Chapter 182: The First Journey Together
In the main room, the soft morning light filtered through the curtains, catching little motes of dust dancing in the air.
Luca slung the now-smaller bag by the door with an exaggerated huff, already buzzing with impatience, but Noel wasn’t rushing.
He crouched down in front of the couch where the cat—Luca Jr.—had claimed a sunlit spot like a tiny, furry monarch.
The little creature blinked its wide green eyes slowly at him, its tail giving a single, lazy flick of acknowledgment.
Noel reached out, rubbing gently behind its ear with a single finger. "Be good while we’re gone, alright? No scratching the furniture. No stealing Luca’s seat." His voice was calm, almost indulgent, as if he were talking to someone who truly understood him.
The cat purred, a low, rumbling motor, and pressed its head into his hand.
Luca leaned against the wall, arms crossed, trying and failing to hide the faint, amused roll of his eyes. "You’re seriously giving a pep talk to a cat?"
"He listens," Noel replied without looking back, his attention still on the purring creature.
"More than I do?" Luca muttered, a smirk playing on his lips.
Noel glanced over his shoulder, the smallest, truest smile tugging at his lips. "Exactly."
That earned a mock-offended scoff from Luca, who pushed off the wall and ruffled Noel’s hair just to mess with him. "Come on, before you start leaving him detailed instructions and a snack schedule."
Noel straightened, brushing his hoodie back into place with a dignified air, and gave the cat one last, lingering look. "We’ll be back tonight," he promised softly, as if Luca Jr. could hold him to it.
The cat stretched, yawned widely, and turned in a slow, deliberate circle before settling back into its nest of cushions, utterly and completely unbothered.
Luca shook his head, grabbing the keys off the counter with a jingle. "Great. Even the cat’s ignoring me now."
Noel’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile, his gaze flicking to Luca with that quiet weight that always seemed to unravel him. "Get used to it."
And with that, he tugged his hood up, the strings falling loose against his chest, and was ready to head out.
Noel slipped into his shoes by the door, a quick, efficient motion.
Luca was already waiting, jangling the keys in his hand with all the subtlety of a restless kid on the first day of summer.
Noel straightened and glanced back one last time—the apartment quiet and still, the cat a small, sleeping guardian on the couch.
Something about that peaceful stillness felt grounding, like he was leaving a small, cherished piece of their new life behind, just for the day.
Luca, catching the look, tilted his head. "You planning to marry the cat or me?"
Noel brushed past him, deliberately slow, the faintest smirk on his lips. "Depends on who complains less."
"That’s low," Luca muttered, though his wide grin betrayed any real offense.
They stepped out together, the door clicking shut with a soft, final sound behind them.
The hallway smelled faintly of lemon-scented detergent and the lingering, clean scent of last night’s rain.
Luca slung an arm over Noel’s shoulder as they walked toward the stairs, the bag bumping gently against his hip, and leaned down just enough to murmur, "You realize if you keep treating him like a prince, he’s never gonna respect me."
Noel adjusted the hood of his sweatshirt, his voice dry but layered with affection. "He already doesn’t."
Luca laughed, the sound warm and unrestrained, echoing off the stairwell walls. "Unbelievable. It’s both of you against me."
By the time they stepped out onto the sun-washed street, a cab was already pulling up to the curb, right on time.
Noel slid into the back seat without waiting for Luca to play the gentleman, and Luca followed with the bag, his energy filling the small space.
The driver pulled smoothly into the river of morning traffic.
For a beat, neither spoke—the quiet anticipation of the day stretching comfortably between them.
Finally, Noel glanced sideways, one brow raised in a silent challenge. "You’re sure you know the way?"
Luca scoffed, leaning back against the seat with smug ease. "Please. I could get us there blindfolded."
Noel settled deeper into his seat, his voice even. "That explains a lot about your driving, actually."
Luca shot him a look, the corners of his mouth twitching irresistibly upward, before the city began to blur past the windows in a stream of light and movement.
The morning felt alive but not rushed, and in the hushed intimacy of the cab, it was easy to believe the whole day belonged only to them.
The cab rolled to a smooth stop outside the bustling station, where the rush of morning commuters already spilled across the wide stone steps.
Horns honked, voices chattered, and metallic announcements tangled together from the loudspeakers in a familiar urban rhythm.
Luca hauled the bag out with one hand and shut the door with his foot, scanning the grand station entrance with sharp, excited eyes like he owned the place.
Noel, hands shoved deep in his hoodie pocket, fell into step beside him, a calm counterpoint to Luca’s vibrant energy.
Inside, the air was noticeably cooler, tinged with the rich smell of fresh coffee and the faint, cold scent of iron.
They joined the queue for tickets, the line shuffling forward in a slow, steady stream.
Noel studied the massive board of departures while Luca fidgeted behind him, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet.
"Two tickets," Noel told the clerk smoothly when they finally reached the counter.
The man slid them across the worn laminate, and Noel tucked them neatly into his hoodie pocket before Luca’s hand even twitched toward them.
"Control freak," Luca muttered under his breath, though there was no heat in it.
"I like us arriving at the right place," Noel said calmly, already turning to walk toward the platforms.
Luca caught up in two long strides, brushing his shoulder against Noel’s. "You don’t trust me."
"You’d probably try to barter the tickets for snacks," Noel countered, his expression unreadable, though his lips threatened to betray him with a smile.
Luca barked a laugh, drawing a few curious stares, which he utterly ignored. "You’re not wrong."
The platform opened wide before them, trains lined up like great, slumbering steel beasts breathing plumes of steam.
Noel glanced once at their ticket, then nodded toward the correct track with certainty.
Luca followed without question this time, falling into step beside him, their rhythm syncing naturally.
As they walked, Noel glanced sideways, his tone casual but carrying a quiet weight. "This is the first trip we’re making together."
Luca’s grin softened into something more thoughtful, more real. "First of many."
Noel didn’t reply, simply handed him his half of the ticket.
Their fingers brushed, a light and deliberate touch, as the train’s deep whistle cut through the humid platform air, signaling its imminent departure.
They stepped out onto the platform, the air sharp with the metallic tang of steel tracks and faint, nostalgic coal smoke.
People moved around them in a vibrant tapestry—families tugging overstuffed luggage, a businessman barking into his phone, a small child chasing pigeons near the wooden benches—but the noise seemed to blur and fade at the edges of their own little world.
Luca tilted his head back, squinting at the large, hanging clock. "Still early."
Noel hummed in agreement, his gaze scanning the train already waiting patiently at their track.
Steam curled lazily along its dark blue side like breath on a cold morning.
"Want coffee before we get on?" Luca asked suddenly, jerking his chin toward a small vendor across the platform, its sign promising strong brew.
Noel shook his head. "We’ll miss a seat by the window."
Luca smirked, impressed. "You’ve thought this whole thing through, haven’t you?"
"Always," Noel said simply, pulling his hoodie tighter against the cool breeze that swept down the platform.
Luca leaned a little closer, bumping his shoulder against Noel’s as if he couldn’t help the need for contact. "Then let me at least carry the tickets. Just once. Trust me."
Noel’s lips tugged upward, the faintest smile finally breaking through his composed facade. "No."
Luca groaned dramatically, throwing his head back as if in deep betrayal.
A woman passing by with a suitcase glanced at them, a small, amused smile on her face.
"Fine," Luca muttered, sliding his hands into his jacket pockets. His tone softened a beat later, the words almost hidden beneath the din of the station. "You really don’t let go of anything, huh?"
Noel tilted his head, meeting his eyes for a moment that felt too long and too short all at once. "Not the things worth holding onto."
That silenced Luca, his grin faltering into something smaller, quieter, and far more vulnerable.
The train’s whistle blew again, long and loud, breaking the spell.
"Come on," Noel said, nodding toward the doors now opening with a hydraulic hiss.
Luca fell into step beside him, close enough that their arms brushed with every step as they moved forward.
He didn’t try to take the tickets again.
Not when he already felt like Noel was holding onto something far more important than paper.
The conductor’s call echoed down the length of the platform, and the crowd surged gently toward the open doors.
Noel let the flow carry them, the tickets held secure between his fingers.
Inside, the air smelled faintly of old, polished wood, of sun-warmed leather seats and faintly of lemon disinfectant.
They moved down the narrow aisle, brushing past people stowing bags in the overhead racks, their murmurs a soft backdrop.
"There," Noel pointed to an empty window seat halfway down the carriage.
Luca slid in first, dropping their small bag neatly under the seat, then leaned back, stretching his long frame out with a contented sigh. "Perfect. Window seat, just like you planned."
Noel followed, sitting beside him, pulling his hoodie strings loose as he settled into the space.
Outside, the platform was a flurry of last-minute activity—a tearful hug, someone waving frantically as the train gave its final lurch forward.
Luca turned his head, watching Noel instead of the world rushing by outside the window. "Feels like we’re running away together."
Noel let out a quiet, breathy laugh, his eyes flicking to him. "It’s just a date."
"Mm." Luca’s mouth curved, lazy and warm and full of promise. "Feels bigger than that."
The whistle shrieked once more, and the train began to move in earnest, the wheels finding their rhythm with a steady, calming clatter beneath them.
The world outside shifted slowly at first—the platform sliding away, the figures shrinking into specks, the urban landscape gradually unspooling into endless, vibrant green fields.
Noel rested his elbow on the windowsill, his chin in his palm, watching the blur of green and gold. "This beach better be worth it."
Luca leaned closer, his shoulder a solid, warm line against Noel’s. "With you there? It already is."
Noel’s lips parted, but no words came out, just the faintest flush of pink coloring the tips of his ears.
He didn’t look away from the window, but Luca saw it all the same.
For a long, peaceful stretch, they stayed like that, side by side, the rhythmic clack-clack of the tracks a steady, soothing beat beneath them.
The silence wasn’t heavy. It was comfortable, full, and theirs alone.
Luca shifted only when the train tilted slightly on a long curve, his knee pressing firmly against Noel’s. He didn’t move it away.
Noel glanced at him then, the softest, most unguarded smile tugging at his mouth. "You’re impossible."
"And you’re still here," Luca murmured back, his voice barely above the train’s rumble.
The train rolled on, carrying them toward the distant coast, the light outside growing brighter and warmer, as if even the day was in on their secret, joyful escape.