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"Just admit it. We're lost." Aaron let out a frustrated noise listening to his husband's complaining. "If you would have just let me plan it out on google, we wouldn't be in this mess." Robert flinched as a branch hit his face.
"It was meant to be spontaneous, innit?" Aaron argued back, moving further into the forest. The path nowhere to be seen. "It's not my fault that you're so out of shape, we had to stop like a million times and got completely turned around." Robert glared at the back of his husband's head.
"I'm not out of shape!" He insisted getting a snort from Aaron in response. "You're the one who was meant to be keeping up with the trail." Robert pointed out, ducking his head again. "'I know where we're going, Robert. I don't need a bloomin' map, Robert.' That's you, by the way. In case you didn't get that." The blond man nearly walking into a spider's web. "Oh, for fuck's sake." He grunted and stopped, trying to brush some dirt off his shoulders. Aaron paused as well and turned to face him, pulling out his phone.
"Great. I don't have any data out here." The younger man said. "Alright, we may be lost." He agreed reluctantly and looked around. "What about your phone?"
"Now you want my help?" Robert raised his eyebrows but took the phone out to check whilst Aaron rolled his eyes. "Well, it's spotty but I've got some signal." He opened up the map app which wasn't loading. "No dice." He told his husband who grimaced and sat down, back leaning against a tree bark. Robert joined him a second later.
"I know that it was meant to be somewhere over there." Aaron pointed into a random direction making Robert frown.
"What was?" He asked. Aaron bit his lip. "Come on, spit it out." He nudged his husband lightly with his elbow. "It's not like I can get any more annoyed at you." Aaron took a deep breath.
"It's nothing special. Honest." He warned his husband who smiled encouragingly as Aaron started explaining. "There's this piece of land where you can see almost the entire county and I wanted to show it to ya. Came there a few times when I was a kid and obviously, now I've forgotten where it is." He shrugged trying to be nonchalant. "Just thought it would be nice to find it again." Robert took the younger man's hand into his own, Aaron immediately interlacing their fingers. "It weren't special or anything like that. It's just, I've been thinking a lot about everything especially with the baby on the way." Aaron patted his stomach which was still flat at only nine weeks in. "I wanted to come here again and since we were out already, I figured why not. And I ended up getting us completely turned around instead." He finished with a small pout not looking at the other man but at their joint hands. Robert thought for a second before getting back up and tugging the younger man with him.
"Come on then." He said to Aaron who grinned at him and letting himself be pulled up. "Let's go find it. I think I actually know what you're talking about as well." Robert pushed forward through the leaves. "Been there a few times myself." Aaron right behind him as the older man led them through the forest only stopping a few more times before Robert made a triumphant noise and turned to his husband with a massive smile. Aaron inhaled sharply as he looked over the panorama of the county, the sun shining brightly down, making the green of nature dance around.
"Wow." Aaron breathed out as Robert stared at him, taking in the younger man's impressed expression. "I don't remember it being so..." Robert watched his husband frown, struggling for the words. "Nice, I guess."
"It is nice." Robert agreed, his eyes still on his husband and a smirk on his lips. "Very nice view." Aaron shook his head hearing the innuendo in the older man's voice and tapped his shoulder.
"Get your mind out of the gutter for one seconds and look." Robert sighed exasperated but turned to face the view, putting his arm around Aaron. The view was spectacular, he couldn't deny that. The birds flying happily in flocks, the breeze moving leaves on gorgeous trees. It felt peaceful up there. "How did you know?" Aaron asked Robert who cleared his throat.
"I came here with mum once or twice." The older man admitted, a familiar feeling of love and nostalgia brewing up inside him. "I miss her." He smiled sadly at fond memories of Sarah Sugden. "She would have loved our family, you know. Her and Chas making our lives miserable and spoiling the entire lot more than they already are." Aaron let out a small laugh. "I might have turned out different as well." Robert closed his eyes feeling the loss of his mother and the grief of what life could have been. "Might have been a better person myself. Might not have hidden who I was for so long." He felt Aaron's hand on his face, thumbing his bottom lip and leaned into the younger man's touch.
"Robert." Aaron said gently. "I love who you are." He opened his eyes to see the blue staring at him intently. "You've become such an incredible man over the years. A man I am so proud to call my husband and the father of my kids." Robert felt another smile creeping up on his face as Aaron's words battled away his insecurities. "And I'm so happy to spend the rest of my life with you. Your mum would be so proud of you too if she were here. She would have been on your side no matter what bullshit Andy or Vic or even Diane throw at you. Just like I am. Always. You know..." Robert nodded and pulled Aaron in for a hug.
"I know." He said to the younger man's shoulder, holding him tight. No more words needed as they stood together.