What's the other story you're following, if you don't mind me asking?? I'm always looking for recs... or for other people who read the same ones I do
I'm reading "A Love Born from Steel." I just love the idea that Jack and Ennis are living happily-ever-after somewhere, in a Queen Anne farmhouse in Texas!
I came to it via the back door, so to speak, in that I saw a thread in the Happy Holidays section, where Jack was sending messages about how he and Ennis celebrated Christmas. Well, I can't begin to tell you how moved I was, so I sent him a teary little message saying how happy I was for them. "Jack" sent the most beautiful message back - I still get a lump in my throat when I think about it. I was so thrilled to actually get a message from dear sweet Jack. And he made me laugh. Said that even though they looked back on ol' Brokeback with great fordness, they were much happier in their big ol' comfy bed together, than they ever were in the tent that smelled of cat piss or worse on Brokeback!
It was the message from Jack that made me realise there was another option. It wasn't all doom and gloom. I could fantasize about them living happy, loving, long lives together.
I read all of Jack's messages in the Happy Holidays section first, before visiting the fan fiction section - and actually read "Just by Looking at You," before visiting Lazy L Farm.