Aaron takes Robert to the Wool Pack when he finds out that his brother, Andy, has been seeing Chrissie. Robert gets drunk and whinges away to Aaron about how no one wants him. Will Aaron be his savior or will he run for the hills?
"Aaron?" Robert asks into the mobile phone, "Can you meet me somewhere tonight?"
Aaron hears a little bit of alarm in Robert's voice and his interest is peaked. "Yeah, sure. Where?" He says before he's had time to really think about the consequences of seeing his ex again.
Robert quietly sighs, hoping that Aaron doesn't hear it, "Wool Pack? Say 7?" He asks quieter than he started.
"Ok, meet you there." Aaron hangs up the phone and stares at it for a bit. "That's odd." He says to the empty room.
"What is love?" Chas says walking into the backroom.
A startled Aaron turns around quickly, then sighs in relief when he sees it's only his mum. "Oh, nothing. Robert just called me. We're going out tonight." He sits down and crosses his leg, bouncing it up and down in nervousness. He starts chewing on his thumb as he scrolls through his phone to keep himself occupied.
"No love, ya didn't say yeah?" Chas sits beside of her son and rests her hand on his knee. "Love, you know he's bad news for ya, yeah?" She leans forward and looks into her son's eyes. "Love?"
Aaron uncrosses his legs and stands up grumbling quietly under his breath, "He may be to you mum, but he's been a decent friend to me, and it sounds like he needs one in return tonight." He puts his phone in the pocket of his hoodie and walks to the door, "Please mum, he makes me... or made me happy I guess, or at least almost, for a few months. Just trust me, will you?" With that, he leaves. Chas sits for a few moments longer and then goes back to the bar. She's not sure about Aaron seeing Robert again, but she knows that she can't do anything to stop it if it's going to happen.
Aaron spends the next few hours at the scrap yard with Adam. Adam has became a valuable asset to the business, but he's always been a great friend for Aaron. He's still not used to seeing Adam in coverall's and grease all over him, but he's thankful for the company and help.
"Mate, what's on your mind?" Adam asks sitting down beside of Aaron's desk.
"What?" Aaron asks, "Oh, nothing." He shakes his head, "Just a call I got from Robert that's weighing on me mind."
Adam pulls up a chair and pats it, motioning for Aaron to sit down. "Want to tell me about it?"
Aaron looks up to Adam, "I will try to be partial," he says motioning again to the chair.
"What? You're not going to try to talk me out of it are you?" He asks sitting down.
"I don't even know what "it" is, mate. But, Robert's Vic's brother, so I try to reserve judgement for her sake." Adam says leaning back into his chair.
"He called me up out of the blue and asked me to meet him tonight for a pint." Aaron sighs as he sits down, and turns to face Adam.
"And?" Adam asks leaning back, crossing his legs.
"And what? I said I'd meet him." Aaron crosses his arms and slumps down in the chair.
"Hey, don't get defensive with me mate." Adam says catching Aaron's eyes, "He's had a rough go of it lately. I think it's great of you to talk to him." Adam leans forward and quietly asks, "Are you still in love with him?" He quietly watches Aaron ponder on the question.
A startled Aaron goes to answer, but pauses, thinking about whether or not he could honestly answer that question.
"There's your answer mate. Go see what he wants, yeah? If you need to talk after, just ring me." Adam says standing up. "You'd better go get cleaned up if you're to be on time tonight."
"Yeah, I'd better hadn't I?" Aaron looks down at his clothes and back up to Adam. "Thanks mate. You're being great about all of this." He says and stands up, giving Adam a small hug.
"Anytime." He answers. "Go on now," He says shoving Aaron playfully towards the door.
On the walk home, Aaron thinks about different scenarios of what could happen tonight. While in the shower he fantasizes about Robert joining him. While dressing he fantasizes about Robert undressing him. While on the walk to the pub he fantasizes about Robert walking beside of him, holding his hand or wrapping his arms around his shoulder. He doesn't know why all of the sudden he's dreaming about public displays of affection, but he is. He's not sure how to feel about that tho.
When he reaches the pub door, he takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out as he opens the door and walks in.
He finds Robert sitting at the bar, pint half drank with a second full one beside of him. An empty chair beside of him was waiting for the younger man to sit in.
Aaron slowly walks to Robert and sits in the chair, "Started with out me yeah?" He goes to smile but stops when he sees the look in Robert's eyes.
Robert, swaying a bit and leans into Aaron, "They're sleeping together." He blurts out.
"Who is?" Aaron asks, trying to figure out where this conversation is going, while remembering the last time Robert got drunk. He was a handful to say the least. He takes the glass out of Robert's hand, mid sip and sits it down onto the bar.
"Chrissie and Andy," Robert slurs out and loses balance, almost slipping off of the bar stool.
"You called me here because of your ex?" Aaron asks incredulously.
"He's my BROTHER Aaron, she's my ex-WIFE." Robert slurs out again, "And they're sleeping together." He shouts. The bar gets quieter as the patrons begin watching the duo at the bar.
Aaron gets a little self-conscious and scoots closer to Robert.
"What do you mean? How do you know?" Aaron asks trying to keep his anger in check, remembering Adam's words from earlier.
"I walked in on them..." He motions his hands, "Doing... I can't even say it." Robert says shaking his head, trying to get the memory out of his head.
"He's my brother." Robert says and turns unsteadily to Aaron, "Isn't that breaking a code or something?" He cries out, tears finally start falling down his face.
"I don't understand why this is bothering you so much, Robert. Do you still have feelings for her?" Aaron carefully asks, rubbing his shoulder, trying to comfort the other man.
"No, but he's my BROTHER Aaron!" Robert shouts again.
"As you keep telling me. Take a deep breath," Aaron says uncharacteristically trying to calm Robert and understand what he's feeling at the same time.
"You don't want her anymore, right?" Aaron carefully asks.
Robert whispers out a, "Yeah."
"So what are you feeling here? Is it just that she's with Andy, or that she's with someone at all?"
Robert sways as he looks up and whispers out, "Because if she doesn't want me, no one will."
Aaron is stunned at the truth coming from Robert at the moment, but remembers that he is half drunk.
"What?" Aaron has to ask to make sure that he heard him right.
"You don't want me, she doesn't want me. No one wants me." Robert sighs and lays his head on the bar top.
"That's not true." Aaron says, resting his hand on Robert's back.
"It is. I don't want to be alone anymore." Robert says turning his head toward Aaron, still resting it on the bar. "I just wish someone would love me. Am I that bad that no one wants me?"
Aaron sees tears start to gather in Robert's eyes and he leans forward, resting his chin on Robert's forearm, "I want you... I love you," He whispers, "I always have." He pulls Robert closer to him, wrapping his arm around Robert's shoulders and resting his other hand on Robert's bicep.
"No you don't. Not really." Robert says sitting up, "It you did, I wouldn't be sitting here crying in my beer over Andy and Chrissie. I'd be in your arms, curled up, watching some stupid movie for the thousandth time simply because you love it."
Aaron takes a deep breath, "Do you think about us that way?"
Robert blinks a few times, as if he didn't understand the question, "I love you, Aaron. Of course I think of us that way."
Aaron leans back on the stool and studies Robert's face, trying to decide whether or not to continue this conversation. When he sees nothing but truth in the other man's eyes, he leans forward, resting his elbows on the bar. Aaron sighs and drops his head in his hands and rubs his face a few times and then looks back up to Robert.
"I'm sorry. I don't think that I was listening before." Aaron says, "But if you're willing to go talk, I would like to hear what you need to say."
"Tomorrow," Robert says, "Tonight, I need to go lay down before I get too drunk."
Aaron tries to hide the laugh that comes out, "BEFORE you get too drunk? Mate, you're already a few sheets to the wind right now."
He jumps down off of his bar stool and pulls Robert's hands, "Upsie daisy," He says steadying Robert.
"I do love you," Robert says louder than he meant, which made the entire pub go silent watching the exchange.
"So you've said," Aaron replies laying a few bills on the bar.
"C'mon, let's get you out of here," Aaron says, wrapping Robert's arms around his shoulders, and grabbing him by his waist.
"Aaron?" Robert asks as he unsteadily wobbles into Aaron.
"Yeah?" Aaron asks.
"Will you ever love me again?" He asks.
The first thing that Aaron realizes is how close Robert's face is from his. The second thing is the fear he sees in Robert's eyes. He takes a deep breath and answers, "I think maybe."
Robert nods and leans into Aaron again. Aaron carefully gets Robert situated in his car and buckles his seat belt.
"Tomorrow, we'll sit down and talk, yeah?" Aaron says.
"Yeah, sounds good." Robert slurs out.
The car ride was awkward and quiet, neither man not quite knowing what to say. When Aaron pulls up to Adam and Vic's, he looks over to Robert.
"Do you need help in then?" He asks.
His response was a loud snore.
He swears under his breath as he gets out of the car and walks around to Robert's side. He hoists up the unconscious man and carries him into the flat. After laying him on the couch, he takes off Robert's shoes and jacket and then tucks him in with a throw blanket that was on the back of the couch.
Adam, hearing Aaron walking around on the first level, comes down and bids him "Good-night," after thanking him for getting Robert home. For the first time since their recent break-up, Aaron was questioning getting back together with Robert. He shakes his head and thinks to himself on the way back to his place. He would have a restless night that night as he spent the night thinking about what he was going to do. In the end, the decision would be his, but could he trust his heart to Robert again?