Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Jack Twist was in his dream.

As young as Ennis ever remembered him to be, Jack stands still and straight at the rocky river edge with the water glinting in the mountain sun. The cold spring current licks at the toes of his boots. Facing away from Ennis, only the back of his head underneath his black cowboy hat is visible.

Ennis, watching Jack from the grassy edge of the clearing, calls out to him to wait, the river is too fast, too swollen with the spring runoff to cross. But though his mouth forms the words his voice dies in his throat and he can make no sound. Icy fear clenches his stomach as Jack, heedless, takes another step forward, the water rising to mid-calf. Ennis tries to scream now for him to stop but Jack still keeps wading deeper in. At the third step the river is up to Jack's thigh and lapping up to his hip, jeans turning indigo with the wet. Ennis stands paralyzed, helpless as Jack's fourth step submerges him to his waist. Two more steps and Jack will be swept away from him forever.

The smells of horse and pine across the river carry over the crisp air as Jack turns round and extends his hand. "Cross with me, friend," he says.

Ennis blinks; Jack's aged now, as grey and sad and weary as when Ennis last saw him alive. But oh Lord Jack's smiling and he's young again and he's forgiven. He's forgiven.

That breaks the stubborn hold of earth on his feet and he plunges forward, covering the distance across rock and memory in five, six, seven strides. He can't keep Jack waiting any longer; the chill of the water strikes his worn boots as he steps into the current and reaches out towards him. It don't matter anymore if they make it to the other side--just only that they do it together.

But when their fingers touch, in that second Jack dissolves forever in the brilliant sun, leaving Ennis to wake up drowning in river and sky.