Just The Two of Us (Part 1)
OK, well, here's another Jack <3 Ennis for ya'll ^^
Title: Just The Two of Us (Part 1)
Genre: AU/fluffy/angsty...
Pairing: Ennis/Jack
Rating: G/PG to begin with...
Summary: Ennis is in a state in the tent and Jack is forced to bring out his sensitive side in finding out what’s wrong. (in this one, Jack and Ennis haven’t got together before so hope that makes it a lil easier to understand)
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters - they are the creation of Annie Proulx. I’m not earning any profit from this - just for fun :)
It was midnight when Jack finally returned to the camp with only the stars to guide his way. The sheep were fine, despite Aguirre insisting there was something up with them earlier, and were safe from any coyotes for the time being. Jack had considered staying up with them a little longer but when he had begun to set up his small, foul-smelling tent, the air around had started to rapidly cool, warning of fast approaching bad weather. Knowing that without a fire (Aguirre forbade it) he’d freeze to death, he had packed up his stuff and rode all the way back to Ennis’s camp where he knew there’d be more sufficient shelter.
The flames were still comfortably flickering when he had arrived, promising warmth, and the horses were resting amongst the trees, settled down for the night. Jack crept past them upon returning and putting his equipment on the leafy ground, headed towards the tent.
Ennis was already inside, the sheets pulled right over him. However, as Jack knelt down to zip the canvas cover of the shelter up again, he noticed he was trembling. At first, he thought it must have been from the cold, but then he realised sharp gasps were coming from the makeshift bed, followed by what sounded like sobs. Jack paused at this, slightly taken aback.
‘’ Ennis...?’’ he questioned softly, removing his hat and then his jacket. ‘’ Ennis, are you OK...?’’
Ennis’s gasps immediately stopped at Jack’s voice, choking into silence. Jack crawled forward a little and tried to pull back the sheets but was abruptly shoved off. ‘’ Leave me alone, Jack,’’ came Ennis’s thick voice.
But Jack just ignored him, attempting again to see his companion’s face. Concern had suddenly claimed him. ‘’ Ennis, what’s wrong?’’
‘’ Go away!’’ Ennis sounded vicious now, his words muffled by the pillow. ‘’ Jus’...go back ta th’ sheep!’’
‘’ Ennis, ah jus’ came all the way up - there’s a storm a-brewin’ out there and ah don’t wanna be in it...What’s up?’’
Ennis clutched the sheets tighter over himself in response, trying to move away from Jack. ‘’ Ah said leave me alone!’’ he shouted.
‘’ Ennis, it’s gonna start pourin’ with rain in a minute! Ah got nowhere else ta go!’’
‘’ What about ya tent?’’ Ennis snarled. ‘’ What’s wrong with that?!’’
‘’ It’ll never hold out in tha’ weather, Ennis. Jus’ let me stay in here fer a night.’’
‘’ Ah wan’ be alone, Jack!’’
‘’ Ennis, don’t be so selfish - ah’m not goin’ nowhere!’’
‘’ Jack!’’
‘’ Ennis!’’
‘’ Jack! Go away!’’
‘’ Ennis, what the hell is wrong with you? Ah’m tryin’ a’ help!’’
‘’ Ah don’t want no help, Jack! ‘Specially not your’s!’’
Jack looked hurt. ‘’ Well, thanks, Ennis!’’ he hissed. ‘’ Apparently, carin’ don’t work fer boys like you!’’
‘’ Go back to the sheep, Jack Twist! Ah’ll see you in the mornin’!’’
‘’ Fine! Don’t bother ‘bout me, Ennis! Goodbye!’’ And Jack began to back out of the tent, grabbing his hat and jacket on the way. He was just about to advance into the camp again when there was a sudden voice from behind him, urging him to stop. Shocked, he immediately did so and then slowly turned around.
Ennis was sitting up on the bedroll, clutching the sheets to his body and looking into his face with a distraught, anguished gaze. Tears were staining his pale cheeks and his eyes were red and swollen, portraying a thousand signs of sadness and adding to his almost heart breaking pain. Jack was stunned when he saw him. Throughout every day and week he had worked with him on this mountain, Ennis hadn’t come out of his tough outer shell once or shown any hints of sensitivity. He’d trudged his way past the hours, doing what he was supposed to be doing, but barely saying a word afterwards. Only on a couple of occasions had Jack managed to have a proper conversation with him and even then, he had been doing most of the talking.
So now, the change seemed startling and even a little haunting. He’d never have thought he’d witness his companion cry, let alone freely display it to him, and at it, he felt he wanted to look away. Ennis appeared absolutely overcome with woe, every inch of him leaking with the emotion. Jack almost thought he’d start welling up himself if he continued to look.
‘’ Ennis...’’ he muttered instead when the silence became too much. Any anger had immediately been washed away. ‘’ Ennis, my God, what’s wrong?’’
‘’ Jack, ah...ah...ah can’t say!’’ And Ennis broke down in front of him, his head drooping into his shaking hands. Jack winced at his pain and then crawled closer, kneeling beside him on the wide bedroll. ‘’ Ah can’t, ah can’t!’’
‘’ It’s okay, Ennis...’’ He didn’t really know what to say. He never had had to give comfort to anybody before and nobody had really tried to comfort him either. After all, his Father had wanted a tough lad as a son and his Mother had crumbled under his orders, understanding she should never whisper calming words to her child or cuddle him past the age of 10. That was the weak way apparently. Jack had learned to cry on his own. He wouldn’t ever forget those memories, no matter how much he wanted to.
So as Ennis continued to weep, he didn’t really know what to do. He could feel his own sensitive side swiftly coming through, what with the way his heart was starting to ache, but he had absolutely no idea how to soothe him. He’d maybe be able to comfort a girl yet a man? They didn’t need it - or so his Father had said.
He couldn’t bare to see Ennis like this though - no matter how odd that sounded to him.
‘’ Jack...’’ the cowboy continued to moan. ‘’ Oh Jack, ah’m so sorry for yellin’ at cha...Ah jus’...jus’...oh, ah don’t know!’’
Jack was feeling increasingly uncomfortable around this sudden outpouring of emotion from Ennis. Apologies and crying all in a few minutes. Something awful must have happened, he thought. A guy like him didn’t just lose it like that.
‘’ Ennis,’’ he muttered after a while, realising his throat was almost completely dry. This didn’t come easily to him. ‘’ Ennis, it’s - it’s alright...ah’m - ah’m okay. Whatever’s wrong?’’
Ennis sobbed into the sheets, shaking his head. For a few moments, Jack thought he wasn’t going to reply but then he looked up a little and blurted, ‘’ It’s Aguirre!’’ in a thick voice.
Jack asked what he meant by this and through what seemed like an endless stream of tears, he choked out a story of how earlier that day, Aguirre had called him into his trailer and told him that losses were already being made, especially after that raging thunderstorm about a week ago. Ennis said he’d believed that it wasn’t his fault but then Aguirre had apparently got furious at him answering back and in a blistering fit of anger over many subjects, had lashed out at him, knocking him to the floor. For what felt like an eternity after that, he told Jack that he’d beaten him black and blue with whatever was at hand. Ages passed yet in the end, he’d managed to escape (though delirious and excessively injured) and had stumbled back up into camp, not returning to sheep for the whole day.
Jack was both shocked and disgusted when Ennis had bravely relayed this story to him. His stomach twisted as he heard of Aguirre’s violent and unnecessary abuse and by the conclusion he wanted to march up to his boss’s trailer and show him what he thought about him for ever laying his hands on his friend. He almost couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Aguirre had been breaking rules by making him sleep with no fire up with the sheep but to actually physically and severely mistreat Ennis was breaking laws.
‘’ Oh Ennis...’’ he breathed after a while, the tale gradually sinking in. ‘’ Oh, we have ta do somethin’ ‘bout this...’’
Ennis sobbed. ‘’ What are we meant a’ do, Jack?!’’ he asked. ‘’ Go ta a police station?! The neares’ one’s miles away an’ anyway, there’s no real proof Aguirre did this! An’ y’know what he’d do if he ever got questioned!’’
Jack sighed. ‘’ But there’s gotta be somethin’ we can do, Ennis. Look at the state yer in - this is serious!’’
‘’ There’s nuthin’, Jack!’’ came the dismal reply. It seemed Ennis had already gone through all this in his mind. ‘’ Aguirre’ll jus’ make it worse if we try anyway! Ah’ll be such a wimp!’’
‘’ Ennis, ‘s not about that...’’ This was becoming slightly easier for Jack now. ‘’...that guy jus’ physically abused you! That’s an offense - he should be locked up fer it!’’
Ennis’s head drooped again, making him look so defeated. His sobs gradually got harder, his whole body trembling. ‘’ Oh Jack, a lot a’ people should be locked up fer a lot a’ things...There’s nuthin’ we can do up here. Ah jus’...ah jus’ wanna got ta sleep an’... an’ forget about it fer a bit...’’
Jack couldn’t protest any longer. Knowing how stubborn Ennis could be, he nodded slowly and let him slip back under the covers, following him after a while.
TBC