Andrew was a little worried about why everyone was staring at him as he sat with Maxwell in the restaurant downstairs.
While they had shown up rather late for brunch, that didn't warrant the amount of looks that they were getting cast their way.
Well, there were a few reasons Andrew could think of why they would be staring at him like they were. The marks all over Maxwell's creamy skin might have something to do with it. Andrew couldn't feel too guilty for them. Maxwell had begged him for them. Had screamed, pleaded with Andrew to suck, nibble and kiss his skin.
He'd also yelled for Andrew to have unprotected sex with him and breed him, but Andrew had somehow maintained some logic. He had felt like his brain was going to fry when he heard the latter words.
He'd never knotted so hard in his life. He believed that even in his rut he hadn't knotted the man as hard as he had that time. He had nearly expected the condoms to break.
He'd almost wanted them to.
That was a secret thought. Only he would know that part. He was never telling Maxwell about that. Ever.
Not given the state that Maxwell was in, sitting next to him with a clean collar on. Because Andrew had gotten the other collar filthy with…bodily fluids. Andrew was still flushed from that.
Maxwell, however, was happily sitting next to him, his hand on Andrew's thigh as he drank some juice, a plate full of pancakes, fresh fruit, and hashbrowns before him. Andrew's plate was similar, with a frothy, rather sweet coffee as his drink of choice instead.
Maxwell was wearing Andrew's shirt. It was huge on him, making him swim in fabric. His pants were tight, Andrew's shirt tucked into them, and it was clear that Maxwell was completely showing off his marked up throat, chest and shoulders. His perfectly pristine leather collar stood out against the expanse of his skin. It was really making Andrew look like a damn freak.
Or it would have, if Andrew wasn't as marked up as Maxwell.
It wasn't as obvious on his skin but Maxwell had given his all. There was a particularly big one on the right of Andrew's throat where Maxwell had also sunk his teeth. It was puffy, clearly showing the outline of his teeth. Andrew was wearing his own clothes, since Maxwell's would never fit on his body, but Maxwell's hand on his thigh was enough of a mark for him.
Maxwell was sitting quietly, happy, content to have Andrew at his side as the rest of the restaurant stared at them pretty openly. Andrew finally couldn't take it anymore and turned to Maxwell, whispering.
"What's going on? Why are they staring like that?" Andrew asked. He'd been trying to ignore it until now, but he couldn't do it anymore. Maxwell turned a smug, happy grin in his direction.
"Baby, did you forget so soon who you are dating?" Maxwell asked, his voice dripping sugar. "It's because this is the first time I've so openly shown off who I have at my side, and that we're not saints." Maxwell said with a sly chuckle. "Mom is going to lose her damn mind seeing me marked up like this. I'll at the very least cover it up when we go for dinner." Maxwell said with a chuckle. He then leaned his head against Andrew's shoulder. "Does it bother you?" He asked, glancing up at him.
Andrew took a second to think. It didn't bother him that they were staring, not really. He was just…nervous because of what had happened prior.
"I'm not upset, but I am nervous. Mainly because…he found me yesterday." Andrew admitted and Maxwell frowned.
"Don't even think about that man in passing, Andy." Maxwell told him, pulling himself up and reaching up, cupping Andrew's face. Andrew leaned into the touch, his eyes fluttering closed for a second.
"I wish that was the case. I…had been thinking about him a lot before we saw him. Do you think I manifested him?" Andrew asked. It wasn't a lie. He'd been thinking a lot about him because the topic of fatherhood hadn't really left Andrew's mind for a while.
It made perfect sense to think about your father when you were considering such a serious topic. No one should go into fatherhood so lax. Just because his father had, didn't mean Andrew would be the same as him.
Andrew jerked at the thought, and the realisation that he had that thought. That was the first time he'd inwardly acknowledged, casually, that he might be different from his father when it came to fatherhood.
"Andy?" Maxwell asked, concerned. "What's up, Baby? You look pale? Here, eat some fruit." Maxwell stabbed a strawberry from Andrew's plate and raised it to his lips. Andrew chuckled, taking the fruit into his mouth and letting the sweet and tart flavour fill his mouth.
"Thank you for your concern, I'm just…I'll be fine. I'm just worried some of the people watching us don't have great intentions." Andrew told him softly and Maxwell's concerned expression melted away.
"Oh, I hope that they have terrible intentions. I want them to spread terrible gossip about us. Just so I can rub in their faces just how happy we are. I'm planning to hire paparazzi to follow us, take candid photos of us being so stinking happy that it'll make the rest of the world realise just how perfect we are for each other. I want those idiot members of that man's family to realise just how deeply they fucked up." Maxwell's eyes were lit from within, and Andrew felt his lips turn up.
He turned, stabbing a fruit, an orange, on Maxwell's plate before he raised it to Maxwell's lips. Maxwell didn't break eye contact as he took the fruit into his mouth, closing it soundlessly before he began to chew. Andrew watched him warmly.
"They have no idea how vicious my partner is." Andrew was so damn proud of him. "They are going to fall into ruin." Andrew said, and Maxwell's lips turned up as he swallowed.
"Damn right they are. The whole house is going down too. Fuck them for thinking you belong to them. You belong to me." Maxwell's eyes burned with blue rage and Andrew laughed. He leaned in, pressing his face against Maxwell's shoulder, nuzzling the skin there before he turned, pressing a kiss there.
"You're right. I belong to you." Andrew's heart felt mushy saying that to Maxwell. Maxwell's hand came up, sliding into his hair, holding him there against his skin.
"Damn right. When the fuck is your ring going to arrive?" He complained and Andrew laughed.
"They've sent me the update photos." Andrew admitted and Maxwell froze, before he twitched.
"Did…you get it commissioned by Amir's grandparents?" He asked, and Andrew pressed another kiss against his throat.
"If you dare to look into what kind of ring I'm getting you, I won't forgive even you, Maxwell." Andrew warned and Maxwell let out a grumpy sigh.
"Fuck. You can't drop hints like that and expect me to keep my hands to myself." Maxwell complained and Andrew laughed.
"I do, and you should. My partner, my sweet, kind, caring partner would never ruin one of the greatest surprises he could ever get from me because he was too nosy." Andrew said confidently and Maxwell sighed again.
"You're killing me here. You shouldn't have admitted who you were getting it from!" Maxwell complained, flipping the blame and Andrew laughed.
"What was I supposed to do? Lie and say I went with the racist company? Absolutely not. You would have killed me." Maxwell stiffened.
"Racist? Who?" Maxwell's voice was sweet in a way that Andrew knew wasn't a good thing. Andrew sat up, meeting Maxwell's gaze.
"Well, it could have been racism, it could have been they thought I was too poor. Given that Maria and I happened to be going to the same store at the same time, I'm going to go with the former, but-"
"Wait, Maria was there? And I wasn't?" Maxwell demanded and Andrew let out a soft exhale.
"Maxy, I am not going to take you engagement ring shopping." Maxwell looked a little hurt so Andrew bent, meeting his gaze head on. "Especially after you didn't invite me when you went engagement ring shopping." Andrew's voice held some accusation. Maxwell at least looked a little green as Andrew called him out.
If Maxwell had thought of them going together to go ring shopping for each other, that would have been cute too, but Andrew was not going to let the man get upset when he was the one who set the precedent that they would go shopping separately.
Maxwell turned his gaze away, looking appropriately chastised.
"Understood, Andy. Point taken." Maxwell muttered, before he sighed and turned to Andrew. "Uh, we should finish eating and go see what trouble Richard got into. I have the security camera set up in my office. Didn't show Richard where it was, but did warn him we had it when he moved in." Maxwell said and Andrew felt his lips curl up.
"I would like to be there, but I would not like to see anything if he got up to something." Andrew told him, before he shuddered. "I get freaked out seeing Jordan and Rose kiss normally. I don't even want to think of Richard looking at someone with love in his eyes. Gross." Maxwell grinned, leaning his head against Andrew's shoulder once more.
"I felt the same about Ben when he first started dating Amir. Now I can't understand how such a sweet man can put up with my cranky brother. He's insane." Maxwell complained and Andrew could only smile down at him warmly. He was sure that Ben and Amir had similar conversations about Maxwell and Andrew, or at least he hoped so.
It was a sign of a good family relationship that Maxwell's words held no bite to them. Andrew was glad that he had somewhat encouraged Maxwell to speak to his family again. He was glad that some of the…miscommunication didn't feel like big enough of a word to explain the depth of the collapse of communication between Maxwell and his family.
Andrew was just glad that it was mostly sorted out, and they could spend time like this together now. He was looking forward to the rest of the holidays, even if a small grey cloud hung over them, waiting to rain.
He knew he'd have support to help him weather the storm.