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“What are you doing tonight?” Aaron asked, before shoving a piece of toast in his mouth, as he watched his husband down the rest of his coffee.
“Nothing probably, why?” Robert said, taking his empty cup to the sink. He stole a piece of Aaron’s toast as he passed and stood to lean against the sink smiling, as his husband scowled at him over its loss.
“Boys night out with Adam. You can come if you want?” Aaron said, raising his eyebrow in question.
“Nah, it’s okay. You go do your thing,” Robert replied moving across the kitchen to Aaron and leaning in for a kiss.
***
Adam and Aaron were in the Woolpack, trying to decide if they could work up the energy to actually go into town or if they’d just keep it simple with darts and a few pints, when Cain appeared at their table.
“Where’s Sugden?” his uncle asked, sounding angry, but then that was pretty much his default setting.
“At home watching the new Star Wars movie or something equally lame,” Adam interjected, before Aaron could open his mouth. He felt like he should defend Robert’s life choices, but the truth of the matter was, he probably was sitting at home clutching a bowl of popcorn and talking to the television. His husband is a massive nerd. Hot as fuck, but a nerd to his core.
Cain let out a grunt of acknowledgement and turned to leave, “Okay, I’m off.”
“You’re not sticking around?” Aaron asked, trying to work out if his uncle was acting weirder than normal.
“Got stuff to do,” Cain said leaving before Aaron could ask any more questions.
Adam laughed, “Was that strange? It felt like he was being even more vague and shifty than normal.”
Aaron didn’t know what to say so he just shook his head, staring at the door his uncle had just exited. There had been quite a bit of unusual behaviour from his uncle lately.
“You don’t think Robert’s done something to piss him off do you?” Adam asked still laughing, the concern for his brother-in-law was touching really.
***
Robert was emptying a bag of microwave popcorn in a bowl when someone started pounding on the front door of the Mill. Aaron kept forgetting his keys lately and although Robert had threatened to tie them around Aaron’s neck, complete with a bow, he also kind of thought it was adorable. He might even be able to barter some kisses from his husband to let him in the house. Smiling he opened the door and said, “Did you forget to… Cain, hi!”
Aaron’s uncle was the last person in the world Robert expected to see on his doorstep. What the hell was he doing here?
“Can I come in?” Cain asked looking around the room behind Robert.
“Umm I guess,” Robert replied, resisting the urge to shut the door in his face.
“Are you asking me or telling me?” Cain barked at him, giving Robert a look that clearly said he thought Robert was an idiot.
“Asking? I don’t know? What is the right answer here?” Robert said pinching the bridge of his nose, totally confused.
“I brought lager,” Cain said, shouldering his way past Robert and into the flat. Shoving the beer against Robert’s chest, forcing him to grab a hold of the bottles to prevent them from crashing to the ground.
“Okay,” Robert said slowly, moving over to the couch and putting the beer down on the coffee table. Not sure what to do next. He watched as Cain made himself comfortable on the couch, that had taken Robert and Liv two hours to pick out.
“Have you started the movie yet?” Cain asked, putting his dirty work boots on the designer coffee table. It made a tick start under Robert’s right eye.
“What?” he asked distractedly. “Umm, no I was just making some popcorn.”
Robert frowns at Cain and the way he’s just here, in Robert’s space. “So, um you’re staying then?” he questions, wondering if Cain would murder him if he asked what was going on?
Cain plumped one of the cushions placing it behind his head, “Yeah, where’s the popcorn you mentioned?”
“I’ll get it,” Robert said, relieved to have something to do with his hands. Why did he always feel like he should pinch himself or put up his fists, whenever Cain approached him of his own volition.
***
Robert knew he’d have to watch this movie again later when Cain wasn’t around, because he kept getting distracted by the fact Cain was here watching a movie with him. What was this? The first sign of the apocalypse?
“We should watch Total Recall next time, not the remake the original, you got that one?” Cain suggested, when the credits started rolling, before getting to his feet.
Robert nodded gob-smacked that Cain even knew that there had been a remake.
“Okay, next Friday? You can get the beer,” Cain ordered, making his way to the door. He stopped and looked back at Robert like he wanted to say something, but grimaced and turned back to the door clearly changing his mind.
Robert watched from his spot on the couch at a loss to know what the hell had just happened, as Cain opened the front door only to find Aaron standing there with his fist raised poised to knock. Huh, so he did forget his keys after all.
***
“Did you have a date with my uncle?” Aaron asked standing at the window watching as his uncle walked up their driveway.
Aaron turned to look at Robert, a smile on his face, eager for his husband’s response.
“I- think so,” Robert replied, sounding anything but sure.
Aaron couldn’t help it, he started laughing, the whole thing was too unreal. It was hilarious that Robert had finally made a friend and it happened to be his monosyllabic uncle, who had more issues than the two of them combined. “Are you gonna see him again?”
Robert pulled a face, one Aaron couldn’t quite interpret. “Next Friday apparently,” he said, somehow managing to sound both sullen and confused. “Stop laughing, this isn’t funny.”
Aaron waved a hand in front of his face, trying to catch his breath but it was hard. The situation, coupled with Robert’s sheer disbelief that this was his life now, had Aaron bending over and clutching his knees trying to force some air back into his lungs. “It’s a little funny,” he couldn’t stop himself from replying when he could speak again.