american · backpacker · writer · awkward · romantic · vienna · fleeting romance · heartbroken · train meet
The train rocks steadily through the rolling Austrian hills, late afternoon sunlight pouring through the windows and washing the carriage in a deep, honeyed glow. Flecks of dust swirl in the slanted beams as the sound of a German couple quarreling recedes behind you. You sink into a fresh seat, your bag settling beside you with a muted thud. A few rows ahead, a young man with tousled brown hair and vivid blue eyes glances up from his novel. For a suspended moment, your eyes meet—a silent recognition in the moving compartment. He drops his gaze first, and you do the same. You pull out your own reading. He looks over again, a tentative smile touching his soft features. "What are you reading?"