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31_days2007-02-12 11:06 pm
rhye.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2007-02-12 11:06 pm
[February 12] [Brokeback Mountain] Once Upon a Time - 12
Title: Once Upon a Time - 12
Day/Theme: February 12th/Dreamtime
Series: Brokeback Mountain
Character/Pairing: Jack Twist/Ennis del Mar
Rating: R
Chapter 12
The time flew by with planning and spending. It amazed Jack how so few belongings could still be so tiring to pack. He hadn't brought much from Texas-- just what fit int he back of his truck, and for the most part there it remained for a couple weeks. When he'd gotten enough of Ennis to hold him over for a while, he drove up to see his mother.
He'd helped her put his father's affairs in order, damping down all the time the hazy delirium of joy at the man's passing. He knew his mama must have seen something in the old bastard, so he left that alone and tried to be respectful for her sake.
And still, the time flew by with fence mending, barn-painting. His mother was taking everything well. She was moving into Jack's room, and he and Ennis would move into his parents' bigger room. The house was full of bad memories for Jack, though, so he'd got his mama's permission to repaint, refinish, and redecorate, even making a couple of the younger hands put their backs into the labor. Chuck and Loki painted with enthusiasm, giving the gray master bedroom a blue trim, turning the kitchen a color called "wild oats," covering the living room walls in orange. Jack bought new light fixtures and the bright bulbs shone off the glossy walls, bringing the house to bloom like a flower garden.
But his bedroom stayed unchanged save for some mini blinds. It had ben his refuge as a child, and his refuge it would ever remain.
The house still had problems: the floor creaked, the plumbing was old, the windows had drafts bad enough that they might as well be open for all the good they did. But Jack had time, all the time in the world, it seemed, though the sun and moon raced in their courses such was his excitement.
The horse barn turned a florid red, its insides a warm cream the horses clearly appreciated, the whole thing hosed and scrubbed from top to bottom. The cow barn could wait for another day. Jack and the hands dug drainage trenched in the paddocks, and rebuilt on of the lean-to for the horses. Jack splurged on new outdoor waterers that claimed not to freeze in the winter.
When Ennis's arrival grew closer, Jack bought a little Palomino Quarter Horse from a man in Gillette. Susie had dirty blond hair that shivered when she moved her head, reminding Jack of Fran. She wasn't anywhere near cheap at nearly twenty grand, but Jack had an eye for cutting prospects and he knew Susie was worth every penny. Jack tied her in the cow barn for quarantine and spent time out there with her when he could.
Eventually the day came. Jack wasted it sitting on the front steps going through cigarettes. The smell of a home-cooked meal hit him whenever his mother opened the door to tell him to get inside, make himself useful, or that he was going to catch a cold. He waved off her repeated attempts to distract him. Nothing would. She probably knew that because, before too long, she gave up entirely.
The sun was at that low angle that seems to sink past your eyes and into your brain to give you a headache with its brightness when the loaded-down pickup truck became visible along the dirt road, a tidal wave of dust flying up behind it, signaling that what the truck contained was about to break over everything, swallow up Jack's life and quench every thirst.
Ennis pulled up and hopped out with the stiffness of a man too long on the road.
"Trouble finding the place?," Jack called from the front step, a gleaming white, freshly-painted farm house as his backdrop.
Ennis turned to him, Ennis's mouth trying to decide whether to contain the smile playing there or let it out. But Ennis didn't have any control over it in the end as it broke loose to rival the sun in brightness. "Couldn't live much further from town here."
"Reckon not."
Ennis took off his hat, running a hand through his hair as he rounded the truck. Jack was off the step and walking towards him. Like usual, Jack found his arms reaching out, swinging around the man he had a need for. Jack felt his embrace returned, felt hot breath that smelled like heaven and honey and black coffee and cigarettes warm on his cheek, floating past his ear.
Ennis spoke against Jack's cheek, his voice barely more than a raspy rumble, sounding choked up, "Hey there... guess you're happy to see me, huh?"
Jack pulled away and chuckled, his hands feeling Ennis like they had a mind of their own and a need to understand the measure and meaning of reality. "Come on, come on in and meet my ma." Jack heard the barely contained glee in his own voice.
Introductions were short and stammered, but Jack could tell by their flushes and smiles that both Ennis and his mother were sweet on each other from the get go. Jack's ma had a pot roast ready with homemade bread. Ennis ate like a man who had never had a filling meal in his life.
Afterward, Jack took Ennis out in the dusky world to show him around the barns and stock. Their new longhorn gave them a dull gaze over the fence. The hay hanging from the side of his mouth made the intimidating beast look comical. Jack was especially proud to introduce Ennis to Susie. Ennis took to the dun filly like a bee to honey. She was young enough that Ennis could finish her like he wanted.
They came in that evening both smelling like hay and fall evening. Both hung their hats and jackets on the old wooden coat-rack by the door. Jack's ma had made tea and was sitting in the living room quilting. "Gonna be a cold one tonight," she called without turning from her task.
Jack could tell as well in all his rodeo breaks that cold weather was moving in, but he couldn't be bothered to care, knowing he had another way to warm his bed tonight. He announced his intentions to speed that along by going to bed, kissed his mama on the cheek, and he and Ennis took the stairs one-behind-the-other to the bedroom they were going to share-- forever.
Long after the sun and moon, Mrs. Twist and Ennis, and probably even Susie for her last night in the cow barn, had fallen asleep, Jack lay awake staring at the freshly-painted ceiling. It was the same ceiling he used to dread seeing as a boy. He'd been dragged into this room and beaten a couple times as a child, and he remembered painful hours gazing up at the jagged cracks in the plaster. Those times he'd hoped he'd wake up to find it had all been nightmare.
That boy had finally woken from the dizzying terror to find that overnight his life had warped into a dream.
Day/Theme: February 12th/Dreamtime
Series: Brokeback Mountain
Character/Pairing: Jack Twist/Ennis del Mar
Rating: R
Chapter 12
The time flew by with planning and spending. It amazed Jack how so few belongings could still be so tiring to pack. He hadn't brought much from Texas-- just what fit int he back of his truck, and for the most part there it remained for a couple weeks. When he'd gotten enough of Ennis to hold him over for a while, he drove up to see his mother.
He'd helped her put his father's affairs in order, damping down all the time the hazy delirium of joy at the man's passing. He knew his mama must have seen something in the old bastard, so he left that alone and tried to be respectful for her sake.
And still, the time flew by with fence mending, barn-painting. His mother was taking everything well. She was moving into Jack's room, and he and Ennis would move into his parents' bigger room. The house was full of bad memories for Jack, though, so he'd got his mama's permission to repaint, refinish, and redecorate, even making a couple of the younger hands put their backs into the labor. Chuck and Loki painted with enthusiasm, giving the gray master bedroom a blue trim, turning the kitchen a color called "wild oats," covering the living room walls in orange. Jack bought new light fixtures and the bright bulbs shone off the glossy walls, bringing the house to bloom like a flower garden.
But his bedroom stayed unchanged save for some mini blinds. It had ben his refuge as a child, and his refuge it would ever remain.
The house still had problems: the floor creaked, the plumbing was old, the windows had drafts bad enough that they might as well be open for all the good they did. But Jack had time, all the time in the world, it seemed, though the sun and moon raced in their courses such was his excitement.
The horse barn turned a florid red, its insides a warm cream the horses clearly appreciated, the whole thing hosed and scrubbed from top to bottom. The cow barn could wait for another day. Jack and the hands dug drainage trenched in the paddocks, and rebuilt on of the lean-to for the horses. Jack splurged on new outdoor waterers that claimed not to freeze in the winter.
When Ennis's arrival grew closer, Jack bought a little Palomino Quarter Horse from a man in Gillette. Susie had dirty blond hair that shivered when she moved her head, reminding Jack of Fran. She wasn't anywhere near cheap at nearly twenty grand, but Jack had an eye for cutting prospects and he knew Susie was worth every penny. Jack tied her in the cow barn for quarantine and spent time out there with her when he could.
Eventually the day came. Jack wasted it sitting on the front steps going through cigarettes. The smell of a home-cooked meal hit him whenever his mother opened the door to tell him to get inside, make himself useful, or that he was going to catch a cold. He waved off her repeated attempts to distract him. Nothing would. She probably knew that because, before too long, she gave up entirely.
The sun was at that low angle that seems to sink past your eyes and into your brain to give you a headache with its brightness when the loaded-down pickup truck became visible along the dirt road, a tidal wave of dust flying up behind it, signaling that what the truck contained was about to break over everything, swallow up Jack's life and quench every thirst.
Ennis pulled up and hopped out with the stiffness of a man too long on the road.
"Trouble finding the place?," Jack called from the front step, a gleaming white, freshly-painted farm house as his backdrop.
Ennis turned to him, Ennis's mouth trying to decide whether to contain the smile playing there or let it out. But Ennis didn't have any control over it in the end as it broke loose to rival the sun in brightness. "Couldn't live much further from town here."
"Reckon not."
Ennis took off his hat, running a hand through his hair as he rounded the truck. Jack was off the step and walking towards him. Like usual, Jack found his arms reaching out, swinging around the man he had a need for. Jack felt his embrace returned, felt hot breath that smelled like heaven and honey and black coffee and cigarettes warm on his cheek, floating past his ear.
Ennis spoke against Jack's cheek, his voice barely more than a raspy rumble, sounding choked up, "Hey there... guess you're happy to see me, huh?"
Jack pulled away and chuckled, his hands feeling Ennis like they had a mind of their own and a need to understand the measure and meaning of reality. "Come on, come on in and meet my ma." Jack heard the barely contained glee in his own voice.
Introductions were short and stammered, but Jack could tell by their flushes and smiles that both Ennis and his mother were sweet on each other from the get go. Jack's ma had a pot roast ready with homemade bread. Ennis ate like a man who had never had a filling meal in his life.
Afterward, Jack took Ennis out in the dusky world to show him around the barns and stock. Their new longhorn gave them a dull gaze over the fence. The hay hanging from the side of his mouth made the intimidating beast look comical. Jack was especially proud to introduce Ennis to Susie. Ennis took to the dun filly like a bee to honey. She was young enough that Ennis could finish her like he wanted.
They came in that evening both smelling like hay and fall evening. Both hung their hats and jackets on the old wooden coat-rack by the door. Jack's ma had made tea and was sitting in the living room quilting. "Gonna be a cold one tonight," she called without turning from her task.
Jack could tell as well in all his rodeo breaks that cold weather was moving in, but he couldn't be bothered to care, knowing he had another way to warm his bed tonight. He announced his intentions to speed that along by going to bed, kissed his mama on the cheek, and he and Ennis took the stairs one-behind-the-other to the bedroom they were going to share-- forever.
Long after the sun and moon, Mrs. Twist and Ennis, and probably even Susie for her last night in the cow barn, had fallen asleep, Jack lay awake staring at the freshly-painted ceiling. It was the same ceiling he used to dread seeing as a boy. He'd been dragged into this room and beaten a couple times as a child, and he remembered painful hours gazing up at the jagged cracks in the plaster. Those times he'd hoped he'd wake up to find it had all been nightmare.
That boy had finally woken from the dizzying terror to find that overnight his life had warped into a dream.