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It had been a long time coming. Robert had practically moved in with Aaron, abandoning his bedroom at Victoria’s house, only using it when Aaron was away and Robert couldn’t go with him. Aaron had been the one to mention it, hinting to Robert that they should probably get their own house. In all fairness, it was getting way too crowded at the pub, and their room had become less theirs and more storage for everyone else. It also didn’t really help that at some point in their two year relationship, they had practically adopted Aaron’s little sister so now there was three of them.
They debated about buying Mill Cottage for a while, knowing that it was a wreck after the fire, but they managed to get enough money to buy it as it was going for cheaper than they had anticipated, meaning they also had enough money left behind to do it up. Surprisingly, nobody else had put an offer in for it, so they had managed to get it pretty much straight away and get the work started.
They had both been working alongside the builders, doing any work they could, whenever they got time off from working at the garage, and sometimes even before or after shifts. Liv had been helping as well, begging the builders to give her an estimation of when they would finish their work. She was so excited to move into the cottage, because she knew this move would be a permanent one. She had always longed for a home that she could stay secure in, not having to worry about her mum uprooting her as soon as she got settled into a new school and new friendship group. She was fine with her brother and Robert. It had taken a while for her and Robert to warm to each other, but they both loved Aaron, so at least they had a common interest. Turns out, it was their only one. Liv was off school ill one day, and Robert said he’d look after her and make the time up later on in the week. She has been sat on the sofa in the backroom and put a Superman film on, the grainy images taking Robert back to when he first watched the superhero movies with his red cape around his neck. He sat down with her, watching the film intensely and only picking his phone up to answer Aaron’s texts.
When Aaron had finished work that night, Liv had been curled up against Robert, still in her dressing down. They ended up doing a marathon, getting into the early 2000’s films, Robert teasing Liv saying, “You were actually born when this came out.” which resulted in her digging her elbow into his side.
When the builders had finally finished a couple of months later, they ordered all the essential furniture, letting Liv choose everything for her room. They had both decided to buy a new bed, because the slats under their old one had broken and over the years it had gotten way too small for them. The boxes were already packed, they had been for weeks so all they had to do was move them from one place to the other. It started off with them taking a couple of boxes over at a time whilst on their breaks, unpacking photos and ornaments. When they finished work, or had days off, they arranged furniture and building the wardrobes and cabinets. Liv hadn’t been much help, she just laughed every time Robert did something wrong and it stressed Aaron out. “You’re supposed to be reading the instructions out! Just tell me where this goes!” Robert had shouted.
“Oi, don’t talk to my sister like that!” Aaron defended Liv, who was just sat in hysterics as she witnessed Robert waving a loose drawer runner.
After a week, they had finally managed to move everything in to their new home, setting up the internet and TV as well. They had chosen a grey sofa, Robert knowing who he was going to be living with, and knowing that they’d end up spilling something within the first few hours. Liv went all out in Ikea, dragging Robert up and down the aisles, persuading him to buy things she didn’t exactly need, but desperately wanted. Of course, in the end, he gave in, treating her to the majority of the things she pleaded for.
The white cabinets had been Aaron’s idea. He wanted somewhere ‘to put photos’, as he put it himself. He chose the design of it all himself, surprising Robert when it got delivered. They had been placed at opposite ends of the living room with silver photo frames placed on them. They hadn’t chosen what photos would go in them yet, but Liv had made sure to bring a box of photos downstairs from the spare bedroom, putting it on the coffee table.
They sat on the sofa, spreading the photos out and debating what ones should go where. A definite one to go pride of place was the first photo the three of them had taken together. Liv had come to stay with Aaron for a weekend and Robert decided they should all go to Alton Towers. They had been on three or so rides before this photo had been taken, so Liv’s hair was messy, baby hairs spread out across her face. Aaron’s hair was gelled back that much that not one hair was out of place, but his cheeks were rosy red from the extreme wind hitting him from travelling at such a speed. Robert’s left arm was spread across the two of them, only just grasping hold of Aaron’s waist, his arm stretched across Liv’s back. His hair was very much like Liv’s, half of it sticking up in the wind, whilst the other half seemed almost plastered down to his forehead, having forgone any product.
Although none of them liked to admit it, it still remained one of their favourite pictures they had together. It made them look like a proper family.
Liv had chosen the next picture, not knowing the story behind it, just thinking it was a cute photo. Robert snorted when she picked it up, looking at Aaron to wait for him to twig on. Aaron’s head swung around, looking at the photo in Liv’s hand. “Oh God.” He laughed.
It had been taken the first Halloween that Robert had been back. Victoria had dragged him into dressing up into the theme that the pub was hosting- countries from around the world. Aaron had been Italy, dressing as a Roman gladiator. Robert remembered when he first came our wearing it, everyone teasing Aaron for wearing a dress. “Least you had good legs, definitely fancied you back then.” Robert announced, causing Aaron to hit his chest.
“Yeah, well at least I wasn’t wearing a bed sheet.” Aaron defended, pointing to Robert in the photo. In his defence, it was all he could get at short notice, Victoria telling him he was Greece just hours before the party started. He had debated just wearing a shirt from a stag do in Mykonos, but Adam had told him that if he had to go all out for the stupid party, then so did Robert. In the end, he ended up wearing a bed sheet, wrapping it around one shoulder, exposing one nipple. “That showed quite a bit of your body if I remember correctly.”
They weren’t together in the photo, having only met each other a couple of months prior, but they did certainly seem close. They had been sat on two separate tables that had been pushed together over the course of the night, Robert had his arm around Aaron’s shoulder, pushing him in slightly. Aaron’s head was placed pretty much on Robert’s chest, their smiled bright and their eyes red in the flash of the camera. It looked like one of those photos that kids saw their parents in, when they were young and falling in love with each other for the first time. Neither of the boys had seen it before, it just seemed to have been one that was taken, developed and never seen again. But now they had seen it, they loved it. And it was definitely going in a frame.
Robert had chosen the next one. He had his eye on it from it first being laid down. Aaron could have only been eight or nine at the time, with a blonde toddler sat in front of him. His hands were holding on to her sides, protecting her from falling off the donkey on Blackpool Beach. They were both wearing matching hats, Aaron in a blue cap and Liv in a pink one. Their smiles seemed almost identical, and that hadn’t changed over the years. Robert looked over at the two of them after picking it up, nobody saying anything. He put it in a frame and placed it with the others they had chosen. Aaron winked at Robert as he pulled Liv into his chest, kissing the top of her head and releasing her.
“Right!” Aaron exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. “My turn!” He looked at the table and pretended like he hadn’t already chosen the photo. After a few more seconds, his hand fell on top of an old photo. He picked it up delicately, knowing that it was one of the only photos Robert had himself. It was a photo of Robert and his mum and dad. He was sat on top of a fence at the farm, one that Aaron recognised because he used to sit up there when he ‘helped’ Adam out. Jack was stood behind the fence, to the right of Robert, his hand on Roberts shoulder. Sarah was stood next to Jack, her foot placed on the lowest bar of the fence, her arms crossed over the top of it.
Aaron had been told about Robert’s family before, he knew how much his parents, especially his mum, meant to him. He also knew that this photo was one that Robert had carried with him everywhere, being folded up in his wallet for God knows how many years. It was a special photo to Robert, and that meant it was a special photo to Aaron.
They all placed the frames on the cabinets and rearranged a few ornaments whilst they were there, putting a trophy of Liv’s on it as well. She had gone up to her room, wanting to finish getting all her CD’s out and putting them in the special order she had created; artists in alphabetical order, then each album in the order of their release.
Aaron launched himself down onto the sofa, knocking head back and breathing out deeply. Robert sat next to him, tucking one leg under the other and facing Aaron. “We did good, didn’t we?” Aaron asked.
“Yeah, course we did. We’ve got our own house now, got a little mini you upstairs,” Robert replied referring to Liv, “and, everything’s perfect. You’re perfect.”
Aaron kissed Robert softly, pulling away from his lips slightly, his breath hitting Robert “And we’ve got a spare bedroom. For a mini us.” Robert laughed in disbelief, shaking his head and kissing Aaron again.
How did they get so lucky?