Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 214: Soft Punishments, Quiet Forgiveness

The cat was already circling his feet like a smug little king, tail swaying with entitlement.

Luca stood in front of the counter, holding the scoop of dry food like it had personally offended him.

"You know," he muttered, tearing open the pouch of wet food, "this thing doesn’t even like me."

From the couch, Noel’s voice floated in—calm, unhurried. "That’s not true."

Luca gave him a look over his shoulder. "Oh really? Then why does he hiss every time I walk by?"

"Maybe he senses your attitude," Noel said, lips tugging slightly upward.

"Why am I the one doing this?" Luca groaned.

Noel leaned against the doorframe, arms folded. "Because you decided to test my patience all day."

"I brought you breakfast," Luca muttered, pouring the food into the bowl with exaggerated care. "That should’ve canceled all sins."

Noel’s mouth curved faintly. "You also gave someone else a free forehead massage."

Luca turned sharply, glaring. "She gave me—you know what? Never mind."

The cat meowed again, clearly amused by the tension.

Luca sighed, crouched down, and set the bowl on the floor. "You better appreciate this, furball. I’m risking my pride for you."

Noel’s voice came quieter now, low enough to thread between the sound of the cat eating. "You could’ve just let me do it."

"And ruin your perfect punishment plan? Never." Luca straightened, brushing his hands off. "Besides, I’m not scared of you, boss."

That earned a soft sound—not quite a laugh, more like a hum that carried warmth. "You should be."

The cat purred loudly, head buried in its food. Luca frowned. "Traitor."

Noel chuckled quietly. "You’re dramatic."

"Maybe. But you love it." Luca brushed his hands on his sweatpants. "And for the record, your cat doesn’t appreciate me."

"He doesn’t have to," Noel said, rising from the couch. "I do."

Luca froze mid-motion, his sarcasm fading. "That was smooth."

"I wasn’t trying to be." Noel walked over, each step slow, deliberate.

When he stopped in front of Luca, the space between them hummed with quiet tension.

Luca looked up, meeting his eyes. "You’re staring."

"Observing," Noel corrected, voice barely above a murmur. "Trying to understand how someone can make me this frustrated and still..." He didn’t finish. He didn’t have to.

Luca’s grin softened. "Still what?"

Noel reached out, brushing a stray curl from Luca’s forehead where the ointment had long faded. "Still make everything else feel easier."

For a heartbeat, Luca didn’t say anything.

The cat meowed again—loud and untimely—breaking the silence just enough for him to chuckle.

"You mean, even when I act like a brat?"

"Especially then," Noel said, hand still hovering near his temple, thumb tracing the faint mark there. "You remind me that life doesn’t always have to be serious."

Luca leaned into his touch, his voice quieter now. "And you remind me that sometimes, it should be."

Luca stepped closer, closing the distance until their reflections blurred together in the kitchen window. "You really can’t hold a grudge."

Noel tilted his head slightly. "You think this is me not holding one?"

"Feels like it," Luca said softly. "Because if you were still mad, you wouldn’t be looking at me like that."

Noel didn’t move when Luca’s hand found his collar, fingers brushing against the fabric like testing if it was allowed.

"I’m still supposed to be punishing you," Noel murmured.

"Then you’re doing a terrible job," Luca whispered, smiling.

Noel’s hand came up, slow but sure, cupping the side of Luca’s neck.

The touch was gentle—grounding—and his thumb brushed lightly along Luca’s jaw.

"Maybe I’ll try something else," Noel said.

Before Luca could reply, Noel leaned in—the kiss unhurried, soft, like something long overdue.

It wasn’t desperate; it was a quiet claiming, a wordless apology, a reminder of everything they’d built without saying it aloud.

Luca melted into it, his fingers curling into Noel’s shirt.

When they finally pulled apart, Luca was smiling—that small, lazy kind of smile that said he won.

"So," he whispered, voice still rough from the kiss, "does this mean I’m forgiven?"

Noel brushed a thumb over his bottom lip, eyes softer than his tone. "You’re still on thin ice."

Luca laughed quietly, leaning his forehead against Noel’s. "Then I guess I’ll just have to behave."

"Please do," Noel said, but his hand slid down to Luca’s waist, pulling him closer anyway.

The cat meowed again—unimpressed—before padding off toward the living room.

"Even your cat’s jealous," Luca murmured.

"Maybe he learned from you," Noel replied, half-smiling.

They stood there for a while, just breathing in the same air—no rush, no noise.

The city outside hummed faintly through the window, streetlights painting their shadows on the wall.

Finally, Noel exhaled, his hand dropping to Luca’s shoulder. "Go shower. You smell like cat food."

Luca blinked. "Wow. Romance officially dead."

Noel’s lips twitched. "You can revive it tomorrow."

Luca smiled, soft and genuine this time. "Goodnight, boss."

"Goodnight, trouble," Noel said quietly, following him toward the bedroom.

The next morning arrived with sunlight that couldn’t quite decide whether it wanted to be kind or cruel—warm against the skin, too bright for sleepy eyes.

The street shimmered faintly, the air smelling of roasted beans and asphalt as Luca and Noel walked side by side from the apartment gate toward the company entrance.

They didn’t speak. They didn’t have to.

Last night had settled something between them—not completely, but enough to make silence comfortable.

Their steps fell in near rhythm, sometimes brushing shoulders, sometimes parting again, like a quiet dance they didn’t choreograph but somehow knew.

Luca sipped from his coffee cup, half-awake but grinning anyway.

His badge swung from two fingers, tapping lazily against his thigh.

Noel walked beside him—black shirt tucked in, sleeves rolled to the elbow, that usual air of control wrapped neatly around him like armor.

When they reached the glass doors, the hum of morning chatter wrapped around them—greetings, footsteps, the whir of the front desk printer.

Noel’s voice came then, low and even, the professional tone sliding into place like a switch being flipped.

"Remember," he said without looking at him, "no personal talk in the office."

Luca smirked, blowing across the rim of his coffee. "Yes, boss. Wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation."

Noel shot him a brief, pointed glance—all sharp edges on the outside, warmth carefully tucked beneath. "You’re too casual for someone who caused me trouble yesterday."

"Trouble?" Luca echoed, brows lifting. "You mean breakfast delivery and emotional support? Yeah, real criminal behavior."

That earned him the faintest hint of a smile—gone before it could settle.

The elevator dinged open, and they stepped inside, the mirrored walls catching the faint contrast between them—one crisp and quiet, the other loose and sun-dappled.

As the doors closed, Luca leaned back against the railing, grin tugging at his mouth. "Admit it. You’d miss me if I wasn’t around."

Noel didn’t look at him, but the corner of his mouth shifted. "Unfortunately."

The elevator hummed, floor numbers blinking past.

When it stopped at the third floor, Luca stepped out, turning just enough to wave two fingers in casual salute. "See you later, boss."

Noel’s eyes flicked up briefly—unreadable, composed. "Get to work, Luca."

The doors slid shut before Luca could answer, but he was already smiling as he walked toward his team’s section, the taste of coffee still warm on his tongue and the echo of last night still faintly alive under his skin.

Noel’s ride continued upward to the fourth floor, his reflection flickering against the mirrored panel.

His expression didn’t change—not much—but when he exhaled, it came softer than before.

Outside, the morning light spilled fully across the building, chasing away the hesitation of dawn.

The hum of computers filled the fourth-floor intern room—a steady, low rhythm that blended with keyboards and soft chatter.

Ren was already at his desk, earbuds in, sketching out logistics notes on a spreadsheet.

Jace sat across from him, frowning at his screen, one hand buried in his hair.

The door opened, and Noel walked in—calm as the morning itself.

His ID badge caught the light as he crossed the room, the faint scent of coffee trailing with him.

"Morning," Ren greeted without looking up.

"Morning," Noel replied, setting his tumbler down beside his laptop.

His tone was clipped, polite, the right balance between friendly and focused.

Jace leaned back in his chair. "You’re early. Again."

Noel shrugged, powering on his laptop. "So we’re you."

The atmosphere was easy, professional—the kind that came from long hours spent side by side.

Through the glass wall, Mr. Max was visible in his office, jacket off, tie loosened, a stack of files open in front of him.

He looked up once, catching sight of Noel.

"Ren," Max’s voice came from the doorway, steady and polite, "when you’re done with that report, send it to me. Noel, I’ll need your export chart by noon."

"Yes, sir," Noel replied, tone even.

When Max turned back into his office, Ren nudged Noel with a grin. "He really likes how you work."

Noel didn’t look up from his screen. "He likes efficiency."

"Mm-hmm," Jace murmured, hiding a smirk behind his mug.

Noel ignored them both, typing smoothly, expression steady—though his fingers hesitated just a fraction before finding their rhythm again.

Down on the third floor, the Business Study team was already in motion.

Georgia stood by the whiteboard, jotting down tasks while Bella and Luca went over yesterday’s printouts.

Wei Chen and Camila shared a quiet conversation near the window, their voices low, almost playful, while Liam stretched in his chair, yawning loud enough to earn a look from Georgia.

"Focus, everyone," she said, half-teasing. "Let’s finish the morning updates before lunch or I’ll start assigning extra reports."

"Noted," Luca said, flipping through his notes with mock seriousness.

Bella chuckled, leaning closer to peek at his file. "You didn’t even read page three, did you?"

"Maybe I’m saving the suspense," Luca replied, grinning.

The lightheartedness settled comfortably over the room—the easy rhythm of a team that knew how to work together.

Papers rustled, pens clicked, and outside, the city kept moving. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Another ordinary day that didn’t feel so ordinary anymore.