I'll Wait For You - Chapter 1
-O-
DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV
-O-
The bunting, balloons and flags were hanging all around the Woolpack's bar. Marlon was behind the scenes in the kitchen as usual, preparing sausage rolls and 'things on sticks' as Victoria fussed around him, putting the finishing touches to a cake that she had lovingly prepared.
Vic nearly sent Marlon flying as she turned suddenly and caught him with her elbow.
"For God's sake Vic!" he shouted in annoyance, "this kitchen isn't big enough for both of us!"
Vic looked at the pained expression on Marlon's face, "Yes it is! We can both work together if we have a little give and take. I just want everything to be perfect for the party."
"I don't know why you're making such a big fuss about it," Marlon sniped back, "It's not as if Aaron and Robert will last for five minutes anyway."
Victoria gave the chef her best withering stare, "Oh ye of little faith! You've never liked Robert, have you?"
"I know he's your brother, but I don't like the way he's messed Aaron around in the past. What's so different now?"
"They love each other," Vic was in no mood to back down, "Robert's changed over these past few months. He's stood by Aaron through thick and thin. Can't you cut him a bit of slack...just for once?"
Marlon shrugged his shoulders, "I suppose so, if it will keep you quiet!"
"Oi!" Vic picked up a ladle and waved it at Marlon.
"What are you gonna do?" Marlon raised his eyebrows, "Spoon me to death?"
"I'll kill you if you don't finish those sausage rolls and sandwiches in time for their engagement do!" Vic set down the ladle and returned to piping the icing around the edge of the cake. She looked at the wording in blue icing on a white background, 'Aaron and Robert'. The names were surrounded by red hearts and pink flowers.
Marlon looked at the cake and his lip curled into a sneer, "Aaron won't thank you for that!" he said, sarcastically, as he pointed at the confection.
"Yes he will, he's gonna love it!" Vic had to have the last word, as always.
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Aaron was in his bedroom, getting ready for his party. He was not looking forward to being the centre of attention, even though he would have Robert by his side, but he knew that Victoria had made a lot of effort for them and, as always, he was loyal to his friend and grateful to the people that cared about him. Chas had come round after she had seen proof that his fiancé was sincere and had stood by him through his self-harming over his childhood abuse by his late father Gordon. Even Cain had accepted the situation as his wish for his nephew's happiness outweighed his dislike of Robert Sugden: although Cain still referred to him by just his surname and could always inject bile into the way he uttered "Sugden!"
Aaron stood topless, looking at himself in the mirror. He felt embarrassed and ashamed as he studied the scars on his body. He had not cut himself for months and the scars had healed and were not so red anymore, but he still wished that he had never inflicted them on himself in the first place. He felt that any partner would be repelled by the marks on his otherwise flawless body, but Robert had made him feel better about himself. In fact, Robert often kissed his scars, calling them his "little love bites". He knew that Robert wanted to make him feel good about himself and he loved him for it. Robert knew him inside out and he felt that he was getting to know Robert too. Aaron didn't trust easily, but Robert was winning him round, bit by bit.
He pulled on a dark blue top and was about to comb his neatly-cut dark hair when his mobile phone rang. He pulled it from his trouser pocket and looked at the screen to see that Hazel was calling him, "Hello stranger!" he answered.
"Hello sweetheart," Jackson's mum sounded upbeat, "I keep meaning to ring you and I've finally got round to it. Is now a good time? How are you?"
"I'm fine," Aaron replied in his usual low-key manner, "I'm just getting ready to go to a party."
"A party? You know how I love a good party!" Hazel chuckled, "I wish I was there."
"I don't know about that," Aaron wondered how Hazel would take the news that he had found someone else after her son's death, "It's my engagement do!"
"You're engaged! Snap!"
"What?"
"That's why I'm ringing you, I'm getting married soon and wanted to invite you to my wedding," Hazel said in an excited tone.
"Wow! You're getting married too?"
"Yeah, but tell me about yours first, what's his name?"
"Robert Sugden."
"Sugden?" Hazel recognised the name from her time in the village when Jackson was alive, "Is he related to Diane from the pub?"
"Yeah...he's her stepson and Vic and Andy's brother, but Diane's not in the pub anymore...she runs the B&B now."
"Sounds like I'm behind the times!" Hazel laughed, "We'll have to have a really good catch-up. So when's your big day?"
"We haven't set a date yet," Aaron paused, he was thinking about his first boyfriend, "You okay with me getting married to somebody else...I mean...you know I loved Jackson...I still do."
"I know that darlin', but this is what my son would have wanted for you: he freed you so that you could live your life and move on. Don't feel guilty, you'd have his blessing...and you've got mine."
Aaron was touched, "Thanks, Hazel, that means a lot. Anyway, what's your intended's name?"
"Harry, he's in construction: he's a managing director."
"Oh, going up in the world, are we?" Aaron chuckled.
Hazel also laughed, "Anyway, I mustn't keep you from your party, but, will you come to my wedding? As you are the closest I've got to a son, I'd like you to give me away if you would."
"I'd be honoured," Aaron felt moved that Hazel had asked him: he was still very fond of her, "where do you live now?"
"Newcastle," Hazel replied, "You and Robert should come for a visit so that I can meet him. I'll text you the address. You're welcome here any time Aaron, we've got a guest room with a double bed so you can stay whenever you want."
"Thanks Hazel, I'll see if I can get away from the scrap yard."
"Scrap yard? That's something else I need to catch up on, obviously! Don't be a stranger now. Love you."
"Yeah, you too!" Aaron ended the call and smiled to himself. He thought about the coincidence of himself and Hazel both getting married in a short space of time. Only Hazel could steal his thunder like that...she would never change.
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The Champagne cork flew out of the bottle as Robert opened it and it hit the bell behind the bar, causing much hilarity amongst the assembled guests at the engagement party.
"Seconds out!" Adam quipped.
"Good shot, Robert!" Pearl giggled over her drink, making Aaron think that maybe she had drunk more than enough already.
Victoria appeared from the back with the cake that she had lovingly prepared and, her face beaming with pride, she set it down on the bar so that everyone could look at it. Aaron and Robert smiled when they saw their names written on the top in icing. Marlon, serving drinks to Cain and Moira, looked on in astonishment that Aaron was actually smiling and not either pulling a face or making a sarcastic comment about the cake. Victoria looked in Marlon's direction and mouthed "Told you he'd like it!"
Paddy and Rhona turned up a little late but were welcome all the same. Paddy shook hands with Aaron and then with Robert. He would never be Robert Sugden's biggest fan but, like Cain, he would accept the situation as long as Aaron was happy...and he certainly looked happy.
Chas noticed that Liv was sitting at one of the tables with Diane and Doug. She crossed over to them and exchanged a few words with them, then spoke to Liv, who did not look too happy, "They're cutting the cake, don't you want a slice?"
"I s'pose!" was Liv's almost monosyllabic answer.
Chas could sense that Liv was not really entering into the spirit of things, but she let it pass. This was Aaron's turn to shine and she would do anything to see her son smiling, just he was doing at that moment. She smiled herself when Aaron leant over to kiss Robert on the lips as they both tucked into the cake. She knew that it was a big deal for Aaron to show affection, so to kiss his fiancé in public was a massive step forward.
"Speech!" Pearl shouted, almost falling off her barstool as she unsteadily turned herself to face Aaron and Robert.
"This isn't a wedding!" Aaron shot her a disapproving look.
"All the same," Pearl would not be deterred, "We've all come here to see you. I think you should say a few words."
Robert took Aaron's hand. Aaron's looked down at their clasped hands but did not push Robert away, "Let me handle this," he said, with the ghost of a wink towards Aaron.
"Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking," Robert began and he paused as the assembled guests laughed, "I'd just like to say that Aaron here means everything to me and I'll do whatever it takes to make him happy. Thanks everyone for coming to the party and showing your support, we really appreciate it, don't we?" He looked at Aaron in the hopes that his fiancé would speak, but Aaron, always a man of few words, just fidgeted nervously and said, "Yeah!"
Everyone clapped and cheered and the Champagne was poured into glasses and handed round.
Adam lifted his glass and said, "To Aaron and Robert!"
"Aaron and Robert!" the rest of them copied Adam's actions.
Robert smiled at Aaron. He had come so far but knew that he was heading in the right direction.
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The next day, Robert dragged Aaron along to look at one of Rakesh's apartments. Aaron was quite happy living at the Woolpack, but Robert felt that they would need their own place, especially after they were married.
Later, back in their bedroom at the pub, they discussed their visit to the flat.
"It's a bit small, isn't it?" Aaron did not look impressed.
"How big does it need to be?" Robert replied, "There's only the two of us, we'd get lost in a big house."
"What's wrong with where we are now?"
"There's nothing wrong with it. But you don't want to live with your mother forever, do you? I think we should put a deposit down."
"I'll think about it," Aaron said, "Anyway, I've got to get to work, are you coming?"
"I've got to nip into town. You'll be okay until I get back, won't you?"
"Yeah, Adam's there, I'm sure we can cope without you."
"Good!" Robert kissed Aaron goodbye and left for his appointment. Aaron searched for and found his mobile phone and made his way to the scrap yard.
Adam was sitting at the desk when Aaron arrived, "Hello skiver!" was his opening shot.
"Are you clocking me on and off now?" Aaron sneered.
"I suppose now that you're marrying my money-bags brother-in-law, you think you can come and go whenever you please."
Aaron wore his trademark disapproving look, "Jealous are ya? I'm in bed with the company director and you're just a skivvy!"
"Oi!" Adam aimed a rubber at Aaron's head, but he ducked to avoid it, "just as well you're my best mate, otherwise I might take offence!"
Adam went out a little later, just before Robert arrived back from his trip to town.
"Well, I've done it!" Robert said, beaming all over his face.
"Done what?" Aaron enquired.
"Put a deposit on the flat," Robert announced.
"You've done what?" Aaron did not look best pleased.
"I thought I'd better get in there before someone else snapped it up. So I bought it for us."
"But, we haven't discussed it properly yet."
"I thought you'd be pleased," Robert was no longer smiling.
"Pleased?" Aaron stood up and crossed the room to the door, "I must have been mad to agree to marry you!"
"Aaron, what are you talking about, what's wrong?"
"You!" Aaron snapped, "You think because you've got money, you can just splash it out on whatever you like...doesn't matter what I think! I told you a long time ago: you can't buy me! If we're supposed to be a couple, we should be making these decisions together and come to a mutual agreement. But I can't trust you: you're a control freak Robert! I can't marry someone like that" Aaron took the engagement ring off his finger and threw it on the floor in a petulant display, "You can have this back. We're done!"
Aaron stormed out. Robert went to chase him, but stopped at the top of the steps to the portacabin as he saw Aaron running away: "Aaron...wait!" he called after him, but to no avail. He decided not to pursue him at that moment and talk to him later after he had hopefully calmed down.
Aaron went home, packed a bag and then dialled a number on his phone. He heard the person pick up at the other end, "Hazel?"
"Hello, Aaron," Hazel's voice soothed Aaron, "Is anything wrong?"
"Can I take you up on that offer and come to stay with you for a while?"