Rei leaned forward, holding the ceiling strap loosely and looking up as the bus pulled to a stop. His thin, nimble fingers reached up to secure his glasses nervously. Although he would never admit it, this was his favorite part of the day. He felt a rush shoot through his veins of adrenaline, anxiety, excitement, or maybe something else that he couldn't quite admit to himself yet. He felt it, whatever the cause, every time the bus arrived at this stop. Because this wasn't just any bus stop.

Rei stood up straighter, recognizing his nervous posture as anything but beautiful. Just look at yourself, he scolded inwardly.No one would want to be around the mess you are right now. How would Nagisa feel, parading around with such a flawed creature? Smoothing down a stray hair, he pretended to read his book, all the while keeping his eyes trained on the short blond head bobbing through the masses of commuters.

Nagisa easily wove through the crowd, slipping between people unnoticed due to his small, delicate frame. Rei continued to stare at Nagisa's youthful face, gaze lingering too long to go unnoticed. Nagisa caught his eye, beaming in recognition. Rei panicked, blushing furiously as his eyes darted back to the book in his hand and glared blankly at the pages. Hearing the pitter patter of small feet, he felt two slim arms wrap themselves tightly around his toned waist.

"Rei-chan!" Nagisa's bright voice cut through the warm air. Rei raised an arm to hesitantly return the hug.

"G-Good morning... N-Nagisa-kun." Rei managed to sputter out, hiding his now deep scarlet cheeks behind the thick book he held. Nagisa released his tight grip, and Rei relaxed slightly, attempting to comprehend the endless stream of words that now flowed out of Nagisa's mouth. The bus ride continued as usual, the petite blond chattering away, occasionally losing balance as the vehicle took sharp curves and falling into his taller friends' strong, secure arms. It had become a pattern for the pair, a way of life: Nagisa, the carefree, social boy who helped Rei through his countless insecurities, and Rei, who took it upon himself to protect and watch out for his best friend at all costs. Although Rei could never understand why Nagisa would hang out with someone such as himself, his own reasons were apparent. What he felt for Nagisa was much more than friendship.

"Rei-chan. REI-CHAN." Rei snapped out of his reverie to find the bus nearly empty. "We're here, Rei-chan!" Nagisa chimed, falling into step with the dazed blue-haired boy as they stepped off of the bus and onto the pavement. Rei lifted a hand to his glasses impulsively. "What were you thinking about?"

"Huh?" Rei looked down as they walked towards the school. "Oh, back on the bus? J-Just... you know... the science homework." He fumbled with the sentence, cursing himself. What was wrong with him today? Something about Nagisa was bothering him, distracting him, but he couldn't tell what.

"Oh. You did that?" Nagisa giggled lightly, "I didn't quite get to that... will you help me with it at lunch? Pretty please?" Rei groaned, willing himself to ignore Nagisa's surely tempting expression. His willpower failed him. Catching sight of Nagisa's pleading puppy dog eyes, he let out a low, relenting sigh. "Yay! You are the best, Rei-chan!" Nagisa exploded in a cloud of excitement, making Rei smile despite his wish for a cool, distant demeanor. The school entrance loomed in front of them, and Nagisa immediately lunged at it, struggling to pull the heavy doors open. Rei reached over him, easily slipping open the thick door. His reward was a look of pure amazement from his companion, which broke into an endearing grin. And who was he kidding? He couldn't help but smile back.

I am really excited to be writing this... I hope to update it soon! I am really enjoying free! and think that Rei and Nagisa are adorable.

If you are looking for a cute, happy story, you might not want to read farther than this chapter because I am thinking of going with the storyline that Nagisa is being bullied by a relative at home and it is up to Rei to save him (although I won't let it get too dark i promise)(and it will be a happy ending of course).

Thanks for reading, I am always glad to get reviews and suggestions to improve my writing!