Dr. Stone Cold's Adventure (18+)(YellowMelon and 3ruri)(Private)

[YellowMelon]

“Yes, I did.” Andrew confirmed when Caspian pointed out the frosting. It may have been a journey - one he would never take again - but he made it and he was proud. He hoped Caspian was proud of it as well despite the mess he made. Compared to the flour shenanigans, he was fortunate the other didn’t laugh or make the situation worse by fooling around. It saved him from embarrassment and from getting angry. With the flowers being handed to him, Andrew delicately rinsed the plants under water and placed them out on a paper towel to dry. They were rather pretty and would be a suitable decoration for the cupcakes, but he wondered why Caspian was trying so hard to make them presentable. He still acted as though he didn’t care for the challenge, but perhaps he did somewhat enjoy it. Or maybe he cared more about pleasing the receivers of the cupcakes than the cupcakes themselves. That was more likely.

With Caspian cleaning the mess he made, Andrew wiped his face clean using a damp towel and his reflection in the faucet to make sure he got all the powder off his face. He also took the towel to his shirt in an attempt to remove any stains where he seemed to have a spot of every ingredient on his navy tee. His jeans - less dirty but not void of marks - had a flour and powdered sugar stain that he also washed off with water. He was about as clean as he could get without having to throw his clothes into the washer when Caspian reiterated they were to “bake fifty cupcakes,” so trying one wouldn’t break the rules. 

“I don’t think you’re meant to take the card that literally,” Andrew finally commented before giving a sigh, “But it’s on you if we end up breaking the rules.” What would the consequence even be? Without thinking more about the issue, the brunette threw the wet paper towel he had in the trash and stood opposite of Caspian on the other side of the counter. “Just use a knife and spread the frosting on.” He made it sound as though he were stating the obvious. “If you want to pipe, we can split the batch and each do twenty-five.” He had planned on splitting the cupcakes when having to frost them either way. However, if Caspian wanted to do the honors, since he had made the frosting, Andrew certainly wouldn’t mind watching, or showering during that time. “Even if we frost them with our eyes closed, it shouldn’t matter as long as they taste good.”

[3ruri]

Caspian was watching how Andrew was cleaning the stains left from baking as much as he could. He looked uncomfortable which made Caspian wonder how would that be when he spent time with children. Aren't children messier than two adults baking cupcakes? Imagine all the mess with the toys, food and during playtime they would get dirty in the dirt and sandbox. He wondered if it was really him and not the flour and sugar. They were already getting along like oil and water, so it wouldn't surprise him if Andrew's discomfort stemmed from having to work with Caspian and not the confectionery items.

Caspian took out a butter knife from the utensil drawer; just one for himself. "Alright, I'll do it. This show is supposed to be about Doctor Stone anyway, so it's not fair to let you do all the work," he said, pulling the food mixer with Andrew's buttercream frosting closer to him. He scrape a little of the mixture with the knife then, using his pinkie finger, swiped the tiny bit of frosting and tasted it. "Hmm, tastes good. Thanks. Seems like we'll survive the cupcake challenge after all." Caspian picked one of the cupcakes from the muffin tin since it came out earlier and had more time to cool. Judging the temperature by holding onto the cup, Caspian decided it wont melt the buttercream frosting, so he scooped a little bit of the frosting with his butter knife and began layering it on top of the cupcake. He tried not to use too much for one piece, since he had to cover fifty pieces and he didn't know if the frosting are enough for all. Once he finished with one, he realized he didn't have a place to put it on. He set the cupcake down on the counter and went to find a serving plate. It wouldn't fit all fifty, he took out a couple more big sized plates to use once one is full. 

"How many pieces of flowers should I put on top?" He looked at Andrew. Sure he did say he was going to finish decorating the cupcakes, but asking Andrew's opinion wasn't a bad thing. "I don't think I should put too many of them. Even though they're edible, they're only pretty to look at and don't really have a particular flavor. Unless you're a rabbit and you practically eat everything in the garden." The last sentence was Caspian talking to himself. He didn't think Andrew was in any mood for his dry jokes. 

[YellowMelon]

It wasn’t fair to make him do all the work but the more Andrew thought about it the more he didn’t know what “fair” could really be considered on the show. Neither of them were being treated poorly. They simply didn’t like what they were doing or being around each other for the time being. He certainly didn’t think it was right for the show to portray Dr. Stone as someone who he really wasn’t. He never ad a husband until now and he certainly hadn’t baked cupcakes before either. Couldn’t the producers have picked an activity that was family-friendly and something that Caspian was more likely to do? Then again, maybe the producers thought about that but simply didn’t know what the professed liked. So far, the only thing Andrew knew he was passionate about was children and teaching. That wasn’t much to go by if he were to think of an activity himself, unless they made him teach mineralogy to a bunch of kids, which he couldn’t imagine Caspian having fun with. 

“One of each. Any extra we can place around randomly.” He was quick to respond as he looked at the flowers. It was evident Caspian had picked more than enough for fifty cupcakes. Andrew reached over to grab a pansy and chamomile then placed them on the center of the freshly frosted cupcake. He didn’t care much about their exact placement, making them overlap slightly. The white frosting canvas made the pansy stick out while the white petals of the chamomile blended in with the background. Its yellow center, however, popped. The flower decorations certainly looked nice but Andrew, personally, didn’t think it added or took away from the quality of the cupcake. 

“You don’t need to worry about how many flowers you put on. If someone doesn’t like the flowers they can pick it off.” It bothered Andrew that Caspian had so much concern for the cupcakes now. Why should either of them care what happened to them after they gave them away? Heck, for all they knew their neighbors could throw them in the trash or feed them to some wild animals. Without another word, Andrew silently grabbed a knife and helped to spread the frosting with Caspian. Once they finished they wouldn’t have to think or talk about the cupcakes anymore. Perhaps that would put one of them in a better mood.

[3ruri]

"That will work, I guess," Caspian replied. He didn't say anything when Andrew picked up another knife and started working on the other cupcakes. Really, at this point, he wasn't going to say anything on what the other person did. Two person garnishing the cupcakes with frosting and flowers made finishing it a lot faster than just one person. If Andrew helped voluntarily, he can't say Caspian forced him to do anything he didn't want. 

Caspian was thinking about the content of the card, which was basically quite vague, so that gave him a lot of leeway. "I'm thinking, wince we got the items from three neighbors, it would be fine if we distribute all these cupcakes among them," he told Andrew. He got a feeling that Andrew dreaded in seeing the neighbors again, so if Caspian has to go alone, he would be fine with it. "I'm guessing cupcakes normally go by the dozen, like when you buy donuts. So we have three houses. If we give each of them a dozen, that's thirty-six cupcakes already." He calculated in his head. Which meant they would have fourteen extra. Should he give the other dozen to another neighbor or instead of a dozen, should he give fifteen cupcakes instead to each of the three neighbors. "What do you think we should do with the leftovers? Should we find another neighbor to give or should we save them for the crew who would be coming in tomorrow? I think at this point, we can pretty much do anything with it. We've been following the rules stated in the card so far." He knew Andrew said not to take the card too literally, but there was no other way to take it and Caspian wasn't going to let some written card make his life harder, so he was going to do whatever seemed fit, while taking account of Andrew's opinion as well. 

"Also, I will have one. I know you don't want anything to do with it, but it's the first time we bake together as husbands." He wondered what was the point telling this to Andrew when the other person were not  into any of this at all. But Caspian took everything in life as an experience, so even though they were thrown together in a made-believe television show, he and Andrew were legally married. That made Andrew his actual husband and even when they separate in the future, this would still be his first time baking with his husband. 

[YellowMelon]

Andrew paused when Caspian started to talk through how they would distribute the cupcakes. He, personally, didn’t see it as a complicated matter so didn’t understand why the other was concerned with giving everyone an equal portion. In his mind, McCain wasn’t just thinking about the total amount of cupcakes they baked but also the family size of each of their neighbors. From the three they visited, both the Martinez and Vijays were a bigger family than the Smiths and the Martinez included young children. Logically, they should give a larger batch to the biggest family unless the other families had more of a sweet tooth, which was unknown. Thinking beyond the neighbors, something that Andrew could agree on was giving their extras to the crew. He hadn’t considered that option until Caspian mentioned it and it sounded like the best idea. The exact amount to give everyone, however, was still an open question.

“Yeah, let’s give the three neighbors we met a dozen each, you eat a cupcake, and then we’ll save the rest for the crew.” He reiterated what Caspian said, confirming his idea. If they were supposed to give all their cupcakes to their neighbors, then they could find a new neighbor to give the leftovers to after attempting an offering to the production crew. It was evident that the way Caspian was interpreting the card was different from the way Andrew thought about it. To him, “cupcakes” included frosting and were not just little cakes, “bake fifty cupcakes” meant baking fifty without eating one, and “share them with your neighbors” did not include the production crew. They had gotten the cupcakes to look like actual cupcakes since Caspian decided he wanted frosting but the success of their challenge was still up for debate in Andrew’s mind. Maybe it was him who was taking the card too literally. If the star of the show didn’t seem to be bothered about the inexplicit details, he shouldn’t be putting up a fuss.

“It’s the first time we baked together regardless of being husbands,” McCain clarified, not seeing how being husbands, specifically, was relevant, “Plus, you should save such sentiments when you get a real husband.” Not that they weren’t husbands by definition, but he knew Caspian understood what he meant, whether he liked him bringing up the topic again or not. “Or wife.” He added as he continued to frost the remaining bare cupcakes. “If you were to bake cupcakes with someone you deeply like, it’ll be more memorable than this, or memorable in a better way at least.” Andrew stated matter-of-factly, assuming that Caspian would possibly bake again. 

[3ruri]

Caspian's hand movement halted when he heard Andrew's reply. He chewed his inner cheek and out of nowhere, dropped the knife he was using to spread the frosting on the cupcakes onto the counter top. He didn't know why he bothered at all. That lawsuit seemed like a good idea more and more. "You know what, we've borrowed and we've baked. It doesn't say how many we have to share, so we can fucking stop right now," he hissed, so done with whatever the task wanted them to do. "I'll just fucking take one cupcake for each house and we're done, so let's just fucking stop!" He stomped towards the sink and washed his hand. 

The card didn't say what the merit they would get if they completed the task, so Caspian assumed he had to make do without it when the time came. He dried his hand and left the kitchen without so much glance towards Andrew. Yes, Andrew, just Andrew. He was never going to refer him as his husband anymore unless the show required it. What was the point? The person thought they were only a business transaction and not real people thrown into the situation together. If Caspian wanted to look for a real husband, he would do that already. What did Andrew know about his future happiness and with whom he'd find that happiness with? Caspian was right, spending time with stones would fare better than this. 

He made his way towards his office and slammed the door. It would do him well if he could cool his head before going out again. He was going to avoid Andrew as much as he can. He knew Samantha would be on his case when the crew came in tomorrow morning, but anything was preferable than spending another second in that kitchen. Caspian took a seat behind his desk and powered his computer. He had already started with his journal so now that he had some spare time, he would rather work on it. It didn't matter if Andrew thought he was being a coward by hiding away in his office. He wasn't even hiding. He just needed some space to find the peace he needed when dealing with a person who Caspian couldn't even consider a friend. Andrew obviously didn't want that, and even though he didn't outright say he didn't want to be Caspian's husband, he clearly abhorred the sentiment. "Looks like I just have to be a civil roommate then," he huffed his resolution.

[YellowMelon]

Andrew took a big step away from Caspian when the knife dropped, looking at the other individual in complete silence, and a little bit of fear. He had only agreed with Caspian, so why was he yelling about the cupcakes? They were almost done with the challenge too! He watched as the older man disappeared into another room. The sound of the door slamming made him flinch. It wasn’t a surprise they were in disagreement again, but the way the superhero acted was unpredictable. He had really set him off about cupcakes. No, it wasn’t the cupcakes fault. It was being his husband. Regardless of how naïve he could pretend to be to the cause of the outburst, he knew he was the problem. He continued to finish frosting the cupcakes while thinking about what the best action was to take next. Should he talk to Caspian? Leave him alone until he was ready to come out of his office? Leave the house?

Despite thinking about the last option, McCain knew that leaving wasn’t an actual route. Where was he supposed to go? He didn’t have a car and he certainly wasn’t going to be accused of stealing the SUV. Once finished with the cupcakes, the brunette washed the knives and frosting bowl, then went into the bedroom. He quickly gathered the clothes he had decided to hang up in the closet earlier and neatly packaged them into his suitcase. He also took off his so-called engagement ring without another thought and returned it to its grey box on the nightstand. That should have probably been reserved for someone else in Caspian’s life too, but he had been so happy to receive it that he didn’t argue against it. 

Andrew carried his suitcase the short distance from the bedroom to the living room and placed it against the sofa. An onlooker would probably think he was going to walk out the door next but he sat down on the fabric furniture, although first making sure he had cleaned his clothes properly before taking a seat. He didn’t want to create a mess anywhere else. McCain decided the best course of action to take was to wait until Caspian reemerged or until he thought he had given enough time to do so.

Time passed slowly for the brunette while Caspian had yet to come out from whatever he was doing for an hour already. However, that gave Andrew more time to think about what he was going to say. He didn’t know why he should even be talking to Caspian, but he felt like it was his turn to break the silence between them this time. Another hour passed with Andrew pacing between the living room, kitchen, and bedroom, doing so quietly as to not disturb Caspian. He even decided to change his clothes during that time - same style jeans and a beige long sleeve with a three-button placket.

After two hours hours and some odd minutes of waiting, Andrew thought it was about time for him to attempt to talk. He didn’t mind much if their day ended off on a bad note but he definitely wouldn’t be able to sleep comfortably...on the sofa. There was no way he would be sharing the bed with Caspian for the night now. 

Don’t say Dr. Crowe, don’t say Mr. Crowe, don’t say… ”Caspian,” he finally uttered, standing outside the office door, “I…” His voice trailed off, carefully thinking of his next words. “If you want to stay in there, I don’t think it’ll be good for the show.” No, that’s not what he wanted to say. “I don’t understand why you have a problem with me acknowledging you as my spouse for television purposes only. We didn’t go through a courtship, have a honeymoon, or consummate our marriage. This is for your reputation, not for us to plan an actual marriage beyond the contract we signed.” His voice unintentionally got sharper the more he spoke. “There’s nothing in the contract that states we have to actually like each other. As far as I’m concerned, you can get yourself a new husband. Maybe it’ll be someone who you can ‘tolerate’ better.” Although Andrew still needed the money, he wasn’t against working more jobs to get to his goal. He stopped speaking momentarily to calm himself down. This was not the direction he had planned on taking. He didn’t want to make Caspian upset again. “Anyway,” he lowered his tone to be gentler “If you want to stay in there then that’s fine, but I’ll try better at keeping my not-so husbandly thoughts to myself if it puts you in a better mood.” McCain momentary waited outside the door for a response.

[3ruri]

Caspian didn't notice how long time had passed while he was in his office. He had written half of the Introduction chapter for his journal when he heard Andrew outside his door. Again with those thoughts. Whatever, Caspian was beyond caring at this point. But it was too late for any of them to pull out now. Caspian had read the contract front to back and judging from what Andrew said about Caspian looking for a better candidate for a husband, clearly he didn't understand the content of the contract. IN case Andrew turned out to be an unsuitable match and Caspian demand a change, the younger guy would have to pay a full amount of the production cost since the filming had commenced. As much as Caspian was annoyed by the other man right now, he wasn't going to let him be saddled with such outrageous cost. Also, if they pulled Andrew out, he would have to start over with a new person and Caspian didn't want to get married again. Despite the nature of their marriage, Caspian felt it was disrespectful to besmirch the sanctity of a marriage by annulling their short relationship just to be saddled with a new one. 

The professor saved his changed of the document and powered off his computer. At least he got a little bit or work done. He opened the door to Andrew standing there in a different shirt than what he had on earlier. He dressed well, but Caspian didn't have any intention to tell him that because Andrew would just take it the wrong way again. That reminded him that he needed a change of clothes as well. He was smelling like butter and sugar and there were some smudges on his dark jeans. Ignoring Andrew, he made his way to the bedroom. He didn't bother is Andrew followed after him or to even close the door. They're both men and his "roommate" doesn't harbor any interest in him so there was no need for modesty in his own private space. When he opened the closet, Caspian immediately noticed that some changes had been made. Andrew's clothes were gone when they were supposed to be hanging alongside his. The suitcase was gone too. What did that mean? Andrew was set on leaving? He ignored the question, because really, that was his choice. He can deal with Samantha on his own.

Taking long-sleeved pullover out and a more comfortable lounge pants, Caspian changed out of his clothes and put on the clean once. As he pulled the t-shirt over his head, he saw a gleaming green sat on the nightstand by his bed. The green tear-shaped tourmaline ring he had given to Andrew sat there idly. First the clothes and now the ring. Was Caspian's life a joke to Andrew? He picked up the ring with the box, pulled out the drawer and threw it inside, not caring whether it was the right way to treat the precious accessory or not. He was sincere and relieved that the ring he had kept and treasured for so long had found a suitable owner, but for Andrew to reject it and inadvertently Caspian too over and over made him feel like shit. It reminded him of the parents who refused his help to rescue their children. Andrew was refusing everything he had tried to make them get along and work things out for the show. He was no different from them.

Not wanting to stay any longer in the room, he made his way to the kitchen. He ignored the cupcakes as well. To hell with it. They had worked on them the whole afternoon but Caspian couldn't find any care left to deal with the task anymore. He knew he would be letting down a lot of people - Samantha, the Smiths, the Vijays, but he had had enough frustration in one day. He went to open a drawer in the kitchen and took out the pizza delivery menu. He didn't normally eat fast food, but tonight, he needed something quick and hassle free for dinner. He dialed the number and waited until the line was connected. He put in an order for a regular pizza with pepperoni and extra veggies. "Hold on a second for the other pizza," he said into the phone. "Andrew, what do you like on your pizza?" He called out to the other man. Just because he wasn't talking about them, didn't mean he was going to let the other man go hungry in his home. He can't possibly let Andrew find his own food when he wasn't familiar with the neighborhood. Unless Andrew was gonna be an ass about him ordering food too, Caspian didn't mind getting him some. 

[YellowMelon]

If Caspian had decided to stay in his office or snapped at Andrew to “shut up,” he would have gladly left him alone. In fact, he might have preferred that to the treatment he was receiving now. Being in silence in the same room compared to different rooms was not only awkward but also nerve-racking. He wanted to be someplace where he couldn’t see Caspian and the other man couldn’t see him, even though he wasn’t even sparing a glance in his direction. As soon as the doctor left his office, Andrew followed behind him at a distance. He didn’t know why he was following him, but Caspian didn’t seem to mind or, if he did, he just kept his mouth shut. Seeing that he would enter the bedroom, McCain paused in the hallway and then returned to the living room. It didn’t seem like the man would be talking to him any time soon. 

Andrew sat at the dining table, crossing his arms on the table and resting his chin on them. He sat facing the kitchen, following Caspian with his pupils when he became visible. He was bothered by not knowing what the older man was thinking. He was usually talking  and now his complete silence was worrisome. Would he hold a grudge against him? Would he remain silent tomorrow also? How were they going to shoot the show like this? The brunette started bouncing his leg, which was a clear sign he was getting anxious, but did his best to appear calm. He averted his gaze to the empty chair parallel to him. Why should he be concerned about Caspian anyway? They were both adults. They could sit in silence without needing to talk. That was what Andrew had wanted before, so why couldn’t he handle it now? Oh how the tables have turned.

When Caspian finally spoke to him, even with a simple question, Andrew was genuinely surprised. He thought Caspian was actively trying to forget about him, but he still managed to acknowledge his presence. “Just cheese.” McCain kept the same posture when he responded. He couldn’t be too hopeful that the professor wasn’t going to ignore him again after hanging up the phone. Should he try to talk to him now that he was out of his office? Andrew shifted in his seat to reach for his wallet. “How much is the total?” He asked, thinking nothing of it. “With yours included.” If Caspian was ordering him a pizza it was only polite for him to pay for it and offering to pay for the whole order wouldn’t break his wallet. Plus, he felt like he owed Caspian something since he was residing at his place, despite not being given a choice to.

[3ruri]

Caspian put an order for a cheese pizza and hung up. He wasn't surprised when Andrew offered to pay, but that wasn't necessary. Caspian had an account at the pizza place so they would just charge him from there. "All paid for," he said, moving to the living room after returning the menu back into the kitchen drawer. It would take about half an hour for the food to be delivered, and he didn't want to lock himself in his office again. He picked up the remote for the tv from the coffee table and switched it on. Since he wasn't going to talk to his roommate, the background noise would mask the awkwardness a tiny bit. He sat down on the sofa, facing the television and started surfing the channels. After passing through sports, movies and children shows, Caspian stopped on the news channel. 

"Oh shit," he gasped when his eyes caught the visual on the news. On the screen behind the news anchor was a stilled picture of him and Andrew kissing, with the tagline "Doctor Stone's cold heart has melted. The superhero takes a husband." he turned up the volume as his hand automatically covered his mouth as he listened to the news anchor telling that he and Andrew McCain had married earlier this morning in an intimate ceremony. They were set to star in a reality show featuring their marital bliss to be aired soon. 

As soon as the news changed to a different topic, Caspian's phone rang. He knew that ringtone and he dreaded answering it. He should have called his parents sooner to talk about it but he wasn't aware that Samantha was going to make the news about him getting married public so soon. He though that would happen during the first episode. The insistent ringing snapped Caspian from his thoughts and he reached for his phone that was on the side table. He waited a couple more seconds before sliding the phone to answer the call. The worse thing about getting a call was, it was a video call. 

"Hello, mom," he said as he tried to smile but failed miserably. His mother didn't look upset but it was evident that she was a bit displeased.

"Caspian Isidore Crowe, is there something that you forgot to tell me?" His mother using his full name instead of a greeting was a good sign that he was in trouble.

Caspian sighed. "About that, I was going to tell you--"

"Don't you think you should be telling me before you actually got married? And who is this Andrew McCain? How come you never brought him home? Caspian, you're not hiding this boy from your own family are you? Are you ashamed of us?"

"No, mother! God, no! It's nothing like that. I would never do that, I promise. We're actually in a situation right now and we we're trying to adjust. Everything is so overwhelming and I think Andrew is having a hard time," he said, glancing at the lone figure in the room with him. 

He heard his mother huffed before she responded. "Well of course he's having a hard time! He is married to you! Shame on you, Caspian Isidore, you should have brought him to meet your family like an honest man should. Now, where is this Andrew. Let me talk to him!" She everything but ordered Caspian.

"Mom, I think he needs --"

"Caspian Isidore Crowe!" 

"Okay, mother. Hold on." 

Caspian turned to Andrew, feeling as much dread as the other guy appeared to be. But that was how his mother worked, she believed she knew best about her sons and Caspian normally went along with her. She was a kind lady with a lot of wisdom, but she chose to act like she's an overbearing mother who people normally can't stand. Caspian loved her, so he hoped that whatever problem Andrew had with him, it wont extend to his mother. He knew Andrew had heard enough of the conversation between mother and son, so Caspian passed him the phone with only a nod for him to take it from his hand.

[YellowMelon]

Normally, Andrew would argue about being paid for. That’s what had broken several of his relationships before, but this time he simply returned the wallet to his pocket. It wasn’t that he was unappreciative of the gesture or that he was trying to impress anyone. He just liked paying. He never understood why anyone would not want to take up his offer even though that made him a hypocrite. Some of his ex-boyfriends accused his insistence of paying being due to him not wanting to feel like he owed the other person something, which wasn’t the case. Rarely did Andrew feel like he actually owed someone something unless he borrowed an item from them and then lost it. It couldn’t be said that he was flaunting his wealth either. He was unemployed for crying out loud and his income for several of his jobs relied on tips. Was it really a crime for him to pay?

With the television on, Andrew immediately rushed to the living room once he heard him and Caspian being talked about. They hadn’t even been married for a full day and it was already on the news! He stood in front of the television, making sure not to block Caspian’s view, and watched intently until the snip-it was over. He could only imagine their neighbors having watched the segment and the questions that ran through their mind. They hadn’t told them that they were on the show and they still had to deliver the cupcakes tomorrow. Would they judge them? What questions would they have? Andrew wanted to bombard Caspian with his questions, but he held himself from doing so.  If he didn’t know the answers, the superhero surely wouldn’t know either. He felt like pacing to get his stress down.

Andrew turned to look at Caspian when the phone rang and he picked up the call. Should he step out of the room? He slowly made the motion to but being able to hear everything Caspian’s mother was saying prevented him from doing so. Was it really eavesdropping if the phone caller wasn’t quiet? The brunette crossed his arms over his chest when his husband mentioned he was having a hard time. So, it was his fault that they weren’t getting along, huh? That may be true but Caspian certainly didn’t need to tell his mother, or anyone, that! Personally, he liked to think the both of them were having difficulties with adjusting to their situation and he was just struggling a little more than his companion it seemed.

When the phone was held out to him, McCain didn’t immediately take it. He was honestly scared at what Caspian’s mother might say to him. How she would comment about him. She sounded like a tough lady. Eventually, he took the phone and sat himself on the sofa with a cushion between him and his spouse.

“Hello,” he greeted sheepishly, “I’m Andrew.” 

“Andrew, huh? Let me get a good look at you.” He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the older lady looked him up and down while he holding the screen far away. “You’re not too bad looking. Has Caspian told you how handsome you are?” 

“No.” Not that he recalled at least. 

“Let me see my son so I can speak to both of you.” Caspian’s mother had a firm, demanding voice but her face was now softened. As ordered, Andrew moved right next to her son and held the phone which enabled both of them to be seen by the mother. “Now, Andrew, do your parents know about your marriage? Or was Caspian the only one keeping this a secret from family?” She glared at her son.

“I haven’t told my parents yet and they haven’t called either. I’m sure they’ll eventually receive word of it on the news like you.” However, it was unlikely they would call as soon as they heard about it. It’d just be something they added onto their to-do list. He decided to not tell Caspian’s mother that to avoid having to explain his family situation since she seemed to be active in knowing what her son is up to.

“I suggest you tell your parents before they see the news. Either way, has my son been treating you well?” Andrew gave a quick glance to the mentioned person, not wanting to lie but not wanting to get his mother involved in their problems either. Which one outweighed the other?

“He’s been a very pleasant husband.” He skillfully lied, leaning more against Caspian, “You’ve raised an excellent son.” 

“I should hope so. Now, Caspian, tell me when you’ll bring the boy home for a proper introduction, and don’t give me any excuses!”

[3ruri]

Was it his fault that he never got to tell Andrew he was good looking? So far whatever Caspian had said had been turned down and he remembered the ring now sad and alone again in the drawer in his room. No, Andrew didn't seem to want anything from Caspian, so a simple praise like how good looking he was was only going to be misconstrued or rejected - again. That's enough rejection in one day for the thirty-one year old professor. And damn right he was a pleasant husband. He tried, but that seemed like a waste of his time. Now he just wanted to take the word husband, rolled it in a thrash paper and dump it in a bin. 

"I can't tell for sure mom," he answered at the question directed to him. "As you heard on the news, we're on this reality show. Tomorrow the crew will come in and do some shooting. I'll ask the producer when we will have some free time. But I should warn you, they might want to rope you into this as well. There's nothing in the contract that said you have to be involved, and I hate to bother you with the mess after, so I'll keep you out as much as I can." Andrew explained to his mother. While he was well-known as Doctor Stone, his family was kept in the low light. He didn't want his work to interfere with his family's daily life and he would like to avoid in any means possible for them to dig about his childhood.

"As much as your father and I don't mind about being on camera, we would like to meet our son-in-law in a less havoc setting the first time. And that better be soon, Caspian, or you'll have me and your father to come knocking on your door. And if I have to drag Cameron with us, I will!"

Caspian shook his head at the mention of his younger brother. "No, mom, let's not drag Cam into this," he told his mother. Caspian preferred to manage his life on his own, so dragging other people, especially his family members into something that he had done to himself was the last thing he would do. 

"Then you know what to do so I don't have to take extreme measures."

Caspian sighed. His mother opened her mouth to berate him for the reaction, but the sound of the doorbell saved him. "Mom, that's our dinner. I'll call you back soon and let you know when we'll be visiting. Send my love to dad." He was thankful that the pizza arrived before his mother could drag on the issue further.

"I'll let you go for now. Andrew," she turned to look at the prone figure sitting beside her son. "I'll leave Caspian to you. I know he's difficult to get along sometimes, but he has a good heart. Give him a chance. See you both soon. Goodnight." 

Caspian heaved a long sigh when she finally hung up. He won't hold responsible for whatever his mother said, but it didn't matter because in the end, Andrew already had him judged. "I'm going to get the pizza," he said and stood up from the sofa. The pizza delivery man was already standing with two boxes of pizza and Caspian tipped him for his trouble. He brought the pizza into the kitchen and took out two plates. He wondered if Andrew would join him at the dining table. If he didn't feel like having dinner with Caspian close by, that's his problem. Caspian wasn't going to be a genial host anymore. 

[YellowMelon]

Andrew patiently held the phone while Caspian spoke to his mother, although he couldn’t help but be a little shaky since he felt fidgety being so close to his husband. However, he truly found Caspian’s mom to be amusing the more she spoke. She was forthright with her son and her son took it well. It seemed to be a good relationship, and Caspian clearly cared for his mother. With the professor explaining the situation to his mother, Andrew moved his face out of view to hide a smile from hearing the mother’s threat. She was definitely adamant in wanting to meet both of them, although Andrew certainly wasn’t ready to meet Caspian’s mother. It wasn’t the typical nervousness he had when a spouse first met his in-laws, but he was much more terrified of the parents sensing they were phonies. He could deal with the neighbors criticizing him if they were ever to have their suspicions but he certainly would feel a lot worse if Caspian’s parents pointed that out. Perhaps, in the future, they would be on better terms so they wouldn’t have as much tension between them, which would make a surprise visit right now extremely uncomfortable for them both. He could only hope so.

With the doorbell ringing, the brunette returned on the screen in time to exchange goodbyes with Caspian’s mother. If only she knew how difficult he was being now, she would surely have lectured her son about it. Caspian was lucky he didn’t indulge any more information than he had to. “Goodnight.” He said back, still holding the phone in his hand when the video call was over. Now, time to go back to silence. Andrew set the phone down where it had been before and then followed Caspian to the dining table. He wasn’t extremely hungry, but he felt like he needed something to hold him off until morning; otherwise, his stomach would be making noises during the night and that would annoy him. He took a seat in the same chair he had been before, believing that the only proper place to eat was at a table, no matter if they talked or not. He had never thought it was necessary to eat while sitting in front of a screen, not even when he was younger. 

There really was no point in sitting together if they weren’t going to talk though, despite his beliefs. Andrew wasn’t sure how firm Caspian was in giving him the silent treatment, but he could gauge that by talking to him more. He certainly knew he wasn’t deaf, even if he would act as though he was. “Your mother was pleasant to talk to,” he started speaking, “I think it’s nice that she called to check up on her son. I know I didn’t say much, but I hoped she liked me.” More for Caspian’s sake than his. He didn’t want Caspian’s mother to think he had made a poor decision on a husband when it hadn’t been his decision at all. “Then again, it’s probably hard to judge someone by a video call. Well, if I ever meet her in-person, I hope I can make a better impression then.” Or at least some sort of impression if the video call meeting hadn’t been memorable, but Caspian’s mother didn’t seem like she would forget a face. “How did you like the photo they showed of us on the news?” He questioned, although he knew how photogenic they were was the least of their concerns. He was just starting to ramble. “I think it was decent. Not sure if I’d want a copy of that, but you certainly looked attractive in your tuxedo. If they used a picture of us standing side-by-side, then I’d definitely crop out myself and keep a photo of you smiling at the camera.” Andrew didn’t like how he stood out like a sore thumb in red, but he didn’t have any say in his wardrobe choice for the wedding. “Were you able to see the pictures the Vijays took with you? Did you end up looking nice in them?” He continued, reflecting on what happened during their day. However, he gave no time for Caspian to respond before he was back to talking, completely forgetting he needed to eat. “You know, my favorite flowers in your garden are the hydrangeas, although your whole garden is impressive. The lemons that came from your tree were certainly fresh and worked well with the cupcakes." At this point, Andrew let out a nervous laugh to himself. He was well-aware he was all over the place, and talking to himself. "Okay, I'm done talking. We can eat in silence. I think I'll call it a night after we eat. It's been a long day for the both of us." 

[3ruri]

Now he wants to talk, Caspian thought as he picked up a slice of his peperoni and veggies pizza and place it onto his plate. There was no way Caspian could cut into the conversation even if he wanted to with Andrew rambling on and one. He took the chance to take a bit out of the pizza and chewed. Gosh, the grease. He needed to go out for a run in the morning if he even finished a slice. He should have gone with Chinese instead, but it wasn't any better with the amount of salt and MSG they dump in everything. 

"My mom thinks that all my relationship failures were my fault." Caspian finally got some word in once Andrew stopped talking. His relationships were nothing much to talk about, but all four guys he dated decided they were not ready for a serious guy like Caspian. They wanted spontaneity and fun and the glamour that came with dating a superhero, but with someone who liked to keep his personal life and public life separated, those just weren't happening. Ironically, now that his life would be under scrutiny of every human being who would watch the show, his partner was someone who couldn't stand the idea of even acting as husbands. He understood that it was technically lying and deceiving the viewers, but the fact that they were married was real. It would be a lie only if he confessed to the world that he loved the other man, which he never did. If Andrew thought they were doing something wrong, he shouldn't have signed up for it in the first place. "She'll like you better than me," he added, just to clear his point that his mother would find Andrew faultless.

Thinking about the picture that was on the news, Caspian sighed. They didn't profess their love, true, but the picture of them kissing was now smacked right up in his face. It wasn't the awkward first kiss that made Samantha glared at them, it was the second kiss, the one where they clung to each other and technically mauled the other's lips. And yet, Andrew did it again and killed whatever calm Caspian was maintaining. Did he have to mention about cropping his picture out? Was it so appalling to be in the same picture as Caspian. "Lucky for you, the Vijays had the pictures in their phone, so you're not gonna see any of that unless you asked them for it," Caspian answered in annoyance. It was just a few pictures. If Caspian was to stop every person who had taken his pictures and asked them to crop them out, he wouldn't have time for anything else. Then Andrew mentioned the cupcakes. The damned cupcakes that were still on top of the kitchen counter waiting for ants to come. There were no ants in Caspian's house, but his day had been all sorts of wrong, so it wouldn't surprised him if they'd come just to make him more miserable.

"You didn't even try the cupcake, how would you know the lemon worked well with it?" He said indignantly. He knew Andrew was just breaking the silence that Caspian had been treating him for a few hours, but why bother when he would just come up with more things to upset Caspian. "You can do whatever you want. It's my house, I know, but you're stuck here because of me, so I'm not going to rule over you. You can eat, you can sleep, do whatever you want as long as it's not illegal. You don't have to worry about me unless it's for the show. That's what you want isn't it? Being civil only for the sake of the show," he said his piece and walked to the sink with his unfinished plate of pizza. He tossed the rest of the slice into the waste bin, rinse his plate before putting it into the dishwasher. 

[YellowMelon]

Andrew reached to open his pizza box but didn’t feel so hungry anymore when Caspian started to respond. While he had promised to keep silent for the rest of the meal, he couldn’t stand what Caspian was saying and he wasn’t even eating! What was his problem? McCain patiently waited as his husband commented on each point of his rambling. HIs words were short and to-the-point and that’s what annoyed him the most. He had to give him credit for being so articulate, just like his mother. Andrew rolled his eyes when hearing that his mother - his mother - would like him more than him. Someone she met over video call, not even for ten minutes. Caspian didn’t seem to think too highly of himself and it sounded like it was his husband’s doing. From what Andrew could remember, he had never said anything against Caspian, only expressed his own insecurities now and then. He had never complimented the man either, so, perhaps, a compliment was due. Except with these circumstances it’d be damn hard to do it and have it received well. 

“I think you misunderstand,” Andrew spoke slowly as he watched Caspian who was behind the sink, “I don’t mind being ‘civil’ outside of your show, but you’re expecting too much of me if you think I should immediately adjust to living in a place not my own. I feel like I’m invading your privacy and I thought I was being polite not taking over your room.” He put his empty and still-clean plate on top of his pizza box. “If you want a much more ideal husband, I can certainly act like one.” Admittedly, he hadn’t been the most loving spouse but he couldn’t say the same for Caspian. If the other wanted him to better act the part it wouldn’t be that difficult. There’d be a lot more silence and pent up frustration on his end, however. “You want to exchange cliché words like ‘baby,’ ‘honey,’ and the like?” Just saying such nicknames made him cringe. “It’ll certainly help your reputation to have a husband who showers you with affection, huh? Isn’t that the whole point of this show? It doesn’t have anything to do with me.” McCain truly wanted to know what nonsense he was spouting, if any. It’s not as though Dr. Stone had to sign up as a contestant to appear on television.

“I may not have tried the cupcakes, but I certainly finished baking them and made the frosting. You haven’t even tried the cupcake you said you would either.” He continued to keep his voice controlled despite wanting to raise it. He had to show some self-control. Now, to address the most important issue - being told he can do whatever he wanted in this house. “Fine, if I can do whatever I want, then maybe I will ask the Vijays for the picture and stick them all around your house. Maybe I’ll pull photos of you from the internet too and I’ll certainly use the one we saw on the news.” His voice cracked as he raised it slightly before sighing to maintain a steady voice. “You’re not the problem. Your picture isn’t the problem. So stop acting like I have a problem with you.” Andrew stood from his seat but stayed where he was, looking directly at Caspian whether the man looked at him or not. 

“I don’t know why I won the contest, but I keep thinking that there are many other people better than me who should have won. Someone who you wouldn’t have a problem with because they’d be so ecstatic about this situation. Oh, wow, they can meet the lovely Dr. Stone, his neighbors, and his mother. They’d certainly jump for joy if they were me and maybe they’d genuinely think they have a chance of staying in wedlock with you.” Sure, he was describing more of a crazed fan, but he got his point across. Instead of giving Caspian a chance to retort back, Andrew left to the living room, rummaged through the suitcase to grab the dental hygienic products thankfully provided to him, and then prepared to get ready for the night in the bathroom. He certainly hoped Caspian was getting ready to sleep soon too; otherwise, he’d have difficulty sleeping with the light on in the living room. 

[3ruri]

((my cat hit some buttons and automatically sent an unfinished reply >.<))

Edited January 16, 2021 by 3ruri

[3ruri]

Caspian was so ready to dump every single one of the cupcakes and everything that was in front of him. He was so ready to return to his normal life. No tv show, no wedding, no Andrew. He was so done trying to make himself clear but still be mistaken by another person. He was never this frustrated talking to a rock. Before he did anything he would regret, Caspian took a deep breath and went into the bedroom. Since there was only one bathroom, he needed to wait for Andrew to finish using it before he could take a bath. He wanted to wash away the evidence from today even though the was no way he could erase Andrew as well. 

While waiting, the superhero sat on the bed, his face in his hand. Was he wrong to go through with the program? Was it really for the greater good or was Caspian only doing it for selfish reasons. He can't force people to like him or change their mind if they were already set on what kind of the person he was, so was there even a point getting caught up in something like this? He looked at his nightstand, there was nothing on top of it but a table lamp and a clock. Caspian pulled out the drawer - the same one where he tossed the ring he had given Andrew - and took out a small notebook. 

An old photo slipped out when Caspian flipped the hardcover open. On it was three little boys, one aged ten, one aged six and another aged two. His finger traced the image of the toddler on the picture and automatically, a lump formed in his throat. "When would I ever learn how to do things right?" He asked the figure in the picture, even though he knew there won't be a reply. "When would I learn to let things go?" He asked again. "When will I ever be able to let you go?" His eyes were beginning to water as he asked those question. Maybe he should stop with the reality show nonsense. Maybe it was time he forget everything and just live his own life for himself and not for others. 

He was suddenly so tired. He couldn't face Andrew and start another argument. They were just too different. He couldn't understand Andrew and the guy was so set on creating barriers between them. He didn't want to force Andrew to change his feelings, but to go on with the mindset that this is a contract, they will not get along unless it was for work, or we're going to be strangers and I'd like to keep it that way the way Andrew seemed to favor was eating at him. He should find that contract and tear it to pieces and get it done with.

[YellowMelon]

The reflection that looked back at him was so haggard. He surely felt exhausted but he didn't think he looked it. Andrew rubbed his face as he finished his nightly routine and then left with his products, making sure he didn't leave anything behind. The only way Caspian would know he was ever in his house would be because he saw him, not because he was inconsiderate. Andrew didn't bother to change into anything more comfortable for the night. His normal sleepwear was a shirt, underwear, and socks - clean socks because his feet got cold - but that wasn't appropriate with Caspian around. The younger man sat on the sofa looking at his wedding ring. His finger looked bare now that he had taken off his second ring. However, he still believed it was the best thing to do. If Caspian noticed, he surely didn't mention it, so he must have agreed with it. Wearing only the wedding band the production company provided them did not make him as happy though. Although it would have been tedious, having to pick out their own rings together may have allowed him and Caspian to talk through their situation prior to filming. He also always preferred the look of white jewelry over traditional gold.

Andrew stayed in a sitting position with the lights on, going over in his mind what they were to do tomorrow besides whatever Samantha had planned. The cupcakes needed to be delivered, and it was unlikely he and Caspian would do it together. His coworker certainly didn't want to have anything to do with the baked goods anymore. He had made that clear. Andrew could take on the responsibility of completing their task, although he would have to think about how to package the cupcakes. One option was to deliver them on the serving plates they were on now, but he would need to go back and forth between Caspian's house and a neighbor's since he only had two hands. Plus, he would have to ensure that the neighbors didn't take the plates. They were to be used solely for transportation, unless Caspian would be out of the  dinnerware. Well, he could figure everything out tomorrow. He wasn't going to pull an all-nighter over cupcakes, and he didn't want to dream about them either. Finally, lying on the sofa, Andrew closed his eyes.
 
[9:00 AM]

The sofa hadn't been a problem. It was sleeping in an unfamiliar place which made Andrew uncomfortable. He kept waking up fully-aware he was in another person's home - a person he didn't like and vice versa. It was weird. A few times he had gotten up to pace but he did so quietly, hoping not to wake Caspian. Eventually, exhaustion got the best of him and he really fell asleep...for about three hours until he was jolted awake. The jiggling of the front door handle made him sit upright. It was only the production crew with Samantha struggling to turn the key but Andrew, in his groggy state, didn't think of that. He didn't think much of anything besides, why did anyone have a key to Caspian's place who wasn't Caspian?

Andrew immediately shot down the hall and into Caspian's bedroom, careful not to break the door when he pushed it open. Whenever state Caspian was in, the brunette grabbed his shoulders and shook him out of it. "Who else has a copy of your key?" He spoke a bit frantically, although not specifying what "key" he was referring to.

"Helloooo." A familiar voice echoed in the house, followed by the sound of high heels against the wooden floor. Other footsteps soon followed after. "Andrew? Caspian?"

[3ruri]

Caspian didn't go to bed until late at night. He was having a hard time falling asleep despite the whole day's event so he opened up a book to read. He last saw Andrew when he stomped off using the bathroom then stayed in whichever room in the house he decided to stay in. Normally he was a light sleeper, but thanks to dragging his bed time past four, Caspian couldn't give a damn about waking up. 

He was shaken awake from his slumber and the grogginess made him slap the hands away from him. Caspian snuggled right back under the covers, ignoring the question about a key. Then he heard someone calling his name and Andrew...Andrew? Who's Andrew? Was it the guy who was holding onto his shoulder despite Caspian's protests. It was way too early for him to get his head gears working, so he pulled the insistent hands down, tumbling the body with him in bed and Caspian went back to sleep. 

"Keep the camera rolling," someone said in a hushed whispers. As if in a dream, Caspian heard the door to his bedroom creaked open. "Oh, my looks like the newlyweds were having a cozy morning," an annoying female  voice squealed. It left his ears ringing and that was enough to woke him up from his sleep. 

"What the hell, Samantha, don't you guys know what privacy is?" He grumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He wasn't aware of the other body on the bed with him yet, all that he cared was the many people in his bedroom, shoving cameras in his face. He was shirtless, just like he normally went to bed. Thankfully he had on a pair of boxers, otherwise there were some serious censorship to be done to the footage. "What time is it?" He asked, annoyance present in his voice. 

"It's nine in the morning and we're so happy to see the two of you getting along in bed. How was last night anyway? Did the cupcakes make you crave for something sweet?" 

From Samantha's tone, he was guessing she was trying to insinuate something about him and his husband. But that was impossible since Andrew had spent the whole night not in the room. Not to mentioned they had build a wall between them successfully that Caspian would call the two of them 'estranged'. "God, Samantha. I had ba late night last night, and Andrew is..." The movement beside him caught his eyes. He flinched slightly when the said person what actually beside him. "This is what happened when I don't wake up on my own. Did I pull you onto the bed?" He asked, already figuring out what had happened. "Can I pretend to go back to sleep so you guys could redo this take?" He sighed, feeling tired already and he just woke up not five minutes ago.

[YellowMelon]

The sound of Samantha’s all-too-cheery morning voice triggered Andrew to shake harder. Why wasn’t Caspian waking up? Was he purposefully ignoring him? He could hear footsteps coming down the hall, approaching the bedroom, but, before he had time to stop them from entering, he was pulled down next to Caspian. Was this a joke? Andrew stared at the ceiling with his body stiff as a board, waiting for the other to realize he was no longer alone. However, that didn’t happen until there was a camera crew in the bedroom recording them. And, still, he hadn’t recognized Andrew right beside him. He sat up when Samantha began talking, looking directly at the cameras which were recording them. No matter what the female insulated, anyone could clearly see that nothing “sweet” had happened. Despite Caspian’s almost fully naked body, Andrew was completely clothed. The only thing unkempt about him was his bedhead.

When Caspian finally took notice of his presence, Andrew shook his head in disappointment. The awareness he had of what he did made him think it was just a bad habit. Well, he didn’t regret trying to wake the other up. He had thought there may have been a burglar breaking in. “Samantha,” he said slowly, exhausted, “Why don’t you and the crew try some of the cupcakes? We haven’t delivered them to the neighbors yet, so all fifty are still there.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You’ll give Caspian the privacy to get changed, right?” He hoped the reality show wasn’t that invasive. 

“We can redo the take if you want, but I make no promises in using the retake for the episode that airs.” Samantha first responded to Caspian. They were supposed to be filming a reality show after all. At least that was an easy excuse to use if either Caspian or Andrew complained about a shot they took. She then looked toward Andrew at his offer. “Goody, I’m looking forward to trying one. We’ll also need some for what you’re doing today. Get changed to what you wore yesterday during the marriage ceremony, aright?” She then turned, motioning the cameras to follow, and left, closing the door behind. 

Andrew immediately fell back onto the bed when the door shut. The mattress was rather comfortable and it was so warm, even being on top of the blankets. He moved onto his stomach and hugged the pillow under his head. “How long do you think they’ll give us until they start getting suspicious?” He joked, unaware of what he may be implying. All he really wanted to do was go back to sleep and he was sure Caspian was thinking the same thing, although he knew it was unlikely that it would take the superhero an hour or more to change. "Anyway, I'm not excited that I'll have to look like a tomato again." He turned on his side to look at Caspian. It was evident yesterday night's dispute was not affecting him. 

[3ruri]

Caspian pulled the blanket away and got out of bed. He didn't care that he was half naked as he walked t the en suite bathroom to brush and wash his face. At least he managed to get five hours of sleep. He'd had lesser than that, but with all the things that happened last night and going to bed feeling unsettled, that five hours was needed. Once he was done using the bathroom, Caspian returned to the bedroom and opened the closet. The tuxedo he wore yesterday was neatly hung on the clothes hanger but there was no sign of the striking red suit Andrew had to wear. That reminded him that the other man had packed his stuff into the suitcase. 

"The color is the very least of your problem. I'm guessing by now that red suit is all wrinkled," he said, as he pulled the pants on over a fresh pair of boxer briefs. Caspian didn't like wearing the tuxedo either. He much rather prefer suits since tuxedo were most likely look better on penguins or on banquet staff. He could very well ditch it for something else, but he didn't know what Samantha had planned for the day, so Caspian pulled on his white shirt and tucked it into his pants, followed by the waistcoat and the jacket. He ditched the bow tie to wear later or maybe not wear it all if he could get away with it. "Maybe getting the suit wrinkled is a good thing. You could ask the production crew to get a new, less striking pair. I'm sure they have backup costumes for the show." he added, now fully dressed. 

Turning around, it was strange to have Andrew still sitting on his bed, but at the same time, he didn't mind at all. Caspian wasn't one to drag things on for long, so whatever was said and done last night, maybe he could find a heart to let it go. The nightstand drawer caught his view again, as it seemed to do many times the day before. He walked over and pulled it out, looking for the item that was dumped there. "I don't understand why you had to return this when I said you could have it,' Caspian took out the ring that had fallen out f its box. "Somewhere in that mind of yours you think there's someone better to wear this ring, but really, there isn't. Whether we're pretending or not, I gave it to you. It's yours. If you don't want it, you can throw it away." The ring was no longer Caspian's when he put it around Andrew's finger. So like he did the day before, the professor took Andrew's hand, a little forcefully and slid the ring back on its place. 

"That's yours. Do whatever you like to it." He left the room as soon as he dropped Andrew's hand. The bathroom was free for the other male to use why Caspian went to meet the crew and asked what was their plan for today. He also wanted to talk to Samantha about the news last night. He needed to know everything Samantha had planned for them so that there wouldn't b anymore surprises. 

[YellowMelon]

Shit. Caspian was right. Andrew hadn’t thought he would have to wear his bright red outfit again, so packaged it into his suitcase. He forgot the reason he had initially hung the tuxedo and pants was because they weren’t his to begin with! Hopefully, Caspian was also right that the production crew carried a spare outfit, although, if they did, he didn’t know why they would be told to wear the same clothes as yesterday morning. It made him wonder what they would be doing, but he didn’t ponder the possibilities too much. Right now, he had to tell Samantha his clothes weren’t suitable to wear. Before Andrew was able to leave the bed, Caspian presented him with the green tourmaline ring for a second time. This time, however, he was less excited to receive it and Caspian seemed as though he just wanted to get rid of it. There was something going on in Caspian’s head that he couldn’t understand. Why even suggest throwing the ring away? And why was he so set on giving it to him? Andrew let out a quiet sigh. If it was his now, he would keep it. It was too precious to toss or to give it back and have Caspian possibly throw it out.

Andrew left the bedroom to grab his toothbrush and other necessities from his suitcase to prepare for the morning, then disappeared into the bathroom. When he reemerged, and after putting his items away, he had not yet changed his clothes. This was something Samantha immediately took notice of.

“Andrew, why are you not wearing your red tuxedo and dress pants?” The spoken to person hesitantly showed his neatly folded outfit to those present in the room. “Take those.” Samantha ordered a member of the crew, then grabbed a black garment bag from a shorter woman standing next to her. “Change into this. Someone will help you with your makeup too.” With that, Andrew left with the garment bag in hand and a lady following behind.

The blonde host turned to Caspian who she had initially ignored when he approached her. All of the crew had been discussing the cupcakes before each of them tried one. They were better than they expected. “The flowers on top are a nice decoration,” she commented to the professor, “I’m surprised you were able to bake all fifty. After sending you the challenge, we took bets on how many you would actually be able to make.” Samantha chose not to divulge she had lost twenty dollars with her own guess.

“Now, here’s what you’ll be doing today,” she immediately transitioned to discussing the plans, assuming that Andrew, who was still occupied changing, would catch on quickly, ‘We were reviewing the film from yesterday of your short marriage ceremony and we were lucky enough to get a decent photo to share on the news, which I assume you’ve seen, but we don’t have enough lovey-dovey photos to promote the show. Honestly, I expected this, so today is the day where we’ll officially be taking wedding photos.” She handed Caspian a picture of yesterday’s outdoor venue which had only been a white tent, but now the picture showed the tent with tables and chairs underneath. Each round table was covered with a white tablecloth and had a floral centerpiece. There were mini lights strung inside and outside the tent, although it was difficult to see in the picture. “There are still people working on the finishing touches as we’re standing here, but it’ll be an absolutely perfect outdoor wedding venue!” She exclaimed the last part excitedly.

By the time the explanation was finished, Andrew appeared wearing white with the exception of black trousers and leather shoes. He, too, was without a bow tie to match Caspian, and the light make-up they put on him covered his freckles once again. Seeing that Samantha was in a discussion with his husband, McCain occupied himself by making small talk with the cosmetologist who had assisted him. Either unaware of Andrew or choosing to purposefully ignore him, Samantha continued to speak solely to Caspian. “When you distribute the cupcakes to your neighbors, invite them to the venue. Everything will be ready in about two hours and we need more people to attend so the venue looks semi-full. We'll also be taking some cupcakes with us for photography purposes.” 

[3ruri]

"Yeah, I want to talk about the news. What the hell, Sam? You never said anything about publicizing the wedding outside of the show." Caspian confronted the host. He was done doing things without questioning, so even though he was going to go through with the plans - to some extend - Caspian had to question some things and chew Samantha at the same time. 

"Relax, Doctor Stone. It was a last minute decision. People are now excited to know that you're married and they're curious about Andrew. The rating for our first episode will shoot up the roof for sure." Caspian wondered whether she had done some homework on him before creating the show. Caspian didn't have a lot of fans, so he doubt the ratings would be as high as Samantha hoped it would be. 

When he heard the plan about the photoshoot, Caspian sighed. "Can't you decide on these things beforehand? We could have get it done and over with yesterday." He pointed out. The crew seemed to go along with it but he was questioning whether the production was properly thought of. He never questioned their budget, but Caspian won't be paid for the show, except for the expenses such as food, travel and lodging when they went on the road, so their plans sounded sketchy more and more to him. Andrew on the other hand, will walk away with a sum for all his troubles getting involved. Caspian didn't envy him.

Now that Samantha had informed them about inviting the neighbors, Andrew was a little nervous. He had told himself that he wasn't going to lie about his feelings to Andrew, but he knew Samantha would ask impossible things like be more affectionate, or kiss passionately - not that kissing was a problem. He knew Andrew would be cooperative, but still, you cannot fake affection in front of live audience. Caspian didn't look forward to have his nice neighbors involved in the farce. 

"At least you look much better in this suit," Caspian said as he turned to Andrew in his new assemble. He looked lovely in the red suit the day before, but it did look a little bit over the top. The one he wore now was more subtle and made them look more matching. "So, we can deliver the cupcakes to anyone we like, right? And it doesnt matter how many we give to them?" Andrew looked at Samantha for confirmation. He would like to keep only the three neighbors he visited yesterday on the list, but if he played his game right, the Smiths and the Vijays could extend the invitation without him and Andrew having to visit the other neighbors one by one.

[YellowMelon]

Andrew stopped in conversation when Caspian complimented him. He hadn’t thought changing the color of his outfit changed his appearance that much, but hearing the other say he looked much better now than in his previous attire made him smile. “Thanks, you look the same. Still attractive.” The more he looked at Caspian the more he took note of his features. He wasn’t someone he could fall in love with at a single glance - no one really was - but he was handsome. He could certainly see why some people could become a fan of his without getting to know him personally. Andrew soon approached Samantha and Caspian, curious as to what they had been talking about. 

“Yes, to anyone you like, as long as they’re your neighbors,” the host confirmed, “And whatever cupcakes you have left you can give away. I don’t care if you keep some for yourselves either.” Samantha then moved away from the men, handing the picture of the venue to Andrew. “I need to help finish prepping and change into a more suitable outfit. See you guys later.” She chimed before leaving the house. A camera man stayed behind to continue filming. 

Andrew remained quiet until Samantha left the house, then looked at Caspian with a raised eyebrow, although said nothing. From the snippet he heard, it seemed as though the host had only come to discuss their cupcakes situation. He still had no idea why they were dressed so formally, but decided not to question it. Perhaps she would come back and explain, as she mentioned she would see them later. Andrew moved over to the counter where the cupcakes rested and set the photograph in his hand down without looking at it. “What happened to the cupcakes?!” He questioned, clearly confused at the reduced number. He had told the crew they could have some, but he didn’t think they would eat more than half. With ten cupcakes eaten by the production crew and twenty packaged for the wedding venue, there were only twenty left on the counter, and the brunette repeatedly counted them neurotically. "Am I miscounting?" He muttered to himself. Had the crew really been that hungry? 

[3ruri]

Caspian followed Andrew into the the kitchen and wondered the same thing. Not that Caspian cared about the reduced number. Samantha said they could give to anyone they want, however many they wanted to give. So there were only three families that he cared to visit right now and he could divide them according to the household members. The Smiths could have four pieces, the Martinez and Vijays could have eight pieces each. 

"Oh, sorry man. We didn't stop for breakfast and you offered, sooo..." one of the production crew said. 

"It's fine. We still have enough to take this to the neighbors," he said, putting a hand on Andrew's shoulder. He told Andrew his plans on how many cupcakes should be taken to the three neighbors they had borrowed. "Should we put them in a box or something?" Caspian turned to Andrew then at the leftover crew members. "Do you guys have a box or something for us to divide these cupcakes?" Everyone shook their head. "I guess we just need to use trays then." 

Already forgetting about lashing out the night before, Caspian took out a couple of trays from the cabinet and laid it on the table. "I think we can put them on this, then we do the little borders on the side like you did with the roasting tray and cover it with cling wrap so it wont mess with the frosting," he suggested. "The one for the Smiths could go on the smaller plate." He started arranging the cupcakes on one small tray and tore up a big piece of aluminum, folding them about the cupcake height. Once done and all cupcakes are covered, he looked at Andrew and as if asking if he was ready. 

He felt a little silly wearing a tuxedo and going to his neighbors house, bringing cupcakes, but there will be Andrew and the cameramen as well, so he won't be alone. But then again, he needed Andrew to be on board as well. "Do you wanna do this?" he asked, looking for signs whether Andrew was reluctant. He knew how uncomfortable the man was meeting Caspian's neighbors the day before, and now they had people filming their reaction. The pressure was higher than yesterday.