“Are you feeling better?” Ody asked quickly, his heart thudding in a stupid rhythm.
Mano sat up. “I’m fine.”
Ody searched his face. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“You want to go back inside? The center of the ship moves less.”
Mano shook his head, sinking back against the bench. “No. I want to stay here.”
Ody hesitated before speaking again. “Does it have to do with the others? You were quiet earlier.”
“I didn’t have anything to say.”
“You can find something if you want,” Ody muttered. “They were just talking nonsense anyway.”
A faint huff escaped Mano. “I don’t talk about nonsense.” His gaze drifted toward the sea. “Go back inside. They’ll be looking for you.”
“No. I’ll text Anna and tell her I’m here.”
“There’s no need. Go inside,” Mano said, meeting his eyes.
“I’m not leaving you alone,” Ody said, pulling out his phone. After sending the message, he lowered his phone, suddenly aware of how little space separated them.
For a while, neither of them spoke. The wind brushed past them, the sea steady and blue, but something tense lingered quietly between them.
Mano sat very still, arms resting at his sides, staring straight ahead like he was listening to something only he could hear. Every few seconds, his jaw tightened, relaxed, then tightened again.
Ody noticed it without meaning to. Something was turning in his head. Something he was trying hard not to show. He tried to look away, but the silence between them felt loaded, almost expectant.
Then Mano finally spoke. “Why did you leave so suddenly yesterday?” he asked, his tone calm but too controlled, like he had practiced sounding indifferent.
Ody stiffened. His mind flashed to Mano’s bare torso, the door, the closeness.
“Because I needed to pack. And shower. I needed a shower.”
Mano studied him, gaze steady in a way that made Ody feel exposed. “Why do I feel like you freaked out when you saw me naked?”
Ody’s throat tightened. He turned his face toward the sea. “Why would I freak out? We’re both men.”
“I know. I wouldn’t freak out if I saw you naked.”
Ody turned. “Are you sure?”
Mano blinked, a bit thrown by the sudden confidence in Ody’s voice.
“We’ll see about that,” he said, then looked back toward the horizon.
For a moment, neither moved. The air between them felt different now. Ody kept his eyes on the sea, but his pulse didn’t settle. Part of him knew he had just answered a challenge. Maybe even accepted one. He could feel Mano watching him, even while pretending not to.
Mano sat there in a silence that was not neutral at all. He wasn’t sure if he had pushed too far or if Ody had pushed back. He didn’t know which one scared him more. His gaze drifted away, then back, checking if Ody meant that line the way he thought he did.
When they finally walked back inside, Steve frowned. “Where the hell were you?”
“Mano felt nauseous. I gave him a pill,” Ody said.
“You alright now?” Antony asked.
