A few minutes passed. Laughter rose around the table, something Steve said setting everyone off. Ody forced a smile, nodding at the right moments, but his gaze kept drifting to the door.
Five minutes. Seven. His fingers tapped against his thigh once before he stilled them.
Still no sign of him.
By the ten-minute mark, the unease settled heavy in his chest. Mano wasn’t coming back.
Ody pushed his chair back.
“Where are you going?” Steve asked.
“Just stepping out. I’ll be back.” He slipped out to the deck, glancing around until he saw Mano leaning on the railing, head down.
“Mano?” Ody approached. Mano lifted his head slowly. “What’s wrong? You alright?”
“I feel dizzy,” Mano murmured.
“I’ve got motion sickness tablets in the car. Wait here.”
“No. I’ll come with you.”
They went down to the vehicle area together. Ody unlocked the car, and Mano sat inside, closing his eyes.
“Mano, you can’t stay here. You need air,” he said, reaching into a small bag. “Here, take this.” He offered him a pill and a small bottle of water.
“What is it?”
“Meclizine. It helps with nausea.”
Mano swallowed the pill.
Ody helped him out of the car and guided him back up to the open deck. “Sit here and face this way,” he said, easing him onto a bench.
“Why?”
“Face the direction we’re moving. It helps. Did you eat anything recently?”
“No.”
“Good. Eating now would make it worse. Focus on the horizon. One point in the sea. Don’t look at anything close.” He poured some water on his hand and touched Mano’s forehead and temples, cooling his skin. Mano leaned into it with his eyes shut.
“The pill will kick in soon. You’ll feel better,” Ody said, fanning him gently.
A quiet stretch of minutes passed. The sea rocked beneath them. Mano shifted a little, adjusting his posture. Ody thought he was about to sit up. Instead, Mano lowered himself and rested his head on Ody’s lap.
Ody froze. His breath caught halfway in his chest. His whole body went stiff, like someone had grabbed him by the spine. Heat rushed up his neck in a fast, stupid wave. His hands hovered uselessly in the air, unsure where to go, unsure if touching him would make things better or a thousand times worse.
He looked down at Mano, stunned, feeling every nerve in his body wake all at once. “You shouldn’t lie down like that.”
“I feel better this way,” Mano mumbled, eyes still closed.
Ody swallowed hard. He didn’t move him, he didn’t even try. He let him stay, though the closeness threw him completely off balance.
Those lips. Those eyelashes. That stupidly perfect face. He forced his gaze toward the water before he embarrassed himself.
A few minutes passed. The sea rolled beneath them in a slow rhythm. Then Mano shifted again and opened his eyes.
Ody looked down at the exact same moment. Their faces were close. Too close. Their eyes held, and for a breath that felt longer than it should, neither of them looked away.
