Work Text:
"Breathe," Robert whispered into Aaron's air, wrapping his arms around him from behind and smiling as Aaron leaned his weight into him. Letting Robert hold him and steady him. He never took that for granted, ever…
Life had taught him not to.
"What if…."
"What if it's positive," Robert breathed and tightened his hold. "It could be positive."
Aaron let out a nervous breath and laughed. "Both outcomes are scary."
"Innit."
"We can't afford this again…."
"Shhh… we will find a way if we have to."
"Robert…" Aaron turned and stared at him.
"No… Aaron, I promised you a football team, remember?"
Aaron snorted.
"We'll grow our family."
They heard the door open.
Samantha, their surrogate, stepped out of their bathroom smiling and holding the pregnancy test. "It's positive."
"You're sure?"
"Yes, see…" she held it up so they could see the word pregnant.
"Those work, yeah…."
"Aaron, stop…it's positive." Robert grabbed him and kissed him. "We're gonna have a baby."
~~~
He couldn't breathe.
The emergency room was chaos, and he wasn't finding anyone who could give any answers. And he was shouting and demanding, and a nurse was threatening to call security when a doctor finally arrived with news about Seb…
And there was nothing until he was holding Seb in his arms, taking in the broken arm and drying tears and telling him he was safe now. Then he looked at the doctors and nurse and asked about Rebecca.
And wished he hadn't.
Seb was home. Now. With them. Always.
But he couldn't breathe. He woke up in a cold sweat. He grabbed his jacket and left the Mill, and ended up in the graveyard. Staring at her grave with a lump in his throat.
He felt Aaron before he saw him.
He inhaled softly as a callous hand threaded its fingers with his own.
"Seb…"
"Liv is up in case he wakes up."
"I didn't want this for him. It's the only reason I let her…."
"I know," Aaron whispered. "But we have this… him, the baby. We've got this."
"I'm terrified."
"Me too… think we'll be better parents for it."
~~~
He and Aaron are making out like teenagers against a car in Cain's garage when their phones ring in unison. Neither one of them wants to answer them, but they do because their parents and they'd left Seb with Vic…
But it was Samantha's girlfriend. Her water broke. They were on their way to the hospital.
The baby was coming.
"Shit…shit…" Aaron stared at him, panicked.
"Hey, breathe, breathe…tonight or tomorrow, can't think of a more perfect birthday."
"Our day…yeah…." Aaron smiled.
"Come on, husband, let's go meet our daughter."
~~~
"She's tiny…." Seb said as he peered into the crib, and Robert couldn't help but think Seb was still small too — and he didn't want either of them to grow up.
"She is. You were that tiny once too…." Robert said and touched his head.
"Nuh uh…" Seb stared at him.
"You didn't have hair, though… she's got Daddy's Aaron's curls."
Seb giggled.
Aaron walked into the room with the last of the bags from the hospital. He moved around and crouched down to be at Seb's level, though his eyes stayed on their daughter. "What do you think, Seb."
"I like her," Seb said.
"Me too…"
"She's ours, all of ours," Robert said and smiled. "Our little Sarah Jane."
"Janie," Aaron whispered.
"Hi, Janie…" Seb said.
~~~
Robert sighed as he sat on the edge of Seb's bed.
Seb sighed as he held the pack of peas Robert had given on his eye.
"I need to know what happened."
"Why does it matter? You already grounded me."
"I'd like to know why you started a fight with someone because it's not like you."
"Maybe it is like me," Seb muttered.
Robert sighed. "Seb?"
Seb shrugged.
Robert sighed. "Alright, your Dad's gonna be home soon. We'll talk about it again then. Remember no phone, no computer, no games, no television."
"I know."
Robert left the room and clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to walk back into the room and throttle his teenage son. He wouldn't ever, but he was lost here. Seb wasn't the type to pick fights at all, but he'd been acting moody lately, and he and Aaron weren't sure what to do.
He made his way downstairs and found Janie on the bottom step.
He sat down.
She gave him a look that reminded him so much of Aaron.
Then she shrugged.
"He likes someone…" she said.
He raised an eyebrow.
"They have…not nice mates," she continued.
Robert frowned.
"They said something omophobic, and that's when Seb hit one of them."
He shut his eyes and just stopped himself from swearing.
"What's omophobic."
"Something for another day, little one."
"Seb said it's wrong."
"Seb's right."
"So he's not in trouble."
"That's going to be complicated, Little one."
"I thought he was brave. No one else was… Can I go in his room, or can't he play?"
"He can play. Go on."
She gave him a toothy grin and ran upstairs.
He sat and waited for Aaron.
Aaron panicked and worried. "What happened?"
"Janie helped me piece some of it together….but still not sure."
Aaron sighed and sat down. "It's not like him."
"Someone was being homophobic — which Janie wants defined."
"Shit."
"Yeah… she mentioned he likes someone."
"Well… think he'll talk."
"He wasn't up to it before. Maybe he's changed his mind."
Aaron grabbed Robert's hand. "United front?"
"Always," Robert smiled.
"Daddy…" Janie ran to Aaron when they got to Seb's room.
Aaron hugged her. "Hey, can you go to your room while we talk to Seb?"
She nodded but ran to hug Seb before leaving.
Seb sat down on the edge of his bed.
Robert watched Aaron study him.
"Quite a shiner, put that bag of peas on it."
Seb picked up the peas.
"Want to tell us why you have it?"
"Got mad."
"Janie mentioned something…." Robert said. "She have it right?"
"Don't know what she said… I told her to stay at the swings. Sorry, she saw it."
"Good to know, but don't deflect."
Seb sighed. "They were…saying things about Joey."
"Joey?"
Seb looked down and mumbled. "He's in my maths class. We did that project…."
Aaron nodded and glanced at Robert. He nodded. He remembered the boy too, though not well. He'd been very quiet while he was over the house working the project with Seb.
"I…told him he shouldn't listen to him, but…." Seb sighed. "His parents aren't like you guys."
Aaron frowned at that.
Robert touched his shoulder. "Seb, you can't hit people."
"I know I just… he'll probably never talk to me again. He doesn't want to…but I couldn't let them say those things."
"Alright…we'll keep to just the week of punishment."
Aaron nodded. "And you can invite Joey over whenever."
Seb stared at them. "He won't talk to me."
"But if he does, he's always welcome here."
~~~
Robert and Aaron winced as they heard Janie's bedroom door slam.
She'd been awful for days, and they'd both reached a limit with her mouthing off at them. But the minute Aaron started explaining her punishment and trying to ask her why her behavior was all over the place, she'd just burst into tears and run upstairs.
"I…" Aaron stared at him.
"I don't know," Robert muttered.
"Maybe Seb knows. I'll call him…." Aaron went to get the phone. "Maybe he can come home this weekend?"
"Might help…" Robert said, and he stared up the stairs. He decided to risk it. He walked up.
"Rob…" Aaron called after him.
"I… just need to try, then I'll give her space."
Aaron smiled. "Alright."
Robert knocked on her door.
"Go away."
He frowned and leaned against her door. "Sarah…" he tried using his own name for her. "Dad and I just want to help."
Silence.
"Even if we can't help, we want to help."
"If you can't help, how does that help?"
Robert laughed. "Well, sometimes just your dad being near me helps."
"You two are gross and soppy."
"Been told... Sarah, can I come in?"
"Fine."
He pushed open the door.
She was sitting in the middle of her bed, tears on her cheeks.
He closed her door and leaned against it. Not pushing into her space.
"It's…dumb."
"Nothing that's bothering you is dumb."
"All my friends have a date to this stupid dance… No one has asked me."
"Well, obviously, the boys and girls at your school have horrible taste."
"Boys…" she mumbled.
"Always have taken after your dad…."
She groaned. "You're not funny."
He sighed. "Can I come closer?"
She nodded.
He sat down next to her and put his arm around her. "I can't make this better."
"Told ya."
"But those boys are stupid."
"What if it's me?"
"It's not… you are amazing."
"You're biased."
"Doesn't matter. You are still amazing, and someday those boys will realize it, and you — you'll be the one not giving them the time of day."
"That'd be fun…" she smiled.
"That's my girl."
~~~
"Dad dancing, who would have thought," Seb laughed as he sat down in the chair next to Robert.
"He had no choice. His perfect little girl asked him, and it's her wedding day."
"I told him I'd kill him if he hurt her."
Robert laughed.
"I meant it," Seb nodded."
"I did too," Robert glanced at his son. "And you?"
"Me?"
"Seb?"
"I just… Janie's found someone she's going embarrass her future kids with. Like you and Dad did us… all soppy and gross and in love."
Robert glanced at Aaron and felt that swoop that never stopped. "Yeah, well, find someone that looks that good in a suit, and it's easy."
"Ugh… I just can't seem to find it. What if I don't?"
"It took me a long time, Seb. To figure out what I really wanted and I took a lot of wrong turns. And somehow, Aaron kept taking me back…."
"Dad could never not love you."
"Me too…" Robert smiled at his son. "Maybe you should come home. Be near your family."
Seb nodded. "Been thinking on it."
"And, you know, Joey's been working up at Butler's."
Seb's eyes widened then he coughed. "Dad, that's past tense."
"Maybe."
~~~
Aaron leaned against him, and Robert pulled him closer. The room was warm and noisy, but neither of them would have it any other way. It was October, but someone was explaining to his granddaughter Becca's friend how it was really Anniversary number two out of many…
Robert smiled and watched his grandchildren along with his sister's grandchild. The Sugden-Dingle house was full — there was a football team of children everywhere, and everyone knew they were loved.
His knees ached, and Aaron's balance was shot.
But they sat in the center.
Content and happy.
And Robert shook his head.
"You aren't dreaming… we made this, we have this, I love you."
"God, I love you too."