Disclaimer: I do not own Emmerdale or any of the characters mentioned in my story!
In this version, Robert's wedding to Chrissie went ahead after him and Aaron finished their affair but Katie never died, however she left the village after splitting up with Andy because he was fed up of her obsession with Robert and asked for a divorce. Aaron and Robert had their meeting in the barn on the day of the wedding and Aaron told Robert how he felt but Katie never showed up and Robert just left.
Aaron lent over the car bonnet trying to work out what was causing this particular car to fail to start when he heard footsteps approach. He was working alone as Debbie had taken the kids out and Ross was having a day off, so figured it was a customer.
"I'll just be a minute." He called, unable to see who it was.
"It's okay, I don't mind waiting." Aaron froze when he heard the voice, as it was a voice he would recognise anywhere.
"Robert, what are you doing here?" He asked, standing up and wiping his hands clean on a cloth. He was still hurt and angry over how easily Robert dropped him after confessing how he felt about Robert that morning in the barn and how he could then go and marry Chrissie as if he had never cheated on her.
"It's Valentine's Day. Plus, I really need to talk to you." Robert shrugged, hands in his pocket and leaning against the doorway as if he owned the place. Aaron tried and failed to ignore the hair which looked as perfect as ever, snug blue sweater with charcoal grey suit jacket over the top and jeans which showcased Robert's model legs. Oh, and that smirk which Robert wore so well.
Aaron frowned, unsure what Robert wanted. "Yeah, I'm not stupid. Shouldn't you be at home with your wife or something?" He asked bitterly.
"Aaron, I've come to apologise. I miss you, I miss us. I'm sorry for calling it off, I was just wondering if we could give it another go, what with it being Valentine's Day and all that?" Robert was still smirking, but there was a hint of something more vulnerable in his tone now.
Aaron snorted angrily at the cheek of the other man. Did he really think that he could break things off with Aaron despite knowing that Aaron was in love with him and then after getting married click his fingers and expect Aaron to come running back like some lovesick puppy?
"Unless you want me to deck you, I suggest you leave right now. You made it very clear how you felt last week, so don't bother coming here trying to get me back into your bed." Aaron took a threatening step towards the other man, and was satisfied to see the self-assured smirk slip slightly.
"Aaron, don't be like that." Aaron rolled his eyes as Robert's tone became soft and pleading. He took another step forward and grabbed the lapels of Robert's expensive jacket, pushing him against the door.
"Look Robert, why can't you just take the hint? I don't want you. What we had was just a mistake, and what I said on the day of your wedding was all lies. I wasn't thinking straight and just said what I thought you would listen to. Doesn't mean I meant it." He spoke with his face just inches away from Robert's own, spitting the words out and trying to convince himself that what he was saying was true.
Robert didn't fight back, but instead just stared into Aaron's eyes, all traces of his previous smirk now gone. Aaron had never seen Robert look so serious, and it also looked like he was… hurt?
Aaron was slightly annoyed that Robert wasn't fighting back as he was really in the mood to punch someone and let off some steam following the stress of the previous few weeks.
Robert's next actions surprised Robert. He raised his fingertips and quickly swept them across Aaron's cheek before whispering "I really am sorry Aaron." He removed his hand and gently pushed Aaron away from him and turned to leave the garage. He suddenly turned, pressed something into Aaron's palm and then left, leaving Aaron staring after him open mouthed.
Aaron was unsure what had just happened, as he had never seen Robert act in a caring way before. He looked at his hand and saw that what Robert had given him a small white envelope, about the size of a business card.
He opened it and saw that inside was a small white piece of card, similar to one of them card you wrote messages on when you sent a bunch of flowers to a relative who was ill in hospital or a partner on their birthday. It had probably come with the bunch of red roses Robert had no doubt bought Chrissie for Valentine's Day.
On the front of the card was a simple red heart and as he flipped it over he gasped at the simple message. It was only one sentence long but it was enough to leave Aaron breathless, heart beating fast.
I love you too, Aaron.
Robert loved him? Aaron wasn't sure whether to believe it or whether it was a ploy to win him over. However, thinking back to the hurt look on Robert's face when Aaron told him it had all been lies and the way he had left, he was suddenly sure that what Robert had written on the card in his elegant, looping handwriting was true.
Aaron knew what he had to do. Running out of the garage onto the road, he desperately looked one way and then the other. He felt his heart sink as he realised that Robert had gone and was probably on his way back to his cosy life as Lord of the Manor with the model wife and perfect family.
Hanging his head in defeat, Aaron figured he would not be much use at the garage for the rest of the day and quickly locked the door. He headed over to the pub but froze as soon as he entered, seeing Robert sat at the bar with his back to the door.
"You alright love? Shouldn't you be at work?" Chas asked as she saw Aaron frozen in the doorway, staring at Robert's slouched body.
He glanced up and flashed his mother a forced smile. "I'm fine. Having a quiet day at the garage and I'm starting to feel a bit under the weather so I figured I might as well just come home." He lied, although the last bit was partly true. He didn't feel great, but it wasn't because of any kind of illness.
"Oh love, why don't you go through to the back and I'll come through and see you in a minute?" Chas asked, worried.
"It's ok, I think I'm just going to head up to bed now. I'll come down if I need anything." He said, hoping that Robert would get the hint to follow him up. He went through and out of the corner of his eye saw Robert finish his pint before turning to leave the pub.
Aaron hesitated at the bottom of the stairs, breathing a sigh of relief as he heard the knock at the door. He opened the saw, seeing Robert stood their looking dejected.
"Come in. We need to talk." Aaron smiled softly before turning and heading up to his room, hearing the soft pad of Robert's footsteps behind him.
He went into his room, taking a seat on his bed and shuffling along so that Robert could do the same. They sat facing each other, neither of them knowing where to start.
"Did you read the card?" Robert broke the silence, his voice soft.
Aaron nodded, laying the card on the bed between them, message facing up.
"Do you mean it?" He asked, searching for any hint that Robert may simply be stringing him along. He watched as Robert's eyes held his own, steady and calm.
"Yes. But now I don't know if you meant it, earlier you said it was all lies." Robert's eyes flicked away at the last part, betraying his attempt to maintain his steady composure.
Aaron swallowed hard, knowing that it was time to really tell the truth. "I was telling the truth in the barn. I'm sorry about what I said earlier, I was being petty and I wanted to hurt you, like you hurt me when you chose Chrissie." Robert flinched at this, but Aaron carried on.
"All I want is to be with you, Robert. But I just don't know if I can carry on being your bit on the side. Like I said, it's all or nothing."
Robert seemed to ignore the last thing that Aaron had said as he replied, a small smile on his face. "You want to be with me?"
"Of course I do, I wouldn't be here with you now if I didn't. But I mean what I said, Robert. I'm not just going to be your dirty little secret."
Robert pursed his lips. "What if I was to tell you that I've already left Chrissie? I left her this morning, it's what I was coming to tell you in the garage but you didn't really give me the chance. I want to be with you, Aaron. I'm all yours."
"What do you mean? Does she know about our affair?" Aaron asked, ecstatic and terrified at the same time.
"No, of course not. I just said that I didn't feel the same and that I didn't think us getting married had been a good idea." Robert reassured him.
Aaron felt a smile form on his own lips as he looked at the man he had fallen in love with him, blond hair wild where his hand had pushed in a million different directions and blue eyes bright with life.
Robert suddenly moved towards Aaron, taking his face in his large hands. Aaron looked up at Robert's face, at the eyes he could get lost in.
"Say the words, Aaron. Please just say the words." Robert was still smiling, and Aaron felt the smile grow on his face.
"I love you." Was all he said, and Robert's face was completely transformed as a wide, child-like grin spread over his features. Aaron couldn't help but grin with his lover, as he had never seen Robert wear such a genuine, honest grin.
"I love you too. I love you, Aaron. I love you. I love you." Robert repeated, as if he couldn't believe he was saying the words. He was still grinning and Aaron felt his lips curl up into an even bigger grin at Robert's reaction.
The only way he knew to shut Robert up was to kiss him, so that's exactly what he did. Pulling Robert towards him, he joined their lips in a searing kiss. He wrapped his fingers in Robert's golden hair and felt Robert's hands grip his neck.
Robert pushed Aaron backwards gently and Aaron felt the taller man hover above his body, feeling every inch of their bodies pressed together.
They lay like that for what felt like an eternity, just holding each other and kissing. Eventually Robert pulled away. "So, what do you say? You think we could make a proper go of this?" He asked Aaron, propping himself up on his elbows above the smaller man.
Aaron could only grin and kiss Robert again. "You sure you want everyone to find out?" Aaron asked, concerned that Robert might be ashamed of their relationship.
"Of course. I'm honoured that you'd even consider being with me, Aaron." Robert whispered between kisses.
They continued to lay like that, talking and kissing for the rest of the afternoon. Aaron knew that they would have a fight ahead of them to get the village to accept them as a coupe, but Aaron knew that they could make it.
They could make it, because they had each other. Because when they were together they could face anything. Because they loved each other.