Heart of the Ocean

It was pandemonium. Sasuke was jostled about by the crowd, the swarms of people clamoring to get into a lifeboat. He heard men shouting something about women and children being seated first, but he didn't care about any of that. He had to find Naruto, but he hadn't the faintest idea where he could be.

He pushed his way into the corridor leading out from the deck foyer, and gasped when he saw Kakashi checking the stateroom doors for any stragglers. Panting, Sasuke caught up with him, face drained of colour. "Oh, thank God... Please sir, where would the master at arms take someone under arrest?"

Shaking his head, silver brows drew together as Kakashi lay his hands on Sasuke's shoulders. "What are you doing here? You need to get on a lifeboat, Sasuke!"

Sasuke expected this. His jaw set, he gave the ship's designer a firm look. "I'm doing this with or without your help, sir," he insisted, before his face fell slightly. "But without, it will take longer. Please..."

Sighing softly, Kakashi lowered his hands from Sasuke's shoulders. "All right, well... Take the elevator to the very bottom, go left, down the crewman's passage and then make a right. And Sasuke.... please, be careful, all right? Hurry and get to the boats after that."

"Bottom, left, right. I've got it," Sasuke said breathlessly, nodding his thanks before turning his back on the man, running as fast as he could toward the elevators. The operator stood before him, blocking his way and shaking his head somberly.

"I'm sorry, miss, the lifts are closed--"

Making a frustrated sound, Sasuke grabbed hold of the man, shoving him back into the lift with strength that was less than womanly. "I'm no fucking woman, goddamnit! Take me down, right now!"

Terrified, the operator fumbled to close the gate and started the lift, which lurched as it descended to the decks below.

---

Swallowing hard, Naruto glanced around the room. He'd been noticing the water level rising as the night proceeded, getting higher and higher almost touching him now. "O-oi...! Can anyone out there hear me!?" he yelled as loudly as he could, banging his handcuffs as loudly against the pole, the sharp metal digging into his skin, a little blood falling down his forearm.

"Help!! Can anyone help me!?!?"

--

Through the wrought iron door of the elevator Sasuke watched the decks fly past, until the lift slowed, coming to a stop. With frightening suddenness a torrent of icy water flooded through, swirling around his legs. Both he and the operator shrieked, and Sasuke threw himself forward, clawing the door open and stepping out into the river of water which was once a corridor. He heard the lift lurch back into movement and disappear, leaving him utterly alone.

Taking a deep breath, he lifted his floor-length skirt and began to trudge down the hallway, the cold of the water numbing his legs a little more with each step. Breathing heavily, he forced himself to concentrate on Kakashi's instructions.

"Left, crew passage...right, right...right..."

He turned down the corridor, and was met with darkness and absolute solitude. There were doors on each side. Which one could it possibly be? Desperately, he shouted as loudly as he could, "Naruto! NARUTO!"

Pulling hard on the pipe, Naruto slid back and crashed back on the stool, shaking his head. This was it. He was going to die here, alone on this stupid boat. Sighing softly, he lowered his head, resting it on the pipe.

It took only a moment for the low calling of a voice that was so, so familiar to reach his ears, and he lifted his head, blue eyes widening. It couldn't be... surely he was hallucinating now...

"Sasuke!! Sasuke I'm in here! Sasuke!!!!"

Heart leaping so high it hurt, Sasuke spun around, scrambling toward the source of the voice. He continued to call out Naruto's name, splashing his way toward the door before wrenching it open, causing a wave of water rushing into the room. "Naruto!"

Naruto's breath caught in his throat, and he stared at the door, pulling his cuffs at the pole again. "I'm here, I'm here, babe, I'm here, right here!!!" He'd never felt a rush of desperation quite like this before.

Letting out a small cry, Sasuke stumbled forward, skirt dragging behind him in the cold water as he practically threw himself at Naruto, hugging him tightly. "Oh, Naruto... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." He was so happy to see the other he could almost cry.

Pressing kisses all over the side of Sasuke's face, Naruto shook his head. He wished more than anything that he could wrap his arms around the other man and hold him, tell him everything was going to be okay...

"That guy... Kisame, he put it in my pocket," he mumbled breathlessly. "I swear, Sasuke... I swear..."

Sasuke shook his head, holding Naruto closer, drowning in the warmth of the other. "I know, I know...oh god..." He pulled back reluctantly, hands moving to cup Naruto's cheeks. "What should I do? How can I get you free...?"

Naruto leaned in, kissing Sasuke softly on the mouth once before gesturing towards the cabinet. "Check there, in those drawers. It should be a little brass one."

Nodding, Sasuke leaned in, kissing Naruto back with barely contained passion. He tore himself away, wading toward the cabinet and throwing open the drawers, searching frantically.

Shivering a little, Naruto licked his lips, tasting Sasuke on his lips almost hungrily. "How did you find out it wasn't me?" he asked, eyeing the other boy carefully. He'd missed Sasuke, and they'd only been apart an hour or two. He didn't know what he'd do without Sasuke...

"I didn't," Sasuke replied honestly, pausing his search for a moment to glance back at Naruto. "I just realised I already knew." He smiled softly, allowing himself a moment to get lost in those beautiful eyes again before tearing himself away, setting about to ransack the room. He tore open cabinets, yanked out drawers and scoured cupboards, but there was no key to be found. "There aren't any keys!"

Swallowing hard, Naruto shook his head, sighing heavily. "I... okay, Sasuke. Listen to me, okay? You need to go for help..."

Sasuke bit his lip, nodding, unable to part himself from Naruto just yet. He splashed forward, throwing his arms about the other boy again, holding him desperately. "I'll be right back," he promised.

Nodding, Naruto pressed his cheek against Sasuke's. "Okay... I love you. Just be as fast as you can, all right? We have to get off of this boat. It's going to sink, I think."

Something tightened in Sasuke's chest and he nodded, wrenching himself away from Naruto and pressing a kiss to the other's mouth. "I love you too. I'll be quick...I promise."

--

The water was almost two feet deep, chilling Sasuke to the bone as he swam through the corridor, crawling his way up a stairwell to the next deck. Horrible noises sounded from all over the corridor, the groan of stressing metal like the cry of a mourning god. Heart pounding, he climbed to the next deck, which had not flooded yet. Unimpeded he staggered along, desperate to find another face in the twisting, bleak corridors.

"Hello? Somebody? Can anyone hear me, hello?"

Silence. Dazed, he continued forward, turning and running along another corridor. The hall sloped downward, the margin of the water creeping toward him. He heard a distinct splashing sound and dashed toward it, his heart leaping when he saw it was a steward.

"Please, we need help, there's--" he began, but was only pushed aside as the man tore past her, fleeing to the stairwell beyond.

It was like a nightmare. All alone, Sasuke fell hopelessly against a wall, surrounded by the terrifying echoes reverberating throughout the hull. The lights flickered once then died, plunging him into total darkness, and he had never been more frightened in his entire life. He closed his eyes, thinking of Naruto, and the courage the other boy had taught him to recognize within himself, and pressed forward. The lights blinked alive around him as if recognizing his determination, and he plowed along, noticing a glass case against the opposite wall containing an axe. Grabbing the firehose beside it, he swung it forward, breaking the glass. It shattered, sprinkling into the water below, and he seized the axe, staggering back toward the stairwell with it.

He gasped. The water had risen, flooding the bottom five steps. He took a deep breath, plunging into the water and gasping as it swallowed his entire lower body, stopping at his waist. Grimacing with pain, he trudged forward, holding the axe above his head, the freezing water like knives scraping against his flesh. Just a few more feet...

Naruto was fighting against the water that continued to rise, now splashing up against his stool. It was cold and he was stuck, and the only thing he could think about was that he just had to wait. Sasuke was coming back for him. His Sasuke. His perfect, beautiful Sasuke... Shivering a little, he climbed up as high as he could, practically hugging the pole now.

"Naruto!" Sasuke cried as he stumbled the rest of the way back into the room, brandishing the axe. "Will this work?"

Shivering a little, Naruto stared at the axe, his teeth moving over his bottom lip slowly. "Well... we're about to find out, aren't we?" he said with a breathless smile. He was just relieved that Sasuke had came back.

Carefully holding his terror at bay, Sasuke shuffled forward, lifting the axe and preparing to swing it down on the chain connecting Naruto's wrists.

Naruto positioned his hands as far apart as he could, the chain stretched taut across the pipe. He stayed that way only a moment before a thought crossed his mind. "W-wait... try a couple practice shots over there, okay?"

Stumbling a bit, Sasuke held back his swing, wide-eyed. "A-all right!" he cried, and carried the axe over to the cabinet. Crying out, he swung forward with all his might, burying the blade deep within the wooden door.

Nodding, Naruto attempted to give Sasuke the most encouraging smile he could manage. "That's good, that's really good, Sasuke! Now just... try to hit that same spot." This could turn out to be okay, after all!

Sasuke bit his lip and nodded, taking another deep breath and heaving the axe above his head, letting it fall hard against the cabinet. It landed four inches away from the target.

Breath catching in his throat, Naruto swallowed hard. "O-okay... that's, uh... enough practice. Let's do this, Sasuke. You can do it! I believe in you. Just hit as hard as you can. I trust you, babe..."

Whimpering softly, Sasuke nodded, slowly raising the axe above his head. He stared at his target, feeling his resolve falter a little more with each second. He shook himself, inhaling deeply and closing his eyes. The axe came down with a horrible clanking sound, and Sasuke froze, wincing as he gingerly opened his eyes.

Eyes squeezed tightly shut until he hear the clanging of the metal, Naruto peeked open on eye, breathing heavily in relief. "You did it, babe!" he said happily, lifting up both free hands. "Look, you did it!"

Slipping off of the stool his breath caught almost painfully. "S-shit... that's fucking cold," he groaned, lifting Sasuke into is arms shakily and kissing him hungrily on the mouth with all of the relief that he felt.

Sasuke wrapped his arms and legs around Naruto, clinging with all the strength he had left while he kissed back passionately. He kissed Naruto until he had no breath left, then reluctantly pulled away, gazing at the other intensely. "Let's get out of here."

Naruto nodded, pressing one last kiss to Sasuke's nose as he tangled their fingers together and tugged him out the door. "When this is over," he whispered softly with a smile on his lips. "I'm going to fuck you so hard you won't be able to walk for a week, babe."

Blushing, Sasuke clung to Naruto as they waded out the door, never wanting to be separated from the other again. "That sounds good to me," he said breathlessly. "And we'll get off together, just as we promised. We'll get through this..."

Nodding again, Naruto shivered a little in the cold water, stopping at the doorway. The water was so deep now.... "C'mon, Sasuke, let's try to go through here. Take my hand... I promise, I'm not going to let anything happen to you, babe. Not while you're mine..." He was never going to let anything happen to Sasuke ever again. Not his Sasuke, not his precious, precious Sasuke. Not now that he finally had something to really live for.

Sasuke clung to Naruto's hand, hanging on as they stepped out into the corridor. The water was so deep...and so unimaginably cold. He could feel it rushing up underneath his skirt, chilling his flesh to the bone. Taking a deep breath he stepped toward the staircase leading to the upper level, and was shocked to see that only a fraction of it was visible, the rest completely submerged in icy water.

Shaking his head, Naruto stared at the almost entirely flooded stair way. That... wasn't going to work for them at all. "We have to find a different way!" he called loudly over the sound of rushing water. He was shivering so much by now that it was painful.

Glancing around, Naruto bit down on his bottom lip, dragging Sasuke with him. "Let's find somewhere... somewhere safe," he said slowly, chewing on his bottom lip as he held Sasuke against him. Everything was wet and it was cold, and he could barely see anything. It looked, though, like there wasn't anywhere else for them to go except up. "I don't know... where else..." he said slowly, glancing towards the dark-haired man. "You trust me, right?" he asked softly.

Heart pounding, Sasuke nodded without a thought, clinging fast to Naruto. He couldn't ever remember being colder in his entire life. His mind was doing all sorts of things to try to distract his body from how cold it was, and he recalled with a ghost of a smile the first time he and Naruto had met, and the other boy had described to him the very sensations he was feeling now.

Nodding slowly, Naruto swallowed hard. "We're going to have to go up that stairway anyways, okay?" he whispered softly. "It's going to be cold, but don't let go of my hand. I promise... as soon as I can, I'll warm you right up."

Sasuke bit his lip, eyeing the stairwell with a mixture of anxiety and dread. He couldn't think of anything he would rather do less than plunge into the same water that was currently slicing up his legs and torso, but...there was simply nothing else for it. "A-all right..."

Naruto took in a deep breath and lunged into the freezing cold water, tugging Sasuke along with him. It really was like a thousand knives stabbing painfully into his body, and he doubted that he'd be able to breathe, even if he was above the water. It hurt so bad... He'd experienced this before, but as his head came up from the water the only worry that he had was Sasuke... his Sasuke. He must be just as much in pain as Naruto was.

"S-Sasuke..." he said, his teeth chattering together a little. "Sasuke are you all right?"

Tears were burning in Sasuke's eyes, just as his whole body seized up, every bone in his body screaming with pain. He'd never felt anything more unbearable in his entire life. The very act of breathing was agony, and he held onto Naruto as tightly as he could, quite sure that he was about to die. "S-so cold--" he said mindlessly, eyes wide and glassy.

Chest tightening, Naruto leaned in, his lips shaking as he did his best to kiss at Sasuke's eyes. "I'm sorry, babe," he whispered. "I'm sorry, I'll get us out, okay? And then you'll get warm again. I promise..." he held the other man tightly against him a moment, sharing whatever body heat he had left with the other.

Sasuke whimpered, huddling as close as he could, Naruto's words barely more than a drone in his ears. He just kept on clinging, thoroughly convinced that if he let go, he'd fall back into that hell and be lost forever.

Catching sight of the strong wooden door, Naruto pressed a chaste kiss to Sasuke's lips and released the other, lunging at the door with all of the strength he had until it cracked beneath the force of it.

Landing in a rather ungraceful position, Naruto turned to Sasuke. "C-Come on, Sasuke! Through here. It's not deep anymore!"

Dazed, Sasuke nodded and stumbled along, grabbing hold of Naruto's hand as they made their way down the lengthy passage toward the gate. He was surprised to see a swarm of steerage passengers blocking the way, large families clutching their luggage and looking dumbfounded. A number of other stragglers were clumped near the gate, and Sasuke lifted his head, trying to peer above their heads to see what was happening.

Among the stragglers was Kiba, whose eyes widened upon seeing Naruto. Crying out, he launched himself forward, elbowing his way through the crowd. "Naruto!"

Naruto blinked a little in surprise at the sight of his friend, enveloping him in a comfortable embrace. "Kiba! It's a relief to se you. Damn there are a lot of people down here. We've got to get al of the way up or we'll all be drowning in the salt water soon..."

A dark look came over Kiba's face and he shook his head. "There's no way out but this one, mate," he said somberly. "Bloody crew have us locked down here. They've sentenced us to death."

Shaking his head, Naruto glanced towards Sasuke, biting down on his bottom lip. He wasn't going to let Sasuke die down here in this shithole. "The boats are all going, Kiba, we have to get the fuck out of here right now! C'mon, there's got to be some way to break through the damn gate...."

The Irish boy stepped back, glancing helplessly about. Sasuke did the same, peering over the heads of the crowd until he spotted a bench nailed to the far wall. "There!" he cried, pointing to it.

Kiba gave Naruto a meaningful look, then pushed his way through the line of people, grabbing one end of the bench and gesturing to his friend. "Grab the other side, pull it up!"

Sasuke took it upon himself to gesticulate to the crowd, motioning for them to step aside. "Move aside, quickly! Make room!"

Nodding, Naruto rushed over to where his friend was standing, and pulled at the other end of the bench. Between the two of them and a few heaves, it finally came loose, and they moved closer to the gate. "C'mon, Kiba! We can get this shit going!"

Stepping back, Sasuke watched as the two boys struggled to move the bench, then launched himself forward, grabbing hold and using all the strength the had to help ram it into the gate. The combined force of the tree of them made short work of the iron gate, which ripped lose from its track and fell outward. Without warning the crowd poured forth, shoving past a bewildered steward as they made their way to their only chance at safety.

Relief washed over Naruto, and he grabbed for Sasuke's hand again. "Come on! Let's go, Sasuke!