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

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LATE-NOVEMBER

Hi, Bugger Stu and all that misery at the minute, lets see what Aaron's doing!

Aaron and Nick were clubbing it in Manchester. Aaron had felt pretty low about how folk saw him around the local scene, even though it was all his own making.

But in Manchester, he was someone different. He felt a happy release with folk looking at him and treating him like he was a real person. A real FIT person.

Because all eyes were on him. He was never short of male attention.

Nick was jealous of course. Not because he fancied Aaron, because however how much he loved his mate, he could never sleep with him.

But he was jealous that Aaron had all the welcome attention, and he usually would end up chatting to the 'ugly mate'

The club they were in had 3 tiers, and they stood on the second tier looking down at the packed dance floor.

There was hundreds of blokes all around them The mixture of sweat and aftershave wofted about because it was so hot. They had come up here that morning and booked them selves into a bed and breakfast.

A nice homely place.

"So...anyone actually take your fancy?" asked Nick having to raise his voice because of the rush of music, "...or are you abit fussy tonight"

Aaron shrugged and looked at him clutching his bottle of pils, "Well, I'm being careful, aren't I...last thing I need round here is a reputation"

Nick grinned at him. The lad was learning.

"It's all right to sleep around Aaron...it's alright to have a one night stand, just don't make it the norm..."

Aaron nodded, "Yeah, I know...that's what I'm saying...I'm just going with the flow me...", Nick laughed, "good to here it"

They both looked on as a couple started having a bit of a domestic in front of them. It was all shouting but you couldn't work out what they were saying because the music was too loud.

One of the lads threw his drink over the over lad and stormed off. He was the one in the tight pink chinos and white vest. The other lad, he was about the same age, had a bit of a tache going on turned and looked at them.

"He likes to make a scene"

Nick nodded.

Aaron pulled a face, why was he telling them for?

"He'll be back...he ALWAYS is"

Nick nodded again. It was all in politeness. Aaron glanced at him then to the lad, "So you have a fight in here often then?"

Nick looked at him. There was nothing like getting straight to the point.

"Yeah...well, not EVERY time...you two new? I haven't seen you around" said the lad coming over to them. Nick turned and smiled, "I'm Nick, this is me mate Aaron, we've come up from Yorkshire...just till tomorrow"

Aaron and the lad looked at one another, "I bet that YOU are the quiet and shy type"

The machanic pulled a face, "As if"

Nick laughed and grabbed Aaron's shoulder, "Yeah he is..he does a good mean and moody impression inall"

The lad laughed.

Aaron narrowed his eyes. Was he taking the piss? He stepped forward, "What's your name?

"Ed"

Nick smirked.

"You're joking? You don't happen to be a rugby player inall, are yah?"

Ed pulled a WTF face, "No..."

Nick leaned forward, "We know a few Ed's, well I do...HE dated one"

Aaron glared ast him, "It WASN'T a date"

"You and him went to the flicks, didn't yah...?"

Ed laughed, "That sounds like a date to me...", Aaron glared at the newcomer, "It WASN'T a date!"

"That good was he? Well all us 'Eds' are not like that"

Aaron liked this Ed's smile. There was something about it, he glanced at Nick. He raised his eyebrowes at him.

Ed turned, "Look...I need the toilet...have a nice night", he then went through the crowds towards the bogs. Nick turned, "Like him, do yah"

"Yeah...he's alright I suppose...but he's with someone", told Aaron. Nick nodded at him, "Yeah...but who are always arguing it seems...right?"

Aaron frowned and leaned on the railing, "Naahh...it wouldn't seem right, mate"

Nick was eyeing up some blond nearby. A medium sized guy with tight jeans and a blue shirt, "Oh...is that why you want to lose me", Nick glanced at him, then back to the blond, "He is fit...but if you are gonna be stood here on your own, then I won't go for it...I'm a good mate like that, me"

Aaron frowned. Puzzled.

Nick shook his head quickly, "It's nothing"

"Yeah there is...you wouldn't have said'it's nothing' otherwise" argued Aaron wanting to get to the bottom of it now.

"It's nothing...it's just that you've been spending alot more time with Jackson lately, he gonna be your new best mate, is he"

Aaron glared at him, "What do you take me for, COURSE he's not...he's just a mate...it's best we be mates then at eachothers throats, int it?"

Nick rolled his eyes, "I'm not saying you are doing wrong, I..."

"Just shut it, and go chat blondy up over there, yeah...I'm just gonna stand here and people glare for a while"

Nick liked the sound of that, blondy was still giving him the come on and if Aaron said he was alright on his own.

"Alright, but keep that phone on", he then went to chat blondy up. All teeth and smiles.

Aaron sighed and looked around him. Now he was on his own, what was he gonna do now. Chat someone up? He could have his pick round here.

Ed was then standing beside him, "I thought your mate wasn't gonna go"

Aaron looked round, "What do you want? Shouldn't you be arguing with your boyfriend?"

Ed frowned at him then realised, "What? Tommy? Me and Tommy fight all the time...Tommy's just a mate, like Nick is to you...I just found out that he's mugged me off and going on holiday to Greece with his new bloke"

Aaron sniffed, "Oh"

"Yeah...so...can I buy you a drink or what?"

Aaron looked at his bottle. It was half empty, "If you are buying..."

XXX

Aaron and Ed went downstairs to a lounge area where it was quieter and they could sit with their drinks and chat. Ed was an electrician from Oldham. And said he had been coming here since he was 17. He was now 25.

Aaron sat back in his seat and was happy to hear all about him. His life was more interesting than his.

Ed had a small flat in Manchester. He owned a cat called smarties. He had his own business and had come out of a LTR recently.

Ed settled back as he stopped rabbitting on, "So what about you...what's your story then Aaron?"

Aaron sighed as he brushed his mouth with his hand, "Nowt to tell"

Just that I'm the local slag.

No...here he was not that person.

"Come on...is there anyone? Special I mean"

"I know what you mean...", Aaron bit his lip, "I'm quite boring really, I live with me mother above a pub in a village you've probably never even heard of..."

"and Nick is your mate, does he live there too? In this village"

"Nah...he lives in town. And yeah he is just a mate, a good mate, there WAS someone, you know, but it never worked out..."

Ed was intrigued, "I'm guessing we are not talking about my rugby playing namesake here"

Aaron managed a half smirk, "No, he was no one...look...there WAS this guy I was seeing...actually, I was the other bloke because he was with somebody else...they got married and he ended it with me"

Ed's eyes widened, "Married? Was this guy straight or something?"

Aaron shook his head, "No...he and his partner had a civil partnership thingy...they moved away and that was that..."

Ed could tell by the look on Aaron's face that there was more to it then that, "and...?"

Aaron sighed, this guy was right nosey, "...ok..ok...they came back...this guy was injured had somekind of accident. They both came back. This guys partner was a bit of a snake and started seeing somebody else behind his back. He ended it..we got back together and I went away with him..."

Ed leaned forward, "Where did you go?"

"Spain...he had a contract over there...you know work and that"

"And it never worked out...you get homesick?", pushed Ed. Aaron took a swig of his lager and looked at him, "are you ALWAYS this nosy?"

Ed laughed, "Yeah"

"...I wasn't ready...not for a long term relationship...I knew that the first week we got out there...but I stuck it out for six months...I got bored and yeah, homesick...it was just too intense, he was too intense...he had had such a bad time with his ex, he just ended up smothering me...I hated it...I sorta went and saw other blokes, you know, it was away of releasing all my anger and frustrations...and the guilt drove me mad", he took another swig of his drink, "...he found out...caught us...he ended it and that was it, end of"

Ed raised his eyebrowes, "all that and you are still only sweet 19", he chuckled.

Aaron liked his smile.

"So what about now...are you and this guy...?", he trailed off.

"Oh god no! I'm not going back there, again! We are still mates though...and still talk...he's seeing somebody else now and I'm made up for him"

"Then I can get to know you a whole lot more then?", Ed teased.

Aaron swallowed, "If you like...but like I said...I'm still not into..."

"Relationships?"

Aaron nodded, "I don't want to go hurting people again"

"Then it's a good job I feel the same! We could, you know, take eachothers numbers...meet up every now and then...go out...see how it goes...nothing serious and no pressure..."

"Why would you want to after everything I told yah?"

"Because I like you...and I THINK, you like me"

Aaron smiled and they both pulled out their phones and called one another to save eachothers numbers.

It was just a crying shame that Ed was in Manchester and Aaron lived in Yorkshire. No, It wasn't a great distance, but it was too far enough to 'see' someone, even on a casual basis to make it work...

Wasn't it?

XXXX

THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS REBOOT.

Continued next time. I am going to be writing out Jackson, Stu and Nathan. There is no where else for that lot to go. Nathan, obviously will feature in an up coming chapter of how he's got away with it.

I want to focus on Aaron now, and how he moves on and away from his current problems. There is 8 more chapters to this story. Aaron and Nick will feature in all of them, Jackson and Stu will feature in 1 and Nathan will feature in 2.

Thanks for reading.