http://rhye.livejournal.com/ (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
rhye.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
31_days2007-02-17 11:20 pm
rhye.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2007-02-17 11:20 pm
[February 17] [Brokeback Mountain] Once Upon a Time - 17
Title: Once Upon a Time - 17
Day/Theme: February 17th/Spirits in the Water
Series: Brokeback Mountain
Character/Pairing: Jack Twist/Ennis del Mar
Rating: R
Chapter 17
From the outside, everything was going well. They finished the kitchen, bought a horse, and had plenty of time to work on the stock. Ennis enjoyed the days. Jack trusted him completely and he had the final say in everything related to the ranch for the first time in his life.
But the night he didn't enjoy one bit. Seeing his worst imaginings realized had put the fear of God in him. It was only a matter of time before it happened again. Ennis didn't know how to tell Jack that he was a grown man who jumped at the sound of the wind, who held his breath to ask himself "was that a voice?", who stared at the ceiling listening until his eyes hurt and he couldn't hear over the thundering of his heart. At night Ennis felt like he was falling apart, and he was all alone because there no way he'd tell anyone about this weakness.
One night the wind was flying out of the North, bringing winter with it, and Ennis thought he was about to lose his mind. He swung his legs out of bed. They hit the cold hardwood with a shock. He went to sit on the couch to wait out the noise.
The couch was nice because it was a different place from the bed where Ennis spent every night paralyzed with fear. But that wasn't enough to help him sleep.
Ennis went to the kitchen and found the whiskey under the cabinet. He drank a enough to sleep like the dead for the first time in since the fateful night.
He woke before Jack, as usual. Still shaking off dizziness from the whiskey, Ennis went straight to work.
The next night he hardly waited until Jack was asleep before he removed himself to the couch to drink and sleep where the spirits calmed him and rest could be had.
Jack didn't know, or so Ennis thought. He continued this act night after night, refusing to believe that Jack could know anything was amiss. In Ennis's heart he knew he blamed Jack for what had happened, for thinking that two men who lived like they did could be ok. He should have slept away from Jack since the beginning. Ennis knew but refused to acknowledge that it had been over a month since he'd even touched Jack. He pretended in is own mind that he didn't even care-- he was here for the ranch. Jack couldn't meet Ennis's eyes without unspoken accusations. Ennis's temper was always on edge, and most days he could only think about Jack dropping off to sleep so he could find the soothing liquid spirit that was the only peace his soul knew any more.
Day/Theme: February 17th/Spirits in the Water
Series: Brokeback Mountain
Character/Pairing: Jack Twist/Ennis del Mar
Rating: R
Chapter 17
From the outside, everything was going well. They finished the kitchen, bought a horse, and had plenty of time to work on the stock. Ennis enjoyed the days. Jack trusted him completely and he had the final say in everything related to the ranch for the first time in his life.
But the night he didn't enjoy one bit. Seeing his worst imaginings realized had put the fear of God in him. It was only a matter of time before it happened again. Ennis didn't know how to tell Jack that he was a grown man who jumped at the sound of the wind, who held his breath to ask himself "was that a voice?", who stared at the ceiling listening until his eyes hurt and he couldn't hear over the thundering of his heart. At night Ennis felt like he was falling apart, and he was all alone because there no way he'd tell anyone about this weakness.
One night the wind was flying out of the North, bringing winter with it, and Ennis thought he was about to lose his mind. He swung his legs out of bed. They hit the cold hardwood with a shock. He went to sit on the couch to wait out the noise.
The couch was nice because it was a different place from the bed where Ennis spent every night paralyzed with fear. But that wasn't enough to help him sleep.
Ennis went to the kitchen and found the whiskey under the cabinet. He drank a enough to sleep like the dead for the first time in since the fateful night.
He woke before Jack, as usual. Still shaking off dizziness from the whiskey, Ennis went straight to work.
The next night he hardly waited until Jack was asleep before he removed himself to the couch to drink and sleep where the spirits calmed him and rest could be had.
Jack didn't know, or so Ennis thought. He continued this act night after night, refusing to believe that Jack could know anything was amiss. In Ennis's heart he knew he blamed Jack for what had happened, for thinking that two men who lived like they did could be ok. He should have slept away from Jack since the beginning. Ennis knew but refused to acknowledge that it had been over a month since he'd even touched Jack. He pretended in is own mind that he didn't even care-- he was here for the ranch. Jack couldn't meet Ennis's eyes without unspoken accusations. Ennis's temper was always on edge, and most days he could only think about Jack dropping off to sleep so he could find the soothing liquid spirit that was the only peace his soul knew any more.