Fandom: Brokeback Mountain
Characters: Jack/Ennis
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,000
Summary: The Beginning.
Note: This is a short story for my fanfic100 table. I’m not participating directly in the challenge but thought it would be fun as a writing prompt and motivator.
Disclaimer: Jack Twist and Ennis del Mar belong to Annie Proulx. This story written is fan fiction solely for the purpose of entertainment.
Ennis del Mar leaned against the dilapidated walls of the trailer serving as the Farm and Ranch Employment office. Smoked some while waiting for the office to open up. Knew he’d a been early. Had to travel far to find work so he could make a decent home for Alma when they got married.
Jack Twist groaned from aching legs and neck scrunched up within the tight space inside the cab of the truck. “Ouch.” Hit his head against the door stretching out pained muscles, trying to ease life back into them. Stomach growled with anger, sure enough he could eat a horse based on the noise coming from down below. He looked out the window shield of the truck, saw the way of the morning, the positioning of the clouds in the sky, how the sun set over the horizon, and his first greeting to the brand new day was, “Damn.”
Opening the door on the passenger side, he hopped down, and glanced all around him. Fingers went to his jeans, unzipped, pulled it out and let it rip. “Goddamn,” he said, relief palpable, damn near pleasurable.
Putting himself back together he strode quickly to the back of the truck. Retrieved a jug full of water he kept on the bed for drinking and for personal use. Sloshing some on his face, he felt somewhat alive; getting food in his stomach would do the trick. But he didn’t have time to find a grocery store to filch food off the shelves. Not sure one would a be open this time of day. I gotta plan better ‘n this. Then he checked out the still of the morning and shook his head. Gotta git to Aguirre if I want a job. Shouldn’ a slept so darn late.
He got back inside the truck and turned the key to the ignition. The engine didn’t kick over as expected. It sputtered then stalled. Jack had more pressing problems than arriving late at Aguirre’s office. He needed a job if he a want to take on the rodeo circuit in Texas. He couldn’t go back home empty-handed. His old man would skin him alive with his mouth, may even try hitting him. Can’t stand that old son-of-a-bitch.
Jack stomped around to the front of the truck, cursing up a blue streak, calling the truck all sorts of unpleasant names.
The sun set higher in the sky, rays burnt off early morning dew and grayness. Wooden slats held together by aluminum, screws, strong glue cradled the back of the lean cowboy as he nodded off a time or two. Waiting was something he was used to. Ennis would wake up, carefully pulled out the half smoked cigarette from the pocket of his jacket. He’d light it up drawing in the smoke into his lungs. Not too deep of a pull. Ennis had to conserve, save the cigarette for another go round.
Unmistakable sounds of an ailing truck engine reached his ears. As the cough and choking noise came closer to his proximity, he put out the cigarette, stashed it back to where it came from. An old, black pickup rounded the corner, creaking and rocking. Came to a jerky stop, the engine groaning its death. Ennis watched with disinterest.
A boy slowly departed from the truck, gave it a swift kick on the side. Ennis’s mouth twitched but he held back letting the expression bloom to the surface. Watching from underneath the brim of his hat, he waited to see what the boy would do next, which turned out with the boy strolling along side of the truck in a huff giving it a good stare down. Ennis, amused, kept himself in check. He thought; well now, let’s see if that bitch of a truck behave.
The boy turned around like he was sure of his body and sure of the confidence he projected, turned smoothly, head hanging down. Then easy and slow like he lifted his head, the brim coming up revealing feature by feature of the boy’s face. What Ennis saw made him shrink further inside, shoulders hunched up to his neck, eyes dipping to the ground, lips tightened in defense. Ennis wanted to fold within himself like some slow moving tortoise refusing to face the world.
Jack did things unconscious of the affect. Sometimes. He was relieved to have made it to Aguirre in time and thought about kicking that damn truck one more time just because he could. Whatever good it’d do him. Letting off steam was his point. Betting on previous experience herding sheep for Aguirre, he was hoping like hell the mean-assed employment manager would hire him.
Still complaining inwardly about the state of his vehicle, hands gripping hips, he turned to go up to the office, hesitated right there on the next step. Damn near took his breath away the vision up against that wall. He stared because he had no choice. Pale skin, blonde hair, eyes full of vinegar, it was as though the gust of wind blew something mysterious, sweeping down taking a hold of Jack.
It took a minute of realizing that his staring caused the man discomfort, shut off the finest facial features he ever seen on woman or man.
The boy was looking out at the road, giving Ennis a chance to sneak a glance at him. The side view of him just as disturbing as the hip thrust front view. Never seen that color blue on a man’s eyes ‘afore. The next thought made Ennis sick just thinking it but he couldn’t help not doing so. He’s sure prettier than a woman, prettier than Alma. The swelling in his pants scared him senseless.
He let his head drop to his chest, hat brim wide enough to cover up his eyes. The memories of his daddy, Earl, and the tire irons flooding his mind, causing him to shrink even more inwardly.
No way. Can’t git caught out looking at that man.
End
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