He blinked, caught off guard, then smiled, a small, hopeful one this time. "Right behind you," he murmured.
As she headed toward the kitchen, Ren took out his phone and typed a quick message.
Could you bring a change of clothes and my backpack? I'll be staying out for a while.
A few seconds later, his driver replied with a simple confirmation. Ren smiled faintly. He'd have fresh clothes soon. Anything would be better than the soft pink teddy bear shirt clinging to him.
He looked up to see Noelle watching him from across the room, arms folded, a curious tilt to her head.
"Texting already?" she teased. "Planning your escape route?"
"Actually," he said, pocketing his phone, "I just called for reinforcements. A clean shirt, some notes… figured I could spend the day here. You did say you needed help with your project, right?"
Noelle blinked, a little surprised by his casual tone. "You're planning to stay?"
"Only if you'll let me." His voice softened, a trace of that boyish charm sneaking back in. "I promise I'll behave. No lectures, no questions about Han. Just… homework."
She tried to look unimpressed, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her. "You? Sitting still long enough to do homework? That'll be the day."
He laughed quietly. "Then today's the day."
A soft knock came at the door a few minutes later. His driver, discreet as always, handing over a paper bag and a backpack. Ren thanked him and quickly changed into a plain white shirt and jeans. When he stepped back into the living room, Noelle was already setting out her laptop and notebooks on the coffee table.
"Better?" he asked.
She looked up, pretending to consider. "Much. At least the teddy bear's safe now."
Ren chuckled and dropped down onto the floor beside her. "Alright," he said, opening his own laptop, "let's see if I still remember how to write a research summary."
Noelle gave him a sidelong glance, her tone teasing but affectionate. "If you mess it up, I'm making you redo it."
"Deal," he said, his smile softening as he looked at her.
As they settled into the quiet rhythm of typing and small talk, Ren couldn't help glancing at her every so often. The storm between them hadn't fully passed, but sitting there, being side by side, papers scattered between them makes it felt like maybe, just maybe, they were starting to find their way back to normalcy.
Noelle's apartment was bathed in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun, the faint scent of coffee lingering in the air. Textbooks and papers were spread across her small dining table, but the organized chaos seemed fitting, a battlefield of equations and formulas.
Ren sat beside her, notebook open, pencil poised. "Okay, so let's go over this problem again," Noelle said, frowning at the page. "You need to integrate this part."
Ren paused dramatically, tapping his pencil against the notebook. "Ah, integration," he murmured, pretending to think hard, then deliberately scribbled the equation incorrectly.
Noelle's eyes went wide. "What? That's wrong!"
"Wrong?" Ren looked up, pretending to be shocked, then leaned closer. "Are you sure? Maybe I just have a different method."
"No, you absolute—" she started, but he interrupted by brushing her hand gently with his.
"Noelle," he said softly, voice low and teasing, "you're way too serious. Look at me. This is supposed to be fun."
She blinked, flustered and he leaned even closer, pressing his lips to hers in a quick, playful kiss. She froze, then melted against him, a small laugh escaping when he pulled back just slightly.
"I'm trying to study!" she protested, though her voice lacked conviction.
"And I'm trying to help," Ren murmured, grinning as he leaned in again, letting his hand graze her waist. "Top student in my class, remember? I don't need to study. I memorise everything. But I do need to spend time with you."
Noelle's blush deepened. "You're purposely writing it wrong?"
He shrugged innocently, lips brushing against hers again. "Maybe. Maybe I want to steal kisses in exchange for helping you with your homework."
She groaned, swatting at his shoulder playfully but her lips found his again almost instantly. Papers shifted, pencils rolled across the table and the quiet study session dissolved into a flurry of teasing touches, soft laughter and long, lingering kisses.
Minutes passed like this, playful corrections punctuated by stolen kisses, her hands threading through his hair, his fingers tracing the curve of her waist, the textbooks forgotten beneath the growing warmth and closeness.
Finally, Noelle pulled back, breathless and laughing, hair falling over her face. "You're incorrigible," she said, eyes sparkling.
"And you love it," Ren replied, smirking. "Admit it."
She shook her head, smiling despite herself. "Maybe I do."
He leaned closer again, resting his forehead against hers. "Good," he whispered. "Because I plan on making this homework session last forever."
Noelle laughed softly, melting into the warmth of his arms. She leaned back slightly, her eyes narrowing in curiosity. "Okay, since you have a driver at your beck and call, I have to ask… just how wealthy are you, Ren?"
Ren leaned back, stretching his arms with a lazy grin, a playful glint in his eyes. "Wealthy? Darling, I'm rich as sin."
Noelle blinked, then laughed, incredulous. "Rich as… sin? Really?"
He shrugged, smirking. "Every Sunday brunch, every late-night drive, every little indulgence you can imagine. Let's just say, I'm more than comfortable."
She shook her head, laughing softly, and nudged him playfully. "Unbelievable. And here I thought your charm was the only dangerous thing about you."
"Ah," he said, leaning closer again, voice soft and teasing as he arched his left eyebrow. "You'd be surprised how many ways I can be dangerous."
Noelle ignored him and tried to get back to her homework. The sunlight had shifted lower, casting golden streaks across the scattered textbooks and papers. Noelle sat back, pretending to adjust her notebook but Ren leaned closer, deliberately "checking" her work. His fingers brushed hers as he reached over, and she shivered at the contact, unable to focus on anything but him.
"You're not helping!" she said, trying to sound stern but her voice wavered as he leaned in, lips hovering near hers.
"I prefer being 'challenging'," he murmured into her ear, smirking as he nibbled at the sensitive lobe. She gasped softly, her pencil falling to the table unnoticed.
As she bent down to pick it up, Ren pulled her up into his lap, pressing his hands gently on her hips. "See? Now you can't ignore me," he said teasingly. His lips found hers again, slow and deliberate at first, then deeper, more demanding. She melted against him, fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer.
He rested his forehead against hers, breath mingling with hers, eyes glinting with mischief. "We're supposed to be studying," he whispered, though there was no real conviction in his tone.
"Nope," she murmured back, laughing into the kiss. "I don't think so anymore."
The textbooks were pushed aside, forgotten, as they sank into the couch cushions, hands exploring, lips finding every soft spot. Each kiss was a playful challenge, a tease but also raw, charged with all the emotion they'd been holding back.
Ren deliberately pressed against her, his top student brain abandoning every problem set he could solve in favour of memorising her warmth, her scent, the way she shivered when he traced the curve of her neck. He pulled back only to catch his breath, then smiled lazily. "You're distracting me," he murmured.
"You're worse," she shot back, tugging his shirt down to steal another kiss, breathless laughter mixing with quiet moans.
Minutes passed in a blur of teasing touches and urgent kisses. Papers slid to the floor, pens rolled across the rug, and the small apartment seemed to shrink around them, leaving only the two of them and the heat of their closeness.
Finally, Noelle pressed her forehead to his chest, laughing softly, still catching her breath. "We should… maybe… eventually study?"
Ren grinned, holding her close, fingers brushing over her hair. "Eventually," he said, voice low and satisfied. "For now, I think we're learning something much more important."