THE ONLY POSSIBLE LEADER WAS ABSOLUTELY CLO LIKE NO ONE COULD HAVE EVEN COME CLOSEEEE clo was responsible for at least 70% of the robron fandom becoming robron fans in the first place lbr
riight? riiiight??
i mean hell she’s the reason i’ve been trapped in this fandom for close to 6 years, that’s gotta count for something
created for the fabulous lo @bartsugsy who without her we would not laugh as much as we do in this crazy fandom. you are an absolute star and i was pretty nervous about writing something for you but i hope you like it!!
It starts with a cheesy Christmas party and George Micheal’s voice playing over the office. That’s how it all comes about really. Aaron’s sitting on one of the tables and his legs seems to be dangling against the carpet. It’s wet, it’s probably got wine soaked right into it too and the thought makes him grimace.
He only gets up when he feels the stupid tinsel scratch at his back and he decides that he needs to leave because he doesn’t want to be here, it’s as simple as that isn’t it? Adam’s pissed off into one of the offices with Victoria anyway so he won’t be railroaded into staying and getting into the festive cheer.
He goes to take off the shitty paper hat he’s got on his head when he suddenly feels someone thump right into him and the idiot’s drink goes absolutely flying. It goes right down Aaron’s jumper and it soaks through enough to make him jump up.
“Bloody hell.” Aaron says, jumps back a little and then he looks up at the bloke standing there. He’s never seen him before but he’s got half a pint in his hand and a awful jumper on and —
Aaron is almost immediately unnerved by his presence.
“Oh shit. Sorry mate.” He sees, and when he speaks, Aaron’s eyes widen a little like he’s not sure what the hell is going on. His eyes dart a little and then he looks down at his jumper and stupidly tries to rub it down with his bare hand. It just makes it all sticky and he wants the ground to swallow him up. When he looks up again the bloke is still standing there, taller than he is, hair looking a little wild as the lights flicker towards him and illuminate his face. He looks like he’s waiting for a reply and Aaron’s eyes flicker.
“What?” Aaron says and the music is still drumming on annoyingly, so much so that he can hardly hear himself over it. The man leans forward, and his hand finds a place on Aaron’s shoulder as he leans into his ear.
“I said, I can go get some tissue for you!”
Aaron just smiles, thaws a little under it. “Nah it’s okay.” He says, waves a hand out and the man just nods at him. “You can get me another drink though.”
And the man smiles at him, and Aaron ends up following him outside in the hallway where the music isn’t so annoyingly loud anymore.
“Here you go.” Aaron looks up and takes the drink from him, smiles faintly a little as he does so.
“Haven’t seen you here before? You someone’s husband or something?”
The bloke just shakes his head and then he smirks a little. “Not yet I’m not.” He says, moves his finger across the rim of the paper cup and then smiles. “I’m new. Starting in the new year but the boss invited me.” He extends a hand out. “I’m Robert.”
And he’s smiley. He makes Aaron nervous, really nervous actually.
“Aaron.” He says, clears his throat awkwardly as he leans against the wall. “I work in sales.” He rolls his eyes. “You’ll probably find it dead boring when you work here you know?”
Robert’s eyebrow raises. “Brilliant. You’re really selling it.” He says sarcastically and Aaron rolls his eyes against it before laughing and he feels light. He doesn’t feel like this was a wasted night or anything like that. He’s made a friend out of it at least, well maybe not a friend but someone other than Adam. He tells himself that’s a terrible thought to have but then thinks of Adam’s annoying laugh and he can’t help himself.
“It has some perks.” Aaron shrugs. “Can’t think of any but —“
Robert rubs a hand across his eyes like he’s been laughing too much and then looks down at his Christmas jumper. “They’ve already got me in this haven’t they? Twats.”
“That’s Lawrence White for you.”
“Oh trust me, I should know. He’s going to be my father in law soon.”
Aaron’s face falls against it when he thinks of Chrissie flipping White. She owns a chain of salons and comes in every now and again to dish out free samples to all the girls. When he thinks about it long enough she seems like a charming woman really but she isn’t. She’s a pretentious cow and so is her dad.
“You’re marrying Chrissie White?” Aaron whispers and Robert nods, he’s gone all red and he pulls at the sleeves of his jumper a little like he’s hot or something.
“Next year.” Robert says, and Aaron notices that he’s got an actual work shirt on underneath that jumper of his. Maybe he’s a lot more like the Whites than Aaron first realised he was. “Play your cards write and you might get an invite.” He says, all cheek and charm and Aaron should absolutely hate him.
He doesn’t.
“Might I?” Aaron raises an eyebrow and —
He plays his cards right doesn’t he? He ends up staying in some posh hotel room with Robert awaiting the impending nuptials that’ll only take place tomorrow.
He’s never wanted to be anywhere else so much in all his life.
~*~
Jimmy King happens to be the only one in the office who knows Robert well and he offers this sort of word of warning to Aaron whilst he’s stirring his tea in the kitchen and looking out the window.
“You and Robert seem like mates now, that right?”
He wouldn’t call them good mates but they’ve just come back from their holidays and Robert’s been making him laugh. He’s an arrogant cocky bastard when he’s on the phone to clients but also goes mad for a doughnut or a cream slice and Aaron thinks he has a sweet side in more ways than one.
“What of it?”
“He just doesn’t have many.”
Aaron frowns. “And?”
“There’s a reason why, surely.” And yeah okay, Aaron’s mind starts working and working until he gets fed up and he sighs hard.
“Are you going to tell me this reason or am I supposed to guess.”
Only Jimmy is Jimmy. Absolutely harmless. He doesn’t have a bloody reason. “I just knew him when he was younger, and he wasn’t the sort of — he didn’t have stable friends.”
He says the word stable and Aaron decides to just cross his arms and roll his eyes. “Right then. Well thanks for that vague piece of advice Jimmy.” He says and Jimmy goes off again, leaves Aaron to his tea.
He passes Robert’s desk on the way back, slides a custard cream on his desk and Robert gives him this massive blinding grin.
“You’re a legend.” He says, and it shouldn’t mean a bloody thing, if Finn or Ellis said it to him he’d just keep walking. But this time Aaron finds his feet stopping, this small mile forming on his face.
And then he starts walking again.
~*~
He’s typing away on the computer when he feels a sharp whack to his head and he scowls up to see Robert standing over him with a grin on his face.
“What was that for?”
“I tried callin’ ya a million times.” Robert says, looks towards his side of the office and then back at Aaron.
“Maybe I was busy?”
“Maybe you’re just grumpy?” Robert says and Aaron rolls his eyes, breaks out into a little smile and he sort of really hates Robert.
It’s been a few months since they met and things between them have been going fine, they’re friends, they’re actually mates despite the fact that Aaron still thinks he’s an absolute ponce sometimes.
“Was there anything you wanted or?” Aaron frowns, does this weird thing with his head as he speaks and Robert leans against his desk, his watch flashing a little.
“Chrissie’s got some dinner thing tonight, do you want to come with us?” Robert says, “Make it less boring for me.”
Aaron’s eyebrow raises. “I’m not your entertainment.” He says and then Robert pulls this face and he’s putty. Absolutely putty. “Fine. If you really need me.”
“I do.” Robert says, and then he makes the mistake of squeezing at Aaron’s arm and something falls away.
It happens again.
It happened a week ago. They were playing pool after work in some pub near Aaron’s and Robert had his sleeves rolled up, hair a mess like it was that first night they met and things were going great until he leaned right over and squeezed at Aaron’s shoulder.
And Aaron momentarily forgot how to breathe.
It’s happened again now, Robert touched Aaron for one flipping second and everything got weird.
It’s been months. It’s been bloody months of just being mates and then he goes and touches him and Aaron hates him. He bloody hates him for being so stupid and in his flipping face and that’s why he’s trying to be as distance as he can.
He hopes Robert hasn’t twigged because they’re meant to just be mates. They are mates. They’re definitely mates.
“You’re a star.” Robert says, flashes a smile as he goes and Aaron watches him leave, annoyed that he’s somehow agreed to having a dinner with Chrissie White. He puts it aside, thinks of it helping Robert out in some way or other and then he sees Adam staring at him from across the room.
He’s stirring tea and has a frown on his face as he stalks over and sits down by Aaron’s desk. It makes Aaron jump a little as he looks up.
“Don’t tell me that what I think is true.” Adam opens his mouth and says the thing that Aaron doesn’t want to hear. He says it so boldly and it makes him feel sick.
“It’s not. I —“
“You have the hots for Robert?” He says it like it’s the most scandalous thing in the world and Aaron’s heart seems to shrivel.
“I don’t —“
“He’s marrying the boss’ daughter you know?” And Aaron doesn’t really think about a loss else. “Thought you were just friends?”
They are.
He promises.
Adam doesn’t seem to want to listen to him.
“I’ve seen ya. The way you look at him sometimes.” Adam moves his head to the side, darts down, looks like he doesn’t know what sort of advice to offer. “It’s like you’ve proper —“
He doesn’t need to finish the sentence. He really really doesn’t.
~*~
It turns out that they’ve decided to go for a wedding near Christmas time.
Aaron’s going to be over this shit by then though isn’t he?
~*~
He gets a boyfriend a month later and he tells himself that all those ridiculous feelings he had for Robert are dead and buried.
He’s called Charlie. He’s got a family holiday home in Scotland and has idea of a good night out is going karaoke. He’s a proper nice lad and everything but it doesn’t last because Robert has this massive engagement do and Aaron just sees him with Chrissie and he can feel his heart breaking.
Heart break over a mate being happy.
He leaves early, Charlie follows and he decides to break up with him right outside Robert’s front door and lie to his face that there’s absolutely no one else in the picture.
Only there is.
His name’s Robert Sugden and Chrissie doesn’t deserve him.
That sort of drops out too, when Robert stumbles out a little past it and sees that Charlie’s left Aaron without a car to drive home in.
He tries to be nice, he’s got this tux on and he looks —
He looks amazing and he offers for someone to drive Aaron home and it just drops out.
“She doesn’t deserve ya.” Aaron blurts it out, he can’t blame too much beer or not enough sleep or anything like that. He’s just standing here, staring at his mate and telling the truth for the first time in months and months isn’t he? “Chrissie doesn’t deserve you Robert.” He hears his own voice and it scares him. He sounds so terrified and honest.
Robert staggers back a little at the words and shakes his head. “Why because I’m such a mess? Or a liar? Who’ve you been —“
And of course he manages to get it all wrong doesn’t he? With his annoyingly low self esteem which doesn’t match up with all that confidence he has on a daily basis.
“I meant she — you’re too good for her.”
It makes Robert scoff, proper scoff and everything. And he starts laughing like Aaron’s flipping mad.
“Have ya seen her?” He says.
“Yeah and I’ve seen her money too.” Aaron says. “Don’t tell me that’s the only reason why you —“
He regrets his words almost instantly because it only makes Robert scowl at him.
“So now you think I’m a gold digger too?” And everyone thinks it around the office, of course they do. Aaron’s always too eager to shut them down and only gets Adam looking at him even more funnier.
Aaron’s about the only one who sees something more, sees someone else. He sees someone.
“No. No I don’t. I’m just —“
“I think you’ve had too much to drink.” Robert decides, blinks quickly as he backs away. “Where’s Charlie gone?”
“He’s gone.” Aaron shrugs.
“Gone? What have —“
“I ended it. It wasn’t that serious anyway.” He jumps up on his feet, side to side nervously. “It’s not like he was —“
You.
It’s not like he was you. You idiot.
Robert leans on one foot, sighs. “Well I’m sorry mate.” He says.
“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have — what I said about Chrissie was —“
It was true, and maybe deep down Robert knows it as well but he decides to put it to the back of his head for the sake of what?
Making everyone happy.
It wouldn’t be making Aaron happy. He’s found peace in that. It’s taken months but he has. He knows that they’re friends, they’re friends but if it was up to him then —
He’s cut off by those thoughts when Adam comes out the door and catches the end of the conversation. He offers to take him home, stands there as the sun sets over them and he watches Robert go back inside.
“Oi. Do you know where we are?” Adam says, he might as well shake Aaron as he speaks. “He’s marrying her.”
“He shouldn’t.” Aaron says, “I thought I could handle it — I really did but I can’t.”
“You don’t have a say mate.” It crashes through him like an ocean, smacks him over the head and he thinks about it non stop until Adam opens his mouth again.
“Just because he’s bi doesn’t mean he’s interested.”
Aaron winces under the words and he sounds like a proper weirdo doesn’t he? Going after a bloke who isn’t interested, a bloke who thinks they’re friends, have been for nearly half a year.
He can’t help but remember when he found out over a game of cards, Robert drunk and cheeks rosy and willing to talk about the worst kiss he’s ever had.
Some boy called Billy when he was twenty years old.
“He literally bit my tongue.” He remembers Robert saying, those sleeves of his rolled right up and revealing his arms. It mad something inside Aaron twist as he looked up and stared at him.
“Wait — you’ve — been with a bloke?”
Robert’s eyes flickered and then he nodded. “Yeah, a few. I’m bi.”
He said it like it meant nothing, like it didn’t suddenly change absolutely everything for Aaron.
“You need to stop.” Adam says, holds at Aaron’s shoulders. “I mean it, if Chrissie finds out then you could lose your job.”
The thought crashes him right down to Earth once again.
~*~
They have a night out a month later, and something else happens.
Robert says the worst thing he could.
“Best man?” Aaron whispers, heart hammering about in his chest as Robert looks at him seriously and then his eyes start darting about.
“Look I know you’re not — you think Chrissie’s a posh cow but — we’re mates aren’t we? You’re sort of my best friend Aaron.”
And that clinches it.
That makes Aaron want to never face the light of day again. But somehow he manages to make light of it doesn’t he?
“Sort of.”
He shouldn’t of done that either because Robert decides to act all seriously like he has to do and then gulps hard.
“You are. Every since that Christmas party. I’m glad I bumped into you instead of Jimmy or someone like that.” He pulls this face, makes his shoulders shake and Aaron smiles faintly. He keeps making him smile.
So that’s why he ends up nodding. He wants to make Robert smile. He wants to make Robert as happy as he makes him. He nods his head and says of course he will and Robert jumps up and hugs him tightly. It’s hard to breathe and Aaron’s freaking out for a second before he finds his face buried into Robert’s shoulder. He smells like himself, a soft musk that Aaron’s not got over yet.
He doesn’t know what to do until Robert finally decides to pull away from him.
“You’re — you’re the best mate in the world you.” Robert whispers, and Aaron feels like it just kicks his stomach over and over again. “I usually don’t have many.”
“Well you only have one don’t you? This mug.” Aaron tries to laugh as he points to his face but he still feels wounded somehow.
And he hates Robert for it.
He wants him to just open his flipping eyes and see what’s right in front of him. He wants to promise him that it won’t be that hard if he just tries.
Robert nods lazily. “And he’s amazing. He doesn’t care that I’m a liar and no good and selfish and —“
“Hey.” Aaron whispers, leans closer and a frown forms on his face. “Is this about Andy again?”
He’s never hated someone he’s never met so much in all his life. Robert’s dick of a brother.
Robert’s face softens just slightly. “How’d you know?”
“Because I know ya.” Aaron says, because he knows all of him, every single part.
“That’s why you’re going to be my best man isn’t it?” Robert whispers, a smirk forming on his face.
Aaron only nods.
~*~
It’s a Christmas wedding.
It’s also been a whole year since they met which is sort of the most frightening thing in the world really. Aaron can’t help but feel like he’s gone and wasted a year. A whole year falling head over hells with a mate who won’t *ever feel the same back.
He’s meant to be with Robert now, he’s meant to be calming him down and telling him that the church looks mint but he can’t. It’s Christmas Eve and Robert’s getting married tomorrow. He’s actually getting married.
To *her.
Robert finds him even though he’s trying to hide behind the excuse of organising invisible things.
“Are you okay?” He asks, and Robert’s wearing the same Christmas jumper as the year before isn’t he? He just has to make Aaron want to tear his hair out and cry and feel like a right loser for still feeling all these stupid feelings.
“I’m — I should —“
“You’re meant to be keeping me sane on my last night of freedom mate?”
And the ‘mate’ gets him like it always does because he’s never been wanted to not be someone’s mate so much in his life. It’s also the hand on his back and how fucking sincere Robert is.
The hotel they’re staying is massive courtesy of all that dosh that Chrissie’s got rolling about. It’s got this massive chandelier in the front piazza and a water fountain near the second floor.
Aaron stuck out like a sore thumb when him and Robert checked themselves in, he stood behind as Robert did all the talking and then he watched Robert shake his head over and over again, the receptionist blush and apologise and then Robert was turning towards him again.
“What was that about?” Aaron asked as they got to the lift and Robert looked deep in thought before he shook his head.
“She said she hoped we had a lovely stay.”
Aaron turns bright red at the drop of a hat these days and hearing what he was hearing wasn’t really helping matters at all.
“No way.” He said, and it was suddenly really hot in the lift.
“Yeah.” Robert stuck his chin out and his Adam’s apple bobbled, made Aaron’s mouth gape open.
“You set her right.” Of course he did. Of course he —
Robert nodded. “She said she’d checked Chrissie in a few hours ago.” He looked proper in love suddenly and Aaron couldn’t help but look away. “Said I was lucky.”
Aaron didn’t have it in him to lie and agree.
The radio in the room of there’s now is banging Christmas music out and making Aaron think about last year and everything gets tight in his voice when Robert calls him ‘mate’ once again.
“Stop that.” Aaron says, he finds balls somewhere, not ball balls, actually fucking balls as he shoves Robert’s hand away from his back and stands. “Stop calling me your mate. I can’t —“
He can’t hear it anymore. It hurts. It’s been hurting for so long now and yeah he doesn’t exactly have the right timing but here he goes.
“Has something happened?”
And yeah, you could say that.
“You!” Aaron shouts, and yeah he does start the waterworks but it’s not like Robert’s not seen it all before. Robert’s seen all of him, time and time again and yet he’s still stuck around hasn’t he? That’s made it worse. “Some days, I wish you bumped into someone else at that poxy party.”
He’s not really selling himself is he? And Robert looks more hurt than anything else which is the last thing he wants.
“Why — why would you say that to me?” Robert frowns. “I’m meant to be the tosser in this friendship not you.”
The word is there again, that friendship that they’ve formed. It makes Aaron wince.
“I can’t do this.” Aaron whispers, heads right towards the door and he’s crying as Robert comes towards him and turns him right around.
“Mate please.” Robert pleads, his eyes are bright and he’s just beautiful isn’t he? Aaron hates how beautiful he is. He’s always always hated that.
“I don’t want to be your mate.” Aaron shakes his head against it and he’s practically sobbing as Robert lets go of his arm.
“You tell me that now? You’re meant to be my —“
“Please don’t marry her.” And it’s like Robert finally understand what he means, Aaron doesn’t just want to be his mate and —
The large O forming in his mouth is enough to make Aaron want to run.
“Aaron I —“
“I love ya.” Aaron whispers, he admits it to himself and then Robert and then everything else around him and the world doesn’t end? Their friendship does though because Robert can hardly look at him anymore. “I’m sorry.” He says, he backs towards the door as he speaks and the tears roll down his face. “I tried — I really tried to ignore it but it’s true and I can’t —“
Robert lifts his head and frowns. “You don’t have to go.” He whispers and Aaron knows he does, because Robert being Robert would want him to say what he wants to say, let him get it off his chest, and then they can forget the whole sorry mix up and go back to watching Match Of The Day together or something.
He won’t understand. Aaron won’t let him even try to.
“Bye Robert.”
~*~
The thing is, it’s Christmas Eve and he’s stuck in a posh hotel crying his eyes out in some long hallway and wishing love didn’t exist at all.
That’s when some old lady comes out of nowhere and he tries to shake her off but she doesn’t stop asking why he’s so sad.
“My friend — my best — well I’m his best man and I just said I couldn’t go through with doing it after all.”
“Oh. Why —“
“Because I love him.” Aaron momentarily forgets the fact that this all means he’s admitted to being gay in front of some old bat and he prepares himself for her to do one but instead she offers him a tissue and calls him love.
She wants to know if he explained himself properly and he tells her he doesn’t have to.
“Oh I think you do love. You never know.”
Oh he knows.
“At least give it a go.” She says, “If you say you don’t want to speak to him then do that thing in the movies.”
And it’s the oddest piece of advice he’s ever received in his life.
He takes it.
—
The lights in Robert and his room are out as he goes past them and he nearly buckles, chickens out, but then he doesn’t? Like something inside him dares him to be brave.
It’s what he’s thinking when Robert answers the door to Chrissie’s room to Aaron standing with a Christmas hat on and a few sheets of paper and a pen from the reception downstairs.
Robert goes to speak and Aaron’s never been more scared in his life as he lifts the first paper.
‘You’re probably daft enough to have watched Love Actually a million times so this shouldn’t be new to you. But I suppose this part happens after the wedding and the weird stalker video bit.’
Robert reads along and then Chrissie calls out. Aaron just stares at him, pleads with just his eyes and Robert says it’s just a cleaner.
‘But I’m doing this now because I’m not as strong as the bloke in the film. I can’t watch you marry her tomorrow and for that I’m sorry. But it’s not because I’m just a selfish prick. It’s because …’
He blows out a breath and reveals the next card.
‘I’ve never loved anyone like I love you.’
Robert blinks like a mad man and his face goes red as Aaron shudders.
‘You’re the most arrogant, annoying, idiot I’ve ever met in my life but despite what you think about yourself. To me … you’re perfect.’
He looks nervous as he moves the paper and tries not to make his hands shake.
‘And I know you’re getting married to the woman of your dreams and I’ll try to be happy for you. In time it might not hurt like it does now but I also know that I’ll keep loving you. I’ll always love you. Even though it’s wasted on your heart and mine.’
Aaron looks up and tries not to fucking blubber because that would only make all of this even more depressing.
‘So have a merry Christmas in your awful jumper that I loved the minute I first saw it. Just like the way I loved you. Be happy. Love Aaron. Your not so best man anymore.’
He lets the papers fall to his side and bites at his lip as Robert stands there just staring at him.
“Merry Christmas Rob.” Aaron whispers, almost mouths it because he doesn’t want to cause him any trouble with Chrissie does he? He’d not do that to him.
No, he’s just going to love Robert from a distance, pretend like it doesn’t hurt. That’s what he thinks as he takes a step back, looks at Robert a little more seriously and then smiles. “I’ll be fine.” He almost has to promise it because Robert’s chin is starting to wobble almost like he feels that sorry for him.
It makes Aaron start walking down the corridor, and he gets right to the lift when he sees Robert trying to prize it open.
“I don’t need your —“
Robert’s hands find a place around his face and he shakes his head like he doesn’t want Aaron speaking anymore and —
Robert kisses him.
In a swanky lift with mistletoe festively hanging from the ceiling and he’s quite clearly the best Aaron’s ever had.
“That wasn’t pity.” Robert says as he pulls away, cups Aaron’s face and catches the tears.
“That didn’t happen in the film.” Aaron whispers, his whole body is shaking under the weight of the fact that Robert’s just ran into a lift and kissed him. His lips tingle against it all and he gulps hard as Robert strokes his cheek tenderly.
“You’re right about that.” He laughs, almost nervously and Aaron sees that he’s hands are shaking.
“Rob.”
“And about the other thing too.” Robert says, it makes Aaron’s heart lunge as he waits for him to speak. “I am perfect.” He smirks and Aaron pushes him against the wall, shakes his head at the idiot who he can’t help but love. “And I cant marry her either.”
Aaron leans across, finds his hands almost clamped against Robert’s jumper and he doesn’t know what to think. “Don’t just say that ‘cause —“
“Because I love ya too.” Robert promises it, hands tied against Aaron’s suddenly. “I didn’t want to —“
“Neither did I.” Aaron whispers, because the last thing he wanted was Robert having to choose and everything building up to heartbreak. But it’s happened hasn’t it? “So what do we do?”
He asks the question as if he expects Robert to know the answer. He doesn’t. He says as much with a slight shrug and a kiss pressed onto Aaron’s slightly parted mouth.
“I’ll leave it all, spend Christmas with you in that little box that you live in I suppose.” Robert tries to feign indifference and Aaron frowns amused.
“Moving in are we?”
“I doubt Chrissie would let me stay.” He says and Aaron looks guilty suddenly but Robert raises his chin with a smile on his face, nervous and scared and everything that Aaron wants to kiss away. “We’ll deal with everything together.” He whispers and things do take off quickly don’t they?
Chrissie cries and screams and Robert spends Christmas Day with Aaron’s family. Elbowed in between a boy called Samson and some mouthy girl called April and Aaron playing footsie with him under the table.
Aaron makes sure he knows he’s on a promise.
They’re not wasting anymore time.
“Merry Christmas you.” Aaron whispers, catches a hand across Robert’s waist as Adam shakes his head at them from across the room. He’s thawing to the idea already, but still trying to convince Aaron that losing his livelihood for Robert is insane. “Any regrets?” Aaron whispers, because this time yesterday he was shouting at Robert for daring to call him mate and now they’re —
Here.
Robert looks lost in thought for a second and then he gazes at Aaron. “I’ve got you don’t I? My best mate. The most romantic bloke I —“
“We don’t ever speak about the card thing okay?” Aaron digs a hand into Robert’s back until he squirms and then kisses him slowly. “Merry Christmas Rob.”
“Yeah, it is isn’t it?” Robert whispers, pulls at Aaron’s puffer jacket in gives him a proper kiss, underneath mistletoe and everything.
Aaron still can’t quite believe it.
It’s still going to be the merriest Christmas he’s ever had though.
Throw back to Gordon's verdict day when Robert very casually put his hand on Aaron's arm in David's & said 'those idiots don't know what they're on about' and Aaron soft smiled at him. And Adam was literally like O EM GEE you're in love again, my wife the captain of your ship will be thrilled.
REMEMBER HOW ROB LITERALLY JUST TOUCHED AARON’S ARM AND ADAM WAS IMMEDIATELY LIKE “*soft gasp* robron”
HOW DID HE KNOW
DID HE NOT SEE THEM SITTING BASICALLY ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER FOR MONTHS WHILE THEY WERE ~~~FRIENDS???
