Aaron was noisily eating his cereal by the time Robert came downstairs. They'd spent the previous night watching a film together, curled up on the sofa, and not saying very much. It was the perfect way to spend an evening together, contented and sure of each other. Aaron hadn't really commented on how he'd found Robert talking to his father's grave, because he didn't want to embarrass Robert – but he was deeply touched. More moved than he felt able to express. And Robert, in turn, was wary of the topic of fathers altogether. But Aaron lying on Robert's chest while they watched a film had told each of them all they needed to know.

"Morning A," said Robert, rubbing his eyes. "You're up early."

"Mmm," said Aaron, mouth full – remembering that his boyfriend wasn't keen on him talking while chewing. He quickly swallowed. "Yep – I'm heading into Robblesfield to pick up some scrap."

Robert sat down next to him, feeling too sleepy to choose what he wanted for breakfast. "Shall I come with?"

"Nah, you're alright – you're supposed to be making it up to Vic for worrying her yesterday, remember?"

"Oh, that's right. She didn't half bend my ear about that. Sisters, huh?"

"So I'm finding!" said Aaron, getting up and putting his bowl in the sink. He swung his jacket on, gave Robert a quick kiss, and headed for the door. "See you later? Tea in the pub, your treat?"

Robert laughed, and watched Aaron head off. He was quickly replaced in the doorway by Adam.

"Hi and bye," he called to Aaron. "See you at the scrapyard later! Oh, and hi Robert."

Robert nodded a greeting, and decided to make himself some toast – and, more importantly, a cup of coffee. Before long, Robert and Adam were sat down at the kitchen table together. Almost immediately an awkward silence descended. Robert realised that they had actually never spent time together, just the two of them. There had always been the buffer of Aaron, or Victoria, or both.

"Vic coming down soon?" he asked.

"Nah," said Adam, chewing his toast, "She had to head off early to meet with a supplier. Oh, she said to remind you to meet for dinner today, though. Something about castrating you if you didn't turn up, if I remember correctly."

Robert laughed, but the sort of laugh that dies out halfway, and makes the ensuing silence all the more obvious. They sat for a while, both obviously at a loss for what to say next.

"How's Liv?" said Adam, eventually.

"What? Oh, Liv," said Robert. "Yeah, she's fine. Well, constantly mithering about some teacher who's annoying her or some girl who's given her a dodgy look or something." This was better. He had something to talk about. "She's great really, but I feel too young to suddenly become some sort of stepfather. Be grateful that you're not a father, mate."

Robert had thought they'd got over the awkwardness of not having Aaron or Victoria there, but apparently not. Because not long afterwards, Adam left – and Robert could sense that there was some cloud between them. But he couldn't work out what.

"Maybe I'm imagining it," he thought to himself, pouring another cup of coffee. "It's probably nothing."

Robert was typing on his laptop in the kitchen when his phone started ringing. His face lit up when he realised it wasn't a business call; it was Aaron. He relished speaking to clients a lot of the time, and felt entirely comfortable putting on a professional persona, but it was nicer to slip into the real Robert – the Robert he had only truly discovered when he was alone with Aaron and didn't need to pretend to be anything at all.

"Heya, A," he said, "How was Robblesfield?"

"Fine," said Aaron shortly. "You ok?"

"Yep, yep – just going over some spreadsheets."

"Right."

Robert's smiling face started to look more concerned. He had got better at reading Aaron's tone, but tended to rely on looking at his expressions at the same time.

"Is everything ok, Aaron?"

Aaron didn't answer immediately. Robert was surprised to discover that he was holding his breath. He was still getting used to caring this deeply about somebody else's feelings, and wanting to make sure that nothing and nobody hurt his Aaron, despite Aaron being so horribly hurtable.

"Look, Adam made me promise not to call you, but I had to," Aaron said in a rush. "He's been moping and quiet all morning, and I finally badgered it out of him."

"Why, what's up?" Robert couldn't work out at all what was going on.

"Did you say anything to him this morning about being a father? About how he should be grateful he wasn't a dad?"

"Yeah… yeah, I think I said something like that."

"Robert!" Aaron sounded angry and frustrated at the same time. "What were you thinking? You know he's still all cut up about Johnny."

"F—k," muttered Robert – his mistake had dawned on him even as Aaron was speaking. "I honestly wasn't thinking about that. I wasn't thinking at all."

"Why – " said Aaron, "I mean, what – I mean, don't you care about hurting Adam?"

"I honestly didn't mean to, A."

"He's my best friend, he's your brother-in-law," went on Aaron, as though he hadn't heard Robert. "It wouldn't hurt you to be a bit more thoughtful."

Robert hated this. He hated when Aaron shouted at him – not for his own sake, really, but because it meant that Aaron was upset, and that was torture to Robert. Worse, of course, when he was the one who caused it. And he seemed to keep causing it, no matter how often he tried not to.

"Understood," he said. "I'll talk to Adam – I'll explain. I'll – I'll apologise."

There was a pause. Aaron seemed a bit surprised.

"Yeah? I think that would be good."

Encouraged, Robert quickly went on.

"Of course. I don't want him to think I was deliberately having a go." That sounded a bit like he was trying to save his own skin, so he rephrased. "I want to make sure he's ok."

"Yeah?"

"Well, yeah. He's important to you so he's important to me."

Mollified, Aaron ended the phone call. Robert got the sense that Aaron had phoned, prepared to be in an argument with an unrepentant Robert – and it felt good to show how willing he was to make amends. The old Robert wouldn't have done that, not unless there was something in it for him. And this time he wanted to apologise simply because he realised he'd done the wrong thing, albeit inadvertently. That felt good too. Knowing that Aaron had helped change him for the better.

It was a couple of hours later that Aaron and Adam walked into the house together.

"Oh, hi," said Adam, turning around to leave the room when he saw Robert.

"Wait," said Robert – and, over Adam's shoulder, Aaron's face was showing encouragement. "I wanted to apologise for earlier. I wasn't thinking when I said that stuff about being a dad. I'm really sorry."

Adam looked a bit stunned, while Aaron nodded at Robert with his traditional upturned mouth.

"You'd be a great dad, like Vic would make a great mum. And I hope you know you've got a favourite uncle on standby."

"Andy might have a thing to say about the top place," said Adam, looking visibly more relaxed. "Not to mention Finn, Ross, and Pete."

"And me," put in Aaron, leaning forward. "Do I count?"

"Definitely," grinned Adam. He turned back to Robert. "Seriously though, mate, I appreciate you saying that."

"I really am sorry," said Robert, and his voice and face looked, and were, completely genuine.

Adam gave him a light slap on the arm. "Don't mention it, mate." He smiled at them both, and went to leave the room. "You guys are good for each other, you know that?" He smiled again and ran up the stairs.

"Yeah, I reckon I do know that," said Aaron, walking towards his boyfriend.

"Forgiven?" said Robert sheepishly, looking so vulnerable that Aaron had an impulse to grab him and hug him and kiss him.

"Forgiven," said Aaron – doing, in fact, all three of those things. "In case I hadn't mentioned it," he whispered in Robert's ear, "I love you."

"Even when I'm a complete idiot?"

"Even then." They held each other in the middle of the kitchen, deeply happy.