before we get there

They had all the time to talk and what did they do? Sleep.

Dustin imagined how slow the train must have been when Macy's grandmother was alive. He guessed it was quicker, these days, but a part of him was beginning to doubt it.

Of course, he'd been stuck to Macy like glue. Holding hands, as if he didn't want to let her go.

He watched her blink, as she looked out the train window. Not a village nor a city insight. She sighed.

He pressed his lips tight. Thinking about the moment he kissed her, in front of everyone, at the airport. He'd never had balls like that for anything, but the snogging hadn't commenced since.

Dustin didn't want it to end. But he just didn't have it in him to start anything, either. After all, this was a mission of some sort, for her grandmother. Oh, he hoped he was on the right track.

"You know, I've been thinking." He finally said. "You know, about how it happened..." He sighed. "You and me." He winced hard. "Maybe..maybe it was meant to be." He was quiet then, thinking a little more about Halie and Gage. Together. "I mean, not so much us, but the two of them, you know, its like, I needed to take a step back, or something."

"What do you mean?" She winced.

"The trip to Paris was so dreadful." He guessed he'd brought it up, already. "Halie was just a beast of some kind."

Macy almost laughed at him.

"Really?" She was serious then.

"She was not in a good mood. I figured it had something to do with Alec, not so much Gage, but I guess him, too. It was like she wanted to fight me or something." Dustin's face soured. He didn't want to admit it, but he knew he wasn't exactly what Halie wanted. He supposed, he wasn't all that good in bed, after all.

He thought of their cramped conditions. Yes, they liked each other. He guessed, but it wasn't breath taking, that could send you to the moon and back.

"She pinches, really hard." He confessed.

Macy nodded, she held in a laugh before escaped her,  and winced her eyes tight, as if she imagined what a dangerous game Halie could play, while in bed.

"Do you miss him?" Dustin wasn't sure he had a right to know. He couldn't help to bring up Gage.

"Maybe." She pressed her lips tight. "Its so hard to explain. I mean, I kept thinking about you, a good bit, during the holidays. Like, you know, what sort of music does Dustin like. I'd made you this huge plastic case full of CD mixes, and then I hid it under my bed, hoping no one would find it. I mean, you did say, you thought of me like..like a little sister."

"I didn't mean it. I'm sorry I said it. Really. Truly, I'm an idiot. Evidently." He remained even lipped as if maybe he couldn't do this, either. Being with Macy.

But he kissed her hand, as if it were an oath of some kind. And then she let him kiss her. Perhaps he wasn't a silly boy, after all.