Thanks to Dangling Hearts for the beta.
I'm Not Alone
Aaron stared at his family and friends, thanking some higher power that they all had ignored his insistence that they stay away. Each and every one of them gave him support, some confidence to tell the truth. His lawyer wasn't best pleased, but whatever. He needed to do this. He needed to explain himself. He couldn't put Paddy, his mum, through him being sent down for 6 months. He had to exonerate himself.
So he spoke up, told the truth, and in the process became a crying mess. But it was done. The weight of the world was lifted from his shoulders. And he wasn't sent down. Community payback – he could handle that, he thought, in comparison to the alternative. He could deal with fixing up a few community parks and playgrounds, if it meant that he wasn't in prison.
Once the verdict had been delivered, they all returned back to Smithy Cottage, where Paddy was throwing a party. Aaron and Adam didn't take part in the festivities, wandering through the village instead.
Aaron wanted to talk about Jackson but Adam suddenly felt hot under the collar. He didn't want to hear of Aaron declaring his undying love for the builder. He... God, the images that were rushing through his head were just... Where the hell had that come from?
Aaron continued to ramble on and Adam snapped, practically giving him a kick up the backside to quit his whinging.
They returned to Aaron's home, and sat in the kitchen, away from the other guests, with the party seemingly in full swing in the living room.
They each grabbed a can of lager and opened them, the hiss breaking the quiet that consumed them.
Adam drank deep of his can, trying to wash away the thoughts that consumed his head.
The drinks went down well, the banter increased and soon both lads were three sheets to the wind. They went upstairs, listening to some more modern music to drive out the whingeing tones of Morrissey.
The conversation stalled as Aaron checked his phone for the millionth time. Adam sighed heavily, not even attempting to hid his annoyance.
"What?" Aaron asked, sipping at his freshly-opened can.
"Stop checking your phone mate, you're making me all antsy!" Adam said, cracking open a new can himself.
"Oi, I was just checking the time!" Aaron insisted, deciding to change the CD to something different.
"Right, and I think a pig just flew past your window."
Aaron chuckled and Adam soon joined in, happy that they could still take the piss out of each other without it turning awkward.
They continued drinking, taking pot shots at each other, until their words were slurring and their tongues were looser. That's what Adam said the day after, at least, when he thought back on that night. He blamed the drink.
"I woulda let you, you know?" Adam stated, his head back as he finished off his latest can.
"Let me what?" Aaron asked, turning to look at his best mate.
"Kiss me. If you tried again, I woulda let you."
Aaron's mouth hung open, aghast at the statement his best mate had just given. His mind, however, was rushing through pictures and thoughts and ideas.
"Quit taking the piss, Adam, it's not funny."
"I'm not!"
"You're just messing with my head," Aaron replied, getting to his feet, suddenly feeling all too sober.
"I'm not, I'm serious. Look!"
And he got to his feet and crashed their mouths together. He fought Aaron, who tried to push him away, and, instead, pulled him tight against him, his hands taking a tight grip on the back of Aaron's head.
But Aaron gave up the fight, and soon he was responding, groaning into the kiss, tasting those lips he'd wished to taste months ago. It was like he'd expected, but with the added incentive of alcohol fuelling his thoughts.
They kissed for 10 minutes, and Aaron thought they were the best ten minutes of his life. The kiss ended to the sound of panting and sighing.
"It's not gonna be all awkward now, is it?" Adam whispered against Aaron's lips.
"I'm just surprised it happened..." Aaron mumbled, resting his forehead against Adam's.
"Where do we go from here?" Aaron asked, as Adam squeezed his neck lightly, attempting to remove the tension.
"Well, I wouldn't mind sleeping off the amount we drank!" Adam said, watching Aaron's eyes.
"Well you're not staying here!"
"What? Why?"
"I'm not a rubber a ball, you can't bounce me back and forth, playing with me feelings!" Aaron said passionately.
Adam didn't reply, he just laughed.
"It's not like you have any kind of virtue for me to tarnish! And I meant I'd crash on the floor! Get your mind out of the gutter!"
"Hey, I'm not complaining – how can you turn me down? I'm hot stuff." Smugly, Aaron took a pose to show off his muscles.
"Come on, farm boy! Let's get some kip!"
They undressed, glancing at each other shyly from the corner of their eyes. Dressed just in their boxers, both boys laid down on their beds. Aaron tossed Adam a blanket, hitting him in the face.
"Oi! You could take an eye out, doing that!"
"With a soft, cuddly blanket?" Aaron laughed, "Get some sleep mate, you're not making sense."
"Night," Adam replied, wrapping the blanket tight around himself.
"See ya in the morning."
Adam was soon dead to the world, and Aaron couldn't help himself, he turned on his side, resting his head on his hand. He watched Adam sleep, and realised that all thoughts of Jackson had been driven to the back of his mind. Adam was... They needed to talk about this properly, without being drunk.
But, as Aaron closed his eyes, his dreams were consumed with that kiss, and the conversation that was to come.