The older three were wide awake way before the younger men who slept in till ten that Saturday morning. Jackson was the first to wake, he propped himself up on his elbow as he laid on his side to watch his lover sleep. It was perfect, to him. He was in absolute bliss, waking up on Christmas day with his boyfriend and with those he loved downstairs. Plus Aaron had been having troubled free nights the past couple of nights. He hadn't heard the teen having anymore nightmares as he left beside him. However, even thought it seemed the young mechanic was okay with everything at the moment, he still wanted him to see a counselor, they all did, they never knew when it would rear it's ugly head again. As Jackson shifted his weight to get more comfortable Aaron began to stir.
"Merry Christmas, babe." Jackson smiled pressing a greeting kiss to Aaron's lips, only for the teen to deepen it by slipping his tongue into the builders mouth and tugging him down on top if him.
It was another forty minutes before either of the two surfaced from their room and went downstairs, where the woman were preparing the meal. Paddy had been sat in the corner, peeling potatoes when Aaron and Jackson entered the kitchen, bushy tailed and bright eyed. The older bet sent a knowing look towards the two, causing them to hide their blushing faces.
"About time you to came down." Hazel commented as they took a place at the kitchen table and slumped in their seats. "I was about to go up after you, were you any longer."
Aaron choked on the piece of toast he'd just taken a bite out of, as he thought of what Hazel could have walked in on, if they had been a little longer.
"You alright there love?" Hazel exclaimed as Aaron's began to smart as he coughed on the crumbs.
"He's fine." Jackson sniggered, patting his boyfriends back.
"Don't you boys be eating too much." Rhona warned them as she eyes them both finishing off the last of the breakfast spread on the kitchen table. "We're cooking up a feast to feed five thousand here!"
"A burnt one then." Aaron scoffed, remembering a few meals that Rhona had burnt instead of cooked. It was mainly Hazel and Paddy that did the cooking at Smithy cottage, the vet having had years of practice a mastering the art of fending for himself being single for so long at a time.
"Hey!" Rhona exclaimed swatting Aaron with a tea towel, causing him to start coughing again.
Whilst dinner was being cooked and prepared, Aaron and Jackson had gotten dressed and gone out to deliver the presents Aaron had brought at the last minute. It felt so strange for the young mechanic. Yes, he was happy that he was spending Christmas with Jackson, but he also felt it was strange, very strange. This time last year he'd not been with Jackson. He hadn't even known the builder, he'd been with Holly or chasing after her. He'd been denying the fact that he was gay, on edge that Adam had worked it out and loathing himself for letting the feelings he'd tried so damn hard to hide to bubble to the surface. However that wasn't the case now. He was in a relationship with Jackson. He'd even added Jackson's names next to his on a few of the gifts he'd brought and Jackson had done the same with a few of his. It was scary when he thought about it. He was spending Christmas day with his boyfriend.
Jackson and Aaron had made sure to be back in time for Dinner. However Chas had beaten them back. Paddy had invited her over for the day. Despite the imperfect relationship that Aaron and Chas shared, it was getting better, The vet hated the thought of mother and son apart on Christmas day. He knew how much they cared for each other, even though they had a funny way of showing it. Hazel had insisted that everybody was to wear the colorful assorted hats from the crackers when they sat down for dinner. The young mechanic being the only one who didn't. When Hazel had tried to shove the paper hat onto Aaron's head, he'd taken it off immediately and dangled the blue hat over the burning candle in the centre pieces, only dropping it when the flames threatened to lick his fingers. He didn't do party hats. A round of bad jokes circled the table for a while, started by Paddy when he got his hands on the cracker jokes and finished by Jackson as he rolled out one pathetic, cheesy joke after another. In the end it had taken a few jabs to in the ribs to shut the builder up.
After dinner they had all retired to the lounge, to sit back and watch a seasonal movie, as they allowed their meal to settle. Aaron could barely move from his spot on the sofa, cuddled up close with Jackson, resting his back against Jackson's chest. He thought his stomach was going to explode with the amount he'd put away. All the woman had made sure to pile each of the men's plates high with Yorkshire puddings, meat, roasted potatoes and much more. He swore he couldn't eat for a week. Jackson felt just as bad, fear of splitting at the seams whenever he moved. The woman were sharing a bottle of wine and already talking about diet plans after Christmas.
"Right, who's up for opening presents now?" Chas announced clapping her hands together.
"Go on then." Hazel agreed putting her glass of wine down so she could rummage under the tree for everyone's gifts.
"Oh exciting." Rhona laughed from her place snuggled up to Paddy.
"Here we are, Jackson!" Hazel said passing Jackson a box shaped parcel.
"Wonder what this could be." Jackson said curiously already tearing at the wrapping, to reveal aftershave. "Ah thanks mum."
"Your welcome." Hazel smiled. "Paddy your next."
Aaron was getting nervous whenever anyone would reach their hands close to one of the gifts he'd brought underneath the tree. He'd made sure to place all his gifts at the back, hidden beneath everybody else's. He was having second thoughts about what he had purchased as he saw what they had all brought each other, they all seemed so well thought out and appropriate. Hazel had not only brought Jackson aftershave but a collection of different shirts as well, she'd gotten Rhona a wine rack and few girlie movies, a gift hamper and movies for Paddy, Chas had been given a nice purse with sequins and a bold print and she'd gotten Aaron a book on cars and a hoodie to! She'd gotten everybody something they would use and like. Rhona and Paddy had given lovely gifts too! So had Chas, she'd been excited to see everyone's reactions when they saw what she had gotten them.
"Aaron this is for you." Jackson said handing Aaron a small black gift bag with anticipation.
The young mechanic hoped it was nothing expensive. "Thanks." He mumbled taking it.
He felt all eyes on him as he took a neatly wrapped fit out of the small bag, he turned it over a few times in his hands before picking at the celotape. A few seconds later the parcal was unwrapped and a little black box sat in his hands. How many layers had he wrapped it up in? Carefully he opened the box to reveal a simple small silver link chain.
"J-Jackson." Aaron stumbled a little shocked at the gesture. He hadn't expected anything like this, a couple of t-shirts maybe. "I can't- you shouldn't-.£
"-Shh, it's not much but. . ." Jackson interrupted with a little grin plastered on his face. "I wanted to. So it's too late."
Aaron picked the chain up, the cool metal twinning round his fingers as he held it. "Thank you." He said staring at the gift.
"Your welcome." Jackson muttered into the kiss he placed on the teen's lips.
The younger man was now panicking for sure, about the gift he had gotten Jackson. He was sure it wasn't good enough.
"- Aaron, where's your gift for Jackson?" Paddy asked excited to know what he had brought.
"Er. . . urm." Aaron stuttered, buying time.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten his as well." Chas sighed, thinking her son had forgotten to buy anyone a simple gift.
"No." Aaron snapped.
"When then, wre is it?" Chas questioned.
"There! With the others." Aaron said pointing to the hidden gifts wedged behind the tree. How he had gotten them under there in the first place, that far back and concealed was anyones guess, with his awkward leg.
"Oh." The dark haired woman muttered as she crawled under the tree displaying her little bum in her tight black jeans to everyone. "Oh Aaron!" They heard her sigh as she came across everyones gifts from him.
"I need the loo." Aaron shared about to push himself off of the sofa. He didn't want to be in the room when they opened there gifts, it was embarrassing. However Jackson had other ideas. He pulled the teen back towards, keeping his arm around the young mechanic's waist to prevent him from running.
He didn't' want to look at anyone as they opened their presents so he stared at the coffee table, where a collection of items had began to grow. Despite looking away he could still hear the reactions, Paddy was over the moon with his scaletrix pieces, Rhona was delighted with her gok wan gift set, Hazel was besotted with her book on local artists, they all seemed pleased with what he had gotten them, Although Chas and Jackson had yet to announce their delight or disappointment. He chanced a look towards his mother. Bad choice, she was in tears.
"Mum, you okay? I didn't mean to- if you don't like them I can take them back." Aaron assured her, quick to jump the gun.
Chas waved her hand at him to shut him up, using her other to wipe away a tear. "Don't be daft kid!" She cried. The scrap book and bracelet lying in her lap. "They're perfect, love."
"What's he got you?" Rhona asked curious to know what had moved the woman to tears.
"This." Chas answered picking up the scrapbook to face everyone before turning the pages. Quite a few were blank at the beginning and in the middle. Only two photographs were slotted in the first lot of pages, one where a dark haired girl sat on a sofa with a small baby boy swaddled in baby blue blankets in her arms as she beamed down at the bundled and the other with the same girl, a little older, with her hair down to her waist blowing in the wind as she held a giggling toddler on her lap while she sat on a swing set. Several pages later Aaron had slotted in the more recent photographs he had of him and her together.
"Oh." Everyone sighed in awe while Aaron ducked his head as he blushed.
"That's really lovely." Hazel commented, a little jealous her son hadn't been so thoughtful. Who knew Aaron's livesy could be so sweet.
"And this too!" Chas announced as she held the bracelet up in her hand, a single blue heart dangling from the silver chain.
"That's nice!" Rhona smiled.
"What did he get you then, Jackson?" Chas asked.
"You don't have to tell them." Aaron quickly told him. He'd embarrassed himself enough already.
"Something very special." Jackson said simply, tucking one of the gifts behind his back away from their eyes.
"What? You're not going to tell us?" Paddy questioned. They were all dying to know.
"Well. . ." Jackson started.
"Jackson!" Aaron hissed.
Jackson laughed because Aaron thought he was going to show the gift that was private. "Here." He said holding the gift out in his hand so they could see. It was a collection of movies that Jackson had mentioned once of twice that he loved.
"Ah that's nice Aaron." Chas smiled.
Later on, Aaron and Jackson laid in bed, entwined as they thought back over the whole day having just watched one of the movies Jackson had gotten off the teen. It had been perfect, nothing could have gone any better. The present that the builder had hidden from the others, sat proudly on his bedside table. A framed picture of the two of them from their holiday in Lanzarote, both topless in their swim shorts as they soaked up the sun on the beach. It had been taken by Jackson, as he held the camera up in front of them to snap the shot, Aaron had surprisingly planted a kiss on Jackson's cheek as he tried to stop a grin spreading on his face. They had been so happy their. Aaron had felt so comfortable, just the two of them. It had been their first public kiss. But the thing that meant more to Jackson than the thoughtful framed picture was the yellow note stuck to it with the words "I'll do it" written in Aaron's scrawl. To anyone else those would make no sense, but they did to him.
"I'm proud of you." Jackson whispered as Aaron counted the freckles on Jackson's arm that was draped across his pale stomach. "I mean it, that note. . . It means a lot."
"Shut up, it was just a note." Aaron shrugged off.
"Hmm, whatever. I think it was more than that." Jackson disagreed. "It's a big thing."
"oh shut up." Aaron said again, adjusting his head on his pillow before closing his eyes to sleep.
A/N – Second update of the day!