Quill (2)

Another one-shot based around Tom and Aaron, filling in more gaps.

Episode 7394 (after Gary refuses to return Tom's $10,000)

Tom slowly sat down opposite Aaron, "So I guess I won't be 'cashed up' after all" he remarked bitterly, referring to what Aaron had told him just before Gary had arrived

"Tom, I am so sorry" Aaron apologised earnestly, "I had no idea he was going to do that"

"Really? Are you sure this wasn't some kind of set-up?" Tom questioned scornfully, "Asking me to meet you here, being all sympathetic, then calling in Xanthe's dad to kick me while I'm down?"

Aaron shook his head, "No, I'm being honest" he assured the other man, "I really thought Gary was going to hand over the money"

"Then you're more gullible than I thought" Tom muttered

"Hey, that's not fair, I've been trying to help you" Aaron argued defensively, "I've been stuck between a rock and a hard place for weeks now, you're lucky I even gave you the time of day"

Tom glared at him before sighing, "Well, I guess you have been more understanding than most people in your situation would be" he admitted reluctantly

Aaron scoffed, "Try 'generous', 'respectful', 'selfless'-"

"Alright, don't push it" Tom interrupted flippantly, "His daughter and her mates still stole my money"

As much as Aaron agreed that their actions were wrong, he just wanted to move past all of this drama, "They're just kids, Tom, and they made a mistake" Aaron reminded him, "But remember, they found that cash in the aftermath of a massive explosion and they thought you were dead, it was hardly a black-and-white situation"

Tom narrowed his eyes at him, "Them being kids makes no difference" he argued, "If Archie had done what they've done-"

"Then you would have blackmailed him to give the money back to you in less than two weeks?" Aaron questioned, "Really?"

Tom glanced away uncomfortably and Aaron sighed, "I'm sorry that this is happening to you" he muttered, "I wish I could help you, but this whole situation is so messed up and I've got my own stuff to deal with as well"

Tom folded his arms, "I'm guessing to do with Nate?"

Aaron nodded slightly, "He's gone for good" he revealed, "He left a few weeks ago but it still hurts"

Tom nodded in understanding, "I get how it feels to have your heart stamped on in the midst of a hundred other things" he replied

"Really, you had a boyfriend who suddenly re-enlisted in the army without telling you, and expected you to drop everything to move away with him?" Aaron questioned derisively

Tom shook his head, "No, but I was with a married man who I kept going back to over and over again even though he refused to leave his wife"

"Sorry" Aaron grimaced, "Affairs are the worst, aren't they?"

Tom nodded, "I was so stupid" he groaned, "And the worst bit is that I still think about him"

Aaron couldn't help being intrigued, "What happened?"

"This guy, we were together on and off for nearly a year, and I was in love with him" Tom began before pulling a face, "Funnily enough, his name was Aaron as well"

"So I'm not the only gay Aaron in the village" he joked before looking more serious, "How did you meet him?"

"Online" Tom replied, "We dated for a few months and I thought he was single until his wife booked a room at the hotel I used to work in and I saw them together"

Aaron shook his head sadly, "That must have been horrible"

"I was devastated" Tom nodded, "I tried to call off our relationship, but he was too hard to resist so we carried on for a while afterwards"

"Then what happened?" Aaron enquired as he leant towards him

"Once I started working at Lassiter's, I decided to use it as a fresh start so I ended the affair properly" Tom explained, "But I found it difficult to cope so I threw myself into work and was ruthless about it"

"Hence the lengths you went to in order to get the council's approval for the development" Aaron realised

"Yeah, it wasn't just about Julie or the business, I had to maintain some kind of control over my life" Tom muttered, "I guess I also saw you as a bit of distraction from him, even though you share the same name"

"So you used me to get ahead in your business and to take your mind off of your ex-lover?" Aaron questioned in annoyance

Tom nodded shamefully, "I'm sorry"

Aaron let out a breath, "I know you are, and this whole thing is making more sense now" he replied before glancing at the man opposite, "So when did you last see him?"

"After I got fired" Tom responded, "I called him, looking for some comfort, and we hooked up at a motel in Elliot Park the night before the explosion, then he helped me out of Lassiter's car park before the hotel blew up"

Aaron thought to himself for a few moments as memories of his confrontation with Tom flared up, and his eyes widened in shock, "Hang on, I remember seeing a guy head into the car park as I left"

"Average height, dark hair and facial hair?" Tom clarified

Aaron closed his eyes momentarily in an attempt to picture what the man looked like, "As far as I can recall, yeah"

Tom nodded, "Then that was him"

"But why?" Aaron questioned, "I mean, you'd already ended it with him months ago, so why did you go back to him?"

"Like I said, I loved him. And sometimes when you love someone it's hard to let go" Tom explained, "And when things go wrong, we automatically gravitate towards the familiar to cope, I guess it's human nature"

"I get that" Aaron agreed quietly, "And this does explain a lot about what happened to you around the time of the explosion"

Tom sighed, "Look, I'm sorry I made you convince yourself that you were responsible for my 'death'" he apologised, "If it's any consolation, I kind of understand the guilt that you felt, carrying around a burden like that"

Aaron almost scoffed: Tom would never really understand the hell that he had experienced for weeks as he blamed himself for Tom's suspected death. But instead of making the man feel worse than he was already, Aaron just shrugged, "I don't really get why you went missing for that long, especially since you had nothing to hide"

"That's not true, I'd been sleeping with a married man which I thought would come out if I turned up" Tom countered, "Plus, I had a good motive to want to destroy Lassiter's, so I realised that I needed to keep my head down"

Aaron looked confused, "And you blackmailing me was-?"

"I was desperate, and I was sure that you were the one who took my money" Tom interrupted earnestly

"I guess I had a good reason to want to steal your ten grand" Aaron noted, "Though I'd never be so low as to actually do it, especially in the midst of an explosion"

Tom nodded, "I know, and I should have realised that sooner" he remarked before holding Aaron's gaze, "I really am sorry for everything"

Aaron shrugged, wanting to forgive him but not being entirely sure how, "There's been a lot of apologising going on recently, and there'll probably be more to come" he muttered

Tom nodded in agreement, "It's been a tough few months for a lot of people, I guess we need to figure out where we go from here to move forwards"

"I'll drink to that" Aaron joked before taking a sip of his drink. He and Tom locked eyes again over their respective drinks and could both feel a spark between them. However, they separately shrugged it off and assumed that the feeling was just one of support and building trust again after their experiences.

Between episode 7399 and 7404 (sometime after Tom and Aaron's non-date)

Aaron was on his way to The Waterhole for his lunch when he glanced to the other side of the road and spotted Archie Quill traipsing in the same direction with his head down. An alarmed Aaron approached the teenager, who blinked at him blankly when he noticed the older man.

"Hey" Aaron greeted hesitantly, "Are you ok?"

Archie narrowed his eyes at him in confusion, "I'm not supposed to talk to strangers" he muttered

Aaron shook his head, "I'm not a stranger" he pointed out, "I'm Aaron Brennan, we met a while ago and we saw each other the other day when Tom was looking after you, remember?"

Archie nodded slowly, "Oh yeah, you're his boyfriend"

Aaron shrugged, "Well, I was… but it's complicated" he responded hesitantly, not completely sure of what was going on himself

"Everything's complicated" Archie grumbled

Realising that Archie was referring to Julie, Aaron nodded in understanding before suspiciously asking, "Shouldn't you be at school?"

Archie snorted, "Who are you, my mum?" he scorned before becoming despondent at his choice of words

Aaron gazed at him sympathetically, "It's ok to still be upset about what's happened, you know" he assured him

Archie shook his head, "What she did was evil" he retorted, "I don't want to think about her anymore, but everyone keeps reminding me of it"

"Sorry" Aaron apologised hastily

Archie shrugged, "It's not just you; everywhere I go, I can't get away from it" he replied before shaking his head in annoyance, "Why am I telling you this?"

"Because I'm a good listener?" Aaron suggested, "Your brother can back me up on that"

Archie sniggered and Aaron gazed at him for a few moments, "Look, I was on my way to get some lunch" he began, "Why don't you come with me? We can find a quiet table and just talk things through"

"Even though I should be at school?" Archie clarified

Aaron shrugged, "I guess these are exceptional circumstances" he responded casually

Archie considered this for a while before nodding, "Thanks" he whispered and followed Aaron to the pub.

xxx

Aaron and Archie ate in a slightly awkward silence. Aside from the fact that their mouths were full of food most of the time, it was difficult to come up with appropriate conversation considering what was going on. Once they had finished their meals, Aaron figured that it was only right to bring up the topic again.

"So, do you want to tell me what's going on at school?" Aaron asked

Archie fiddled with his cutlery uncomfortably, "No-one likes me anymore" he admitted, "After word got out that mum was responsible for the explosion and those deaths, everyone started ignoring me"

"Is there no-one you can talk to?" Aaron enquired

Archie shrugged, "You're actually the first person who's willingly spoken to me in ages"

Aaron felt a lot of sympathy towards the teenager, who didn't deserve the treatment that he was receiving or to feel this bad about himself, "You haven't spoken to Tom or Shay about this?" he asked

Archie shook his head, "Not really, they've been too busy running the hotel"

"Well they do have big responsibilities" Aaron pointed out

"But after the way mum treated them and what she did to the hotel, how could they want anything to do with her?" Archie questioned

"Maybe they don't want to, but it's still part of their jobs" Aaron replied, "Perhaps it's their way of dealing with it, or their way of not having to deal with it"

Archie mulled this over, "And how am I supposed to deal with it?"

"However you want to, there's no rulebook for it" Aaron responded before quickly adding, "But just try not to do anything that might hurt you or anyone else"

"Am I supposed to forgive her?" Archie questioned, "I don't think I can, but she's my mum and I love her even though I hate what she did"

Aaron nodded in understanding, "You know, my brothers and I felt the same about our dad" he revealed

"What did your dad do?" Archie asked

"He used to hit my younger brother, Tyler" Aaron explained, "He was around your age when it happened, but he kept it to himself for years until dad turned up in Erinsborough, trying to worm his way back into our lives even though he hadn't really changed"

Archie sighed, "I thought parents were meant to set good examples for their kids" he muttered

"It doesn't mean they can't make mistakes, everyone makes mistakes; it's just that some have bigger consequences than others" Aaron reminded him, "But it's how you deal with it and learn from it that matters"

"Are you just spouting cliché's right now?" Archie questioned

Aaron chuckled, "No, I've been given good advice in the past, so I want to pass it on" he replied, "I've also been taught that we should talk about our problems, and even though Tom seems busy with running the hotel, he probably feels the same as you do about all of this stuff"

"You reckon?" Archie asked

Aaron nodded, remembering Tom telling him about all of his issues, "Why don't I call him and let him know where you are, then you two can have a chat?"

"I don't know" Archie murmured

"He has the right to know you're not at school when you're supposed to be" Aaron pointed out, "And he'll be glad to know that you're safe"

Archie shrugged, "Ok, I guess you can call him"

Aaron smiled slightly before retrieving his mobile to call Tom, telling him that he and Archie were at The Waterhole. Tom sounded annoyed that Archie wasn't at school, but Aaron informed him that Archie needed some space, and that it would be a good idea for Tom to make time to talk to him. Tom quickly agreed to be there within ten minutes, and Aaron thanked him before hanging up.

"Is he on his way?" Archie asked worriedly

Aaron nodded, "He's not happy about this, but once you explain what's going on, he'll understand"

"I wish I had your confidence" Archie mumbled.

Aaron shrugged as he stood up, "Just wait here, I'm going to get you another drink and I'll buy one for Tom for when he gets here"

Archie nodded and fidgeted uncomfortably for a while. Aaron waited at the bar, keeping an eye on the teenager to make sure he didn't escape at any point. Once Aaron had returned with the drinks, they made casual small-talk until Tom arrived. He was relieved to see that Archie was alright, and Aaron made his excuse to leave them to talk. Tom smiled at him gratefully, though Aaron could see in his eyes that he was uncertain about what he was supposed to do. Aaron shot him a reassuring look before leaving the pub; he desperately wanted to stay and monitor the conversation, but he knew that they needed privacy and was going to respect that.

xxx

Aaron was trying - and failing - to distract himself from thinking about Tom and Archie by making dinner. He turned the stove off just before someone started knocking on the front door of his house. Considering the situation, Aaron was surprised to see Tom on his doorstep, cradling a glass of wine.

"Oh, hi" Aaron greeted

"Hey" Tom replied quietly, "Can I come in?"

"Sure" Aaron responded before stepping aside for Tom to enter.

"This is for you" Tom began as he handed him the wine, "To say 'thank you' for looking after Archie before"

"It was no trouble, but thanks" Aaron replied as he closed the door before taking the wine and rushing back to the stove, "I'm about to serve up if you want to stick around"

Tom smiled, "That sounds great, thanks"

Aaron returned the smile before plating the food up and handing a dish to Tom. Tom poured the wine into two glasses before they made their way over to the table. Aaron started eating immediately but after a few minutes he noticed that Tom was prodding the food with his fork instead of eating it.

"Is something wrong?" Aaron asked, knowing from previous experience that Tom loses his appetite when stressed

Tom sighed, "Archie told me what was bothering him" he revealed, "I knew he was having problems but I didn't realise how bad it was"

Aaron nodded, "That's not surprising, you've had a lot going on"

"It's no excuse, he's my brother and I should have known" Tom argued, "I've been feeling the same way that he has, yet I never asked him about it"

"Look, there are a lot of things that we could have done differently in hindsight" Aaron began, "But it's focusing on what we're going to do from now that's important"

Tom held his gaze, "Yeah, Archie told me what you told him about your dad" he began, noticing that Aaron had used the pronoun 'we', "I'm sorry you guys went through that"

Aaron shrugged, "I'm just sorry Tyler went through that" he muttered, "It's been a long road, but we've moved on now"

"Do you have any tips for moving on?" Tom asked

Aaron thought about this for a few moments, "Time, finding distractions, making sure you've got the best support and people to talk to" he listed, "But I guess you just have to find a way that suits you"

"Does going on 'non-dates' help?" Tom asked teasingly

"You tell me" Aaron retorted gently

Tom smiled, "Yeah, I think it's helping"

"I'm glad" Aaron replied before taking a sip of his wine.

The rest of the meal continued in a more cheerful fashion until Tom was forced to call it a night. Aaron could sense Tom's anxiety to check on his brother and understood the feeling himself.

"Thanks again for everything you've done" Tom began as he stood up, "You've gone above and beyond for people who don't really deserve help"

Aaron shook his head, "You've owned your mistakes, and now you've got to support each other through it"

"We will" Tom assured him "But even so, I'm glad I've got you on my side"

"That's what friends are for, right?" Aaron replied hesitantly, still unsure about what the status of their relationship was.

Tom nodded slowly before pulling him into a lingering hug. That sensation of being held felt incredible to Tom and he didn't want to let go; neither of them did. They both enjoyed the familiarity of each other's bodies and held onto each other for an unusually long time before practically peeling themselves apart. There was an electrifying moment between them as their faces were mere inches away from one another and they held each other's gazes, but they both managed to resist temptation and look away quickly.

Tom cleared his throat, "Well, thanks for dinner" he murmured

"It's no problem" Aaron shrugged

"How about I buy you a drink sometime to return the favour?" Tom suggested

Aaron glanced at him, "Sounds good"

"I'll text you" Tom muttered

Aaron nodded and they smiled at each other briefly before Tom scuttled out of the house, leaving Aaron standing in complete bewilderment. He let out a deep breath and tried to figure out what was going to happen next.

Episode 7410 (following Aaron accepting Toadie's job offer)

Aaron stood by the counter of Harold's, waiting for his coffee. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Tom sat at one of the tables nearby with a drink and a slice of cake.

Smiling, Aaron approached him, "Hey stranger" he greeted playfully

Tom glanced up at him and returned the smile, "Hey yourself" he greeted in return, "How did the cycling campaign go in the end?"

"It was pretty successful" Aaron replied, "They'd got quite a lot of support by the end of the day"

"Thanks to you" Tom added

Aaron shrugged coyly, "I didn't do much"

"Well it wouldn't have been anywhere near as successful if you hadn't gotten involved" Tom argued

"Well social media is so easy to use these days, I'm sure they would have figured it out for themselves" Aaron replied dismissively

"Luckily, they didn't have to" Tom interjected before placing a hand on Aaron's arm, "Don't put yourself down, you went out of your way to help Karl and Jarrod, you used your initiative and got results"

"It's just a part of my job" Aaron countered

Tom studied him for a moment and let his hand drop, "Speaking of which, you rushed off pretty quickly yesterday when we were talking about Jarrod's job offer" he reminded him

"Yeah, sorry about that" Aaron apologised sheepishly, "I realised you were right, so I went to find him and took the job"

Tom smiled triumphantly, then looked confused and leaned towards him, "Sorry, what was that? I was what?" he questioned teasingly, cupping his ear

Aaron laughed and poked him, "Shut up"

"No, wait, I didn't catch what you said" Tom joked

Aaron rolled his eyes, "You were right, are you happy?"

Tom nodded, "Happy for you, this is a great opportunity for you to put yourself out there more"

"I guess" Aaron agreed, "Toadie's let me use his office and I can decorate it however I want, which is awesome"

"Yeah, it is" Tom murmured before pulling a face, "I can't get used to people calling him 'Toadie' though"

"Yeah, it's weird at first but it becomes habit pretty quickly" Aaron chuckled, "Anyway, I was thinking of getting a standing-desk instead of a regular one, what do you think?"

"A 'standing-desk'?" Tom repeated

Aaron blinked at him, "Yeah, you've never used one?"

Tom shook his head, "Does it do what it says on the tin?"

"Yeah, you stand behind it" he replied

"What's the point of that?" Tom questioned in exasperation, "Just use a chair like everyone else"

"I'm not like everyone else" Aaron argued

"That's definitely true" Tom muttered before sighing, "Look, my job has had me constantly on my feet and it can be hell-"

"That's why you buy those ridiculously expensive shoes, remember?" Aaron interrupted light-heartedly

"Well exactly" Tom agreed, "I'm just saying that you might regret the decision of standing behind your desk all day, your feet will be in so much pain by the end of the week"

"That's your experience, and this is mine" Aaron pointed out

Tom put his hands up in a fake surrender, "Fine, just don't say I didn't warn you"

Aaron pulled a face at him before noticing that the coffee that he had ordered was sitting on the counter for him, "Do you mind if I join you?" he asked Tom

Tom shook his head, "Be my guest" he replied before pointing to the seat opposite him and joking, "I'll move the chair somewhere else, since you prefer to stand"

"Don't be a smart-arse" Aaron scolded jokily before turning away and paying for his drink. Tom sniggered to himself then watched the other man thoughtfully, getting more confused about his feelings for him by the second.

Episode 7410 (following Aaron suggesting that Tom gives him a foot massage)

Tom felt a combination of apprehension and excitement as Aaron led him by the hand to number 24. Although he had been in that house several times over the last few months, the situation here was quite different and the atmosphere was filled with a nervous energy as Aaron opened the front door.

Aaron immediately kicked off his shoes as Tom shut the door behind them, "Wow, you're eager" Tom noted teasingly

"For the foot massage, yeah" Aaron replied as he turned to face him, "Wasn't that obvious?"

Tom looked sheepish, "I wasn't exactly sure whether you were speaking in literal terms about that or not" he admitted

Aaron smirked as he moved closer to him, "Yeah, it wasn't all metaphorical, you know"

Tom raised an eyebrow. "So I apparently owe you a foot massage, do I?" he questioned as he wrapped his arms around Aaron's waist

Aaron prodded him, "Well you were the one who mocked me about my 'standing desk'"

"And I was right, wasn't I?" Tom argued playfully

"Yeah, and it came at a price for me, so now it's coming at a price for you" Aaron joked

Tom looked thoughtful, "I guess a foot massage is the least I owe you after everything"

Aaron sighed, "Do we really have to bring that up now?"

Tom blinked at him, "You were the one who brought up our 'short, tragic history' at The Waterhole before"

Aaron stepped out of his embrace, "I didn't mean it as a guilt-trip or anything" he muttered

"I know you didn't" Tom responded gently, "But I really am sorry for everything I did to you, and I'd take it back in a heartbeat if I could"

"I know you would, and I forgive you for all of that" Aaron nodded before taking a deep breath, "Besides, I feel the same"

Tom looked confused, "What do you mean?"

"You were disgraced and fired because of me, and I nearly killed you" Aaron reminded him, "So I'm sorry as well"

"None of that would have happened if it wasn't for me" Tom pointed out

"You didn't force me to get involved with you, that was my own choice" Aaron argued, "You didn't deserve any of what happened to you"

"Actually, I did" Tom breathed, "Ok, maybe not my brush with death, but I deserved to be punished for the awful things I did"

Trying to change the sombre atmosphere, Aaron exhaled and wrapped his arms around Tom's neck, "Look, we've forgiven each other so can we just put that all behind us and focus on the here and now?"

Tom smiled and nodded, "Sounds good to me" he agreed and kissed him gently before suddenly pulling away suspiciously, "You're talking about that foot massage, aren't you?"

"You know it" Aaron chuckled and kissed him again. Tom broke the kiss briefly to lift Aaron up to relieve him of his painful feet before carrying him into the bedroom.

xxx

Aaron was convinced that Tom had been a masseur in the past, because his foot-rubbing skills were excellent. Tom was kneeling on the bed, finishing his massage of Aaron's aching right foot in a state of concentration, whilst Aaron lay with his legs across Tom's lap as he stared at the ceiling.

"This feels amazing" Aaron moaned as Tom started working on his left foot

Tom smirked, "Why does that sound familiar?"

Aaron lifted his head up to pinch Tom's cheek, "So modest" he scoffed as he leant back on his elbows, "Have you given many foot massages before?"

Tom paused, "I'm not really sure how to answer that question" he chuckled before shrugging, "I've never done it professionally but I have had some experience with massaging people's sore feet"

"Exes?" Aaron asked cheekily

"Family members" Tom replied brusquely, "Julie especially"

Aaron sat up in surprise and confusion, "That's a bit inappropriate considering that she's your step-mum"

Tom nodded grimly, "Trust me, if I'd had the choice, I wouldn't have gone anywhere near those… hooves"

Aaron held back a laugh, "I can see why you never liked her" he muttered before gazing at Tom thoughtfully, "But you know that you don't have to make up for her mistakes by taking over her job at the hotel, right?"

"They're not Julie's mistakes, they're Quill's mistakes" Tom argued, "I've done stupid things, Julie's done stupider things, but there's nobody else from the company around to pick up the pieces, it's just me"

Aaron shook his head and stroked Tom's cheek, "It's not just you, I'll help you in whatever way I can" he assured him softly

Tom smiled before kissing him tenderly, "You're too good for me" he murmured

"That's debatable" Aaron argued as he pulled away, "I've made my fair share of mistakes recently, and I'd give anything to have someone help me and not judge me"

"We've all been judged, and we can all be judgemental" Tom muttered, "It's a sad fact of life, like Einstein's definition of insanity"

Aaron nodded as he remembered their conversation earlier at The Waterhole about attempting the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, though that was in the context of giving their relationship another go, "What result do you want out of all of this?" he asked

Tom considered this for a few moments, "To make things right, to preserve Quill's reputation and stop mistakes holding us back" he hesitated before shaking his head, "Wishful thinking, right?"

Aaron shrugged, "Depends on how hard you're willing to work for it"

"Whatever it takes, I'm prepared to do it" Tom replied determinedly

Aaron smiled at him in admiration of his maturity and self-assurance, "Then there's no reason why you shouldn't succeed" he pointed out before trying to lighten the mood again by joking, "But hang on, what happened to you being 'lazy'?" Aaron questioned flippantly, referring to Tom's comments about his standing desk earlier on.

Tom rolled his eyes and quickly tickled Aaron's foot, which caused the blond man to yelp and retract his foot from Tom's grasp, "I just meant that I don't like the idea of standing behind a desk for hours. I mean, running errands or sitting behind a desk is fine, but standing around is too much effort" he responded before gazing at the other man intently, "But you obviously don't like taking the easy option"

Aaron shook his head as he pointed his toes to stretch his feet, "If I did, none of this would be happening"

Tom considered this, "That's very true" he replied, "And for the record, I'm glad that it is happening"

"Me too" Aaron agreed before kissing him again and pushing him back down onto the mattress.

Thanks for reading! This was so much fun to write and I was immediately inspired to fill those gaps; though it's not a good thing that those gaps even existed. Anyway, if anyone has any ideas for one-shots, then please let me know. In the meantime, reviews are always welcome!