Aaron awoke as he normally did when he didn't feel well: with his feet atop his pillow and his head hanging off the side of the bed. He rubbed his eyes furtively as he recalled why he felt like crap this particular morning. Suddenly he remembered the events of the day before. He found out that while he and Robert were together, Lachlan had taken drugs and been sent to hospital. The idea that he had somehow been responsible for this made him sick to his stomach. He grumbled as he made the effort to sit up, realizing he may have had a pint too many the night before.
"Rise and shine, love," his mother chimed loudly as she barged through the door with a large grin on her face.
"Why're you so cheery this morning?" Aaron grimaced as Chas managed to plop a quick kiss on his forehead before he ducked away.
"Because hon, many, many years ago I was blessed with my little drop of sunshine," Chas said sarcastically as she ruffled his hair. Aaron groaned as he realized that today was, in fact, the fifth of January, his birthday. "So cheer up and get yourself together so we can celebrate."
"Uh, no thanks. Can you not make a big deal out of this please?"
"No, thank you very much, I cannot. This is the first birthday I've had with ya in years," she whined with the most pleading look she could muster. Aaron sighed in defeat and gave her a curt nod.
"Fine, but don't make it too big, yeah? Just us, alright?"
"Sure, love. Just you, me, Paddy, Cain, Debbie, Zak, Lisa, Belle, Marlon, Diane, James, and Adam." She flashed him a quick smile as she dashed out of the room.
Aaron rolled his eyes and was about to shout something after her, but his phone caught his attention. He eyed it wearily, wondering if he should text Robert or not. As he turned it on, he saw that Robert had beat him to it. He eagerly read the message, hoping to find assurance that Lachlan was okay. Instead, the text read:
"Let's meet up tonight" along with a winking smiley face.
He scoffed in disbelief and disgust as he tossed the phone away from him. Had he heard Alicia right? She did say that Lachlan was in hospital, right? He bit his lip, contemplating what he should think before deciding to just chuff it for now and go to the garage.
Meanwhile, Robert was wandering around the village looking for Aaron before checking the Woolpack. As soon as he walked in, he spotted Vic laughing with Adam by the bar. "Hey," he greeted them while quickly casting a glance around the pub for Aaron.
"Hey, mate," Adam greeted him while chuckling at Victoria. "Guess what? Your sister was just telling me about her and Aaron."
"What about her and Aaron?" Robert inquired absentmindedly.
"The two of 'em were, uh, a bit more than just friends once," Adam laughed boisterously. Robert nearly choked and he stared at Vic, hoping for a denial.
"Don't have a heart attack, Rob. It was a long time ago. And I'll thank you," Vic said while pointing at Adam, "not to bring it up again."
"Well, was it serious?" Robert asked nervously as he plopped into the seat next to Adam.
"They slept together, mate," Adam chimed in, still giggling as Vic punched his shoulder. "She was Aaron's first." Robert resisted the urge to lay his head on the bar, so he just gaped at Victoria, open-mouthed.
"Oh my god," Victoria shouted. "Right, I'm not having this conversation right now."
"Well you're not the only one around the village. Finn's been in Aaron's bed as well," Adam whispered, pointing to Finn who was sitting at a table with Ross. Could Robert sink to the floor without anyone noticing?
"Right, anyone else in the village? Have you been with him too?" Robert asked Adam, rubbing his forehead tiredly, trying to process this information.
Well, now that you mention it," Adam chuckled. Robert sat straight up, incredulous. "Don't get too excited, he just tried to plant one on me once. Before he met Jackson and got his head sorted… for a little while at least." Adam's tone grew sad at the end and Victoria nodded in agreement.
Robert looked between the two, utterly confused. "Who's Jackson?" Adam just shook his head and sipped his beer. Victoria frowned at him, but responded to Robert's question.
"Jackson was Aaron's first boyfriend." Robert furrowed his brow, nodding along, still unsure of what warranted the serious mood that had descended upon their conversation.
"I can't help but feel there's more to this story?"
"Not today, mate. It's Aaron's birthday," Adam responded, perking up a bit.
"Really? He didn't mention it…," Robert trailed off.
"Well, no offense, but you and Aaron are hardly mates. Why would he?" Victoria asked.
"No reason," Robert responded hurriedly. Damn, he needed to be more careful. "So, you and Aaron, huh?" Robert teased, trying to change the subject. He took a lengthy swig out the pint he had been handed and smiled tensely.
"Don't go there, Robert," Victoria warned before bustling back to the kitchen.
"Can't believe Aaron's never mentioned that to me," Adam chuckled with a shake of his head. Robert was just thinking the same thing. In fact, he had a lot of questions to ask his new business partner.