Well @jonny-versace it’s not 250,000 words but I hope it will do.
The ROBe Of it All
There weren’t words for how good it felt to wake up warm and naked, to stretch against the soft sheets, the rub of skin on cotton. It felt like freedom even though they weren’t as high of a thread count as Robert had been used to before his prison days. Pre-prison Robert had slept naked as much as he could, it had been soothing to press every inch of himself to Aaron. It calmed him. Not so practical though once there was a child in the house whose cries might make you leap from bed without a thought. Naked rest became less and less.
In prison you remained naked for as little time as possible. Naked meant vulnerable even if you were alone in your cell, a locked door between you and the rest of the world. Then in Vic’s spare room, well he wasn’t about to have his nephew or sister see him in the buff accidentally.
Yet here in Aaron’s bed, in Aaron’s life, nudity wasn’t just accepted, it was enjoyed. Still he knew Aaron would give him shit if he tried to sit on any surface sans pants. Not that Robert wanted any part of himself touching that leather sectional monstrosity anyway.
Instead he’d taken to wearing Aaron’s robe. It was an older terry cloth, the kind that was rough on your skin, just the way Aaron liked and Rob despised. Aaron preferred the kind of towels that bristled your hairs, fabric softener a weak man’s gig. Robert had been able to break Aaron of a lot of those types of things, showed him what a bit of money and quality could give him, but never of that particular enjoyment.
Robert had little softness left in his life now but he had Aaron and that was more than enough. He did another stretch, his arm sliding across the cold side of the bed where Aaron had slept. Robert smiled as the smell of coffee hit his nose and the muted sounds of life beckoned him through the door. He threw back the covers, making quick work to the chair in the corner, the place where clothes were thrown for safe keeping. Seemed hooks and hangers had also left Aaron’s life when Robert had. He tried to not let that thought make him melancholy.
But instead of a ratty and fraying blue monstrosity Robert found fluffy and plush and black. It was the kind of thing Robert would have hung on the back of their bathroom door years ago, a simple thing to him then but a luxury to him now.
Of course Aaron had gotten it for him, he’d been doing little things like that for Robert since they got back together. The slightly more expensive coffee beans Robert liked in the cupboard. The shampoo he preferred in the shower. Small but meaningful things. He’d tried to thank Aaron in the beginning but the grumpy love of his life had looked affronted. Aaron shooting down the idea, in his own way, that Robert needed to be thankful for the little things Aaron could and wanted to provide. Especially since Robert couldn’t afford to do it for himself. So now he took the small but immensely huge things in stride. Never saying a word about it, only his eyes or the tightness of his hug expressing his gratitude.
Robert slipped the robe on, allowed himself a moment to rub his face on the lapels. He smiled into the suppleness against his cheeks. The tables had turned, no longer Robert trying to woo Aaron with expensive hotels and throwing money around. That had never worked on Aaron anyway, not as much as Aaron coming home to his favourite meal in the oven or a three pack of his preferred brand of shirts in black. Robert wore those kinds of shirts now too, oh how the mighty had fallen.
Yet at this moment his lover had coffee on the other side of the door and had given Robert the gift of comfort. The kind only Aaron could ever provide.
Robert tightened the robe belt around his waist, ran a hand through his no doubt messy hair and let the scent of fresh brew lead him out to another day. Aaron’s gift was one more piece of his old life he was getting back, and he’d make sure it was back to stay.
