Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 279: Academic Chaos, Managed

Thursday evening, Luca came home to find Noel on the floor.

Not collapsed. Not unconscious. Just... sitting on the living room floor, back against the couch, laptop balanced on his knees, papers spread in a circle around him like he was conducting some kind of academic ritual.

"Uh," Luca said, closing the door. "You okay?"

"The desk chair broke."

"What?"

"One of the wheels fell off. It’s very broken. So now I’m on the floor."

"Why not sit on the couch like a normal person?"

"I tried. My back hurt. The floor has better support."

Luca dropped his bag, surveying the scene. "You look like you’re summoning something."

"I’m summoning clarity. It’s not working."

"Have you tried turning it off and on again?"

"My laptop or my brain?"

"Both."

Noel looked up, and despite the exhaustion evident in his expression, he smiled. "How was your emergency project meeting?"

"Terrible. The error was worse than we thought. We basically have to redo the entire financial analysis."

"That’s—"

"I know. Don’t say it."

"I was going to say that sounds fixable."

"Oh." Luca moved closer, sitting down beside him on the floor. "I thought you were going to say terrible."

"I was. But fixable seemed more helpful."

They sat in silence for a moment, both surrounded by their respective academic chaos.

"This is depressing," Luca said, looking at the papers scattered around them. "We’re sitting on the floor doing homework on a Thursday night."

"It’s very tragic."

"We’re living the dream."

"The nightmare, maybe."

"Same thing at this point."

Noel closed his laptop, setting it aside carefully. "When did we become the kind of people who work on Thursday nights?"

"Somewhere between internship and final semester."

"Depressing."

"Very."

The cat appeared from the bedroom, assessed the situation with feline judgment, and climbed directly onto Noel’s abandoned laptop.

"No," Noel said, reaching for him. "That’s not a bed."

Luca Jr. settled more firmly, making himself comfortable.

"He’s claiming it," Luca observed.

"He can’t claim my laptop."

"I think he just did."

"Luca, help me."

"Sorry. He’s made his choice. The laptop belongs to him now."

Noel tried to extract the cat without disturbing him too much, but the cat had committed to his position with the stubbornness only cats possessed.

"This is ridiculous," Noel said.

"This is life with cats."

"I regret all my decisions."

"You love him."

"That’s irrelevant."

Eventually, through careful maneuvering and strategic treats, they convinced him to relocate to the armchair, and Noel reclaimed his laptop.

"Okay," Luca said, looking at the mess around them. "New plan. We’re taking a break."

"I need to finish—"

"You need to take a break. We both do." Luca stood, extending his hand. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"You’ll see."

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

"Put on shoes," Luca instructed. "And a jacket."

"Luca, it’s almost eight. It’s dark. It’s cold."

"I know. Shoes. Jacket. Now."

Five minutes later, they were walking down their street, breath visible in the cold air, the city settled into its evening rhythm.

"Where are we going?" Noel asked again.

"Nowhere. Everywhere. Just walking."

"That’s not an answer."

"Sure it is."

They walked without destination, following streets that interested them, stopping to look at window displays of closed shops, existing outside the pressure of homework and deadlines.

"This is nice," Noel admitted after a few blocks.

"See? I have good ideas sometimes."

"Sometimes."

"I’ll take it."

They found themselves at a small park—more of a plaza, really, with benches and a fountain that wasn’t running because of winter, trees bare but elegant against the dark sky.

"Want to sit?" Luca asked.

"It’s freezing."

"For five minutes. Then we’ll go back."

They claimed a bench, sitting close for warmth, watching the occasional person pass by walking dogs or heading home from work.

"Can I ask you something?" Noel said after a moment.

"Always."

"Are you happy?"

Luca looked at him, surprised. "Right now?"

"In general. With school, with us, with life. Are you happy?"

"That’s a big question for a Thursday night."

"I know. But I’ve been thinking about it. About what comes after graduation. About whether we’re doing the right things. And I realized I don’t actually know if you’re happy with how things are."

Luca was quiet, considering. "I’m stressed. And tired. And sometimes overwhelmed by all the uncertainty."

"That’s not an answer."

"I’m getting there." Luca took his hand, intertwining their fingers. "But yeah. I’m happy. Even with all the stress and uncertainty. Because I have you. Because we figured out how to do this together. Because even when everything else feels chaotic, this—us—feels right."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Luca squeezed his hand. "Are you happy?"

"I am now." Noel leaned his head against Luca’s shoulder. "I wasn’t last week. I was spiraling about the future and my capstone and all the unknowns. But you helped me see that not knowing is okay. That we’ll figure it out as we go."

"We will."

"I’m trying to believe that."

"I believe it enough for both of us."

They sat in comfortable silence, the city moving around them, both of them just existing in the moment without pressure or expectation.

"Hey Noel?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For asking. About happiness. For caring enough to check in."

"Of course I care. You’re the most important person in my life."

"You’re very sweet when you’re cold."

"I’m always sweet."

"You’re always something."

"Rude."

But Luca was smiling, and Noel was too, and they sat there for another few minutes before the cold became too much to ignore.

Walking back, Luca said, "We should do this more often."

"Sit in freezing parks?"

"Take breaks. Remember that life exists outside of homework."

"Revolutionary concept."

"I’m full of revolutionary concepts."

"You’re full of something."

"Hey—"

But Noel was laughing, and Luca joined in, both of them slightly delirious from exhaustion and cold and the simple joy of being together.

Back at the apartment, they made hot chocolate—the instant kind that was terrible but nostalgic, drinking it while standing in the kitchen because sitting on the floor had lost its appeal.

"Better?" Luca asked.

"Much better."

"Good." Luca set his mug down, moving closer. "Now kiss me."

"We’re in the kitchen."

"So?"

"So we should be in a more romantic location."

"The kitchen is romantic. We made hot chocolate here."

"That’s not—"

Luca kissed him before he could finish the protest, gentle and sweet, tasting like chocolate and contentment.

When they broke apart, Noel said, "Okay. Kitchen is romantic."

"Told you."

"You’re insufferable."

"You love me anyway."

"Unfortunately."

They ended up back on the floor eventually—not because the chair was broken, but because the papers were already there and moving felt like too much effort.

Luca worked on his project revisions while Noel continued his capstone research, both of them occasionally reading interesting passages aloud, sharing the small discoveries that made academic work feel less lonely.

Around eleven, Luca’s phone buzzed.

George: I think I found the error in our data. sending you the revised spreadsheet

Luca: you’re a lifesaver

George: I know. I’m amazing.

Luca: don’t get cocky

George: too late

Luca showed Noel the messages. "George fixed the problem."

"That’s good."

"Yeah." Luca leaned his head against Noel’s shoulder. "I’m tired of working."

"We’re almost done."

"You said that an hour ago."

"This time I mean it."

"You said that too."

"Luca."

"Noel."

They looked at each other, both exhausted, both slightly delirious, and started laughing—the kind of laughter that came from being too tired to function properly, from stress finding release in the absurd.

"We’re a mess," Luca said when they finally stopped.

"We’re students. It’s the same thing."

"Fair point."

They worked another thirty minutes, both reaching acceptable stopping points, before calling it a night.

In bed, properly in bed this time instead of on the floor, Luca said, "Today was good."

"We sat on the floor doing homework for six hours."

"But we also walked to the park. And made terrible hot chocolate. And kissed in the kitchen."

"The kissing was nice."

"Just nice?"

"Very nice."

"Better."

Noel pulled him closer. "Thank you for making me take a break. I needed it."

"I could tell. You were entering spiral territory."

"I was not—"

"You were absolutely spiraling."

"Fine. Maybe a little."

"A lot."

"Don’t push your luck."

Luca smiled against his shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Even when I’m annoying?"

"Yeah."

"Even when I make you sit in cold parks?"

"Yeah....."

"Even when—"

"Luca. I love you. All the time. Stop fishing for reassurance."

"Can’t help it."

"I know." Noel kissed his forehead. "Sleep. Tomorrow’s Friday."

"Thank god."

They drifted toward sleep, exhausted but content, the day complete despite its chaos.

Outside, the city continued its nighttime rhythm. Inside, they existed in their small bubble of domestic comfort—homework and companionship and the quiet certainty that whatever challenges tomorrow brought, they’d face them together.

With breaks for cold parks and terrible hot chocolate and kitchen kisses.

Friday afternoon brought unexpected sunshine, warm enough that students gathered outside between classes, everyone relieved the week was almost over.

Noel was in the library when his phone buzzed.

Luca: done with classes. want to do something tonight?

Noel: like what

Luca: I don’t know. something fun. something not school related

Noel: revolutionary

Luca: I’m full of revolutionary ideas

Noel: you’re full of something

Luca:RUDE

Luca: but yes. something fun. your choice

Noel: okay. I’ll think of something

Luca:nothing requiring effort. I’m exhausted

Noel: that limits options significantly

Luca: I have faith in you

Noel smiled, setting his phone down.

Something fun. Something easy. Something that wasn’t homework or stress or thinking about the future.

He could work with that.

By the time he met Luca at home around six, he had a plan.

"Okay," he said, finding Luca already changed into comfortable clothes. "Get your jacket. We’re going out."

"Where?"

"You said my choice."

"I did. But where?"

"It’s a surprise."

"I hate surprises."

"You love surprises."

"I love when YOU have surprises. There’s a difference."

They ended up at an arcade—the kind that was half vintage games, half modern, full of flashing lights and electronic sounds and the particular energy of people having fun without taking themselves too seriously.

"An arcade?" Luca said, looking around.

"You said fun. You said no effort. This is both."

"This is perfect."

They spent two hours there, competing at racing games and shooting games and that basketball game where neither of them could hit the hoop consistently.

Luca won at racing. Noel won at everything requiring strategy. They tied at ski ball and called it a moral victory for both.

"I can’t believe you brought me to an arcade," Luca said as they finally left, both of them carrying ridiculous prizes they’d won—a small stuffed dinosaur for Luca, a rubber duck for Noel.

"You said fun."

"This was very fun."

"Good."

Walking home, Luca took his hand. "Thank you. For knowing what I needed even when I didn’t."

"That’s what I’m here for."

"Among other things."

"Among many other things."

Back at the apartment, they ordered pizza—because some patterns were worth keeping—and ate while showing cat their prizes, which he found deeply uninteresting.

And wrapped in each other and the simple joy of taking a break from stress, they ended the week exactly right.