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"Robert? You home?"
Aaron called to his boyfriend as he slammed the door behind him. He didn't so much as flinch at the sound and proceeded to messily wipe his boots on the 'Welcome' mat Robert had insisted they buy when they finally moved to their own place.
Something about that thought still made Aaron smile, even after a year of living together. He allowed himself a small moment to think about how far they'd come as he hung up his jacket, then headed toward the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea.
"Robert, I saw your keys on the table when I came in," Aaron tried again. "Don't pretend you're not here, cause I know you are—"
"Shhh! You'll wake her up!" Robert hissed as Aaron made his appearance in the kitchen doorway. He immediately registered his boyfriend, stood barefoot on the tiles with only a pair of Aaron's jogging bottoms clinging to his hips. Ordinarily, this would have made a sly grin appear on Aaron's face, with a quip about how Robert just couldn't seem to get enough of him; he was even wearing his bloody clothes whilst he was away, just to be close to him, the soft lad. However, the tiny, sleeping bundle resting securely in Robert's cradled arms caused him to resist, simply rolling his eyes instead.
"I've only just got her to sleep," Robert admitted sheepishly as he finally looked up from the baby’s swathed body to Aaron's face. Aaron was rewarded with a brief, soft smile, but Robert quickly looked back down at the baby nestled close to his bare chest.
Aaron said nothing in response, only pulled down the sleeves of his jumper reflexively as he manoeuvred his way toward the kettle.
"I know we only looked after her two nights ago, but Vic asked and I couldn't say no. She's my little sister..." Robert trailed off as Aaron gave a half-hearted chuckle.
"I think we both know you didn't agree to take her for Vic's sake." Aaron didn't turn around, instead leaned into the cupboard to get two mugs. He tried not to use the action as an excuse to hide his smile, but regardless, one inevitably welled up within him. Robert loved his niece more than anyone in the world.
“Maybe that's true, but there's been some sort of Barton family emergency,” Robert rolled his eyes. Aaron wasn't worried, knowing Cain would have called by now if the Dingles were involved. He turned around in time to catch his boyfriend looking appreciatively at the outline of his back before his eyes snapped up, meeting Aaron’s gaze. He wasn't deterred, a smirk beginning to form as he gently swayed the baby in his arms. “You're not mad, are you?”
“Nah,” Aaron said honestly and smiled as he went back to the kettle. It was hard to be mad when he secretly enjoyed looking after the baby too. “Just surprised you agreed, when you were the one bangin' on about how we needed a night to ourselves. The only reason Liv went to Gabby’s tonight was cause you paid her off. And don't think I don't know about that either.”
He didn't need to be facing Robert to imagine the minute bulging of his eyes, and the sharp intake of breath before he let out a chuckle let Aaron know that Robert knew he'd been caught.
“She was happy enough to accept more than I was willing to give.”
“Mmm,” Aaron hummed. “I'm sure she was. How much? Twenty?”
“You reckon?” Robert said incredulously. “Try fifty.”
Aaron let out a low whistle. "She's got you wrapped around her little finger, mate. Almost as tightly as this girl here.” Robert and his girls. Aaron shook his head fondly at the thought.
“Not your mate,” he replied immediately, having said it many times before, and then: “I'm sorry.” His voice was quieter than it had been a minute ago. “I'll make it up to you.”
“No need.” Aaron offered him his tea before remembering his hands were most definitely full, putting down the Taylor Swift mug on the table instead.
Robert looked at the offending object with disdain. “You know I hate that mug.”
“No you don't,” Aaron countered, “You loved it even when you thought it was the only present Liv bothered to get you for Christmas.”
“You have to admit, that’s the kind of thing she'd do.”
“Yeah, suppose so, but she does love you really.”
“I know.”
The next few minutes were spent in companionable silence, Aaron sat at their kitchen table whilst Robert walked back and forth, slowly rocking the baby as she slept on. In the eight short months that she'd been alive, Robert had become more attached to her than anyone had ever expected. Inevitably, many people had tried to take the piss out of him for it, Aaron included, but his love for the little girl was so fierce that he remained unfazed.
Aaron remembered the day she’d been born in vivid detail. It was full of joy and fear in equal measure, represented perfectly by Adam who had worn a delighted smile on his face all evening, holding his baby girl for the first time, but had nearly chewed all his nails clean off on the way to the hospital with anxiety.
Vic had gone into labour a week early. Adam and Aaron had been at the scrapyard, expecting the birth to be any day, but unable to avoid work nonetheless. Robert had been with her when her water had broken, and kept his head screwed on long enough to safely —if somewhat frantically— drive her to the hospital.
It would have been fine, had Aaron and Adam not been in a meeting. By the time they'd finished, Adam had four missed calls from Robert, and Aaron had eleven.
Aaron had to stop a smile from breaking out on his face in the present day. Only Robert would call him first to tell him the news more urgently than the actual father of the child.
Robert had been hesitant to call inside the hospital, leaving several voicemails on both men’s phone’s before he sat at Vic's beside, detailing the events from before him and Vic had left the house up until they reached a hospital room that could take his heavily pregnant sister. Aaron had immediately taken up the post of driver and driven just the wrong side of the legal speed limit to get the two of them there as quickly as possible.
There had been no way Adam was missing the birth of his first child. Not on Aaron’s watch.
When they'd arrived, Adam had taken over Robert’s place at Vic’s bedside, and Robert had desperately shaken his hand in an attempt to get some feeling back into it. He'd told Aaron that Vic had squeezed it like he was the only thing anchoring her to life outside the pain. He looked exhausted, yet Aaron couldn't help but notice the proud smile on his face, the way he had inadvertently gushed about his sister; how brave she was and how amazing, ready to push this little life out of her.
“You're smiling,” Robert noticed, abruptly bringing Aaron back to the present. “What you thinking about?”
“You." Aaron admitted reluctantly. "The day she was born, but mostly you.”
Robert’s smile lit up his whole face at Aaron’s confession. Declarations such as those were becoming more and more common these days, and Robert appreciated every single one of them. He gazed at Aaron and stood in the middle of their kitchen, looking as though there was nowhere else he belonged more than right there. “That was… a day.”
Aaron laughed. “A good one though.” He took a sip from his tea. “You really came through you know. For everyone.”
The modest blush that rose on Robert’s cheeks was commented on by neither of them.
Just as he was about to reply, the little girl in his arms woke up and almost instantly began to fuss. Her tiny arms stretched out, hands clenching looking for something to hold on to as she made soft little noises in the back of her throat.
Robert smiled and lifted her up to eye level as she began to become more alert. “Hey, you. Is someone hungry?”
He cooed gently to her as Aaron watched, hardly believing his eyes. Every time his boyfriend interacted with her, it came over Aaron just how good Robert would be as a father.
Maybe someday, they could have one of their own.
Robert couldn't seem to get her to settle, a small line appearing on his brow as he frowned at the baby. “What do you want, ey? Tell Uncle Robert.”
Aaron couldn't help his grin as he spoke. “C’mon, give her to me. Go and make her some formula, parent of the year.”
“Whatever you say, Uncle Aaron. She's not my baby,” Robert grinned as he walked across the tiles. “My feet are bloody freezing.”
Aaron rolled his eyes, but felt warm inside at the title Robert had given him. “You act like she is. And put some socks on, ya muppet. It's nearing winter and you're walking around half naked, course you're cold.”
“Don't tell me you're not enjoying all of this!” Robert laughed as he gestured to his naked torso.
Aaron scrunched up his face in mock disgust and turned away, gently bouncing the baby.
“You're only lying to yourself…” Robert trailed off as he reached up to get the necessary items out of one of the top cupboards.
Aaron scoffed and turned back. “Put a shirt on, no one wants to see you bare anyway.”
“Funny, I don't think that's what you were saying last night.” Robert didn't have to turn around for Aaron to know he was grinning. The lilt to his voice gave it away as his body stretched and became taut as he leaned up.
Aaron secretly appreciated the view, as Robert had done with his clothed body earlier, but stealthily glanced away as Robert turned back. He stopped, eyes alight, just watching Aaron holding the baby in his muscular arms. A small tuft of dark hair peeked out from beneath her green swaddle blanket, and Robert was hit with an overwhelming ache in his chest.
“I love you, you know,” he murmured quietly, never taking his eyes away from Aaron.
“You're only saying that cause I'm holding your favourite person,” Aaron joked. A small smile played on his lips, but his eyes were almost sad, as if he truly believed he’d lost favour in his boyfriend’s affections since the baby had been born.
“I mean it.” The atmosphere suddenly became tense as Robert’s green eyes bored intently into Aaron’s blue ones. “I love you, more than anything.”
Aaron looked the perfect combination of pleased and uncomfortable, as he always seemed to when it came to emotions. “Love you too.” Aaron smiled, but Robert heard a distinct idiot said under his boyfriend's breath.
“Good.” Robert only winked in return. “Now, let's sort out what we’re having for tea, because little missus here isn't the only one that needs to eat.”
Aaron shook his head fondly and looked down at the baby in his arms. So he’d come home to find Robert had volunteered them for babysitting duty again. So what? He couldn't be mad, not really, not when Robert had made it clear that he wasn't fighting anyone for the top spot in his affections; not even the most adorable baby either of them had ever seen.