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

[YellowMelon]

Andrew couldn’t hide a disappointed look when the crew member spoke. Sharing a dozen cupcakes with each neighbor like they originally planned may have been too much, but it would have emphasized the effort they put into baking. He started splitting the cupcakes according to what Caspian recommended, simply listening to the older man without adding his input. Four to the Smiths, eight to the Martinez, and eight to the Vijays was a fair deal. It was smart of Caspian to consider the size of the families. When Caspian went on explaining how he would package them, he held a blank stare, not being able to imagine what he was describing. Everything became clearer when explained structure was being built on the plate , and Andrew began to help. It was a neat idea, and worked nicely. The cling wrap didn’t touch the cupcakes and the cupcakes weren’t squished next to each other. 

Eyeing the wrapped goods, Andrew nodded his head in response to Caspian. He wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by the question, but he had always been ready to distribute the cupcakes. Yesterday he had prepped himself to do it alone and Caspian wanting to join today made him feel much better. Although wearing tuxedos and having cameramen follow them around was not something he planned for, he wasn’t going to have Caspian do all the work and get all the credit. Andrew grabbed the two plates which held eight cupcakes, letting his husband grab the smaller plate. “Don’t let my cheeks get pinched again.” He said in a joking manner, although the comment was serious. Now that news was out they were on a television show, he wondered if the neighbors would ask them about it. It wasn’t explicitly stated Dr. Stone married for the show, so he hoped none of the neighbors grew suspicious if they had seen the news clip.

Out of the house, Andrew trailed behind the taller individual as usual until they were approaching the Smith's house. At their doorstep, he rang the bell and waited. Just like before, it took several minutes before Mrs. Smith opened the door.

“Hello,” Andrew greeted, “As promised, we have cupcakes for you.” He moved to the side to let Caspian hand them off.

“Oh, thank you. They look gorgeous.” She commented, taking the plate into her hands and staring at the decorated tops. “I’m assuming my muffin pan came in handy?”

“Yes, it certainly cut our baking time down. The extra butter you gave us also came in handy for the frosting.”

“Good, I’m glad. If you ever need any other baking supplies, I’d be more than happy to help.” 

“I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” Andrew gave a knowing glance to Caspian. He didn’t think they would be baking ever again for the rest of the show, or their lives, unless another challenge required it, and he sincerely hoped it wouldn’t. 

“Who are you talking to, honey?” A man’s voice was suddenly heard from within the house, although the person speaking could not be seen. It could only have been Mr. Smith.

“Andrew. Caspian’s husband.” Mrs. Smith reminded her own spouse. He tended to forget things he didn’t deem as important. 

“Why is he here?” He questioned, now approaching the door and becoming visible next to his wife.

“They’re both here. They were just delivering cupcakes. Isn't that sweet?”

“Yes, but why are they dressed like that?” Mrs. Smith had noticed their attire but chose not to comment on it, assuming they were going on a date or somewhere special, which she would have postulated with her husband and maybe a couple of friends later. Mr. Smith, on the other hand, was always direct and straightforward with his thoughts, and he thought the couple looked ridiculous wearing such clothing. He had to know why they were dressed in such a manner.  The cameramen, standing at a distance, had yet to be noticed by the couple. 

[3ruri]

"Hello, Mr. Smith. It's been a while." Caspian took over. He handed the plate with four cupcakes to Mrs. Smith so that his hands would be free to be able to shake the old man's hand. "I wonder if you've seen the news last night." Since there was no point in lying, Caspian decided to go with the straightforward approach as well. "You see, Andrew and I, we just got married. And we're also doing a reality show called Doctor Stone's Adventure. The two of us will be doing a lot of tasks the production had prepared for us, and the cupcakes were one of them," he explained, pointing to the cupcakes in Mrs. Smith's hands. "That's why yesterday, we came to borrow for some ingredients and Mrs. Smith was kind enough to provide us with more than generous ingredients. We appreciate that." He smiled, truthfully grateful that he has kind neighbors. "So today, we are actually heading for our wedding photo shoot, as you can see - penguin suits," Caspian cracked a joke. "I know I haven't been a good neighbor all these while, but I realized how important all of you are to me, especially my time of need, so if we are not imposing on your time, would you like to come to our event this afternoon?" Caspian asked sincerely, hoping that the older couple would consider it. 

Mrs. Smith exchanged looks with her husband and smiled when she turned to Caspian and Andrew. "Oh, we would love to. Thank you for inviting us."

"Really? You'll come? I mean, thank you. We'd look forward to see you there," Caspian felt relieved to hear they would go. "But I have to tell you, since we already started filming for the show, there will be cameras around us all the time. In fact, we have a couple of cameramen following us right now," Caspian informed them, not wanting the older people to be surprised that they somehow ended up on screen. 

"We can handle a few cameras," said Mr. Smith while his wife waved at one of the cameraman. 

"Well, here's the invitation card. We need to go see the Martinez's and the Vijays. They helped us with the cupcake ingredients too. We didn't get to see the other neighbors, but I'm sure they'd lend us a hand somehow." Caaspian passed the invitation card that had the time and location in it to the Smiths. "Well then, we'd better go. See you later." He nodded and turned to Andrew. Since his hands were now free, he took the other tray from Andrew as they headed to the next house.

[YellowMelon]

Andrew quickly turned his head between looking at the Smiths and the cameramen. So that was why they wore tuxedos. He hadn't been aware they were going to take wedding photos, but that explained why Samantha wanted them in their original outfits. Why take wedding photos now though? Couldn't they have done it during yesterday's short ceremony? Andrew was beginning to question just how much he missed when changing. Was this supposed to be a secret from him or had production just forgot to tell him? At least Caspian knew what their goal was and he had quite the way with words when inviting the Smiths to the shoot. It sure didn't give them a lot of time to prepare, though, with the event happening today. With so many questions now on his mind, McCain waved goodbye to the couple and followed his all-knowing husband. Midway between the Smiths and the Martinez house, he grabbed onto Caspian's arm, stopping him from walking further.

"What's this about a wedding photo shoot?" Without giving Caspian time to answer, Andrew held his cupcake plate in one hand and used his other hand to search for the invitation card on Caspian's body. Once he pulled it out from a pocket, he gave it a good look. It was small like a business card with their names, a location, and time printed on it. Perhaps the photograph Samantha gave him earlier would have helped to provide insight on the situation. He would have to check it out when they returned to the house. "Why are we inviting the neighbors?" He calmly asked, simply wanting more information on the matter. Wouldn't it be easier to do a photo shoot with just the two of them? Who else was invited whom they didn't directly contact? Andrew returned the invitation to Caspian, then glanced at the camera closest to them. Although the previous neighbors agreed to be filmed, it didn't seem very considerate that they showed up with cameras already on them.

"The Martinez family has several young children," he directed his attention to all of the cameramen, "Don't film them until you get permission from their parents." The cameramen already knew it wasn't appropriate to show someone's face on a video without consent. They could film but would have to blur faces during editing unless they were told otherwise, like the Smiths agreed to. If Caspian hadn't made them aware of the cameras, one of the crew would have stayed behind to ask if it was okay to record them. Andrew, however, was directly stating not to film. Whether the cameramen listened or not was out of the brunette's control but he wouldn't be too happy if they decided to ignore him. They were here to film Caspian and Andrew, not children. "So," he turned to look at the doctor again, "Are we redoing our ceremony with a larger audience or is this for photographs only?" He hoped the answer would clear up some of his confusion, if Caspian knew what was going on himself. 

[3ruri]

Caspian carefully balanced the cupcake tray in his hands when Andrew suddenly frisked him for the invitation cards. "Hey, careful!" he said, but Andrew managed to get his hand on the cards. It wasn't like he was keeping secrets but Andrew was away when Samantha had explained to him about the day's schedule and Caspian didn't find in him enough effort to repeat it to his husband. And Apparently, he didn't bother to ask the essential questions as well. What Andrew had asked him were legit, and he should have thought to ask Samantha about it too. It was just that Caspian was used to taking care of problems as it came, so even if there was a problem later, he knew he could handle it himself. But now, he there was also another person affected by this and he felt slightly guilty that he overlooked the issue.

"To be honest I didn't ask Samantha more than what she told me. It was just a photo shoot and she wanted more audience. I guess they wanted to record their reaction or something. I'm glad I'd mentioned it to the Smiths." At least he didn't waste their time coming to the event only to disagree about being filmed. They walked a few steps but Caspian stopped again in the middle of the sidewalk and turned to Andrew. "Are you going to be okay with this? The photo shoot, I mean. You seemed unhappy with everything so far. The marriage, the ring, me. If you don't feel like it, we'll talk to Samantha so we could draw a line. I'm not going to like to the audience either. I mean, yes, we are married, but I wont blatantly lie to them that we're in love. I don't mind us kissing, holding hands and all, people don't need love for that. But tell me if you're not up to it and we'll sort it out." The last thing Caspian wanted was to lie to the public when he wanted to improve his image. Nothing good would come from lying and if they found out they were just acting, the repercussions would be even worse. Right now, the audience may not know that they were contractually married, yet he wanted to keep their interaction more natural and unscripted. The production crew could cut here and there, but no one would be fooled by a poor performance if what Caspian and Andrew had been doing were natural.

They moved toward The Martinez house once again, taking their cupcakes with them. "You know, I never got to eat the cupcakes in the end, but thanks for helping me baking," he said, out of topic. He just realized he never thanked Andrew for helping him in the first task. "When the Martinez open the door, I'll cover the camera with my body. Sometimes being tall comes with advantages," he turned to Andrew and smiled. 

[YellowMelon]

As Andrew somewhat expected, Caspian knew as much information as he did about the photo shoot, which was only the basics. It sounded simple enough. Just having photos taken on them. He hoped Samantha didn’t pull any surprises on them so this day didn’t drag on as long as the last. When Caspian started walking again, he followed, until the other came to a stop. Andrew looked at his husband, keeping silent. Why did he have to bring this up? They were doing so well not mentioning anything that happened yesterday and here he was checking if he was okay. Of course, that was sweet of him, but Andrew didn’t think he needed to point out that he seemed so unhappy. Caspian wasn’t happy-go-lucky being on the show either. In fact, yesterday he seemed unhappier than he was. Don’t start an argument. The brunette gave a weak smile before responding. “I’ll be okay.” What worried him more was the audience. He was already getting nervous thinking of people watching them.

“Well, it was a challenge given to the both of us.” Despite being on a show which focused on the superhero, Andrew never considered having Caspian do all the baking; otherwise, there was no point in him getting married. If they were to advertise the star of the show as a family man, then it was a given they would have to act like family, although they were still working on that. “And you’re not too bad of a baker.” He was also a neater baker compared to Andrew, so he was grateful for Caspian helping him to clean up. Finally getting to the Martinez family’s house, there was a lack of noise when stepping onto their porch. No dogs barking, no children laughing and shouting, and no running footsteps. Ringing the doorbell, however, changed the unusual quietness. Barking could now be heard.

Andrew patiently stood beside Caspian for someone to answer, wondering if they’d get the same ten year old girl or a parent this time. When the door opened, an adult stood beyond the screen door, young-looking but undoubtedly the mother of the family. Two full-grown dogs surrounded her, still barking: a yellow Labrador and a spotted Great Dane. “Hello, may I help you?” Mrs. Martinez had a soft-spoken, friendly voice. 

“Yes, we came by yesterday and were given a carton of milk.” Andrew responded, not completely focused because of the dogs. “Anyway, we made cupcakes with it, so we brought your family some.” He held out the plate he carried. “I hope there’s enough.”

“Oh, you were the people my daughter said needed milk. Thank you.” She opened the screen to grab the cupcakes. With her, her husband, and six children, it was exactly enough. “My children will love these.” 

“Caspian-” He began, wanting him to extend the invitation like he had done with the Smiths. It was better to have Dr. Stone explains his own show after. “Caspian.” He now said the name in a rushed tone for a different reason, immediately stepping closer to his husband when the dogs had managed to slip by Mrs. Martinez and surrounded them. The dogs rapidly wagged their tails excitedly, sniffing the two men and threatening to jump on them. Andrew circled around Caspian with the dogs, trying to avoid them as much as possible. His white tuxedo certainly couldn’t afford to be covered in dog hairs, not when they had another family to meet and no lint roller with them!

[3ruri]

The professor let his husband deal with the Martinez family this time just like he did the day before, only instead of a child, the mother appeared behind the door, and two dogs that seemed to make Andrew uncomfortable. He was doing fine talking with the lady until the dogs escaped. Having grown up around pets, Caspian was used to them, but seeing Andrew uneasy made him want to tease the other guy.

"Andrew, are you scared of dogs?" Caspian asked, amused at his husband trying to get around him to hide from the dogs. Caspian held the tray in one hand and used the other to pat the dogs' heads. 

"Oh my, I'm sorry, let me call them back," Mrs. Martinez tried, but the dogs were excited to see the two man. 

The only way to save Andrew from them was to make it quick, so Caspian stepped up and started explaining. "I'm sorry to suddenly bring this upon you. You see, Andrew and I had just marry, and we're also starting to film a reality show. That was why we came over yesterday to borrow some milk. It was a task we had to complete. We have cameramen with us, so please let me know if you would like us to remove any footage that featured you or your family in it." Even though his body was blocking Mrs. Martinez from the cameramen outside, he knew he should tell them about it nonetheless. "Also, we would like to invite you to our wedding party, well, sort of. We have a photo shoot for it, and they wanted to have more people to join. So, if you and your family are available, please come. I know we don't know much about each other, but I think it's time I get to know my kind neighbors." 

Mrs. Matinez nodded, letting Caspian knew about the situation. "I saw about it on the news. It was surprising because you have been the talk of this neighborhood. Something about a confirmed bachelor...anyway, congratulations. I will ask my husband whether he wants to go. We have six kids you see, not sure whether you'd like having them at a party," Mrs. Martinez shrugged. Her kids were not bad kids, but six young children in one place could be a disaster. 

Caspian took out the invitation card and handed it to his neighbor, watching Andrew shying away from the dogs from the corner of his eyes. Just a little more and they'd be done. "I'd still love for you to come. But, please don't force yourself. Having you considering it is enough. It's at noon. Whatever you decide, I'm thankful for your thoughts." He nodded and smiled. "We should head along to the Vijays. Have a nice day." He pulled Andrew after they exchanged goodbyes and the dogs stopped their pursue of the couple once Mrs. Martinez called them inside the house.

"So..." Caspian trailed. "yes to kids, no to dogs?" 

[YellowMelon]

Scared of dogs? Him? Andrew had been too occupied with the canines to respond to Caspian who teased him in his moment of weakness. He probably would have done the same if he and Caspian were in switched positions, but he was certainly not scared of dogs. Sometimes uncomfortable around them, yes, especially with larger dogs, but he didn’t have a fear of them. He could tolerate dogs pretty well. He just wasn’t fond of their smell or giving them too much attention, especially if the dog was untrained. On the other hand, if a dog was well-behaved, he didn’t mind admiring it. These dogs seemed too excited to be behaved though with Mrs. Martinez’s failed attempt to call them back into the house. He didn’t need either of the dogs to jump on and lick him when he had a photo shoot to get to, and he couldn’t understand why Caspian wasn’t concerned about that. Being taken off the porch, Andrew waved goodbye to the mother and was relieved to see that the dogs did not follow them. At least they weren’t that untrained.

“I didn’t say I wanted to open a doggy daycare, did I?” He distinctly remembered Samantha revealing his ultimate goal was to open a daycare and since she also mentioned he wanted to be a kindergarten teacher, there should’ve been no confusion on Caspian’s part that both would deal with children. “If I’m being honest,” he continued, “No to both.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, knowing that Caspian had only been joking with the question but still choosing to answer seriously. “I like children because they’re simple-minded and I think we can learn a lot from them. That said, I have no interest in having kids around me twenty-four seven. Kids are like dogs. Some of them you can train, others are more erratic.” He smiled at his own statement. It wasn’t something everyone agreed with him on, but he had yet to see how his view of children was wrong. Heck, you could even train a child to sit on command if they’re misbehaving.

“But I do prefer kids over dogs.” He directly answered. Although he had never grown up with pets or with younger siblings, children had never tried to jump on him while he was standing, unlike dogs. “Anyway, what’s this about being a ‘confirmed bachelor’?” Andrew decided to tease back. While he may not have been wholly paying attention to the exchange between Caspian and Mrs. Martinez, he picked up a few words. It seemed as though the neighborhood had already written him off as a marriage candidate, or Caspian had somehow done that himself, so they weren’t the only ones shocked by the news. “Would you still consider yourself one after all of this?” He questioned and nodded to one of the cameras, referring to the television show. “If this show really hits off, maybe you’ll become a big time Casanova.” Or whatever the gay equivalent was. All was said in jest, for Andrew knew it was unlikely that Caspian would make such a drastic change because of the show. 
 

[3ruri]

"I prefer dogs than kids. I think kids are too fragile," Caspian said even though Andrew didn't ask. For someone who became a superhero to help mostly kids, he didn't want to have any, for now. Besides, what would a thirty something year old bachelor would want to do with a kid? He was too busy with his actual work and his side work to be able to raise one. Dogs on the other hand are more independent and could be trained. He wouldn't mind getting a cat because they would ignore him as much as possible, but he didn't want them to come into his office and knock down all his mineral collections.

He wasn't surprised that his neighbors had thought he would stay single forever. Caspian had never brought people back home or publicly date someone. Sure he went on dates and even casually dated a few people for a while, but they never stick. His marriage with Andrew too has an expiry date. "I don't think I'm meant to have someone in my life," said Caspian. He wasn't feeling sorry for himself, but his life was already complicated as it was. Besides, from what had been going on between Andrew and him in the last twenty-four hours proved Caspian Crowe was not husband material. "So, after we're done here, life will go back to how it is. The only outcome I look forward to was for people to not turn down my help when they need it. I just want them to see me as someone reliable."

Walking towards the Vijays, another concern came to him from Andrew. His husband had mentioned not to let his cheeks being pinched again but it wasnt like Cade was able to control what the Vijays do. This time, Mrs. Vijay wasn't out on the porch swing, knitting, so they walked up to the door and pressed the bell. "I don't know how they'll react. If they are my fans, I'm sure they have heard the news. So, if you don't like them hovering around you...cover your cheeks?" He suggested, not knowing what would be the best way for Andrew to avoid the attack. 

"Doctor Stone and Andrew!" It was the daughter who opened the door and her excited shriek could be heard. People would have thought she was being robbed, but her excitement had brought out the rest of the family who quickly surrounded Caspian. 

"Hi everyone. Andrew and I made cupcakes and we want to give it to your for your help with the ingredients yesterday," Caspian tried to explain as quickly as possible, so the Vijays wont start talking on other topics and prolong their visit. "There are cameramen outside, they're filming us, I hope you don't mind." Caspian waved to the two men who had been following them all morning. 

[YellowMelon]

Caspian’s future plans sounded so boring, although Andrew couldn’t be that judgmental since he didn’t have any grand plans either. After his year-long contract was over with the show, he had his mind set on renting an apartment in the city. From there, he would apply for jobs where he could be a kindergarten teacher or a kindergarten teacher’s assistant and then hopefully would run his own daycare. The daycare was too far ahead to think about now though. He needed to take things one step at a time and today was only their second day of filming.

 “How husbandly.” Andrew said dryly when his companion suggested to cover his cheeks. He had been so willingly to block the camera with his body for the Martinez but he didn’t offer to block his own husband from their neighbors. While that may come off as rude, Caspian could just pretend he was ignorant and he was sure the Vijays would easily forgive him, if they were his fans. Wait, why were either of them thinking “if”? They must be his fans by the way they acted yesterday. Who else would force the doctor into their house and commemorate his visit by taking photos? And, who else would scream at their presence, like the teenager in front of them was doing now? 

And listened to the greeting Caspian made while he decided to stand perfectly behind his husband to avoid any  potential of being pinched. “So, they can call you Doctor Stone and I can’t?” He questioned jokingly. “What if I declare myself as your fan? Will that make it acceptable?” He stepped to the side to stand beside his spouse. 

Mrs. Vijay, who was the first to run to the door when her daughter screamed, reached for the cupcakes when they were handed to the family. Everyone took a moment to admire the simple floral decoration and a pleasant, appreciative smile appeared on the mother’s face. “Thank you.” Both her and Mr. Vijay expressed their gratitude in sync.

“We don’t mind the cameras.” The son spoke with the daughter nodding in agreement. 

“Alright,” Andrew spoke up, then suddenly pulled his hand into Caspian’s pocket for an invitation, “Here.” He held out the card to whoever would take it, and it was grabbed by Mr. Vijay. “We’re having a photo shoot today at the time specified on the invitation, and we would love it if all of you could join. It’s part of the show, which I’m sure you saw mentioned on the news, and we need more people to join; otherwise, we wouldn’t be giving you such a short notice.”

[3ruri]

"The moment you're my husband, you lost the privilege of calling me Doctor Stone," Caspian huffed. What was so special about that nickname anyway. He preferred the name his parents gave him, well, maybe Isidore as a middle name was a little too much but Caspian was nice. He liked being Caspian. "You never told me your middle name, though. I know I never told you mine, more like, my mother did. But since you knew, won't it be fair if your husband knew as well?" he hargained. He wasn't hoping that by knowing Andrew's middle name would bring them closer, but at least he knew one more thing about his partner than what had been reluctantly shared. Andrew hardly talked about his family and Caspian understood not to push, since there were something about his family that he wasn't ready to share yet. For some reason, he thought if Andrew was more willing to talk about himself, they would be able to not get into another fight because of a slight misunderstanding. Not that all of their fights so far was caused by that.

Caspian frowned a little at how Andrew handled the Vijays. There was nothing wrong about it, but he was so...not friendly. Caspian himself wasn't that much of a friendly person, but Andrew sounded a little cold. "Well, yes. What Andrew said. I think the production wants to have more friendly faces at our party, so that's why we're extending the invitation. Also, since we owed you a lot for yesterday, it was only right to invite you along," Caspian told them. He wasn't sugar coating anything, he just wanted their neighbors knew they were sincere. Of course he felt a little guilty because he hardly ever said a word to them before, but now that he was given a chance, he wanted to do it right.

"Don't be silly, Doctor Stone. Of course, we would love to go!" Said Mrs. Vijay. 

"Ooh! I can wear that new saree, mom! I want to take a photo with Doctor Stone and Mr. Andrew  in their tuxedo!" said the teenage daughter, already planning on her outfit. 

"Well, that's great then," Caspian smiled. Thankful that his neighbor are willing to give them a chance. "Andrew and I would like to take our leave. It starts at noon and we have to go and get ready. We'll see you there," Caspian told the family. 

Once they were back on the sidewalk, Caspian heaved a relieved breath. "That went well, dont you think?" He looked ta Andrew. He wondered if Andrew disliked energetic people like the Vijays. But Caspian had seen Andrew smile and he thought it was lovely. "Why don't you smile more?" The question came out of Caspian's mouth without him meaning to. "I mean, I've seen you smile, and it's a beautiful smile. I just...is it because of me?" He asked, wondering if Andrew didn't smile because of him and the situation he was stuck in. 

[YellowMelon]

In the end, Andrew never had the privilege of calling Caspian “Doctor Stone'' to his face then, except for the brief moment when exchanging their vows. He didn’t think that counted though, since he couldn’t even remember what the superhero’s stage name was during that moment. He still couldn’t understand what bothered Caspian so much when he addressed him by his last name, but he already decided he would respect that going forward and wouldn’t bring up the subject in a serious manner again. Just joking about it now didn’t seem to be appreciated by Caspian either. When being requested to share his middle name, Andrew kept the request in the back of his head. He didn’t think it was appropriate to discuss their middle names in front of the Vijays, so he would be sure to share it after, if he felt like it. 

McCain raised an eyebrow when Caspian repeated what he said but in a more charismatic way. What did he mean by the production wanting to have “more friendly faces”? And why did he keep referring to the photo shoot as a "party"? Unless he was attending a different event, the wedding shoot was not going to be a party. Maybe Caspian just viewed it that way? Or did he describe it that way so it excited the neighbors more? Andrew didn’t like the way Caspian was explaining the events to the guests, but it did sound more charming than how he extended the invitation. He made it sound like a chore that neither of them wanted to do. For Andrew, that wasn’t a wrong outlook. They were only doing this for show purposes, but maybe Caspian was looking forward to this. He should have asked him before making the assumption that he felt the saw way as him. 

Back on the sidewalk and heading towards Caspian’s cottage, Andrew remained quiet, looking straight ahead, until they were outside the door of the home. He heard Caspian’s earlier question, but needed time to formulate a response so he wouldn’t lash out. Perhaps Caspian had not paid attention to his rant yesterday before they stormed off to separate rooms. Although he couldn’t quote exactly what he said during his outburst, he remembered pointing out he didn’t have a problem with Caspian. He was pretty sure he stated it explicitly, but maybe he somehow hadn’t been clear enough. How could he respond gently without causing either of them to want to be separated from each other? They certainly couldn’t coop themselves in separate rooms today. Not when they had people to entertain and pictures to take.

“You…” his voice trailed off before lowering his voice to an audible whisper, “Don’t need to compliment me.” Caspian already mentioned how good he looked in his suit and that was enough. At least that compliment had been more indirect, since it was in comparison to a previous tuxedo, than being told he had a beautiful smile. “I’ve never liked receiving compliments.” He raised his voice to his normal tone, rubbing the back of his neck. It’s not that praises didn’t make him feel good about himself, because they did, but he preferred to have them dished out than to receive them. He also had some insecurities about himself that he never dwelled on until someone was to point it out through a compliment, although he knew it was done harmlessly and unintentionally. His smile, however, was not one of them, but the sentiment didn’t make him want to show his teeth more. 

“I smile when I want to.” His answer was simply. He didn’t like forcing himself to smile if there was nothing to be happy about. “It has nothing to do with you, so don’t think about it. You should think about yourself more. I just have a lot going on in my mind, so smiling isn't my top priority when I see your neighbors." He’d be sure to smile in the wedding photos if that’s what Caspian was really concerned about. "My middle name is Matthias, by the way." He added. 

[3ruri]

Andrew being quiet on the way back was never a good sign. Did he say the wrong things again? Normally Caspian were careful with his words, but with Andrew, he wanted to be honest and more direct. But he wondered if he shouldn't say anything at all. Andrew did mentioned that he didn't have any problems with him but that didn't mean he liked Caspian. He tolerated him, that was for sure, but maybe he was just being polite when he responded to Caspian's question. 

"Would you want like to lie then?" Caspian asked, feeling a bit let down that Andrew thought he was forcing the praise. "I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. I wont say it again." When Andrew admitted that he only smiled when he wanted to, Caspian concluded there was nothing about the arrangement that would make Andrew happy. Sure, Caspian had things that he disagreed with how things were going on, but he tried to find a positive light about it. He wondered why he kept pushing himself to make nice with Andrew when it would just disheartened him in the end. "And Matthias is a good middle name. Much better than Isidore," he commented before he shut himself up. By now he should get used to the silence, but he felt restless anyway.

When they reached his cottage, the crew was ready to move. "Let me lock up and we can go," he said to the crew. He didn't know whether he should take anything with him since Samantha didn't say anything. Besides, it was only a photo shoot. He told the neighbors there was a party. He wasn't sure, but he hoped Samantha had prepared some lunch spread for them because he didn't want his guests to go home hungry. If she didn't then he'd order something for them. And for that, he needed his phone. That reminded him about the conversation about his mother. She said she wanted to meet Andrew for the first time sans camera, so he supposed she wouldn't want to be involved this time. Once he finished checking on the locks - not that he needed to because the neighborhood was safe but he did it anyway due to habit - he went out front where everyone is waiting. 

"I'll be driving this time. Some of you could sit in the back and the rest can drive the other car," he told the crew. They were driven back home yesterday, so this time, Caspian was taking over. It was "his" show anyway, so they should be filming what he would be doing, so he would be driving from now on. 

[YellowMelon]

Andrew hadn’t intended to disappoint Caspian, but it was evident his response had a negative impact on the other individual, although negative in a different way than provoking a tantrum like his husband threw yesterday. They had started out so well, but now it seemed like they’d have silence fall between them again. A silence with tension in the air. However, the brunette was determined to not let that happen. He didn’t think there was a reason for either of them to be upset with each unless Caspian was dwelling on the past. Neither of them had brought up anything from yesterday though, so he hadn’t thought that was the care. He could very well be wrong, though. Andrew knew Caspian wanted to do well for the show, but he didn’t want the man to push himself too hard. He hoped they would be able to have a mutual, comfortable silence between them one day. 

Seeing the crew ready to leave, Andrew patiently waited with them while Caspian locked up. The men around him began to discuss who should go in what car. They didn’t have a designated cameraman assigned to Doctor Stone, so they had to assign a member to film him. Actually, they chose to assign three members to ensure they got all angles of him. They also needed to confirm where they would be positioned in the car for the best videos. This made Andrew ponder why they didn’t have a camera set up in the car already so they wouldn’t have to designate seating locations. Either they hadn’t thought that far ahead or it wasn’t allowed, for whatever reason. 

Andrew approached the silver SUV they had been provided with for the show - the same one which he had been picked up in and the one that took them to this cottage. He first was about to sit in the passenger seat until he was told by a crew member to sit in the middle row. Doing as he was told, he positioned himself to take the window seat behind Caspian. However, he was then required to move again to sit in the opposite window seat so the cameramen with them could get him and Caspian in the same frame. With a cameraman in the passenger seat, a second behind Caspian in the middle row, and the third in the rear, they were now ready to go. The second car was waiting for Caspian to move first so they could follow. 

When the car was on the road, Andrew looked at the cameras which were on them. He didn't like being in the middle with only a cameraman in the row with him. Although he had more leg room now than during the yesterday's ride with Samantha and Caspian, they were more interactive. With Caspian as the driver, he didn't know whether he was the type to be okay with talking or needed silence to focus.  "Caspian." He said his name without any follow-up question or comment, testing to see how, or if, he would respond. 

Edited January 19, 2021 by YellowMelon

[3ruri]

The arrangement in the car was weird. Caspian thought Andrew should be riding shotgun, since he was Caspian's husband, but the cameramen had to cut in and took the front seat so he could get the footage of Caspian driving. And what the hell do they need three cameras for? It was only him and Andrew. Two should be enough. He didn't say anything because he didn't want to interfere with the technicality. Andrew seemed like he didn't mind as well. That was a plus point. They hadn't been talking since the sidewalk, so it could be more comfortable for Andrew sitting in the back. That way they didn't need to engage in awkward conversations again.

Caspian started the engine and drove away from the cottage. Thank to passing the invitation cards to the neighbors, he managed to take a look at the address of the venue. It was the same as yesterday but Caspian still pull out the navigation app on his phone in case of heavy traffic. He was a relatively safe driver, but whenever there was chances, he went a little faster than usual. The quicker he get them there, the faster they could get out of the confined space of the car. He didn't want the crew to pick up that he and Andrew were bad at conversation. 

Yet Andrew was the one who broke the silence by calling Caspian's name. "Yes?" he replied, his eyes glanced at Andrew in the rear-view mirror. He wondered if Andrew wanted him to slow down a little, or maybe stop the car. He did feel a little weird that Andrew wanted to talk to him in the presence of the cameramen. He waited for the question but it took some time to come. He glanced again at the rear-view mirror at Andrew's reflection, his face questioning  what did Andrew had in mind. 

[YellowMelon]

Honestly, Andrew hadn’t planned this far ahead. Even though the person whose name he called made the appropriate response by acknowledging he was being spoken to, he didn’t have anything to add, and generating a question or a possible conversation starter was difficult with the cameras around them. One thing he would have liked to discuss was the photo shoot, but, having tried to do so before, he knew that would lead to a dead end. Plus, what was there to even think about? The event was self-explanatory, yet Andrew couldn’t help but postulate about minor details. How long would it take? Who out of their invited neighbors would be coming? Who else would be there to help fill the venue? Why did Caspian not seem as concerned as him? 

Andrew shifted in his seat to look up at the blue sky. The sun was shining with scattered white clouds. It seemed to be an ideal day for an outdoor event. He only hoped the weather wouldn’t give them any surprises since the clouds did appear to be moving quickly. He turned his head to direct his eyes to the driver and the cameraman in the front seats. Really, what was the point in having cameramen ride with them? What was so exciting about watching Caspian behind the wheel? 

“How long do you think it’ll take Samantha to broadcast today’s event?” Considering how fast she had acted yesterday, it would be unsurprising if they saw themselves on the news tonight also. She did do her job well despite not giving them a heads up on everything she planned for the show. "And did it say anything in the contract about asking for less people to monitor us?"

[3ruri]

Caspian kept his eyes on the road while waiting for the question that may or may not come. Finally, Andrew formed his question and asked away. "I don't know. Even if she tells me, she might change her mind afterwards. The decisions about the show is mostly made by the production. If they didn't tell me about it, chances are, I wouldn't know. As long as it didn't breach the contract, they're free to make the call," Caspian explained. "But I don't think anything about today will be on the news. They already announced about our marriage, so a photo shoot is nothing to talk about. I'm not a celebrity," Caspian said, but the cameramen with them snorted. He glared at the one on the passenger seat, wondering what was up with that. "I think today is solely for the show." 

A few minutes later, they arrived at the same place they were married off yesterday. Caspian put the car in park and turned to Andrew in the back seat. "I'll talk to Sam about the camera crews. They're just doing their job, but it wouldn't hurt to have less crowd," he said, ignoring all three cameras in his face. They stepped out of the car and headed to where the big tent was. The place looked more festive than it did the day before, all done up for the photo shoot. 

The first thing Caspian did, was look for Samantha. He needed to ask whether there would be any refreshments for his guests. Walking towards the tent, he let Andrew decide whether he wanted to follow him or do whatever he wanted. Caspian spotted the lady talking to some of the production crew under the tent, so he headed her way. "Sam, I need to know if there will be food for the people who come." He asked directly. The inside of the tent was cool and there were seats arranged, so he assumed the guests would all be brought in there. At least Samantha planned to treat them like guests.

[YellowMelon]

Wasn’t that the point of Doctor Stone’s Adventures? To make Caspian a celebrity? Otherwise, how else could he restore his image? Andrew was fully-aware that Caspian’s priority was more on the outcome of the show than the filming itself, but a good outcome was dependent on the show being popular, and that required enough advertisements for a large audience. So, the snort from the cameraman was to be expected, and it was an indication of the answer. Caspian would definitely be getting another shock if he turned on the nightly news. 

Andrew was grateful to hear that his husband would be willingly to talk to Samantha about the cameras. He knew the cameramen were only doing their jobs, but if he or Caspian weren’t doing anything video worthy then he didn’t see a reason for them to be around. When the car stopped, Andrew briefly followed behind Caspian and then went to help with the seating arrangement of the open area beyond the tent, seeing that people were carrying folding chairs. 

Samantha was no longer wearing the same white blouse and pencil skirt she normally dressed in but had changed into a light blue blouse with mesh sleeves that was tucked into a pink skirt. She held a clipboard and pencil, going over a checklist of what was needed for the venue. No problems were reported as of yet, which was a good sign they were on track to start the photo shoot in thirty minutes. With Caspian and Andrew arriving, she could cross them off her list. 

Seeing Caspian approach her out of the corner of her eye, the host didn’t bother to look up when she was spoken to. “You’re rather bold today,” she commented, not immediately addressing his concern, “But, yes, we will have food for our guests. If you take a look, there’s already a few things here.” She tapped the rectangular table they stood next to. On it were wraps, sandwiches, and other finger foods still covered in cling wrap with the trays spaced evenly apart. She then moved to the end of the table while motioning Caspian to follow her. “We also have a dessert table.” She said, proudly. The centerpiece of the table was a 3-tier wedding cake. “Only the top tier of the cake is edible. The other two tiers are fake.” Surrounding the wedding cake was a stand of macarons, the twenty cupcakes which were taken from the morning, cookies, chocolate-covered fruit, and other desserts. While it looked like a lot at first glance, there was a larger variety of different foods and desserts than quantity. On a different table was a drink dispenser for iced water and lemonade. “Now, why don’t you help with setting up the tableware and cutlery?” She suggested. 

[3ruri]

Caspian was relieved to see there were food prepared for his guests. He was ready to use his own money to get something if they didn't, but his concern was what to get and how to get them there. Normally, Caspian wouldn't mind helping a hand. He didn't like to see people working and he was just standing there, but he didn't like Samantha's attitude. He wasn't in the show so she could boss him around. "Well, good that you mentioned my boldness, because I don't appreciate you bossing me around especially when you had me put on a penguin suit," he said, glaring at Samantha. if she wanted Caspian's cooperation, she better treat him with respect and she will get the same treatment in return. "Now, don't start blaming me or Andrew if we ruin our suits before the photo shoot. Excuse me while I help with the cutlery." He straightened his jacket and made way to where the cutlery were stored. 

Once he was done with the arrangements, Caspian helped with the folding chairs as well. There were about ten chairs in a row of three, the middle had a big enough gap for people to pass through, like an aisle. Caspian didn't see any set up for the photo shoot, but the place had a nice view, so he was guessing they would ask him and Andrew to pose somewhere outdoor. While they were moving around with the helpers, one guy was stacking the extra chairs next to Caspian. There were wires everywhere on the floor and before Caspian could warn him, the chairs in his arms tilted and on the way to crashing on top of the professor. Without thinking Caspian channeled his powers and managed to break the folding chairs to pieces so the damage won't be as bad when they hit him. 

"Doctor Stone!" Some of the crew yelled. It happened so fast but when it happened it was like the rest of the world stood still around him. No doubt it was a little dramatic but most of everyone under the tent saw what happened. 

Caspian straightened up and brushed his suit. "I'm fine, no injuries," he showed his arms. It still hurt a little being hit by the pieces of the broken chairs, but it was less of an impact that being hit by a whole chair.

[YellowMelon]

Andrew had been occupied with decorating the wedding arch when he heard yelling coming from behind him. He immediately stopped what he was doing and turned around. From what he could see, Caspian was standing at the end of a row of chairs with a man, looking extremely shocked, beside him. Actually, almost everyone who looked at Caspian with him had a shocked expression, others appeared worried, and a few, like him, were just wondering what had happened. Andrew stepped closer to the scene and soon saw bits of broken metal and padding scattered on the ground. He wanted to ask Caspian what he had missed, since his back had been turned, but he was unable to get close to him due to people surrounding the professor. It was like their first meeting with the Vijays, except Andrew wasn’t laughing this time. In fact, he was slightly annoyed that he couldn’t get to his husband when he wanted to.

Although Samantha hadn’t witnessed Doctor Stone breaking the chairs, she wasn't hesitant to run towards him to check for injuries. Others were also around him - mostly female - to make sure he was alright while the guy who caused the accident was repeatedly apologizing. Samantha forced herself closer to Caspian and had a displeased expression. She didn’t need the star of the show sustaining any injuries, especially not for the photo shoot. In her mind, even a minor injury could become a problem in the future. She grabbed Caspian’s arm to take a closer look at the skin. Thankfully, like Caspian said, he was void of cuts or bruises, although had some red markings where metal pieces had hit him. “He’s alright.” Her face softened  to relief. “Okay, now let’s get this cleaned up.” She let go of the superhero as she ordered crew members to start picking up the broken chair fragments. “It might be best for you to just sit at a table.” She patted Caspian on the shoulder before walking away.

With the small crowd dispersing from the doctor, Andrew approached him as Samantha walked away. “Do you like the attention?” He joked. “Anyway, I didn’t see what happened, but I hope you’re okay.” He said with genuine concern. “Although you must be, given that so many people checked on you.” He was sure he would have witnessed a lot of panic if the superhero had a serious injury. “If you’re trying to get out of the contract, I don’t think a medical emergency is the way to go.” Andrew let out a chuckle. 

[3ruri]

Caspian looked at Andrew, disbelieving the words that came out of his mouth. Really? That was what he thought? "Next time I'll arrange for the tent to fall down on me," Caspian replied. He could see that Andrew was just joking, but who would joked something about injuries. Not that Caspian was injured. His shoulder was a little stiff from the first impact of the fallen chairs but nothing some analgesic cream wouldn't help. He was a little relieved that his tuxedo was all in once piece. It would be more pain if Samantha started to fuss about him ruining the costume before the photo shoot. Thinking that he was being harsh towards Andrew, Caspian sighed and tried to relax. "Thanks for worrying. It's nothing bad. I've had worse."

Feeling a little thirsty he asked one of the crew members where he could get a bottle of water. They had less than an hour before the guests would be arriving so Caspian would like to get himself ready. He wasn't planning on putting up a show for them, but he wanted to keep himself composed around these people. Even though he cared less about the number of fans he would gain from the show, he wanted to show to them that he was a reliable guy. It wouldn't do any good if they saw he was nervous. Instead of telling him where to find the water, the crew went and got him some. He passed one bottle to Andrew and took one bottle for himself. "I think we should both take a seat and wait for the neighbors to arrive," he suggested. 

[YellowMelon]

Andrew discreetly took a tiny step away from his husband when he joked back in a not-so-joking manner. He seemed a bit tense and the brunette couldn’t tell if it was because of him or because he was getting anxious now that the clock was ticking down. Perhaps Andrew’s idea of forcing himself to talk was not the best. Maybe what Caspian really needed was space. Not that he had been attached to his hip anyway. He grabbed the bottle of water that was handed to him, then took a bigger step away before speaking. “I need to finish with decorating.” He pointed to the white wedding arch with several baskets of roses at its base and only a few of the flowers weaved into it. “I’ll join you later when I’m finished.” He lingered for a couple of minutes before taking off hurriedly to return to what he had been doing. 

Crew members were scattered around and adding finishing touches to the venue. Almost everything under the tent was completed, except there was one person now removing the plastic coverings on the food and another putting a place card on each table which included Andrew and Caspian’s name on one side and a number on the other. Of course, the table numbers had no meaning here, but it made the wedding venue look complete. Outside of the tent, a carpet was being rolled down toward the arch and the spacing between the chairs were double checked. Two hired professional photographers were floating around already taking pictures. Some of the guests were arriving, consisting of Caspian’s invited neighbors and families of the production crew.

[3ruri]

Caspian watched the guests arriving and suddenly he wasn't ready to face them. They hadn't seen him yet, so at the fastest speed he could go, the superhero sneaked out of the tent and walked towards one of the trailers the production crew used for changing. This is what happened when he hadn't been using his powers for a long time. At first it was adrenaline, then the nerves kicked in and the anxiety. Sure, it wasn't like what happened earlier with the chairs was life-threatening, but Caspian needed time before he could face people again. 

It wasn't like that before. He was a confident guy with good control of his powers. He was young and nothing mattered other than helping people. Some people like him, some people don't, such is life. But as he grew older, the pressure was more intense. People put expectations and some who didn't, like his last case - if he could even call it one - took away made him a little out of depth. He was beginning to think that everything he did would be scrutinized. The people out there, Samantha, the production crew, the neighbors; they were there because they believed they saw something in Caspian that was worth giving them time for. Caspian just didn't want to let them down by lying to them. He wondered what he could do about it.

The, there was Andrew. His husband was also an important component in all of it. The life that would be affected a lot would be Andrew's. Caspian wasn't abundantly famous, but people do know of him. And by being attached to him, Andrew's face would be recognized too. Caspian wasn't sure whether that would in a good way, but certainly some parts of it would be in a not so flattering way. He felt even more responsible for the younger guy especially since he didn't seem to know what was in the contract. Andrew entered this arrangement blindly and Caspian was worried that his life would turn for the worst only for the promise of money at the end of the show that might not even work in the end.

Meanwhile, as the guests were milling into the tent, Samantha noticed that Caspian wasn't among them. "Where's Doctor Stone?" She asked her crew subtlely, trying not to alarm the guests. Then, she spotted Andrew and hurried towards him. "Your husband is missing," she said, a little alarmed but hoping that Andrew knew the whereabouts of the professor before the guests started asking about him.

[YellowMelon]

Done. The arbor was now covered in pink, red, and white roses with a few sunflower patches. Andrew climbed down from the ladder he was on to admire his work. He was proud of it and hoped Caspian would be too, although he didn’t really expect the older man to comment on it. How the venue looked was probably the least thing on his mind whereas Andrew had a fun time working on the display. It certainly got his mind off of the photo shoot. He felt like he was helping to set up a wedding that was not his own. However, that feeling would be short-lived now that he had to go help Caspian greet the guests. Before heading to the tent, Andrew chatted with the girl who assisted with the display and insisted on holding the ladder. They both knew her efforts to save him would have been futile if any mishap had occurred since she had such a petite frame. He couldn’t help but to tease her because of the terrified look she had on her face while he was up there. 

Just as he was about to split from her, Samantha appeared and informed him that his husband was missing. The blank stare he gave provoked her to repeat the statement slower. He heard, but what was he supposed to do about it? Caspian was a thirty-one year old grown man. If he wanted to leave the venue, he could leave. Andrew couldn’t believe he would actually do that though, so he remained calm. He thought something had been wrong with Caspian, and this confirmed it. It was probably just nerves, although Andrew couldn’t understand what his husband had to be nervous about since they already had their wedding ceremony yesterday and this venue was for photography purposes only. It’s not like they could get married twice. 

A longer silence from the brunette caused Samantha to push him on the shoulder. “You have to go find him.” She demanded, glaring. “The guests are here and they expect to see the both of you.” 

With the amount of crew members that had surrounded the superhero prior, Andrew found it silly that no one seemed to know where Caspian was now. He surveyed the area, checking if anyone was looking for the older man already. It seemed like everyone was either unaware of the situation, didn’t care, or all relied on him. Well, he was sure Samantha had the capability to entertain the guests in the meantime while he looked for the full-grown adult. “I’m sure he’s here somewhere.” He mumbled to himself before setting off on the unplanned mission.

Searching for Caspian took more time than he would have liked and made him frustrated. He had expected to find his husband on the outskirts of the venue but he was nowhere to be found out in the open. A brief sense of fear overcame him that Caspian may have actually left the site completely - taken the SUV and returned home. However, upon checking the lot of cars, he could see the vehicle was in the same parked spot since arriving. It couldn't be that Caspian was hiding in another car, could he? The slight possibility of this led Andrew to peek into different cars until he reached the far end of the lot where a couple of travel trailers were parked. The trailers clearly belonged to the production crew with Doctor Stone’s Adventures advertised on the side. This was it. If he couldn’t find Caspian in a trailer, he would have to report to Samantha and get an earful.

The first trailer he checked he got lucky - it was a 50-50 chance. Although he knocked on the door and didn’t receive a response, he still let himself in. Green eyes met Caspian’s hazel ones and Andrew moved to sit next to the superhero who was on a leather sofa positioned behind a table. Initially, he didn’t know what to say. He was sure Caspian knew why he was here, but just being found didn’t mean his husband would willingly return with him. He was aware of that. Unlike Samantha who would probably be pushing Caspian to come out from hiding right now, Andrew simply pressed his side against the older man while resting his hands on the table. 

“I was told I had to find you,” he began, “Samantha’s orders. It took me a while to figure out where you were, but here I am. And here you are.” His eyes wandered to look around the room so as to avoid staring at Caspian. “To be honest, I’m not sure what I should say. If you need more time before we start the photo shoot, then I’m sure the guests will understand. Samantha might not like it, but I can take the blame for anything.” For all he knew, the real reason why Caspian wanted to be alone was because of him. Was he even wanted here? “I know something is bothering you, but I can’t read minds. You can either tell me what you’re thinking or not. If you want me to leave, you can also tell me to do so and I won’t take offense. If you ignore me, then I'll take the hint and just leave myself."

[3ruri]

Caspian didn't know how long he was away from everyone else. He went inside the trailer and just sat down, thinking, or tried to think. Nothing came to mind. He was just blank. It wasn't like he was having cold feet, he was already married the day before. The quiet was supposed to help, but it made the gears in his head worked even more. Not a single coherent thing came to mind. First there was his superhero status, then the show, then his work, his abrupt married and finally Andrew. Andrew showed up a few times at the back of his mind and as if the thoughts itself had the power to conjure the other man, Andrew appeared in front of him.

He knew Samantha would have sent someone, but he didn't think it would be Andrew. Then again, she made them - the stars of the show - work along with the crews, so it wasn't a total surprise that she made Andrew to search him. He was glad it was Andrew that find him. He wasn't ready to face any other member of the crew. They were strangers and the way Caspian was at the moment wasn't something he wanted to show to the strangers. Technically, he and his husband were not that familiar either, but the knot that they had tied weighed something to Caspian. Although with Andrew, he knew he had to thread carefully.

"I'm just..." Caspian replied, blowing a long breath from his lungs. "Can you...I..." He couldn't find the words regardless of how deep he searched within him. The next thing Caspian knew, he had put his arms around his husband and laid his head on the smaller shoulder. Almost instantly, his senses was much better than it was a while ago. All the jumbled thoughts were finally straightened and he could think again. "I never wanted you to leave," Caspian opened up while his face was still against Andrew's shoulder. "It wasn't like I was escaping or anything. I planned to get back out there once I sort out the things in my mind. For some reason it got too hard for me," he told the other person. 

"I hate people's expectations. I hate what it do to me sometimes. I know I'm not weak, I have my resolve, I have my own thoughts, my believes, my principles. But regardless of how strong I think I am physically and mentally, once those expectations kept coming in, it will erode me little by little and..." Another deep sighed and Caspian buried his face deeper in Andrew's shoulder. "Would it be bad if I tell them the truth about me? About why we're doing this?" Finally he turned his face and looked up at the green-eyed brunette. "I don't want to start anything with a lie."

[YellowMelon]

As soon as Caspian started speaking, Andrew felt antsy. He expected his husband to lash out or to politely tell him to leave, which he would be willingly to do and, as mentioned, would not take it to heart. Okay, maybe he would have been a little disheartened by it, but he was a big boy and could handle someone telling him they wanted privacy. He respected that. He never liked people who attempted to comfort another person when they clearly needed space, whether stated explicitly or was evident by their body language. In the case of Caspian, he expressed what he wanted by suddenly holding him, which caused Andrew to stiffen. It wasn’t that he disliked being held, but this was certainly not something he or his husband had done before. They hadn’t even agreed to cuddle for the show yet.

With Caspian spilling his woes, Andrew put an arm around his shoulder, which he simply rested there due to him still feeling awkward in the position he was in. Even though Caspian didn’t go into great detail about his troubles, since he was a very articulate man, the brunette understood what he meant. Caspian was in the limelight as a superhero when all he wanted to do was be a good Samaritan and a professor. There was nothing newsworthy about his normal passions, but, because of his unique ability, he was someone the news could easily target, like most superheroes. What made this superhero different from others though - at least to Andrew - was that he truly wanted to be himself, which was clearly difficult to do since so many people know him “Doctor Stone.” It didn’t help that he now had a television show using  the superhero name either.

Andrew relaxed more as he thought about Caspian’s questions. His concerns about lying were similar to his when the Vijays showered him with compliments for being Doctor Stone’s husband. However, Caspian told him the compliments were genuine regardless of who he was. Although Andrew still had his doubts, it wasn’t the time to deal with his own insecurities. He had to comfort the older man to get him out of such a pitiful state. 

“Well, so far, you haven’t been lying.” He spoke honestly and firmly. “You’ve just been skipping out on information when we met our neighbors, but you didn’t lie. When we gave them their invitations today, you admitted you were filming a show about your marital life, which is true. You don’t need to get personal on the real reason unless you want to.” With Caspian still holding him tightly, Andrew leaned against the taller individual to push him to lie on his back on the leather seating. The brunette then rested his head on Caspian’s clothed chest. Perhaps this wasn’t the most comfortable position given their height and the limited width of the sofa, but it worked and it was as cuddly Andrew was going to get in the moment. “If you want to be honest, then you are aware we have two very different reasons for why we’re on this show, right? You’ll reveal you’re doing this because you care about saving children and I’ll have to tell people I’m in it for the money. I don’t think they’d like my reason.” He was certain he would receive backlash for making easy money even if he did include what he wanted to do with the money. “It’s up to you on what you share though. You’re the one people will watch the show for.” That was something Andrew wasn’t jealous about. Sure, he already felt the pressure from the cameras, but he viewed himself as more of a side character to the show than a main character. Maybe the main character’s best friend since he was always with Caspian.