Chapter 179: To Chaos and Fire
The third knock finally broke through Luca’s stubbornness. With a groan—half dramatic defeat, half genuine irritation—he peeled himself off the couch.
"Fine. But if this is just someone selling water filters..." he muttered, dragging his feet toward the door.
Behind him, Noel swiftly tugged his shirt back into place, the faintest ghost of a smile betraying his composure.
The lock clicked. Luca swung the door open—and froze.
Jordan stood there, his arms crammed with a precarious tower of soda cans, grinning like he owned the place. "Surprise!"
Luca’s head thunked lightly against the doorframe. "Jordan. Why are you here?"
"Correction—why are we here," Emily cut in, sweeping past with Lina at her side. Emily was effortlessly stylish as always, eyeliner sharp enough to cut glass. Lina, calmer, simply laced their fingers together, her quiet smile making it clear she already knew what Emily was plotting.
And then came Alex, steady as ever, lifting a bulging grocery bag like it was a peace offering. "I brought snacks."
Luca groaned louder, his voice echoing in the entryway. "I regret sending you that pin."
"Too late," Jordan shot back, shouldering inside. "You drop a cryptic balcony pic—new place, no invite—and you thought I’d just hit like and move on? Please."
"Yes," Luca said flatly.
Noel appeared at his side then, shirt smoothed, calm restored. With a small gesture, he stepped aside. "Come in."
Emily brushed close enough to whisper into Luca’s ear, her grin wicked. "Sulking like a storm cloud... did we interrupt something important?"
The sharp clench of his jaw was answer enough. Emily’s laugh rang out, bright and unapologetic, as she tugged Lina toward the couch.
Jordan dumped his cans onto the counter with a victorious clatter. "So this is it—the famous newlywed suite."
"We’re not—" Luca started, but Noel shook his head once. Not worth it.
Emily perched elegantly on the armrest, crossing her legs as her gaze swept the apartment like a critic. "Cute. Cozy. And I can already tell Noel’s been cleaning like a man possessed."
"You’re not wrong," Luca muttered, finally shutting the door.
Lina drifted toward the balcony, her voice soft. "It feels strange. Seeing you two here, not in the dorms. Like... everyone blinked and grew up when I wasn’t looking."
Alex began unpacking snacks with careful precision. "Except us. Still buried in assignments."
"Don’t remind me," Lina sighed, though her smile lingered.
"And art’s eternal," Alex added dryly.
Emily rolled her eyes. "You sound like a pretentious gallery brochure."
Jordan cracked open a can, smirking. "Meanwhile, I’ve got no lectures, no deadlines, no professors breathing down my neck. Honestly? Life’s good."
Lina arched a brow. "Says the guy who ambushed us without warning."
Jordan lifted his drink. "Ambushed? Please. Call it divine intervention. Luca posts one mysterious photo and thinks I won’t track him down? Not happening."
"You could’ve," Luca deadpanned.
"But where’s the fun in that?" Jordan’s grin widened.
The room filled with easy sound—wrappers tearing, cans hissing open, voices overlapping. It wasn’t the deafening chaos of their old parties, but something warmer, easier. Banter circled the room, worn in like a favorite jacket.
Lina curled against Emily’s shoulder, her tone reflective. "I still miss it sometimes. The campus. Late nights, even the stress... it all feels so far away now."
"You’ll be back soon enough," Alex said, handing her half a biscuit. "Breaks never last long."
Emily groaned, throwing her head back. "Don’t ruin the vibe. Let me enjoy my fleeting freedom."
Luca leaned against the kitchen counter, arms folded, scowling in his usual way—though beneath it, something softer flickered. They drove him insane, but they were also irreplaceable.
Noel, calm by the cups, caught Luca’s gaze. A steady, knowing look passed between them—no words needed.
The living room had fully transformed into a reunion. Snacks littered the table, cans hissed, laughter rose and fell like old music.
Emily sipped her drink, her hawk-like eyes locked on Luca. Each mutter, each eye-roll only widened her grin.
"You know," she said slyly, "I really wish George was here. He’s the only one who knows how to bully you properly."
"As if you’re struggling," Luca shot back.
Emily smirked. "Oh, I’m managing. But together? Unstoppable."
"Terrifying," Jordan cut in, raising his can. "I’d pay money to see Luca survive that."
"You’re supposed to be on my side," Luca pointed.
"I’m on the side of entertainment," Jordan said shamelessly.
By the balcony, Noel and Alex watched quietly, two anchors in the storm.
"You’re used to this, aren’t you?" Noel asked.
Alex’s calm gaze flicked over the chaos. "It’s performance art. You just sit back and watch."
"And we’re the audience?"
"Exactly."
Suddenly, Emily straightened with a glint in her eye. "Wait. Idea." She whipped out her phone.
"Emily..." Lina sighed.
Seconds later, a sleep-roughened voice crackled through. "Emily? Do you have any idea what time—oh, for heaven’s sake—"
"George!" Emily beamed, thrusting her phone up like a trophy. "Look who I’ve got!"
George’s messy-haired face appeared, smirk forming instantly as he spotted Luca. "Ah. Perfect. Just the face I wanted to see."
"Oh God," Luca muttered.
"You look like you’re about to propose," George teased, switching briefly to dramatic Mandarin before grinning wider. "Domestic bliss already? Has Noel gotten sick of your socks yet?"
Jordan howled with laughter. Emily clapped like she’d won the lottery.
Luca buried his face in his hands.
"You miss me," George crowed.
"No," Luca shot back instantly.
"Yes," George corrected.
Emily’s grin stretched. "See? He’s the best."
From the balcony, Noel murmured, "They haven’t changed at all."
Alex’s smile twitched. "Would you want them to?"
Noel looked back at Luca—groaning, red-eared, yet alive in a way only they brought out of him. His voice softened. "No. Not really."
The room spun with laughter—until Jordan leaned forward, eyes glittering. "You think this is bad? You should’ve seen him in high school."
Luca froze mid-reach for Emily’s phone. "Don’t you dare."
"Oh, do," Emily chirped.
Even George perked up. "Story time? Please, Jordan, don’t hold back."
"You people are vultures," Luca muttered.
"Vultures with great memories," Jordan said smugly. "Chemistry class. Teacher caught Luca passing notes. But it wasn’t homework. It wasn’t words. It was a doodle of the teacher... as a dragon."
Emily wheezed with laughter. "You? In detention?"
George clapped from the screen. "Artist and rebel. I knew I liked you."
Luca groaned, ears burning. "You’re exaggerating."
"Nope," Jordan smirked. "Notebook full of them. Teachers, classmates—even me. Chaos bottled up in a uniform."
Noel’s lips curved, a rare smile breaking free.
Emily nudged eagerly. "More."
Jordan’s voice softened, threaded with nostalgia. "He was always picking fights with older kids too. Not because he liked trouble—because he couldn’t stand bullies. Came home with split lips, bruises, acted like it was nothing. But he never backed down."
Silence fell for a beat. Noel caught it—the pride wrapped in Jordan’s tone.
George chuckled. "Of course. Hero complex."
"Shut up," Luca muttered, tossing a pillow uselessly at the phone.
Emily’s grin widened. "I can’t believe you never told us."
"Because it’s not worth telling," Luca said too quickly.
But Noel’s gaze lingered, warm, seeing everything.
Jordan broke the tension, raising his can. "Point is—he’s always been like this. Chaos and fire. Wouldn’t be Luca otherwise."
Emily clinked her can. "To chaos and fire!"
George echoed from afar. Lina shook her head, fond.
The laughter rose again, weaving old stories into new ones until the night blurred into golden haze.
For a little while, deadlines and storms waiting outside didn’t matter. Tonight was theirs.
Noel leaned against the balcony doorframe, the lively room behind him. Emily’s laughter, Luca’s groans, George’s teasing—it all layered into something messy, beautiful, alive.
Beside him, Alex exhaled softly. "They’re... something, huh?"
"They’re a lot," Noel admitted, smiling faintly. "But not in a bad way."
Alex glanced sideways. "You look comfortable."
"Is that your polite way of saying I usually don’t?" Noel teased.
A quiet chuckle. "Maybe. You hold yourself back sometimes. Even when you’re right there in the middle."
The words lingered. Noel finally asked, "And now?"
Alex studied him, then smiled. "Now... you don’t look like you’re holding back at all."
Noel huffed, shaking his head, but the corner of his mouth curved upward anyway. He tilted his glass toward Alex in a mock toast. "You read too much into things."
"Maybe," Alex said again, softer this time, but didn’t deny it.
They stood there like that—quiet, easy, the kind of comfortable pause that didn’t need filling.
Then Alex’s gaze drifted upward, past the familiar glow of the city lights. His brows lifted slightly. "Look."
Noel followed his line of sight.
The sky had shifted, heavy clouds drifting in, smudging out the few visible stars.
The air carried a fresh, clean coolness, that charged, electric edge that comes just before the world breaks open.
"First rain of the season, maybe," Alex murmured, almost to himself.
Noel tipped his head back, watching the way the clouds seemed to pulse with the promise of it. "Looks that way."
A beat later, Alex nudged his shoulder gently. "We should get going before it starts. I’d rather not be the one running through the streets in a downpour."
Noel’s lips curved into a smile. "Practical as always."
"Someone has to be," Alex returned easily, his eyes flicking back to Noel with a quiet, friendly warmth.
Inside, laughter spiked again—Luca’s voice carrying above the rest, Emily egging him on.
For a moment, Noel glanced back at the vibrant, beloved scene, then at Alex, then at the storm-promising sky.
The night was winding down, whether they wanted it to or not.