Mano applied the gel and grimaced. “It tastes awful.”
“Stop acting like a baby,” Ody said, trying not to smile.
Mano glared at him, but the edges of the glare were soft.
“There’s leftover soup,” he said. “I’ll pack some for you to take home. You won’t be able to chew for a few hours. Unless youwant me to drive you home. Or call a taxi. Your bike’s still at campus.”
Mano hesitated, brows knitting. Right. The bike. “I’ll… get a taxi,” he said, starting to rise.
“Or you can stay here tonight if you want,” Ody said.
Mano went still. Their eyes met as the thread of tension between them tightened again. “Can I?” he asked, voice small, unsteady.
“Of course,” Ody answered, with a note of tenderness he didn’t bother hiding.
Mano sat back down, shy the way he only ever was with Ody.
“If you wanted to stay, why didn’t you just say—”
“I don’t want to. I just…” Mano blinked quickly, glancing away. “I don’t know how to make soup.”
“I’d put it in a container.”
Mano’s cheeks reddened instantly. He turned his back to Ody and lay down. “I don’t like containers,” he muttered, making Ody laugh under his breath.
“Do you need anything else?”
“Cover me up.” He blinked, realizing what he’d just asked.
Ody let out a warm laugh, pulled the sheet from the couch, and draped it over him with gentle movements.
Mano pretended to be uninterested, staring at the wall, but every careful tuck of the sheet set something warm behind his ribs.
“I’ll be in the room,” Ody said, stepping away.
A buzz lit Mano’s phone. He opened Stella’s message, already knowing it would drain him.
Why do you keep doing this Mano? He said you hit him. Are you okay?
He stared at the screen with the same numb detachment he’d felt for weeks. He didn’t have the energy for this. Not tonight.
Stop texting me. Don’t make me block you
Another message followed, frantic and dramatic, just like always.Why are you like this? I’m coming over
Don’t bother. I’m not home
Where are you?
His jaw clenched.I’m sleeping somewhere else. Leave me alone
It’s not my fault you…He didn’t read the rest.
He locked the phone, tossed it face down, and shut his eyes. Stella belonged to a part of his life he was trying to shed, a part filled with noise and pressure and versions of himself he didn’t want anymore. Tonight, he didn’t have the strength for any of it. Not when his whole mind was already wrapped around Ody.
His jaw loosened as he lay there, staring at the ceiling. Everything inside him felt raw, too exposed. He didn’t want to think about it, but his mind kept drifting back to Ody’s hands, his voice, his eyes.
The bedroom door opened, and Ody stepped out. “When’s your next exam?”
