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Robert and Aaron were sat in the pub a few days after Aaron’s birthday. They were relaxing with a booth to themselves and a pint each. Aaron was telling a story about a customer at the garage and Robert was trying to listen, he really was, but the glares he was receiving from Chas behind the bar were off-putting.
"And then he was like… Robert? Are you listening?" Aaron sat up from where he was slouched on Robert’s shoulder.
Robert grabbed Aaron’s free hand and entwined it with his own in an attempt to non-verbally apologise. “I’m trying, I swear, but your Mum is giving me death glares and its a bit distracting.”
Aaron turned his head towards Chas, to catch his Mum in the act. Chas had the decency to look guilty but Aaron gave her a warning look before turning his attention back to Robert. He was about to go back to his story when he noticed Robert was anxiously biting his nails.
"You alright?"
Robert sighed. “I’m just trying to think of something I can do to make her change her opinion of me. Should I invite her out to dinner with us?”
"Nah, she’ll think you’re trying to flash your cash about. Look, you don’t have to do anything-"
"I do, Aaron. I don’t want your Mum constantly hating me and our relationship, especially now we are moving in together."
Aaron hid his smile behind his pint at Robert’s words.
"What if instead of buying dinner, I make dinner.”
Aaron nearly spat out his mouthful of beer.
"Rob, you can’t even make an omelet, what makes you think you can make a three course meal?"
The determined look that immediately spread across Robert’s face at his words made Aaron realise that he’d made Robert’s mind up for him.
"I can so do it. There are websites and… and books and stuff."
Aaron couldn’t help but scoff. Robert wasn’t reassuring him whatsoever.
"Look. I have a meeting with Chrissie on Friday about work, but why don’t you ask your Mum over to the flat on Saturday evening."
"Okay, I will, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when it all does tits up."
"I won’t, because it will all go fine." Robert grinned widely at Aaron and pecked him on the lips before pulling out his phone to start looking up recipes.
"Does she have any allergies?"
*~*~*
Aaron sauntered up to his Mum after Robert left the pub to head home. Aaron was joining him soon, but Robert wanted Aaron to be the one to invite Chas over, and didn’t want to be there when he did because he claimed it would be ‘embarrasing’.
"You free Saturday evening?"
Chas looked up from the glass she was drying. “Yeah, why?”
"Robert and I want you to come over to the flat for dinner."
"What, so Robert can rent a fancy chef to cook us all a five course meal?"
"Don’t be like that, Robert’s cooking."
"So he can put poison in my chicken himself?"
"Mum!" Aaron rolled his eyes.
"Sorry, sorry. Alright then, love. I’ll be there."
"And you promise to be nice to Robert."
Chas sighed deeply, but promised her son. “I’ll be on my best behaviour.”
*~*~*
Chas held up her hand to knock on the door to the flat, but she hesitated and lowered her hand as quickly as she had raised it. Could she really be nice to Robert for the whole evening? She wanted to do it for Aaron, she really did, but all she knew of Robert was that he was a cheat and a liar, and that definitely wasn’t the type of person she wanted dating her son. Then again, Chas thought back to New Year’s Eve when Robert had burst through the door and kissed Aaron with everything he had. If Chas didn’t know Robert’s past, the look on both of their faces would have made her so, so ecstatic that her son was finally happy in love. But with Robert, Chas wasn’t convinced that it would last.
The looks on everyone’s faces when Robert and Aaron were stood kissing and holding each other like they never wanted to let go, were priceless. Chas tried to suppress a smile remembering how someone had went to hold on to a table for support and had instead knocked over about fifteen champagne glasses.
Chas quickly sobered up when her thoughts went back to her dilemma Everyone knew Robert had cheated on basically everyone he’d ever been with, why would Aaron be any different? The last thing Chas wanted was for Aaron to be sad and heartbroken- again.
She was broken from her reverie by the sound of laughter coming from inside the flat.
"Aaron! Aaron, no please! I need that for the chicken!" She could hear Robert yelling through laughter.
"Come and get it!" She heard Aaron laugh in response. God, that sound was like music to her ears.
"Aaron! Babe, your Mum will be here any minute and the table isn’t set! Make yourself useful rather than stealing my spices!"
"Calm down, we don’t want everything too perfect or she might fall in love with you too!"
"Oh hush you, you know I only have eyes for you."
Chas wasn’t ashamed to admit that she had her ear pressed up against the door to hear Aaron’s response.
"You’re right. I’m glad to say I do."
The flat went quiet, and Chas took a shaky breath at her son’s words. He sounded so confident, and Robert had sounded so… sincere. Maybe she should give him a chance and think of Robert as innocent until proven guilty. It would make Aaron so happy. She could do that.
The flat was really quiet now. Oh, ew, ew. Chas knocked on the door quickly, hopefully interrupting whatever was going on before it went too far.
A few seconds later and the door was being flung open by a beaming Aaron. The sight made Chas smile back immediately.
"Hope I wasn’t interrupting anything?" Chas asked cheekily as she gave her son a hug and stepped inside.
"No, no, nothing." Aaron blushed, closing the door behind her.
"Where’s my future son-in-law?"
"MUM!" Aaron exclaimed.
"What? You’re already in the process of moving in together, what next, hm?" Chas loved winding Aaron up.
"We will not be getting married any time soon, believe me!"
"What, why not?" Chas was worried now that something had happened to make Aaron sound so sure.
Aaron looked confused. “Em, because I’m only twenty four?”
"Oh, right, yeah." God, the one minute she hated Robert, and the next she was wondering why he wasn’t marrying her son. Must be the menopause.
"Hi Chas. Thanks for coming." Robert appeared from the kitchen, looking slightly frazzled.
"Hey Robert, thanks for having me." There was a moment of awkward silence before Chas held out her hand for Robert to shake as a peace offering. She may be laying off Robert, but that didn’t mean they were best friends from now on.
Still, Chas couldn’t help but take comfort in the massive smile of relief that Robert aimed her way before taking her hand and shaking it firmly.
"May I take your-"
"Give me your coat and I’ll-"
Robert and Aaron both spoke at the same time, surprising the other. Robert spoke again first. “I’ll take your coat and hang it up Chas.”
"Nah, it’s fine, I’ll do it." Aaron said casually, already taking the jacket from Chas’ arms.
Robert started trying to communicate to Aaron non-verbally with his eyes. “Let me do it, Aaron.”
Aaron finally caught on that Robert was trying to impress Chas and he burst out laughing. “Here, take it then. Mum and I will go sit in the living room till dinner’s ready.”
Chas was smiling at the exchange between the two men, but the mention of dinner made her notice the smell coming from the doorway to her left. “Is that…burning?”
"Fuck, shit!" Robert ran back into the kitchen, yelling over his shoulder.
"No, no it’s not burning, everything is fine, fantastic really!"
Aaron hid a smile behind his hand as he guided his mum into the living room across the hall from the kitchen. “Cooking really isn’t his forté but he was really determined to try. He’s really making an effort, Mum.”
Chas looked fondly at her son, trying not to laugh at the muffled stream of cuss words coming from the kitchen. “I know, Son, and I appreciate it.”
Ten minutes of chatting and a surprising amount of silence from the kitchen later, Robert appeared in the doorway looking resigned.
"Who fancies a Dominos?"
*~*~*
Almost an hour later and the living room was filled with laughter as everyone finished the last slice of their pizza. Chas was sat on the only armchair in the room, while Aaron sat on the couch to her left, Robert sitting at his feet claiming that he found it easier to eat off the coffee table at that height, though he had spent the majority of the time leaning against Aaron’s legs and playing with the seam of his jeans.
"Another glass of wine, Mum?" Aaron asked, getting to his feet.
"Sure, thanks Love."
"You want anything?" Aaron ran his hand through Robert’s hair to get his attention as he moved his legs out from behind Robert’s back.
"Mm yeah, beer, thanks."
As the door to the living room closed behind Aaron, a strange awkwardness filled the room as it was the first time Robert and Chas had been left alone all night. Robert knew that if he wanted to say something he would have to say it quickly before Aaron came back.
"Look, Chas." He began, turning in the spot so he was facing Chas head on. "I know I have a sordid romantic past, but I want you to know that the way I feel about Aaron is different, it is a million times stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before. I won’t mess him around or cheat on him I swear. I know how lucky I am, and he makes me so, so happy, Chas. I know this wont immediately change your opinion of me, but I want you to know that it’s true and that I hope that one day we can be close. Family, even, maybe."
The sincerity of Robert’s words and the look on his face made Chas’ heart clench. “We all have pasts that we are ashamed of, and I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt that you’ve changed, Robert, because I’ve seen the way you look and act around my son and comparing it to what you and Chrissie were like, I can tell that you care for him a great deal more than you did her.”
And Chas wasn’t lying. She had been watching the pair interact out of the corner of her eye all night and she had seen Robert and Chrissie in the pub together enough to be able to compare it. All the little touches and not-so-subtle looks that Robert and Aaron had shared throughout the evening were tenfold compared to any sort of romantic interaction that Robert and Chrissie had in the past. She was happy and content in the fact that Robert and Aaron were good for each other. Aaron could see right through Robert, and Robert gave Aaron all of himself to see.
Robert flashed her a smile in relief.
"But mark my words, if you dare hurt him even the tiniest amount then I will murder you myself, got it?"
Trying to hide the fear in his eyes, Robert tried to mould his expression into something neutral. “Good to know the Chas we all know and love is still in there. You were going a bit soft for a minute.” His expression then went serious. “I won’t hurt him Chas, I promise.”
Before Chas could reply, there was a muffled tapping coming from the other side of the door signalling that Aaron couldn’t get the door open. Robert was up in a shot, opening the door for Aaron and even taking some of the glasses out of his hand to lighten his load.
Chas settled back into the arm chair with her glass of wine, finally glad that her son had found a man who was equally head over heels for him as he was for them.
*~*~*
It was midnight before Chas was standing at the door with her coat on, hugging Aaron goodbye.
"Are you sure you don’t want me to walk you over, Mum?"
"Nonsense, you look dead on your feet and I’m only around the corner. Get yourself off to bed."
Aaron laughed and stepped back to let Chas stand in front of Robert who stuck his hand out, copying Chas’ gesture from earlier.
"Night, Chas, pleasure to have you over."
Chas grabbed Robert’s hand and used it to pull him into a hug.
"Come here you, thanks for attempting to make dinner."
"Any time. Feel free to pop by whenever."
Behind the pair, Aaron was watching the exchange with wide eyes.
Chas looked over at Aaron as she opened the door to leave. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Love. Night, both of you, I’m sure I’ll see you tomorrow at some point.”
Robert turned to Aaron after locking the door behind Chas. He couldn’t help but smirk at effectively making his boyfriend speechless (in a different way than usual).
"You alright there, pumpkin?"
Aaron was to distracted to tell Robert off over the pet-name.
"Did you and her talk while I was getting the drinks earlier?"
Robert grabbed Aaron’s hands from inside his hoodie pockets and pulled him closer. “Maybe.”
"And?"
Robert dropped the smirk and genuinely smiled. “We’re good. She basically gave me her blessing.”
Aaron sighed with relief and pulled Robert into a hug. “That’s so great! I was worried that I was going to have to keep you and her separate forever.”
Robert smiled into Aaron’s hair at his use of the word ‘forever’ before pulling away and dragging Aaron by the hand to their bedroom, flicking off the lights as he went. “Come on, bed. You look shattered.”
Aaron gladly followed until they reached their bedroom, where he turned Robert around and pulled him into a rough kiss.
"You know, I’m not as tired as I look."
"Oh really?" Robert whispered into Aaron’s lips.
"Mhmm."
Aaron pulled away quickly to push the door shut, unable to remove the smile from his face while he did so.
Robert had at least tried to make dinner, he may as well reward his efforts.