(BL)Alpha Made
Chapter 160: I should be more bothered, shouldn’t I?

Chapter 160: I should be more bothered, shouldn’t I?

The pair took a few minutes to gather themselves before Maxwell pulled on his coat from his coat stand and Andrew helped him bundle up again, even if they were just going to their car. As they took their time, Andrew updated Maxwell on everything that happened that day.

Including the slightly awkward way that he knew Richard.

Maxwell had frowned when Andrew had explained it, and when he summarized it, it only made Andrew feel more guilty.

"So...let me repeat this so that I understand this clearly. You had next door neighbours who were basically family to you and you...ghosted them?" Andrew winced.

"Well, when you put it like that..." Andrew trailed off, tucking in the ends of Maxwell’s scarf into his jacket until he looked completely put together. "I’m really an asshole." Andrew muttered and Maxwell frowned.

"No, you were grieving, and then embarrassed. I’m sure they’ll forgive you." Maxwell told him. Andrew could hear the ’or else’ without Maxwell having to voice it. Andrew fought the way his lips wanted to turn up. Maxwell was very protective of Andrew, and Andrew knew it was probably not completely healthy, but after being in what he thought was a relationship for over two years that had resulted in her experimenting on him and declaring to the higher ups of his old company that they were nothing beyond coworkers, this protectiveness felt nice.

"Thanks for making excuses for me, but I missed Richard’s sister’s wedding. I feel like an ass. They sent it to my last known address in England." Maxwell made a face at that, and winced.

"Uh, well, I would suggest groveling a bit if you want to remain on good terms with them. I’m sorry. I didn’t know, and uh, well, Dr. Gates seemed like a safe option." Andrew sensed that Maxwell had pivoted from what he was originally going to say, and curious, Andrew stared at him.

"What do you mean by that? Were you going to say something else? You hesitated for a minute, and you don’t do that." Andrew said and Maxwell frowned before he cursed.

"Fuck. I just don’t want you to think I’m crazy." Maxwell told him and Andrew stared at him blankly.

"Are you planning to experiment on me?" Andrew asked and Maxwell frowned.

"Not without your consent." Maxwell told him honestly and Andrew grinned, leaning in and kissing Maxwell on the cheek.

"Then it’s okay. I’m fine as long as you tell me things. So tell the thing you are trying to dance around. I promise I can take it." Andrew gave him a thumbs up, and Maxwell stared at him, his expression hopeless before he shook his head.

"I can’t keep a damn thing from you." Maxwell muttered and Andrew took it as a great complement. That was a good thing. Even if Maxwell sounded like he hated it.

Maxwell hung his head for a second, contemplating how he was going to say what he wanted, before he sighed, and raised his gaze. His blue eyes were focused on Andrew, serious.

"I did a little digging into your past, and researched those who were closest to you throughout your life. Dr. Gates’ name and his family name came up a few times, and I also found out about a few other family connections your Mom had that might be beneficial to you later, if you wanted to reach out. I didn’t want you to judge me since...this was the same thing I was doing when I was searching for you." Andrew felt his eyes widen as Maxwell made his confession.

It was hard to keep his thoughts straight, given the seriousness of his words and how bundled up Maxwell was. He looked like a little kid, his cheeks pink, and his movements a little stunted because of how well he was bundled. Andrew swallowed, looking away from him just so that he could think clearly.

"Oh. I never...is that part of your company?" Andrew asked carefully and Maxwell huffed.

"No. It’s...more part of the main company? We all participate in it though. I got my skills from my Father, so I just...followed in his footsteps I guess?" Maxwell said casually and Andrew felt his head spin.

"So...the main company trades in information?" He asked, glancing at Maxwell to gauge his reaction. Andrew watched as the bundled man attempted to shrug.

"I guess you could say that. There’s other things, like construction and stuff that they do. It was classic, we’re trying to clean up our image shit, but then when we grew up and branched out, it really solidified that we were clean. We’ve got other things going for us now, but yeah. It’s a branch of the company’s operation. I only help out minimally, since I have my own company to run."

"And...you used that company’s...network, to search for me?" Andrew was having a hard time wrapping his head around this. As far as Andrew remembered, he was the one who found Maxwell first. Maxwell never found him.

"Yeah." Maxwell told him, grumbling. "I was this close to asking my Dad for help, but then you showed up, so I didn’t need to. Even with my access, I don’t have access to everything. I’m not the successor, and I was the one who kicked up a stink that Ben should have privileges that we didn’t have. I shot myself in my foot when I needed it the most." Andrew wasn’t sure what to say.

Maxwell clearly felt embarrassed, especially because Andrew was the one who found his way home in the end, but Andrew was grappling with the enormous reality that Maxwell had cared about him, deeply, for a very long time.

He knew, of course, that Maxwell had liked him, but he hadn’t grasped the truth of it until this moment.

Maxwell didn’t have a good relationship with his family during that time. He didn’t like relying on them. Of course he had to lean on them when it became clear that he needed some help with Andrew’s situation, but it was easier to ask for help from people you weren’t quite close with if it was for someone else.

Knowing Maxwell as he did now, he probably wouldn’t have revealed that he was trying to gain access to help another person. So Andrew had almost forced Maxwell to contact his family because he was missing. It was big. Maxwell was affectionate, sure, but he also was putting in effort because he knew some of Andrew’s traumas.

Maxwell had a few of his own, and his family were heavily involved in them.

Andrew felt his eyes water, and he wiped them away quickly, trying not to alert Maxwell.

"I could never, ever be upset at you for that." Andrew confessed softly, trying to not sound like he was crying, but it was a loss as Maxwell rushed over.

"Baby, why are you crying?" Maxwell asked, worry lacing his tone. Andrew shoved his glasses up, pressing the back of his hands against his eyes to stop himself from crying harder.

"God, I just, I imagined all of the things you went through during that time and I got emotional." Andrew couldn’t seem Maxwell’s expression, but he heard him scoff.

"What I went through? You were literally being tortured, Andrew. What I went through in comparison is nothing." Andrew shook his head, disagreeing. He reached out and wrapped the bundled up Maxwell in his arms. He was happy he could still wrap around him entirely, engulfing him in his arms.

"I can’t though. I just imagine you all alone in that big house and it breaks my heart. I’m here now, I promise. I don’t care if you look up my family history, Maxy. I really don’t. I know I should maybe be worried about it, but I don’t care. Just...don’t tell me that what you went through doesn’t matter. It matters a lot to me. You’re my priority, okay?" Andrew pulled back, angling Maxwell’s head so that he could meet Andrew’s concerned gaze. Maxwell stared up at him, his blue eyes wide, before he burst into laughter.

"If you let me get away with my behaviour, I’ll get worse." Maxwell warned. "What would you do if I locked you up at home, hiding you from the public so that I could keep you all to myself?" Maxwell asked, pressing a gloved hand against Andrew’s chest.

Andrew knew he should be worried about the words leaving his lips, but he just looked so damn cute he was having a hard time.

"Uh, well, as long as you make sure I have everything I need, I might...I might be okay with it." Andrew muttered, pulling his glasses down so that he could see Maxwell’s expression clearly. Maxwell shook his head, smiling, before he yanked Andrew down by his tie and kissed him briefly.

"Don’t make me all hot and bothered when you aren’t planning to do anything with me at work, and I don’t have any condoms in the car. Something that will be remedied by tomorrow, I assure you." Maxwell smirked, gently patting Andrew’s face as he slid past him. "Are you coming, Dr. Nice? Or am I going to be allowed to have my wicked way with you? I’ve always wanted to be on my knees in my own office." It was Andrew’s turn to be flustered.

"Maxwell Beckett! You’re the one who chastised me for speaking too close to the door!" Andrew protested and Maxwell chuckled.

"Yeah, but I have more information about this company than you do. By now, almost everyone should be gone, so I’m safe to say what I want. When you spoke, and where you spoke, not so much." Andrew felt his face heat, but didn’t deny Maxwell when he held out his hand for Andrew’s.

He was embarrassed, not a monster. Who would turn down the chance to hold Maxwell’s hand? A fool, that’s who.

Andrew was no fool.