Chapter Twenty-Six
Finn
The train just kept eating up Northern California, mile after mile of trees and foggy light sliding past the window.
It was their last morning onboard, and the whole place still buzzed from the big party they’d had the night before with voices in the distance, the faint clink of dishes, and laughing a few cars down.
Finn was still in bed, tucked into the warm dent Maurice’s body had left, when the soft scrape of paper sounded on the floor. Maurice bent to pick something up from under the door.
“This has your name on it,” Maurice said, straightening and handing it over.
Finn pushed himself up against the pillows and stared at his name written in neat, no-nonsense handwriting. He smoothed out the note and read it.
Finn,
Meet me in thirty minutes at the engineer car.
Thank you,
Mr. Santos
His stomach did a little flip. Not necessarily a bad one—just… Mr. Santos was intense on a good day.
“What is it?” Maurice asked.
“Mr. Santos wants me to meet him in thirty minutes,” Finn said, glancing up.
Maurice’s brows pulled together. “Do you want me to go with you?”
Finn shook his head, even though a small part of him wanted to say yes. “No. I’m sure he wants to talk to me alone. Probably about you.”
Maurice deepened his voice. “That sounds ominous.”
“It’s Mr. Santos. Everything sounds ominous,” Finn said, but he smiled.
Maurice hesitated, then shifted closer on the bed, his expression turning more serious. “Can I ask you something first?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Maurice’s eyes met his, as if he was getting his phrasing just so. “Do you want to spend five days with me in San Francisco?”
The question hit Finn as if someone had opened a window in his chest. He inched closer without even thinking about it and wrapped his arms around Maurice, pressing his face briefly against his shoulder.
“More than anything,” Finn said, voice muffled in his shirt.
Maurice’s arms came around him. “Good,” he murmured into Finn’s hair. “I’d be very lost without you, Finn.”
Finn pulled back just enough to see Maurice’s face, all while Finn’s heart did that stupid, happy stutter. “Okay,” he said, trying to sound more composed than he felt. “I need a shower first. Then I’m going to see what he wants, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“How about meeting me at the Welcome Car?” Maurice asked. “I need to talk to David about some travel logistics now.”
“Okay,” Finn said. “I’ll find you at the bar.”
Maurice cupped his jaw for a second, thumb brushing his cheek, then leaned in and kissed him as if they had all the time in the world. When he pulled away, Finn felt steadier. Maurice left him alone to shower.
Finn got dressed, smoothed his shirt like that would somehow make him look more responsible, then stepped out into the hallway.
The air out there felt cooler, the low thrum of the engine running up through his feet.
He walked past a couple of passengers chatting quietly, the world outside a blur of green and gray through the narrow windows and made his way toward the front of the train. He paused when Theo stopped him.
“Hey, do you have a minute?” Theo asked.
“I’m meeting Mr. Santos, but can meet after?”
“Okay, come to my cabin and we can talk.”
“Will do.”
At the door to the Engineer Car, Finn paused, took in a deep breath, and knocked. The door opened a moment later. Mr. Santos stood there, expression as unreadable as ever, then stepped aside to let him in.
“Sit,” Mr. Santos said, nodding toward a small chair near the console.
Finn sat, hands resting on his knees, trying not to fidget. The Engineer Car felt different from the rest of the train. More focused, more alive. Panels glowed, switches clicked softly, and the view ahead was just endless track and sky.
Mr. Santos stayed standing for a moment, looking at him like he was assessing a piece of equipment. Then he nodded once, almost to himself.
“I wanted to tell you,” Mr. Santos began, “after your unfortunate start on Pride Express, you have changed and made some excellent decisions.”
Finn winced a little at “unfortunate start,” but…fair.
Mr. Santos continued, “I think Maurice is an excellent choice for you. He’ll make a great daddy. Please keep me posted on how you two are doing.”
Finn blinked. Of all the things he’d expected, that wasn’t on the list.
“I didn’t expect you to say that at all,” Finn admitted. “But… thank you. And yeah, of course I’ll keep you posted. I feel like we’ll have a real chance if we live in the same state.”
“That’s geography,” Mr. Santos said, as if he were correcting a math problem. “You have the power to change that but make sure you take the time to think clearly.”
Finn nodded slowly. “I’m thinking clearly. Or at least, I’m trying to. He’s… he’s good for me. I don’t want to screw that up.”
Mr. Santos’s mouth twitched, almost a smile. “You are less impulsive than when you boarded. That is progress. And I think I’ll remember you as the Rainbow Romantic instead of the Rainbow Flirt.”
“I’ll do my best to live up to my new nickname,” Finn said. “And I’ll email you. Or… whatever you prefer.”
“Email is fine,” Mr. Santos said. “I find it reassuring to know that my special passengers don’t ruin their lives after disembarking from my train.”
Finn grinned. “That’s a pretty low bar, but I’ll aim higher.”
Mr. Santos gave a curt nod, then turned back toward the controls, clearly signaling that the conversation was over. “You may go. Enjoy your last day.”
“Thank you,” Finn said, meaning more than just the meeting. He stood, gave the room one last glance, then stepped back into the hallway.
The air out there felt cooler, carrying a faint metallic rattle from somewhere deep in the train’s frame. As he moved through the cars, he replayed Mr. Santos’s words, the stamped approval on the actions he wanted most.
He headed down the hallway toward Theo’s room, the walls giving off a low, steady vibration like the whole car was quietly awake. When he knocked, Theo opened the door almost immediately, as if he’d been waiting.
“Hey,” Theo said, stepping aside so Finn could slip in. “I missed you, you know. We were roommates for, what—five minutes? And then you bailed on me.”
Finn winced. “Yeah… sorry about that. Everything with Maurice happened fast.”
“I know,” Theo said, dropping onto the edge of the bed. “I’m not mad. Just… would’ve been nice to have you around.”
Finn sat beside him. “We still hung out.”
“Yeah, but it’s different,” Theo said, nudging him with his shoulder. “Roommates get the late-night gossip.”
Finn laughed. “You would’ve gotten more than gossip, but yeah, I missed us being roomies too.”
Theo fiddled with the hem of his shirt, eyes flicking toward the window.
He sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, picking at a loose thread on his sleeve like it was the only thing keeping him grounded.
Finn could tell something was on his mind—Theo kept opening his mouth like he was about to say something, then shutting it again.
“So…” Theo finally said, eyes fixed on the floor. “David and I have been talking.”
Finn shifted closer. “Yeah?”
Theo nodded, but it was small, hesitant. His shoulders tightened instead of relaxing. “About… you know. Stuff.”
“Stuff,” Finn echoed, waiting him out.
Theo’s fingers twisted the thread harder. “The future,” he said at last, voice barely above a whisper.
Finn’s chest warmed. “That sounds serious.”
Theo didn’t answer right away. He swallowed, eyes darting to the door like he was checking to make sure no one else could hear. “He, um… asked me something. But it’s not—like—it’s not a big deal. It was just a question.”
Finn raised an eyebrow. “Theo.”
Theo winced. “Okay, okay.” He dragged a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. “He asked if I’d ever think about moving to Virginia.”
Finn blinked. “Wow.”
Theo’s face went pink, but not the cute kind—more like the I’m-about-to-panic kind. “Not now. Not soon. Just… someday.” He said the word like it physically hurt. “But I didn’t—I don’t know. I didn’t want to talk about it.”
Finn softened. “Why not?”
Theo’s knee bounced, fast and jittery. “Because I still have another year at college. And transferring is a nightmare. And my mother…” He trailed off, jaw tightening. “She’d lose it. Like, full meltdown. They already think I’m too young to make big decisions.”
Finn nudged him gently. “Do you want to move someday?”
Theo didn’t answer. He stared at his hands, twisting them together. His breathing went shallow, like the question itself was too heavy.
Finn tried again, softer. “Theo. It’s just me. You can say it.”
Theo’s shoulders slumped. He let out a shaky breath. “Yeah,” he whispered. “I want it. I really do. But wanting it and actually doing it are two different things.”
Finn nodded. “I get that. Really.”
Theo finally looked up, eyes wide and scared and hopeful all at once. “Do you think it’s stupid?”
“No,” Finn said immediately. “I think it’s brave. And honestly? I’m kind of in the same place.”
Theo blinked. “You are?”
Finn shrugged, but his heart thudded hard. “If things go well in San Francisco, I’m thinking about moving to Virginia too. New job. New everything.”
Theo’s mouth opened. “Wait—you’d actually do that?”
Finn laughed softly. “Yeah. I mean… I want to see how the five days go. But I’m open to it. Wide open.”
Theo let out a breath that sounded like he’d been holding it for hours. “That’s exactly how I feel. I want to see how this week goes with David. But I’m not ruling anything out.”
Finn bumped his shoulder. “See? Not stupid.”
Theo smiled. “Maybe not.”
Finn could feel the shift between them, something settling into place. Not just shared fear, but shared possibility.
And for the first time, Theo didn’t look scared of the word someday. He looked like he might actually believe in it.
They sat there for a moment, both absorbing the fact that their lives might shift in the same direction.
“Oh,” Theo said suddenly, brightening. “David told me something. He and Maurice rented two suites in San Francisco. Right next to each other. So they can talk as friends, and we can too.”
Finn laughed. “That sounds like them.”
“Right?” Theo said. “They’re like… weirdly wholesome for two guys who look like they could run a mafia.”
Finn snorted. “Accurate.”
Theo nudged him again, softer this time. “I’m glad we’re still… you know. Friends.”
“Me too,” Finn said. “I want us to be best friends like Maurice and David.”
Theo smiled, warm and genuine. “Good. Because I wasn’t ready to lose you.”
Finn felt the same way, making his chest feel full.
After a few more minutes of talking about nothing and everything, Finn stood. “I should go meet Maurice in the Welcome Car,” he said. “He’s at the bar with David.”
Theo grinned. “Go. I’ll be there after I change into more comfortable clothes.”
Finn rolled his eyes and headed out, the overhead lights giving a soft flicker as he stepped back into the hallway. On his way to the Welcome Car, he smiled as he had just secured something important. Not just Maurice. Not just the future. But Theo too.
Finn spotted Maurice at the Welcome Bar, leaning on his forearms, talking with David. There were a couple of glasses in front of them—one empty, one half-full—and David was gesturing with his hands like he was explaining something complicated and mildly annoying.
Maurice must have felt him looking, because he turned, eyes finding Finn almost immediately. That small, private smile appeared, the one that made Finn feel like the rest of the car had gone a little out of focus.
Finn walked over, weaving between a couple of stools, his nerves from earlier mostly burned off.
“How’d it go?” Maurice asked as Finn reached him, his voice low enough that it didn’t carry.
Finn slid onto the stool beside him, close enough their shoulders brushed. “Weirdly good,” he said. “He gave us his blessing. In his very Mr. Santos way.”
Maurice’s eyebrows lifted. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Finn said, letting himself lean in just a little. “And I told him I’d keep him updated. You know, so he knows we didn’t crash our lives after leaving his train.”
Maurice laughed, the sound warm and easy. “Guess we’ll just have to prove him right.”
Finn glanced at the window, at the blur of Northern California sliding by, then back at Maurice and the drink waiting in front of him.
“Yeah,” he said, feeling that quiet, steady certainty settle in his chest. “I think we can do that.”