Loyalty
Pairing: Robert/Aaron
Description: Robert's loyalty is tested on the day of his wedding when word reaches him that Aaron has been rushed to hospital.
Disclaimer: This story is fictional. All characters belong to Emmerdale.
Chapter 1
He stared out of his bedroom window, watching as the wind howled through the deserted village. It wouldn't stay quiet for long though. In 3 hours time the village would be buzzing with life, the final preparations being made, everyone starting to make their way down to Home Farm. As much as he didn't want this day to arrive, it was finally here. Chrissie and Robert's wedding. The day he'd have to let go of Robert for good. He wasn't ready for that. Aaron was more than happy to stay in his room, hide away from the world, but he didn't have that choice. Chrissie wanted him at the wedding. He was the one after all who'd managed to find her her dream car to drive away in after the wedding. An Austin Healey. Chrissie had somehow even managed to convince him to drive her and Robert to the airport for the impending honeymoon. He'd gone over every situation in his head, but he had no choice, he HAD to go. He had to stand there in silence watching him get married, push every single memory they had far to the back of his head. That's all he had now. Robert's words from last night still spun around his head.
"You and me, We're done. We HAVE to be. Once I put that ring on her finger, that's it. We're nothing but a memory now. Aaron. I love her, not you. I'm doing this, and don't even think about trying to stop me."
Tears fell from his shimmering blue eyes, those eyes that captivated Robert so many times. He'd told him so. He'd always said how beautiful Aaron's eyes were. That night they'd spent together in the hotel was one of the best nights of Aaron's life. They lay there, on the king size bed, in their complimentary robes, drinking expensive champagne and chatting about anything and everything. They'd made good use of that king size bed. Truth be told Aaron felt out of his depth at first. He'd never been in a five star hotel before. He worried over the silly things, Did he look okay? What should he wear? Would he get thrown out if he walked in there wearing a hoodie? He settled on that blue shirt. The one that held so many memories for him. That one he was going to wear to meet Hazel, The one he wore when Jackson took the piss out of him and made him change. Robert was different. It damn near knocked all breath out of Robert when he saw it, he had pulled Aaron towards him, telling him he looked incredible and kissed him. He can't wear it anymore though. Robert was less than careful with it when they'd got to the hotel, and practically tore it off the young mechanic's back.
Robert was everything Aaron wanted and more, The money didn't bother him, but having someone who would occasionally splash out on him, make little gestures, it attracted him. He'd never had that kind of attention before. He was gorgeous too, and had that danger element to him that first piqued Aaron's interest.
Aaron didn't cope well when they came home. Robert had chucked him out of the car at the top of the road, before driving down to the Woolpack. By the time Aaron arrived, his heart shattered. He was there, in the corner, with her. Cuddling up to her, kissing her. He had no right to be playing the victim card, he knew that, he was just as guilty as Robert, but it still hurt. He'd done it again, something he hadn't done for a while, hadn't even thought of for a while, the pressure was too much though. He needed a release. He'd found a pair of nail scissors in the bathroom, done what he'd needed to do, washed them and put them back. No-one would suspect a thing.
He'd done it a couple of times since. He'd deliberately hurt himself at the garage once, and then again in the pub, Diane had told him to help himself to a pint, and when she was out of sight, he'd picked up a glass and smashed it against the side of the bar, shards of glass still in his hand, he'd clenched his fist, put on an act that it had shattered in his hands. Diane patched him up without a second thought.
That feeling was creeping back. 2 hours to go and he had to be at Home Farm. He could hear his mum moving around, he could hear Diane pottering around downstairs. He walked to his door, his work overalls hanging on the back, he'd rooted through his pockets and found what he had been searching for. He'd been running the garage on his own practically, with Cain out of action and Debbie spending most of her time at the hospital with him, it was down to him and Dan to keep the garage going. Before locking up one night, he'd stole a Stanley Knife from the toolbox in the garage. He knew how much damage they did. He used one at Zak's, that day he fainted chasing Sean Spencer.
He sat down on his bed, and with a deep breath, he slowly began to lift up his t-shirt. ...