AARON LIVESY

-The Chase-

"Knock Back"


Aaron walked through the back door of the pub; he didn't want to give his mum the chance of having a go at him. He'd been stupid in prolonging his time away with Hazel; he knew that now he just hoped it didn't cost him being with Flynn. Well it wouldn't he decided as he walked into the back room, he would be with Flynn whatever it took.

Aaron walked to the kitchen and saw Cameron standing having a drink. "Knocked you back then did he? We thought he would whenever you'd decide to come back" Cameron said with a smile.

"I don't need comments from you" Aaron made it clear with a scowl.

"I might be able to help"

"Ha! Ok, like I'm going to take advice off the man who's having it away with my mum behind my cousins back"

"Well if you hate the fact so much why haven't you told Debbie?"

Aaron sighed. "Like I said when I came back the first time, you seem to make her happy that's the only reason why, but don't for one minute think I'm happy about it"

"Oh believe me, it was clear the day you came back and it still is now"

"Good, now move I'd like to be able to get into the fridge"

Cameron flicked his eyebrows and moved out of Aaron's way. "I hope you don't speak to Flynn like that"

"Cameron! Will you bog off?" he told him harshly. "How I speak to Flynn is none of your business!"

"Just saying"

"Well don't! I'll make things right with Flynn don't you worry about that" Aaron told him as he opened the fridge and took out a can of lager.

Chas walked in seconds later and saw Cameron looking into the kitchen. "Alright?" she asked with a smile as she approached him then she saw Aaron drinking from the can. "Ah that was quick, alone I take it?"

"Yes" he told her begrudgingly. "What's it to you anyway?"

Chas laughed. "Well for one Aaron, I'm your mum and two I care, why do you always ruin the good things in your life?"

Aaron's eyes widened at her words. "I only stayed an extra two weeks!"

"And that might have cost you Flynn Aaron! I don't reckon many lads would call every day to see if their potential boyfriend was back from his holiday!"

Aaron sighed and shook his head. "Can you take her away please Cameron?" he asked him.

Cameron chuckled. "Sorry no can do"

Aaron sighed again but louder. "I'll sort it with him" he told her.

"Well I hope you do cause he's a keeper"

"You don't have to tell me that" he spat angrily and stormed out of the kitchen, past his mum and Cameron. Seconds later the slam of the back door could be heard. Chas rolled her eyes. "Typical"

"Hey, he'll sort it" Cameron told her as he placed his hand on her shoulder then kissed her head.

"I hope so, he needs a relationship like-" she stopped herself and sighed.

"Like Jackson?"

Chas nodded. "Don't get me wrong I'm not comparing them I'm not but Jackson changed him, he loved him despite everything they went through together, Flynn could love him, make him happy, after Ed and what he did to him I don't want Aaron to feel like he doesn't deserve love again because he does"

"You're a good mum do you know that?"

Chas looked up at him and laughed. "Yeah, okay after all the mistakes I've made with Aaron I doubt that but thanks anyway"

"No you are, he's been through a lot and you've been there every step of the way, even when you've found things out afterwards you've always been there Chas and he knows that, but he's only nineteen, still growing up, if he doesn't want to listen to what you say he won't and you know that, but deep down he also knows that you're right"

"I hope so" Chas replied with a smile then kissed him on the lips.

"Ahh you're back then" Paddy said with a smile as he put down his paper and watched Aaron walk through into the kitchen.

"Uh yeah, thought I better had"

Paddy nodded. "Looking good by the way, very nice tan you've got there"

Aaron smirked and slumped into a chair at the table. Paddy knew something had unsettled him. "Didn't win Flynn round though did it?" he said with a sigh

"Ah, you've went to see him then"

"Slammed the door in my face, after he told me to get out of his face, and he even asked me if the kiss at the airport meant nothing" Aaron ranted then sat with his chin in the palm of his hand with his elbow rested on the table. "I'm a right bell end!"

Paddy laughed. "Your way with words never ceases to amaze me"

"Yeah? And you're daily routine still doesn't surprise me!"

Paddy chuckled. "Oh yes, got to have a break at this time"

Aaron rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Have you text him? Tried to call?" Paddy asked and Aaron shook his head. "Well what are you waiting for Aaron? He already thinks you don't care"

"Alright I will" he said as he pulled his phone out and started typing a text; Flynn I'm really sorry I understand why you're mad but can we at least talk? I'll be at bar west tonight from 7 I hope you can be there, I'm sorry X he sent it and put his phone back in his pocket.

"Well?" Paddy asked.

"I said I'll be at bar west tonight from seven, and that I'm really sorry but can we at least talk?"

"That it?"

"No I put a kiss on the end" he told him with a frown and chuckled. "What else is there to say in a text? I feel horrible, I saw the look on his face, in his eyes he really hates me I'm not going to start pissing him off even more am I?"

"No, course not but you'll have to do much better than that text if he meets you tonight"

"Well duh! God Paddy" he said as he got up and grabbed a glass out of the cupboard. "How stupid do you actually think I am?" he asked as he turned the tap on and filled it with water, then turned back to face him.

"I don't think you are but I don't want you ending up hurt because of your own mistake"

"I won't be" Aaron said with a broad smile.

Paddy didn't want to press the issue any further so he left it and changed the subject. "Rhona's just took Leo for a check-up…oh! Don't suppose you could babysit tomorrow night could ya?"

"Yeah course I will"

"Great" Paddy grinned. "Me and Rhona are going into town for a romantic meal"

"Romantic? You!" Aaron laughed. "Give me a break"

"Says you" he told him with a raised eyebrow. "When was the last time you actually did anything romantic?"

Aaron dropped his head and looked into his glass of water. From seeing his reaction Paddy could have easily kicked himself. "I-I'm sorry mate I didn't think…it was with Jackson wasn't it?"

Aaron nodded and looked up at him. "You're alright" he shrugged. "You probably thought me and Ed might have been romantic before it turned nasty…not a chance, I went to France out of convenience, for a fresh start after the garage fire…so yeah it was Jackson" he explained and smiled at his last words.

"How are you coping after Ed really? Don't fob me off either"

Aaron shrugged. "The bruises are long gone, and in my head I'm a bit better but having someone force themselves onto you and go through with it, it won't go away Paddy…but I'm fine in general…Flynn went through the same, you were there that night in town when you saw Ed…"

Paddy nodded. "I remember"

"You stopped him, I'll always be grateful for that"

"Doesn't make it any better though, he still hurt you and got to Flynn too"

"But in the long run he was stopped Paddy, he can't hurt anyone from prison"

Paddy nodded. "I know, just you and Flynn are good lads you shouldn't have had to go through that…I never saw it either before you went to France, I thought he was an alright bloke…" he shrugged, baffled at how someone who seemed so nice could do such things to another person.

"We all did" Aaron told him then took a drink. "Right I better get off, get ready and all that"

"What? Now?" Paddy exclaimed as he looked at his watch. "It's not even four yet, you aren't going till seven"

"Yeah well you know what I'm like I'll be stood looking in the mirror with loads of tops on the bed struggling to decide what to wear"

Paddy laughed. "I remember vividly"

Aaron chuckled as he headed to the door; he slapped him on the shoulder on the way out. "See ya Patrick"

Paddy frowned at him, he hated being called that, absolutely hated it and Aaron knew he did, yet he still called him it on occasion. "Good luck!" he called after him as the door was being closed.

Aaron was early, only by a few minutes but he was still early. He walked into bar west and headed to the bar and ordered himself a pint. It was still quiet for the time of day though it would get busier it was a Saturday night after all. After he'd paid for his pint he grabbed it and walked over to an empty table on the opposite end of the bar, a place where when busy it usually stayed quiet. As he sat down he looked around; Bar West a place that held so many memories, he smiled it would always be a special place. He'd cleared the air with Jackson there on one occasion before; he just hoped he could do the same with Flynn, if he decided to meet him.

Aaron had drunk half of his pint and he slumped back in the chair, it was ten past seven and he was quickly losing hope. He sighed and leaned forward onto the table and spun the beer mat around with his fingers. He quickly sat up a few minutes later when a pint of lager was put down in front of him, he smiled when he saw Flynn moving to sit down opposite. "T-Thanks for coming I, I wasn't sure if you were going too"

"Neither was I" Flynn said with a sigh as he looked at him.

"You look good" Aaron complimented.

Flynn nodded and looked away as he felt awkward. "Yeah, you too…l-listen Aaron…I came to tell you…"

"No please Flynn just let me explain, my head was all over the place, I was hurt and when I went away it was just meant to be for two weeks, but as the time went on I started thinking about me and you, about the possibility…it was the first real time I have thought about an us, b-because when Jackson was alive there was just no chance for us because of how I felt about him"

"So I'm second best?" Flynn asked.

Aaron frowned. "What? No! No I didn't mean it like that"

"Well how did you mean it?" Flynn was being blunt and standoff-ish toward Aaron and Aaron was well aware of it.

"What I was going to say was, when I was away I did get a chance to think of an us b-but when I did…I started doubting myself, after Ed I began to wonder if I'm good enough for anyone, look what happened with him, a-and Jackson before…I messed it all up and Jackson wanted to die because of an accident I will always think is my fault no matter what anybody says…and Ed well he just really, really hurt me, and you know what I mean. I was scared that me and you would work alright so I stayed away…"

Flynn sighed. "Aaron please…"

"No Flynn just let me get this out" he told him and blew out a breath. "I thought that us, I-it might feel wrong, weird even…"

"Because of Jackson?"

Aaron sighed and looked down at his pint as he nodded. "Just being honest…" he told him as he looked back up at him. "Don't think it does me any good though"

Flynn sighed. "Aaron, I did try and stop you but you wanted to get it out and I couldn't get a word in but…but I started seeing someone, when I realised you obviously weren't bothered and weren't coming back I came here, drank a lot and a nice lad helped me get home"

Aaron's heart sank at Flynn's words. "What?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"We swapped numbers and we've met every day since…I-I'm sorry Aaron but you just left it too long…I thought we could have had something but I was obviously wrong"

"Flynn I'm sorry, please" he begged.

Flynn shook his head. "I like him Aaron, I'm not wasting my time with someone who disappears for a whole month and doesn't bother getting in touch after we left it on a kiss…" tears were on the verge of falling as he stood up, he grabbed his jacket and looked Aaron in the eye. "An amazing kiss by the way…suppose that's all we'll ever have"

"W-W…Wait what about your pint? Please just sit down we can talk…I can make this work Flynn"

Flynn shook his head. "There's nothing for you to make work, and you have it, I've got other plans tonight"

Aaron sat staring stunned, but yet not fully surprised by what Flynn had said, he was a very attractive lad and he could have the pick of the bunch if he'd wanted and the truth was Flynn was available, he just chose to wait for him. But he couldn't wait forever especially when he wasn't sure if or when Aaron would return.

He wanted to say so many things but they just couldn't come out, somehow he'd lost the ability to speak and he helplessly watched Flynn walk away, he swallowed hard and turned back to his pint and picked it up and took a long drink. "I've gone and done it this time haven't I?" he asked himself as he sighed heavily.

Closing time came quickly, he'd spent the night drinking heavy amounts and was absolutely smashed by the time he left Bar West; a few men looked at him, showing an interest, some even approached him but he bluntly told them where to go in typical Aaron style, he wasn't interested as far as he was concerned Flynn was the one and he'd be with him eventually…but could he wait?

Aaron stumbled along the street, he couldn't see straight and his arms and legs certainly weren't functioning. He pulled out his phone and squinted at the bright screen to see what time it was, he finally found the clock in the top right corner, it was ten past three in the morning. "Wow I'm drunk" he slurred to himself as he realised he'd been drinking for pretty much the same length of time a person sleeps, eight hours.

He felt sick, he felt poorly, really poorly and he let out a sigh as he rested against a wall, he looked to his side and saw bar west several metres down the road, he obviously hadn't gotten very far. He frowned and brought the phone up close so he could see what he was doing. Aaron had never ever done this and he felt ashamed that he had too now. He clicked call and held the phone to his ear. When the call was picked up his mum groggily said hello.

"Mum…can you pick me up?" he slurred.

Chas sat up in bed quickly. "Aaron? W-Why what's wrong? Tell me where you are"

"I'm outside bar west, I-I'm so drunk and I don't feel very well" he told her as he pulled a disgusted face, he really was going to vomit everywhere.

"Aaron love" she sighed "It's three in the morning, can you not get a taxi?"

"I would if they accepted fresh air as payment" he told her.

Chas sighed. "Alright, I'm on my way, just do not move will ya? I'll have a nightmare finding ya if you do"

"I won't" he told her as he slid down the wall. "See I'm not moving, I'm sitting down, I'm staying right here, I love you mum you know that don't ya?"

Chas couldn't help but smile but his drunken words also brought tears to her eyes. "I know you do, I love you too son, I'm on my way alright"

"Alright" he replied then let the phone slide out of his hand, down onto his leg as he rested his head back against the wall. He really was going to be sick.


TBC…