Work Text:
One of the downsides of living in the countryside for most of your life is being in tune to the changes in the weather. Theres less tall buildings in the vast open expanse of the countryside to mask the shifting winds. Trees bend and creak as the roots strain in an attempt to resist the calling of the winds. The speed increases in a way of informing you that it is unsettled.
Storms never used to bother Aaron, until they were the cause of Livs death. Now everytime he hears the wind howling outside he's unsettled. When the news warns him about whichever storm is coming through he goes through a mental checklist.
He rings his mum to check if her and Eve are okay. Then he rings Paddy. They both know why.
Sometimes he finds himself on the phone with Mackenzie just for a bit of distraction. Listening to him moaning about the farm, or one of his dodgy side quests going wrong often made him feel better.
When Robert was in prison he used to be grateful that it was a secure building. Made of concrete and steel they are one of the most secure buildings in the UK. Even though they had a lot of horrors inside.
Then he experienced his first storm with Robert since he got released from prison. Working on a farm out of all places, the most dangerous place to be when wind speeds are reaching almost sixty miles an hour.
---
The one good thing about owning the scrapyard is that he knows he doesn't have to work that day. He's mainly doing business online, as boring as it is.
He sees Robert in his eyeline and looks past his laptop. His stomach drops as he sees the work overalls.
"Do you have to go to work today?" He asks Robert, trying to ignore the rattling coming from one of the windows.
"Yeah, need to make sure everything's stored and all the animals are safe until the storm passes. Better to do it now whilst its just a strong breeze outside." Robert said as he occupys himself lacing up his boots.
"Okay, stay safe and update me." He said as he moves closer to Robert. When hes upright he smiles at Aaron.
"I will do. I love you." Robert said before he gives him a quick kiss. He closes his eyes to try and relish in the warmth before opening them.
"I love you too." Aaron said before Robert leaves the flat. He hears the wind howling from downstairs, mirroring the feeling in his stomach. His thoughts are running haywire and with each step Robert takes he feels his heartbeat increasing.
He tries to keep himself busy, planning to stay in the house and be a safe haven in case anyone knocks. He even has the TV on extra loud to drown out the sound when his phone goes off.
He calms down when he realises it's his mum.
"Hello." He answers.
"Aaron love look I know you're safe at home but can you please come to the pub so we can keep an eye on you." He hears the worry in his mums voice and feels a bit selfish. He had been that worried about Robert that he forgot someone would be worrying about him.
He gets changed out of his pyjamas and turns the TV off, he hears the wind battering the sides of his house. Strong breeze my arse this was feeling more like gale force winds. Trying to pull the door shut was another challenge itself.
He manages to get to his car, not wanting to brave physically walking there. Its a temporary reprieve as he drives to the back of the pub and parks up.
His mum instantly let's him in and hugs him. He tries to take comfort in the hug.
"Wheres Robert?" She asked him as they pulled apart.
"Work." He said as she rubbed his arm reassuringly before they entered the pub. Pretty much the whole village, or all the Dingle lot at least asides from Moiras lot who were probably up in hers. Paddy came up and hugged him.
"He'll be alright you know." Paddy said in a tone that was specially reserved for Aaron.
"I know." Aaron said before he sat by the bar.
He found himself checking his phone in fifteen minutes increments. Marlon brings up weather speeds before Mandy tells him to shut up.
He nearly jumps out of his skin when he hears a knock at the door. Marlon goes to answer it.
"This storm is gonna be the death of someone. Nicola nearly got hit by a bike and sprained her ankle." Jimmy said as he barged in with Carl.
Marlon is helping Nicola into the pub. Where they've decided is now the official place for everyone in the village to hide. He looks out the window towards the direction of the farm. He gets up and heads to the back door, ignoring his mum and Paddy following him.
"Roberts still up there." He said as Paddy tried to pull him back in. He pushed himself out of his hold.
"It's not safe love, he'll be hiding at Moiras or the farm. Come inside." His mum tried to plead with him before he looked between them and his car. He made a split second decision and ran out.
"Aaron." He heard his mum and Paddy call out before he got in. He started it up before driving off at a slower speed than usual. He might be reckless but he was damn sure making it to Robert.
The roads were dead, but also covered in debris and fallen trees. He just about managed to swerve around one on his way to Butlers farm before he parked up.
"Robert." He called out as he ran up the field. Fuck, he didn't have a clue where the man could be. He tried to ignore his heartbeat picking up, the wind howling in his ears. It was hard to move in this wind. It was almost hard to breathe in it.
He tried to ignore the images flashing through his mind of what happened the last time a storm hit the village. Everyone was safe this time, the only person who he couldn't account for was Robert.
"ROBERT." He shouted again, feeling the desperation take root.
He couldn't see any of the animals, or anyone for that matter as he ran towards the barn. He heard a crack from above him as he was near the door of the barn. He looked up and froze as the tree started to fall down. Shit he was going to die out here. But before he could feel the weight of the tree crushing him he was grabbed from behind before he was being half pulled half dragged into the barn.
"Are you mad, what are you doing running through a field during a storm." He's face to face with Robert, his farm overalls covered in mud and a little streak on his face. But he is alive. He's giving Aaron a look as if to call him mad. But right now he doesn't care about all of that.
He let's his hand run through Roberts hair, he feels the hands on his waist gripping him firmly as they reside in the closeness of one another. Their breaths synchronising as the panic dissipates and the relief settles in.
"I had to come and find you. After Nicolas near miss outside the pub I just kept thinking, what if something happened to you." Aaron said.
"I got all the animals in the other barn before I stayed in here. I'm fine I was just about to call. You nearly weren't though." Robert said, the concern edging through his voice.
"I couldn't have stayed in there seeing everyone around me being so relieved not knowing where you were." Aaron said before he looked down at Roberts lips. Before he could move he felt a hand move up his back. He moved his hand to the side of Roberts neck as they kissed. He felt his jacket being pulled off as he unzipped Roberts overalls and he pushed him to sit on the hay.
---
"I can't believe we just shagged during a storm." Robert said as Aaron grinned to himself. He shivered as the wind rattled the old barn before he felt the blanket being pulled up. Then his phone went off.
"Yes Chas, yes we're alright he's with me at the barn. We're staying here until the wind dies down. Yes I'm looking after him. Thank you for your concern." Robert said as he smirked when looking over at Aaron before he hung up.
"Everyone's fine they were just worried about you." Robert said as he started getting dressed, the comical view of watching him wipe hay from his legs almost distracted Aaron about the fact he didn't mention the others being concerned for him. Dismissing himself.
Aaron grabbed his top and jacket and put them back on for some decency and also warmth.
"They're also worried about you too." Aaron said as Robert glanced over in disbelief.
"I know they're not that worried Aaron its okay." He said aa they both finished getting dressed before going back to lying under the blanket for warmth.
"Why do you do that?" He asked Robert as he wrapped an arm around his waist.
"I haven't exactly made many friends around here. Lets face it everyone else was at the pub worried about themselves and their families." Robert said.
"I bet mum asked how you were. Eve would be sad if something happened to you. I know Vic and Diane aren't in the village but they'd be devastated if something happened to you. They all would deep down." Aaron said.
"Doubt it but I appreciate the reassurance." Robert said to him.
"You already know what losing you would do to me. If something had happened to you—" he started choking up before Robert turned and held him.
"Sorry. I know you care about me and its easy to get inside my own head. I mean I spent years with my own thoughts for company." Robert said as he kissed his forehead, then his cheek before resting his forehead against Aaron's.
---
They spent the rest of the afternoon lying together before the winds calmed down. They pushed open the barn door, being met with no resistance as it opens fully showing the destruction ahead of them.
"Wow." Robert said as they looked at the fields which were a mess of debris. After Robert double checked that the animals were definitely secure they walked back up to Moiras.
"Didn't know we had a visitor." Moira said as she stood outside with her arms folded.
"Neither did I until I heard him shouting my name." Robert said as he glanced over at the taller man.
"Take the rest of the day off. You definitely deserve it considering Ross bailed." Moira said.
"He has a kid to think about." Robert said.
"Err so do you." Aaron said.
"He's got a point." Moira nodded at Aaron.
"It's not the same." Robert said as he gave Aaron a stare as if to signal the end of discussion.
"Well then I best see what the damage is and spend the rest of the day inside. Tell the others I'm glad they're okay." Moira said before she went back inside.
Aaron headed over to his car. Robert followed before they just sat there.
"I could do with a pint." Robert said ans that confirmed it. They were going back to the pub.
"I could do without the grief." Aaron said as he started the car before they drove off.
When they walk back into the pub neither of them expected everyone to start cheering.
"Well this is a first." Robert said before Eve came running across and hugged his legs. Even Paddy came over and hugged him and then hugged Aaron. The hug he least expected was from Mandy, but it reminded him of when he used to get hugs from Sarah as a child.
"Christ the pair of you had us all worried. Especially after what happened last time." She said as the pub fell silent, Aaron could sense people trying to avoid his eyes. But it was the stare coming from his left.
"Fuck, Aaron. I should've checked in with you. Christ no wonder you came to find me." Robert said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"I hate bloody storms." Aaron said as he moved closer to Robert.
"Me and my big mouth. I'm sorry Aaron." Mandy said.
"It's okay I can't hide the fact Liv died here. I mean I literally drove past it just before and I could see it. Her. The caravan. God I need a pint." Aaron said before walking to the bar.
Everyone else started talking in their own little groups. The focus thankfully taken off of them. They accepted their pints before sipping them.
"Aaron why do you have hay on your back?" Mack asked him from across the pub. He looked at Robert before the pair of them started laughing.
"Jesus christ you two." His mum said, avoiding eye contact with them.
"Wild storms can't keep you apart can they." Paddy piped up.
"Clearly not, as stupid as it was it's also nice to know I have someone that would run through a storm just to make sure I'm alright." Robert said.
"Well I won't be making a habit out of it." Aaron said.
Everyone knew that was a lie, because he would do anything just to know that Robert was alright.
They took a seat as Robert wiped the hay from his back and for the first time since he woke up that day he felt like he could breathe. Everyone he loved was right where they should be.