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Fathers day? Aaron never had any reason to celebrate it before Gordon was actually alive, and he sure as hell didn’t have a reason to celebrate now that he was 6 ft under. Sure he had Paddy but this was Leo’s time and he couldn’t take it away. Paddy knew how Aaron felt. He didn’t need some stupid day.
And Robert? Andy and Vic always went over the top. Vic it was cute, Andy? Not so much, a real proper wanker… always showing off. And it didn’t matter either, because his dad had never really gave a shit about anything Robert tried to do for him. He’d always found fault.
And now with Seb? He didn’t expect anything, he hadn’t even really thought about the fact that the calendar read Fathers Day 2018.
------
Liv wanted to earn some money, she did---but she couldn’t get a job and Aaron and Rob hadn’t felt comfortable enough to let her go out and get a real one. But Liv wanted a new phone. And since she’d finished with her school----she’d found an solution to her lack of dough.
“It’s not like you can’t trust me, c’mon.” Liv said as she watched her older brother and the blonde man eat the supper that she’d cooked---she needed all the help she could get.
Aaron gave her a look and she returned it with her most dazzling smile, “Seb knows me---I’m like his auntie or step-sister…..? What do we even call each other?” Liv tilted her head and for a moment got lost in thought. But Aaron cleared his throat and she jerked back to reality. “You are both working lads… and Vic has a full time job and as much as she loves Seb---she can’t babysit him and his brain wack mum.”
Robert bit into a carrot and raised his browns. Aaron of course gave her a death glare and put down his fork quite dramatically and noisily. “Liv! You can’t say stuff like that.”
Liv rose her eyebrows, she and Rob mirrored their expressions which would have been comical but the shrug and sentence that came from her brother-in-law stopped her in her tracks.
“She’s right, though. Bex isn’t exactly improving and Vic’s doing as much as she can. And we can’t exactly drag a baby to the scrapyard everyday…” The way Robert spoke so casually almost made Liv whoop for joy.
“A baby is a huge responsibility. Seb is a bit of a handful---there’s fussy mornings and nappies to be changed. It’s not some easy playin’.” Aaron butt in, he gave a sideways glance to his husband and made it the point to point at Seb who sat in his highchair, Robert feeding him mushed carrots. “He can’t feed himself or do anything by himself.”
Liv sighed and she almost rolled her eyes, holding back because she needed to persuade, not piss them off. “I know---and I took a course at my old school on watching babies. I can even save his life if he swallows his food smush the wrong way.” She’d tried for the joke but it only got a laugh out of Robert which to be honest, didn’t help much with her brother.
Aaron had the upper hand in their relationship.
“I need some money, and I’d rather earn it then go bugger off and steal it from thick bloke.” Liv said flatly, she watched Aaron who said nothing. “I mean, you remember how easy it was for me to nick off this one, don’t ya?” Liv gestured with her fork to Robert who gaped in return.
“You didn’t get very far so I wouldn’t take that as your leading plan.”
“Fine. How about you try this week? You can see if you can do it and then tell us at the end of the week if you still want to do it.”
Liv beamed.
Robert let out a chuckle, he leaned over and bumped arms with Aaron. “Remind us to never let her cook for us without suspecting she wants something.” Aaron scoffed, a smirk playing on his face. He bumped back and glanced at his sister.
“I think she deserves pay back.”
“Oh yeah, for sure.”
Liv let out a loud groan as she watched the two-grossly-in-love idiots kiss. Not a peck, but a long lingering one.
Seb let out a giggle and spit out his food, it fell onto his bib and Liv leaned off and tapped his little tray, “I totally understand.”
Aaron and Robert both burst out laughing and maybe---maybe Liv laughed too.
----
Liv had managed the job of taking care of Seb---she loved it, she wouldn’t admit that but honestly…nothing was better than lying around the Mill for the morning while getting to prop Seb up and feed him some delicious baby food… which she totally didn’t eat the rest of when he’d finished.
Not to mention that Seb liked going outside, he didn’t cry and he loved going about the villiage in his pram. The nappies weren’t even bad so she totally had the life.
Plus she’d damn fell in love with the blonde little rugrat. And it wasn’t like she completely turned off whenever the boys came home. It sort of went on like it fit. Because it did. Before they were a family, no doubt but now---they truly felt like a family that fit.
And then it was fathers day weekend just around the corner. And they’d been out, at the shop in town. Doing their thing, the thing where Liv bought some treats and took the jelly and let Seb take that on a little spoon. She’d sat down and they’d went about. When someone came in and bought a card.
“Aw what a sweet card. Hope your dad loves it.”
Liv narrowed her eyes, there were a selection of cards and they all looked rather gross. So she went up there and she might’ve peeked at all of them. All while, reading them to Seb and laughing about how Robert and Aaron would hate them all.
“I bet you that me and you could make a better card and show up all these crap ones. Don’t you think?” Seb gurgled. “You agree…? You know I have an idea, wanna hear?” Another noise burst from the baby making Liv laugh. “Why don’t we make the best card for Rob and Aaron. They’d be so surprised and Aaron would spit up like you.” Seb smiled.
Liv decided that of course she had to go along with Sebs plan. OF COURSE. She had to add a little bit on with the help of Seb of course. They’d decided on the card as well as their best attempt at a surprise get up and breakfast in bed.
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The card really couldn’t get any more nauseating. It read some mushy things that would probably leave her brother blushing and Rob in tears.
She’d gotten up really early on that day. She had suspected that they’d sleep in if they didn’t hear Seb fussing like he usually did. So she might’ve unplugged the monitor and instead kept an ear on the little boy as she went downstairs to try her best at waffles.
They weren’t Roberts chocolate amazing waffles. They had a bit of a weird texture but it worked. Liv held her breath every time she heard any noise and whooped when she’d made it through the plating as well as gathering some berries and whip cream as well as some orange juice.
Could she make it up the stairs with a tray of grub and a baby bottle? Especially the Mills stairs? It was another mission for her and she did it no problem.
But the surprise….
She strolled into Sebs room and placed the tray on the nursery dresser while reaching behind the sofa chair in the corner.
Seb had awoken and kept quiet surprisingly. Almost as if he knew what they were doing.
Liv took out the bag of clothes and smirked.
She shook her head and turned to Seb. A quick nappy change and then the surprise get up…
——
Robert woke first. He laid there in bed, Aaron tucked at his side. He wondered why Seb hadn’t started crying yet for his bottle but decided that he really shouldn’t question his time to relax.
Rob almost fell asleep again, surprisingly but to an even bigger surprise. The bedroom door flew open. It banged and Aaron jerked awake.
“What—” Aaron’s disgruntled self basically jumped to look at the intruders and he had to sit up and actually convince himself that he wasn’t in a dream.
“Happy Father’s Day!”
The loud voice of Liv knocked him into reality. Robert narrowed his eyes and his lips parted in surprise. He too pulled himself up to take in the scene.
Liv somehow managing Seb as well as a tray…. Dressed quite ridiculously. Not just Seb. But the both of them.
The teen entered the room. She placed the tray on the bed and adjusted Seb on her hip.
A smile spread on both their faces as Aaron and Robert stared. That’s all they did for a moment. Stared.
Because Liv stood in a big button up, some jeans, and a leather jacket, as well as some big brown shoes.
Seb—he had on a couple sizes too larger grey jumper as well as a hoodie, some dark jeans…
They both were splitting images of the men currently in a state of shock.
Silence.
Before Aaron burst out laughing. Robert on the other hand stared at the kids. He choked out a laugh and gestured to Liv, “You’ve never looked better, kid. Seriously, where do you get this amazing fashion inspiration?”
The sound of laughter flooded through the mill. Robert and Aaron pushed over and pulled the tray of food closer to make room for the Mini-me’s of theirselves to sit.
“What—-why—-you came up with all this?” Aaron stammered after his laughter died down. He stared at the tray of food and then to his husband and they both looked to Liv who shook her head.
She grinned and pointed to Seb who was squirming in her arms. She sighed, “He’s being shy. He came up with all this. The rubbish outfits and the card.” She shrugged but the grin never left her face.
Robert plucked the card and he leaned into Aaron as they read…. it made them laugh and damnit—both men teared up as they read the last section.
You guys are the closest thing I have to dads’, or like brother-Dad figure and step-dad/brother in law. So figured I at least owed you one of these ugly cards. I love you idiots. Happy whatever day.
“We seriously need to sort out story out on what we bloody are together.” Robert barely managed to get the words out, he pressed his face into his husbands shoulder and wiped his tears.
Aaron swallowed and nodded, he tried to take a breath and speak but he couldn’t. He just gestured to the card, “You owe me n-nothing.”
Liv bit her lip and Robert watched the girl glance down, she played with Sebs hoodie and smiled to herself. Robert watched Aaron watch them both and the look he had on his face as he took the boy from Liv…
The fucking tears again, Robert Sugden sat there crying...
“Goddamnit..” Robert choked out. He pushed the duvet off and jumped to his feet. He went over and he threw his arms around Liv who hugged him back as best she could considering he had no choice but to bend down and hold her tight.
“I’m whatever you need anytime… we don’t have to have a proper label—I’m whatever you need and your family.”
Liv breathed out and tightened her grip on the man before she slapped him on the back, “oi, stop your blubbering… you’re messing your jacket up.”
Robert pulled back and he looked down at her. His jacket. One of his many jackets, he’d never imagined getting the chance to see Liv wearhis jacket and his shoes…they looked similar and it made him roll his eyes before returning to his spot on the bed.
“It bothers me that you manage to pull it off…”
Meanwhile Aaron sat with Seb who drank his bottle. He was staring at him and kept gnawing at his bottom lip. He was happy. But he wanted to cry. Happy tears but he hated crying. He hated it.
“And I know we still have issues but I talked with Rebecca and I told her what we were doing so that she didn’t take Seb last night. And she sort of gave me something to give to you.”
Aaron heard Liv but he’d thought that his sister was saying this to Rob. So he just resumed feeding Seb and brushing a finger over the baby’s head.
“Aaron?”
He looked up and again with the shock, Liv gestured a envelope in front of him. He stared at it. Like it would bite.
But he took it and what he read—made him lose it with the bloody tears.
Livs decided that it’s happy whatever day instead of Father’s Day. So happy whatever day, I wanted to give you this because this is your day truly.
You’ve taken in Seb after everything that happened and you’re helping Robert raise him while I’m in the situation I am. And it hurts more than anything to say, but at the moment. I can’t be the mum Seb needs. Or the person he needs. But I know my son isn’t missing out.
Because he’s got you and Rob and you two together are better than anything I could offer. He’s my baby and I love him but he’s yours as well.
I’m not forcing you to be a father to him. You already have done so much with helping Robert but I want you to know that for me, family is everything. And your Sebs family. Two dads and a mum, it’s pretty messed up but it’s better than nothing and I’m glad he has us all.
I see it in the pub when you’re with him. The way you hold him and pull goofy faces. Or when Robert talks about you with Seb—I can literally see the love you’re giving that little boy.
I’m grateful and I won’t ever be able to repay you, or make up for the mistakes I’ve made.
Happy whatever day and thank you for loving my son as if he was your own. And in my eyes, he is. - Bex
Aaron wasn’t sure how to react but their past with the woman who’d wrote this…. It read as she’d become another person. And well she was now. He’d never be over the fact that she’d gone along with Robert even when he’d said they’d broken up, it was unforgivable that she ignored the fact that he had someone else. He had a husband. And Robert didn’t force her into anything.
But this letter and the words written in it---the whole past situation---he couldn’t forget it but he at the moment could put his attention on something else. Someone else.
Seb.
Liv.
Robert.
“This is so messed up,” Aaron murmured, he wiped his face and stared at Seb. He took a breath and glanced up, Liv and Robert stared back at him. There was a smile to his husbands face.
“We’re messed up.”
Liv sighed and rolled her eyes, she positioned herself on the floor now, leaning on her knees with her arms on the bed. The whole situation was ridiculous. “But we’re a family.” After the sentence left Liv’s mouth, the teen dramatically started gagging.
Aaron and Robert laughed but it couldn’t be more true. The men had found hands and locked them together, Liv reached over and swiped the tray of food and helped herself to her amazing food. Seb enjoyed his bottle…
And Robert and Aaron finally had a reason to look forward to this day, they’d forget about their past and their fathers who’d both abused them. Because the cards, the breakfast, and the silly get-up---that meant everything.
For years and years to come, this day would be for them. Liv would grow up into this young woman and would still say that Seb, the little teen, forced her into it.