Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 267: Everything Feels Right

Wednesday morning arrived with strange energy—the city caught between regular routine and impending celebration, everyone aware that tonight the world would reset to a new year.

Luca woke to find Noel already up, sitting on the edge of the bed lacing his shoes.

"What time is it?" Luca asked, voice still thick with sleep.

"Seven. You can sleep a little longer if you want."

"No, I’m up." Luca pushed himself into a sitting position, running hands through his hair. "Big day?"

"Just normal work. But everyone’s distracted." Noel finished with his shoes, standing. "The whole office has New Year’s Eve energy."

"Is that a thing?"

"Apparently."

By the time they left the apartment, it was clear Noel was right—the city felt different.

More people smiling at strangers, shop windows displaying "Happy New Year" signs, the collective anticipation of something ending and something beginning.

"It’s weird," Luca observed as they walked. "How everyone gets excited about an arbitrary date change."

"It’s not arbitrary. It’s symbolic."

"Still arbitrary."

"You’re very cynical in the morning."

"I’m realistic in the morning."

Noel smiled. "That’s my line."

"I know."

The office was buzzing when they arrived conversations louder than usual, laughter more frequent, that particular energy that came when people were mentally already somewhere else.

They separated at their floors with the usual brief contact, a shared look that said see you later.

Luca’s department was in full New Year’s Eve mode.

Bella had somehow acquired party hats and was trying to convince everyone to wear them.

"It’s 9 AM," Georgia said from her office doorway.

"It’s never too early for festive spirit!" Bella held out a silver cone-shaped hat with "2026" printed on it.

"I’m not wearing that."

"Come on, Georgia. Live a little."

"I live plenty. Without party hats."

Wei Chen was already wearing his, completely unselfconscious, while Camila had diplomatically placed hers on her desk rather than her head.

Liam looked at the hat Bella offered him with deep suspicion. "Do I have to?"

"Yes."

"But why?"

"Because it’s fun."

"That’s not a real reason."

"It’s the best reason."

Luca accepted his hat, putting it on just to see Bella’s face light up. "Happy?"

"Extremely."

"You look ridiculous," Wei Chen told him.

"You’re literally wearing the same hat."

"Yes, but I wear it better."

Camila laughed, finally putting hers on. "We all look ridiculous. That’s the point."

Even Georgia couldn’t completely suppress her smile at the sight of her entire team in party hats at nine in the morning on a work day.

"Alright, enough celebration. We still have actual work to finish." She retreated to her office. "And Bella—take the hat off during client calls."

"Yes, boss!"

The morning passed in fits and starts—people trying to focus but getting distracted, conversations drifting to New Year’s plans, the energy restless and anticipatory.

Luca worked through his task list methodically, making decent progress despite the chaos around him.

Around eleven, his phone buzzed.

Noel: my entire floor is wearing party hats

Luca: same here. Bella’s doing

Noel: it was Ren here. apparently coordinated

Luca: conspiracy

Noel: clearly 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Noel: you wearing one?

Luca: maybe

Noel: send photo

Luca: absolutely not

Noel: coward

Luca smiled, setting his phone down. Two could play that game.

Five minutes later, Noel sent a photo—him at his desk, party hat slightly crooked, expression completely deadpan, the caption: ’see? not afraid of looking ridiculous.’

Luca laughed out loud, earning a curious look from Bella.

He took his own photo making the most absurd face possible while wearing his hat and sent it back.

Luca: courage comes in many forms

Noel: that’s just you being weird

Luca: same thing

Noel: definitely not the same thing

Lunch came and they met in the cafeteria, both still wearing their hats because taking them off felt like admitting defeat.

"We look like idiots," Noel said as they sat down.

"Speak for yourself. I look festive."

"You look like a disaster."

"A festive disaster."

They ate surrounded by other people also wearing party hats, the whole cafeteria having apparently given up on professional dignity for the day.

"Tomorrow’s going to be weird," Luca said. "Working on New Year’s Day."

"At least we finish early. Three o’clock, then done."

"Then the bar."

"Then the bar," Noel confirmed. "Everyone’s pretty excited about it."

"Bella won’t stop talking about it. She’s already planned her outfit."

"Ren too. Apparently it’s a ’significant social milestone.’"

"Why are our friends like this?"

"Because they’re enthusiastic about life?"

"That sounds exhausting."

"It is. But also kind of nice."

After lunch, the afternoon somehow managed to be even more distracted than the morning.

Someone started playing music—quietly, but enough to be noticeable.

People kept checking their phones more frequently.

The normal work rhythm had completely dissolved into collective anticipation.

Georgia emerged from her office around three, surveying her team with resignation.

"You know what? We’re clearly not getting anything else done today." She made a shooing motion. "Go home. Get ready for your celebrations. Just make sure everything’s actually finished by Friday."

"Really?" Bella looked delighted.

"Really. Before I change my mind."

The team didn’t need to be told twice.

Luca packed up quickly, texting Noel as he headed for the elevator.

Luca: Georgia let us out early. you done?

Noel: still working. Max wants this finalized

Luca: want me to wait?

Noel: no, go home. I’ll probably be another hour

Luca: okay. don’t overwork

Noel:I won’t

The apartment was quiet when Luca arrived, just him and Luca Jr., who seemed confused about the early return.

"Hey I know, weird schedule," Luca told him, scratching behind his ears. "Back to normal next week."

He changed into comfortable clothes, started some laundry they’d been putting off, cleaned the kitchen because it gave him something to do.

An hour passed. Then another.

He checked his phone. Nothing.

Luca: you okay?

Ten minutes later: Noel:.yeah sorry. almost done

Luca: take your time. just checking

Another thirty minutes crawled by.

Finally, the door opened and Noel walked in, looking exhausted, shoulders tight with tension.

"Hey," Luca said from the couch. "Rough afternoon?"

"Max kept finding issues. We revised the same document four times." Noel dropped his bag by the door, pulling off his jacket. "I’m so tired."

"Come here."

Noel collapsed onto the couch beside him, and Luca immediately pulled him close, maneuvering until Noel’s head was resting in his lap.

"Better?" Luca asked, fingers already moving through Noel’s hair.

"Much better."

They stayed like that, Luca’s fingers working gentle circles against Noel’s scalp, the tension gradually easing from his shoulders.

"You work too hard," Luca said quietly.

"I work appropriately."

"You work too hard," Luca repeated. "But I love that about you. Even when it drives me crazy."

"I love that you force me to stop. Even when it drives me crazy."

"We’re good for each other."

"Yeah. We really are."

Outside, the city was preparing for midnight—early celebrations already starting, fireworks being set up, the energy building toward that collective moment when everyone would count down together.

But inside their apartment, time felt suspended.

Just the two of them, wrapped in each other, the quiet intimacy more meaningful than any big celebration.

"What time is it?" Noel asked eventually.

Luca checked his phone. "Almost seven."

"We should eat something."

"We should." Neither of them moved.

"Luca?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for being patient. With my work stuff. I know it’s annoying."

"It’s not annoying. It’s who you are." Luca’s fingers continued their gentle movement. "And who you are is pretty great, even when you’re stressed about tariff classifications."

"They’re important—"

"I know they are. To you. Which makes them important to me."

Noel shifted, looking up at him. "How did I get so lucky?"

"Pretty sure I’m the lucky one."

"We’re both lucky."

"Deal."

They ordered pizza for dinner—easy, festive enough, exactly what they needed.

While waiting for delivery, they opened the windows despite the cold, letting in the sounds of the city preparing to celebrate distant music, voices raised in early excitement, the occasional premature firework.

"It’s really New Year’s Eve," Luca said, leaning against the window frame.

"Technically we’re still in the current year for another five hours."

"You’re very pedantic about time."

"I’m accurate about time."

"Same thing."

"Not remotely the same thing."

The pizza arrived and they ate on the couch, watching the clock tick closer to midnight even though they weren’t planning anything special.

"Should we stay up?" Luca asked around nine. "Watch the countdown?"

"We have work tomorrow."

"I know. But it’s New Year’s."

Noel considered. "Okay. But we’re watching from here. Not going out."

"Perfect."

They found a countdown show on TV—one of those elaborate productions with performances and crowds of people freezing in various city centers, everyone wearing those same ridiculous party hats.

As midnight approached, they settled closer together, Luca curled into Noel’s side, both of them tired but determined to see the year turn over.

The TV showed crowds gathering, countdowns beginning in different time zones, the collective anticipation building.

"Ten seconds," the announcer said, voice bright with manufactured excitement.

The countdown began.

Ten.

Luca laced his fingers through Noel’s.

Nine.

"New year," Noel said quietly. "New semester. Graduation soon."

Eight.

"Then real jobs. Real life."

Seven.

"It’s kind of terrifying."

Six.

"Yeah," Luca agreed. "But we’ll figure it out."

Five.

"Together."

Four.

"Yeah." Noel confirmed.

Three.

Outside, the city was getting louder, the energy building.

Two.

Luca turned to look at Noel, finding him already watching.

One.

"Happy New Year," they said simultaneously.

And then Noel was kissing him—soft and sweet and unhurried, while outside fireworks exploded and people cheered and the world celebrated the arbitrary reset of a calendar.

When they broke apart, both smiling, the TV was showing crowds celebrating, confetti falling, strangers hugging strangers.

"Happy New Year," Luca said again, quieter this time.

"Happy New Year." Noel pressed their foreheads together. "Here’s to whatever comes next."

"Whatever comes next," Luca echoed.

They stayed up another hour, watching the celebrations wind down, eventually making it to bed around one-thirty.

In the morning, they’d go back to work. Tomorrow night, they’d celebrate with friends.

The internship would end, school would start, life would keep moving forward relentlessly.

But for now, wrapped in each other in the first moments of a new year, everything felt possible.

Everything felt right.