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31_days2007-02-16 11:08 pm
rhye.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2007-02-16 11:08 pm
[February 16] [Brokeback Mountain] Once Upon a Time - 16
Title: Once Upon a Time - 16
Day/Theme: February 16th/The Man Who Walks Like a Beast
Series: Brokeback Mountain
Character/Pairing: Jack Twist/Ennis del Mar
Rating: R
Chapter 16
"Dammit." Jack cursed as his stocking foot slipped on the third stair. He'd caught himself on the bannister, but it'd been a close call-- closest one yet. He was managing, doing for him and his ma while Ennis was out doing for the ranch. His ma'd got up a couple times, but he preferred to keep her in bed. No way he could carry food upstairs though.
Jack looked like an idiot. He was getting around the only way he knew how. The wolf-bite was healing well, no sign of infection beyond what the pills the doc gave him could handle. The doc was coming out soon to give him a cast and some crutches but until then he was supposed to stay in bed. Like hell.
So in the meantime, Jack hopped on one foot. He gripped walls and furniture and tried not to slip. There was still pain in his chest. It was his broken rib, he guessed, but it didn't hurt too much as long as he moved carefully, didn't try to drag horses around. And Jack was going crazy just laying in bed.
He'd got Chuck to cut him some boards, bring a and hammer and nails, and Jack was working on toe-nailing a new frame for the corner of the kitchen. It made him feel useful. It made him feel like himself-- even if he had to do standing on one very tired foot.
He was balanced with one arm against a kitchen chair, the other trying to hold a measuring tape against one side of the wall, when Ennis came in for the evening.
"What the hell you doin' up?"
"Just measurin' the kitchen."
"You supposed to be in bed."
"Well I'm goin' crazy up there so I'm not."
"Get on back, then."
"Like hell. Come over here an' stretch this tape out for me."
Ennis mumbled then walked over. He held the loose end of the measuring tape against one part of the corner.
"No, not there, measure to where the stud comes in from the ceiling."
"Why? You need to build the frame to here."
"Just do it."
"From where now?"
Jack reached his hand up, balancing on only one foot now, to point Ennis in the right direction. He pointed a little too hard, though, because he tipped and slid awkwardly down the half-wall onto the floor, cursing and catching himself on his hands.
Ennis cursed as well, bending down beside Jack, Ennis's shirt untucking itself to show a sliver of thin belly. The fall had hurt less than Jack had expected. Finally having paid the price for his undignified one-legging, Jack started to chuckle.
Ennis looked at him like Jack was mad for a moment before little laugh lines formed around his eyes, his mouth curving up under his swollen red nose. Since the fire it seemed like neither of them had so much as smiled.
"What the hell's so funny?," Ennis asked.
"Dunno. What're you laughin' at? I'm hurt, here," Jack gasped out between chuckles.
"Jus' look at you, crawling 'round the kitchen floor. With that mustache, might a thought you was a werewolf."
"Fuck you!" but Jack was laughing harder still. He picked up the measuring tape and threw it at Ennis, rolling onto his back on the floor. "Laughin' at a hurt man."
"Don't see no man here." They both guffawed like it was hilarious, but they needed the release, permission to play and act like idiots.
"Well I can show you--" Jack started, but before he knew what was happening, Ennis was leaning over him breathing close to Jack's mouth, looking fiercely into his eyes. It'd been almost a week since they'd so much as looked at each other with intimacy.
In the moment Ennis attacked Jack's mouth, helping to hold Jack up against his mouth while pushing him down onto the cold floor at he same time, Jack wondered who it was that was really the animal here.
Day/Theme: February 16th/The Man Who Walks Like a Beast
Series: Brokeback Mountain
Character/Pairing: Jack Twist/Ennis del Mar
Rating: R
Chapter 16
"Dammit." Jack cursed as his stocking foot slipped on the third stair. He'd caught himself on the bannister, but it'd been a close call-- closest one yet. He was managing, doing for him and his ma while Ennis was out doing for the ranch. His ma'd got up a couple times, but he preferred to keep her in bed. No way he could carry food upstairs though.
Jack looked like an idiot. He was getting around the only way he knew how. The wolf-bite was healing well, no sign of infection beyond what the pills the doc gave him could handle. The doc was coming out soon to give him a cast and some crutches but until then he was supposed to stay in bed. Like hell.
So in the meantime, Jack hopped on one foot. He gripped walls and furniture and tried not to slip. There was still pain in his chest. It was his broken rib, he guessed, but it didn't hurt too much as long as he moved carefully, didn't try to drag horses around. And Jack was going crazy just laying in bed.
He'd got Chuck to cut him some boards, bring a and hammer and nails, and Jack was working on toe-nailing a new frame for the corner of the kitchen. It made him feel useful. It made him feel like himself-- even if he had to do standing on one very tired foot.
He was balanced with one arm against a kitchen chair, the other trying to hold a measuring tape against one side of the wall, when Ennis came in for the evening.
"What the hell you doin' up?"
"Just measurin' the kitchen."
"You supposed to be in bed."
"Well I'm goin' crazy up there so I'm not."
"Get on back, then."
"Like hell. Come over here an' stretch this tape out for me."
Ennis mumbled then walked over. He held the loose end of the measuring tape against one part of the corner.
"No, not there, measure to where the stud comes in from the ceiling."
"Why? You need to build the frame to here."
"Just do it."
"From where now?"
Jack reached his hand up, balancing on only one foot now, to point Ennis in the right direction. He pointed a little too hard, though, because he tipped and slid awkwardly down the half-wall onto the floor, cursing and catching himself on his hands.
Ennis cursed as well, bending down beside Jack, Ennis's shirt untucking itself to show a sliver of thin belly. The fall had hurt less than Jack had expected. Finally having paid the price for his undignified one-legging, Jack started to chuckle.
Ennis looked at him like Jack was mad for a moment before little laugh lines formed around his eyes, his mouth curving up under his swollen red nose. Since the fire it seemed like neither of them had so much as smiled.
"What the hell's so funny?," Ennis asked.
"Dunno. What're you laughin' at? I'm hurt, here," Jack gasped out between chuckles.
"Jus' look at you, crawling 'round the kitchen floor. With that mustache, might a thought you was a werewolf."
"Fuck you!" but Jack was laughing harder still. He picked up the measuring tape and threw it at Ennis, rolling onto his back on the floor. "Laughin' at a hurt man."
"Don't see no man here." They both guffawed like it was hilarious, but they needed the release, permission to play and act like idiots.
"Well I can show you--" Jack started, but before he knew what was happening, Ennis was leaning over him breathing close to Jack's mouth, looking fiercely into his eyes. It'd been almost a week since they'd so much as looked at each other with intimacy.
In the moment Ennis attacked Jack's mouth, helping to hold Jack up against his mouth while pushing him down onto the cold floor at he same time, Jack wondered who it was that was really the animal here.