Chapter Text
This was it, the moment of truth. There was no turning back, no changing his mind.
He had come this far.
A few more steps and he would come face to face with the man who was trying to steal his life.
He'd been waiting six long, miserable years for this moment. He wasn't going to let a little bit of cold feet stop him from taking this chance.
He'd risked everything for this. They'd risked everything for this.
All these months of secret rendezvous, and then Aaron had to leave to go back to him.
It killed him every time he watched Aaron leave, so afraid that he wasn't going to come back, that he was really in love with John.
But Aaron always came back to him, making promises he knew Aaron would keep. This was their fight, and they were going to win.
His freedom, his second chance at life on the outside, was his for the taking, and the moment had finally arrived after months of careful planning.
He was finally back, and nothing was going to stand in the way of getting his husband back for good.
He took a deep breath and stepped inside.
***
He can't think, he can't speak.
He can't move.
After months of planning, the moment is finally here, and all he wants to do is jump into Robert's arms, but that's not part of the plan.
He just has to be patient, let this moment play out just the way they orchestrated it.
He remembers clearly the night Robert called him. Everything stopped - time, space, the earth's rotation - everything, because as soon as he heard Robert's voice, everything changed. It didn't matter how much time had passed; Robert was still the man he loved, despite everything.
The divorce.
Cutting ties.
None of that mattered anymore.
Robert was getting parolled and wanted to see him.
Robert still loved him.
Three months later, here they were, ready to risk it all to take John down.
The way their eyes connected the minute he stepped through the door of the hall, Aaron knew he'd do anything, risk everything, for this man.
Robert loves him.
It's in his eyes, the way he can still see into Aaron's very soul with just one look. It's the same look Robert had in his eyes last night when they said goodbye.
They're both just standing there, with people in between them, and they can't stop staring at each other.
He pretends to be shocked and stunned, like this is the first time he is laying eyes on Robert in six years.
He doesn't want to blow their cover, so the only thing he can think to say is his name.
"Robert."
"Hello, Aaron," is all Robert can manage. He forgets about the plan for a moment, he just wants to take in this moment, the man standing in front of him, who has always had his heart, his body, and soul from the moment their worlds first collided.
Aaron closed his eyes briefly, trying to let everything just wash over him before he opened them again.
This was all part of the plan. He couldn't change course now.
The plan, he reminded himself, before he took a deep breath and landed the blow.
It was all for show, but still, punching Robert nearly killed him.
But now they had to put the second part of their plan into action.
"Get out," Aaron said fiercely, when he wanted to say, Stay. Stay and never leave me again.
When Robert stormed out with a bottle of champagne, Aaron turned his attention back to the man at the altar, the man who had caused his family so much misery.
A killer.
How had he ever let himself think he was falling for this man? It made him sick to his stomach just thinking about it.
He hated pretending he was in love with Robert's half-brother.
But it was all part of the plan, Robert's surprise entrance being the beginning of their master plan.
He was going to have his revenge, one way or another, and at the end of the day, he was going to get his husband back.
But right now....
He re-joined John at the altar and took a deep breath. "Let's continue, shall we?"
John smiled, and Aaron wanted to punch that grin right off his face.
Aaron pretended to look relieved that Robert was gone and took John's hand in his. He tried to get the words out, but he just couldn't; he just kept stumbling over his words.
This part wasn't hard to act.
"I can't do this," he said finally after a few attempts at saying his vows.
And then he left out the back door, without a word to anyone.
He had somewhere to be.
***
Robert looked relieved when Aaron met him on the bridge.
"Took you long enough," he said as he put the bottle of champagne on the ground. "I was starting to think you were going to go through with that travesty."
"I had to make it look believable," Aaron said, loosening his tie. He couldn't wait to get out of this stupid, ugly suit.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay." Aaron finally reached Robert in the middle of the bridge and reached out to caress his cheek. "Because I'm here with you."
"Finally," Robert breathed.
"Finally," Aaron repeated, and grabbed Robert by the back of the head and pulled him in for an intense kiss. "I missed you."
"I missed you more."
"Sap."
Robert grinned into another kiss. "Right back at ya."
They'd been apart far too long, so neither wanted to waste another moment here. They needed to be alone.
"Let's get out of here," Aaron said. "My car's just up the hill."
"Just a second." Robert reached out and held Aaron's face in his hands. "There's something I need to do first."
"What's that?"
"This." And crushed their lips together. They cling to each other, both of them not wanting to let go just yet.
Emotion caught in his throat, Robert pulls back reluctantly, his eyes searching Aaron's face for signs of regret.
He doesn't see anything but the love reflecting in his eyes. It hadn't been easy getting to this place. Robert had to work at getting Aaron to trust him again, to believe that this time would be different, that he wasn't running away this time, no matter how hard things got.
Because, after all, Aaron was engaged to another man. But when it came to Aaron, Robert didn't let anything-or anyone-get in his way.
And when Aaron kissed him the first time, he hadn't been expecting it. But with that one kiss had sealed it for him - he wasn't ever letting Aaron go again.
And when Aaron told him the grisly truth he had known about John for weeks, Robert knew there was only one thing to do if they wanted a fresh start.
They had come up with a plan, but it involved Aaron staying engaged to John a little while longer, and Robert had hated every second of it.
Mine, he's mine now, and I'm never letting him go, Robert thought as their lips connected in another slow dance.
They're here, they're together, and everything they've been through has been worth it, every piece of it, for this.
For love.
Aaron held out his hand, intertwining their fingers. "Let's get out of here."
Chapter Text
Robert has him pushed up against the door before they get fully inside, when his phone starts ringing.
He knows he can't ignore everyone forever; he will have to pretend to be sorry for walking out on their wedding, but right now, he doesn't want to think about the consequences of what he just did, not when Robert's lips are trailing down his neck.
"Turn that stupid thing off," Robert finally said, grabbing the phone out of Aaron's hand and throwing it across the room and landing on the couch.
"Hey," Robert said, pulling him close. "Look at me. Right now, it's just you and me. Let's forget everyone else, just for a little while."
"I just walked out," Aaron reminded him. "You know how persistent my family is, we're not going to be able to block them forever."
"I just want us to have some time, just the two of us. We deserve that, don't we? We've been apart for so long, I don't think I can wait another second."
There's an edge of desperation to their kisses now. No one knows where they are, and that is all Aaron needs to know before his hands are all over Robert, desperate to feel him, to know this isn't a dream.
It feels like a century ago that they were last together like this.
It feels like yesterday.
They kiss lazily against the wall, trying to savor the moment, both knowing they've already wasted so much time.
Robert grabs his hand, starts leading him back towards the bedroom, and Aaron goes willingly, throwing his suit jacket on the ground and loosening his tie as they bump into walls, not able to keep their eyes off each other.
He missed being as close, as intimate, to Robert as he could get. He missed the feeling of safety, of belonging to him.
Because he does. Heart and soul.
"Where did you go just now?"
"Nowhere," Aaron promises him, pulling him in for another kiss. "I swear. I was just thinking about how much I missed being with you like this."
"Me too," Robert murmured as he pushed the door to his room open. He pushed Aaron on the bed, covering his body with his own. "I've missed being this close to you."
"You're the love of my life," Aaron said, knowing Robert needed to hear it just as much as he needed to say the words. "You always have been and always will be."
For a brief second, Robert is at a loss for words. There are so many things that he wants to say, but every time he tries to say them, his tongue is tied.
I love you.
You're the best thing that's ever happened to me.
I'm nothing without you.
"Even when I was inside, I never stopped being in love with you," he finally says.
"I know," Aaron murmured, and right now, that's enough.
For a while, they kiss and touch in the silence, basking in the realization that finally - finally - they are together.
But there's fear in the back of Aaron's mind of what John could do to them. He's dangerous, Aaron knows that for a fact, and he's scared. Scared that he could lose Robert again, but this time for good.
He doesn't want to ruin the moment, so he stays silent, instead focusing on the man in his arms and how much he needs him right this minute.
But Robert can tell Aaron is in his head, and he wants to badly to take his mind off of everything, even if it's just temporarily.
"Come here."
"I know what he's capable of." Aaron voices his biggest fear with his head against Robert's heart. "When he finds out about us..."
"I'm not going to let him hurt you."
"I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about you."
"I can take care of myself, you know that." He kisses the top of Aaron's head. "Let's not think about that right now. I finally have you in my bed, and you are talking about another man."
"I'm sorry," Aaron said, burrowing his face against Robert's neck, breathing him in. "You're right, let's not think about it tonight." He starts to unbutton his crisp white dress shirt, tosses it to the floor. "I'm here in your bed."
Robert grins. "Yes, you are. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. You are so fucking hot."
"Shut up." But Aaron is grinning as he pulls Robert on top of him, blocking out the rest of the world.
Chapter Text
Everything that night felt frantic, rushed, but they didn't have the time to take it slow. They never did.
Robert hadn't even shut the door behind them, and Aaron couldn't get him close enough, frantically pulling at the clothes that were a barrier between them. Their first kiss was intense, the second even more passionate than the last.
Instinct took over, the need to be one with each other after so long. They both trembled with need and want, unable to keep their hands off each other. The heat between them intensified as the last barrier of clothes fell into an unorganized heap on the floor.
Robert couldn't stop rambling; words he should have said years ago weighed heavily on his heart.
"Shhh," Aaron would just kiss him again, shutting him up.
They made love with one candle flickering, two hearts beating as one.
****
Robert couldn't sleep; he left Aaron alone in bed, reaching down to grab his shirt and tugging it over his head. He tucked the covers over Aaron's bare skin and went to the kitchen for a glass of water.
Prison had been hell. He hadn't had a good night's sleep in years. He was still getting used to sleeping in his own bed without steel bars
When every day was a battle just to get through to the next, surrounded by a million feelings, a thousand thoughts, a hundred memories of his life before.
He had clung to those memories when he had been locked up, even though he felt hollow inside, empty and out of place.
It was like being swallowed up by a vicious and venomous sea, the pain was so blinding that he had lost sight of everything as countless darkened days rained over him.
He had hit rock bottom, pulling him in an abyss so deep and horrifying that he never thought he would get out. He stopped living; he no longer cared about whether he would live another day. He had tried to adapt to his new life inside, surrounded by steel bars, but all he felt was emptiness.
He had never stopped thinking about Aaron and mourning the life they lost. The endless what-ifs. There had been no closure, and he could never get past the nagging thoughts that just wouldn't allow his heart to let go.
If you don't ask him, you'll never know.
He doesn't love me anymore.
But what if he does?
If you don't fight for him, someone else will.
He deserves to be happy with someone who's not going to spend the rest of his life in this hell hole.
Isn't that his decision to make?
I'm not going to let him put his life on hold for me.
He loves you. You love him. Why are you being such an idiot?
And that was what it came down to. Love. Robert loved him more than he loved himself and that's why he had let him go. But looking back now, it's the stupidest decision he's ever made and he's made a hell of a lot of bad decisions.
He'd been afraid that day he picked up the phone with unsteady hands and his heart beating so fast he thought it was going to explode from his chest. He was nervous as hell, so afraid that Aaron would hear his voice and hang up the phone before he even got a chance to say a word.
But Aaron had surprised him. He was furious, true, but he didn't hang up on him. He listened, he yelled, then out of nowhere blurted out that he still loved him.
Robert hadn't been expecting that.
It had been the sudden and crippling fear that Aaron would resent him in the long run that had sealed the deal in his mind when he ended their marriage. He had convinced himself that it was better to cut off ties now instead of down the road. The damage of the destruction he had caused had already been done; it couldn't be repaired.
Or so he thought.
In the end, he was alone, suffocating from the invisible walls caving in on him.
Even in all of the madness, Aaron's love had never wavered. Yes, okay, he had gotten engaged, but it was all a ploy while Robert fought like hell on the inside to get paroled. Robert hated it, knowing that Aaron was pretending to be in love with someone else. It almost killed him.
He was trying not to dwell on the situation they were finding themselves in, but his mind went there anyway. He was still wallowing in self-pity when he felt lips graze the back of his neck.
"I hated waking up without you beside me."
"Sorry," Robert said, turning into his arms. "Remember that first night we talked on the phone?"
Aaron smiled, remembering the moment just like it was yesterday. Heck, maybe it had been. "Yes, I remember. I told you you were an idiot for what you did."
Robert grinned fondly, his finger tracing a fading scar on Aaron's chest. "And I asked you if you still loved this idiot."
"And I told you I was with John," Aaron said quietly. "I was going to lie and tell you I was in love with him, but I couldn't. I couldn't lie to you."
"And I told you that you were still mine and I would do anything for you."
"I remember."
"You came to visit me the very next day."
"Remember what happened next?"
Chapter Text
Aaron remembers exactly what happened next. It's burned into his brain.
"Why did you come here?"
When he's waiting for you, Robert thinks. You deserve so much better than me.
His voice cracked as he asked the question that he had to know the answer to, as much as it killed him to ask it.
It's taking every bit of strength Robert has to stand here, facing his ex-husband, in this quiet, stark room with cement walls and two chairs with a metal table in the middle of it. Neither one of them has made a move to sit down, but Robert knows that at any second, his legs are going to buckle if he doesn't sit down.
But he doesn't. He can't stop staring at Aaron. Can't stop his brain from wondering why Aaron is here when he has a new life now. A life he had so desperately wanted for himself when he had cut off contact six years ago.
Aaron's been quiet for far too long, he realizes. He takes a deep breath and steps forward so they are within arm's reach of each other.
"We both know why I'm here."
"Do we?" Robert itches to touch him, knows he won't be able to stop himself if there's no distance between them, but he just can't bring himself to tear himself away. He's been dreaming too long about the moment he finally has Aaron in his vision, and now that the moment is here, nothing, it seems, is going to stop him from stepping forward and reaching out.
Aaron stares down at Robert's outstretched hand and backs away like it's lava.
"Have you thought about me?" Robert asks, his voice braided with emotion he can't contain. Robert knows Aaron is feeling everything he is feeling, even if he can't admit it to himself. It's written all over his face, but he needs the words. He needs Aaron to say that he's here right now because he couldn't stay away, that being apart is just too painful.
"Is that even a question?" Without thinking about it, Aaron reaches out and grasps Robert's hands in his. "I wouldn't be here if you still didn't consume every second of my thoughts." Before he can stop himself, his thumb is along Robert's cheekbone, his gaze skimming his face. It looks older, but the man in front of him is still the same man he fell in love with all those years ago. "I've thought about it and I've come to only one conclusion."
"And what's that?" Robert's voice shakes, yearning for the answer he knows is coming.
Aaron's reply is temporarily stalled when someone enters the room.
"Two more minutes," came the curt reply from a police officer, before he shuts the door and they're alone again.
Aaron knows he only has a limited amount of time left, and he can't afford to waste it, not when there is still so much more to say. Six years of feelings he needs to convey.
Two minutes is not enough time. He needs more, but this will have to do for now. He'll just have to start with the most important words he needs to get off his chest.
"I love you," Aaron says, finally looking away from the door that the officer just walked out of. He almost smiles at Robert's surprised expression. "What, not what you were expecting me to say?"
"No," Robert says honestly, because he knows he doesn't deserve Aaron's love, his heart, or anything else he'd be willing to offer.
"Do you still love me?" Aaron asks, and Robert wants to shake him. How could he think, for even a minute, that he could stop? Loving Aaron was like breathing.
"Of course I do, you idiot." Then Robert closes the last of the distance between them and puts his arms around Aaron's waist. "I'm getting out of here in three weeks, and there's only one thing I want."
"And what's that?"
"You." But he also knows Aaron is not alone anymore. He's with.... Robert can't even say it. "But I know you're with..."
"Don't say his name, not here. And besides, he doesn't matter. I told you, I'm just pretending to care about him to bring him down. He killed Nate, and it's the only way we can think to bring him down, to leave him unsuspecting. He needs to think I care about him."
"And you don't?" Robert had to know.
"No," Aaron scoffs. "I care about you. I love you. You're it for me. You always have been. Please tell me you believe me."
"I believe you," Robert says quietly, but he also knows what he's put Aaron through. All the hell he's put both of them through because of his foolish pride.
Look where it got them.
He can't think about Aaron and John together, even if it's just pretend. It makes his chest ache.
Aaron is the only one who brings this side out of him - the possessive, savagely protective side. He'll do everything he can to protect Aaron, to protect what they have.
In this moment, Aaron thinks, nothing else matters.
Loving Robert is a blessing and a curse and inevitably, his undoing.
"I'm not leaving you alone this time," Robert promises him, the look in his eyes full of love and warmth.
It makes Aaron feel wanted.
It makes him feel alive.
Two things he hasn't felt since Robert left.
It makes him feel petrified, because he knows how dangerous John really is.
This isn't going to be easy. But then again, when had it been for them?
"Three weeks," Aaron says.
"Three weeks," Robert agrees. "Then I'm all yours." He leans forward to press their lips together when Aaron's cell phone decides it's a good time to go off.
"He's wondering where I am," Aaron says as he glances down briefly at his phone before stuffing it back in the pocket of his jacket. "I'd better go."
"Yeah," Robert said quietly. "You better get back before he starts asking too many questions."
"I love you," Aaron says before he leaves to go back to his empty shell of a life, where he has to pretend to be in love with a man that will never ever come close to the man he just had to leave.
Chapter Text
Drizzle beats against the glass window with gentle pitter-patters, filling the room with peace. A nostalgic ambience.
His pulse thrums with bittersweet memories that have a way of sneaking up on him when he's not expecting them.
It's fitting, he supposes, as he watches Aaron pull on his jacket and grab his wallet and keys from the table.
They were supposed to have forever, and now they only have moments, fleeting moments that pass by way too quickly.
It's just temporary, Aaron vows to him, but it doesn't stop it from hurting.
His gaze settles on the ceiling so he doesn't have to watch Aaron go.
Hours ago they were wrapped up in each other, lying beneath the warm, quieting sheets of his bed, lost in the comforting beats of Aaron's heart. But tonight, just like every night, they were separated when nightfall settled in.
He doesn't hear the door. Is Aaron still here? Then he feels Aaron's fingers trailing up and down the expanse of his arm. Aaron's breath skims his temple as he leans in for a kiss.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" Aaron's lips are warm and tender as they linger.
He wants so badly to ask Aaron to stay, but he can't. It's not part of the plan, but it doesn't keep him from wishing.
Robert turns his head, avoiding Aaron's penetrating gaze, and looks out the window, where steady raindrops are splashing against the glass.
"I don't want to leave you," Aaron says, the sadness in his voice evident. "We just have to get through this part, I know its hard."
Robert looks at him then, his eyes unreadable in the dim light. "I hate that you have to go back to him. I hate it, I hate it so fucking much."
"I know," Aaron says quietly. "I hate it too. I wish I could stay here, but I can't."
"I know that, too." He's trying to be strong, he's trying to brave, he needs to be, for both of them. Robert gives in to temptation once more and grabs Aaron's hand, pulling him close. He tightens his arms around Aaron and holds on. "Just promise me one thing."
"Anything," Aaron nods.
"Promise me that tomorrow, when you wake up with him, that you're still going to choose me."
"I choose you," Aaron says, leaning down and taking Robert's mouth in a deep, possessive kiss, "every single time."
Robert pulls back and finds Aaron's eyes fixed on his. "I love you."
Aaron smiles. "I love you, too."
And then he's gone.
Robert woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. Alone.
He lay there for a minute, feeling a familiar burn of self-loathing as he tried to think back to how he wound up here.
After Aaron had left, he'd gone downstairs, desperate for a reprieve from being alone.
One drink had turned into five, and everything after that was a blur.
He feels nauseous, and it has nothing to do with a raging hangover.
He looks at his watch and realizes that if he doesn't clean himself up, he's going to be late.
***
Still wincing from the pounding in his head, he fires up his laptop after snatching the last free table at the cafe.
There'd been a lack of motivation, of energy, of purpose, since he'd left prison. Ever since he'd come back, he'd been glanced at with nothing but quiet pity and unquiet distaste. He knew what everyone was thinking - how dare he show his face back here after what he'd done - but they didn't understand, and that wasn't exactly something new.
The members of the village could hold onto a grudge more than anyone he ever knew.
He didn't really care what they thought about him, anyway.
He only cared what Aaron thought about him, and Aaron had already forgiven him.
But still, waking up alone every morning, the simple task of getting out of bed had started to feel like scaling a mountain.
But he saw no point in staying locked up inside the tiny little cottage he rented when he'd first come back. He needed a purpose while he waited for Aaron so they could be together properly. Taking John down was not going to be easy, and it was going to take time. So until that happened, he needed something to do to fill his time.
Starting a new business seemed like a good idea at the time.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Aaron and John enter the cafe. They placed their order at the counter, Aaron avoiding eye contact with him.
All part of the plan. Make people believe Aaron didn't want him here.
But when John was distracted enough chatting with the barista at the counter, Aaron turned, and their eyes met briefly, no more than an instant, and Robert had the impression that Aaron was as annoyed as he was that they couldn't talk to each other in public without someone making a snide remark that would no doubt set John off.
Though he didn't care for it, John suddenly turned his attention back to Aaron, and Robert had to watch as John put his arm around Aaron's shoulders.
He's mine.
He looked back down at his laptop, trying to block out the image from his mind. But when he heard Aaron fake-laugh at some stupid joke John was telling, he couldn't take it anymore and grabbed his stuff and left the cafe, visualizing in his mind plowing his new car right into John's stupid face.
Chapter Text
John
He'd imagined Robert's death in his mind.
Not quick and easy, but slow and torturous.
It would be perfect, and it would be long overdue.
He felt a thrill, a tingle of anticipation as he double-checked the locks on the old barn. It was abandoned, but most importantly, it was out in the middle of nowhere where no one could hear you scream.
His plan was perfect; it would be easy enough to lure Robert here. He would take pleasure seeing Robert realize that Aaron wasn't coming.
He could already envision the look of surprise on his stupid face when he realized he'd been set up, that this was a trap.
He wanted to wipe that smirk right off Robert's face.
Who did he think he was rolling back into town and trying to steal what was rightfully his?
Before Robert had turned up (he was supposed to be in prison for years!) John had Aaron and the perfect little life. Now he was this close to losing everything.
He wasn't stupid; he saw the knowing looks between the two of them when they didn't think anyone was looking.
He'd also seen the texts on Aaron's phone. He snorted. They weren't exactly doing a great job at hiding what was really going on.
They were sneaking around behind his back and that had to stop. No one made a fool out of John Sugden and lived to tell about it.
You're going to burn, John thought and smiled to himself when he spotted Robert from his secret hiding place in the barn, a small hole in the old wood offering him the only view of his prey.
He smiled to himself, proud of how clever he was and how no one in this stupid little village had ever suspected him. He'd been pegged, typecast by this pathetic, small-minded community as one who didn't have the brain to see what was so obvious.
Little did they know, he thought as watched Robert pocket the keys to his car, his cell phone to his ear.
"Aaron, where are you? Seriously, if this is your idea of foreplay..."
Rage burned through him at the thought of the two of them together. It had only spurred him on these last few days of sorting out his genius plan.
They thought they could outsmart him! Well, they were wrong.
Dead wrong.
He hoped Robert experienced real, gut-wrenching terror when he stepped inside and realized it wasn't Aaron that had invited him here for a secret rendezvous.
Getting rid of Robert, that was the ultimate goal, but causing Aaron pain for everything he had put him through, making him believe he was someone special, that Aaron loved him, that was the icing on the cake.
What a fool he'd been to fall for his act, when all along Aaron was still in love with his ex-husband who was better off dead anyway.
This wasn't how his life was supposed to end up. It wasn't his fault! He had given Aaron everything, and what had Aaron given him in return?
Nothing, absolutely nothing.
John was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear the door creak open.
"Robert," he said menacingly.
And there was the fear that John had so desperately wanted to see in Robert's eyes.
"John, what the hell are you doing here?"
At first, he thought killing Robert with a knife to the heart seemed the way to go, but now that the moment was here, a new idea formed in his mind that was absolutely genius, if he did say so himself.
He had hand cuffs in his jacket, John remembered. It would be easy to cuff Robert to the wooden rails and then he would set fire to the barn with Robert still inside, with no way to get out.
The walls would ignite, fire climbing up and sparks raining down, catching in his hair, burning his clothes, sizzling against his skin.
And he'd beg for John to save him.
But he wouldn't.
John quivered with the thrill of the fantasy he'd formed in his mind.
Raw panic surged through Robert when he spotted the knife in John's hand.
"Nowhere to run," John said in a menacing voice. "Even Aaron can't save you. He doesn't even know you're here."
Frantic, Robert realized that there was no escape. He knew how dangerous John was, and he was about to experience it first hand.
"You know," Robert said.
"About you and Aaron?" John stepped forward, pushing Robert up against the wall, the knife gazing against Robert's neck. "You didn't really think I was that stupid, did you? That I don't see the way the two of you look at each other when you think no one is looking?"
Before John was done, Robert would be begging for someone to save him, but there was no escape and no one was coming to save him. Black smoke would fill his lungs. He'd cough, gag, scream. Pound on the door.
But no one would hear him.
No one would come, not even his precious Aaron.
Robert would be trapped. That was the best part. Those last, brutal minutes of his life. Would he see his life flash before his eyes and regret his sins?
In a matter of minutes, the entire barn would be engulfed in intense flames, and Robert would know a pain like no other.
It was what he deserved. What they both deserved.
Heart pounding in his chest, John pulled the cuffs from the pocket of his jacket, and before Robert could run, John had him cuffed to the wall.
"You're a crazy mother fucker," Robert said through clenched teeth. "He was never going to love you, you know. There's something you can't seem to grasp about Aaron, and that's he's always going to be in love with me."
John's pulse was already jumping erratically.
Why couldn't Robert just shut up? His fists clenched at his sides, and the knife fell to the floor.
Robert was trying to provoke him, but it wasn't going to work!
John pounded his fist against the wall near Robert's head. "You're smug and you're arrogant and I'm sick of your ugly face!"
Robert just grinned, the arrogant smirk only making John angrier.
"There's another thing you don't know about Aaron," Robert said, making conversation like they were buddies and not mortal enemies. "He knows me better than anyone. We always know when the other is in danger. It's quite cute, actually."
"Shut up!" John bellowed.
Son of a bitch! John thought as headlights flashed against the windows, the sound of a car engine cut through the night. Tires crunch on the gravel, then John heard footsteps outside the barn.
John held his breath, nearly jumping out of his skin as the seconds ticked down.
"Robert!"
Robert didn't care about himself; he didn't want Aaron in danger, and he would be if he tried to save him. "Aaron!" he shouted. "Get out of here. John's here and he's got a knife. Save yourself."
John rolled his eyes. "Isn't that cute?" he snarled. "Trying to protect each other still, like it even matters anymore."
"Shut up!" Robert roared. "Aaron," he said, his voice turning desperate. "Go get help."
"Too late," Aaron yelled. "Helps already here."
For God's sake! John thought in a panic. This was not going according to plan! Sweat was running into his eyes, adrenaline shooting through his blood. He had to do something and fast. His heart was pumping wildly, pounding in his ears.
The lock on the door rattled.
Panic rifled through John as the door was kicked in and he came face to face with a very angry Aaron and an equally angry Cain Dingle.
Son of a bitch!
"Robert," Aaron said, his voice echoing through the barn, rushing past John and towards Robert.
Disappointment rippled through John. "Stay away from him," he demanded.
"Fat chance," Cain snorted, and before John could react, landed a punch right to the stomach. "That's for killing my son, you bastard."
John tried to run, but he didn't get very far.
"The police are on their way," Cain informed him, placing John in a chokehold, and he took great delight in it. "You're being charged with murder, and from the looks of this, attempted murder as well."
Finally accepting that he had lost, John lowered himself to a hay bale and covered his face in his hands.
He heard the sirens. He knew he had lost and accepted defeat when two uniformed officers put the cuffs on him and read him his rights. As he was dragged out of the barn, he turned back one more time to face Aaron.
"We could have had it all if it wasn't for him."
"You're a sick son of a bitch," Aaron said, anger dripping from his words. "You've killed people, and you tried to take away the man I love. You don't care about anyone but yourself. I hope you get what you deserve."
They watch as John is thrown into the police car and driven away to be charged with murder.
"I'll ugh, give you fellows a few minutes alone. I'll be in the car," Cain said, and made a quick exit.
There's a look of anguish on Aaron's face when he turns to Robert.
"I am so sorry," Aaron said, his voice thick with emotion.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. Come here." His wrists are sore, but he doesn't care. He pulls Aaron into his arms. "I'm okay. You saved me."
There's a softness in Aaron's eyes, and it's only for the man in front of him, no one else. "When I saw him touching you, I wanted to kill him."
Robert was still vibrating from the shock, the turn of the events, and how Aaron had managed to find him at just the right time. "How did you know..."
"I got your voicemail, and I knew something wasn't right. Then Vic told me she overheard John talking about this place, that he was going to get revenge on someone. Then she told me that she knew about us, and that I was never going to be able to hide my feelings for you from anyone. I guess it was pretty obvious to everyone that I was still in love with you and I was shit at pretending I wasn't."
"I wouldn't let him hurt you. I'd rather he killed me."
A look of pure pain crossed Aaron's face. "I would kill him before I let him lay a hand on you." It was true, when it came to Robert, nothing would have stopped him from doing everything to keep him safe, to make sure he was unharmed.
"You saved me," Robert said, his voice strained, pressing his lips into Aaron's hair. "Let's get out of here so I can thank you properly."
"Get a room!" They heard Cain yell from outside.
"He has a point..." Robert said with a grin. "I can book us one, far away from here."
"God, yes," Aaron said, his throat swelling with emotion, the nightmare finally over. They didn't have to pretend anymore. "Let's get out of here."
They would have to deal with the police, and there would probably be lots of questions they would have to answer, but that would have to wait.
Chapter Text
Aaron had grieved hard for Robert. Messily. Painfully.
Letting go of Robert was the hardest thing he had ever done.
No one had been able to help heal the bleeding heart beating inside his chest after Robert had been sent down. But he had survived, regrouped, and finally found a way to live in a world where Robert didn't exist.
It had been hard, and it had been painful, but he had survived.
But then he'd lost it all again.
Liv.
His sanity.
And after everything he'd endured, he brushed himself off and fell victim to a murderer.
John's half-brother, no less.
But the nightmare was over, and he finally had Robert back for good.
Finally.
***
They booked a room at a small countryside inn by the water.
Aaron is relieved to discover that Robert doesn't have too many bruises or marks on his body - aside from a few minor scratches on his wrists and leg, he's pretty much unscathed.
But he can't help but think about what would have happened if he hadn't had such killer instincts where Robert was concerned.
When they crawl into bed together, Robert in dressed in more clothes than usual, one of Aaron's shirts and a pair of sweats, but as soon as Aaron climbs in beside him, Robert is right up into his space, hugging him close, afraid that if he's too far away from Aaron he'll disappear.
"I love you," Aaron whispers into the darkness. "I love you so much."
Robert grips him tightly, unashamed. "I love you, too," he whispers back. "Thanks for loving me even though I know everyone told you to just forget about me."
Aaron snorted at that. "Like I would listen to anything my mad family says about you. Besides, they don't know you like I do."
A weight is lifted off Robert's shoulders at Aaron's words. It means everything.
"In their eyes, I was never good enough for you. Maybe they're right, but no one will ever love you as much as I do."
"I know. And this time," Aaron promises, "I'm not letting anything or anyone get in between us."
****
They had ventured through the best and worst of life together and apart. Love, pain, laughter, soul-bared intimacy, and the saddest goodbye.
The shell shock of everything they'd been through hadn't quite thinned.
They were here, they were together, and they were out on their first official date since getting back together.
They were at a seaside grill, a bottle of wine in the middle of the table, their food untouched. They couldn't take their eyes off each other. The sea breeze was a welcome reprieve after such a heart-wrenching experience that could have had the worst outcome imaginable.
But Aaron didn't want to think about that now. He wanted to live in the moment. They had a third - or was it a fourth? - chance at happiness, and he wasn't going to let anything spoil it.
"Finally, I can do this," Robert said, reaching across the table and linking their fingers.
"Do what?"
"Hold your hand in public." He wanted more, so much more. But right now, being out in the open, not having to hide his love for this man, his man, it was more than enough.
Love blazed hot, the fire far from extinguished. It only had intensified these last few months of secret dates, stolen moments that were over way too soon.
But now they had all the time in the world.
They had forever.
***
After dinner, they walked back to their room. As soon as the door was closed, Aaron pushed Robert up against it and kissed him hard.
"Hello," Robert murmurs against his lips. "What's gotten into you tonight?" Aaron hadn't stopped touching him since they left the restaurant. Not that he was complaining. He loved it when Aaron had his hands all over him like this; it made him feel loved, it made him feel wanted and desired.
"You," Aaron breathes, and Robert grins. "I want you."
"Say it again," Robert says in a low voice.
"I want you." Aaron groans, kissing him hungrily. "God, I want you."
Robert can only nod, arching up into Aaron's touch. "Marry me."
Aaron's lips are on his neck, but Robert can feel Aaron's smile against his skin.
They'd both changed over the past six years, but there was one thing that had never waivered.
Their love for each other.
Aaron had tried so hard to move on, but the love he felt for Robert had never budged. It had been a constant presence, anchored inside his heart, steadfast and stubborn.
"I would marry you any day, any place. You're it for me."
"Still?" Robert whispered, and his breath caught when Aaron looked at him like he could see right through his soul.
"Still," Aaron echoed, as he pulled his shirt over his head, Robert watching every move he made as lust slammed into him like a freight train. "I'm yours."
"Mine," Robert said, his eyes burning with intensity as he pulled his own shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. "Only mine."
"Only yours," Aaron said, his voice thick with emotion as he pulled Robert in for a searing kiss, a silent promise that this time it was forever.
** FIN **