AARON & JACKSON

-1912: The Aftermath-

"I'll Keep You Floating"

"A problem? How?" Jackson asked his confusion still evident.

Adam sighed. "H-He…"

"Spit it out"

"Aaron he-he erm…he said he's going home, with or without you" Adam told him with a sigh, he wasn't happy going straight to Jackson but he had to tell him.

Jackson scowled and stormed past Adam and through to the living room. "Aaron!" he yelled as he made his way along the passage then burst into the living room.

Aaron sat up with the roll of his eyes. "He's told you then"

"Damn right he has!" he shouted in response. "Or was it a secret!"

"Why are you shouting? Stop shouting" Aaron told him with a stern look on his face.

"STOP SHO-" Jackson took a breath in an attempt to calm himself.

Aaron sighed. "Judging from your reaction you're not coming then?"

"More like you're not going"

Aaron scoffed. "I'm not a prisoner here"

"Didn't say you were"

Adam entered to try and calm the situation. "Guys please just calm down and talk about this…"

"A-Adam can you leave us for a few minutes?" Jackson told him as he kept his eyes on Aaron. Seconds later Adam had left the room and Jackson closed the door behind him.

"How stupid of me to think you'd come with me" Aaron spat bitterly.

"Well hang on a minute I've just been told you're leaving at least let this all sink in but let me make this crystal clear, you aren't going anywhere until it has"

Aaron just frowned at him.

Jackson sat on the arm of the couch and looked down at Aaron who was sat on the opposite end. "I-I don't get you…you got a ticket for Titanic to come here for a reason, a better life…why go back there?"

"Things have changed Jackson, and experiencing this life just makes me want my old life back even more, I'm going home"

"You're not thinking straight"

"Trust me I' am"

"You're still struggling, suffering from the sinking I get it I do…that's all this is" Jackson told him and all the while Aaron shook his head slowly. "Yes it is! I-I came here for the same reasons Aaron you can make this work, you'll get better mentally and emotionally I promise"

Aaron scoffed while still shaking his head, doubting that fact. He was scarred for life. "Do you know what? If our roles were reversed I wouldn't hesitate, I'd be right with you agreeing in a split second to go with you, but no y-you you! You sit there telling me it'll be alright well it never will be Jackson! But I'll be a lot better if I'm home!"

Jackson sighed and allowed his eyes to close, showering him in calmness, for those moments at least. "You're young Aaron…I remember when I was your age I didn't have the patience to give anything a chance I gave up on a lot of things, who I really was for a start, but not just that other things and from experience in time those things get better, I found you for example"

"Well I bet that's one massive regret now"

"What?"

"You should have just stayed with her, you'd have got the life you wanted, an easy one…because I don't know if you noticed but I'm not easy!"

"Oh you're being ridiculous"

"Oh am I?"

"Yeah you're having a fucking breakdown!" Jackson yelled the frustration and concern for Aaron evident in his voice.

Aaron laughed for a second. "Of course I' am, how convenient to bring something like that into it" A few minutes of silence passed between them and the atmosphere was charged with tension. "You wouldn't need to think about it Jackson, and I'm not going to make you chose either I'm just telling you now that I'm going back home, I love you so much that the thought of leaving is killing me but I have to go, and whether you believe that I love you or not is up to you" he told him quietly.

Jackson sat in silence but soon his sobs could be heard. Aaron watched him and his own tears fell, he hated what he was doing to him but the need to get home was great. Aaron wiped his tears away and slowly got up onto his feet, only applying the slightest pressure on the leg with the broken ankle and he limped across the living room, passed Jackson and placed his hand onto the door handle. Jackson's sobs ceased when he realised what Aaron was doing and he got up and placed his hands on his shoulders and pulled him back slightly to which Aaron responded by turning awkwardly on his feet and with full force pushed Jackson away. "Don't!" he warned harshly then turned and opened the door and hobbled along the corridor to the stairs and he precariously made his way up, once at the top he entered their bedroom, the first door on the right at the top of the staircase; once the door was closed Aaron slid down it in tears.

Jackson appeared in the hallway and looked over at Adam who was stood in the doorway of the kitchen. "He's lost it" Jackson said quietly as he wiped his eyes. "Completely lost it"

"What you mean a breakdown?"

"I-I don't know I've never seen anyone break down before but I assume it happens differently in other people…" as he spoke Aaron's cries could be heard and Jackson's voice cracked with emotion as he spoke again. "A-and he's up there by himself in bits…" Jackson sobbed "And I have no idea how to help him" his cries became louder and he dropped his head in his hands and his shoulders jerked up and down.

"Jackson you can help him, you can…trust me, you're here that's half of it…now what you need to do is go up there and talk to him"

Jackson nodded as he sniffled as he calmed himself then he walked to the stairs and walked up slowly.

Reaching the top Jackson sat on the landing with his feet on the top stair with his head resting against the door frame. "Aaron…can I come in?" he asked while still hearing muffled cries through the door.

"No" Aaron sobbed.

"Why not?" Jackson asked softly.

"Because you hate me"

"What? No, no babe I don't y-you're not well that's all and I'm meant to look after you"

"I don't want looking after"

"You do Aaron…everything's a mess right now, I know it is but just let me come in and we'll talk and we won't argue I promise"

Adam listened from the ground floor and couldn't help but smile, he knew Jackson loved Aaron but it was reaffirmed once more.

"Why would you want to be anywhere near me after what I've said to you tonight, before and after my fall?"

Jackson smiled. "Because you're my man Aaron and I love you, I love you more than anything in this world and deep down I know you know that and you know I'm not ashamed of you either…"

Aaron frowned, sighed and moved slightly away from the door and he reached for the handle and opened it. Jackson quickly got up and peeked through and saw the state Aaron was in, his eyes were red, bloodshot and his cheeks were wet with tears and he was sat with his leg out flat in front of him, he was tired and beaten.

"Aww babe…" Jackson's concern was evident as he walked in and closed the door behind him. "Come on, I'll help you up" he leaned down and with Aaron's help he managed to lift him and sit him on the edge of their bed, then Jackson knelt on the floor in front of him.

"I-I never meant what I've said to you tonight except the love part that's always the truth"

Jackson nodded and chose to simply listen to Aaron.

"I'm sorry, I went off the rails a bit there…" he explained as his teary eyes stared into Jackson's. "I don't have the right to expect you to go with me; it's your life too…"

"You have every right to expect that; I love you…w-why wouldn't I?"

"So you will?" Aaron asked with a frown.

"Let me say something first before I answer that" Aaron nodded. "You came here for a new life, new opportunities…what did you have in mind?"

"Any job that didn't involve being a criminal" he smirked as did Jackson.

"And you can do that here, and in England too but I'm asking you, as your boyfriend that you at least give it a try" Aaron sighed. "J-Just for a year, or, or six months even…get a job into a routine, maybe make friends and if you still don't like it here I'm promising you right now that yes, we will go back, you and me and I mean that, I-I just didn't want you to miss this opportunity without trying first"

Aaron just watched him as he spoke.

"And as for missing your mum, you could write letters, I'm sure she'll have heard about the sinking by now she'll be worried I expect, so yeah" Jackson smiled slightly. "Write letters keep at them if you fancy…"

Aaron nodded slowly, thinking it all through. "But what about the reporter? T-the police…I...I don't wanna go to jail…"

"Hey…" Jackson reached for both of his hands and held them. "I'll deal with him; you don't need to worry ok?"

"Deal with him how?"

"You don't have to worry about him anymore" Jackson smiled. "Forget him, ok?"

Aaron nodded and blew out a breath. "I feel so stupid"

"Don't" Jackson smiled as he got up and sat next to him on the bed and pulled him into him so that his head was resting in the crook of his neck. Both boys felt the immediate comfort from each other, it was soothing. Aaron reached up and played with the undone button at the top of Jackson's shirt.

"You know…sooner or later this was going to happen" Jackson told him.

"I certainly didn't see it coming"

"No I know but I did…I just wasn't sure when and it was a shock…I-I didn't know how to help you…I don't know if I'm helping right now but all I know is, is that I love you and yeah they're just words sometimes but when I tell you every single time that I do, the words hit me so hard that I could cry because I can't believe my luck"

"I feel it too"

Jackson smiled. "We survived that sinking because of the strength we both have Aaron, if we can survive that we can survive anything, you need to try and think positively about it that's all, like I said last night, it'll never go away but you can make it better"

"I'll try"

"Good" Jackson replied as he kissed the top of his head.

"Six months, and in that time I promise I'll do my best"

"Oh god Aaron, thank you" Jackson replied, he was completely relieved.

"Can you forgive me?"

Jackson chuckled. "Forgive you for what?"

Aaron sat up and looked into his eyes. "Tonight, you saw my dark side Jackson and it can get worse than that" he shook his head, he hated that side of him, the side that reacted violently if pushed or if he was riled up, he hated it.

"I love all of you Aaron, dark side or not, it's you…I'll never give up on you"

"You say that now"

"Yeah I'm saying that now and I'll say it again in twenty, forty…hell in sixty years if we're still around" Jackson smiled.

In that instant Aaron leaned forward quickly and kissed Jackson with such passion it overwhelmed them both but they drowned in their kiss as tongues embraced one another. When they parted for air they looked into each other's eyes. "Before you said you didn't know if you were helping me…well you have been, and you certainly have tonight, I guess you always will…I-I just hope I can be the man you want me to be"

Jackson smiled. "Looking down on that deck and I saw you, that was all I needed. I don't need any more confirmation of what kind of man you are, you are loving, caring, brave, tough, considerate, god damn sexy…in a bit of a mess at the minute but that's okay you've got me and I've got you and you'll be alright"

Aaron grinned at him. "I will won't I?"

"Too right you will" Jackson chuckled and pulled him in close again. Moments later Jackson got up. "I nearly forgot about him" he chuckled and pulled a wary face as he walked out onto the landing. "Adam!"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have anywhere to go?" Jackson called from the upstairs.

"Erm…no, not really…but it's no problem, I'll find somewhere…"

"You already have" Jackson smiled down at him. "There are two spare rooms, take your pick…me and the boyfriend are going to bed so make sure you lock up yeah?"

"A-are you being serious?" Adam asked in complete shock, he hadn't expected that offer.

"Deadly serious mate, you can stay here as long as you want"

"Wow, Jackson…thank you…"

"You're welcome" Jackson replied. "Oh..." he said and walked halfway down. "Listen I-I know this is awkward but you might hear stuff you know…"

Adam chuckled. "Hey this is your house mate you two go ahead and make love, have sex whatever you call it when you like, I doubt it'll bother me" Adam quickly frowned. "N-Not that I..I'm…"

Jackson burst into laughter. "I know what you meant, night mate…"

"Yeah, night" Adam watched him go then walked to the front door and locked it.

Back in the bedroom Jackson instantly saw Aaron was undressed and in bed. "You managed alright then?"

Aaron nodded as he perched himself up onto his elbow. "Hurts a bit but I'll go to the hospital tomorrow"

"No…we'll go" Jackson corrected him with a smile then quickly removed his clothes until he was down to his underwear then he turned the lamp on by the bed and turned the main light off and climbed into bed next to his boyfriend.

Aaron just lay staring down at him. "I want you to know just how sorry I' am" his husky voice spoke volumes but Jackson didn't seem to catch on.

"N-No…it's alright we sort-…" he sighed and closed his eyes in pleasure as he felt Aaron's hand slide inside his underwear, stroking and groping him. "Oh…a-alright then…" he groaned as he opened his eyes and watched Aaron disappear under the duvet then he felt his boxers sliding down his legs until he was completely naked. Seconds later, a deep groan escaped him as he felt Aaron's hot mouth envelope his enlarging manhood. This was what they most definitely needed. A very passionate, lust filled night indeed but one born out of the sheer love they had for one another and the special connection they shared.

TBC…