Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]
Chapter 75: A Rooftop Kind of Love

Chapter 75: A Rooftop Kind of Love

The rooftop door gave a low creak as Luca pushed it open, stepping aside to let Noel through first.

A quiet hush settled over them.

Above, the sky stretched in soft velvet blues and purples, dotted with scattered stars that blinked behind wisps of thin cloud.

The breeze was light—cool, not cold—and the air carried that faint scent of stone, pine, and distant citylight.

Noel stepped forward, gravel crunching underfoot. His eyes scanned the horizon, quietly absorbing it all.

The rooftop wasn’t fancy. Just a flat concrete space surrounded by a low metal railing, a few ventilation ducts humming quietly in the corners, and the faint echo of campus life below.

But past the railing, the world opened wide—trees swayed down the hill, and in the distance, the city shimmered in gold and silver threads.

"This is..." Noel’s voice trailed off.

Luca joined him at the edge, their shoulders almost touching. "Yeah. I know."

"You weren’t exaggerating."

"I wouldn’t dare," Luca said, a small smile tugging at his mouth. "You’d quote me in a footnote."

Noel let out a soft laugh, looking down before slowly lifting his gaze back to the horizon.

His face was lit by the dim glow of a nearby building, outlining his profile like something careful and meant to be seen only in moments like this.

Luca held out the iced tea can. "Truce offering?"

Noel accepted it without a word. Their fingers brushed in the exchange.

They sat down near the ledge, the city spread out before them like something fragile and beautiful.

Luca cracked his drink open, the fizz barely audible in the quiet.

Neither of them rushed to speak.

For once, the silence didn’t stretch awkward. It felt... honest. Like the kind of quiet that lets you hear everything more clearly.

Noel glanced at him sideways, the light catching in his lashes. "You really haven’t brought anyone else up here?"

Luca shook his head. "Not even close."

Noel considered that for a second. "Why me?"

Luca rested his elbows on his knees, watching the skyline. "Because you’re the first person I didn’t want to impress with noise. Just... show something real."

Noel didn’t reply, but his hand settled next to Luca. Their fingers didn’t touch, but they hovered—close enough to feel the warmth between them.

"I don’t get you sometimes," Noel murmured.

Luca tilted his head. "In a good way or a ’please shut up’ way?"

Noel’s lips curved slightly. "Still deciding."

Luca leaned back, turning to him, serious now. "I meant what I said earlier. I don’t want this week to feel like a dare. Or an experiment. It’s not about the timeline."

Noel looked at him—really looked at him.

In that quiet, under that open sky, something in him softened further, something unguarded.

"I know," he said. "That’s why I said yes."

The breeze picked up again, brushing through their hair. And for a second, everything slowed.

Noel looked down at their hands again.

Then, without a word, he let his pinky brush against Luca’s.

The smallest gesture—but it anchored him like nothing else had.

He turned slightly, eyes holding on Noel’s face.

And there it was—something unspoken, waiting.

Luca didn’t lean in.

He just stayed close.

Close enough to feel the shift.

Close enough to know this wasn’t just about tonight.

The lights below flickered gently—cars passing, windows glowing in golds and blues—but none of it reached them. Not really.

Up here, it felt like the world had paused.

Noel shifted, turning just enough that his shoulder brushed lightly against Luca’s.

"Do you miss it?" he asked, voice barely above the hum of the wind.

Luca looked at him. "Miss what?"

"The noise. The chaos. You used to always be surrounded by people."

Luca hesitated, then answered truthfully. "Sometimes. But not the way I thought I would."

Noel raised a brow, a silent nudge to go on.

"I thought being alone would feel like punishment," Luca said. "Turns out... it just feels quieter. Lighter. Especially when the right person stays."

Noel’s gaze dropped, settling on their pinkies still faintly touching.

The space between their palms too small to call safe, too large to ignore. He didn’t pull away.

"I’ve always been afraid of noise," Noel said after a moment. "Not literal noise—just... people. Attention. The wrong kind of closeness."

Luca’s eyes didn’t leave him. "What kind’s the right kind?"

Noel glanced up, his voice softer now. "This. Maybe. When it doesn’t demand anything from you."

Luca’s chest tightened in that slow, aching way. The breeze tugged gently at his shirt, but he barely felt it. His focus had narrowed to Noel—his breath, his stillness, his carefully chosen words.

"I like it when I’m with you," Luca said quietly.

Noel didn’t smile. Not at first. But his face tilted just slightly toward Luca’s, and his lashes dropped like he was thinking too much and trying not to at the same time.

"Luca?"

"Yeah?"

"I don’t know what happens after this week."

Luca didn’t flinch.

"I know," he said. "Neither do I."

A pause.

"But let’s not rush to after," Luca added, voice like a promise. "Not yet."

Noel nodded.

They sat in silence again, but it wasn’t empty.

It pulsed—slow, certain, fragile in the way that mattered.

Noel turned more fully to face him, knees brushing. "You’re not what I expected," he murmured. "You’re... softer, when it’s real."

Luca huffed a quiet laugh, breath catching in his throat. "And you’re warmer, when you let someone close."

Noel didn’t reply.

Instead, he reached across the quiet space between them and gently, almost questioningly, brushed his fingers against Luca’s cheek. His thumb lingered just beneath Luca’s eye, soft, careful.

Luca didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.

And then—slowly, without fanfare or nervous laughter—Noel leaned in.

Their lips met, soft and hesitant at first, like neither of them knew if the moment would hold.

But it did. It deepened—still gentle, but sure—like they’d been waiting for this without knowing they were.

It was the kind of kiss that didn’t need to prove anything.

It simply was.

When they parted, barely, their foreheads stayed close.

Noel’s voice was barely a whisper. "I didn’t expect this either."

Luca smiled, his breath brushing Noel’s lips. "Good I like it."

They stayed that way for a moment longer—cheeks flushed, hearts thudding in tandem, the stars overhead bearing quiet witness.

And far below, the world kept moving.

But up here, they had this moment.

Just this.

Unrushed. Undeniable. The beginning.

Then gently Noel said, "We should head back"

They didn’t speak much as they left the rooftop.

The metal door clicked softly behind them, sealing the sky away, but the quiet between them didn’t fade.

It followed them down the stairwell, gentle and full.

Luca’s hand brushed Noel’s once on the second flight, and this time, Noel didn’t move away.

He let their fingers tangle loosely—not fully held, not quite shy, just... there. Present.

A moth fluttered near the streetlight, its wings catching the glow like silver paper. Their steps echoed softer now, falling in sync.

By the time they reached the base floor, their pace had slowed.

Outside, the campus was hushed. A few voices drifted from distant dorm windows, laughter too far away to feel real.

The wind tugged softly at their clothes, and somewhere behind the trees, a streetlight buzzed faintly.

They walked side by side.

Noel glanced at Luca once, catching the way his lips curled slightly like he was trying not to grin.

"You’re quiet," Noel murmured.

"I’m pacing myself," Luca replied, eyes ahead but voice warm. "Don’t want to ruin the high score on the first night."

Noel shook his head, but his lips curved.

When they reached their building, Luca reached the door first and pulled it open, letting Noel step through.

His fingers brushed the small of Noel’s back without thinking—just a touch, familiar already.

Noel didn’t flinch.

The soft click of the door closing behind them settled the air.

The room was dim, quiet, just the faint orange glow of Noel’s desk lamp lighting the space.

Their beds were still messy from the morning, jackets slung over the chairs, the faint scent of mint and tea lingering in the air.

Noel toed off his shoes and moved toward his desk, fingers brushing the edge. "I should probably set an alarm."

Luca dropped onto his bed, arms flopping wide. "You’re so responsible. "I’m still stuck up on the rooftop kiss, and you’re already thinking about alarms?"

Noel turned slightly, leaning against the desk. "If you don’t wake up, you’ll miss the rest of the week."

"Rude," Luca said, eyes closed. "Using my own rules against me."

But then he opened his eyes, looked at Noel.

"Thanks," he said, more real this time. "For saying yes. For... tonight."

Noel met his eyes.

"I meant it," he said softly.

Then, surprising even himself, Noel moved toward Luca’s bed and sat gently at the edge. Luca sat up slowly, facing him.

They were close again, knees brushing. The air between them hummed.

Noel reached out and smoothed down the front of Luca’s hoodie—a casual gesture, but his fingers lingered longer than necessary.

"I’ll probably overthink everything tomorrow," Noel admitted, voice low.

"Then I’ll underthink it," Luca replied. "Balance."

That earned a small, quiet laugh from Noel. The kind that made Luca’s heart flip once, hard.

They sat a little longer.

Then Noel got up slowly, not because he wanted to end it, but because the moment already felt full.

"I’ll change and brush," he said. "You should sleep."

"I will," Luca replied. "Eventually."

Noel turned for the bathroom, but before he reached it, Luca called gently, "Hey."

Noel looked back.

"Don’t forget you kissed me first."

Noel blinked. Then—faint, subtle—he smiled.

"I didn’t forget."

He disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Luca grinning softly in the dim room, his heart still caught somewhere between disbelief and something dangerously close to hope.

Luca didn’t sleep.

Not right away.

He lay back on his bed, head turned toward Noel’s side of the room.

The glow from the desk lamp still faintly lit the edge of Noel’s pillow, casting soft shadows across the empty sheets.

The bathroom door was closed, the sound of running water behind it gentle, steady.

Luca’s fingers played absently with the drawstring of his hoodie.

He wasn’t thinking about anything specific, and yet everything about tonight ran on loop in his head.

The rooftop. The way Noel had looked at him. The kiss. God, the kiss.

He pressed his hand briefly to his chest like he could calm the way his heart kept jumping without permission.

The bathroom door creaked open a few minutes later.

Noel stepped out, hoodie swapped for a soft gray tee, damp hair falling lightly over his forehead.

He looked up when he caught Luca’s gaze, one hand still on the towel slung around his shoulders.

"You’re still awake?"

Luca smirked. "Was waiting for the second kiss."

Noel rolled his eyes, but the smile tugged at his lips before he could stop it. "Keep dreaming."

"I will," Luca said, patting the empty side of his bed, "right here."

Noel crossed to his own bed, pulling back the sheets and settling in. "You’re so dramatic."

"I think I’m falling. That counts, right?"

The words hung there.

Not heavy, not demanding—just... true. Spoken like breathing.

Noel turned toward the wall, face hidden, but his voice was soft when he replied, "Good night, Luca."

Luca didn’t answer at first. He turned on his side too, watching the faint rise and fall of Noel’s blanket. A long beat passed.

Then he said it—quietly, like a thread being placed between them.

"Night, Noel."

The room fell still.

But neither boy closed his eyes.

A few minutes passed. Then came the soft rustle of Noel shifting.

"Luca," he murmured, barely audible.

Luca blinked up at the ceiling. "Yeah?"

There was hesitation, then a faint whisper: "I didn’t kiss you just because of the moment."

Luca’s chest tightened.

"I know," he said.

Silence again, gentler this time. The kind that only happens when two people share the same thoughts without needing to speak them.

Eventually, Noel’s breathing evened, soft and steady.

But Luca stayed facing him.

Just watching the quiet outline of the boy who had taken up so much space in his mind, and now—finally—was giving him something real.

He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring.

But tonight?

Tonight was theirs.

And that was more than enough.