The Sweetest Relief Part 4
Hey everybody, here's The Sweetest Relief Part 4 - hope you like ^^ I'm still writing Power of Love but it's taking quite a while so...It'll be here soon though *hopefully* :) Oh and....Jack finally appears in this chapter! Hope you like...
Title: The Sweetest Relief
Chapter: Chapter 4 - The Phonecall
Genre: Kind of AU I guess/angsty/sad/fluffy...
Pairing: Ennis/OC, Ennis/Jack
Rating: G or PG for this chapter
Warnings: Not really any for this chapter, apart from slight Ennis/OC and I guess it's a lil' sad
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 was woken minutes later by Frankie frantically shaking him. Confusion was brewing in his mind and when he saw his companion’s tear streaked face, it was just added to. He couldn’t remember what on earth had happened - all he knew now was that he was lying on soft bed, looking up at the white ceiling and with Frankie sitting, terrified, beside him. But as he saw his eyes gradually flicker open, he leant down and swept him into a huge embrace, mumbling words of relief.
‘’ Oh Ennis, Ennis...’’ he babbled, rocking him back and forth. ‘’ Oh Ennis, ah was so scared...are you okay?’’
Ennis nodded, his arms clutching at Frankie for comfort. ‘’ Ah think so...’’ he replied slowly. ‘’...what happened?’’
‘’ Oh Ennis, you fainted. You was screamin’ out and moanin’ fer Jack an’-an’...’’
‘’ Jack...’’ Ennis interrupted, something suddenly tightening in his chest. He remembered now. He had been with Frankie and they had been making love but...It had been Jack on his mind and taking over his thoughts. As always. Oh God, his brain whined, what have ah done? ‘’ Jack...’’ he muttered again, his breathing getting a little heavier as a lump formed in his throat. ‘’ Jack, ah...ah need to see him.’’
Frankie abruptly pulled back slightly, looking with concern into Ennis’s glazed eyes. He had sounded so serious. ‘’ Ennis, he - he’s all the way down in Texas, isn’t he? You asked me to put on a Texan accent...’’
Ennis sniffed, beginning to tremble again. ‘’ But ah need ta hear his Texan accent...’’ he moaned despairingly. ‘’ God, Frankie, ah have ta call him...’’
Frankie’s stomach jumped for some reason. ‘’ Do you - d’you know his number?’’ he asked carefully.
‘’ Of course ah do!’’ And before his brain could give any discouraging thoughts, Ennis reached across to the bedside table and picked up the receiver from the phone lying there. Truth was, he didn’t really know Jack’s number all that well. He’d never had the need to call him before, considering they mainly communicated via postcards when they were away from each other, but now he knew it was the right time to put that habit on hold for a while. He had to talk to Jack, just had to - couldn’t stand to live another moment without hearing his voice or being able to tell him what was on his mind. And he didn’t even care that it was the middle of the night. Jack had given him this number, saying he could call whenever he liked and that evening was definitely one of those times. He couldn’t bare it another second.
So, shaking with what seemed to be a million different emotions, he dialled in the number that he thought was closest to the one Jack had offered him and waited for the tone. His heart almost burst with anticipation as he heard it ringing. Frankie slumped down beside him and he desperately reached for his hand, needing something to hold for comfort. The dark haired cowboy happily obliged.
The dialling tone seemed to go on forever. Ennis was terrified that it would lead to the answering machine but he was also terrified of Jack picking up. He really had no idea what to tell, even if he knew what he’d like to say. After all, he wasn’t very good with conversations, especially if he felt like this. He thought he might collapse again with nerves.
But then, just as he realised he could be in danger of hanging up because he was so scared, there was a noise different to the dialling tone on the other side of the line and Ennis’s heart skipped one or two beats. His stomach twisted and he held his breath when a sleepy voice mumbled down the phone.
‘’ Hello?’’ it said and at that one simple word, Ennis couldn’t take it any longer. Bursting into tears, he dropped Frankie’s hand and cradled the receiver like a child, muttering Jack’s name repeatedly. There was no doubt that was him that had uttered that greeting. Ennis knew his voice so well by now yet it was always beyond perfect to hear it again.
‘’ Oh Jack, oh Jack!’’ he cried loudly, squeezing his eyes shut. ‘’ Oh God Jack, ah missed you so much!’’
‘’ Ennis?’’ Jack asked slowly, confused. ‘’ Ennis, that you?’’
‘’ Yes, yes!’’ Ennis replied immediately, not able to contain his joy. He had never displayed his emotions so freely before that night. ‘’ Jack, Jack, ah’m so sorry!’’
‘’ Hey...’’ Jack cooed softly at Ennis’s uncharacteristic outburst. He sounded slightly more awake now. ‘’ Hey, it’s okay... Don’t cry, Ennis...’’
‘’ Oh, ah cain’t help it, Jack! Ah missed you so much an’ ah was so horrible ta ya...Ah’m so sorry, ah’m so sorry...’’
‘’ Aww, Ennis...It’s alright...It wasn’t your fault, friend. Ah shouldn’t have pushed ya like that...’’
‘’ But, Jack, ah...Ah...Oh Jack, ah need to come an’ see ya...’’
Jack seemed stunned by this statement, considering his sudden silence on the other side of the line. Ennis held his breath again, hoping desperately he hadn’t gone too far but then there was a quiet noise and Jack’s voice appeared again, fuelling his hopes. ‘’ Oh Ennis...Ah...Are you serious?’’
Ennis nodded, though he knew Jack couldn’t see him. ‘’ Damn ah am, Jack...’’ he muttered. ‘’ An’ ah haven’t been drinkin’ too much either...God, ah-ah miss ya so much an’ ah need ta-need ta...’’
‘’ Need ta what, Ennis?’’
‘’...Ah’ll jus’ see ya soon, Jack...Ah’m comin’ down t’morrow. Dunno how long it’ll take...Jus’ have ta see ya...’’
‘’But, Ennis - d’you know where ah live?’
‘’ ‘Course ah do, Jack. An’ if ah don’t, ah’ll ask ‘round...Ah don’t care...’’
‘’ O-okay then...Ah’ll be waitin’ for ya...’’ There was a pause and then a small, choked sob. ‘’ Ah missed ya, Ennis - ah’m sorry we argued again...’’
‘’ S’okay - ah missed ya too.’’ And with a last tear, Ennis mumbled a sad goodbye and hung up the phone, not quite believing what he had just done. He didn’t actually know where Jack lived all that well but he was prepared to ask a thousand people to find out. There was no way he could go without seeing him again.
As he let the phone drop back onto the bedside table, he sank into the mattress and clutched the covers around him, trembling. Frankie crawled up next to him and wrapped his arms around his shaking body, nuzzling him softly.
‘’ Ah’ll come with ya if ya want, Ennis...’’ he said gently. Ennis nodded. He was definitely going to need some company on this trip which otherwise would have been extremely lonely. Especially as he didn’t know how long it would take, or moreover, the exact route to travel down. That scared him a little but having somebody with him would heal it at least a bit.
‘’ Okay...’’ he muttered, cuddling Frankie back. ‘’ Ah don’t think mah car would make it awl that way anyway so...can we take your’s?’’
‘’ ‘Course we can. ‘S no problem at all...’’
Ennis nodded gratefully again. ‘’ An’ we’re gonna have ta drop inta mine t’morrow mornin’ jus’ ta grab some bits an’ pieces...Alma’ll be at work too so - ah’ll leave her a note or somethin’...’’
‘’ Sure.’’ Frankie stroked Ennis’s hair and guided him to rest his head on his chest. ‘’ Now, ah think it’s time you got some rest, Ennis...Ya’ve hardly slept at all yet...’’
‘’ Mmm...’’ Ennis embraced Frankie closer and then closed his eyes. Sleep came to him within minutes but soon, his dreams were haunted by visions and memories of him and Jack, and more frightfully, him and Frankie.
TBC