Chapter Text
Waking up every day to Seb’s smile was the best way to wake up. He’s six months old, and his smile had not got boring yet. Robert doubted if it ever would. Today was a big day, he was moving into the Mill, out of the room he rented in his sisters place. He’d never really thought that posting baby pictures of his very cute son online would make him any money, but it turned out that Robert wasn’t the only person who thought Seb was the cutest, sweetest boy in the world. Quite a few others did too. Robert wasn’t naive, he knew a big part of the draw was Seb having a single dad who was fairly attractive. God knows he’d used that to get ahead in life over the years. He knew how to charm people when it mattered.
Taking Seb home when he was two days old, suddenly a single dad to a newborn, one whose mother had died in childbirth, staying alive only long enough to name him before she bled to death, well, it had been a shock. Posting pictures on instagram? It was how he marked the days. If he managed to find one sweet, one cute or one memorable moment a day, in between the dirty nappies and the spit up milk, and the screaming when Seb just wouldn’t settle? That one moment mattered. So he shared one photo a day. And people noticed. At first only Vic and a couple of randoms followed him. Then a few more. Then a hundred. Then a thousand. Then a hundred thousand. And it snowballed from there.
When he was two months old, Robert had posted a very cute photo of Seb, eyes bright and happy in a blue onesie. It could only be bought in a local shop in Harrogate, and the shop wanted to know why they’d suddenly got more than a thousand orders for one specific baby-grow. That was when Robert realised that the sponsorships? He could make money here. Serious money. The fact that he’d been able to put a down payment on a house only four months after this? Well, it turned out that he was a good businessman after all. He’d learned to be a good photographer, taken some tips from online sources, and he got good. He currently had, with a fair amount of luck and hard work, 1.3 million followers on instagram. Not bad for only a few months.
He got out his phone and started an insta story before he’d got out of bed. Just a quick one to say today was moving day, the start of a new chapter, and that he was excited. He made sure to be shirtless in that one too. Shallow though it might be, he knew it was why some people watched him. Whatever helped keep people clicking. He’d post a few pictures lately of Seb and moving boxes. Seb made it easy, because he was so photogenic, with his flash of strawberry blonde hair, killer blue eyes and one toothed smile. Robert hadn’t really hit the teething stage yet, only one had come through. He wasn’t looking forward to that.
“Have you got everything?” Vic asked, looking around the Mill, filled with boxes.
“I think so,” Robert said, hoisting Seb up in his arms. “You’re not far away if we’ve forgotten anything.”
“I’m going to miss you,” Vic said. “It’s been nice having my nephew around.” Vic hugged them both, and Seb grabbed at her hair, yanking it. “Ah! I’m not going to miss that!” she said, untangling herself.
“We’ll still see you all the time,” Robert said, smiling at her. “Thank you for putting us up for so long. I know a newborn wasn’t what you signed up for.”
“It shocked you more than me,” Vic said. “Go on, I know you need a bigger house so it all looks photogenic.” She rolled her eyes friendly, and Robert smiled.
“Thanks Vic.” She left the Mill, leaving Robert to look around the empty house.
“So, it’s you and me, mate,” Robert said to Seb who was gabbling to himself. “Let’s find your new toy box and fill it with your rubbish, eh?”
It didn’t take long to settle Seb down, and he was occupying himself happily. Robert got a dozen photos and posted the best one, before getting to the actual task of unpacking.
Aaron had kicked his feet up, reading the paper while he minded the garage. They didn’t have any cars in, so he was being paid to not do much, not that he was complaining. Cain could be gone for as long as he liked. There was a noise at the entrance to the garage and Aaron looked up, seeing a blond man with a child in his arms.
“Hey, are you a garage?” he asked.
“No, we’re the hairdressers,” Aaron deadpanned, throwing the paper aside. “What do you want?”
“My car won’t start,” the man said. “I can fix it, but not with the little one, can you have a look at it?”
Aaron scanned the garage. “I don’t see your car.”
“That’s because it won’t start,” he said, like Aaron was thick. “Can you come and have a look?”
“I’m busy,” Aaron said.
“Please.”
Aaron looked him up and down, thinking about it. “Dan?” Aaron called. “Keep an eye on this place.” Dan was quite happy to sit back and do nothing for a wage, so he agreed, Aaron following the man. “Have you got a name?” Aaron knew him by sight, he'd seen him and a pram around the village, but not by name. He hadn’t been here long enough since coming back from France, and then prison, to know everyone.
“Robert,” he said. “Vic’s brother.”
“Okay,” Aaron said, placing him quickly. “I’m Aaron. And…” Aaron asked, looking at the boy in Robert’s arms.
“Oh,” Robert said brightly. “He’s Sebastian. Seb.”
“He’s cute,” Aaron said, smiling at him.
“Yes, he is,” Robert said proudly. Robert led the way to the Mill’s driveway, and Aaron saw the car.
“I should warn you, I’m rusty,” Aaron said, being honest. “I’ve not fixed up cars for a while.”
“Oh, great,” Robert said sarcastically. “I’m glad you work in a garage.” Aaron lifted the bonnet and had a look at it. The silence unnerved Robert.
“Look, I can fix it,” Robert said, impatient. “If you take him?”
“You don’t trust me?” Aaron said.
“I don’t know you,” Robert said.
“Fine,” Aaron said. “Give him here.” Robert hadn’t expected Aaron to take Seb but before he could protest, Seb was in Aaron’s arms and he was grinning at the boy. “Oh, you’re a good boy aren’t you?” Aaron said. Robert looked at them for a few seconds, and saw that Aaron was surprisingly good with children. Seb had even laughed at him and Robert rolled his sleeves up to get to work on the car. He kept half an eye on them, but Aaron was like a duck to water.
“Honestly, he can charm anyone,” Robert said. Aaron had sat cross legged on the ground, Seb in his lap and both of them seemed enamoured with each other, Aaron making funny faces at him and tickling his stomach occasionally. Robert had fixed the problem, but he also had oil up to his elbows so couldn't take Seb back.
“He’s gorgeous,” Aaron said as Robert turned the key in the ignition. The car fired to life, and Robert smiled.
“Thanks for the babysitting,” Robert said. “Even if not your mechanic skills.”
“I could have fixed your car,” Aaron said. “It was just taking me a few seconds.”
“Yeah, all right,” Robert said with a smile.
“I’m a good mechanic,” Aaorn said. “Just out of practise.”
“Why’s that?”
“I’ve been in France,” Aaron said.
“That sounds nice,” Robert said. “Nicer than here.”
“My boyfriend… well, ex,” Aaron said. “He was a rugby player over there, so I followed him around for a bit. When the relationship fell apart, I came back home.”
“Boyfriend?” Robert questioned, and Aaron bristled.
“Is that a problem?” Aaron asked firmly.
“No, no,” Robert said, a slow smile on his face, eyes scanning Aaron with interest, even in his overalls. “It’s good information to have. That’s all.” Aaron dropped his annoyance instantly as he realised what Robert was getting at.
“His mother?” Aaron asked, clearing his throat.
Robert’s face darkened. “She’s dead,” he said quietly.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Aaron said, feeling like an idiot. He thought Robert had been implying… never mind.
“She died in childbirth with him,” Robert said. “Leaving me to bring him up all on my own, so…”
“God, I shouldn’t stick my foot in it,” Aaron said. “Sorry.”
“It is what it is,” Robert said. “I feel sorry for him, never knowing her. Me and her? We were never going to be an epic romance, but for him? He deserves to have a mum.”
“Yeah, I bet,” Aaron said. Aaron held Seb out for Robert to take, but he shook his head. “Can I just get a picture of him? He seems happy with you.” Aaron was surprised and a touch confused, but he didn’t say anything, Seb sat on his stained overalls. “Thanks. I take as many pictures of him as I can."
"I'll see you both around," Aaron said with a nod.
The photo was a good one. Aaron’s hands around Seb, oil stained overalls and a big grin on Seb’s face. Robert uploaded it with the caption “Seb made a new friend with the local mechanic.”