The hallway was quiet, the kind of quiet that made Noel's steps echo faintly against the polished floor.
He adjusted the strap of his bag, fingers brushing the zipper, and let out a small sigh as he reached the door to their dorm room.
He turned the knob and stepped in—
—and stopped.
Luca was in the middle of the room, shirtless, earbuds jammed in, completely lost in his own world.
The soft thump of music bled from the tiny speakers in his ears, loud enough that Noel could recognize the beat even without hearing it properly.
Luca moved with the rhythm—loose arms, swaying hips, head bobbing to a beat only he could hear.
He was grinning to himself.
Noel stood frozen at the threshold, caught in the stillness of watching someone else come alive.
There was no arrogance in Luca's dancing, none of the usual performative charm—just raw energy, playfulness, and something else. Something unfiltered.
He looked good. Hot, even. The way his skin caught the low light, the curve of his shoulders, the carelessness that somehow made him seem more real. More human.
Noel blinked, catching himself staring.
He cleared his throat—loud.
Luca didn't hear.
Noel sighed, stepped further in, and finally gave the door a little push so it clicked shut.
That got Luca's attention.
He turned sharply, earbuds still in, chest rising slightly as he caught sight of Noel by the door.
A beat passed.
"Oh," Luca said, yanking one bud out, panting just a little. "You're back."
Noel raised an eyebrow, still standing with his bag on his shoulder. "What exactly am I walking into?"
Luca ran a hand through his messy hair, laughing. "Just vibing. You like it?"
"You're not on stage," Noel replied, brushing past him to drop his bag onto the desk. "But I'll admit... it was a performance."
"You watched?" Luca asked, clearly teasing.
Noel didn't answer, but his ears warmed just slightly as he turned his back to unpack his things.
Luca stood there, one earbud still hanging, a sheepish grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"You saw all that?" he asked, voice dipping with a hint of embarrassment now that the adrenaline was fading.
His eyes trailed after Noel, watching him move with casual indifference—like nothing had happened.
Noel didn't turn around. "Yeah."
A pause.
"I thought you'd still be at the library," Luca muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I was."
Another beat.
"I didn't expect to walk in on Magic Mike: Dorm Edition."
Luca groaned, tossing a pillow lightly at him. "Come on, don't make it worse."
Noel finally glanced over his shoulder, expression unreadable. "Why? Embarrassed now?"
Luca scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm not embarrassed."
"You sure?" Noel tilted his head. "You look like someone who just got caught auditioning for a talent show."
"I was dancing, not auditioning!"
Noel dropped into his chair, pulling out a book. "Same thing in your world."
Luca narrowed his eyes. "You're enjoying this too much."
A shrug. "Maybe."
He looked down, flipping open the pages.
Luca watched him for a moment, then quietly walked over to his bed, grabbed his shirt, and slipped it on.
He didn't speak, but something about him had retreated—like a curtain being drawn too quickly.Less playful. A little quieter.
After a while, Luca spoke again, voice softer.
"Do you always make people feel like this?"
Noel looked up, caught off guard. "Like what?"
"Like you're laughing at them… even when you're not smiling."
Noel blinked. The question hung in the air, heavier than he expected.
"I wasn't laughing," he said.
Luca nodded slowly, then turned to look out the window. "Okay."
Silence again.
Luca slipped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click.
Steam curled in the air, fogging up the small bathroom mirror as the sound of water pattered steadily against tile.
Luca stood under the stream, head tilted back, letting the heat soak into his skin.
He closed his eyes, letting the noise drown everything out—Noel's cool voice, the awkwardness of the dance moment, and the way his heart had jumped seeing Noel at the door.
He didn't understand why the sight of Noel—still, unreadable—lingered longer than it should've. Why the look in his eyes had felt like both a challenge and a question.
Maybe because Noel didn't laugh the way most people did.
Maybe because Noel always had that unreadable gaze—like he saw more than he said.
Luca scrubbed his hair, sighing.
"Whatever," he muttered to himself.
Eventually, he turned off the water and grabbed a towel.
Wiping steam from the mirror, he looked at his reflection—hair damp and curling at the ends, face unreadable.
He finished up, towel slung around his waist as he stepped out, water still dripping from his curls.
The room was dim, quiet, Noel now lying on his bed with a book resting on his chest, half-asleep or pretending to be.
Luca didn't say anything.
He walked over to his drawer, pulled out a clean shirt, and slowly got dressed.
Still not a word from Noel.
Luca glanced over from his bed, towel still hanging around his neck. "Sleep already?"
Noel, lying on his side with the blanket lazily thrown over him, peeked through one eye. "Almost."
"Thought you'd be glued to your laptop," Luca said, settling onto his own bed.
"Yeah well," Noel yawned, dragging the word, "even geniuses need rest."
Luca smirked. "That your way of saying your brain's fried?"
"Pretty much." Noel gave a soft sigh and shifted under the blanket. "Long day."
"Tell me about it. That walk back nearly killed me."
"You were the one dancing like an idiot when I walked in."
Luca let out a light laugh. "Caught me, huh?"
"Hard not to. You were shirtless, flailing around like you were in a music video."
"That's called vibing, thank you very much."
Noel chuckled, but it faded into another yawn. "Sure… vibe away…"
"Damn, you're really fading."
"Mm-hmm…" Noel's voice trailed, eyes fluttering closed.
Luca watched him for a beat, the soft rustle of the blanket the only sound.
He leaned back, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Luca chuckled again, ruffling his damp hair with a towel. "Wow, the great Noel giving up on books for one night? That's rare."
"Miracles happen," Noel murmured, lips twitching slightly like he wanted to smile but sleep was winning the battle.
Luca tossed the towel onto his bed, glancing once more at Noel's relaxed face.
The room was quiet, peaceful, and for a second, something about it felt...right.
He shook his head and lay back on his bed.
Noel's breathing had already evened out.
Luca smiled to himself.
"Good night, roomie," Luca murmured, the word catching at the edge of something unnamed.
Noel didn't answer—but his slow, steady breathing was enough.