Bad Wolf (boyxboy)

Chapter 26: Harmony

"You are my fantasy crush I've decided, I mean, everyone has one."

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"I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!" Jojo says enthusiastically as Mani scooches into the seat next to him in the lecture hall that afternoon. He had been grateful for the lecture free morning, allowing him to get cleaned up and catch up on some rest in a comfy bed.

"You saw me yesterday Jojo." Mani chuckles as he finds the relevant textbooks.

"I know that. It's just you had the full moon thing last night. I half wanted to stay awake and sneak into the woods just to watch you shift." Jojo bites on his lower lip. He knew Mani would never be his. Not with the mate attraction he had, but he still found his friend appealing and accompanied with the intrigue Mani possessed, Jojo couldn't help but fantasise...just a little.

"You sound like a perverted stalker." Mani side eyes his friend. "That's like me saying I want to watch you get changed for swimming or something."

Jojo shakes his head, a little embarrassed. "Sorry. I guess I need to rein it in a little. It's just when I first got here and I saw you in the cafeteria, I had it in my head that something good may happen between us and it did. At least for a day." Jojo laughs if nothing more than to mask his feelings.

"Do you still like me Jojo?" Mani turns to face his friend.

Jojo looks at the innocent wide eyed look that Mani was portraying. Was it worth it, telling him how he really felt about his friend, even with all which that would entail? He exhales deeply and places a hand on Mani's arm. "You are my fantasy crush I've decided. I mean, everyone has one. That one person who is unobtainable for whatever reason. This reason being, your mate will literally bite my head off. So I know I'm better off being your friend." Jojo does his best to reassure his omega friend and it seems to work as Mani sits back in his seat.

"I'm glad, because I really need a friend right now." Mani looks away from Jojo, his mind once again filling with the events which had recently unfolded. He knew he couldn't tell Jojo everything. Who Tyler was and what he chose to do with those pills was his business and Mani knew that if Jojo had realised he had slept soundly with a wolf and a vampire by his side, he would be sure to flip.

"You can talk to me." Jojo says, leaning back, matching Mani's pose. "I may not know the answers, but I just might."

"Do you know how to prevent a war?" Mani says casually. He wonders if the words he had uttered cause his friend to show fear, but is surprised to see Jojo emitting a sarcastic laugh.

"I lived 15 years of my life stuck in the middle of my mum and dad's endless rows about anything and everything. I couldn't stop it, but I tried my best to keep the peace." Jojo's laugh fades to a more sombre expression, as he recalls the back catalogue of painful memories.

"Tell me." Mani looks at Jojo, trying to meet his gaze. "What did you do?"

"What else could I do but try to get them to see both sides." Jojo shrugs. "It worked sometimes, but even when you think something is fixed, you can still see the cracks." He looks at Mani, whose gaze moves off his a little, now focussing on Professor Kelly, who had entered the room.

The tutor gets to, setting up his laptop as if all was normal. Mani recalls the conversation they'd had in the teachers office. He remembers the words Professor Kelly had spoken...I just want peace.

"Did I help?"

"Huh?" Mani now looks back at Jojo looking at him all hopeful.

"My answer to your question. Did what I say help?" Jojo repeats.

"It actually did Jojo. Thanks." Mani smiles.

"Good." Jojo returns the smile. Maybe being just Mani's friend was all he would ever be, but it was better than being nothing to him."

"So how are they now?" Mani wonders, causing Jojo to snap out of his moment.

"What? My parents? Oh. They're divorced." Jojo laughs, though Mani could tell he was masking the sadness behind it.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Some people live better when they don't cross each other's paths. We all now live very happily." Jojo sees Mani's facial expression change once again to that look of confusion he had to begin with. "Have I made things worse?" He wonders.

"No. I guess I just don't know which way things are gonna go. That's all." Mani sighs heavily, trying his best to distract his thoughts by finding the relevant page in his chemistry textbook.

"Either way could be the right way Mani. Whether people unite or choose to be apart. As long as both sides agree it's for the best, then I guess it is for the best."

Mani nods slightly at Jojo's words. It was all very well for the wolfkind and bloodkind to stay apart, but ultimately the paths of the two species would cross and that was the part Mani had to remedy.

As Mani looks ahead to the front of the lecture hall, he sees Professor Kelly already looking back at him. The look alone portrays that they both know a storm may come and suddenly, the weight of the world felt like it was on Mani's shoulders. Mani graces his tutor with a smile, still unsure as to how the man, or 'being' as he now knew he was, actually felt about him, but to his relief, Professor Kelly smiles back. Perhaps together, they could find the answers.