Work Text:
Robert had woken up the next morning feeling better than the day before. He still had no job, no friends but hey at least he knew Aaron still wanted him around. He could still feel the ghost of his touch from the day before. The way his lips felt as they kissed down his neck, like he found water after a long drought. How he held him like he was afraid he would disappear if he let go. He was reluctant to let go after it happened, until he saw it kick in what they had done. Then he jumped up and got dressed whilst Robert watched him. He did pause by the door, giving Robert a look up and down before he shook his head and left.
He wondered what to do for the rest of the day. Maybe find Vic and talk to her, tell her he was taking up the therapy. Find Moira and try to get his job back. It was worth trying.
He got ready before heading downstairs.
There was a note from Vic
Took Harry to Moiras for the day. Gone to work x
Yesterday he would have probably thought there was a hint of passive aggressiveness in the note. Today he held onto the fact she left a kiss, probably being 10% less annoyed with him today.
He was halfway up to Butlers farm when he got a text from Aaron.
We need to talk. Woolpack kitchen in ten.
He knew the kitchen was shut for a few days. The oven had packed in and most people got sandwiches from the cafe. They'd talked in there a few times in the past. No-one would bother them.
He didn't think too much of it as he made his way there. He sneaked in through the back entrance, they still kept a key under one of the large stones. He was thankful the kitchen didn't lead straight to the bar.
It was empty, errily empty.
"Aaron." He called out as he stepped closer to the walk in freezer. It had been their latest installment the little freezer room. He only knew about it because Marlon wouldn't stop going on about it. He was pretty sure half of Hotten knew about the Woolpacks little freezer room.
He felt a pair of hands on his back before he was being pushed down to the ground as he heard the door click shut behind him.
What the hell.
He looked up to see that John had locked him in. He ran to the door, pushing on the handle trying to get it to do something. Nothing happened.
He saw the evil smug look on Johns face before he rang him.
Of course he had been tricked by his brother.
"What the fuck John?"
"I knew you still love him. But I love him too and he can only have one Sugden brother. The better one. Me." John said. Robert scoffed.
"You were just the stand in as Aaron and Vic waited for me to return." Robert said.
"That's where you're wrong big brother. He married me. He chose me. He doesn't want you in his life. But you won't leave so I'll have to make you leave. For good." John said before walking away.
He smacked on the door out of anger before he looked around. His breathing was speeding up as it reminded him of prison. He paced the five lengths of the room before he tried to calm himself down.
He only had a few hours of oxygen. There was no point wasting them now.
He tried to ring Vic, forgetting she was at work. She went straight to voicemail.
Then he sat down before flickering over Aarons contact. He tried it whilst mentally pleading, he didn't know if John still had Aarons phone or only used it to send a text but he knew he'd regret it if he didn't leave a message.
That also went to voicemail. This time he decided to leave one.
"Hey Aaron, look if you get this it's probably too late. I got locked in the walk in freezer at the wooly. Should've known the text wasn't actually from you. I still love you, after all this time. Me and you forever right. Or well maybe not. I hope you live a happy life. That's all I've ever wanted." He said before he hung up.
He breathed out, great no-one was coming to his rescue and he was going to die alone with frozen chicken and mince for company.
---
The thing with being trapped in such a small space was it gave him time for reflection. Not that he hadn't spent the past six years doing exactly that. But this time he got to look back on the past three months.
Did he regret coming back?
Absolutely not, it was the best decision he ever made.
But was it though, because despite all of it he barely got Aaron back. His relationship with Vic got worse, and he was making an enemy out of Moira Dingle. One of the few people who stuck her neck out on the line for him. Who gave him a chance when everyone else turned away from him.
Maybe he should have gone elsewhere. To Bristol to try and be with Seb. But he knew Angela wouldn't have allowed it. Hell if he was in her shoes he would do the same. He had nothing to provide Seb, no stability, no security. Well apart from money in a bank account until Seb was eighteen.
What could he give Aaron, he sighed as he rested his head against the wall. He was an ex convinct with nothing going for him. Compared to the army medic brother.
Maybe he had made a mistake coming back.
He heard his phone go off, he jumped before seeing Aarons contact. The time on the screen showed it was nearly twelve. Robert had left just before ten.
"Hi."
"Look up you idiot." He looked up from the floor, seeing Aarons face. He doesn't look too happy in the little window with the phone pressed against his ear.
"What happened?" Aaron questioned.
"I got locked in, not by choice. This wouldn't be the first place I'd go."
Robert let's out a laugh, he sees Aaron smiling. He pulls his phone away, shit he's been in there for nearly two hours at that point. He knew he would be running out of oxygen.
He made a decision and walked up to the door standing with his hand pressed to it.
"Look I don't know how long I have left so I just want to say something in case you didn't get my voicemail."
"You are not dying on me Robert Sugden. I can't lose you, not when I've just got you back. So you listen to me yeah, you've still got oxygen in that room so take short sharp breaths. We are getting you out of here. Did you do this so you could have a bunch of firefighters come and save you?" He heard Aarons voice take on a teasing tone.
"Yes that's exactly why. Just how I wanted to spend a Thursday morning." He replied in a sarcastic tone.
"Who did this?" Aaron asked as Robert sighed, looking away from the glass. He heard a thud and looked up.
"Don't hurt yourself." He said to Aaron.
"I don't care, spit it out." Aaron said.
"You wouldn't believe me." Robert said.
"Try me."
"Your loving, doting husband. Lured me with a text to your phone. Probably earlier this morning when you were in the shower if I had to guess. Then he pushed me in here and shut the door behind me." He saw the look of disbelief on Aaron's face.
"If you don't believe me I'll just hang up." He moved his phone away from his ear before he heard Aaron.
"No don't. I believe you. I-Its just—why? He doesn't know does he?" Aaron asked. He shook his head.
"He would have said something." Robert said.
"Did he say why?" Aaron sounded worried, probably for being in the middle of the brothers mess.
"I got in the way didn't I. Lets face it if I stayed it would be too much for you. For both of you." Robert said.
"He doesn't get to make you leave. No I won't accept that." Aaron said.
"It's not up to you, or me anymore. Guess at this point it'll be however long it takes, did they say how long it could be?" Robert asked.
"Fifteen minutes." Aaron said.
He could already feel himself getting lightheaded. God this was worse than the carbon monoxide poisoning. Each breath he took was killing him.
He moved back towards the shelves before he sat on the floor.
"Robert, Robert I swear to god you better not be falling asleep on me." Aaron said.
"If only I could fall asleep on you. These shelves don't quite compare." Robert said as he looked up.
The next fifteen minutes were a blur. He could hear Aaron talking on the phone, he only really focused when he heard his name. He was sure he made the occasional hum but his mind was a blur.
Its when his vision fades out, he expects his body to slump to the floor. He feels strong hands gripping his arm, moving him upright before his head is slumped onto someones shoulder.
"I'm here. I've got you. I'm sorry." He hears Aaron mumbling into his shoulder. He lifts his arm up and just about places it on his back. He feels himself being pulled up, his arm wrapped around Aarons shoulder. He can sense theres other people around, but he only has the energy to focus on the man in front of him. He squints at the light coming from the kitchen, as he walks outside where the paramedics are.
His arm is moved off of Roberts as the paramedics help him on the gurney. They put an oxygen mask on him and it is so fresh after breathing in the stale air in the freezer room.
He looks up at the sky, god its such a sunny day as well. He closes his eyes to take in the sun before he feels a calloused hand gripping his own.
"Robert, don't be falling asleep on me again." Aaron demanded. He laughed, coughing a bit as he lowered the mask.
"Can't a man just take in the sunlight in peace. It's such a beautiful day out here." He said.
"Take it in. If you get out later today I'll take you up the field near Wylies farm." He said, sounding like a promise.
"Careful Aaron Dingle because it sounds like you're asking me on a date." He said as he looks over at Aaron, he gives him a wet laugh and its there he realises he'd been crying.
They loaded him up into the ambulance, allowing Aaron to join him. He relishes in the fact that Aaron doesn't drop his hand the entire time. In fact he doesn't stop looking at him the entire time either, it makes Robert feel like he matters. Even though he feels like he looks a bit of a wreck.
"Anything capture your eye." He said before Aaron gives him a look filled with so much love before squeezing his hand.
"Yeah, I'm looking right at him." Aaron replied and he rested his head back.
---
They hadn't really talked about it since Robert had been admitted to hospital. Aaron spent most of the time sat by his bedside, holding his hand with a concerned look on his face. It wasn't until the police arrived for Roberts statement that he could sense the anger radiating from him.
"I'm going to kill him." Aaron said despite the police officers in the room. He goes to stand up until Robert grabs his arm.
"Yeah, and you'll end up back inside. It's not worth it." He almost wants to add I'm not worth it but he holds himself back. However he sees the look that Aaron gives him, almost like he can read him after all this time.
Maybe he can, he was always good at knowing Roberts thoughts, sometimes better than the man himself.
After the police left he felt a hand gripping his own.
"Don't you ever think for one second that you're not worth it. I would break him with my bare hands if I had to." Aaron said.
He wanted to believe him, but all he could think about was the Aaron he'd seen the past couple of months. The one who had ignored him in the cafe, the pub and in the street.
Despite their little moment in the ambulance he pulled his hand away from Aaron.
"You chose him Aaron, not me. Maybe I should have gone elsewhere, Manchester or Bristol. Instead of trying to win a competition I had no chance of winning." Robert sighed.
Aaron stood up, he half expected him to leave the hospital room. Instead he paced around.
"You really are something you know that. You came back to stop my wedding. Then you came back again because of me. You stayed because you had hope in us. Now you're giving up."
"I almost died Aaron."
"Exactly you almost died because of him. I nearly lost you again, all because I made the wrong choice. I knew it was the wrong one deep down, but I chose to ignore it. Convince myself otherwise. But he will never be you. He can never match up to you. Yeah you're a bit smug, too cocky for your own good and a tiny bit arrogant. But you are caring, you love so deeply. You believed in me when I couldn't believe in myself. You're insane if you think there's any competition. You love me still after all this time. I know every bit about you. Maybe there's more to learn from the last six years. All I'm asking is for you to give me a chance. Let me make it up to you." Aaron walked up to the bed, taking his other hand.
Despite all the negative thoughts running around inside his head. He doesnt mean it, he's just lonely. You'll never be enough. He looked up at Aarons eyes and knew he was his Achilles heel. Hell John had known and used it against him.
He squeezed his hand.
"Guess we both have a lot of making up to do." Robert said before he felt Aaron pulling him in for a kiss. He held him as they kissed like it was their last breath. Even though it had only been a day since their last one.
At least he wouldn't have to wait that long between kisses anymore.
The door bursts open and they only have time to stop kissing before they see Vic.
"Robert, god I'm so sorry." She said before running up to him and hugging him. Well hugging both of them.
"It's okay, he was good at twisting the narrative. I don't blame you for how you reacted." He moves his arm to include her in the hug.
"I shouldn't have brought him back into our lives." She said.
"It's alright you weren't to know. Neither of you were so don't blame yourselves." He said fiercely to the two people in the room that cared about him the most.
---
They find out that John was arrested as he tried to escape Emmerdale. Robert was kept in the hospital until later in the evening. They weren't sure where to go and ended up sat in the car outside the pub. Then he looked over at Aaron, who was already looking at him with so much concern before he took a deep breath.
He had to face the music sooner or later.
Walking into the pub is weird. Theres music playing in the background, he can tell everyone else is trying to be normal about it all. But they keep glancing at them as he orders the pints. He can sense Aaron glaring at them.
"We might as well get it over with, so say what you need to say." Robert addresses the pub as he turns around. He doesn't expect to see half the Dingles, Caleb and Ruby grinning.
He expects someone to make a dig at him, it always felt like he had done something wrong.
"So are you and Aaron dating?" Sam asks, sitting at one of the tables with Lydia.
"Well I was just about to ask him to move in with me." He heard Aaron say, glancing at the man to see him shrugging.
"I wasn't gonna let you keep living at Vics after that. Not unless she gets used to me calling round all the time." Aaron said.
"As happy as I am that you're alive and well Robert, please move in with him." He heard Vic half pleading with him. She grins at him and any issues they had the past couple of weeks have gone.
"Guess you've got yourself a roommate now." Robert said, he heard the groans around the pub.
"Just kidding, we are dating. Unless you're not happy with it." He looks over at Chas across the bar. He'd never cared about her approval before but this time it felt different. She gave him a small smile.
"I can't stop you two from dating. Hes a grown lad, my grown lad. Just try not to leave him again. It was bad enough last time." Chas said and that felt like a stern enough warning.
"Maybe keep away from confined spaces for a while." Moira said.
"I'll make sure of it." Robert said.
"Aye up do we need to get t'welly out for him." Sam said.
"Absolutely." Aaron said. Oh the betrayal, it was bad enough the first time. Even if he did enjoy the odd tradition you could not pay him 100 pound to do it again.
---
Aaron takes him back to the Mill after they had a few drinks. It wasn't quite the same, having to stumble up the stairs. The apartment wasn't the same, the orange was so stark and bright against the dark grey and black of their old house.
But he was here with Aaron as he kissed him. They barely made it to the bedroom at first. Robert was sat on the top of the stairs whilst Aaron was straddled on top of him. He traced his hands up and down his back before pulling his tshirt off him.
Then he was pulled up and he fiddled with Aarons belt in the doorway of the bedroom. He found himself laughing, his eyes drifting up to Aarons. Even Aaron was smiling and laughed a bit at the awkwardness.
Despite all of that they just end up lying on Aaron's bed. His head resting on Aaron's chest as he wraps his arms around Aarons waist. God he missed this so much.
He feels a hand gently tracing along his back, its so soothing he ends uo falling asleep.
The next day he wakes up and sees Aaron staring at him.
"I can't believe I get to have this." Aaron said as he moved his hand to his face. Ever the gentleman he grabbed it and kissed his knuckles before rubbing his thumb across them. They were always dry, somethings never changed.
"Same here. Reality is better than my memories." Robert said.
Later that day Aaron takes him out for a walk towards Annie's farm.
Its fun watching Aaron as he walks ahead. He gets to admire the man in front of him. God he had imagined domestic moments like this for months. He still feels like he's in a dream sometimes.
He finally sees where theyre heading towards, the picnic basket on top of the blanket on the hill.
"I would have taken you to a restaurant but after being trapped in a small space I thought you would want somewhere more open." He surprises himself when he goes to hug Aaron. He feels a hand rubbing his back reassuringly, the other holding him close.
"Thank you."
"I should be thanking you for not giving up on us." Aaron said.
"I knew you'd come round eventually. I mean cmon its me." Robert said as he indicated to himself.
Aaron snorted.
"Hey I was a hot mess last week and yet you still thought yeah he's well fit let's shag." Robert nudged his arm.
"I also wanted you to know that I could never have thought you were a waste of space. Who gave you the idea?" Aaron asked. His silence spoke volumes as Aaron huffed before saying.
"I should've known he got inside your head. Anything he said to make you think you were worthless is a lie. I don't want to imagine my life without you. I mean ask half the village I was a nightmare without you." Aaron said.
"You were grieving Liv." Robert said.
"So was Vinny and he didn't act like I did." Aaron said before they both sat down.
"I never stopped thinking about all of you while I was inside. The family that I lost." He felt himself folding in on himself.
"We'll get it back eventually. It might not be like how it used to be. But that doesn't mean it can't be something." Aaron said as Robert turned and lifted his head up. He reached out for his hand.
He knew there would never be anyone that he loved as much as Aaron. Someone who could understand him sometimes more than he could himself. Someone who had forgiven him more times than he could count.
---
He felt an arm wrap round him before he fell asleep. He placed his hand over Aarons as their fingers interlocked. It was mad to think how in a short space of time he went from thinking that Aaron didn't want him in his life to this. He still had the thought that sounded like John, but with every kiss and every close touch the voice dimmed a bit. He knew if he'd even tried to leave that Aaron would follow him.
"I can hear the few brain cells you have bouncing in your head." Aaron said, he turned himself, swapping hands.
"Just thinking of you. How you'd probably follow me if I tried to leave." Robert said.
"Damn right I would. I need you in my life."
"I know."
"You don't want to leave do you. I know you said you were thinking of going to Bristol." Aaron said.
"Well I'll still go, just let me know when you can get time off work." Robert said.
"I'm part owner of the scrapyard. I can take a holiday whenever I want. How does next week sound?"
"Sounds wonderful seeing as I still don't have a job." He said and saw the frown on Aaron's face.
"Leave that with me."
Now knowing Aarons connections this could mean a range of things. From getting his job with Moira back, to getting shifts at the Woolpack, the haulage or doing the accounts for the scrapyard.
The next day he went round to Moiras and she offered him his job back. He was curious when she said part time until he came back home to Aaron. Noticing his set up with a laptop on the outside table in the shade.
Also the big fat pile of paperwork.
Who said romance is dead.
"No I didn't ask Moira to give you your job back. She came up to me and told me. But I thought this would be good for the summer months." Aaron suggested.
"Well I better have a butler when I'm working here." He said as Aaron kissed the side of his head before walking away.
"I have work too you know, enjoy the weather before it rains or something." Aaron said before he left.
He finished the paperwork after several hours. When Aaron returned he was busy googling hotels in Bristol.
"Do you know what you're going to say when you see your son?" Aaron asked as he perched his head on his shoulder.
"Probably see what he says first." Robert said.
"No big I missed you speech, you've grown up so much." Aaron said.
"I used to hate it when strangers said that to me." Robert said as Aaron hugged him from behind.
"Yeah but you're not a stranger you're his dad." Aaron said.
"I'm as good as a stranger right now." Robert said as he turned around. He saw the look Aaron gave him, it was one he wore quite a lot recently whenever Robert said something self deprecating.
"Book the hotel for next week. Before you talk yourself out of it." Aaron said and he turned back round to the laptop.
Even though everything in him was telling him not to. That he would just ruin Sebs life by being back in it. But then another voice powered through, it was his younger self. Who had experienced so much loss at a young age. As much as his relationship with his dad had been precarious at times. When it was just them, before Vic and before Andy it felt like they could take the world on together. Sarah had also been like a mum to him.
He knew he wouldn't be like his dad. He would never hit his son. He would always tell him just how loved he was. He also had Aaron, who loved Seb like he was his own. He wasn't doing it for him, he was doing it for them.
So without another thought he booked the hotel before standing up until he was in front of Aaron. He ran a hand along his beard, along the back of his neck as he played with the short hairs.
He felt two hands on his waist, gravitating closer.
"I love you so much Aaron Dingle."
"Good, because I love you Robert Sugden."
He could feel the smile on his face and for the first time in a long time he felt a bit of hope. Aaron in his arms and plans to get his son back and rebuild their family. If only he could tell his past self from last week about what was to come.