DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN EMMERDALE OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS. THEY ARE THE PROPERTY OF ITV.

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EARLY-NOVEMBER

Aaron had been moody all week. And when he wasn't moody, he would fall into himself and lock himself in his room at the pub.

Chas was getting worried. It was only just a few weeks ago the lad had given her jip and went to Hotten to make it on his own after his failed experience in Spain.

Now he was back in the village, sleeping in the spare room of the pub. Paddy had brought him back a week ago, and because Rhona wasn't having him back at Smithy, it was up to her to put him up.

"So have you got to the bottom of it?" Diane asked as she put on the morning toast. Chas shook her head from where she stood in her dressing gown and a towel wrapped around her head, "Nope...he just grunts everytime I ask him why things didn't work out"

Diane aspied Clyde through the door, "Well...some folk are funny about pets, love...maybe Clyde has something to do with it"

Chas tried to breeze a smile, "Yeah...but I doubt it's that simple with my Aaron..."

Aaron then slumbered in and parked his backside down onto the couch. Diane buttered her toast and took it with her as she went, "I'll leave you to it, pet" and was gone closing the door.

Chas turned, " So? Cain was in here last night...he says he's right sick of your moods around him at the garage..."

Aaron shot her a glare, "Does it look like I CARE what he thinks"

Chas clicked her tongue, " So what's THIS all about then? All week you've been like this...is there something wrong?"

Aaron's eyes boored into her, "and WHY would there be...oh, oh yeah, there IS something"

Chas pulled a face and watched as he stood up, "...it SEEMS that I take after you"

And with that he went out the back to put the leesh on Clyde.

Take after her? In what way...?

But it seems Aaron had finished the conversation and was out walking the dog.

XXX

Stu kissed Jackson as the sleepy builder opened his eyes. He grinned and Stu grinned back, "Morning sexy"

Jackson pulled Stu on top of him and kissed him more deeply. They rolled over, and now Jackson was on top kissing the lad all over. Then he stopped.

Stu opened his eyes to see why he had stopped. Jackson was looking at the clock, brown eyes all wide, "Fuck it! I should have been over at the Bateman place an hour ago!"

He leaped out of bed and grabbed his black pants and pulled them over his hard cock. Stu leaned on his elbow and admired the view.

"Why don't you move in...I've given you the key"

Jackson pulled on his combats and then reached for his muddy works boots, "What? It's abit soon isn't it?"

"Is it? It's only been a few weeks I know, but..."

Jackson grabbed his hoodie and pulled it over his head and leaned down to kiss Stu on the lips, "Look...I promise...we'll discuss this later..." and with that Jackson was out the door in a hurry to get to work, his mobile to his ear apologising to Mr Bateman.

Stu laid back on his bed and smiled. It was good if Jackson moved in. The builder had already told him he had feelings for him, and the feeling was mutual.

What ever could go wrong...?

XXX

Aaron's head was in the bonnet of a motor when the ford focus pulled up and parked on the gravel. He only looked up when he heard the car door close and boots come crunching up to him.

Nick.

Aaron screwed his face up, "What do YOU what?"

Nick shrugged, " Why do you think? This is a garage, ain't it? There's a knocking sound in my car"

Aaron shook his head and went to threw him the yellow pages, "Hotten's a big enough place! Take a look and call a machanic"

Nick put the phone book on top of the car Aaron was working on and sighed, "Well there's no need is there, because I'm here now...so YOU can take a look"

Aaron gave up, " FINE! But it's not gonna be today, I've got TOO MUCH on...it's gonna have to be tomorrow...and, oh yeah, don't be expecting mates rates either"

"So WE ARE still mates then" asked Nick raising his eyebrowes, "Because I've been texting and emailing you all week and you've just ignored me"

"I've been busy" hissed Aaron as he threw down the monkey wrench to look at him.

"Too busy to come out to Bar West or sommit?"

Aaron wiped his hands with an oily rag, " For YOUR information I don't DO them sort of places no more"

Nick nodded to the pub across the road, "So it's just a pint in there now is it? THIS is gonna be your life is it? Being a boring old fart forever supping country ale in the local boozer"

Aaron shrugged, "Suits me"

Nick looked disappointed, "Don't DO this Aaron...look, if it's about what I said to yah last week..."

Aaron went into 'not hearing it' mode, "I'm busy...bring the car in tomorrow...now do one"

Nick was about to speak further but Aaron looked like he was about to kill him, " I SAID DO ONE...ARE YOU DEAF?!"

Nick nodded and slinked back across the gravel to his car. Within minutes Nick had driven off. Aaron threw the rag down and leaned on the bonnet with his head in his hands.

His life was CRAP!

XXX

Later, Nick was stood up at the bar in Bar West. He clutched his bottle of ice cold lager, and looked around him. It was sure busy for a Wednesday night.

The music was crap...all ninties stuff, and he wouldn't come in here usually mid week, but after that crap with Aaron earlier he needed a drink.

He turned to see a couple of trannies on the dance floor, and there was a few loving couples being attentive to each other in the many booths scattered about the perimeter of the dance floor.

The pool table was vacant, so was the tables and seating next to it, so that's where he decided to sit down. Taking off his leather jacket and scarf, he looked up to see Jackson walk in and fetch himself a pint up at the bar.

The builder looked like he had just finished work, because he was wearing combats and boots and a grey hoodie that looked like it had plaster on it.

Nick cleared his throat and caught his attention as the builder turned around. Jackson looked both ways and then pointed to himself and raised his eyebrowes. Jackson and Nick didn't get on, so Jackson was doing this to be funny no doubt.

"You must be abit desperate for company aren't yah? I'm the LAST bloke you like to sup with, and if I'm honest, the feelings mutual", said Jackson as he walked over clutching his pint.

Nick ignored him and sat down, " Look...it's about Aaron, I'm worried about him"

Jackson shrugged, " Why's that then...he not come out to play...gotta a better offer did he?", he grinned.

"We had words yeah...I told him a few things he needed to know", cried Nick. Jackson was intrigued, "what things?"

"Him...the way he's been...being a total slut"

Jackson grinned again, "Yeah that's right, he's gone and got himself a nice little knick name, hasn't he...what was it...EASY-RIDER that were it...suits him too, that" told Jackson, his smile still on his face and looking straight at Nick.

Nick shook his head, " Oh come on! You don't mean that?"

Jackson leaned forward, face all serious, " Of COURSE I mean it...everybody in here knows it, too...I'm just surprised that YOU are still hanging around with him"

"Somebody has to..."

"then you are a mug"

The music played out as they sat in silence for a while. Nick could see Jackson's brown eyes looking about him and winking at any fit lad that might be looking his way.

"You used to think alot about him once...you ENDED your marriage for him"

"Me and Nathan would have split up regardless! Aaron had NOTHING to do with it", told Jackson.

"So you've stopped caring then? Aaron means nowt to yah"

Jackson nodded as he supped his pint, " Got that in one...besides I'm WITH Stu now...he's cute, loyal, not going behind my back all the time...I've moved on...HE should've too"

Nick stood up and drained the rest of his bottle dry, then put it down wiping his mouth of the lager, "That's the problem, he did and look where it got him...he knows how much he hurted you...he wasn't ready for all that one to one shit...so he's gone the other way, having too much fun...he probably thinks he can't win..."

And with that he was off. Jackson watched him go and spread his arms out on the back of the couch he was sitting on, he sighed and shook his head.

He dug deep into one of his thigh pockets of his combats and pulled out his phone. He held it out and started to look at photos of him and Stu. He smiled. Then just as he was about to text Stu something, he accidently slipped his thumb across the screen and the final photo appeared. It was the oldest pic he had on this phone. Him and Aaron standing up at a bar in Spain. Jackson had held out the camera in front of them. It was that kind of cheesy snap.

But it brought back a flood of memories forced to the depths of his mind.

He sighed again.

He had to price up a job in Skipdale tomorrow. Emmerdale was on route, maybe it was about time he and Aaron had a chat.

XXX

EVENTS CONTINUED IN NEXT CHAPTER...