BusBoy
Summary: Zack has found a cute boy on the bus. He's blonde and small. Appears quite intelligent. If only Zack had the courage to talk to him? Oh well, maybe his boyfriends can help.
A/N- This has not be edited properly. I wanted all of this to be a surprise for my usual editor, providing she reads it of course, and I'd just like to a) mention that the rating change is only for language at this point and b) advertise my need for a willing beta-reader for this story.
Enjoy.
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Zack knew it was terribly pathetic. How could it not be? He was one of the most popular guys at ShinRa High, had three gorgeous boyfriends and was almost but not quite at the top of his class, thanks to Seph being so perfect at everything. Yet here he was, forcing himself to stare down at some random book's page and repeatedly pinch himself, all because of a cute blonde that sat on the opposite side of the bus.
Zack was happy with what he had, really. But, in all honesty, this kid had to be the most attractive teen, aside from Ange, Seph and Gen; he'd ever had the misfortune to lay eyes on.
The blonde was short and slender, almost girlish in frame. His hair spiked in a chaotic yet elegant mess and his blue eyes glowed in the sunlight. It was the blonde's fault that Zack went from content to miserable. He showed up on Zack's radar a few weeks ago and ever since Zack had wanted to casually sidle up and slip into the spare seat beside him, but for the life of him, he couldn't work up the courage to do it.
Spiky could already have a boyfriend, or three, he could be straight, although considering the very nice fashion he wore Zack doubted it or he could have a thing for other blondes, the possibilities were endless. It was killing Zack to sit idly by and wait for another man to snatch the cute blonde away, but what could he really do, if he didn't even have the guts to sit next to him?
The blonde never moved until his stop came about and then he was gone. Zack was both relieved and dismayed. His thigh was probably bruised now from all the pinching he was doing, and let's face it; Zack was never going to read Macbeth outside of class so trying was a waste of time.
Seph, Angeal and Gen were waiting for him at the gates of ShinRa High. The school was the epitome of rich school for rich boys with lots of cash. It was a massive building, with more stories than one would care to count and more classrooms than it needed. Every student had a laptop and three portable hardrives under the classifications, school, games, and misc.
Zack was unsure of how to tell his three friends about the adorable blonde that caught his bus. He didn't want them to jump down his throat for something he couldn't control and he knew that if any one of them had seen the blonde first, they would've felt the exact same way about the boy.
Sephiroth and Genesis were arguing about the Valentine's Day incident again and Angeal was thumbing through a cookbook that Miss. Crescent had given him yesterday. They were almost at their lockers and Zack would like to tell them before the free they had first, that way he could plan what he'd be doing accordingly. If Angeal was mad at him, he wouldn't be doing Ethics, if Gen was mad at him, he wouldn't be doing English Literature, if Seph was mad at him he wouldn't be doing Chemistry or Physics or Revolutions and if they were all mad he wouldn't be doing maths, so the only thing that's left to do would be Psychology.
Zack took a deep breath and dived right into the chaos.
"Hey guys, I met someone on the bus today!"
There was silence for all parties, as the three men turned towards Zack, their expression a mix between curious and jealous. Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best wording or way to break it to them.
"And who, pray tell, is this person?" Sephiroth asked, while opening his locker and shoving all irrelevant objects in, meaning everything excluding his laptop.
"Well…ah-" Zack started, playing with his fingers, "I didn't really meet him per se. I mean I've been watching him for awhile- that sounds so bad, I know, but he catches my bus and well…he's kind of the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life," he finished sheepishly.
Angeal slammed his locker door with a loud 'CLANG' and Zack jumped. Before he could backtrack and explain better, his boyfriends were converging on him.
"Wait, guys, before you go making hasty decisions, like a 24-hour patrol or a chastity belt, I have a picture that you should see," Zack cried, pulling out his phone and holding it out in front of him.
They took a step away and Zack flipped open his phone and searched through his pictures until he found the best one to explain his reasoning for him. He passed his phone to Seph, who stood, flanked by Genesis and Angeal.
Sephiroth eyes widened and he let out a small 'whoa'. Angeal turned the phone towards him and gave a whistle or appreciation. Genesis, feeling left out, snatched the phone away and whirled back to face Zack.
"Who is this, lovely vision of grace? This innocent flower that you called into our midst?" He cried dramatically, pointing to the picture of Spiky, with a pencil pressed lightly against his lips as he did homework, on the bus.
Sephiroth groaned, "You're enjoying the language of Shakespeare way too much."
Zack smiled, happy vibes pulsating in the air around him. "That's the kid who catches my bus, he's cute isn't he?"
Sephiroth snorted and, though being a man of few words, added, "I don't think cute quite covers it."
Angeal snagged the phone away again, "Well done, Zack. Have you talked to him yet? Do you know what he's open to? Gay? Bi? Okay with dating four other guys?"
They had made their way to the library during the conversation, knowing the way so well that their feet operated separately to their minds. They sat in their usual couches at the very back of the library with a coffee table between, hidden behind a maze of bookshelves where nobody could overhear or watch.
Zack collapsed heavily onto one of the couches, Genesis sitting next to him, and sighed.
"That's the thing, every time I make up my mind to go over and talk to him, I come up with another reason not to. It's been four weeks since I've noticed him. I don't even know his name."
Genesis 'hmm'd' and sat back on the couch, sinking into the soft cushions.
"Methinks, we need a plan," he said.
0
Three other men accompanied Zack on the bus the next day. The quartet had talked all through their school hours, despite getting yelled at multiple times- they knew they'd never actually get punished- by teachers and late into the night at Zack's house.
They still had no plan of attack.
They filed into the seats next to Zack's, at the very back of the bus. Spiky was already on the bus. He had earphones in and was listening to music loud enough to scare or annoy anyone who tried to sit next to him. He pulled a Macbeth text out of his bag and began to scribble notes in the margins.
Angeal leaned over Sephiroth to whisper, "Genesis, he's reading Macbeth. Go wow him with your infinite knowledge of everything that happens and what it means."
"Yeah, 'cause nothing says 'date me' like quoting Lady Macbeth as she talks about bashing a baby's brains out or the witches as they talk about 'pricking thumbs' and 'prophetic visions'," Sephiroth whispered sarcastically in response.
"Well, I think you should go, Seph," Genesis whispered.
"What? Why me?" Sephiroth whispered harshly.
"Because you have grace, poise, great hair- although a little on the long side-, a way with people," Genesis explained.
Zack pointedly looked out the window, not wanting to get involved or talked into going himself.
Angeal scoffed softly. "The only way with people he has is to scare them away or turn them into gibbering puddles of goo."
The three argued all the way to Spiky's stop and then argued about how each other were to blame because they never went and talked to him.
Zack sighed, heavily, and walked towards the lockers. His boyfriends were still arguing. It was getting just a little irritating and he was about ready to stick their heads inside his locker and shut the door repeatedly until they fell off.
Someone interrupted Zack's rather uncharacteristically bloody thoughts, with a cheerful, 'Hey Buddy', and a jaunty wave.
Suddenly, it was there. A plan crafted with the incredible brilliance of Zack's mind and the inspiration of his good friend Kunsel, who indeed would be their main operative in this mission, Zack knew what he would do. With the smug grin of a cat that knew that eating the canary when his owners were home would get him punished, but knew they'd be going out later, Zack called out to Kunsel.
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Four, seemingly nondescript, high schoolers were milling around the main office building of ShinRa High. They all seemed quite casual, good friends, but taking a closer look one might notice the anxious air about them and that their closeness to each other was a bit too close for them to be just friends.
Of course, they had every reason to anxious. They were waiting for Kunsel, or, more importantly, Kunsel's diary. The diary held all the information that Kunsel had collected over the last few weeks of watching their blonde on the bus.
They were anxious to see what that diary held, but also that no one had caught Kunsel. It would be a little difficult for them to explain their stalkerish tendencies when it came to the blonde.
Finally, Kunsel arrived. With no greetings exchanged, he reached into his bag and retrieved the diary. It was labelled 'Religion: Text and Traditions', ensuring that if it was lost and someone picked it up, they would not open it. ShinRa, more or less, bred the idea that was religion was a boring subject and therefore did Ethics instead.
"Thanks, man," Zack said, grinning at the book in his hand.
Kunsel smiled at the quartet. "Not a problem, I owed you anyway," he said and jogged off to his classes. As soon as he was gone, Sephiroth snatched the book off Zack and headed off to the library with Angeal and Genesis. Zack yelped and scrambled to follow the other three.
The journey from the offices was short and soon they were all seated and reading for the great unveiling of their cute spiky-haired blonde.
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Day 1
8:55- Subject gets on bus, from a stop just outside of ShinRa Towers, the apartment buildings.
He sits in a seat on the left side of the bus, two seats from the back, in a sideways position with his back against the wall of the bus.
He does homework. Chemistry. Appears to be quite capable.
He takes out a piece of paper from his bag, a test paper. Subject: Music Theory. Grade: A+
He glances towards Zack's usual seat. He might be frowning but it's hard to tell.
He gets off at Seventh Heaven, the Ice Cream Parlour.
Day 3
Subject, by name of CLOUD STRIFE- according to his bag-, gets on at usual stop and sits in usual seat.
He quickly glances at Zack's spot and looks away when it is not empty. Possible that he wants to approach but is too shy.
Subject C, appears to always do some form of homework on bus. Today it is Religion, strangely he doesn't appear too bored but at the same time he is not totally invested in the subject.
I have determined that Subject C lives in the ShinRa Towers. He is a diligent student and has no friends who catch the bus with him, if he has friends-, which remains inconclusive at this time.
Day 5
Subject C does NOT like ANYONE sitting with him on the bus, as proved today when he turned his music up so loud that the person had no choice but to move seats or sit through Reno Sinclair's 'I got Booty' for the entire ride. Subject C appears to not actually like Sinclair's works but uses them only to keep people away. Take a note: It works very effectively.
Another person did not get the hint and Subject C glared them into running away from him and off the bus. It works effectively but is not his preferred choice, possibly because it requires some human interaction.
I have also discovered that Subject C has a weakness for young children and chocolate. The story behind this is not important or relevant.
Day 7
Subject C proceeds about some of his usual habits. Over the week I have noticed he has a peculiar habit of not moving his head for the entire trip aside from the first glance towards a certain seat.
I have also finally discovered the school to which he attends. Half a block away from Seventh Heaven is the other private school, Avalanche Grammar.
Subject C is looking a little down today. He keeps writing the date all over his work. I'm concerned.
He has not yet looked towards Zack.
Day 9
Subject C takes his seat. His phone rings, it's the first time anyone has called him on the bus. His ringtone, probably personalised for each person, is 'PUNCH' by the Gullwings.
He is distressed by the call. He leaves the bus, in a hurry, at the next stop.
Day 11
Subject C does not catch the bus today. I won't learn anymore today.
0
Sephiroth closed the diary with slow movements, his brow furrowed.
"Cloud Strife, why do I know that name?" he asked aloud.
"Why are you stalking my brother?" A sudden voice called out, making the four men jump. They turned.
The secretary, to the Headmaster, Rufus ShinRa was standing behind them, the butt of a recently put out cigarette held in his slender fingers. He wore a curious expression but his eyes said he was ready to shoot them all with the 'supposed' shotgun that everyone said he hid under his coat.
Zack looked ready to have a panic attack. "I- we- uh- what? How are you brothers? What does that even mean? How does that work? Please, don't kill me," Zack cried, flailing about on the couch as he tried to hid behind Genesis.
Rufus chuckled and smirked. "Well, Zack, when a mommy and daddy love each other very much-"
"I didn't mean that!" Zack yelled and blocked his ears.
Angeal seemed to be pondering something, as he turned to Rufus and asked, "Yes, how are you brothers? His last name is Strife, his hair colour is golder than yours, his eyes more vibrant and he's definitely not as tall."
"Why are you stalking Cloud?" Rufus countered.
"Okay, kiddies, story time. So gather in," Sephiroth said with humour.
Rufus perched on the arm of the couch that Sephiroth and Angeal inhabited.
"Who goes first?" Zack asked, directing the question more to Rufus and Sephiroth than the whole group.
"Well," Rufus began, "I want all the sordid details of what you plan to do with my brother, so I can decided how I should kill you according to the codes of 'over protective brothers', which means I'll go first and make this short and sweet," he said with a grin.
Zack shivered involuntarily. "Okay, so- um- how are you brothers?" Zack asked.
Rufus sighed. "Ever heard of divorce, well, my father's gone through so many half the house is covered in wedding pictures- not literally. Anyway, so my father had my elder half-brother Lazard with some floozy, and we don't know what happened to her. He had me with a trophy wife he married and then divorced, but we send her Christmas cards each year. Finally, he had Cloud with his beloved wife, Echo Strife. Sadly, despite my father's fortune and his love for her, she died. Last Monday was the anniversary. Cloud still hasn't quite moved on,' he finished.
"Oh, I see," Zack, said quietly, feeling sad for the little blonde who caught his bus.
"Now, weren't you going to tell me why you are stalking my brother?" Rufus asked, brightening up.
Zack groaned.
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"I don't whether to be worried for Cloud or ecstatic for him," Rufus said, upon the end of their story.
"Well, if you were happy for him, you could help us by giving us information," Zack proposed, giving Rufus a muted version of his famous puppy eyes.
"Oh, now wouldn't that be fun," Rufus exclaimed, "I'll start by telling you that you won't get anywhere until you actually talk to him. How much is that information worth? Obviously more than your balls, as you hired someone to spy on him, rather than actually man up and sit next to him," Rufus finished his little rant and glided off to his office.
The four men sat in silence.
Genesis broke in with, "If Cloud's anything like his brother, can I just say it's not worth it?"
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Zack was afraid that Rufus might jump out from a bush and attack him, if he went home alone. It might sound paranoid but earlier in the day, he'd passed Rufus' office and whatever the man was stapling, it was obviously not co-operating, as he kept stapling and it was so loud and Zack could practically feel the staples pinning certain parts of his body to the wall. So he convinced his boyfriends to stay at his place to protect him.
Because of this, they all caught THE BUS to school. It was torturous and they were all miserable.
A vibration went of against Zack's thigh and he pulled out his phone.
"Huh, unknown number," he said aloud. He opened the text anyway.
"Whoever this is, they need to learn how to text."
Fav ic-crem= Vanilla
Fav store= 7th Heven
Curent intrest= Men in back of bus.
Zack snapped his phone shut. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He stood.
"Zack?" Sephiroth questioned.
"It pains me to say it, but Rufus will make a great brother-in-law," he said in response.
"What?" his boyfriends asked, but he was already walking towards the spare seat beside the blonde.
Don't turn around; you'll look even worse than you do now. Don't turn around. Okay, now sit. Now wait for him to notice you.
Cloud remained oblivious to Zack's presence. Zack tapped his shoulder, knocked his knee, and tugged his hair. For all the response Zack was getting, you could assume the blonde was dead.
The blonde's stop came up, and Zack was feeling defeated. It took so much out of him just to get here and now the blonde didn't even blink at him. With a feeling of malice, he stuck his foot in the blonde's way. Cloud tumbled to the floor of the bus, earphones popping out of his ears. He looked around wildly, before sitting up and seeing Zack. He blushed.
"Oh sorry, spiky, my fault," Zack said, a smug little grin on his face.
"N-no, it's o-okay," the blonde stuttered, not moving from the ground. Zack offered a hand and pulled Cloud up. Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal moved down the aisle to join him.
"My names Zack, my boyfriends Seph, Gen, Ange. Are you okay?"
Cloud nodded his head slightly, the cute pink blush dusting his cheeks intensifying just a little bit.
"I'm fine- great actually- but this my stop, so bye," Cloud called as he made his way off the bus.
The bus driver watched him go before looking back at the four men standing in the aisle.
"Go on, get. Before he runs away, the little cub," he said, gesturing with his head towards the door.
They scrambled off the bus.
"Hey Cloud, wait!" Zack yelled, halting the blonde in his tracks.
They jogged over to the object of their shared affections. Zack slung an arm around the blonde's slender shoulders.
"H-how do you know my name?" The blonde questioned.
"It's on your bag," Sephiroth answered, smirking slightly.
"Oh," he said, with a cute pout as he realised he couldn't see his bag by looking over his shoulder.
Zack squeezed the kid's shoulder lightly. "So how I buy you some vanilla ice-cream as an apology, yeah?"
"Okay," Cloud answered shyly, peeking at them through his bangs.
"But only at Seventh Heaven!" he demanded and then retreated back behind his bangs.
Genesis, at that point, could not hold it in any longer. He launched himself at Cloud and pulled him into a suffocating hug.
"We are so keeping you. Even though your brother might murder us."
"Why would he murder you? My brother fully endorses this, why else would he text you about my favourite ice-cream?"
Genesis pulled away from Cloud and they all stared at him.
"What? I'm not stupid. You're hardly inconspicuous."
He paused and they were still too stunned to respond.
"Besides," he said, "I'm studying relationships in Religion."
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Fin
Reviews would be nice.