Archive of Our Own ^beta

It starts when Liv buys the fridge magnets as a joke.

She thinks she’s hilarious, spelling out shut up instead of replying when Aaron is speaking to her, and winding Robert up by spelling ha ha instead of laughing when he tells her a funny story from work.

Not that there are many—that’s why Aaron reckons he gets so wound up when she does it.

A few weeks go by like this, Liv the only one using the magnets. The rest of the time they remain a collection of jumbled, multicoloured letters that Robert frequently complains look like an eyesore in their sleek kitchen.

Then, one evening, Aaron and Robert are relaxing on the sofa, watching some documentary about drones. Aaron doesn’t care for it, but Robert had seemed keen, so Aaron acquiesces. He doesn’t mind really, not if he gets to snuggle into Robert’s side and feel his excited breaths as his husband’s chest rises and falls.

It’s that night that Aaron catches Robert staring at the fridge. He feels Robert’s head turn on top of his own and stay there, so Aaron sneaks a curious glance up. Robert has a puzzled look on his face, just staring into their kitchen.

Aaron’s about to say something when Robert turns back, the look gone and his face emitting a bright smile instead. He takes Aaron’s chin with his left hand, kissing him softly, and the thought of asking leaves Aaron’s mind.

He finds, in the end, he doesn’t have to. The next morning, it all becomes clear.

Aaron is still waking up, bleary eyed and stumbling down the steps to the kitchen, in desperate need of a cuppa. He nearly trips on the god-forsaken metal staircase and swears loudly, internally cursing Robert for thinking that putting in that monstrosity was a good idea.

He’s begrudgingly admitted to himself that going into work might be a good idea. The business can’t completely run itself, and he sighs, hoping he’s not letting Adam down too much wherever he is.

Not used to getting up this early, Aaron rubs his eyes furiously, but stops short of splashing cold water on his face to wake himself up. That’s a last resort as far as he’s concerned.

He doesn’t notice it at first.

He’s making his cup of tea, takes the milk out of the fridge and sets about using it for cereal too. It’s only when he’s woken up a bit and he’s putting the milk back that he spots it:

dont 4get crisps

And then underneath:

love u x

Aaron’s in shock for a minute.

He knew Robert had been eyeing up the letters last night, but he’d secretly thought his husband was thinking of ways to dispose of them without hurting Liv’s feelings. He was always moaning how garish they were, even when Liv had said they might be fun for Seb, Robert had seemed reluctant.

The message stares back at Aaron, unmoving. He takes his eyes off it for a second by putting the milk away, but he still can’t quite grasp Robert’s change of heart.

It’s odd. It’s such a Robert thing to do, but at the same time, Aaron can’t believe how endearing he finds the whole thing.

Robert had had to leave early that morning, rushing to meet a client in Hotten, trying to renew a contract for the Haulage firm.

He’d pressed a dry kiss to Aaron’s lips before he’d left, his minty breath sweet, and pliant lips warm on Aaron’s chapped ones. Robert had leaned up to kiss hiss forehead then, and Aaron had let out an mmm causing Robert to smile.

“I’ll see you later,” Robert had whispered, trying not to drag Aaron too far from sleep. He could still sleep for an extra fifteen minutes if he wanted to, and Robert knew he did.

“What time?” Aaron had mumbled, reaching blindly for Robert’s hand, eyes slits and barely able to keep themselves open.

“Lunchtime, I reckon. Don’t forget it’s your turn to do the shop this week.”

“Alrigh’,” Aaron had said through a yawn. Robert had squeezed his hand gently then, leaving a Love you pressed against Aaron’s skin, and then he’d gone.

Aaron had tried to ignore how the bed felt colder until he got out eighteen minutes later.

In the present, Aaron shakes his head, jumbling up the letters once more and not bothering to leave a reply. He’s going to see Robert later anyway, hopefully having done the shop at the start of his extended lunch break (it is his first day back in a while, after all, he has to ease himself in.)

He doesn’t mention it to Robert when they reunite for lunch in the Woolpack, and Robert doesn’t bring it up either, so Aaron assumes it was a one off and forgets about it, losing himself in Robert’s grumbling about bigoted clients and sipping a pint.

The next time it happens, Aaron has to admire Robert’s sneakiness.

It’s a big day for Aaron.

Since he’s back at work officially, he’s having to get reacquainted with a lot of his clients. He’s lucky enough that if there’s scrap imported and scrap to collect, the business can keep ticking over whilst the finer details can be ignored for a little while. Now that he’s back, however, some clients want to renegotiate contracts, and the books have to be kept.

He’d been frazzled last night, trying desperately not to snap at Liv whilst she did her homework and then started using her phone at the dinner table whilst they were eating.

She’d gone off to bed early, a little aggravated and Aaron had sighed, vowing to apologise to her in the morning.

Robert had given him a shoulder massage as he’d sat at the dinner table, loosening Aaron up enough to get him to talk.

In all honesty, he’d stopped working because the responsibility of looking after the scrapyard all by himself had been mounting. With Adam gone, and Gerry now too, Aaron was finding it hard to cope, so he’d kept putting it off and off. Now that he’d returned, he felt, feels, extremely nervous that he’s forgotten how to do it. Like he’s going to let everyone and himself down.

“Don’t be daft,” Robert had said reassuringly, kneading a particularly tight spot and causing Aaron to groan. “You’ll be brilliant. Best scrap business in a hundred miles, if not more.”

“Shut up,” Aaron had quipped fondly, leaning his head on one of Robert’s arms and sighing. “I’ve just got to get used to it again, I s'pose.”

“You’ll be on top of everything in no time,” Robert had smiled, patting Aaron’s shoulders and then leaning over him to pick up their dirty dinner plates and bring them to soak in the wash basin. “And you’ve got me, I’ll help ya.”

“Yeah,” Aaron had agreed, feeling better already, having spoken to his husband, “I know ya will.”

That morning, Robert gets up at the same time as Aaron. He’s got the morning off, but they’ve got Seb, so he knows he’ll get woken up sooner or later anyway. Robert offers to make Aaron breakfast whilst he showers, and Aaron calls his thanks, already half submerged in hot water.

When Aaron goes to find his food, Robert’s gone to shower. He’d caught him in the bedroom as Aaron was getting dressed and Robert was getting undressed. He’d kissed Robert his thanks when he’d been told his breakfast was on the table and made his way downstairs.

As he gets there, Aaron laughs at his toast.

Robert likes to pretend he’s on Masterchef sometimes. Aaron always scoffs when he does it, but internally he finds it charming. He’s laid out Aaron’s toast in strips, going all around a circular plate like rays of sunshine a child draws when they’re seven.

At the end of each strip, on the outer edge of the plate, is a variety of toppings; jam, marmite, extra butter. Enough to be spread delicately on every strip.

Aaron shakes his head, dipping the toast instead and imagining Robert’s cry of indignance. His husband is weird sometimes, but he wouldn’t change him for the world.

He’s sipping on tea that he’d found next to the toast when he sees it. The letters on the fridge have changed again from their usual jumble to a message:

Good luck at work

U got this!

It’s so stupid, you got this like some motivational quote from Robert’s favourite Pinterest board, but it makes Aaron smile anyway. He smiles wide, and so fondly he’s actually glad Robert isn’t there to see him, because the knowledge that Aaron enjoys these messages so much would give Robert far too much power.

He finishes his toast and tea, leaving the message as he shouts a goodbye to Robert and goes.

The words stay with him all day, and by the time he’s finished the books and spoken to three clients, he feels lighter.

Aaron’s exhausted when he goes downstairs that morning.

He’s been back at work for about a month now, and he’s keeping on top of it. Unfortunately, it had been his personal life bringing this particular brand of enervation.

The argument with Robert last night had been tense. Aaron had come home late after checking books at the scrapyard repeatedly, trying to memorise the numbers for a meeting tomorrow. He’d missed family tea, as he had been doing for a few nights a week these last few weeks, and he could tell Robert was seething when he came in.

His husband had managed to keep himself in check as Aaron joined the tail-end of their meal. He’d asked Aaron about his day, told Liv to tell her brother about how the revision schedule was going. His eyes softened when Liv spoke of how much Doug was helping her, and Aaron couldn’t help but feel proud. Seb gurgled his own contribution to the conversation, and Aaron had thought the row had been avoided, with the serenity of their little family mediating the tension.

He’d been wrong. 

The minute Liv was out of an earshot, off to watch a film on her laptop, Robert was cold to him again.

He hadn’t spoken to him as he picked Seb up from his highchair, save saying it’s his bedtime and wandering up the stairs, leaving Aaron to stew. Aaron had started to clear away their dinner for lack of anything else to do, resisting the urge to twist his ring around his finger, a habit he’d picked up and hadn’t been able to put down since.

Robert had come back down half an hour later sans baby, and Aaron had met his steely gaze with trepidation. They were standing apart, Aaron in the kitchen and Robert by the sofa; Aaron wasn’t used to this much distance between them, figuratively and literally.

“Is there something so much more important than this family to you, that you keep missing dinnertime?”

Aaron was shocked. “I’m sorry, work is just hectic right now since it’s only me. I’ll look into gettin’ someone else hired. Just don’t trust many people with that sorta thing, y’know?”

Robert had nodded shortly, and Aaron had thought what was it, but apparently Robert just couldn’t help himself. “Doesn’t make up for the time already lost.”

“What the hell Robert?” Aaron had asked heatedly, “Where has this come from? I’m doin’ my best! You were the one who said I should go back to work full time in the first place! It’s not like I’ve given up lookin’ after Seb, or checkin’ in or Liv, or stopped speakin’ to ya. I’ve only been late a few times.”

Robert had taken these words in, blown out a breath, and after some mental deliberation, seemingly given up his fight. “It was just something Rebecca said.”

“What did she say?”

“Just about how important it was to spend time with people close to you. Got me thinking about you working late. I’m sorry, I know you’re doing amazingly. I just miss you.”

Aaron had shaken his head, but he was smiling despite himself. “And you couldn’t’a just said that?”

Robert had shrugged, looking sad, and Aaron hadn’t the heart to continue being mad at his husband. It was hard sometimes when they fought, but he’d just been glad they were so much better at talking about things now.

The conversation had played on Aaron’s mind nevertheless, and he feels groggy from lack of sleep. Robert had kissed his apologies into Aaron’s skin for snapping and Aaron had readily accepted, finding it hard to hold a grudge against Robert, the same as he always has done.

Robert had gotten up in the night, wanting to get a glass of water. When Aaron goes to the kitchen to make tea, he sees that’s not the only thing Robert had done on his jaunt.

im sorry

The fridge says to him, and Aaron smiles.

its okay

love ya

He writes back, hoping Robert understands he’s not angry, and he never really was.

“Why is Ross in our house?”

That’s the first thing that comes out of Aaron’s mouth when he sees the aggressive man standing in their living room, looking entirely out of place amongst their furniture.

“Got a problem with it?” Ross asks, and he just radiates anger. Aaron knows he used to be like that, and now he understands why so many people used to stay out of his way—it’s exhausting.

“Yes, actually,” Aaron says as his lips downturn in a frown, face saying isn’t it obvious? “So why are you here?”

Robert finally speaks up from his place leaning against the kitchen counter, eyerolling behind the back of Ross’ head. “He wants to know if we’ll have Moses when we look after Seb tomorrow night, so he can take Rebecca out.”

“And can we?” Aaron asks, already knowing his own opinion.

“Unfortunately, yes, because we’re good people.”

Aaron nods—he was thinking the same thing. Not the smug, cocky words that come out of Robert’s mouth, mind, but Moses is cute and he’s family, so of course they’ll have them.

“Thank you, s’pose,” Ross has the good grace to say, and this time it’s Aaron’s turn to roll his eyes.

“That didn’t pain you too much, did it?” He manoeuvres around Ross, intending to get a glass of water from the kitchen. He’s just finished a particularly gruelling shift at the scrapyard moving parts and he’s greasy and thirsty.

“Just ‘cause you’re doin’ me a favour, doesn’t mean you get t’be all smug about it,” his following huff is annoyed in tone. “It’s just babysittin’.”

“Yeah and without us, your date wouldn’t be happening, so,” Robert trails off, raising his eyebrows. “You’re welcome.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Ross waves his hand at them dismissively and stars for the door. Aaron winks at Robert, glad he’s got him to leave so quickly, but he celebrates pre-emptively.

He comes back into the room, and if Aaron thought Ross could have a thoughtful expression, this would be it. Struggling for an intelligent thought, but never quite getting there. “By the way, who decorated this place? Looks like they did a right dash through the hipster market.”

Aaron can see the insult rubbing Robert up the wrong way just by his eyes. “I did it all, and maybe I could give your place a makeover, ‘cause it looked like a kid’s paint box when my brother lived there.”

Ross stops short. “My mum loved those colours.”

There’s an awkward beat, and then Robert’s says, “Oh, erm. I’m sorry.”

“Think it’d be best if you went now mate,” Aaron says gently, not wanting anymore potential drama in their house. Ross nods, leaving without saying thank you or goodbye. Aaron follows him and closes the door behind him.

“I didn’t know,” Robert says sullenly, a look of guilt on his face.

“You weren’t to know,” Aaron reminds him, stroking his arm softly when he re-joins him in the kitchen. “He started it. Should’a just left when he was goin’ to.”

Robert mmm’s and they leave it at that. Aaron goes upstairs to shower, washing off the day’s dirt and aggravation as his aching bones get scalded by the hot water.

It’s when he comes downstairs, pink and fluffy from the shower that he sees it.

2 hip 4 u

Robert’s there; he gives Aaron a look and small smile, but doesn’t otherwise acknowledge the joke. He turns back to doing the dishes he’d been elbow deep in before and Aaron makes to go and help him.

He picks up a tea towel and surreptitiously moves a heart underneath a message, but if anyone asks, he’ll pretend he didn’t.

Aaron has to go away for work for a few days, and it pulls at his heartstrings a little. Mostly because he doesn’t want to be away from his family for any more time than he has to, but partly because road trips to scout other scrappers are something he used to do with Adam, and the fact they can’t do that leaves a hole in his heart.

It’s a normal morning. He doesn’t have to meet the clients until two, so he’s got plenty of time to pack his overnight bag and have some breakfast before he sets off.

Liv hugs him goodbye before she goes off to college, telling him to keep himself out of trouble.

Aaron tuts, chastising her by saying she should be the one keeping out of trouble, but she only grins as she races out the door to meet Doug, who’s taken to driving her there in the mornings.

Robert feeds Seb in his highchair as Aaron makes them tea and toast, and he takes a minute to grip the counter, feeling content in his own home, his own skin, emotions he never would have even dreamed of feeling when he was a teen.

“Hey,” Robert says, wrapping his arms around Aaron and hugging him from behind, “You okay? You seem quiet.”

“Just don’t wanna go really,” Aaron murmurs, placing his hands on top of Robert’s, “Hate leavin’ you now, and Liv an’ Seb. Feel like a proper softie.”

“That’s because you are one!”

Robert gets a swat on his thigh for that one and he backs away laughing, hands up in mock surrender. “Hey, I’m one too, we’re in this together, remember?”

“Always,” Aaron says instantly, and Robert’s grin widens.

“C’mere,” he says, smooth as butter and pulls Aaron in for a searing kiss. Aaron kisses back, hands wandering into Robert’s hair as he pulls and tugs, deepening the kiss.

When they pull away, Seb is happily banging his empty breakfast bowl on the highchair’s table, and Aaron smiles at him before focusing his eyes back on Robert. “What was that for?”

Robert’s about to answer, mouth already halfway open when he snaps it shut again and a mischievous grin appears on his face.

He backs away further, nearing the fridge, and starts to rearrange the letters before Aaron’s eyes.

Aaron’s never seen him do this before, only ever seen the aftermath. A warm feeling rises up from his stomach through his chest and his hands are tingling pleasantly. It’s such a small thing, the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it type, but something about Robert’s thoughtfulness through these gestures makes Aaron’s insides squirm in the best way.

When Robert steps back, he’s got a small smile on and he’s standing next to his latest masterpiece like a child that’s painted for the first time. The message is simple, and against Aaron’s best intentions, he feels a soppy smile breaking out on his face.

cos i will miss u

Aaron’s first thought besides his undeniable happiness is that he’s glad the magnets came with three of each vowel, otherwise that message would have been impossible.

“Who’s the soft touch now?” Aaron asks as he walks towards Robert, pulling him in by the waist and gripping Robert’s sides as they embrace. Robert buries his face into Aaron’s neck, nuzzles him as they stand together, and Aaron feels both their heartbeats like the steady pulse of the rest of their lives yet to come.

They stand like that for a while before Aaron speaks again. “I’ll miss you too, idiot.”

He can feel Robert’s smile against his neck and kisses the top of his head.

This trip won’t be that bad, he figures, at least not when he’s got a brilliant home to come back to.

Aaron’s been thinking about this for weeks, discerning all the ways he could do it.

He’s contemplated telling Liv about it, roping her in to help him carry it out. He’s thought about getting his mum in on his plans, because her ideas aren’t always overly dramatic. He’s even debated getting Victoria to help him, but sometimes she gets overexcited, and his mum will probably cry, and Liv will probably blurt it out in front of Robert, so then he thinks maybe it’s best not to involve anyone.

In the end, it’s just the two of them, like it always is.

Robert’s back from dropping Seb off at Rebecca’s, and Liv’s not due back from Gabby’s until after tea, so Aaron knows there’s plenty of time. There are no family emergencies, nothing that either of them need to get carried away for.

He’s attempting to cook spag bol when Robert comes through to the kitchen, and the look of astonishment on Robert’s face tells him everything he needs to know.

“You’re cooking?” Is the first thing Robert says, and Aaron pretends to be affronted.

“Oh, hello to you too. How was your day at work, Aaron? Great thanks, how about you?”

“Yeah, yeah, it was alright,” Robert waves his hand dismissively, unable to take his eyes off of the spaghetti bubbling away in a pot and the mince, onions and other vegetables sizzling in the pan currently being controlled by Aaron. “And you’re cooking? And it’s not a roast or a fry up?”

“Yes, Robert,” Aaron can’t help but smile at Robert’s incredulity and shakes his head, “I am cooking. You’re welcome.”

“Don’t know if I’ll be saying thanks when I’ve tasted it,” Robert teases, coming closer to Aaron in order to peer over his shoulder.

“Get away,” Aaron complains, gently sending him toward the table that he’d set earlier, “There’s wine in the fridge, pour it.”

“Wine?” Robert questions again, disbelieving, “Okay. That’s it. Who are you and what have you done with Aaron Sugden?”

Aaron blushes at the reference, heating up at the fact that Robert is so close to his intentions.

“Dingle,” he mutters in response, “And I don’t have to have beer all the time.”

“Says the bloke who made me drink beer out of a welly at our wedding reception,” Robert’s grinning, and Aaron hates that he’s picking up on the vibe without even trying. How is Aaron meant to propose to him as a surprise without turning into a puddle of anxious sweat when the bloody git keeps referencing their first wedding?

“Shut up,” Aaron replies, turning away to hide his smile.

“Is there a special occasion I’ve forgotten about or something?” Robert asks, but pours the wine as told.

“No, I just wanted to treat ya, is that alright?” Aaron says, getting flustered at the continued questioning. “Just sit down and drink your chardonnay will ya?”

“Yes boss, okay boss,” Robert says, smiling with his tongue between his teeth. He looks so edible Aaron wants to just forget the whole thing, snog him senseless on the table and leave the spag bol to burn.

There’ll be time for all that later, he reminds himself, continuing to stir with the wooden spoon as Robert places a glass of white wine beside the hob.

“So, what’s brought this on then?” Robert asks unable to help himself. Aaron takes a deep breath, not wanting to tell Robert just yet.

“I’ll tell ya when we’ve finished dinner, yeah?”

Robert nods, only smiling from behind his wine glass like the mischievous child he is.

He distracts Aaron all evening, so it’s a wonder he gets the food on a plate at all, unburnt and seasoned at that. Robert’s playing with the hem of his t-shirt, placing light kisses to Aaron’s neck like a feather teasing and tickling him. It’s maddening and brilliant all at once.

Once their food is plated, Aaron waits for Robert to take the first bite. When he does, his eyebrows raise to his hairline.

“Well?” Aaron asks impatiently, barely resisting his nervous urge to tap his fork on the table.

“It’s actually really good,” Robert says and smiles, licking a bit of sauce off his lower lip that Aaron zones in on immediately. The action means Aaron forgets to be insulted at the tone of surprise in Robert’s voice, but Aaron doesn’t mind too much.

“Thanks,” Aaron says instead, almost bashful. He still feels butterflies inside when Robert praises him, just like all that time ago in hotel long forgotten when Aaron had first started the scrap business.

They get through about three quarters of their meal with flirty banter before Robert asks again. “So, come on then, out with it. What’s this in aid of?”

“Well…” Aaron trails off, putting his fork and spoon down to wring his hands under the table. He’d been picturing this moment for weeks. How it would go and what he would say, but suddenly his throat closes up, like a balloon’s expanding in there and taking away all his air.

Robert waits, an encouraging smile on his face. God, Aaron just loves him so much. This man, who had done everything for him, risked it all. Turned his life around and upside down, just for Aaron.

He stands up suddenly, and Robert looks at him, perplexed.

“You know I’m not great with words sometimes,” he waits for Robert to nod his agreement, “But you’re brilliant, and you know me better than anyone. That’s why I know you’ll understand what this means to me, to us.”

Robert looks even more confused, but waits patiently for Aaron to make his next move.

Aaron’s palms are clammy as he walks to the fridge, Robert turning in his chair to see what’s going on. Aaron takes a deep breath as he reaches up, moving the letters into place. He gulps, feeling the pressure mounting, but he’s excited all the same.

This is Robert, he’ll get it.

Past conversations echo in Aaron’s head. You know—I know. He always does.

When he steps back, he hears Robert’s intake of breath. It’s sharp, filled with emotion and Aaron hasn’t turned to face him yet, too scared to see his reaction.

He hears the wine glass being put down, and Robert stands. Aaron turns to face him, finding tears in Robert’s eyes and a bright smile on his face, like all his dreams have come true all over again.

“Are you serious?” Robert asks, breathless.

“More than I’ve ever been about anything,”

“Then yes,” Robert says, easily. It’s like swimming or riding a bike, it’s all muscle memory. It’s like coming home after a long day as he all but falls into Aaron’s arms. They kiss like this is the last breath they’ll ever take, but Robert has just promised him all of his life all over again, and Aaron wants to cry.

Behind them, reads:

Will you marry me?