I was tense the rest of the day. I was barely able to concentrate on my remaining classes and an anxiety began to build inside of me as I walked out to the bus stop. Though we commuted together on the way to MU, it didn't necessarily mean that we'd end up taking the same bus back. The classes were all different hours.

"Don't move and keep facing forward," the command was whispered into one of my ears.

Well, shit.

I felt him tracing the marking on my neck with his finger. While it wasn't unpleasant, I was quickly becoming aggravated with the way he kept trying to be the one in control all the time. "Why are you hiding?" I continued to question him. "Why can't we talk about this like adults?"

Seeing Derrick and Deziray opened my eyes to the possibility of having an equal and mutual relationship even between an Alpha and Omega couple. If they could have that kind of balance, why couldn't I? Why couldn't we?

"I'd like nothing more than for us to talk like adults," the Alpha admitted. "Especially after seeing how friendly you were with that Doberman earlier even though he had humiliated you on the first day of classes."

I frowned. "You saw all that? And what does Derrick have to do with anything?"

"How easily you forgave him," he whispered as he rested his chin on top of my hooded head and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

I could have easily tugged them off, but as my hands lifted to take hold of his arms, they merely rested on top of them. I had to force myself to think through the haze of his scent. Forgiveness. He was talking about forgiveness. "Is there something I need to forgive you for? On top of all of these theatrics, I mean?"

Mere moments before, I was so tense and anxious. I was also afraid of what the Faceless Alpha was going to command me to do. But, his touch was gentle and almost soothing. Could he have really done something to me in the past that needed forgiving?

Instead of answering me, let out a long sigh and let me go.

"When you get on the bus, you will not look in my direction, not even when the bus takes off."

"So that's it, then?" I hissed. "You won't show me what you look like, but you have the audacity to half claim me with an emblem?"

"…can I take that to mean that you weren't upset about the kiss?"

I felt myself bristling from head to toe. I wanted to deny it adamantly. But, something in my gut urged me to be honest. I took a deep breath and folded my arms across my chest. "That's…not exactly the issue here," I grumbled.

I could all but feel his hope rising. For a moment I didn't know whether I should be relieved or annoyed about it. Why would I want him to have any kind of hope at all? What the hell was wrong with me?

"Then, am I allowed a parting kiss?"

"Parting…you're not getting on the bus?" I asked.

"I don't normally take the bus. My car was in the shop," he confessed. "A friend's dropping me off to pick it up."

"Oh."

"May I?" he all but pleaded.

I gulped hard. I was currently living my 'worst case' scenario in terms of maturing into an Omega. My body had quite easily accepted this Faceless Alpha's emblem. He was apparently someone in my past, someone that needed forgiving. And instead of facing me, he ordered me around this way and that. I had every reason not to allow him so much as a handshake. And yet…

"I mean, I guess. If you must," I heard myself answer. Either I was an idiot or my second head was trying to take over my mind.

I heard him give a happy laugh. "Then, keep your eyes closed."

I still didn't know what possessed me to agree to it. Maybe it was because he had actually asked that time and gave me the choice. Maybe it was to try to throw him off-balance. But, I had to admit that when I felt those soft lips against mine once more, I regretted nothing. The Alpha must have meant for the kiss to have been a simple one, but I took hold of his collar and kept him in place as I all but ate at his mouth. A satisfaction filled me when I felt his tongue stutter against mine before allowing me to do as I wished.

When we both pulled away, I found myself biting my lower lip. I wanted to see him. I wanted to understand. For reasons that I couldn't figure out, a part of me had already accepted him. I wanted to know why.

"You can open your eyes, but remember not to glance my way." The command came towards my right before I felt him walk away behind me.

I tugged on the edges of my hoodie as I hunched down over my knees.

Why couldn't I have matured into a Beta, instead?

::::

I shared a reasonably priced apartment with Morgan about twenty minutes' commute from the campus by bus. The two of us worked on the weekend and his grandfather sent him money to help with expenses once a month. Morgan was studying criminal justice and had always wanted to be a police officer like his grandad.

I received the first text message when I started to make dinner. Morgan's classes were scheduled all over the place, so he usually got home three hours after me and left one hour before me.

Faceless Bus Stalker 5:30PM

Did you get home safe?

Yeah, why wouldn't I have?

Just checking.

…so, did you pick up your car?

Yeah, this auto shop's the best. Would you like for me to pick you up tomorrow? You could sleep in a little longer.

Wait, do you know where I live?

Not the exact location.

Don't believe that for a second. How else would you know that I'd be able to "sleep a little longer?"

Avi, my intention isn't to scare you. You don't have to say yes.

I haven't given you permission to call me Avi. I don't think anyone's ever called me Avi.

…then, may I have permission to call you Avi?

…I guess. If you must.

Thanks, Avi.

It'd be nice if I knew what to call YOU. Other than Faceless Bus Stalker, that is.

Did you seriously rename me Faceless Bus Stalker?

Yes, and you will remain FBS until you show me your face.

I will. I just need time.

I mean, how the hell am I even gonna get into the car if I have to keep closing my damn eyes?

You'd just have them closed until I stand behind you. Does that mean you'd let me pick you up and drop you off?

::::

Fuck. Did that mean that I wanted him to pick me up and drop me off? Even with the prospect of more sleep, it was still shady. Hell, everything was still shady.

::::

Let me think about it. I'll get back to you.

As I said before, you don't have to say yes. Although, I would like nothing more than for you to say yes.

::::

Alright. Think, Avion, think.

I knew a lot of Alphas back in high school because many of them tried to mess around with me. Some were jealous of my grades. Others were struggling with being gay or had shoddy parenting. But, the point is that they tried to take their shit out on me.

There was that Akita that looked like he had swallowed dung after my project was named the best of the class. He made my life miserable in science class. But, he wasn't that much taller than me and, unless he had magically bulked up, there's no way that he was my Faceless Bus Stalker.

There was the Boxer whom I had helped during one of our History classes and then turned around and started making fun of me with everyone else. Thanks to him, I grew to really distrust alphas. But, once again, the Boxer was short and stout.

Then there was the Bernese Mountain dog, Ashur, who was as vain as vain could be. He was freakishly tall, but had a similar build to FBS. I turned him down when he asked me out quite forcefully and he became one of my more prominent bullies during high school.

And then, there was the Husky.

I felt a shudder roll through me and ended up grasping both my arms as if it would help me get warmer.

Nestor the Husky had some major issues. Best friends with Ashur, the two of them just wouldn't leave me alone. I never found out whether it was because Nestor was a homophobe or was beaten up at home and lashing out or both. But, I couldn't have been gladder when the whole lot of them finally graduated.

All four of them were Juniors when I entered my Freshman year of high school. For two whole years, they had targeted me.

Could my Faceless Bus Stalker be one of them? Could he be Ashur?

Could he be Nestor?

I felt another shudder run through me as I shook my head. If FBS was either one of them, I wouldn't hesitate to move out of the country and leave his ass behind, unfinished bond or not.

---

A/N: Thanks again for catching the mistakes on this one, RJ!