The morning light bled softly through the blinds as Noel buttoned up his shirt, clean and crisp. His bag was already packed, hair slightly damp from a quick shower.
He glanced over his shoulder.
Luca was still curled up, arm flung across his face, the sheets tangled around his legs like he'd wrestled with them in his sleep.
Noel sighed, stepping closer to the bed. "Luca," he called, voice firm but low.
No movement.
Noel leaned down, nudging Luca's shoulder. "Hey. You've got class this morning, remember?"
Luca groaned, pulling the blanket higher. "Five more minutes."
"You said that always. You missed your first period."
Luca peeked one eye open, squinting. "Why are you so... alive?"
"It's called discipline," Noel replied, grabbing the pillow and swatting Luca's stomach with it. "Come on. You're gonna be late again."
Luca whined, dragging himself upright halfway, hair a complete mess. "What time is it?"
"Time to stop being useless."
Luca gave him a weak glare. "You're such a responsible bully."
"And you're a disaster with legs. Now get up."
Luca finally sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Fine, fine. I'm up."
Noel smirked. "Miracle of the morning."
Luca mumbled under his breath as he slid off the bed, already heading toward the sink. "Gonna start charging you for motivational speeches."
"Just get dressed."
Their usual rhythm had returned—chaotic, but oddly functional.
Noel slung his bag over his shoulder and headed toward the door, checking his phone for the time.
Behind him, Luca shuffled around, still halfway in his T-shirt, hair damp from a rushed rinse at the sink. "Wait for me," he called out, one sock on, the other missing.
Noel's hand hesitated on the knob, but his eyes didn't flick back. Not even once. Just the sound of the latch clicking shut behind him. "You'll take another twenty minutes."
"I'm almost ready," Luca insisted, hopping around trying to find the second sock. "Come on, don't be mean."
"You should've gotten up when I told you." Noel opened the door, his tone clipped. "You'll catch up."
Luca groaned dramatically, dropping onto the bed. "You love leaving me behind."
"I love being on time," Noel shot back, glancing once over his shoulder. "Lock the door when you leave."
And with that, he was gone, the door shutting with a soft thud. Luca let out a long sigh, flopping onto his back.
"Great. Left behind by Mr. Discipline again."
Luca lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, sock still dangling from one foot. Right just me and my sock again.
The quiet of the room settled in around him—no music, no chatter, just the soft hum of the mini fan by the window.
"Two minutes wouldn't have killed you," Luca muttered to no one, tugging his sock like it might answer. Hmmm drama king. The room echoed back silence.
Still, he dragged himself off the bed, finally slipping on the lost sock he'd found wedged between the sheets. His phone buzzed. A message from George: "Skipped morning class. Wanna grab coffee later?"
Luca grinned, typing back quickly: "If I survive this 8AM first."
Grabbing his backpack, he checked the mirror briefly, tousled his hair, and pulled on his jacket. As he stepped out the door, he mumbled under his breath, "Watch me get there before you anyway."
The hallway buzzed faintly with others rushing out of their rooms.
Luca adjusted his earbuds, music thumping low, and joined the current of sleepy students heading to class—half annoyed, half determined, and fully Luca.
Fluorescent lights buzzed above as Luca slipped through the back door of the lecture hall, the low murmur of voices washing over him like static. Desks creaked. Pens tapped. The day had begun without him.
The place was already packed, the low hum of early morning chatter mixing with the shuffle of papers and the soft tap of laptop keys.
Up front, he spotted Noel—head slightly tilted, already scribbling notes before the professor had even started. Of course he would be early. Of course he'd sit at the front.
Luca's eyes scanned the rows for a free spot. As he was about to head toward the back, a hand waved at him—Emily, three rows in, her notebook already open with a pen twirling between her fingers.
She smiled. "Here."
He grinned back and made his way over, slipping into the empty seat beside her. "Saved my life," he whispered as he sat.
Emily smirked. "You owe me one. I told you not to be late again."
Luca leaned back, glancing toward the front once more.
Even when Luca dropped his bag a little louder than needed, Noel didn't flinch. Didn't turn. Just scribbled like the front row was a fortress he didn't plan to abandon.
"Guess who's in a mood today," Emily whispered, nudging him as the professor entered.
Luca just smirked and flipped open his notebook. "Let me guess… everyone but me."
Emily stifled a laugh. "Confident as ever."
"Just well-rested," Luca said, pretending to stretch, though his eyes flicked once more to the front where Noel was laser-focused, scribbling fast.
"He looks like he's about to win a scholarship war," Emily muttered, nudging him again. "You two still on awkward terms?"
Luca shrugged, not answering right away. The professor began speaking, but Emily was still half-turned toward him.
"We're not awkward," he said under his breath, eyes on Noel. "We're just... different species."
Emily grinned. "Says the boy who always mess the room and thinks snacks are a form of apology."
"Did he say something?" Luca whispered.
"Nope," she said, "but the way he didn't say anything? Very loud."
Luca let out a low exhale, tapping his pen against his notebook without writing anything.
As the lecture picked up pace, Emily eventually turned her attention to the screen, but Luca's gaze lingered just a second longer on the back of Noel's head—neat, intentional, still.
Then he leaned back with a sigh. "Fine. Maybe I'll try snacks and actual words next time," he mumbled to himself.
Emily, without looking away from the slides, just smirked. "Progress."
The lecture moved along briskly. The professor's voice, calm but authoritative, filled the hall as slides flipped one after another on the projector.
Noel didn't look up once. His notes were clean, his pen moving with a rhythm that showed he already had a system. Luca, meanwhile, leaned into Emily's side now and then to peek at hers.
"Should've had more coffee," he whispered.
"Should've had less pride and sat up front," she replied without glancing away.
The professor gestured toward the board. "Now—before we wrap up—your first assignment."
A subtle groan rippled across the room.
"It's a short-form analysis," the professor continued, calm but not sympathetic. "One thousand words. Topic is up on the screen. Deadline—tomorrow evening, 6 PM sharp. No extensions."
Luca blinked. "Tomorrow?!"
Emily sighed. "Welcome to college."
"I thought we'd at least get the weekend."
"Nope," George voice floated back from the front row. He hadn't turned, but he clearly heard him. "Start early."
Luca rolled his eyes. "He's always ready to act like a model student."
Emily elbowed him. "He's not acting."
The professor closed the laptop. "That's all for today. Class dismissed."
Chairs scraped. Students started packing up. Luca didn't move right away.
Emily looked at him. "You okay?"
He groaned. "I don't even know where to start with that assignment."
"Then you better find someone who does," she said, already standing. "Or you'll be crying into your snack bribes again."
As students funneled toward the exit, Luca's eyes trailed back to the front of the hall.
Noel was already gone.