Rust and Ruin

Oh Wow. 

This is an excellent question. 

Well, first. I think we need to consider Robert’s point of view during that reunion. He was out there, in a gay club no less, trying to make himself get over Aaron. He was trying to convince himself that he could meet other men and that maybe one of them could spark the same kind of feelings, or at the very least, some feelings that would indicate that maybe it was possible to find love and happiness outside of a grumpy mechanic-turned-scrapyard-owner. 

When he went back to Mike, it was because he told himself it couldn’t hurt to try. He’d told Aaron he’d get over him, and he’d been trying to do that. But then Valentine’s Day happened and Robert maybe realised that he’d been keeping this sliver of a door open in terms of his getting back together with Aaron. He hadn’t known that he’d been holding out hope, but then he realised that damn, he had after all. Only that’s not possible anymore. Because as far as he knew, Aaron was at home, with Alex, all happy and loved up. He’d imagined everything between them on Valentine’s Day, and worse yet, he’d possibly made Aaron cheat on his boyfriend. 

LOLOLOL. Oh Anon. I have no real headcanons because I rarely and barely think about Alex Mason.

But I mostly think he’d have been disowned by his friend for going back there after all, and he’d be stuck in a hell of his own making as he’d have to lay there and listen to Aaron and Robert’s copious reunited lovemaking. Not to mention the awkward early morning get away, which would be stymied by the fact that Robert and Aaron are having a beautiful ring ceremony downstairs.

He and his friend would eventually make up and this would become one of those stories about the dumb things Alex has done. The friend group would then roast him on the group chat. And maybe one day as he’s on his second date with Mike the Chef, they discuss some of their bad decision making, and Mike would bring up the time he almost got this man to come home with him, only he changed his mind and wanted to go to some garage where “he was the happiest he’s ever been.” But then Alex would raise him the time he opted to stay at an ex’s house even as his ex came to that same club where they met to win his ex-husband back and Mike would laugh in disbelief but secretly think that Alex is cute even if he is a bit of a fool for love, and that he wohldn’t mind if he were a fool for love for him. Alex would be relieved that Mike didn’t think that’s weird and he’d love that he gave this other disaster of a man a chance, because maybe Mike is the kind of guy who sees the best in you and he needs that. Oh and he also enjoys bulldogs named Gary.

So I guess what I’m saying is, the byproduct of Robert and Aaron’s insanity, coupled with Alex’s weirdness, and Mike’s all out thirst, could possibly help other people find love.

Oh yeah! I saw that floating around and I absolutely love it. Both Mike and Alex has this weird intensity where they saw both Robert and Aaron and individually were like, “Yeah. I want to be with him” without ever really reading the guys or their general readiness to be in another relationship. (In fairness to Alex though, Aaron did put in a minuscule bit of effort every now and then?) So them focusing that on each other works out perfectly. They both deserve happiness and Gary the dog deserves walkies.

Seriously though, I love that both these men really tried to shoot their shot with either guy because it showed their general desirability to other people. It isn’t that they can’t be with other men. It’s that they choose to be with each other.