Dear Roommate Please Stop Being Hot [BL]-Chapter 258: Just Us for Christmas

Monday morning light filtered through the bedroom curtains, soft and forgiving.

Luca woke slowly, awareness returning in pieces—the warmth of blankets, Noel’s steady breathing beside him, the faint sound of traffic outside.

He rolled over, finding Noel already awake, scrolling through his phone.

"Morning," Luca mumbled.

"Morning." Noel set his phone aside. "We should get up."

"Five more minutes."

"We said that twenty minutes ago."

"Time is relative."

Noel smiled, but he was already sitting up, stretching. "Come on. If we don’t get up now, we’ll be late."

Luca groaned but followed, dragging himself out of bed with tremendous effort.

They moved through their morning routine—Noel showering first while Luca made coffee, then switching, getting dressed in the comfortable choreography they’d perfected over months of living together.

By the time they were both ready, it was eight-fifteen.

"We have time," Luca said, stepping into Noel’s space near the door.

"Barely."

"Enough time for this." Luca leaned in, kissing him softly.

Noel kissed back, hands settling on Luca’s waist, and for a moment everything else faded—just this, just them, the quiet morning intimacy that never got old.

Luca deepened the kiss, fingers sliding into Noel’s hair.

"Luca," Noel murmured against his mouth.

"Mm?"

"We really do need to go."

"In a minute."

"You said that five minutes ago."

"Did I?" Luca kissed him again, slower this time.

Noel made a sound that was half protest, half surrender, but his hands tightened on Luca’s waist, pulling him closer.

They stayed like that, trading lazy kisses, the world outside their apartment temporarily irrelevant.

Until Noel’s phone alarm went off.

He pulled back with visible effort. "That’s our final warning."

"Your phone is a relationship saboteur."

"My phone is preventing us from getting fired." But Noel was smiling, straightening Luca’s collar that had gotten rumpled. "Come on. We can continue this tonight."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

One more quick kiss, then they were out the door, hurrying down the stairs, already five minutes behind schedule.

The walk to work was rushed but not unpleasant—cooler morning air, the city waking up around them, their hands brushing occasionally as they navigated the familiar route.

They made it to the office with three minutes to spare.

"See?" Noel said as they entered the lobby. "Perfect timing."

"Because I’m an excellent kisser and very efficient."

"That’s not how cause and effect works."

"Agree to disagree."

The elevator arrived. They rode up together, separating at their respective floors with a shared look that promised tonight.

Luca’s department was already active when he arrived—Bella at her desk looking unusually serious, Wei Chen and Camila in quiet conversation, even Liam appeared awake.

"Morning, everyone" Luca said, setting his bag down.

"Morning," Bella replied, but she seemed distracted.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just—Georgia said there’s a meeting at lunch. All the interns."

"What about?"

"No idea. But it sounds official."

Before Luca could respond, Georgia emerged from her office. "Good morning, everyone. Normal work until noon, then we’re all heading to Conference Room B. Meeting with the executives."

"All of us?" Camila asked.

"All the interns across departments." Georgia’s expression was unreadable. "It’s mandatory, so don’t make plans for lunch."

The morning passed in a haze of speculation and work—Bella kept whispering theories about what the meeting could be.

Wei Chen looked worried, Camila remained calm, and Liam just seemed grateful for a break from his desk.

Luca tried to focus on his tasks, but his mind kept wandering.

Mandatory intern meeting. Executives present. That could mean anything.

At noon, Georgia stood up. "Alright, everyone. Let’s go."

They filed out together, joining other interns in the hallway—Luca spotted people from various departments, all heading toward the same conference room.

The space was large, professional, with a long table at the front and rows of chairs already filling up.

Luca found a seat near Bella. A moment later, Noel slipped into the chair beside him, his team scattered nearby.

"Know what this is about?" Luca whispered.

"No idea."

The room gradually filled—maybe forty interns total, representing every department in the company.

Then the executives entered.

Mr. Jeff came in first, looking professional in his suit, his expression warm as he scanned the room. He caught Luca’s eye briefly, offering a subtle nod.

Behind him came Georgia, Mr. Max, Mr. Park, Ms. Chen from Operations.

They took positions at the front table, and Jeff stepped forward.

"Good afternoon, everyone," he said, his voice carrying easily. "Thank you for joining us. I promise this won’t take long—we know you all have work to finish."

Polite laughter rippled through the room.

"First, I want to say on behalf of the entire executive team that we’ve been incredibly impressed with all of you this semester. Your dedication, professionalism, and the quality of work you’ve produced has exceeded expectations."

Murmurs of appreciation, people sitting up a little straighter.

"Which brings me to the purpose of this meeting,"Jeff continued. "As you know, Christmas is in few days. We wanted to inform you that you’ll be getting a break—starting this Wednesday, through the holiday, returning the Monday after Christmas."

Excited whispers filled the room.

"That gives you almost a week off to rest, spend time with family, or travel if you choose,"Jeff said, smiling now. "Additionally, you’ll each receive a Christmas bonus on top of your regular internship allowance."

The room erupted—gasps, excited chatter, a few people actually cheering.

Mr. Jeff raised his hand for quiet. "The bonus is our way of saying thank you for your hard work. Whether you’re traveling home or staying in the city, we want you to enjoy your break. You’ve earned it."

Ms. Chen stepped forward. "When you return after Christmas, you’ll have one final week to complete any remaining projects and wrap up your internship. We’ll discuss full-time opportunities and next steps at that time."

"Any questions?" Mr. Park asked.

Someone raised their hand. "Does the bonus apply to everyone?"

"Yes," Georgia answered. "Every intern, regardless of department or duration."

More excited murmurs.

"If there’s nothing else," Uncle Jeff said, "enjoy your lunch, get back to work, and we’ll see you all Wednesday for your last day before break."

The meeting dissolved—interns standing, talking excitedly, the energy in the room completely transformed.

Luca turned to Noel. "A whole week off."

"And a bonus," Noel added, looking genuinely pleased.

"We could actually do something."

"We could."

Bella grabbed Luca’s arm. "Did you hear that? A bonus! I can finally buy those boots I wanted."

"I heard," Luca said, laughing. "That’s great."

Wei Chen and Camila were already making plans for a trip somewhere.

Liam looked like he was calculating how much gaming equipment the bonus could buy.

The interns slowly filed out, heading back to their respective departments, the atmosphere noticeably lighter than an hour ago.

Back at his desk, Luca couldn’t focus. A week off. Christmas. Noel’s birthday. Time to actually breathe between work and finals.

Bella was practically bouncing in her chair. "I can’t believe it. A whole week!"

"It’s great," Camila agreed.

"We should all do something together before break," Bella suggested. "Drinks? Dinner?"

"I’m in," Wei Chen said immediately.

"Me too," Luca added.

They were still discussing possibilities when Georgia returned, and despite the good news, she wasn’t letting them slack.

"Alright, celebration’s over," she announced. "We still have work to finish before Wednesday. Luca, that report isn’t going to write itself."

"On it," Luca said, reluctantly turning back to his computer.

The afternoon passed in a blur of productivity and excitement—everyone working but with noticeably better moods, occasional bursts of conversation about Christmas plans breaking through the focused silence.

By five-thirty, Luca was exhausted but satisfied. He packed up, said goodbye to the team, and headed downstairs to meet Noel.

They walked home together, the evening air crisp and cool, streetlights already flickering on.

"Want to stop somewhere?" Luca asked as they approached their neighborhood. "I’m craving snacks."

"The convenience store?"

"Yeah."

They detoured, the small store bright and warm inside, shelves packed with the usual assortment of chips, candy, drinks, and instant meals.

Luca grabbed chips, chocolate, and some gummy candy that looked interesting.

Noel added healthier options—fruit, nuts—and grabbed cat treats for the cat.

"You spoil him," Luca observed.

"He deserves it."

They paid and walked the final few blocks home, their plastic bags crinkling with every step.

The cat greeted them at the door with his usual dramatic meow, immediately investigating the shopping bags.

"Nice try," Noel said, scooping him up. "These are for later."

They settled into their evening routine—changing into comfortable clothes, Noel feeding the cat, Luca organizing their snacks in the kitchen.

Dinner was simple—leftover stir-fry, they ate at their small table, talking about work, the meeting, the upcoming break.

"Five days," Luca said. "What should we do?"

"Rest," Noel said immediately.

"Besides rest."

"Sleep in. Not think about work or school."

"You’re so ambitious."

"I’m practical." But Noel was smiling. "We could see a movie. Or go to that museum."

"Or we could just stay home and do nothing."

"Also appealing."

They cleaned up together, loaded the dishwasher, and had just settled on the couch when Noel’s phone rang.

He glanced at the screen. "It’s my parents."

"Answer it."

Noel picked up, putting it on speaker. "Hi, Mom. Dad."

"Noel, sweetheart!" His mother’s voice came through warm and bright. "How are you?"

"Good. Busy with work, but good."

"That’s our boy," his father’s deeper voice added, affection clear. "Working hard as always."

"We wanted to ask," his mother continued, "are you coming home for Christmas? We’d love to see you. I could make your favorite dinner, and your grandma’s coming too—"

"I appreciate it, Mom," Noel said gently. "But I think I’m staying here this year."

A pause. "Oh. Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It’s only a few days off—Thursday through Sunday—and travel would eat up most of that time."

"We understand," his father said. "Though we’ll miss you."

"I’ll miss you too."

"What about Luca?" his mother asked. "Is he staying?"

Luca leaned toward the phone. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Avery. I’m staying too."

"Luca!" His mother’s voice brightened. "I didn’t realize you were there. How are you, dear?"

"I’m good, thank you."

"It’s good to hear your voice," his father added warmly. "Taking care of our boy?"

"Always," Luca said, smiling.

"So you’re both staying for Christmas?" his mother asked.

"Looks like it," Noel confirmed.

"Well, at least you’ll have each other," she said. "That’s what matters. Actually—Luca, let me talk to you for a moment. Noel’s told us so much about you."

Noel handed the phone to Luca, who held it carefully. "Yes, ma’am?"

"First, stop calling me ma’am. It’s Clara. And this is Richard," she said, her tone playful. "We just wanted to say we’re so glad Noel has you. He sounds happier these days."

"Mom—" Noel protested quietly.

"It’s true," his father chimed in. "We can hear it in his voice." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Luca glanced at Noel, whose ears were turning pink. "He makes me happy too."

"Good. That’s all we want for him," Clara said. "Now, promise me you two will celebrate properly? No working through the holiday."

"We promise," Luca said.

"And Luca....take care of him for us, will you? Christmas Day birthdays can be tricky."

"I will. I’ve got plans."

"Do you now?" Noel looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"Maybe," Luca said innocently.

His parents laughed. "We like him, Noel," Richard said. "You should keep this one."

"Planning on it," Noel replied, taking the phone back.

They talked for a few more minutes—Clara updating them on family news, Richard asking about work, both parents making Noel promise to visit soon.

"Happy early birthday, sweetheart," Clara said before they hung up. "We love you."

"Love you too, Mom. Dad."

"Love you, son. And Luca—take care of each other."

"We will," Luca promised.

When Noel ended the call, he set the phone aside and looked at Luca. "You have plans?"

"Maybe."

"Luca."

"It’s a surprise."

"I don’t like surprises."

"You’ll like this one."

Noel shook his head, but he was smiling. "Your parents are nice," Luca added. "Warm. I can see where you get it from."

"I’m not warm."

"You are. You just hide it better."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment.

"I’m glad we’re staying," Noel said quietly. "It’s our first Christmas together. I want to spend it with you."

Luca’s chest tightened. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Not traveling, not with other people. Just us."

"Just us," Luca repeated, lacing their fingers together. "I like the sound of that."

"Me too."

Outside, the city continued its evening rhythm.

Inside, they stayed curled together on the couch, Luca Jr. purring on the armrest.

Thursday—Christmas Day, Noel’s birthday.

Then a long weekend, just the two of them.

And for the first time in a long time, everything felt exactly right.