Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]
Chapter 52: Half-Confessions and Full Hearts

Chapter 52: Half-Confessions and Full Hearts

Lina shifted her weight, crossing one ankle over the other, then glanced over at Noel. Her stylus paused mid-air.

"Noel," she said, soft but certain.

He opened his eyes, gaze unfocused.

"You’ve been staring at nothing for three minutes."

He blinked. "Just tired."

"You said that yesterday," Alex muttered, not looking up. "And the day before."

Lina tucked her stylus behind her ear, watching him more closely now. "Did something happen?"

Noel’s jaw clenched — barely. His face remained neutral, practiced.

"No," he replied, too quickly. "We’re fine."

Lina exchanged a look with Alex. Alex raised a brow but didn’t speak. Instead, he closed his laptop slowly and leaned back, arms folded.

"You saw something," Lina guessed, careful.

Noel looked between them, lips parting like he might deny it again — but then he sighed, low and shallow.

His voice barely carried over the sound of birds chirping in the trees.

"Just a post."

Alex’s mouth twitched. "One of those posts you wish you hadn’t seen?"

Noel’s eyes flicked to him, surprised by how close to the mark that was.

Alex shrugged. "You’ve had that face since you opened your phone."

Lina leaned forward. "Did it bother you?"

Noel hesitated. Not because he didn’t know — but because he did. Too well.

He exhaled through his nose, running a hand through his hair. "It’s not my business," Noel lied—because the ache in his stomach said otherwise.

"But it hurts anyway?" Lina asked gently.

He looked away, chewing his bottom lip.

"It’s stupid," he murmured. "We’re just... friends."

"Sure," Alex said, smirking now. "And I only like Lina’s sketchbook, not Lina."

Lina turned, eyes widening, color blooming in her cheeks. "What?!"

Alex’s smirk vanished. "Wait. I—shit—I meant—"

Noel sat up, eyes darting between them. "Wait, wait, wait. Did that just happen?"

Lina blinked rapidly, stunned.

Alex opened and closed his mouth like he wanted to rewind time.

Lina recovered first, turning her full gaze on him, expression unreadable. "Alex," she said slowly, "you’ve never said that before."

"I didn’t mean to blurt it," he mumbled. "It’s not like you’ve made it easy, sketching with that Emily girl smiling at you all the time."

Noel just sat there, watching this new tension unfold with wide eyes, momentarily forgetting his own.

Lina folded her arms. "So now it’s my fault?"

"No," Alex muttered. "It’s my fault. For not saying anything sooner."

Noel pressed a fist to his lips, suppressing a grin — not because it wasn’t serious, but because it was real. And suddenly, his own feelings didn’t feel quite so foreign anymore.

Lina looked away, then back, softer this time. "You could’ve just told me."

Alex shrugged. "Guess I was scared you’d say you didn’t feel the same."

She was quiet, gaze lowered, fingers tapping her stylus against her thigh.

"I didn’t think you saw me that way," she finally said. "But... maybe I wanted you to."

Noel nearly choked on his own breath. "Okay, wow." He held up both hands. "Do I leave? Should I give you a moment?"

Lina laughed, the tension breaking like glass catching sunlight. Alex reached for her hand, hesitant but smiling. She didn’t pull away.

Noel leaned back, watching the two of them, and for the first time that day, something in him loosened.

But when his gaze dropped to his phone again, the image of Luca and Kian still sat there.

Unopened. Undeleted.

Still a knot in his chest.

But... at least now, he knew what it was.

The bench held a soft hush now. Leaves rustled above them, casting dappled sunlight across the pavement, and for a moment it felt like time stretched — just the three of them sitting there, caught between confessions and whatever might come next.

Lina’s fingers still brushed against Alex’s, but she pulled back gently and stood.

"I should go," she said, gathering her tab and sketchbook into her bag. "I promised to help one of my juniors with her portfolio draft."

Alex stood too, reflexively, like he wanted to say something else — maybe walk her there, maybe apologize again — but he didn’t. Just nodded. "Right. Yeah. Of course."

Lina gave a small smile, more honest than earlier, and looked between both of them. "You two behave."

Alex gave a mock salute. "No promises."

Noel tilted his head. "Tell Emily you survived."

Lina rolled her eyes, grinning faintly. "If she asks, I’m officially ’considering it.’"

Alex watched her leave — her figure growing smaller past the tree path, her stride light but sure.

Once she was out of sight, he dropped back onto the bench, sighing so deeply it shook his shoulders.

"You okay?" Noel asked, half-smiling.

"No," Alex said flatly. "But also yes? What the hell just happened?"

Noel laughed under his breath. "You finally opened your mouth. That’s what happened."

Alex covered his face with both hands. "She could still say no."

"But she didn’t."

Alex peeked through his fingers. "You think she meant it? That maybe she... wanted me to say it all along?"

Noel leaned back, letting his head tilt toward the sky. "You won’t know until you keep showing up."

Alex paused, then looked over at him. "That advice for me or for you?"

Noel didn’t answer. Not with words.

His eyes drifted back down to his phone — still lit, still showing that post, that face, that version of Luca that made something inside him ache.

Alex watched him for a second, then gently nudged his knee against Noel’s.

"You really like him, huh?"

Noel stared ahead, quiet for a beat too long. "Yeah," he admitted softly. "I do."

Alex was still watching Noel — really watching now — eyes narrowed slightly, not in judgment but in wonder.

That soft-spoken "Yeah, I do" still lingered between them like a confession that changed everything.

"So..." Alex leaned forward, arms resting loosely on his knees. "You know you like him. What now? What are you gonna do about it?"

Noel didn’t answer immediately.

His eyes lowered to the screen still resting on his thigh — Kian’s photo, Luca’s tagged name glowing faintly under the caption, Yesterday.

Something tightened in his chest again, stubborn and unfamiliar. He didn’t know what to call it, only that it sat heavy.

He opened his mouth to respond—but then, right on cue, his phone buzzed sharply between them.

The screen lit up again.

This time, not a post. A call.

Luca.

Alex caught the name and arched a brow with an amused smirk. "Oh wow. Manifestation works fast."

Noel stared at the screen, His thumb hovered, heartbeat ticking in his throat. He didn’t move.

Alex nudged him gently with his shoulder. "Go on. Pick it up."

Noel hesitated for another breath before finally sliding his finger across the screen and lifting the phone to his ear.

"Hey," he said quietly, trying not to let his voice sound too tight, too curious, too anything.

Luca’s voice came through, slightly groggy but bright. "Hey. Uh... you eaten yet?"

Noel glanced at the time. "No. Not yet."

"I was thinking... maybe we grab lunch? Just the two of us."

There was a pause.

Noel felt Alex’s eyes on him. He pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek, heart doing something it shouldn’t.

"I don’t know," he said softly. "Are you sober now?"

Luca let out a low groan. "Unfortunately, yes. Head’s punishing me for it too. But I’ll be on my best behavior, I promise."

Noel’s lips curled despite himself. He looked down, rubbing his thumb over the edge of the bench.

"You’re lucky I’m in a good mood," he said eventually.

"So... that’s a yes?"

A breath. "Yeah. It’s a yes."

Luca exhaled, clearly smiling on the other end. "Cool. I’ll meet you outside the design building in ten?"

Noel hummed in agreement and ended the call.

He didn’t look at Alex right away — but when he finally did, Alex was already smirking like a cat who saw the mouse blush.

"’I don’t know,’" Alex repeated mockingly. "You folded faster than a lawn chair."

Noel rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Alex leaned back again, folding his arms. "So what are you gonna do next?"

Noel stood, slinging his bag over one shoulder.

"I’m gonna have lunch," he said. "And see where it goes."

Alex raised both hands. "There he is. My boy stepping into the ring."

Noel didn’t respond with words — just a tiny, nervous smile as he turned to go.

Noel took his time walking across campus.

His steps were steady, calculated, like he needed a few more moments to quiet the mess inside his chest.

It wasn’t nerves, exactly — more like that cautious feeling before stepping into unknown territory. A silent thrill, edged with hesitation.

As he rounded the path near the design building, there he was.

Luca.

Leaning against the railing with a paper cup in one hand, his other shoved deep into his coat pocket, head tipped back toward the sunlight.

He looked effortlessly careless, like someone who hadn’t just kissed his past the night before — and yet, something in the slant of his expression said otherwise.

His eyes lifted the second Noel stepped closer, and he straightened, smile softening.

"You came," Luca said.

"You asked," Noel replied, adjusting the strap of his bag.

Luca chuckled under his breath. "Should we go?"

Noel nodded once. "Yeah."

They had barely taken a few steps down the path when a familiar voice rang out from behind—

"Hey, Luca Smart!"

Luca turned. His brows lifted in surprise, but then a wide grin broke across his face.

"Jordan?"

Noel turned slightly too, just in time to see a tall guy in distressed denim and layered necklaces weaving his way toward them — sunglasses pushed back on his head, Grinning like a hurricane in sunglasses, Jordan cut through the calm like he belonged everywhere.

Jordan.

Of course. Noel had heard the name enough times. Luca’s ride or die, the infamous party wingman. The loud one. The loyal one.

"My God," Jordan said, clapping Luca on the shoulder with a force that nearly knocked the coffee out of his hand. "You’ve been hiding. I thought you were kidnapped. Or worse, in a relationship."

Luca laughed. "Not quite."

Then Jordan’s gaze slid to Noel, and his grin widened. "Ohh. So this is him. The roommate. The elusive, mysterious, never-home-when-I-drop-by roommate."

Noel blinked. "Hi?"

Jordan stepped forward, shamelessly offering a handshake. "Jordan. Disaster friend since high school. And the only one who can drag Luca out of his bed at 3 a.m. for junk food and heartbreak therapy."

Noel chuckled, unsure whether to be charmed or slightly alarmed. "Noted."

Luca rubbed his brow. "He’s not kidding."

Jordan looked between the two of them, lips twitching. "Lunch date, huh?"

Noel was about to answer, but Jordan was already speaking again.

"Mind if I tag along? I swear I won’t third wheel. I’m very good at being casually annoying in the background."

Luca shrugged. "Sure. Why not."

Noel didn’t say anything — he just quietly adjusted his pace as they started walking again, now a trio.

And Jordan, of course, filled the silence with ease.

"So, Noel. Tell me — how do you survive living with this guy? Does he still sleep with one sock on? Because that’s not normal."

Luca groaned. "Oh my God, shut up."

But Noel just smiled — a small, crooked smile — watching the way Luca bumped his shoulder lightly against Jordan’s and how Jordan just kept talking, like this was home.

Something settled in his chest. Warm.

But it didn’t stop the faint flicker that remained — the one that remembered last night’s photo, Kian’s caption, and the shadow it left behind.