#aaron ding

So we know now that Aaron and Robert decide to go on the run. I actually want this to be put into place around their wedding anniversary. I want Aaron to come to the realization that he doesn’t ever want to spend an anniversary without Robert so he’s the one who approaches Robert, telling Rob that he needs him and he’s not going to live without him. He’s done this before, why can’t they do this again? They’ll be together and that’s all that Aaron wants and needs. 

At first, Rob’s gonna go along with it--living and loving Aaron is his raison d'etre. They’ll start packing, but Robert starts to have second thoughts. But he keeps going a bit because it’s the happiest he’s seen Aaron since he found out about his true charge. Liv will obviously give them her blessing because she’s gonna want to leave Emmerdale at some point and knows how important this is for them. 

The reality of what Robert’s doing--taking Aaron away from his family, running from his crime, being selfish (He’s not being but he’s gonna feel that way) is going to cause him to call it off. He says that they don’t know how long he’ll get and that maybe it won’t be that bad. They can do 3-5 years and he’ll remind Aaron that he doesn’t need Robert; he’s got family and friends to support him and help him through this. It will all be okay. 

Aaron’s not happy about it but relents because he doesn’t want to spend his last days arguing with Robert. 

Cut to, the night before the sentencing and they’re obviously staying up all night together. Robert tells Aaron that he doesn’t want to Aaron to put his life on hold for him--they don’t know how long he’ll be away and that it wouldn’t be fair on Aaron. Aaron gets angry and refuses because this is his husband, the love of his life, he’s not just going to walk away. Robert doesn’t push it but does make Aaron promise that if he ever gets lonely or meets someone or wants to just go out and try dating or whatever, that he will. Robert promises that as much as he loves Aaron and wants to be with him, he’s not going to ask him to just sit around waiting for the day Robert can come back. Aaron says he doesn’t want anyone else but Robert begs him to promise him that--he can handle being away so long as Aaron’s not purposely avoiding life. Reluctantly Aaron promises.

Robert goes to prison and they’re still together, but it’s sort of murky. (This would give the writers leeway to explore things with Aaron in the future or not--I’m totally of the belief that there’s so much more to Aaron than his love life and it’d be great to explore some of that. Like watching him sort of morph into the parental figure that Liv needs now that Robert’s gone and helping her through her potential illness, his business, helping Vic. There’s just loads of things to focus on without just needlessly having him thrown into a relationship with the first man he meets.) 

Anyways, Aaron’s visiting Robert and talking to him most days--Robert can’t handle talking daily because it gives him something more to look forward to--and things are going pretty well between them. But in the village, Aaron is literally just destroying everyone and everything that he can because he’s heartbroken and miserable. Sort of the idea that if he can’t be happy no one can type of attitude. He already hates most people that are not Robert anyways and now he’s got loads of them telling him that they’re sorry for his loss or that Rob’s got what he deserved or that it’s time for him to move on. Yeah, that doesn’t bode well for Aaron. Until he gets a talking to from Liv (I don’t love that she has to parent him at times, but I think it’d be really great coming from her to sort of snap Aaron out of it). She reminds him that Robert had to deal with all this and more while he was gone and that Rob wouldn’t want him to be doing all this. He’s want Aaron to be happy when he can and focus on himself and their family. 

After that moment, Aaron turns a new leaf sort of. He throws himself into the business, offering to help Jimmy a bit because the Haulage firm was Robert’s big thing and its makes him feel like he’s handling things in Rob’s absence. (A bit, Nicola does not trust that Aaron has any idea what he’s doing) He throws himself into helping his mum and Paddy with their baby and Vic with hers. It gives him something to focus on. Him and Victoria would grow closer as they talk about Robert and try to act like there’s a massive hole where he used to be. Aaron steps up for Liv, learning to find the balance between older brother and guardian that he’s never really managed to crack before. 

Two (ish) years go by before someone else (maybe Chas) says something about maybe it’s time you put yourself back out there, love. Robert wouldn’t want you wasting away out here. And Aaron loses it. That’s his husband, the love of his life and nothing else ever compares to him. Why would he waste his time on someone else when he’s already found his soulmate? (Soppy, I know). It’s dropped--for now. 

Obviously should Ryan choose not to come back (or even if he does) a few years down the line is maybe when Aaron decides to try and go out on the pull or meets someone he’s got an attraction for and it’s a massive struggle for him. He tries to talk about it with his mum and finally admits that Robert told him to move on before he left but he never wanted to before and that now he’s still not sure he wants to but it’s the first time he felt like maybe?