Heart of the Ocean

The fathomless depths below seemed to rise closer and closer to where Sasuke was hanging precariously, hands hooked to the railing as his body shook with sobs. Just...let go. Let go. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to block out everything, from the relentless roar of the propellers below to the lingering echo of the crowds below deck. Just let go. He kept his eyes squeezed shut, and lifted one foot slowly from the railing, bracing himself to jump.

Naruto hurried to where the girl was perched precariously at the edge of the boat. He walked a little closer, careful to keep quiet, making sure there wasn't anyone anywhere around. "Don't do it," he said slowly, tipping his hat to her in respect. "Don't jump. It's not worth it. Whatever you're feeling right now... it's not worth jumping off the edge of this boat."

Sasuke's heart jumped into his throat and he whipped his head around, hairpiece sticking to his tear-streaked face. "S-stay back!" he shouted, gripping the railing tighter, both feet once again hooked in place. The boy had broken his resolve, utterly shattered it, and now...now he wasn't sure if he could find it again. It was strange how his frustration was mixed with the unmistakable presence of relief.

"Don't come any closer!"

Naruto shook his head, moving closer and peeking over the edge, watching as the white waves slammed against the side of the boat. He could see the tears on her face in the faint glow of the stern running lights. "Take my hand and I'll pull you back in," he said softly, taking another half step closer.

A soft cry of indignation escaped Sasuke's throat and he shook his head, still gripping the railing, chest heaving almost violently. Who was this boy to just--appear like this, at this time, hand outstretched as if--trying to save him? He gritted his teeth, turning back to stare down into the churning depths below. "S-stay where you are," he repeated, his limbs shaking. "I mean it. I'll...I'll let go."

Naruto shook his head, swallowing hard as he shifted a little closer to the girl, watching as her skirt whipped in the wind, a slight pang of worry moving through him. He wasn't the kind of man who just let women die around him. "No," he said confidently. "No you won't."

Another prickle of anger moved through Sasuke and he frowned, turning his head as far as it would go to glare at the boy. "What do you mean, 'no I won't'?" he said rather shrilly, the cold creeping through the thin fabric of his gown, causing him to shiver violently. "Don't presume to tell me what I can and cannot do, you--you don't know me!"

Shaking his head again, Naruto stepped closer to the girl, smiling very softly as he found himself almost right beside where she was standing. "No... because if you were going to do it, then you already would have done it," he said simply, his hand still outstretched.

Sasuke pursed his lips, somewhat confused. His vision began to blur slightly through his tears and he reached up a shaking hand to wipe them, nearly losing his balance. A little embarrassed, he stared at the boy behind him, taking in the other's rumpled, shoddy appearance. "You--you're distracting me. Go away."

Sighing a little exasperatedly, Naruto shook his head again and began to shrug off his jacket. "Can't. I'm involved now. Unfortunately, if you jump in, I'm just going to have to jump in after you," he stated simply, tossing his jacket over the side of a chair.

Eyes wide, Sasuke watched as the other began to remove clothing as if--as if expecting to-- "Don't be absurd!" he said a little shakily, turning back to the edge, the merciless depths below. "You'll--you'll be killed..."

Lifting his leg, Naruto rested his foot on the bench, unlacing his shoe, little specs of dirt peeling off of the laces and onto his hands. "No," he argued slowly. "I'm a very good swimmer," he insisted almost nonchalantly.

The waves were almost deafening, but Sasuke distinctly heard the young man's words over the dull, consistently unnerving sound. Somehow he couldn't bring himself to tear his eyes away from the crashing waves, as if he were afraid they'd rise up and suck him in if he glanced away for even a second. That was what he wanted, though, right...? "The fall alone would kill you," he pressed on, not sure why he was still arguing.

Shrugging a little, Naruto slipped off a shoe, lifting his other up and unlacing it slowly. "I'm not saying it wouldn't hurt but, well, to be completely honest, I'm more worried about how cold the water is going to be," he said simply, glancing over the edge.

"Cold...?" Sasuke swallowed hard, staring at the water, suddenly very aware of the way the droplets flying up from the surface felt like little needles scattering over his flesh. The reality of what he had been planning to do was beginning to sink in. "How cold...?"

Shrugging again, Naruto glanced over at the girl, noting that she looked a little more alarmed now. "Freezing, he said with a definite nod. "Maybe a couple of degres over." He was almost positive now that the girl was going to take his hand and let him pull her over. That definitely wasn't the face of a girl that wished to die. "Have you ever been to Wisconsin?"

The dark-haired boy raised an elegant eyebrow, perplexed. "N-no..."

Grinning a little, Naruto nodded, shifting to put his foot back down on the ground, leaning against the railing beside the girl. "Well, I grew up there. Lived there almost my whole life, actually. Anyways, we have some of the coldest winters in the world. One year, when I was about ten or eleven, I was trying to play on the ice with some of my friends, and I fell through the ice. Let me tell ya something. That ice was... that water, water cold like the water you're looking down into right now, it hits you like a billion little knives all over your body. You can't breath, you can't think... you can't feel anything but all of that pain," he kicked off his other shoe. "Which is why I'm not looking forward to jumping in after you, you see, but I don't think I have much of a choice. Guess I'm just hoping you'll change your mind and come back over this railing. Get me off the hook, you know."


Sasuke bit his lip, at last tearing his eyes away from the water below and looking at the boy beside him. Chest heaving, he took in the other's dilapidated appearance, his eyes moving over the ratty, disheveled clothing before stopping on the young man's face. Those eyes...they were nothing like he'd ever seen below. Perfect, pristine blue all around, nothing like the black, endlessly moving depths that awaited him over the edge of the hull. Sucking in a deep breath, he slowly unhinged one of his hands. "I...all right. You're crazy..."

Relief flooded Naruto, and he smiled a little, still reaching for the girl as he shook his head. "I wasn't the one dangling off the rail," he argued. "My name's Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto," he said, making a motion as though to tip his hat at her. Only he'd already tossed his hat aside.

Very slowly Sasuke slid his hand into the other's, heels still hooked over the hull, refusing to budge. "P-pleased to meet you," he said as cordially as possible, his hairpiece billowing about, beaded skirts clinking against the metal railing. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke." He took a deep, shuddering breath, gripping Naruto's hand as hard as he could. Now that he'd decided he wanted to live, the height was absolutely terrifying. Vertigo swept over him and he let out a small wail, teetering on the edge of the railing. "Ah--"

He stepped to the side, intending to turn, but the shift in footing caused him to trip over his skirt and slip, plunging toward the depths below with a bloodcurdling scream.

Moving with a grace he barely knew he had, Naruto's fingers tightened around Sasuke's, and he hoisted the girl up and back over the edge, falling forward a little bit. "I-I got you... don't worry, I have you, okay?"

Sobbing hysterically, Sasuke held on for dear life, the sound of the water pounding in his ears. "P-please don't let go..." he cried, clinging to the other as he was pulled up and over the railing.

Naruto shook his head a little, adrenaline pumping through him as he hoisted Sasuke over as hard as he could, grabbing hold of the girl in his arms tightly. "I've got you... I'm not letting go," he whispered.

Sasuke shrieked as was pulled over with more force than was necessary, and he toppled forward, stumbling and landing in a heap on the deck. His arms stayed locked about Naruto's neck, dragging the other boy down with him as they toppled to the ground.

Naruto fell heavily atop Sasuke, their faces only a few inches apart. "A-ah... I've got you," he said quietly again, his eyes searching the other's intently. He could really admire her, this close to her face. She was just as beautiful as he'd thought. Maybe a little less perfect, what with the suicide attempt.

Breath coming in ragged, hysterical sobs, Sasuke slumped down on the deck, barely able to regain his composure before he heard shouting voices drawing in from the distance.

"What's all this--? You there! Don't move an inch!"

Dread filled Sasuke as he recognized the voice as belonging to Hoshigaki Kisame, Itachi's personal assistant and bodyguard. Before he could register what was happening Naruto was yanked forcibly off the ground, a group of men surrounding the pair of them. Suddenly it dawned on him; he had been screaming, his hair was disheveled and his skirt was ripped. There was really no other way to look at it, from a single glance.

Naruto was in shock when he was pulled off of the girl, and it took a moment before he began to struggle, trying to free himself from the other man's grip. "Let me go you damn bastard," he growled angrily.

Moving through the small crowd of the ship's security, Itachi brushed his hair back from his face, and he lifted his chin, cold eyes calculating the scene. "What's going on here?" he asked harshly.

Lifting his chin and shoving away from the large dark-skinned man, Naruto scowled. "Your bodyguard assaulted me," he said defensively.

Shaking his head a little, Itachi's jaw set angrily. "What made you think you could put your hands on my fiancee?" he spat furiously. "Look at me, you filth, what did you think you were doing?!?"

Hurriedly Sasuke pushed himself to his feet, staggering slightly as he reached forward to grasp his brother's jacket. "Stop, please! You've got it wrong, it was--" He cast about for a convincing story, one that didn't involve him dangling off the back of the ship in an attempt to commit suicide. "It was an accident! I-I slipped!"

Dark eyes narrowed as Itachi stared at his brother disbelievingly. "An accident?" he repeated slowly. "How was this an accident?"

Sasuke swallowed, glancing at Naruto, attempting to make eye contact. "Y-yes. It was...silly, really. I was leaning over to have a look at the...the..." He cast about for the right word, gesturing with his finger. "Propellers, yes, the propellers, and...I slipped! Really, if it weren't for Uzumaki-san, I would have surely fell overboard."

Staring blankly at his brother, Itachi shook his head, frowning a little. "You leaned over to see the propellers?" he asked slowly, glancing between the two of them. It seemed odd to him that his brother could have been so completely stupid. He was sure more was going on than that.

The blond long-haired man beside Itachi shook his head slowly. "Women and machines just don't mix," he said simply. "That's how the worst accidents happen."

Nodding encouragingly, Sasuke glanced between his brother and Naruto, begging with his eyes for the boy not to tell what really had happened. "Y-yes, you're absolutely right. It was an awful accident."

Naruto nodded immediately, licking his lips a little. "Yeah. That's pretty much how it went," he said simply.

The master at arms let out a boorish laugh, uncuffing the young man and clapping him on the shoulder. "The boy's a hero then! Well done, son, well done! So all's well and back to the brandy, eh...?"

Relief swept over Sasuke, and he tore his eyes away from Naruto at last, huddling close to his brother.

Itachi wrapped his arms around Sasuke, rubbing his hands up and down Sasuke's arms, trying to warm his little brother up a little. "You're freezing. Let's go in before you catch your death."

Raising a tufted eyebrow, the master at arms watched as Itachi turned to leave and cleared his throat loudly. "Ah...perhaps a little something for the boy...?" he suggested. Kisame was standing nearby, suspicious eyes still lingering on Naruto.

Nodding curtly without looking back, Itachi lifted a hand. "A twenty should do it," he said coldly.

Disgruntled, Sasuke turned toward Itachi as they walked, pouting at his brother. "Is that the going rate for saving the one you love?" he said disapprovingly. Naruto deserved significantly more than a twenty for saving more than his life this night.

Itachi glanced at his brother in surprise, frowning a little. "You're displeased," he said simply. "Well then, what to do... I know. Why don't you join us for dinner tomorrow? To regale our group with your tale of heroism?"

Quirking a light brow, Naruto nodded, glancing towards Sasuke and searching her face. "Yeah. Yeah, yeah count me in."

Nodding slowly, eyes narrowed at the other, Itachi began to walk away, arms possessively wrapped around Sasuke's waist. "Good. Then it's settled," he said curtly, leaning in to Kisame as they moved. "This should be interesting."

Kisame smirked and lingered behind a few steps, watching the boy's eyes as they trailed after Itachi's fiancee. He reached in his pocket, drawing out a cigarette and lighting it up. He watched the boy slip on his shoes, mouth quirking lightly in amusement. "You'll want to tie those."

Naruto nodded, grinning a little sheepishly. "Yeah, good eye," he said slowly, lifting his foot to tie it quickly, reaching for his jacket and sliding it back on.

Watching the boy carefully, Kisame took a drag from his cigarette. "It's quite curious, actually," he remarked off-handedly. "The young lady slipped so suddenly, and you still had time to remove your jacket and your shoes. Good evening."

He tossed his cigarette butt aside before departing to join Itachi and the others.

Naruto grinned a little more sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as he moved back over to his own portion of the ship. That girl, beautiful as she was, sure was involved with a strange crowd.

----

It was an immeasurable relief to finally be able to remove the hairpiece and change into a more comfortable gown, and Sasuke already felt ready to fall asleep as he sat before his vanity, trying his best to fix his disheveled hair. It had certainly been an unusual evening, but...somehow, he didn't regret any of it. Because of what happened, he'd be able to see that boy again...Naruto. He wondered how the other would fare, surrounded by aristocrats and steel moguls. The thought made his heart sink a little.

Itachi moved into the room that had been set aside for Sasuke, a large square velvet box in his hand as he closed the door to his own room. "Sasuke," he said smoothly, his voice unusually tender as he stopped just behind the chair, his fingers touching the small hairs at the back of the boy's neck. "I know you've been melancholy lately and I can't even think to imagine what it is that's bothering you so much.." he said slowly, offering the box to his brother.

"I'd intended to save this for our engagement party next week, but I thought, perhaps in a reminder of my feelings for you..."

The boy's eyes widened, his heart fluttering as he accepted the box from Itachi, surprised at his brother's sudden tenderness. Very slowly he opened it, nearly dropping it when he saw what was inside. A necklace...the most extravagant, beautiful necklace he'd ever seen. The chain was inlaid with countless diamonds, at at the centre...a deep blue gem, cut in the shape of a heart and surrounded by glittering white stones. ""M-my god...brother, it's...is that a...?"

Itachi nodded, a small smile on his lips as he touched Sasuke's cheek lightly. He decided to allow his brother to address him so easily, seeing as how they were in closed quarters now. "A diamond? Yes. It's fifty-six carets," he said, lifting the necklace from the box and placing it around his younger brother's neck. "It was once worn by Louis the Sixteenth. They call it the Couer de la Mer."

"The Heart of the Ocean," Sasuke murmured, fingers reaching up to lightly touch the gigantic blue jewel. Now that the initial shock had worn off, he began to notice how heavy the necklace felt, and how it seemed to get more and more weighty with each second that passed.

Long, pale fingers moved over Sasuke's throat and jaw lightly, feeling the soft skin gently, watching the reflection of them in the mirror. "It's for royalty. We are royalty, Sasuke. There isn't anything I can't give you..." he whispered. "There's nothing I'd deny you if you wouldn't deny me, little brother. Open your heart to me..."

Dark eyes were fixed directly forward on the mirror, watching as Itachi's fingers moved over the pale flesh of Sasuke's throat. He suddenly felt numb. "Brother, I...I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed now." When he spoke, it didn't sound like his voice at all. The words left before he could even feel them on his tongue.

Eyes narrowed and Itachi frowned a bit. "Little brother..." he said slowly, moving to stand directly in front of the boy. "You're denying me again?"

Sasuke gasped softly, stomach twisting, worried he had angered his volatile brother. "N-no..." he insisted, turning in his chair. "I promise, I'm only tired. It has been a very trying day." To emphasize his point, he reached out gently, touching his Itachi's hand with a childlike shyness he knew his brother adored.

Itachi nodded slowly, as he leaned down a little, their noses almost touching. "You can't keep me waiting forever, little brother," he whispered softly. "You belong to me..." he murmured, covering the boy's lips with his own lightly.

Breathing softly against his brother's lips, Sasuke returned the kiss gently, fists curling in his lap. He could feel the fine lace of his dressing gown between his fingers, and the necklace was beginning to feel heavier...like a chain. Like a collar.

Continuing the kiss, Itachi lifted his hand to cup Sasuke's cheek, stroking the line of his high cheekbone as he kissed him. Sasuke was his. Only his. Forever.

Sasuke allowed his brother to kiss him, responding only slightly, the way a good wife should. His hands lifted from where they were fisted in his dressing gown to press gently against his brother's shoulders. "M-mm..."

Itachi shifted a little against his brother, breaking the kiss and moving his lips over the younger boy's jaw, exploring the soft crevice of the other's throat enjoying the taste of the skin mixed with the bitter taste of the necklace. Perfect. Entirely perfect.

Weary eyes fluttered closed for a moment before training themselves in the distance, staring at someplace far and unreachable. Sasuke's body was still, shivering only slightly with the sensation of Itachi's lips moving over his neck and throat. He did nothing, said nothing. It was expected of him, wasn't it?