Page 191 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

“So, tell us about the tattoo,” Chris said once they were alone again, nodding toward Ody’s wrist.

Ody turned his arm slightly on the table. “We got matching ones in Volos.”

Chris smiled. “That’s actually really sweet.”

“Ody insisted,” Mano said, almost shy.

“Not surprising,” Chris said. “What about yours?”

“He’s got it on his chest,” Ody nodded toward him.

Chris tilted his head. “You’ve got another one there, right? The Roman numerals. What do they mean?”

Mano went still.

Ody turned to him. “We said no questions about the tattoos.”

“It’s the date I lost my parents,” Mano said, his voice low.

Ody’s head snapped toward him.

The table fell silent.

Chris shifted. “I… I’m sorry.”

Steve studied him, his gaze lingering. “The one on your shoulder?” he asked, glancing at the wings disappearing under his sleeve.

“I just… felt like it and did it,” he said, hesitating. “Maybe because I wanted to go find them… or because they… became angels when they died. I don’t know.” His fingers brushed against the spot behind his ear. “And the cross is the same.” He looked down at his thumb. “The ankh is the symbol of life. And this…” He glanced at his left hand, where the ink stretched down his forearm. “This was the last one I got.” He went quiet for a moment, his gaze still on it. “It just… spoke to me,” he added, almost to himself.

Chris studied it. “It doesn’t look very optimistic. It’s… pretty dark.”

“Yeah,” Mano said, finally looking up. “That’s the point.”

Silence settled over the table.

“If you didn’t have it,” Ody said, “would you get it now?”

Mano looked at him, his eyes softening. “Probably not.”

A faint smile touched Ody’s lips as his hand brushed his shoulder.

Steve watched them. Something in his expression shifted.

The rest of the night passed more easily. They talked about whatever came up, Mano quieter than the others, but not shut off.

When they stepped outside, they drifted back to the spot where they’d first met.

“We should do this again,” Chris said, lifting his fist.

Ody bumped it. They all looked at Mano. After a second, he did the same, and Ody smiled.

“Can you believe it?” Chris said, stepping closer to Mano and casually throwing an arm over his shoulders.

Mano tensed at the contact.

“Did you ever think you’d end up together?” he asked Ody. “Back when you saw him beating the shit out of those guys at uni?”

“Honestly? No. Though I’d already kind of started to…” Ody admitted, glancing down.