AARON & JACKSON

-1912: The Aftermath-

"Curve Ball Indeed"

Aaron walked happily downstairs and peeked into the living room and was relieved to see no Hazel but even more so to no sighting of the painting, that was a relief not having to look at that again. "Aaron?" he heard Jackson calling out from the kitchen.

"Yep it's me" he replied as he carried on to the kitchen.

"Morning babe, sleep well?"

"Yeah I did, you're up a bit early though aren't ya? What with it being your day off I thought you'd revel in the chance of a lie in"

"I'd love too but I'm busy today"

"Oh" Aaron said with a frown. "Doing?"

"Never you mind nosey" Jackson said with a smirk as he passed him a plate with a few slices of toast on it.

Aaron took it gratefully and began eating. "Oh I won't be home after work, going to the pub"

"Ah what?" Jackson sighed. "Again?" he complained.

"Yeah me and a few of the lads, I can clean up a bit there, then head back into town, still be in my work clothes but we all will and the landlady's used to it so…" Aaron said as he munched on his toast. "And anyway, you're busy lately me being out isn't going to make any difference to you, and it hasn't so far, has it?"

"No, no I-I'm just used to you being around that's all and yes I know you've got your job and mates now so I can't expect your attention twenty four seven, I- I wasn't saying you couldn't go I didn't mean it to sound that way, I just miss you lately" Jackson told him honestly.

"I know but we have to have our time apart too" Aaron told him with a smile.

After their morning routine was done both boys went their separate ways for the day after saying goodbye. Aaron went to work and Jackson headed to his mums. It was early, Jackson was aware of that and she'd probably kill him but he wanted to talk to her. He knocked on the door as the sun was rising and moments later it opened. Hazel stood dressed and ready for the day. "Blimey what's wrong?"

Jackson shrugged.

"Come on son, it's just gone half six and you're at my door" she told him with a chuckle.

"And I'm surprised you're up and ready" he replied, then his shoulder slumped and he sighed. "Can I come in?"

"Ohhh I see" she said as she stepped back to let him in. "You need one of those talks? What could possibly be wrong now?" she asked as she closed the door and followed him through to the kitchen.

"I-It's just Aaron"

"Well I guessed that, what about him?"

"He's been going out loads lately…"

Hazel frowned; she didn't see what was wrong with that. "Okay…and this started when?"

"About the time he got the job a few months back"

Hazel rolled her eyes as she rested against a bench.

"Don't look like that, what?" Jackson asked with some annoyance.

"Think about it Jackson, he's got a new job, been unleashed into a new world, made friends…could you have possibly expected anything different?"

"Well…no" he was hesitant. "But I…"

"You miss him?" Jackson nodded. "And have you told him this?"

"Yes, but he's still going out tonight"

"Right, you my child sit yourself down, I'll boil the kettle…"

Jackson blew out a deep breath and did as he was told and sat at the small table.

Hazel sat down a few minutes later and handed him the hot cup of coffee. "Okay, so you told him you miss him but he's still going?"

"Yeah, a-and I know what you're going to say but it doesn't help"

"That time apart is good for you? Well yes Jackson it is, me and your father never really spent time away from each other, look what happened there"

"No mum, you know why dad left…"

Hazel sighed. "The reason you think isn't all of the reason why…believe it or not this is good for you both and he's young it's what he should be doing, going out with mates and getting drunk…"

Jackson looked down into his cup of coffee.

"Would you rather be spending every minute with each other outside of work hours and ending up with absolutely nothing to talk about?"

"No but…"

"No there's no buts Jackson, you both have been together constantly the last six months at least until you both became employed"

"I know but at this rate I'll never see him mum, the firm is hectic at the minute we're inundated with jobs and if Aaron's just going to go out every night well…well I'm just scared we'll drift apart"

Hazel watched him and felt sympathy for him. "Is my boy feeling insecure?"

Jackson scoffed. "Oh don't mum, I know how stupid it is but I can't help feeling the way I do"

"I know you can't…and if you listen to just one thing I say today, make this it…although you run a business and you lead a busy life you have to remember that you Jackson are also still young, let yourself be young…don't worry about things like that, hey I'm sure if you go to this pub and meet him he wouldn't mind"

Jackson frowned. "No way can I do that!"

"Who says?"

Jackson pouted, thinking about it. "I-I should get what I've got to do done today but I've got to take the car and drive to the city…should be back late evening, might be able to join him…"

Hazel smiled. "Now that's what I wanted to hear"

….

The long day had ended and Aaron headed to the pub with Mark, Simon and Eric he was close to them all but to Mark more so, they worked together every day and Simon and Eric worked in a separate area in the mine but still close by that they were able to talk.

They laughed and joked as they crossed the road to the pub, as they entered they were greeted by the landlady. "Ahh, how's my mining boys doing today then?"

"Parched" Aaron grinned as he rested against the bar.

"Well then Mr. Livesy you've come to the right place"

Eric laughed as she walked away to tend to their drinks. "She so fancies you mate"

Aaron scoffed. "Yeah, right…and anyway…bit too old for me" the only part of their banter that he hated were times like this, talking about whom presumably fancied who and the jokes that went with it. He noticed Mark smirking at him. "What?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing" Mark replied, the smirk was still on his lips. "I'll go and grab a table before it gets busy"

"Might aswell go and join him I'll get this round" he offered, Simon and Eric thanked him and followed Mark. Aaron propped himself up on a bar stool and waited.

Minutes later he left the flustered land lady to ogle over him as he sauntered off to the table with their pints. "She looking then?" he asked.

"Oh yes, biting her lip and everything!" Simon grinned.

"Oh shut it you course she isn't!" he told him after whacking him on the arm as he sat down.

"Nah mate, she is" Mark told him and she was seems she really had taken a liking to Aaron.

"Ah come off it seriously" he complained as he side glanced in her direction. "She's old enough to be my mother"

"So you'd say no to a bit of action round the back then?" Eric asked.

"Well actually yeah"

"Liar!" Simon told him and he and Eric laughed but Mark however was watching Aaron's body language intently.

After a couple of pints the lads had loosened up and were having fun, Simon and Eric were at the bar getting the next round in. Aaron looked over at Mark and noticed him staring at him.

"I know, you know" Mark began

Aaron frowned. "I don't know what you mean"

"That you-…" he stopped and leaned in closer. "You know, like men" he said in a quiet voice.

Aaron sighed. "And do you have a problem with that?" he asked seriously.

"No" Mark smiled. "Not when the guy in front of me is damn fine"

Aaron raised his eyebrows. "Oh I-I see…"

"So no, I don't have a problem with it" he told him then motioned his head in the direction of their other two friends. "But they might"

"Well they won't find out from me"

"Me either"

"Cool" Aaron smiled but a worry was now placed in his mind, being called 'damn fine' by another man was something he had not expected. Life never seemed to cease in throwing curve balls at him it seemed, however though he wasn't going to let it spoil his night. "How long have you known?"

"A month or so…the look in your eyes when you see the other lads at work sometimes…I figured it out…and I don't blame you, they're attractive even in their scruffy gear…"

"And…" Aaron blew out a breath. "Am I included with them?"

"I called you fine, course you are" he told Aaron with a wink.

"A-alright…" Aaron began. "I'm getting the impression of what kind of person you are, a go getter and that's fine and yeah you're alright too, fine even" he frowned. "But just keep your distance alright, we're good mates let's keep it that way"

"Sure" Mark smiled.

An hour or so later Aaron was on his way to being extremely drunk, he was lost in his old, yet new world with his mates that he hadn't noticed Jackson enter the pub.

Jackson stood in front of the door and looked around the smoke filled room and saw Aaron sat with his mates having a drink and enjoying a cigarette, the noise from their table was loud from the banter and laughter. Jackson swallowed hard as it hit him that this was the world Aaron was used too, more comfortable in, why should he invade that? His insecurities instantly resurfaced and he turned quickly and left.

"Right" Simon said as he unsteadily rose to his feet. "I'm off otherwise the misses will kill me" he told them and Eric then rose to his feet too. "Yep, me too…"

"Oh erm…I-I better head off too…" Aaron started.

"Nah you stay, have another drink with Mark, can't be leaving him by himself now can we?" Eric laughed.

"Ha you're funny" Mark said with a playful frown.

"Yeah go on" Simon encouraged.

"Uh yeah, yeah alright then" he nodded and smiled hesitantly.

They said their goodbyes and moments later it was just Mark and Aaron. Aaron felt a little apprehensive to be alone with him but Mark had agreed to what he'd told him earlier. It would be fine Aaron told himself and it was, their conversation flowed fine and there wasn't any awkwardness. After a few more pints though Aaron got up "Now I really must be getting back" he slurred as he swayed slightly.

Mark chuckled. "You're not going anywhere by yourself" he told him as he got to his feet. "I'll walk you"

"No I'll be fine" he chuckled slightly, a way to hide his nerves that seemed to appear.

"If anything happens to you I won't forgive myself, so shut up and let me walk you"

Aaron stared at him then seconds later he made his decision and nodded, accepting Mark's help.

Outside in the cold night air both men began to walk but as they reached the alleyway that ran down the side of the tavern, Mark gently guided Aaron down it.

"Whoa!" Aaron panicked as he felt his back pushing up against a wall. "What are you doing?"

"I-I just want to talk, I'm not going to hurt you…no one will suspect now that we're down here" Mark told him.

"The place is dead anyway we would have been fine on the street"

"W-What you said earlier about keeping my distance…well…I don't think I can, Aaron…I've had my eye on you for some time"

Aaron sighed. "For god sake Mark you can't do this seriously…and to be honest I'm in no state to be having any kind of conversation, I can't even see you either its pitch black down here…which…" he swallowed hard. "Is slightly unnerving" as soon as the words left his mouth Aaron felt Mark's lips on his own, a strangers lips. Aaron closed his lips tightly and grumbled slightly at the intrusion and in the darkness he felt Mark right in front of him, too close for his liking and he began to push him away but it was a bit of a struggle but eventually Aaron pushed Mark away and Aaron stumbled back out into the light of the street.

Mark followed him.

"What the hell was that!" Aaron demanded as he wiped his lips ferociously.

"You know what that was!"

Aaron sighed. "No! Don't do that! If you managed to figure me out then you should have clicked that my brother isn't in fact my brother at all!"

Mark nodded. "Yeah what about him?"

"Ah god, come on! You can't go around doing that just because youlike someone"

"Why not?" Mark shrugged.

"Because I love him you idiot! I can't believe you just did that. I'm not single, remember that!" Aaron warned with the point of his finger and then he turned and walked unsteadily in the direction of home but Mark decided to follow.

"I've seen the way you look at me Aaron"

Aaron scrunched his face. "I haven't looked at you in any way!"

"I-It's only a matter of time until you give in"

"Oh get a grip of yourself"

Mark began to run after him and grabbed his arm and spun Aaron around. Aaron glared at the grip of his hand around his arm then glared up at him; there was no distance between them "What? You gunna try it on are you?" Aaron asked as he began to feel Mark's hand groping his crotch area.

Aaron lowered his head, shaking it as he clenched his jaw. He didn't have the energy to react like he would have normally, the effect of the alcohol relaxed him too much but then again he wasn't expecting a situation like this.

"Hmm" Mark smiled. "You haven't moved yet…"

Aaron swallowed hard. "I-I-I" he stuttered, the feel of the groping motions distracted him but he had to try and at least think and move away. "I don't think the bosses would be very impressed by having a man down when you tell them you have two broken hands now will they?" They just stared at each other. "Remove your hands from me now or I will break them"

Mark sighed and stepped back, removing his hold on Aaron at the same time. "I'm sorry"

"No, I don't think you are" Aaron spat angrily at him and walked away.

…

Jackson jumped up off the sofa when he heard the front door open. As he walked to the hallway he checked the time, it was gone one am. He sighed and shook his head, but he suddenly sensed Aaron's riled up state. "Aaron?"

"Yep" he replied sharply as he hung up his work jacket.

"You okay?"

"Oh yeah, peachy" he replied sarcastically as he rubbed his head and sighed. He then made a move for the stairs. "I'm going to have a quick shower then go to bed"

"Yeah…" Jackson frowned. "Alright…good night?"

"Suppose yeah"

"It's nearly half one Aaron"

Aaron shrugged as he stopped halfway up. "And? You didn't have to stay up; I'm not some kid who needs babysitting"

"If I was babysitting you Aaron I'd have been out keeping an eye on you but I wasn't" he chose not to tell him how close he was to surprising him earlier in the evening.

Aaron sighed loudly. "They had a lock in alright; I got swept up in the fun"

"Again" Jackson said with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh I can't be doing with this right now; I'm going for a shower"

"Is that a good idea? You're smashed"

Aaron shrugged again as he continued to make his way up the stairs. "I don't know Jackson why don't you start the babysitting now eh?"

"What the hell has got into you?!" he called up after him.

Aaron's response however was the slam of the bathroom door.

TBC…