Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 261: A Day for Noel

Morning light filtered through the curtains, soft and unhurried, the kind of light that suggested late morning rather than early.

Luca woke slowly, awareness returning in comfortable pieces—warmth, softness, Noel’s steady breathing beside him. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He blinked, squinting at the clock on the nightstand.

10:47 AM.

They’d slept in. Properly slept in, for the first time in weeks.

He smiled, settling back against the pillow, feeling the weight of Noel’s arm across his waist, the way they’d tangled together in sleep.

His left hand rested on the pillow near his face, and the silver ring caught the morning light.

Real. Last night had been real.

Beside him, Noel stirred, making a small sound that was half-protest, half-surrender to waking.

"Morning," Luca said softly.

"Mm." Noel’s eyes stayed closed, but his arm tightened around Luca’s waist. "What time?"

"Almost eleven."

"We slept late."

"It’s Christmas. We’re allowed."

Noel finally opened his eyes, blinking against the brightness.

His hair was a disaster, sticking up in multiple directions, and there was a crease on his cheek from the pillow.

"Happy birthday," Luca said. "Again."

"Happy Christmas," Noel replied, voice still rough with sleep. "Again."

They lay there for a while, just existing in the quiet morning space, no rush to move, no obligations pulling them from bed.

Noel’s hand found Luca’s, fingers intertwining, both of their rings visible—matching silver, matching promises.

"I still can’t believe you did all that," Noel said eventually. "The balcony. The photos. Everything."

"You’re worth it."

"You keep saying that."

"Because it keeps being true."

Noel pulled him closer, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Thank you. Seriously. It was perfect."

"You’re welcome." Luca shifted, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at Noel. "So, birthday boy. What do you want to do today?"

"This. Stay right here."

"We can’t stay in bed all day."

"Why not?"

"Because it’s Christmas. And your birthday. We should do something."

"We are doing something. We’re being comfortable."

"Noel."

"Luca."

Before Luca could argue further, Noel’s phone buzzed on the nightstand—loud, insistent, the particular ringtone he’d set for family calls.

"Your parents," Luca said.

Noel sighed but reached for the phone, checking the screen before answering. "Hey, Mom. Dad."

"Noel!" His mother’s voice came through bright and enthusiastic even through the speaker. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart! And happy birthday!"

"Thanks, Mom."

"Did we wake you? It’s almost eleven there."

"We slept in," Noel admitted, sitting up properly now, Luca settling beside him against the headboard.

"Good! You deserve rest." His father’s voice joined in. "How are you feeling? Twenty-three now. Getting old."

"I’m not old."

"That’s what everyone says," his father teased. "Then one day you wake up and your back hurts for no reason."

"Richard, don’t scare him," his mother chided, but she was laughing. "Noel, honey, we just wanted to call and say happy birthday properly. We miss you."

"I miss you too."

"Is Luca there?" his mother asked. "Put us on video, I want to see both of you."

Noel glanced at Luca, who shrugged and nodded, quickly running a hand through his hair in a futile attempt to look presentable.

Noel switched to video call, propping the phone against the lamp on the nightstand.

His parents appeared on screen—his mother in the kitchen, his father beside her, both of them looking warm and comfortable in their holiday sweaters.

"There you are!" His mother beamed. "Oh, you both look so cozy. Good morning, Luca!"

"Good morning, Mrs. Avery. Mr. Avery." Luca waved at the camera.

"Clara and Richard," his father corrected gently. "We’ve been over this."

"Sorry."

"Much better." His mother leaned closer to the camera. "How was your night?"

Noel and Luca exchanged a look.

"Luca surprised me," Noel said. "It was really nice."

"Oh? What kind of surprise?"

"The romantic kind," his father said knowingly. "Look at their faces. Definitely the romantic kind."

"Dad..."

"We’re not embarrassing you, are we?" his mother asked, but she was clearly delighted.

"A little," Noel admitted.

"Good. That’s our job." She smiled warmly at the camera. "We’re so happy you have each other, especially for the holidays. It’s hard being away from family, but having someone special makes it better."

"It does," Luca agreed quietly.

Before anyone could respond, another voice joined in the background older, bright with affection.

"Is that my grandson? Let me see!"

"Grandma’s here," Noel’s mother said, angling the phone. "She insisted on coming over early just for this call."

An elderly woman appeared on screen, squeezing in beside Noel’s parents, her face lighting up when she saw him.

"Noel! My beautiful boy! Merry Christmas and happy birthday!"

"Hi, Grandma." Noel’s whole expression softened. "Merry Christmas."

"Look at you, all grown up. Twenty-three! I remember when you were born like it was yesterday." She adjusted her glasses, peering closer at the screen. "And who’s this handsome young man beside you?"

"This is Luca," Noel said. "My partner."

"Partner!" She clasped her hands together. "Oh, how wonderful! Hello, Luca, dear. I’m Noel’s grandmother, but you can call me Gran. Everyone does."

"It’s nice to meet you, Gran," Luca said, smiling genuinely.

"Such a polite boy. And handsome too. You did well, Noel."

"Grandma..."

"What? I’m old, I can say what I want." She winked at the camera. "Are you taking care of my grandson, Luca?"

"I try my best."

"Good. He needs someone who can keep up with him. Too serious, this one. Always has been." She poked Noel’s father’s arm. "Just like his father."

"I’m not that serious," Noel protested.

"You alphabetize your spices," Luca pointed out.

"That’s practical."

"Case in point," his grandmother said, laughing. "But that’s okay. We love you anyway."

They talked for almost twenty minutes—his mother asking about their plans for the day, his father telling a story about their neighbor’s disastrous attempt at holiday decorations, his grandmother sharing updates about various relatives Noel hadn’t seen in months.

It was warm, easy, the kind of family conversation that felt like home even through a screen.

"We should let you go," his mother said eventually. "I’m sure you have things planned. But Noel, sweetheart—we love you so much. Have a wonderful day."

"Love you too, Mom. Dad. Grandma."

"Happy birthday, son," his father added. "Make it a good one."

"I will."

"And Luca," his grandmother said, leaning close to the camera one more time. "You take care of him, yes? And visit us sometime. I want to meet you properly."

"I’d love that," Luca said sincerely.

They said their goodbyes—multiple rounds of "Merry Christmas" and "love you" and "call us later"...before finally hanging up.

Noel set his phone down, exhaling slowly.

"Your family is really nice," Luca said.

"They liked you."

"Your grandma’s great. She’s like your friend."

"She always has been. Even when I was a kid, she treated me like an actual person, not just a child. We used to have these long conversations about everything." Noel smiled at the memory. "She’s the one who taught me to play chess."

"That tracks."

They sat there for another moment, the warmth of the family call still lingering.

"So," Luca said, breaking the comfortable silence. "What do you want to do today? For real this time."

Noel considered. "I don’t know. Something low-key? Maybe get food somewhere, walk around the city a bit?"

"That sounds good."

"What about you? Any secret plans I should know about?"

Luca kept his expression carefully neutral. "Nope. Just whatever you want to do."

Noel looked at him suspiciously. "You’re being too agreeable."

"I’m always agreeable."

"You’re literally never agreeable."

"Well, today I am. It’s your birthday. You get to decide."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"Nothing. Just... you’re being weird."

"I’m being nice," Luca corrected, getting out of bed before Noel could interrogate him further. "Come on. Let’s shower and get ready. If we want to actually do something, we should probably leave before noon."

"It’s already eleven."

"Then we better hurry."

They moved through their morning routine—Luca showering first while Noel fed Luca Jr., then switching, getting dressed in comfortable but presentable clothes for a day out.

By the time they were both ready, it was nearly noon.

"Where should we eat?" Noel asked, pulling on his jacket.

"There’s that place near the park. The one with the good brunch menu?"

"The Corner House?"

"Yeah. They do that eggs benedict you like."

"They’re probably busy today."

"We can try. Worst case, we find somewhere else."

They bundled up winter jackets, scarves, the cold outside requiring proper preparation—and headed out.

The city was transformed. Christmas decorations everywhere, lights strung across streets, shop windows displaying holiday scenes, people walking with wrapped packages and bright expressions.

The Corner House was indeed busy when they arrived, but they managed to snag a table near the window after a fifteen-minute wait.

The restaurant was warm, cozy, filled with the smell of coffee and fresh pastries and the low hum of conversation.

They ordered—Noel got his eggs benedict, Luca went for french toast and bacon—and settled in to watch the world pass by outside the window.

"This is nice," Noel said, sipping his coffee.

"Yeah."

"Just this. Being out. No work stress, no deadlines."

"Four whole days of freedom," Luca agreed. "We should enjoy it while it lasts."

Their food arrived, and they ate slowly, talking about nothing important—plans for after Christmas break, which movies they wanted to watch.

Normal things. Easy things.

The kind of conversation that felt significant precisely because it was so ordinary.

After they paid and left, they walked with no particular destination in mind—following streets decorated with lights, pausing to look at window displays, stopping at a small park where someone had built an elaborate snow sculpture.

"Should we go back soon?" Noel asked eventually, checking his watch—his new watch, Luca noticed with satisfaction.

"Actually," Luca said, trying to sound casual. "I was thinking we could stop by Jordan’s bar. Just for one drink."

Noel looked at him. "Jordan’s bar?"

"Yeah. He texted earlier, said he’s working today. Figured we could say hi."

"On Christmas?"

"The bar’s open. Some people don’t have anywhere else to go, so..." Luca shrugged. "Plus, I promised him I’d stop by sometime."

"You did?"

"Yeah. Come on, just one drink. Then we’ll go home."

Noel still looked suspicious, but he nodded. "Okay. One drink."

They walked the few blocks to the bar, a familiar place Luca had dragged Noel to a few times before—casual, comfortable, the kind of place that felt lived-in rather than trendy.

Luca pulled open the door, holding it for Noel.

The bar was dimly lit, warm after the cold outside, and—

"SURPRISE!"

Noel froze.

The bar erupted in noise—people standing, cheering, party poppers going off in bursts of confetti.

Jordan stood behind the bar, grinning widely.

Emily was there, waving enthusiastically.

Alex sat at a table near the back, looking pleased.

And Bella—Bella was bouncing on her toes, clearly having been waiting for this moment.

"Happy birthday!" they chorused together.

Noel stood there, completely speechless, taking it all in.

"You..." he started, turning to Luca. "You planned this?"

"Maybe," Luca said, unable to keep from grinning.

"I thought we were just getting one drink."

"I lied. Surprise?"

Noel shook his head, but he was smiling now. "You’re unbelievable."

"Come on!" Jordan called from the bar. "Birthday boy needs a drink! First round’s on the house!"

They moved further inside, and immediately everyone converged.

"Noel!" Bella hugged him tightly. "Happy birthday! Luca invited me and I was so excited, I love surprises!"

"Thanks, Bella." Noel returned the hug, looking genuinely touched.

Emily approached next, pulling him into a quick embrace. "Happy birthday, man. Good to see you."

"You too."

Alex gave him a casual handshake that turned into a brief hug. "Happy birthday. Hope you don’t mind us crashing your holiday."

"Not at all. This is...this is really nice. Thank you."

Jordan came around the bar, slapping Noel on the shoulder. "Happy birthday, buddy. Luca said you’d appreciate something low-key, so we kept it small. Just us."

"It’s perfect," Noel said, and meant it.

The afternoon dissolved into easy celebration drinks, conversation, laughter that came naturally among people who genuinely liked each other.

Jordan had decorated minimally but thoughtfully—a "Happy Birthday Noel" banner hung behind the bar, some balloons tied to chairs, nothing excessive.

They claimed a large table near the window, drinks appearing regularly courtesy of Jordan’s generous bartending.

"So," Emily said, leaning forward with a mischievous grin. "Luca. How did you pull this off without him knowing?"

"Very carefully," Luca replied. "Lots of secret texting. Jordan helped."

"I’m an excellent co-conspirator," Jordan said, setting down another round. "Very discreet."

"You literally almost texted me instead of Luca yesterday," Alex pointed out.

"Almost being the key word. I caught myself."

Everyone laughed.

Bella pulled out a small wrapped package from her bag. "Okay, presents! I’ll go first because I’m excited."

She thrust it toward Noel, who took it carefully. "You didn’t have to get me anything."

"It’s your birthday. Of course we got you things. Open it!"

Noel unwrapped it to find a book—a thick paperback with a minimalist cover.

"It’s about organizational psychology," Bella explained. "I saw it and immediately thought of you. Very ’Noel,’ right?"

"This is actually perfect," Noel said, flipping through the pages. "Thank you, Bella. Really."

"My turn," Jordan said, producing a gift bag. "Fair warning, it’s stupid."

Noel pulled out a t-shirt. On the front, in large letters: "I’m not arguing, I’m just explaining why I’m right."

The table erupted in laughter.

"It’s so accurate it hurts," Emily said.

"I hate it," Noel said, but he was smiling. "Thanks, Jordan."

Alex’s gift was next—a nice set of pens in a leather case. "For all those reports you’re always writing."

"These are really nice," Noel said, examining them. "Thank you."

Emily handed over a gift card. "It’s for that bookstore downtown. Figured you could pick out whatever you wanted."

"That’s thoughtful. Thanks, Emily."

They settled into comfortable conversation after that—catching up, sharing stories, the easy camaraderie of people who didn’t get to see each other often enough.

"Where’s Lina?" Noel asked Emily at one point. "I thought you were together?"

"Yeah..." Emily said. "She’s with her family today. They do this big Christmas thing. We’re celebrating tomorrow."

"That’s nice."

The afternoon stretched on, drinks flowing, conversation ranging from work stories to ridiculous holiday memories to plans for the new year.

At some point, Jordan brought out a small cake—nothing fancy, just chocolate with "HBD Noel" written in icing.

They sang happy birthday again, more enthusiastically this time, fueled by drinks and good spirits.

Noel blew out the candles, and Luca snapped another photo, capturing the moment—Noel surrounded by friends, genuine happiness on his face.

Perfect.