(BL)Alpha Made-Chapter 300: We are both working with our strengths

When they got home, Maxwell set to work. Well, they both went to work.

Andrew set to work on dinner, while Maxwell hopped up onto one of the stools at the island and laid out his weapons. His laptop, his phone, his brain and connections and set to work. They were working separately, but together. It warmed Andrew’s heart to listen to Maxwell work, barking orders and then asking follow up questions while Andrew made dinner.

Andrew always liked these moments. If everyone around him wasn’t so insistent that he finish his schooling as a Doctor, Andrew had half a mind to go to school to become an Executive assistant to help Maxwell out. He didn’t mind being a stay at home husband for his successful husband.

He had enough money for the both of them that he never needed to work again, and Maxwell probably didn’t either. Maxwell just liked his company, liked what it was doing, and wanted to make the world a better place for omegas like him. God, like Richard.

Andrew was so grateful that Maxwell was the way that he was. That he was so willing to help out. That he hadn’t even really hesitated to offer his house to Richard. The hesitation was that he didn’t want to be in this house, and Andrew agreed. If they got the house that they had liked, they would be able to section off a part of the basement for Richard. The ’basement’ part of that statement meant nothing. It was just the bottom layer of the building, but it still had 10 foot ceilings and large, beautiful windows that let in a ton of light.

It wouldn’t be a dingy space in the slightest. Andrew was already imagining how they could make it feel like a safe space for Richard. They could get a door installed, give the key to Richard and Maxwell, and Andrew would just...ask to be let in when need be. That could work. Probably help put everyone else at ease.

This plan all hinged on the reality that Andrew wouldn’t react to Richard’s pheromones and Andrew knew it wasn’t something he could control, but he was begging that he wouldn’t be that kind of person. The word that came to mind was pretty demeaning. He didn’t want to be a slut.

He knew that he wouldn’t be one, and that it was a natural reaction as an alpha, especially as a true alpha, but he couldn’t remove the negative connotation in his mind. Richard was practically his brother. He might not be blood related, but given everything that they had gone through, he didn’t want this to be something that would affect them.

Andrew knew, deep in his core, that May had the same worry. That she was worried that she would react to her own son’s pheromones. That was what had her so scared, so worried. Ford probably knew that was the reason for the deep seeded fear, and Andrew couldn’t blame her. Rose had the same worry, even though she was already mated.

Andrew just wanted Richard to wake up, okay, and for the next phase of everyone’s life to begin. He just wanted to get passed this awkward, hard to deal with part. Which roped back into the conversations Maxwell was having on the phone. Andrew didn’t think this was the reason they would move forward with their house plans, but he didn’t care one bit.

Maxwell clearly didn’t care either, or cared a lot since he was putting in the ground work after having a busy day at work. Andrew felt like he’d just shown Maria around the place and gotten some work done, but comparatively, he felt like he was giving Maxwell the heavier workload.

Maxwell probably sensed what Andrew was thinking because he kept glancing at him as he was cooking dinner.

"Stop thinking with that pretty brain of yours. I can tell you’re overthinking things." Andrew froze like he’d gotten caught and that only made Maxwell chuckle. He glanced up, in between phone calls especially since he could tell that dinner was almost ready. "What has you frowning so much? Will speaking about it make you stop looking like that? I like my man happy." Maxwell told him warmly and Andrew felt his shoulders drop. He was so lovely.

"I just..." Andrew grumbled, putting down the spoon he was stirring with so that he could run his hand through his hair. "I just feel like you’re putting a lot of effort into this and I don’t feel like I’m doing enough?" Andrew suggested, turning to meet Maxwell’s gaze.

He had kind of expected Maxwell to be upset, or frowning. He didn’t expect the other man to be leaning on his hands, his chin resting against the backs of them as he stared at Andrew, smiling. His blue eyes were warm, his smile kind as he took in Andrew’s form and shock.

"Andy, my sweet baby, you are doing everything you need to." Maxwell told him. "While I appreciate your concern, I’m fine. I’m not going out of my way, hell, this isn’t even hard. It’s light work. But cooking dinner? That would be something difficult for me to do after work." Andrew gulped. "So, don’t worry your pretty brain about this, alright? I’m doing this because it’s easy, not even hard for me. I’m practically winding down from work doing this. Plus, we already had contact with a few realtors so it’s just making a few calls. I’m almost done now, and you’re almost done dinner, right? Think of them as similar tasks." Maxwell’s smile grew as Andrew stared at him in shock.

Then something on the stove had Andrew turning and getting back to work. Maxwell’s laugh followed Andrew.

"See? I don’t even know what to do in that situation. It’s fine. We’re doing what we’re good at. That stuff you were looking at earlier at work? All gibberish to me. I get the translated version from the managers when it comes to meetings, so don’t beat yourself up over this, alright?" Maxwell said to Andrew’s back as he was draining the pasta water. "Can I get a kiss to say that you understand what I’m trying to say?" Maxwell asked and Andrew pouted, almost finished dinner but at the same time...

He made sure that the pasta was somewhere safe, that everything wasn’t going to boil over before he spun to Maxwell. He wasn’t going to accept just a simple peck, and from the look on Maxwell’s face, he wasn’t asking for a simple peck either.

Maxwell’s arms went out, wrapping around Andrew’s neck as he leaned in, their lips practically brushing against each other as Andrew wrapped his hands around Maxwell’s waist.

"Mm. What a pretty future husband I have." Maxwell whispered before he kissed Andrew. With his words he’d sucked all the air out of his lungs, and Maxwell knew it. Maxwell’s soft, wet tongue took away the rest of his breath, and when Maxwell finally let him up for air, Andrew’s face was flushed and his eyes were watering.

"Were you proposing?" Andrew asked, his head spinning and Maxwell leaned in, rubbing his face against Andrew’s chin. God, the man had his whole heart.

"Did you want me to?" Maxwell shot back, teasing. Andrew thought he was going to faint.

"I don’t have a ring ready." Andrew blurted out and Maxwell froze, before he started laughing.

"That’s your worry? Isn’t that pretty old fashioned, Andrew? The alpha proposes?" Maxwell wasn’t wrong, but this wasn’t an alpha thing. This was an Andrew thing.

"No, it’s not...I just always wanted to plan the proposal. I wanted to shower my partner, show them with a grand gesture that I loved them. It’s not...an alpha thing." Andrew murmured and Maxwell turned his head, pressing a kiss against his lips.

"I know. I was just teasing. But what if I also want to propose?" Maxwell said, and Andrew froze. He hadn’t even considered that, but it was very Maxwell to also want to propose.

"Uh. I...I don’t-" Maxwell’s nails lightly pulled across the back of Andrew’s neck. Andrew shivered.

"Can we both propose?" Maxwell offered, teasing, playing with Andrew. Andrew loved when he was like this, even if he was having a hard time controlling his pheromones and his breathing.

"C-Can we do that?" Andrew asked and Maxwell chuckled more.

"Who says we can’t? We can...hmm...to make it fair, I can give you some time to gather a ring, you let me know either immediately or shortly after that you’ve got it, and we can decide on a week that we’ll allow a proposal to happen. From there, we both pick a date. If we both want the same date, we can...rock paper scissors for it? And then we don’t get any warnings beyond that. Still special, still a surprise, but also within reason. At the end of the week we announce the engagements. Sounds fair?" Andrew swallowed.

It was so like Maxwell to practically come with a business proposal for their proposals, and Andrew couldn’t help but smile. He knew he was going to marry this man. He knew that he wanted to marry this man, and honestly? If they both wanted to do grand gestures that showed how much they loved each other, who was Andrew to tell the man no?

He also thought it was cute that they would announce the engagement at the end of the week, which told Andrew that Maxwell probably wanted the Saturday. Andrew could work with that. He probably wanted Friday or Thursday anyways, so he didn’t think that they would have to compete for days. Andrew smiled at how easily he was stepping into the plan that Maxwell had come up with, and knew, without a doubt, that this was the right step.

"Okay. Just...give me some time." Andrew said and Maxwell pulled him in, kissing him lazily.

"You’ll have as much time as I can handle, alright? December’s a freebie since we’re going to be busy the rest of the month with Richard and all of the end of the year obligations. I would reach out to your sources when it comes to wedding rings. Not that I would care. I’d take a cooked noodle if it came from you." Maxwell told him and Andrew let out a shuddering breath.

"Maxwell." He admonished. "Stop making this harder on me." Andrew complained and Maxwell laughed.

"Oh, is it harder on you? Would you like me to help?" Maxwell knew he’d pushed a little too hard when Andrew gave him a glare. "Alright, alright. I’ll back off. I promise I won’t have anyone following you either. I’ll keep it a surprise even from myself." Maxwell told him with a smile. Andrew pulled away from him, his mind spinning in a completely different way.

"I need to finish dinner." Andrew mumbled and Maxwell smacked his ass as he turned.

"You can do it, Baby. I’ll watch." It didn’t sound like an innocent statement, and Andrew knew it wasn’t. Maxwell’s mind was in the gutter, and that only spelled out that Andrew was getting pounced later that night. He couldn’t wait.