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Cain couldn’t sleep. He rarely could switch his mind off these days, so many thoughts crowding in his head. Moira, Charity, Holly, Kyle. Everything fighting for what ifs and maybes. So he was lying awake when he heard his nephew’s quiet whimpering from the bedroom next door. The walls were paper thin, usually to everyone’s displeasure. But now, Aaron’s voice reached him, more hurt and broken than he’d ever heard.
“No, stop it… please don’t… I can’t move.”
“Ssh…”
“Please…” Cain couldn’t help himself. He got up and pushed Aaron’s bedroom door open a fraction. He couldn’t ignore Aaron in that kind of pain. Robert saw him instantly, glaring at him for a moment before returning his attention to Aaron, who was almost rocking himself, face screwed up in pain.
“I’m here, you’re okay,” Robert soothed, gently putting his hand to Aaron‘s face, knowing that was one of the only places Aaron would let him touch him when he was like this. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
“It all hurts…” Aaron moaned.
“I know.” Even Cain could hear the waver in Robert’s voice. “Aaron, I need you to wake up. Please. Come on.”
“…can’t…” Robert moved, keeping Aaron’s head between both his hands now.
“Hey… I will not let anything happen to you,” he said firmly, his voice carrying a promise. “Not ever. Wake up for me.” Aaron's shaking began to subside, replaced by heavy breathing as he slowly woke up.
“I’m cold.” Robert reached for a blanket and quickly wrapped Aaron up, very careful not to touch him. Then he covered Aaron with the duvet.
“…m sorry…”
“No, you do not apologise,” Robert said forcefully. “Not ever. It's not your fault.”
“It’s been a while.”
“I know,” Robert said. It had been. He thought Aaron had lost the nightmares he used to have about Gordon, but clearly not quite all of them. Aaron curled up against him, almost protected by the blankets. Robert saw Cain pulling the door closed and broke away from Aaron. “I’m going to get you a drink,” he said firmly.
“Don’t leave me,” Aaron said.
“I’ll be right back,” Robert said, stroking his face. “You know you need a drink.”
“Mm.” Robert kissed him gently, delicately, and then got out of bed. In silence Cain followed him down the stairs as Robert put the kettle on. It was a habit by now, whenever Aaron woke from a nightmare. It was a small thing to distract his attention from the dreams, and Robert knew it did help.
“I wasn’t spying on you,” Cain said, feeling uncomfortable at the scene he’d witnessed. It was too intimate, too personal for him to have seen. “I heard Aaron and I was worried.”
“Mm…” Robert said, not convinced. He didn’t particularly care what Cain had seen but knew Aaron wouldn’t want his uncle to see him almost crying in his sleep.
“How often?” Cain asked from across the room.
“Not often, not any more,” Robert said, not looking directly at Cain. He didn’t want the judgement. He knew Aaron’s family didn’t entirely approve of him in Aaron’s life, he was just grateful that they didn’t speak against him.
“I didn’t think…”
“What, that I care about him?” Robert asked. “Why would I be with him if I didn’t? You think Aaron’s easy?” Cain huffed a laugh at that.
”That wasn’t what I was going to say,” Cain said. “I didn’t think it still effected him like this.”
“It’s not something you can just get over,” Robert said briefly as the kettle clicked off, Robert making a tea. “He’ll sleep late tomorrow. I’ll call Adam, tell him Aaron’s had a bad night,” he added at Cain’s look. He didn't want to get into it any more. “Goodnight.”
Cain didn’t say anything else as Robert left, going upstairs back to Aaron. It wasn’t the nightmare particularly that surprised Cain. After all, it was hardly a shock that Aaron would have them occasionally. What did surprise him was how caring and gentle Robert had been. He’d only ever seen the hard edge of Sugden before. Not even a glimpse of anything that Aaron could possibly see in him. Cain had never been able to understand it, Sugden was mostly abhorrent. But the way he had soothed and tried to calm Aaron, the gentle way he held him… none of that matched up with the man he knew.
Cain got a glass of water before going upstairs, sleep now far away. While lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, he could hear murmured voices from next door. Nothing like the pain and anguish from before, but Cain felt reassured to know someone was there for him. Amazingly, before he went off to sleep, he actually heard laughter from their bedroom. Easy, slightly muffled laughter, but there all the same.