For Y/N's eighth birthday, her father got her a special gift, an adorable plush toy that she loves dearly. What she didn't expect was the living, breathing man that came with it. Is her doll really talking and moving around, or is her imagination th...
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The house was dark and silent with all inside fast asleep at the late hour of the night, save for a certain girl and living doll. The floorboards made little creaks as small feet tiptoe over them. The sound made the child pause many times as she snuck her way towards the bathroom. When she finally reached the door, Y/N yawned and twisted the knob, her eyes feeling weary, but she did not want to sleep without seeing Max one last time to say goodnight. After coming inside, she flicks the light switch to illuminate the space and locks the door before calling out to her friend in a low whisper.
"Come on out, Max." A giggle answers her, followed by a voice that seemed to echo all throughout the room and inside her head.
"Come and find me," he sings giddily, exciting Y/N a bit. Her mind woke a little as she pulled back the shower curtain, expecting him to be standing behind it ready to scoop her up into his arms. She is surprised, however, when the fancily dressed man is nowhere in sight. Confused, she looks around with pinched brows.
"Where are you?"
"Come on, you can do it," he encourages, filling the girl with determination as she plants her hands on her hips and purses her lips a little in thought. The bathroom is a small space, so hiding places are practically nonexistent, which is why she suggested the shower curtain to him, though she supposed he possibly could've contorted himself to fit inside of the cabinet under the sink. Max is quite a flexible fellow, but she still doubts. With nowhere else logical to look, however, she checks anyways. Nothing but toiletries greet her when she opens those white doors, resulting in a frown.
"Getting colder, darling." Well, Y/N was certainly not the type to give up, so she shut the cabinet and faced the last remaining place she could check. She marches up to the closet meant to hold towels and pulls open the thin door. It only took her a moment to find her magical companion, and when she did, she gasped in shock. The man had shrunk to the size of a mouse and sat upon a stack of clean, fluffy, blue towels, which she imagined would be quite comfy at that size. After getting to his feet, Max jumped up and down with glee while enthusiastically waving his arms.
"You found me! You found me! Aren't you smart!" Y/N can't help but giggle at his antics and offers her hand for him to walk onto her palm. Wearing his signature grin, he takes off his hat to give a deep and gracious bow to his master before climbing aboard. She is careful while raising him to eye level and stares at the living doll in awe.
"I didn't know you could shrink, Max."
"Me neither! Pretty cool, huh? Took me all night to figure out how!"
"How are you going to get big again, then?" she wonders while tilting her head.
"Place me down, and I'll show ya!" She does so gently, and the man taps his cane against the tile precisely three times before spreading his arms wide with a large, sharp-toothed grin before spinning around on his heel. In a blanket of pale pink light, he grows before her very eyes back to his own size. Once he's normal again, Max brushes off the shoulders of his coat and leans towards his friend with a big smile. "Oh, that was so much fun! I'm glad I got to play with you once this night. How is everything coming along? Everyone behaving?" Y/N nods.
"They're all asleep now, but we had lots of fun. I wish you could've joined us." He smiles softly at the girl, wishing the same.
"I would've loved to, but I understand. They might not take too kindly to a toy like me." He dramatically looks off to the side with a pout and a sigh before smiling wide again while looking down at the girl from the corner of his eye. Without warning, she's scooped up into his arms and is swayed about cautiously, yet quickly. "But, as long as I have you, it doesn't matter!" he exclaims before pulling her into a tight embrace, which makes her laugh while throwing her arms around his neck. She hushes him through giggles with a finger against her lips, making him laugh quietly. "Right, right, quiet." Max sets the girl on her feet, and she takes ahold of his hand with sleepy eyes.
"You're silly, Max."
"Silly means fun, and fun is what I'm best at," he retorts matter-of-factly. Y/N nods, and the doll seats himself on the floor, welcoming her into his arms again for goodnight cuddles that he would often give her before bed. She sat upon his lanky legs as he held her securely in his loving arms.
"Darcy and her friends are so cool. I'm glad they accepted me," she murmurs while cuddling against him.
"Of course they excepted you. You're the best." A smile grows on her face as she shuts her eyes.
"I was worried they'd think I'm just a little kid, but they treat me the same as they treat each other. I hope we're friends for a long time, just like how we'll be friends forever." The girl breathes a sigh of content. "Max?"
"Yes, my dear?"
"Do you like them?"
"I think they're wonderful from what you've told me. I'm very happy for you."
"Maybe I can introduce you to them one day if I'm sure they can keep a secret? Then, we can all be friends together."
"What a charming idea." He smiles down at her as she slips into sleep. She was out like a light. Max admires her for a little while before deciding to take her back to her friends. They would raise questions if they found her asleep in the bathroom, and she wouldn't be too comfortable sleeping in here anyways.
With them all asleep, he should be able to bring her to bed without trouble. Cradling the girl in his arms, he stands, leaving his cane in the bathroom as he walks out into the hall with steps as light as a feather. He was used to sneaking around in Y/N's house. This would be a cinch. Max found his way to Darcy's bedroom with ease and slowly opened the door before stepping inside.
Darcy, naturally, slept in her own bed, sharing with Helena, and an air mattress was blown up at the foot of it. That is where the pair of boys slept. Cavanah's arm was draped over his boyfriend's forehead as he belted out loud snores and drooled from his mouth. Lionel didn't seem bothered in any way, though he was practically pushed to the edge of the mattress. Lastly, Lori slept on a makeshift bed of blankets on the floor, which he had to step over in order to get to the other pile of blankets, where he assumes Y/N is meant to sleep. As he laid her down, he nearly jumped when Cavanah's snore abruptly cut off when Lionel elbowed him in the side.
"Damn, man, put a sock in it," he grumbles, shoving off the boy's arm to turn onto his side. Luckily, he did not open his eyes. The other boy mutters an apology before draping an arm over the blonde's waist, not fully awake either. Max sighs in relief as the snores start up again, only much quieter than before, and turns his attention back to his young master. He tucks her in with a warm smile and gives a goodnight kiss to her forehead before standing up.
He would've liked to stay beside her and guard her dreams, as he usually would, but it would be safer for him to spend the night in the bathroom till morning came. He stayed in the small room, entertaining himself as best as he could until it was almost time to shift. It was then that he decided to sneak back into the bedroom. Everyone was still sleeping as Max laid down beside Y/N. He lifts one of her arms to drape it over his neck while smiling sweetly. This way, when he changed, she'd be holding him like always.
When sunlight peeked between the blinds, he turned back into a doll, which Y/N then pulled close to her body with a tiny smile on her face.
