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By day four Vic has had enough. Robert has taken to moping in her living room again, granted it’s a different kind of moping than before, and he keeps checking his phone every five seconds, but Vic is still going to kill him if he sits on her couch another day.
She knows that he’s trying to give Aaron space, that’s why he hasn’t been up to the portacabin poking about at Home James, Vic thinks that shows a lot of growth really, as nine months ago Robert would have stubbornly gone up there anyway just to get under Aaron’s skin.
Heck, even three months ago he would have just stuck around until Aaron had to give in.
He hasn’t actually said much about what happened. Vic has heard through Adam and although she kind of thinks Aaron overreacted too, from what Adam has told her, she’s thoroughly considering herself Switzerland in this situation. Mostly because she doesn’t want Robert to completely take the huff.
He’s running out of places to go.
So, Thursday comes around, and Vic wakes Robert up at half past eight by throwing a pile of clothes on the lump in the middle of his bed—she’s assuming that’s Rob, and only Rob—she’s greeted by a grumble. She didn’t expect much else honestly.
She whips back the covers, looming over her brother’s confused face.
‘Come on, get up!’ she says loudly, smirking when Robert winces away and tries to claw back the covers.
‘Wh—’ he doesn’t finish his question, just grumbles into the covers. Vic pokes at his bare back. ‘Ow! Vic!’
Robert sprawls backwards, glowering at her. She takes a step back, not because she’s afraid of him, but there is a very real fear she might be about to see him naked. And she really doesn’t need that kind of mental scarring this early. Or at all, thanks.
‘You better not be naked,’ she tells him.
‘I’ve got boxers on,’ he gripes, rubbing at his eyes before he props himself up on his elbows to look at her. ‘What?’
‘You’re coming with me today,’ she says, hands on her hips. Robert actually smirks at her, it’s a near thing not to slap him.
‘What in the van?’ Robert asks.
‘I’m going into town and I need another body,’ Vic says. ‘Particularly seeing as I’m down a hundred quid this week as it is.’
‘Didn’t they give you that back yet?’
‘Don’t you worry,’ she says. ‘I’ll make sure I get it. I don’t care which of the two of them coughs up but they can keep me out of their rivalry and give me my money back.’
‘What do you want me to do then?’ he asks, he runs a hand over his already ridiculous bed-head making it all the more spiky.
‘I just need you to come and take money,’ Vic says. ‘And possibly plate up if it gets busy.’
‘I’ve already told you—’
‘Don’t be a knob, Robert,’ she says curtly. ‘I’ll do all the heavy lifting. No one’s asking you to cook. You’ll be doing me a favour, and I’ll be eternally grateful.’
Robert gives her a look like he doesn’t believe that in the slightest.
‘Fine,’ he grumbles. ‘Now get out, unless you want to see my arse.’
‘You said you were wearing boxers!’
His laugh follows her as she bolts from his room.
* * *
Robert is once again focused on his phone once Vic has him in her van. He’s sitting grumpily propped up against the passenger side door, looking relatively un-Robert-like in a t-shirt and a hoodie that most definitely isn’t his, and a body-warmer that doesn’t go at all but Vic hasn’t the heart to point it out to him. He’s frowning at his phone every time Vic glances at him.
‘Are you still moping?’ she asks, looking back at the road. ‘I will take that off you in a minute.’
Robert glowers over at her, which she feels rather than sees, but she can see him shift out of the corner of her eye, shoving his phone into the pocket of Aaron’s hoodie.
‘He’s off tomorrow,’ Robert says, and Vic resists the urge to roll her eyes at him mostly because she is driving, but also because her brother is a drama queen. ‘So I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow.’
‘There’s actually nothing stopping you from working, y’know,’ Vic points out. “And I’m dragging you outside for your sake as much as my own.’
Robert just goes quiet and stares out of the window at the passing scenery.
Break-up Robert is honestly crawling up her list of least-favourite Roberts, and that’s including scheming Robert and throwing-money-about Robert. She can deal with cocky Robert, knows how to put him in his place. Mopey Robert is just impossible.
Vic sighs and turns the radio up so Bieber is playing louder than necessary. Robert doesn’t even look at her.
* * *
Vic makes Robert stay out of the way through most of lunch prep. She makes him cut the onions though as they are a particularly nippy batch, and it gives her a vindictive kind of glee to see him swiping at his eyes and pretending he’s not crying.
By the time lunch swings around, the van is actually really popular, and Vic doesn’t get five seconds to talk to her brother, but he’s taking money like she asked him to, and he helps her make up meals, and is actually really good at customer service and Vic isn’t sure why she hadn’t realised that before. She thinks maybe somewhere along the line she mistook his customer-friendly-charm as outright flirting.
She knows better now. Knows where Robert’s real feelings lie, no matter how many men and women he smiles at.
It all dies down around two. The market starts to wind down, Vic makes sure Robert helps her clean all the dishes and empty the small bain marie area, and close down the shutter, and then she makes him a cup of tea and hands him a takeaway box with soft tacos in it because he’s earned it.
‘So,’ Robert says, once they are back in the front of the van. Robert is twisted so he’s facing her, his takeaway cup sitting precariously on his knee as he takes a bite of taco.
‘So?’ she says, nursing her own tea.
‘Come on,’ Robert says, he glances outside the window where there’s still market street vendors putting their wares away or dealing with last minute customers, then back at Vic. ‘You didn’t just drag me out here to help you.’
‘No,’ she says honestly. She eyeballs him for a long minute, trying to gauge all that he’s feeling but he’s got a front up and is just watching her as he eats his food. ‘What have you done?’
Robert’s jaw bunches, he swallows hard as he looks away. He picks up his tea and takes a sip as he watches out the window again. Vic thinks he’s not going to answer, that she’s going to have to tell him she already knows, before he suddenly speaks up.
‘I think he should take his dad’s money.’
‘Oh, Rob…’ Vic says, Robert looks over at her, all child-like confusion, like he can’t make up his mind if she’s going to be on his side or Aaron’s. But she’s Switzerland, that doesn’t change now. ‘Aaron… Aaron just thinks that money’s just important if he’s earned it, y’know?’
‘I earned my money too Vic,’ Robert says, his eyes are a slightly darker shade of blue suddenly, angry and defensive. ‘I just think he could do something with it. Something meaningful.’
‘I know that,’ Vic says, pursing her lips. ‘Did you tell him that?’
‘He’s not really giving me the time of day.’
‘Robert.’
‘What?’
‘I’m going to ask you something and I want you to be honest.’
‘Right?’
‘How did you know you loved him more than Chrissie?’
Robert blinks at her like he’s blindsided. His shoulders sink like he’d been expecting more fight and then realised he wasn’t having to.
‘I loved Chrissie.’
‘I know you did,’ Vic says. ‘That’s not what I’m asking.’
‘He’s just…’ Robert pauses, frowning at his cup. ‘Different I guess. It’s different.’
‘How?’
‘Vic.’
‘Robert.’
‘I guess its just… when I lost both of them I realised who I wanted to fight for,’ Robert says.
‘Yeah, but why him?’
‘He’s just… Aaron,’ Robert says, shrugging like Vic should just get it. And she does in a way, she loves Adam despite everything, despite Vanessa, but she’s never really had to pick between two people before. Brothers not withstanding, she’s never going to pick a side with them.
‘He’s everything Chrissie isn’t I guess.’
‘More suited to you, rather than the person you were pretending to be then?’
‘Vic.’
‘Come on Robert,’ Vic says. ‘You pretend like you’re the king of a castle and like money and the woman and the status were important but when it boils down to it you’re in love with a mechanic that co-owns a scrapyard with his best mate and you live in your sister’s spare room.’
Robert frowns at her, she raises her eyebrows at him in challenge.
‘I thought that was what I wanted…’
‘Yeah,’ Vic says. ‘You want to know what I think?’
‘I’m pretty sure you’ll tell me either way,’ Robert says, and Vic smacks him on the arm.
‘Were you ever friends with Chrissie?’
‘What?’
‘Its not a trick question,’ Vic says.
‘I dunno…’ Robert starts, he frowns, concentrating. ‘I suppose not really, we just dated a bit, then moved in together and the rest is pretty much history.’
‘Exactly.’
‘What?’ Robert looks at her perplexed. ‘Vic—’
‘I mean Adam’s my best friend as well as my husband,’ Vic says. ‘And it doesn’t take a genius to see that Aaron’s yours.’
‘So?’
‘So… It makes a difference when you’re friends with the person you actually want to spend the rest of your life with. You care more when stuff hurts him, and you want to protect him, but you also want to knock some sense into him sometimes ‘cause he can be an idiot. We all can.’
‘Hm.’
‘And you love him.’
‘You really need to stop throwing that around.’
‘It’s true though!’
‘Vic.’
‘You’re never gonna agree with him a hundred percent, you just gotta accept that he’s gonna see things differently sometimes,’ she goes on, still watching her brother as he picks at the lid of his cup. ‘And this is one of those times. Just let the money go, Rob… Let him give it all to Liv if he wants, just… let it go. And if you’re listening to Charity over me or Aaron, I will hurt you.’
‘I’m not!’
‘Good!’
‘When did you become the family relationship expert?’ Robert asks, lips pulling into a smirk. Vic rolls her eyes at him.
‘You know, you and Andy might realise I’m a good person to talk to if you spent less time fighting and only opening up when you’ve got a drink in you,’ she says. ‘I shouldn’t have to kidnap you just to get you to talk to me.’
‘This is kidnapping?’
‘Well… slave labour I suppose.’
‘I’m not getting paid?’
‘I gave you tea and lunch!’
They look at one another for a long moment, and then they both burst out laughing. Robert slides along the bench seat to wrap an arm around her shoulders and drags her in for a hug. She looks up at him.
‘You can talk to me, you know,’ she says. ‘I promise I won’t say anything to Adam.’
‘It’s not—’Robert sucks in a breath. ‘I just…’
‘Bottle stuff up,’ Vic finishes for him. ‘You know, you and Aaron aren’t that different.’
‘I messed up.’
‘Yeah, you did,’ Vic says, pulling back so she can properly look her brother in the face. ‘But so did he. So ring him, tell him you’re sorry, and stop moping.’
‘I’m not moping!’
‘The dent in my couch that’s the shape of your bum says otherwise.’
‘Shurrup,’ Robert says pushing Vic as he slides back over to the other side of the van. Vic grins at him as she starts up the van. She watches him as he clips in his seatbelt, her smile giving way to concern.
‘His dad’s funeral is next week,’ Vic says seriously. ‘He’s going to need you.’
‘Yeah…’ Robert says. ‘I just don’t want to push him.’
‘You don’t need to,’ Vic says. ‘Just be there.’
‘I will,’ Robert says, looking back at Vic, he gives her a small smile that is more the real Rob than she gets to see on a daily basis. ‘Now can we get home, I’ve got a date with Pointless.’
‘Nerd.’
Vic catches Robert checking his phone a few times again on the drive back home, and maybe she’s imagining it, but she’s pretty sure she sees the soft smile he reserves for Aaron at one point.
And okay things might not be perfect tomorrow, but she thinks they’ll get there. All the ones worth fighting for do.