"So, let just make this clear, you don’t care if we know, you just don’t want to know?" Mr. Beckett asked, and Andrew nodded.
"Oh, and I’d appreciate it if once you did know you didn’t give pitying looks every once in a while." Andrew told them and that seed to horrify them all.
"What on earth do you take us for? Have you seen us do that? Max, have you done that to anyone before?" Mrs. Beckett demanded and Maxwell shook his head.
"I’m a little hurt. We don’t hide those feelings. We’re very upfront with them. You know that, Andrew." Maxwell did genuinely seem a little upset at Andrew’s words and Andrew felt his body relax. It was hard for him to discuss this topic.
Even harder with people like Maxwell’s family who were so heavily connected in a world he didn’t understand. It made him nervous. Anxious. He knew information held power, and he just worried about what kind of trouble his information could get them into.
"Yeah, I just...I’m worried, you know? I have no idea what he’s capable of. I just know he’s a bad guy." Andrew told them and there was a long pause before Mr. Beckett started laughing.
"Andy, has Max told you who my Father is?" Andrew glanced at Maxwell before looking back at Mr. Beckett.
"Well, he explained a bit that your Father is involved in...the gang world." Andrew said carefully and Mr. Beckett smiled.
"He’s fucking awful, Andy. A really bad dude, in a classic way. Wanted to marry a mob princess to continue the family line. Was pissed that I wanted to marry Luis. Beat till I almost died the day I defied him and told him I wasn’t going to marry who he wanted to. If my Mom hadn’t stepped in, I probably would have died. He didn’t care about us as people, only as beings who could continue the work." Andrew was horrified with each word out of his mouth. Mr. Beckett shook his head, laughing.
"That’s horrible!" Andrew wanted to say more, but that was all he could think of. Mrs. Beckett smiled as she took a sip of her martini.
"Oh, it was way worse than that. He even sent fingers to my apartnt and told that they were Tom’s. They weren’t, but he was used to scaring people and getting his way." Mrs. Beckett said calmly, amused.
"And I will be the first to admit that nature versus nurture might have run its course with in a few places. Luis keeps in check, but I have my father’s blood in . You, Andrew, despite all that, think we’re good people. Most of the people at this wedding? They don’t. They’re scared of us. Because of who I am, and because of who my Father is. Doesn’t matter that we cut ties with him and our company is fully legal, so things just don’t fade so easily." His gaze was warm as he looked over Andrew. "So, I know you’re worried, and probably scared that when we find out who you co from that we’re going to reject you and say that you aren’t a perfect fit for Max, but Andrew, I already tried to scare you away. You only backed down because you thought you would be a burden to Maxwell. I hadn’t even tried to bribe you yet."
"Dad!" Maxwell was pissed hearing that, but Mr. Beckett shrugged.
"I did the sa thing to Amir." He admitted without batting an eye. Maxwell’s angry gaze turned to Amir who ducked his head.
"I...didn’t take it." Amir admitted and Mr. Beckett nodded.
"He didn’t. You should be proud of him. Andy heard that you could be minorly inconvenienced by him and he wouldn’t stand for it. It’s endearing. It’s why I like him, and it’s clear he likes you a lot." Andrew felt his face warm as Mr. Beckett continued to speak. He had no idea that there was a second phase to Mr. Beckett’s interrogation when he’d first t him, but it shouldn’t have surprised him.
"I planned to do the sa thing." Mrs. Beckett admitted. Maxwell groaned, putting his face in his hands.
"I planned to as well."
" too." Andrew laughed quietly as all of the Beckett’s admitted to planning to try to bribe Andrew to stay away from the youngest of them. Maxwell was clearly upset by their words, in fact, he was so upset he was at a loss for words, but Andrew found it cute.
They all cared about each other in a complicated way, but they clearly cared. Being sneaky about it was in their nature, as Mr. Beckett said.
"Well, I appreciate you being honest about it now." Andrew spoke for both him and Maxwell. "It’s kind that you cared about Max so much that you’d want to scare away." Andrew told them and Maxwell shot him a glare.
"They have no business-"
"-Maxwell." Andrew interrupted him, a warmth in his chest. Maxwell slapped his lips closed, his mouth in a firm line. "Do you think that if you had made a bad impression on Kim that she wouldn’t have tried to make us break up?" Maxwell’s mouth opened to make a retort before he closed it. He looked away, upset, and Andrew bent to press a kiss against his cheek. "Exactly. Even if she hasn’t been in my life for a long ti, she too, wants the best for . Like your family wants the best for you. Think of it this way, now they won’t be sending you on blind dates anymore, right?" Andrew teased.
When he glanced over at the family he noticed how they all shifted uncomfortably and he smiled. Maxwell pouted, crossing his arms. Andrew was worried he was going to spill his drink, but he shouldn’t have worried.
Maxwell wasn’t one to spill liquor. Even when drunk.
"They better not." He grumbled and it was so stinking cute that Andrew vibrated, holding himself back from smothering the man in kisses.
Thankfully, soone saved Maxwell from the embarrassnt Andrew wanted to inflict on him as they knocked on the door. It was one of the organisers for the day, and she seed far more relaxed then Andrew was anticipating of her.
"Most of the guests from the first party have moved on and the second party is about to begin." She inford them, and Ben sighed.
"We should get changed then. Alright, down your drinks, everyone. We’ve got this." Ben called, raising his glass. Everyone who had one did the sa before they down their drinks and started moving to their respective change areas. Maxwell and Andrew’s were combined, which Andrew appreciated. Maxwell handed off his empty glass to a helper before taking Andrew’s hand and leading him into the curtained off area.
The curtains closed behind them and Maxwell began to take off his clothes thodically. Andrew was surprised to find that their next outfits were already in the room, stead or ironed to perfection. Andrew winced at the shade of the suit before him and Maxwell chuckled.
"Just look forward to the last one." Maxwell murmured to him quietly and Andrew winced.
"I know, it’s just..."
"Do you not like the shade, Andy?" Mr. Beckett’s voice bood in the quiet room and Andrew dropped his head. He was still working to take off his clothes, but he was admittedly slower than Maxwell.
"Well, the shade is..."
"Complentary to your skin tone, Andrew." Mr. Beckett told him, a slight warning in his voice. Andrew grimaced. It felt like he was arguing with his Mom about outfit choices he’d made as a kid.
"I-I agree, I just...my father wore a lot of similar shades. I avoid them because of that." Andrew admitted and there was a long pause. All that could be heard was the shifting of fabric as a group of family mbers got ready in the sa space.
"Hm. Well, I don’t think you should let a piece of shit ruin your life forever. Are you really going to let a man who doesn’t even care if you’re alive dictate how you dress?" It was surprising that those words ca from Will. Even Maxwell paused, before giving Will’s words a nod of approval.
"I agree. Are you going to let a man like that do that to you? Or are you going to accept my Father’s gift to you? I think you look great in peach, white, lavender, mint, all of the colours he chose for you." Maxwell’s words were firm, but warm. Andrew sighed, defeated easily by the way his blue eyes sparkled as they looked at him.
"You like in those colours?" Andrew asked. He’d always been one to avoid them. He’d barely worn the white lab coat that he was supposed to because he hated the way his skin contrasted with it. He liked how other people with darker skin looked when wearing contrasting colours, but not him.
"You look very handso." Maxwell told him and Andrew was cooked. That was it. He was going to wear colours from now on. Just...not as often as he would wear neutrals.
"Yeah, you tell ’em Max!" Ben’s encouragent broke up the mont, and Andrew started laughing. Shaking his head, he began to take his clothes off in earnest, glancing at the lavender suit with a little less trepidation. At least he’d look good with Maxwell in his slate grey suit, right?
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