Almost Human

The air in my apartment felt thick with unspoken words as we gathered around the living room to work on the project. Gemma was on the floor, scrolling through notes on her tablet, while Theo and Lain worked on wiring, tools and equipment scattered across the coffee table. It should have been business as usual, but everything felt off today.

I glanced at Brighton from the corner of my eye, sitting on the couch next to Ender, his arms folded as he watched Lain attach a sensor. There was a tension in his posture, something that hadn’t been there before. I could tell he was waiting for something, maybe still wondering why I hadn’t responded to his text about coffee.

I shifted uncomfortably, the weight of the unanswered message pressing against my thoughts. I hadn’t figured out what to say—or even what I wanted. And now, being in the same room with both Brighton and Ender? It felt like there was a spotlight on every single interaction. I could feel my chest tighten, trying not to let it show.

Brighton leaned over to me, lowering his voice. “You doing okay? You seem… distracted.”

I swallowed, offering a tight smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking.”

His gaze lingered on me a second too long, like he was waiting for me to say more, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. My thoughts were still tangled in a mess I didn’t know how to unravel.

As I focused back on the project, my phone buzzed with a message from Theo, who was sitting across from me.

Theo: Soooo, what’s going on between the two of them?

I blinked, glancing up at him with wide eyes. Theo raised an eyebrow, then looked over at Brighton and Ender, both sitting there, stiff as statues. Ender was typing something on his interface while Brighton sat, tapping his foot against the leg of the coffee table.

It didn’t look like a big deal at first, but now that I was noticing it… yeah, there was definitely some tension between them. My stomach flipped. I typed back quickly.

Me: I have no idea…

A small smirk tugged at Theo’s lips as he shrugged, not buying it.

Gemma was the next to notice, her voice a low whisper as she nudged me. “Okay, am I crazy, or does it seem like Ender and Brighton are having a moment?”

I stifled a groan, trying to brush it off. “You’re imagining things.”

“Really?” Gemma arched an eyebrow. “Because the vibe in here is weird, Seren.”

She wasn’t wrong. It felt like Brighton and Ender were occupying their own little space in the room, aware of each other in ways that didn’t make sense. Like they were circling each other, waiting for someone to make the first move.

Brighton finally broke the silence, directing his comment at Ender. “So, you’re pretty much always here, huh?”

Ender, ever calm and collected, turned his head slightly. “Yes. I assist Seren with her day-to-day activities. That includes our group project.”

Brighton nodded, though something in his expression flickered. “Right. Must be… interesting. Always around, I mean.”

I froze, glancing between them, my heartbeat quickening.

Ender didn’t miss a beat, his tone steady as ever. “I fulfill my purpose as needed.”

There was something in Brighton’s eyes, though. A flash of… what was that? Amusement? Frustration? He leaned back, crossing his arms. “Must be nice. Having someone do everything for you.”

Ender’s gaze flicked to Brighton, his expression unreadable. “Seren is fully capable of managing her own tasks. I am here to assist, not take over.”

Gemma and Theo exchanged a look, eyes darting between the two like they were watching a tennis match.

I let out a quiet breath, feeling my skin prickle with the sudden tension. Gemma nudged me again, her whisper barely audible. “Told you. Something’s definitely going on.”

“Stop,” I whispered back, feeling the heat creep up my neck. I glanced over at Lain, who was still focused on the bot but occasionally side-eyeing the interaction with a raised brow. Great. Everyone was noticing.

Theo’s voice cut through the air, trying to break the awkwardness. “Okay, how about we focus on these sensors? We still need to fine-tune the calibration.”

I nodded, desperate to shift the focus. “Yeah, good idea. Let’s… let’s do that.”

But even as we got back to work, I couldn’t shake the knot in my stomach. Brighton was still watching Ender out of the corner of his eye, and I knew Ender was tracking everything Brighton did. They weren’t arguing—not exactly—but something was brewing beneath the surface, something I didn’t know how to deal with.

The question still loomed in my mind: what was I going to do about Brighton’s text? And more importantly… what was I going to do about the tension building between these two?