Realizing as I continue to spin on the Nebula AU that Max probably hasn’t been around a lot of people his own age that he’s known for longer than a couple months. They’re probably moving around more than they did in canon, bouncing between NTek bases across the country and assorted other locations for Molly’s work.
So, it occured to me that there’s really only one person close to his age that Max would call a friend by the time the fic starts. One NTek intern turned Lab Tech turned Chief Science Officer that’s not only fun to hang out with but would also be working closely with the team dedicated to taking care of Max’s medical needs.
Consider: Max with the biggest fucking crush on Berto.
The guy who taught him how to do his first kick flip.
The guy who developed the first Turbo dampener that Max didn’t have to wear like a fucking backpack.
The guy who made a warning light for his Gameboy Advance so Max would know to put it down before it kills itself.
The guy who gives running English commentary so Max can watch overly dramatic Novelas with him.
They guy who’s done nothing but make Max’s life better even just by being around, hanging out.
They’re besties, pen pals, two peas in a pod.
And Max desperately does not wanna ruin a good thing by pressing his luck. So he probably does still crush on Sydney and decide that’s the safer bet. I’m just mean enough to hit him with both of those simultaneously. Any situations where both of them are present is going to make lights flicker despite Steel’s best efforts. :DDD
