After some time, a lot of Robert running around and looking after Aaron, the ounces man made a full recovery and life returned to normal. Well... whatever normal was.

Liv had been causing trouble and her dislike for Robert was clear. Robert had been doing his best to remain the boyfriend that Aaron deserved, but his boyfriend's little sister was not making life easy for him. Robert had noticed that his stuff was vanishing and then reappearing in random places, like his laptop being in the oven and his phone in the a glass in the pub.

Aaron had noticed that Robert was struggling with the pressure of coping with Liv's practical jokes. He had always told Liv off for making life hard for Robert, but she did not stop.

Robert walked downstairs one morning and he was buttoning up his shirt, he looked up and he saw that Chas was looking at him.

"Sit down, Robert. I'm not gonna kill ya just yet" Chas joked.

Robert walked over to the dining table and he sat next to Aaron. He looked at the younger man and he saw that he looked exhausted "You okay?"

Aaron looked at Robert "Yeah, I'm fine."

Robert held Aaron's hand "You know you can tell me anything right?"

Aaron nodded "I just had a hard time getting to sleep last night."

Robert stroked Aaron's hand with his thumb.

"Aww, lover boy's worried about you, Aaron." Chas chuckled.

"Mum" Aaron scolded Chas.

"What? I'm allowed to embarrass my son." Chas ruffled Aaron's hair, she then looked at Robert "It's in the job description".

Robert laughed and he watched as Aaron fixed his hair 'He looks adorable with curly hair' he thought to himself.

Chas finished her cup of tea "Time to open the bar" she walked through to the pub.

"I'm still alive and I've not been yelled at... a good start to the day I do think so myself" Robert smiled.

Aaron smiled at Robert "She's happy that I'm happy so let's keep it that way".

Robert kissed Aaron on the cheek "Sounds like a plan to me". He then nicked a piece of toast off of Aaron's plate and he started to eat.

Aaron smiled and he talked to Robert for a few minutes. Once they had eaten they walked into the pub and they started to do some work on their laptops.

"Aaron, what's the name of the new client that called yesterday?" Robert asked.

Aaron thought for a second "Crevise."

Robert clicked his fingers "Cheers, you're the best".

Aaron smiled "Is because I'm a top bloke".

Robert smiled he looked at Aaron "You're the best boyfriend ever".

Aaron looked up at Robert "So are you".

There was a loud bang and Chas jumped, she dropped the glass that she had been holding and she sighed in annoyance.

"For pity's sake" Chas huffed.

Aaron and Robert looked up and Aaron imeadiently remembered what triggered his mother's PTSD.

"Mum, you alright?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Sweetheart" Chas answered, but then she stumbled and she momentarily blacked out.

"Mum!" Aaron rushed over to Chas "Robert, can you get her a glass of water please?"

"Yeah" Robert quickly poured Chas a drink of water and he placed it on the bar.

Chas woke up and she realised that Aaron was holding her up "What happened?"

"You fainted. Are you okay, Mum?" Aaron asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Chas went to stand up but she stumbled.

Aaron caught Chas and he held her up "You need to lie down, Mum. I'll run the bar for a few hours until Charity gets black".

Chas pushed Aaron away from her "Stop fussing over me!" she yelled at Aaron.

Aaron was hurt that Chas had shouted at him when he was trying to help. He did not say anything as his mum walked through to the backroom.

Robert looked at Aaron and he placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder "Are you okay?"

Aaron nodded "It's probably just her PTSD. That wasn't her just then".

"I'll finish up our work and then I'll give you a hand with running this place" Robert said in a kind voice.

"I can manage the bar on my own" Aaron sighed.

"I'm not risking your health again. You're shattered and I don't wanna see you in a hospital bed again" Robert said firmly.

Aaron nodded "Cheers".

Robert smiled and he went back over to where he was sat. Robert finished his and Aaron's work, before he started to help Aaron out with the bar. At 1pm Liv walked into the Woolpack and she sat at the bar.

"Vodka and coke" Liv demanded.

"One... you're too young to drink, and two... aren't you meant to be at school?" Robert asked.

"You can't tell me what to do. Aaron!" Liv yelled.

Aaron walked into the pub "What happened to you being at school?"

"Can I have a vodka and coke? Robert's bossing me around and calling me names" Liv lied.

Robert sighed and he rolled his eyes .

Aaron glared at Liv "No, Liv. And don't lie about Robert, he's not a bad guy" he walked around the bar.

"Like you never skipped school or drank until your brains were mush!" Liv yelled at Aaron.

Aaron leaned over the bar "Don't yell at me. I acted up when I was a kid because I had my reasons, you're a normal teenager and nothing bad has ever happened to you" he said in a firm whisper.

Liv rolled her eyes "You always make everything about yourself! It's not fair!"

"Go to your room" Aaron said firmly.

Liv did not move and she rolled her eyes.

"Now, Liv!" Aaron raised his voice.

Liv ran through the bar and she ran up to her bedroom.

Aaron sighed and he looked at Robert "I'm sorry about her".

Robert rubbed circles around Aaron's back "It's fine."

Aaron sighed and Robert could sense how tense the younger man was.

After some time Chrissie walked in with Lachlan and they sat at the bar, Robert was having a break so Aaron went to serve Chrissie.

"What can I get you?" Aaron asked.

"A glass of Prosecco and a Pepsi, Aaron" Chrissie answered.

Aaron poured Chrissie and Lachlan's drinks and the woman paid him. Robert had noticed that both Chrissie and Lachlan were giving him dirty looks, he shifted uncomfortably and Aaron noticed.

"What's wrong?" Aaron asked.

Robert looked at Aaron "Nothing, don't worry about it".

"Don't lie to me, Robert" Aaron raised one eyebrow.

Robert sighed "Chrissie and Lachlan are just giving me looks and it makes me uncomfortable".

Aaron looked at Chrissie and he saw her quickly look away from Robert "Do you wanna go in the backroom for a bit?"

"No its okay, I'll manage" Robert answered.

"You sure? I don't mind running this place on my own for the next few hours" Aaron looked into Robert's eyes

Robert kissed Aaron, he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's waist and he felt Aaron wrap his arms around his neck. After a moment Robert pulled back and he smiled at Aaron "I'm sure. I'm not risking you collapsing again".

Aaron smiled, Robert kissed his forehead and then they pulled back from each other. Aaron and Robert ended up working managing the pub all day, and Charity took over at 8:45pm. The couple walked into the backroom and they saw a very stroppy Liv sat on the sofa.

"Liv, we need to talk" Aaron started.

Liv tutted and she rolled her eyes.

Robert turned the TV off, and when he looked at Liv he saw the dark look that she was giving him.

Aaron saw that Liv was glaring at Robert, and he hit the arm of the sofa to get her attention "Knock it off, Liv!"

"Stop bossing me around. You're not my dad!" Liv shouted at Aaron.

Aaron chewed his bottom lip "No you're right. I'm your 'dad's' son and our dad made my life hell. I used to act up because I was punished for being a kid, he would even beat me when I had been in the shower for 'too long'. You have no idea how scared I was when I was your age."

"You were abused. End of story" Liv huffed.

Aaron sat down on the arm of the sofa "You have no idea do you?"

Liv stomped upstairs and she slammed her bedroom door shut.

Robert sat on the sofa and he looked up at Aaron "What did you mean by that she had no idea?"

Aaron looked at Robert "There's a reason why I told you not to come to court one of the days".

Robert held Aaron's hand "What's the reason?"

"Because it was the day that I had to describe what happened to me. You know I told you that I got onto a fight when I wasn't even eleven?" Aaron asked.

Robert nodded "Yeah?"

"Liv was only little then, she was sat in the living room with me. We were playing snap and she loved shouting snap, she was so cute. I had been in a fight, because I was being bullied and people had been telling me to stand up for myself. I did, but I still came out worse at the end of it. Sandra left and she went to go to her mate's house, she left me and Liv with him. I was laughing and Liv was giggling as we played snap, everything was fine... but then the door swung open and he walked in. He had told me that he had hurt me because I reminded him of my mum, but now he was angry at Sandra. So the only thing that he could hurt that reminded him of Sandra was..." Aaron sniffled.

"Liv" Robert finished Aaron's sentence.

Aaron nodded "Yeah, he started to shout at Liv and he went to grab her, but I grabbed her and held her in a hug. She was crying and I was hugging her to protect her, he told me to give her to him and that of I didn't then I'd be punished. I told him no and that I knew what he was gonna do. She was so small and damage had already been done to me, I didn't want her to have to carry those kind of scars for the rest of her life. He shouted at me to give her to him and I threw one of her toys at him. It hit his head and it knocked him out for a moment, I picked her up and I ran to the downstairs bathroom. I ran in and locked the door behind me, but I knew that he would find her. I told her to wait in the bathroom and I said that I would be back, I climbed out of the window and I told her not leave the bathroom. I walked around to the front door and I walked into the house, he saw me and he was not angry at Sandra anymore. He was angry at me." He squeezed Robert's hand as tears streamed down his face.

Robert looked at Aaron and he wiped away his own tears "You protected Liv. You did nothing wrong and you have nothing to be ashamed about".

Aaron looked at Robert "She can't find out about that. I'm just relieved that she doesn't remember it, after it was over Gordon went out and I walked downstairs. I looked a mess and I was crying, I went to the downstairs bathroom and I told Liv to open the door. She opened the door and she was crying, she said that she had heard me screaming and that she knew I was hurt. I picked her up and I carried her into the kitchen. I made her something to eat and I took her to bed, Sandra and Gordon didn't come back that night but I just sat in Liv's room and I kept watch. I had to protect my little sister from him".

Robert moved to the side slightly "Sit next to me".

Aaron moved and he sat next to Robert.

Robert wrapped his arm around Aaron's shoulders and he pulled him close, he kissed Aaron's head and he held the younger man's hand "All of that is over now and he can't hurt you again. I'd never let anyone hurt you".

Aaron snuggled up against Robert and his breathing hitched "Am I damaged?"

Robert shook his head "No. You're not damaged, you're absolutely beautiful and I'm here to take care of you now".

Aaron let Robert hold him until he stopped crying and then he made dinner. Robert sat at the dining table and he watched as his boyfriend made their dinner, once they had eaten Aaron and Robert got ready for bed and they watched some TV in bed. Robert was surprised when Aaron moved and rested his head on his chest, but he smiled and he started to stroke his boyfriend's hair. Aaron smiled and he yawned, he kissed Robert's chest and he snuggled up against the older man.

"You're a big softy really aren't ya?" Robert asked.

Aaron smiled "Yeah, being rude and fighting people's just a way to protect myself".

"I know. You're so good, Aaron. You don't need to protect yourself around me" Robert said as he softly stroked Aaron's hair.

"I know. I know that I'm safe with you" Aaron said as he started to doze off.

Robert wrapped his other arm around Aaron "Yeah, you're always gonna be safe with me and I'm gonna keep you safe".