Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 269: The Internship Is Over

Friday morning carried a strange finality—the last first day, the last walk to work as interns, the last time they’d separate at the elevator to go to their respective floors.

Luca felt it as soon as he woke up, a weight in his chest that was equal parts nostalgia and anticipation.

"Last day," he said, watching Noel button his shirt.

"Last day," Noel confirmed.

"Feels somehow."

"Yeah. It does."

They moved through their routine slower than usual, neither one quite ready to let go of this Chapter, even though they both knew it was time.

The walk to work was quiet, both of them caught in their own thoughts.

"I’m going to miss this," Luca said eventually. "The routine. Having you right upstairs."

"We’ll still have routine. Just different."

"I know. But this specific thing—walking together, lunch together, knowing you’re just an elevator ride away....I’ll miss this version."

Noel stopped walking, turning to face him on the sidewalk. "Hey. We’re not losing anything. Just changing."

"I know."

"Do you?"

Luca smiled. "Yeah. I do. Doesn’t mean I can’t be a little sad about it ending."

"That’s fair." Noel pulled him close briefly, right there on the street. "I’ll miss it too."

They stood there for a moment, people flowing around them, the city indifferent to their small moment of transition.

Then they continued walking, hands brushing occasionally, both preparing for goodbyes.

The third floor had a different energy when Luca arrived—everyone working but with awareness that this was it, the last day, the end of something that had become familiar.

Georgia was already there, looking more emotional than Luca had ever seen her, though she was clearly trying to hide it.

"Morning, everyone," she said once they’d all arrived. "So. Last day. We have final paperwork to complete, evaluations to sign, exit interviews. But before all that..." She paused, unusual vulnerability showing. "I wanted to say it’s been a privilege working with you all. You’ve grown a lot in these months. I’m proud of what you’ve accomplished."

"Georgia," Bella said, voice thick. "Are you getting emotional?"

"Absolutely not. I’m being professional."

"You’re totally emotional."

"Focus on your paperwork."

But Georgia was smiling, and everyone could see the pride in her expression.

The morning was consumed by administrative tasks—signing documents, filling out evaluations, formal exit interviews that felt simultaneously important and pointless.

Around eleven, Georgia called Luca into her office.

"Sit," she said, gesturing to the chair across from her desk.

Luca sat, suddenly nervous despite having done nothing wrong.

"Your evaluation," Georgia said, sliding a document across. "Read it."

He scanned the page—categories marked "exceeds expectations," comments about growth and initiative, a final rating that was far better than he’d anticipated.

"This is... really good," he said, looking up.

"Because you earned it." Georgia leaned back. "You came in scattered, unfocused, clearly here because your father expected it. You’re leaving capable, efficient, someone I’d hire in a heartbeat if I had the position."

"Thank you."

"I’m not just saying it. You grew, Luca. That takes courage." She paused. "You planning to work for your father after graduation?"

"I don’t know. Haven’t decided yet."

"Whatever you choose, you’ll do well. You’ve got the skills now. And the confidence."

Something in Luca’s throat tightened. "Georgia—"

"Don’t get emotional on me. I have four more of these meetings."

"I’m not emotional."

"Good. Now get out of my office and finish your paperwork."

But when he stood to leave, she added, "Luca. Seriously. It’s been good having you on the team."

"It’s been good being on it."

Lunch was a team affair—everyone went to the cafeteria together, claiming a large table, the mood bittersweet.

Noel’s team was there too, at a nearby table, and at some point the groups merged, everyone sitting together for one last shared meal.

"Can’t believe this is it," Ren said, picking at his food.

"We’ll see each other at school, some of us." Jace pointed out.

"Yeah, but it won’t be the same. No more structured work time. No more team meetings."

"Thank god," Liam said. "I hated team meetings."

"Liar. You loved team meetings because you got to do nothing while everyone else talked."

"Exactly. It was perfect."

Everyone laughed, but there was an undercurrent of real emotion beneath the jokes.

"We should stay in touch," Bella said. "Like, actually stay in touch. Not just say it and then never talk."

"Group chat?" Camila suggested.

"I hate group chats," Noel said.

"You hate everything social," Ren told him.

"Not true. I hate most social things. There’s a difference."

"We’re making a group chat," Bella decided. "Everyone’s in it. No escaping."

After lunch, they returned to their departments for final tasks.

Georgia handed out letters of recommendation, each one personalized, clearly written with care.

"For your job applications," she explained. "Or graduate school, if that’s your path."

Bella read hers and immediately started crying. "Georgia, this is so nice."

"It’s accurate. Don’t make a scene."

"Too late."

By three o’clock, everything was officially complete. Paperwork signed, computers logged out for the last time, desks cleared of personal items.

The team stood around awkwardly, none of them quite ready to leave.

"Well," Georgia said finally. "This is it. You’re officially done."

"Just like that?" Wei Chen asked.

"Just like that."

"Feels anticlimactic."

"Most endings do."

Bella pulled Georgia into a hug despite her protests. "Thank you. For everything. For being tough but fair. For teaching us."

"You’re welcome. Now let go before I change my evaluation."

One by one, they each hugged Georgia—even Liam, who normally avoided physical contact—then gathered their things.

"Photo?" Bella suggested. "Team photo before we leave?"

They clustered together, Bella holding her phone at arm’s length, everyone squishing into frame.

"Say ’we survived!’" Bella instructed.

"We survived!" they chorused, and the photo captured them—tired, happy, together one last time as a team.

Luca met Noel in the lobby, both of them carrying boxes of personal items, both looking slightly lost.

"Done?" Luca asked.

"Done." Noel shifted his box. "You?"

"Yeah. Georgia made me cry."

"Max did made Ren cry too. Apparently he’s secretly very good at emotional goodbyes."

"Who knew?"

They walked out together, the winter sun already low despite it being only mid-afternoon.

"Feels strange," Noel said as they left the building. "Walking away for the last time."

"We’ll be back. For events or visits or whatever."

"But not as interns."

"No. Not as interns."

They walked in silence for a bit, both processing.

"You’re quiet?" Luca said eventually.

"Yeah. Just... reflective, I guess. It was a good experience."

"Yeah. It really was."

"And now we’re back to school. Final semester."

"Then graduation."

"Everything changes again."

"Change isn’t bad."

"I know. Just... a lot of it lately."

Luca shifted his box to one arm, reaching out to take Noel’s free hand. "We’ll figure it out. Like we always do."

"Yeah together."

"Together."

Back at the apartment, they set their boxes down, both too tired to unpack immediately.

"What do you want to do tonight?" Noel asked, collapsing onto the couch.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"That sounds perfect."

They ordered Chinese food, ate it straight from the containers, watched a movie neither of them paid much attention to.

At some point, Luca’s phone buzzed with notifications—the group chat Bella had threatened to create was now real, already filling with messages.

Bella: OFFICIAL INTERN SURVIVORS GROUP CHAT

Bella:everyone better participate or I’m hunting you down

Ren: this is already chaotic

Jace: I love it

Wei Chen: Camila says hi, she’s too lazy to type

Camila: that’s not what I said

Liam: do I have to be in this

Bella:YES

Bella: Noel are you here

Noel: unfortunately

Bella: RUDE

Bella: Luca control your boyfriend

Luca: he’s uncontrollable

Noel: that’s accurate

The messages continued, everyone settling into the new dynamic, the transition from coworkers to friends solidifying.

"This is going to be constant, isn’t it?" Noel asked, watching over Luca’s shoulder.

"Probably."

"Exhausting."

"Also kind of nice."

"I guess."

But Noel was smiling, and Luca knew he secretly didn’t mind.

Later, in bed, the apartment dark and quiet, Luca said, "Monday we’re back to school."

"I know."

"Nervous?"

"A little. You?"

"Yeah. Feels like starting over again."

"But we’ve done it before. We know how to balance everything now."

"True." Luca curled closer. "At least we’ll have some classes together. International Business and Business Studies overlap sometimes."

"Maybe we’ll get lucky."

"Maybe."

They lay there in the darkness, the weight of the day settling over them, one Chapter officially closed.

"Noel?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for being there. Through the internship. Through everything."

"You were there too."

"I know. But still. Thanks."

"You’re welcome." Noel pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Get some sleep. We have the weekend before school starts."

"What should we do?"

"Something lazy. Something fun. Something us."

"Perfect."

Outside, the city continued its Friday night rhythm. Inside, wrapped in each other and the quiet comfort of home, they drifted toward sleep.

The internship was over.

School would start again.

Life kept moving forward.

But whatever came next, they’d face it together.

And that made everything okay.