I can't honestly say I'm pleased with this. Still, it's here, it's done, and I hope people like it!
DISCLAIMER: You think I'd have had the heart to kill Jack? Hell no. So, chances are I'm not Annie Proulx or the film maker, and therefore, don't own it.
That night, lying close together in the old tent, Ennis said, softly,
"So – we ever actually think on where we gonna go?"
Jack rolled over in his arms to look at him. "No." he shook his head. "Not so far as I remember. We just said we wanted outta Wyoming, and that leaves us wi' fifty other states to choose from, so we didn't exactly go into no specifics…"
"Guess not." Ennis grunted, shifting. "Any preferences, rodeo?"
"None." Jack shrugged, his eyes not leaving Ennis' face. "I'm from down Texas way, but they're not mighty welcomin' to queers down there, so I don' think as how we should pay my folks a visit."
"The neighbours might get a little pissed?"
"Hell, it's not just the neighbours," Jack said, with a bitter laugh. "The whole goddamn village'd be out agin us – an' my daddy'd be the one leadin' 'em."
"Nice t' know we got the same sorta father." Ennis said, sarcastically, surprising Jack slightly, as he hadn't thought that Ennis would be the sort to be sarcastic. On the other hand, they really didn't know each other well enough to make studied judgements of character.
"Yeah."
"Well, we're not thinkin' to stay in Wyoming, and Texas is out – so where to?"
"Oh, we can think on it in the mornin'." Jack yawned, "We got forty nine states t' choose from, I don't think as how we should be makin' any real decisions afore we're actually awake."
"Sure." Ennis agreed, companionably, shifting again. There was a brief, sleepy silence, before Ennis spoke up again. "Y'know, the first thing as I'm gonna do is buy ourselves a real nice bed…"
The next morning, they fought with the tent again – it was as difficult to get down as it had been to get up – and continued along the road they'd chose, until they got to a small town, the signpost too weathered to make any sense of.
They stopped at a small gas station, where Ennis bought some food and a paper, while Jack topped up on gas; with that done, they sat in the care eating, the paper in between them.
"Illinois." Ennis said, suddenly.
"What about it, cowboy?" Jack looked up, surprised. "You got a sudden urge to see it, or somethin'?"
"No, but look here…" he pointed down at the article he was reading. "Says here it's the only state in the whole of the USA where it ain't illegal t' be queer. An' that sounds like a safe bet t' me."
"Jus' cos it ain't illegal, don't mean people ain't gonna come after us with pick axes." Jack pointed out.
"Oh, sure, but it means they cain't legally come after us with pick axes." Ennis grinned. "C'mon, Jack Twist, we cud have ourselves a real nice life, somewhere where it ain't illegal fer the two 'f us t' be livin' in the same house without no women. An' it says here it's been legal since 1961, so it ain't like people are still gettin' used to it."
"There're some real close minded people around, del Mar." Jack warned.
"What happened t'you bein' the one who wasn't always lookin' on the dark side of things?" Ennis asked, folding up the paper. "So, c'mon, smart ass, where's Illinois from here?"
Jack paused, taking another bite of the sandwich they'd bought by way of breakfast. Finally, swallowing his mouthful, he said, thoughtfully, "I dunno. I think we're gonna have t' buy a map."
Ennis headed back to the store they'd bought the sandwiches from, and flirted briefly with the girl behind the counter, thinking slightly guiltily about Jack, and then surprised at himself for feeling guilty. In the end, though, he got the map at a reduced price, so he wasn't complaining – he just decided not to mention his little flirtation to Jack.
Jack took over the map, and worked out the route. "Look." He said, spreading the map out so that Ennis could see it, and tracing one of many roads with his finger. "We go this a-way 'til here, and then we take this highway up to here. An' then we're in Illinois, since you're so set on goin' there."
"It's not that I'm set on it," Ennis muttered, "Just that I'm anxious. I done told you, I ain't gonna lose you, rodeo. It took enough t' come wi' you, an' not spend my days lookin' over my shoulder for the police, or them that wants t'kill us. I wanna be in the safest place wi' you, so that I cin rest easier'n I do at the moment, an' if Illinois's the safest place, tha's where I wanna be."
Jack smiled at him. "It's OK." He nodded. "I get ya." He went back to studying the map, then said, seriously. "We've got th' money t' get us up t' Illinois, but we gonna have to git ourselves a job real quick when we get there, if'n we don' wanna starve all winter. I worked it out," he went on, earnestly. "We're gonna need t' stop off fer gas agin, an' we're gonna need food, too. Tha's gonna take a lot of what we've got, so we're gonna need to get a job, an' maybe sleep in this ol' girl till we've got the money t' pay fer an apartement, or somethin'."
"Sure." Ennis nodded, easily. "OK." He paused, then said, softly, "Yer real smart, ain't you?"
Jack flashed him a quick, questioning grin. "Where'd that come from, cowboy?"
"Oh, I dunno." Ennis smiled back. "Just you seem t' have it real together, an' y'know what we gotta do, an' you worked out all them sums with th' money… you know what you're doin'."
"Well, thanks." The grin didn't leave – if anything, it got bigger. Ennis waited a second, then said, a little uncertainly,
"Ain't you got nothin' nice to say t' me?"
Jack's eyes, when he looked up at him, were wide, and laughing. "I love you." He said, honestly. "You need anythin' else from me?"
Ennis shook his head, feeling lighter, and better about life, than he had in a long time. "Nope. Nothin' at the moment, rodeo." He put his hand on Jack's leg, and squeezed, so the other man could hardly fail to take his meaning. Jack looked up at him, shocked, and blushing bright red. Ennis laughed.
Do people like it?
Thanks to those who said they did before:
skyekat2005, icewolf8,MinnieLover, thiZZorDIE, Kate (aah, same name as me! LOL), sammieray, onefreetoroam, Kyoheii, Rachel, A Horse Called Hwin, Bebe, w84u, space case x827x, The Next Slayer1221, tlstroud, and Lynn (by the way, Lynn, your review blew me away, it was so lovely. I just had to say that - and thank you so much!)
lol, ami. xxx.