Robert swallows, but Aaron’s used to giving him time; it’s been long enough now, months since their reunion, and things have been so good that Aaron has no doubt Robert means to stay with him forever. Whatever this is, it has to be nerves. 

“Rob,” Aaron says, leaning over, wrapping his fingers around Robert’s. Robert lets him, gently drops his forehead to the wood. “Tell me.”

“I love you so much,” Robert starts, his voice shaking. “I forgot what hating myself felt like.”

Aaron’s heart lurches. “Rob-”

“Wait,” Robert asks, squeezing Aaron’s hand gently. “I told Vic last night about dad.”

Fuck. Aaron swallows, shuffles closer to Robert. Robert takes the offered comfort, where before he might have moved away, and leans against Aaron, turning his face into Aaron’s neck. “How’d it go?”

“It felt like the right time,” Robert says slowly, voice muffled by Aaron’s suit. “I didn’t want anything like last year, and she’s always going to want to say he’s proud of me, but I couldn’t-”

There’s a pause. Aaron says nothing, just runs his free hand over Robert’s shoulder, gives him whatever space he needs to figure out whatever he’s saying. 

“She believed me straight away.”

“That’s good,” Aaron says, pressing a kiss to the top of Robert’s head. 

Robert shakes his head, hair tickling Aaron’s cheek. “It is, but it’s - she was all weird this morning and when she left to grab something, I ran. I just couldn’t stop thinking that I’ve ruined everything, that no matter what good I do, something else-”

“Stop,” Aaron says, gently pushing Robert up. 

Robert goes, shamed, like he’s done something wrong again. 

“Hey.” Aaron grabs Robert’s chin, forces him to look Aaron in the eye. “Listen to me, alright? Did ya ask her why she was weird? You haven’t ruined anything. He did. He’s the one that took out his homophobia on a kid. If she’s got a problem with ya, I’ll have words, ‘cause it’s not on you to apologise for what he did to ya.”

Eyes wet, Robert’s trembling beneath Aaron’s fingers, but there’s a ghost of a smile on his face. “I don’t-”

“If you finish that with deserve ya, then I’m gonna have to push ya off this bridge.” 

Robert laughs, watery and light, and drops his head back to Aaron’s shoulder. Aaron wraps his arm around Robert’s neck, kisses his temple. “I love you.”

“I love ya,” Aaron echoes, and laughs. “Though there’s a room full of people who might not love us if we stand ‘em up.”

“We could get married,” Robert says, lifting his head. His smile looks a little more real, and he leans in for a soft, loving kiss. 

Aaron gives him a couple of moments to collect himself, then climbs to his feet. Pulling Robert to his, he brushes his hand down Robert’s jacket. He’s hot, even brushing at the backs of his trousers, nose wrinkled in distaste. 

“I gotta stop sitting when it’s da-”

Aaron cuts him off, dragging him in for a kiss. Robert immediately sinks into it, hands wrapping around the lapels of Aaron’s jacket. It drags on, their hips sliding together, and Aaron knows he shouldn’t start getting hard at this alone, but it’s Robert and they’re getting married and-

“Oi!” It’s Vic, running down the hill in bare feet, heels in her hand. “Everyone’s waitin’ for ya both.”

Robert tenses under Aaron’s hands, but as Vic comes to a stop, Aaron can see the fear on her face. 

“Rob-”

“Vic-”

Aaron rolls his eyes. “Vic, Rob thinks ya mad at him for what he told ya last night.”

Vic’s eyes go wide, as Robert smacks Aaron’s arm. “Oi!”

“Rob,” Vic says, almost as quickly, “don’t be daft!”

Robert’s face flushes and his eyes dart to the floor.

“Whatever feelings I have, they’re for dad. Diane said some stuff about him last night and I didn’t know what to say, I just wanted to scream. It wasn’t about you. I hate ‘im for what he did to ya.”

Robert says nothing, just nods quietly. There’s a relief about his expression though, and his body seems to fold in on itself. 

“Hey,” Vic says, stepping forward and wrapping her arms about Robert’s shoulders. He draws her closer, and even though she’s on tiptoe, Vic presses a kiss to his cheek. “I love you, you idiot.”

Aaron huffs a laugh, because isn’t that what Robert always calls him?, and Robert gives him a look. 

“Now,” Vic says, stepping back and dabbing at her eyes. She still looks immaculate, like she wasn’t running not two minutes ago. “Let’s go get yous two married.”

“Alright,” Robert says, quietly, grabbing Aaron’s hand. 

Squeezing Robert back, Aaron grins, so wide he thinks it’s gonna get stuck like that.