AARON & JACKSON

-1912-

"Safe In My Heart"

Hi guys thanks for your continued support from reading and reviewing or both it means a lot. Just to let you know there is a similarity in this chapter to that of the movie.

Jackson could feel a lot of air bubbles around him as the suction from the Titanic threatened to pull him under, but with his slight head start he wasn't pulled deep enough for there to be any danger. He kicked for the surface but what seemed like forever was only a few seconds and Jackson reappeared above the water gasping for air and flapped around in the freezing water in a panic as he got his bearings. He was one of fifteen hundred people in the sea, one life just as important as the person near him, sadly however many people around him were already dead or were fading quickly and there was nothing he could do. Screams and helpless cries filled the area and he heard the words "Return the boats!" being yelled from quite a distance. Jackson had no lifebelt on him but he was able to keep himself afloat, he spun in a circle looking for anyone that could be Aaron. He let out a heavy sigh and yelled for him. "AARON!" he dropped his head in frustration as he realised the chances of finding him among all of these people.

Aaron frowned, he'd heard his name being called and despite feeling weak he began to swim in the direction of the voice and he was aware that he may not be the only Aaron in the water but he had high hopes it was Jackson. He hoped to god it was.

Jackson shuddered in the water, he knew this was going to be the outcome but to prepare himself for it, he realised he couldn't possibly have. His jaw slowly began to ache from his chattering teeth, he looked around in the darkness and several metres away he saw something floating on the water, he frowned and lunged himself forward and began to swim.

Aaron fell forward in the water, his weakened state worsened by the minute but the ice water on his face forced him back to reality, he was alert again for however long it would last and he picked up the pace as best he could. "JACKSON!" he screamed out until his throat hurt. "JACKSON!" he yelled again after catching a breath.

Jackson turned quickly as he grabbed hold of the large chunk of debris; he was frowning as he searched for the familiar voice, the voice of the man he loved. His eyes widened as he saw splashes of water up ahead, his heart began to race and the only reason it did was because the area he was in was sadly much quieter than the rest of the site of survivors. "Aaron" Jackson spoke with a raised voice.

"Oh god, oh god…i-it's me…" Aaron told him as he began to cry as he swam toward him.

Jackson couldn't move, he was too stunned too, but when he felt Aaron's body up against his and his arms wrapped around his neck he wrapped his free arm around him tightly.

"I-I thought you were…"

Jackson shook his head as Aaron pulled away and looked him right in the eyes and Jackson burst into tears and kissed him with such passion there was no doubt of his love for Aaron. "Are you okay?"

"I'm tired Jackson, everything aches"

Jackson nodded quickly. "Right, come on get on this…I'll help you"

Aaron placed his hands on the large piece of wooden debris and began to pull himself up. Jackson pushed himself under the water and grabbed Aaron's legs and lifted him up giving him a boost. Aaron was out of the water and rolled on his stomach to see where Jackson was. He waited with baited breath. "You better get back up here or I swe-" he stopped as soon as Jackson reappeared, both boys let out a deep breath, Jackson's for air and Aaron's for relief. "Don't do that again" Aaron warned.

Jackson shook his head. "I don't plan to…immense brain freeze" he explained as he shut his eyes tight and rubbed his temples with his free hand, his other clinging onto the debris. He opened his eyes again and smiled at Aaron, he was safe…well it was better than being in the water at least. "Yo-you just stay there, you'll be alright…"

"You're getting on this too…" Aaron said and Jackson shook his head. "Err why?" he demanded.

"Because you'll end up right back in the water"

"You haven't even tried!"

"A-Aaron, listen you've been in the water longer than I have…"

"So"

"Will you be quiet?" Jackson said with a chuckle.

"Oh yeah because this is very amusing!" he sighed and rolled his eyes and Jackson just looked at him which made him be quiet.

"Don't worry about me, the boats will be coming for us"

"I'm not disputing that the boats will come back alright but I do worry, I have worried about you since this entire mess began, the time it takes to sort those boats and for some to come back is too long now get on this chunk of wood now!" he warned harshly.

"I just told y-"

"I don't care what you just told me, you haven't even tried!"

"Not yet, just relax babe…please…" Jackson spoke gently. "Enjoy it because when we get out of this you'll be sharing a bed so you won't have much room then"

Aaron appreciated what Jackson was trying to do, thinking positive and it made him smile, sharing a bed with Jackson was something he couldn't wait to do again, but he was sad, a distraught mess. "I won't be if your dead though will I?"

"Don't underestimate me just yet"

Aaron shook his head as he lay flat on his stomach and rested his chin on his folded arms. "I never have" he told him softly. A few moments of silence passed between them before Aaron spoke again. "Something tells me the company you work for are in some major trouble"

Jackson smirked. "Oh, they're done for…"

Aaron didn't need reply, he knew why, losing a liner on its maiden voyage would instigate a major investigation, and the loss of lives. How do they explain that exactly?

"We're going to get out of this Aaron"

Aaron pouted slightly and an eyebrow arched. "Somehow I doubt that"

"We made it this far"

"To the end"

"No…No Aaron don't think that"

"It's hard not too Jackson…y-you know when I fell…" Jackson nodded. "I started to climb again but then this wire whipped into the water right next to me, I look up and its one of the funnels…it snapped and came crashing down…I jumped obviously, hurt myself for it but then I thought about ending it…climbing so far for me then to just jump…hit…hit something, anything on the way down, anything had to be better than this, and this is exactly how I imagined it to be, aching, shivering so much you don't even realise you're doing it, and the tiredness, the lack of energy…" tears ran down his face as he explained. "I did think about ending it but the thought of finding you again pushed all those thoughts aside…and I did" he smiled at him warmly.

Jackson nodded, crying himself too. "I understand everything you're saying and this is the worst bit of it all probably but you have to trust me, we will make it, we found each other again – twice! That has to count for something" Aaron nodded. "I love you Aaron and me and you…we'll get out of this…"

Aaron let his eyes close gently as he sighed, his breath clear to see in the cold of the air. He nodded in reply. "I know" he said as he tightened the grip on Jackson's hand. "I know…I-I'm just so tired"

Jackson watched him closely, he wasn't bothered about himself he was just completely worried about his boyfriend. Those boats had to come and quickly.

TBC…