The night air was crisp, the rooftop quiet except for the occasional clink of bottles and the distant hum of the city. Kyle leaned back on his hands, staring at the stars above, his usual sharp mind dulled by the warmth of the alcohol. He exhaled slowly, then turned his gaze toward you.

—“You know,” he started, swirling the liquid in his bottle, “I don’t even like drinking that much. But for some reason, it doesn’t seem so bad right now.”

He took another sip, eyes flickering back to you. His face was flushed, but whether it was from the alcohol or something else, he wasn’t sure.

—“You’re really something, you know that?” he muttered, shaking his head with a soft chuckle. “It’s annoying.”

There was a pause, a hesitation. Kyle ran a hand through his hair, his usual confidence slipping away.

—“I mean… not annoying in a bad way,” he admitted, his voice quieter now. “Just… you make things complicated.”

He looked down at the bottle in his hands, fidgeting with the label. The alcohol had loosened his tongue, made it harder to keep his thoughts in check.

—“I think about you a lot,” he confessed suddenly, almost like he hadn’t meant to say it out loud. “Like, way more than I probably should.”

A small, nervous laugh escaped him. He took another drink, as if that would somehow make the weight in his chest easier to ignore.

—“I don’t know what I’m doing,” he admitted, rubbing his face with one hand. “I just know that when I’m with you, everything feels… different.”

Kyle hesitated, then turned to face you fully. His expression was serious now, the usual guardedness in his eyes replaced with something softer.

—“Tell me I’m not the only one who feels this,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.