magmaticflamberge | Locked to wouldbeground. Post-marriage.

Locked to wouldbeground. Post-marriage.

How long had he wanted this?

Edmond's lifelong dream was now a band of gold around his finger, a small, round ruby encrusted on the smooth surface. Metal shining like sunshine, stone burning like lava. Nothing else could be such a glorious synthesis of both Team Magma's goals and what Edmond and Maxie shared.

He was now married to Mother Earth's only hope. The single most beautiful, brilliant and powerful man on the planet. For many years, nothing could stop Edmond's love for him, and now their bond was sacred, set in stone... Literally, he thought, moving his hand slightly to make the ruby on his wedding ring twinkle in the light.

For Maxie, he had given everything, and he was ready to give more, so much more. Together, they had smiled and loved. Up to now, they had been free. But now things had changed. And Edmond hoped that his husband understood that a bond was primarily that - a bond. A set of duties, beautifully mutual.

Sitting on a red velvet chair, before the fire he had just lit in the fireplace, Edmond let his thoughts drift. Had his first marriage failed because he had let his wife do whatever she wanted? Were they driven to divorce because Edmond hadn't been strict with her?

Well. He did not yet know exactly what mistake he had made then, but, whatever it was, he was determined not to make it now.

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Edmond retreated his aching hand abruptly, pouting a bit.

"Ow... You didn't have to do that..."

But he seemed determined, nuzzling closer to Maxie and nudging him playfully with his nose.

"Can we do something as soon as you wake up, then?"

It didn't take an expert to notice that Edmond was in his puppy mode again. Obedient and whimsical, of course, but also insistent and animal.

"You wouldn't think that I'd have to."

He looked at Edmond, and growled again, pushing his head away.

"No! No we cannot!"

He was getting frustrated beyond belief here. Who did Edmond think he was, anyways? And the puppy dog mode wouldn't work here... Maxie was in his angry cat mode.

"Get off of me and go to sleep! Immediately!"

"Alright! Alright!"

With the corners of his mouth twitching downwards in disappointment and fear, Edmond placed a swift, trembling kiss on Maxie's cheek before finally backing off, breaking all contact with Maxie's warm body.

Edmond lifted the blankets to his mouth, which deliberately resulted in the sound being muffled and confused when he spoke, as if he only half-wanted Maxie to hear.

"I do believe it would do you good, however. You're so tense..."

"I heard that!"

And now Maxie was more than just pissed. He was furious. He climbed out of bed, dressing as quickly as he could. If Edmond's idea of romance was this, then he had a terrible idea of what romance was.

"Leave me alone!"

He left the bedroom, the door slaming fast and hard. Maxie found a guest room to sleep in, not too far away. Edmond had angered him tonight and he didn't want anything to do with him.

"Maxie...? Maxie! What in the world...?"

Edmond sat on the bed, alarmed and paralyzed in disbelief at the sight of the door slamming shut.

Familiar with the small sounds echoing in the large mansion, Edmond knew exactly which room Maxie had chosen for himself.

He ran out of the bedroom himself, finding Maxie's new room. But instead of barging right in, he heaved a deep sigh and knocked on the door, leaning with his body against in afterwards.

"My love... I am so sorry! It's just... I love you! I love you so much..."

His voice started to falter, as fresh tears found their way to his eyes.

Maxie sat down on the bed, head in his hands. What had he done? This wasn't the Edmond he had loved. This was someone different... this Edmond wanted sex. So much. And even when Maxie said no.

This was frustrating to him. The knock on the door didn't prove much better. He slowly stood up and moved towards it.

"I don't know what you think this marriage is, Edmond! I tell you no sex and you persist anyways! Can you not listen to me?"

And then he paused.

"...Or are you like Archie... and you can hear but it doesn't matter to you? So long as I have sex with you, you're happy..."

He bit his lip lightly.

"...If this is how this relationship is going to go, maybe I'd be better off raising these children on my own."

"That's not how it is at all!" Edmond protested. "I don't care about sex! I just... I just want to love you! I just want you to be happy, and feel comfortable with yourself... with me, with our situation... Maxie, please, I beg of you..."

What hurt the most was Maxie comparing him to Archie, but Edmond pretended not to notice that.

"Either let me in or come back, I don't care... Just stay with me... I won't try to take advantage of you, I promise! I love you..."

Maxie stood closer to the door, looking towards it. "That was not the way to make me feel comfortable!" He shook his head. "It made me feel taken advantage of... that I married you and I owed you something for it."

He leaned back onto the door. Edmond was different than Archie... but those moments in the bedroom reminded him far too much of the Team Aqua leader.

"I'll come back if you promise never to ask for sex again. I know you want it. I'll be the one to ask."

"I'm sorry, my love... I do want you, but I have been going about this all wrong..."

He knew that Maxie was just on the other side of the door. He could feel his weight against it, and Edmond pushed against it in turn, brushing his fingers against the wood as if he were caressing Maxie himself.

"You were taken advantage of... You need time to heal, and I shouldn't have tried to rush you... I... I promise, Maxie."

"...I don't need time to heal. I need you to understand that I don't want sex that often."

He pressed his hand against Edmond's hand, sighing lightly at the touch there. It was nice.

"...Good. Go get settled, I'll be in shortly." He gave a quick nod, pulling away from the door.

"Besides, you can't sleep here. The bed in our bedroom is much better for your back."

That much Edmond was confident about. There was kind concern in his voice. He slowly walked away along the corridor, back to his and Maxie's bedroom. He did stop in front of the door, however, to see whether Maxie was following.

"Yes, Edmond. Thank you for reminding me."

Maxie sighed, and opened the door, looking around carefully, before stepping outside and towards the bedroom. He expected Edmond to keep his promise. He was expecting Edmond not to even talk about sex. He didn't know if he should keep his hopes up or just... simply give up. He entered the bedroom, and looked towards the bed... letting out a small sigh.

Edmond already sat in the bed, smiling and patting the covers next to him, inviting Maxie to join him.

"Do you know what matters the most to me, Maxie?"

"What is it, Edmond?"

He sighs, and moved closer to the bed. Placing a hand on it to help him keep his balance. He was rather large, and he felt like he'd fall over at any moment.

"You, Maxie."

Edmond slipped out of the covers, moved on the bed to sit on his knees in front of Maxie, and gently helped him onto the bed.

"You are what is most important to me. All the riches in the world are nowhere as precious as a single moment spent with you. Nothing else can bring me such joy and fullness. I am the richest and most fortunate of all men, because I have you by my side."

Maxie reached forward to touch his hands, looking Edmond in his beautiful eyes, moving into him to plant a kiss on his lips.

"...I would give up summoning Groundon for you. I have never been happier than when I'm with you. Just like this."

He looked at him carefully, slowly climbing into bed with him.

Edmond blushed deeply at the kiss, and delicately laid his hands on Maxie's shoulders.

"R-really? Sometimes... I can't help but get the feeling that you're not happy with me, and that... " He closed his eyes gravely. "That hurts me to the core. I could never live with myself, knowing that I cannot make you as infinitely happy as you make me."

Maxie sighed, and looked at him.

"...You simply frustrate me, Edmond." He moves to try and get comfortable on the bed. "I don't think you understand me completely. What I'm comfortable with... you've been more forceful. And I don't want that..."

He looked at him, hand over his stomach, whimpering lightly. He just wanted Edmond to treat him like an equal. He was tired, and it was pretty written all over his face.

Edmond reclined on the bed, next to Maxie. He brushed his thumb lightly against the back of one of Maxie's hands.

"I'm sorry, my love... I will try to be more respectful of you, then. But you will let me know when I'm crossing the line, won't you?"

He moved in to briefly kiss Maxie's cheek. "Now sleep, my love. If there really are three of you, you must sleep at least three times as much as I do."

Of course, Edmond's rhetoric was as over-the-top as always. Still, even that seemed like a good idea right now, didn't it?

He sighs, wrapping his hand in Edmond,'s and moving to get more comfortable on the bed.

"It only truly works if you listen, Edmond. You cannot disregard what I say for your own needs." Shaking his head, he moves to crawl under the covers.

"Then I'll be sleeping for a good long while." And Edmond should know better than to try and wake him up before he wanted to be woken up. He looks up to him, and nods.

"Good night..."

"Good night, my love." He planted a brief kiss on Maxie's forehead and adjusted his hair on the pillow for a moment, before lying down next to him again. "May your sleep be restful, and your dreams be sweet."

He remained awake for a while, watching lovingly as Maxie fell asleep. Only after Maxie was safely consigned to Morpheus' embrace, could Edmond finally fall asleep in turn.

And while Maxie had slept well that night, a few months later, he wouldn't be as fortunate.

Or maybe it was Edmond who wouldn't be so fortunate.

Maxie was around the six month mark of the pregnancy, and the hormones had gone completely out of control. Except most of the time, he was angry. Servants never really wanted to get close to him, so Maxie went after the one who was always close to him.

"Edmond! EDMOND!" Through out the house.

The only time Edmond would leave Maxie's side then, was when he had to cook. After making sure that the only pot left on the fire won't be needing attention anytime for a while - he's making soup - and quickly instructing one of the maids on when to remove it, he flies, almost literally, to where Maxie is.

"Tell me, my love! Tell me everything! What is it that causes you such trouble?"

Over his usual dress shirt and slacks, he was still wearing a frilly white apron.

Maxie was now sitting, and clearly unhappy. Crossing his arms over his now rather large stomach. That would be him being unhappy with being pregnant in general. And seeing as Edmond was the one who could have gotten him knocked up as well...

"Where the hell did you go?! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Edmond's unleashed the beast inside of him without even really trying.

"I was cooking, my love."

Edmond answered promptly, getting on his knees before Maxie's chair and smiling up at him. Didn't the apron make it obvious enough...?

"You know I don't trust anyone else, not even my loyal servants, to make food for you. Especially when you are in such a delicate state as this one. I am sure you'll love what I made for lunch today."

Perhaps, if Maxie saw him smile, he'd calm down...?

Locked to wouldbeground. Post-marriage.

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