Chapter 443: A poignant development
Andrew was nice and relaxed, having been gifted the opportunity to hold onto little baby Mehar while Ben and Amir prepared dinner. ’Prepared’ was a rather loose word since they had a professional chef who had stopped by earlier in the day and made the goods for them to reheat, but Andrew wasn’t going to make fun of them in their own home.
Well, in Maxwell’s parent’s home, but he wasn’t going to poke the bear. It was clear that they were aware of the fact that Andrew was a good cook, and they kept glancing at Andrew. Andrew stayed seated, playing with the little baby, even giving her a bottle when the time came.
That meant that when Luis and Thomas came back, with a Maxwell in tow, dinner was ready and Andrew was feeling great after having such a terrible interaction with the Proctors.
Luis and Thomas were happy to see him, and Maxwell? He looked like he was torn. He didn’t let Andrew worry about why he was torn for long. He had Luis take over baby watching duty and pulled Andrew off into a side room, locking the door behind him.
Both he and Andrew had learned from the first time Andrew had been in Luis’ home.
"You look okay, but let me examine you in detail." Maxwell muttered, pulling Andrew down so that he could examine his face clearly. He had his hands on either side of his face, twisting him this way and that, and Andrew just let him. It was sweet how Maxwell was caring for him. Andrew was happy to have Maxwell looking over him, practically preening him.
Andrew closed his eyes, enjoying the soft sound of Maxwell’s breaths filling the air as he examined him, the feeling of his fingers on his skin. It was sweet. Kind. Andrew needed the reminder.
"You look okay, but god damn it Andrew, you need to warn me. You couldn’t text me and warn me that you were holding a mixed baby before I walked in?" Maxwell muttered, and Andrew opened his eyes in surprise. He met the hot blue gaze of the man that he loved, shocked.
"What?" Andrew asked and Maxwell growled. He slid closer, their bodies close, touching, and Andrew swallowed.
"You heard me. While you’re working through your own problems, I’m working through mine. You need to warn me the next time you decide to hold a kid that might resemble what ours would look like. White kids? You can hold. Asian kids? You can hold. Any child that is racially ambiguous or black? You may not hold them without warning me so I can prepare myself." Andrew felt his mouth open and close like a fish.
"O-Oh. I didn’t know. You hadn’t told me about that yet." Andrew muttered dumbly, and Maxwell gave him an annoyed look, closed his eyes, and sighed. He then pressed his head against Andrew’s chest.
"Fuck. I haven’t. That’s partially on me, but also, I’m telling you now." Maxwell growled, and Andrew let out a light laugh. He wasn’t laughing at Maxwell, more like he was laughing in disbelief.
Something that normally happened when Maxwell brought up kids hadn’t happened. Andrew hadn’t felt like a piece of shit, like scum of the earth when someone mentioned him being a father. He felt...nothing. He felt nothing, and Andrew was trying his best not to throw his head back and laugh.
Maxwell, of course, didn’t take it that way. He pulled back, pissed, staring up at Andrew in annoyance, his hands tightening on his face. Andrew raised his hands, placing them on top of Maxwell’s, but the other man just glared at him.
"Why are you laughing? This isn’t funny, Andrew. I’m being very serious. I know you aren’t ready for kids, so at least cut me some slack, alright?" Maxwell was being very serious, and that just made Andrew laugh a little more. He puffed up, looking like he was going to explode when Andrew bent and pressed his lips against his forehead. Kissing him through the hair that had fallen into his face.
"I’m not laughing at you, Maxy. I’m just...I’m coming to terms with something right as we’re speaking." Andrew told him. Maxwell’s expression grew suspicious, and Andrew laughed some more. "It’s not bad, I promise." Andrew assured him, but Maxwell didn’t seem to believe him.
"Okay. So if it’s not bad, why are you laughing at me, and what is it? What could it be that would have you laughing while I’m trying to make boundaries? For your penis’ safety." Maxwell made a grunting noise. "I guess it would be more your sperm, but tomato, tomahto." Maxwell was still angry about this, while Andrew was grappling with his own realisation.
He had realised, for the first time, when Maxwell spoke about children, about having kids, there wasn’t this pit in his stomach. Not when he brought up the fact that their kid would be mixed. He’d laid down the law, knowing that Andrew could have reacted to what he said, but he’d done it anyway. Andrew was grateful that he had.
He wanted Maxwell to make things clear to him. He was right to lay down his own boundaries, and outside of this new revelation, he was glad that Maxwell had no issue with Maxwell holding babies. No real issue, he just wanted a warning for his heart. That was a very reasonable thing for Maxwell to ask of him, since Maxwell was coming to terms with some of his omega traits that he hadn’t had to face before.
Andrew understood all that, but he couldn’t help but laugh again.
Andrew squeezed the hands on his face, smiling down at the man who he loved, who had talked him down from ledges several times, and who was annoyed that Andrew continued to laugh.
"Maxy, I didn’t feel bad." Andrew told him, and Maxwell stared up at him blankly. He didn’t get it, because Andrew didn’t explain it well. Andrew licked his lips, staring down at him, those blue eyes so sweet and lovely that Andrew wanted to just kiss him. "Maxy, I didn’t feel bad when you brought up our child." Maxwell still didn’t get it.
He shifted on his feet, his brows drawing together as he stared up at Andrew. Maxwell was smart, but he was angry at Andrew. He was having a hard time understanding what Andrew was saying, and Andrew just chuckled again. He leaned in, pressing another kiss against Maxwell’s sweet forehead.
"I didn’t feel strange when you brought up what our child would look like. I didn’t have a weird tingling in my gut, didn’t feel a knee jerk no, didn’t worry immediately about how terrible of a father I would be. I just...didn’t react." Andrew told him, and Maxwell seemed to get what he was saying. Andrew had to spell it out, but that was okay.
Maxwell did plenty of mind reading normally, it was okay that Andrew had to spell it out for him sometimes.
"Andy...what does that mean?" Maxwell’s voice was soft, his hands shaking slightly as the colour faded from his face. He looked shocked, completely, and Andrew felt his eyes begin to water as Maxwell’s did.
"I don’t think it means I’m ready, but I think it means we’re moving in the right direction." Andrew told him, his smile unable to leave his lips. Maxwell let out a shaky breath, his mouth open, before he exhaled sharply and pulled Andrew down.
The kiss was forceful, full of emotion and Andrew swore he could feel tears rolling down Maxwell’s face and hitting his nose as they kissed. Maxwell’s tongue was desperate, searching, and Andrew kissed the man back just as desperately.
When they finally pulled back, they were panting, their faces warm and wet with tears, and Maxwell wiped at his eyes. Maxwell took a shaky step back, stepping out of Andrew’s hold. Just enough to make Andrew a little nervous. It was made worse by the fact that he was crying, his lips trembling, and Andrew immediately felt his heart jerk in his chest.
"Angel, are you-"
"Do you mean it?" Maxwell asked, his voice tight. It sounded like he was speaking past tears, and Andrew snapped his mouth closed. "Do you really mean it?" Maxwell asked and Andrew swallowed, nodding. "Say it." Maxwell demanded, wiping his face with the back of his hands. They were trembling still, but he was pulling himself together slowly.
"I’m pretty sure I’m not scared of being a father. I think." Andrew didn’t want to speak in hard truths in case he was wrong. Maxwell dropped his head, his shoulders shaking for a moment. Andrew wanted to go to him, but Maxwell raised a hand, halting him. Putting a little bit of space between them. Andrew didn’t like seeing him like this, but Maxwell needed a second.
"You have no idea the relief I’m feeling right now." Maxwell whispered. "I was okay. I was going to be okay if you never wanted to be a father. Hell, we could still never get pregnant, or I’m not allowed to carry a kid. So many things could still go wrong." Maxwell said, and Andrew needed to go to him, but held himself back. "So many things. I’m a patient man. I am when it comes to you, but I thought this was going to take longer." Maxwell admitted, a sob escaping him. Andrew couldn’t do it anymore.
"Maxy, please. Let me hold you." Andrew begged, not able to bear seeing him suffer like this alone. Maxwell nodded his head, and Andrew moved towards him, wrapping his arms around the smaller man carefully. He was coming undone at the seams, and Andrew just needed to support him as he did.
"Are you sure? You have to be sure, Andy. If you aren’t, don’t say anything. My heart can’t take it." Maxwell told him, being so vulnerable and open with Andrew that it made Andrew feel like an asshole over the fact that he had been laughing.
"I’m fairly certain. It’s the first time it’s happened, Maxy. I can’t speak in certainties." Andrew told him gently, and Maxwell gulped in air. He nodded. He held onto Andrew tightly, slowly pulling himself together.
"Of course. You’re right. I’m just getting worked up and excited because of my own issues." Maxwell murmured and Andrew felt his chest squeeze.
"You are allowed to feel emotions contrary to mine, Maxy. That’s okay, and fair. I’m not upset that you’re crying. I’m just worried for your sake." Andrew told him, and Maxwell inhaled and exhaled, calming himself down, squeezing on Andrew’s body, holding him for support.
Eventually, he tilted his head back, his eyes wide, watery, and such a vivid blue that Andrew was at a loss for words for a moment.
"I’m so proud of the work you’ve done. Of the work you’ve put into yourself. Thank you for telling me that. It’s good news, it really is." Maxwell said, his smile watery when he did smile. "I’m just overwhelmed. I didn’t mean to cry." Maxwell said with a weak laugh. Andrew held him close.
"Angel, sweetheart, you can cry whenever you want. However you want. You’ve held me through everything so far, I want to be there for you as well. This is hard news for you. I’m sorry I made you upset because I can’t be certain." Andrew whispered and Maxwell shook his head.
"No. It’s good news, I’m just emotional. I didn’t think I would react the way I did to seeing you hold a baby that...that could look like ours, and I think that’s carrying over." Maxwell admitted, his voice raspy. "You’ve also already had a big day. I’ll get better. Just hold me." Maxwell demanded and Andrew willingly obliged.
They were there in the room off of the kitchen for a long time, so long in fact that when they rejoined everyone dinner was mostly complete and everyone was giving them a particular kind of look. Andrew wasn’t going to tell them that they hadn’t had sex in the room, and neither was Maxwell.
It was safer for everyone’s sanity if they believed that they couldn’t keep their hands off of each other for long periods of time. Soon to be newlyweds, you know?