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"Have you ever just looked at someone and then it hits you like a ton of bricks, you know just how beautiful they are?" Robert says and stares at the lip of his beer bottle, knowing he is on the verge of complete drunkenness.
Victoria sits next to him on Diane's couch curled in on herself, only slightly shocked at how open he is being as he is clearly not sober.
"Rob" she says placing a hand on his shoulder, "what are you on about?" Vic asks hesitantly knowing not to push so hard on these sorts of subjects. Robert chuckles quietly to himself, laughing at how soft he's being but wanting to say more to just get it off his chest.
"Like with Adam did you ever just think, you know that..." He stops trying to find the right words to say what he is feeling, which is more difficult than first thought. Frustrated with himself Robert slumps back and let's out a much needed sigh.
"What?" Victoria urges.
"With Aaron, when I first saw him he was so imperfect, nothing special you know" Robert thinks, trying to choose his next words. Daring a quick glance at Victoria he finds her staring at him, hanging on his every word.
"When this thing star-"
"Affair" Victoria interrupted, correcting him.
"Yeah, when this affair started he was just Aaron, but the more time I spent with him the more I realised he wasn't a just, he was Aaron, this perfect being" Robert scoffed at himself thinking he must sound ridiculous.
"Rob, you can tell me you know? What your thinking that is", Victoria scooted closer to Robert placing her arm around his shoulders, hugging him trying to reassure him she was trustworthy.
"I know, you just gotta give me time" Robert placed his head or Victoria's shoulder. Taking another swig of his beer Robert went to continue his train of thought,
"Every time I saw him again I could feel it, I could feel myself falling and I didn't want to stop, like Chrissie said I just couldn't help myself but fall because it's the best feeling s-so I wasn't gonna deny myself that" Robert closed his eyes, knowing he was getting worked up about it.
"That doesn't make me a bad person right? But, yeah maybe it does, I told him-told Aaron that what he felt was not real, we weren't real" Robert felt the guilt wash over him, the wave of it knocked the air out of him as he continued to go over the memories.
"I hate it, I just hate what I did to him, I made him think-" he rubbed his face hard trying to get the words out of himself. Victoria rubbed his arm, just wanting to comfort her brother.
"Your okay Rob, tell me more" Robert huffed out a laugh.
"About what? Aaron? What I did to him?"
Victoria shook her head,
"No, what about what he was like with you" Victoria prompts which she receives a funny look from Robert.
"I mean, Aaron he's always this tough guy so what was it like to see him in love?"
"Wait, you wanna hear me tell you about Aaron being in love?" Robert asks in disbelief. Victoria laughs at the face he is making then nods.
"Yeah or what about you what was it like being in love with Aaron?"
"You really want to know?"
"Of course", Victoria says moving away from him and grabbing the large glass of white wine set on the coffee table. She sits back against the armrest watching Robert shuffle about trying to get comfy as if he was about to read a story. He sits directly opposite Victoria managing to get his lanky legs pushed up against his chest with his head resting on them. They both take long drags of their drinks, Robert sighs then shifts his gaze to the floor.
"You sure you wanna hear me being a soppy git?" He laughs.
"Awh come on, just tell me" Victoria pleads wanting to see the look in her brothers eyes when he talks about Aaron.
"Well uh, I dont know what to say do I" Robert gulps down that last of his beer, grabbing another one off the table and opening it.
"Right" Victoria starts slapping her hand on her thigh.
"What do you love most about our dear friend Aaron Livesy"she points to Robert then adds "well a much more dear friend to you though"
Robert shoots her a glare but can't help but laugh when she giggles into her wine.
"Well, I would have to say the thing I love the most about Aaron lovely Livesy is uhh you know when he's tryna act all annoyed and rolls his eyes and bits his lip, I love that when he's biting his lip, trying to hide his smile"
"Aww, your such a cutie sometimes" Victoria coos with the wine going to her head.
"Shut up" he retaliates half heartedly.
"Anything else you need to know?"
"Uhh yeah, when did you fall in love with him, in fact when did this affair even start?" Victoria says realising she doesn't even know when this all started, only that it's been months.
"Right, you know that day I phoned you asking for his number to fix my car?" Victoria nods. "It was then, I faked a breakdown to get him on his own and I kissed him"
"Oh very smooth" she says almost approving the way he went about it.
"And for the falling in love, Christmas Day, he got me to talk to you guys about being a prick and to apologize to you in fact, he said he didn't want to be around someone who upset you like that, so I wanted to prove to him I can be better person you know"
"Well thank me for being all emotional in front of him then" she laughs.
"Thanks then" he says but he means it, she has been great and he can't thank her enough for helping him through this.
"So" he sighs,
"anymore questions before I head off to bed?" Victoria thinks for a minute then huffs in annoyance that her mind has gone blank.
"No not yet"
"Well you know where to find me if you do and please don't ask Aaron about it" he looks down then back to his sister with pleading eyes.
"Why?"
"Because this, me, he doesn't need reminded of the hurt I caused him, alright?"
"Alright"
They managed to get to their feet without stumbling over.
"So, hug?" Robert gestures.
"Sure" and they hug for a while before Robert steps back and smiles fondly at his sister. They say their goodbyes at the front door then Robert heads to his small box room next to Aarons and flops down onto the bed and falls asleep straight away.