Disclaimer: I do not own Brokeback Mountain or it's wonderful characters, they are sole property of Annie Proulx and Focus Features and are used for entertainment purposes only
I dreamed a dream
Chapter 15
The motel room was… well, like a motel room. Jack smiled, remembering the infamous Siesta Motel of long ago… that day that had been the confirmation of his wildest wishes and the crumbling of his fledging hopes at once. He sat down, started to take off his boots.
"What're you smilin' at, rodeo?"
"Remember the Siesta Motel, Ennis?"
"Hmph, how could I forget? You made enough noise that night that I couldn't show my face there again." answered Ennis, mouth curling up.
"Hey!" Jack shoved him, "If I recall aright, you weren't that quiet yourself!"
And looking at Jack, flustered and indignant like a little kid, Ennis just let himself laugh out loud. It was a deep rumbling sound, that type of laughter that isn't used often, but when used is the happiest sound in the world.
Jack chuckled along, eventually leaning over and whispering,
"I think it's about time we see who's loudest, huh?" his hands doing wicked things underneath Ennis's shirt and perilously nearing his waistband.
Ennis swallowed, nodded and couldn't bite back a moan. Damn, Jack was a vindictive little shit sometimes. And he liked it.
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Ennis woke up at the crack of dawn, as always slightly surprised at the fact that Jack was there next to him, that it wasn't some hopeful dream. It always took him a few seconds to test the solidness of the reality, to breathe in the distinctive smell of the man next to him, to feel his warmth. He relished these moments, when he could hold Jack close, with absolute tenderness… there was a strange vulnerability in him, he didn't feel the need to be tough and hard… he simply was.
But it was time to get moving if they wanted to get to Brokeback in good time.
"Rodeo…" he whispered gently. "Jack… time to wake up, lil' darlin'…"
Jack mumbled something unintelligible and burrowed deeper into the covers.
"Jack… c'me on…" Ennis said a little louder.
The man next to him didn't give any signs of having heard him.
"Alright rodeo, no more playin' nice. You asked for it."
With that, Ennis got out of the bed, went into the bathroom and came out with a glass of water. In one swift movement he tore back the covers and dumped the water on the stubborn sleeper.
"Holy Shit! Ennis!" Jack jumped out of bed, sputtering and shivering. "You son of a whoreson bitch!"
Ennis smiled slightly. Ah, nobody could curse quite like his rodeo.
"What was that for?"
"Well, you wouldn't wake up and we need to leave soon" shrugged Ennis.
Jack shot him a dark glare and passed him on his way to the bathroom, attempting to look dignified though failing miserably. It was hard to manage dignity when your hair was plastered to your face.
When they were both dressed and ready, something of a truce called between them, they got into the pick-up and decided to look for a place to have some breakfast.
Ennis knew that there was no talking to Jack until he had his first cup of hot Joe, so he just drove quietly. He was also quite aware that when he least expected it, Jack would take his revenge. And it probably wasn't going to be quite as pleasant as the last time.
He finally brought the truck to a stop outside a likely looking place. The Blind Onion. Hmm, people sure came up with weird names nowadays… but it looked clean and friendly enough, and more importantly, it had coffee.
They got out of the car, went inside and sat down on a booth by the window. Jack was still disgruntled and subhuman. Probably planning the payback, Ennis reflected, with a slight shudder. Ah hell, it was worth it just for the look in his face.
"Good mornin'! My name is Sophie and I'm your waitress today. Will you be wantin' coffee?"
Ennis looked up to a bright smiled, red-haired, curvaceous woman in her mid-thirties. She was entirely too chirpy for the hour… and she was giving Jack a very thorough and interested gaze.
So, biting back hostility, Ennis simply nodded his head.
When the coffee was poured, Jack drained his cup in one go, not minding the slight scalding of his tongue. The brown liquid was strong, fresh and hot, precisely what he needed. So when the waitress came 'round again to take their order, he was feeling quite a lot more chatty.
"So, do you two gentleman know what you're havin'?"
Jack smiled at her, Twist charm turned on full blast.
"Well… Sophie, right?" she nodded, leaning slightly towards him. "What would you recommend? I trust your judgment."
She smiled giddily and leaned towards him. Lacy bra, he noted.
Ennis, on the other hand, fought the urge to kick Jack under the table. Then again, he reflected philosophically, the poor woman probably doesn't realize just how little Jack is lured by her bra...
"Mah personal favorite is the scrambled eggs with bacon and a side of hash browns… I could bring you an English muffin as well." Sophie answered.
English muffin stud, you sure are a winner this morning.
"That sounds heavenly. Thanks very much for the tip." said Jack, winking.
"And what will you have, sir?" she finally turned to Ennis. Ruggedly handsome, very… but too quiet.
"I'll have the same."
"Right. I'll be back with your plates in a jiffy."
With that, she sauntered towards the kitchen, throwing her hair back once to look at Jack over her shoulder.
Jack chuckled lightly. Ennis looked darkly up at him.
"Ah, hell Ennis, I cain't hardly help it if waitresses find me attractive!" he said, smiling infuriatingly. For a fleeting moment, Ennis preferred the quiet, pre-coffee Jack.
"Well, no Jack, but you sure as hell don't need to flirt with every single one!"
"Look at this way, it got us English muffins." he paused for a beat. "Plus, it ain't my fault you're more successful with waitresses in bars."
"Oh, hush."
Their food came, and Sophie's recommendation was good after all. They ate quietly, occasionally sharing a look and when they were done, they asked for the check. They paid, Jack making sure to leave a hefty tip, and took their leave of the sassy waitress.
"You be sure to come again, y'hear?"
"Will do, ma'm." Jack answered, thousand-watt grin in place. Ennis shoved him out to the car.
"Come on now, lover boy, time to get to the mountain."
Jack looked out the window with interest as they headed towards the Interstate. Mayoworth was a small town, but very beautiful. It wasn't quite as bare and wind-swept as most Wyoming towns, he felt a strange homeliness about it.
"I like this town." he declared.
Ennis had to agree.
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They were back to the mountain at last. Setting up camp, an exercise as natural to them as breathing, both moving with perfect synchrony. Ennis pitched up the tent, not having to worry about it being crooked because it was the fancy one Jack had bought. Jack, meanwhile, set up a fire ring, made sure the food was secure above the ground.
They were both breathing in deeply, each breath bringing a memory forth, each exhalation a confirmation that this wasn't a dream, that they were here again, but truly together now.
They did what they had always done. Went riding out, early in the morning, catching the sunrise… letting themselves be bathed in the warm, gentle light of the dawning sun, letting themselves be imbued with the mountain. The fresh, cold air whipping around them, suspended over the real world. Freedom.
Only this time, they could enjoy it all the more, because the old sense of urgency and fear was gone. They weren't going to part when they came down the mountain this time.
It was like being nineteen again. Jack bitched about the beans, took out a harmonica he had packed without Ennis's knowledge and played it with as much talent as he had last time.
"See, now you don't got the excuse of the damn thing being flattened… just admit it, rodeo, you ain't any good with a harmonica."
Ennis had to move quickly to duck the boot flying his way.
One day, Ennis found Jack sitting quietly, a little ways from the camp. He knew, with startling certainty that it was the very place he had found Jack the day after that first time, all those years ago. He remembered his fear, his desire… his one sentence. And Jack, quick to reply, at once hopeful and sad.
He sat down next to him.
"Jack… it ain't a one-shot thing. It never was." he took Jack's hand in his.
Jack smiled.
"I know, Ennis. I always knew."
No more words were spoken as both men looked at the setting sun, casting rays of burnt red, orange and amber around them, the mountain magical in the evening light.
After a week, they packed up and got ready to leave. Being there had helped Jack come to terms with his father's death… and his father's life. He knew that if anything, he owed the old man the lesson of what kind of father not to be. He felt like he could be free of his memory and his towering disapproval at last. He was finally living the life he had wished for, he was with Ennis at long last.
Ennis could see the peace the mountain gave Jack, and realized that he was making peace with himself as well. By being confronted with the memory of the summer of '63, he was learning to come to terms with himself, with who he really was.
When the last things were loaded, Jack and Ennis took one long look around them.
Brokeback Mountain.
The embodiment of their youthful hopes. Their personal heaven. The beginning of their hell. And now, where they were starting anew.
Their mountain.
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Ennis was driving again, Jack humming along to the radio. They were in fact heading back towards Mayoworth, because Jack had declared he was hungry and wanted to visit the Blind Onion Diner once again. Ennis figured that what he really wanted was free muffins.
Suddenly, Jack sat up.
"Ennis! Ennis, pull over a second!"
Ennis, alarmed, brought the pick-up to a stop on the side of the road.
"What is it Jack, somethin' wrong?"
"No… Look, cowboy."
Jack pointed towards a sign, blue eyes twinkling and smiling like a kid at Christmas. Ennis read the sign curiously, comprehension dawning in his features.
'Ranch for Sale. Property 20 minutes away from Mayoworth. Ask inside for information.'
TBC
Author's note: this was a chapter with quite a light mood, what can I say? The Christmas cheer is getting to me, plus, it's my birthday on Friday : )
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