Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 215: Secrets Have Ears

The clock’s red digits blinked 10:42 a.m. — that stretch of the morning when everyone was halfway between focus and fatigue.

Luca leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms over his head.

The faint pop of his shoulders drew Bella’s glance from her laptop.

"I need caffeine," he muttered.

"You and everyone else," Bella said, smiling as she scribbled something on her notepad.

He stood, patting his pockets for his wallet. "I’m going down to the café. Want anything?"

Bella pushed her chair back, gathering her phone. "Actually, I’ll go too. The line’s shorter when it’s two people suffering together."

Across the room, Liam looked up from his spreadsheet. "Get me a black coffee. No sugar."

Camila raised a hand without looking up from her screen. "Make that two — iced for me, please."

Wei Chen spun his pen once between his fingers, smirking. "Green tea latte. Extra shot."

Luca blinked. "That’s not tea anymore, that’s confusion."

"Still better than your plain Americano," Wei Chen shot back.

Georgia, standing by the whiteboard with a marker in hand, didn’t look away from her notes but smiled faintly. "I’ll text you my order, Luca. And don’t get distracted on the way."

"Me? Distracted?" Luca said, hand pressed to his chest in mock offense.

Bella rolled her eyes. "You literally get distracted by vending machines."

The team chuckled softly, the tension of deadlines easing just a little.

The office lights reflected off the windows, the hum of the air conditioner filling the brief silence between jokes.

As Luca and Bella stepped out of the workspace, the sound of Georgia’s pen resumed — the quiet scratch grounding the scene again.

The others bent over their screens, murmuring updates, while the two headed down the hall toward the elevator.

Luca pressed the button, the silver doors reflecting their faint smiles back at them.

"You realize," Bella said, glancing sideways, "we’re about to come back holding six drinks. Everyone’s going to think we opened a café."

Luca grinned, hands in his pockets. "Maybe that’s my next business idea."

"Right," she said dryly, stepping into the elevator beside him. "Just don’t spill Georgia’s order or she’ll turn your business plan into an obituary."

He laughed quietly as the doors slid shut, the sound swallowed by the hum of the building — two interns, a day’s work ahead, and coffee as the only promise holding the morning together.

The café was quieter than usual — just the low hum of the espresso machine and the clink of cups.

Afternoon light slanted through the wide glass windows, brushing gold across the small round tables.

Luca handed Bella her cup and slid into the seat across from her. "Here," he said. "One caramel latte with enough sugar to power a small country."

Bella smiled faintly, stirring it with the wooden stick. "You remembered."

"I remember everything that comes with caffeine," he said, smirking before taking a sip of his Americano.

For a moment, they both just watched people pass by outside — the blur of office workers, the faint drizzle starting again.

It was the kind of quiet that had a rhythm of its own.

Then Bella set her cup down, voice lowering a little. "Can I ask you something?"

Luca’s eyes lifted from his drink. "That sounds dangerous."

She ignored the tease. "You and Noel... how did that even happen?"

He blinked. "That’s a very bold start."

"Well, yesterday kind of gave it away," she said quickly, cheeks pinking. "And honestly, I feel like I’m the last to know."

Luca leaned back, the corners of his mouth twitching. "You’re not. No one else does."

Her brows furrowed. "Why? I mean, you’re both adults, and you clearly—" she gestured vaguely "—care about each other. Why keep it secret?"

He glanced toward the counter, pretending to study the barista arranging pastries. "It’s... complicated."

"Complicated," Bella repeated, narrowing her eyes. "That’s such a non-answer."

He chuckled quietly, rubbing the rim of his cup with his thumb. "We met at school," he began. "We were roommates. It just... happened. Slowly, without any big moment. We went from arguing about space to..." His smile turned softer, quieter. "To sharing everything else."

Bella tilted her head, watching him closely. "So why hide it?"

He hesitated. "Because sometimes people like to talk. And not in ways that are fair."

She leaned forward, still unconvinced. "You mean gossip?"

He nodded once. "Exactly. And Noel’s the kind of person who likes his peace. He doesn’t want anyone looking at us differently."

Bella sighed, swirling her drink again. "Still... it must be hard."

Luca smiled faintly. "It’s worth it."

The words landed lightly, but the way he said them made something in Bella’s chest tighten.

She opened her mouth, maybe to say something else — but stopped.

Because behind them, by the far counter, a familiar voice murmured something to the barista.

Camila.

She was supposed to be on another floor, but there she was — reaching for a document envelope at the counter, Georgia’s handwriting clearly visible on the front.

She didn’t turn, but her shoulders went still for just a heartbeat longer than necessary.

Luca’s gaze flicked toward her reflection in the café window. He noticed. He always noticed. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

When Bella looked back at him, he was smiling again — that easy, practiced smile that didn’t give anything away.

"Promise me you won’t tell anyone else," he said softly, tapping his cup once against hers.

Bella blinked. "I wouldn’t. You know that."

"I do," he said, eyes steady. "Just... keep it between us for now, okay?"

She nodded. "Alright."

They finished their drinks with small talk — light, harmless chatter that didn’t quite erase the tension that had slipped in.

When they stood to leave, Luca turned just slightly — his gaze catching Camila’s reflection again as she pretended to scroll through her phone, her posture too casual to be real.

For a moment, his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Then he slipped his hands in his pockets, following Bella toward the exit, as if nothing had happened.

Outside, the drizzle had turned to rain, faint against the glass — soft enough to blur the world, but not enough to wash away what had been overheard.

The office carried its usual hum — the tapping of keyboards, the muted conversations, the faint whir of the air conditioner that no one really noticed anymore.

Luca and Bella returned with the tray of coffees, the rich scent instantly warming the space.

"Triple shot for our fearless leader," Luca said, sliding Georgia’s cup across her desk with a grin.

Georgia barely looked up from her laptop. "You’re trying to butter me up for something, I can tell."

Luca lifted a shoulder. "Would it work if I said yes?"

Bella snorted as she handed Wei Chen his cup. "Don’t encourage him, Georgia."

"Too late," Georgia murmured, eyes still glued to her screen but a faint smile tugged her lips.

They settled back at their desks.

Laughter faded into the quiet rhythm of work — clicking keys, the shuffle of papers, the occasional soft curse when formulas didn’t balance.

A few minutes later, the glass door clicked open.

Camila stepped in quietly, her expression unreadable.

She didn’t say anyone — just walked straight to Wei Chen’s desk and stood beside him.

He looked up, meeting her eyes with a silent question.

She gave a faint shake of her head, then pulled out a chair beside him, sitting close enough for their shoulders to touch.

No one said a word.

Luca glanced briefly at them, then back at his screen.

Bella’s pen paused midair, but she didn’t comment either.

The atmosphere wasn’t tense — just... heavier, as if everyone sensed something unspoken hovering in the room.

Georgia finally broke the silence with a brisk tone. "Alright team, let’s focus. We need the final report drafts before lunch."

And just like that, the day carried on — emails, soft murmurs, the grind of productivity.

Yet underneath, the quiet currents of emotion still lingered, weaving through every keystroke and glance.

The hours rolled on in their quiet rhythm — the kind of office silence that wasn’t empty, just comfortably full of work.

Georgia moved from desk to desk, reviewing printouts and adjusting data sheets, her tone clipped but fair.

Luca leaned slightly toward Bella, voice low. "She’s in her zone today."

Bella didn’t look up. "Meaning don’t test her patience."

He grinned. "Would I ever?"

She gave him a dry glance. "You already did yesterday."

Their soft laughter was swallowed by the hum of focus.

Wei Chen and Camila worked side by side — she barely spoke, her attention buried in the numbers.

Still, every few minutes, Wei would pass her a note or correct a line on her draft, and she’d nod, silent but calm now.

Across the table, Liam stretched with a groan. "My brain’s melting."

Georgia didn’t look up. "Then pour some coffee on it and keep working."

That earned a quiet chuckle from the group.

Luca leaned back, watching the way sunlight streaked across the floor, spilling golden warmth on their papers.

For a moment, the scene looked almost like something out of a memory — young professionals chasing ambition, living in caffeine and deadlines.

He caught Bella glancing toward the clock. "Lunch?" she mouthed.

He nodded. "Fifteen more minutes," he whispered back.

Georgia, without lifting her head, said, "Make it twenty."

Luca blinked. "How does she hear everything?"

Bella grinned. "She’s a team lead. It’s part of the training."

The light shifted. The scent of coffee dulled.

Outside the window, clouds began to gather — the start of a slow, gray afternoon.

Inside, though, the energy remained steady, their small team tucked in their own world of screens, scribbles, and half-finished dreams.