“What, you think it’s too heavy for me?” he teased.
Mano grabbed the bag from his hands anyway.
Ody smiled as he watched him, and soon they arrived home.
Mano placed the bag on the table while Ody started taking the groceries out.
“Grab me a pan. Non-stick, if you have one,” Ody said.
Mano opened a cupboard and took one out.
“And a bowl,” Ody added.
He cracked the eggs into it while Mano grabbed a whisk and began beating them. Ody poured in the milk and added the melted butter. “And a sifter for the flour. Do you have one?”
Mano opened a tall cabinet and handed it to him.
“Wow, you’ve got everything, huh?” Ody said with a smile. He sifted the flour into the mixture, then asked for sugar and salt. After adding a small pinch of each, he looked up at Mano. “This part’s all yours,” he said with a grin, handing him the whisk.
Mano mixed the batter while Ody’s gaze lingered on the muscles in his arms, tightening with each movement.
He melted some butter and spread it evenly across the pan. Mano’s eyes followed his movements until Ody dipped a finger into the batter and smeared a bit onto his cheek.
Mano turned and glared at him. “What now? You wanna fight?”
“Yup,” Ody said playfully, dabbing a little on the tip of his nose.
Mano shut his eyes and let out a slow breath, like a bull about to charge. Then he grabbed the bowl of batter with murder in his eyes.
Ody backed away, laughing, his hands raised defensively. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I’ll clean it up.” He grabbed a paper towel while Mano set the bowl down.
Ody glanced at him, but Mano refused to look at him. He lifted the paper towel to wipe Mano’s cheek. At the last second, he leaned in and licked it instead.
Mano’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
“Cleaning you up.” Ody smirked, their faces just inches apart.
Mano blinked fast and dropped his gaze just as Ody ran his tongue over the tip of his nose.
Mano looked up at him again, stunned, and mumbled shyly, “I-I’m gonna go lie down on the couch. You can finish this on your own.”
Before Ody could say anything, Mano turned and walked out of the kitchen. Ody let out a low chuckle behind him.
Mano lay down on the couch and pulled out his phone while Ody poured the batter into the pan, letting the first crepe cook.
By the time Ody approached with two plates, Mano was still glued to his screen. Ody set the plates down beside him on the couch, then went to grab the ice cream from the freezer.
When he returned, Mano hadn’t looked up once. “I put the last ones on your plate so they’d still be warm. Try one,” Ody said.
But Mano barely reacted.
“What are you looking at?” he asked, leaning over to peek at the screen.
Mano jerked away. “None of your business.”
“Okay... sorry. I was just messing around,” Ody said, looking down.
Mano locked his phone and slid it under his leg. “Did you try them?” he asked.
