and realising it was the fact that he was big and there were too many people about to see him weak like that.
"I guess," Brad said, frowning a little, "Max, if it itches or hurts, please tell me, okay?"
"I will, Braddy," Max said, feeling a fuzziness come over his brain, but pushing it back. He had been little long enough. He wanted to be big now.
"You know what, I'll make us some dinner. Why don't you and Charles play a game together?" Brad said, getting up.
"Yeah, sure," Charles said, sitting next to Max and smiling at the Red bull driver, who gave him a second controller easily enough. During their play, Charles did notice that even though Max was in his big headspace, he did put his thumb in his mouth twice while they had a load screen, each time taking it out guiltily.
The caregiver smiled, but didn't mention it, not wanting Max to feel uncomfortable about it. A glance towards the small kitchenette, and he saw Brad stare at them. Giving him a small wave, the man smiled back with a blush, before starting to cook again.
Charles blushed in reaction, still feeling a little shy in the relationship.
"So, you want to play the game, or rather watch Brad," Max said with a sly grin, bumping his shoulder in Charles'.
"What? Oh, I was just distracted," Charles said, flustered. Max gave a chuckle and started a new match.
"You know Charles," Max said hesitantly, "I hope you don't mind sticking close to me and Brad because of your headspace problems."
"No, I don't mind at all," Charles said, and Max nodded, looking serious and feeling relieved.
"Good. It's easier this way, with me and Brad. We're travelling so much, it would be very difficult to find a little on short notice who's willing to do that," Max said, trying to cement it in Charles mind that he and Brad would want to be with Max, even if it was just for convenience sake, or in Brad's case, because he was paid to.
He hoped that it would last at least the rest of the season, but summer break was nearing, and he was so scared that Charles would take the weeks they had off to go search for someone special for him, instead of making do with a defective, needy little like him.
"It is easy like this," Charles agreed, the caregiver more than happy with their current arrangements. For now it was easy to be together, but perhaps in the summer break they would need to make sure everyone had a chance to see their families, just like in between the seasons, but Charles was sure it would work out fine enough.
Lando woke up, stretching for a moment and groaning. Smacking his lips, he realised that he had lost his paci somewhere. Feeling a little too lazy to search it, he shifted a bit until he was lying on his bed. Suddenly, he was aware of the thickness between his legs.
"Right, wearing a diaper," the little said, letting his hand fall in between his legs to gauge if he had used it or not. It was a little moist, but it wasn't thick or anything.
Maxie's probably would be. After all, Maxie was just a baby while Lando was kind of a big boy.
"Maxie, you awake?" Lando whispered, managing to open his eyes. Then he sat up in a panic, not seeing the other little in the crib with him.
He felt anxiety grip him. It had been horrid when he had seen Max being taken away in the ambulance the day before. No one had recognized how he was dropping, something he had managed to hide.
Finally, there was another little on the grid, and it hadn't been just a little but a baby. Lando felt the need to protect Max, because when they were in headspace, he was the big brother.
He had made it to Max's hotel room late at night, but no one had been there. He had gone to his own room and try to sleep, but that had been futile. Instead, he had been on social media the whole time to check for news on Max, and when it was getting later and later, he had taken vigil by their hotel room.
The relief he had felt when he had set sight on a reasonably healthy Max had been immense, but now he didn't see Maxie anymore. Had something happened? Had he taken a turn for the worse?
"Maxieeee!!!!" Lando shouted, his voice panicked and his voice hoarse with fear, "Maxiee!!"
He shouted loud and started to cry. He didn't even stop when the door was thrown open and several pair of feet came thundering his way.
"Hey there, everything is okay," Brad said, his voice almost breathless, having ran here the moment the screaming began. Max and Charles were right behind him, but he wasn't looking at them while he lowered the bar of the crib so he could pick Lando up.
The little kept on crying and shouting, not cooperating with Brad lifting him, which made it a little difficult, but Brad was strong enough to lift the dead weight.
"Maxie..." Lando cried again.
"Hey, it's okay, I'm here," Lando suddenly heard Max say, and he opened his eyes wide and in shock, still crying. The other little smiled at him and took his hands in his, "see, here I am."
"Maxie," Lando whines again, still tears leaking out of his eyes. He had been so scared, too scared to be immediately comforted and to stop crying.
Max looked at the little, his smile wavering and he felt his own mind growing fuzzy, preparing to go into a sympathy drop.
"Shh, it's okay Lando, Maxie's here," the little said, stepping closer to hug the other little, "shhh, don't cry."
Unable to stop himself, Max started to cry as well, reacting to Lando's sadness, and Brad soon had two crying littles leaning against him, trying to soothe both of them.
"Here, why don't we calm down a little," Charles said, resting his hands on both their backs, "why don't we get your faces washed, and see if Brad cooked us something yummy?"
"Pizza?" Lando asked, wiping his face on Brad's shirt before moving his attention to Charles, looking hopeful.
"I'm afraid it's chicken and veggies," Brad said, "but perhaps we can have a small dessert?"
"Dessert?" Maxie said, looking hopeful.
"Yes, I think we can allow a treat," Brad said, smiling, which promptly fell when Lando put his hands between his legs and pressed them close together.
"Need potty," the little said urgently.
"Here, take my hand and we'll hurry," Charles said, offering his hand and immediately getting a clingy little on it. They hurried to the bathroom, where Lando quickly discarded his pants and diaper, before taking off his shirt and perching on the toilet.
He made it just in time to pee, not feeling like admitting that he went the slightest of bits in the diaper.
Charles looked in amusement at the little, who was now naked on the toilet, for some reason having undressed completely.
"You done?" Charles asked when the stream had ended.
"Yes. Done a big one," Lando said, proud of himself to have held his bladder for so long.
"You can get off now," Charles said when Lando didn't make a move, but the little frowned.
"You need to dab dab," the little said, making Charles frown at him.
"Dab dab?" the caregiver asked, and Lando nodded.
"For the last drip. Daniel always takes toilet papers and says dab dab," the little said, making Charles eyes widen in understanding.
"Well, let's dab dab away," the man said, taking a little toilet paper and dabbing the end of Lando's penis before the little finally got off the toilet.
"Now we need to flush," Lando said eagerly, pressing down on the button and grinning when the water went down. It was always a matter of pride for him to reach the toilet in time, especially when he was in headspace.
"Good boy. Now we need to get dressed again," Charles said, picking up the clothes, and the discarded diaper, making Lando frown.
"No diaper. I'm a big boy," the little said, glad that he was able to complain about the protection without Maxie being there and thinking Lando made fun of him.
"Uhm," Charles said, hesitant. He wasn't really sure how to react to that, being too new at giving in to his caregiving instincts, and not sure about Lando's exact headspace, "how about we let Brad decide?"
"Okay," Lando said, letting Charles at least put the pyjama shirt and pants back on him before they went to check up on max and Brad.