Chapter 6

The next morning, Ennis opened his eyes blearily, and he became immediately aware that someone was in the bed next to him. He blinked a couple of times, and then Jack's sleeping face came into focus.

He lay there for a moment, trying to remember what had happened last night, and then it hit him. They had had sex last night, and it had been incredible. He felt his heart fill up with love as he remembered feeling Jack inside him; the way they had kissed and touched each other. Any reservations he might have carried about sleeping with another guy had just melted away when he'd felt Jack's lips on his. All he could think about was Jack.

Ennis sighed inwardly, feeling happier than he'd ever been in his life. He knew that this was it for him; he had fallen for Jack, and he wanted them to be like this forever. He was surprised by how strong his feelings were, considering that they had only just admitted how they were feeling for each other, but he couldn't deny it. As he looked at Jack, he realised that he'd never felt about anyone as strongly as this. He hoped that Jack felt the same; that he wanted to be with him too. That would be amazing.

He rolled onto his back and sat up, rubbing his eyes and wondering what time it was. He knew he had a class today, and that he would probably have to get moving soon. He looked at the clock on Jack's bedside table; it was almost half past seven, and his alarm would be going off in just a few minutes. He cursed in his head, hoping that he wouldn't rouse Jack yet; he knew that Jack didn't have any classes today and Ennis was happy to let him sleep.

He slowly slid out of bed, praying that he wouldn't disturb Jack. He crept over to his own bed and turned the alarm off. He didn't want to leave Jack, but he wasn't one to skive off classes. Ennis looked back at Jack, who was still sleeping. All Ennis wanted was to crawl back in, slip an arm around Jack and just hold him until he woke up. He didn't understand where all of these feelings were coming from, but he didn't care. He was happy and he wanted to keep feeling like this. Shaking his head, he decided to hit the shower. He gathered a fresh change of clothes and slipped out of the room. He didn't see anybody on his way, but he found himself thinking of Jack in the shower, and was unable to stop himself from physically responding to it. His ass was a little sore from his first time, but not too painful. And it had been well worth it.

On the way back from the shower, he bumped into Lureen. "Oh, hey," he said in surprise, not expecting to see her so soon.

Her eyes were wide and full of interest. "Ennis...what...?" She could barely get the words out for what she wanted to say, but Ennis knew what she was trying to say.

"Look...I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have run off like that. I know I made Jack worry, an' I didn't mean to," he said in earnest. He did regret leaving Jack to worry like that.

Lureen nodded, knowing that he meant it. "I know. You really freaked him out." She took a breath. "I know what happened in the locker room...that you nearly..."

Ennis couldn't help but smile. "Yeah...we worked things out." Lureen sighed.

"You know...I saw Jack last night. He was comin' back from the bathroom an' I was on my way there. I asked him what had happened, an' he said the same thing. That you worked things out. But he wouldn't tell me anythin' else. What the hell's goin' on?" She put her hands on her hips in frustration.

Ennis put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay. Things are gonna be fine with him. I gotta get ready for class, but I'll see you later, alright?"

Lureen huffed and folded her arms. "Fine. Did you at least make up?" Ennis nodded and she smiled. "Well...alright then. I'll see you later." She kissed his cheek and went on to the bathroom. He went back into their room, and Jack was still asleep. Ennis sat on his own bed for a few minutes, just looking at him. He was struck by how good-looking Jack was, and how gentle he had been with him last night.

A year ago, if somebody had told Ennis that one day he would be in such a position, with another guy fucking him, he probably would have punched them. Yet it was true; he had let Jack do that, and moreover, he had wanted Jack to do it. Jack had been wonderful to him; taking it slowly, kissing him, helping him to relax. He had taken his feelings into account and made sure that he was comfortable with the pace. If possible, his feelings for Jack were running even deeper than before.

He smiled to himself as he realised what he wanted; to be with Jack until the end of his days. He knew it was still very early for them to be having such a discussion, but he had a feeling that Jack might want the same thing. That was something to look forward to.

Ennis then realised that it was time for him to get moving. He reluctantly stood up and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. He scribbled a note to Jack explaining where he'd gone and that he hadn't wanted to disturb him. He said that he would be back by lunch so that they could talk. He left it on Jack's bedside table where he would see it, and then left the room.

Jack didn't stir, just rolled onto his other side and curled up, lost in his dreams of Ennis and what they had done last night. He was happy and warm and he was looking forward to talking with Ennis. He hoped that they had a future together.


A few hours later, Jack finally woke up. He stretched like a cat, smiling to himself at the memory of last night, and he hoped that he and Ennis could have a proper conversation about everything; they sure needed one.

He opened his eyes, expecting to see Ennis, but the bed next to him was empty. He frowned and sat up a little, wondering where he was. Ennis's bed was also empty, and Jack started to panic. "Ennis?" He rubbed his eyes, silently cursing and hoping that Ennis hadn't freaked out again. He swung his legs out of bed and his eye caught a note on his bedside table. He picked it up and recognised Ennis's handwriting.

Had an early class, didn't want to disturb you. Be back at lunch so we can talk. See you soon.

Jack face split into a grin at the words. Ennis hadn't fled in fear; he'd had a genuine excuse for leaving without telling him. Jack then remembered that Ennis did indeed have a class at nine today, and he chastised himself for panicking. But given the events of yesterday, he thought he had a valid reason for being concerned. He put the note back and looked at his clock; it was almost half past ten and he knew that Ennis's class would finish in just over an hour. He had to get himself showered and dressed, and mentally prepare himself for what he was going to say when Ennis returned.

In the shower, he stood there soaping himself and decided to have a little fun. He closed his eyes and imagined Ennis's hands on him, washing his back, or maybe just holding him against his body. Ennis had certainly responded to him last night, when they had been making love (the idea of it still made Jack's heart soar), and Jack had loved the feeling of Ennis's hands on him. Ennis had been working on a ranch all his life, he knew, and it showed. He had a strong, firm chest that Jack had had a good feel of, and those hands...they were amazing. The way he had wrapped his arms around him...that had been the clearest indication to Jack that Ennis had wanted it, and that they were doing the right thing by pursuing their feelings. Last night had been incredible, and Jack hoped that Ennis would want to keep this going.

He took hold of himself with one hand, bracing himself against the wall with the other. He began to stroke himself, picturing Ennis with him, imagining Ennis's hand on him. He remembered how Ennis had felt underneath him, his strong body moving with his. Jack had been with a couple of girls in high school, but it had been nothing like last night. It had always been sufficient for the job it was supposed to do, but he'd never gotten any real pleasure from it. He knew now that it was because he was gay, and sex with girls was never going to do anything for him. Last night was another story.

Jack picked up the pace as he remembered them kissing, how their tongues had played together and how Ennis tasted. He shuddered with delight at the memory, and he could feel himself getting close. He wished that Ennis could be here with him right now. His whole body tensed up as he had his release, gasping for breath as images of Ennis filled his head.

He got back to the room in time to notice that his cell was ringing. He quickly picked it up as he saw that it was his mother calling. "Hey, ma."

"Hey, Jack. How are you?"

Jack sat on his bed, wondering where to start. "I'm good, thanks. You?"

"We're all fine. Your dad hurt his leg at work, but he'll be fine. Katie and Becky are doing just fine. How are things over there?"

"Well, uh...something's happened. I kind of met someone..."

"You did? That's great, Jack! Who is he?"

"My roommate, actually. His name's Ennis. We've been friends for a while, and...things just sort of happened."

"Oh, Jack. That's wonderful. Are you together?"

Jack shifted. "I'm not sure yet. Things happened last night...it's all a bit mixed up. He's a little skittish and it could take a while for him to get used to this. But...we're going to talk when he gets back from his lecture."

"That makes sense. Is he a good guy, Jack?"

"He is, ma. He's the best. Really good-looking, nice...real friendly. You remember my friend Lureen?"

"Oh, yes. How is she?"

"She's fine. She's actually been a big help with this whole thing. I liked Ennis for a while, very much. I thought he wasn't interested, but...turns out he is, I guess. You know how it is, ma...when people get together..." He knew that she would be smirking at his discomfort of discussing his sex life.

"I sure do, Jack. So you're going to talk to him?"

"Yeah, when he gets back. He left me a note saying that we could talk when he comes back. So...I'm just waiting for him. Should be back soon enough."

"Alright. Hope it goes well, sweetheart. This young man could be our future son-in-law," she said happily.

Jack smiled. "Don't know about that, ma. We haven't even talked yet, so I don't wanna get my hopes up. We just need a little time, okay?"

"Okay, sweetie. Let me know how it goes, okay? Love you."

"Love you too, ma. Give my best to my dad and the girls. Bye."

"Bye, honey." They hung up and Jack looked at the clock; it was now eleven and Ennis would be back soon. He decided to wait it out, anticipating what might happen when his friend and sort-of lover returned. In his head, he prepared what he was going to say to Ennis, and he hoped that he could convince him to give a relationship a try. Jack knew that it could be well worth it.


At half past eleven, Ennis's lecture finally finished and he redlined it back to the room, eager to talk to Jack. He hadn't been able to think about anything else but him all morning.

When he got back to the room, Jack was lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He opened the door and Jack sat up quickly, his eyes wide and cautious. He hoped that Ennis was bringing good news. "Hey..."

Ennis closed the door behind him and smiled at Jack. "Hey, bud."

Jack stood up, scratching his elbow nervously. "Uh...you okay?"

"Yeah, fine. Little sore this mornin', but...I'm okay now. You?"

"Uh, yeah." They moved a little closer together, feeling incredibly nervous around each other. They wanted to grab hold of each other and kiss for hours. After several moments, Jack took a breath.

"Look, Ennis...last night, it was...really something. Thing is...I really like you. A lot. And...I really want us to...I dunno, keep seeing each other, I guess. I hope you want that too, I-"

Ennis put a hand over Jack's mouth to shut him up, smiling a little. "Hang on, Jack. I've been thinkin' about you, an' last night, all day. It really was somethin' last night. I, uh...I like you too," he admitted, seeing Jack's eyes light up at the words. He pulled his hand away and shakily brought it to Jack's cheek. "I...I wanna be with you, Jack."

Jack sighed and covered Ennis's hand with his own. "Me too. I don't know how long this thing is gonna last for us, and I don't know what's gonna happen, but...I'd like to give it a shot." Ennis nodded, looking down into his bright blue eyes. He'd fallen for him big time.

"Yeah. Jack, I...I've never done this with a guy before, so...I'm kinda nervous. Gonna take some gettin' used to. But...I do want this..." He was shaking a little at how strong his feelings were; they were slightly scary for someone like him. "I just..."

Jack came in closer and put his own hand to Ennis's cheek. "It's okay. I know it's scary, but...I'm here. I'm used to this...feeling this way about a guy, so...I'm here. We'll be alright." Ennis closed his eyes and his forehead collided with Jack's.

"Thanks, Jack." He opened his eyes again and Jack gazed up at him, wanting to make him feel better and more relaxed. He rose up a little and gently pressed his lips to Ennis's, holding the back of his neck. He held the kiss for a few seconds, and then Ennis responded, opening his mouth and melting into the kiss. He slowly brought his arms around Jack, holding onto him for dear life. Jack slid his own arms through Ennis's and up his back, just barely reaching his shoulders. They were kissing properly now, bodies pressed together but not in a sexual way. They just wanted to kiss and hold each other.

After what could have been several sunlit days, they broke apart. Jack smiled up at Ennis, feeling happier than he had been in a long time. "Feel better?" he said softly, noticing that Ennis was looking a bit more relaxed than he had been.

Ennis nodded, grateful to Jack for helping him like this. He had been right to predict that having a relationship with Jack could be something special. "Yeah. Thanks, Jack. I..."

"Shh...come here..." Jack took hold of Ennis's hand and sat him down on his bed, sitting next to him and looking at him in a loving way. He brought a hand up and started playing with Ennis's curls, loving how they felt in his fingers. "It'll be okay. You sure you want this?"

Ennis looked at him, knowing that he did want this with Jack, but that it wouldn't be easy. "I do, Jack...but..." He sighed. "Ain't easy..."

"I know. Just...let's take it slow, okay? If you wanna wait a while before we do it again, that's fine. I don't mind." Ennis shook his head.

"No, it ain't that. Last night was great, an'...I wanna do it again...soon..." He looked into Jack's caring eyes. "Just a lot to get used to, that's all."

"I know. Look, Ennis..." Jack brought a hand to his cheek and made him meet his eyes. "I know it's scary, especially when you're not used to it. But just remember, I am used to it. I think I can help you with this. You trust me, don't you?"

Ennis nodded. "Yeah, sure I do. I know yer more used to this than I am...did you ever get scared?"

"Yeah, I did. It's not easy to admit that you have feelings for someone at the best of times, but when they're the same sex...everything gets messed up. But we're not doing anything wrong, you know. I know what the Bible says, but...it also says that it's a sin to eat shellfish, and nobody seems to care about that. You can't pick and choose which bits to follow. So it's all or nothing." Jack shrugged. "All I can say is...we have to follow what we believe. And I was always taught that God doesn't make mistakes, so...that's that." He smiled at Ennis, who soaked in Jack's words and realised that he made a lot of sense.

They smiled at each other, and then Jack rubbed his forehead. "You wanna get some lunch?"

"Sure. Where do you wanna go?"

Jack licked his lower lip. "Well...I was thinking I could go down to the diner, get us a big bucket of that chicken. We could eat it up here, what do you think?"

Ennis liked this notion, and a grin spread across his face. "That sounds great." They stood up and Jack grabbed his wallet, pocketing it and looking at Ennis unsurely.

"So...I'll be back in about half an hour then." Ennis nodded and stood awkwardly. They leaned in and exchanged a quick kiss, which made Jack grin like a lovesick idiot, which he knew he was. He left the room and Ennis sat down on Jack's bed, thinking about him and looking forward to whatever the future held.


Jack left the building, buttoning up his jacket and stuffing his hands in his pockets against the cold. He couldn't think about anything other than Ennis, and what had happened recently. Not only had they had a wonderful night together, filled with passion, but they had also managed to work things out. They were officially together now, and as far as Jack could see, Ennis wanted the same things as him. He was nervous and scared, but Jack could understand that. This was Ennis's first experience with another guy, and he had been thrown in at the deep end, with feelings creeping up on him unexpectedly.

When Jack had come out, he'd thought that he was happy. Despite the negative reaction of his old roommate, things had been okay. He was certainly happier to admit who he was, and he was grateful for the support of his family. Lureen had been of great help too, even though he'd thought he'd have to hold her back from attacking his old roommate.

But as he walked down the street, thinking of Ennis, he came to a realisation. He hadn't been completely happy. He had known who he was, but he'd been lonely. He'd wanted a good relationship with someone, and had wanted somebody to love, but he'd thought that it would never happen. Now that it had...he was happy. He was on cloud nine, and he hoped that he and Ennis would be together for a long time.

He stepped into the diner, slightly taken aback by the onslaught of noise that always came with hungry students. He had no intention of staying too long; he wanted to get back to Ennis. Jack took a seat at the counter and ordered the chicken and some sodas, and Debbie gave him a free glass of water while he waited. His attention was attracted by someone calling his name.

"Jack!" It was Lureen. She was on her own and she waved him over, looking interested. He slid off his stool and joined her at her table. She pushed her salad over a little, and he shook his head.

"Nah, I'll pass. Thanks anyway. I'm taking some chicken up to the room, sharing it with Ennis." He grinned. "My new boyfriend." Lureen's eyes widened in shock.

"You mean that? I mean...what the hell happened last night? I saw him this mornin', but he told me no more than you did last night...just that you worked things out." Jack sat up straighter and started to explain.

"Well, he came back. It was really late...and I was already in bed. I asked him if he was okay, and he said he was. He came over and crouched down. He apologised for running off the way he did, and for saying that nothing happened in the locker room. I told him that it was okay, that he had nothing to apologise for."

Lureen nodded as he spoke. "Right. What happened?" Jack knew that she could never resist gossip, and he loved teasing her. But he knew that she cared about him and Ennis, and wanted things to work out for them.

"Well...I admitted to him that I wanted him to kiss me. And then...I asked him if he'd wanted to kiss me back there. He said he did." Lureen smiled, pleased to hear this.

"Great..."

"And then..." Jack went on with a serene smile. "I asked him if he still wanted to kiss me. He said yeah. So then...I leaned in."

Lureen's mouth opened slightly. "You guys kissed?" Jack nodded.

"Yep. It was...really something. Never felt anything like it in my life. He was just...you know how you said that some horses can be really skittish, and that you have to be really gentle with them to get them to relax?"

"Yeah. Happened on my daddy's ranch all the time. Why?"

"Well, that's kind of what Ennis was like. We had to take things real slow so he wouldn't freak out. And it worked...he ended up being really relaxed, and things just happened. I'm not gonna say how we did it, because no offense, but that's our business." Lureen nodded.

"Sure. I understand. I'm just glad you worked things out."

"Yeah. But all I can say is...it was incredible. The way he felt as we held each other...God, I'll never forget it. It was something else, Lu..."

Lureen smiled widely. "Oh, Jack...sounds like you really hit on something. I know how bad it was for you last year. An' I know you was lonely. I'm real glad you've found someone. Are you guys really together then?"

"Yeah, I think so. I asked him if he wanted us to carry on the way we are, and he said he did, even though he's scared. He's never done this with a guy before, so I told him that I'd do whatever I could to help him. He seems really grateful, so...yeah. I guess we are together." He waved his arms a little, a grin spreading across his face. "I've...got a boyfriend."

Lureen grinned. "Well, congratulations. I'm glad you're so happy, Jack. So what are you up to now?"

Just then, Debbie came over with his order of chicken and sodas, and he paid her. He then turned back to Lureen and sighed. "I'm taking this up to the room, and we're gonna have lunch together, maybe watch a game on TV or something. And...just see how things go."

"Sounds great. Are you gonna go on dates an' everythin'?" she asked, looking intrigued.

Jack shrugged. "I don't know. We haven't talked about it yet. Maybe one day, once we're more used to the whole thing. I mean, nobody has to know it's a date, right? We could just be two guys at a game or movie or something for all they know. Anyway...I better get going. Got someone waiting for me..." He grinned again and Lureen rolled her eyes in amusement. Jack picked up the bucket and the sodas and left, looking forward to getting back to Ennis.


Jack made his way back up to the room, struggling slightly under the weight of their lunch. When he reached the door, he was unable to get to the handle, so tapped the door with his foot. "Ennis? I'm back and I can't open the door..."

Within moments, Ennis opened the door, smiling when he saw Jack's face. "Hey, bud. You need a hand?" Jack nodded and Ennis took the sodas. When the door was safely shut behind them and the food was on the bed, Jack found himself in Ennis's arms, being kissed warmly. He made a surprised sound and kissed back until Ennis drew away, looking embarrassed at having pounced on Jack the way he had. But upon seeing his face, he hadn't been able to resist.

"Uh...didn't mean to just...jump on ya like that..." he muttered, and Jack shook his head.

"It's okay, Ennis. I liked it," he replied, running a hand along Ennis's arm. "I like being greeted like that." He grinned and Ennis went a little red. "Is there a game on or anything?"

"I dunno, I ain't been doin' a lot since you left. Mainly...thinkin' on you." Jack smiled.

"Well...let's get settled then." They got onto Jack's bed and Jack flicked through the channels until he found a football game. They opened the bucket and settled it between them, looking forward to spending some time together. Over the next few minutes, they kept glancing at each other and quickly looking away when their eyes met. Jack felt slightly giddy; he would turn twenty soon, but he still felt like he was sixteen, like a teenager in love.

After a moment, Jack looked at Ennis again. "Listen, I...I ran into Lureen at the diner."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. She wanted to know how things were with you and me, so...I just told her that you came back and that...we ended up...you know..."

Ennis nodded. "How much did you tell her?"

Jack put a hand on his arm reassuringly. "Not too much. Just that we...did it. I didn't tell her who did who, because that's our business. But...I did refer to you as my boyfriend. Is that okay?"

Ennis mulled the word over in his mind. It felt slightly strange, to have another guy refer to him as his boyfriend, but in a way it felt right. He smiled back at Jack. "That's fine, Jack. It's...what we are, right? Ain't really no other word for it."

Jack shrugged. "I dunno. Some call it partner, but I reckon that's for older guys. You know, that live together...have jobs and all that. We're still young, so...boyfriend sounds better to me. But whatever it is...I want you to know that I care about you." Ennis met his eyes, feeling more loved than he ever had been in his life.

"Uh...right back at you, Jack." He gave a nervous smile. "Um...there was somethin' I wanted to ask you..."

"Sure, go ahead." He licked the grease from the chicken off his fingers, momentarily distracting Ennis, but he shook his head and quickly recovered.

"Uh...earlier, when I got back, you told me that you liked me. An' I said that I liked you. I gotta admit, I've been feelin' this way for a while, an'...I dunno...I just figured that you didn't feel that way, even after you told me that you're gay."

Jack looked at him in surprise. "You thought I wasn't interested?" At Ennis's nod, he sighed. "Ennis...I've liked you for about a month, and I thought you weren't interested..." They both broke into grins at the same time, the sheer irony hitting them as they realised that they had both had the wrong end of the stick.

"Christ...I can't believe it," Jack said, starting to laugh. Ennis started laughing too, and they were soon kissing again, revelling in their new relationship and how unbelievably happy they were. Jack brought a hand to Ennis's neck, loving the taste of his lover's tongue in his mouth.

They pulled apart, faces still close together. Jack rubbed their noses together in an Eskimo kiss, making Ennis smile. "Can I ask you something, Ennis?" he whispered, playing with Ennis's curls again. He felt that he would be making a habit of that.

"Sure," he said softly, running a hand along Jack's arm. Jack took a breath.

"Um...well, I kinda told Lureen that we're together. And...my mother called when you were out earlier. I told her about you, and that we were gonna talk things over. Is that okay? Are we together?" He looked so hopeful, and so beautiful to Ennis, that he couldn't possibly say no. He didn't even want to; he wanted to be with Jack anyway, despite how nerve-wracking it was.

He pulled Jack into another kiss, softer this time. They kissed slowly, which made Jack melt under Ennis's touch. He was surprised that this cowboy, who came across as tough and unyielding, could be so gentle. He had a feeling that Ennis wasn't yet ready to top him, but that was okay. Jack knew one or two things about gay sex, and he knew that there were other things they could do in bed. When they pulled apart, he couldn't help but bring a hand to Ennis's face, stroking his cheek.

"That answer your question, bud?" Ennis whispered, face still close to his. Jack pressed his lips to his once more and grinned, looking deep into Ennis's eyes.

"Guess so..." He sighed happily. "Can't believe this...all that time, we liked each other and thought the other wasn't interested...we're pretty dumb, huh?" Ennis nodded, trailing a finger along Jack's cheek. He was feeling more confident now about touching Jack like this, knowing that Jack wanted it.

"Yep. Like a pair of deuces, as my daddy might say." This made Jack laugh again, which made his eyes sparkle in a way Ennis simply couldn't resist. He kissed Jack again and they slid down the bed until they were lying down, just kissing and holding each other close. Neither of them had ever been this happy before, and they never wanted it to end.