Aaron woke up, bleary-eyed. He recalled the previous night after a moment or two, and grinned broadly to himself. Not for a moment did he regret declaring his love for his Robert – and he certainly didn't regret the rest of the night. Aaron had always thought that sex was either frantically hot or tender and loving. Last night had proved to him that it could be all those things at once. It just took the right person.

He turned over and looked at Robert, who was still sound asleep, mouth a little open. He looked so peaceful and content. Aaron brushed Robert's hair back a bit; he usually had it slightly spiked up at the front now, but the night's sleep had pushed it down into a little fringe. In his sleep, Robert wrinkled his brow and moved his lips as though he were going to say something – but no sound came out. Grinning, Aaron lent over and kissed Robert on the forehead. Then he couldn't resist – he moved further down, and planted a kiss on Robert's lips. That did bring him out of sleep – and straight into a longer kiss.

"Wow," said Robert blearily, when they finished. "That was an amazing way to wake up."

"I can't help it if you're irresistible, Suggers."

"Don't call me that," Robert said, in a cross voice that he didn't really mean.

"You call me 'A' – which I love, by the way – and I can't call you 'R'. It makes me sound like a pirate."

"You're a very sexy pirate," mumbled Robert, obviously starting to go back to sleep.

"Hey mister, we should get up!"

"Why?" said Robert, reaching over and grabbing hold of Aaron's bum. "It'd be much more fun here."

Aaron smirked. Somehow Robert casually putting his hand on Aaron's butt felt sexier than steamy, rushed encounters in the barn or bathroom ever had. This was two boyfriends knowing that they had all the time in the world, and feeling completely comfortable around each other. Their bodies were no longer foreign territories to be explored, but familiar and united.

He pulled Robert's face towards his and kissed him again, while Robert let his hand rest on Aaron's bum still.

"You're not wearing any underwear," said Robert, suddenly realising. "Am I?" He used the other arm to lift up the covers and look down. "I see – nope!"

Aaron sniggered and indicated the pile of clothing scattered across the floor.

"Ah. Yes, it's all coming back to me now," Robert snuggled his head into the gap between Aaron's head and shoulder. "We should play Scrabble more often."

They stayed there for a few minutes, before Aaron decisively gave Robert's head a kiss, ruffled his hair, and leapt out of bed.

"Sorry, Suggers, but I need to get ready. I told Adam I'd help him at the scrapyard this morning."

Robert's grumpy face was amusing to look at.

"Fine, if you'd rather smash up cars then stay in bed with me. But I can at least enjoy the view."

Aaron laughed and shook his head, but he didn't hate that Robert was watching him as he got dressed. He even deliberately put on a t-shirt before he put on anything below the waist, surprised by his own flirty behaviour. Robert's evident and continual appreciation was helping restore much of Aaron's once-fragile self esteem about his body – scars and all.

Once dressed, Aaron pulled the duvet off Robert – enjoying the view himself for a moment – and left him complaining about what sort of boyfriend he'd ended up with. But while Aaron was still walking down the stairs, he heard Robert calling out, with a note of earnestness entering his voice.

"I love you, A!"

"I love you too," Aaron called back. Now he'd said it once, he was more than happy to keep saying it forever. He knew how much it meant to Robert to hear it, too. And that felt wonderful. He smiled happily as he ran down the rest of the stairs and out the front door.

Adam and Aaron worked hard at the yard all day, the sun not quite hot enough to make the job unpleasant. Indeed, second to spending the day under the covers with Robert, Aaron couldn't think of many places he'd rather be – getting work done, spending time with his best friend, and having enough periods of silence that he could relive the previous evening in his mind.

Halfway through the day, Adam stopped what he was doing and leant on the roof of the car they were dismantling.

"So, lad, I keep waiting for you to bring it up and you haven't. I guess old Uncle Adam will have to be the one to do it."

"Sorry, mate, but you're making even less sense than usual."

"Last night! After I, er, got too caught up in the Scrabble game."

"Fell asleep, you mean, you lightweight!"

"Whatever!" Adam laughed, "Vic tells me that you didn't spend the rest of the evening flicking through the dictionary."

Aaron grinned and looked down, embarrassed.

"Well?!"

"It sounds like you already know what happened, mate. That wife of yours isn't one to keep her mouth shut."

"True, true – she did say something about the 'l' word."

Aaron grinned again, and this was matched by a similar look on Adam's face. Adam reached across the car and gave Aaron a light punch on the arm.

"Mate! That's excellent!"

"Yeah," admitted Aaron. "It's pretty great."

"Look at us, both with Sugdens."

"Thank goodness neither of us ended up with Andy," joked Aaron.

"Or Diane!"

"Yeah, I think we picked the best ones."

He loved how supportive Adam always was. Adam couldn't have looked happier if it was his own life that had suddenly taken such a great turn for the better. Then again, that was what friendship was for, of course. He remembered Adam's wedding day, and how delighted he'd felt at seeing his two best friends tie the knot. There was a selfless joy to it that was intoxicating and uncomplicated.

"So, you're completely sure of him, mate?" said Adam. Aaron had heard the same sort of words from Chas over and over, but Adam asked them without the overtones of concern and disapproval that Chas still used from time to time. Rather, Adam seemed more than willing to accept that Robert was the man Aaron believed and wanted him to be – which meant the world to him.

"Yeah," said Aaron simply. "We neither of us have perfect pasts. But it's the future that matters. And I know that he would never hurt me or let me down – and I wouldn't him either."

"You're getting soft, lad!" laughed Adam, who then ducked to avoid the small piece of plastic Aaron threw at him in retaliation. "But, nah, I'm really pleased for you lad. It's about time."

Aaron nodded.

"Shall we get on with this motor, then, or did you have any more questions?"

"Just one, actually," Adam laughed a little awkwardly. "You know how we love Vic, and she's the best?"

"What?"

"And how Robert loves her too?"

"Adam. What has she done?"

Sheepishly, Adam pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed Aaron the photo on it. It was a picture of Aaron and Robert kissing, just after Aaron had spelled out 'I love you' in Scrabble tiles. They hadn't even realised she'd taken it.

"Are you ok with the fact that Vic put this on Facebook?"

Aaron was about to reply, when Adam's phone vibrated with a message from Victoria. Without meaning to pry, Aaron could hardly avoid reading it:

Have you seen Robert? We're supposed to be having lunch together, and I can't find him.