Don't shut Me out

Jackson's phone had gone off a number of times since he'd left the pub, he'd caught the bus home was now sat in his flat listening to the voice mails, the messages were from a desperate man, Jackson scoffed or a bloody good actor, he listened to the emotional pleas to speak to the mechanic, when he couldn't stand it any longer he switched his phone off and went to bed, like a lot of nights since he'd met the mechanic he didn't sleep a wink.

Aaron knew he'd screwed up, knew that there was no way back from the scene that had played out in the pub, his mate knew he was Gay and he was okay with it, so was Paddy, the only one that wasn't okay with it was him. Adam had actually followed him after picking himself up off the floor and playing down what had happened insisting that it was a prank that had gone wrong, when Betty had been heard saying the police should be called the young farmer had put her in her place and told her to keep her nose out.

The farmer had found his friend leaning against a fence on the outskirts of the village, he hadn't even hesitated just came and stood beside the mechanic, He'd even started to apologise.

"Sorry"

Aaron had looked him straight in the eye

"No mate, it's Me, It's My fault" he continued to look at the young farmer "Did I hurt you?"

Adam rubbed his arm

"Nah, tough as old boots us farmers" there was silence until Adam continued "Mate I saw you with Jackson the other night at the club, I've never seen you like that before, never seen you look at anybody like that before"

"But He's a bloke"

"Aaron, your still Aaron even if you do like to kiss blokes"

Adam managed to get his best mate to laugh at that

"Jackson's a decent bloke, you should go for it" the mechanics best mate continued

"Yeah, like he'd want anything to do with Me now"

"You don't know unless you try" and with that the farmer walked away

Aaron pulled out his phone and dialled Jackson's number.

Jackson had been working at Dale head for a few hours, this mainly consisted of removing rubbish and putting it into the skip which had arrived that very morning, the builder had the radio on inside and was deliberately not looking in the direction of the garage when he ventured outside, he was still annoyed, mostly at himself for falling for someone who couldn't hold their temper, the builder hated violence, avoided it whenever possible so he wasn't going to lumber himself with someone who's answer to every problem was to use their fists.

He had to see him, knowing he was so close was absolute torture for the mechanic, he could hear music playing inside and he could hear things being dumped in the skip out front, he'd even seen the builder but if the builder had seen him he didn't let on just acted like he wasn't there, Adam had turned up mid morning to check up on his mate roaring to a stop on the quad bike he liked to use, Ryan had directed him to the back of the garage where the mechanic was brooding.

"You spoken to him yet"

"If you mean Jackson I tried, he's ignoring me"

"So what you gonna do?" the farmer pushed

"I'm going to go and talk to him " and with that the mechanic stalked out of the garage and into Dale Head shutting the door behind him.

Adam waited a few minutes, couldn't hear raised voices so left the two of them to sort themselves out.

Aaron stood in the hall way he could hear music playing upstairs.

"Jackson" He shouted

The music stopped and Jackson appeared at the top of the stairs

"Look I'm sorry okay?" the mechanic looked up at Jackson pleadingly

"No not okay" the builder started to come down the stairs "I don't need this, I don't need you in My life, I want someone who's proud to be with Me, someone who'll introduce Me as their boyfriend, not someone who'll kick the living daylights out of someone they think may be onto their secret, I DON'T WANT TO BE ANYONES SECRET YOU HEAR ME?"

"Jackson I can do better, be better, I just need a little bit of time"

"You can have all the time in the world, coz I'm finished with you" the builder turned to walk back upstairs but was stopped by Aaron grabbing his arm he looked down into the eyes of the mechanic, those mesmerising sea blue eyes and froze for a second before wrenching his arm free

"I love you Jackson" the younger man chocked out, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"I need more than words, I need to know you really mean it"

"What can I do?" the mechanic was at his wits end

"That's for you to decide" the builder climbed the stairs without looking back and closed the door.

TBC