Chapter Text
Robert Sugden was a prick. That was something Aaron was sure. Of course, he hadn't exchanged many words with the upper sixth lad in recent years but that didn't stop him from forming an opinion. If the rumours, Andy's slagging off sessions and his cousin Debbie's tears last summer were anything to go by, then he knew perfectly well what Robert was like. Cocky, arrogant and willing to shag anything with a pulse
That didn't stop Aaron from fancying him though, sure he was an arse, and straight and Vic's brother, which made things awkward when he was checking Robert out instead of listening to her droning on about some pop band when he was up at the farm, but Aaron couldn't help himself when Robert stood there all blue eyes and plump lips
It didn't mean he liked the lad though, Vic had tried to get Aaron to be friends with her brothers, it didn't work. Andy was too boring and Robert was too smug. No this wasn't a crush Aaron had told himself, just him appreciating Roberts messy blonde locks and smooth freckled skin and the way his uniform trousers fitted his thighs so well
Only the lump in his throat every time Robert looked at him and the nerves that brewed in the pit of his stomach when he spoke to him begged to differ.
Aaron ignored it, of course, he had done for the past year when these feelings started to surface, tried to convince himself everything was the same as it always had been. Aaron had known Robert forever, and he'd always liked the older lad. When they were kids he'd liked playing with him and Vic, and kicking about a football every Saturday at the top of the field near butlers. When they'd gotten older the trio would hang around at the cricket pavilion, only 11 and 12 yet gossiping about the most recent drama from school and playing silly pranks on the village pensioners.
Of course, when Robert had turned 13 that all changed, he'd discovered girls and lager and popularity and suddenly decided he was too cool to hang out with his little sister and her best friend.
Yes, Aaron had been bitter, tried to act not bothered, but he spent two months sulking around the pub and biting off his mum and Paddy's head when they tried to ask what was wrong. And maybe, just maybe he'd cried into his pillow one night when Robert had called him a baby and told him to go play with the other kids, after the younger lad had suggested a game they used to always play to Robert, in front of his new,cooler,older friends. Aaron would pretend not to care, still not quite sure why the boy's rejection hurt him so much.
Over time the pain started to sting less and as Robert began to become more infamous around school and his exploits where weekly common room gossip, he began to like Robert less and less.
It was easy to ignore Robert for a few years, Vic didn't mention him that often, somewhat ashamed of her brother's antics, and in school, he blocked out people's tales of Roberts weekend escapades. When he was up at the farm, which was rare, considering Jack and Andy's shiny opinion of the dingle family, Robert usually wasn't there, and when he was a quick nod off the head would suffice, before one of them would scurry off away from the other, usually Robert, off to add another conquest to his ever-growing list.
Aaron hated that. He didn't care much for the drama that floated around the school halls anyway, but something about hearing Katie giggle in the canteen about another girl Robert had been caught snogging in the bathrooms bugged him. He told himself it was just because he didn't like seeing Robert mess about all these girls, and for a while, he believed it, especially when his cousin Debbie had fallen victim to Sugden's charm. However somewhere deep down Aaron knew there was another reason, it's not like he was the most sympathetic person at the best of times and these girls all knew about Roberts reputation
So when at 15 he'd began to find Robert really fit, he supposed it had all made sense. The younger lad knew he'd had an attraction to boys, still not fully comfortable with it and definitely not accepting he was gay, nevertheless, he still knew it was there, he hadn't expected Robert to be the subject of his desire, however.
To Aaron it had come out of nowhere, when he went over to Vic's, promising to watch that new rom-com she got on DVD he hadn't expected these feelings for Robert to emerge. There he was one minute, blissfully living a Robert Sugden free life, and the next Robert had wormed his way into his thoughts.
It was Saturday. It was raining. It was dull. Aaron was positively bored out of his mind. He was sat in the kitchen having a cuppa with Vic, whilst they waited for their pizzas to cook. To be honest, he'd rather be home playing FIFA but he knew him and Vic hadn't spent much time together recently and that the stress of the tensions at home had started to get to her, so he'd begrudgingly pulled on his winter coat and trudged out to the farm
That's how he found himself sipping a milky tea in his mates freezing kitchen whilst she ranted about Andy and Robert
"I just wish they could get on you know, for once, for me" the brunette sipped her tea and sighed, clearly exasperated at her brothers bickering
"I know" Aaron spoke, gently patting the girl's arm. The Sugden brothers feud was common knowledge, and Aaron knew how upset Vic got every time the boys came home with bloody noses and bruised fists after beating seven bells out of each other. He hated seeing this side of his friend, fragile and vulnerable, and he hated her brothers for making her this way.
It was even worse on the rare occasions when she spoke about the rows, she could go on for hours about their physical fights, because she knew that a punch over a silly spat was temporary, however when it came to their slanging matches and tense words over the dinner table it became more difficult. The younger Sugden knew that the words lingered for much longer, that Roberts resentment over Andy being the golden child was always hanging in the air, waiting to strike whenever the lads disagreed over something. Robert always brought it up, how Saint Andy could do no wrong, how he'd stolen his father's affections. Jack never helped, she hated to admit it but Vic knew her father was less than subtle with his disappointment over Robert and always did tend to side with Andy when arguments arose.
Aaron had sat in Vic's room when a fight erupted between the pair one too many times to see how it affected her, she'd curl into herself and go quiet for a moment, the chirpy grin wiped off of her face in an instant, then she'd pick up the remote and turn the volume up on whatever show they'd put on that evening, in a desperate attempt to drown out the shouts of her brothers and dad.
It was one of the main reasons he held such a strong dislike for Andy and Robert, neither of them ever giving up a fight or letting anything go, all at their little sister's expense. He hadn't been shy letting them know how he felt on several occasions when he got fed up of wiping Vic's tears. It was safe to say the Sugden men weren't to keen on Aaron or his friendship with Vic, which is why he was repeatedly checking his phone, hoping the pizzas would be ready soon so he could hurry off to his mate's room without seeing one her relatives.
Luck wasn't on his side today then, as all the three men came booming through the door. Jack was first, the patriarch looming over the table making his presence very much known
"Kettles just boiled," Vic said, quickly masking her upset from her family, praying they wouldn't hear the croak in her voice or notice her red eyes from crying.
"Go on Andy, a nice cuppa will warm us all up" Jack called out to his son, who was bumbling his way through the door, the younger Sugden obliged, scurrying for the cups, never one to disobey his dad.
And then in strolled Robert, calm cool, collected, an air of arrogance wafting around him. He threw his farming gloves on the table and pulled out a chair to sit, taking pleasure in the way the screeching against the old wooden floor displeased his dad and brother. Today had been one of the hair occasions where the three were getting on and had somehow managed to work on the farm without killing one another.
Aaron sheepishly looked up from the floor, anticipating some remark from one of the three, but was caught off guard by Roberts stature over the table. Suddenly, Aaron was staring up at the older lad, mouth agape and head spinning, captivated by his beauty. Robert was tall, taller than the last time Aaron had seen him, his broad shoulders standing out as he towered over Andy and levelled with Jack. In the farming overalls, he could see every curve of Roberts body, his rolled-up sleeves exposing toned arms littered with freckles. Aaron continued to stare, only now noticing Robert in all his glory.
"What's the matter Dingle" Roberts jovial toned shook him out of his thoughts, his eyes snapping up to Roberts as he clasped his mouth shut
"You look like you've seen a ghost, or is thought of me doing farm work that shocking?" Rob asked, as charismatic as ever
"Yeah" Aaron muttered, attempting to seem nonchalant, "thought you were allergic to hard graft" Aaron relaxed into the wooden chair, brushing off his true feelings.
Robert smirked, before plopping down across from him and thanking Andy as he passed him a steaming cup tea
"Well what can I say, sheep really get me going" Robert quipped, holding Aaron in a strong gaze
Andy made a lame joke about the Welsh that Jack seemed to find vaguely amusing, but just earned a sigh from Vic and in synch eye rolls from the boys, the pair smiled at each other before Rob retorted back at Andy's bad attempt at banter
"Not quite what I meant but sure, although I think that's more your style, the amount of time you spend up on that field" Robert joked, a glint of something mischievous in his eye at seeing his brothers scowl.
Aaron sniggered into his tea, finding the blonde he usually opposed hilarious for some reason, a reason that had nothing to do with how rosy his cheeks were or how attractive he looked when he licked his lips, no nothing to do with that at all.
"Something funny dingle" Andy barked glaring at Aaron, never one to take a joke
Robert rolled his eyes again, muttering something under his breath about Andy being a pratt again, he caught Aaron's eyes and sent him a reassuring smile, something that looked genuine and real, Aaron thought.
"No nothing," Aaron said gulping down his tea, anxiously waiting to leave
Vic seemingly read his mind
"They're ready" she called, holding up two plates of perfectly sliced pizza, Aaron not even noticing she'd left his side, him being too caught up in her brother, which one he cared not to admit.
He stood up from his chair and carried his cup to the sink, before making his way to Vic and taking a plate from her
"Right that's us off then" Vic stated before turning to bound the stairs, Aaron following close behind, but not before giving a tight-lipped smile to the three men and taking one last peek at Roberts toned body, his infatuation with his best mates brother growing in a matter of minutes.
With that he hastily moved out of the room and spent the rest of the afternoon watching films with Vic and snorting at her daft impressions, ignoring all thoughts of her very fit brother.
A year had passed yet Aaron was still unable to shift those feelings awoke in him that day, in fact, they'd grown stronger, and Aaron was struggling to contain his want to jump Roberts bones every time he saw him. He still resented the lad and the pair hardly exchanged friendly words, yet there were a few times when they shared a joke and Robert beamed a smile in his direction, those moments made Aaron's heart flip, admiring how beautiful the other boy was when he was smiling like that. Unfortunately, it was scarce Robert smiling at him and when he did the moment was often fleeting.
None of this helped Aaron's feelings, he tried to push them back and deny them, adamant that it was just lust, nothing more, but it was becoming harder as the months past and with his start at college in a couple of weeks he knew these feelings for Robert Sugden were going to have to go, and soon. He hoped maybe a new school would help with that. What Aaron couldn't have anticipated was that Robert had caught on to his crush, and was determined to have some fun.
It seemed college couldn't come soon enough.