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‘I can’t believe you’ve done this to me, Sugden! Who puts a coin in a Christmas pudding? I’m sure there are health and safety rules about it!’
‘Well, who fucking swallows it?’
Aaron was fuming and Robert was visibly agitated, his face red and sweating as he stood next to the hospital bed with his hands shoved in his jacket pockets.
‘You’re supposed to notice it and pull it out and make a wish for God’s sake. But no,’ Robert rolled his eyes skywards ‘… you have to throw food in your mouth and swallow it without chewing, as if you’ve been starved for the past century!’
‘Yeah, blame it on me why don’t you? It’s not a safe thing to do! And I’m the proof.’
‘It’s a tradition, Aaron. People have been doing this for five hundred years! You put silver in the Christmas pudding and it’s supposed to bring good luck and happiness, not misery and 4 hours in an emergency department.’
The nurse, wearing flashing Rudolf antlers, came up to them again.
‘This is the last time I’m going to say this. I will have to insist that you leave if you continue to argue, it’s disturbing to the other patients, some of whom are actually ill.’
Aaron was lying on the hospital bed waiting for an X-ray, feeling like a fraud. They’d told him on the phone that it would probably pass through his system, but when Robert had taken the phone forcibly from his hand and shared a stream of extraordinary potential things that could happen to Aaron, from choking to appendicitis, they’d given in and agreed that probably they should come into the emergency department for an X-ray after all.
‘I don’t even like Christmas pudding. I only ate it cos you’d actually gone to the trouble of making it for us.’ Aaron muttered.
The boys were disturbed by a sudden commotion as a Father Christmas, smelling of beer and with rather soggy beard, appeared and wandered down the ward, calling out ‘Ho Ho Ho!’ as he came.
‘Fuck off Santa, can’t you see now’s not a good time?’ Robert raged and Aaron closed his eyes.
‘And Merry Christmas to you, mate.’ He murmured.
It was their first Christmas ever together as a couple since they’d officially announced to the world they were dating nine months ago. Robert, of course, had hoped to make it a romantic time and Aaron sort of understood why he was so mad, since everything had turned out so different from how he’d wanted. If there was one thing that Robert hated it was things going out of control. His control, that is.
Christmas Eve had been drinks at Diane and Doug’s with Andy, Vic, and Adam, but then Bernice had turned up with Lawrence, and they’d ended up rubbing sparks off each other. Robert reckoned he was jealous that Robert was finally in an out relationship with a man (something he couldn’t have for himself).
Today, Christmas day, had been just as bad with the horror of a Dingle family dinner. After pulling crackers with Cain, Robert had been more than ready to leave.
Vic and Adam had booked a three day Christmas break in the Lake District, leaving after Diane’s gathering so they had the house to themselves. Then Robert had served the literally flaming Christmas pudding, and disaster had struck.
When Aaron came back from the X-ray, Robert had calmed down. He’d got himself a coffee and Aaron a cup of watery tea from the vending machine as a peace offering.
‘Sorry, I think it might have gone a bit cold. Do you want me to get you another one?’ He put the drinks down on the bedside table and then reached over and took Aaron’s hands in both of his own, raising them to his lips.
‘Nah, you’re alright.’ Aaron said and squeezed Robert’s fingers back.
Eventually the doctor appeared holding the X-ray.
‘Well, this is interesting…’ he started. Suddenly Robert stood up, grabbing him by the elbow and steering him further away.
Aaron watched Robert as he talked to the doctor with a furrowed brow, looking very serious. God, was there something really wrong with him that he didn’t know about? What was Robert saying, what was the doctor saying?
The doctor put the X-ray down on the counter and came to talk to Aaron,
‘So' he said, ‘it looks like the object is leaving the stomach and entering the small intestine. It should pass through the system over the next 24 to 46 hours at the most. If you don’t find it after that, then you will need to come back for another X-ray.’
‘Find it?’ Aaron asked, looking pretty horrified.
‘Um, yes‘, the doctor replied. ‘I recommend prunes and a lot of water to get it through more quickly.’
‘I’ll help you look.’ Robert said.
‘You’ll do no such thing, mate!’ Aaron snapped back at him.
‘Come on, I love you. It’s no big deal. It’s not as if I …’
Aaron stopped him, holding a finger up to his lips.
‘Enough. Just take me home!’ he sighed weakly.
When they finally got back, Robert suggested a film to chill out.
‘What do you fancy then? The Avengers? The Man from U.N.C.L.E? Or we could just re-watch Torchwood?’ Robert loved Torchwood and of course secretly had a crush on Gareth David Lloyd who he thought looked very slightly like Aaron. Aaron also liked the romance scenes, but it wasn’t really his thing.
‘Why don’t we watch something Christmassy, eh?’
‘The Hobbit?’ Robert suggested. Aaron laughed and pulled him down onto the sofa for a kiss.
In the end, they watched a bit of the Muppets’ Christmas Carol, but when Aaron suggested they went to bed, instead, Robert grinned and allowed himself to be led up the stairs.
Once in the bedroom they undressed quickly and started to kiss.
‘This was more of the Christmas I’d had in mind.’ Robert said in a low voice and, pushing Aaron backwards, he kissed a path slowly down from his chest to his stomach before moving completely down and shuffling between Aaron’s thighs, where he started to lick around his hole in the way that he knew brought Aaron close to the edge.
But instead of the blissed reaction he was accustomed to, all at once, Aaron pulled him up forcibly, grabbing a fist full of the blond hair that Robert had left to grow long for the winter.
Robert looked at him, still panting lustfully, and pushed his fingers down between Aaron’s arse cheeks instead, but Aaron grabbed his hand and slapped him away too, so that Robert lay back on the bed and started laughing, putting his hands behind his head.
‘Aaron, I’m just trying to make love to you.’ He protested.
‘I know. But it’s ruined now. All I can think about is where that flaming silver coin might be.’
‘WH… what?’ Robert looked sideways at him.
‘It’s just messed with my head, that’s all.’
‘OK. Then let’s make this simple.’ Robert lowered his eye lids and put his head slightly on one side ‘Let me give you a Christmas blow job.’
Aaron rolled onto his side propped up on an elbow and looked down at Robert’s wet red lips. ‘Or I’ll give you one.’ He smiled.
‘Sixty nine?’ Robert raised his eyebrows.
‘No, cos you’ll just start fingering me.’
Aaron ran a finger over the soft curve of Robert’s exposed arm pit, pinching some of the short blond hair there with the intention of causing pain.
‘Ouch!’ Robert grabbed his hand and went on ‘Just trust me, Aaron, won’t you?’
Robert swivelled round on the bed so he was upside down and Aaron grabbed his thighs and slapped his firm white arse.
‘I’ll trust you, Sugden, when you stop talking and start sucking.’ Aaron ventured.
Robert grinned and did as he was told.
It was early hours on Boxing Day when Robert was woken by Aaron, clutching at his stomach, bent double and sweating. He was obviously in trouble.
‘Oh my God! What have I done?’ Robert asked, hastily pulling on trousers and a sweater. He very gently steered Aaron to the edge of the bed and dressed him, listening to him whimper with pain. ‘It’s OK Aaron, you’re going to be OK.’ He muttered tenderly.
Robert got caught by the speed cameras on the way to the hospital but he didn’t care.
After another X-ray, the doctor explained that the object had got caught in a small pocket of intestine. There would be no alternative but surgery, but fortunately it would be keyhole so recovery would be fast and it would leave hardly any scarring. Aaron and Robert raised their eyes at each other at the mention of scarring and Robert took Aaron’s hand and squeezed it gently. He knew how sensitive Aaron was about the scars on his body, he didn’t need any more to remind him of those painful memories.
Before Aaron went into surgery, Robert kissed him.
‘This is my fault. I’m sorry.’ He whispered. ‘I love you, Aaron.’ He called after him as he was wheeled away down the corridor and out of sight.
Aaron blinked his eyes and registered the flashing lights he could see were coming from the fairy lights on a Christmas tree at the corner of the ward.
He felt Robert’s lips on his forehead.
‘Heh. There you are, then! You look so sexy in a gown, Livesy! We should ask to take it home as a souvenir. For role play!’ He heard him say.
‘Is that all you ever think about.’ He grumbled in reply. His voice sounded hoarse from the effects of the anaesthetic.
‘Mostly. Where you’re concerned.’
Aaron finally looked at Robert as his face came fully into focus. When he saw Robert’s genuine smile, he couldn’t help but smile back.
‘Your Mum’s here, and Paddy.’ Robert said. ‘Please don’t tell them this was my fault, if you ever want to see me alive again.’
Robert left them to it. While he was waiting, the nurse approached him with a small plastic container.
‘I believe this belongs to Mr. Livesy? But you probably want to give it to him yourself.’ He smiled at Robert. ‘We washed it with alcohol, so it’s quite clean now.’ He went on. ‘Do you know what he’s going to say?’
‘Absolutely no idea.’ Robert smiled back at the nurse, running a hand through his hair.
Eventually Chas and Paddy left. Robert resumed his position at Aaron’s bedside table. Aaron could hear him breathing heavily.
‘What’s up?’ he asked, always tuned into Robert’s state of mind.
Robert was nervous, but why?
‘So, here it is.’ Robert pulled a plastic box out of his pocket and rattled it, then offered it forward to Aaron, who scoffed and looked away.
‘Well, aren’t you going to look at it, then?’
‘Why would I? It’s just a coin that caused me a lot of grief, mate.’
‘Well,’ Robert lost his patience. ‘For God’s sake, look at it anyway.’
Aaron looked closely at Robert’s face and took the box, then opened it. As eyes adjusted, he shook his head in confusion.
‘It’s, it’s not a coin…’ he mumbled.
Robert nodded in agreement, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his heart raced.
‘It’s… it’s a ring.’
‘It’s a ring.’ Robert repeated.
‘Why’s it black? Is that cos it was…’ Aaron gestured to his stomach.
‘No, it’s black silver.’
Aaron looked closer at the circular band it was encrusted with small diamonds all the way round. It was masculine and plain, but stunningly beautiful.
‘Are they … diamonds?’
‘Yes, because, you know what diamond rings are for?’ Robert answered swallowing.
Aaron looked straight into his eyes.
‘Tell me.’ He said softly, biting his bottom lip.
Robert went down on one knee by the bed, and took Aaron’s hand.
‘From the day we first kissed I knew that you were the one, the only one. Aaron, you are my soulmate and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you’ll have me.
Aaron, will you marry me?’
Aaron eyes were welling with tears that spilled down his cheeks.
‘You know my answer. And you know you can’t buy me. I don’t want your poxy diamond ring!’
Robert sighed.
‘You’re right.’ He took the ring and threw it in the trash in the corner of the cubicle. Fishing in his pocket he pulled out a plastic ring and looked at it.
‘This came out of the cracker I shared with Cain yesterday. This do you?’
Aaron grinned through his tears and took it, wrapping his fist around it.
‘Yes.’ His blue eyes shone as he looked at Robert. ‘My answer, you muppet, is yes.’
‘Really?’
Robert kissed Aaron so long and so hard that the nurse approached them.
‘I will have to insist that you leave if you continue this, it’s over stimulating to the other patients, some of whom are, actually, quite ill.’
The next day Robert came to take Aaron home. Aaron was dressed and waiting. He showed Robert the contents of the sports bag: There was the hospital gown folded neatly, ready to take home for role play time.
‘Yes! Well done, Aaron.’ Robert winked. Then all at once he noticed something. He picked up Aaron’s left hand and looked at his second finger. It was adorned with a beautiful black silver band encrusted with diamonds.
‘Yeah, well.’ Aaron winked. ‘I figured it would last longer than the other one.’
‘All our lives.’ Robert answered with a smug grin and kissed him softly. He picked up the sports bag and took Aaron’s hand as they left the ward together to go home.
Santa was on his rounds again, looking rather pale and exhausted.
‘Merry Christmas!’ Robert nodded as they passed on their way out.
------
‘I’ll be the doctor and you be the patient.’
‘No, I’ll be the doctor and you’ll be the patient mate. I was the patient last time, if you remember.’
Adam banged on the wall.
‘You’ll both be bloody patients in a minute, if you don’t shut it. The sooner you get married and out of this house the better!’
Robert and Aaron looked at each other and stretched their eyes, grinning guiltily.
‘Ok, you be the doctor.’ They both whispered together. ‘No, you….’