CHAPTER 482: THE COMFORT OF A MAN’S ARMS

Andrew didn’t even wait for the car to fully stop or the garage doors to close before he was out of the car and inside the house. He was running towards the kitchen having just hung up the phone as he rounded the corner and found Maxwell sitting in the same position he had been sitting in when he’d seen him on the video. Only now he had no plate of food in front of him.

Alyssa and Leonardo were around, clearly just to say hi as Andrew barreled towards Maxwell and wrapped his arms around him.

Maxwell looked tired. He looked forlorn. He looked like a damn abandoned cat. It was breaking Andrew’s heart as he wrapped his warmth around the man.

"I’m sorry Angel. I’m so so sorry." Andrew murmured. Maxwell’s arms went up and clung to Andrew as tightly as the man could muster at the moment. Andrew held him tighter.

"You were gone." Maxwell said softly and Andrew flinched. Yeah, they were in for some serious recovery. Maxwell was normally strong enough, normally capable of getting mad, angry, and yelling at Andrew when he was stupid. This was going to break Andrew’s will listening to how sad he was.

Andrew looked over Maxwell’s head to Alyssa and Leonardo and Alyssa got the message. She quietly stood up, grabbed a plate of snacks that they had made and gently ushered Leonardo out of the room and downstairs. Andrew was grateful that she understood.

Now with a bit more privacy, Andrew gently scooped up Maxwell and took him to the living room. It was bright with the Christmas tree’s lights, a few strands of lights around the window as well. It was festive.

A complete opposite to how Andrew was feeling. He was sure Maxwell would also agree.

Andrew sat down first, slipping Maxwell into his lap. Maxwell turned his body so that his legs were framing Andrew’s body, the front of their bodies flush together as Maxwell clung to him. His arms were tight around his neck, his face pressed against Andrew’s throat. Andrew made a soft noise in his throat. Maxwell was being adorable, even if Andrew felt guilty over why he was being this way.

Maxwell’s nose brushed against Andrew’s throat, soft, gentle, the sound of him inhaling filling Andrew’s ears. He was practically devouring Andrew. Wanting to be in his skin instead of in his lap. Andrew held him tighter.

"I’m sorry Maxy. Really. It must have been a shock." Andrew said and felt Maxwell stiffen.

"A shock?" Maxwell repeated. "A shock?" Maxwell pulled back and Andrew saw the depth of his emotions for the first time. His blue eyes were turbulent, watery. He looked like he was shaking because he was having a hard time containing his emotions. "I thought the worst thing, Andrew." Maxwell whispered. "I thought the absolute worst thing." Maxwell’s voice was tight, tense. Andrew swallowed.

What was the worst thing?

"Angel, what was it?" Andrew asked carefully and Maxwell sniffed, his eyes spilling over.

"I thought that they had come for you." Maxwell said and Andrew felt his heart freeze in his chest. Oh Maxwell.

Andrew let out a harsh breath, dropping his head to rest against Maxwell’s shoulder. He rubbed against it before he reached up, taking his glasses off and placing them somewhere safe. He didn’t need them to see far. He had a feeling that Maxwell wasn’t going to let himself be out of his line of sight.

"Maxy." Andrew’s throat was tight, closed. Emotion choking. "Oh my sweet, caring Maxy." Andrew got out. He was worried he was going to squeeze him too tightly as emotions overwhelmed them. It was only then that he realised how much the both of them were letting their pheromones out. They were twining around each other. It was like a dance that they were doing subconsciously.

It was a good thing he had sent the kids when he had.

"You’re okay, right?" Maxwell asked, his voice cracking. His hands gripped onto Andrew’s shoulders, shaking. Andrew felt lost just with his touch. "You’re okay?" He asked again and Andrew knew that something had shattered for Maxwell when he’d woken up alone. Andrew nodded, pressing his own nose against his throat.

"I’m fine. Not a scratch. No one even followed me. Kim warned me, but I’m okay. No one kidnapped me, no one took me. I’m yours. I’m here. I will never leave like that again." Andrew vowed and Maxwell shuddered.

He remained silent for a long time, just holding onto Andrew, taking comfort in his body, his scent, his everything. Andrew let him. He didn’t keep apologising. He knew that would only make Maxwell mad eventually, so he just let him take what he needed.

He could tell that Maxwell had calmed down slightly when he eventually spoke again.

"You can leave." Maxwell said carefully. "Just...not like that again." Maxwell muttered. "Not after something so traumatic has happened back to back. Like if you left after I had given birth to get something for me to eat? I would never forgive you if I woke up and you weren’t there." Maxwell said the words and Andrew didn’t feel his body start at how casually and how seriously he meant the words.

Andrew took them to heart, memorizing them for later.

"Understood." Andrew said, agreeing since that was...he was right. It would be something that Andrew would be worried about, Maxwell’s health and safety. "What do I do in that situation?" Andrew asked, knowing that if he didn’t know what Maxwell expected, things could go poorly.

"Just pay someone to get me food, Andrew. Have it delivered." Maxwell said and Andrew felt his lips curl up slightly. Yeah. That was the obvious answer. He was glad he asked though. It was good to get an understanding of what the other man expected of him.

Andrew sighed, nuzzling his nose against Maxwell’s throat again before he realised that he wasn’t wearing a collar. It was strange to realise, since Maxwell had been so good about it up until this moment. As soon as they introduced the collar into their relationship, Maxwell had always worn it.

Andrew had forgotten to put it back on him after he’d helped him get dressed. That was...that was on Andrew then.

Andrew, unable to help himself even though it was such a serious situation, opened his mouth and licked the bare neck before him. Maxwell shuddered.

"What are you doing?" Maxwell asked. Not upset, just surprised. Andrew flushed.

"Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. Just wanted a little taste." Andrew rumbled and Maxwell tightened his grip on his shoulders. He pulled the man closer, practically forcing Andrew’s face tighter against his throat.

"If you want to bite it, just fucking do it." Maxwell told him and Andrew felt his eyes widen. "I love you, I care about you, but this anxiety is going to drive me fucking insane. I would have marked you ages ago if our roles were reversed." Maxwell said and Andrew felt his shoulder grow damp. Shit.

Maxwell was crying.

Andrew tried to sit up, but Maxwell wouldn’t let him. He held onto him, not tight enough that Andrew could break his hold, but tight enough that Andrew would be in trouble if he did.

"You’re feeling anxious?" Andrew asked and Maxwell made a soft noise before his body shook.

"I’m always so fucking anxious someone else is going to steal you from me." Maxwell admitted and Andrew wanted to comfort the man more than he already was.

"Oh Baby." Andrew whispered and Maxwell let out a soft sob.

"I want everyone to know you’re mine. You are only mine. No one else can have you." Maxwell said, his possessiveness on full display. "I want you fucking locked up. I don’t want to feel this way ever again. I thought you were gone again, Andrew. I thought I was never going to see you again." Maxwell’s words were breaking Andrew’s heart.

"No one took me, Maxy." Andrew told him and Maxwell’s sob shattered Andrew from the inside out.

"How was I to know that? You wouldn’t answer your fucking phone!" Maxwell yelled and Andrew flinched. Yeah, that was on him.

"I...I have no excuse." Andrew admitted and Maxwell shuddered.

"I’m sorry. I know you were doing a good thing. I know you were helping out your sister, but I just can’t be happy when I didn’t know where you were." Maxwell sounded torn. Andrew felt like an asshole that he had put Maxwell in this situation.

"It’s okay to feel upset, Maxy. You have every right. If I was in your shoes and you had been kidnapped before and then you suddenly disappeared after the day we had yesterday..." Andrew had to stop speaking at the wave of emotions that filled him. "I would be locking you up if that happened after you came back." Andrew told him and Maxwell squeezed him.

"You’re lucky that you thought ahead and the kids were here. I would have flown off the handle." Maxwell admitted and Andrew was glad that he’d thought of that. Waking up with no one in the house was a bad plan, but Andrew hadn’t planned enough.

"What can I do to make it up to you?" Andrew asked him and Maxwell shuddered.

"Do you want my real answer, or the correct answer?" Maxwell asked and Andrew furrowed his brows.

"Is there a difference?" Andrew asked and Maxwell let out a deep chuckle.

"Of course there is. I don’t tell you all of my thoughts all the time. You’d run away otherwise." Maxwell sounded so sincere when he said that. It had Andrew curious.

"You’ve already told me several times that I would be pregnant with your children already if the roles were reversed. What else are you hiding, Maxy?" Andrew asked, somewhat teasing.

"Andrew, if I had my way, you would have bitten me, marked me the night you came back to me." Maxwell told him. Andrew blinked. "I would have bound you to me then, and I would have lived, no, used your guilt over the situation against you to keep you at my side. I want you bound to me. I don’t want you to have a way to escape. Marriage is one way to do that. I want everyone to know you belong to me." Maxwell let out a shaky breath. "I also know that this isn’t a normal thought process. I know you don’t think that way about me, so I try not to scare you. I do think that all of my family thinks this way. At least, my father and brothers do." Andrew sat with that information, letting it percolate in his mind.

He wasn’t exactly sure what to say to that, at least not right away. He could tell though, that with each second that passed by and Andrew didn’t say something, Maxwell got more anxious. He’d already admitted he was anxious, so Andrew better do his best not to make it worse.