A few minutes after Sylvie had gone upstairs, the sharp echo of her returning footsteps filled the hallway.
"What happened to my favorite room?" she called out, voice raised.
Avery barely looked up. "Obviously, it's occupied."
Sylvie stopped at the base of the stairs, narrowing her eyes at the closed door that now belonged to Noël. Her glance shifted to him sharp and unmistakably annoyed.
"That room was mine whenever I visited," she said plainly. "Where am I supposed to sleep now?"
There were other rooms in the house. Spare, clean, and ready, but only a few were used regularly and held the lived-in warmth that made them feel like home. Sylvie had grown used to that one specific room, and now it smelled like peach and vanilla instead of her usual perfume.
Avery remained seated, but his eyes moved to Noël, softening. "Would you mind letting her use it?" he asked gently.
Noël, who had been standing near the kitchen entrance, froze for a second. He didn't want to offend Sylvie any more than he possibly already had. "It's okay," he said quickly, forcing a polite smile. "I'll just move into another room."
Avery's expression shifted into a quiet kind of satisfaction. It was the perfect excuse. Finally a reason for Noël to move in with him without it feeling forced. He had been wanting that for a while now, but worried that bringing it up too soon might overwhelm Noël.
Sylvie raised a brow, then tossed her bag over her shoulder. "Fine. I'm heading out with friends. I expect the room to be free when I get back." And just like that, she walked out, heels clicking decisively behind her.
Noël exhaled quietly and turned to head back into his room. He began packing right away, though it took longer than expected. Since their trip to Bali, his belongings had doubled—Avery had bought him more clothes than he even knew what to do with.
He looked through the other available rooms, unsure which to choose, and finally settled on one that had soft lighting and fewer cold surfaces. But just as he was beginning to move his suitcase, Avery appeared behind him.
"Where are you going?" Avery asked.
Noël looked up, startled. "I was just moving out of the room… like you asked."
"To my room," Avery said.
Noël blinked. "You mean—your room?"
"Yes." Avery leaned against the doorframe. "It'll be more convenient. If my sister's around, I can't keep going back and forth between rooms just to see you."
Noël frowned slightly. The excuse was flimsy at best. Avery didn't seem to care about PDA in front of his sister. If anything, he'd been more affectionate with her around. But he didn't argue.
"…Alright," Noël said softly, cheeks faintly pink. And with that, he started moving his things into Avery's bedroom.
_______
It was almost 2 a.m. when Sylvie returned.
The front door slammed shut a little louder than necessary, her heels clacking against the polished floors as she stumbled in, smelling faintly of perfume and expensive vodka. Noël stirred from under the covers at the sound, but Avery beside him didn't flinch. He was still awake, phone in hand, gaze steady on the door.
"She's back," Noël mumbled, voice laced with sleep.
"I know." Avery locked his screen and turned to him fully. "Don't worry about it. She won't come in here."
Noël yawned and rolled to his side, the soft cotton of Avery's shirt he'd borrowed shifting slightly over his thighs. The room felt warm–not just in temperature, but in atmosphere. It was unfamiliar to share this kind of closeness so casually with someone like Avery, and yet, something about it felt good.
Too safe, maybe.
Avery reached over and tugged the blanket higher over Noël's shoulder. "You cold?"
Noël shook his head but didn't meet his eyes.
They had slept in the same bed before but something about this night felt different. Less circumstantial. More... permanent.
Avery was different too.
More direct.
Less hesitant.
He lay on his side, hand propped beneath his head, watching Noël like he was still trying to memorize every feature. "You know," he said slowly, "I didn't ask you to move in here just because of Sylvie."
Noël blinked at him.
"I wanted you closer," Avery added, voice lower now. "I've wanted that for a while."
There it was again, that strange flutter in Noël's chest. He gripped the blanket tighter, not sure how to respond. Avery didn't pressure him, but his hand reached out anyway, gently tucking a stray curl behind Noël's ear.
"I like having you in my space," he murmured. "And I like you getting used to it."
Noël's breath hitched, caught somewhere between nervous and flattered.
He wanted to respond, to say something equally sincere. But footsteps outside the door interrupted the moment.
A knock.
Sharp and too fast to be polite.
"Avery," Sylvie's voice called, " come hang out with me"
Avery rolled his eyes but didn't move. "Go to sleep, Sylvie."
"Not answering the door makes it weirder, you know," she sing-songed.
"I don't care."
A short pause. Then the sound of her walking away, muttering something in Mandarin Noël didn't catch.
Avery sighed. "Ignore her."
Noël hesitated. "Does she know about… us?"
Avery looked at him for a long second. "I don't think we even know about us yet."
Noël flushed. He didn't know what he was expecting. A label? A promise?
But Avery's hand found his beneath the blanket. Fingers lacing.
"You're mine, Noël," he whispered, brushing his lips against Noël's knuckles. "I can't tell the whole world right now but Sylvie know isn't a problem. I knowshe can keep her mouth shut."
Noël didn't respond out loud, but he shifted closer, letting his head rest against Avery's chest. The steady thump of the Alpha's heartbeat calmed him, even as everything around them felt increasingly uncertain.
______
The Next Morning
The scent of strong coffee and toasted bread filled the air.
Noël woke up first, blinking against the sunlight filtering through Avery's curtains. He was still in Avery's shirt, now rumpled and warm from sleep, and Avery's arm was wrapped firmly around his waist.
He tried to slip out quietly, but Avery grumbled something against his neck and tightened his grip.
"Stay," he mumbled, voice gravelly and low.
"You need to get up," Noël whispered back. "You have a meeting, remember?"
Avery groaned but didn't release him.
Downstairs, they could hear Sylvie moving around in the kitchen—clinking mugs, tapping her phone, probably eavesdropping.
Noël sighed. "She's going to say something if we both come out of here."
"She already knows," Avery said, finally releasing him just enough to let Noël turn and face him. "Let her say something. I don't care."
Noël sat up, brushing out his curls with his fingers. "You don't care now. But if it turns into a problem—"
"It won't," Avery interrupted, his voice firm.
Then, after a pause: "Do you care?"
Noël looked at him.
At the vulnerability tucked beneath Avery's usual aloofness. At the way his Alpha instincts had quieted around him lately—not gone, just softened. Noël leaned down slightly and kissed his forehead.
"No," he whispered. "I don't care either."