– AARON & JACKSON: MY WAY –

"COMING OUT"

~This fanfic follow on a few hours after I Want You

- I do not own the characters, or Emmerdale – ITV do.

...

Aaron was sat at a table in a busy bar west. Jackson came back with another round of drinks and sat back checking Aaron out with a slight smirk on his face as he sat forward. "So, how are the stress levels?" he asked.

Aaron nodded. "Yeah think I can handle it..." he smiled.

"Good" he told him before taking a drink of his lager.

"It doesn't bother you this does it?" Aaron asked as he looked around the crowded bar.

"Well...I have my moments like everyone else in here but were just the way we are" he shrugged.

"You avoided telling me about what happened when you came out..." Aaron told him and Jackson looked down at the floor.

"My dad he uh...he hit me...said some things, I said things...that's pretty much it...my parents divorced, my mum travels a lot so...she's away from him"

"Oh...I'm sorry"

Jackson shook his head. "Doesn't matter"

"It does Jackson that's horrible, he's your dad"

Jackson nodded. "I know, but he made it clear how he felt, it's his loss at the end of the day"

Aaron sat quietly and looked around the bar again, he frowned several times at the other drinkers, and he wasn't used to the gay community at all seeing men holding hands, hugging and kissing.

"Anyway I thought you'd have pulled while you were waiting for me to come back" Jackson said with a smirk.

"What?" he scrunched up his face and looked back at Jackson. "With this lot?"

Jackson chuckled.

"I already did anyway" Aaron told him with a smile and rested his hand over Jackson's.

Jackson looked down at Aaron's hand on his and smiled; he turned his round and held Aaron's properly. "When did you first realise there was something there with men?" Jackson asked.

"There was a kid where I used to live...Kyle his name was and I used to watch him play footie...he was dead good, and I mean really good...and I watched him all the time..." he shook his head. "I didn't know what it was and I just hoped the feeling would go away, but when me and Adam became friends last year we went out before Christmas, I took one of the cars from the garage and we nearly hit something anyway and I hurt my head, when he saw the blood he pulled me closer to him to check it out and I-I..." he breathed slowly as he stopped talking.

"You kissed him?" Jackson asked to which Aaron shook his head. "No but I went too...I was with Holly at the time, he started getting people talking about me...rumours, stuff like that...he even told Holly but I wormed my way out of it, but we finished and then one night I was out with our Eli, got smashed...we argued and that's when I found Bar West...and the rest is...history" he let out a sigh of relief.

"Pretty hard for you to talk about that wasn't it?"

Aaron nodded. "Yeah..." he looked at Jackson and smiled.

"But that's what I mean when I talk about when other people find out, it's a good way to find out who your true mates are and Adam is obviously one"

Aaron nodded, he agreed. "He is, he's been amazing"

"You know before I knew about your dad, I thought Cain was" Jackson chuckled at his own thoughts. "Cause you and his moods are spot on identical...but yeah you can see you're in that family"

Aaron smirked. "If he was my dad we wouldn't be sat here now"

"Why?" Jackson asked.

"Cause I'd have done a runner years ago...Cain as my dad, nah couldn't live with that!" despite his words he did think very highly of his uncle and looked up to him.

Jackson chuckled. "What ya like" he shook his head and finished his pint.

...

Aaron paid the taxi driver when they got back to the village. It stopped outside the B&B, Jackson booked himself a room, and there was no point in going back to his flat if he had to be in the village the next morning anyway. They stood at the foot of the path to the B&B, Aaron felt nervous. "I enjoyed tonight" he proclaimed.

"Yeah, me too...we'll do it again" he told him.

"Yeah definitely, I look forward to it" Aaron replied.

Jackson moved in closer and kissed Aaron passionately. "I'll call ya"

Aaron nodded. "You do that...see ya" he told him as he stepped away from Jackson and continued walking until he turned and walked ahead up to Smithy.

Jackson watched him until he saw the front door of Smithy close, then he walked inside the B&B to his room, once in bed and he was settled, all he thought about was him and that's the way it stayed until he fell asleep.

...

Val had been waiting for Jackson to surface and she was relieved when he walked down the stairs, he frowned at her. "Morning" she said cheerily.

"Yeah...morning...I'm not having breakfast this morning, I've gotta get to work..."

"Listen Jackson...I was in the cafe this morning and I heard something about Aaron...you two seem to be getting along"

Jackson nodded. "Yeah what about it?"

"Well we know your gay...but someone saw Aaron kissing you...and its going around the village"

Jackson's eyes widen. "What? When?"

"Last night outside of this place, it was Bob and he told Chas but people overheard..."

Jackson sighed. "You are having a laugh? He's gunna go mental!" he told her and quickly ran out to work.

...

Cain had been out all morning but he was told about the rumours, when he walked back in the garage Aaron was sitting having his dinner. "Ohh...having yourself a big manly pie are ya?"

Aaron frowned. "You what?"

"Nothing I just thought you'd have preferred lobster or sushi"

"What are you on?" Aaron spat, a nasty expression on his face.

"Listen Aaron...there was just rumours going around that you were kissing that Jackson lad..." Cain was unaware of his relationship to Aaron before and after the suicide attempt. "Are ya gay?" Cain asked.

Aaron sat forward quickly to stop himself choking from the food he had in his mouth in response to Cain's question. He looked away. "And if I was?"

"Nowt to do with me if you are...are ya gay?" he repeated.

"Yes for fuck sake alright, yes! Stop hounding me!" he replied angrily, threw the rest of his pie in the bin and walked out to carry on with the car he was working on.

Cain left it a few minutes before going out to talk to him. "Listen...I don't care who you like, or what you do, I just don't want details ya got that?"

Aaron nodded without a word and a small smile curled on his lips. Cain slapped his arm playfully. "Proud of ya lad" he smiled and walked back inside.

"Why?" Aaron called to him. "I nearly killed myself over it...right where you're standing"

Cain turned around. "Because you're being brave about it, I can't begin to imagine how hard it is...No" he shook his head. "I can't understand it...I don't like it even but if that's who you are then I'm not gunna disown ya!"

*Wow* was all Aaron thought. Where was the real Cain? Aaron certainly didn't know but he was appreciative of his response to it, it helped him gain confidence.

"Oh and if anyone gives you any bother they've got me to answer too"

Aaron nodded with a smile.

"Right well...anyway that car won't fix itself will it? Crack on..." he told him, back in boss mode.

...

Cain and Aaron were closing up for the day and Aaron heard footsteps on the gravel behind them. "We're closed!" he shouted.

"Yeah that's why I'm here ya div!" Jackson replied with a grin and Aaron turned and smiled.

"So, fancy the pub?" Jackson asked. "I've heard about you, I'm his mate Jackson" he introduced himself.

Cain laughed. "Ha! Yeah course you are"

Jackson frowned and Aaron laughed. "He knows Jackson"

"Ohh ahh right...well nice to meet ya anyway" he smiled, absolutely shocked that his uncle knew.

"Yeah you too, go on then girls, get yourselves to the pub" he teased.

Aaron shook his head at Jackson as if saying ignore him, which is what Jackson did anyway, quips like that did not bother him one bit.

"You look knackered" Jackson commented. "Busy day?"

"Yeah a bit..." Aaron told him

"So did he find out...from the rumours well obviously not rumours but...Val told me about them this morning...or did you tell him?" he asked.

"Erm, both really, he heard and asked me outright if I was gay and I told him yeah"

Jackson grinned. "You surprise me every day, I'm proud of ya"

Aaron frowned. "Shut up" he told him and started laughing as they walked into the pub.

...

When they walked into the bar it all fell silent, Jackson looked at Aaron and they both walked up to the bar, the silence remained. They both knew what it was about. "Two pints please Diane" Aaron asked as he looked around at everyone and they all started to continue but now with hushed conversation.

"Course love...so who is this handsome lad then? Seen him around a few times..."

Jackson smiled

Aaron was ready, he felt it. "My boyfriend" he stated loudly so everyone who was in the pub heard.

Jackson looked on with such adoration, Aaron wanted him in that way, and it felt amazing to hear.

"So the rumours everyone's heard are true, I'm gay..." he turned to them. "And if any of you have a problem..." he shrugged. "It's tough; I didn't like it I nearly killed myself. I've been depressed, I've lashed out, pushed people away but...that's all done now...I don't need any more crap so if you don't like it, don't talk to me. I don't mean to be harsh but I had to get it out"

Chas was sat at a table with Charity who was absolutely stunned by this announcement but Chas looked on proudly with tears in her eyes. *Good on ya love* she thought to herself.

Now he had to face Jackson and he did. "If you want to be?" was all he said with a smile.

"You have no idea..."

Aaron smiled and kissed his lips quickly then turned back to the bar, paid Diane and turned to find a free table, he couldn't but he saw his mum and they both made their way over to her and Charity.

Chas stood up and hugged her son. "You've just made me the proudest mother in the whole world"

Jackson smiled and sat down next to Charity. "Ohh you're a bit of alright aren't ya?"

Jackson didn't know what to say. "Uh I suppose why"

"Well let's just put it this way, if you were straight I'd so want you right now" she stated matter of factly.

"Charity leave the boy alone!" Chas told her.

"Oh yeah cause you're not thinking the same are ya Chas?" Charity looked directly at her.

"Noo" she said in her high pitched tone. "Well...maybe yeah" she gave a cheeky smile and turned to her son who had a disgusted look on his face. "Oh cheer up you, you just told everyone you were gay and that Jackson is your boyfriend, something I or Jackson never thought you do, so celebrate" she grinned.

...

A few hours later Aaron and Jackson left the pub, it was a cold night as usual. "Right then I better get back" Jackson told him.

"No..." Aaron breathed; he shook his head when Jackson looked at him. "No...Stay with me?" he asked.

"Are you sure?"

Aaron nodded

"Alright" he smiled and followed Aaron to Smithy.

Once inside Aaron suddenly became nervous as they both stood at the foot of the stairs but he motioned his head up them signalling Jackson to follow as he started walking up them.

Aaron closed his bedroom door and turned to find Jackson standing right up close, he looked at him and he kissed him with force and Jackson wrapped his arms around him and in their embrace they made their way to the bed, Jackson lay Aaron down on it slowly, he stood up and removed his top, allowing Aaron to see his body for the first time, he noticed Aaron seemed happy with his view. Jackson smirked and kneeled on the bed and lifted Aaron's top and kissed his neck, then his chest as Aaron lifted his top off.

The boys didn't sleep much that night, both experienced levels of pleasure they never had before.

TBC...