DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN EMMERDALE OR IT'S CHARACTERS, THEY REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF ITV1

Xxx

Jackson was abit nervous as he stepped in through the sliding doors of the A&E at Hotten general. Casualty was full of the sick and injured already. He bypassed the idiots around him, most of them drunk and bruised from the night before, and made his way up the clinical white corridor towards a nurses station. He instantly saw Nate sat at a computer terminal updating a patients records.

Jackson laid his arms over the counter and waited til his lover looked up. When he did, the face showed it all, it was a case of what the fuck?

"WHAT are you doing here?" he asked, coming out from behind the desk and pulling Jackson along to the corridor to a staff rest room.

"You never came home last night, I were getting worried about you!" cried the builder. Nate went over to the coffee machine and grabbed two polycups, " worried about me? So you DID actually think about me then?"

Jackson shook his head and took his coffee when Nate handed it to him, " COURSE I FLAMING DID! YOU NEVER COME HOME!"

Nate blow a cooling breath over his own coffee and sat down on some chair that had seen better days, " So...have you been wondering where I were?", there was a little smuggness in the questioning tone.

Jackson sat down in the seat opposite him, he had gone all quiet, and after swallowing nodded, " yeah...I did..." he met up with Nathan's gaze, "...did yah? break the rule...?"

Nate wanted to say 'yes' just to dig the knife in, but he decided that honesty is the best policy, "well...no...I stayed over at Jill's...YOU CAN ASK her if you don't believe me"

Jackson managed a slight smile, he was pleased to hear it, " I hate it when we fight..."

Nate looked at him as if he was stupid, " What? and you think I do?"

"Course not...so are we friends again..." the builder asked, his smile getting a little bigger. Nate couldn't help it, he was melting into his eyes on the spot, " course we are..."

The nurse got up and went over and sat on the builders lap, "I never did thank you for me birthday present, did I?"

Jackson looked up at him, his grin becoming all cheeky, " No you didn't..."

Nate moved in closer, but as Jackson moved up to meet his lips the nurse pulled away, "I get off at 3, why don't you be back at the flat by then and warm up the bed..."

Jackson liked the sound of that...but:

"I can't...Frank, the foreman on site, he wants us to finish this job we are doing pronto...there's no chance I'll be..."

Nate flew off out of Jackson's lap like a springed coil, the face told it all, " Just GO"

Jackson stood up pulling a frown, " Nate I HAVE to work!"

Nate was chucking his coffee and giving him the 'hand', " Talk to this because I am SO NOT bothered..." and with that he stormed out into the corridor. Jackson tipped his coffee away, and sloped out into the corridor. He debated whether he should go talk to him, but knowing Nate, he would still be angry...as he headed back towards the exit, he put his phone to his ear, "hey Frank it's me...I was just calling to say that I'm not gonna turn in today..." He screwed up his face, as he stepped out of the sliding doors into the hot morning sun, he hated lying, " ...I've sorta got probs with me van..."

Xxxx

Aaron was at the garage. It had taken him all morning to fix one motor, and Cain was not best pleased. As he rolled up his sleeves to wash his greasy hands, his uncle came to his side, face clear that he wasn't happy, " what's got into yah! You've been in a daydream all morning, if this keeps up lad then YOU can go swing for your job here, do you GET me!"

Aaron shook his head, he really didn't need this. But what could he do? Cain was the last person he could talk to about what was going off in his head at the moment.

He decided to go home and walk Clyde, but on the way back to Smithy his mobile rang. He pulled it out from his overalls and stopped to look who it was.

JACKSON CALLING...

What the hell did he want? There was just NO WAY he was going to talk to him. So he switched his phone off and continued on his way.

Xxxx

At the hospital Nate was daydreaming. He sat at the nurse station in a trance as Jill came back with the drugs trolley.

"Your one's playing up again, the one with the webbed feet..."

Nate didn't hear her. He was well away...and his long gaze told her that. She waved her hand across his face with a smile, " earth calling Nathan...do you copy?"

Nate jumped out of his trance, and looked up at her in question, " what?"

Jill locked up the trolley and placed the medical notes down onto the counter, "YOU were miles away...anywhere nice was it?"

Nate sighed at her and logged out of the terminal and stood up, " HE came in to see me...Jackson"

Jill rose her eyebrowes, " all hearts and flowers was he?"

Nate sadly smiled, " he was actually...he said he was worried about me when I stayed over at yours last night..."

Jill sat down and turned, "...it didn't go too well?"

Nathan shook his head, " it did...but then...ohhhhh we hust ended up rowing again...well, it was MY fault not his..."

Jill bit her lip and decided to just blurt it out, " look Nate, DO YOU REALLY THINK that Jackson is breaking this 'rule' you have...because last night you said to me he was..."

Nate shrugged from where he was watching a patient nearby scratching his arse, "...that was after a couple of glasses of red...NOW...I'm not so sure...and it's THAT what's doing me head in..."

Jill went over and pulled the certain across, blotting out the patient with his arse showing, "last night YOU said that this guy...the one who was texting Jackson...was seen out with someone else...maybe THAT was all it was...and if not then..." she trailed off.

Nathan looked up running a hand through his blonde hair, "...and if not what?"

Jill smiled at him, " you love him don't you...you just have to SHOW him that...show him what he'd be missing if he did, you know..."

Jill was right. Nate knew that...and already a plan was forming in his mind.

Xxxx

When Aaron had returned back from the field walking Clyde, he caught sight of the blue van parked outside Pearl's place...and at a closer look his fears were confirmed...it WAS Jackson's van.

After tethering up the dog at Smithy, Aaron marched up Main street toward the van. And there he was mending Pearl's old and rickety gate. There the builder was working up a sweat with a screw driver with his top off in the hot blazing sun. There he was showing himself off...to Pearl, because she was now standing there with two mugs of tea in her hand and a big grin.

"ohhhhh thanks for this, you really are a lovely young man..." she cooed.

Jackson stood up and took his mug, Pearl couldn't help but blush at the sight of Jackson's ripped muscular chest glistering shiney with beads of sweat, "THAT'S quite all right Pearl, can't be having you left with a old gate that needs fixing can we..." and again the sexy smile.

Aaron was standing there at some distance watching. He WAS going to have it out with him...WHAT he was doing here and all that lark. But it was obvious wasn't it? He was just here fixing that old bags gate.

Then Jackson turned around and spotted him. Aaron backed away and headed back to the garage, Jackson handed the mug back to Pearl, " I'll be right back my little gem...I need to see a lad about a dog..." and with that he hurried after up the street after him.

"Aaron wait..." the builder called. Aaron stopped and turned around, " I'm not talking to yah...not now" he was looking around making sure he wasn't drawing attention.

Jackson was quick to pick it up, "alright...I GET yah...where then...please, I need to explain some things..."

"YEAH YOU DO!" Aaron snapped. He then nods to the field, " Cricket pavillion...I'll meet you up there in 5..."

Xxxx

Aaron was the first to reach the pavillion. He went and sat on the bench waiting in the shade. And as he lit up a smoke, he caught sight of Jackson. He was slowly strolling across the field like he had all day...AND his top was still off.

As the builder reached the pavillion he grinned at him, " you're keen...getting UP here so fast"

Aaron rolled his eyes and glared at him as he came to sit beside him in the shade, " DO YOU ALWAYS go grafting with yah top off?"

Jackson grinned and looked down himself, then up at Aaron, big brown eyes smiling "why...like what you see do yah?" he teased.

Aaron wasn't going to smile. He still had the hump. There was too many questions...the first one being;

"SO...WHO IS HE then?"

Jackson leaned back on the bench, deciding to just come out and tell him the truth, he deserved that much because he hated to mess him around, " the lad you saw me with, is Nathan..."

Aaron pulled a face, was he ment to care who he was?

Jackson realised Aaron needed more, " Nathan's my'a...he's my Partner"

Aaron was annoyed...but that annoyance was being replaced now...he was gutted...Jackson WAS with someone else.

"Better than me is he..." the machanic asked looking away, taking a drag from his cig.

"better than you? Aaron...me and Nathan have been together for 3 years...I love him...but we...we..."

Aaron stopped him with a deathly glare, " I KNOW...I KNOW IT ALL...somebody explained to me all about your...arrangement...ME being just some random bloke to yah"

Jackson leaned foward, and watched Aaron stand and stubb out his fag on the railing opposite them, " It's NOT like that...not with you...I can't stop thinking about you...I'd like to SEE MORE of you, if you'll let me..."

Aaron shot a backward glance at him, " No chance..."

Jackson stood up and took it like a man, " that's fair enough then...if THAT'S what you want then...whose am I to go and chance your mind..."

Aaron stared off into the horizon and realised that builder was leaving to head back across the grass, Aaron jumped over the railing and gave chase, " Jackson, wait a minute..."

Jackson stopped and turned around to look at him, Aaron was all nervey...this was all new to him...but maybe for now it was just the RIGHT thing for him.

"...you being with this other lad..." he began, " it'll just be no strings between us right...just" he swallowed, "...just abit of fun"

Jackson broke into a smiled, " regular fun would be good..." he trailed.

Aaron still didn't smile. He nods in the direction of the villgae, " they don't know about me...just Paddy...and a mate of mine...so I don't want anything heavy anyway...so it suits me..."

Jackson couldn't help grinning like a loom as he backtracked towards the back of the pavillion, Aaron was not sure what the builder was up to, but glancing around him to make sure no one was about, he quickly followed him.

As he rounded to the back of the pavillion, Jackson was standing there with his jeans undone, and his hand was clutching the growing bulge, " have you time?" he asked.

Aaron felt his own loins stirring. He came fowards and stood right up close to Jackson, then as they stared into one anothers eyes, Aaron's hand slipped down into Jackson's jeans...the builder was wearing no undies! And for the first time...Aaron smiled.

Xxxx

Meanwhile back at the flat, Nathan was busy. First he had pulled out their table that was usually pushed up against the wall out of the way. Then he topped it with a nice white tablecloth, before placing a nice red rose candle in the centre of the table.

The place mats were set. The cutlery was in place. The chicken was in the oven and the potatoes were roasting.

And now just out from the shower, he sat there in his boxers, all fresh and smelling nice for his man on the sofa...

...waiting for Jackson to come home.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

AUTHORS NOTE:

Thanks for the reviews...are we feeling the slightest bit sorry for loathsome?