Elliot twirled around his apartment, setting a batch of cookies on the coffee table where his friends, Zoe and Josephine, were lounging. The room was alive with laughter and chatter, the cozy atmosphere enhanced by the faint scent of vanilla wafting from the freshly baked treats.

Zoe, her vibrant green hair as bold as her personality, inspected one of the cookies suspiciously. "You've been baking a lot lately. Is it some stress-coping thing?"

Elliot rolled his eyes dramatically, plopping down onto the armrest of the couch. "Not everything I do is about stress. Maybe I just enjoy baking!" He paused for effect before adding with a smirk, "But yes, it's also because I'm stressed. New school, new apartment... you get the idea."

Josephine, ever the voice of reason, brushed a stray ginger strand from her face as she reached for a cookie. "You're going to kill it at the academy, Elliot. They'd be fools not to love you."

"So will you," Elliot added and smiled at her. "I saw your moves, you are both amazing. 

"So," Josephine began casually, leaning forward as Elliot rearranged some mugs on the table. "Tell me about that dance partner of yours. Aaron, right?"

Elliot paused, his hands hovering over a mug. "What about him?" he asked, feigning nonchalance.

Josephine arched an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Oh, come on, don't play coy. I saw you two hangin out at the party, and you've barely talked about him. Is he good?"

Elliot sighed, setting the mug down before turning to face her. "He's... talented, for sure. Great technique, very precise."

Zoe tilted her head, studying his expression. "But?"

"But," Elliot admitted, "he's also... intense. Like, really intense. He takes everything seriously—every step, every lift, every second of practice. Don't get me wrong, I respect the dedication, but it can be a bit... much sometimes."

Josephine hummed in understanding. "Intense can be good, though, right? Keeps you sharp."

Elliot shrugged, leaning back. "Yeah, but it also makes things... complicated. He can be a little too focused on me. Not just in dance, but... personally."

"Ah," Zoe said, catching the shift in his tone. "So, he's into you."

Elliot rolled his eyes, a faint blush creeping into his cheeks. "It's not like that. We're just partners. He's probably just passionate about the performance, you know?"

Zoe crossed her arms, giving him a pointed look. "Elliot, I haven't known you long, but enough to know when you're downplaying something. Is he making you uncomfortable?"

Elliot hesitated, his fingers fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "It's not that. I mean, Aaron's not a bad guy. He's just... a lot. Sometimes I feel like he's expecting something more from me, and I don't know how to handle that without making things awkward."

Josephine placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "Listen, if he's crossing any boundaries, you have every right to set him straight."

Elliot nodded, offering her a small smile. "Thanks, Jo. I'll figure it out. I just want to focus on dancing and getting through this program, you know?"

"Fair enough," Zoe added, "But for the record, if Aaron doesn't shape up, you've got two fierce friends out there ready to set him straight."

Elliot laughed, the tension easing from his shoulders. "I'll keep that in mind."

Before he could change the subject, a sharp knock at the door echoed through the room. He frowned, glancing at the clock on the wall. "I'm not expecting anyone. Did one of you invite someone?"

Both Zoe and Josephine shook their heads, equally puzzled. Elliot hesitated for a moment before rising to his feet. He peeked through the peephole and froze. Standing on the other side were his neighbors—Alec, the boy-next-door charmer, and his older brother Nate, the stoic and brooding one who always seemed slightly out of place in their bustling apartment building.

"It's Alec and Nate," Elliot announced, opening the door.

Alec walked in with his usual charisma, carrying a foil-covered plate. "Hey, neighbor! Mia sent over some lasagna as promised. Figured we'd bring it while it's still hot."

Nate followed, his piercing blue eyes scanning the room briefly before landing on Elliot. "Hey," he said simply, his voice low but warm.

"Come on in," Elliot said, stepping aside to let them enter.

Zoe and Josephine perked up at the sight of the brothers. Zoe, ever the observant one, smirked as her eyes flicked between Nate and Elliot. "Well, well, if it isn't the neighbors from the party."

"Guilty," Alec said, holding up the lasagna like a peace offering. "I promise this is better than anything we brought to the party."

"Depends," Josephine chimed in with a grin. "Does it come with wine?"

Alec laughed. "Next time, I'll bring a bottle."

Nate, meanwhile, stayed near the door, his gaze lingering on Elliot. Zoe caught it immediately, her smirk deepening. "Elliot," she said, her tone light but laced with meaning. "I think your neighbors need to try your cookies. They're just as sweet as you."

Elliot's cheeks flushed, and he quickly busied himself setting the lasagna on the counter. "You're ridiculous, Zoe."

As Alec settled comfortably on the couch, chatting easily with Zoe and Josephine, Nate moved a little closer to Elliot, who was still fidgeting in the kitchen.

"Smells good in here," Nate said, leaning casually against the counter.

"It's just cookies," Elliot replied, his voice softer than he intended.

"Yeah, but they're your cookies," Nate said, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Elliot glanced at him, the words catching him off guard. For a moment, they just looked at each other, the noise from the living room fading into the background.

Zoe's voice broke the moment. "Nate, you gonna just stand there, or are you joining us? We're debating whether Elliot's cookies are stress-baking or just an excuse to avoid thinking about his non existent love-life."

Nate grabbed a cookie from the tray, took a big bite, and winked at Elliot before heading back to join the others. Elliot let out a nervous chuckle, his heart racing for reasons he couldn't quite explain.

"It's not... non existent," Elliot muttered as he joined them. 

"Oh?" Alec teased, "met anyone who caught your eye lately?"

Suddenly, the hole situation felt overbearing. It was as if Alec and the girls were playing matchmakers and Elliot had no idea how to act. "Maybe I have," he said lightly and shrugged his shoulders, doing his very best not to look at Nate as he reached for a cookie and stuffed it in his mouth. Hoping it would shut himself from saying anything he'd regret. 

Nate stirred awkwardly beside him, his hand brushing against Elliot's, making his breath hitch. Alec, on the other hand, chuckled easily, as if oblivious to the undercurrent of tension. Zoe kept darting knowing glances between Elliot and Nate, her smirk growing with every stolen look. The only one acting completely normal was Josephine, engrossed in adjusting the thread of her bracelet. Elliot loved her for it.

"So, do you ever, like, dance as a group, or is it always in pairs?" Nate asked suddenly, his voice breaking the silence. It was clearly an attempt to steer the conversation to safer ground.

"Oh! We're working through a choreography with ten of us right now," Jo answered with sudden enthusiasm. She leaned forward, her ginger hair catching the lamplight. "It's amazing! Everyone's moving together, like pieces of a puzzle."

"That sounds pretty cool," Alec said, lounging back in his chair. "So, what's the big plan after all this? Dance behind some singer on a world tour or something?"

"There are loads of options," Zoe chimed in, flipping her green hair over her shoulder. "You just have to prove you're the best. The competition's wild, though."

"What about you?" Nate's question was directed at Elliot, his tone soft, but the nudge of his shoulder brought an unspoken intimacy that sent a flutter through Elliot's chest.

"Uh..." Elliot hesitated, feeling the heat creep up his neck. "Well, I've always wanted to do musicals. I know I can't sing, but they often need background dancers or non-singing actors. It's a dream."

"That would be amazing," Jo said with a dreamy smile. "But honestly, I'd rather choreograph. Making the vision come alive? That's the goal."

Zoe smirked. "And bossing everyone around wouldn't hurt, right?" Jo threw a cushion at her, and the room erupted into laughter.

As the evening went on, the group fell into an easy rhythm. Laughter bubbled up over shared stories, and Zoe made it her mission to tease Elliot mercilessly about his cookie addiction. Alec promised to bring over more lasagna, jokingly dubbing himself the "culinary ambassador of the building." Throughout it all, Elliot couldn't help noticing how often Nate's eyes flicked toward him, a quiet, lingering gaze that sent sparks up his spine.

When the brothers finally left, Zoe stretched out on the couch, her knowing smirk back in full force. "I'm just saying, he is definitely into you."

Elliot rolled his eyes as he collected the empty glasses. "Who?" he asked, though his heart already knew the answer.

"Nate," Zoe said, drawing out the name with teasing drama. "Did you not see the way he was looking at you? I thought he was going to write you a love sonnet right here."

Jo chuckled, twisting her bracelet. "It was pretty obvious, Elli. He was all soft eyes and shy smiles. Cute, really."

Elliot sighed, leaning against the counter. "He's just being nice. They came over to drop off lasagna. That's it."

"Sure," Zoe said with exaggerated disbelief. "Keep telling yourself that, Romeo."

Elliot shook his head, laughing despite himself. "You're ridiculous."

But later, lying in bed, the image of Nate's soft smile lingered in his mind. He thought of the warmth in Nate's voice when he'd complimented his cookies, the casual brush of their hands that felt anything but accidental. A quiet hope began to bloom, unbidden yet undeniable. Maybe, just maybe, Zoe was onto something. And as Elliot's thoughts drifted, he couldn't help but start to form a plan—something that might give him an answer to the question he didn't dare ask aloud.