Sleep

Ride the Bus 'Til It's Empty, Tug the Pull String

Beyblade Burst Surge - Hyuga Hizashi & Lain Valhalla

A new cover and a repost because I've gone stir crazy, and destroyed my knee

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Lain Valhalla liked to think he knew all the ins and outs of his university.

As a third year student, Lain prided himself on knowing the best places to get food, the specific seats in lecture halls that didn't draw any attention, and most importantly: the bus system.

Lain knew exactly which buses went where and when they went. He knew where bus regulars got on and off, and when someone on the bus rarely used the public transportation system.

So, Lain knew that by the time he got off the bus every day, it would always be empty.

Lain's stop was the last one on the route, at the very edge of town. It was only a block away from the small but cheap townhouse he and his friends were renting. The drawback was that it was an hour long bus ride to the university. It probably wasn't the smartest choice to ride on a bus for an hour each night, but it was home to Lain.

One night, Lain noticed a redhead sleeping in one of the back most seats by the time the bus rolled up to his stop. Lain suspected he missed his actual stop, considering he seemed to be enjoying a fitful nap. It was simply a hunch, because he could just be heading to the outskirts of town.

Lain was standing silently with the very redhead earlier at the stop near their college, noticing prominent bags under his eyes and the abnormally large backpack over his shoulders. He thought nothing of either, merely suspecting a rough night and that he was going to visit family for the weekend.

The bus slowly rolled to a stop, the driver announcing everyone had to be off. Everyone only including Lain and the still sleeping redhead.

Lain was going to do the kind thing: waking his fellow passenger up. It was unusual, as Lain normally didn't care too much about passers-by he saw on the street. He blamed his newfound kindness on his roommates, both of which were too kind for their own goods.

The problem with Lain's plan was the awkward position he'd fallen asleep in. He was sitting by the window, his bag in the seat next to him. Having to reach over an overflowing backpack made it very hard for Lain to wake him up.

Thankfully, the redhead quickly woke up. He took in Lain leaning over him before shifting his gaze to their surroundings.

"Hey-" Lain started in a gentle tone, but was interrupted by the young adult.

"Where are we?"

"You're on the bus." Patience was another thing Lain learnt from his friends. He needed better ones.

"The bus- Shoot, did I miss my stop?"

"This is the last one on the route."

After the redhead learnt he was at the end of the line, he visibly sank in his seat.

Lain realized he felt bad for him. As much as he hated to admit it, he was in a similar situation during his first year.

It was around the time of his first exams, and Lain had overworked himself with staying up too late to study. He fell asleep out of exhaustion on the same bus, and a fellow student woke him up. He even cared enough to invite Lain to stay the night at his place. The man introduced himself as Shu, and his roommate in their small town house named Fubuki. The trio spent that night watching movies until Lain inevitably fell asleep again, the two leaving him to sleep until the next morning.

Lain put an awkward hand on his shoulder. "Hey, we can head back to my place and-"

Tears brimmed in the redheads eyes. "You don't get it. I needed to get off at that stop."