I DO NOT OWN EMMERDALE OR IT 'S CHARACTERS...THEY BELONG TO ITV1
Xxx
LATE-JULY 2013
Aaron had gone home and tarted himself up...he had had enough of Adam's party...he would see him tomorrow or something to say sorry about leaving early.
Of course Chas had fussed over him...giving him the third degree over WHERE he was off too...but he had just ignored her...
He had just jumped onto the next bus and headed into town.
When he got off it, he had to walk about abit...the club was called BarWest...and it stood on a corner...Jackson had said to him once.
After about a half hours 'walkabout' he found it...or stumbled onto it...he bit his lip...and stood across the street and 'stalked it' for a little while...watching revellers come too and fro from the club.
When he had plucked up enough courage...he took in a deep breath and stepped across the street and went inside.
It was like going into somewhere new...it was all new to him...
He stepped down the stairs and heard the dance music begin to invade his ears...and it got louder and louder as he got down to the bottom.
He looked about him, his mind was in a bit of a whirl...there was folk all around him...the place was heaving with clubbers.
Attractive lads all tarted up like him...and some smelt so good to him.
HE WAS DEFINATELY in the right place...this was definately him.
He focused forward and saw the bar not too far away, he stepped up onto the plynth that surrounded the bar and went straight up to buy himself a beer.
"what'll you 'aving" said the somewhat cocky barman.
Aaron looked up at him, " BEER" he blurted out.
The barman looked at him sharply before opening a bottle, " a please wouldn't go a miss..." he commented flippantly.
Aaron ignored him...so what he if had a speech problem...DEAL WITH IT!
After paying for the beer, Aaron took a much needed swig and turned his attention around him...he really thought there would have been something here...some recognition...but there was none...nothing at all.
even so...this place seemed great...a right buzz...AND there MUST be someone who knew him here...a mate or someone...
He scanned towards the dancefloor...NO WAY! he didn't do dancing...he knew that much!
But something did catch his eye, a someone...Jackson! He was on the dancefloor...he smirked, what a div...he couldn't dance to save his life...he was about to approach him...because after ALL what they had been through together, they could at least still be mates...
...when he stopped in his tracks...
Jackson was laughing like a loom...and he had his hands around some other lad...
...and that lad was laughing too...and looking at Jackson like he was the greatest man there was...
Aaron felt his heart race...and he backed away...BUT THIS WAS WHAT HE WANTED! HE HAD DECIDED THAT HE WANTED TO FIND HIMSELF SO WHY WAS THIS BOTHERING HIM.
He backtracked again...hoping not to be seen...But it was too late...because as he looked up...Jackson's gaze came to meet his own...
Jackson's eyes widened somewhat...Aaron was the last thing he was expecting to see...
Lee was dancing away and suddenly noticed that Jackson had disappeared, he could only of taken his eyes off him for a split second...and he was gone!
Jackson had swiftly left Lee on the dance floor, and was chasing through the crowd to catch up with Aaron who was now leaning on the bar.
"Aaron! You never said you were coming here tonight...you should've called me..." Jackson told, stepping up beside him.
Aaron faced the bar and turned his head slightly with a frown, "why?..." he asked.
Jackson couldn't believe he was asking him 'why'..
"because I could've met up with yah...must of taken you some courage to come back in here!" Jackson cried, waving about the place.
Aaron shrugged it off, it did, but he wasn't going to admit to that, " nah...I ok" he said, dismissing the comment.
Jackson stood there like a div, watching as Aaron took a swig of his beer, " So'a...can I buy you a drink..."
"got one"
"Yeah I know..." Jackson glanced away...and had to move about, as folk wanted to get to the bar, "Look...why don't we sit down...talk...I've missed yah...not seen you in weeks..."
Aaron turned around and shrugged, " nah..."
Jackson was now feeling really awkward, he watched on as Aaron was actually given some other lad at the bar the once over...Jackson pulled his eyebrowes together and turned to him, " Aaron...what are you doing?"
Aaron smiled at him, but his attention was cleary to the lad, " he fit"
Jackson couldn't handle this...it was like he was invisible or something, " look Aaron...w-what about me? Don't you even care how I feel?"
Aaron turned his head and stared at Jackson for a few moments, then shrugged, "we...mates...that all"
Jackson could feel the lump rise up in his throat, this was all too much to bear...Aaron was now smiling at the lad, and the lad was smiling back at him!... and then there was him standing there like some first class pratt looking on...
...he wanted to deck this guy...or deck some sense into Aaron...but he knew he would never do that...it wasn't him.
So instead he backed away...he had to, otherwise he would end up getting upset and making himself look even more of a pratt.
This was it...their marriage was over...Aaron clearly didn't want him anymore, not now or ever.
Jackson backed off and disappeared into the crowd, and as he turned, Lee was suddenly standing there in front of him, " HEY! I thought I lost you on that dance floor!"
Jackson shook himself back into reality, and glared at Lee like he was some irritating fly buzzing round him, " ARE YOU gonna be stalking me ALLNIGHT?"
Lee backed off, open mouthed, " what? but it were you who asked me out..."
Jackson sighed heavily, " sorry...I didn't mean to..."
Lee looked at him like he was the meanest man ever, so Jackson was quick to jump in, " I mean...I didn't mean asking you out by that...I meant what i just said to yah just now, about stalking me, I'm sorry..."
Lee could see Jackson was really bothered about something, he kept on glancing away towards the bar...even when he was saying sorry to him...blimey this guy was NOT what he was expecting.
"maybe we should call it a night..." he suggested.
This grabbed Jackson's attention, he shook his head and gave him a big smile, " No way!...I'm enjoying meself!...look i'm smiling... why don't I get us another drink?", he throw a thumbpoint towards the bar, that silly fake grin on his face.
Lee nodded his head towards their booth, " but I haven't finished my last one yet"
Jackson waved his hand flippantly, his fake grin fading fast, " so!, you'll be wanting more than just one, won't yah!...I don't know about you mate, but I wanna get completely hammered!" he then turned and went to the bar pulling out his wallet...Lee was really starting to have second thoughts now...but even though, he went and sat down at the booth anyway.
Xxx
Aaron was sat with the lad he had been smiling at from the bar. The lad and a mate of his.
Jackson was watching him like a hawk...he had done since the three of them sat down.
He and Lee were playing a game of pool...it was Lee who suggested it when they got speaking to a guy called Chris.
Chris was leaning arms folded and watching Jackson take his next shot, although the builder was trying to line up the next ball...his gaze kept lifting towards Aaron and those lads.
"abit of a pool shark is Jackson..." told Chris to Lee.
Lee laughed, holding his cuestick awkwardly, "I'm really crap at it..."
Jackson pocketed the ball and looked up at him, " yeah don't I know it..." he said scathingly and adding a mean looking frown.
Lee shook his head...he was doing it again...being nice one minute...being a right PIG the next.
Chris was starting to see what was going on...he pulled out his wallet and handed Lee 20 quid, " Lee mate, why don't you get us all in another round, same as before for me and Jackshot over there...and what ever you want..."
Lee snatched the note and made his way to the bar...and the way he was running was like he couldn't get away quick enough.
Chris stood right up to Jackson, " hey, what are you playing at! You are treating that poor lad like something you've stepped in..."
Jackson was straight onto the defensive, " NO I'M NOT!"
"Yeah you are! and I KNOW why...just because that Ex of yours is all over another guy over there...there's no excuse for THAT kind of behaviour" told Chris, glancing toward Aaron and the two lads as he did so.
Jackson shook that comment off, "No I'm NOT!...and anyway Aaron ISN'T all over him!"
Chris nodded his head in a look of triampth, " Oh! You've noticed then...more than you've noticed that poor lad, you are ignoring him most of the time...he deserves better...if you're not interested at all, just tell him!"
Lee was then back with the drinks...Chris took his as Lee handed him back the change, "thanks for that, Lee...I like to show my appreciation" he told shooting a glance over to Jackson at the pool table.
Jackson shook his head...he felt bad now...he looked on as Lee came over with the pint...then just as he was about to take it from Lee, the young lad held it up over Jackson's head and tipped it all over him.
Jackson jumped back as the ale was pouring from his face and soaking into his shirt, the ale was also stinging his eyes, " what the..." he managed to splutter out.
"Thanks for the crap date..." and with that said, Lee was walking away.
Chris was laughing his head off...Jackson looked up at him as he removed his shirt and was using the clean half to dry his hair and face with.
" YOU found that funny did yah?"
Chris shrugged at him, " well you HAVE to laugh Jackson, you did deserve that...the way you treated him"
Jackson stood there bare chested...his beer soaked shirt in one hand, " ARE YOU STILL HERE?..." he was getting narky now, "... I'm gonna go clean myself up, then i'm going home!"
Chris smirked as he watched Jackson push his way through the crowds towards the gents...he at the same time looked into Aaron's direction...but the lad was gone...
Xxx
In the gents, Jackson went straight up to the sink and started to run water through his hair with his hands...he tried to wash out as much as the ale as he could...
After doing the best he could, he went over to the handdryer to towel out as much of the water off as possible...
...and as he did so Aaron was coming out of the cubicle...with the other lad...
Jackson was speechless...he just stood on the spot staring right at him...
For what seemed like an age...they stared at eachother...Aaron looked just as awkward as he did...
But Jackson broke the icy silence.
"why are you doing this to me!" he asked on the edge of cracked emotion...and like a bolt out the blue, was storming out of the gents in a hurry.
After he was gone, a third man came out from the same cubicle, looking worse for wear...he had just been sick.
"Thanks for that guys...I really come over bad just then...must have been a bad pint"
The other guy then looked at Aaron, " who the hell was THAT guy?"
Aaron bit his lip...he was just realising what it must have looked like...
"he clearly knows you..." said the lad again, " I really like you...but I don't want to be caught up in a lot of hassle"
Aaron slowly turned his head to them and put on a smile, " he no one...just mate"
The other lad came over and with his hand behind Aaron's neck, he pulled him towards him and their lips locked, " good...that's okay then..."
Aaron licked his lips he could taste the beer Danny had been drinking...and watched as Danny helped out Billy.
But as Danny went to look around to say, " give us a hand with him Aaron..."
Aaron had gone...
Xxx
Aaron was running up the steps to BarWest and was standing on the pavement outside in a flash.
In the heavy warm night air he looked up and down the street...he really didn't like the idea of Jackson being so upset...
...he never wanted that...he just wanted to go find himself...who he was...not hurting people along the way...
...and that was happening...he had bearly got started with it...and he was hurting people already...
He run his hand over his shaven head and headed up the street...it was dark...and he wasn't sure in which direction he was heading in.
Danny and Billy had been a right laugh back there...and it was clear to him there had been somekind of attraction between himself and Danny...and Danny had picked up on it...that's why he felt free enough to kiss him.
But however nice the kiss felt...it didn't feel right...his heart never raced like when Jackson kissed him...
He was beginning to get angry and frustrated at himself...WHY did he do this...WHY?...
He hit a nearby brick wall with such force it made his knuckles bleed...
he had a flash of a memory of doing that before...
And he hated these flashbacks...they confused him even more...
Hating himself, he dug his hands into his jeans pockets and strolled up the street...why had he left Adam's party early...
...because if he had just stayed put there...then none of this would have ever happened...
Xxx
Jackson was sitting on a low wall a few blocks away...he was still bare chested...his soaked through shirt lying in his lap.
His mobile was to his ear, and he stuttered through the words with fits and sobs, " Joe just come and get me please, come and get me...please Joe...I feel like just doing meself in if you don't..."
Joe was screaming blue murder down the phone at him...
"No...I won't do anything stupid...I just mouthing off...I'm at the park...I can't go home tonight...not to Mum...not like this..."
Joe told him he'd be there in a little while to pick him up...but clearly by Rob's huffing and puffing in the background he was far from happy, and he was sure he could make out a 'WHY DO YOU NEED TO BE AT HIS BECKON CALL ALL THE TIME...before Joe had hung up.
Jackson sat and as he poured another mouthful of cheap cider down his neck, a litre bottle he had just bought from the late night shop, he stared at the mobile display...it was of him and Aaron...he couldn't remember where it was taken...but they looked so happy in it...
Something they were never ever going to be again...
AUTHORS NOTE: THANKS AGAIN FOR THE REVIEWS...OH DEAR... BOTH AARON AND JACKSON ARE GOING TO BE VERY NAUGHTY BOYS IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS...
INPUT/OPINIONS/OAR IN...FEEDBACK STILL FUELS THE STORY!
