The lab smelled of antiseptic and faintly of ozone, fluorescent lights humming overhead. You leaned over the workbench, pipette in hand, trying not to let your fingers shake. Ryuji stood beside you, his dark eyes tracking your every movement, expression calm but unreadable.

“Careful,” he said softly, voice smooth, almost teasing. “A single misstep could ruin the results.”

You glanced up, meeting his gaze, and felt the heat of his scrutiny. There was a subtle challenge in the way he lingered, and for a moment, you wondered if the tension in the air was about the experiment, or him.

He stepped slightly closer, closer than necessary for a simple observation, and his words dropped to a near whisper. “Or perhaps you’re testing me as much as the samples.”

Your fingers stilled, pulse quickening. The instruments beeped softly around you, the hum of the lab filling the silence between breaths. Neither of you said anything else, but the unspoken electricity hung thick, heavy enough to make the air feel like it could snap at any second.