27. Chapter 27
Ody’s hands moved slowly over Mano’s back, grounding him. “Are you okay?” he asked quietly as the sobs eased.
He didn’t answer, his weight settled against Ody’s chest.
“Mano?” Ody tilted his head, then paused. He’d fallen asleep.
He tried to shift him gently, but Mano only held on tighter, arms locked around his waist. There was no way to move him without waking him.
Ody eased his legs onto the couch and lay back. Mano’s head rested against his chest, his breathing soft, steady. His hand moved over his back in slow, soothing strokes. It’s okay. It’s over now. Just a bad dream.
Morning light bled softly through the balcony curtains. They were still asleep, curled together.
Mano’s eyes blinked open. They felt tight from dried tears. “Mmm…” he mumbled, discomfort tugging him awake.
Something warm was pressed against him. When he cracked his eyes open, he froze. His face was resting on Ody’s chest, their bodies tangled together.
Then he tilted his head up, wide-eyed. Their faces were only a breath apart.
A guttural yell tore out of him as he shoved Ody so hard that he tumbled off the couch and hit the floor.
“AH!” Ody groaned, grabbing his lower back.
Mano jerked upright, pressing himself against the backrest, eyes wide with horror.
“Oww… God…” Ody winced.
Mano stared at him, breathing unevenly. “Wh… why are you here?” he stammered.
“You don’t remember?” Ody asked, sitting up.
“R-remember what? What are you talking about?”
“You had a nightmare. You were crying in your sleep. I tried waking you up, but you grabbed me. You wouldn’t let go.”
Mano blinked rapidly, the memories pushing back in. The nightmare. The panic. The tears. And throwing himself into Ody’s arms.
His eyes flew open. Oh my God. What did I do?
He turned away, curling up with his knees pulled to his chest, face burning with embarrassment.
“Mano, are you okay?” Ody asked, concerned but unaware of the real reason he was panicking.
“J-just go. Leave me alone for a bit!” he blurted.
Ody hesitated. “Are you sure? I was really worried about you last night.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine, just go,” he rushed out.
After a few minutes, Mano finally pushed himself up and shoved his feet into his shoes.
“Where are you going?” Ody asked.
“Home. I have to study,” he muttered.
“What about your guitar and your flute? How are you gonna take them?”
Mano froze. Shit. “Uh… I’ll…”
“I’ll drive them over. Let me get dressed,” Ody said, disappearing into his room.
Mano grabbed his things and waited, heat creeping up his neck. When Ody returned, Mano mumbled something about taking the stairs and bolted down. By the time Ody reached the lobby, Mano was on his motorcycle with his helmet on, clearly eager to escape.
Ody took the flute and guitar cases to his car, setting them in the back seat before looking back at Mano. “See you at your place.”
Wearing his helmet, Mano gave a quick nod without looking at him, then started the engine and sped off.
Ody smiled to himself as he walked to the driver’s seat. He’s cute.
At Mano’s building, he snatched the cases from Ody’s hands. “Thanks. Bye,” he said quickly, practically fleeing toward the door.
The whole afternoon, Mano couldn’t focus. Studying was a joke. His mind kept drifting back to Ody’s warmth, to the way he’d clung to him like a terrified child. He’d woken up panicking and ended up wrapped around him, holding on like letting go would make everything fall apart.
The worst part was, he hadn’t wanted to move.
He shoved the thought away and forced his eyes back to the page, but the memory lingered, stubborn and unwelcome.
By Wednesday, their second exam day arrived.
Ody had already explained everything to Steve and Chris, from Kash cornering him in the hallway to Mano getting hit and crashing at his place.
“Morning,” Ody said as they met at the cafeteria.
“From now on, you’re not going anywhere alone. Not even to take a piss,” Steve declared.
“If you’re protecting someone, protect Mano. He’s the one that got hit, not me.”
“Yeah, but that bastard threatened you too,” Steve shot back. “Who knows what the hell he meant by ‘do as I say’?”
They headed inside together, still tense from the conversation. Kash was already at a desk with Pablo and Brandon, acting like nothing had happened. Steve shot him a glare sharp enough to make Chris shift uneasily.
The exam began, and the room fell into silence. When it was over, Kash couldn’t help noticing the way Steve and Chris flanked Ody, walking with him like bodyguards all the way out of the building. They didn’t leave him alone for a second.
Later that afternoon, Mano had his own exam. Between theory and performance, he did better than he expected. All the practice sessions finally paid off. By the time he left campus, exhaustion was settling in. Two more exams on Thursday. Then nine days until Serifos.
When he got home, his phone buzzed, Stella’s name lighting up the screen. Mano clenched his jaw. Not today.
He grabbed a quick bite, then collapsed onto his bed and started scrolling.
His thumb stilled.
Stella’s post. A photo.
Him. Shirtless. Lying in bed. Eyes closed.
He shot upright. “What the hell?” He opened their chat. A flood of messages filled the screen.
Stella: Can you stop dragging me into Kash’s dirty business?
We need to talk
Mano for fuck’s sake stop ignoring me!
You’re gonna regret this
You’re such an asshole…
Mano: What the hell do you want from me?!
Stella: PICK UP THE DAMN PHONE
His phone rang again. He snatched it up and put it to his ear.
Stella’s voice exploded through the speaker. “You’re not okay, Mano! One day we’re making plans and the next you’re cutting me off!”
“Your ex beat the shit out of me! What do you want from me? Leave me alone!” he shot back, pushing himself up from the bed.
“Don’t blame me! You had beef with him before this. Even if he wasn’t my ex, he still would’ve hit you!”
Mano ran a hand through his hair, anger rising. “Oh yeah? What did he say?”
“That you messed him up for some kid!”
“A kid he was bullying!”
Stella scoffed. “So what? What does that have to do with me?”
Mano’s grip tightened around the phone. “I don’t wanna see you again. The only reason I put up with you was because you were blackmailing me.”
“You’re gonna regret this,” she hissed.
Mano leaned back with a dry laugh. “Oh, you’re gonna threaten me with the pictures? Post them. I looked damn good in them. Might even get new admirers.”
“You sure about that? Think carefully. You’re gonna regret it.”
“Go fuck yourself.” He tossed the phone across the mattress.
He stood there, chest heaving, anger tearing through him. His pulse wouldn’t settle. Between Kash, Stella, the nightmare, the picture… it felt like the world wouldn’t let him breathe.
Tomorrow was Thursday. He’d have to go back to campus, to exams, to Kash… to Ody. All of it waiting for him, like another punch he wasn’t ready to take. And whether he liked it or not, morning would come.
Ody headed to campus for his Biopharmaceutics exam, trying to focus, but the tension of the last few days clung to him like a shadow.
He was halfway to the cafeteria when he spotted Kash standing alone, leaning against a wall.
Ody’s expression tightened. The image of Kash punching Mano flashed through his mind, sharp and unforgiving. He expected a threat, a glare, anything. But Kash didn’t even sneer at him. If anything, his gaze looked different.
Ody kept walking, unease settling in. He was alone, and Kash still didn’t move.
He met Steve and Chris, grabbed a coffee, and the three headed toward the exam building. Inside the classroom, Ody felt Kash’s eyes on him as the papers were handed out.
Even after the exam, Steve and Chris stuck to him like glue, one on each side.
When they reached the main building, Mano appeared in the hallway, heading their way. The moment he saw Ody, his eyes dropped to the floor. Heat crept up his neck as the memory of waking up wrapped around him hit all over again.
“Morning,” Ody said.
“Morning,” Mano muttered, already stepping past him.
Steve and Chris exchanged a look.
“What exam have you got?” Ody asked before he could slip away.
“Choral conducting.”
“Do you have another one after that?”
“Yeah.”
“Practical?”
“Huh?” He looked up, meeting Ody’s eyes.
“Like an instrument.”
“Composition. And piano.”
“Good luck,” Ody said with a small smile.
“Thanks.” Mano nodded and left.
Steve frowned. “He was weird today.”
“What do you mean?” Ody asked, a small knot forming in his chest.
“He usually sounds bored or ready to throw a punch. Today he seemed…”
“Seemed what? He was normal.”
“Okay, dude. Whatever,” Steve said.
Ody went home afterward, took a shower, and started cooking lunch.
The doorbell rang.
He paused, frowning, then moved to answer it, drying his hands on a towel.
He pulled the door open, and everything in him went still.
“Hey.”
Ody snapped out of it and tried to slam the door shut, but a foot slammed into the gap, stopping it.
“Go away.” His grip tightened on the door.
“I’m not here to hurt you. Relax,” Kash said, standing on his doorstep. “Can I come in?”
Ody just stared at him, eyes wide. Something about this was wrong. “Leave,” he said, trying to shove the door closed again.
Kash shoved it back open. Ody stumbled backward, his body going rigid.
He stepped inside and shut the door. “Stop freaking out. I told you I’m not gonna hurt you.” He walked into the living room, hands in his pockets.
Ody stayed near the entrance, his breathing unsteady.
“I wanted to talk, but your bodyguards are always glued to you at school,” he said, dropping onto the couch.
“And whose fault is that? They stick to me because of you,” Ody shot back.
“Look… I didn’t mean to hit you. It got out of hand, but before that, we were just messing around.” Kash didn’t look away, but something in his eyes faltered.
Ody stared, stunned at the audacity.
“I never hit you before.”
“Kash…” Ody’s voice tightened. “What do you want?”
“Sit down. I’ll tell you,” he said, nodding toward the couch.
Ody didn’t move. “Say it from there.”
Kash let out a slow breath, then stood up and took a few steps toward him, closing the space Ody was trying so hard to keep. “Shit went sideways the moment that bastard got involved.”
Ody’s heart kicked hard. “You mean Mano.”
“You needed help? With what? The stupid pranks? The shit we pulled outside class?”
“So you bully me, and now you’re in my house acting like this is normal?”
Kash took another step closer, his posture tense. “I didn’t mean for it to get that bad. I’m sorry.”
Ody stared at him. Kash, apologizing? “I don’t get it,” he said, his voice unsteady. “What do you want?”
Kash inhaled slowly, then locked eyes with him. “How did you never see it, Ody?” He hesitated, jaw tightening. “I’ve wanted you since day one.”
Ody jerked back, his breath catching. “What…?”
Kash dragged a hand over his face, exhaling. “I didn’t know how to approach you. You had a girlfriend, so… I figured you were straight. That’s why I started teasing you. I just… I wanted us to be friends.” His gaze flickered. “I didn’t think those two idiots would take it that far.”
“Pablo and Brandon?” Ody frowned, the words slow, uncertain.
Kash nodded, then looked down, his voice quieter now.
“I never wanted you to hate me.” He rubbed the back of his neck, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
“Do you know how exhausting it is acting like some asshole around you? Pretending I don’t care?
I’m tired of it, Ody. I’m tired of playing the bully. I can’t do it anymore.”
Ody’s chest tightened. This couldn’t be real. He had to be messing with him. Any second now he’d smirk, pull out his phone, and start recording.
Kash stepped closer. A few loose strands of Ody’s brown hair fell across his forehead, his green eyes sharp. Kash’s gaze lingered on them. “I know it was messed up, throwing that coffee on you,” he said. “But if it wasn’t for that asshole who got in the way…” His eyes darkened.
He paused, jaw tightening. “I threw that coffee on you so I’d have an excuse to take you home. I was gonna apologize, talk to you… tell you how I feel. But then he showed up and fucked it all up.”
He held Ody’s gaze, a soft, obsessive focus in his eyes that made Ody’s skin crawl.
“But now I know, Ody…” His voice dipped even lower. “I know you won’t mind if I do this.” He closed the last bit of space and grabbed the back of Ody’s neck, pulling him into a rough kiss.
For a heartbeat, Ody’s shock drowned out everything else, including the part of him that didn’t pull away instantly.