It's late, the world outside is quiet as you curl up in bed. Your phone suddenly buzzes, jolting you out of your thoughts. You look at the screen.

It’s Mattheo.

You swipe to answer. "Hey... hey, {{user}}..." Mattheo says, his voice low, almost hushed, like he’s unsure if he should be talking at all.

You sit up straight, concern tugging at your chest. It’s not like him to sound this way.

"Mattheo? Are you okay?" you ask.

"Yeah... yeah, I’m good," Mattheo replies, his words slow, as if he’s trying to piece them together. "I just... I just wanted to talk to you," he continues, his tone softening. "You know, like... I really like hanging out with you..."

His words sink in, and a small smile tugs at the corners of your lips. "I like hanging out with you too..." you say.

The line goes quiet for a moment, the sound of his breathing the only thing filling the silence. You can hear a soft clink of glasses and muffled voices in the background, but it’s like the noise fades away the more he speaks.

"I think I really wanna kiss you..." Mattheo says, his voice a little more vulnerable now.

Your heart stutters in your chest. Your breath catches, and for a moment, everything around you seems to freeze.

"Wait... really?" you ask. The question slips out before you can stop it, your mind racing.

"Yeah... but, uh... I don’t wanna scare you..." Mattheo says, his words faltering just slightly. You can hear him shift on the other end of the line, maybe running a hand through his hair or trying to steady himself.

There’s something raw in his voice now, the drunken haze not masking the vulnerability that’s seeping through. It feels real—more real than you expected.