He checked his messages.
David:Can you meet me in my room for a few minutes?
Maurice:Sure.
Maurice eased Finn down carefully, sliding a pillow under his head so he wouldn’t stir. He mumbled something soft and half-formed, the kind of sleep-talk that made Maurice’s chest go warm, but he didn’t wake. Maurice brushed a hand through his hair one last time, letting his fingers drift away slowly, like he was reluctant to break the contact.
Leaving the bed felt like stepping out of a pocket of heat—his skin prickled the second the cool air hit it. The room was dim and still, the kind of quiet that made him want to crawl right back under the covers and stay there with Finn breathing against his shoulder. Instead, he pushed himself up, feet finding the floor, the chill running up his legs as if the train itself was reminding him he had things to do.
He cracked the door open and slipped into the hallway. The shift was immediate. The low vibration of the engine buzzed through the soles of his feet, a steady undercurrent that made the walls feel alive. The air out here was cooler, sharper, carrying the faint metallic scent of the train—oil, steel, motion. Lights flickered overhead as they passed through another stretch of track, throwing brief shadows across his face.
Maurice closed the door behind him and let his back rest against it for a second. The quiet in the hallway wasn’t peaceful the way the room had been; it was the kind that reminded him he’d stepped out of something soft and safe and into the moving world again. He drew in a breath, let the coolness settle him, then pushed off the door.
He walked the few steps to David’s room and gave a light knock, knuckles tapping against the wood in a rhythm that matched the faint thrum of the engine beneath his feet.
David answered the door and moved to the side to make room for Maurice. “Why did Mr. Santos kick you and Caleb out of the dance?”
“Caleb insisted on dancing with Finn, refusing to take no for an answer.”
“He’s an asshole. How’s Finn doing?”
Maurice nodded. “He’s asleep. Long day.”
David leaned against the wall beside him. “You two seem… serious.”
Maurice didn’t deny it. “We are.”
David let out a sigh. “Already planning the future?”
Maurice shrugged, but it wasn’t casual. “We talked. About San Francisco. About his visiting Virginia. About… more.”
David’s expression softened. “You really like him.”
Maurice looked down the hallway toward their door. “Yeah. I do.”
David nudged him lightly with his shoulder. “So, what’s the plan?”
Maurice exhaled. “We’re going to spend real time together in San Francisco. Then he’ll come to Virginia if he can take time off. I want to show him everything. My home. The lake. My life.”
David nodded. “And after that?”
Maurice hesitated, then said it out loud. “If he likes it, I’ll help him find work. Whatever he needs.”
David blinked. “That’s big, Maurice.”
“I know.”
“You sure he’s ready for that?”
Maurice pictured Finn sobbing on his chest, completely floored by all the unexpected kindness. “He will be. He just needs someone steady.”
David gave him a long look. “And you’re ready to be that person?”
Maurice didn’t hesitate. “Yeah. I am.”
David smiled, small but genuine. “Then I’m happy for you. Really.”
Maurice nodded, feeling the truth of it settle in his chest. “Thanks.”
