The closet door creaked open again, and Noel stepped out, pulling down the hem of a soft sweater.
His hair was still a little messy from lying around earlier, but he'd run his fingers through it enough to look like he tried. A little. Maybe.
Luca looked up from where he was adjusting his sleeves. His eyes paused for a second too long.
"Look at you," he said with a lopsided grin, "actually dressing like we're going on a date."
Noel's eyes flicked to him, unimpressed. "It's a sweater."
Luca leaned back against the edge of his bed, arms folded. "It's the way you wore it. Intentional."
"You're annoying," Noel muttered, heading for his shoes.
"Well," Luca said, reaching down for his cologne, "you're still here."
Noel ignored him, pulling on his sneakers. "Do we have to sit side by side? I'm fine a row behind you."
Luca laughed. "You're not getting out of this, Noel. I even picked aisle seats. You like those, right?"
Noel paused, glancing at him over his shoulder. "How do you know that?"
Luca raised a brow. "Because I listen?"
There was a quiet moment — not uncomfortable, just thick.
Something warm, unspoken, settling in the room like a layer of dusk light.
Noel tugged his hoodie over the sweater. "Well, you're still annoying."
Luca stepped past him toward the door, holding it open dramatically. "Then let me annoy you with popcorn and overpriced soda."
Noel walked by with a smirk, not looking at him. "You better be buying."
"Obviously," Luca said, locking the door behind them. "You're the expensive one in this relationship."
Noel didn't respond. But his lips twitched into a smile he didn't bother to hide.
The night breeze wasn't cold, but it had a bite.
Streetlights blinked overhead, casting long shadows that stretched and twisted as the two boys walked side by side.
Luca had his hands tucked into the pockets of his denim jacket, and Noel had his hoodie pulled just past his wrists, fingers brushing the fabric nervously.
They weren't talking much — not at first. Just footsteps tapping against the pavement, low city murmurs in the background.
Then Luca glanced sideways.
"You always walk this quiet?"
Noel shrugged, eyes on the sidewalk ahead. "You always talk this much?"
Luca grinned. "Only when I'm nervous."
Noel blinked. That caught him off guard. "Are you nervous?"
A pause.
Luca didn't answer right away, just let out a soft laugh. "Not exactly. But also… maybe."
They crossed at the lights. Noel glanced at him. "Why?"
Luca tilted his head as if thinking, eyes watching the traffic. "Because... I wanted tonight to feel a certain way. You know? And it kind of does."
Noel didn't respond immediately. He felt something flutter in his chest but ignored it.
He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "It's just a movie."
Luca nodded. "Yeah. But also… it's you the noel I know."
Noel turned away, eyes on a bakery across the street with fairy lights strung up in the window. "You're ridiculous."
"Probably," Luca said with a grin. "But you're still walking next to me, so what does that say about you?"
Noel glanced at him then — a fleeting look, but it lingered for just a second too long.
That I have bad judgment. Or maybe just bad luck.
"Or really good taste."
That made Noel scoff, but his lips curved before he could stop them. They kept walking, steps syncing without meaning to.
Ahead, the movie theater sign glowed a soft blue in the distance.
The cinema lobby was warm and dimly lit, with soft red carpet underfoot and the low scent of buttery popcorn in the air.
Luca walked ahead, holding the tickets, his hands casually in his pockets as if this was just another night, just another movie. Nothing more.
But Noel… couldn't quite mirror that ease.
He followed half a step behind, quiet, his eyes darting around — not at the crowd, but at Luca.
The way his shoulders relaxed as he looked at the posters, the easy sway in his walk, the way he smiled politely at the staff.
Luca wasn't nervous anymore. Not awkward. He looked like he belonged in every room — confident, effortless. And somehow, that made Noel feel like a guest in his own skin.
"You want anything?" Luca asked, glancing back as they approached the snack counter.
Noel blinked out of his head. "Uh—no. I'm good."
"You sure?" Luca raised a brow. "I'm getting something."
Noel hesitated. "I don't like eating during movies."
"Right," Luca nodded. "You're one of those."
"One of what?"
"The serious watchers," he teased. "Like, if someone crunches popcorn too loud next to you, you start reconsidering life choices."
Noel let out a reluctant chuckle. "Maybe."
Luca bought a drink and a pack of sour candies anyway.
He tossed the candy toward Noel, who caught it instinctively.
"Just in case the movie's sweet tooth rubs of on you." Luca said, casually. "You get curious."
Noel stared at the wrapper in his hand, then at Luca — who'd already turned toward the entrance, cool as ever.
Inside, the theater was nearly empty. A few couples dotted the back rows, but otherwise, it was quiet.
They took their seats — middle row, center — and as the lights dimmed, the screen flickered to life.
Luca sat back comfortably, his knee resting loosely beside Noel's.
Noel sat stiffly, arms crossed over his chest.
He tried to focus, but the space between them seemed louder than the film.
Every time Luca shifted, Noel's eyes betrayed him — flicking, glancing, unwilling to stay still. And he hated how natural it felt.
A scene changed on the screen — something funny — and Luca laughed quietly. It wasn't loud. Just soft and real.
Noel didn't laugh. He just looked at him.
There was something dangerous about Luca's smile when he wasn't looking. Like it slipped past every defense Noel had spent years building.
He turned back to the movie quickly. His throat felt dry.
Halfway through, Luca leaned over and whispered, "This movie's better than I expected."
Noel nodded, eyes forward. "Yeah."
"You're not watching."
"I am," Noel muttered.
"Really?" Luca leaned in slightly closer, eyes playful. "Because you've been staring at the corner of the screen for a solid ten minutes."
Noel looked down, flustered, not answering.
Luca pulled back, smiling to himself, saying nothing more.
The film continued. But Noel barely followed the plot.
Something had shifted.
And he hated how it made him feel — like something was slipping out of his control, like maybe… maybe he cared more than he meant to.
The movie unfolded in shadows and soft sound — dialogue drifting, music swelling. But Noel had long stopped paying attention to the plot.
He kept stealing glances.
At first, it was subtle. A flick of his eyes when Luca shifted. A glance when Luca leaned back, stretching slightly in his seat, hand brushing the side of his own neck.
There was something careless about the way Luca moved — like he never thought about how he took up space.
Like he didn't know how his laughter lingered. How his presence pressed in without meaning to.
And Noel hated that he noticed.
He shifted in his seat, adjusting as if that would settle the tightening feeling in his chest.
Then it happened — a single, quiet moment.
On screen, the characters reached for each other. The score softened into something intimate, something slow.
And Luca turned his head — maybe to comment, maybe for no reason at all — and their eyes met.
Neither of them said anything.
They just looked at each other.
Luca's face was barely visible in the flicker of the screen's light, but his eyes caught it — soft, curious, steady. And for one terrifying second, he didn't look away.
Their faces were close. Close enough that Noel could feel the warmth of Luca's breath, smell the faint hint of mint and coffee.
The world faded. The screen. The sound. Everything but that unbearable stillness between them.
Then, just as quickly, Luca blinked — smiled — and turned back to the movie like nothing had happened.
But for Noel, everything had.
His pulse hammered. His fingers curled tightly around the seat's armrest. And for the first time in a long while, he didn't know what to do with himself.
It was nothing. Just a glance. Just a smile.
But somehow, it felt like standing on the edge of something dangerous — and wanting to fall.
The movie pressed on.
Noel tried—really tried—to focus, but something inside him had already unraveled.
He blinked, eyes tracking the story's conclusion, but it all felt far away. A blur of dialogue, music, and final moments that barely registered.
Beside him, Luca sat still, legs slightly apart, arms relaxed on the armrest. Calm. Like nothing had shifted.
The credits rolled.
Luca stretched again, letting out a quiet yawn as he turned toward Noel, brushing popcorn crumbs off his hoodie.
"That ending was kinda weak, huh?" he said casually, voice low in the quiet theater.
Noel didn't respond right away. He was still watching the credits scroll, pretending to read the names.
"Yeah," he said eventually, forcing a small nod. "Could've been better."
But his voice betrayed him — just a little too soft, a little too far away.
Luca didn't seem to notice. He stood and slung his jacket over one arm, waiting for Noel to move. "Come on. Let's go before they turn the lights on and we get herded out like sheep."
Noel stood, grabbing his coat slowly. His body felt heavier than usual — like something had settled deep in his chest. A feeling he couldn't quite name. A question he wasn't ready to ask.
As they stepped into the aisle, Luca nudged his shoulder lightly. "So… you still not a movie person?"
Noel looked at him — really looked — and tried to hide the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"I'm working on it," he said.
Luca didn't reply, but his grin lingered. And Noel, walking half a step behind, finally let the smile reach his eyes — small, fleeting, but real.
Luca grinned, satisfied, and led the way out.
Behind them, the screen faded to black.