Equal Attraction [BRIGHTWIN]

Chapter 9:- A Spark of Jealousy.

The sun streamed through the window of the small apartment, casting a warm glow over the living room. Win was busy tidying up, organizing the scattered magazines and cleaning the dishes from breakfast. It had been a peaceful morning, and he was content with the rhythm of their days together. But today was different—Bright had an unexpected visitor.

 Thee doorbell rang, Win opened the door to find Pond leaning against the frame, a playful smile on his face. “Hey, Win !I’m here to brighten your day!” he exclaimed, his voice dripping with cheer.

Bright, sitting on the couch with a book in his lap, looked up, surprised. “Pond! What are you doing here?”

“Just wanted to check in on you. I heard you’ve been cooped up in here for too long,” Pond said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. He glanced around the apartment, taking in the cozy atmosphere. “Nice place you’ve got here, by the way.”

Win said with a smile, trying to keep the mood light. “Thanks. We try to keep it tidy.”

Pond turned his attention to Win, flashing him a grin. “ —Bright’s lucky to have you around.”

Bright shifted uncomfortably, his brow furrowing as he watched the exchange. “Yeah, Win helps me out a lot.”

“Really? He’s doing all the heavy lifting, huh?” Pond winked at Win, leaning slightly closer. “You must have a lot of patience to deal with our grumpy friend here.”

Win felt his cheeks flush, caught off guard by the playful teasing. “I’m just doing what needs to be done,” he replied, trying to maintain his composure.

Pond’s playful banter continued, and with each flirtatious comment directed at Win, Bright’s expression grew darker. He shifted in his seat, his fingers tightening around the book in his lap as he listened to Pond laugh and joke with Win.

"After you are healed  Let me borrow Win for some days ."

Bright’s jaw clenched slightly, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at Win. “No way . If you are finished checking on me then you can get lost now .”

Win caught the hint of jealousy in Bright’s tone, but he wasn’t sure if he was imagining it. “I think he needs some rest so can we talk outside ?" 

Bright’s gaze hardened slightly, and he set the book aside, sitting up straighter. “I think Win and I have our own plans, don’t we?”

Pond raised an eyebrow, surprised by Bright’s sudden defensiveness. “Oh? I didn’t realize I was interrupting something.”

Win’s heart raced as he watched the two interact, sensing the tension thickening the air. “but you need rest now  .” he said, attempting to ease the situation. “We can hang out another time, Pond.”

Pond smirked, clearly enjoying the playful banter. “Come on, Win. Don’t be shy! You must be used to this by now. Bright can be quite the jealous type. He is afraid that i can do something bad with you .”

Inshot Pond a glare, his face flushing. “I’m not jealous,” he insisted, but the bite in his tone suggested otherwise.

Win’s pulse quickened, realizing that the teasing had struck a nerve. The underlying emotions he and Bright had been tiptoeing around were now coming to the surface, tangled with confusion and desire.

“Look, I’m just here to check on you, Bright,” Pond said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “I didn’t mean to stir up trouble.”

Bright crossed his arms, his posture defensive. “Right, because that’s exactly what you do—flirt with my assistant.”

Win felt the heat rise to his face, unsure of how to handle the brewing tension. “It’s all in good fun,” he said, forcing a smile, though his heart raced at the implication of Bright’s jealousy.

Pond chuckled, glancing back at Win. “Relax, Win. I’m just teasing. You know how Bright gets.” He turned to Bright, an amused glint in his eyes. “But seriously, maybe you should lighten up a bit. You might just scare away the best thing that’s happened to you.”

Bright’s eyes flared with something akin to anger, and Win could see the emotions warring within him. “Why do you always have to make everything a joke, Pond?” he snapped.

Win felt a pang of sympathy for Bright. He had always been sensitive to what others said about him, and the competitive banter seemed to be hitting too close to home.

“Okay, okay,” Pond said, raising his hands again. “I’ll back off. I just thought I’d brighten the day a little.” He flashed another smile at Win before heading toward the door. “But seriously, you two should hang out sometime. I’ll leave you to it.”

As Pond left, the air grew thick with unresolved tension. Win turned to Bright, who was still sitting on the couch, arms crossed and eyes focused on the floor.

“Hey,” Win said gently, approaching him. “You okay?”

Bright glanced up, his expression softening slightly. “Yeah, I just… I don’t like how he flirts with you.”

Win’s heart raced at the admission, the words hanging heavy between them. “It’s harmless, Bright. You know that, right?”

“Maybe,” Bright replied, his voice low. “But it still bothers me.”

“Why?” Win asked, leaning closer, intrigued by the emotions flickering in Bright’s eyes.

Bright hesitated, his gaze searching Win’s face for something—reassurance, perhaps. “I guess I don’t want to lose you,” he admitted finally, his vulnerability laying bare the emotions they had both been dancing around.

Win felt a rush of warmth at Bright’s confession, his heart pounding in his chest. “You’re not going to lose me,” he promised softly, their eyes locking in a moment charged with unspoken feelings.

The weight of the moment hung in the air, the tension shifting from jealousy to something deeper. Win wanted to close the distance, to bridge the gap that had kept them apart, but uncertainty lingered in the air like a specter.

Bright’s gaze faltered, and he looked away, breaking the spell. “Let’s just forget about it, okay?” he said, his tone returning to its usual guardedness.

“Alright,” Win replied, feeling the moment slip away. “But just know I’m here for you, always.”

Bright nodded, a faint smile breaking through his earlier frustration. “Thanks, Win. I appreciate it.”

As they settled back into their routine, Win couldn’t shake the lingering emotions that bubbled just beneath the surface. The encounter with Pond had sparked something new within both of them—an awareness of their feelings that was impossible to ignore.

But for now, they would take it one step at a time, navigating the complexities of their relationship in the shadows of the feelings they had yet to fully understand.