Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 216: The Way Home Feels

The clock finally struck six, and the room exhaled.

Chairs scraped lightly against the tiled floor, monitors dimmed one by one, and the hum of productivity faded into the kind of silence that felt earned.

Georgia closed her laptop with a quiet snap. "Good work today, everyone. Tomorrow, same time. Don’t be late—again." Her gaze flicked toward Luca, who grinned guiltily.

"No promises, boss," he said, earning a chuckle from Bella.

Wei Chen slung his arm around Camila’s shoulder. "Let’s go, baby. Dinner’s on me tonight."

Camila smiled faintly—still quiet, still holding something back—but nodded. "Fine, but you’re cooking."

Liam stretched his arms over his head. "See you all tomorrow. I’m going straight to bed."

"Lazy," Bella teased, gathering her bag.

"Efficient," Liam corrected, yawning.

The group trickled out together, laughter bouncing down the corridor.

The sky outside was soft with dusk—streaks of lavender fading into deeper blue.

Streetlights flickered awake, washing the pavement with hazy city glow.

As they stepped into the open air, Bella glanced toward the entrance—and there he was.

Noel stood by the gate, one hand in his pocket, the other holding two cups of takeout coffee.

The breeze caught his hair just enough to make him look unfairly cinematic under the fading light.

"He’s early," Bella murmured.

Luca’s head turned, surprise blooming across his face. "He really is."

Noel’s lips curved when he saw him—not the practiced corporate smile he wore during the day, but something quieter, softer.

"You’re early," Luca said, walking up to him.

"So are you," Noel replied, handing him one of the cups. "I finished ahead of schedule. Thought I’d wait."

Luca took the cup, his fingers brushing Noel’s—just briefly, but it lingered enough to make Bella glance away like she’d seen something private.

"Well," she said quickly, backing off with a grin, "guess I’ll head home before I turn into a third wheel."

Luca shot her a look. "You’re not—"

She was already waving. "See you tomorrow!"

And then it was just the two of them—Noel and Luca, standing side by side as the evening breeze carried the faint hum of traffic and distant laughter.

Noel tilted his head toward the road. "Walk?"

Luca smiled, warmth settling into his voice. "Yeah. Let’s go home."

Their footsteps fell in sync as they made their way through the cooling streets.

The evening air carried the faint smell of rain still clinging to the pavement.

Cars passed lazily, their headlights sliding across puddles that hadn’t quite dried.

They walked side by side—not too close, not too far—the way people do when they’re comfortable with silence.

Luca took a slow sip of his coffee. "So... you finished early. That’s new."

Noel glanced at him, the corner of his mouth lifting. "You say that like I live in the office."

"You practically do." Luca nudged his shoulder lightly. "You and that spreadsheet romance."

"I take my work seriously," Noel replied, deadpan.

"You take me seriously?" Luca asked, grinning.

That earned him a sidelong look—the kind where Noel didn’t bother hiding the tiny flicker of amusement in his eyes. "You’re work too, sometimes."

Luca gasped dramatically. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Noel’s tone softened. "High maintenance. Requires attention. Regular updates."

Luca chuckled, shaking his head. "You make love sound like a software license."

Noel’s lips curved, but he didn’t answer.

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward—it hummed quietly, filled with the sound of their footsteps, the distant chatter of people spilling out of shops, the rhythm of a city winding down.

As they turned into their street, the lamps painted everything gold.

Luca’s building stood ahead, familiar and still.

"Feels weird," Luca murmured.

"What does?" Noel asked.

"This," Luca said, gesturing vaguely between them. "Coming home together like this... after pretending all day we’re just coworkers."

Noel’s gaze flicked to him—a brief, unreadable glance that softened almost instantly. "You know why we have to." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"I know," Luca said quietly, eyes on the ground. "Doesn’t mean I like it."

They reached the gate. For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.

Noel looked around—the street was empty, save for the hum of a passing motorbike.

Then he leaned in, close enough for his breath to brush Luca’s cheek.

"Inside," he murmured. "Then you can complain all you want."

Luca’s smile returned, small but genuine. "You’re lucky I like you."

"I know," Noel said, opening the lobby gate for him.

They disappeared inside—two silhouettes melting into the dim light of the corridor, laughter low, the day finally shedding its disguise.

The door closed behind them with a soft click, shutting out the city’s hum and leaving only the sound of their own breathing.

Luca dropped his bag on the couch and kicked off his shoes, his shoulders sagging with relief. "God, that feels better than a promotion."

Noel set the keys neatly on the counter—always precise, always composed—before undoing the first button of his shirt. "You say that every evening."

"Because it’s true every evening," Luca said, sprawling across the couch like gravity had been waiting all day to claim him. "I swear, my spine is suing me for emotional damage."

Noel glanced at him, his tone neutral but his eyes faintly amused. "Drink water. You forget half the time."

"Bossing me around even off-duty?" Luca groaned dramatically, rolling onto his side to face him. "You really don’t know how to relax, do you?"

Noel didn’t answer right away. He poured himself a glass of water, then another—and silently placed one in front of Luca.

"See? Exhibit A," Luca said, sitting up and taking it anyway. "You’re like a full-time reminder app with abs."

Noel sighed but couldn’t suppress a small smile. "You talk too much when you’re tired."

"And you talk too little when you’re happy," Luca countered, watching him closely.

That made Noel pause. His hand stilled on the counter.

The air between them shifted—soft, deliberate.

Luca stood, walking closer until he could see the faint reflection of himself in Noel’s dark eyes. "You are happy, right?"

For a moment, they stood like this, then together they move to the couch.Noel didn’t speak. Then he exhaled, voice low. "When you’re quiet like this, yes."

Luca laughed under his breath, resting his forehead lightly against Noel’s shoulder. "I’m only quiet because you make me forget the world."

Noel’s hand came up, fingers threading through Luca’s hair in that absent, familiar way. "You don’t have to hide so much of yourself for me."

"I don’t mind," Luca murmured. "I know why we do it. But when the office door closes, I just want this—you, the silence, and the way everything slows down."

Noel didn’t reply. He just turned, pulling Luca into his arms fully this time—no words, no restraint, just the steady rhythm of their breathing syncing again.

"Stay like this," Luca whispered.

"I wasn’t planning on moving," Noel said softly against his hair.

The apartment lights were dim, just enough for the shadows to stretch lazily across the walls.

Luca shifted slightly, finding a softer angle against Noel’s chest, his arm looping around him almost instinctively.

Outside, the city hummed its evening song—car horns in the distance, the rustle of wind through trees, the occasional bark of a dog.

But inside, everything had narrowed to this single moment.

"Too hot?" Noel whispered, noticing Luca’s slight fidget.

"No," Luca murmured, settling again. "Just... warm. Perfect." He nuzzled closer, his voice muffled against Noel’s shirt. "I could get used to this."

"You already have," Noel replied, a low hum accompanying his words. His hand drifted up, brushing the hair from Luca’s forehead with careful tenderness. "Every day I come home, you’re... this."

Luca let out a small, sleepy laugh. "’This’ is good, huh?"

"The best," Noel said, his fingers tracing lazy patterns along Luca’s arm. "Better than work, better than anything outside this door."

For a while, they simply breathed together.

Luca’s head pressed to Noel’s chest, feeling the heartbeat steady beneath him.

It was grounding, a quiet rhythm that made everything else feel distant.

The weight of pretense from the office—the careful distance they maintained, the professional masks they wore—all of it dissolved here in the privacy of their home.

"Do you ever... think about tomorrow?" Luca asked after a long pause, his voice barely audible.

Noel tilted his head, considering. "Only enough to know I don’t care. Not when I have you here."

Luca smiled into his chest. "Good. I like being selfish tonight."

"No complaints here," Noel whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Luca’s head—a ghost of a touch, tender and fleeting. "Be as selfish as you want."

Sleep began tugging at Luca’s limbs.

His words slowed, sentences trailing into murmurs, yet he stayed curled against Noel, refusing to let the night’s warmth go.

Noel’s hand never left him, rubbing slow circles along his back, a silent promise to stay, to protect, to linger in this stolen sanctuary they’d built together.

The couch wasn’t particularly comfortable—they both knew the bed would be better—but neither suggested moving.

There was something about this particular moment, this exact configuration of limbs and warmth, that felt too precious to disturb.

At one point, Luca murmured something unintelligible, his grip tightening slightly around Noel’s waist.

"What was that?" Noel asked softly.

"Don’t let go..." Luca repeated, the words clearer this time though his eyes remained closed.

Noel chuckled softly, the sound rumbling through his chest. "I won’t," he whispered, tightening his arms just a fraction. "Never."

The hours drifted by unmarked.

Occasionally, a car passed outside, a distant siren wailed, but inside, the world had shrunk to just the two of them—their warmth, the gentle rise and fall of breathing, the soft weight of bodies pressed together in perfect understanding.

Luca stirred eventually, stretching slightly before settling back down. "You’re still awake," he mumbled without opening his eyes.

"Mm," Noel confirmed, his voice a low rumble. "Just... watching you."

"Creepy," Luca teased, though his smile was evident in his voice.

"Maybe," Noel admitted, brushing his lips against Luca’s temple. "But you’re worth being creepy for."

Luca huffed a laugh, his hand moving to rest over Noel’s heart. "I like it," he confessed quietly. "Knowing you’re here. Feeling this." He pressed gently against Noel’s chest, feeling the steady thump beneath his palm.

"Good," Noel said softly. "Because I’m not going anywhere."

And with that, Luca finally let the last of his wakefulness slip away completely.

The steady heartbeat beneath his hand became his lullaby, Noel’s arms his fortress against the world.

Noel stayed awake a while longer, memorizing the weight of Luca against him, the sound of his breathing, the peace that settled over his features in sleep.

Eventually, his own eyes grew heavy.

He pressed one final kiss to Luca’s hair before letting himself drift, secure in the knowledge that tomorrow would bring its challenges, its necessary pretenses—but tonight, in this moment, they were simply themselves.

The night deepened, shadows stretching and shifting across the apartment walls.

Outside, the city moved on, oblivious and endless—but inside, warmth lingered, steady and unbroken.

Just them. Safe. Loved. Connected in ways that daylight never quite allowed.