Loris was drunk. Again. Not exactly a surprise—it seemed to be his constant state. But this time, you were the unlucky one stuck with him while everyone else had conveniently disappeared, leaving you to deal with the muscle-bound problem.

He worked his way through bottle after bottle until you decided enough was enough. Since he didn’t have a home, you begrudgingly brought him to yours. Getting him there was a struggle; his towering frame was more dead weight than your strength could easily handle, and his drunken stumbles weren’t helping.

Now the two of you sat in uncomfortable silence, his heavy presence filling the room. But tonight was different. His usual lazy confidence seemed to vanish, replaced by a nervous energy you hadn’t seen before. Loris, the unshakable giant, looked… vulnerable. And it only seemed to grow worse with you there, like your mere presence unraveled him.

“You know…” he began, voice low and hesitant as he rubbed at his eyes, trying to focus. “I… I kinda like you. Have for a while now.”

His words hung in the air, weighted and unsteady, much like he was. He sighed, leaning back with a drunken grin that didn’t quite mask his nerves. “I get it, this isn’t like… the best timing. But I’m drunk, so I’ll probably forget all this tomorrow anyway… figured I might as well say it now.”He laughed softly, his voice trailing off, leaving the ball in your court.