Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 243: Counting the Days

Tuesday arrived with the same hollow rhythm.

Luca woke, fed the cat, made coffee, dressed in silence.

The apartment had started to feel less like home and more like a waiting room—a place where time moved strangely, stretched thin between morning and night, each hour dragging.

He checked his phone before leaving.

Noel:Morning [red heart emoji] Another full day ahead. I’ll text when I can.

Luca:Good luck. I’ll be working too.*l

Short. Simple. Normal.

But his chest felt tight as he pocketed the phone and headed out, the weight settling between his ribs.

The third floor greeted him with the same energy as yesterday—keyboards clicking, low conversations, the hum of productivity filling the space.

Bella waved from her desk, bright and cheerful.

Wei Chen nodded in greeting, already deep in his morning routine.

Liam was already mid-conversation with Camila about some metric discrepancy, gesturing at his screen.

Luca set his bag down, logged into his computer, and pulled up the presentation files, the familiar glow of the monitor washing over him.

"Luca, can you double-check the market analysis section?" Georgia called from her office doorway, tablet in hand. "I want to make sure the data aligns with what we’re pitching Wednesday."

"On it," Luca said, already opening the document, fingers moving across the keyboard.

The morning blurred into spreadsheets and revisions.

He worked steadily, methodically, letting the tasks fill the space where his thoughts kept wandering—back to Noel, to Japan, to the distance between them.

Lunch came and went—Bella tried to pull him into a conversation about weekend plans, her voice warm and inviting, but Luca just smiled politely and said he hadn’t thought that far ahead.

By mid-afternoon, his eyes were burning from screen glare, dry and tired.

He stood, stretched, feeling his spine crack, and walked to the break room for water.

When he returned, his phone was lit up on his desk, the screen glowing.

Noel:Miss you. A lot.

Luca’s fingers hovered over the screen, something warm and aching settling in his chest, spreading through him like honey.

Luca:Miss you too. How’s the work going?

Noel:Intense. Max has us reviewing contracts all day. But the city is beautiful. I wish you were here to see it.

Luca stared at that last sentence, reading it three times.

I wish I were there with you too.

He typed and deleted three responses before finally settling on:

Luca:Soon. Maybe we’ll go together someday.

Noel:I’d like that. [heart emoji]

Luca set the phone down, exhaling slowly, trying to ease the tightness.

"Everything okay?"

He looked up. Bella stood nearby, holding a coffee mug, her expression gentle and concerned.

"Yeah," Luca said quickly, forcing a smile. "Just... checking in."

She nodded but didn’t push, understanding written on her face. "Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Thanks, Bella."

She smiled and returned to her desk, leaving him with his thoughts.

Luca turned back to his screen, but the words blurred together, becoming meaningless.

*I wish you were here.*

He wished he was there too.

Wished he could see what Noel was seeing, experience it together.

Wednesday came with a sharper edge—presentation day.

Luca woke early, the nerves kicking in before his alarm even went off, his heart already racing.

He moved through his morning routine faster than usual, feeding the cat quickly, downing his coffee in three long gulps that burned slightly.

He dressed carefully—button-down, clean slacks, the kind of outfit that said *professional* without trying too hard, checking himself in the mirror twice.

His phone buzzed as he was lacing his shoes.

Noel:Good luck today. You’re going to be amazing.

Luca smiled despite the nerves, warmth flooding through him.

Luca:Thanks. I’ll need it.

Noel:You won’t. But I’ll be thinking about you anyway.

Luca’s chest tightened—warm, grounding, like an anchor.

Luca:That helps. A lot.

Noel:Call me tonight? I want to hear how it went.

Luca:Definitely.

He pocketed the phone and headed out, feeling slightly more ready.

The presentation went well.

Better than well, actually.

Luca opened strong—just like Georgia had coached—keeping his tone conversational, confident, drawing the clients in with ease and natural charm.

Bella handled the visuals flawlessly, clicking through slides with perfect timing.

Chen and Camila fielded questions with precision, backing each other up seamlessly.

Liam’s data slides were clean, concise, exactly what they needed.

By the time they wrapped up, the clients were nodding, smiling, asking follow-up questions that felt more like interest than skepticism, leaning forward in their chairs.

When they finally left, Georgia turned to the team, arms crossed but grinning widely. "That," she said, "was exactly what we needed. Well done, everyone."

Bella high-fived Luca enthusiastically. Wei Chen exhaled in relief, shoulders dropping.

Liam leaned back in his chair, laughing. "We actually pulled it off."

"We did," Luca said, grinning despite the exhaustion settling into his bones, satisfaction mixing with tiredness.

Georgia’s eyes landed on them again, warm with approval. "You all did a good job, you held that room, and Luca. That opening? Flawless."

"Thanks," Luca said, the praise warming him in a way he hadn’t expected, filling some of the emptiness.

"Alright, team," Georgia said, clapping her hands once. "Take the rest of the afternoon. You’ve earned it."

They didn’t need to be told twice.

Luca stepped out of the building just after 3 PM, the afternoon sun bright and almost too warm against his skin.

He loosened his collar, pulling out his phone as he walked down the steps.

Luca:Presentation done. Went well. Really well.

The reply came almost immediately, as if Noel had been waiting.

Noel:I knew it would. So proud of you [multiple celebration emojis]

Luca stopped walking, reading the message twice, warmth spreading through his chest.

So proud of you.

He smiled—soft, real—and typed back.

Luca:Miss you. Wish I could celebrate with you.

Noel:Soon. Just a few more days.*

Luca: Yeah. Soon.

But even as he typed it, the word felt heavy, weighted with longing.

A few more days.

It wasn’t that long.

So why did it feel like forever?

Thursday arrived with a weight Luca couldn’t shake, pressing down on him from the moment he woke. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

He woke later than usual, the exhaustion from the week finally catching up, pulling him under.

The cat was already pawing at the door, impatient and insistent.

"I know, I know," Luca muttered, dragging himself out of bed, feet heavy against the floor.

He fed the cat, made coffee, stared out the window at the city stretching endlessly below, people moving like ants.

His phone buzzed.

Noel:Morning. Another long day ahead. I’ll call you tonight, okay?

Luca:Okay. Be safe.

Noel:Always. Love you.

Luca stared at those two words for a long moment before typing back, the weight of them settling over him.

Luca:Love you too.

He set the phone down and finished his coffee in silence, the apartment too quiet.

Work passed in a blur—emails, revisions, a follow-up meeting with Bella about next steps with GreenHydra that felt endless.

Bella asked if he wanted to grab lunch.

Luca declined politely, saying he had things to finish, though mostly he just wanted to be alone.

By the time 5 PM hit, he was drained—mentally, emotionally, physically, every part of him depleted.

He packed up slowly, watching his teammates leave one by one, their laughter fading into the hallway, leaving silence behind.

The elevator ride down felt longer than usual, the muzak grating.

The walk home even longer, each step requiring effort.

When Luca finally stepped into the apartment, he didn’t even bother turning on the lights, letting the dimness wrap around him.

He dropped his bag by the door, kicked off his shoes, and moved straight to the couch.

The cat appeared almost immediately, hopping up beside him, curling into his side with a soft purr.

Luca sank into the cushions, one arm draped over the cat, staring at the ceiling, watching shadows shift.

The silence pressed in around him—heavy, thick, suffocating.

He turned his head, looking at the cat. "You miss him too, don’t you?"

The cat blinked slowly, tail flicking once in response.

Luca’s laugh was quiet, tired. "Yeah. Me too."

His phone buzzed on the coffee table, the vibration loud in the quiet.

He reached for it, expecting another message from Noel.

But it wasn’t a text.

It was a notification.

Noel:Hey, quick update...work’s wrapping up Friday like planned, but the team’s staying through the weekend to explore the city. I’ll be back Monday morning instead of Sunday night. Hope that’s okay?[sad face emoji]

Luca stared at the screen.

Read it again.

*Staying through the weekend.*

*The team.*

*Max.*

His chest tightened, something cold settling in his stomach.

He sat up slowly, the cat shifting with a soft meow of protest.

*It’s fine,* Luca told himself, trying to believe it. *It’s just two more days. It’s fine.*

But the image crept in anyway—unbidden, unwanted, insistent.

Noel and Max. Walking through Tokyo streets lit with lanterns.

Sharing meals at intimate restaurants. Exploring markets, quiet corners of the city bathed in sunset.

The things Luca wanted to do with him.

*He trusts Noel.* He does. Completely.

But Max?

Max, who had looked at Noel with that quiet intensity during meetings.

Who had called him *partner* with too much meaning.

Who had confessed feelings Noel had rejected—feelings Luca had overheard but couldn’t unhear, couldn’t forget.

Luca’s jaw tightened, muscle jumping.

He typed a response, keeping his tone light, casual, supportive.

Luca:That’s fine. Enjoy the city. You deserve it.

He sent it before he could second-guess himself, before doubt could creep in.

Noel’s reply came quickly.

Noel:You’re the best. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.

Luca set the phone down, leaning back against the couch, closing his eyes.

The cat meowed softly, pawing at his arm with gentle insistence.

"I know," Luca whispered. "I know."

But the tightness in his chest didn’t ease, didn’t loosen.

He glanced at the clock. 6:40 PM.

His father would still be at the office, probably buried in contracts.

Luca sat there for another moment, the idea forming slowly, taking shape, solidifying.

Then he stood, decision made.

The cat looked up at him, confused by the sudden movement.

"I’ll be back," Luca said, grabbing his jacket and keys from the hook.

He didn’t let himself think.

He just moved.