gwyllion | 1692 - Chapter 46

Title: 1692
Author: gwylliondream
Genre: au!au
Pairing: Ennis/Jack
Rating: R
Words: 1692
Warning: Although romance is guaranteed to flourish, descriptions of torture in Salem and abroad may occur in this story.
Summary: The Salem witch trials of 1692 continue to horrify those who study American history. From February to September, nearly 200 people were accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts. Nineteen people were executed by hanging and one was pressed to death. The accusations of witchcraft and subsequent torture to elicit confessions exacerbated the already difficult lives of the colonists. Even the most physically fit and sound-minded of the Puritans waged a daily battle to cultivate enough food, protect themselves from Indian raids, and thwart challenges from England. This work of fiction will explore colonial incarnations of Jack and Ennis. The two outcasts, one posing as a clergyman, and the other as an accused witch, will strive to escape their plight and survive in the hostile environment of the New World.
A/N: The first chapter of 1692 was written for the October Challenge 2009. The historical geography of 1692 comes from my own personal knowledge, since I was born and raised in the shadow of Gallows Hill. For those who wish to study this era in more depth, excellent links can be found here.
Disclaimer: I did not create these characters. No disrespect intended. No profit desired, only muses.
Comments: Comments are welcome anytime, thanks so much for reading!

“Gentlemen, I’m turning in for the night. See you for breakfast.”

“Goodnight Carter, thanks again,” said Ennis.

“Yes, thanks for everything,” added Jack before Carter disappeared through the doorway.

“Well, gentlemen,” started Sam, rubbing his hands together, “Let’s get you two out of those wet clothes. I’ll find you some robes and ask Annette to take care of the… uh… you’ll need two rooms prepared, won’t you?”

“No,” said Ennis, surprising himself with the speed of his answer.

“Don’t bother,” said Jack.

Sam raised an eyebrow, almost imperceptibly, the grooves lining his forehead growing deeper for an instant. Ennis regretted his haste and worked his jaw in search of something to say, relieved when Jack came to the rescue.

“We’re brothers,” said Jack, throwing an arm around Ennis’s shoulders. “We’ve shared a bed under better circumstances. There’s no need for us to inconvenience Carter any further.”

“Very well, as you wish,” Sam answered after a pause, leaving the room on shuffling feet.

The door thudded shut behind him and the men were left alone to shiver in the narrow hallway.

“Brothers?” questioned Ennis with a grin, his eyes sparkling in the candlelight from the sconces that lined the entrance.

“It’s the best I could do at the moment,” said Jack tucking a curl behind Ennis’s ear. “Did it make you uncomfortable?”

“No,” said Ennis, taking Jack’s hand and squeezing it in his own. “We’ll be safer that way… if Sam doesn’t suspect.”

“That’s what I thought,” said Jack, stepping closer so Ennis felt his breath on his cheek. “You know, from here on, we’ll have to choose which battles we fight.”

“You’re right. And I’ll be ready when we must. You believe me?” said Ennis, scanning Jack’s face.

“I do believe you,” Jack nodded.

“Jack,” Ennis whispered, his heart overflowing with Jack’s affirmation. He brushed their noses together quickly, fighting the urge to kiss him, since Sam could return at any moment.

“That was an easy battle to avoid. I’m afraid that others may be more difficult,” said Jack.

“I’m ready,” said Ennis. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

He released Jack’s hand as the door swung open and Sam appeared with two dressing gowns.

“Gentlemen, put these on and follow me,” he said, seemingly none worse for preparing only one room for Carter’s guests.

The thought crossed Ennis’s mind that Sam had seen his fair share of unsettling behavior or unusual kindnesses distributed by Carter over the years, and this was no stranger an occurrence than Carter driving through the colonies after dark with only his lantern illuminating the way. Ennis stuffed his hands through the soft linen, the warm fabric calming the goosebumps on his naked skin. He tied the sash and stripped off his trousers, peeling the wet fabric from his legs.

“You may leave your boots in the entryway,” said Sam. “I’ll take your garments and see that they’re laundered in the morning.”

The men followed Sam into the main room where they enjoyed the warmth emanating from the red coals of the hearth. Sam motioned for them to sit at the table, laden with fruits, bread and cheese.

Without hesitation, Ennis sat and tore into a hunk of bread, passing the loaf to Jack while Sam ladled porridge into bowls he had placed before the men. They ate in relative silence, emitting only an occasional groan or sigh, replenishing their bodies with the nourishment they had been deprived of during the past days. The food filled their bellies, just as their secret stolen glances and nods replenished their hearts and minds with the love and comfort that had been absent during their separation.

“If you’re ready,” said Sam, when the men were finished eating, “I’ll take you to your room.”

Ennis let out a soft belch and pushed back from the table to follow Jack and Sam through the enormous home, arriving at a doorway that Sam opened for them. They stepped inside the warm guest room, heated by a roaring fire, a stack of wood at the ready.

A bed piled with quilts and pillows of every shape and size jutted into the room from the opposite wall. Between the bed and the fire, the remnants of a barrel that had been cut in two lengthwise rested on its side. Steam rose from the half-barrel, making Ennis suppose it was to be their bath that Carter mentioned.

“There’s more hot water on the hearth if you need it,” said Sam. “And if there’s nothing else you require, I’d like to go to sleep.”

“No,” said Ennis, raising his hand. “We won’t keep you any longer. You’ve been very generous with your time.”

“Yes, thank you so much,” said Jack.

“Well then, goodnight gentlemen,” said Sam, closing the door behind him.

Ennis watched Jack sigh with relief, and in an instant they were on each other, touching, stroking, caressing. The weight of the day had finally been lifted from Ennis, making him shudder with gratitude. He took Jack’s face in his hands and resumed the kiss he had started when they clung to the ship’s hull earlier, his fingers twining through his hair, his lips murmuring previously unspoken promises.

“You’re still cold,” Ennis whispered, when he broke away to catch his breath.

“I think the bath will take care of that,” said Jack, bending to dip his fingers into the steaming water.

“I’ll let you go first,” said Ennis, tugging Jack’s arm to draw him up to his full height. “You need it worse than I.”

Ennis dug his fingers beneath the robe, his palms sliding over Jack’s chest. He watched Jack’s eyelashes flutter when his thumbs brushed against his nipples. His hands continued their journey, his eyes following, as they dragged the fabric off Jack’s muscled shoulders, stripping his arms bare. Jack buried his hands in Ennis’s curly hair when he knelt to undo the knot that Jack had tied in his sash, a far easier task than freeing him from the ropes that bound him to the ship.

“Oh, it’s bad,” said Jack, noticing Ennis’s gash for the first time, his fingers prodding the wound.

“It doesn’t hurt much anymore,” Ennis said. He shucked his own robe and held Jack’s hand to allow him to step into the barrel. A smile came to Jack’s face when he lowered himself into the soothing hot water.

“How about you? Think you can fit?” asked Jack.

“Let’s try,” said Ennis, grabbing the mound of castile soap that had been left for them. He held the barrel’s side and stepped in, descending onto his knees to straddle Jack, their cocks touching, hard and needy.

“This’ll feel good,” said Jack, taking the dipper that hung from the barrel to pour the steaming liquid down Ennis’s back.

Ennis moaned at the sensation, gathering his wits enough to work up lather with the soap between his hands. His fingers splayed over Jack’s chest, his face, his hair, coating him in suds with a gentle touch.

“Does it hurt?” Ennis asked, noticing Jack’s wince when he ran soapy hands down his arms.

“Just sore from being tied up,” Jack said, biting his bottom lip.

“Is that all?” asked Ennis, dragging a finger across the scar on Jack’s arm, the mystery behind the mark now known between them. His eyes lingered on the indentation that had reminded Jack of so much pain.

“I’m glad I told you about it,” said Jack, meeting Ennis’s eyes in the firelight. “I never thought I’d have the chance, when I was alone in the ship. I was afraid that you meant what you said. I thought you’d never come for me.”

“Shhh,” said Ennis, placing the finger against Jack’s lips. “It’s as if I always knew. Like I had known all along what you’d overcome when you were a boy. It’s in everything you do. It’s a part of who you are now.”

Ennis heard the uneasy intake of Jack’s breath.

“It only makes me love you more,” Ennis finished.

Jack took Ennis’s hand and kissed the palm first, before pressing his lips to the inside of his wrist. He dragged a soapy hand down Ennis’s chest, grazing the length of his erect cock before squeezing his balls gently in his palm.

“Never stop,” said Jack, taking Ennis’s hand and bringing it to his own erect cock. “Let’s never stop showing each other.”

Ennis leaned back, allowing Jack to rise to his knees, and then it was Jack’s turn to touch, to wash, to love, Ennis’s tired body. Ennis took every opportunity to put his mouth on Jack’s skin while Jack worked the lather over his injured head, washing away the dirt and grime, the seawater and salt, leaving him clean again.

When his work was done, Jack turned in Ennis’s arms to grip the sides of the barrel, groaning when Ennis pushed a slender finger into him, making good use of the soapy water. Ennis scraped his teeth across Jack’s shoulder blades, listening to Jack’s breath increase with the flickering flames in the hearth.

Soon Jack’s sounds turned into pleading whimpers and Ennis skimmed his hands up Jack’s soapy torso, guiding him toward his cock. He felt Jack take control of his position to slide down onto him until he was sheathed in Jack’s warmth.

Ennis snapped his hips, meeting each of Jack’s downward thrusts, water sloshing in the barrel. It wasn’t long before he slipped over the edge, grinding his forehead into the back of Jack’s neck with his release. Jack followed, using his own hand to shuttle up and down his cock in time with Ennis’s hips. The water’s surface became tame again, by the time Ennis caught his breath.

They stumbled toward the bed, exhausted, drying their skin haphazardly on the way. Jack pulled the cool covers over their warm bodies and Ennis sidled up to Jack, pressing his back against the warmth of Jack’s chest. If there was a heaven, the feeling there would be just this, at last belonging in his rightful place, without a question that he was home. He felt Jack’s arms embrace him before he fell into a satisfied sleep.

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1692 - Chapter 46

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