Maxwell showed up, not out of breath, with the phone still pressed against his ear. His long jacket was open, his scarf on, and he looked like he'd stepped off of a film set. His cheeks were a little flushed from the cold, his hair slightly askew, but he looked…good. Not angry in the slightest.
He appeared normal, honestly. Looking like a movie star was nothing new for the other man. The rest of the crew that was with them seemed shocked to see him, but Andrew wasn't phased. Even Luis seemed a little surprised to see Maxwell there.
That was because of the fact that he had found where Andrew was without asking for directions, no help from the front desk, nothing. Andrew knew he had probably found him through scent alone, and Andrew wasn't sure if he should be happy or embarrassed about that.
It wasn't like Andrew had any legs to stand on. He'd done the exact same thing, just…different.
Maxwell hung up the phone, shoving it in his pocket as he caught sight of Andrew sitting down on the velvet chair. He didn't look at anyone else, and instead headed directly for Andrew. Andrew held his breath, wondering what the other man was going to do.
He was not expecting him to just climb into his lap, wrapping his arms around Andrew's neck and tucking Andrew's face into his throat.
"It's okay, Baby. I've got you." There wasn't a single part of him that was able to remain calm after the man spoke so softly and tenderly to him. Andrew felt his eyes water and he reached his arms out, wrapping around the other man tightly as he let out a harsh sound.
Andrew could hear Luis quietly telling everyone to leave while Maxwell held him and comforted him.
"I'm fine." Andrew croaked, but even he couldn't believe his own words. Maxwell made a comforting sound.
"I know you are. You're fine, but it's also okay to not be okay." Maxwell told him and Andrew just held him tighter. After a long moment of silence, Andrew laughed quietly.
"That's something you should take to heart too." Andrew joked and Maxwell snorted.
"I am aware that I'm a hypocrite. That I don't practise what I preach, but when it comes to you, Baby, I just want to make sure that you're okay above all else." Andrew squeezed him gently.
"Thank you for coming. Are you sure this was okay?" Andrew knew his voice was soft and careful. Maxwell let out a laugh.
"Who is going to stop me? The board? My Father? They are just as mad about this whole situation as I am. They would encourage me to deal with this situation. If anyone else had any complaints? I know my Father and brother would deal with it. You're more important. I think they like you more than they like me." Maxwell teased and Andrew gave him another squeeze. He pulled back enough that he could see his face, take in his blue eyes. They were warm, soft, and full of concern.
Andrew let out a shaky breath, enjoying having the other man in his lap despite the situation.
"There's no way that your Mom or Dad likes me more than you. The threats to my manhood beg to differ." Maxwell's eyes widened as he turned his head to look at the door.
"They…threatened you?" He asked. "Why? You wouldn't hurt me." Andrew had been half joking, but he knew that the threats were there. They just weren't spoken out loud because they didn't need to be. Maxwell was the only omega child of the Beckett family.
They had cut contact with Thomas' father because the man wanted them to get rid of him. They hadn't cut contact with him when they'd been threatening Luis during the courting phase of their relationship.
Maxwell was their precious boy.
Andrew was slowly learning, after the reaction that Luis had, that maybe, just maybe, they were getting possessive of Andrew as well.
"Any respectable parent, sibling, what have you, would threaten the potential partner of the person they cared about." Andrew told him and watched as Maxwell narrowed his eyes, turning his attention back to Andrew.
"I am capable of taking care of myself." He declared, missing the point entirely and Andrew grinned.
"It's not about whether you can deal with me on your own or not, Angel. They are probably very aware of that fact. It's…the principle of it all. Almost an honour thing?" Maxwell didn't like his response, and Andrew wasn't aware of why until he spoke.
"No one did that to me when it came to you." Maxwell muttered and Andrew felt his eyes widen, before they softened.
"Well," Andrew began, "my situation is a little unique. I'd cut myself off from everyone, remember?" Maxwell nodded slowly as Andrew thought about Maxwell's words. There was only one reason why he could think that no one would have done that to Maxwell. Well, two, but one in regard to Andrew. "They could have been afraid to say anything against you because I could have cut them off again." Maxwell's eyes widened at Andrew's words.
"You wouldn't have-" Maxwell started, but stopped when he saw the gentle look on Andrew's face. Andrew moved closer, pressing his forehead against Maxwell's, happy he could be this close to the man.
"Are you so sure? How can you be sure about what they think? It's only recently I've gotten ties to the city, Maxy, and…I am mature enough to admit that I'm probably a runner when things get tough." Maxwell frowned at Andrew's words, but he didn't argue with them. He couldn't.
Andrew could see it in his eyes. He also had that worry when it came to him, and Andrew couldn't even blame him. He'd made this bed, he was the one who had to prove he wasn't going to run at the first sign of trouble.
"You don't run when it matters." Maxwell said softly, and Andrew melted. Even when he was anxious, the man was attempting to take care of him. Andrew leaned in a little closer, pressing his lips gently against Maxwell's.
"Thank you for saying so. It's because I have you by my side that I feel strong enough to stay." Maxwell's ears turned pink at Andrew's words and Andrew smiled. Maxwell hesitated for a second, before he pulled him in for another kiss, and before long, Andrew found himself pressed back into the chair, Maxwell's cheeks flushed, his gaze narrowed, and his lips looking a little plumper than before.
Dangerously plump.
Andrew let go of his waist, reaching up to gently touch his bottom lip.
"You're so handsome." Andrew told him, before he felt a smile spread across his lips. "And now, you're going to be my husband. You're my fiancé." Andrew said, the words feeling big, foreign on his tongue. He felt the grin get wider.
Maxwell's cheeks burned before he glanced at Andrew, and then took Andrew's thumb into his mouth, giving it a nibble. He held onto Andrew's hand when the man would have pulled back.
"And you're so pretty that I'm happy I was able to get a ring on your finger before the rest of the world realised it. You're going to be all mine." Maxwell said softly, and Andrew felt his cock stir awake with an almost alarming speed.
"Me? Pretty?" Andrew breathed and Maxwell nodded.
"So pretty and handsome and beautiful. I don't think I have a wide enough vocabulary to describe you properly. That's why it hurts me so much when others slander you and hurt you." Maxwell told him and Andrew sucked in.
"Angel…" Andrew trailed off as Maxwell took Andrew's hand and rubbed his face against it.
"I don't like it when you hurt. I really don't. I get this knot in my chest and it tightens painfully. I don't like it. Please tell me if the reporters forced you to talk about it." Maxwell whispered softly and Andrew felt himself shake his head slowly.
"They didn't. She was…she asked. She didn't force it. She even told me that it was just for her own curiousity, and I had no obligation. I started speaking about it." Andrew admitted, before his gaze dropped from Maxwell's. It was so soft, and made Andrew's throat tighten with tears. "I…It hit me all over again. What she had done to me. What she has probably done to others. They…they were horrified, Maxy." Andrew told him softly. Maxwell made a noise. Soft, and in agreement.
"It is horrifying what you went through." He said softly. "But you don't have to speak about it to reporters just because they ask nicely, Andrew." Andrew knew what he was trying to say. Knew the point he was gently getting to.
"I didn't think it was going to hurt me when I agreed." Andrew said softly, and Maxwell sighed. He rubbed Andrew's hand against face again.
"That's okay. You're learning about this side of the world, and that takes a few fumbles. Admittedly, given the response from Mom and the reporters and the fact that they aren't filming us right now…that probably means they have some integrity. I should trust Kim when it comes to selecting people in the future, but Andy, Baby, they don't need to know everything." Maxwell told him softly. "They…they aren't your friends." Andrew nodded, put in his place. Maxwell sighed. "I don't want you to feel bad about this, and I'm not saying this to hurt your feelings. I actually am saying this to protect them. They make money off of people like me. Like you. Don't forget that." Maxwell's voice was soft.
Andrew let out a shaky breath, nodding in agreement. It was good that Maxwell was telling this now. Andrew…Andrew probably needed it.
"You're right to warn me. I am too trusting." Andrew said with a bitter smile. Maxwell pulled Andrew close again.
"Don't you dare belittle yourself. That's not what I wanted. A warning is a warning, not a statement against who you are as a person. It is wonderful that even after everything that happened to you that you still care and trust others. I just don't want you to get burned by another reporter because your first interaction with one was good. If you want to do things like this in the future, contact this one. See if she wants to do it. Do not reach out to others if you haven't run them by me, my parents, or Kim and Jenny, alright? For your safety." Maxwell said, and Andrew nodded.
He felt better having the man in his lap, speaking to him, and soothing him. Even if his heart ached a little. These weren't bad things to be told before he learned his lesson the hard way.