Just the fact Maxwell seemed willing to help in any way he could was a relief. He had every right to get furious at Milo for irresponsible attitude to safe sex, and refuse to go out of his way to offer help across. It had been a worry of Milo's throughout that week that he'd return home to find that Maxwell was unwilling to extend a hand and simply expected Milo to care for the child he had created, alone. That wasn't impossible, but it would be ridiculously difficult to do it all by himself, which made Maxwell's kindness all the more relieving.

"You focus on your projects, that's fine. She doesn't cry much. She'll drink her milk and, like, just stay quiet while I rock her, she's really easy-- I sent you those videos, remember? When she was just quiet watching the ducks in the park-- she's super quiet," he reassured quickly. He wasn't so naive that he expected her to be quiet constantly, but he also knew he could handle things whenever she did cry. "I'll just take her out into the back garden if she cries so you aren't interrupted-- I kinda got a handle on this, I think. And when she's able to manipulate her form, we can go for walks in the park and it'll be real cute-- I can still come to the university with you. Having Soleil won't stop me looking out for you, promise. I love you as much as I do her, so... it'll all be good, I promise.
 
“Where is she going to go?” He questioned warily. “I mean, you obviously can’t just bring her into the classroom, plus I know for sure that girls will want to take a look at her. They love babies. I don’t want them to see her and get us in trouble, you know?” He reminded cautiously before deciding to grab his laptop and work on the paper beside them both.

“We don’t know anyone else who would watch her, right?” He confirmed quietly as he began to type quickly. “Did you eat? I can order us some Chinese food if you’d like...? I missed you, you know I don’t like eating alone.”
 
"Nobody I'd trust, no. I can't go telling everyone I'm not human, that'd be dumb-- and she's not really human either, is she? I don't trust anyone else to watch her if I'm not around, besides you. We can sort that out when the time comes, yeah? For now, I'm pretty happy eating some Chinese food and cuddling with you," he grinned, leaning across to offer a quick kiss. It had been a solid week without any physical affection, so he felt he deserved to be on his game and offer up as much of it as he could. He had sent cute texts and a few video calls, but that hardly compared to a kiss or a hug.

"You can work on your project and I can just watch some movie-- Soleil will probably sleep after I give her a bottle, it's what she's done all this week, anyway. I'm sort of just... learning as I go along. I don't think I'm doing a bad job at it, so far-- I'm kinda proud of myself, actually. She's healthy and clean and... and she seems happy, so... I think we'll be okay," he determined, watching the girl drift to sleep in his arms with a proud grin on his face. This was hardly something he had ever seen happening for him, but he would never turn away the chance of stepping up and accepting responsibility. Hell, unlike Georgia, he fell in love with the baby almost instantly, as was expected from a father.

"You've been miserable without me, hm? I won't be going anywhere without you from now on, that's a promise-- I don't intend on being without you for a minute."
 
“That makes me sound like I’m on some suicide watch,” he replied with his own slow smile. He dared to go as far as to rest his head on the other’s shoulder while keeping his eyes on his laptop. Maxwell would go on for hours about how completely average he was at school but if there was one thing that he could do well, it was to go hard on projects and papers. No matter what paper he wrote, it almost always got an A even if he got an F on everything else. He would go days without sleeping if he needed to, which often fucked up his eye and gave him a headache but he didn’t care. It was worth it, in his eyes.

“... I’m really proud of you,” he eventually murmured, glancing up from the computer briefly. “Like, you’re more of an adult than I am, to be honest. Like, you’ve grown so much in the last year, especially when I’m such a shitty caretaker. Now you have to take care of two children,” he teased, exhaling quietly. “God, I’m exhausted. I have to get some Red Bull soon, okay?”
 
Hearing the praise from Maxwell meant far more to him than he cared to admit. He was proud of himself, and he had no problem communicating that. He didn't think most people would as well raising a child they hadn't known about in the space of a week, while the other parent washed their hands of the duty without worry. Hearing that reiterated back to him only confirmed that he was doing a good job, and he didn't hold back from smiling to himself at the praise.

"You're not a kid-- you need looking after sometimes when you trip or fall, and that's fine, I can look after you-- just like you looked after me when I was sick all those years, right? It's a shared responsibility," he confirmed, easing himself up a little to both support the child and Maxwell as best he could. "...You aren't pulling an all-nighter to finish this project off, are you? You're like a zombie the next morning when you do that, I wish you wouldn't stress yourself out-- but I'll stay up with you if you do. Give you some company, yeah?"
 
“I have to,” he protested with a groan as he warily rubbed his face of weariness. “I mean, I’ve been doing that whole 15 minute nap thing for the last week and I’m still alive somehow. I mean, I’m definitely running on fumes but I’m fine,” he reassured with a heavy yawn before turning to rest his chin on the other’s arm to look up at Milo with a small smile despite the bags under his eye being proof that his micro sleeping wasn’t the healthiest thing in the world.

“Maybe I’ll take a nap...” he admitted with a groan. “Hnng, I’ve pretty much spent the whole week in the campus library, it’s nice to be home with you,” he insisted slowly, his slurred voice proof of his body shutting down now that he had someone warm to press against. “Just... wake me up in a half hour, I’ll order us food...”
 
"I'd rather you slept for 8 hours and woke up refreshed but... sure, I can wake you up in a half hour," he sighed, his lips pulled into a worried frown. Despite being at the happiest point in his life, with a steady boyfriend who was also his best friend and now a daughter of his own, there was always going to be worry creeping in to distort that. He had always worried about Maxwell, and he knew he was always going to too, no matter how old they were.

"I'll give Soleil a bath in the sink and... I'll have to set the crib up in here, that'll take ages. I'm useless at DIY," he mumbled, more to himself than to Maxwell, who he assumed was too tired to really acknowledge what he was saying. "...Hey, just get some sleep, you clearly need it."
 
He didn’t need to be told twice and, within seconds, the soft snores of Maxwell could be heard. He had been living on absolute bare minimum sleep. Even if it was only an hour, it was a very well needed hour. When stirring awake, he groaned heavily when realizing his body seemed to want him awake once again. Rubbing his face, he offered a frown to Milo.

“Okay, I’m sorry. Let’s order some dinner, yeah?” He decided, the bags under his eyes still prevalent. Hell, they were pretty much permanent. “Hnn... I mean, I just realize that we won’t be able to go out to parties. Unfortunate.” He drawled sarcastically. “I don’t know if we have coffee but I need a cup.”
 
During the time Maxwell had been asleep, Milo had spent every second of it trying to get everything together. He didn't have all the items he wanted (his limited funds and time prevented that) but he had managed to get the essentials. He had a crib that he surprised himself in setting up from scratch, he had bottles and sterilising equipment, and he had a few items of clothing. During the hour, he was at least proud of himself, having bathed the baby, clothed her, fed her and then put her down for sleep in the crib he built. By the end of it all, he was exhausted, but Max waking up gave him the energy to force his tiredness aside. He would pull an all-nighter with him if he had to, just to spend quality time with his boyfriend that had been sadly lacking throughout that week.

"There's Red Bull in the fridge, I've had, like, two," he admitted, pushing himself up from the floor with a smile. "...Can we at least watch some TV while we eat food? You have plenty of time to get onto your assignment afterwards."
 
“That sounds nice, yeah,” he admitted with a smile before patting his side on the couch. With a soft groan, he lifted the laptop up to order the food, GrubHub having been his saving grace for a hot minute. “We can watch it until midnight, how about that? I gotta get back to work and, when school is over, I promise I’ll go do something with you. We can take the baby, too! Some cute coffee shop or something...” he insisted, ordering what he assumed to be the regular for them both.

“It’ll be fun, I promise!” He insisted, his excitement halfhearted from his weariness. Once ordering the food, he took a seat besides the other and dared to offer a kiss. After all, he had missed the affection just as much and he wanted to revel in it as much as possible.
 
"...I just don't like seeing you exhaust yourself, it's not healthy, is it? I don't know what students do but you're making yourself sick and... I wish you'd stop stressing so much? Take a break now and then, that's not a crime. But after school's over, I definitely want to start doing more stuff with you outside the house. We could take a day trip somewhere, now I can drive and stuff. That'd be cool," he admitted easily, leaning back on his hands as he silently observed just how pale the other was - and the dark rings under his eyes were hardly subtle.

"...We could drive to the beach and take a picnic, that seems cute. That whole partying thing isn't for me, I'd rather do something cute with you and Soleil, I think that's more... us, right? Something simple and cute and... doesn't require feeling uncomfortable around other people, it'll be just us," he continued easily, growing more delighted with the idea the more the details were being ironed out. "Parties suck, anyway. I don't like alcohol and the music's too loud and... I can see why you're not a fan."
 
“I mean, I’m glad I can physically go outside with you. I just wanted to be friends with those people so I wasn’t alone outside the house,” he admitted as he scooted closer, desperate to be subtle enough for the other to get that he wanted to make out without flat out saying it. After all, he was still anxious about admitting he was even gay to begin with.

“It’ll be nice - the picnic thing. We could do a mini one in the back yard if you’d like? I mean - I wonder how long it takes her to grow up. Maybe she’ll suddenly have a growth spurt at, like, a few months old. I don’t know how you work fully, Milo,” he reminded. “She won’t have to be hidden in the backyard.”
 
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"I don't even know how I work, Max. I'm sure it's different for her; Georgia's human, right? I... don't know-- it'll be fine though. If anything, it'll be fun? No day will be boring, that's a plus. And you can help teach her things like you did with me, it'll be like homeschooling. I'm not smart enough to teach her. I want her to be as smart as you are," he decided after a moment, having briefly stopped his conversation in order to glance over at the crib. Georgia didn't seem to react as badly to the news that he wasn't human as he assumed she would. She had freaked out, inevitably, but she seemed calm enough to hug him when he was heading off, so the fact she didn't seem to push that fear aside to stay in their daughter's life confused him, as much as it angered him.

Not that he was complaining too much. He much preferred being a parent with Maxwell as support, than having to share custody with Georgia. Perhaps that was selfish, but she hadn't exactly shown any desire to care for Soleil.

"I had a growth spurt; a few of them. She looks more like me than she does Georgia, maybe she'll be the same way," he shrugged, grabbing his can of Red Bull with a faint grin. "...Your parents wouldn't have been as chill about this as you are. They'd have yelled at me for being irresponsible-- I'm pretty sure your Mom would have freaked out."
 
“I mean, I want to yell at you for being irresponsible because you are irresponsible, don’t get it twisted,” he replied sternly as he looked back at Milo, his knit brow evidence of his seriousness. “The difference is, there’s nothing I do to show the consequences more than a literal child, right? That being said, it’s a little upsetting that I have to help you, too, but what sort of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t?” He whispered before reluctantly getting to his feet.

“Ugh... I mean, I’m no homeschool teacher but I can try my best, I suppose. I’m pretty shit at explaining things, you know that. It’ll... be interesting,” he admitted with a small smile before deciding to get his own drink. “God, this’ll probably hit me harder when I’m not so tired...”
 
"I wouldn't say she's a consequence of anything, I... I obviously don't regret what happened, dude. Everything happens for a reason, right? I get that it's a whole bunch of stress but I think I can make it work. You don't need to be involved if you don't want to be. I'd love you to, obviously, but you can take a back seat if you wanted. Not that I think that's possible-- have you seen Soleil? She's too cute to ignore, I can't stop fussing over her," he grinned, doing his best to force aside his sudden worry. The last thing he wanted was his boyfriend backing away. He had every right to do that, but Milo had the image of them all being this cute family unit. It would break apart the vision in his head if Max decided suddenly that he didn't want to take on that added pressure.

"...You don't seem like you're that bothered with her, which is... that's fine. I just think you might like her if you held her and... actually got involved? You've barely even looked at her," he mumbled, folding his arms to appear as in control as possible. "...She's not dangerous, Maxwell. She's half-alien, sure, but she's not... she's just a baby."
 
"I didn't think she was dangerous, Milo, that's just you projecting," he replied with a growing frown. "Look, you can't look me in the eye and tell me you thought this would happen. This was a surprise and denying it is just bull. I want to do this with you, it'll be... strange, not at all what my mother and father probably planned for either of us, but it'll be us doing it together. You really shouldn't get upset about the truth," he insisted before cracking open the can.

"She's beautiful, I think. If I'm to be honest, I... I don't really like children, so that's the worst part. Like, I never wanted to have children but, I mean, we sort of do now? It's just a part of this whole strange situation," he insisted before chugging back the drink. "Hm.... Listen, I'm mad at you but that doesn't mean I don't love you."
 
"...You love me? I'm assuming it isn't the brotherly, friendship sort of love we grew up with-- I'm assuming it's more the romantic sort? That's... major, Max," he blurted, the 'L' word immediately catching him by surprise and ensuring he didn't get too caught up in his genuine anger. He had expressed his love for Maxwell before, plenty of times, but he never considered it too serious. Not once did he look him in his eye and proclaim how deeply he loved him because, frankly, he was far too nervous to be the first one to say it and clearly mean it.

"I love you too-- I mean, I've always loved you, duh. You were the only friend I had for years and... you taught me how to read and write, that stuff's invaluable, but I love you more now in different ways, so-- this is corny, hm? Just... it doesn't matter if you love me. If you're uncomfortable and if you dislike Soleil being around, I can't be here. I want to be with you for decades, but I... I don't want to stick around and make things awkward," he continued, absently moving to sit beside the crib. He had found that it was impossible to leave the baby's side for more than a few minutes. Even when she was peacefully asleep, he found himself gravitating back towards her, if only to watch her soundly sleep. "...I'd rather we give this a shot, but you're hardly enthusiastic and that fucking scares me, Max."
 
“It’s not like I have a million other things on my mind, right?” He replied sarcastically, his eye rolling for an extra measure as he flopped down on the couch. The one benefit of Maxwell being tired or drunk was that he didn’t have the physical signs of anxiety, though he was internally screaming as he stared at the television blankly.

“I’m just saying that I’m not going to be able to focus on her solely for the next week and a half. Once all of this is over I can focus on her solely, but you need to understand that I can’t focus on both her and school at the same time. I mean, I can barely focus on feeding myself right now,” he insisted before patting his side. “... well, yeah, I love you. In multiple levels. I always will, whether you push me away or not.”
 
"I just don't want us to argue about this, that's all. I'm not pretending that this was what I'd always planned for, I know I was dumb and this is the... repercussion or whatever. I just know I can't change it and I wanna do my best, and I've always needed to be around you to be at my best, so-- look, focus on school. I know what I'm doing, mostly," he encouraged, deciding that he wasn't going to be selfish and demand Maxwell help him out. For one thing, Soleil was clearly Milo's responsibility, and more than that, Max had already said how much he didn't like children. Expecting him to sacrifice his education to help out with a child he wasn't entirely eager to be around didn't seem remotely fair - and Milo wasn't selfishly going to guilt him into helping.

"Soleil and I are fine, I don't need you missing out on work to help. I've basically cared for her by myself this whole week and she's healthy and happy, so... a few more weeks won't hurt. You do your work, focus on that-- that's what you need to do."
 
“I could cut back on some stuff to help pay for her,” he decided after a pause, offering a smile in reassurance. “We can buy some cheaper food, maybe? Go thrifting for things, yeah? I should become an accountant, that’s what I’ve been feeling like,” he admitted before moving to meet up with the other.

“I wasn’t lying when I said she was cute,” he commented softly as he took in the baby, his eyes scanning her. He wasn’t going to lie and say he wasn’t in emotional distress for the situation. “... how do I even hold a baby? They look so fragile...”