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

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MID-NOVEMBER

"Cheers Nick...nice one...will you do that, get in touch with the website for me? Let me know, yeah...who? Reece? Nah...he's done a bunk, I think he's hiding from me and it's a good job he is, I can tell yah, because if I get hold of him. Yeah you too mate"

Aaron ended the call. Nick was helping him to see if he could get those sex vids of the net. Reece was no where to be seen. Nick had reassured Aaron that no one would see the vids and in some of them you really have to know the person to know who it was...

Still didn't make him feel any better.

Aaron leaned back on the motor he had been working on and suddenly thought about going out. Who though? Nick was busy. Adam was with Victoria and because of all that stuff with Reece, she had banned him from talking to him.

He sighed, then thought about that offer of a game of pool from Jackson.

Putting the phone back to his ear he ignored Cain's protests about getting back to work.

"Hey Jackson, it's me..."

XXX

"Is that ALL your stuff!"

Stu looked somewhat amazed as Jackson heaved the holdal and black binbag that cluttered with assorted stuff onto the bed, "Yeap! This is me, kid!", he announced.

Stu turned to him, "Well, I've cleared some room for you in the drawer and the wardrobe"

Jackson gave him a light smile as he unzipped his holdal, and threw a pair of trainers onto the carpet. Stu licked his lips and had already nosily snaked his arm into the binbag.

"OMG"

Jackson's head snapped up as he tried to shove some undies and socks into the space in the drawer.

"GIRLS ALOUD! Are you serious?"

Jackson was open mouthed, blubbering, then slapped his forehead like he was just realising something, "Ohhhh you KNOW who this is, don't yah?"

Stu frowned and shook his head opening up the CD.

"THIS has Mums name written all over it! She's SNUCK that in there JUST to show me up, that's what's happened..."

Stu looked abit skepitcal about that explanation, and had his head poked into the bin liner again, "So, you don't mind me seeing what else has 'she's SNUCK' in here then...?"

Jackson launched himself onto the bed and started kissing Stu passionately, his mouth finishing up on the pulse of the lads neck.

Stu looked up at him with sexy hungry eyes. Jackson responded by tearing off his white vest and kissed him again. The array of clutter that spilled out of the binbag crashing to the carpet as they made room for their wave of passion.

The girls aloud CD rolling gone and forgotten about underneath the bed.

XXX

"Oh come on, just show me..."

With a show off kind of sigh, because secretly he was a born show off, Jackson flexed his arm mustles for Stu. His head was now sporting his builders hard hat.

Stu laughed.

And Jackson laughed too as he took off his hard hat and put it over Stu's head, "You're a funny little thing, you", he chuckled, "But you make me laugh and you make me smile and you laugh at my stupid jokes...I think I've done flipping well here"

Stu was lost in his brown eyes as they gently kissed again. It was the builders mobile sat on the dresser that stopped them. Jackson reached over as Stu stood up and put the hard hat down onto the side.

Jackson looked up, "Oh It's a reminder from Aaron...sorry, but I said I'd go and meet him later...he called earlier...do you mind me going...?"

Stu frowned at him, "Why would I mind? You twos should be friends...build bridges and that"

Jackson rubbed his cheek as he quickly texted Aaron back, "I'm just saying because you know...if Nathan saw us out together, he'd be straight round here filling your head with allsorts..."

Like he's done that already, thought Stu.

"Yeah well...Nathan can think what he likes...he called me earlier but I ignored him...I felt bad...but"

Jackson pulled on his vest and grabbed his jeans, "You don't NEED to...he's no real mate of yours if he can't stand the sight of you and me together"

Stu laughed, "No doubt he'll try and sweet talk his way..."

Jackson kissed him on the forehead as he went to the door, "then don't let him...I DO feel sorry for him, not because of the HIV, that's HIS fault, but...I wish HE could find his own bit of happiness too"

Stu sighed, "yeah...of only"

Jackson sucked in his cheeks, and looked around him like he was searching for something. "Right...it's nearly 6, me mother would have my tea ready and waiting now...", he said alittle TOO seriously...then smiled, "Me the butch builder and breadwinner, you the delicate little flower tied to the kitchen sink...move", and he playfully slapped him on the bum cheek.

Stu smacked him on the arm and they went to get sommit to eat.

XXX

Later, Stu was happily doing his course work when his phone jingled. He bit his lip. That was bound to be Nathan again.

He chose to ignore it and carried on, this time turning the stereo up. Chesney Hawkes was playing...what cheese! And another treasure that lurked in Jackson's binbag.

His phone jingled again.

SODDING NATHAN.

"Go away!" he cried and with the remote, turned the stereo louder, still.

XXX

Bar West wasn't busy. There was a few punters standing up at the bar and there was a few dotted clusters of folk around the booths and tables. No one was on the dance floor.

Jackson aimed his next shot carefully. His face was one of concentration. Aaron's wasn't. He sighed and looked pretty much bored now, from where he leaned on his pool stick nearby.

"Ohhh come on! The night'll be dead before you finish taking that shot", he moaned.

Jackson looked up and frowned, but still held position, " YOU are getting TOO GOOD at this...I can't be seen losing against you can I? I've gotta a reputation to keep up..."

"I'm trying to lose one...", Aaron muttered unaudible.

Jackson made his move. The ball went in and the builder threw his fist into the air triampthantly, "Yesssssssss!"

Aaron frowned, "you THINK you've won this, don't yah? But I'm telling yah...I not finished yet mate...you just watch and learn pal"

Jackson pulled a 'WTF' expression at him and ignored him, "right...that ball there...into there", he notioned with his hand and took the shot...and missed as the ball went bouncing off the cushion.

"Pheerrrrrrrrr, unlucky" told Aaron, his stick itchy in his hand and itching to make a move too and show Jackson that he could beat him at this anytime.

Aaron went to make his move and tried to hide his concentration. Jackson chalked his stick and went and took a sup of his lager, "so...you been alright have yah...?"

Aaron looked up at him, he KNEW Jackson's game because he knew him too well, "You are NOT gonna put me off..."

Jackson buttoned his lips.

"You should button up your flies inall, after you've been to the bog"

Jackson instantly looked down at his crotch and started to fasten them up, "You shouldn't be looking"

Aaron made the shot and missed. Jackson cracked up...

"Oh yeah yeah laugh it up, why don't yah!"

XXX

Jackson and Aaron sat side by side each other in the booth.

"So, how's things with you and Stu? I heard you've moved in"

Jackson swallowed a mouthful of lager and nodded, "Yeah today...yeah things are pretty much cool between us...just seeing where it goes and that"

Aaron tilted his head, "So has he not seen your CD collection yet then?"

Jackson laughed at him, "yeah he has...but I've got ways of making him forget...", Aaron laughed with him, "Yeah I remember"

Jackson sighed and leaned back into the seat, "to be honest...it's all abit quick, actually...but he did go on and on about it from the moment we hit Brighton and back...and then there's mother..."

Aaron looked at him, "she not took it well?"

"She cried all the way while I packed up. Cried when I gave her a hug and kiss and cried when I promised to see her later...she's getting worse her, she needs to get herself a life..."

Aaron watched the builder staring into space, "but YOU are her life"

Jackson nodded, "I know...but she's always there...she went to Barbados once for 3 months...she rang me EVERYDAY...you can be a zillion miles away and she's STILL in your earhole..."

Aaron laughed, she was like that in Spain.

"She just cares...I wish MINE did abit more"

Jackson grabbed up both glasses, "I know...but what if I'm not there anymore...or if sommit happened to me, she'd have to cope on her own then, wouldn't she...want another...?"

Aaron raised his eyebrowes, "Yeah...I would but..."

Jackson laughed, "You're skint, nothing changes there then...his eyes landed on the events board nearby, "Hey look...aren't you not gonna be entering..."

Aaron scowled at the colourful chalk writing...in big bold letters...KARAOKE.

"No chance"

"But you did in Spain...you sang your heart out there one night if I remember rightly", Aaron watched as he got up to get the drinks in, "Yeah but nobody knew me there, did they?"

"AND you were bladdered..." laughed Jackson, and he went to go get the drinks in.

XXX

Stu had switched his phone off. Flipping heck, Nathan was off his trolley, keeping on calling him. Didn't he get the message.

He put his coursework into his college bag, smiled at Jackson's hardhat then switched his phone back on and went to the window, he pressed call.

"Hey Danny, it's Stu, has Nathan neen bugging YOU tonight? No..yeah he has to me...well, i'm deliberately ignoring him...", he laughed, "...yeah you can tell him that if he asks you! How's it going with that Jamie? Well you can tell me or the gos tomorrow at college, see yeah mate...bye"

He frowned. Was that someone by his car?

He closed the curtain and went down the stairs and out into the cold outside. It was freezing and his air streamed in the chill. His car was only a small Cleo but it was his little runabout that dad had bought him last year. The yellow street light was reflecting off the head light. A smashed headlight!

The glass was in the ice and snow, and then he noticed the smashed window in the passenger side, he sighed miserably. Who could have done that?

There was tracks in the snow that lead up the path.

Kids no doubt.

XXXX