Chapter 410: Basic human decency
Maxwell was in a big, comfy, Andrew sweater and a pair of short shorts. They were expensive, soft, made of a silky fabric that meant he couldn’t really wear underwear with them, which meant, if the sweater was pulled up in the slightest, it was a feast for the eyes.
Not that it wasn’t already.
Maxwell, in his sweater, those cock-teasing shorts, with soft, dried hair and a sparkle in his eye? Andrew was already hard as a rock all over again.
Andrew wasn’t wearing a top, his chest on open display, and was just wearing a pair of pajama bottoms that Maxwell had gotten him. They were done in a simple pattern, green with a mild white. Classic bottoms.
Did Andrew believe for a second that they hadn’t cost an unreasonable amount of money? No. That wasn’t Maxwell’s style. Plus, they weren’t itchy, a key sign to Andrew that they weren’t cheap.
Maxwell looked all soft, satiated, and sweet as he sat on the couch, his legs tucked up as Andrew rounded the corner with two cups of scotch. They weren’t going crazy, just a quiet celebration. Maxwell had a show ready and waiting for when Andrew joined him on the couch, and when he saw Andrew, he smiled.
It was a soft, content smile. A smile of victory. Andrew felt like he hadn’t seen Maxwell this relaxed in a long, long time, and he was glad that he had something to do with it.
Andrew handed over the snifter, Maxwell taking it easily before making room for Andrew next to him. Andrew sat down, wrapping his arm around Maxwell and pulling the other man close. The plan that they had hung between them, but it wasn’t a rushed kind of thing. They had time, it was still relatively early in the evening, and they were more focused on enjoying each other’s company.
"About what you said earlier." Maxwell said carefully. The show had been playing for a few minutes, each of them had had a few sips of the scotch. Warmth was felt not just in the air, but all around them. "I have complicated feelings about being an omega," Maxwell began. That wasn’t anything new to Andrew. He was the same, but with his own secondary sex. "But, I’ve had more time to work through any hold ups I have about it compared to you." Maxwell looked back at Andrew.
It wasn’t a smug look, just a soft smile that spoke to the fact that Maxwell had always known he was an omega, where Andrew had begged not to be anything but a beta from a young age. Maxwell took a sip of his scotch.
"Being with you has changed not just my body, but my perspective. If you had asked me this when we first started hanging out, I would have given you a hard, resounding, ’absolutely not’ when it came to being anyone else’s anything. Outside of the constraints that I’ve placed on myself and others when it comes to personal relationships." Maxwell let out a soft, long sigh. "Obviously, with everything going on in my life, I’ve had to reevaluate that." Maxwell said, before hesitating for a moment. "We’ve never talked about this, but there was a point in time where not just my Dad, but Michael had to sit me down, without you around, and we had to talk about if you needed to mark me. For health reasons." Andrew felt that revelation like a punch to the gut.
"What?" He asked. Almost horrified that he hadn’t been included in the conversation. Maxwell gave him a knowing look. He knew that Andrew would be upset about this conversation, and that was probably why he hadn’t brought it up. It had clearly gone nowhere.
"It was super early on. When you were newly manifested and we weren’t quite sure what way you were going to go. If you were going to be sensitive like me, or be relatively normal." Maxwell said, his eyes distant, lost in the memories. "They were shouting matches when it came to me and my Dad. Oh, I was just furious with him. For thinking so lowly of you, for trying to make me see you as an enemy. My conversations with Michael were tame in comparison." Maxwell was clearly amused, thinking back on it. "At the time, I viewed it as a challenge. Something I would overcome if it came to it." Maxwell said, before he swallowed. "After, I had some more time to consider it." He looked back at Andrew.
"Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?" Andrew asked, a little upset that he’d been excluded. Maxwell’s smile was a bit bitter as he looked up at him.
"You wouldn’t have taken it well. I can tell that you’re still a little upset about it, and Andrew, I wouldn’t have been any better than your father." The words were like a blow to Andrew. He sat there, shocked. Stunned. Maxwell let out a sigh. "I didn’t really know the depth of the damage that man had done at that point, but I knew there was something there. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t doing the same thing exactly that he had done to your Mom, but I was doing something similar. Forcing you to bite me to save your health." Maxwell shook his head. "I’m glad we never seriously had to consider that option, because I don’t think we’d be where we are now if that happened."
Andrew had to agree. He was surprised that Maxwell had said it the way that he had, but it made perfect sense. He was right. Andrew would have seen it that way, even subconsciously. He would have seen Maxwell forcing him to bite him the same way that his father biting his Mom against her will was.
Abusive, controlling behaviour.
"I didn’t bring this up to upset you. I brought this up to say that I’ve had a lot of time to consider what it would mean if you bit me, or claimed me in the same way as other alphas do." Andrew jerked, blinking as he stared at the back of Maxwell’s head. The man was looking away, fiddling with the snifter in his hands. "I was upset at first, because I didn’t understand what it meant. What this alpha and omega shit actually was about." He let out a little laugh. "I viewed it the same way that you did. Obsessive. Controlling. Cruel. I’m my own person, I don’t need someone to come in and sweep me off my feet. Take my name, my title, my hard work and brand it as theirs." Andrew gulped. There wasn’t anger in his words, but there didn’t need to be. Lots of alphas were like that.
Lots of the alphas that Maxwell’s parents had set him up on dates with had been like that. Oh, they had probably put on a good face for the potential in-laws, but with Maxwell? The omega? They had dropped all pretense. It was no surprise that the man was bitter. It was why Andrew had been so happy to assist him.
Fuck those kind of men. Those kinds of alphas.
"You’ve never treated me that way." Maxwell said slowly, shaking Andrew from his thoughts. "You’ve never wanted to claim my title, my hard work for your own. You’ve never viewed me as less than, never belittled me, never spoke down to me." Andrew protested immediately.
"Max, that’s just called being a decent fucking human." Okay, so maybe the anger at Maxwell’s previous situation wasn’t completely gone. Maxwell turned sparkling blue eyes up towards him.
"I know. I know that’s the case for normal people, but that’s not the world I’ve lived in up until now, Andy." Maxwell said gently. "You really were an anomaly in my life. Even my parents treated me differently." Andrew frowned at Maxwell’s words, but didn’t interrupt him. "It took me a while to realise why I was so insistent that I could take you biting me so soon after you had manifested. I knew I had feelings for you, that part I had been aware of for a while. I just didn’t understand why until much, much later." Andrew gulped.
Was he ready to hear this answer?
He had to be, for Maxwell’s sake.
"It was because it was you." Maxwell said simply. "You could bite me a thousand times over and I would never, ever worry that you were going to try some of that alpha bullshit on me. You might huff and puff, get upset and then storm off, but you would never belittle me because I was an omega. You embraced all aspects of me, even when I couldn’t." Maxwell let out a shaky breath. "I was honestly terrified about how you were going to react to me nesting. I’ve never nested in my whole fucking life. Thought it was a disgusting habit. You...didn’t even flinch. Not really. Just let me ramble, accepted me, and asked how you could help." Maxwell shook slightly in Andrew’s grasp. The words had a great impact on both of them.
"That’s what a good partner does." Andrew whispered softly and Maxwell nodded his head once. Clearly emotional. He let out a shaky exhale.
"I know that now." Maxwell said with a small laugh in his voice. "But it was around then that I went ’ah, okay. I think I really get it. Andrew is my person, forever." Andrew’s eyes widened slightly. "I’ve been possessive of you since the day I met you, but that was the first real time that I realised that possessiveness, and love, were just two sides of what I felt for you." This felt like he was proposing all over again.
The ring burned on Andrew’s finger.
"I don’t care if people know me as ’Andrew’s omega’. I sincerely don’t, because I know that you’ll also be known as ’Maxwell’s alpha’. There is no part of you that would ever consider erasing the other half of that statement, and you would wear it proudly. You already have." Maxwell tilted his head back, looking up at Andrew with adoration. "So, short answer, I don’t care if you call me your omega. I don’t care if you bite me. I’m already yours, Andrew. All of me." Andrew’s eyes spilled over, his mouth open, and he found himself kissing the man without much thought.
Maxwell laughed against his lips, pulling away only to put their snifters somewhere safe.
"We can’t spill the good scotch." Maxwell whispered and Andrew let out a harsh breath.
"We can buy more." Andrew said as Maxwell turned, settling onto Andrew’s lap. Maxwell laughed.
"That’s my fiancé. Spend money lavishly. I’ll make enough for you to be a house husband if you want." Andrew felt his cheeks crease. That had always been the plan. Andrew could see it now. The offer that Maxwell was going to give to Andrew before they found out about the fortune his Mom had put in place so that Andrew wouldn’t have to rely on his father.
"How giving my fiancé is." Andrew whispered in between kisses and Maxwell let out a giggle, his fingers of his left hand digging into Andrew’s hair while his right arm wrapped around the back of Andrew’s neck, giving himself leverage to kiss him as he wanted.
"You’ll never find a more giving man." Maxwell warned, his eyes sparkling as Andrew grinned.
"I would never want to find anyone else, Maxy. You have me, heart, body and soul." Andrew told him. His words washed over Maxwell, and Andrew watched as the other man faltered slightly, before he pulled him in for a kiss so ravenous Andrew was worried for a minute. But then he gentled, smoothed it out, and Andrew realised the man was just feeling emotional.
They remained like that until they decided it was time for bed. Entangled, intertwined, but happy. Andrew’s worries for tomorrow were temporarily forgotten in the warmth and depth of Maxwell’s love for him.