Aaron had taken Liv to a Football open day she had pestered them about for ages. He was glad it got her out of the house and away from the Scrapyard. Robert was in the Portacabin organising more European deliveries and reading his invite for a Gala at a Hotel in Harrogate for local businesses, when Adam walked in ready to start his working day.
"Alright mate, morning." Adam said cheerily.
"Yeah, Hi… Sorry I was just counting something in my head." Replied Robert. He had lost count and wasn't impressed. Although he had other things on his mind too.
"Yeah that came for 'ya yesterday, after you's two had gone, sorry I had a nosy. Bit poncey eh? 'Suppose you're used to all that middle-class gala dinner-in posh hotels crap?" Said Adam as he could see Robert with the gold and white card invitation in his hands at his desk.
"Yeah, was debating what to do, it's an invite for two and it's not exactly Aaron's scene. I kinda have to, seen as Jimmy and Nicola won't be up for it, although if Aaron doesn't want to then I guess if shove comes to push - Me and Jimmy could go, but then again, do I really want to have to spend a whole night just me and Jimmy pretending I actually enjoy his company? And to sit with him at a breakfast table, oh god." Said Robert - verbal diarrhoea. A classic sign of nerves or shiftyness.
"Riverting, Rob. Yeah not really Aaron's scene but going somewhere, with you, as his plus one, free food and booze and his suave suit getting an outing. He might love it, some time away just you and him, no brainer." Adam replied thinking there was more to this.
"Just this, it's got me thinking. Well I've been thinking for a while, to be honest." Robert said, softly, sounding concerned.
"Don't after all these months, don't you dare say Aaron isn't what you want or you are 'gonna get a punch Sugden!" Yelled Adam.
"What? Fuck, no, you joking? It's the total opposite actually." Robert replied angry that after all these declarations of love, people still think he thinks the grass is greener elsewhere.
"Finding your own please, aw mate that's great, finally you've seen the light, have you been looking?" Adam said, genuinely interested in his brother in law finally accepting what his best mate wanted for them, weeks ago.
"No not that, well not that for now but yeah, I guess that will have to happen too. I've been thinking, I love him so much, much more and in a different way to I did Chrissie, that I feel like I want to ask him to marry me. I want him to be my - husband." Robert said initially bashful but becoming more confident as his statement went on.
"Wow, mate, that's amazing. How and when are you gonna ask him?" Adam replied whooping and nodding his head in excitement.
"I guess not at this gala evening, that's too public and not Aaron but also not hidden away or he might feel like I'm hiding him away. I don't know I need it to be perfect. Just like him. Well not over perfect, just what he deserves. he deserves the world." Robert beams.
"Aw, soppy Sugden, that's so sweet I could be sick. No mate, he is and he does." Adam replying to the elements Robert had said.
"So I need to work out where and what to do to propose. Aeroplanes with "Aaron, will you marry me? Is a no, in the middle of the pub is a no, it's just too boring and well it's where our affair was broadcast so that's just… cheap. Oh Adam I'm thinking about him, he's all I think about…" Robert said being interrupted by a mischievous Adam.
"Oh is it, surely you must still have time to think about yourself for a bit mate, old habits and all that… haha." Interrupted Adam, smirking.
"Oh this is hilarious, Barton. Top marks for originality goes to you, proposing to my sister at her 21st for her to accept and then say actually, no and well for you to then…" Robert yells. Being interrupted again.
"Finish that sentence and 'ya dead. Well no, not for Vic… and Aaron. But you will get that punch I promised 'ya after all." Adam stated pointing turning into a fist.
"Look I don't want us falling out over this, we are the two people that know Aaron the best, 'cos let's face it Chas isn't getting involved until we either are or aren't engaged. Whatever his call. So between us surely we must be able to come up with the best way for me to ask him to marry me, which is totally Aaron with my romantic… je ne sais quoi." Laughed Robert, smiling. He really is madly in love with Aaron and want him to be his husband.
"Okay, leave it with me, you have a good think and we'll get Aaron engaged, if he's daft enough, ha the best way for you to blow his socks off." Adam replied putting out his hand for Robert to shake.
"And not just his socks either…" Robert replied winking and smirking while shaking his brother in law's hand.
"Urgh, right you be gone, 'cos I can't look at 'ya for a while after saying that. Project: A Decent Proposal is a go." Adam replies grimacing.
"Haha, cheers, see 'ya later." Robert replied, leaving the Portacabin off to secure a deal.
Robert and Adam spent the next few days thinking. This was way too much. Adam thought "Just ask the lad to marry 'ya and be done, he'll say yes, he's mad for 'ya!"
Aaron and Adam were having a tea break in their Scrapyard Portacabin Office.
"You know, Me and Robert, I'm not sure it's want I exactly want anymore." Aaron said, randomly, out of nowhere. Him and Adam had just been talking about how the crusher was making another funny noise.
"You what, you mad bro? He adores 'ya, loves the fucking bones of 'ya and you do him. What…? Where's this come from?" Yelled Adam.
He didn't want Robert "dick" Sugden back in his house again, moping, again, being lovesick, again, no just no he thought. My idiot best mate isn't doing this to me, or himself. They're on to a good thing. They bring out the best in each other. Robert wants to propose to him for fuck sake.
"No, you div!" Aaron yells, as he tries not to swear as much as he used to now Liv is around, although, Liv can out swear Aaron, The Woolpack and probably the majority of the Dingle's.
"I want something else, something more…" He continues, biting his lip into a smirk and then a full on, beaming smile, his piercing blue eyes shining with the joy of what's about to leave his lips.
Shit, Adam thought. What if? No way, that would be too weird. Them both wanting to get married. No, not that. Them nothing wanting to propose and basically the same time. It's awesome but also Robert wanting to take time to make it perfect and meaningful for Aaron to just pop the question in the back room of The Woolpack, casual as you like. He is promising to help Robert make sure everything goes without a hitch and Aaron will love it.
"I wanna marry him. I, want to, ask him to marry me. Mad isn't it?" Aaron said, over the top of Adam's crazy oh-my-god thoughts.
"Yeah deffo." Adam replied, not really listening. Then he suddenly realised over his thinking Aaron had just said what he was thinking and hoping it wasn't what he had been thinking about and about to say. Pfft, Aaron and Robert never stop being confusing or stressful or hard bloody work.
"No, you can't ask him!" Yelled Adam, almost throwing his mug of tea in the air.
"Why not?" Aaron asked, concerned. Why was his best mate, the one who said on his own Wedding Day "You'll be next." Okay, he didn't know about Robert then and certainly didn't ever think they'd become so domestic to even be a potential married couple. Why was his best mate against the idea? He was buzzing and all for them moving in together, whether it be the Woolpack or their own place. He wanted it so much for them, well for him also. But again, like he said "It's the best idea you've ever had."
"Do you think it's a step too far for him? - Marrying a man? 'Cos Adam, I don't want a massive lavish do, you know. I'm hardly that myself. Just the registry office, then the pub. Just a normal day, just with the fact that I've married by, soulmate, I guess, yeah, thrown in. I 'dunno, I just want, what everyone else's got."
"No god no, I've just said he adores ya, loves the fucking bones of ya, but what happened to you taking it slow?" Replied Adam, trying to put Aaron off without hurting his feelings.
Adam right now, really wanted to be "Team Aaron" in this proposal battle. Why should Robert get what he wants… again, as always? Actually the thought of Aaron proposing casual as you like was what Adam wanted. Aaron's mood and attitude right now was, and Adam doesn't have this feeling or feel the need to use a word like it very regularly, but adorable. He knew, Aaron didn't have to say, but everything Robert did for Aaron over the past 9 months meant the world to him and he guessed asking him to move in and now marry him, was Aaron's way of showing how much he means to him. But also, the thought of Robert coming up with some grand gesture pushing the hiding away aside and making Aaron the happiest man alive was maybe what he deserved. Oh he felt so conflicted.
"Yeah, you're right. Maybe we should just stick to being how we are. It's going well enough and well even if we got engaged doesn't mean we'd have to rush to get married. There's no proving to anyone we're something we're not, or courts or prisons." Aaron said with a smirk and a wink.
"Hey, I'd 'ave married her anyway.". Adam replied. Even though his own wedding day wasn't what he planned in a million years, he still did what he set out to, marry Victoria, he changed her ways like Aaron had Robert's.
"Look just enjoy what you have until you're one hundred percent sure. But I don't for one minute think he'd be ashamed or freak out at the idea of getting engaged and marrying 'ya at all mate. He's really proved himself this year." Adam stated, doing a mental "phew" of course knowing for a fact Robert was ready to marry Aaron, considering he's keeping Rob's proposal secret himself. Fuck the tea, he needs beer to get through this, or maybe his cover would blow with that.
"Yeah, cheers mate, sorry you're in the middle of all this, well kinda. You'll always side with me!" Aaron replied with another wink. Oh Adam felt it again. He just wanted to yell "Just bloody propose!"
"I'm off to the council office to pay that bill, see 'ya later on in the pub, yeah?" Aaron said and asked Adam.
"Yes, you will, see 'ya mate." Adam replied waving from the desk, exhaling, putting his hands on his head and banging his head on the desk.
Don't be in the middle of a couple.
Aaron returned home after paying the council with Robert and what Adam had said about him on his mind. He sat with a beer from the pub pondering what to do, he felt an impulse and wanted to ask Robert, he couldn't wait anymore. He waiting for him to return home from his day in working in Leeds.
"Hey, oh how I'm glad to see you." Robert said coming in the living room door from the side private entrance kissing Aaron on lips where he was sat on the sofa.
"Bad day eh?" Aaron replied, thinking this is the perfect way to cheer him up, he hopes.
"Yeah I don't even want to waste my breath talking about it." Robert replied. Aaron could see bags Robert brought in. "I brought takeaway for tea, your favourite." Robert said with a smile.
"Ah you legend." Aaron said, smiling.
The pair enjoyed their takeaway and a few beers when Robert realised Aaron wasn't completely at ease or relaxed tonight.
"Are you okay? You just don't seem, I don't know, yourself. Yourself with me, anyway." Robert asked, concerned.
"Yeah, I'm fine. No, okay, just me and Adam were talking today and he didn't exactly say what I hoped or wanted him to and ah I just don't know I think I'm gonna do what I set out to and just ignore what he said 'cos I know you better than anyone…" Aaron said, the beers and his heart doing the talking.
Robert interrupted…
"You've been talking to Adam?" He asked worried his secret was about to come out, stupidly.
"Erm, well of course, he's my best mate and we work together, durrr…" Aaron replied, thinking what the hell.
"Yeah course." Robert replied.
"What's the matter, Robert?" Asked Aaron.
"Nothing." Robert replied. Aaron rolling his eyes, thinking it's now or never.
"I'm just gonna do this, it isn't how I wanted to but I've started now and I need to know before I go mad." Aaron stood up and got down on one knee. Robert looking like he seen a ghost.
"Robert, will you marry, me?" Aaron asked holding both his hands stroking them affectionately in his.
Robert froze, in expression and voice. Until just only a few moments which felt like lightyears. "Erm, Aaron." Robert replied genuinely shocked at the timing and the pure coincidence. How in sync were these two? A perfect couple if there ever was one.
"I knew it, you don't want to? You can't handle us, still. You don't want to marry a man, marry me, have a husband. But it's alright you married Chrissie to hide behind for money and status…" Aaron yelled but not angrily, just disappointed. Robert stopped him by kissing him. "No don't you dare kiss me, I want an answer…" Aaron asked sharply.
"The reason I'm so shocked is I was finding the right way and time to propose to you, perfectly. Adam was in on it, we were trying to keep it a secret and make it one hundred perfect right for you." Robert replied beaming, he didn't care. He just wanted the two of them to be officially engaged. He was kinda relived to be honest, nothing either of them came up with seemed right and would be too cheesy and rehearsed.
"Adam was in on it? So that's why he was trying his worst to put me off earlier? I knew it!" Aaron said smirking relieved.
"Yeah, but you didn't with what you've just said and all that!" Robert stated laughing.
"Alright, shut up, so what do you say? Robert Sugden, will you marry me?" Asked Aaron with his hands around Robert waist, their default haven.
"Yes definitely, so what do you say? Aaron Dingle, will you marry me?' Asked Robert with his hands on Aaron's neck.
"Yes. Definitely." Aaron replied smile beaming.
They kiss and kiss a bit more.
"So does that make us engaged then?" Robert asked, smiling.
"Yes this does, and it's exactly how we wanted it, sort of." Aaron replied in a romantic bliss.
"I love you, Fiancé." Said Robert hugging Aaron into his right shoulder.
"I love you too, Fiancé." Replied Aaron, embracing the hug and closing his eyes almost exactly like their reunion.