He rubbed the back of his neck. Fatigue tugged at his eyelids but couldn't dull his grin. "Serelith, if you're tired we can pick this up tomorrow."
She rolled her shoulders, a wince betraying the ache in her spine. "I'm fine. Just… stretch break?"
He nodded. "Deal."
She stepped away from the bench, arms raised in a lazy arc. The corset plates caught the light, shimmering. Mikhailis's gaze drifted despite his best intentions. She noticed and smirked, deliberately arching a bit farther. He pretended to study a graph, cheeks warming.
Outside the containment field, the leaf glowed faintly—almost approvingly, as if it enjoyed the banter.
Serelith shot the AI a playful scowl. "You keep notes on our jokes now?"
Mikhailis snickered. "We've created a comedic scientist."
