#robness

Robert reads it again and has locked and pocketed his phone by the time it sinks in. Vanessa is his friend. She’s not some passing acquaintance that might throw the odd ‘morning’ in his direction in the shop. She wants to know him .

What was it Bernice said? ‘ She likes you for some reason ’.

He shakes his head. She’ll realise soon enough. They all do.

The lingering self pity, like a limpet on his soul, doesn’t dissuade him from a free Americano, though.

——-

He puts down the phone and takes a deep breath. Another contractor sufficiently charmed following Jimmy’s clear lack of attention. He’s a useless oaf. It’s going to take a visit to Nicola to sort this one. Robert knows her, she’ll have her husband whipped into shape in no time. If there’s anyone Robert can rely on for efficiency and fear it’s Nicola King. He smiles to himself and checks the clock. Two minutes.

As if psychic, Aaron flings open the cabin door with a huff. “I’m telling you, that kid has a death wish. He’s actually talking about me letting him do the depollution. As if I’m letting him near a fuel tank.”

Robert leans back in his chair, smiling. He watches as Aaron rips off his gloves and flicks the kettle on, turning to Robert with a “what?”. He’s smirking though and Robert loves him .

“Just you. Taking in waifs and strays. You do know Mill only has two bedrooms, right?”

Aaron groans. “You weren’t here when he was sleeping in the bus shelter and Liv was all ‘ help him, Aaron, he has nowhere to go ’. What was I supposed to say?”

Robert scoffs, slipping out of his chair and rounding the desk to perch on the edge, fingers reaching for the hem of Aaron’s high vis. In one tug, Aaron’s shuffling towards him and pretending to be annoyed.

“You’re just a sucker for a sob story,” Robert says softly, gently running his hands along the wool of Aaron’s sweater. “So now you’re working and living with him.”

Aaron groans, his forehead tipping to Robert’s and for a split second the rush of realisation hits him for the hundredth time since Thursday. “Don’t I know it. You know he actually thought it was a good idea to just smack the hell out of a Volvo and just hope for the best. The kid’s mental. ”

“But you like him?” Rob asks and he watches Aaron narrow his eyes, his lips twitching into a smile. There’s the soft heart he adores so much.

“Someone’s got to give dodgy kids a chance, right?”

Robert wraps his arms around Aaron’s waist and squeezes. “Right.” With that, the kettle reaches a boil and Aaron presses a quick kiss to Robert’s forehead and wriggles free, focusing on his brew. The sacred mid morning tea is something Robert doesn’t dare interrupt. “I’m off to the cafe for a break. Vanessa text and she wants to see me. You want anything?”

Aaron’s stirring his tea now, settled against the desk with a grin. “So Vanessa?”

There’s a strange moment where Robert feels timid. He can’t help but shrug, palms running down his jeans. “Yeah, she’s getting me a coffee. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Why would I mind?” Aaron asks, smiling around the rim of his mug, “Gets you out of my hair for a bit, doesn’t it? I should be thanking her.”

“Yeah, well, don’t get used to it. You have to live with me too, remember?” The warmth that courses his veins at that reminder is miraculous. He feels the sense of home right down to his toes and even more so when Aaron locks eyes with him, a slow smile that he bites in two, teeth against his lips.

“I remember.”

Robert takes a deep breath, a smirk difficult to hide. There’s been a fight inside of him since Thursday, feelings bubbling and fizzing around inside of him and threatening to burst free. He needs to keep a lid on it, keep a semblance of cool because it’s all so… well, it’s perfect and he doesn’t do perfect. It can’t be something he strides into without care and attention and forward thinking. With Aaron, it’s all so easy to give in to the soft tender touches and the way they bicker and bite at each other but the past has proven that desperation and anger can soon be their replacement and he won’t let that happen again. Never .

“Anyway, I’m off. Don’t let Gerry burn the place down while I’m gone.”

Aaron grins, shaking his head. “He’ll be in the crusher before he even gets the chance, don’t you worry.” And with that, Robert flicks his eyes at Aaron, smiling as he closes the door behind him.

——

“Are you kidding me, Robert Sugden!”

He barely has a second to survey the cafe before Vanessa is grabbing at his arm and pulling him down into an easy chair. He groans and complains but she laughs at his face and pushes a steaming coffee towards him.

“What’s this?” he asks because, really, when has someone ever done this and meant it.

She frowns. “What do you mean, it’s a coffee and a chat. Or an interrogation, more like!” She’s smiling bright and wiggling her eyebrows against that fringe of hers and he can’t help but smile. He’s never really had a friend before but he clocks her jacket and before he can stop himself, barks out a laugh. “What?”

“Twins,” he says and gestures down at his Barbour coat, watching as her face floods with realisation, eyes sparkling.

“Well, I don’t know which one of us is the trend setter but I’m willing to call it a draw if you tell me just what you think you’re up to getting back with Aaron and not telling me. I want details and by details I mean the exact circumference of his biceps.”

Robert is speechless for a second, eyes wide as he takes in her quirked eyebrow. She takes a pointed sip of her tea and she’s serious. He scoffs, a little delirious against her enthusiasm and the bright yellow of her jumper. “You want that in inches or centimetres?” he asks eventually and if her wide eyed joy is anything to go by, she doesn’t intend to stop there.

It’s hard not to smile and Robert does, finds it hard to stop and hides it against the rim of his mug as Vanessa asks for a blow by blow account of the evening. He’ll give as much as he feels able to but knows he’ll keep the special stuff safe. He’d never betray Aaron like that, to declare to the world what Aaron wouldn’t willingly declare himself.

———