Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]
Chapter 74: A Quiet Yes

Chapter 74: A Quiet Yes

The dorm room was quiet, save for the soft hum of Noel’s laptop and the lazy thrum of breeze blowing gently against the window.

Noel sat at his desk, posture straight, screen brightness dimmed low.

His brows were gently drawn together, mouth slightly parted as he typed with focus, the cursor flickering in rhythmic bursts.

His phone sat face-down beside the keyboard, ignored for once.

Behind him, Luca was sprawled across his bed, half-propped against the wall, phone in hand.

His chat with Jordan lit the screen in bursts—mostly memes and chaos from the club group—but his responses were slow. Delayed. Half-hearted.

His eyes kept drifting to Noel.

The boy hadn’t looked up in twenty minutes.

Luca shifted, then called out with a grin laced in impatience, "Are you done yet?"

Noel didn’t glance back. "Give me a minute."

"You said that ten minutes ago."

"This time I mean it."

Luca sighed theatrically, flopping further down the bed until he was nearly horizontal, his legs dangling off the side. "You’re cruel."

Noel let out a quiet breath through his nose—barely a chuckle—but kept typing.

Luca opened another message from Jordan:

"Bro. You ghosting me for your boyfriend?"

He rolled his eyes and replied:

"Pretty much."

Then he locked the screen.

His head tilted to the side slightly, watching Noel’s shoulder blades shift subtly with each movement.

The low glow of the desk lamp lit up the curve of Noel’s neck, casting soft shadows that made Luca’s heart stutter a little.

The room smelled faintly of laundry detergent and something cinnamon-sweet from the snack Luca bought earlier.

He sat up again, ran a hand through his hair, then swung his legs to the floor.

Another glance.

"Seriously," Luca said, voice lower this time, almost teasing, "If I die waiting here, you’re writing my eulogy."

Noel snorted quietly. "I’ll copy-paste it from someone."

"Rude."

Still no answer.

Luca smiled to himself. Then he stood, slow and quiet, crossing the short space between them.

Noel felt the shift behind him before he heard it — the sound of socks on tile, the gentle pause just before a presence leans in.

Luca didn’t say anything.

He just rested his chin lightly on Noel’s shoulder.

"You’re distracting," Noel muttered, but his tone was soft. Too soft to be annoyed.

Luca smiled into his shoulder. He didn’t want to break the moment, didn’t want to say too much.

But he also didn’t want it to fade unnoticed like it never happened.

"I’m just existing," Luca whispered back.

Noel stopped typing.

Just for a moment.

Their breathing synced without trying. The screen stayed open, the paragraph unfinished.

And when Noel finally spoke, it was quieter than before:

"Just five more minutes."

Luca nodded, but didn’t move away. "I’ll wait."

And he did.

Not because he had to.

But because he wanted to — even if it meant just sitting in the silence of someone else’s focus, feeling the closeness in the quiet.

Luca’s chin still rested on Noel’s shoulder, unmoving, as if time had slowed to match the soft hum of their dorm room.

"You won’t let me finish, would you?" Noel muttered, his voice dipped in dry amusement, but his fingers had stopped typing altogether.

"I didn’t say a word," Luca replied, barely above a whisper, the corners of his lips curving just enough for Noel to feel it against his shoulder.

Noel sighed, resigned—but not unhappy.

Luca pulled back, slowly, letting the warmth of their closeness fade just enough.

He reached for the spare chair by the desk and dragged it closer, flipping it around before straddling it backwards, arms resting over the backrest.

For a second, he just watched Noel—his side profile illuminated by the screen glow, eyes scanning something still open on the document.

"I mean it," Luca said quietly.

Noel didn’t look up. "Mean what?"

"That place. The rooftop."

He shifted slightly in his seat. "It’s different at night. The air’s cooler, quieter. You can see the stars—real stars—not just the ones pretending behind city lights."

Noel huffed, still not glancing his way. "You’re exaggerating."

"I’m not," Luca insisted, voice laced with sincerity now. "It’s nothing fancy, but... it’s kind of peaceful.

And weirdly beautiful. I used to go there when everything felt too loud. Haven’t in a while."

Noel turned finally, eyes narrowing a little. "So what? You wanna drag me to your secret hideout and share the sky with me?"

Luca smirked. "Exactly."

Noel stared at him for a beat, unreadable.

Then he looked away, shaking his head. "You make it sound like a scene from some YA drama."

"I mean, if the shoe fits..." Luca tilted his head. "We can just sit. No music, no pressure. Just—us. You said a week, right? We’ve got to make it count."

Noel’s eyes flicked back to him, softer this time.

"You really planned this out, didn’t you?"

Luca shrugged. "Kind of. I kept thinking about something you’d actually like. Something not crowded.

Somewhere you don’t have to be Noel the classmate or Noel the responsible one. Just... you."

That caught him off guard.

Noel didn’t answer right away. His fingers hovered above his keyboard again, but he didn’t type.

"I like quiet places," he said at last, almost to himself.

"I know," Luca said, gently.

Their eyes met again.

Neither of them smiled, but something passed between them—unspoken but felt. A breathless kind of anticipation.

Then Noel looked away, clearing his throat.

"I’m almost done," he said, tone steadier now. "Just let me finish this paragraph."

"Alright." Luca leaned back in his chair, a slow grin forming. "But when you’re done..."

"What?"

"You owe me a yes or no."

Noel shook his head again, faint exasperation in his smile. "You really don’t know how to wait, do you?"

Luca stretched his legs, playful. "Not when it comes to you."

Noel’s fingers finally stilled on the keyboard.

He stared at the screen for a second, re-reading the last sentence.

Then, with a soft exhale, he moved the mouse, saved the document, and closed the tab.

Silence hung between them—expectant, soft.

Luca had stopped fidgeting in his chair. He was watching. Not pushing, not grinning anymore. Just watching.

Noel slowly turned, his knees brushing Luca’s where their chairs met.

"It’s done," he said, voice quiet.

Luca blinked, then sat up a little straighter. "You’re done-done? Like, no edits left? No sudden urge to triple-check the citation format?"

Noel gave him a look. "Don’t tempt me."

Luca grinned, wide and shameless. "Then say it."

Noel raised a brow. "Say what?"

Luca leaned in a bit. "Yes or no?"

Noel didn’t answer right away. He reached over to unplug his laptop, closed the lid, then stood slowly.

He stretched his arms above his head, his hoodie lifting just enough to reveal a sliver of skin, and Luca looked away — just for a second — like even that was too much to process with a calm heart.

Noel let his arms fall, then finally met his eyes again.

He could feel Luca’s gaze pressing like a heartbeat—waiting, open, and terrifyingly sure.

And somewhere in the quiet, Noel made a decision: this week mattered more than the fear.

"Yes."

The word was soft. Barely there.

But it made Luca sit back like someone had just lit a fire under his ribs.

"You’re serious?"

Noel nodded. "We said a week, right? Let’s go."

Luca’s grin stretched without restraint. "Wait—two seconds."

His feet were already moving, but his mind lingered on that yes. It wasn’t just permission—it was trust.

He spun toward his bed, grabbed his water bottle, then opened the fridge and took out a small chilled can of iced tea. He paused, glanced at it, then at Noel. "You like this one, right?"

Noel raised an eyebrow. "You remembered that?"

"I remember a lot more than you think," Luca said simply, then grabbed one for himself.

No overthinking. No props. Just two drinks and whatever was waiting up on that rooftop.

Noel was already at the door pulling on his jacket. He paused with his hand on the handle.

"I don’t do well with things I can’t predict, Luca."

Luca turned, slowly, a can still in his hand.

"I know."

Noel didn’t smile—not really. But his eyes softened. "Just... don’t try too hard. You don’t have to impress me."

Luca’s voice dropped, steady. "I’m not trying to impress you."

Noel tilted his head slightly. "Then what are you trying?"

Luca took a step closer. "Trying to make sure you don’t forget this week. Even if it’s just one."

That quiet again.

The one that always seemed to settle between them right before something important.

Noel looked down at his shoes, exhaled, then opened the door.

"I’ll meet you outside."

The hallway light spilled into the room as he stepped out, casting a soft glow that stretched across Luca’s bed.

For a moment, Luca just stood there—can in hand, heart thudding in his chest—staring at where Noel had been.

Then, as if shaking off gravity.

Luca nodded, grabbed his phone, and followed.

His heart was pounding—nervous, full—but he didn’t care. This wasn’t just a night under the stars.

It was the beginning of something that finally felt real.

And for once in his life, he wasn’t going to ruin it by pretending he didn’t care.

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