Work Text:
Pearl gave Jackson a big kiss on the cheek and said her goodbyes as Hazel followed her out of the house.
Aaron sat down on the bed opposite Jackson, and Jackson shouted, “I am not wearing one of her dodgy tops!” “Should have said you were allergic to wool or summat.” Aaron said with a slight grin on his face.
Jackson smirked, “You thought I woulda said that, wouldn’t ya... Div.” Aaron looked dumbfounded.
The two boys sat in silence for what seemed like hours, neither of them really knowing what to say to each other. It had been getting like this for a while, both of them waiting for the awkward silence to pass, or for Hazel to just barge in on them and help move the muted conversation along.
“I’m back boys.”
“Right on cue -” Aaron mused as Hazel re-entered the house.
“Pearl’s settled at home now, wanted me to stay for a cuppa, but I said to myself, I said Hazel, if you stay for one cup, you stay for two, then three, then pretty soon she’ll bring out the sherry and you’ll be on the floor. So I made my excuses and made a quick exit.” Hazel bellowed.
Jackson and Aaron both tried to pull their best ‘I’m acting interested, but I’m really not interested’ faces. But they failed miserably.
“Right... I’m not sure if this is ‘sexual’ tension, or just tension, but I can tell when I’m not wanted... so I’ll be upstairs if you need me.” Hazel made her way up the stairs, as Aaron took his jacket off and chucked it over the back of the chair in the corner of the room. Before they had time for the awkward silence to fill the room again, Jackson spoke.
“Come on then, how was your night?”
“Oh, not much to tell, quite boring... let’s just leave it, yeah?”
“Fine! But it would be nice for the pair of us to actually have a conversation. Not just you leaving me sat on me tod in bloody silence.”
Aaron didn’t know what to say. Ever since the accident, all he could think to say was ‘what's up?’ and ‘how are you feeling?’
Jackson was just shaking his head, “You could at least look at me, Aaron!”
So he did. Aaron lifted his face that was previously staring into his lap, and looked up at his boyfriends face. Just staring into those gorgeous eyes made him feel better. He could feel the warmth and comfort emulating from him. Then he looked straight at Jackson’s cheek and all he could do was laugh.
“What so funny?” Jackson looked perplexed.
“It’s just... uhm, I guess when Pearl left...” Aaron tried getting out in-between giggles.
“What?” Jackson said, getting frustrated, but also couldn’t stop the smile forming on his face from seeing his boyfriend laugh.
“I think when Pearl left you that great big smacker of a kiss, she also left you with a cheek full of lipstick. Looks like you’ve been smothered half to death by a freaking clown.” Aaron didn’t know why he found it so funny, but at least Jackson was smiling, and that was something he hadn’t seen in a long time. It was fantastic to see him smile.
“Well, come here and get it off then.” Jackson said, moving his head around, trying to see the lipstick.
“Nah - I think I might leave it. Maybe Joe can see it in the morning, he’ll think you’ve got yourself a girlfriend. Plus it looks sweet, like when I get kissed from Nana Dingle. But if that lipstick was on your mouth, I tell you what... you might look majorly hot... for a friggin’ transvestite.”
“Aaron!” Jackson said in the most demanding tone he could attempt from his beaming face.
“Fine... come here...”
Aaron leaned forward and brought Jackson’s chair closer to the bed, so that Jackson’s face was literally inches from his own. He lifted his hand to his boyfriends face, and placed his fingers on his cheek. He began a slow motion on Jackson’s cheek, gliding the lipstick gently off his face.
Jackson and Aaron were staring into each others eyes throughout. They hadn’t felt this kind of connection for some time, and for the first time in a long time, even if just for those few seconds, they felt like a proper couple again. The two boys were smiling at each other as Aaron casually moved his fingers to Jackson’s perfect lips.
“Kiss me.” Jackson said.
“You sure?” Aaron asked, a little uneasy.
“I wouldn’t have said it else, dumbo... kiss me!”
So Aaron leaned forward and gently placed their lips together. The kiss was soft and tender, or as tender as Aaron could do, but for that moment the kiss was perfect. They seemed to be going for days, but it was only seconds. It wasn’t until Aaron attempted to use his tongue that Jackson pulled back.
Their faces were flushed, but they didn’t care. In their eyes, every kiss they shared was perfect.
“You know how much I love you, don’t you?” Jackson whispered, as his breath blew over Aaron’s face.
“Yeah... and if I have to say it... Jackson I...”
“Don’t say it, not yet, not if you don’t mean it.”
Aaron looked at his boyfriend, but even then he couldn’t say he loved him. He still didn’t know what love meant, but he knew that he cared about Jackson. Cared about him enough to know that he would never want to hurt him, by telling him about what really happened in the club that night.
Instead, Aaron removed Jackson from his chair, leaned down and picked him up. He was heavy but Aaron didn’t really notice. He placed Jackson on top of the bed and then positioned himself on top of him, placing his hands either side of his head and moving his face closer.
“Aaron, we need to talk...” Jackson started.
“No - no we don’t...” Aaron interrupted him.
“But mate...” Aaron placed a finger over his mouth.
“Shut up for a minute. Me and you, Jackson... that’s it. That’s all we need to talk about. I wanna forget everything else. The fighting, the arguing, the accident - tonight - everything... I want us to forget it, cause none of it matters. What matters, is the two of us together, and the rest of the world can fuck off for all I care.”
Jackson and Aaron smiled at each other.
“Now I want you to lean up and kiss me... and never stop!” Aaron said, with hope in his eyes.
The two boys leaned in and kissed, a kiss that showed them both what love really meant. Just being together was all the love they needed.
The End.