morrobay1990

Title: “...and he found ways to spend it...” - 10
Author:

morrobay1990
Genre: post canon
Warning:
Word count: 525
Disclaimer: Jack & Ennis are AP's
♥ Jack

”Down in Texas Jack's father-in-law died and Lureen, who inherited the farm equipment business, showed a skill for management and hard deals. Jack found himself with a vague managerial title, traveling to stock and agricultural shows. He had some money now and found ways to spend it."

Over the years he'd become quite good at blocking out his thoughts, and putting things in individual boxes in his mind...focusing on one thing at hand, to the exclusion of others. It was the only way he could survive the long separations...the pain of missing the one person he wanted.

So he could go to work and make sales...go home and have dinner with his family...take Bobby to baseball practice...have sex with Lureen...it was all possible, and he did it all.

But there were times in every day when he was there...first thing in the morning, or before he fell asleep...sometimes he'd be blindsided by sudden thoughts of Ennis...he got better and better at shielding himself, at recovering quickly.

And more than once he asked himself: What if he just stopped going? What if, next time he got a postcard telling him where to meet up, he just ignored it?

But that would be like trying to stop the sun from rising.

The cab of the truck was full of uncomfortable silence for a while...Jack fiddled with the radio trying to bring in a decent station as they crossed the Panhandle, then he asked if Michael wanted to camp or stay in a hotel.

“Well, I'm from Dallas...sorry to say I never been campin. I'm a city boy.”

Jack looked over at him, smiling and incredulous, learning a little bit more about Michael all the time, “Dallas, huh? And you never been campin? Guess that's what we'll do, then. I know a place right over the Colorado state line, we can stop and get everything we need.” He was starting to feel excited about this.

“Gonna be pretty expensive, ain't it?”

Jack looked back at the road in front of him and shrugged, “It's only money.”

In Trinidad Colorado, Jack stopped to fill the truck up with gas, then drove down the street to Ed's Sporting Goods, where he and Michael spent thirty minutes in the small store picking out what they'd need...and Jack was amused as Michael, with a dry wit, asked questions about their upcoming adventure, mostly involving bears sleeping in their tent, and would Jack protect him if Bigfoot happened by.

Next stop was a lodge outside Rio Grande National Forest, where they rented two riding horses, a pack horse and a trailer. An hours' drive and they were at the trailhead, where Jack packed everything, while Michael saddled the horses...then they took off up the mountain, Jack in the lead.

They rode for an hour and found a good flat place to set the tent...as soon as they dismounted and tied up the horses, Michael, a little unsteady from time in the saddle, walked over to Jack and kissed him.

Jack pulled back and said, “I don't like to kiss.”

But Michael went after him again, “I think you do.”

“Look, there's some stuff I should probably tell you...”

Michael said, “Yeah...tell me...later.” He grabbed Jack's shoulders and moved him back a few feet until his back was against a tree, pressed against him and kissed him again.

Jack did not resist.