AARON & JACKSON –

-All Hallows' Eve'

"The Reason"

Story follows on from my fic 'Desire'


Aaron stood in Smithy cottage holding a screaming baby boy in his arms. He sighed, how long could this actually go on for! Aaron loved babysitting but this was just not funny anymore. His mum and Paddy, the now married couple had gone out for the day and he offered to look after his baby brother.

Aaron remembered wondering and trying to guess what other news his mum and Paddy had for him that night almost a year ago, but when he and Jackson met them in the pub all was explained and it was this little bundle of joy in his arms that was the news. Aaron cried, he couldn't help it, he was so happy for them both and he'd have a sister or brother. He was excited.

Excited was not his feeling now. He held the baby out in his arms so he could look at him. "You hate me don't ya?" The baby stopped for a split second and began to scream again. Aaron turned to pace the floor but saw Jackson standing in the kitchen doorway with a smirk on his face.

"I'm not talking to you" Aaron huffed and carried on what he was doing.

Jackson laughed out loud and walked in. "Have you fed him?"

"Uh no I thought I'd let him starve" Aaron frowned. "Course I have ya muppet and changed him! And I'm cuddling him as you can see!" he sighed and walked over to Jackson and held out his baby brother. "Here" he told him. "Uncle Jackson's here look" Aaron was relieved when Jackson took him from him.

Jackson giggled when he looked down at the boy making faces at him, he stopped crying.

"Oh that's not fair. He hates me" Aaron nodded. "He hates me"

"Oh don't take it personal he's just a baby"

Aaron scowled at him and sat down at the table with his back towards Jackson. "I'm still not talking to you"

"Still?" Jackson exclaimed. "It was just a joke Aaron"

"Yeah! One that you decided to show the entire fu-" he stopped, no swearing. He nearly forgot. "...the entire village!"

"No, no" Jackson shook his head. "I sent it to your mum, and Adam, what they did with it after that was not my fault"

"You started it though"

"It was just a bit of singing and dancing" Jackson told him as he rocked the baby in his arms.

"Of me!" he despaired. "As I tidied up the house. In the comfort of our own home!" Aaron shot around in his chair. "I will get you back for this you know"

Jackson cocked an eyebrow. "I wouldn't advise that"

"Oh why not?"

"I'll get you back something rotten"

"Do you hear that Mason, your brother is nasty to me"

Mason smiled and wriggled in Jackson's arms. "Yes, that's right" he cooed.

Aaron frowned. "Weirdo"

"No that's you babe" Jackson grinned.

...

Over the following weeks, Aaron had well and truly got Jackson back. One morning he put salt in Jackson's tea, Aaron made a good show of putting it down to his hangover, and he was hung-over, but not that much. He had to stop himself laughing as Jackson took the first sip and when Jackson took his shower that morning Aaron purposely used the sink, turning the cold tap on and off, leaving them on for varied lengths of time.

"Aaron! I'm trying to shower here!" Jackson screamed down and Aaron couldn't help but laugh.

Then a few days later Aaron got some mud mixed it in a bucket of water and then sneaked out early one morning and poured it in the screen wash tank of Jackson's van. Jackson returned home that night fuming, he asked Aaron outright if it was him.

"No!" he defended and it was believable. "I wouldn't do that"

"Fucking kids, I must have knocked the catch for the bonnet" Jackson moaned and he wandered upstairs to take a shower after his long day. Aaron was impressed with himself. "God I could be on TV" he muttered to himself. Time to play with the tap, Aaron grinned as he left it on full blast.

"Aaron!" Jackson screamed from the bathroom.

"I'm filling the kettle!" he shouted back, and his eyes widened and moved and grabbed it from its stand and began to fill it, made it real, Jackson wouldn't suspect anything then.

Aaron stopped with his revenge; it would become obvious if he did it too much. Days later however he started again, he'd found his next evil idea when it was crawling along the bedroom floor, it was big nasty horrible thing, eight very long legs and the biggest body he'd ever seen. Aaron didn't really like spiders himself but Jackson's fear of them was worse. Aaron grinned. Jackson was in the bath. He laughed at himself, he was mean! He quickly ran to the bathroom and pushed open the door a little bit and saw his lover relaxing in the steaming bath. He knelt down and held out his hands on the carpet and off the spider went, crawling fast into the room, exploring. Aaron pulled the door shut and walked away.

Nothing was happening he realised as he sat downstairs sipping on a cup of tea as he read the TV magazine. He shrugged, Jackson would see it eventually.

Aaron was almost asleep when an almighty panicked scream and the splashing of water could be heard. "Aaron!" Jackson's voice was high; he was on the verge of crying.

"What's up?" Aaron shouted up.

"There is a spider!"

Aaron covered his mouth with his hand and made his way up the stairs. Stood outside the bathroom Aaron composed himself then pushed open the door. He frowned, water had splashed over the bath and Jackson lay seemingly frozen in the bath. "Where is it?"

"Oh come on! ARE YOU BLIND?"

"What?"

Jackson sighed. "It's on the tap! You've got to help me"

Aaron sighed. "Okay but get out of the bath, there's no way I'm gunna be able to get it if you're panicking like a woman am I?"

Jackson swallowed hard. "Suppose not..." his eyes never moved from the spider. If it fell in the water Jackson would have a heart attack.

Aaron handed him the towel and helped Jackson out of the bath. "Go on, it's alright I'll get rid!"

Jackson turned away and walked out of the bathroom. Aaron grinned as he pulled the plug then grabbed the spider in his hand. He opened the small window and held his hand against the stone exterior wall and the spider crawled off. "Cheers mate" Aaron grinned as he spoke quietly.

...

Aaron put on his best concerned face as he joined Jackson on the bed. "You ok babe?"

Jackson nodded. "Yeah, sorry I-I just hate them"

Aaron pulled him close and soothed him. "I know you do, anyway forget about that, let's me and you..." he trailed his finger down his Jackson's wet chest.

Jackson grinned. "Yeah...let's..."

Aaron smiled and leaned down and kissed him passionately. He decided the spider topped it all off, no longer would he play tricks on his boyfriend; he'd suffered enough now...

...

Aaron came out of his thoughts...he rolled his eyes, now understanding this 'payback'. He stormed across the road to Jackson who was standing at the open boot of the car. His eyes widened in shock when he saw Jackson picking up a can of petrol. "You had that the entire time?" he exclaimed.

Jackson nodded with a smirk across his lips. "Yep, had to be cleverly rehearsed, couldn't have done it without them though" he flashed a grin which just received daggers from Aaron.

Aaron turned quickly. "I'm not talking to you" he huffed and he opened the front passenger door and got in and sat down, leaving Cain, Jackson and Adam by the car, waiting with Jackson as he filled it with petrol.


THE END