#it's incredible the difference a rico morning makes in maxs confidence and demeanor

[lsunstreakerl]

part nine of the maxiel corporate au! (wow this is getting long)

I offer to you all 2.2k words, Max POV, Daniel POV. explicit! but it's max/rico for this one. max/daniel in the next one!

Max doesn't mean to sleep over at Rico's place, it kind of just... happens. He wakes up pressed to Rico's chest, one arm heavy over his waist, holding him. He's warm, more comfortable than he's felt in a while- the reassuring movement of Rico's breathing is a steady push-pull next to him.

But Max needs to leave for work- needs to grab his clothes, and- and stretch, for Daniel.

He also needs to talk to Daniel, but he's not sure how to approach that conversation, so he's going to put it off.

He wiggles underneath Rico's arm, trying to gently get out from under him. Rico makes a soft noise in his sleep, tugs Max closer.

This is not working.

"Rico."

Max pokes at his stomach- not that it does much, trying to push through solid abs. He's prodding at him, even if it feels like poking at a brick wall.

"Rico."

Rico groans, stretching long in the bed. Max eyes the way the muscles in his legs flex, tries to ignore the way his cock is stirring against Rico's hip.

There's another sleepy mumble, and then Rico is laying his hand on the side of Max's face, brushing at his hair.

"Where're you going?"

It's a sleepy rumble, deep and raspy.

"I need to get ready for work. And also open myself up, so unless you want to be involved in that-"

Rico looks significantly more awake, eyes skimming Max's face.

"I think I would."

Max blinks.

"Uh, I'm not sure you heard me right."

Rico's eyes soften as he looks at Max, arm still draped over him.

"I did. I think it might help, having a good start- get your head in the right place."

Max's face heats, and he looks away, embarrassed.

"Rico- I haven't- are you sure?"

"Yes. How's this- you grab your stuff from your room, come shower over here, and then I'll help you out before you leave, sound good?"

His voice is low and throaty, and Max tries not to shiver. He and Rico... they've never been like this. They've been close for a while, since Max was scrawny and self-destructive, Rico just as bad, but they've improved together too.

This is unknown territory.

He nods, and Rico lets him up, giving Max the space to slide out of bed, quietly pad next door into his own studio to grab his things.

The pipes don't creak as badly in Rico's shower, and the water pressure hits differently, but Max does a good job not thinking about the imminent future.

There's a stray, whispering thought about Daniel's reaction when he finds out about all of this- it feels practically scandalous, like Max is doing something wrong.

Although- Rico had said Daniel was wrong last night, so maybe the whole thing is more convoluted than Max is giving it credit for.

He shuts off the water, toweling off his hair as he pokes his head out of the bathroom. Rico is moving in the tiny kitchenette, but he steps over as Max comes out of the bathroom.

Max settles on the bed, but he's not sure what else Rico wants from him- hasn't done this with anyone except Daniel. The last time he'd had someone's fingers inside of him that weren't his own, he'd come so hard he'd cried.

Which reminds him-

"Rico- I am. I am not supposed to come, please. Please don't let me."

Rico's eyes are dark where he's standing, but he nods.

"You still want that?"

Max does. He hates that he does, but hating it doesn't change the way the heat of embarrassment flickers through him, the way the shame feels good.

Rico kneels on the bed, running his hand over Max's hip.

"Drop your legs for me, yeah? I'll be gentle."

Max squeezes his eyes shut, humiliatingly hard already. Rico kindly doesn't mention it.

When he touches his fingers down to Max, the lube isn't cold- it's skin temperature, not quite the jarring sensation Max is expecting.

"You don't have to be. Gentle, I mean."

Rico is gentle, circling his thumb and fingers, barely even teasing at him.

"I want to. You deserve that, Max. Especially with a day like today ahead of you."

Max is confused for a moment- Rico's voice has dropped down lower, and he's still being gentle.

He pauses, softly patting Max's thigh.

"Hey, if you want to stop just shout something. A word you want to use that isn't 'no' but still means you want to be done."

Max is not any less confused, using the first unpleasant word he can think of.

"Disbarment?"

Rico huffs a laugh.

"Sure, that works."

There's a light press at Max's hole, Rico's thumb barely dipping into him. His free hand is running along Max's waist, smooth and strong.

He leaves Max's cock alone, which Max is grateful for.

"What do you have on your list for today?"

Some part of Max is wondering what it is about fingering him that makes people want to listen to him talk about work- once is an anomaly, but twice means the universe is trying to give him a complex.

He drops his head back into the pillows, trying to think as Rico's thumb pushes further into him.

"I have- I think a quarterly report to work on? And then also some weekly earnings, from Netco. Daniel will maybe want to see those."

Rico hums, replaces his thumb with a finger, slides in easy to the first knuckle.

"He'll want to see you, you mean. You're so good for him, aren't you?"

Max shudders, flushing hot. He wasn't- he wasn't expecting that. His eyes flick open, meeting Rico's.

He's just looking back at him, calm and steady as his finger sinks to the third knuckle.

"I, ah- I try-"

Rico's second finger teases as his rim. Max can barely feel the first- Daniel would be at three by now.

"And you are, aren't you? I bet you listen so pretty for him, do whatever he asks you to."

It's doing something to Max's brain, Rico saying these things to him, about Daniel- about how Max is for Daniel.

"I do, I do listen-"

"He's just not used to needing to be gentle, is he? Needs a reminder that you need some care."

Rico's second finger slides in, and Max doesn't register it beyond a dull pressure- nothing like before.

Rico doesn't wait for him to answer- prods briefly against Max's prostate. Enough for a spark of pleasure, but not enough to really work him up.

"We'll get that fixed for you. You're so good for him, Max, it's only fair that he remembers to be good too, yeah? Otherwise he doesn't deserve you, getting to see you laid out so pretty for him in the office."

Max swallows, hips hitching up onto Rico's fingers.

Rico's hand gently pushes him back down, fingers splayed wide over Max's stomach, effortlessly holding him in place as a third finger slides at the edge of the other two.

Max drops his thighs open wider. He's horny, but it's not- it's not desperate, like it is with Daniel, it's a slow, simmering need, building deep within him.

His fingers scissor inside of Max again, and he doesn't even notice for a moment that the third has joined, just knows it feels pleasantly full.

"Rico- feels good."

His words are slightly slurred, and Rico brushes his prostate again, gently curling his fingers.

"Good, that's how it's supposed to feel. You're going to be nice and ready for him later, and then you're going to call me, tell me all about it, okay?"

Rico has some kind of angle here, an ulterior motive, but Max doesn't bother focusing on it, too distracted by his fingers.

"Okay, yes- I will, I'll call you-"

Rico brushes against his prostate again before slowly withdrawing his fingers.

"Good, that's so good- you're perfect, Max. So good for me, and you know what?"

Max blinks hazily up at him. His head is fuzzy again, but it feels better this time.

"What?"

Rico is wiping down the inside of Max's legs, touch gentle.

"You're going to do such good work today too. Because you're smart, and you're like a dog with a bone, yeah?"

He grins down at Max.

"Take 'em for all they're worth."

It's an inside joke- from Max to Rico before a match, from Rico to Max before he'd had mock trials and eventually paperwork for real trials.

Max grins back at him. He's feeling good, balanced with a low simmer of arousal.

"Fuck yeah."

------

Max still takes the bus, because Rico had to get ready for a day of HIIT workouts, but he doesn't stop for a bagel- Rico had thrown together some kind of protein based hash, joked around with Max at the table as they both ate. It had been soothing and familiar, and Max feels-

He feels good.

------

Daniel hasn't been able to stop thinking about Max. It's been bugging him- not even in a sexy way, just a general way. He keeps rethinking their encounters, trying to figure out what thread he's missing that's tugging at his brain, telling him he's overlooked something vital.

He's not sure the answer is fucking Max again, but- maybe it'll help, or at least provide some kind of clarity.

He takes another sip of his lukewarm coffee, trying to figure out what he wants to do with him.

The desk had been nice- good stress relief, Max crying pretty underneath him- but Blake had informed him Scarlett had to send him home after, so if he's going to do that it has to be at the end of the day.

Maybe...

Having Max on his knees certainly can't hurt the situation any.

He drops a little note in Max's inbox, another request for his presence whenever it's convenient. It ticks over to read, but then the typing bubble appears.

Daniel raises an eyebrow. Max doesn't answer- he just reads them and shows up. He's never typed back before.

Max V: Does 2 work for you? Need to finish quarterlies for Blake.

Oh?

Daniel R: Blake technically works for me, you know.

Max V: Yes, but you will not care if I write it or not. Blake will :P

Daniel can't stifle his laugh- Max trying to reschedule on him is one thing, but the stupid little face- he doesn't know why it's making him giggle so bad.

Nobody ever sends Daniel little faces anymore. It's all "yes boss" "yes sir", none of the fun little quirks he knows his employees share with each other.

He tries to fight the curl of the smile at the edge of his mouth, but it's a losing battle.

Daniel R: Far be it from me to get in the way of Blake :]

Daniel R: Whenever you have time is fine, just let me know when you're headed up.

Max V: yes sjr

Max V: *sir

Max V: :)

Daniel shakes his head, turning back to his main monitor. It's weird- he's feeling better about the whole thing already.

------

One long runaround call from Netco later, he's feeling less better. He's tense, kind of wants to shove everything off his desk and just scream, but he won't- he knows better.

It's only 12, too early for Max to come up, so there's no help there.

Although...

Daniel R: Did your department eat lunch already?

Max V: no sir

Max V: swamped down here. Netco dumped three years worth of useless info at once into our laps

Max V: it's like a needle in a haystack, except the needle is a tiny smoking gun, and the haystack is the literal Atlantic Ocean

Max V: :(

Daniel raises an eyebrow. From the sounds of it, he might not see Max at all- but if the entire department has forgone lunch...

Daniel R: Are you all staying late?

Max V: it's looking like we might, sir

Daniel R: Okay- get a headcount for me, if you don't mind. And some thoughts about what you'd all like for dinner.

Daniel R: On me, obviously.

Max V: I can do that! :D

Daniel R: :]

Blake is at his doorway twenty minutes later, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Hello, Dan body double, what have you done with the real Daniel Ricciardo?"

Daniel huffs a laugh, leaning back into his chair.

"No clue what you're talking about, bud. Can't a guy take care of his departments every once in a while?"

"Riiiiight. That's what you're doing."

Daniel gives Blake his most innocent smile. Blake tosses a pen at him.

"I'm more surprised you haven't called Max up here yet- heard you got another runaround earlier."

Daniel makes a face, lips pressed together.

"You're all busy, I heard. And someone keeps telling me he's a valuable employee, so..."

"See, you're still being suspicious. Since when have you cared?"

Daniel shrugs, pen spinning between his fingers.

"I'm frustrated, and hitting a brick wall. Maybe I thought philanthropy would help."

Blake snorts, but he's looking fondly at Daniel.

"Let me know how that goes for you. And hey, as a little thank you- I'll send Max up here with the list, to deliver it to you personally."

It's practically permission, as far as Blake goes. Daniel flashes him a grin.

"You're too good to me, really."

Blake rolls his eyes, pushing off the doorway.

"If he could be somewhat functional when you're done that would be great, but I understand that's asking a lot."

"I make no promises!"