When Jackson woke the next morning the space next to him in bed was empty. He stretched out his arm beside him to find cold sheets in the wake of where Aaron should be. Taking a while to wake up, Jackson could faintly here somebody else still in the room, opening and shutting draws. As he sat up and rubbed his eyes he could see Aaron balancing on one leg, his crutches discarded by the side of the chest drawers, with one hand placed on top to keep his balance whilst the other pulled open a draw.
"Aaron what are you doing?" Jackson croaked as he watched him with half open eyes.
"Getting dressed?" Aaron answered dripping with sarcasm as he tugged a clean t-shirt out and chucked it behind him to land on the end of the bed to join the socks and set of boxers.
"I can see that. But I usually do that for you." Jackson said as he hinted towards getting the clothes.
"Well I can do it myself." Aaron said as he pushed the drawers shut and reached over towards the wardrobe doors, keeping a hand on top of the chest of drawers to keep his balance. He felt like a toddler just learning to walk.
"I'm sure you can but I like to." Jackson sighed as he shook his head. Watching Aaron's determination not to let the immobilisation of his right leg get in the way of him doing what he wanted was heart warming.
Aaron pulled out a pair of lose fitting jeans, throwing them with the rest of the clothes he'd picked out before reaching for his crutches and returning to the bed.
"Right then, while you're getting dressed I'll go grab a shower." Jackson said pulling back the bedcovers to climb out.
"Argh. . . I would love a shower." Aaron whined as he looked down at his leg. He hadn't showered all week since he fell over and landed himself in serious damage. All week he'd been sitting on the edge of the bath washing himself with the basin and warm soapy water, it humiliating. He'd drawn the line at Jackson giving him a hand; he still had full use of his arms and hands.
"I'm sure you would, but let's keep to being safe for now." Jackson laughed as he left the room. "I was thinking we could go watch a movie this afternoon." Jackson called back.
"Sound." Aaron called after.
Just like Hazel had planned the previous day, she invited Chas to stay for Dinner when she popped over later morning to check up on her son. She was over the moon to eat with them and took up on her offer straight away, sitting next to Aaron at the table.
"You know, you don't have to keep coming over everyday." Aaron said to his mother as they ate their way through the lovely meal Hazel had prepared.
"But I want to make sure my son is doing okay." Chas explained while Hazel started to talk to Paddy about a particular interesting student in her night time art classes at the village hall, quietly.
"Yeah, I know." Aaron sighed, he was gratefully in a way. He could see she didn't mean no harm. "But I'm doing fine on my own." He told her. A look of hurt flashed across Chas's face as he spoke to her so he quickly added. "You can still come over once and while, just not everyday. I'll call you if I need you."
Chas sighed heavily thinking about what her son had told her. "Fine. Just make sure you do call me." She said pointedly as she placed a hand on Aaron's resting on the table before shaking her head to clear the heavy feeling that had descended upon them and continued eating her food.
Aaron too shook his head and took a sip from his drink in front of him, catching Jackson across the table from him, smiling. A sure sign to tell him he'd handled the situation correctly and he was proud of the teen. Aaron blushed a little, ducking his head as he fought back the smile that was tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Paddy allowed Jackson to borrow his car that afternoon, trusting the builder to take good care of it while he used it. They parked as close as they could to the cinema for obvious reasons and had no trouble getting up the short set of steps to the entrance. It was when they got inside that things started to get a little heated.
"Sir, would you prefer a disabled seat?" The sales assistant asked Jackson at the counter, as Aaron stood back a little. It didn't take two to buy tickets.
"Urm. . ." Jackson thought, looking over his shoulder to Aaron who'd heard the question. He wasn't happy.
"Eh no!" Aaron snapped at the sales assistant.
"Sorry, no thank you." Jackson quickly before Aaron could say anymore.
"It would be a lot more comfortable for you and him-." The sales assistant continued.
"I said no, didn't I?" Aaron growled, getting angry.
"Like I said, no thank you. We'll be fine with normal seating." Jackson answered giving him enough money for the tickets needed, trying to get the exchange over with quickly before Aaron started to mouth off.
"Okay, here's your tickets." The sales assistant said handing him two orange and white tickets.
Jackson thanked him and quickly began to guide Aaron over to the screens, away from the counter before he started to mouth off.
"What the hell?" Aaron hissed. "Do I look like I need a fucking disabled seat!"
"He was only trying to help." Jackson sighed.
"Help? He can help buy keeping his mouth shut!" Aaron snapped as he followed Jackson down the patterned carpeted corridor.
"Let's just go watch the movie." Jackson whined, he sick of Aaron losing his temper in public.
"Fine."
Inside, Aaron struggled a little trying to get up a few steps in the dark, before Jackson eventually decided for them to sit somewhere near the back. They settled down in the centre of one row, leaving enough space for anybody else who wanted to sit in that area, so they needn't step over Aaron's leg. The cinema began to fill up quite quickly and soon enough the film began to start. Jackson was surprised when Aaron's hand found his. The younger man wasn't for public displays of affection at all but considering it was dark and nobody could see. . .
"You alright?" Jackson asked, as Aaron began to fidget a little over and hour later.
"Yeah, just getting comfortable." Aaron whispered as he settled down again and both continued watching the big screen.
A couple minutes later Aaron began to fidget again and just wouldn't settle, he was starting to irritate a few people around them. "You sure you're alright?" Jackson asked the teen, who had begun to jitter his leg up and down.
"Just can't get comfortable." Aaron admitted quietly. "Forgot to bring my pain killers with me."
Jackson sighed. "Aaron!"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to!" Aaron snapped.
"Come on, we'll go home." Jackson said collecting their things.
"No!" Aaron hissed. "I'll be fine for another half an hour, lets finish watching this first."
"Aaron, you're not gonna last that long. You fidgeting like you've got ants in your pants." Jackson smirked at him, reasoning.
It was hard to see in the dark but Jackson could see Aaron fixing him with a pointed glare. "Just need to take my mind off of it." Aaron said out of ideas on how to get rid of the nagging pain gnawing away at his leg.
"I can think of a few." Jackson smirked.
For the last half an hour of the movie, Jackson trailed light patterns along the skin of Aaron's bare forearms and traced the veins on the back of his hand. It seemed to do the trick, Aaron's leg no longer bounced up and down as they watched the last scenes, much too every ones pleasure.
"Good movie?" Paddy asked them as they walked into the kitchen when they got back.
"Yeah, plenty explosions and car chases for a little Aaron to enjoy." Jackson teased as he ruffled the top of Aaron's head. "N'awh." He commented as Aaron scowled and tried to dodge out of his reach.
Paddy chuckled from the sink as he washed up a couple of mugs. "Good to hear."
"Idiot here, forgot to take his pain killers with him though." Jackson sighed as Aaron sat down at the table and emptied two pills from the bottle he'd been prescribed.
"Aaron. . ." Paddy scolded looking out for him.
"I didn't mean to." Aaron grumbled. He'd been in pain all the way home. Jackson had managed to keep his mind off it during the last half an hour of the movie but after that he needed to concentrate on driving and the pain had gotten more intense. He couldn't keep his mind off of it all the way home. They couldn't have gotten back quick enough. It was going to take a while for the medication to kick in though.
"It's okay, we know you didn't." Jackson assured him. "Tea?"
"Yeah, I was just about to put the kettle on." Paddy said as he settled the clean mugs next to the kettle and flicked it on.
"I think I'm gonna go to bed." Aaron said getting up.
"What? Why?" Paddy asked startled. It was only seven a clock, none of the younger men had any dinner as yet and he was sure those pain killers shouldn't be taken on an empty stomach.
"I'm tired." Aaron said. Who would have known a simple trip to the cinema would have worn him out so much.
"But you haven't had anything to eat." Paddy said. "You shouldn't take those on an empty stomach. You're going to feel sick."
"I'll be fine Paddy, I just want to sleep." Aaron sighed.
"Come on then." Jackson said, following him towards the stairs.
Jackson left him when he was certain that the teen was comfortable. It hurt to see the teen in obvious pain all the way home, unsure with what to do with himself. Upstairs, Jackson asked him if he wanted him to bring him anything up to eat, but Aaron had declined and soon fell asleep still fully clothed under the covers. He couldn't be asked to get changed.
"That's Aaron out like a light." Jackson said as he entered the kitchen.
"Worn out is he?" Paddy said passing him a cup of tea.
"Looks like it." Jackson sighed thanking Paddy for the cup of tea as he took it. "Just hope it's not going to bother him too much."
"We'll have to wait and see." Paddy said. "The police said we'll be receiving the court date in the post sometime this week or the next."
"Just what we need." Jackson groaned. He was dreading it all. "He's suffering with flashbacks and such as it is without them raking over it all again."
"Maybe it's better we're getting it out of the way now and not another six months down the line." Paddy told him. "What do you mean flashbacks. I thought Aaron was doing okay."
"He is, well. . . sometimes he is." Jackson stumbled. "Well I think so anyway. It's just sometimes it all comes back to him again. Like last night."
"What happened last night?"
"I stupidly decided to see if what you said was true. Turns out he is ticklish." Jackson said scolding himself. "But it just brought it all back to Aaron. I didn't know when to stop."
"I'm sure it wasn't your fault." Paddy assured him. "You can't know what he's thinking."
"That's it Paddy! I want to know." Jackson said frustrated. "I want to know what he's thinking, what he's feeling. I'm annoyed- no angry with myself for doing that with him. It was horrible."
"Jackson, he's gonna be reminded from time to time whatever happens. You can't stop it." Paddy reasoned. It wasn't the builder's fault that Aaron was going to get reminded once in a while, it was going to take time, an awful long time till he could learn to live with it because he sure wasn't going to be able to forget.
"I want to stop it." Jackson told him.
A/N – I'll give you guys the heads up, I'm not sure whether I'll be able to update tomorrow or not. So just incase I don't I'm so sorry. However, I will try my damn hardest! Hope your enjoying it so far, loving all the great feedback I've been receiving from everyone, thank you so much. Thank you also for taking your time to read this. It's great to hear that this fic is one of your favorites from some of you. I was also flattered to read that some think I'm keeping in touch with characters. I try to think very carefully before I type anything out, if I would hear them say that on screen or if it were out of character for the characters. Anyway, thank you, I'm rambling now.