Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 189: Tomorrow Can Wait

The night air wrapped cool around them as they stepped out of the diner, bell chiming faintly behind.

Streetlights painted the pavement in pale gold, and a taxi idled just across the road, headlights spilling across the curb.

Noel lifted a hand, and the cab rolled forward.

Luca slid in first, sprawling across the seat like he owned it, tugging Noel in after him.

The ride was quiet, the city passing in blurred streaks of neon and shadow.

Luca leaned into Noel’s shoulder, heavy with food and contentment from the long day, letting the rhythm of the tires on asphalt lull him into peaceful drowsiness.

By the time they pulled up to their building, the streets were calmer, the hum of the engine fading as the driver pulled away.

Noel adjusted the strap of his bag, guiding Luca inside with a hand at his back. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The lobby smelled faintly of floor polish, the silence settling heavy after the city’s noise.

They stepped into the elevator, doors closing with a soft shudder.

Luca hit the button for the third floor, then leaned back against the wall, watching the numbers tick upward.

"You know," Luca murmured, voice low in the quiet box, "I could get used to days like this."

"You already have," Noel replied, but his tone wasn’t sharp—it was softer, almost indulgent.

The doors slid open, spilling them into the familiar hush of their hallway.

Their steps echoed lightly against the floor until Noel unlocked the door.

Inside, the apartment greeted them with stillness—save for the small figure waiting in the middle of the living room.

Luca Jr. sat poised, tail curled neatly, ears perked like he’d been counting the hours.

As soon as Noel stepped in, the cat trotted forward with a quiet meow, weaving between his legs.

Noel crouched without a word, hand automatically sinking into soft fur.

His expression eased, the faintest smile tugging at his mouth.

"See?" Luca said, watching from the doorway, amused. "He really does miss you."

Noel scratched behind the cat’s ears, glancing up at him. "Maybe."

"Not maybe," Luca insisted, crossing the room and flopping onto the couch. "Definitely. Look at him—he’s practically glaring at me for stealing you away all day."

The cat’s tail flicked once, as though in agreement, and Noel’s hand stilled briefly before resuming its steady strokes.

"You’re imagining things," Noel muttered.

But the way he lingered there, crouched close to his cat with the day’s weight finally slipping from his shoulders, told another story entirely.

Luca step inside the room tossed himself onto the bed, the mattress sinking under his weight as he scrolled through the day’s photos.

His laughter bubbled up every so often—quiet, boyish, a sound that filled the room without needing to be loud.

Noel lingered in the living room a moment longer, the cat brushing against his ankle before padding off to the balcony as if granting him privacy.

He followed Luca at last, leaning in the doorway for a heartbeat, just watching.

Luca’s smile was so unguarded, it almost made Noel forget to breathe.

"I didn’t think we’d take this many," Luca murmured, flipping through another batch of shots, his grin widening. "But... I like it. Feels like proof this wasn’t just some dream."

Noel only hummed, moving past him to the bathroom.

The sound of running water soon filled the space, muffled through the door, but Luca barely noticed—his eyes had caught on one photo in particular.

The one.

The sun and moon shot.

His thumb lingered over it, tracing the edges of Noel’s softened smile.

The way their bodies leaned together, as though they had always belonged side by side.

The valley behind them seemed to fade in comparison to the quiet intimacy captured in that single frame.

"That’s us," Luca whispered, almost to himself, echoing the words Noel hadn’t argued with earlier.

The thought settled warm in his chest, steadying him in a way few things had.

With a grin that felt softer than the others, he pressed a few buttons, setting the photo as his wallpaper.

The screen lit up with the two of them, their ridiculous moon and sun shirts, their quiet closeness framed by the vast sky.

By the time Noel stepped out of the bathroom, towel slung over his shoulders, Luca was still staring at the screen—smiling like he’d found something he never wanted to lose.

Noel paused, catching sight of it.

His brow lifted slightly, but he said nothing.

He only moved closer, the faintest curl of a smile tugging at his mouth before he sat beside him on the bed, the silence between them comfortable, like the photo itself had already spoken enough.

Luca’s thumb kept swiping across the screen, his grin refusing to fade as photo after photo lit up. "Look at this one," he chuckled, turning the phone just enough for Noel to see. "You actually smiled. Proof that it’s possible."

Noel leaned in, his shoulder brushing against Luca’s. "That’s not a smile. That’s the wind making me squint."

"Mm," Luca hummed, clearly unconvinced. "Call it whatever you want. I’m keeping it."

Noel shifted closer, close enough that their arms pressed together now, the warmth steady between them.

His gaze followed the photos without complaint, a faint smirk tugging at his lips when Luca laughed at his own awkward poses.

"You really don’t know how to hold a camera," Noel said at one point, dry but softened by the tone.

Luca gasped, mock offended. "Excuse me? These are artistic masterpieces. Look at this angle-the shadow, the light. I could open a gallery."

Noel tilted his head, pretending to examine the image. "Of blurry rocks?"

"That’s abstract art, perfect for IG." Luca countered, laughter slipping through the words. "You wouldn’t understand."

Their banter softened into quieter moments, scrolling slower now, lingering longer on each frame.

Noel’s expression eased, the usual guardedness thinning into something gentler as he leaned closer, close enough that Luca could feel his breath skim his temple.

"They’re... not bad," Noel admitted at last, voice low, almost reluctant.

Luca’s grin brightened, boyish and unrestrained. "Not bad? Coming from you, that’s basically a five-star review."

Noel only shook his head, but his lips curved ever so slightly, the kind of smile that didn’t need to be pointed out for Luca to notice.

At some point, Noel let his head tilt, resting against Luca’s arm as though gravity had made the choice for him.

Luca didn’t move, didn’t even breathe too loudly, afraid the smallest shift might break the spell.

His free hand set the phone aside on the nightstand, leaving their captured memories glowing faintly in the dark.

"You’re heavy," Luca teased softly, though his arm curved around Noel with the opposite of complaint, holding him tighter.

"Then push me off," Noel murmured, his voice low, threaded with fatigue.

"As if I’d ever," Luca said, a quiet laugh rumbling through his chest. "I finally get you this close, and you think I’m letting go?"

Noel’s eyes stayed shut, but the corner of his mouth tugged upward. "You talk too much."

"Someone has to fill the silence," Luca replied, chin brushing lightly against Noel’s hair. "Otherwise you’ll just brood until morning."

A soft hum was Noel’s only answer, but he didn’t move away.

His fingers, almost unconsciously, brushed against Luca’s shirt, resting there as if to anchor himself.

The room settled into a hushed rhythm—the faint city sounds outside, the distant ticking of the wall clock, the steady sync of two heartbeats close enough to count.

"You know," Luca whispered after a long pause, "the pictures are nice. But I think I like this better."

Noel cracked an eye open, just a sliver, meeting Luca’s gaze from beneath his lashes. "This?"

"Yeah." Luca’s smile softened, no grin, no teasing now—just truth. "You. Here. Like this."

For a moment, Noel didn’t answer.

Then, quietly, he let himself sink further against Luca’s side, closing his eyes again. "Don’t get used to it."

"Too late," Luca murmured, pulling him closer still.

The quiet stretched, heavy but comforting, like a blanket pulled over both of them.

Noel’s breathing had already slowed, the weight of sleep tugging at him, though he stubbornly kept his eyes half-open.

"You can sleep, you know," Luca whispered, brushing his thumb absentmindedly against Noel’s arm. "I’ll still be here when you wake up."

"You’d better," Noel muttered, words slurred with drowsiness.

Luca chuckled under his breath. "Bossy, even half-asleep."

"Mm." Noel didn’t rise to the bait, his grip tightening just a little, as if to prove the point without words.

Luca lowered his voice further, almost reverent. "Goodnight, Noel."

The words hung between them, fragile as glass.

For a moment, all Luca could hear was the faint hum of the city pressing in through the balcony doors—the occasional rush of a passing car, the distant bark of a dog, the steady tick of the clock on the wall.

Then, so soft he almost wondered if he’d imagined it, came the reply.

"...Goodnight."

It wasn’t just a word.

It was Noel surrendering a little piece of himself, letting it slip through the cracks he guarded so carefully.

The phone on the nightstand dimmed into darkness, leaving the room wrapped in shadow.

Luca adjusted just slightly, enough for his arm to curl more securely around Noel, feeling the quiet strength of him pressed close.

Noel’s breathing evened, warm against Luca’s chest, each exhale brushing through the fabric of his shirt like a secret only he was allowed to hear.

Luca tilted his chin, letting it rest lightly against the crown of Noel’s hair.

He shut his eyes, not because he was tired, but because this-this weight, this closeness, this unspoken trust-was something he wanted to memorize.

Outside, the city carried on, restless and bright, but in their little pocket of stillness, time seemed to fold in on itself.

Tomorrow could wait. Tonight belonged to them.