The air outside had shifted—cooler now, more forgiving. Luca shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked, head down, replaying everything Kian said… and everything he didn't.
The ache wasn't sharp. Just dull and lingering, like a memory you don't know how to let go of.
When he stepped into the dorm, the lights were dim. The quiet was the kind that didn't feel empty—it felt lived in. Safe. Familiar.
"Noel?" he called out gently, dropping his keys onto the desk.
No answer.
He glanced around, noticed Noel's shoes by the bed, his phone still on the nightstand.
The bathroom door was closed. From behind it came the soft hiss of running water, and the faintest sound of a hum—off-key, low, and entirely unaware of being overheard.
Luca smiled to himself.
He sat down on the edge of his bed, sighing as he leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
For a moment, he let himself just be still.
No noise.
No pressure.
No pretending.
Just the sound of the water, the warmth of the room, and the strange calm of knowing Noel was still close—even if separated by a thin door and a wall of unspoken things.
Luca sank deeper into the mattress, one arm slung over his forehead, the other lazily holding his phone above him.
The screen lit his face with soft light as he scrolled through his feed—likes, reels, random memes he'd usually laugh at. But tonight, none of it stuck.
His thumb paused when he came across Noel's story.
That photo again—him, Alex, and Lina. Noel wasn't even smiling properly, but his eyes were softer than usual, a kind of quiet warmth behind them. Not performative. Just… present.
Luca smirked and tapped it again, watching the story loop back.
It was dumb. The way that one photo tugged at something inside him. Not jealousy—just this… awareness.
That Noel was out there, forming connections, laughing more, existing in a space beyond their little shared dorm.
And once, he'd been the gravity everyone drifted toward. Now, he felt like a satellite—watching, orbiting, never quite touching down.
Kian's words still hung in the corners of his mind. "I miss you, Luca."
He missed him too.
Or at least, he missed what they had—easy nights, no pressure, the kind of affection that didn't ask for more.
But it felt like trying to slip into an old shirt that didn't quite fit anymore.
The water shut off behind the bathroom door.
Luca blinked up at the ceiling again. His heart did a stupid little skip.
He didn't know what he was waiting for.
But part of him stayed still—just to hear the sound of Noel stepping out.
The bathroom door creaked open, letting out a wave of soft steam.
Noel stepped out, towel wrapped securely around his waist, his damp hair falling slightly over his forehead as he rubbed at it with one hand.
His skin was flushed pink from the heat, collarbones glistening faintly in the light.
Luca didn't move—he just watched from the bed, phone resting forgotten on his chest.
Noel paused when he noticed the stare.
"…What?" he asked, voice low but not defensive. More like he'd caught the look before and was just tired of pretending not to.
Luca stretched, then raised a brow lazily. "I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to," Noel muttered, walking over to his side of the room.
"You always come out of the bathroom like you're in a shampoo commercial."
Noel shot him a dry look. "Sorry, I forgot to ask the steam to tone it down."
Luca grinned at that—an actual grin. "Sassy. I like it."
Noel turned his back to him, opening the drawer to grab his clothes. "You don't have to like everything."
"I don't," Luca said, eyes lingering on him for a second longer than necessary. "But I kinda like you like this. Calm. Real."
Noel stilled for a breath before resuming like he hadn't heard it. "You say weird things when you're emotionally scrambled."
Luca sat up slowly, elbows on his knees. "Maybe. But I mean it."
Noel didn't respond—just headed back into the bathroom to change.
Luca exhaled and flopped back onto the bed, rubbing his eyes.
What the hell is happening to me…?
The room had settled into a calm kind of silence. The kind that stretches without urgency—just the quiet sounds of life happening in parallel. Luca lay sprawled on his bed, occasionally tapping at his phone.
Noel, across the room, had curled into his usual corner with a book, flipping pages in practiced rhythm.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then, as if the silence suddenly became too loud for him, Luca turned his head. "Hey," he said. "Wanna watch something?"
Noel didn't lift his gaze. "I'd rather read."
Luca didn't argue. He just sat up, pulled his laptop off the nightstand, and opened it with a soft click. "Too bad," he said. "You can do both."
Noel looked over with a raised brow, about to protest—until Luca stood, walked right over, and dropped down to sit cross-legged on the floor at the edge of Noel's bed. He tilted the screen back just enough for Noel to see from where he lay.
"Seriously?" Noel muttered.
Luca grinned without turning. "You don't have to watch. But I'm not watching this alone."
The opening scene flickered onto the screen—some indie film, low lighting and soft dialogue. Luca adjusted the volume and settled his elbows onto the mattress beside him.
Noel sighed and, without realizing, let his book lower just a little. He told himself he wasn't watching—but he was. A little. Maybe more than a little.
The minutes ticked by. The film washed the room in soft light, and the air between them grew quiet again—comfortably so this time.
Noel's breathing evened out, eyes half on the screen, half on the way Luca's hair curled at the nape of his neck.
Then Luca shifted. He turned his head slightly, just to say something—but Noel had leaned in closer to see the laptop. Their movements met in the middle, unintentionally.
Foreheads nearly touched. Breath caught.
Noel froze—eyes wide, breath skipping, heart thudding against his ribs as if startled by its own volume. He didn't pull back. Neither did Luca.
Their eyes locked, caught in that charged, hushed space where time forgets to move.
Something was there. Something right under the surface. Something almost.
But then—Luca blinked, smiled faintly, and looked back at the screen.
Noel swallowed His chest tightened, unsure if it was from the nearness—or the ache of what didn't happen. He hated how much he noticed the absence.
Neither of them mentioned it.
But the movie kept playing.
And the silence between them was no longer the same.
They sat in silence, half-leaning into the film's atmosphere. The soft glow of the laptop painted fleeting light across Luca's back and the underside of Noel's jaw.
The room, still dim and hushed, felt warmer than usual—more alive. Like it was holding its breath for them.
The characters on screen whispered confessions under rain. A piano score trickled in. And just as one of them reached for the other—
The screen froze.
A spinning circle appeared in the center.
Then: black.
Noel blinked. "...Ohhh. What was that?" His voice came out low, surprised.
He straightened, rubbing his eyes as if that would make the movie come back.
Luca clicked a few buttons, brows furrowed. "I think... it's not complete," he said, scrolling through file folders. "No second half. What the hell."
He leaned closer, squinting. "Yup. Whoever uploaded this? Criminal."
Noel stared at the blank screen, frowning—not just because of the abrupt stop. He had been... invested. More than he expected. "So that's it?" he asked.
Luca turned to look up at him, a mischievous light flickering behind his eyes. "Doesn't have to be." He leaned his chin on the edge of Noel's bed, looking too casual. "There's a re-release playing downtown. Big screen, plush seats, full soundtrack. We could go."
Noel recoiled a little. "To the cinema?"
"Yeah."
"I don't do... cinemas."
Luca tilted his head. "Why not?"
Noel hesitated. "Too many people. Loud. Sticky floors. Overpriced snacks. All of it."
Luca snorted. "You sound ninety."
"I'm just not a movie person."
"You were just a movie person thirty seconds ago."
Noel's eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth—but Luca cut in, this time softer, "Come on. Just this one. With me."
The tone in his voice shifted. No teasing now. Just something quiet and earnest, like the invitation meant more than just watching a movie.
Noel glanced at him—at the way Luca's eyes searched his face, still half-lit by the faint laptop glow.
He swallowed. "You're annoying when you insist."
"And yet..." Luca gave him a slow smile. "You're still listening."
Noel didn't respond right away. He sat back, rubbing the side of his neck, thoughtful. His heart was doing that thing again—thudding just a bit too loud for no reason at all.
After a pause, he said, "Maybe."
Luca's grin returned, brighter this time, but he didn't push further. He just stood, stretched lazily, and said, "Alright. You think about it. And when you say yes, I'll even let you pick the snacks."
Noel snorted softly behind him, rolling his eyes.
But he didn't say no.
And when Luca walked away to brush his teeth, Noel glanced at the frozen laptop screen again—then back to where Luca had been sitting.
That almost feeling clung to the air like warmth after a storm—unspoken, unanswered, but undeniably there. And somehow, Noel knew… it would return.