One evening in late January, Jack was lounging on the couch, talking more at than to Ennis as the fair-haired man went from room to room looking for something.

"Fella I bought 'em from must not a known; can't believe I only just noticed. Really can't believe you didn't notice."

Ennis stopped for a moment and turned to look at Jack. "You realize I have no idea what yer talking about."

"One of our cows is pregnant!"

Ennis blinked, a bit taken aback. "Well, alright then."

Jack grinned and stretched, seeming rather like a tomcat. "What're you lookin' for, anyway?"

"My gloves."

"Haven't seen 'em."

"Course you haven't, son of a bitch..." Ennis grumbled, half joking, before going to hunt in "Jack's" room, having checked most everywhere else. After a few minutes of rummaging, he called, "Jack?"

Jack got up from the couch and walked into the room. "What?"

"What's this?" Ennis was holding a soft package wrapped neatly in brown paper and tied with twine.

Jack snatched it from him. "Nothing!" There was a pause. "It's nothin'."

Ennis gave him an extremely disbelieving look.

Jack sighed and shifted his weight from foot to foot a few times. He slowly, carefully and rather hesitantly unwrapped the package then held the contents out to Ennis, who took it from him. It was two shirts, tucked carefully one inside the other and folded together. Ennis's brow furrowed as he looked from the shirts, to Jack, and back a few times. "Jack...?"

Jack shrugged, looking at the floor; he reached out and tugged out the right sleeves of the folded shirts. The sleeve of the blue outer shirt was crusted with dried blood, blood Ennis knew was his own.

Jack gently touched the collar of the light plaid inner shirt. "I stole it from your stuff when we got down from the mountain." He shrugged and hesitated with his next words. "That – that summer meant a lot to me; I wanted something a yours case we never saw each other again. I didn't wanna forget..."

Ennis studied Jack for a moment then pulled him into a tight embrace. Jack tucked his face against Ennis's neck, feeling foolish for being on the verge of tears. Ennis pet Jack's hair; he sighed. "Jack, I swear..."

Ennis shook his head and nuzzled his face into Jack's hair. They stood like that for a while, rocking gently back and forth. Jack took a deep breath and looked up into Ennis's face, blue eyes meeting brown with a soft, familiar spark. Ennis ran his thumb along Jack's jaw. "You got any more secrets, darlin'?"

Jack shook his head and whispered, "None that you wanna hear."

Ennis sat them both on the edge of the bed. "How about ones I don't wanna hear?"

"You tend to be unreasonable about stuff like that."

"Jack–"

"It's the truth."

Ennis sighed. "Yer not wrong, I guess..."

Jack took a deep breath and picked at a loose thread on one of the shirts in his lap. "Promise to keep your head and at least let me explain myself and I'll tell ya."

Ennis nodded. "I promise."

Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, you know about Randal. He's the husband of an old sorority sister of Lureen's." He shrugged. "Met through our wives and, well," he shrugged again and took a breath. "I've also taken a couple trips down to Mexico." Jack saw Ennis's eye's flash. "Now you wait just a second. I know what yer thinking, and you ain't wrong, but, just, listen before you get all bent outa shape. I'm not like you, the handful a times we'd meet up each year wasn't enough for me. I'd miss you so bad I'da done anything to see you. I had to do somethin' or I'da gone crazy, Ennis, and them boys down in Mexico are more than willing if you've got the cash. I ain't proud of it, but it's been done and can't be undone and you ain't within your rights to be too pissed at me to need something I was only getting' once in a blue moon."

Ennis looked back at him, speechless, huffed, and mumbled something Jack couldn't quite catch. Jack touched Ennis's cheek gently. "I am sorry, En, but, like I said, it's done and I can't undo it."

Ennis huffed again. Jack sighed, torn between feeling bad and being irritated. "You asked me to tell you."

"I don't think I wanna know anymore."

Jack leaned lightly on Ennis. "Not really anymore to know 'less you wanna hear 'bout every girlfriend I had growin' up."

Ennis snorted, half amused. "Maybe some other time."

Jack looked at him sideways. "How 'bout you; you got any secrets?"

"Only one I really got you actually already know and it would make you feel like a bastard if I told you."

"And since when do have anythin' against making me feel like a bastard?"

Ennis looked at Jack. "You and Alma are the only people I have ever slept with."

There was a pause. Jack felt as if he'd swallowed ice – and then been punched in the stomach. "I knew that?"

Ennis nodded. "I pretty much told you I hadn't done nothin' before that summer."

"Alright, I do feel like a bastard. I really feel like a bastard."

"You are a bastard."

Jack hugged Ennis tight. "I am an idiot." There was a beat of silence and Jack pulled away. "Honestly, yer an idiot too, though."

There was another, longer silence. Ennis made a sound somewhere between a huff and a sigh. "So we're both idiots."

"Yup."

"But yer a layabout."

"Um, well, I was."

"That'd better stay past-tense."

Jack kissed Ennis cheek. "Got no reason for it not to, now."

Ennis kissed him back. "Good. I'm still pissed, but good."

Jack bit Ennis's lip lightly. "And you still can't find your gloves."

"Damnit! I forgot about that!"

Jack laughed. Ennis glared. "Don't you laugh, I'm still mad at you."

Jack laughed more.