Chapter 3.

It wasn't until Lionel began to wake up that he realised he had fallen asleep again. Furthermore, as he gained consciousness, he noted he was being tapped awake on his shoulder.

Pulling an earbud from one of his ears, along with the taps, he heard a familiar voice calling out his name. "Lionel... wake up.". He knew it was Carter, but what surprised him was the soothing tone his voice contained when he woke him up.

The setting sun painted an orange hue throughout the train. With that, the sky also borrowed some of its colours. Shades of orange slowly drew out and changed to different tones of blue that darkened the further the eye travelled from the sun.

"I'm awake, I'm awake..." Lionel said, rubbing both of his eyes.

"Sleeping Beauty had fallen asleep again," Carter commented beside him, his voice maintaining the same tone.

"What's with that tone of yours, Carter?... You're so... quiet.".

To that, he furrowed his brows at Lionel. "Are you saying I should be inconsiderate of all the others who might be asleep, and shout for you to wake up?". Carter couldn't help his sarcasm.

As a response, Lionel pursed his lips, refusing to say anything. Only when he turned his head and looked out the window, did Lionel allow himself to speak once more. "Why are we slowing down?".

"We are preparing to make a stop. That's why I woke you up, I wasn't sure if you wanted to go out and stretch your legs, or something like that.".

Appreciative, Lionel nodded his head. "Thank you.". Then, looking at the table, more so the half that was in front of Carter, he noticed his laptop was closed. "Oh, finally done with work, are you?".

"One's work is never complete, no matter how much time and effort is put into it," Carter responded. "However, for the evening, yes. I am done with fucking work.".

"Tell me about it..." Lionel replied, smiling at Carter's vague-less response.

"Why so? What do you work ask?".

"I am a scientist. I work for a medical company and shift back between their laboratories and the labs at the University I attended," Lionel replied.

"Oh wow... a scientist?... Well then, you must know what I meant about work.".

All Lionel did was nod his head. "But as long as you like what I do, it's not all too bad...".

"Numbers and figures and meetings and documents and... loads of other shite. What's there to like about my job? At least I get paid well..." Carter admitted.

"Sounds like you dislike your job quite a bit...".

"I mean... it's not all too bad. It's doable... at least, for me it is.". Pausing, Carter began speaking again, "But working with chemicals sounds funner!". His words made Lionel laugh, they reminded him of what a child would say. Hell, he heard it for himself, when his relative's young daughter found out he was a scientist.

"It's all fun and games till you have to work with chemicals that can literally end your life.".

Carter furrowed his brows while widening his eyes in pure horror. "C-can it really be that bad??".

"Yeah!" Lionel responded, widening his eyes ever so slightly to match the seriousness of the topic in discussion. However, his attempts were halted to null when he broke into gentle laughter at Carter's face of realisation. "Wait, did you really not know?".

"Of course not! I'm a business major. Not a science major like you. So brainy," Carter replied, smiling at the outcome of the conversation. That was him feeling dumb. He brought such thought to words. "Only sitting beside you, it makes me feel dumb...".

"Don't say that..." Lionel spoke. Without thinking, he began to rub Carter's back ever so slightly, in the form of reassurance. And then, he felt it. Though he tried to not make it obvious, Lionel's body had a firework of reactions when his hands touched his back. Deciding it was better to retract his hand, he did just that. "You... You have a business degree. Something I could never achieve.".

"Please, don't talk bad about yourself to make me feel better. I was only stating facts when I said I feel dumber in your presence because I really do. It should come as a compliment to you, Lionel. You should be proud of yourself," Carter responded, a smile growing on his lips when his eyes met with Lionel's. 

"I just feel bad that my presence is making you feel that way.".

"Fine..." Carter began again, the smirk still remaining on his lips. "I'll rephrase what I said earlier. I feel honoured to be in the presence of a scientist.".

As a response to Carter's compliment, Lionel felt another blush creep back to his cheeks. Despite his best efforts, he let out a giggle of diffidence. "Thank you... thank you very much...". He tried his best to maintain eye contact with the man beside him. "Are you a businessman then?".

"That I am..." Carter replied.

"That would explain the suit then," Lionel spoke. "I'll also say that I feel honoured to be sitting beside a businessman.".

"Why thank you very much, Lionel. I'm unsure what's the honour of being a businessman but I'll gladly take your compliment.".

"You all wear fancy suits, I like that. A lot," Lionel elaborated, spectating Carter's face. He saw the way his smile reduced ever so slightly and how his eyes widened, however, it was a subtle change. 

"You think that... stuff like this...". Carter pointed to his shirt and tie. "This is hot?".

"I never said it was hot... I just said I like the way it looks on a body.".

"Well then, I sure as hell like the way a labcoat looks on a body..." Carter answered back, breaking into chuckles.

"A labcoat?...". Lionel questioned Carter's taste. 'He can't be serious...'.

As if reading his mind and thoughts, Carter went on to say, "It's sexy because it makes the person wearing it look smart. Like they know what they're doing.".

"Well, my friend... you've described the exact opposite of me. Half of the time I have no clue what I am doing...".

"Well, scratching that aside, I believe my statement is still applicable to you..." Carter said, watching the way Lionel widened his eyes when his words sunk within him.

The train came to a stretching halt as one of the staff members made a passenger announcement. Saying that the stop would be 45 minutes and that the station offered food and drinks. 

During her short announcement, numerous passengers stood up and made their way out of the train. After a few moments, both Lionel and Carter joined the crowd.

Just as they anticipated, a warm wall of air awaited them as they walked out onto the platform, despite the day nearly being over and the sun nearing the horizon.

"I can't wait for the winter cold to come around..." Carter spoke, bending over toward Lionel ever so slightly.

It wasn't until they both got out that Lionel noticed how short he was, in comparison to Carter. Or, to make himself better, just how much taller Carter really was. But with any way he thought of it, it was Lionel who was the smaller of the two. And by a whole head too.

On top of that, with Lionel wearing a thin, unbuttoned shirt and a blue t-shirt beneath it and a pair of knee-length Bermudes, Carter's outfit was the exact opposite. Naturally, it was much more formal.

"Are you not roasting in that, Carter?...". Lionel referred to Carter's outfit.

"I am. I feel like I'm about to sweat my fucking balls off..." he responded. His words all caught Lionel off guard and he broke into giggles.

"How childish of you... Laughing at the mention of my balls.". However, his words came as a contradiction as a smile broke onto Carter's lips.

"Hey, you're smiling too!".

"I'm not...". Quickly, Carter forced his smile away, but the more Lionel pressed him, the harder of a task it became.

So, in the end, he gave in. "Alright, alright...". Looking around himself, Carter's eyes were caught by numerous stands that lay inside the station. 'Probably what the woman was on about...' he thought to himself. "Are you hungry, Lionel?".

But Lionel's brows furrowed ever so slightly. "Not the best thing to ask after we talked about your nuts...".

"Tsk, tsk. I meant food. Are you hungry for food?" Carter clarified his question. "Besides, don't you think it's a bit too early to let you slobber all over me?". 

As it seemed to have become the usual trend, Lionel responded with silence. 

Carter was left smiling when he noticed a rose colour appear on Lionel's cheeks. Chuckling to himself, he spoke up again, "Alright, come on. Let's go, you must be hungry. Food's on me.".

It took a second for Lionel to find the strength in his legs to move, it felt as though they were buried beneath the concrete platform. 'God damn you, Carter, for making me feel this way.'.

It took them a minute to see that there were no seats available within the 'Food Court' (As they found out the name seconds after they entered the station.).

"Looks like we'll be dining outside..." Carter commented. "Do you mind that?".

"No, not at all.".

"Alright...". With Carter looking around, he found only one stand was working. "Looks like we also don't have much of a choice. 'Salads 'N Dressin's'..." he read out the name, furrowing his brows moments later. "I wonder who thought that was a good name?...".

"I mean... When you look at it, Carter. For a stand that serves food at a train station in the middle of nowhere, I guess the name is not all that bad..." Lionel voiced his opinion next.

"But we aren't in the middle of nowhere... We're in Libeaux," Carter said.

"Li-what?".

"Libeaux. My grandmother's hometown," Carter elaborated. "Have you never heard of this place?".

Lionel only shook his head.

"Well... now you know.".

Carter and Lionel lined up and got their food faster than they expected, they had 20 minutes to spare. After they found a place on the platform, they both sat down and began eating their food.

"Why is it called... Libeaux?" Lionel let his curiosity get the best of him, breaking the silence that lay between them.

Swallowing the food he had in his mouth, Carter began his explanation. "The town was named after the river that flows through it. Liberty. Since it flushes out into the sea.".

Lionel nodded his head, forking a sheet of salad and dipping it into a bit of the dressing he had on the side of his tray.

"You know... this is not all that bad..." Carter admitted.

"Don't lie. You're just saying that because you paid for it," Lionel responded, trying to chew his food after speaking.

"And yet you're the one stuffing your face with it...".

Lionel shrugged at Carter's words. "I'm hungry...".

Acknowledging what his companion said, Carter returned to eating.

A second of silence passed when Lionels's voice caught Carter's attention once again. "Thank you...".

"For what? The food??".

Lionel nodded.

"I'd have bought us something else if that salad place wasn't the only thing open.".

"I mean, in the end, I can't complain much. For its price and for what it was, it sufficed," Lionel responded, stuffing the last of his salad into his mouth.

At his words, Carter let out a chuckle. Next, his gaze moved down to his wristwatch. Seeing what time it was, he thought he should make Lionel aware too. "We can slowly begin our way back to the train. 12 minutes until we leave.".