Chapter 327: Dear Roommate: Permission to Be Hot Forever — A Love That Feels Like Home
The bathroom door slid open with a soft sound.
Noel stepped out, hair damp, sleeves rolled, skin still warm from the shower.
Luca was leaning against the balcony frame, phone gone, a small, unreadable smile lingering on his lips.
Noel slowed, eyes narrowing just a little. "Why are you smiling like that?"
Luca blinked. "Like what?"
"Like you know something I don’t." Noel crossed the room, stopping in front of him. "What did you do?"
"Nothing." Luca’s mouth twitched. "Promise."
Noel studied him, searching. Then he hummed, unconvinced, and turned toward the bedroom. "If this is a surprise, I swear—"
"It’s not," Luca said quickly.
Noel paused, glanced back. "That was not convincing."
Luca laughed. "Go. Get dressed."
Noel pointed at him. "We’ll revisit this."
He disappeared into the bedroom. A few minutes later, he stepped back out, buttoning his shirt, hair still damp and unruly.
Luca moved toward him on instinct, fingers lifting to fix the crooked collar, smoothing the fabric over his shoulders, nudging a button into alignment.
Noel watched him quietly. "You’re very focused for someone who claims he’s hiding nothing."
"Stand still," Luca murmured, tugging the hem straight. "You’re impossible."
"Yeah," Noel said lightly, "here you are."
Luca snorted.
"Come here," Noel said.
He reached up, catching Luca’s wrist, pulling him closer.
With the towel still slung around his own neck, he began drying Luca’s hair, careful and thorough, fingers brushing Luca’s scalp through the fabric.
Luca stilled, eyes softening, letting himself be fussed over.
"You’re doing it wrong," Luca muttered.
Noel smiled. "You’re not complaining."
"Because I’m being manipulated."
"Mmhmm."
The towel moved slowly, gentle strokes, the kind that made Luca’s shoulders loosen without him realizing.
Noel leaned in, forehead resting briefly against Luca’s temple, breath warm.
"Okay," Noel murmured. "Now you."
Luca stepped back, reached for his clothes.
He dressed without hurry, buttoning his shirt, slipping into his jacket.
When he looked up, Noel was watching him—openly this time, eyes lingering.
"What?" Luca asked.
"Nothing," Noel said, a small smile tugging at his mouth. "Just thinking you clean up unfairly well."
Luca scoffed, but color warmed his cheeks. "You’re not exactly struggling yourself."
They stood there a moment, facing each other, both dressed, both quietly aware of how good the other looked—not in a dramatic way, just in that simple, steady way that came from knowing someone too well to be fooled.
Noel reached out, straightened Luca’s cuff. Luca brushed imaginary lint from Noel’s shoulder.
Small, unnecessary touches.
The door closed behind them with a soft click.
"Ready?" Luca asked.
Noel’s mouth curved. "Yeah. Let’s go."
They walked down together, shoulders brushing, fingers tangling for a moment before they separated to get into the car.
Luca drove—smooth, careful, both hands steady on the wheel.
The city thinned around them, buildings giving way to trees, noise dissolving into open road.
It took Noel a few minutes to notice the silence.
No music. No half-serious complaints about traffic. No pointless commentary about billboards or terrible drivers.
Just Luca’s hand resting on Noel’s thigh, thumb moving in slow, absent circles.
Noel glanced sideways. Studied him. The way Luca’s jaw was set just a touch too tight.
The way his eyes stayed forward, focused, like he was bracing for something.
"You’re acting suspicious," Noel said lightly.
Luca didn’t look over. Just grinned. "Me? Suspicious? Never."
"Mmhmm." Noel shifted slightly, trapping Luca’s thumb beneath his own fingers. "You’ve been quiet for fifteen minutes. That’s not normal."
"Maybe I’m trying to be mature."
Noel snorted. "Try harder."
Luca laughed, breath easing out of him. His thumb resumed its slow motion, grounding, steady.
The road curved, then opened.
The house came into view.
White walls catching the sun. Clean lines. Wide glass doors. A balcony cutting across the second floor. A pool flashing blue beyond the lawn.
Noel blinked. Then blinked again.
Luca slowed, easing the car into the driveway.
"This is—" Noel started, then stopped, looking up. "Luca, we talked about not fancy."
Luca parked, shut off the engine. Turned toward him with that familiar, infuriatingly soft smile. "We talked about home."
Noel stared.
Luca hopped out before Noel could say anything else, rounded the car, and opened Noel’s door with an exaggerated bow. "Come on. Trust me for once."
Noel took his hand as he stepped out, gaze still fixed on the house. "This is... huge."
Luca jingled the key in his fingers. The sound was small, bright. "Surprise?"
Noel turned slowly, searching his face—the nervous glint in his eyes, the barely-contained excitement, the hope tucked beneath it all.
"You bought this?" he asked, voice low.
Luca shrugged, like it was nothing. "Found it. Couldn’t stop thinking about you in it."
Noel swallowed.
They stood there for a second, the house rising behind them, the afternoon light wrapping around their shadows.
Luca shifted his weight, suddenly shy.
"I wanted somewhere that feels... permanent," he said. "Somewhere we don’t have to outgrow."
Noel stepped closer, fingers curling into Luca’s sleeve. "You’re insane."
"Obviously."
"But," Noel added, softer, "you’re my kind of insane."
Luca smiled—slow, relieved, bright.
He slipped the key into Noel’s palm. Warm. Solid.
"Open it," he said.
Noel closed his fingers around it, breath catching just a little, then nodded. "Okay."
The door swung open to light—so much light—pouring through floor-to-ceiling windows.
The foyer stretched wide, clean, the kind of space that invited possibility.
Hardwood gleamed underfoot. The air smelled new, untouched, waiting.
Noel stepped inside slowly, eyes traveling across every detail.
The open kitchen to the left, marble counters catching sunlight.
The living room beyond, vast and empty, begging for furniture and life. Stairs curving upward with elegant simplicity.
He turned in a slow circle, taking it all in.
Then he stopped. Looked at Luca.
"You bought this?" His voice was quiet, careful. "Without telling me?"
Luca shut the door, leaning against it. "Yeah. While you were in Singapore. Your name’s on the deed too. Co-owner. Equal chaos rights."
Noel turned slowly. "We said small. Manageable. I had spreadsheets."
"I know." Luca pushed off the door, stepping closer. "But you’ve been making space for my mess for years. Folding my laundry, dealing with my dishes, letting me blast music at 2 a.m. I figured... I owed you something big. Room for your books. Room for our gym. Room for my junk. Room for us to fight over closet space forever."
Noel’s voice softened. "You didn’t have to—"
"I wanted to." Luca pulled the small box from his pocket, holding it out. His hand shook just a tiny bit. "And I want more than a house."
Noel’s eyes went wide. "Luca..."
Luca dropped to one knee—right there in the foyer—grinning up like an idiot. "Okay, hear me out. I’ve been a walking disaster since day one. Shirtless all the time, glitter bombs in your shampoo, stealing your hoodies. You literally begged me to stop being hot because I was ruining your perfect life."
Noel’s breath hitched.
Memories flashed—him at the desk, highlighter bitten, Luca asleep in the chair beside him. Damp hair curling, chest rising slow. Noel tearing notebook scraps one after another: "Stop being hot." "I’m trying to study, not have a crisis." "Dear Roommate, please stop being hot while unconscious." Dropping them like defeated confessions while his heart hammered. Then whispering, "You’re so loud when you’re awake. But it’s when you’re quiet that you get to me." Covering him with the blanket. Watching. Smiling helplessly. Falling asleep tilted toward him anyway.
Noel blinked back to now, throat tight.
He snorted despite himself. "I stand by that."
Luca laughed. "But you kept looking. Kept staying. Kept kissing me even when I left socks everywhere." His voice dropped, softer now. "You chose me. Every messy day. So... marry me, Noel. Let me keep being your disaster. Let me fill this stupid big house with chaos and make you roll your eyes for the next fifty years. Please?"
Noel stared at the ring—simple platinum band, nothing flashy. He crouched down so they were eye-level. "You’re ridiculous."
"Your favorite kind of ridiculous," Luca shot back, wiggling his eyebrows.
Noel’s lips twitched. "You put my name on the deed without asking."
"Romantic, right? Surprise co-ownership."
Noel laughed—quiet, real. "You’re impossible."
"Say yes anyway."
Noel reached out, fingers brushing Luca’s. "You really bought a whole house just to propose in it?"
Luca shrugged. "Seemed fitting. Started in a tiny dorm room. Might as well endgame in something with a yard."
Noel’s eyes got shiny. "You’re such an idiot."
Luca’s grin softened. "Your idiot. Forever, if you’ll have me."
Noel leaned in, forehead against Luca’s. "Yes, you moron. Yes."
Luca whooped—loud, triumphant—then surged forward, wrapping Noel in a hug that nearly knocked them both over.
They ended up half on the floor, laughing into each other’s shoulders.
Luca pulled back just enough to slide the ring on. "Fits perfect. Told you."
Noel flexed his hand, staring at it. "Don’t get cocky."
"Too late." Luca kissed him quick—then slower, grinning against his lips. "Welcome home, fiancé."
Noel kissed him back, murmuring, "Don’t ever stop being hot."
Luca laughed. "Never. Pinky swear."
They stayed there on the floor a minute longer—ring glinting, stupid grins, the house quiet around them like it was waiting for the rest of their lives to start.
