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It was just a supposed to be a short trip to meet with the scrap contacts he made in France, this time Adam tagging along. They finished the meetings today. Made some new contacts and got new contracts with the contacts they already had. All in all it was a successful business trip. However both the boys wanted to stay a bit longer, each for their own reasons.
They decided to share a hotel room to save on money, Adam being the worst kind of roommate. Making Aaron glad they’ve never actually lived together. Always having the TV on and just loud all the time, even when he slept he snored. Wanting some peace from Adam and needing some space to deal with his fight with Robert, Aaron headed to the bar.
It didn’t seem very busy, as it was the afternoon. There were a few couples having lunch, a women sitting reading a book, and some businessmen having drinks at the bar. He went to the bar and ordered a drink in what was still pretty bad French. He never really did pick up the language even after the years he’d lived here. Aaron pulled out his phone and checked it again. Still no word from Robert.
Their fight had been stupid. Aaron knew it as it was happening that it was one of those fights about nothing and everything at the same time. Something little setting the other one off and then it just explodes into a mess of words thrown at the other and with no real conviction behind them. Instant regret but being too stubborn to take it back. They had them still even after all this time and usually one of them would reach out within a few minutes to smooth it over.
Usually Robert would fold first, being the softy that he’d turn into. He’d come in all sheepish his voice low and he’d apologize, clutching at Aaron as if his life depended on his. They talk and it would be forgotten as quickly as it started. This time was harder as they were in two separate countries. Aaron was the first to cave. He called him, had to leave his apology on the voice mail.
That was hours ago. Aaron texted him multiple times since and still nothing. It was unlike Robert to not answer, even mad, whenever the other was away it was like an unspoken rule that they always answered for each other. To save from worry and straying thoughts of worst case situations. To say they’ve had a few close calls would be an understatement.
It had been about an hour and the bar seemed to be picking up. There were now a lot more people crowding around and he’d been bumped into a few more times than he liked. He gestured to the bartender for the check as a group of women who were seemingly off their heads strolled in. Loud and obnoxious was too polite for how they were behaving. Aaron rolled his eyes as he signed for the drinks to be put on the room tab. Before he could get up though a pair of hands touched his arm.
“Bonjour beau.” One of the women was practically hanging on to him, clearly one thing on her mind. Trying to be polite he nodded while he extracted his arm from her. Not in the mood to explain, having his peace and quiet ruined and just wanting to go back to his room and try Robert once more, Aaron smiled and went to get up.
Smiling was probably the wrong thing to do because the women took it as a cue of some sort and re-attached herself to him again. “Sorry but…” he tried to explain but she was persistent and he was losing his patients. Who just attaches themselves to a random stranger at a bar completely invading their personal space.
A hand at his back made him jump a bit. He turned to see the women who was sat reading, her book still in her hand. She smiled and looked at the women clinging to him before looking back to him. The women hanging on him stiffened at the intrusion.
"Te voilà mon chéri. Notre table est par ici." She gestured to the table and gave him a knowing smile. His French wasn’t that rusty and he picked up most of what she said. The women let go of him immediately and he was instantly grateful for the intrusion. He excused himself from the clingy women with no boundaries and followed her back to her table. She smiled behind her and Aaron turned to see the scowl now on clingy women’s face. She was sat with her friends again, they spoke in hushed tones about what, Aaron couldn’t pick up.
"Désolé. Tu avais l'air d'avoir besoin d'être sauvé." the women he was now sitting across from said. He must of had a look of concentration on his face because she immediately repeated herself in english this time. “Sorry. You looked like you needed saving.”
“Yeah cheers for that. I um.. can I just sit her for a bit before I go back to my room. Don’t want her to get any ideas and try to follow me.” He gestured his head towards clingy woman.
“We wouldn’t want that now would we.” she chuckled smirking a bit. “Take all the time you need, so what are you doing in France? Besides sending the locals into a tizzy.” Aaron looked to this women who saved him from what would probably turn out to be a difficult situation and something in the softness of her eyes made him instantly comfortable.
He explained he was here with his mate for business and that they had just finished and were thinking of spending a few extra days. His phone went off and he jumped for it and was instantly disappointed when it was just a text from Adam saying he was going to the pool. He chucked the phone back down with a little more force than necessary as it skidded across the table hitting her book.
He apologized reaching for it, when all of a sudden he just starts to tear up, part angry, mostly just worried. He pinches the bridge of his nose trying to compose himself. Here he is sat at a table in the bar of his hotel losing it in front of some stranger. All he wants is to talk to his husband and to know that they were all right. He feels foolish and apologizes again for his behavior.
“Do you want to talk about it? I seem to be good in a pinch.” She smiles warmly at him. He doesn’t know why but he just wants to talk to someone and she is here and being so nice and lovely with no expectations from him.
“My husband..” he looks at her to gauge her reaction. She just smiles and nods at him to continue. “We had this fight about nothing really..he just winds me up so much. Well I guess we wind each other up.” He shakes his head more frustrated with himself now and what was said between them. “But we always get in touch with each other within minutes, even to just see that the other is okay. And we always respond. You see we’ve had a couple of close calls with losing each other and no matter what happens or how mad at each other we are, we always check in.” he looks towards his phone again.
“I take it he hasn’t checked in. You did look worried sitting over there.” She comments a look of concern on her face.
“It’s just not like him. He knows I worry and I haven’t heard from him all day. I know he had meetings himself this morning but, yes I am worried. He’s not answering at all. What if something’s happened to him, and the last thing we said was in an argument?” Aaron sighs thinking the worst now.
“Hey, it’s going to be alright. I can tell you love him and I’ve just met you. He knows you love him and I’m quite sure he loves you as well. Quite the looker too.” She gestures to his phones lock screen which lit up as he checked his phone for the millionth time. The picture was one that they didn't even know was being taken. Liv had taken it when they were cooking dinner in the kitchen at Mill. They were smiling and being extremely soppy. He smiles just thinking about how happy he was that day, how happy that man makes him.
“You know that by looking at that picture, do you?” Aaron raises his eyebrows at the smile on her face. Wondering if a picture could really capture the true love that he feels when he looks at his husband.
“No, I know that by the look on his face.” She gestures behind her. Robert is standing there bag in tow and just staring sheepishly at him. He doesn’t approach, he just stands waiting for Aaron to make the first move. “Go to him, he did just travel to another country to see you, and I’d bet he hates fighting just as much as you do. Talk to him, tell him you love him and enjoy the rest of your trip. This is the city of love after all. Well close enough. Go on, go.”
Aaron just sits there staring at Robert and he just can’t believe that this beautiful man is his husband. He’s here and he’s his. Aaron stands and begins to walk away, before turning around to the women who was now back to reading her book. “Thank you..” “Marie” she supplies when he hesitates. “Thank you, Marie. Thank you for saving me twice. Once from her and once from my thoughts.” he smiles and leans in to hug her. “Thank you.”
Marie hugs him quickly and promptly shoos him away towards his husband. “Who’s that?” Robert asks looking towards the table she’s sitting at. He looks back to her and smiles “Just a friend. Come on we need to talk.” He waves good bye and smiles at her as she waves back.
In the elevator there is nothing but silence. He feels like there is so much he wants to say but he can’t say it. When they get to the room, its quiet. Too quiet, he’d forgotten that Adam was at the pool. He goes to the minibar and pulls out a bottle of water and offers it to Robert, knowing that travel always makes him thirsty.
“Cheers.” he takes the water and sits on the edge of the bed closest to him. The one Aaron’s been sleeping in. He assumes he could tell by the fact that Adam’s is a mess with clothes thrown all over the place.
They both start to talk at the same time, then immediately tell the other to go first. Both have a little laugh at that before they both realize they should still be cross with one another.
Robert is the first to break. “I’m sorry. I was being an idiot. I didn't mean any of it. Not a single word. I just hate it when you’re not there and sometimes I just can’t cope. I’m sorry we fought about, well I’m not really sure what we were fighting about anymore. I love you and I’m sorry. Say you forgive me.”
Aaron can’t for the life of him remember what they were fighting about either, all he can see is his man here in front of him. All he knows is that he loves him and he just wants to be near him and hold him. Aaron crosses the room in two small strides sits on the bed and holds his husband tight. With his hand on the back of Roberts head, the other on his back he just breathes him in.
Robert has Aaron wrapped tight in the embrace. Both seem content to just hold each other. Eventually they lay down, Aaron’s on Robert’s stomach just breathing each other in. “I love you too” Aaron sighs. He missed him terribly and no matter what the fight was about he doesn’t care. He just wants to know they’re okay.
“We’re okay.” Robert says reading his mind “We’re going to be okay.”
~
It’s a few days later and they’re about to check out and go home. He’s walking not looking where he’s going but instead at the photo on his phone. Adam took it to send to Vic when she was asking if Robert arrived safely, which Vic then sent to Aaron. It was of him and Robert sleeping and clinging to each other both with peaceful smiles on their faces. He bumps into someone and looks up to apologize. “Oh Sorry.”
“Oh you’re alright. Yeah, you’ll be alright.” Marie smiles as she walks away waving as Robert comes up behind him. “All set. Did you say goodbye to your friend.” he asks gesturing to her disappearing figure. Aaron doesn’t answer just looks at Robert and smiles “Let’s go home.”