Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 265: Monday, But With You

Monday morning arrived too early, the alarm shattering the peaceful silence at 6:30 AM.

Luca groaned, reaching blindly to silence it, every part of him protesting the return to routine.

Beside him, Noel was already stirring of course he was shifting from sleep to wakefulness with that efficiency Luca both admired and resented.

"Morning," Noel mumbled, voice rough.

"It’s not morning. It’s still night."

"It’s 6:30."

"Exactly. Night."

"We have to get up."

"Do we though?"

"Yes." But Noel wasn’t moving either, still lying there, warm and comfortabl.

They stayed like that for another moment neither quite ready to surrender the last traces of their break.

Finally, Noel sighed and sat up. "Come on. If we don’t get up now, we’ll be late."

"Would that be so bad?"

"Yes."

"You’re very responsible."

"Someone has to be."

Luca watched him get out of bed, stretching, moving toward the bathroom.

Even half-asleep and rumpled, Noel looked unfairly put-together.

"Stop staring and get up." Noel said without turning around.

"Just appreciating the view."

"Shower. Now."

"Bossy."

"Efficient."

By the time they were both showered and dressed back in work clothes after four days of comfortable casualness it was nearly 7:45.

Noel made coffee while Luca fed the cat, who seemed personally offended that they were leaving again.

"We’ll be back tonight," Luca told him, scratching behind his ears. "Don’t destroy anything."

Meowed, which absolutely sounded like a promise to destroy everything.

They ate quick breakfast toast, fruit, the yogurt standing at the counter rather than sitting, already in motion, already transitioning back into weekday mode.

"Ready?" Noel asked, pulling on his jacket.

"No."

"Me neither."

They headed out into the cold December morning, breath visible in the air, the city already awake and moving around them.

The walk to work felt different today. Heavier.

The holiday decorations were still up but looked tired now, like they were also ready for a break.

"One week," Luca said as they walked. "Then we’re done with internship."

"Yeah, then finals."

"You’re very good at making things sound exhausting."

"I’m realistic."

"Same thing."

But Noel was smiling slightly, and his hand brushed against Luca’s as they walked brief contact, deliberate.

The office building appeared ahead, glass and steel catching the early morning light.

They entered the lobby together, nodding to security, joining the flow of people heading to elevators.

The ride up was crowded, everyone tired from the long weekend, adjusting back to work energy.

Third floor arrived first.

"See you at lunch?" Luca asked quietly.

"Yeah."

Luca stepped off, the elevator doors closing behind him.

The third floor was already buzzing with activity when Luca arrived.

Bella spotted him immediately, waving enthusiastically from her desk. "Luca! You’re back!"

"Unfortunately."

"How was the rest of your break?"

"Good. Quiet. Lazy."

"Sounds perfect." She lowered her voice, leaning closer. "How’s Noel? Did you guys do anything special for New Year’s Eve plans?"

"It’s not New Year’s Eve yet."

"It’s in two days! You have to have plans."

"We’ll figure something out."

Wei Chen rolled over in his chair. "Welcome back to the grind. Hope you enjoyed freedom while it lasted."

"I did. Very much."

Camila looked up from her computer, smiling warmly. "Good to see you, Luca. Ready for the final push?"

"As ready as I’ll ever be."

Even Liam seemed slightly more awake than usual, offering a lazy wave from his desk.

Georgia emerged from her office, coffee in hand, surveying her team with that expression that meant business.

"Good morning, everyone. Hope you all had a nice break, because we have a lot to finish this week." She pulled up something on her tablet. "Final reports are due Thursday. I want drafts by tomorrow end of day for review."

Collective groaning.

"I know, I know. But we need everything finalized before internship ends Friday. So let’s make this week count." She looked directly at Luca. "That means you too. No disappearing to Japan this time."

"That was one time."

"One time was enough."

The morning dissolved into work catching up on emails that had accumulated despite the short break, reviewing projects that needed completion, coordinating with team members on final deliverables.

Luca pulled up his task list. Seven items, each one requiring significant time and attention.

He took a sip of coffee and got started.

The hours passed in that particular way work time did simultaneously fast and slow, looking up to find it was suddenly 11 AM, then 12:30, then.

His phone buzzed.

Noel: lunch?

Luca: starving. cafeteria?

Noel: meet you there in 10

Luca saved his work, grabbed his phone, and headed for the elevator.

The cafeteria was predictably crowded everyone emerging from their departments, the collective midday exodus.

He spotted Noel near the entrance, already changed out of his blazer, looking tired but focused.

"Hey," Luca said, joining him.

"Hey." Noel’s expression softened slightly. "How’s your morning?"

"Busy. Yours?"

"Same. Max has us finalizing year-end reports." They moved through the food line together, making selections. "How’s Georgia?"

"In full taskmaster mode. She wants drafts by tomorrow."

"Sounds about right."

They found a small table near the window, away from the main crowd.

"You look tired," Luca observed, watching Noel pick at his salad.

"I’m fine."

"That’s not what I asked."

Noel glanced up. "I’m a little tired. It’s the first day back. Everyone’s tired."

"True." Luca reached across, stealing a tomato from Noel’s plate. "But you’re extra tired."

"I’m not—" Noel paused. "Okay, maybe a little. I didn’t sleep great last night."

"Why not?"

"Just thinking about everything we need to finish this week. My brain wouldn’t shut off."

Luca knew that feeling—Noel’s tendency to worry, to plan excessively, to carry stress in a way that made sleep impossible.

"Tonight," Luca said, "when we get home. No work. Just relaxing."

"I have reports to—"

"Noel."

"What?"

"No work. We’ll make dinner, watch something mindless, go to bed early. You need rest."

"I need to finish—"

"You need rest," Luca repeated firmly. "The work will still be there tomorrow. But you won’t be useful if you’re exhausted."

Noel looked like he wanted to argue, but something in Luca’s expression must have convinced him.

"Fine," he said eventually. "But just tonight. Tomorrow I really do need to work."

"We’ll negotiate tomorrow when tomorrow comes."

They finished lunch, talking about nothing important random observations about coworkers, plans for the week, whether the cat had destroyed the apartment yet.

Normal things. Easy things.

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

"I should get back," Noel said eventually, checking his watch his new watch, Luca noticed with satisfaction.

"Yeah, me too."

They stood, disposing of their trays, walking back toward the elevators together.

"Tonight," Luca said as they waited. "Promise you’ll actually relax?"

"I promise."

"Say it like you mean it."

"I promise I’ll actually relax." But Noel was smiling now. "You’re very bossy when you’re worried."

"I’m not bossy. I’m caring."

"Same thing."

"Definitely not the same thing."

The elevator arrived.

They stepped in with a few other people, standing close but not touching, professional in the way they’d learned to be in public spaces.

But when the elevator stopped at the third floor and Luca stepped off, Noel’s hand brushed against his lower back brief, deliberate, private.

A reminder.

I’m here. We’re okay. See you tonight.

Luca smiled as the doors closed.

The afternoon was even busier than the morning meetings about final deliverables, coordinating with other team members, drafting sections of reports that Georgia would inevitably find ways to improve.

Bella kept asking about New Year’s Eve plans, Wei Chen and Camila were discussing whether to do something together as a team, Liam was stress-eating chips while pretending to work.

"We should all go out," Bella suggested around 3 PM. "Like, team celebration. End of internship thing."

"I’m in," Wei Chen said immediately.

"Me too," Camila agreed. "Liam?"

"Sure, whatever."

They all looked at Luca.

"Uh, maybe? I need to check with Noel first."

"Obviously," Bella said, grinning. "Can’t make plans without consulting the boyfriend."

"It’s called being considerate."

"It’s called being whipped."

"I’m not whipped."

"You’re extremely whipped," Wei Chen confirmed. "But it’s cute, so we allow it."

Luca rolled his eyes but pulled out his phone.

Luca: the team wants to do something for new years. maybe all go out together?

Noel: sounds good to me

Noel: Ren and Jace were talking about going to that bar downtown. we could all meet there?

Luca: perfect. I’ll tell them

He looked up. "We’re in. International team are going to the same place downtown, so we can all meet there."

"Excellent!" Bella clapped her hands together. "This is going to be fun."

Georgia emerged from her office. "Less planning parties, more finishing work. We have deadlines, people."

"Yes, boss," they chorused, returning to their computers.

But the energy had shifted something to look forward to, a light at the end of the week.

By the time 5:30 rolled around, Luca’s eyes were burning from staring at spreadsheets and his back hurt from sitting too long.

He saved everything, sent Georgia a draft for review, and packed up.

Noel was waiting in the lobby when he got downstairs, looking exactly how Luca felt tired, ready to be home, holding onto professional composure by a thread.

"Ready?" Luca asked.

"So ready."

The walk home was quieter than the morning, both of them tired, the city settling into its evening rhythm around them.

"How was your afternoon?" Noel asked.

"Long. Productive. Exhausting. Yours?"

"Same."

They reached their building, climbing the stairs that seemed steeper than usual, unlocking their door to find the cat waiting with his usual dramatic greeting.

"We’re home," Luca told him, crouching down for scratches. "Did you miss us?"

The cat meowed loudly, clearly communicating that yes, he had missed them, and also where was dinner, and also how dare they leave him alone all day.

"I’ll feed him," Noel said, moving toward the kitchen. "You want to order dinner? I’m too tired to cook."

"Yeah, what do you want?"

"Anything. You pick."

Luca pulled up a delivery app while Noel dealt with the cat, scrolling through options before settling on Thai food comfort food, easy, exactly what they needed.

By the time the food arrived, they’d both changed into comfortable clothes and were settled on the couch, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up.

They ate straight from the containers, too tired for proper plates, too comfortable to care about presentation.

"This is good," Noel said, mouth full of pad thai.

"Don’t talk with your mouth full."

"Copy."

"Someone has to maintain standards."

They ate in comfortable silence, the TV playing something neither of them were really watching, just existing in the warm space of home.

After dinner, Luca took the containers to the kitchen, cleaning up while Noel stayed on the couch, eyes already drooping.

"Hey," Luca said, coming back. "No falling asleep yet. You need to actually get ready for bed."

"I’m resting."

"You’re about to pass out on the couch." Luca held out his hand. "Come on. Brush teeth, wash face, then proper bed."

Noel groaned but took his hand, letting Luca pull him up.

They went through their nighttime routine slower than usual, both of them exhausted and finally made it to bed.

Luca immediately curled into Noel’s side, and Noel’s arm came around him automatically, pulling him closer.

"See?" Luca said quietly. "Relaxing. No work. Just rest."

"You were right," Noel admitted, voice already thick with approaching sleep.

"Say that again. I want to remember it."

"Don’t push your luck."

Luca smiled against his shoulder. "How do you feel?"

"Tired. But good tired. Better than this morning."

"Good."

Outside, the city continued its evening noise distant traffic, someone’s music through the walls, the occasional siren.

Inside, everything was quiet, warm, safe.

"Luca?" Noel’s voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For taking care of me."

"Always." Luca pressed a kiss to whatever part of Noel was closest turned out to be his collarbone. "That’s what we do. We take care of each other."

"Yeah. We do."

They drifted toward sleep, hands linked beneath the covers, the matching rings they wore catching the small amount of light from the window.

One day back to work done.

Four more to go.

Then whatever came next.

But for now, this was enough.

Wrapped in each other, exhausted but together, home.

Perfect.