AARON LIVESY

-The Chase-

"What Are The Chances?"

"Will you please tell me where we're going?" Aaron asked with a chuckle as he sat in the passenger seat in Jason's car, quite posh actually, a very lavish black audi.

"No!" Jason told him with a laugh. "You'll find out when we get there, we deserve some time away from everything for a few days and you're off for the rest of the week anyway, that's three whole days"

Aaron smiled. "You didn't have to do this for me; staying in your bed this morning would have been fine by me"

"I did it for us" Jason told him and he reached for Aaron's hand and held it tightly. "I'm off too so why not?"

Aaron grinned. "Alright then but where we going?"

"Not going to work Aaron"

Aaron smirked. "Alright, I'll just wait then"

"Yeah you will" Jason told him as he concentrated on the road, he looked at the clock on the dashboard it was almost one, as he indicated left to go up the slip road and off the motorway he realised they were making good time, not long now and their little holiday could begin. "So did you like your massage last night?"

"Which one?" Aaron asked his tone seductive.

"The proper one"

"But that was a proper one"

"Not the sexual one"

"Okay not that one…bloody amazing, where did you learn to do that?"

"I didn't, I just know how to use my hands"

"Oh believe me I'm well aware of that fact…"

Jason turned to look at him and just chuckled as he glanced at him for a second, when he faced the road again he squeezed Aaron's hand. "Where did I find you eh?"

"Where did I find you more like?"

"What do you mean?" Jason asked softly.

"People dream of men like you Jason, but never get him, you're not the us-" he stopped and sighed. "….You look after yourself, I know people do" he sighed. "What I mean is when I looked at you that night you spoke to me after my argument with Flynn, y-you were out of reach, unattainable, and you know I wasn't looking then but here I am now, sat in your car going for a little holiday" he frowned with a smile. "I'm probably not making sense but I know what I mean"

"It's funny that" Jason smiled as he concentrated on the road. "I felt the exact same way about you, because until you speak to the seemingly 'unattainable man' you'll never know, I'm just pleased I had the courage too because not many do"

Aaron smiled as he thought about Jason's words. "Me? Unattainable? Pfft"

"But it's true" Jason laughed. "Took a few pints though to get that courage I spoke of"

Aaron smiled. "Well thank god for lager eh?"

"Too right" he replied as he felt Aaron's hand leave his own and then felt it resting on his thigh. He smiled to himself; it was perfect he was perfect.

…

"Nearly there" Jason told him as they drove past the water front. Aaron looked up from the book he'd found under his seat and he immediately felt a dreading panic and he looked around. "Wh-Where are we?" the place looked all too familiar.

"Whitby" Jason said with a smile.

"Oh…" Aaron flashed a smile. "Looks nice"

"Yeah I love the coast"

Aaron nodded. "Me too"

A few minutes passed and Aaron dreaded getting out of the car as he came to a stop in the car park for the holiday flats. He watched as Jason got out of the car, then so he didn't suspect he got out aswell and helped with the few bags they'd brought with them. "You alright?" Jason asked.

Aaron swallowed hard and nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah…yeah…I'm fine you?"

Jason grinned and nodded. "I'm looking forward to this, come on let's get the key" he then marched forward to the door.

It was definitely the same flats, he was sure of it, the entrance, everything around was familiar he had been there before and it wasn't too long ago either, although at the same time; another life time ago.

"Thirty four" Aaron muttered as he stared at the number on the door. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to think, all of a sudden he felt sick. It was the same bloody room! He couldn't go in there, he couldn't but he knew he was going to have too, he slowly crossed the threshold and to the left of him against the wall was a two seated sofa and a single chair, then on the other wall, double doors that led out to a balcony overlooking the harbour. Because I promised ya that I'd change ya mind – thank you for caring enough to try. Aaron could see them where they were, Hazel sat on the arm of the sofa, him sat on the sofa and Jackson in front of him in his chair. Aaron blew out a deep breath and looked around and his eyes stopped at the dining table, he swallowed hard. How are ya gunna do it mate you can't move! – No if he wants to die then let's do it!the scene replayed before him as he stared at the dining table, and he watched as he jumped off the chair and over to Jackson and unstrapped him and pulled him up by the collar, anger, complete anger and sadness as the words left his mouth. He'd not forgotten. Well don't worry I'll make sure you land on your head! I'll give ya a chance to change your mind when I'm dangling ya out the window by your ankles! See if you wanna die then yeah!?

Aaron turned around and ran out of the room and stopped, snapping his eyes shut as he did. Jason frowned and ran after him. "Aaron?"

Aaron shook his head as he felt his heart pounding in his chest, and his breathing was fast. "I-I'm fine"

"No you're not, what's wrong?"

Aaron dropped his head into his hands and slid down the wall of the corridor as he started to cry. Jason knelt down in front of him. "Tell me"

"Wh-When you told me we were in Whitby I thought okay…I-I can manage this, but then it's the same flats and n-now it's the same room I'm sure it is i-if not then they all look the same…but…"

Jason frowned. "You've been here?"

Aaron nodded as he wiped his eyes.

Then it fell into a place. "Oh for god sake…what are the chances? You were here with Jackson b-before weren't you?"

Aaron nodded. "And his mum"

"Oh Aaron I'm really sorry, I-I had no idea"

"I know you didn't…it's fine just when I went in, it all started to replay and I could see where we were sat in my mind and the words that were said I could hear them clearly…th-this place was my last chance Jason, my last chance to make him see life was worth living, by the end of it he said it didn't change anything, that he still wanted to die and me being me I got angry"

"I see why though"

"I threatened to dangle him off the balcony, I was so mad, I-I had him up out of his chair, my hands were gripped around his collar" he sighed and closed his eyes. "Hazel had to pry me away…I-I asked for my train ticket but I didn't leave…I-I just hung around for a few days…"

"I think we should take this inside mate" Jason told him and helped him up and they walked back inside, closing the door behind them. "I'll book us in somewhere else but I really don't think that would help…a-as strange as this will sound I think being here might help"

Aaron looked around the living area and nodded. Jason was right. "We'll stay, I can handle this" he told him with a smile.

Jason placed both of his hands on his shoulders. "But if you can't, just say the word"

"You're so good to me"

Jason smiled. "If you keep boosting my ego I won't be able to get out that door"

Aaron chuckled. "It's true, I'm just sorry I took a wobbler again"

Jason shrugged, he wasn't bothered by it. "It doesn't matter, I told you I care about you…I-I should have thought maybe before I booked us here"

"No you didn't have too, this is an amazing surprise and I will enjoy this holiday"

Jason nodded. "See…I'm learning more about you with every conversation" he said with a huge smile.

"Hmm I dunno mate…" he pulled a wary face, joking of course. "I might have to rein some things in"

Jason let out a laugh. "Yeah? Like what?"

Aaron shrugged. "Dunno, just sounded good" he told him with a face scrunched expression.

…

Later as evening set in and the town was quietening as the visitors left for home Jason and Aaron walked hand in hand along the pier with a content silence between them; as the sun slowly began to disappear the seagulls were still flying around and over the bay, squawking as they did so. Aaron smiled as he looked up at them and remembered Hazel telling him the story about Jackson wanting to fly when he was a kid. He looked back at Jason. "Tell me about your tattoo" he said quietly as they walked.

Jason smiled. "Nothing to tell really, it's there cause of my mum"

Aaron nodded.

"When mum got ill, it was difficult on all of us and she started to change, forget stuff as the cancer got worse…" he explained as he looked out at the calm sea. "One night when I finished college, I-I went into her room like I did everyday…and we had this talk, it was very" Jason frowned.

"Y-You don't have too Jason"

"No it's alright" he smiled at his boyfriend. "It was very normal, like nothing was wrong with her, strange considering she was fading fast and her memory wasn't at its best…" Aaron nodded. "Anyway, she said to me I know what's happening but it's not me, it's the cancer, and she told me that it would get worse, but we all already knew…and prepared, well as much as I could have been…s-she told me to remember the way she always used to be" Jason's voice hitched as his emotions got the better of him. "And she told me she always loved me and always would, I-I was a mess by this point but I calmed down and stayed with her for a while, when I left she called to me and I turned to look at her again, I remember it clear as day…her wavy blonde hair, her blue eyes, that smile…" he bit his lip as tears fell from his eyes. "She said remember, never forget, never forget the way I was and then she gave me one of her cheeky winks…"

Aaron's lower lip trembled as he listened to his boyfriend's story, his eyes were full with tears to the point it blurred his vision, he blinked them away and squeezed his hand tight, he was there for him he wanted him to know.

"…I smiled at her and nodded and told her I wouldn't…after she died I got the tattoo…I-I mean I'd never forget god no but it was something she used to always say aswell, but adding into the type of conversation it was before she died, it stuck and it's for her, the tattoo and it's in the right place"

"Close to your heart" Aaron stated.

Jason smiled and sniffled as he wiped his nose. "Yeah" he told him and then Aaron stopped them walking and pulled him into his arms and held him so close to him.

When they reached the end of the pier Aaron started to speak after yet another content silence between them. "I'd like to do something"

"Oh?"

"Y-you got that tattoo for your mum and I think you were right when you said being here might help me…it's not a tattoo by any means but when I was here last time, I got Jackson on a sky dive…I was meant too but I chickened out" he scoffed. "Too scared, him and Hazel wound me up about it for ages…I-I want to do it now, f-for him"

"You want to skydive?" Jason asked with a smile.

"I do" Aaron told him with a nod.

"Then you gorgeous shall skydive" Jason told him, his smile permanent as he leaned in and passionately kissed him on the lips at the end of the pier, just as the sun disappeared.

TBC…