Face to Face
Part 5
What was that Jackson had just said? Aaron was certain he hadn't heard him right. He'd better make sure, "What?"
Jackson sat forward in his chair and rested his arms on the table, unconsciously closing the distance between him and the younger man. "I said me maybe!"
Aaron had made a fool of himself before where Jackson was concerned. They'd been at Bar West and the older man had said he was leaving early and heading home. Aaron had thought it an invitation to join him and had been embarrassed on realising his mistake. So embarrassed he'd done a runner. Jackson had followed and done his best to soothe his ruffled pride. He had to be sure he wasn't making another such mistake now. "You? As in you and me?"
"Yeah" Jackson grinned, he like the surprised, not quite able to believe it look, on Aaron's face, he looked particularly cute right at that moment and also it was another reminder of just how vulnerable he was.
"After everything I've done?" Aaron still wasn't convinced. Knowing what he did about him why would Jackson want to get involved with someone so messed up, someone who made a habit of messing up?
"You know what you did was wrong and you regret it. You had your reasons and I can understand them. But you can't let them rule or ruin your life. You are going to have to work through your problems and accept that you can't do it alone. If you're willing to do that, then I'm willing to pick up where we left off...you know, that kiss outside Bar West!"
Aaron felt a rush of colour to his cheeks, he'd thought a lot about that kiss recently, but he'd not dared hope he'd experience the same thrill again anytime soon.
God! Could the boy get any cuter? Jackson thought as he witnessed Aaron blush. Reining in his lustful thoughts he said, "We take it slowly, see how it goes and if it doesn't work out then we walk away friends. Ok?"
"Ok." Aaron said as a smile lit up his face.
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Paddy checked his watch again, 'Quarter past nine!' He'd given them enough time hadn't he? He couldn't be sure and spent the next five minutes arguing with himself about it. He'd been hopeful at first but sitting there alone and fretting he'd started to think the worst. He was worried that things weren't going too smoothly over at Smithy Cottage and that he'd be needed to step in and pull the plug. Sometimes it was better to have a clean break rather than go round in circles looking for something that wasn't there. He got to his feet, tucked his paper under his arm and strolled up towards the main road.
He thought he heard a door opening and looked up to see Jackson walking towards his van. The young man smiled over at him and waved before driving off.
He'd looked happy enough, a lot happier than he'd looked when he'd first arrived. Paddy watched the van until it disappeared around the corner then turned his attention back to his still open doorway. Aaron was standing there, seemingly waiting for him to return. Only Aaron wasn't smiling, but then neither was he frowning or looking in any way down. In fact his expression was difficult to read.
As he drew closer Paddy thought he could see a hint of devilment in Aaron's eyes.
"I was just about to send out a search party, we thought you'd got lost! Honestly Paddy, could you have been any more obvious?"
There was something different about Aaron. Something in his posture, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It seemed something positive had happened in his absence and Paddy was eager to know what. Reaching the doorway he said theatrically, "Well, a man's got to do what a man's got to do."
The young man rolled his eyes and groaned then turned around and walked towards the kitchen.
'Oh no you don't' Paddy thought to himself, 'if he thinks he's going into that living room and watching the football highlights on tv now, then he's sadly mistaken. Instilling some parental authority into his voice he called after the younger man, "Oi! Sit. Now!
Aaron immediately stopped in his tracks and looked back at Paddy, the older man was pointing determinedly at a chair and Aaron knew he seriously expected his order to be obeyed. Paddy obviously wanted to be filled in on what had happened and Aaron had every intention of doing so but not before he'd rebelled a little, "You talking to me or Clyde?"
"Clyde and me have already had one long and meaningful this morning so that rules him out!"
"You had a long and meaningful with a dog?" Aaron enjoyed this kind of bantering with Paddy, it had become a friendly game between them, only from the look on Paddy's face he didn't seem all that keen on playing it this morning.
Admitting defeat Aaron pulled out and sat on the chair he'd not long since vacated and waited for Paddy to join him.
Once seated, Paddy eyed his young friend intently, "Well?"
Still not quite ready to talk about him and Jackson Aaron pretended to be pondering a question before saying, "Something that holds a lot of water!"
"What? Oh very funny! But don't you go giving up your day job, the comedy circuit isn't quite ready for a wit that sharp" Paddy sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, "I could torture it out of you, you know. And it so happens I have a drug in my bag that's of a similar makeup to the truth drug, sodium pentothal. I could always give you a dose of that to help loosen your tongue!"
"Really?" Aaron was impressed, he hadn't realised a vets bag contained stuff like that.
"No! But I'm pretty sure I could get my hands on some if I needed to."
Aaron smiled, Paddy had won that round. "Ok, I'll talk but how about you put the kettle on? Talking's thirsty work." The young man's smile grew wider on realising where he'd heard that comment before.
Five minutes later Paddy was placing two cups of tea on the table, along with a plateful of biscuits. Aaron liked to dunk and the habit had rubbed off on him too. As the younger man reached for a chocolate digestive, Paddy slapped his hand away, "You can't talk with a mouthful of soggy biscuit; you can have one when and only when you've told me what I want to hear!"
"So you're resorting to torture?"
"Like I said before...."
"I know, I know, a man's got to do and all that crap! Ok we talked."
"About?"
"Everything...well not everything, but we cleared the air a little and ....shit! I didn't apologise! I meant to and he knew I was sorry and everything but I never actually got around to doing it."
"Maybe next time, if there were to be a next time?" Paddy fished . "You could apologise then?"
"Yeah if there were to be a next time."
"And is there?" Paddy demanded his patience finally running out.
Aaron fought down the temptation to say 'is there what' and instead said, "Yeah, there's going to be a next time."
Heaving a relieved sigh Paddy eyed the antagonist sitting across the table and said "It's like getting blood out of a stone! I'm supposed to be doing the torturing not you. Now fess up!"
"Fess up?"
"Aaron!" Paddy barked,
"Ok, ok. He's picking me up at eight tomorrow night."
Paddy smiled broadly, he was pleased beyond measure to hear Jackson had decided to give Aaron another chance. And the very fact Aaron hadn't chosen to go into town and meet up with him there, well away from the all seeing eyes of the village was another reason to be happy. The young man had reached another milestone.
TBC