Be My Robron Valentine?

He burrows his hands deeper into his jacket pockets and hunches his shoulders to brace against the sudden night breeze, chills running across the back of his close-shaved head and down his thin spine. Below him gravel crunches.

“Because I do, and I want you there,” Vic insists from a few steps ahead of him. She stops and turns back to give him a pleading look; big green eyes belying her underlying nerves and need for moral support. When she sees he isn’t budging, she crosses her arms against her chest and pouts. “Oh come on. Do it for me!”

When Aaron makes a face, she rolls her eyes. “Some kind of best friend you are.”

It shouldn’t get to him, but it really does, Vic being one of the few and far between people he can stand and actually likes spending time with. (It helps that she’s devoid of any of his own harsh sense of judgement and that she finds his jokes funny — and that he feels comfortable enough to talk to her about anything. Though given her recent fixation on being liked by one Chrissie White, he’s slowly starting to rethink his opinion.)

With a reluctant sigh, he closes the gap. Vic beams up at him as she links her arm with his, the sleeve of her yellow top bright against the black of his big puffy jacket. They continue walking up to the main house in tandem.

“Will you at least try and have a good time?” She asks after a few minutes. He almost misses her words as the wind picks up around them.

“Not sure how I’m supposed to do that with him there,” Aaron mumbles under his breath. The wind dies down just enough for her to hear that.

“Robert’s not all bad,” Vic says, ever the dutiful sister. “Yeah, he can be a bit of an idiot. But all that stuff with Debbie’s in the past now. And it was only ever a one-time thing.”

As far as Aaron’s concerned, it’s been an ongoing thing, Robert making no bones about his sexual prowess — or his attempts to bed half the school’s female population. Aaron’s cousin had just been one of the many names added to that steadily growing list at the end of term last year. Though if he’s being honest she’d gotten over it rather quickly in the summer, leaving Aaron the only one still holding a grudge. (Well, him, his mum, and his uncle Cain. Even Debbie’s mum, Charity, seems unbothered by it at this point.)

“What are you supposed to be, anyway?” Aaron asks in an attempt to change the subject. He knows full well she’s dressed as a cheerleader. And even if he didn’t, the short maroon skirt and bright white trainers would more than give it away. He doesn’t understand how she isn’t freezing.

“Uh, I’m Buffy?” Vic says instead. Her tone makes it seem like it’s supposed to be obvious.

“Is that why you’re carrying that wooden stick?” Aaron asks, nodding at the prop in her other hand. Vic’s sigh is loud and put upon from beside him.

“It’s called a ‘stake’ and it’s used to kill vampires,” she explains like he’s the one who’s picked a ridiculous and obscure costume. “You know, because she’s a vampire slayer?”

Aaron just shrugs, accepting it for what it is: yet another thing Vic is into and he isn’t. Though judging by her exasperated sigh and the determined jut of her jaw, he senses an upcoming night parked in front of the telly. Shaking his head, he turns his attention to the house in front of them, and it quickly becomes clear that the Whites have spared no expense for the holiday.

There are lit up jack-o-lanterns all along the path to the main house, and half the roof is covered in cobwebs. The other half has black spiders in the ivy crawling up against it, causing the mansion to look less grand and more dilapidated. It’s like something out of one of those horror movies Paddy and Marlon are always trying to get him to watch, the ones Aaron’s always declining. He thinks about taking out his phone and snapping a photo for them, but he can’t be bothered and it’s far too chilly a night. So his hands remain in his pockets. (Paddy, in particular, had been quite excited that he might be attending a Halloween party at all. Never mind that it was at Home Farm of all places. He’d spent the entire time Vic had been applying Aaron’s face paint just dithering in the doorway of his bedroom, telling him about all the fun Halloween pranks he’d gotten up to in university.)

Beside him, Aaron can already feel Vic’s excitement level start to shoot up, her grip around his arm tightening. Despite his earlier misgivings, he can feel his own mood start to lift, Vic’s steadily growing enthusiasm finally starting to infect him.

Practically the whole school had been buzzing about tonight’s “big” party, everyone discussing their costume ideas during and between lessons. With any luck, most of Vic’s and his classmates would have already arrived, meaning Aaron wouldn’t have to do much to avoid anyone he doesn’t want to see yet.

Meaning he wouldn’t have to do much to avoid Robert.

The heavy bass of some booming party track is already audible through the heavy front door, the beats thumping louder as they get nearer. The intended ominous and foreboding vibe of the house’s exterior, at direct odds with the life of its interior.

They come to a stop just before the doorway, Vic turning toward him patiently. He can see on her face that she’s truly offering him one last way out, one last chance to get away from all of this.

And it’s that that makes him shake his head and soften his stance, an acquiescent smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Oh thank you thank you thank you!” Vic exclaims, her voice mildly muted by the music. She reaches up and excitedly kisses him on the cheek, apparently unworried she’ll get paint on herself or ruin her makeup.

It’s in the middle of this that the door swings open, and a blast of noise rushes out to greet them, the music now so much louder with nothing to keep it at bay.

Not that Aaron notices it much, his eyes trained on the figure in the doorway, at the bare, freckled chest and swim-toned arms, and the fucking smirk gracing those often-cruel, pink lips.

“Well, well, well…”

Green eyes darken around a sharp glint of mischief. The other boy steps close, not even a trace of a shiver passing through him as he crosses his arms over his chest. Everything about this motion is instantly familiar, the unconscious resemblance both strong and uncanny.

“If it isn’t my sister and her little boyfriend.”

Who you calling ‘little’? Aaron opens his mouth to fire back, but Vic does it for him, stepping forward and pushing past her brother as she warns, “Robert, don’t be boring.”

A second later, Aaron finds himself being pulled into the party after her, Vic’s hands still wrapped firmly around his left forearm.

For a moment it looks like Robert might object, as he moves just a tiny half a step forward. But his mouth remains shut as he continues to behold Aaron; just keeps staring at him like he wants to say something.

For his part, Aaron sticks his chin out in challenge, meeting Robert’s gaze headfirst as he moves to walk past him. In glimpsing that almost-sneer up close and in high definition, he notices instantly that it doesn’t quite reach Robert’s eyes, which have somehow grown even darker in the last couple of seconds; not a trace of warmth, or even love, lost between them.

When it appears like Robert’s not going to move out of his way any time soon, Aaron gives into Vic’s tugging and bumps into the older teen’s right shoulder. He feels the impact even through his thick coat and warm, woollen jumper, Robert’s slim frame proving much harder than anticipated; those hours of farmwork feeding his unyielding solidity.

Aaron lets Vic lead him down the White’s hallway, the dim light adding extra drama to everyone’s costumes. She pulls him into the living room situated on the right — not that he really notices. His body might be here but his mind is still back outside with Robert, and the slowly blooming wave of warmth in his right shoulder.

So much for avoiding Robert Sugden.

:::::

They’re barely there an hour before Ellis Chapman arrives, dressed like he works in an office and carrying a bloody cricket bat. Instantly Aaron knows he’s lost Vic’s attention, her gaze now fixed over his right shoulder as she nods absentmindedly when he asks her what she’d like for her second drink.

Shaking his head, he waves a hand in front of her face to recapture her attention. When he has it, Aaron nods over at Ellis. “You should go over and say hello.”

To her credit, Vic smiles at him sheepishly, her cheeks turning a light pink that’s visible even in this muted lighting. “I said I wouldn’t leave ya alone, so I’m not going to.”

“Why not? It’s clear that you like him.” Aaron shrugs and takes another sip of his beer, Chrissie’s father seemingly having no problem with serving half the school alcohol. (Yes, he’s17, but he’s also grown up in a pub. Vic still isn’t, and neither is Ellis.)

Vic shushes him to keep anyone else from hearing — not that they would over the still-loud and booming dance track.

When she’s sure no one really has, she protests much more softly, “I never said anything like that.”

“You didn’t have to,” Aaron explains with another shrug. “You get all weird when you’re around him.”

He bursts into an impression of her talking to their friend, pitching his voice high and batting his eyelids as he pretends to toss his hair over his shoulder. “Oh, Ellis. You’re so funny.”

He follows it up with an exaggerated giggle that earns him a smack on the arm. He frowns because it actually smarts a little.

Thankfully, Ellis puts a pin in this argument for them, coming over to the corner where they’re both standing. The splatters of red paint on his short-sleeved white shirt and red tie are more noticeable, up close.

“Excuse me, Ms. Summers but have you see a Victoria Sugden?” Ellis asks both of them, like he’s meeting them for the first time. “I was hoping to ask her to dance with me.”

It’s then he turns to look at Aaron, and flashes him a smile. “You look like my mate Aaron, but less scary.”

Aaron rolls his eyes as Vic laughs at the joke. Despite herself, it sounds a bit like Aaron’s impression.

She follows it with a pleased, “See! You’re the only one who doesn’t know who Buffy is.”

Aaron replies, “Just go dance with the office manager.”

“Hey! I’m meant to be Shaun of the Dead,” Ellis corrects, sounding affronted. He gestures up and down at his costume, and then specifically at his fictional name tag.

“I’m going to get another drink,” Aaron tells Vic. It’s a blatant lie seeing as his glass is still half full. But she still reads his second directive for what it’s meant to be: Go dance with him. I’ll be alright on me own.

Vic smiles at him gratefully and turns back to Ellis, who’s now glancing curiously between them.

“Better do as he says,” she says, gazing at the other boy shyly. “Or he’ll get even grumpier.”

“And here I thought this was him happy,” Ellis jokes back. But when he looks over at Aaron he’s also thankful.

Aaron watches as Ellis offers her his arm, Vic taking it and letting him lead her over to where everyone’s dancing. Aaron shakes his head at his two secretly smitten friends before his eye catches on something in the middle of the makeshift dance floor.

It’s Robert, still shirtless, grinding up against Chrissie White, the only thing between them the thin linen of her Cleopatra’s dress, and whatever white cotton pants he seems to be wearing — but even that might as well be non-existent at this rate, their movements growing less and less suggestive.

Almost without warning, Robert seems to sense him, looking up from where his chin is resting on Chrissie’s neck, and through the gap in the parting crowd, straight at Aaron. He doesn’t stop moving, just keeps dancing; gyrating slowly against Chrissie’s backside. His mouth quirks upwards at the corners, as if proud of himself — and as if wanting Aaron to know it.

In Aaron’s chest, it’s like the air’s gone stale, the breath passing through it now constricted. He looks away like his retinas have been burned, but he can still feel Robert’s gaze upon him. In an effort to mute it, he downs whatever’s left of his drink, and then heads off to the kitchen for a refill.

He can’t stand the sight of Robert fucking Sugden.

:::::

He’s necking cider by himself in the kitchen when he hears a gaggle of voices by the doorway. A few seconds later, Bernice, Kerry, and Priya enter the room; an angel, a devil, and Lara Croft locked in a heated discussion.

“I’m tellin’ ya man, they’ve got loads of those cabins around here,” Kerry says with a grin and a nudge. “You and Liam would have plenty of privacy.”

“And most importantly,” Priya notes, as she pours them all more beer. “No more Daz Spencer hanging around you.”

She thinks for a minute then looks over at Kerry. “Sorry.”

Kerry brushes it off as she takes the red plastic cup handed to her. “Oh, no worries. Dan doesn’t like him either. Can’t believe Bernice here dated him as long as she did.”

“But it’s not like I can just ask Chrissie to give me the keys,” Bernice points out. She accepts her glass but keeps it on the counter beside her. “And certainly not in the middle of her party!”

“Then why don’t you just take them?” Aaron asks from he’s standing, he’s drunk enough that he’s feeling a bit bolder.

When all three girls turn to look at him, startled expressions on their faces, he shrugs and adds, “Reckon her dad’s got an office around here somewhere.”

“Stealing is a crime,” Bernice protests, though judging by the look on her face she’s already considering it.

“Not if you’re just borrowing,” Kerry says enthusiastically, in support of the suggestion. She beams back over at Aaron, her glittery horns shine in the low kitchen light, and making her live up to her costume.

Priya joins in with a, “Or do you want your ex-boyfriend to keep interrupting you and Liam?”

Bernice straightens up and looks across the kitchen island at Aaron. “So, where do you think this office is?”

:::::

He finds the keys without much difficulty once he heads downstairs, the home office better organised than he’d expected. He tosses a set marked 12-04 over to Bernice who first fumbles the catch and then nearly drops it. When she brings her hand up, the keys are still clasped within it, her knuckles whitening with the pressure.

“Bring them back in a couple of hours and no one will notice it,” he advises, not really caring one way or the other.

“Aaron Dingle, I could kiss you!” Bernice exclaims as she takes her phone out and starts typing, no doubt already messaging Liam.

He scrunches up his face in immediate disgust and mutters under his breath, “Don’t you dare.”

But if Bernice notices his reaction she doesn’t say a thing. Though it’s clear she’s barely paying attention anyway.

Seeing as she’s already walking out the door where Kerry and Priya are keeping watch, Aaron realises that putting things back as they were will be his sole purview.

He’s moving the box of keys back into the file cabinet he took it from, when he hears a shuffle by the door behind him.

“Finally realise you were forgettin’ something did ya?” He calls out in a strained whisper over his shoulder, he’s bent over, rearranging the files within the bottom drawer. “Don’t worry. I already took care of it.”

He hears the click of a phone camera before he sees a flash out of the corner of his eye.

It’s followed by a voice dripping nothing by smugness. “This is what you get when you invite a Dingle to your party.”

Aaron stands up straight, and clenches his jaw. Then turns around slowly to face Robert. “Why do you care? Not like it’s your house.”

He then snorts and adds, “Not like it’s even your party.”

Robert’s smile seems to slip — but it’s only for a second. His eyes get darker and more pointed.

“It is my business when my sister’s boyfriend is involved.” He practically spits that word out at Aaron.

Aaron’s eyes narrow as Robert steps forward, glancing around the room as if truly noticing the office for the first time.

“What you doing down here anyway?” He asks when he looks back at Aaron. He’s steps closer in an effort to be threatening. “Scoping out places you can sleep with my sister?”

“What you goin’ on about?” Aaron asks, stepping forward as well. “Vic and I are just mates. Why would I want to sleep with her?”

Robert’s eyes study him, but he doesn’t seem to buy it. “Please. I saw the way you were staring at Chrissie and me earlier. You’re not using Vic for your sick sexual fantasies.”

It shouldn’t be funny, but something about it is. Aaron chuckles, shakes his head and looks away.

“What’s so funny?” Robert asks, stepping closer and sounding even more annoyed. His breath tickles Aaron’s face, moist against the dry pull of paint. He smells of sweat, and beer, and body spray.

“You are, mate,” Aaron answers, edging even closer in challenge. “I’m not interested in your girlfriend.”

“Chrissie’s the fittest girl in school,” Robert points out, both angry and gloating. “So that makes you a liar.”

There’s a fury in Robert’s eyes, and Aaron can’t look away. He tries to widen his gaze, take in the splatter of freckles around Robert’s cheeks as he rumbles, “Or it makes me gay and honest.”

He can tell Robert isn’t expecting it, his eyes going wide in shock. If anything, Aaron knows how he feels; barely having expected to make this admission tonight — and never to Robert Sugden. In fact, he’d never planned on coming out to more than a few close friends. But like always, Robert has to go ahead and ruin it.

Before his own panic can set in — the feeling already rising in his chest — Aaron takes a moment to truly revel in the other boy’s reaction. He looks at wide open eyes, and a jaw dropped mouth, before offering a smirk of his own to Robert. Then without further ado, and his work done here, he bumps his shoulder into him again as he exits.

The second the door clicks shut, Aaron’s throat starts to constrict, a cold kind of dread creeping up his spine. Sure, there are people who are out at their school, but he can count the entire queer student population on just one hand. However, even that is proving to be cold comfort when faced with the fact that his truth is now known by Robert Sugden.

All he can do now is limit the fallout as the rest of the student body slowly starts to find out — and maybe get a few more people on his side. Now armed with a rough plan, Aaron rushes upstairs. He needs to find Vic and Ellis.

:::::

“There you are!” Vic exclaims when she sees him emerge in the living room. “We’ve been lookin’ everywhere for ya!”

She gestures at Ellis, who’s perched on the arm of a sofa right beside her, before fixing Aaron with a stern almost-motherly stare.

“Bernice said something about you being her hero?” Ellis teases lightly. “You find some way to get rid of Daz for her?”

Vic elbows him in the side, and he groans instantly. “What? He’s the one bein’ creepy and not leaving her alone. The guy needs to learn how to take a hint.”

“I think I’m going to go,” Aaron tells them, the words coming out in a rush. Now that he’s faced with his friends he can’t stand to do it; all of the courage and bravado that had come when he’d been facing down Robert having vanished from his system right this very instant.

“Don’t be like that!” Vic protests, looking guilty. “Have you even tried to meet anyone yet?”

She lowers her voice as she adds, “Chrissie said she’d invited some blokes from her old school. I’m sure one of them’s bound to be gay — or bisexual!”

That’s not the problem. Aaron wants to tell her. But before he can, that’s when the girl of the hour walks into the living room.

“Who wants to play ‘Truth or Dare’?” Chrissie questions looking around, holding up a glass beer bottle. She seems a bit drunk and like someone put her up to this.

Aaron’s chest seizes up and he looks around for Robert, but he seems nowhere in sight or in the vicinity.

“See!” Vic insists, jumping to her feet. “You can’t leave now! Things are just getting interesting.”

She grabs his forearm and drags him behind her. Ellis just smiles and shrugs as he also follows her lead, falling in step beside him.

As he follows his friends into the other sitting room, Aaron immediately questions their friendship. But even that thought quickly falls by the wayside as he keeps his eye open for any sign of Robert.

:::::

When he doesn’t show up after a few minutes, Aaron breathes a silent sigh of relief. They’re all seated in a circle, Vic beside him with her feet curled up under her, not leaving his side just like she’d promised — though her attention is held by Ellis, who’s currently cross-legged on her other side.

The beer bottle from earlier is slowly spinning to a stop, the long throat of it threatening to land on any of them. It finally does, and the first victim is David Metcalfe, with Rebecca White gleefully sat right across from him.

He’s barely uttered the word, “Dare,” when she says, “Give me a lapdance.”

Only there’s nothing about her tone that’s joking, her desire for David apparent to everyone sitting across the space. But David doesn’t blink at the audacity of the request, just smiles and raises his eyebrows, as if to say, You sure about that?

Rebecca’s appraising smile is more than enough answer, but she still adds a flirtatious, “Why? Too scared to accept?”

“Not at all,” David grins back proudly, getting to his feet and walking over, his own eyes fixed on Rebecca and her completely white “hippie” costume — complete with a flower crown that looks almost like a halo.

Get a room, Aaron thinks rolling his eyes. Though even he has to admire David’s football captain physique. The older boy doesn’t need to take his shirt off, but he does so anyway, looping the red fabric around Rebecca’s neck when he gets to her. He’s clothed in nothing but running shoes and the football shorts of his David Beckham costume as he tries to move to a rhythm of his own making. It’s not much to look at, David’s movements kind of jerky, but Rebecca and the rest of their classmates seem to be enjoying it. Aaron shakes his head as his scowl deepens.

When David’s finally done he gets a round of whoops and hollers, and what looks like Rebecca saying, “Call me.”

He comes back and takes his seat, his shirt still off, and the spinning of the bottle commences. After a few long seconds, it falls on Ellis, the base of the bottle ceding power to Tracy Shankley.

“Truth or dare?” What’s meant to be a sexy bee asks.

“Truth,” Ellis answers her question boldly.

“Describe your crush,” Tracy says with a smile. Aaron immediately turns to look at Ellis when she says that. To his credit, his friend doesn’t look like he’s sweating.

“Well,” Ellis says, after clearing his throat. “She’s sweet, and clever, and funny.”

He takes a brief pause and it’s the most nervous Aaron’s ever seen him, before he says, “And she’s sitting right next to me.”

Ellis turns to Vic as he says that, giving her a nervous smile. From where he’s sitting, Aaron just smiles, happy for his best friend and her potential new boyfriend.

“Do you really fancy me?” Vic asks in a small voice, after a few seconds have ticked on by. The shock on her face is loud and clear.

“Yeah,” Ellis says bashfully. “Have for a while now.”

“I like you too,” Vic beams right back. She reaches between them and gives Ellis’ hand a squeeze. They sit there, both holding and smiling.

The moment is ruined by Tracy’s loud, “Awww. This is so sweet! Kiss him!”

At the behest of the other cheering members of the circle, Vic leans forward and gives Ellis a quick peck on the cheeks. Tracy looks like she’s about to protest, but then she catches Aaron’s eye. He glares at her and she looks like she’s going to back off.

“Who’s going next?” She asks, crawling forward enthusiastically. She give the bottle a spin and moves between them. As it’s about to come to a stop, there’s a really loud bang. Everyone sitting there startles.

“I have a question,” a loud voice booms. Aaron immediately turns towards the source of it. Looking behind him, he finds a drunken-looking Daz, his knees already wobbly from the alcohol.

“Why did Bernice dump me?!” He demands, not quite focusing on anyone’s face, just flickering from person to person between hiccoughs.

“Think the answer’s pretty obvious,” Kerry fires back from where she’s sitting. “Look at the state of yourself! She deserves better.”

“What are you doing here?” Chrissie follows up, rising off the ground. “I didn’t invite you! Leave or I’ll call the police!”

It takes Daz Spencer a long moment to process this edict, his face going on a journey of emotion before collapsing in a flood of tears.

“Where’s Bernice?! I-just-want-to-talk-to-her…” He half-whines-half-whimpers in a slur. Aaron doesn’t know whether to look down or feel bad for him. “Need to tell-her-I-love-her…”

“Mate just go,” Jimmy King says, getting to his feet as well. His bear costume coupled with his tall height and muscles makes him look even more imposing. Being the captain of the rugby team finally good for something. “Bernice clearly doesn’t want to see you. It’s probably just best to stay away from her.”

He moves towards him like he’s going to show him out, but then Daz stumbles backwards and nearly falls over. As he tries to straighten himself up and find his balance, any argument dying on his lips. So when he looks back them, he’s just tear-stained and clueless.

“Okay! I’ll go!” He loudly declares. “But tell Bernice I love her!”

It’s followed up by a loud, heaving sob, the tears coming once more. “And ask her why she did this.”

Jimmy stands his ground, watching Daz walk away. The second he’s left the room, a sigh of relief passes through it.

“Thank goodness he’s gone,” Chrissie says out loud. “I thought he was going to make more of a scene.”

“Forget about him!” Kerry declares from a few people over. “That’s just Daz. If there’s any event, he’s gonna go and ruin it. No need to let him spoil ya party.”

“Guess you’re right,” Chrissie says with a smile. She turns to address the rest of them. “Whose turn is it?”

“No one’s!” Tracy announces, and Aaron sees that she’s right. The bottle’s stalled between Priya and David.

She crawls forward and gives it another excited go. The bottle moving faster and then finally, slower.

Aaron’s pulse starts to quicken with each slowed down movement, until the bottle’s nose comes to a close and then fixes on him. He swallows nervously, and looks up to see who’ll be presenting him with his options. His heart jumps in his throat when he finds that it’s-

Robert.

His chest starts to tighten and he tries to think how this happened, when Robert Sugden slipped in and joined this circle. It must have been during this whole thing with Daz, when he’d distracted Aaron and his attention. There’s no chance of escape, not with everyone’s eyes on him; with everyone expecting something.

“Truth or dare?” Robert poses the question, with a smirk. But it gives away nothing about how he’s really feeling.

Aaron studies him carefully, but he can’t seem to get a read, can’t find any knowing twinkle in Robert’s eyes, or any knowingness to his gaze, just senses a kind of thrumming tension revving up in his half-naked body.

It’s now or never, Aaron thinks, considering his upcoming outing; for Robert to reveal he’s gay to everyone present.

Deciding to face it head on, he holds Robert’s stare. Not wanting to give him any sort of satisfaction.

“Dare,” Aaron half-growls, and a beat passes between them, Robert appearing to accept his answer.

It’s as he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, that Robert’s eyes turn considering. And then it’s gone in an instant, hidden behind that newly-formed smirk. The one that looks like every other one Aaron sometimes wishes he could punch away.

“I dare you…” Robert says slowly, a half-smile hooking at the corner of his lips. Aaron can’t stand to hear what he says next.

“To steal a bottle of scotch from the cellar.”

It catches Aaron by surprise, like a hiccough in his chest. He feels his heart skip a beat and then spasm.

“Is that all?” He asks, his voice sounding rough, like he can barely catch his breath now that it’s been stolen.

“Yes,” Robert says after a long, pregnant pause. Then he adds, “But I’m coming with you.”

“Why?” Aaron questions, with a half glare. This is easily a one-man job he can manage.

“To make sure you pick something good,” Robert says like it’s obvious.

Aaron looks across at Chrissie. “And you’re alright with this? With us stealin’ from your dad.”

He can feel Robert thinking, You didn’t seem to have a problem with it earlier. So he refuses to meet his eyes again.

Chrissie doesn’t say no, but she doesn’t say yes. She just looks thoughtfully from Robert over to Aaron. “I’m sure he won’t miss one bottle if it’s gone. Just make sure it’s nothing too expensive.”

When Aaron does turn back to Robert, he’s grinning at him like, See?

He just scowls back at him in response.

“Don’t tell me you’re having cold feet,” Robert resorts to teasing, his tone too smug for the occasion. “Thought all you Dingles loved stealing things.”

The attempt to goad is too obvious and Aaron simply rolls his eyes as he brings himself to standing. “It’s called having a conscience. You should try it sometime.”

Robert doesn’t respond, just continues to smirk. When Aaron looks over at him, there’s a light in his eyes that wasn’t there before. Despite himself, the pit of his stomach fills with dread, a cousin to the kind he’d felt earlier.

“Now what you waiting for?” He demands of the still seated Robert. “Not so bold now are ya?”

Robert raises an eyebrow and then takes his time getting up — even making a show of stretching when he is eventually standing. Aaron shakes his head but he also can’t help but stare at the way Robert’s muscles move under the light; a shifting collection of freckles dotting his skin.

Looking back at Robert’s face, it seems like he’s clocked him, as if he was aware of what Aaron was doing. Unwilling to stand the scrutiny or examine what those seconds earlier might mean, Aaron lets out a huff of frustration and storms off in the direction of the cellar. “I’m going. Come if you want to.”

He hears hasty footsteps follow behind him.

:::::

As soon as they enter the cellar room where Lawrence White stores his scotch, Aaron spins around and rounds in on Robert, pressing one arm across his bare and naked chest.

“What you playin’ at?” He growls, moving even closer. Robert’s back is now pinned against the cool brick wall behind him, a shiver passing through him and into Aaron. “Why’d you bring me down here?”

“I didn’t ‘bring’ you anywhere,” Robert argues back smugly, looking him straight in the eye. “You came here by yourself.”

A second later he adds, “I told you, Aaron. I’m just here to make sure you don’t mess up and pick the wrong bottle.”

Aaron searches Robert’s gaze, and it seems like he’s telling the truth. But he still can’t bring himself to trust him.

“Why didn’t you tell everyone?” He asks, his voice just above a whisper, a part of him scared that his voice might somehow travel.

Robert stares back at him for a long hard second. Then he swallows and looks down and replies, “Not my secret to tell, is it?”

He hasn’t struck Aaron, but he might as well have, an unexpected earnestness coming through loud and clear. The surprising reply causes Aaron to let go and step away — though not without one more firm push against Robert’s chest. That earns him a soft moan, as the breath leaves Robert’s lips, the feel of it tickling Aaron’s earlobes.

As he comes back to standing, Robert makes a big show of rubbing his chest, long fingers massaging his uncovered pectorals.

“Let’s find it and get out of here,” Aaron grumbles, turning around, though the sight of it is burned into his retinas.

Robert comes to join him, standing on his right.

“Let’s not be hasty,” he warns, tone light and casual. “We’ve only got one proper shot at this.”

Aaron’s brow furrows as he takes in Robert’s words, the lightness of their tone and meaning. He quietly studies him, taking in his profile from the side; the relaxed swoop of his shoulders and the almost smile on his lips as he stands there and studies each bottle appraisingly. The moment from a few seconds ago might as well have not happened, Robert acting as if they’re old mates all of a sudden.

Aaron tears his eyes away and focuses on the matter at hand — and not the way Robert Sugden sometimes hums when he’s thinking.

“How about this?” Aaron asks after a minute of searching. He’s done and he just wants to get out of here.

He shows it to Robert, who makes a face at his selection. Aaron frowns at his unexpected pickiness and places the bottle back.

“When did you get a taste for scotch anyway?” The question slips out as soon as he thinks it. He doesn’t care if it’s too rude a query.

“I have a taste for a lot of things,” Robert answers, throwing him a look. His voice is pitched low and Aaron nearly loses focus.

Then without warning, Robert steps closer, reaching for a bottle over Aaron’s left shoulder. In his surprise, Aaron takes a step back, his back bumping into the shelves behind him.

“Find what you were looking for?” He asks, his voice kind of breathy. He’d be more concerned about that if he weren’t already trying to get his pulse under control, his heartbeat having sped up rapidly in the span of the minute it takes Robert to notice him.

Robert doesn’t answer, just seems to forget what he was doing, his arm suspended over Aaron’s shoulder as his eyes drop down; first to his eyes and then his lips.

Aaron clears his throat after what feels like a moment of staring. His throat feels parched, his lips even more so. He moves to quickly moisten them.

He opens his mouth to talk but trails off as he catches sight of Robert’s eyes following his own tongue’s movement, green jade turning darker by the second.

“Uh… We should-” He tries, his mind feeling fuzzy. There’s only space in there now for a pair of pink lips, and bright, darting tongue — the narrow tip of it already driving him crazy.

Any other semblance of thought is pushed out of his head when he sees Robert nod, before his lips finally start moving towards his.

They draw closer together, two satellites floating in orbit, before Robert leaps and closes the distance.

Robert’s lips are softer and moister than expected, the force of the kiss sends his back bumping into the shelving behind him, bouncing off it and back into Robert. Within seconds Robert’s fingers are stroking against the grain of his hair, and his other hand tugging Aaron closer by the waist where he’s holding him. Aaron’s own hands clasp at Robert’s upper arms, an effort on his part to steady himself as the kiss grows deeper and deeper.

He can hear Robert’s groans, can feel them against his tongue, as he starts to rub the beginnings of his erection against the stirrings of his own one; cotton pants bumping and rubbing against denim.

Just when it feels like things are about to progress, there’s a loud noise to the side and they both spring apart gasping.

Before Aaron can find his bearings, and reclaim the fragments of his scattered mind, a familiar face appears from around the corner.

“Bernice? Is that you…? Are-you-in-here?”

He wonders how much he saw — or rather, how much he heard —  when Daz Spencer finally staggers in, not much soberer than he’d been half an hour ago. Aaron sighs inwardly, but Robert’s face screams murder, as he clenches his jaw and goes up to him.

“What do you think?” He sneers at Daz, who looks a bit taken aback — probably because he hadn’t expected to come in here and find either of them. “Why would Bernice be in some cellar? Oh yeah. She’s hiding from you.”

Daz’s eyes widen as the words start to sink in, and then he starts to blubber, tears and snot running down his face. This seems to annoy Robert even more, his shoulders tensing in anger.

“Oh grow up,” Robert says rolling his eyes. “What makes you think she’d want to be with someone like you. Look at you. You’re pathetic.”

That shuts Daz up, as he goes stock still, just stands there staring and blinking. “Wh-what did you say?”

“I said you’re pathetic,” Robert repeats, before adding, “You really think this is going to convince her to get back together with you?”

His tone is cruel and pointed as he gestures to Daz’s booze-soaked and rumpled appearance, his hair unwashed and curls flat. “If you want her back, then do something about. Do something that’ll make her listen.”

“L-like what?” Daz asks, hope dawning in his eyes. Aaron thinks he’s gotten the wrong takeaway from this lesson.

“I don’t know, tie her up?” Robert jokes, no longer mad, but clearly disinterested. “All I know is you’re going to have to do something pretty big if you want her to win her back. Her and Liam looked pretty cosy earlier.”

That snuffs out all trace of happy emotion on Daz’s face. It’s clear he didn’t know about Bernice starting to date the best student in all of Year 12.

Daz steps backwards, the shock leaving him blubbering. Then he turns and trudges back upstairs, his every step sounding more woebegone and shattered than the last one. But Aaron can’t bring himself to care too much about it.

Not with Robert Sugden still standing before him.

He’s yet to turn to face him, so Aaron takes a moment to admire his back, that same thrum of desire firing up within him as he looks at the myriad of freckles. He has to stop himself from reaching out to touch it. From touching Robert Sugden.

He already remembers the feel of his skin on his, lithe swimmer’s muscles sliding under smooth, velvety skin. Aaron wants nothing more than to run his palm over it again, to feel his hands trace each and every muscle.

Robert Sugden kissed me.

When Robert does turn around he doesn’t look at Aaron, just focuses on the shelf of alcohol behind him. As he goes for the scotch bottle, Aaron gets in his way, forcing him to look over at him.

“We need to talk,” Aaron tries to state calmly, while trying to stop his attention from drifting down to Robert’s lips.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Robert answers, still refusing to meet his eyes. He reaches for the bottle he wants to retrieve.  

“Yes, there is,” Aaron insists, stepping to his right to remain in Robert’s eye line. His head blocking access to the bottle. “You’re the one who brought me down here and kissed me.”

When it doesn’t work he shakes his head and tries again. “Just admit it, Robert. You’re actually gay.”

“No, I’m not,” Robert argues, eyes flashing darkly. He finally turns to look at Aaron.

“Alright then,” Aaron shrugs, accepting the protest. “Bisexual or whatever. Why are you tryin’ to deny it?”

He’s starting to get worked up now. There had been something there. He knows Robert probably also felt it.

When he doesn’t get a response he tries yet another track.

“Then what was all this about?” He gestures between them. “Do you even like Chrissie?”

“Of course, I do.” Robert actually answers, his tone making it seem like Aaron’s being ridiculous. He tries to reach for the bottle again but is blocked once more by Aaron.

But this time his face is hovering just centimetres, Aaron could kiss him again if he wanted.

“Is that why you’re still here with me, instead of up there with her?” Aaron challenges softly. “Face it. You could have taken any of these bottles and left by now.”

Robert just swallows and keeps staring into Aaron’s eyes. It looks like he’s searching for some kind of answer.

Inside of Aaron, a thrill starts to rise. Did he maybe get through to Robert Sugden?

He bites his lip, and looks over at Robert’s, wanting nothing more than to resume their kissing. But after a long battle, the shutters come down. And Robert steps back and grabs a random bottle.

Aaron just stands there, barely comprehending what’s happening, as it starts to dawn on him that Robert took him up on his other offer. He watches the other boy walk away, without even so much as a backwards glance. The air in the room grows colder.  

:::::

When he emerges upstairs, the game has been called off. People are back to drinking and dancing. He searches the room for any sign of Robert and his terrified haste — and finds him stood in a corner kissing Chrissie.

It’s like a kick to the chest, even though he hadn’t been expecting much. After all, what canyou expect from Robert Sugden? But even in his mind’s eye, Aaron hadn’t pictured this, a desperate scramble for any semblance of passing straightness.

Sadly, however, that’s not the worst part of all. No, that would be the fact that he can still feel every inch of that kiss: Robert’s fingers stroking fingers through his hair the groan into his mouth, the firmness of Robert’s body pressed up against his. Despite his initial surprise, Aaron had enjoyed that kiss, best one yet in his thus far still young life. The second it had ended he could feel himself crave more — but then this whole mess with Daz’s interruption had happened, thus ensuring he wouldn’t be able to go back for seconds.

As he resists the urge to run his fingers over his lips and recreate that sensation goes through Aaron’s mind, Robert’s eyes open mid-kiss and he sees him. But instead of acting sheepish or even apologetic about what he’s doing, he just shuts his eyes again and lets his and Chrissie’s kiss deepen, his hands slowly roving over her body. The bottle of scotch sits there unopened.

It’s the final push that Aaron needs to finally make his move and exit the party — the party he hadn’t even wanted to come to in the first place.

As he’s heading for the door, he hears someone call his name. He turns to find Vic standing there, arms crossed and pouting. “Don’t tell me you’re already leaving.”

“Why do you care?” He asks, emotionally ravaged. He doesn’t think he can handle dealing with another Sugden so soon after the first one. “Go and hang out with your boyfriend.”

He sees her flinch at that and he immediately feels bad about it. But right now he’s feeling worse for himself.

“Ellis isn’t-“ Vic starts, before stopping and realising his tactics, seeing his attempt to push him away for what it is. “Please stay. We never really get to do stuff like this.”

“Yeah. Well, there’s a pretty good reason,” Aaron says turning to reach for the front door handle.

“What did Robert do this time?” Vic asks with a sigh.

“Who says it has anything to do with Robert?” Aaron lies to her face. A familiar twinge of guilt accompanies it.

“You’ve got that look on your face,” Vic points out like it’s obvious.

Like Aaron has spent enough time moaning and groaning about Robert Sugden that he now has an expression completely dedicated to him. Aaron doesn’t believe it, just rolls his eyes at her.

Vic doesn’t say anything just waits for him to disclose. Aaron bites his tongue and tamps down on it. Robert’s inherent queerness and refusal to accept it, despite kissing him, isn’t a truth he can share. Robert’s words now echo in his head.

Not my story to tell, is it?

Aaron finally sighs, tired of their stalemate, and refusing to budge on a confession.

“I’m going home,” he tells her firmly as his grip on the front door handle firms. “This was… great. See ya later.”

The twists and pulls and the door swings open. Something, or rather, someone almost falls onto Aaron, and lands at his feet instead when he sidesteps him.

It takes Aaron a second — and several more after that — to process what he’s looking at. Lying there in front of him is the body of a tall teenage boy. He’s dressed like Tim Curry from Rocky Horror.

“Are you alright?” Vic asks, her concern loud and clear.

When he doesn’t move, Aaron nudges the boy with his foot.

After still no response, he decides to take matters into his own hands. Aaron bends over and rolls the boy over. “Listen mate the least you can do is try and contribute…”

He stops talking when he recognises the person.

Even with a wig on and some kind of outlandish outfit, Aaron can see that it’s Alex Mason. Only he isn’t drunk, or asleep, or even passed out. If anything he’s actually lifeless.

Aaron’s eyes immediately flying to his throat, where an angry red gash is still bleeding, the blood dark and red and pooled on that front stoop. It’s now forming a puddle under him.

He opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. Vic’s scream is loud in his ears.

:::::

It’s like she’s screaming forever, and then time stops, before more voices join them out in the hallway.

“Vic! What’s the matter?” Robert’s first on the scene.

He’s followed closely by Chrissie and then a concerned Ellis, most other people probably having chalked it up to some Halloween prank. “Are you alright?”

Vic doesn’t answer, just points at the body.

“Somebody killed Alex,” Aaron tells them, getting to his feet. He’d been checking for a pulse to see if maybe they could save him. But he must have lost a lot of blood, because his body was still a little warm, but also rapidly cooling.

“W-What should we do?” Chrissie’s tone is almost hysterical, her attention is fixed on the body, the shock of seeing it causing her to cry and shut down a bit.

“Call the police,” Aaron suggests quietly, a thought that’s passed his mind several times in the last few minutes.

They all look between them, but not no one volunteers, neither Aaron, nor Vic, nor Chrissie in any shape to do so.

“I’ll do it,” Robert steps up. He turns to Ellis and nods at Vic and says, “Watch her.”

He then takes out his mobile phone from his too-thin pants, and then goes into the next room, leaving the door ajar behind him.

Ellis walks over to Vic, and pulls her close to his side. She wraps her arms around him and lets him guide her to the side of the foyer closest to Aaron and a hyperventilating Chrissie.

Silence settles over them. No one says anything. Vic just sniffles into Ellis’ shoulder.

:::::

When Robert’s returned, no one’s really moved, except for Aaron who’s no longer crouched but standing.

“The police are on their way,” Robert informs them as he comes close. He stands next to Chrissie and across from Aaron.  

“W-we need to tell everyone,” Chrissie finally breaks her silence as she starts to cry. The music is still thumping from the party. “We need to warn them.”

“No!” Robert and Aaron exclaim at the same time. They lock eyes as they do so, but Robert quickly looks away and back at Chrissie.  

“That would just cause more panic,” Robert explains calmly. “The police said we should just stay put. They don’t want anyone tampering with the evidence.”

“Besides,” Aaron adds. “What are we going to tell them? That there’s some killer running around with a knife?”

He snorts. “Like that would go over well.”

There’s a long pause, and then Ellis asks, “So what do we do?”

Aaron and Robert share another look, but this time Robert’s the one to reply, offering up their one and only option. “We do our best to hide him.”

“And how do you propose to do that?” Chrissie nearly shrieks despite Robert’s attempts to calm her. “There’s a dead body lying in my doorway!”

“Why don’t you say that a little louder?” Aaron hisses back. “Think there are some people by the swimming pool who didn’t hear ya.”

Chrissie looks suitably cowed, and even Robert looks relieved. Vic just shuffles closer to Ellis who holds her tighter.

“Well there’s got to be some way to keep everyone distracted,” Robert says when the moment’s finally passed. “Just until the police get here and sort everything.”

“And so we can see that everyone’s safe,” Vic’s voice is small, but she’s still pretty adamant. And it’s that that causes everything that’s happened so far to sink in.

There’s a dead body at their feet and a killer possibly on the loose, and most of their friends are still none the wiser.

“Another game of spin the bottle?” Chrissie suggests hopefully.

Robert shakes his head, but then answers her gently. “We already did that. Don’t reckon anyone would be up for a second round.”

“Maybe we can order pizza?” Ellis throws out there. “People don’t really move when they’re eating.”

“Great idea,” Aaron doesn’t spare the defensive sarcasm. “The delivery guy can just step overthe body.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Robert bite back a smile at his words. It shouldn’t warm his chest so much, but it does so.

That’s when it hits him, what they have to do. The idea is elegant in its simplicity. He’d seen it in one of the many room ground floor rooms when he’d been walking around the place; when he’d been doing his best to avoid Robert.

“I’ve got it,” Aaron says looking around at everyone’s worried faces. In turn, they all turn and look back at him, expectantly.”

He flashes them a small proud grin as he reveals his big plan, “Why don’t we just watch a movie?”

:::::

He’d never tell her this to her face, but Aaron’s almost impressed with the way Chrissie seems to be handling things. She’d put aside her panic and put on a fake smile as she’d marched out and announced this change to her party. From there it hadn’t been hard to corale and shepherd all the guests into her large living room, where she’d started playing Scream on her massive big screen TV.

As the movie starts to play, their small group all gather in a back corner of the room and discuss their findings and observations.

“I-I can’t find Rebecca,” Chrissie’s tone is panicked once more, as she starts to cry from worry about her sister.

“Bernice is missing too,” Vic adds with a sniffle after a moment.

“Don’t worry,” Robert says, though he seems quite a bit stressed himself. “I’m sure they’re off somewhere together.”

This seems to calm both Chrissie and Vic down considerably, but in the pit of his stomach, Aaron knows it’s probably not true — and that Robert himself barely believes it — the likelihood of either girl hanging out and spending time with each other, the remotest of all possibilities.

“Have you tried ringing their mobiles?” Aaron asks Chrissie and Vic. The former nods and tearfully says, “She didn’t pick up, just let it keep ringing.”

“What about Bernice?” Robert asks Vic, who starts to cry as she answers.“She isn’t answering either, and you know her, it’s hard to get her off that thing!”

“Should we go looking for them?” Ellis asks as he checks to see if someone else might be listening in.

Robert gives it a thought and then says, “No point in all of us going. Maybe just one or two of us.”

Ellis looks relieved when he says that but Vic looks pretty worried, she turns to Aaron and says, “Can you at least go with him?”

As much as he doesn’t want to spend this extra time with Robert, Aaron can see that it would go a long way to assuage her worries, Vic clearly worried about losing her big brother to Alex Mason’s killer — and trusting her best friend to keep him safe and protect him.

Aaron gives her a nod, because of course he will. Like Robert, he’s never quite been able to say ‘no’ to Victoria.

When he looks over to Robert, he can see him watching him carefully, but trying to pass it off like he isn’t.

Aaron does his best to mirror that same amount of casualness, as he looks over at him and says, “Probably should. Safety in numbers and all that.”

:::::

They decide to start with the upstairs bedrooms, because even though those were explicitly marked ‘off-limits,’ teenagers are rarely ever staunch rule followers. As they step past the velvet rope at the bottom of the stairs meant to cordon things off, it feels like they’re passing into new kind of territory.

“Reckon we should have some kind of warning?” Aaron asks, keeping his voice low. “You know if one of us does actually meet the killer.”

Robert lets out a chuckle and Aaron immediately turns to look at him, wondering what he finds so amusing.

“Think we’ll even have time for that?” Robert says wryly. “Please. Whoever’s doing this is probably insane. We’ll be lucky if we get out of this with our lives.”

Aaron snorts and shakes his head. “Well, aren’t you ever the optimist.”

“I’m just being honest,” Robert says with a shrug.

“Then what was all that? Downstairs with Vic?” Aaron asks, getting incensed on her behalf now.

“No point in worrying her further,” Robert replies. “Figured finding the body is traumatising enough.”

“So you just lied to her then?” Aaron asks, pausing where he is. “You know what? I don’t know why I’m asking. That’s just typical.”

He continues walking, taking many steps at a time, he bumps into Robert’s shoulder as he walks past him to the top of the stairs.

“Don’t tell me this is about earlier.” Robert exclaims like he can hardly believe it. Like it’s every day you kiss your sister’s best friend who just came out to you, and for all intents and purposes you were clearly attracted to.

But Aaron doesn’t say anything, refuses to even look at him. He doesn’t know what he would even say if he did so.

“What? Just because you think I’m gay,” Robert’s voice continues to be disbelieving and joking.

Brows furrowing and eyes scrunched shut, Aaron scratches his forehead, trying to remember his promise to Victoria. Sure, he’ll get Robert back to her alive and in one piece. But he can’t be held accountable if there’s some facial bruising.

“So you’re not talking to me now,” Robert says, tone growing bitter and almost a little hurt. “That’s real mature. Especially with a killer about. Is this going to be our safe word? Silence?”

“Thought we didn’t need one,” Aaron says, ignoring everything else. He’s decided Robert Sugden isn’t worth all this hassle — even if he is an excellent kisser. “What with there being no time and all.”

He doesn’t need to look at Robert’s face to feel the surprise radiating off of it. Clearly, he’d expected Aaron to put up more of a fight, to keep insisting about his sexuality.

Aaron’s thoughts are confirmed, when Robert pretty much asks, “Not going to tell me I’m gay again?”

He stops in the middle of the hallway, turning to face Robert, who stops and meets his gaze as he does so.

“You know, I’ve met guys like you, who don’t want to accept who they are,” he says with as much stern seriousness as he can muster, like Paddy had last year before he’d come out to him. “So they just lash out at everyone around them. But the only person they’re really hurting is themselves.”

It’s like looking in a mirror, because Robert rolls his eyes just like he did, even trying to joke, “Don’t tell me this is some kind of, ‘It gets better’ mumbo jumbo, because from what I’ve seen you’re not out to everyone.”

The flippant tone doesn’t quite land and there’s a glint of panic behind those eyes. Aaron’s seen and felt it enough times to recognise it.

“No, I’m not,” he accepts with a nod. “But I am to the only person it matters to: Me.”

That seems to stop Robert short, all pretence at joking falling aside, as his face opens up as he studies him.

He looks younger than his age now, floppy blond hair falling down into his face, eyes murky, and pink lips fixed in neutral. Without his shirt on, he somehow looks more lost and alone. Despite his annoyance, Aaron’s heart aches for him.

It’s not easy coming out, he wants to say, but he suspects Robert knows that. Why else would he hide behind so much bluster and bravado?

It’s like he’s about to say something, when there’s a noise at the end of the corridor, from a bedroom door that’s slammed shut all of a sudden.

When he looks back at the older boy, Robert’s defences have shot back up, a hardness to his face that was missing a moment ago. Without waiting for Aaron, he sets off towards the source of the sound, padding slowly onward muscles tense and ready for action.

Aaron watches him for a second, a bit stunned from all this emotional whiplash, but then he starts following him toward it after a second.

There’s a lurching in his gut, and his hair is standing on end, on either side of them, room doors have simply been flung open.

The killer was here, Aaron’s realisation sets in. And they could still be here.

His pulse starts quickening at the thought of it. Judging by the way Robert’s paused outside this final door, he’s having the same thought run through his own mind.

“Should we wait for the police?” Aaron whispers, leaning a little closer. He’s once again hit with that same familiar scent combination of sweat, and beer, and body spray.

Robert shakes his head no, eyes fixed on the door knob, as if mentally running through the various scenarios of what lies behind it.

The longer they stand and wait, the worse the pictures in his head get; of some burglary gone wrong, the intruder dressed in all-black with a balaclava on, a bloody knife clasped in his hand.

But what kind of burglar would slit a teenager’s throat by the front door? Robert’s theory that they’re crazy is growing stronger. That cold pit forming in his stomach, grows several feet deeper, as sweat starts to form on his brow now.

While this is going through his mind, Robert seems to have found some courage, his hand reaching out for the doorknob. He looks up at Aaron and gives him a nod, as his fingers wrap around and twist it…

Maybe we need that safeword after all.

:::::

It’s somehow better than they’d hoped for, and a thousand times worse, as what appears to be the inside of a girl’s bedroom looks pretty much ransacked.

But while Aaron seems to tense, Robert just relaxes. He seems more relieved than anything “Don’t worry. This is just how Rebecca’s room look all the time. Chrissie’s always going on about it.”

Aaron tries to smile and nod, but that sick feeling won’t seem to settle, all his hairs standing on end. He listens to his gut, which has yet to steer him wrong. The same gut that told him to go to the cellar with Robert.

He decides to listen to it, walks over to the other side of the bed, some part of him feeling like he’s violating this unspoken code of privacy without asking. But he’d rather do that, than not listen to this feeling, Rebecca’s annoyance a small price to pay for acknowledgement of her safety.

As he grows nearer, his heart rate starts to race. He thinks he hears Robert talking to him in the distance — or perhaps just asking him a question.

Before he can answer, his eyes catch sight of it, the sight of it, a sucker punch to the solar plexus.

David’s half-naked body is laying on the floor, his torso covered in blood and what appears to be three different stab wounds — but that’s nothing compared to Rebecca.

She’s in a crumpled heap, her white dress turned a deep and dark kind of red, the epicentre of the spread bloodstain resting over her heart. Aaron doesn’t need to check to see if they’re both dead. He barely hears himself call out, “R-Robert.”

The other boy’s by his side in less than a second. Aaron takes a step back, and stumbles over one of Rebecca’s shoes, but he doesn’t fall backwards, just straight into Robert, who catches him; letting Aaron just lean there against him, as he holds onto both upper arms. Though part of it feels like it’s to keep himself steady as he processes it.

“Are they?” He whispers, into Aaron’s ear.

He nods, barely able to make himself say, “They are.”

It’s the number more than anything that hits him the hardest, not even the bloodiness or the sheer violence. It’s the fact that they’d come up here searching for one missing girl, only to find two dead bodies for the price of one.

What are we going to tell Vic? Aaron thinks frantically. What are we going to tell Chrissie?

“We can’t tell Chrissie,” Robert says, finally letting go of Aaron. There’s an underlying current of panic in his voice and Aaron gets it. “At least not until the police get here.”

He looks at Aaron like he’s expecting him to yell, but Aaron understands this decision for what it is: kindness.

“Sounds like a plan.” His voice sounds foreign to his own ears. Though nothing about any of this is even remotely normal: Murder. Dead bodies. Robert.

The thought of the last one causes laughter to bubble out of his chest. He stands there spluttering and snickering. Robert just looks at him like he’s crazy.

“What?” He finally asks, when it seems like Aaron isn’t going to calm down anytime soon.

“I told Vic I didn’t want to even come to this party,” he tells him as his amusement finally starts to die down. That part of his night feeling like a million years away. “Guess I was right after all.”

Robert smiles at that, before looking away.

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you came,” he says softly.

It’s so sweet and earnest that Aaron thinks he almost misheard. Still he’s not able to stop that part of himself that mocks, Are you glad you kissed me?

But he doesn’t say anything, just clears his throat and comes back to serious, doing his best to address the matter at hand. “We still need to find Bernice before she runs into this killer by accident.”

Robert nods in agreement. “We should check the bathrooms. Maybe she snuck up here for a wee or something.”

Aaron starts to nod, but then he remembers one crucial thing: Bernice isn’t here. She’s at the cabin.

:::::

“What do you think they’re after?”

Robert’s question cuts through the silence that’s formed between them after Aaron had told him about the keys and the cabin.

“And of course she’s not picking up!” He’d exclaimed in frightened frustration after trying Bernice for fourth time in a minute. “Probably too busy with Liam.”

“Do you have his number?” Aaron had then asked, having thought that the other boy hardly seemed like the kind who’d leave a ringing phone unanswered.

“Why would I have that?” Robert had asked him back puzzled, like this was a matter of social standing and not life and death. “Didn’t think he even had any friends, let alone a girlfriend.”

Despite himself, Aaron had chuckled, more amused by Robert’s words than he’d ever let on. The look on Robert’s face had been priceless.

“What?” Aaron had asked, going from light to conscientious.

“Nothing,” Robert had said, shaking his head. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile. That’s all.”

“Maybe say something that’s actually funny for once.” Aaron hadn’t been able to keep himself from making that dig. And now Robert’s shocked expression is stored in his memory.  

“Not sure,” he replies, as they go down the stairs. “There’s hardly any sort of ‘pattern.’”

Robert nods but he looks like he’s still considering something, a dog gnawing a mental bone in his head.

When they get back to the room where everyone’s watching the movie, Chrissie leaps up to greet them.

“Did you find her?” She demands anxiously. “Did you find Rebecca? She’s still not answering her phone.”

When Robert fails to answer, Aaron immediately steps in, sticking to the plan for both of them.

“She wasn’t up there,” he lies, not even bringing up David. Chrissie’s face is a mixture of relief and disappointment. Robert just looks like a truck hit him — or perhaps the gravity of the truth of it.

Three people in this house are dead.

“What about Bernice?” Vic asks again. “She’s not answering either.”

Thankfully he doesn’t have to lie for this one. “Bernice and Liam snuck out to one of the cabins. They’re probably there right now.”

“She what?!” Chrissie sounds annoyed, and for that he’s kind of grateful, not wanting her to go back to the topic of her now-dead sister.

Still, he doesn’t meet Chrissie’s eyes, feeling a bit guilty about the role he’d played in this whole mess. If he hadn’t helped her steal those keys, Bernice would be safe and watching the movie.

Would she really? Look at David and Rebecca.

Behind the shut door, something scary must happen in the movie, because everyone screams, with Kerry and Tracy competing for the loudest.

“Now’s not the time,” Robert says, having recovered. “We need to go warn them. You three stay here and wait for the police.”

Vic’s face drops, torn between concern for her brother’s continued safety and confirmation of her older step-sister’s. Her kind heart must win, because she nods in agreement. But not before leaving Ellis to rush forward and hug Robert.

“Be safe,” she warns, squeezing him tight. Then she lets go and does the same to Aaron.

He hugs her back as well, not realising how much he’d needed this, the last hour really taking its toll on him.

When they let go, she goes to comfort Chrissie, “Don’t worry. Maybe they’ll run into Rebecca when they go to bring Bernice. You know how she is. Probably just lost her phone, like normal.”

“Yeah,” Chrissie smiles, though her eyes are lined with unshed tears. “Trust her to do something like that during all this.”

Vic smiles at her and then goes to lead her inside. But she turns back and says, “Hurry back and be careful.”

“Yeah, good luck,” Ellis chimes in, giving them a nod. He’s about to follow Vic and Chrissie when Robert grabs his arm, stilling him.

“Rebecca’s dead,” Aaron whispers. Ellis’ brows shoot up at the revelation. “So’s David.”

His jaw drops open at that one.

“We didn’t want Chrissie doing anything rash or hasty,” Robert explains, looking behind Ellis to see if Vic or Chrissie have noticed. “There’s still someone out there killing people.”

Ellis nods, confirming his understanding. “So what do you want me to do about it?”

“Tell the police when they get here,” Aaron informs him. His stomach lurches as he adds, “They’re in her bedroom.”

Ellis just nods, because there’s not much else to say. He started out the night getting a girlfriend, and is now ending it covering up the knowledge of three dead bodies. Aaron knows exactly how he feels.

“Call us when the police get here,” Robert says, when no one else says anything.

“Will do,” Ellis says, his voice as shocked as he’s trying not to look. Aaron just hopes he’s able to keep the secret until they get here.

As he watches Ellis go back inside, and join Vic and Chrissie, Aaron contemplates stopping by the kitchen for a shot of alcohol. Based on the look on his face, Robert feels the same. But they can’t because time is of the essence.

:::::

Maybe it’s uncovering all the murder, or maybe it’s just because they’re straddling both autumn and winter, but the night air is chillier when they go out there. It’s also managed to get so much windier.

A cold gust blows, and Robert shivers beside him. It causes Aaron to chuckle.

“What?” Robert asks, arms crossed against his chest. Aaron thinks he heard his teeth chatter.

“We could have stopped to get a coat, you know,” he says, like it’s obvious. “Don’t want to end the night with four dead bodies.”

He knows the joke’s in poor taste, but Robert still laughs, the reaction almost hilariously dependable.

“Didn’t think it would be this cold, did I?” Robert barely manages his voice kind of wavering. It’s clear that he’s freezing. But Aaron still hears the underlying message: Didn’t think I’d be traipsing around Home Farm to warn my step-sister about a killer, did I?

Aaron just sighs and stops walking immediately. Robert stops too and looks at him in confusion. Aaron unzips his jacket and shrugs out of it and hands it over to him. “Don’t want you to freeze to death before we get there.”

Robert looks like he’s going to argue, but the wind picks up. Aaron can feel it even through his thick hoodie. Robert grabs the puffy jacket he’s holding out in his hands, and shrugs it on as he shivers a, “Thank you.”

“What were you even supposed to be anyway?” Aaron asks in an effort to distract from the sight of Robert Sugden now wearing his coat; at the strip of pale freckled chest that’s still exposed, given that he’s done nothing to zip it up.

“The genie. From Aladdin,” Robert answers like it’s obvious. Like he doesn’t look like he’s just a guy walking around shirtless with flimsy white exercise pants and trainers.

“Thought the genie was supposed to be blue,” Aaron points out the obvious.

“But that would take too much time,” Robert explains. “And why would I want to cover any of this up?”

There’s something about the way he gestures at himself, that makes Aaron burst out laughing immediately.

Under the pale moonlight, he can see that Robert’s blushing furiously. His heart skips a beat at the cuteness of it. Aaron shakes his head and focuses in front of him. As evidenced earlier, even thinking about the possibility of a romance with Robert Sugden is a path best not travelled.

They settle into silence, nothing but the wind through the trees, and the dead leaves and gravel crunching under them, and yet Aaron doesn’t feel scared or lonely. He regrets not asking for torches before they’d left the house, but having Robert by his side is still calming.

“I like you, you know.”

He almost misses it, because the wind picks up. But when he looks at Robert’s face he can see that he means it. He looks shocked at the admission, as if not having expected it; a thought that was meant to remain solely in his head.

Aaron looks back at the path in front of them. The cabin isn’t too far in the distance.

“Funny way of showing it,” he replies after a long beat. “Didn’t think you could run away fast enough after we kissed.”

“I was scared.” Robert says, his voice loud and defensive.

“Being gay isn’t scary,” Aaron points out. He’s living proof of that isn’t he? He remembers the first few tremors of fear he’d felt when he’d looked at other boys, and felt the stirrings of something that felt like attraction.

“Stop saying that,” Robert is insistent. But before Aaron can bring up his admission from a few minutes ago, he answers, “I’m not gay. I’m bisexual.”

The word hangs in the air, just floating between them. Not even the increasingly strong wind able to blow it away from them. When Aaron sneaks a glance, Robert looks infinitely calmer, his posture growing taller, straighter, more confident.

“Oh.” Aaron says, rolling the word over in his mind. He’d considered it earlier, but it’s nice to finally have confirmation.

“Why didn’t you just say that?” He asks after a beat. “I even asked you about it earlier?”

“Why don’t you just tell everyone you meet you’re gay?” Robert answers the question with a question.

He has a point and Aaron acknowledges that. “Fair enough.”

They continue walking, the growing cabin numbers signalling that they’re growing closer. But Aaron doesn’t want to even think about what they might encounter.

“Does your family know?” He asks just as Robert asks, “Do you like me?”

They both stop walking, stunned by each other’s questions. When Aaron turns to face him, Robert shakes his head and looks away. “No. Haven’t even told Vic.”

Aaron nods in understanding and then offers up an answer of his own. “Well, I don’t shove my tongue down the throat of every bloke I meet. I can tell you that.”

He starts walking and Robert falls into step beside him. His elbow bumping into Aaron’s as he keeps hands in the pockets of Aaron’s jacket.

“Never really thought about you, did I?” Aaron offers up the truth. “Just thought you were Vic’s headcase of an older brother.”

Robert’s quiet for a bit, then quietly admits, “I thought about you.”

“You did?” Aaron asks, completely staggered.

“Yeah,” Robert sounds rueful. “It’s why I’ve been so hard on you. I hated the thought of Vic dating you.”

Now that he’s said, some pieces start to fall into place for Aaron — namely the fact that his grudge hadn’t been entirely about Robert’s treatment of Debbie, as much as his having been with her in the first place.

“Then why’d you go back to Chrissie, after kissing me?” It’s the closest he’ll come to admitting he was jealous and that it pained him.

“Thought it might change things,” Robert’s actually honest. “Thought it might change me.”

“And did it?” Aaron asks, feeling kind of breathless, his pulse is racing and they’re careening into something.

“Yes,” Robert says, but he doesn’t offer anything else up. Aaron’s heart droops in disappointment.

They walk a little longer, both boys lost in thought, elbows occasionally bumping into each other. Then Aaron asks, “So what now?”

“What do you mean?” Robert asks confused.

“Well you had better ask me out, haven’t you?” It’s meant to sound like a tease, but it’s actually a semi-earnest request, it finally sinking into Aaron that he might like him. (Though if he’s being honest, he’s liked Robert for a while now. Tonight’s just the first night he’s been able to recognise that.)

“Wait. Did you think something was going to happen between?” Robert asks. He sounds genuinely surprised. Aaron’s betrayed blood starts to boil immediately.

“Then what was the point of all this?” He gestures between them. “Why’d you even tell me that you like me?!”

“Because I do!” He can tell Robert means that — at least as much as he can — but that doesn’t stop it being any less confusing.  

“People don’t treat people they like, like this.” Aaron replies with plenty of sureness. “You don’t tell someone you like them and not date them!”

Robert still looks scared, and normally Aaron would be kinder, he knows better than anyone how hard self-acceptance is. But it’s been a long few hours, and this feels he’s reached his breaking point. He can’t find any sort of kindness within him. Not when his heart is stinging the way it currently is.

“After everything tonight, you’re still scared of what people might think of you?” Aaron does his best to name Robert’s fear for what it is. “Robert, we found three dead bodies.”

And just like that, he can’t stand the sight of him anymore. His stomach just feeling queasy and his heart aches. So when he sees cabin 12-04 and how close it is, he leaves Robert and marches himself over.

“Aaron wait-” Robert calls behind him. His fingers briefly grasp Aaron’s elbow, but he yanks it out of reach. He doesn’t want to accidentally end up punching him. At least not now, with a killer on the loose. All bets will be off later.

Without calling for Bernice, or even trying to knock, Aaron just grabs the door handle and opens it…

The first thing he sees are Bernice’s petrified eyes, the teenage girl, tied and gagged to the radiator. The second thing he sees is the barrel of a rifle. And the third is the crazed, bloodshot eyes of Daz Spencer.

Fuck.

:::::

“Aaron come back!” Robert’s voice comes crashing in right after him. “We need to talk about-”

Robert shuts up the moment he barrels right in, ending up standing next to Aaron. It takes him a second to process everything and then burst into laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Daz demands, waving the gun between both of them. At least it seems like he’s sobered up from earlier.

That seems to calm Robert down, quickly enough. But it doesn’t stop him mouthing off to Aaron. “Can you believe that all of this is because of this idiot?”

Without waiting to see how Daz will respond, or even Aaron’s reply, Robert immediately looks over at Bernice. “You definitely know how to pick them.”

“Shut up!” Daz exclaims, pointing the gun in Robert’s face. But this only makes him laugh all the harder.

Seeing Daz’s finger tighten around the trigger, Aaron’s heart leaps and he tries to neutralise the situation. “Why are you doing all this?”

Daz’s finger loosens once again. But Aaron’s not done trying to distract him. “Why’d you kill all those people back up at Home Farm?”

Bernice lets out a mortified eep from where she’s sitting.

Daz flashes them a smile, looking more crazed in the moonlight, the shadows making him look more menacing than he is usually. “It was all Robert’s idea.”

“I didn’t tell you to murder anyone!” Robert yells back in shock.

But Daz barely pays attention to him as he monologues. “He told me I should do something to make her listen.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Robert protests, but Daz is too pleased with himself to really hear it.

“Alright, but what does that have to do Alex?” Aaron asks, trying to find some kind of reason to the madness.

“I thought he was Liam,” Daz explains. He gestures at a crumpled body in the corner and Aaron’s heart sinks. He hopes that the other boy — also wearing blue scrubs — is simply passed out or unconscious.

“Alright,” he says, not to drag out the matter. “What about Rebecca and David?”

This one, Daz actually looks sad about. “I thought she was Bernice. I heard her giggling on the stairs. Didn’t realise she was also dressed like an angel.”

Daz thinks for a second, and then he shrugs. “David just caught me as I was leaving.”

“And then you decided to go for the gun,” Robert observes sarcastically. Aaron shoots him a glare as he adds, “Good job. Knives are so messy.”

“Shut up and let me think!” Daz yells in his face. Though Robert doesn’t look like he’s going to. Daz once again brings up the rifle and points it at him.

Aaron’s heart beats even faster at this newly added factor, his chest filling up with worry for Robert even though he’s still mad at him.

“I know how you feel,” he declares, as loudly as he can. He’s hoping it’ll distract Daz enough to put the gun down.

It works because he’s no longer just pointing it at Robert.

“There’s someone I like,” Aaron says, keeping his gaze trained only on Daz. He doesn’t think he could even bring himself to look at Robert right now if he had that option. “But they don’t want anything to do with me either.”

Even though he told me that he likes me.

“Yeah, but it’s not like you tied them to a radiator and pointed a gun in their face,” Robert’s voice chimes in.

Aaron wants nothing more than for him to shut up. Daz apparently has the same kind of intentions. Because he brings up the rifle and points it at Robert, finger on the trigger, as he says, “You know, I’m getting sick and tired of you.”

Without even thinking, Aaron’s moving forward, heading for Daz in a kind of running tackle. His shoulder hits into him and they fall into the ground. As they scuffle the gun goes off, the sound of it ringing loud in Aaron’s left ear.

Aaron’s first thought in that moment is, Robert.

But from somewhere behind him he hears a loud shout of, “Aaron!”

He pushes himself off Daz, who’s now not moving, and rolls onto his back on the cabin floor.

“You okay?” Robert asks, throwing himself onto his knees and checking for a gunshot. Aaron just looks up at him stunned relief, Robert’s voice sounding further away thanks to the ringing.

“Why’d you do that?!” Robert yells, clearly worried. “I had a plan!”

“How was I supposed to know?” Aaron eventually answers. “We never decided on a safeword.”

And now Robert’s laughing in relief, his hands still on Aaron. He smiles as he looks up and watches him, still clad in Aaron’s big coat. In the moonlight his floppy hair almost makes him seem like a handsome vampire — or some kind of fairytale prince. Or maybe just Robert Sugden.

Aaron’s heart gives a kick, and Robert seems to sense it, as he looks down and says, “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

The ringing is starting to die down, but Aaron still nods in agreement, only to be surprised by Robert leaning down to kiss him. His lips are once again, surprisingly gentle, and now it’s Aaron is the one who’s hungrier, running a hand up Robert’s cheek to hold it in place… and to convince himself that this isn’t him dreaming.

“Robert Sugden’s gay?!” Daz’s voice calls out in confusion.

Once again, both boys spring apart immediately. Upon seeing him up on his feet and with the gun back in his hands, Robert moves to cover Aaron’s prone form with some of his body.

“No,” Robert says, from where he’s crouched down next to Aaron, his tone as bold and irreverent as ever. “I’m actually bisexual.”

Daz’s eyes go wide, and then he seems to gasp and sort of seizes on the spot. Then he coughs, and blood comes out from his mouth. As he brings a hand up, he falls down to his feet, revealing Bernice standing up behind him, her hands bloody.

When Daz falls face first, there’s the hilt of a kitchen knife sticking out of his back. The look on Bernice’s face is a hybrid between shocked, relieved, and disbelief.

“How did you…” Robert asks the question for both of them. Aaron just finally managing to sit up with some help from Robert.

“Dad’s always making us help with his magic act,” Bernice explains. “Been getting out of ropes since I was five-years-old. Something Daz would have known if he’d ever listened.”

:::::

When the police let him go, he finds Robert waiting for him. He’s leaning on a non-ivy covered section of Home Farm’s exterior.

“Where’s Vic?” He asks, looking around for her.

“Sent her home with Ellis,” Robert replies, tucking his hands into Aaron’s jacket pocket. “Promised her I’d stay here and look after you.”

“Ah,” Aaron nods, happy for the update.

“Also told her I was bisexual,” Robert says.

This gets him a laugh, Aaron a bit shocked. “Hardly think tonight was the right time.”

“Yeah, but thought I’d give her something to look forward to,” Robert says with a smile.

Aaron’s brow furrows as he tries to parse the meaning of his words.

“I like you,” Robert tries again.

Aaron replies, “Yeah. I know. You told me.”

“When I thought I might have lost you…” Robert swallows. “I was really scared.”

Aaron nods quietly. He’d felt a spark of that same fear when he thought the bullet might have hit Robert.

“But that’s not as scary as not being with you,” Robert continues, and for a moment, Aaron feels like his hearing’s gone funny again.

“What you trying to say?” He asks, trying not to get his hopes up.

“I think I want to ask you on that date now…” Robert says, voice and face both bashful.

“What were you thinking?” Aaron asks with a smile, butterflies now housed where his nerves had been all night.

Robert pulls out a familiar looking bottle from where it was tucked under his arm within Aaron’s jacket, all that puffiness hiding the bulge of it.