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Ain't nothin' but a normal room. Pretty one, too, if'n you don't think too hard on what's goin' on in there. Ennis' sleeping more now, at least -- the drugs help with that -- but he's still awake a lot (and damn grumpy about it, too. But he ain't no less grumpy about the sleep, neither).

But he's there, and at least that's something.

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From:

e_delmar

Ennis laughs, his laughs falling into a cough, falling into Ennis rolling onto his side.

"You-"

He struggles for words through the cough.

"You'd be killin' me off early."

From:

jack_f_twist

"Lived through it up on the mountain," Jack reminds him, though his smile seems kinda forced. He reaches out, lays a hand on Ennis' shoulder.

From:

e_delmar

Ennis reaches back, puttin' his hand on Jack's, but he don't turn around, not yet.

"Guess I did."

His words're even more quiet than lately.

From:

jack_f_twist

They're hard t'hear, but then Jack's had plenty of practice trying to hear whatever Ennis might be saying.

He's always had something to say, someway to fill up the long silences up on Brokeback before it turned out Ennis could talk after all, but even Jack ain't got much to say these days. His hand turns, though, and grips Ennis' surprisingly gently.

"Came 'bout near to it, though. Fucking beans."

From:

e_delmar

"Fuckin' beans," Ennis agrees, and he shifts slowly, wincing as he does, turning back to Jack with something like remembrance and something like happiness shining through the fog.

From:

jack_f_twist

"Had us some good times, though, anyhow, huh?" He squeezes the shoulder under his hand, but not too hard.

Hard to think he's gotta be so careful, these days, when Ennis could always give just as good as he got, and usually better.

From:

e_delmar

"Real good."

The words are forced out, but not because he don't mean 'em. Time would've been he'd've told a joke or said something else, but sometimes words are hard to come by, and not just 'cause he can't think of them.

From:

jack_f_twist

"Sure 'nough."

His rough hand twitches, like it wants to move down Ennis' arm, but it stays right where it is in the end, warm and steady on his shoulder.

From:

e_delmar

The hand may not move, but Ennis does, closer and into the touch, lookin' up at Jack with somethin' in his eyes he ain't never been able to put into words.

From:

jack_f_twist

He takes a breath.

And another one.

It's quiet here, and there's only a soft rustle of cloth as he moves to lie down, carefully, along the edge of the bed, and presses himself through the bedclothes up along the lanky--skinny now--length of Ennis' body.

From:

e_delmar

Ennis curls into him, feeling almost pathetic and not caring, not one bit. Jack-

Jack's there, and he's solid and he's warm and Ennis reaches out, trying to wrap his arms around him, cursing his body every bit of the way.

From:

jack_f_twist

Jack reaches up to take off his hat, set it on the floor, and he talks kinda low and continual; 'bout the girl he'd met at the bar, 'bout Trina and how she was asking about Ennis.

Easy stuff, nothing so important.

From:

e_delmar

And could be Ennis says to say hi to her, if he remembers to, and listens and listens and just-

listens like he ain't never really took the time to listen to Jack before.

From:

jack_f_twist

It ain't the same, being in the bar without Ennis, but Jack's had to go back a couple of times now, so he can talk about the horses, and how seems like some of the workers've just clean run off, but they're still doing just fine.

He says Tequila's been moping, missing Mal and missing Ennis. Says Sallie beat him at cards the other night.

Jack never was good at card games.

From:

e_delmar

And Ennis starts to say somethin' about Jack and the horses, make a joke, but he loses track and just breathes in Jack and Jack and more Jack. It's hard, sometimes, to concentrate on this or that, or remember the way somethin' feels or smells, but never this.

From:

jack_f_twist

Somewhere Jack's voice falters, but his arms don't, and maybe he keeps talking and maybe e don't, but somewhere in there the word "darlin'" slips in, just as natural as could be, and Jack doesn't stop to contradict himself, just holds on, tight and gentle as he can.

From:

e_delmar

Maybe it don't matter so much if Jack's voice falters, so long's he's there, so long's he's still talking. But could be when it does Ennis' hand comes up and touches his face, just lightly, sayin' it'll be alright in a way he can't say.

From:

jack_f_twist

"Lissen t'me, talking all this bullshit," lightly, and he grins so that Ennis' hand touches a smile.

From:

e_delmar

"Ain't never talked anything but."

But his heart ain't in it and he moves a little closer, eyes closed, trying for something he can't have anyway.

From:

jack_f_twist

"The hell I ain't," self-righteously, just like he would if they were sitting around a campfire instead of lying here in this bed.

Still, his hand's slow and gentle over Ennis' arm and back.

From:

e_delmar

Ennis laughs, or tries to, all that comes out is a dry hack, and he opens his eyes, lookin' up at Jack with large, pleading eyes.

From:

jack_f_twist

Some muscle in Jack's jaw twitches, and he blinks sort of rapidly for a few seconds, and his voice is hoarse when he says "Guess I oughta learn when to shut up."