Chapter 183: 183An Unforgettable Date
The train screeched to a halt, a long sigh of brakes and steel.
People rose around them, gathering bags, voices overlapping with excitement.
Noel stood, tugging his hoodie over his head to settle it right.
Luca caught the hem before he could move away.
"Wait," he said, smoothing a wrinkle at Noel’s shoulder like it mattered. His grin gave him away. "Okay, now we can go."
Noel shook his head, but there was warmth in his eyes. "You’re ridiculous."
Outside the station, the air was different—saltier, lighter, laced with the faint cry of gulls.
The town stretched ahead, pastel shops and narrow streets leading straight to the horizon where the sea glimmered.
They walked side by side, not in a hurry, the bag swinging from Luca’s hand.
Children darted past with dripping ice creams, couples strolled with sandals dangling from their fingers.
The closer they got, the louder the tide’s pulse became, steady and insistent.
Then the beach opened up before them.
The sand stretched wide, pale and soft, sunlight flashing off every grain.
Waves rolled in slow and even, curling into foam that fizzed at the shore before slipping back again.
Luca stopped at the edge of the boardwalk, taking it in. "Not bad," he admitted.
Noel arched a brow. "That’s all you’ve got to say?"
"I’ll need a closer look." Luca’s voice dipped with mischief.
He kicked off his sneakers and strode straight into the sand, the wind tugging at his shirt.
Noel sighed, slipping off his own shoes more carefully, placing them together by the rail.
He followed, feeling the sand cool under his feet, the sea breeze threading through his hair.
When he caught up, Luca was already crouched down, dragging his hand through the sand like he was testing its texture.
He glanced up at Noel, eyes bright. "I told you it’d feel like running away."
Noel looked at the horizon, the endless water meeting sky, and for a moment the weight in his chest eased.
He breathed in deeply, then turned back. "Fine," he said softly. "You were right."
"That’s all I wanted to hear." Luca stood, brushing sand from his hands, then leaned down just enough for his forehead to rest against Noel’s.
The world around them blurred into the hush of waves and distant laughter.
Noel let him stay there, the corners of his mouth curving. "So. What now?"
"Now," Luca murmured, lips brushing the air between them, "we make this date unforgettable."
And with that, he tugged Noel toward the water’s edge, leaving twin trails of footprints behind them in the sand.
The first rush of water curled around Noel’s ankles, cool and startling.
He flinched, but Luca was already in deeper, jeans rolled to his knees, grinning like he owned the ocean.
"Come on," Luca called, splashing a wave in Noel’s direction. Droplets caught the sun, scattering like shards of glass.
Noel lifted his hoodie, eyebrows raised. "Do you want me to walk home soaked?"
"Who says we’re walking home?" Luca shot back, then lunged, sending another wave his way.
Noel dodged, but not fast enough.
Cold water licked up his legs, and he gasped, glaring at Luca.
The corner of his mouth betrayed him, twitching toward a smile.
"That’s it," Noel muttered, slipping the hoodie over his head and dropping it onto the sand.
He strode forward, barefoot and determined.
The next splash hit Luca full in the chest.
Luca staggered back dramatically, clutching his shirt like he’d been wounded. "You dare challenge me on my own date?"
"You started it." Noel’s tone was flat, but his eyes were alive, daring.
The next few minutes were chaos—splash for splash, both of them laughing harder than either would admit.
The water caught their hair, plastered clothes to their skin, and still they kept going until Noel bent double, laughing breathless, his hair dripping into his eyes.
Luca watched him, grin softening. He stepped closer, the fight leaving him as quickly as it started.
His hand brushed Noel’s face, thumb sweeping away a line of water trailing down his cheek.
Noel stilled, his breath slowing, chest rising and falling as the sea washed over their feet again and again.
"You’re ridiculous," Noel whispered, but it came out lighter than before.
"And you’re beautiful when you forget to hold back," Luca said, no hesitation, no joke in his voice.
For a beat, the world shrank—their wet clothes clinging, the waves rushing in, the horizon stretching endless behind them.
Luca leaned in, lips brushing salt-slick against Noel’s.
Slow. Careful. Like the moment was too fragile to break.
Noel didn’t pull away. His fingers found Luca’s shirt, curling there, keeping him close.
The kiss deepened by inches, gentle but sure, until the sound of the waves and their own hearts blurred into one rhythm.
When they finally broke apart, Noel rested his forehead against Luca’s, eyes closed. "This isn’t how normal dates go."
Luca chuckled, brushing wet strands from his face. "Good. Who wants normal, anyway?"
Noel’s mouth curved into the smallest, softest smile.
He didn’t answer, but his hand never let go of Luca’s shirt, even as the tide pulled at them both.
They lingered in the shallows, water swirling around their legs, neither rushing to leave.
Noel’s hand still rested lightly at Luca’s wrist, thumb absently stroking circles there.
Luca tilted his face up toward the pale sky, damp hair clinging to his forehead. "Feels like the whole world slowed down just for us."
"Or maybe you’re just tired from acting like a kid," Noel teased, though the faint smile tugging his lips softened the words.
Before Luca could argue, a loud growl broke through the hush between them.
His stomach. He froze, wide-eyed, then let out a sheepish laugh. "Okay—that wasn’t me being dramatic, that was survival."
Noel’s brows arched. "Survival, huh?"
"I haven’t eaten since morning!" Luca defended himself, holding his stomach like it was a tragedy. "You’re starving me on this date."
"You could’ve grabbed a snack before dragging me into the ocean." Noel shook his head, but there was warmth in his voice. He glanced toward the boardwalk where the scent of grilled food drifted down on the breeze. "Come on. Let’s feed you before you collapse and blame me for it."
They wandered off the sand, shoes in hand, hair still dripping, leaving faint wet footprints on the pavement.
Stalls lined the street—steam rising from skewers, sizzling pans, the sweet pull of fried dough and roasted corn.
The hum of vendors calling out their specials mingled with the laughter of families and couples weaving through the crowd.
Luca’s eyes lit up instantly, darting from one stall to the next. "Noel, look—churros! No, wait—grilled squid. Oh my god, fried rice too."
"You can’t eat everything," Noel said, though his steady gaze followed Luca’s every animated point.
"Watch me," Luca challenged, already tugging him toward the nearest stand.
Noel sighed, but the corners of his mouth betrayed him again. "You’re impossible."
"And you like it," Luca shot back, grinning as he shoved a skewer into Noel’s hand before buying one for himself.
They stood shoulder to shoulder at the edge of the stalls, the glow of lanterns washing them in soft gold.
Noel took a slow bite, expression unreadable, while Luca devoured his with all the enthusiasm of a man starved.
When Noel finally glanced at him, Luca had sauce at the corner of his mouth.
Noel shook his head, reaching out without a word to swipe it away with his thumb.
Luca blinked at him, then smirked. "Romantic."
"You’re messy," Noel corrected flatly, but the faint color rising on his cheek gave him away.
The line of stalls stretched like a festival—colors, steam, and chatter wrapping around them in waves.
Luca tugged Noel from one to the next, buying too much, his arms quickly full with skewers, fried buns, and a cup of shaved ice dripping down the sides.
Noel, carrying nothing but the single bottle of water he insisted on, eyed him with quiet exasperation. "You’re not feeding an army, Luca."
"Correction," Luca said between bites of dumpling, "I’m feeding your boyfriend."
Noel didn’t even blink. "Then you better not waste any of it."
"I don’t waste food," Luca protested, then promptly shoved a dumpling toward Noel’s lips. "Open. Prove you’re not heartless."
Noel stared at him for a beat, then sighed and leaned forward, taking the bite cleanly. Luca’s grin broke wide, triumphant.
"That’s what I thought," he said, nudging him with his shoulder as they walked.
Eventually, after weaving through a crowd of families and couples, Luca found a small bench tucked under the shadow of a palm, string lights swaying faintly above.
He dropped onto it with dramatic relief, spreading out his ridiculous haul on his lap.
Noel sat beside him more quietly, his shoulder brushing Luca’s.
For a moment, they ate in companionable silence—the ocean still audible behind them, the air tinged with salt and spice.
"You realize," Noel said at last, picking a piece of fried chicken from Luca’s pile, "half of this is going to end up in my stomach anyway."
"Which is why I bought extra," Luca replied, mouth full, his tone smug.
Noel’s gaze lingered on him, a rare softness threading through his usual reserve. "You’ve been smiling non-stop since we got here."
Luca slowed a little at that, wiping his fingers on a napkin.
He turned to Noel, eyes gleaming in the glow of the string lights. "Yeah. Because it feels like—" He stopped, searching for the right words, then shook his head with a crooked smile. "Feels like this is the kind of day I’ll remember."
Noel didn’t respond right away. Instead, he reached over, plucked the last dumpling from Luca’s hand, and ate it without breaking eye contact.
"You’d better," he murmured, almost too quiet to hear.
They left the stalls behind once their hands were empty, drifting back toward the sand.
The chatter of the crowd dimmed with every step until all that was left was the hush of the sea and the distant crackle of oil from a fryer.
The boardwalk lights stretched above them in soft strings, but it was the moon that caught Luca’s eye—half-hidden in a spill of clouds, throwing silver across the water.
"Pretty romantic for a promise-date," Luca said, slipping his hands into his jacket pockets.
His voice was casual, but his glance toward Noel wasn’t.
"Mm," Noel hummed, gaze fixed on the waves. "Almost worth the cat."
Luca groaned. "Don’t start."
Noel smirked faintly but didn’t press. Instead, his hand brushed Luca’s, the smallest graze, deliberate but unspoken.
Luca caught it, lacing their fingers without hesitation.
For a while, they just walked. Sand softened their steps, the tide whispering close enough to wet their shoes.
The night air carried that mix of salt and fried dough, of laughter fading behind them and silence stretching wide before them.
"You ever think," Luca said quietly, "how fast things changed? One minute we’re in the dorms, sneaking noodles at midnight... now it’s just—us."
Noel slowed, their joined hands swinging lightly.
He turned to look at Luca, the moonlight catching the sharp lines of his face, softening them.
"That’s why I wanted today," Noel admitted, his tone steady but low. "So it doesn’t just blur by. So we don’t forget to stop and look."
Luca’s throat tightened at that, though he covered it with a grin. "See? You’re the romantic one. I’m just the hot one."
Noel didn’t even blink. "Debatable."
"Excuse you?" Luca bumped his shoulder, but Noel only smirked, the kind of look that made Luca’s chest feel full and raw all at once.
The tide reached further then, brushing cold water over their shoes, and Luca yelped, tugging Noel back a step.
They both laughed, the sound rolling out across the beach like it belonged there.
For a moment, it was just that: two figures walking hand in hand under string lights and moonlight, their laughter stitched into the night air.