The Sweetest Relief Part 9
Hey, everybody. Both this and The Power of Love are taking a little while now and I'm sorry but I just had no idea how to update them (though I have some type of idea now ^^) The Power of Love next chapter should be put up pretty soon but for now, here's Part 9 of the Sweetest Relief...hope you like :)
Title: The Sweetest Relief
Chapter: Chapter 9 - Confusion
Genre: Kind of AU I guess/angsty/sad/fluffy...
Pairing: Ennis/OC, Jack/OC (for a reason :)
Rating: PG or PG 13 for this chapter
Warnings: Angsty, sad and Jack/OC though not much and it's for a reason
Summary: Ennis is missing Jack after the last argument he had with him and winds up at a bar on his own, meeting up with a stranger who he has more in common with than he first thinks
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, apart from Frankie. Anyone who's not Frankie belongs to Annie Proulx. I'm not earning any profit from doing this - it's just for fun!
Feedback: That'd be great.
Ennis returned that evening but without a word to Jack or Frankie. He merely walked into the house, slammed the door behind him and swept up to his room, slamming that door too. Jack got up to go to him but Frankie stopped him, saying he’d come round. Jack didn’t have it in him to argue so he nodded and sat down again, Frankie’s arm slipping gently around his shoulders. He didn’t protest.
The time went on though and Ennis still didn’t come down. The door remained shut to his room and by the point that Jack and Frankie wanted to retire to bed, he had barely moved. Jack turned to Frankie then, his eyes big and glossy with tears. He’d hardly known what to do all day, keeping quiet and solemn and so unlike what Frankie had witnessed when he had met him a few days ago. He hated to see him like this.
‘’ What should ah do, Frankie?’’ he asked, voice trembling. ‘’ Can ah come into the guest room with you? Ah cain’t go and sleep in there when Ennis is like this...’’’
Frankie sighed mournfully. ‘’ Ah’ll go talk to him,’’ he said and Jack nodded. It was probably better if Frankie talked to him after what had happened that morning. Jack didn’t want to get into another screaming argument with Ennis. He couldn’t bare it. And, anyway, Frankie had seemed to have done a good job when he had met him in the bar.
‘’ Okay...’’ he muttered weakly. ‘’ Ah’ll go to the guest room...’’
Frankie smiled and then watched Jack walk to his room, thinking how strange it must have been to stay in a place a guest would sleep in his own house. Still, once he was gone, Frankie stepped forward and tenderly knocked on the door of the room Ennis was in, feeling a little nervous. He had no idea what he was going to be like.
‘’ Ennis?’’ he asked softly through the keyhole. ‘’ Ennis? It’s Frankie. Can ah come in?’’
There was a sound from in there, that sounded a little like a whimper, and then a weak reply. ‘’ Come in,’’ he said and Frankie slowly pulled on the handle, swinging the door open. Inside, Ennis was lying on the bed, his eyes red and puffy and cheeks and hair damp with tears. This was hardly a new sight for him though.
‘’ Hey...’’ he greeted softly, closing the door behind him. Ennis sat up a little, allowing him to perch on the bed next to him. ‘’ Are you alright?’’
‘’ Mmmm...’’ Ennis didn’t answer at first, instead looking down and fiddling nervously with his hands. Frankie watched him for a while and reached out, brushing back a wet strand of hair. He flinched.
‘’ What’s wrong?’’ he asked but then he caught a glimpse of a red scar on his forehead, looking quite fresh. Dried blood was gathering around it. ‘’ Oh God, Ennis, what happened?’’
Ennis shook his head, not wanting to answer. Frankie let him stay silent for a bit but finally, reached out for him again and slowly drew him into a gentle embrace. Ennis sank against him, starting to sob. ‘’ Ennis...’’ he murmured, stroking his hair and feeling his body tremble with every whimper. ‘’ Sssh, it’s okay, it’s okay...’’
‘’ No it’s not!’’ Ennis replied, his voice breaking and muffled. ‘’ It’s not okay!’’
‘’ Please tell me what’s wrong, Ennis...’’ Frankie continued, holding him close. ‘’ Come on, ah’m here for Jack...’’
‘’ Jack?’’ Ennis suddenly paused, looking up slightly. ‘’ Why didn’t he come in here himself?’’
‘’...because he didn’t want to hurt you anymore than he did earlier. He really likes you, Ennis.’’
‘’ Ah know...An’ it hurts so much...’’
‘’ Hurts? Why? Because he likes you?’’
‘’ Not just ‘likes’,’’ Ennis replied nervously. ‘’ Ah know he loves me, Frankie. An’...an’...’’
‘’ An’ what?’’
‘’ Ah dunno, Frankie. Ah dunno how ah feel anymore.’’
Frankie smiled sympathetically, Ennis’s pain leaking through his words. His heart ached as he continued to shake his head and sob, trying to bite back more tears. ‘’ Ah’m sorry, Frankie, ah’m so sorry...’’
‘’ Don’t apologise,’’ he said softly, embracing him close again. ‘’ It’s alright...’’
Ennis nodded, attempting to prove to himself that Frankie was right and then felt his fingers brush past his scar again. He gasped and abruptly pulled away, not wanting to remember what had happened earlier that day. But Frankie didn’t stop. ‘’ Ennis...’’ he said gently, lightly stroking his arm. ‘’ Ennis, you gonna tell me where you got that scar?’’
Ennis didn’t reply for a bit but then he gradually began to look up, his eyes haunted with many emotions. Frankie tried to encourage him on without sounding too pushy yet Ennis seemed to be slowly coming around by his own accord. ‘’ Ah went down to the bar...’’ he replied at last, his voice shaking. ‘’...and ah didn’t really know what ah was doin’ in there - ah didn’t really wanna drink or nuthin’ but...ah guess ah jus’ wanted ta think - ah don’t know what about. But ah started thinkin’ that it prob’ly wasn’t the best place ta think an’ then ah heard some guys at the back talkin’ about a rodeo cowboy from around here. Ah wasn’t listenin’ properly to start with but then they mentioned Jack an’ ah realised they weren’t bein’ all that nice. The rest...the rest was...’’
But Ennis didn’t have to explain anymore. Frankie nodded, knowing that there had been violence down the bar that day and reached out to brush the hair away from the wound so he could get a better look. Ennis flinched and pulled away. ‘’ It’s fine,’’ he insisted, looking down again. ‘’ Ah jus’...don’t wanna remember what happened.’’
‘’ You were defendin’ Jack, Ennis. You did what you thought was right.’’
‘’ Yeah but...ah do that too much. An’ it always ends up hurtin’.’’
Frankie didn’t know what to say to that. There felt like there was something else behind all this but he could tell Ennis didn’t want to talk about it, no matter how hard he tried to encourage him to. He was moving away from him now, knees pulled protectively up to his chest and his eyes were blank, tears gathering in them and his bottom lip trembling. He began to reach out to embrace him but Ennis stilled his hand, not pushing him away yet silently telling him not to get any closer. Frankie could only obey and as he heard a quiet sob gather in Ennis’s throat, he rose from the bed, quietly walking out of the room. He had a feeling those tears were not just from the fight.
***
Jack was sitting on the bed, his arms wrapped around his knees in a similar position to Ennis when he entered the guest room again and he glanced up as he noticed him, his eyes wide with worry. ‘’ Is he alright?’’ was the first thing he said but Frankie didn’t answer for a bit, instead choosing to slip onto the mattress next to him and draw the bed throw over them. ‘’ Ennis? Is he alright?’’ Jack tried again and Frankie smiled softly and sympathetically, finally turning to face him. The cowboy seemed almost overcome with emotions and it was only then that Frankie noticed how much Jack and Ennis spoke through their eyes. Ennis said less than Jack in voice but his eyes gave him away - as they had just previously in the bedroom - yet still, even though Jack’s eyes were normally bright and lovely, they were now slightly red and scared, caring for his Ennis. If he could be called ‘his’ Ennis without sounding too possessive. Frankie wasn’t sure Ennis would like to be referred to as Jack’s, even though Frankie believed he was, no matter about Alma or Lureen.
‘’ Yes,’’ he answered after a long while. ‘’ Yes, he’s alright. But...he’s upset an’...he got into a fight down at the bar.’’
Jack’s eyes widened a little but he still seemed to have anticipated this a bit. ‘’ A fight?’’ he asked. ‘’ He’s not hurt, is he?’’
‘’ Only kind of. He’s got a cut on his forehead but that’s it.’’
‘’ Why on earth did he get into a fight?’’ Jack knew Ennis spoke more through actions than words and he had seen other scars on his body, suggesting physical conflict, but for each one, he always imagined there was something much deeper.
‘’ It was over you,’’ Frankie slowly replied and he could see that Jack was shocked at that. ‘’ He said there were some guys bein’ bad about you - ah’m not sure what about - an’ then he, ah dunno, he must have stood up fer you or somethin’.’’
‘’ Oh.’’ Jack hadn’t been expecting that. His heart felt like it was melting and twisting at the same time for Ennis defending him but it also ached that he had got hurt because of him. Yet it still hadn’t been what he had been anticipating. Really, he didn’t know what he had been anticipating. ‘’ Oh, that’s...oh.’’
‘’ He said he’s done that quite a lot too. He ever told you about that?’’
‘’...no. Ah mean, ah know he’s fought but...ah didn’t know they were over me. Didn’t know he was defendin’ me, ah should say...’’
Frankie nodded, a small smile on his face. ‘’ He’s a quiet type though, right?’’
‘’ Ah know.’’ Jack tried to smile back, but it slowly turned downwards again, a small sob escaping his lips. ‘’ Oh Frankie, ah don’t know what ta do. Ah said before - he’ll never love me back. At least, he won’t admit it. We could have a real sweet life t’gether if he jus’ stopped worryin’ - why cain’t he see that?’’
‘’ Ah think he knows that, Jack...But don’t you ever worry?’’
‘’ Of course ah do. But not as much as him. God, he thinks too much!’’
‘’ Isn’t that a good thing?’’
‘’ Ah dunno. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. All ah know is ah love him. He’d never admit anythin’ like that ta me though...’’
‘’ He knows you love him, Jack.’’
Jack was a little surprised at that. He’d never said anything to Ennis about that, for fear he’d walked out on him forever ( a completely different reason to the one he imagined Ennis was worrying about) but even though they’d always acted very affectionate around each other, he never thought Ennis was allow himself to think such things about love. Certainly he’d have contemplated it, but not as much as to accept it, so Jack had thought. And definitely not to admit it to somebody. Maybe he was wrong about Ennis. Maybe he’d changed. Maybe Frankie had changed him. Jack’s heart skipped momentarily.
‘’ Oh,’’ he replied after a bit. ‘’ Did he say that?’’
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ And what did he say after?’’
‘’ He said he didn’t know what he was feelin’. But ah know he really likes you, Jack.’’
‘’ Ah know that, jus’...ah really wanna be with him. But you know that. Ah’m sorry.’’ Frankie saw a tear slip down Jack’s cheek. He’d never seen anybody care so much about someone else before, man or woman.
‘’ Jack, don’t cry...’’ he whispered but another tear trickled down and then a sob arose from his throat, drawing Jack into his open arms. Frankie caressed him, patting his hair gently and trying to mutter comforting words to him yet it seemed to be no use. After a while, Jack was still crying softly into his shoulder and he didn’t know what to do. He could try and get Ennis but the more he thought about that, the worse an idea it became. They probably weren’t in the right mood to talk right then.
However, just as Jack’s crying was beginning to soften a little, he moved slightly and lifted his head from his shoulder, bottom lip trembling. Frankie looked down at him and suddenly, could feel his fingers tangling into his dark hair, stroking the gentle curls. ‘’ Frankie...’’ he muttered and so much was said in that one simple word, he couldn’t comprehend everything. His mind was starting to spin and at the sight of Jack’s beautiful blue eyes so close, his heart was starting to thump. ‘’ Frankie, ah’m sorry...’’ he whispered and then their lips met. Confusion entered both Frankie and Jack’s brain but desire led them onwards into a tighter embrace as tongues danced. Frankie heard a moan sound in the room, though he wasn’t sure who’s it was, though he held on to Jack still, feeling his warm body through his clothes. God, he though. Ah have ta get these clothes off...
But then, suddenly, as that thought entered his brain, something happened. Eyes wide, he abruptly pulled away and looked at Jack, bewilderment pulsing between them. He was just about to say something yet before he could, the door creaked open and Ennis stood there, his eyes still puffy and red.
‘’ Ah’m sorry, Jack...’’ he muttered and everything changed.
TBC
Title: The Sweetest Relief
Chapter: Chapter 9 - Confusion
Genre: Kind of AU I guess/angsty/sad/fluffy...
Pairing: Ennis/OC, Jack/OC (for a reason :)
Rating: PG or PG 13 for this chapter
Warnings: Angsty, sad and Jack/OC though not much and it's for a reason
Summary: Ennis is missing Jack after the last argument he had with him and winds up at a bar on his own, meeting up with a stranger who he has more in common with than he first thinks
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, apart from Frankie. Anyone who's not Frankie belongs to Annie Proulx. I'm not earning any profit from doing this - it's just for fun!
Feedback: That'd be great.
Ennis returned that evening but without a word to Jack or Frankie. He merely walked into the house, slammed the door behind him and swept up to his room, slamming that door too. Jack got up to go to him but Frankie stopped him, saying he’d come round. Jack didn’t have it in him to argue so he nodded and sat down again, Frankie’s arm slipping gently around his shoulders. He didn’t protest.
The time went on though and Ennis still didn’t come down. The door remained shut to his room and by the point that Jack and Frankie wanted to retire to bed, he had barely moved. Jack turned to Frankie then, his eyes big and glossy with tears. He’d hardly known what to do all day, keeping quiet and solemn and so unlike what Frankie had witnessed when he had met him a few days ago. He hated to see him like this.
‘’ What should ah do, Frankie?’’ he asked, voice trembling. ‘’ Can ah come into the guest room with you? Ah cain’t go and sleep in there when Ennis is like this...’’’
Frankie sighed mournfully. ‘’ Ah’ll go talk to him,’’ he said and Jack nodded. It was probably better if Frankie talked to him after what had happened that morning. Jack didn’t want to get into another screaming argument with Ennis. He couldn’t bare it. And, anyway, Frankie had seemed to have done a good job when he had met him in the bar.
‘’ Okay...’’ he muttered weakly. ‘’ Ah’ll go to the guest room...’’
Frankie smiled and then watched Jack walk to his room, thinking how strange it must have been to stay in a place a guest would sleep in his own house. Still, once he was gone, Frankie stepped forward and tenderly knocked on the door of the room Ennis was in, feeling a little nervous. He had no idea what he was going to be like.
‘’ Ennis?’’ he asked softly through the keyhole. ‘’ Ennis? It’s Frankie. Can ah come in?’’
There was a sound from in there, that sounded a little like a whimper, and then a weak reply. ‘’ Come in,’’ he said and Frankie slowly pulled on the handle, swinging the door open. Inside, Ennis was lying on the bed, his eyes red and puffy and cheeks and hair damp with tears. This was hardly a new sight for him though.
‘’ Hey...’’ he greeted softly, closing the door behind him. Ennis sat up a little, allowing him to perch on the bed next to him. ‘’ Are you alright?’’
‘’ Mmmm...’’ Ennis didn’t answer at first, instead looking down and fiddling nervously with his hands. Frankie watched him for a while and reached out, brushing back a wet strand of hair. He flinched.
‘’ What’s wrong?’’ he asked but then he caught a glimpse of a red scar on his forehead, looking quite fresh. Dried blood was gathering around it. ‘’ Oh God, Ennis, what happened?’’
Ennis shook his head, not wanting to answer. Frankie let him stay silent for a bit but finally, reached out for him again and slowly drew him into a gentle embrace. Ennis sank against him, starting to sob. ‘’ Ennis...’’ he murmured, stroking his hair and feeling his body tremble with every whimper. ‘’ Sssh, it’s okay, it’s okay...’’
‘’ No it’s not!’’ Ennis replied, his voice breaking and muffled. ‘’ It’s not okay!’’
‘’ Please tell me what’s wrong, Ennis...’’ Frankie continued, holding him close. ‘’ Come on, ah’m here for Jack...’’
‘’ Jack?’’ Ennis suddenly paused, looking up slightly. ‘’ Why didn’t he come in here himself?’’
‘’...because he didn’t want to hurt you anymore than he did earlier. He really likes you, Ennis.’’
‘’ Ah know...An’ it hurts so much...’’
‘’ Hurts? Why? Because he likes you?’’
‘’ Not just ‘likes’,’’ Ennis replied nervously. ‘’ Ah know he loves me, Frankie. An’...an’...’’
‘’ An’ what?’’
‘’ Ah dunno, Frankie. Ah dunno how ah feel anymore.’’
Frankie smiled sympathetically, Ennis’s pain leaking through his words. His heart ached as he continued to shake his head and sob, trying to bite back more tears. ‘’ Ah’m sorry, Frankie, ah’m so sorry...’’
‘’ Don’t apologise,’’ he said softly, embracing him close again. ‘’ It’s alright...’’
Ennis nodded, attempting to prove to himself that Frankie was right and then felt his fingers brush past his scar again. He gasped and abruptly pulled away, not wanting to remember what had happened earlier that day. But Frankie didn’t stop. ‘’ Ennis...’’ he said gently, lightly stroking his arm. ‘’ Ennis, you gonna tell me where you got that scar?’’
Ennis didn’t reply for a bit but then he gradually began to look up, his eyes haunted with many emotions. Frankie tried to encourage him on without sounding too pushy yet Ennis seemed to be slowly coming around by his own accord. ‘’ Ah went down to the bar...’’ he replied at last, his voice shaking. ‘’...and ah didn’t really know what ah was doin’ in there - ah didn’t really wanna drink or nuthin’ but...ah guess ah jus’ wanted ta think - ah don’t know what about. But ah started thinkin’ that it prob’ly wasn’t the best place ta think an’ then ah heard some guys at the back talkin’ about a rodeo cowboy from around here. Ah wasn’t listenin’ properly to start with but then they mentioned Jack an’ ah realised they weren’t bein’ all that nice. The rest...the rest was...’’
But Ennis didn’t have to explain anymore. Frankie nodded, knowing that there had been violence down the bar that day and reached out to brush the hair away from the wound so he could get a better look. Ennis flinched and pulled away. ‘’ It’s fine,’’ he insisted, looking down again. ‘’ Ah jus’...don’t wanna remember what happened.’’
‘’ You were defendin’ Jack, Ennis. You did what you thought was right.’’
‘’ Yeah but...ah do that too much. An’ it always ends up hurtin’.’’
Frankie didn’t know what to say to that. There felt like there was something else behind all this but he could tell Ennis didn’t want to talk about it, no matter how hard he tried to encourage him to. He was moving away from him now, knees pulled protectively up to his chest and his eyes were blank, tears gathering in them and his bottom lip trembling. He began to reach out to embrace him but Ennis stilled his hand, not pushing him away yet silently telling him not to get any closer. Frankie could only obey and as he heard a quiet sob gather in Ennis’s throat, he rose from the bed, quietly walking out of the room. He had a feeling those tears were not just from the fight.
***
Jack was sitting on the bed, his arms wrapped around his knees in a similar position to Ennis when he entered the guest room again and he glanced up as he noticed him, his eyes wide with worry. ‘’ Is he alright?’’ was the first thing he said but Frankie didn’t answer for a bit, instead choosing to slip onto the mattress next to him and draw the bed throw over them. ‘’ Ennis? Is he alright?’’ Jack tried again and Frankie smiled softly and sympathetically, finally turning to face him. The cowboy seemed almost overcome with emotions and it was only then that Frankie noticed how much Jack and Ennis spoke through their eyes. Ennis said less than Jack in voice but his eyes gave him away - as they had just previously in the bedroom - yet still, even though Jack’s eyes were normally bright and lovely, they were now slightly red and scared, caring for his Ennis. If he could be called ‘his’ Ennis without sounding too possessive. Frankie wasn’t sure Ennis would like to be referred to as Jack’s, even though Frankie believed he was, no matter about Alma or Lureen.
‘’ Yes,’’ he answered after a long while. ‘’ Yes, he’s alright. But...he’s upset an’...he got into a fight down at the bar.’’
Jack’s eyes widened a little but he still seemed to have anticipated this a bit. ‘’ A fight?’’ he asked. ‘’ He’s not hurt, is he?’’
‘’ Only kind of. He’s got a cut on his forehead but that’s it.’’
‘’ Why on earth did he get into a fight?’’ Jack knew Ennis spoke more through actions than words and he had seen other scars on his body, suggesting physical conflict, but for each one, he always imagined there was something much deeper.
‘’ It was over you,’’ Frankie slowly replied and he could see that Jack was shocked at that. ‘’ He said there were some guys bein’ bad about you - ah’m not sure what about - an’ then he, ah dunno, he must have stood up fer you or somethin’.’’
‘’ Oh.’’ Jack hadn’t been expecting that. His heart felt like it was melting and twisting at the same time for Ennis defending him but it also ached that he had got hurt because of him. Yet it still hadn’t been what he had been anticipating. Really, he didn’t know what he had been anticipating. ‘’ Oh, that’s...oh.’’
‘’ He said he’s done that quite a lot too. He ever told you about that?’’
‘’...no. Ah mean, ah know he’s fought but...ah didn’t know they were over me. Didn’t know he was defendin’ me, ah should say...’’
Frankie nodded, a small smile on his face. ‘’ He’s a quiet type though, right?’’
‘’ Ah know.’’ Jack tried to smile back, but it slowly turned downwards again, a small sob escaping his lips. ‘’ Oh Frankie, ah don’t know what ta do. Ah said before - he’ll never love me back. At least, he won’t admit it. We could have a real sweet life t’gether if he jus’ stopped worryin’ - why cain’t he see that?’’
‘’ Ah think he knows that, Jack...But don’t you ever worry?’’
‘’ Of course ah do. But not as much as him. God, he thinks too much!’’
‘’ Isn’t that a good thing?’’
‘’ Ah dunno. Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. All ah know is ah love him. He’d never admit anythin’ like that ta me though...’’
‘’ He knows you love him, Jack.’’
Jack was a little surprised at that. He’d never said anything to Ennis about that, for fear he’d walked out on him forever ( a completely different reason to the one he imagined Ennis was worrying about) but even though they’d always acted very affectionate around each other, he never thought Ennis was allow himself to think such things about love. Certainly he’d have contemplated it, but not as much as to accept it, so Jack had thought. And definitely not to admit it to somebody. Maybe he was wrong about Ennis. Maybe he’d changed. Maybe Frankie had changed him. Jack’s heart skipped momentarily.
‘’ Oh,’’ he replied after a bit. ‘’ Did he say that?’’
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ And what did he say after?’’
‘’ He said he didn’t know what he was feelin’. But ah know he really likes you, Jack.’’
‘’ Ah know that, jus’...ah really wanna be with him. But you know that. Ah’m sorry.’’ Frankie saw a tear slip down Jack’s cheek. He’d never seen anybody care so much about someone else before, man or woman.
‘’ Jack, don’t cry...’’ he whispered but another tear trickled down and then a sob arose from his throat, drawing Jack into his open arms. Frankie caressed him, patting his hair gently and trying to mutter comforting words to him yet it seemed to be no use. After a while, Jack was still crying softly into his shoulder and he didn’t know what to do. He could try and get Ennis but the more he thought about that, the worse an idea it became. They probably weren’t in the right mood to talk right then.
However, just as Jack’s crying was beginning to soften a little, he moved slightly and lifted his head from his shoulder, bottom lip trembling. Frankie looked down at him and suddenly, could feel his fingers tangling into his dark hair, stroking the gentle curls. ‘’ Frankie...’’ he muttered and so much was said in that one simple word, he couldn’t comprehend everything. His mind was starting to spin and at the sight of Jack’s beautiful blue eyes so close, his heart was starting to thump. ‘’ Frankie, ah’m sorry...’’ he whispered and then their lips met. Confusion entered both Frankie and Jack’s brain but desire led them onwards into a tighter embrace as tongues danced. Frankie heard a moan sound in the room, though he wasn’t sure who’s it was, though he held on to Jack still, feeling his warm body through his clothes. God, he though. Ah have ta get these clothes off...
But then, suddenly, as that thought entered his brain, something happened. Eyes wide, he abruptly pulled away and looked at Jack, bewilderment pulsing between them. He was just about to say something yet before he could, the door creaked open and Ennis stood there, his eyes still puffy and red.
‘’ Ah’m sorry, Jack...’’ he muttered and everything changed.
TBC