(BL)Alpha Made-Chapter 454: I don’t like surprises
October faded into November and it was soon time to think about family gatherings all over again. Jenny and Thomas got together, taking a picture as they did their ’annual’ who gets who for what day rock paper scissors game.
Jenny won for the second year in a row, but Andrew didn’t mind. Nor did Thomas, it appeared. Andrew had a feeling that had to do with the fact that Andrew made sure they had at least one joint family dinner together once a month.
Tension could have been a lot higher if Andrew hadn’t enforced that, and it was May who stepped in and declared that she was angry she hadn’t been included in the fight. It was decided that next year would be a three way fight for who got who when.
It was apparently even more serious since two babies would be involved next year.
Jordan was progressing along in a much better fashion compared to Amir. Jordan actually felt bad because of it, but it was Andrew who told him not to feel bad. Amir didn’t know that Jordan felt guilty about ti because Jordan had not brought it up to him, but Andrew had a feeling he knew what the man would say.
Amir was just happy that the baby inside of Jordan was healthy and happy. He also had a feeling that the only person that he would wish ill on in their immediate family was Will.
Will had become the black sheep of the family officially. He was doing his job, and not much else. Luis was making sure that the man was alive, but after Rue left him, breaking the engagement, it was like something had shattered inside of him.
Andrew was worried about the man, but he had enough worries of his own on his plate. Will was going to have to wait, and honestly? Luis was a great woman, and a good Mom. She would be able to look after her son well enough until the others had enough time to pull him out of the pit he’d dug for himself.
Andrew did make sure to put a little birdy in her ear about therapy though. Whatever was going on, he needed to talk to someone, and not his family about it. Andrew had a feeling that it stemmed from there anyways.
Either way, Jordan was showing quite early, and Rose was glowing. She was herding the man as well, babying him in a way that Andrew worried would have the quiet, peaceful man snapping at her.
Instead, to everyone’s surprise, Jordan vocally asked for more attention on him. The magenta haired man demanded affection openly from his mate. He had flushed cheeks as he did so, but Rose was simply loving it. She was like a giant cat, purring loudly as she gave her mate what he wanted.
He was also very much doted on by the rest of the family. May was making whatever the man was craving, and Ford?
He was making a beautiful carved crib for the baby. Jordan didn’t know it yet, but Rose knew, and she was so smitten with the idea that she knew Jordan would be too. Even Richard was pulling his weight.
The man hadn’t been around a lot of children, especially babies, but he was making sure he knew enough. He was helping Jordan with his tests, taking him places when Rose couldn’t. It was sweet, and Andrew was glad to see the family growing in good ways.
Amir was doing great. He’d had a bit of post partem issues, but Ben made sure he was on it and that Amir had the support that he needed. Amir’s grandparents were also back in town and harassing Maxwell and Andrew about what they wanted for their wedding bands.
They also wouldn’t let Andrew or Maxwell pay for them, promising that they would be their wedding gift. Andrew had to struggle to get it out of them that it would be their only wedding gift and Amir had laughed at that.
Andrew knew the family well enough to know he needed to get that almost in writing. Having witnesses was just as good.
Everything was going smoothly in their lives. Maxwell was happy, Andrew was happy, and life was moving forward all around them. Andrew made sure to make frequent stops to his Mom’s grave to keep her in the loop. Sometimes Maxwell would come with him, sometimes Kim or Ford, but often he just went by himself.
It was a nice way for him to feel grounded, especially after feeling like he was stuck before.
Andrew was finally coming to terms with the fact that while he had assumed he was happy when he had first come back to the city, he had not been. He had been unhappy, still in a daze, and had accepted the first couple of things that had landed in his lap because it was easy.
He hadn’t hated anything, well, up until the last little bit, but he also hadn’t loved anything either. He had dated Tracey because she had shown a modicum of interest in him. He hadn’t loved her, he just thought he had.
The clear reason for all of that was how he was able to let Maxwell get close to him. How he had slowly but surely begun to look forward to hanging out with him over hanging out with someone who was supposed to be his girlfriend. Andrew realised through some self reflection that leading up to the kidnapping he had stopped pestering her to meet her family.
He had pulled away without even realising it, and that was all because he had met Maxwell. The man had changed him, and Andrew hadn’t been fully aware of it at the time.
Andrew had a feeling that he had somehow pushed her to the more dramatic reaction of framing him and kidnapping him. He wasn’t blaming himself, but if she felt that she was losing control of him, like he was slipping through her fingers, that would explain why she had done what she had so suddenly.
Maybe it wasn’t sudden, but Andrew would never know what the true reasoning behind why she had done what she had. Andrew had no intention of ever speaking to her again if he didn’t have to, and he knew that Maxwell preferred that as well. Andrew was pretty certain that if he came face to face with Tracey while Maxwell was around that Tracey would end up either in an ambulance or a body bag.
For everyone’s safety it was best if he never saw her again.
So, Andrew had been doing some deep thinking. He had a feeling going to therapy as long as he had been was helping as well. He was actually quite proud of the progress he made. How he was able to see different parts of himself and why he had done the things that he had. He had repressed so much that it was like unlocking several locks on one door, but he was getting there.
Soon, he’d be able to open the door and see what was on the other side. He hoped that when he did, he would be able to be happy with what he saw. He had a feeling that he would.
~
Andrew had finished his first year of school by the time that the end of November had come around. Maxwell was ecstatic, and wouldn’t let Andrew say no to a celebration. Andrew worried that he was going to throw some big, extravagant party, but Maxwell had told him he was going to keep it small.
Low key.
Andrew should have known better.
Maxwell had informed his family that Andrew had finished his first year back (in record time) and the family had gotten excited for Andrew. Andrew wasn’t aware that Maxwell had told everyone, so he just assumed that maybe he would get roped into a condo dinner again, or a fancy dinner out.
He was a fool for thinking that way.
Andrew dressed up nicely the day of the dinner, making sure to put something on nice since he was, in Maxwell’s words, ’the whole reason they were even having this thing’. So, he made sure he wore something that Maxwell approved of.
When the man caught what Andrew was wearing, his eyes curled up at the corners in pleasure and he pulled Andrew down for a kiss. That was about as much of a stamp of approval that he needed.
They left, Maxwell informing Andrew that they were going to have a driver so that neither one of them would have to worry if they had a few drinks. Very responsible of the man to consider that, so Andrew was completely unaware of what was happening until they pulled up to the Beckett’s main house.
Maxwell and his family were throwing him a huge party. Andrew could tell from how many cars were waiting to drop people off, and when Andrew turned to give Maxwell a severe look, the man was all smiles and kisses.
Every time Andrew went to start complaining, the man would pull him in for a kiss that had his brain briefly short circuiting. Maxwell knew how to handle him, so even if he was displeased with what was going on, there was nothing he could do.
Andrew was pouting as he stepped out of the car, even as Maxwell held his hand and kissed his cheek. Two things that would have sent the old Maxwell off the deep end. Their family and friends were laughing as Andrew stepped into the mansion, still in a foul mood, but they all seemed to find it rather funny to watch him be bitter about celebrating him.
"Sorry to keep it from you, Andy. I just knew you would complain about it ’not being a big deal’ if we told you ahead of time." Amir told Andrew as he was ushered into the main room. Thankfully, they hadn’t invited everyone, just a modest 20-30 people, but that still made Andrew rather uncomfortable.
Even as he saw Noah and Nicole poking their heads out and about, feeling about as awkward as Andrew felt.
"I’m not accepting your apology, even if you let me hold Mehar." Andrew told the smaller man, and Amir tossed his head back and laughed.
"Are you sure? I feel like she could twist your arm on that sour mood of yours." Amir was bargaining, and Maxwell was chuckling next to them.
"You would give your left kidney for her." Maxwell told him and Andrew huffed.
"I’d give all of my kidneys if she needed them. That has nothing to do with you holding a damn party for me. I just finished a year of school. Lots of people have done that." Andrew protested and Maxwell sighed.
"Yeah, but not many are going to be a double doctorate after, now are they? You also haven’t been in school for a while, Baby. Can I please celebrate you?" Maxwell asked and Andrew scowled, but knew he wouldn’t be able to keep this sour mood up for long.
Especially as he saw Maria, Zack and their children arriving. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
Grumbling, Andrew bent and pressed a kiss against Maxwell’s temple, and Maxwell grinned. The little hellion knew he was forgiven, but that didn’t mean he relented. He kept making sure that Andrew knew he was loved and appreciated for the rest of the party, much to everyone else’s amusement.
