AARON & JACKSON

-1912-

"Unsinkable?"


-Monday 15th April 12.05am-

With the lights low they partially lit up the room and the dark oak wood paneling that covered the walls giving the first class suite a very cosy feel; but with the paintings on the walls it cast a mysterious feel to the atmosphere also. Hazel sat at her dresser, dressed in a long night gown. In her hand was a photo album it was opened up and she stared down at it – tears dropped down onto the photo of Jackson. She sighed quietly and wiped her cheeks quickly. Hazel got to her feet and placed the album down onto her dressing table and walked towards the door of her bedroom and walked out into the more central area of their suite, a large lounge essentially and she was surprised to see Samantha still awake and sitting on the sofa.

Samantha took in a breath and realized it slowly as she stared down at her clasped hands. She knew Hazel was there and ever since the revelation of Jackson's sexuality had come out, their relationship had become frosty to say the least. She cleared her throat and a frown washed over her face as she thought. "I...I guess I should come out and say this because to be quite frank I haven't had a chance what with dealing with losing the man I love..."

Samantha's tone was grave and Hazel knew what was coming, she looked up at the ceiling as if asking for strength from a higher power, she didn't believe in anything like that but still, she did it. "I know what you're going to say"

"Oh?" Samantha turned her head slightly to Hazel's direction.

Hazel nodded and stepped forward in front of the sofa where the younger woman was sat. "How angry you are that I knew all along..."

Samantha scoffed and nodded her head. "You could put it like that yeah, how could you?"

Hazel closed her eyes for a second and bit her lip. She opened her eyes and looked at Sam. "He...He's my son Samantha, I-I thought it was a phase, that it wasn't real...I thought I could make sure he wouldn't turn out...gay" she grimaced, she hated saying the word.

"But he is, and you could have told me sooner"

"And you would hurt less would you not?"

Samantha bowed her head again. "Of course I wouldn't" she answered with a sigh. "Funny thing is" she looked up with a smile. "I don't hate him" she began to laugh. "I hate you. Jackson can't help who he's attracted to, and I admire him, it makes me love him just that little more...the courage it would have taken, can you begin to comprehend how scared he must have been just at the thought of telling me?" Hazel bowed her head sheepishly; she knew she had done wrong. Sam, however did not care she carried on. "And you! I bet you loved pressuring him, making him think he was something he was not, and then there's Aaron, what you had plann-"

"I KNOW! I know alright, I'm well aware of the mistakes I've made" Hazel argued back.

Sam frowned, disgusted by her. She stood up. "Mistakes? More than that wouldn't you say? And don't say you did it for me either because that isn't possible, you did it all for you, yourself...you Hazel are selfish"

With that Hazel reached out and slapped her but quickly realised the error and placed her hand over her mouth. "I-I'm so sorry" she mumbled.

"Tell that to Jackson and Aaron!" Sam bit back with a raised voice as she nursed the stinging flesh on her cheek. "They need the apology"

"I already spoke to Jackson" Hazel told her sadly and judging by Sam's shocked reaction she certainly wasn't expecting that revelation. "And?" she asked sharply.

"And it ended up with us both reaching common ground" she sighed and rubbed her forehead. "He's gone to him, I can't see him with a man...he said he understood"

That disgusted Sam and she began to pace the floor. "So, you risk not seeing him EVER again because you are too set in your ways?"

"Says you who has very strong opinions on every person that passes by you..."

Sam sighed and shook her head.

"You know it's true, you are just as bad as me"

"Recent events have forced me to see things differently...why can't you?"

Hazel was dead set on replying but she was interrupted by a loud knock on the door and then it opened, one of the stewards stood in the doorway. "I'm sorry to bother you both but you need to put on your lifebelts and come up to the boat deck, captain's orders"

Samantha sighed and turned away from them both.

"Whatever for?" Hazel asked.

The steward blinked a few times, a nervous twitch he'd had for years. He knew the truth but was told not to alert passengers, they didn't want a panic. Scenes on the upper decks differed dramatically to those down below.

...

Screaming, shouting, bodies fleeing by in a blind panic, that's all Aaron could see and hear as he sat knelt down on his knees holding Adam up against him.

"AARON!" Jackson shouted. "We have to go!"

"I already told you Jackson, I'm not going anywhere!" he replied angrily through gritted teeth.

Jackson sighed, they were on E Deck, they were in a corridor that ran the length of the deck, the passageway had been nicknamed Scotland road by many of the crew and it was labelled as that by signs up ahead. Jackson's heart began to beat fast; he swore he could see water further down the corridor, as far as he could see anyway. "AARON!"

Aaron just sat shaking his head and then suddenly he began to shake Adam. "Wake up! Come on, don't you dare do this to me!" he raged but Jackson could see how strong their bond as friends had become in such a short space of time just by Aaron's determined tone.

Jackson looked around again, the corridor was quieter now and it was water; it was inevitable. He sighed and closed his eyes tight, it had to be a nightmare things like this didn't happen, not on a maiden voyage, it couldn't... He let out a deep breath, he was frustrated and he quickly knelt down to Aaron's eye level and shook him. "Do you have any idea what is happening here!" Jackson yelled, but not out of malice, it was out of love. "This ship is filling with water Aaron and we can't stay on this deck any longer, if we do we'll die, there's no two ways about it, that's the brutal truth. Now get the hell up!"

Aaron suddenly began to get upset and Jackson felt terrible. "I-I didn't-"

"But what about him?" Aaron sobbed.

Jackson bit his lip, the prospect of lugging Adam on his back to safety wasn't something he wanted to do, or believed he could see through. He let out a sigh and stood up, reached down and lifted Adam off of Aaron and flung him over his shoulder.

Aaron frowned, pleased but that came as a surprise, he rose to his feet as he watched Jackson readjust Adam carefully over his shoulder. "D-Do you have any idea how far we have to go?" he asked as he wiped his eyes.

Jackson nodded. "Yeah, course I do and no offence but you need more muscles before I'd even let you carry him" he joked but his expressions softened and he reached out to Aaron's hand and squeezed it.

"That's why I hadn't already done it..." he said as he lowered his head.

"Hey..." he soothed as he rubbed the back of Aaron's hand with his thumb.

"No...No...I-I'd have had to have left him here, alone" Aaron broke down and dropped his head in his hands.

"It's a good job I'm here then...but you have to know, if he doesn't come around soon or if the worst comes to worse I will have to leave him, I know that sounds horrible but..." Jackson shrugged slightly and looked away.

"No...no I-I-I know..." Aaron's sadness overwhelmed him and he looked at Jackson with teary eyes. "I'm such a saddo" he grumbled.

"You're reacting normally actually" Jackson smiled and then turned and they began to walk.

"But you, you're..." Aaron asked, confusion filling his tone.

Jackson chuckled. "I'm sure I'll have my moments"

...

After walking for several minutes along the corridor they finally came to a stairwell, Jackson had an idea and began to move Adam from his shoulders. "Listen...there's some rooms down here I can look in for a lifebelt, he's gunna need one" Jackson was now holding Adam in his arms. "You have to do this Aaron, just take him up to the next level, he'll be safe there, and I'll only be a few minutes"

"I'm not leaving you"

"You won't be, come back if you want" Jackson said with a smile and then extended his arms, and Adam for Aaron to take. "He's not that heavy, remember you can do it"

Aaron nervously nodded and took hold of Adam then looked back up at Jackson and gave a soft smile before turning away and walking up the steps slowly, it was difficult carrying another body but as long as he was still breathing he'd stay with him.

Once Aaron had left Jackson turned and walked a few metres down the corridor to the first room he came too, he took hold of the handle and flung the door open harshly, he walked in and the door bounced off a wooden unit and slammed shut. Jackson quickly searched the room, pulled everything apart, looked behind furniture, there was nothing. He stopped still and looked around; a shudder went through him when he saw water slowly creeping in from underneath the door. He walked to the wardrobe standing in a corner and reached on top, still nothing, his eyes darted around and he saw a drawer on the bottom of the wardrobe, he leaned down and opened it. His smile was wide as he pulled out the lifebelt. Not bothering to close the drawer he stood straight and walked back to the door, he turned the handle and pulled. He frowned instantly, his heart began to pound in his chest and a wave of heat rushed over him, panic. The door wasn't budging, he quickly fiddled with the lock but nothing was working. He stared in horror at the door and stepped back, still staring at it until he broke his gaze and looked down at the water circling his ankles. "Oh shit..."


TBC...