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Robert never meant for it to turn out like this. When he first saw Kev in prison, he knew the kind of man he was, and he made it his mission to stay as far away from the man as possible. He did not need any more trouble, he already got enough of it just for being himself. You’d think killing a rapist would earn you some sort of respect from the other inmates, but no. They all knew that it wasn’t skill that killed Lee, no it was dumb luck and therefore Robert wasn’t worth their respect.
All this is to say that Robert avoided Kev for the first three months after the man was moved to his prison. Robert’s not sure which prison the man had been in previously, it still hasn’t come up. To be honest, it’s not relevant to anything, so it doesn’t matter. He planned to keep avoiding him for as long as he possibly could, hopefully forever, but unfortunately for him, James, one of the guys who takes great pleasure in ruining Robert’s life blamed him for some ‘product’ going missing. Not that Robert knew that at the time, if he did, he might have laid low for a while.
Safe to say that Kev didn’t let Robert avoid him after that. He was grabbed one day on his way back from the library, two guys holding onto one an arm each and a hand clamped firmly over his mouth as he was pulled backwards into Kev’s cell. He didn’t know what to expect, was this the moment his life was going to end? Would he even get to know why before they killed him?
“So, a little birdie told me, that you have been stealing my supply to sell at a cheaper rate and steal all my clients.” Kev glared at him from where he was reclining on his bed like Robert being here had interrupted his relaxation time and not that Robert had been brought here against his will.
“Why on earth would I want to do that?” Robert exclaimed before he could think better of it. It was normally best to keep as quiet as possible in these situations. “Sorry, I’m sure your business is very worthy of being stolen.” He tries to backtrack, but he doesn’t sound convincing. Even to himself.
Surprisingly, Kev gives a genuine laugh that just seems to burst out of him without his permission. Though he quickly tries to school his features into something serious again, Robert can still see the smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth.
“So, you haven’t stolen from me then, I believe that, but the question is why would someone try to frame you?” Kev raises an eyebrow.
“James, was it?” Robert asks warily. “He doesn’t like that his wife fancies me.”
“Oh.” Kev looks at him in a new, unnerving way as he takes him in. “You’re the ‘gay boy’ that keeps flirting with his wife.”
“I’m not gay, I’m bisexual.” Robert protests, he decided early on in his sentence if he was going to be subjected to homophobia it may as well be accurate biphobia. He spent too many years being ashamed of who he was to hide who he is now.
“Ah, so she has a real chance then.” Kev laughs again, and his eyes crinkle a little with it. “You’re free to go, I see now that you’re not the one, I need to have this conversation with.”
“Oh, you should know that James charges 15% less and convinces everyone to come to him direct instead, I heard him bragging about it to one of his mates.” Robert tells him as he makes his way out of the cell.
“Well, I’ll be seeing you around, Robert Sugden.” Kev smiles and gives a little wave that should look out of place on such a big man, but Robert feels oddly endeared by it.
Robert didn’t see Kev again for around a month after that. Until one day, when sitting in the canteen eating his dinner, Kev dropped down in the chair across from him.
“So, I hear that you’re good at accounts. Used to run your own businesses, yes?” Kev asks and Robert just stares at him in shock for a solid minute before nodding slowly. “I need you to take a look over something for me. I believe that my previous accounts keeper has been slacking in their duties, and I may be missing a significant amount of money due to their mistakes.” The way Kev says mistakes lets Robert know that if he does find errors in the books, the previous accountant will be meeting the sharp end of a shiv.
“Uh, yeah, I can take a look for you.” He’s not stupid enough to refuse. He doesn’t want to meet his own shiv for his troubles.
“Thank you, I’d most appreciate the help.” Kev says and sounds so sincere, but Robert knows there has to be a catch here somewhere, so he just smiles and goes back to his dinner. “So, tell me more about yourself? Small town farm boy?”
“It sounds like you already know.” Robert raises an eyebrow. “Been researching me?”
“Well, I always want to know more about a pretty face.” And that’s when Robert realises with horrifying clarity that Kev is flirting with him. Oh my god, what the fuck? Why is a mob boss interested in him.
“Oh, I see, all I am is a pretty face? You don’t really need my accountancy skills.” Robert flirts back because honestly, he’s been so bored. No one ever talks to him except to be threatening so having the chance to bounce off of someone and have fun for a second and honestly what’s the harm.
“No, that’s a genuine concern. I wouldn’t ask just anyone to look them over, but you have a reputation of being good about these sorts of things.” Kev winks at him, and oh god this man is so ridiculous how is he in charge of such a massive crime syndicate, he’s so sweet and not stupid, you couldn’t be to run an organisation like that, but ... dopey.
“It’s not the only thing I’m good at.” Robert drops his voice into a husky tone that he hasn’t used in years, but it has the desired effect, and he sees Kev’s pupils dilate as he registers what was said.
“Is that so?” Kev smirks. “I think we’ll stick to the accounts for now, but I’ll keep that in mind.”
Robert thought that would be the end of it. Kev would get him to check over his numbers, and then they would go their separate ways. But boy, was he wrong.
Kev started to seek him out more and more as the weeks went by. It seems once Robert proved that he could keep on top of the books and make sure that Kev wasn’t losing money, he wanted him to do it as a full-time job, and look was that a good idea? No, probably not. But Robert was being left alone. For the first time in the 4 years he’d been at this prison, he wasn’t getting daily beatings, everyone was keeping a distance from him due to his closeness to Kev.
He didn’t mean to starting sticking to Kev. He didn’t mean to start relying on that protection. The longer it went on though, the more he knew he couldn’t go back to the beatings; he couldn’t survive it again. So, he stuck with Kev, and he carried on with their flirting because it was fun, and it was safe.
Robert does not take the blame for Kev genuinely falling in love with him. That was never part of the plan, okay? It was never supposed to happen. There was no reason for this man to fall for Robert of all people.
He was in too deep though by the time he realised, and there was no way he couldn’t back out without losing everything. With almost 9 years left on his sentence no reason to decline when Kev proposed to him and honestly, he didn’t know he could get married in prison, so he thought he’d get away with being engaged until he got out and then ‘breaking up’ before Kev got out.
Unfortunately, you can get legally married in prison, who knew. Then Kev found out about the Luke issue in Robert’s case and paid for amazing lawyers who actually won him an appeal and all he could worry about was stopping Aaron’s wedding there was no time to worry about the Kev of it all.
Finding out who John was and what a psycho he was made Robert determined to get Aaron away from the man. There was no need to worry about Kev at the minute, he was still behind bars and would be for at least another 15 years and once Aaron was safe Robert could start the divorce proceedings, except nothing ever works out for Robert, does it?
It’s only a couple of days after Aaron gets out of the hospital and John is on the run that Robert gets the text. Kev is out of prison, Robert doesn’t want to know how he swung that one, and he’s coming to the village to reunite with his husband.
What the fuck is he going to do? Aaron can never find out about this.
Robert is relaxing on the couch while Victoria is out doing a shift with Moira up at the farm and Harry is at school. He’s catching up on real housewife’s not that he’d ever admit it if asked. He’d say he was just flicking through and was about to change the channel.
He’s interrupted by the doorbell going and quickly flips the channel and turns the TV off, hoping that it’s Aaron asking him for a quick pint in their newfound friendship. He opens the door with a smile on his face and then has to work to keep it there.
“Robert!” Kev exclaims happily with a jovial grin on his face. Robert instinctively grabs his hand, yanks him as hard as he can into the house and shuts the door behind him, hoping that no one saw him. “Missed me that much, did you?” Kev laughs bringing Robert into a tight hug thankfully thinking the reason Robert was so eager to get him inside was that he missed him and not that he didn’t want anyone to see him in the village.
“Kev, I wasn’t expecting you. How’d you know which house was mine?” Robert asks, praying that 1. his voice doesn’t sound as panicked as he feels and 2. Kev didn’t ask Nicola or someone where to find him.
“You told me silly.” Kev laughs shaking his head like Robert’s an idiot but there’s nothing overtly mean about it. There never is with Kev, the poor guy is a genuinely sweet person. To Robert anyway. And Robert stays well away from any situations where Kev has to be the man people fear. He doesn’t want to see that side of the man. “You told me your sister Victoria stayed in Keeper's cottage, I knew you’d be staying with her and well, it’s not hard to find. The name’s above the door.”
“Right, of course. Sorry, I’m all over the place, I just wasn’t expecting to see you.” Robert smiles a bit more genuinely at the confirmation that Kev hasn’t spoken to anyone in the village at least. This should be easier to talk his way out of if someone happened to see him.
Aaron is worried. He shouldn’t be, it’s none of his business, but he can’t help it. He was sitting on a bench outside the Wooly having a pint when he saw a big intimating looking man walk up to Keepers and ring the doorbell.
He was going to go over and see what the dude’s deal was when the door opened and oh my god the guy made Robert look small in that doorway. Still, he went to stand up and go over, but Robert yanked the guy into the house and slammed the door behind them both.
Which, honestly, that was more worrying than him just telling the guy to fuck off. Did he know this guy? How’d he know this guy? Is he buying drugs?
Well, he can’t just head back to work now. He’ll just stay where he is. He can’t go storming in when the guy is still in there, that might make things worse, but he’ll keep watch and once the guy leaves, he’ll make his way over and make sure that Robert is okay.
Kev reaches into his pocket, and for a moment Robert worries he is actually going to be murdered after all. He should have been more worried about the fact that Kev appears to be pulling a ring box out of his pocket. Oh, dear lord, no.
“I know how sad you were when you lost your ring before being released, so I got you a new one.” Kev is a genuinely ecstatic to present him with a new matching ring. Robert has to clench his jaw so hard to stop the scream that wants to rip its way out of his throat.
He didn’t lose the last ring. He threw it in the bin a couple of days before his release because there was no way on earth that he was coming back to the village with it on.
“Oh, thank you so much. That’s so thoughtful of you.” Robert grits out and then Kev motions for his hand and, oh god, how’s he going to get out of this one. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to wear it much, it’s too dangerous with all the machinery at the farm. I wouldn’t want to lose it again. You know what a klutz I am.”
“I wouldn’t want you to put yourself in danger like that, I’m sorry I didn’t even think about it.” Kev sounds so sad that Robert wants to cry, this is why he can’t break the man’s heart, he’s just such a genuine guy. “Oh! We could get you one of those rubber wedding rings.” He looks delighted at his idea.
“That would be good, thank you.” Robert tried his best to sound happy and excited about this idea. “Where are you staying?”
“What? You’re not going to let me stay here?” And Robert is almost worried he’s serious for a second before catching the smirk. “I’ve rented a little flat in Hotten until we can get a place of our own. Maybe a little cottage on your nice new land.”
Robert spends a second wondering how he knows about the land before remembering he got Kev’s lawyer to look over the paperwork for the deal before giving it to Moira.
“Sounds good.” Robert leans in and rests his head on Kev’s shoulder wrapping arms around his waist. “I need to head out, but I’ll see you later in the week?”
“Of course. I’ll let you get back to what you were doing. I just wanted to see you.” Kev squeezes him back and then pulls away, heading for the door. “Give me a call.”
Kev walks out the front door and starts heading back to where Robert can see a Porsche parked up the road. Ugh he misses his car. Then Kev turns and gives a cheery wave that Robert can’t help but return.
Aaron sees the stranger leave and now that he can see his face the guy looks a lot less scary. He looks happy enough to go, and Robert doesn’t look scared and worried from where he stands at the door. Then the guy gives the dorkiest wave Aaron has ever witnessed, and Robert looks exasperated but fond as he waves back.
Maybe it was nothing. Maybe this guy is just a contact for the farm. Sells combine harvesters or something. Aaron can’t imagine him being here for anything nefarious with how at ease they both looked.
Though there is that little niggle at the back of mind. Why’d Robert want him out the street so fast? If it was just a business deal? Why’d he look so worried that someone would see him at the door?
No, there’s still something off about this. He has to go and see Robert.
Robert hears the bell go again and represses a groan. Kev better not be back already. He can’t deal with this again. Victoria will be home soon he can’t risk her seeing him.
He opens the door and is shocked to find Aaron on the other side of it. Then he just feels dread. He knows that expression, Aaron saw Kev, and he has questions. He gestures for Aaron to come in with a sigh.
“So, who was that?” Aaron asks, no beating around the bush.
“Okay, so bear with me and let me explain fully.” Robert pleads looking to the ceiling and praying for mercy.
“Go on.” Aaron says clenching his jaw and looking angry already which does not bode well for Robert.
“That was Kev.” Robert starts and then pauses because he can’t lie to Aaron. Not now, not when he’s still so raw and needs people he can trust around him. But he really doesn’t want to tell him either.
“Kev?” Aaron asks with a raised eyebrow. “And how do you know Kev?”
“He’s my husband.” Robert rushes out under his breath.
“Huh? Repeat that.” Aaron demands.
“He’s my husband.” Robert repeats no louder than the first time, but more pronounced.
“That’s what I thought you said.” Aaron confirms, shaking his head in disbelief. “Robert what the fuck?”
“Just let me explain. I met Kev 4 years into my prison stay and he was the first person to speak to me like I was an actual human being in those whole 4 years.” Robert starts, and he can see the start of a scowl forming on Aaron’s face.
“So, you fell in love with the man? Why have you spent 3 months trying to get me back when you have someone you love waiting for you.” Aaron questions. “Oh my god, is this why you turned me down yesterday?”
“No! I didn’t fall in love with him. I tried to keep my distance from him because he’s part of a massive crime family and everyone in that prison was scared of him, but he liked me and him showing me kindness meant that the daily beating stopped because no one wanted to upset him.” Robert pleads with him to understand. “And it was nice to have someone to talk to again, I thought maybe I could make a friend. I never meant to lead him on or for him to think we had a future together, but I had 7 years left on my sentence and being married to him would secure my safety. Then he found out about Lee’s brother and he insisted on paying for the appeal and then I won and I was free and I thought he’d be inside for another 15 years and I’d have time to let him down easy.”
When he pauses for breath and looks up at him, Aaron simply nods that he’s still listening and motions for him to carry on.
“Then he showed up here today, totally out of the blue, I don’t know how he’s out of prison and I don’t want to know to be honest. I wasn’t expecting him to be here today, ready to carry on our lives together.” Robert explains. “I don’t know what to do because the guy is so sweet and in love that I feel terrible Aaron, I can’t tell him it was all a lie and break his heart.”
“You think he’d hurt you?” Aaron asks voice carefully neutral and Robert has no idea what he’s really thinking of all this.
“No, I don’t. I think he’d cry. And that’s worse.” Robert despairs, not ready for the uncontrollable laughter that bursts out of Aaron.
Aaron actually bends at the waist, clutching his broken ribs that must be aching as he laughs and laughs while Robert stares on in disbelief.
“Only you.” Aaron chokes out in stuttered breathes.
“What?” Robert questions back.
“Only you could make the gangster equivalent of a puppy fall in love with you and not know how to get out of it. You’re such a fucking idiot.” Aaron straightens up and wipes the tears away from his eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie.
“You’re not mad?” Robert asks to be sure.
“I thought you were doing a drug deal. A secret gangster husband is a much easier fix.” Aaron smirks, trying to calm himself down as more giggles escape against his will. “Thank you for being honest with me, though. The old Robert would’ve lied through his teeth. I appreciate the honesty, even if you’re an idiot.”
“I don’t want to lie to you anymore.” Robert tells him sincerely.
“I know.” Aaron smiles softly back at him. “I also think it’s sweet that you don’t want to hurt this guy’s feelings. But you’re going to have to be honest with him sooner or later.”
“I know.” Robert concedes, nodding in agreement. “He doesn’t deserve to be lead on any further, it’s not fair to him.”
“Good.” Aaron pats him on the back in comfort. “I’ll help you think of ways to break it to him, yeah?”
“Thank you, Aaron.”
“Don’t worry about it. What are mates for?” Aaron answers shrugging.
“Helping break up a marriage? That’s what friends do is it? I’ve been really missing out.” Robert jokes.
“Shut up, idiot.” Aaron huffs but he’s smiling so Robert will take the win.
It’s another couple of days before Robert gets the chance to see Aaron properly again. He has seen him in passing in the pub or in the café grabbing a coffee but they’ve both been too busy to stop and talk about the Kev problem.
They arranged to meet at the scrap yard while Vinny is out on a run and Jimmy is covering at the café, less chance of anyone finding them and interrupting. Aaron’s not back working yet but he has been keeping track of the scrap yard schedule and occasionally manning the phones while Vinny does the scrapping.
“So how do you want to deal with this problem then?” Aaron asks letting Robert decide how to proceed.
“I don’t want to cause him unnecessary hurt; he is a good guy really. So, I think we need to make him break up with me.” Robert muses.
“Shouldn’t be too hard to come up with something. I’ve done it enough myself.” Aaron manages to keep a straight face for a terrifying 20 seconds before cracking and smiling.
“Oh yeah, very funny.” Robert grumbles but he’s secretly pleased that Aaron feels comfortable enough to make that sort joke again. “So, what have you got then? If you’re so full of ideas.”
“Take him dancing, he’ll be so embarrassed being seen with you he’ll never want to go out with you again.” Aaron replies instantly, no hesitation.
“Wow.” He drawls should’ve seen that one coming. “Well, since that’s destined to fail as I’m an amazing dancer what else have you got?”
“Keep telling yourself that pal.” Is the only response before Aaron looks like he’s actually thinking about it. “Uh, set up a date and then leave halfway through for some really frivolous reason like Vic is halfway through baking a cake and ran out of sugar and you need to go to the shop for her.”
“Why would anyone phone their brother who’s on a date to get them more sugar?” Robert questions.
“Well, exactly.” Aaron nods in agreement. “So, either you haven’t told her you were on a date and still didn’t offer that information up when she called. Or neither of you see anything wrong with choosing to do a silly task for your sister than your partner. He won’t know which but either way it’s not a good sign for him.”
“Yeah, okay but how am I getting Vic to phone me while I’m there?” Robert questions. “It’s not like I can tell her why.”
“Swap our names in your phone? I’ll call you.” Aaron counters.
“Oh yeah cause that’d never backfire. Vic in my phone under your name.” Robert waggles an eyebrow.
“Well, it’d only be for an hour, no time to forget and traumatise the poor girl.” Aaron reasons and Robert appreciates that Aaron doesn’t deny it could happen because it’s enviable really that they will sending each other less than friendly texts in the future.
“Okay it’s worth a shot.” Robert shrugs and they make plans on when to set the date with Kev up so that Aaron will be available to make the phone call.
Robert made a booking for a restaurant in Hotten. He tried to go middle of the road. Not Chrissie standard of class and not quick stop on the way home with Aaron standard. Not that him and Aaron didn’t go to nice places together but sometimes on the way home from a long drive it was easier to stop at the first place you saw.
Kev picks him up from the village, which was a bit of a risk, but it also saved him having to make an excuse for why he needed to borrow Vic’s car.
He sent Aaron a quick text as he got out the car to let him know that he’d made it to the restaurant. Aaron will wait the agreed 40 minutes to let them order and hopefully get their food before he’ll make the call.
Kev seems genuinely so happy to here and that Robert was the one to arrange the date and he just feels awful knowing what’s coming.
Robert is about halfway through his carbonara when his phone lights up on the table and Vic’s name flashes across the screen. He actually does get a bit of a fright and jumps as he scrambles to pick it up.
“Sorry I need to take this.” He says to Kev as he swipes to answer. “Vic? Hi, what’s going on?”
“Forget I was phoning, did you?” Aaron laughs picking up on the pitch of Robert tones and he wants to tell him to shut up but that would burst the illusion he had going.
“Yeah, that’s not a problem I can get it for you.” Robert answers flawlessly.
“Oh, you can get it alright.” Aaron lowers his voice into that honey sweet voice and Robert has to stop himself from visibly reacting to it.
“Okay, bye Vic see you soon.” He hangs up before Aaron can respond because he’s not ready for whatever was going to come next. He put the phone back down on the table and turns to Kev. “I’m really sorry I’m going to have to go, Vic’s having a baking emergency.”
“Oh, she’s baking again? I thought she didn’t really have a lot of time for that anymore now that she’s working up a t the farm.” Kev answers and damn him for being a really good listener who actually cares about what Robert tells him.
“She volunteered to make a cake for one of Harry’s friends birthday parties, but she’s run out of sugar and needs me to go and get some.” Robert explains. “She started making cookies too, got too carried away.”
“I can come with you. Family is so important, it’s good that you want to help her.” Kev explains looking like he’s ready to get up and follow him which will be a disaster.
“No, no, it’s okay. You should stay, I’m so sorry, here’s money for the bill.” Robert chucks about £60 onto the table probably too much for what they ordered to be honest.
“You’re a good brother. Go help your sister.” Kev smiles at him and looks so genuinely happy that Robert is abandoning him to go help his sister so this whole thing is a major bust.
He manages to get out the restaurant with Kev agreeing to stay and finish the meal and he heads to the MacDonald’s down the road that Aaron agreed to pick him up from. No point in pre-planning abandoning a date halfway through and still having to get a bus home.
“So, how’d that go?” Aaron asks as he gets into the car.
“Awful, didn’t even seem vaguely annoyed. Was so happy I was doing right by my sister.” Robert mumps slumping down in the seat.
“Really?” Aaron asks shocked remembering the amount of times that Robert while not verbally annoyed at least looked peeved when Aaron cancelled for Liv in those early days.
“Yup, offered to come to the shop with me and everything.” Robert tells him unhappily. “So, I need a new plan that doesn’t involve looking out for little sisters.”
“We’ll get to that but first switch me and Vic back in your phone.” Aaron reminds him and Robert scrambles to compile because he had completely forgot about that already.
Time to get back to the drawing board.