Are We Out of The Woods Yet?

Part 3

In the morning, Aaron barged through the sitting room door, startling Chas who was in the middle of fixing up a brew. "There you are. Where have you been? Have you been out all night?"

"Thanks for noticing." Aaron mumbled.

"I'm sorry I didn't know I still had to check you'd cleaned your teeth and tuck you into bed." Aaron froze. Shit shit shit. He began breathing heavily, resting his hands on the settee for balance. "Honestly Aaron..." Chas continued, she was pouring boiling water from the kettle into her mug. "Do you want a drink anyway now you're here?" she looked up to see her son visibly hyperventilating. "Aaron? Love?" She put the kettle down on it's base and rushed over to him. "Honey?"

"I...m fine Mum." Aaron's eyes were red, his face completely flustered.

"No Aaron I won't 'ave this. Talk to me. Please I am beggin' you love tell me." Chas searched his face. He wouldn't look at her, his hands still rested, his gaze focused on the pillows.

"I promise Mum." He croaked. "I just have to sort some stuff at the scrapyard." He stood upright, giving Chas a small smile of reassurance. It didn't convince her.

"Love I'm worried about ya." She admitted. Aaron stopped walking away. She was worried about him, no he couldn't let her have that stress on her shoulders. He turned.

"I promise Mum. I'm alright." He told her earnestly. Chas nodded.

"Ok well." She crossed her arms, unsure whether to believe him or not still. "Tell meh if there ever is anythin' wrong?"

"Sure." Chas appeared unconvinced. "No, right, I will." Aaron came closer to his Mum and pulled her into a hug. To an audience the hug would have looked a little forced and tense. But as Aaron relaxed his chin against his Mum's shoulder. He shut his eyes. They'd had fall outs, Aaron had felt abandoned when she left and often it irritated him when she interfered with things that weren't hers to interfere with. But he only felt that way because he loved her. He'd protect her from his dark thoughts as much as he could, that's why he never told her anything. Chas began to lean back so any tears Aaron felt approaching behind his eyelids, he had to blink back. He couldn't be selfish she had enough to deal with without his issues. She deserved to be happy, not dragged down.

"You're my boy and I love ya alright?" Chas stared him in the eyes. Aaron felt the love radiating from her voice and her warm eyes, which he avoided looking into otherwise he might break altogether. "I always will. No matter...where I am."

"Yeah, I know." Aaron smiled at the wall behind her, telling her he'd see her later.

He passed through the busy crowd at the bar, arriving at the front door. Aaron found himself close to being whacked in the face by it as someone came in via the other side. Of course. Robert.

"Heya." Robert's heart jumped in surprise, panged at being in the eye of an audience and the arteries tangled in knots because it was Aaron before him.

"Hi." Aaron replied bluntly. "You er...you gonna move 'cause I need to be somewhere." He tried to walk around the taller guy.

"I hope by that you mean work?" Robert replied, half teasing, half serious, shuffling to block his way.

"What's it to you?" Aaron was scowling at him. Robert's heart sank. They were back to square one again then.

"Well I'm your boss so of course I want to know my employees are doing what they're paid for." He wouldn't let Aaron know he was getting to him.

"Right. Kind of ya to be concerned." Aaron wanted Robert to move but at the same time he didn't. He wanted to hate him but at the time he still felt some kind of love for him. It wasn't the same feeling of love now as when he'd confessed it at the farm about a year ago, but there was regrettably still a skip in his hearts thumping rhythm for Robert. He knew it was the wrong direction to take, but when they'd had time up at home farm together, he'd been woken up by his side in the middle of the night due to being kicked and only wish for it every day. He'd take the kicking, he didn't mind, it meant he got to see the lion sleep and rake his hands through fluffy bed hair. On the second night he'd kicked Robert back on purpose and he'd watched Robert's sleepy eyes flutter open in confusion to peer up at him, Aaron had experienced both amusement and awe in that moment. He was undeniably handsome. Robert had been a fraction annoyed but then he'd given an exhausted laugh, smirked and the next thing Aaron knew, Robert had clambered on top of him... Damn he was still standing there. Could he just get out of his way?