Work Text:
Robert was folding his shirts neatly into the bag when Aaron’s voice from the door frame startled him a little.
“Can you not go?” Sighing, Robert left his folding and walked towards Aaron, cupping his face. He thumbs Aaron’s cheek and smiled adoringly. He doesn’t think he will ever get used to Aaron being vulnerable to him. “I have to. It’s only a week, I’ll be back before you know it.”
He also hated leaving Aaron behind. Let alone for a day, and now he has to for a week. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like for them. But it’s work calls, and it’s a bit unprofessional to cancel just because he would miss Aaron too much. Robert chuckled when Aaron pouted, then immediately kissed it off Aaron’s face. Aaron sighed into the kiss and tightened his grips on Robert’s waist. He pulled back to rest his face on Robert’s shoulder.They stood there holding together, swaying like they do.
Thing is, they’re never been apart ever since they got together. Aaron was just mostly nervous to live on his own after having been with Robert every day (and night, for that matter) for so long now.
After a while, Robert whispered into Aaron’s ear, “I really have to go. Like right now.”
He chuckled when Aaron groans in his ear. They kissed again before Robert goes to fetch his bag and walks downstairs.
Aaron surprised himself that he even felt this heavy to let Robert go, and its only a business trip. He felt stupid, but whatever, Robert’s his boyfriend. He’s allowed to be clingy.
“See you in a week.”
Aaron only smiled in return, and watched Robert’s car went off in the distance. Sighing, he closed the door behind him and took a breath. One week without Robert, he can manage. He’s not that pathetic, right?
--
DAY 1
“Mate, Nicola specifically said not to put invoices like this, you’re supposed to clip them!”
“What?” Aaron bit his lip. Robert has only left yesterday, and he is already feeling so morose. Giving up on life. Lonely. All that stuff.
Adam sighed. “You know you can just send him a text if you miss him, right?”
Aaron scoffed. “Shut up.”
Adam held his hands up and get on with his work. There’s no use talking when Aaron’s already in a mood.
Its not like Aaron wouldn’t text Robert, its just that it has only been a day. Robert can’t know he’s already feeling sick with missing Robert so much. It has only been a day, for fuck’s sake.
Adam sent him home after he snapped at the littlest things at the scrapyard. He muttered a sorry to Adam before heading home, to his and Robert’s.
--
The first night without Robert, Aaron felt weird. The house was silent. He ate his dinner in silence. He lounged in front of the tv with a blanket on his lap and socks on in silence. He would stare at Robert’s spot on the couch for a long time, and then sighed to himself when he realized that won’t make Robert magically appear. He turned off the lights and was already lying in bed clutching Robert’s pillow when his phone chimed in. A text from Robert. He grinned so wide he forgot he was being miserable earlier.
R : Goodnight. I miss you. x
He hastily typed a response. This was definitely the highlight of his day.
A : I’m miserable without you. Come back.
R : Soon. You’re cute. x
That night he went to bed clutching his phone, as if Robert’s text alone is enough to make up for his absence.
--
DAY 4
Aaron has gotten better at this. The first two days were the worst, he missed Robert terribly. But now he’s getting the hang of it. The tip is to not spend the time alone in the house. So he went to see his mum at the pub, sometimes just hanging there. And took more shifts at the scrapyard. Vic would ask him around for tea and dinner sometimes. He only came home when he’s had a full day outside and exhausted enough that he just fell asleep right away.
He was playing video games at Adam’s when his phone buzzed beside him. His heart flipped when Robert’s name came on screen. Having found a quiet corner in Vic’s house, he answered the phone.
“Hi” Aaron’s face broke into a grin when he heard Robert’s voice.
“Hi you.”
“What you up to?”
“Nothing dodgy, I’m at Adam’s. Vic is cooking us dinner.”
“You’re so spoiled.” Then, after a beat of silence, “Few days more. Can’t wait to see you. Feels like years already.” Robert sighed audibly. “That’s it, I’m not going away again. I’m hurting here without you, Aaron.”
Aaron chuckled lightly while his fingers thread absently on Vic’s lilac curtain. “Muppet.”
“Yeah, your muppet.” Robert’s grin was obvious through the phone.
When he cleared that Adam or Vic wasn’t in his radius, he said on the phone, “I miss you.” Whew. That feels weird to say out loud.
The chorus of “aww” can be heard from another room. Aaron whipped his head around to see Vic and Adam smiled teasingly at him.
“Oh my god, can’t a bloke have some privacy?”
“What are you on about, its our house. Every inch is ours. No such thing as privacy here.”
“Go away”
“Hi Rob” Vic shouted before Adam dragged her away.
“Sorry about that.” Robert was laughing on the other end. “I should go, talk to you later, yeah?”
“Yeah, course. Take care, Aaron. Love you.”
Knowing Vic was still listening to them, he settled with “Yeah, you too. Bye.”
Still embarrassed to face Vic and Adam, he sat there on the sofa for a while. What has happened to him? This is not him. Aaron Dingle is never a lovesick puppy. Aaron covered his face with one of Vic’s plush pillow and groaned loudly.
--
DAY 6
Robert will be back tomorrow. With his gloves and apron set, he started cleaning the house. He didn’t know why he did it, the place was hardly a mess. He wanted to present the clean house to Robert. To welcome him home.
He changed the sheets, and plumped the pillows. Aaron couldn’t wait to sleep beside Robert again. He smiled to himself. Just one more night to go. Then he went to rearrange the wardrobe. He even scrubbed the whole bathroom.
Aaron was set on vacuuming the living room with the vacuum he had borrowed from his mum. The old vacuum that hadn’t been used for years. Aaron chokes when the dusts hit his nostrils. The first time he turned it on, the vacuum coughed once, before letting out this really loud sound that indicates it was still running.
Aaron was crouching in front of the sofa, still vacuuming, when he felt someone touching his ass. His breath stuttered and arms raised ready to batter whoever that was with his vacuum stick. His breath stopped when he turned around and saw Robert.
“Jesus!”
“Nah, just Robert.” Aaron slapped Robert’s chest in response. Robert huffs out an “ow” before pulling Aaron in by his waist, smiling dopily at his boyfriend. Aaron turned the vacuum off before letting the vacuum stick fell to the floor.
“Idiot. How long since you’ve arrived? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Probably about an hour already. The sight of you vacuuming is nice to watch.”
“Perv.” Aaron rests his chin on Robert’s shoulder and breathe him in. They swayed lightly together. He couldn’t believe Robert is really home. It hits him in waves just how much he missed Robert. So he said it. “I’ve missed you. So much.”.
“Me too.” Robert pulled back to have a good look at Aaron. His gaze dropped on Aaron’s lips. Wordlessly, his lips touched Aaron’s softly. Aaron was having none of that, so he tiptoes and pulls Robert’s head closer and starts deepening the kiss. He hasn’t felt Robert’s lips in a week, so if he kissed a little too much, he’s allowed.
-- :)