CHAPTER NINE

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Emmerdale and it's Characters, they are owned by ITV

A/N: Thanks as always for you kind reviews x

Aaron came down the stair's, to see Ben sat at the dining room table,

" Hey you...you're up early, where's our nice long lay in you promised me, eh?" he teased.

Ben watched Aaron fill the kettle up to make a cuppa "...needed a lie in...did we...?"

Aaron turned around as he started to faff around with a loaf of bread, to make toast,

" What's that supposed to mean...?" he asked him. Ben raised his eyebrowes and stood,

"It means...I'm going..."

Aaron realised Ben's over night bag was near the front door, " ...You are going...!, but why, You'll promised you were staying till Saturday!"

Ben smirked " Well, a mate called when you were still up in your pit...let's just say I've got a better offer!" Aaron binned the bread and came forward, " Ben what's up...why are you being such a div...you promised you'll stay to Saturday!" Aaron's voice had started to rise.

Ben turned, and put his hand through his blonde spikes, " that's rich...you can't even keep a promise can yah...!"

The penny dropped for Aaron, as he watched Ben collect his bag and open the front door, within seconds Ben was half way down the path outside.

Aaron quickly hurried after him " Ben wait up will yah...I had to talk to him, make sure he was okay"

Ben chucked his bag in the car and turned " Who cares...!, a promise is a promise!"

Aaron began to get upset, " are you going home...are we..."

Ben stepped into his car, and wound the window down " are we finished was you gonna say ?...you know what...I haven't decided...maybe I'll call yah...or maybe I won't, don't hold your breath" he flashed a grin and turned the key to start the engine, just as Pearl came swooning up to them.

"good morning Aaron...good morning Benjamin, " she cooed through the car's open window,

"P*ss off, you silly old bag..." and with that last gem, he put his foot down and sped off.

"Charming...!" cried Pearl, "what happened to the nice mannered boy, when we last met"

"OI...!" came a loud cry, Aaron could see that Cain had Noah, in his grasp as the Capri sped off out the village.

Cain came storming over to him " Oi...!, you better tell loverboy to slow down, he nearly knocked Noah flying...!"

" I'm sorry...it's just...we..." stammered Aaron,

Cain grinned " Had a row have we, trouble in paradise...and don't tell me, he's done one...am

"He'll be back, it was over nothing..." replied Aaron trying to sound hopeful.

"I hope not..." told Cain " he's dodgey, i'm telling yah...I don't like him, you'll be better off binning him" Cain then took Noah's hand and then headed off to charity's house.

Aaron marched back into Smithy, and slammed the door shut. He stood in the lounge staring at the blank TV screen.

Had he lost Ben...Jackson had driven off once, and it was all over...was it over with Ben now...what was it about him, and guys just driving off without him.

Aaron suddenly came out his trance, and left the cottage again, he started toward the bus stop, stuff Ben, if he was gonna act like a childish pig let him.

Aaron had to make sure Jackson was alright...all he knew was, that he needed to be at that hospital to see him...

Aaron had asked at the front desk about Hazel, but they couldn't tell him anything, but another receptionist told him, that Hazel's son was in the family room.

Aaron moved along the clinical corridor, and turned into the family room, he saw him straight way: Jackson.

Jackson was sound asleep on one of the grey coloured sofa's, his head down, and his feet raised over one of the arm's of the sofa, his hand clutching his mobile.

Aaron was hesitant to enter at first, but he dug his hand's into his hoodie pockets, and slowly approached, he just watched Jackson sleep peacefully, before his smiling gaze was interrupted by;

"...Ohh, Aaron...when did you get here," Aaron twisted around to see Paddy standing in the doorway, with two carton's of machine coffee in his tight grasp,

" I...I just got here..." Aaron replied,

Paddy came forward, and smiled towards Jackson's slumbering form, " poor guy's exhausted, I knew he would flake out soon as I left the room" he soothed gently.

Paddy turned his attentions from Jackson to Aaron, " Sooo, is...Ben...with yah"

Aaron ignored the question, but said, " Look...you look really wacked yourself Pads, why don't you go home and get some rest..."

Paddy flustered with the coffees, not really knowing now what to do with them, " are you sure...I mean there's no change in Hazel's condition..." he began,

Aaron took the poly-cartons off paddy " It's fine...just go, I'll call you if there's any news...I promise..." he hated that word.

Paddy pulled on his coat " Thanks, I need to tell Bob and a few others in the village...she was ...is...well liked..."

" You do that, I'll see yah later.." Paddy moved to the exit, before Aaron called out to him.

" Paddy...thanks for last night...looking out...looking after him for me..."

Paddy gave him a sad smile and hurried off, leaving Aaron guarding over Jackson's sleeping form.

Jackson awoke in a daze, not knowing where he was, until he lifted his head up, rubbed his eyes, and realising it was the Hospital.

Aaron sat opposite him, and chucked the newspaper he was reading to one side, " Alright sleeping beauty...!"

Jackson pulled himself to a sitting position, his mouth agape in surprize, and delight.

"Aaron...how long have you been here..." he looked around the room, " Where's Paddy...how's me mum!" he stood in a panic, Aaron stood and calmed him down, " Hey...I've sent Paddy home, he was wacked, and there's no change with your mum...I asked about 10 minutes ago ...I lied and said I was your brother" he smirked.

Jackson pulled a big frown, " twin's are we...! , with Paddy being my Dad, the staff here must think we are a right incredible bunch!"

Aaron was now frowning himself " Paddy...yah Dad...?"

"Long story...so...you were passing were yah..." enquired Jackson.

Aaron nodded, mind racing for an excuse, " yeah...you know...wanted a new pair of trainers at the sales in town...and I thought...well...I was sorta wondering...I wanted to tell you..."

"That you were thinking of me..." Jackson said finishing off Aaron's stammering.

Aaron looked up but before he could reply, Jackson beamed him a big warm smile at him

" Thanks for your text...and you're not a div...well not sometimes..."

Aaron 's cheeks flushed, and Jackson held out his hand, pointing to the exit,

"are you hungry...?"

Aaron shrugged, " I am...but...I've got no cash on me..."

" What were you gonna buy them trainers with then!" Jackson teased.

Aaron was embarrassed, but Jackson grabbed his arm with a " Come on...!, I'll shout you to a fry up in a place I know around the corner, it's only a builders cafe, but the grubs nice..."

Aaron didn't needed telling twice...he quickly let him self be pulled away, and followed Jackson like a puppy up the corridor.

While eating their grub at the builders cafe, they talked about general things, and there was even the odd bit of banter between them. Jackson asked Aaron about Ben, but Aaron was evasive, he didn't want to talk about Ben, and he certainly had no intentions of asking Jackson about the 'better' boyfriend either.

When they had returned to the hospital, Jackson took Aaron up to intensive care, and stood outside the glass looking in toward Hazel, hooked up to the scary machines and heart moniters. A nurse was taking Hazel's tempature, and filled in a chart.

Aaron stared at Hazel bewildered, only now realising how ill Hazel really was, he glanced at Jackson standing beside him " was...was you scared last night...?"

Jackson looked at him with his big brown eyes, " No...not was...I am...scared, I'm sooo scared for her Aaron...Dr Carter is nice, but she fed me too much medical jargon for me to really understand what's gonna off with mum...just that they are keeping her sedated...to lower her heart rate, or something..."

Aaron could see Jackson was getting worked up again, he hesitated at first , but he slowly slipped his hand into Jackson's.

Jackson turned to him, they looked into eachothers eye's longer than they should, longingfully, before the brief moment of them was ended by a "JACKSON!"

Jackson moved quickly away from Aaron, and saw the young lad came flying up to them,

" Jackson...I am so sorry mate!"

Jackson frowned at him " Where were you, I left you about 20 messages for yah to get back to me!"

Aaron realised the lad was the same guy he had seen with Jackson at Bar West the other week.

" This is Aaron...he's...just a mate..." told Jackson, seeing Aaron was a bit put out. The young guy about his own age turned " Hi...I'm Dan..."

Dan turned his attentions back to Jackson" So how's your Mum, I can't believe this has happened, poor you...I'm gutted for you mate..."

she's not dead! he thought, but feeling arkward now, Aaron slipped off up the corridor, but before he rounded the corner he glanced around to see Jackson and Dan in eachothers arms, Jackson was crying and Dan was comforting him...for a brief moment Aaron wanted to go and boot Dan into next week, and take over, but it was just a brief moment, it was time for him to go...he wasn't needed here...but he knew where he had to be...

he needed to build bridges with a certain someone...

Aaron hunched into his hoodie, as the rain started to tip down, he hurried up the Hotten high street, until he came to the hardware shop, where Ben's flat was situated above.

At the scruffy front door, Aaron pressed the buzzer com.

" Yeah..."Came Ben's gruff voice.

"It's me...It's Aaron..." replied Aaron speaking into the grill, rain water dripping into his face.

There was a pause, and Aaron thought it deliberate..." Oh...what do you want..." Ben asked.

" To talk...please Ben...I've come all this way...and I'm getting soaked standing out here..." he said quickly.

Ben went silent again for a few seconds and then said, " Okay, I'll be down..."

Aaron removed his wet hoodie and stuck it on the radiator inside Ben's lounge.

Ben watched him at the doorway with a grim expression, " So...you want to talk do yah..."

Aaron nodded " Yeah...and to say sorry...for...you know..."

" For breaking your promise...to me it just shows how little you think and respect me..."

Aaron became defensive " Jackson's mum is ill, I had to know, to see, if she was alright..."

" and is she..I'm assuming you have been to the hospital..." said Ben,

Aaron sat on the sofa, " Yeah...i did...she's really ill..."

Ben pulled a face " tell somebody who care...!, you didn't come all the way here for me, it was for him!"

He stormed off into the bedroom, Aaron followed him " " It's not fair...I do think of you...I do Ben...Please!"

Aaron's eyes began to well up, Ben stared out the bedroom window, he really wanted Aaron, and he knew if he went to far he'd lose him. and he had no intentions of letting that happen!

Ben turned around with a sigh, and flashed his grin that he knew Aaron liked so much,

" I know, maybe I was too harsh on you...course I care...and if you want...I don't mind you seeing his Mum, seeing she's so ill" he said gently, although the words stuck in his throat painfully.

Aaron smiled " so are...are we okay then..."

Ben came forward and gathered Aarons face into his hands, and then kissed him tenderly.

Once they pulled away Ben smiled " We are fine...now...get your self dried...and maybe i'll treat you to an indian..."

Ben left the bedroom to leave Aaron to sort himself out, he sat on the bed and stared at his reflection in the wardrobe mirror.

Ben was second best...he knew deep down he wanted Jackson...but Jackson was with Dan...Jackson was off limits...

it was now him and Ben...

it was Aaron and Ben...

...it just had to be...

it was just the way it was, and he had no choice...

TBC

All your kind reviews are ALL welcome x