Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 291: Futures, Uncertain but Ours

Luca woke up to sunlight stabbing directly into his skull.

He groaned, rolling onto his side. His mouth tasted like something had died in it. His head pounded in rhythm with his heartbeat.

The bed shifted. A glass of water appeared in his line of vision, held by steady fingers.

"Drink," Noel said.

Luca squinted up at him.

"What time is it?" Luca’s voice came out rough.

"Ten thirty."

"Oh god."

"Drink the water."

Luca pushed himself up, wincing at the way the room tilted. He took the glass, drained half of it in one go. The water helped. A little.

"How much did I have?"

"Five beers. Maybe six." Noel sat on the edge of the bed, watching him with barely concealed amusement. "You were very affectionate."

Luca’s face heated. "What did I say?"

"That you love me. Repeatedly. You also told me I was pretty."

"I tell you that sober."

"I know. But drunk you really wanted to make sure I knew." Noel’s smile widened. "You kissed my face about seventeen times."

"Only seventeen?"

"I stopped counting after that."

Luca finished the water, set the glass on the nightstand. His head still throbbed, but the worst of the fog was lifting. "Did I do anything embarrassing?"

"You mean besides declaring your love on a public sidewalk?"

"Please tell me you’re joking."

"Only a little." Noel stood, heading toward the door. "There’s Aspirin on the counter. And I made toast."

"You’re a saint."

"I know."

Luca dragged himself out of bed. His reflection in the bathroom mirror looked exactly how he felt—pale, rumpled, like he’d been hit by a truck. He splashed water on his face, brushed his teeth twice, pulled on clean clothes.

In the kitchen, Noel was reading something on his phone, mug of tea steaming beside him. A plate of buttered toast sat waiting.

Luca dropped into the chair across from him, reaching for the pain relief.

"How are you not hungover?" he asked.

"I had two drinks."

"Show off."

"Responsible adult."

Luca took the pills, bit into the toast. Plain, simple, exactly what his stomach could handle. Cat appeared from nowhere, winding between his ankles and meowing plaintively.

"I already fed you," Noel said without looking up.

The cat meowed again, louder.

"Liar," Luca muttered, but he was smiling.

They fell into comfortable quiet.

Noel scrolled through something, occasionally taking sips of tea.

Luca worked through the toast slowly, feeling more human with each bite.

"What are you reading?"

"Email from my advisor. Defense panel confirmed for Tuesday, nine AM."

Luca looked up. "That’s three days away."

"I know."

"Are you ready?"

Noel set his phone down. "As ready as I’m going to be. I’ve rehearsed the presentation six times. I know my research inside out. Either they approve it or they don’t."

"They will."

"You don’t know that."

"I know you." Luca reached across the table, fingers brushing Noel’s wrist. "You’ve worked your ass off on this. It’s good. Really good."

Noel’s expression softened. He turned his hand over, lacing their fingers together. "Thanks."

"I’m serious. You’re going to walk in there, present your brilliant research, and they’re going to be impressed."

"Or they’ll tear it apart and send me back to revise."

"Then you’ll revise and come back stronger. But they won’t." Luca squeezed his hand. "Trust me."

Noel studied him for a moment, something warm settling in his eyes. "When did you become the optimistic one?"

"Someone has to balance out your catastrophizing."

"I don’t catastrophize."

"You absolutely do."

Noel huffed, but he was smiling. "Finish your toast. You need to work on your capstone."

"I submitted it yesterday."

"You what?"

"After you went to shower. I read it one more time, realized I was just moving commas around at that point, and hit submit." Luca leaned back, satisfied. "Done. Officially."

"Luca."

"What?"

"You didn’t tell me."

"I’m telling you now."

Noel stared at him, something complicated crossing his face—surprise, pride, maybe a little bit of relief. "How do you feel?"

"Terrified. Relieved. Like I might throw up, but in a good way?"

"That’s specific."

"It’s accurate." Luca stood, carrying his plate to the sink. "Defense is scheduled for Thursday. So I have five days to spiral about it."

"You’ll be fine."

"Now who’s the optimist?"

Noel joined him at the sink, hip bumping against his. "I’m serious. You know your work. You’ve been thinking about this research for months. You’ll walk in, answer their questions, and walk out with approval." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"You stole my speech."

"It was a good speech."

Luca turned, leaning back against the counter.

Noel moved closer, hands settling on either side of him, bracketing him in.

"Hi," Luca said.

"Hi." Noel’s eyes crinkled. "Feeling better?"

"Much."

"Good." Noel leaned in, pressing a kiss to his temple. Then his cheek. Then the corner of his mouth. "Because I need you functional. Someone has to keep me from panicking on Tuesday."

"I can do that."

"And someone has to celebrate with me after."

"Also me."

"Exactly." Noel kissed him properly this time, slow and unhurried. When he pulled back, his expression was soft. "We’re really doing this."

"Graduating?"

"All of it. Finishing. Moving forward. Together."

Luca’s chest tightened in that good way, the way that meant something real was happening. "Yeah. We are."

"You’re not scared?"

"Terrified," Luca admitted. "But in a good way. The kind that means something important is coming."

Noel nodded slowly. "Me too."

They stood there for a moment, the morning sun streaming through the kitchen window, the cat purring somewhere behind them, the apartment quiet except for the radiator’s familiar hum.

"Okay," Noel said finally, stepping back. "Shower. Then I’m reviewing my presentation one more time."

"Want company?"

"In the shower or during the presentation?"

"Both."

Noel laughed, heading toward the bathroom. "Come on, then. But no distracting me."

"I would never."

"You absolutely would."

Luca followed him, grinning. His head still ached dully, his stomach was still queasy, but none of it mattered.

Not really.

Because Tuesday, Noel would defend his capstone. Thursday, Luca would defend his. And in three weeks, they’d walk across a stage together, diplomas in hand, futures uncertain but theirs.

For now, though, it was just Saturday morning. Just them, and toast, and the comfortable rhythm of a life they’d built together.

And that was more than enough.

The shower ran hot enough to fog the mirror.

Luca stood under the spray, eyes closed, letting the water work through the last of his hangover haze.

Behind him, Noel was doing something with his hair—probably that elaborate routine.

"You’re hogging the water," Noel said.

"There’s plenty of water."

"Not from this angle."

Luca shifted, making space. Noel moved into the stream, tilting his head back. Water ran down his shoulders, following the line of his spine.

Luca reached for the shampoo bottle.

"What are you doing?" Noel asked.

"Being helpful."

"You’re never helpful without an agenda."

"Maybe my agenda is making sure you don’t smell like a library."

Noel turned, water dripping from his hair. "I don’t smell like a library."

"You smell like old books and stress." Luca squeezed shampoo into his palm. "Turn around."

"Luca—"

"Just turn around."

Noel sighed but complied.

Luca worked the shampoo through his hair, fingers massaging his scalp in slow circles.

Noel’s shoulders gradually relaxed, tension draining out of him inch by inch.

"It’s actually nice," Noel admitted quietly.

"Told you."

"Still suspicious of your motives."

"My motives are pure." Luca’s hands moved to Noel’s shoulders, thumbs pressing into the knots along his shoulder blades. "You’re tense."

"I have a defense in three days."

"Which you’re going to nail."

"You keep saying that."

"Because it’s true." Luca guided him back under the water, rinsing the shampoo away. "And because you need to hear it until you believe it."

Noel turned, water streaming down his face. His expression was softer now, less guarded. "What if I mess up?"

"You won’t."

"But what if I do?"

Luca cupped his face, thumbs brushing his cheekbones. "Then you’ll handle it. You always do. But you won’t mess up, because you’re brilliant and prepared and you’ve been living this research for months."

"You’re biased."

"Completely." Luca kissed him, brief and warm. "Doesn’t make me wrong."

Noel’s arms came around his waist, pulling him closer.

They stood like that for a moment, water running over both of them, the world narrowed down to just this—steam and warmth and the steady beat of each other’s hearts.

"Okay," Noel said finally.

"Okay what?"

"Okay, I believe you. A little."

"I’ll take it."

They finished showering, the comfortable kind of quiet settling between them.

Noel got out first, wrapping a towel around his waist and immediately reaching for his laptop.

Luca took his time, drying off slowly. By the time he emerged, Noel was already at his desk, presentation notes spread out, laptop open.

"You’re really doing this now?" Luca asked.

"Just one more run-through."

"You said you’ve done it six times already."

"Seven won’t hurt."

Luca pulled on sweatpants and a t-shirt, padding over to the desk. He stood behind Noel’s chair, reading over his shoulder.

The presentation was clean, organized, every slide perfectly structured. Graphs and data points laid out with precision.

Noel’s argument building systematically, each section flowing into the next.

"It’s good," Luca said.

"It’s adequate."

"It’s better than adequate. It’s really fucking good, Noel."

Noel leaned back, head tipping against Luca’s stomach. "I just want it to be over."

"I know."

"I want to stop thinking about it."

"Three more days."

"Yeah three more days mean...Seventy-two hours."

"We can do seventy-two hours." Luca ran his fingers through Noel’s damp hair. "How about this—you do one more practice run. Out loud. Right now. And then you’re done for the day."

"Done for the day?"

"Completely. No more capstone, no more stress. We’ll order food, watch something mindless, and you can turn your brain off for the rest of the weekend."

Noel tilted his head back further, looking up at him. "You’re bribing me with rest?"

"Is it working?"

A small smile tugged at Noel’s mouth. "Maybe."

"Then yes, I’m bribing you."

"Fine." Noel straightened, pulling up his presentation. "But you have to actually listen. Tell me if something doesn’t make sense."

"Deal."

Luca settled on the bed, propped against the pillows. Cat jumped up beside him, circling twice before curling into a tight ball against his hip.

Noel started his presentation.

His voice was steady, confident. He walked through each slide with precision, explaining complex trade policy like he was telling a story.

His hands moved as he talked, gesturing to emphasize points, and his whole body language shifted into something assured and certain.

Luca watched him, chest tight with something he couldn’t quite name.

This was it. The end of something, the beginning of something else. Four years of late nights and stress and growth, all leading to this moment—Noel standing in their bedroom, presenting research that mattered, that he cared about, that he’d poured himself into.

"And that’s the conclusion," Noel said finally, clicking to the last slide. He turned. "Well?"

"You’re going to kill it."

"Luca—"

"I’m serious. That was incredible. Clear, confident, compelling. They’re going to eat it up."

Noel closed his laptop, crossing to the bed. He dropped down beside Luca, pulling him close. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Listening. Believing in me. Being here."

Luca kissed his forehead. "Always."

They lay there for a while, Miso purring between them, the afternoon sun slanting through the window.

Outside, the city hummed with its usual Saturday energy.

Inside, everything felt still and right and exactly where it needed to be.

"I’m ordering Thai food," Luca said eventually.

"Good idea."

"And we’re watching that cooking show you say you hate."

"I don’t hate it."

"You absolutely hate it."

"It’s fine."

"You called it ’culinary torture’ last time."

Noel huffed against his shoulder. "Order the food."

Luca smiled, reaching for his phone.

Seventy-two hours until Tuesday.

They could do this.