I DO NOT OWN EMMERDALE OR IT 'S CHARACTERS...THEY BELONG TO ITV1

AUTHORS NOTE: Thanks for all the reviews...

"Who is he again..."

Jackson laid back in the bath as he soaked away the days strenuous hard labour on a building site, Aaron stood at the sink having a shave.

"I told yah, didn't I...blimey I KNEW you weren't listening to a word I were saying earlier, HE'S Sarah's brother Craig...and as I were saying, he was the my first..."

Aaron frowned into the mirror, it was all steamed up, but he could still see Jackson lying back in the tub.

"So why is all THIS coming out now...WHY didn't you mention this earlier..."

Jackson sat up, he tried to be as honest as he could, " well...Craig's been away for years...he had to, because I was going out with Sarah at the time...SHE caught us", he couldn't face Aaron as he said it.

Aaron smirked as he turned his head, " oh yeah!...bet she loved that...NO WONDER there was all that bad feeling between the pair of yah..."

Jackson nodded, " yeah...which is WHY I haven't really spoke about it...I didn't think Craig would be back to be honest with yah, I thought there would be nothing to tell..."

Aaron rinsed his face off and turned, " well, it'll be nice to see what HE looks like...him being your first..."

Jackson stood up, and grabbed the nearby towel from the rack, " he's nowt special...just an average guy...he just needs to make some new mates that's all...you know what it's like when you've been away for a while..."

Aaron watched as Jackson dried his hair, " so how does Sarah feel about all this...HIM being back"

Jackson shrugged as he stepped out the bath, " IT were SHE who told me he was back remember...it's gonna be wierd seeing him again..." he mused

Aaron playful slapped a flannel at him," JUST remember you are WITH ME now..."

Jackson was first to step into Bar West, he could already see Craig standing up at the bar waiting for them.

Craig turned around and smiled at him, " hey, I thought you two had stood me up..."

Jackson slapped him on the back, before he could say any more, " GOOD to see you again Craig...!"

Craig got it.

He got that Jackson had never told Aaron about their drink a few nights back, so it was best to go along with it.

"Yeah...you too" he finally uttered.

Jackson turned and pushed Aaron forward, " This is Aaron...", he introduced.

Aaron shook Craig's hand, Aaron got the impression that this Craig was already giving him the once over...to see if he was good enough for Jackson.

But Aaron promised to be on his good behaviour...he could be good if he wanted to be.

As the night wore on abit, Joe had joined them with a few of his mates, Aaron sat on the bar stool bored out of his mind.

It was boring because Jackson kept laughing and joking about things that happened YEARS ago...he was beginning to few a tad left out.

Craig finished his pint and was the first to notice this, by the look on Aaron's face.

He stood up and tapped his arm, " So Aaron, how are your pool skills...I'd expect you to be a champion by now, after spending all this time with Jackson"

Aaron looked up, awakening from his bored stance, " what...yeah..."

Craig faced Jackson, " you don't mind if I steal him for a while...", he leant further in, " I think the poor lads feeling left out..."

Jackson laughed, " GO FOR IT!...I bet you are as GOOD as each other..."

Aaron rolled his eyes as he followed Craig towards the pool table, Joe turned around, "I wonder what them two will be talking about..." he teased.

Jackson laughed it off...but to be honest he was rather curious...

Craig handed Aaron a poolstick, " do you wanna break or shall I...OR we could toss for it, if you like" he suggested.

Aaron wasn't sure about Craig, but he relaxed a bit when he came to the conclusion that he wasn't as annoying as Sarah.

He seemed okay...friendly, easy to get on with...to be honest, he was the complete opposite of Sarah.

And as Craig revealed that he thought his sister was highly strung at times, and annoying as hell...he really WAS taking a liking to him...

Craig was going to be no problem...if he wanted to be mates with Jackson, that was fine by him.

Joe faced Jackson at the bar, " so...what's it REALLY like having Craig back again...he seems to be getting on with Aaron"

Jackson leaned on the bar, " I know...WORRYING is the word, I'm afraid it's all gonna come out...you know the affair...Sarah still thinks it was a one off between me and Craig...so does Aaron, because THAT'S what I told him...to keep the story the same..."

Joe raised his eyebrowes, " talk about your past coming back to haunt you! but I'm not afraid to say BETTER YOU than me mate...awkward!"

Jackson sighed into his drink, " just hope it's a flying visit...bit of luck he might find another job elsewhere and go again..."

Joe was curious about something, considering how Jackson and Craig had left things all those years ago, " do you still...having feelings for him"

Jackson frowned at his best mate, HOW could he ASK THAT!

"NOOO, WHAT do you take me for, flipping 'eck Joe!"

Joe held out his hands to him, " I'm only asking!..."

Jackson blew out a heavy sigh, regretting the outburst, " Oh I know you were...and I know what I said back then...but NO ONE can ever compare to Aaron...NO ONE!"

Joe shook his head, and looked away toward the pool table, " good...them all should be fine and dandy then...unless THEM TWO fall out...THAT COULD be awkward!"

Jackson thought that too...he swallowed nervously, and smiled back at him, " It'll be fine..."

But was he trying to convince himself...

Craig missed another shot and sighed, Aaron smirked at him, " well! at least I can beat someone at this...you're just as CRAP as me!"

Craig laughed and slapped Aaron on the back, " THANKS!...I suppose we ALL can't be an under 12's pool champion, can we!"

Craig was talking about Jackson again, Aaron had tried to stay clear of asking him stuff...because if he did, then in his mind, he would think Craig knew MORE about Jackson than he did, but even so...he asked anyway.

"So...you and him had a bit of a dabble then..." he said, avoiding direct eye contact as he asked it.

Craig placed down his pool stick and nodded at him, " yeah...if you like...if that's what he said"

Aaron found that response abit odd, he nodded toward the table, " want another game"

Craig shook his head, as he sat down onto a nearby stool, " Nah..." he looked up to see Jackson still at the bar with Joe and his mates.

"See Jackson's still mates with that Joe fella...nice that, to have a good mate..."

Aaron glanced to the bar nodding, briefly thinking about Tom, he turned back at him, " so ermm...you've seen Jack then..."

Craig smiled, " yep, bonny little thing isn't he...last time I saw him he was just a babe...he's grown up so much, I missed out on a lot..."

Craig felt the phone in his pocket, it was digging into him, so he pulled it out, Aaron recognised it straight away, "Hey! THAT'S Jackson's phone!"

" Oh yeah, I was ment to give this back to Jackson..."

Jackson had told Aaron that he had lost his phone somewhere on site.

"How come you have it..." asked Aaron somewhat surprized, Craig laughed, " it was the other night...when me and Jackson met for that drink...", Craig realised he had unwittingly let the cat out the bag...he could of kicked himself.

Aaron's face clearly betrayed how he was feeling...Jackson had lied to him...the other night he said he was out with Joe.

Craig leaned forward, " don't let on I said owt...I TOLD him to say he was meeting Joe...it's NOT his fault mate...you see...I just wanted to test the water like...you know with Sarah and Mum...sorry, but don't be blaming him will yah...blame me!"

Aaron relaxed abit, he still thought Craig seemed okay...well seemed...it was still TOO early to tell, especially with things like this cropping up.

"alright...your secrets safe with me..." he said, a smirk on his face, Craig pulled out his wallet, " I'll get us all a round in, shall I..."

"nice one..."

On the way home Aaron and Jackson walked hand in hand...they didn't often, you really had to be careful in Hotten, it was rougher than folk amagined, especially at night.

" he's not a bad bloke is Craig..." told Aaron with a smile, Jackson snapped his neck round as they crossed a road, " oh...so you like him then..."

"He's more likeable than his sister...I thought, you know, with him being your first, I might of hated him, but yeah...he's okay"

Jackson was pleased, he was worried that Aaron and Craig wouldn't get on at all, but things seemed to have turned out fine.

But his smile faded.

"Why didn't YOU say you met him the other night..."

He was caught out on the hop, he hesitated, trying to think of some excuse, but he didn't have to, Aaron was handing him his 'lost' mobile, " he gave it me...he said you left it in the pub the other night...you could have told me you know, but I can understand...with him wanting it all hush hush because he wanted to know about how things stood with Sarah..."

Jackson blew out a laugh...and there was some relief in it as well, he HATED lying to Aaron and he was glad it was all out, even though it sounded like that Craig had covered for him.

"I'll have to thank him...I'M really sorry mind...he was abit nervous about going home...in case Sarah went mental...you know, with me and him...", he trailed off.

"alright, I rather NOT know the gory details thanks..." told Aaron with a smirk, "it's bad enough having to picture it"

They stopped in an allyway where Jackson pushed Aaron up against the wall, his face showing how hungrey he was for him, " I am gonna SO show you how sorry I am when we get in, and with Jack over Sarah's, you can howl with ecstasy all you like!" he teased.

Aaron raised his eyebrowes, " oh yeah...you think you're THAT good, do yah..."

Jackson and Aaron's lips met, " I know I am...so lets hurry on...or I might have you in this stinking ally, and I would hate to do that...I know how you like your comforts TOO much..." he teased.

and with that Aaron took his hand and they hurried on up the road, horny as hell...arriving home couldn't come sooner enough, before both of them would explode...

Meanwhile, Craig had been in for a while, before Sarah was in the bedroom doorway, "so how was your night out...getting to know Aaron are you..."

Craig looked up from where he sat on the bed, " he's okay!...can't see where you get mardy from, he was alright with me..."

Sarah pulled a face, " you're learn...anyway...don't be having that TV on too loud in here..."

Craig laid back and smiled, " and why's that...you got Mike here tonight..."

"NO...Jack's here tonight, he's fast asleep...so as I said keep it down..." she said with a warning glint in her eye.

Craig teased her as she closed the door behind her, " you are sounding more like Mum every day..."

Once he was alone, he snatched up his mobile...he had a voice mail from Kyle, putting the phone to his ear he listened to it.

Afterwards his face feel...he had had such a GREAT time tonight...why did he had to be reminded of it!

He pulled out the rucksack from underneath his bed, and rumaged through it, eventually putting his hand to what he wanted.

He pulled out the leaflets...leaflets about 'being HIV postive'.

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