AARON & JACKSON

-1912-

"Breaking Through"

Silence that's all there was as he stood with his hands gripped onto the door handle; the water was now knee high and it was freezing, probably nought degrees, maybe even over. Jackson was beginning to panic and he yanked the door handle some more but it wasn't budging and time certainly was not on his side, the water would rise quickly and when that happened...well he tried not thinking about that.

...

Aaron successfully made it to safety and lowered Adam gently down onto the deck. Aaron's eyes widened in shock when he saw him starting to come around. "Adam! Jesus mate!" he exclaimed and let out a sigh of relief.

Adam's head was banging, he'd never felt so groggy in his life. His eyes were narrowed, the lights was too bright. "What happened?"

"You're alright mate just sit still for a sec...We found you unconscious, we think you were trampled on, probably banged your head. You've been out for a little while but you're awake so I'm guessing you're going to be okay..."

"And you, you carried me...?" he asked as he looked around, he immediately knew he was somewhere else.

"Jackson did, I carried you up here while he went to find you a lifebelt..."

"What? He's wasting time mate, I'm a good swimmer I'll be fine"

Aaron sighed and closed his eyes for a split second. "Not really the point is it?" he asked. "Listen just stay put I'm going to find him"

Adam nodded and watched Aaron go.

When Aaron reached the top of the stairwell he began walking down it quickly, rounded a corner then another before he stopped dead in his tracks. Water had now risen above the first five steps from the bottom. "Jackson what you doing we've gotta go!" he yelled. He heard a muffled reply but he couldn't make out what was being said. Looks like I'm going in then he thought, he grimaced and pulled a face as he stepped down into the water, as if that was going to help ease the transition into the freezing water. It didn't and he felt the air in his lungs being scooped up and thrown aside, he let out audible shuddering noises as he lowered his body further into the water with each step he took. The water only reached his waist when he stepped onto the deck but even that was enough, he didn't like it one bit. "JACKSON!" he shouted again and Jackson's reply sounded closer. Aaron then quickly began to plough through the water using his arms as leverage to push himself onward, he placed his ear against a door. "Jackson where are you?"

"In here!" he replied but the sound wasn't coming from the door Aaron was standing at, but he was close. He pushed himself further along the water filled corridor some more before he came to another door. "Jackson"

"You're getting closer!" Jackson yelled and slammed his fist on the door.

Aaron quickly looked ahead when he heard the banging, it was the next room and he continued walking through the water which wasn't an easy task. Seconds later he stopped at the door and grabbed hold of the handle and pushed, but like Jackson's reaction, he frowned, then he pushed harder. "It-It's not opening!"

Jackson closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the door, he let out a breath. "It won't open" he told him quietly.

Aaron began to panic and he started to kick the door but the force of the water fought against his strikes, essentially softening each blow to the door he made.

"You have to go!"

"NO!" Aaron yelled back in reply as he tried barging into the door with his shoulder, putting all of his strength into it, as he hit it Aaron saw a gap between the door and the frame but it was only millimetres.

"Aaron listen to me, I'm done for..."

"No!" Aaron shouted angrily, he hated what Jackson had just said and he knew that what he might have continued to say would have broken his heart. "Just shut up! You're not done for cause somehow..." he said as he looked around the corridor. "Somehow I'm going to get you out of there!" he called to him.

"We haven't got any time!"

"Yes we have Jackson just please stop, after everything, after everything we've been through already to get to this point there is no way I'm giving up and neither are you, are you listening?" he demanded.

Jackson closed his eyes and nodded against the door, he cleared his throat. "Yes, yes I hear you..."

"Right, I've got to look for something to pry this door open, I'll be back" Aaron told him then stepped away from the door and started to wade through the water once more.

"Aaron!"

Aaron stopped and turned to face the door.

"I love you" Jackson told him.

Aaron smiled but it quickly faded, the realisation that there was an evident possibility that he might not be able to help Jackson hurt him, but those words of love gave him the strength to overcome that damned door and to free his boyfriend. "I-I love you too" Aaron called back as tears ran down his face. He wiped them away quickly and continued on as fast as he possibly could...

A life together, a life full of love, that life shared with difficult times but was casted upon with humour – Jackson's humour, the man that could light up a room when he walked in it, a man who saw the best in people but who like Aaron struggled on together as an unseen couple, they lived together, in a flat in the city of New York, the official documents list them as flat mates, if people had any idea that they even shared a bedroom never mind what they actually did in the bed the locals would probably try and lynch them. Despite their daily struggles their love remained strong, ups and downs came but love was always present. A long full life together, in secrecy yes but it was best that way.

A possible version of their life flashed before Aaron's eyes as he forced himself through the icy water to a point on the wall which housed an axe. He'd never handled one before but what he was using it for didn't entail striking a specific area he was just going to use it as a wedge in the door and then hoped the door would just bust, he smashed the glass case with a fist, causing himself to bleed but he was too cold to feel it, he grabbed the axe and headed back to Jackson. The water was up to his neck now and walking became a major struggle he had to swim but he soon found out that wasn't as easy as he thought, the cold water inhibited the use of his arms and legs, they'd been submerged long enough to begin feeling numb and stiff, he still swam but it took more energy out of him than walking through it. His jaw jittered as he swam forward back to the locked door that desperately needed opening, he'd never been so cold in his life it was painful.

...

With an air of annoyance Hazel strode onto the boat deck with Samantha, neither of them had spoken since being interrupted by the steward. They dressed and under instruction put on their lifebelts and left their suite. All they could see were ship personnel preparing lifeboats. "This is ridiculous, they call us out of our cabins in the middle of the night and there's only a few others around...the rest of the passengers have the right idea" Hazel ranted and began to turn back. "I'm going back"

Samantha shook her head and rolled her eyes. "HAZEL! For once can you please just listen to what people tell you? They are preparing the lifeboats; something has obviously happened that has forced them to take such an action"

Hazel sighed and turned back to face Samantha "I'm going to find the captain!"

"Oh yes of course, is there anybody on this ship you don't know?" she eyed her with annoyance as Hazel walked away, who was obviously refusing to bite back.

Moments later Hazel found Captain Smith and without her nice introductions as usual she grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around. "Edward what is going on? This is ridiculous"

The captain sighed, a saddened expression on his face. "We're preparing the lifeboats for immediate evacuation of all women and children; first of course, they are priority"

Hazel frowned. "May I ask why?"

Edward then frowned himself. "You didn't feel it?"

Hazel shook her head, now rightfully confused. Edward then stepped out of her view to the side, and outstretched his arm. Hazel took the invitation and walked forward when she reached the end of the deck she could now fully see the bow of the ship almost submerged. Her eyes widened, the first person she thought of was Jackson; Aaron's third class cabin was situated down below in the bow section, tears immediately ran from her eyes.

"Now you see Miss Rhodes why my orders are important and not ridiculous"

Hazel nodded slightly, still staring out in disbelief. "Y-yes of course" she replied and wiped her eyes and turned to face him. "Now I see I understand, but many people are indoors, your officers have a job on their hands to get as many people as they can out here and in those boats"

"I've given the order to gather them all - again"

Hazel nodded; she saw in his eyes the guilt he felt, a long successful career shattered by a reckless decision to speed up despite ice warnings, ice warnings that Hazel had heard about. She looked at him in sympathy, what would become of him if he survived? She dreaded to think.

...

Aaron was under the water in front of the door, before going under he told Jackson to pull on the door as hard as he could, once under he could see he was doing just that by the tiny gap in the doorframe, he had to be as quick as he could they both couldn't hold their breaths for too long. Under the water he wedged the blade of the axe in the gap trying to pry away the latch from its hole in the door frame. After seconds of working away the latch strips of wood flaked away and floated by, giving Aaron the boost to keep going he struggled through, holding himself in place by a mere grasp of the doorframe with his fingertips as his body naturally wanted to float.

He couldn't hold his breath any longer and with one last push of the axe he left it lodged in the door. Air escaped his lungs as he rose to the top; he just hoped there was still a top. "Jackson!" he shouted breathlessly once he reached the air.

"I-I'm here-" Jackson spluttered then coughed as he wiped the salty water from his eyes. "I'm scared Aaron, it's not gunna work I'm going to die here"

"No! You're not! We can't argue about this, we have to keep going and this time I don't intend on leaving this corridor unless you're with me, got it?"

Jackson smiled at his words, Aaron was so committed, so driven by love, that love which gave him a confidence, strength to see this through. He owed him that himself by getting back under and pulling that door open.

With both sets of lungs rejuvenated with air, both boys swam back under, Jackson immediately started pulling the handle aggressively, yanking hard at it while Aaron pushed the blade of the axe. It seemed like nothing was going to work until Aaron fell to the side when the wooden handle of the axe snapped, the next thing he saw was Jackson swimming out of the room. His eyes widened he couldn't believe what he was seeing, it worked! He'd celebrate later, he smiled at Jackson and waved his arm for him to follow then Aaron started to swim toward the stairwell. When they reached it the first set of steps were underwater, safety was finally within their sights but Aaron began to panic when he felt like he couldn't breathe any longer, he blew out some air and increased his pace, his feet touched the steps and he quickly began to crawl up into the air.

Once out of the water, Aaron fell onto his backside and sat at the top with his hand reaching into the water for Jackson to take, he felt his boyfriend's strong hands on his almost instantly and he pulled him up. Jackson fell onto Aaron, causing him to fall back. Jackson lay across his chest as he inhaled desperately; Aaron could feel his chest rising up and down against his own, he wrapped his arms around him quickly, needing to feel him.

Jackson looked up at Aaron who was lying with his eyes closed also recovering from the ordeal. "Thank you...thank you" he gasped as he moved off him and to his side. Aaron sat up and placed his hand around Jackson's neck and pulled him close, he could feel the water had reached the level they were sat on as he kissed his lips passionately. "Anytime" he whispered, their foreheads rested against one another's, both of them were shaking from the cold. "Come on we can't stay here" he added then got to his feet, pulling Jackson to his and they both turned and ran up the rest of the stairwell.

As they ran Aaron stopped, worry washing over his face. "Wh-Where Is he?"

"Adam?" Jackson asked.

He nodded quickly. "I left him here...he was coming around when I left him"

"He's probably gone to a safer area..." Jackson tried to reason, it was plausible.

"Yeah but this place isn't safe" Aaron sighed and rubbed his forehead. Jackson could see and feel the worry oozing from his boyfriend and placed a comforting hand on Aaron's shoulder.

"Listen to me, I know he's your mate, he's a good lad, clued up...he had to do whatever he needed too in this situation, he couldn't sit there forever...and now we, Aaron need to do what we have too, I'm sure he'll be fine"

Jackson's words hit a chord with Aaron and he agreed, it made sense, he nodded and they started walking up the last flight, stars were visible. "Yeah you're right, sorry"

"No need to- oh my.." Jackson stopped in his tracks as they reached the top. He was the first to see the devastation. Behind them both was the bow of the ship, well...the last five or so metres, the rest was gone, completely underwater. Aaron swallowed hard and he turned around to look at the rest of the ship, from where they were they could see a slight rise, nothing that would affect anything yet, but it would the ship was being slowly pulled under from the bow.

"Oh Jesus Jackson, what the hell..."

"Don't think about it, come on let's go..." Jackson advised and they walked away quickly. Although the boys had no idea of the relaxed atmosphere on the upper decks earlier it seemed passengers had gotten the message and as many as possible were now filling the boat deck, waiting for the lifeboats to be launched; crowded it certainly was, so many people it was frightening.

"Right listen Jackson..." Aaron's tone was urgent as they marched on quickly, through the crowds. "Whatever happens, and I mean whatever" Jackson nodded. "Don't let go of my hand, if I lost you...I...I..." Aaron stopped and sighed, Jackson tightened the grip on his hand.

"I won't, and we're going to be fine..." he smiled but doubt however crept into his mind, worry that they would not be okay, fear even but he tried his best to hide it. "Me and you, we need to experience that life together remember? Just me and you" his smile remained and he winked at Aaron.

Aaron smirked as they continued walking along the boat deck in search of a boat that was possibly letting men on. The odds of that happening were low however, but they could try. Fears weren't going to stop Jackson from trying to keep himself and Aaron alive, not a chance.

TBC...