"Andrew? Are you awake?" Max's soft voice washed over him as he was panicking, and Andrew felt his shoulder's relax.
"I'm awake." He answered easily, and Maxwell sighed.
"Oh good. I don't know what I would do if you fell asleep. You're too heavy for me to try to lift out of the tub." Maxwell told him, and Andrew chuckled.
"You could just drain the tub, and cover me in a bunch of towels. I'd figure it out." He said, turning his head to the side. Maxwell was close enough that he could almost make out his expression, but not quite. If he was just a little closer…. He turned his head away at that thought. That would be dangerous for Maxwell, and he understood why.
The way his body was beginning to tingle felt the same way he'd felt before he'd escaped.
Maxwell inhaled sharply.
"Are you feeling okay, Andrew?" He asked tightly, and Andrew felt his blood run cold.
"Am I…do I smell?" Andrew asked softly, and Maxwell reached out for his hand, giving it a tight squeeze.
"It's okay that you smell, Andrew. I'm not upset, nor do I find it disgusting." He comforted, and Andrew exhaled.
"I'm sorry. I just…when I smelled Tracey for the first time-"
"Do not speak her name out loud." Max growled, and Andrew felt his mouth close, but with a slight smile.
"When I smelt her for the first time, it smelled so awful, I just worried I smelt the same to you." Maxwell tugged on his hand, and when Andrew looked in his direction, Maxwell's face was closer. Andrew could almost make out his facial expression. He seemed…anxious.
"How do I smell to you?" He asked, and Andrew blinked. He closed his eyes, inhaling slowly, thinking.
"Hmm. I don't know. I know you smell good, while she smelt like rotten garbage." Andrew got to watch as Maxwell's eyes went wide, and his mouth hung open. Andrew grinned. "What? Was I not supposed to say that? I don't know the etiquette on this kind of thing." Maxwell covered his mouth, before a snort could be heard, but he composed himself enough to ask a question.
"Rotten garbage?" He confirmed, and Andrew nodded.
"It got a tiny bit better over the last two days I think? She smelt like overly ripe, probably rotten fruit, but that's the best it got. You smell…" Andrew inhaled again, and again, but just wasn't able to place the scent. "I don't know. Yours is hard to describe. Every time I think I get close, I lose what I think I was going to say. I could smell it for hours and never get bored."
"A-Andrew, that's a little-"
"Is that wrong to say?" He asked, tilting his head slightly as he looked at the omega. He had more knowledge, and more understanding of this world. Andrew didn't discuss this kind of stuff with his Mom. He wasn't an omega or an alpha when he knew her.
"Well, it's…it is inappropriate. You should never describe someone's scent, even if they ask in the future. What someone smells like to you tells someone a lot about how you perceive them. Scents are closely linked to compatibility. In relationships, both romantic, platonic, and business." Andrew was surprised it was so diverse.
"Oh, so you can usually tell if you have a positive reaction to someone's scent, there is a chance you could get along?" Andrew asked, and watched as Maxwell's head bobbed.
"Yes. Theoretically. Sometimes, it doesn't always work out that way, but most of the time." Andrew made a soft, thoughtful sound in the back of his throat, before shifting closer to the edge of the tub Maxwell was closest to.
"So, since you asked a question one isn't supposed to, can you answer me in return? What do I smell like to you, Max?" Andrew watched Maxwell's face, trying to read it through his poor eyesight. It wasn't very successful, but he gave it a good college try.
"Uh, well, that's personal, Andrew." He scoffed at Maxwell's not an answer, answer.
"Come on. You used my ignorance to get an answer out of me. The least you could do is answer mine. I don't even know what it means." He protested, and Maxwell sighed.
"But you eventually will, and then I'll-" He cut off and looked away. Andrew rested both of his arms on the edge of the tub closest to him, resting his head against them.
"Then you'll what, Max? Be in trouble? Reveal something you shouldn't? I could never be upset with you. Especially when it comes to something involving me." Andrew smiled, but could feel Maxwell staring at him.
"...You smell like maple pancakes." Maxwell muttered, and Andrew was baffled for a few solid minutes. Maxwell cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed
"Maple pancakes?" Andrew confirmed, and he could tell that Maxwell wanted to be talking about anything else.
"I-I like them." Maxwell muttered, and Andrew felt another laugh pulled out of him. He ran his hand through his hair, pushing it back and laughed heartily.
"Well, I'm glad that I smell like something you like." Andrew told him with a smile, still unable to see Maxwell's expression. Maxwell moved closer to him, and Andrew was able to tell that he was clearly flushed, and pouting.
"They're my favourite food." He admitted softly, and Andrew slowly stopped smiling. He could tell that Maxwell was embarrassed, but he also didn't want to hide the truth from Andrew. Andrew appreciated it, but he also didn't know how to respond.
Andrew's body decided that answer for him.
A throbbing pain filled his body, and Andrew gasped. Maxwell's eyes went wide, and he covered his nose as Andrew's scent flooded the room. Andrew had no awareness of what he was doing, as he tried to grip onto the side of the tub to keep himself upright.
"Andrew? Andrew!" Maxwell's voice filled Andrew's head as he began to pant. No. No no no.
"Max, what's going on? Why do I feel so hot suddenly? I don't like this. I felt this way there too. I feel…I need…something's wrong." Andrew knew his voice sounded whiny and weak, but he didn't give a fuck. Something was wrong, he didn't know what it was, and Maxwell probably had answers. He wasn't like the others. He would answer him. He'd tell Andrew the truth.
"Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Andrew, whatever they did to you…fuck. Hold on." Maxwell left Andrew's line of sight, and suddenly, the sound of a fan filled the air. "Okay. That should help. You've relaxed a bit, huh?" Maxwell tried to joke, but Andrew knew his face had to either be stoic, or show he was in pain. He honestly couldn't tell. "Andrew, Baby, don't look at me that way. I am not crying twice in one day." Andrew sniffed, unable to stop his own tears.
"What's happening, Max?" Andrew asked again, and he could tell Maxwell was hesitating.
"If we wait a bit longer, the Doctor should be here soon. Fuck. Andrew, you're in your rut. It's activated again. You are spreading pheromones like a very powerful alpha. You might be as powerful as my Father and brothers. We have…a few options. One is we wait for the Doctor."
"The only way I got through this last time was thinking thoughts of you. Then I blacked out, and woke up with you yelling at me." Andrew told him quickly, his words tumbling out of his mouth. Maxwell paused.
"O-Okay, so maybe waiting isn't the right choice, but it is one, alright? The second…I knock you out, and you wake up out of your rut." Andrew shook his head.
"No, I don't like that one either. What if I hurt you? You already said I'm too heavy for you to carry." Maxwell groaned, and Andrew hated that he did that. Only because the sound stirred something inside of him.
"Fuck, I didn't think…Andrew, do you think you could tone it down?" Maxwell asked, and Andrew wanted to throw a fit. He didn't even know what he was doing. How could he tone it down? "Sorry, sorry. I know you don't know anything. I'm just having a hard time remaining rational." That alone seemed to calm Andrew down.
"Shit. I'm so sorry." Andrew apologised, sniffing as more tears rolled down his face. Maxwell sighed.
"I didn't want you to cry again." He murmured, but Andrew shook his head.
"It's not just you. It's…overwhelming. I've never felt this way. I don't know what my body wants. It doesn't feel like my body anymore." Maxwell placed his hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze.
"It is your body, Andrew, it's just changed. Think of it like a sudden puberty. Someone will know how to help you, but it probably won't be me, since we're slightly different. I uh, hoo, so there is another option, but I don't know how you'll feel about it." Maxwell, who had started so confident, fumbled the last few words. Andrew furrowed his brows.
"What do you mean how I would feel about it? What is it?" Andrew asked, and Maxwell pushed his hair out of his face, or at least, that was what Andrew thought he had done. He was still quite blurry.
"I'm…an omega, and you are…an alpha. A quick and easy way to help someone in a rut is to have contact with an omega." Andrew froze.
"No. I don't want to hurt you." Andrew stated immediately.
"Not all the way, you idiot. I was thinking I could jerk you off or something." Maxwell scoffed. "Besides, I don't think you've ever been with a man before." Andrew, who hadn't expected to have this conversation with Maxwell, was stunned at his words.
"What on earth made you think that?" He asked, really wishing he could see Maxwell's expression right now. He was sure he would either be fascinated, or very upset.
"Well, you don't strike me as-"
"As someone who likes guys? Is that what you were about to say?" Maxwell shifted, and when he didn't answer, Andrew laughed. "Maxwell, just because I'm a beta doesn't mean I wasn't sleeping with men. I've slept with both, or all three, I guess. Men, of all three secondary genders." Temporarily distracted by sheer audacity of Maxwell, Andrew's rut was suppressed for a few minutes. "I can't believe you thought I was so narrow minded." Andrew actually pouted, and Maxwell fumbled over his words again.
"I didn't-I wasn't-You were dating a woman when I first met you!" He protested. Andrew laughed.
"Yeah, I was. I'm hurt, Maxwell, that you'd think I'd be so shallow." Andrew was actually quite upset. He hated that Maxwell had seen him that way.
"So, you wouldn't be opposed if I jerked you off?" Andrew sighed.
"That and this are two different things." Andrew said, and Maxwell stood.
"Why? Am I not good enough? I just want to help. You already said no to the other two options, and I don't like seeing you in pain!" Maxwell's voice raised in volume, and Andrew felt his blood boil in response.
"I don't know what I'd do to you if you had your hands on my cock, Max! I feel dangerous, and I don't want to hurt you! I know that you hate me saying that, but I feel like a fucking monster. I know that if I'm not careful, I could really hurt you or make you think you want whatever I want. I don't want to do that to you." Andrew knew his tone was sharp, and he hated raising his voice, but he couldn't help it. He was emotional.
Andrew sniffed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, looking away from Maxwell.
"Andrew." He shook his head. "Andrew, Baby, look at me." Andrew shook his head again. Maxwell's hands wrapped around his head, forcing him to meet his gaze. For the first time, Maxwell came into full view.
He looked awful.
His eyes were slightly puffy, but that didn't hide the giant dark circles he had under them. His skin was sallow, and he looked like he'd lost some weight. His hair was messy, and even his clothes weren't in perfect form, like he normally was.
"There is nothing, nothing that you could do to me that I wouldn't fully embrace." Maxwell told him, and Andrew felt his face crumble.
"Don't say that. I can hurt you now in ways that are unforgivable. Don't say that Max." Andrew begged, and Maxwell's face crumbled in the face of the raw pain in Andrew's voice.
"Baby, I mean every word. You could mark me-"
"Don't joke about that! What if I marked you and left you for dead, Max. Don't say that shit. Don't give me permission. There's this…part of me that I didn't know I had that wants to do that. That wants to mark you." Maxwell's eyes watered, and he dropped his head for a second, exhaling, before he raised it again. His expression was firm.
"You would never do anything against my will, Andrew. I know you. Even as an alpha, you as a person doesn't change. You just toss in some mood swings, and there you go. Now you're an alpha or an omega." Andrew knew it wasn't that simple, but he knew Maxwell was doing this on purpose. He wanted to calm Andrew down.
"But what if I do something-"
"You would never. Trust yourself, Andrew. Trust me. When have I been wrong about something?" Maxwell asked, a soft, warbling smile on his lips. Andrew stared at him, before he sighed. He closed his eyes, taking a moment before he opened them again.
"A-Alright. But I have some rules."