Chapter 214: An awkward, but rewarding dinner
While it was awkward, since both of them were nervous, and a little shy. Maxwell was more so, considering he had tried to come in all bold, but had crumbled as soon as he saw Andrew. Andrew didn’t mind. He hated to admit it, but he did like that Maxwell hadn’t handled their time apart well.
It made him feel...wanted. He knew that was very messed up of him, and he should have realised that Maxwell did care about him in several other aspects of his life, but he couldn’t fight the small warm feeling that had filled him when he’d broken down sobbing. Several times.
Andrew felt that it might have come from the several times he’d broken down crying in front of Maxwell, and the man had come out of it...unscathed. Not that he wanted to relive those moments. He wasn’t a sadist. He didn’t like Maxwell feeling so desperate and torn, he just liked that the reason for it was because he cared about Andrew so much.
Maxwell slowly sipped at his tea, and as time moved forward, he didn’t look as puffy as he did before. His complexion also smoothed out, and even though he still looked tired, exhausted even, he seemed to be in much better spirits.
His features were softer, not as harsh as Andrew continued to hold his hand. Andrew felt that he, himself, was also relaxing. The longer he spent around Maxwell, touching him, the more his anxiety and stress faded.
It wasn’t until they both sighed at the same time that it became obvious that they were feeling the same way.
Maxwell seemed surprised to hear Andrew sigh, while Andrew started laughing.
"Well well well, what a surprise. Why are you sighing, Max?" Andrew asked, his tone light and Maxwell swallowed. He glanced at Andrew, before looking away.
"I just...it’s nice to be able to be around you, smell you, and have you actually here." The hollowness in his voice couldn’t be missed and Andrew raised their intertwined hands and kissed the back of Maxwell’s. Maxwell glanced towards him.
"I understand what you mean. You’ve been in a house surrounded by my scent, while I..." Andrew flushed, feeling embarrassed. "I didn’t have your scent around so I..." Andrew cleared his throat. "I forced May to buy several bags of chai tea and I tried to recreate your scent." Maxwell’s eyes were wide as Andrew admitted the thing he’d done shortly after awakening from his hangover.
He’d been desperate, so maybe forcing May wasn’t the exact words. He felt like he would have gone insane if he didn’t get the smell in his nose, and May, knowing more about alphas than Andrew, had rushed off. She had smelled Maxwell’s pheromones when they’d been over for dinner, mostly because Maxwell had been so worked up and worried for Andrew during that time.