As soon as the door to the carriage slides closed behind him, Gabriel has to grab onto the doorframe to keep himself standing upright. The way the train jolts into motion is sudden and somewhat unexpected, even though they were notified they would be departing from Gare du Nord at 9pm.
The movement ofThe Adventurerfeels different from that of the high-speed train from London. It feels rougher, less refined. But at the same time it feels sturdy and sure in its motion. Gabriel can feel a small smile settle on his lips, content with the fact that this part of the whole thing lives up to his expectations and corresponds with what he’s seen and read about online. This is exactly what he has been looking forward to, unhurriedly traveling the continent.
Slowly, still getting used to the movement beneath his feet, he shuffles toward the unoccupied armchair across fromwhere James is sitting. The spacious cabin is warm from where the heater has been running for the last hour, and he settles into ‘his’ side of the space with ease.
As much as he enjoyed the time in the city, and in the end he really had, the hecticness of it all wasn’t for him. For all his extroverted nonchalance, there is an equal - if not larger part - introverted shyness. He’s most content in his own space.
Even if he has to admit that the train carriage he now shares with James feels homely and comfortable. “You missed dinner. The buffet is open for another hour, if you want something,” Gabriel mentions.
From where James is curled up in the armchair, fuzzy socks on his feet and an e-reader clutched in his hand, he’s the picture of comfort. It makes Gabriel’s heart yearn. What he wouldn’t give to curl up with him, soak up the warmth James' body heat would provide and revel in the fact that he is so incredibly happy for and proud of James for having taken this step.
It isn’t hard to see that behind the big talk, James is having trouble with the unknown and uncertainty this entire adventure brings with it. James smiles and says, “Thank you. I had something at the station before we met up.”
“That was hours ago, though. You must be hungry.” Gabriel blinks, unsure. In the year he’s known James, he never turned down a meal before. His companion smiles again,shaking his head. “I’m fine, Gabe. I’ve got snacks in my bag.”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Why?” James asks, exaggerated. “Because I don’t feel like going to the buffet?”
And,oh. That’s it. Gabriel winces, could hit himself over the head for forgetting about James’ aversion to buffet style dinners. “Right. Sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He waves away Gabriel’s apology. “Besides, I’m really not hungry.”
Gabriel smiles, a reluctant little thing. “You? Not hungry? Don’t make me laugh.” James’ answering smile, accompanied by sparkling eyes, is enough to ease the rest of his worries. “We’ll have to see what nights they’ll have the buffet, then. Work around it.”
By now, they’ve left the French metropolis behind and are chugging into a more rustic area of the country. The dark makes it harder to see their surroundings, but the bright moon and flickering stars provide just enough light for him to make out the various landscapes they pass through. It makes him wish there will at least be some days that they’ll be traveling during the daytime so it’s easier to experience the changing of the scenery. He’ll have to ask James about the schedule soon.
James tsks. “You don’t have to. I know how much you enjoy a good buffet.”
Gabriel huffs at James’ selfless tendencies, but doesn’tcomment on it. After a moment, James returns to his book, softly tapping the screen to flip to the next page. Gabriel bends over to ruffle through his bag, retrieving his sketch pad and his charcoal pencils. The warm-white overhead lighting provides just enough glow for him to finish up the sketches he started during their stay in Paris.
For a few minutes, the only sounds throughout the carriage are the scratch of his pencils, the swiping of his eraser and the somewhat rhythmic tapping of James’ thumb on the screen. “What time will we be arriving in Venice?”
“Around nine, the itinerary said.” James’ reply is instant. He more than likely learned the travel plans by heart.
There’s a pause. Gabriel is unsure if he should make the offer he wants to make, wary that he might be crossing a boundary they might not be ready to reach yet. They’re friends, he likes to think so at the very least. As much as it sometimes pains him, the friendship they’ve forged is at least something. Even if his heart has been telling him a different story for almost the entire year.
Knowing that while he might not be perfect, he could provide James with all the care and support he could want and need. There is just something about those brown eyes that pull him in.
The train stutters, shakes a little on its tracks, but keeps on marching on. He’s already slowly getting used to the sound,knowing he has to if he wants to get some sleep tonight.
James turns from his book to the window, cast in the faint glow of the moon. The way the light frames his slightly crooked nose, his high cheekbones and angled chin, Gabriel can’t help but be transfixed.
All caution to the wind, even if they’re only a few days into the trip and he would hate for things to turn sour so soon, he says, “We could see if we can find breakfast in Venice?”
Two clicks of the track underneath them. A door closing further down in the train. These sounds fill the silence before he gets a soft smile and a happy exclamation from James, “I would like that. I’ve got just the place in mind!”
Gabriel is helpless in the face of the soft display, smiling back even though he knows that while he might want more than friendship, they might not be able to offer it to each other at this time. “Yeah? Ticking the next thing off of your list?” He can’t help but tease a little.
James gasps, his eyes wide. “Don’t mock me.”
“I would never,” he says. Open, honest. The most sincere he feels he’s ever been. Maybe it’s the Christmas spirit bringing it out of him. Maybe it’s the fact that with every mile they travel, he’s getting further and further removed from his family and the judgment he knows he would be facing if he’d been forced to spend the holidays with them.
If there’s one thing he’s sure of, he won’t be one of thepeople that makes James feel worthless, only because he needs more reassurance and structure to fall back on. “You know it’s okay, right? That you made all those elaborate plans?”
“Yes, I know.” James hesitates. “You don’t have to concern yourself with it, though. I made those plans for myself. I know you’re not interested in all those touristy things.”
I could be, if we did them together.
