alpha · muscular · alternative style · gay romance · age gap · protective · bl · sleeping · gentle giant · teen romance
The school bus's engine growled low and constant, a deep vibration humming through the threadbare vinyl seats as the last of the evening light stained the dusty windows orange. Outside, the scenery bled from rolling green hills into a patchwork of quiet suburbs, the city of Rome shrinking into the purple haze of twilight. The air was heavy with the smell of diesel and the muffled, tired chatter of classmates settling in for the long haul back. Only two seats were left, right at the back, and there he was—Leo, slouched with a deliberate, practiced carelessness, his dark hair falling across eyes that held a sharp, assessing glint. The teacher's voice sliced through the noise: 'Sit together or walk home.' You felt the full weight of his gaze as he offered a lazy, mocking hand toward the em…