The Cat's Meow - a Middle of Nowhere one-shot
Author's Note: Here is a little something from the Middle of Nowhwere universe. Originally intended to be posted for my friend Matt's birthday, lack of time and inspiration disrupted that idea. It's silly and fluffy and beta-less, but I hope you all like it! :)
The Cat’s Meow
Definition: an expression referring to something that is considered outstanding
Jack stumbled out of bed, cursing loudly as his leg connected with the corner of the bedside table. He was late for work - again. Not even the second alarm Ennis had set for him managed to wake him up. If it hadn’t been for the strange dream he’d been having, he’d still be asleep; but something in it had been unsettling enough to stir him awake. As he scrambled for his clothes on the floor, he craned his neck to look underneath the bed. He didn’t stay down there for long because he had no idea what he was looking for.
He finished dressing, ran to the bathroom to wash and took the stairs two at a time, shoving a hat on his head to hide the fact it was a mess, and rushed out the door. He glanced quickly at his watch to calculate how much time he had to make it to the bus stop; minus 3 minutes. So he had not only missed this bus, but the connecting one too. The manager at the department store he worked for didn’t take too kindly to employees being late. He had so far escaped a written warning, though his charm and sweet talk was beginning to wear a little thin on his boss; she used to tweak his baseball cap when he came in. Now all she did was tell him about the no head wear on the shop floor rule. He was tempted to remind her that he worked in the warehouse and hardly stepped foot in the store anyway, but her stony expression made him keep that to himself. He tolerated the job because it was short term until his diploma started. He also needed the money, and wanted to prove to both Ennis and KE that he could provide for himself and contribute to the house without any help.
As he stood at the bus stop, hoping for a much needed miracle such as a hold up on the bus route, he thought about Ennis and a smile instinctively crept up on his face. Since moving in just over a month ago, every day had been a joy. He couldn’t be any happier, or more settled, and more loved than he felt right now. Enduring the months apart had been hard, but the struggle had been worth it. And he knew Ennis felt the same. His silent cowboy told him in many ways and Jack understood them all.
A car horn shook Jack out of his reverie and he turned around to see the familiar sight of Ennis’s truck coming towards him. His smile grew wider as Ennis pulled up beside him.
“How’d you know I’d be here?” Jack asked as he climbed in.
“I didn’t,” Ennis said, starting the truck and moving away. “I had an errand to run that took me past here.”
“So you saw me stranded, and thought you’d rescue me," Jack smirked.
“Well, I saw you and thought “Jack fuckin’ Twist’s late for work again,” but if you wanna think on it as rescuing, go right ahead.”
“Ennis del Mar, the old romantic,” Jack said, laughing.
“Just making sure you get to work on time. You can’t afford a written warning.”
Jack sighed. He knew Ennis was right. The job itself wasn’t the issue, the travelling was. Since his old truck had given up on him a few weeks back, he’d been putting money aside to buy a car for when he started his diploma. But it was obvious that finding a decent car with the money he would save was going to be a struggle. Even the money he’d received in a birthday card from his mom wouldn’t make much difference when added to his own.
“You thanked your momma for the card yet?” Ennis said, breaking into his thoughts.
“How’d you do that?”
“What?”
“Read my mind. It unnerves me.”
“Didn’t know I was. Glad to know you were thinking about your momma though.”
“Yeah well, I wasn’t thinking about her especially, but since you ask, no, I haven’t thanked her yet. Thought I’d wait until it’s my actual birthday, then do it,” Jack said, sarcastically.
“It was a nice gesture, Jack, whether it was sent a week early or not,” Ennis said, sternly. "Be thankful she’s getting in touch.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Jack replied, reluctantly. He’d not allowed himself to think too much about home since moving out. His folks knew where he was, but that’s all they knew. He was way too happy to let anything spoil it. He didn’t care what happened on his birthday, as long as Ennis was there. Actually, he did care. He hoped what happened took place in bed. The room they shared in the loft and had been renovated by KE - Ennis’s brother’s way of giving their relationship his blessing. More importantly, due to where the room was situated, they enjoyed their privacy and KE was spared any awkward encounters.
“Say Ennis, you ever have a cat?” Jack asked, the dream he had suddenly coming back to him.
“Huh?”
“A cat. You know, small, cute animal with whiskers. Goes meow a lot.”
“Don’t smart ass me, Jack Twist,” Ennis replied. “I know what a cat is, I'm just wondering where that question came from.”
“I had a crazy dream, and there was a cat underneath our bed -,” Jack started.
“A cat, underneath our bed?” Ennis interrupted, slowly repeating Jack's words..
“Yeah, it’s what I said,” Jack replied sarcastically. “I coulda sworn there was the smell of cat piss or worse in our room. I think that’s what woke me up.”
“You’re late for work because you’re dreaming about some cat that pisses underneath our bed?” Ennis said, shaking his head.
“I did have this urge to look under the bed, but just wasn’t sure why,” Jack continued, oblivious.
“You been talking to Meli recently?”
"What’s Meli got to do with anything?”
“Cause that’s the kind of thing I’d expect to hear from her.”
“You telling me you never had a dream that made no sense?”
“No Jack, all my dreams make sense, now.”
“Aww, Ennis,” Jack said, moving over to touch Ennis.
“Get on, boy,” Ennis said in a mock-gruff tone that didn’t fool Jack one bit. “Let me carry on with my journey in peace. Mornings are just not meant for this kind of crazy talk.”
Jack stroked Ennis’s thigh, kneading his fingers deep into the faded denim covering it.
“Thanks Ennis, I’ll pay you back for this later.”
“You’d better.” Jack heard the warmth in Ennis's reply, as he stepped out of the truck.
-------
One week later, Jack’s birthday
Jack didn’t need an alarm clock to wake him up on his 22nd birthday; the smell of coffee and fresh bagels was enough to rouse him from his sleep. He warily opened one eye to see Ennis sitting on the edge of the bed, fully dressed, holding a steaming cup of coffee.
“Where’d you go so early to get these?” Jack asked, smiling widely as he sat up, feeling his heart leap at the thought of Ennis performing this simple gesture for him when he should have been in work.
“Don’t ask questions, just drink and eat,” Ennis replied as he held out the coffee for Jack.
“Do I get a kiss with this, or is that extra?” Jack smirked, taking the coffee from Ennis’s hand.
“Since it’s your birthday,” Ennis said, leaning in until they were nose-distance apart, “I figure you get one for free.”
“Only one, huh?” Jack hooked an arm around Ennis’s neck, and the promised single kiss quickly became two, then three, then Jack lost count as he was drawn in to the intoxicating warmth of Ennis’s mouth, and the sweet honey of Ennis’s tongue as it played and flirted with his. The soft and deep kisses lit a fire in Jack’s belly and made him feel dizzy.
“Damn, Jack,” Ennis breathed, pulling away slightly, “gonna spill your coffee if you ain’t careful.”
“Too late,” Jack laughed giddily as the cup tipped and splashed Ennis‘s crotch. He placed the cup on the bedside table and brought his hand to the hard ridge of Ennis’s crotch, rubbing in the hot liquid. Ennis leaned in to the touch, moaning quietly, but enough for Jack to hear.
“My hand’s hot from the coffee,” Jack breathed, as he continued to stroke Ennis through the rough denim. “You feel that?”
“Oh yeah,” Ennis said, causing Jack to laugh, knowing the coffee had long been forgotten.
He unbuttoned Ennis’s jeans, impatient and squirming through his own hard on, wanting to touch skin fast. As Ennis began to thrust, he placed his warm hand inside and rubbed the hard length of Ennis's cock. Guessing this was going to be fast and frantic, he increased his rhythm quickly. Ennis's breath hitched while his cock jerked inside the clasp of Jack's hand.
He trapped Ennis's moans with a deep, wet kiss. He lifted the bed sheet away from his body, took Ennis’s hand and placed it on his own rock hard cock. They began to move in a rough rhythm that mirrored their kisses. Jack smeared the come from the tip of Ennis’s cock and coated the length of it. From the urgent pushes against his hand, Jack knew Ennis was close. Jack would not be far behind; as turned on as he was, he wanted to watch Ennis come first.
"Ahh, Jack....I'm gonna come,......fuck.....," Ennis moaned through his orgasm, and Jack soon followed, the milky liquid spilling out and flooding their hands.
“Damn that was good,” Jack said, leaning his head against Ennis’s, looking down at the sticky mess that covered their hands. “Let’s do it again.”
“Can’t, we got stuff to do.” Ennis grabbed some tissues and began to clean them up.
“Yeah, we do - that," Jack said, dropping his eyes to the mess they made - "all over again. Only this time, lying down, and naked.”
Jack caught a smirk on Ennis’s face as he continued his task. “As tempting as that is, we got work soon.”
“Shit, you ain’t no fun,” Jack sulked, leaning back against the pillow.
“That’s me, no fun Ennis, that’s what they called me in school and why I took up woodwork. Now get dressed, there‘s something I wanna show you.” Ennis stood up, threw the tissues in the bin, and adjusted his jeans.
Jack laughed despite himself. He was still horny as hell, but didn’t want to make Ennis mad. He was disappointed his birthday didn’t fall on the weekend when time wouldn’t constrain them. He thought back to his last birthday, and of the precious time he had shared with Ennis then. He may not have the wooded wilderness of Maine to escape to, but he had Ennis, with him, every day.
Jack got washed and dressed, and found Ennis waiting outside in the yard, scuffing his boots against the dust and stones that covered the ground.
“What you wanna show me?” Jack asked, looking around at the familiar surroundings. “There’s nothing here I ain’t seen a million times before.”
“You ain’t looking hard enough then,” Ennis said. He followed Ennis's gaze. Next to the barn was an old truck that had been there since Jack had been coming to visit Ennis, and long before that, no doubt. He then spotted a glint of chrome peeking out from behind the barn, sparkling in the morning sun.
He walked around the barn and found himself stood in front of a car he had never seen before. It wasn’t new, but looked in good condition. He turned round to see Ennis watching him, his face inscrutable.
“You know anything about this?” Jack asked, watching as the hint of a smile began creeping up on Ennis’s face.
“Happy Birthday, Jack,” Ennis said, drawing up beside him and touching the back of his neck. Jack felt the hairs stand on end under the touch of Ennis’s hand.
“It’s mine? You got this for my birthday?” Jack looked for any trace of a joke or trick being played on him, but there was none.
“You need a car for when you start your diploma,” Ennis explained. “It’d help you get to work in the meantime - won’t need to worry about being late and getting written warnings.”
“Yeah, but a car’s a big gift for anyone, Ennis, and besides, you know I’ve been saving up for one.”
“Yeah, but you said yourself you didn’t know how long it’d be before you could afford one. I wanted to help you out, and this was too good a deal to miss out on. I paid for it outright. You can give me half when you have it.”
“You sure? I mean I want to pay for it all, I’ll be able to do that, eventually.”
“I know you will but the part payment is my birthday present to you,“ Ennis smiled softly.
“Okay, well if you’re sure,” Jack said carefully, giving Ennis a chance to change his mind.
“I am. Now get in, see what it's like.”
Jack got in the driving seat and adjusted himself until he felt comfortable. The interior looked tidy and smelled freshly cleaned. He touched everything his hands could reach like an excited child with his dream toy on Christmas morning. He couldn’t believe he owned a car that didn’t look as if it was about to fall apart.
As he watched Ennis settle into the passenger seat, something in the back foot well caught his eye. He leaned over and saw a cat there, licking its paws.
“Ennis,” Jack said, looking from the cat to Ennis, and back again. “Did you know there was a cat in the car?”
“Yeah, I did," Ennis replied. It was there when I bought it.”
Jack looked at Ennis as if he was talking in Chinese. “You bought a car that came with a cat?”
“Yeah - well, no, not exactly. The owner of the garage I bought the car from told me he discovered the cat there the day after I bought it, a week ago. It’d taken to sleeping in the car at night. He didn’t have the heart to put it out on the street.”
“But why’d you bring the cat with you? I mean, why not just leave it there? It ain’t yours.”
“I don’t know…felt kind of bad, I guess….and besides, thought you might like it.”
“Why'd you think I‘d like it?”
“You mentioning that strange dream about the cat underneath our bed. Then finding the cat in the car I just bought you. You don’t find that kind of - odd?”
“You mean like it’s a sign?” Jack said in a mock-serious tone. “Telling us we should take the cat and let it sleep under our bed in case something bad happens to us if we don't? Ennis, you’ve been watching way too many episodes of Supernatural.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Ennis laughed. “Joke all you like. But remember, you were the one who looked under the bed when there was nothing there. At least my cat encounter was real.”
Jack couldn’t help but laugh in agreement and he reached into the back to pick up the cat, bringing it into the front with him. The cat settled into Jack’s lap.
“Seems pretty tame, considering he don’t know us,” Jack said, stroking it gently behind the ears.
“It’s a girl, according to the garage guy. We need to give her a name.”
“We seriously going to keep her? You really want to?”
"Well, sure, cats ain’t no trouble. I got more trouble looking after you."
Jack laughed. “If she’s been sleeping in here for a week, how come it smells so clean?”
“I paid the guy to get it cleaned, didn‘t think you‘d appreciate the smell of cat piss on your birthday.”
“Or any day. Remember I told you I thought I could smell that? We got to make sure she don’t take to peeing underneath our bed.”
“No and if she does, we got to use white vinegar - or shaving foam.”
Jack looked at Ennis like he'd finally taken leave of his senses. “Ennis, I never knew you took such interest in cleaning materials.”
“Just pick a name, Jack. And no, we can‘t call her Meli.”
Jack looked down at the sleepy kitten as he thought of a name.
“Nancy,” Jack said finally. Ennis looked at the cat and back at Jack, and smiled.
“Nancy," Ennis repeated. "Good choice, Jack.”
“Thanks Ennis," he said, sighing contentedly. "Three presents already and it ain’t even time for work.”
“Three?” Ennis said, confused.
“The car, the cat - and the coffee.” Jack looked down at Ennis’s coffee stained crotch, and back up at Ennis in time to see a flush of red creep up on Ennis’s face, clearly remembering the cause. The sweet shyness that still exuded from this boy always touched his heart.
“But they don't compare with this. C'mere,” Jack whispered, and as Ennis leaned in and kissed his waiting mouth, he knew that what he had here was always going to be better than any gift bestowed upon him.
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