Work Text:
“I swear, Robert. Two days! Two days! That’s all I was away for!” Aaron was pacing. Nothing good ever came from Aaron pacing. Robert tried to cut in,
“I know and-"
No use, Aaron threw up his hands, “And what? You thought you’d activate the ‘Idiot Switch’ again.”
Robert blinked, “I wasn't an idiot.”
“Oh really? Really?” Aaron pinched the bridge of his nose before sighing and facing his husband, “You know, most people don’t steal a guy’s car from a car park and fill it up with the wrong fuel so he can’t get to a meeting, just so they can win a contract.”
“It was a lucrative deal, Aaron,” Robert tried to explain.
“Yes,” Aaron nodded, but then he poked Robert in the shoulder, “one which you could have won with your excellent business skills.”
Robert only heard the compliment, “My excellent business-"
“Don’t do that.”
“What?”
“Get smug,” Aaron stated, “Don’t get smug when I am angry with you.” Robert snorted which made Aaron frown, “And don’t laugh either. You are such a child.”
Robert chuckled properly then, “Oh what are you going to do, sit me on the naughty step?”
“Pfft.” Aaron scoffed. He gestured across the room, “I can’t do that anyway since you installed the spiral staircase of death.”
“Excuse me, you wanted that staircase,” Robert bristled.
“No, I didn’t”
“Yes you did.”
“No, it was you and Liv,” Aaron reminded him, “You had some mad idea that you could slide down the bannister.”
When Robert thought about it, Aaron was right. He remembered laughing with Liv in the shop and talking about Mary Poppins. Aaron rolling his eyes at them and saying they’d regret it. Robert smiled at the memory, “Oh yeah.”
While Robert was thinking, Aaron had pulled out one of the kitchen chairs, “You know what? Sit down.”
“Eh?” Robert shook himself back to the to the room and looked between his husband and the chair.
“Sit down,” Aaron repeated firmly.
Robert’s lips curled at the corners, “A naughty chair? Are you joking?”
“Nope. And as far as I remember from those parenting books, it’s a minute for how old you are.”
“That’s over half an hour?” Robert exclaimed.
“Yep. Old sod that you are,” Aaron gestured to the chair again with a smirk, but when Robert still didn’t move, he tapped it and gave him his best glare.
Robert slumped down, thoroughly unimpressed, “This is ridiculous.”
“Shouldn’t act ridiculous then should you?” Aaron said haughtily. He smirked again before turning to carry on making tea. Robert half-stood and caught his arm,
“Wouldn’t you rather have your wicked way with me on the table?” he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Aaron wasn’t having it, “Robert, sit down, or am I going to have to tie you down?”
“Ooo, kinky,” Robert laughed. He cut himself off though when he got another glare, “Ok. Fine.” He shifted back on the seat and folded his arms.
Aaron pottered about the kitchen. Moving pots and pans around, chopping vegetables and Robert enjoyed watching him at first- his beautiful husband relaxed in their home- but then he started getting fidgety. However, it was when Aaron bent down in front of him to put something in the dishwasher, Robert decided he really did like the view-
“Right, stop it,” Aaron caught him.
“I wasn’t doing anything,” Robert sat back and tried to deny it.
Aaron turned to face him, “You were checking out my arse.”
“Now, who’s full of themselves?” Robert questioned with a smirk. Aaron was still not impressed and Robert all but wailed, “Oh come on Aaron, I’m bored.”
Aaron rolled his eyes, “It’s been less than 5 minutes, Robert.”
“Is that it?”
“You are unbelievable.”
“Come on…” Robert encouraged Aaron in by taking hold of his hoodie, “You could still have me on the table?”
“Robert,” Aaron pulled back and wiped a hand down his face. He took hold of another chair and twisted it out so he could sit beside his husband. He gave him a nudge, “I can’t keep coming home to find you’ve pissed loads of people off again.”
“I know,” Robert sighed, feeling guilty now, “And I am sorry but-"
“The deal meant a lot to you, I know,” Aaron nodded, reaching across and putting a hand on his husband’s knee, “But Robert you’d have earned that on your own.”
Robert looked down, “I didn’t know that for certain though, did I?”
Aaron took hold of his chin so Robert had to face him, “You are amazing, ok? And you’d worked so damn hard that they would have been stupid not to pick you,” He let go of Robert’s chin shook his own head, “but because you didn’t stop to think, you don’t have the contract and the guy could have pressed charges.”
Robert closed his eyes. It home for him in that moment. He opened his eyes again and smiled sadly, “I really do have an ‘Idiot Switch’.”
Aaron snorted softly, took hold of his hand and squeezed, “Yeah, well, I’ve had my own versions so-”
“What are we like?” Robert squeezed Aaron’s hand back.
“Hmmm.” Aaron scratched his eyebrow, “I just know that I don’t want to leave you one day and find you’ve been done for sheep rustling or something the next.”
“Sheep rustling?” Robert scoffed.
“I never know with you,” Aaron pointed out, “Your switch is random.”
Robert laughed, “Kind of like Liv’s.”
“Urgh, don’t remind me. Has she taken that hamster back yet?”
“I hope so.”
Aaron smiled at Robert, let go of his hand, kissed his cheek and then stood, “Anyway, I’ve got to finish tea.” Robert made his way to stand too but Aaron pushed him back down, “Er, where are you going?” Robert furrowed his brow, but Aaron made a show of checking his watch, “No, you’ve still got about 23 minutes left.”
“You can’t be serious?” Robert protested with a laugh. It didn’t get him anywhere though as the look his husband gave him said it all. He huffed and sank back into the chair, “Fine.”
He didn’t mind though when Aaron had to bend down again and, well, there was only so many times Aaron could resist.
4 minutes later, the table became a place for naughty boys.
…