Wise After the Event – Chapter 3
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DISCLAIMER: I am not connected to Emmerdale and its characters, which belong to ITV
-O-
Aaron was clowning around, jumping across the stepping stones which linked one side of the river to the other in the limestone gorge in Dovedale. Robert had already reached the other bank and was watching Aaron as he was showing off. Suddenly, Aaron slipped and nearly fell into the water before regaining his balance. Robert howled with laughter, as did a few other tourists who were braving the crossing.
Once Aaron had reached dry land and joined a still laughing Robert, he shook his left foot which had just dipped into the water when he slipped, "I suppose you think that's funny!" he said with a disdainful look, but could see the funny side himself and soon dissolved into a fit of the giggles.
"Oh Aaron, you do make me laugh!" Robert said as he held onto Aaron while the younger man stood on one leg to remove his wet trainer. Then they sat on a nearby limestone rock as Aaron also removed his sock so that he could wring it out.
A middle-aged married couple stopped and looked at them and the wife, a tall, slim lady with dark hair swept back into a pony-tail, spoke, "Are you okay?" She was obviously concerned that Aaron might have hurt himself.
"Yeah, I'm fine ta!" Aaron answered with a smile, "Just got me sock a bit damp."
"Well, if you're sure. I'm trained in first aid so if you want me to check it out..." the lady said.
"No thanks," Aaron displayed his customary bravado, "I haven't hurt myself, honest!"
"Lovely spot," the husband changed the subject as he looked up at the grass, trees and limestone rocks in the gorge.
"Yes, it is," Robert made polite conversation, "Are you here on holiday?"
"That's right," the wife replied for her husband, "this is the middle weekend of our two weeks. We're here for our silver wedding anniversary."
"Oh, congratulations," Robert replied.
"Thanks," the lady said and she then looked carefully at Aaron and Robert, "Are you two married?"
"Blanche!" the husband looked mortified that his wife had asked such a personal question.
"That's okay," Robert replied, putting the couple at their ease, "No, we haven't got around to that...yet."
"You will," Blanche replied, "I'm rarely wrong about these things. Our son is gay and, when he met his boyfriend, they had the same look about them as you two do. They've been married for a year now."
"Oh well," the husband piped up again, "we'll be late for our lunch booking so we'd better set off. Nice to meet you lads."
"Yeah, take care," Blanche said as the couple started off down the riverside path again.
Later that day, Aaron and Robert took a trip to Monsal Dale and stopped by an old, disused railway where the tracks had been lifted and the track-bed turned into a walking and cycle path. They could see a stone viaduct and decided to walk to it and stroll across the top. There were no other people around and as they stood by the parapet and looked down at the drop to the River Wye below, Robert spoke, "They were nice people we met down by the river, weren't they?" He could not get the anniversary couple out of his mind.
"Yeah, I wonder how they knew we are together?" Aaron mused, "I didn't think we were that obvious."
"That lady, Blanche, knew the score with her son, so I suppose we might give off vibes to people in the know."
"Does it bother you?"
"What?" Robert did not understand.
"That people see us as a couple?"
Robert turned and pulled Aaron into an embrace, "I know I was in denial when we met and for a long time I kept up the pretence: I even got married to Chrissie, for God's sake. But if I'm honest, I knew the truth, deep down. You were the one for me and now I want the whole world to know how much I love you. If that makes me gay, well, so be it! I'm so proud of you Aaron, I want to show you off and tell everyone that you're mine."
They kissed, standing on top of the viaduct and not caring who might see them. They both felt that they were standing on top of the world at that moment.
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As they lay in bed in their hotel on the Saturday night, Aaron cuddled Robert too him. He had rarely felt as if he belonged anywhere in his life, but now he knew that he belonged in Robert's arms. "Robert?"
"Yes, babe?"
"When that lady asked if we were married, you said 'not yet'. That was a strange thing to say."
"Why strange?"
"Well, you've been married before and look how that turned out...and, I'm not the marrying kind."
Robert realised that Aaron was sounding him out and he didn't want to jinx anything, so he knew that he would have to tread carefully, "Maybe not, but that's what couples do when they want to spend their lives together. I know I want to spend my life with you and I was hoping that you feel the same about me."
Aaron saw the look of doubt in Robert's eyes and his heart went out to him. He was so used to Robert being confident and in control, but right at that moment he looked like a lost puppy. He wanted to put Robert's mind at ease, "Robert, don't get the idea that I'm against getting married. I love you...and want us to be together. It's just, I hadn't thought about it before. Plus, I don't know if I could stand up in a room full of people and make speeches or stuff like that. I'd be bricking it."
Robert stroked Aaron's arm as listened to his lover's words, then he replied, "Aaron, you don't ever have to do anything you don't want to do. If you don't want to get married, then I can live with that. I just want to be with you all the time and that's enough for me. I don't need a piece of paper to prove how much I love you."
Aaron mulled it over. Robert was pledging to be his life partner. He knew now that he would do anything for this man who had, quite literally, saved his life, "Robert, you talk a lot of sense, babe. I want to be with you and show my commitment to you. If getting married makes you happy, then I'll do it. But I don't want it to be a big, showy affair. Can't we just do it in secret somewhere? Just close family and friends to see us tie the knot?"
Robert cupped his hands around the sides of Aaron's face and kissed him fiercely. When they came up for air, Aaron realised how intense the kiss had been, it had taken his breath away. He looked at his boyfriend quizzically, "What was that for?"
"I just realised that we got engaged!" Robert said, unable to contain his excitement.
Aaron thought about it, "Yeah, I suppose we did."
"You okay with it?"
"Yeah," Aaron snuggled against Robert's fit, hot body, "I'm more than okay, actually."
"Good. How does it feel to be my fiancé?"
"It feels weird, if I'm honest. I never expected this to happen on a weekend break."
"I'm full of surprises me!"
"Don't I know it?" Aaron chuckled before kissing Robert again, passionately.
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Back in Emmerdale, Chas was having her Sunday breakfast with Jason when her phone beeped. She looked at it and saw a picture of Aaron and Robert on the screen. Aaron had taken a selfie of them on top of the viaduct.
"It's from Aaron," Chas said as she glanced at Jason.
"Everything okay?" Jason enquired.
Chas read the accompanying text as Jason looked on.
"I don't believe this," Chas looked shocked.
"What's the matter?" Jason was concerned, "They're okay, aren't they?"
"Yes, love, they're fine," Chas could see that she had worried Jason unnecessarily. She thought that he was so kind to be concerned about her son and his partner, "Sounds like they're more than fine actually, Aaron says they've got engaged!"
"Engaged?" it was Jason's turn to look shocked, "Wow! They certainly don't do things by halves those two. How do you feel about that?" Jason knew all about the tortured history between Chas and Robert.
"As you know, I hated Robert at one time. But he's changed since he's been with Aaron and I can see how much my son adores him. Robert stuck by Aaron though the court case and has been a tower of strength and I know how Aaron relied on him. Plus, he saved my son's life so that's got to be worth a sack load of brownie points. If he makes Aaron happy, then he's fine by me. It's Aaron's life and he's never taken any notice of what I say anyway! But, as long as Robert treats him right, I'm happy for them."
Jason chortled, "Yeah, children never listen to their parents!"
Chas stood up, but suddenly felt a pain in her stomach. "Ouch!" she said, holding her tummy.
Jason jumped up and took hold of Chas, "You okay, babe?"
"Yeah: just a twinge. Just as well I'm going to the doctors tomorrow to get checked out."
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Aaron and Robert were spending their Sunday exploring the Peak District. On their last day before heading home, they went to Chee Dale where they found yet another old railway track bed that had been converted to a path for tourists. This time though, the path not only passed over bridges but through old railway tunnels too. It ran quite a long way and, when they reached the first tunnel and walked a little way into it, Aaron messed about, calling out to see if there was an echo.
"It's quite spooky, isn't it?" Robert said.
"it's not that long, you can see the other end of it," Aaron replied.
"Yeah, but it's still spooky: like you can hear the ghosts of the old trains that passed through here years ago."
Robert was looking up at the ceiling and suddenly Aaron crept up behind him, grabbed his shoulders from behind and shouted "WHOAHHH!" in a menacing tone.
"Ahh!" Robert gasped and clutched his chest, "Aaron! You frightened the life out of me!"
Aaron was in hysterics. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so much and Robert burst out laughing too. They held onto each other, laughing their heads off, but suddenly calmed a little and moved in for a kiss.
Robert broke the kiss and looked one way and then the other, but there was no sign of anyone else on the path.
"What are you looking for?" Aaron asked.
"Just wondered if anyone was coming."
"We'd see them way before they got here," Aaron reasoned, "Anyway, we're in a tunnel!"
"They might be jogging, or on a bike, they'd be on us before we knew it."
Aaron repeated Robert's previous actions and looked one way and then the other, "Where are these hoards of joggers and bikers then?"
"I'm just saying..."
Aaron prevented Robert from uttering another word as his lips crashed into his boyfriend's.
"Mmmm!" Robert moaned as he felt Aaron's tongue invading his mouth and pulling at his top. He broke off, "Aaron, we can't do this here!" He took Aaron's hand in his own and pulled him towards the tunnel exit, "There's some bushes on the side of the path back there, c'mon."
They rushed out of the tunnel again and quickly made their way along the trail until they found a grassy bank which sloped downwards away from the track bed and gave access to and old stone arched bridge underneath the path. They both knew what they wanted and didn't want to waste any time on preliminaries. They found a spot under cover of the old bridge, where all they could see was the river and the limestone cliffs rising up on the other side of the gorge. They both felt that it was a safe place, even if someone passed by on the path above the bridge.
Aaron stripped Robert of his shirt and Robert did the same to Aaron. This was like a replay of their first time, the lustful coupling of two virile, horny men. They quickly stripped naked and embraced passionately, front-to-front, feeling erotic thrills coursing through their fit young bodies. They went at it like two animals in heat, which was effectively what they had become. They needed to mate and nothing was going to stop them.
Some time later, their passion spent, they lay naked on a grassy bank near the bridge under the shade of a huge bush.
"I can't believe we just did that!" Robert said, as he cuddled Aaron and kissed his forehead.
"You might at least have bought me dinner first!" Aaron joked and they both laughed.
"Anyway, we won't forget this weekend in a hurry," Robert remarked as he scrambled to gather his and Aaron's clothes together.
"I suppose we've got to think about heading back?" Aaron sounded disappointed.
"Yeah, I'm afraid so," Robert replied, "been great though, hasn't it? Just the two of us!"
"I've loved every minute, babe," Aaron was smiling and Robert thought he looked gorgeous when he smiled.
"Me too, babe."
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Aaron and Robert returned to Home Farm after their trip, ready to start work on the Monday morning. Jason had a day off work and he took Chas to her doctor's appointment. He sat in the waiting room until Chas came out after seeing the doctor. She looked a bit pale and shaken.
"Is everything okay?" Jason was worried, "You're not ill, are you?"
"Not exactly, no."
"What is it then, babe?"
Chas looked at her boyfriend steadily, "I don't know how you're going to take this Jason...but I'm pregnant!"