Thank you all for reading this, it means so much to me to know that people are actually reading the stuff I write! Please carry on reading and commenting
Just to clarify, in this story Chas and Paddy did not find out about Robert and Aaron's affair like they did in the show.
The two men remained together, on Aaron's bed, for a long time. Before they knew it, it was dark outside and they could hear groups of people descending on the pub for the Valentine's Day party going on downstairs.
"What happens now?" Aaron asked, his head on Robert's chest and arm wrapped securely around the other man's waist.
"Well, we could go down and tell them all that we're together, they're bound to find out soon anyway. The sooner that we announce our relationship, the sooner we can do things that couples do." Robert pressed a gentle kiss to Aaron's forehead.
Aaron felt warmth radiate inside him at the word couple. After months of messing around, they were finally going to be together properly, not having to hide from anyone or keep their relationship a secret.
He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face and felt Robert's chest vibrate as he chuckled. "I can't believe we can actually be together. Thank you Robert, I love you." He grinned, leaning up to kiss his lover's soft lips.
"I love you too, Aaron. Now let's go downstairs before I rip your clothes off and we stay here all night." Robert smirked, his eyes glinting mischievously in the dim light.
Aaron laughed, standing up and holding a hand out to help the taller man up too. Standing on his tiptoes, he quickly kissed Robert before intertwining their fingers and opening his bedroom door. There was no one about as he led Robert down the stair and they stopped just outside the lounge.
"This may get a bit messy, but just remember that I love you Aaron." Robert kissed Aaron, pulling the smaller man tight against his body, savouring the feeling of his lover's lips on his own and how they no longer had to hide their feelings.
"I love you too, Robert." Aaron would never get over being able to say those words out loud and have them returned.
They disconnected their hands as they headed through to the bar, where they could hear Chas talking to customers.
"You feeling a bit better love?" Chas asked as Aaron entered the bar. However, as she saw Robert follow Aaron her eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here Robert?" She asked suspiciously.
"Mum, I really need to talk to you," Aaron told her.
"Sorry love, I can't leave the bar. We're understaffed as it is, we can't lose anyone else." She apologised. "Just tell me now, whatever it is no one will hear."
Aaron glanced at Robert and he nodded subtly. "Mum, Robert and I are seeing each other. We've decided to make a go of it." He said in a low voice, hoping that no one would hear as he really wanted his mum to be the first to know.
Chas froze, trying to work out whether she had misheard her son. But the way that Aaron was watching her with wary eyes and the taller blond stood protectively behind him, too close for them to just be business partners, she knew that she had heard it correctly.
Her son was dating the village bastard. Her son, who had only ever encountered love to have his heart smashed into a million pieces, had fallen in love with Robert. Robert Sugden. The man who had no heart and only ever looked out for and cared about himself. The man who was married to a woman and had the perfect life with his businesses and family.
Aaron saw the shock on his mother's face as she realised what Aaron was saying. He felt Robert stood close behind him, one hand gently touching Aaron's hand but not holding it just to show that he was there.
Suddenly, Chas turned, her eyes blazing. "What do you mean, you're together?" She spat the words out, unable to see why he son would ever look at someone like Robert.
"Aaron, he's stringing you along, you stupid boy. Why can't you see that Robert only cares about himself, he's married for heaven's sake?" She cried out, her voice getting louder and louder with each word.
By the end, the noise level in the pub had dropped and everyone turned to see what was going on behind the bar. Aaron glanced around, seeing a sea of familiar faces watching the trio with a mixture of concern and interest.
"Chas, maybe we should talk somewhere privately." Robert whispered, aware of the attention that they were receiving.
"I'm not going anywhere with you, and neither is my son." Chas grabbed Aaron's arm and tried to pull him away from Robert, but Aaron fought back.
"Leave me alone, mum. I know what I want and what's best for me. I'm an adult, you don't get to run my life for me anymore." He hissed at his mother, pulling his arm away from her.
"Why are you doing this Aaron? In a couple of days' time he'll be back up at Home Farm with his perfect life and you'll be left in the gutter, Aaron. Why can't you see it?"
"Because I love him!" Aaron shouted at his mum, taking all of them by surprise. They heard gasps echo round the pub but nobody seemed entirely sure who Aaron was talking about. They weren't sure who he was talking about until Robert stepped next to Aaron and joined their hands, and then it all made sense.
"And I love him, Chas. I love him so much." Robert held up their joined hands and more gasps spread around the pub as everyone started whispering, but then a deathly silence fell as the door slammed shut and everyone looked to see who had arrived.
Chrissie, Lawrence and Lachlan stood just inside the door, Chrissie looking as if she had just been slapped in the face. "Robert?" She cried in a pained voice.
Aaron felt Robert tense up as his wife spoke to him. "Chrissie, I'm so sorry. But I just couldn't do it any more, couldn't pretend to be someone I'm not. I'm in love with Aaron and I have been for months. I just couldn't bring myself to tell you, but it really is over. I want a divorce." He apologised, with his hand still wrapped in Aaron's.
She let out a strangled sob as she turned and fled from the pub, her son and father hot on her heels. One by one the people in the pub began whispering to each other again, and Robert and Aaron were left stood facing the sea of faces.
Some people looked disgusted, Edna in particular as she had been in exactly Chrissies shoes and Aaron knew that. Others, such as Paddy and Adam, looked shocked but almost happy that Aaron had finally moved on from Jackson.
"Aaron? Are you okay?" Paddy came over to where the men were stood and pulled Aaron into a hug. "So this is the married man you said you were in love with?" He asked, and Aaron saw Robert chuckle slightly.
"Yeah. It as Robert all along." He smiled at Paddy, happy that he could now reveal the truth to those he cared about most.
Paddy then did something that surprised both Robert and Aaron. Leaning forward, he pulled Robert into a hug. "Thank you for making him happy, Robert." He whispered "I may not agree with how you've hone about his, but I can see how happy he is with you. So thank you." Paddy whispered, loud enough so both Robert and Aaron could hear but no one else.
Robert smiled at Paddy, knowing that the person Aaron saw as a dad had just given them his blessing.
"Thank you, Paddy. You have no idea how happy Aaron makes me, I will never hurt him. I promise." Robert said, returning the hug.
Aaron stepped back and watched. He saw his boyfriend and father hugging, his friends grinning at him and people he barely knew looking at him with respect. There was still a long way to go, but he knew that they could make it.
Robert pulled out of the hug and wrapped an arm around Aaron's waist, pulling him into a searing kiss in front of the whole village. Aaron melted into the kiss but didn't hear the wolf whistles that came from Adam and Victoria, because he was focused on Robert and only Robert.
The only thoughts in Aaron's head were happy ones. After months of pain, he had finally got his man. He and Robert were finally together. No secrets, no lies. It was just the two of them, and for them, it was perfect.