"Alright, everyone ready for another round? Cheers!"

The clinking of glasses filled the room as everyone took swigs of alcohol. This was the fourth or fifth round now; spirits were high and zero shame was present among the group. You stared at your one empty glass and realized you were entirely too sober to be in this room full of loud, drunk people. Sighing, you chose to drink some water instead and contemplated on going home.

After all, it wasn't your idea to come to the bar this Friday night. Your roommate, Yuto, was feeling stressed and invited you and other friends for a night of drinking. You had just finished your work shift and liked the idea of a drink or two, and agreed to come along. What you didn't expect was your current situation: completely sober and even annoyed.

"Ah, put that water down and have a beer instead! I'll order for you," Saki, Yuto's friend, called out to you in between hiccups. 

"I'm fine. Really. I might go home soon actually," you replied.

"You're so BO-RING sometimes! Fine, that just means more drinks for me and Yuto! Isn't that right?" Saki laughed, clinging onto Yuto as he downed a shot.

"You kno-o-w it!" Yuto responded, his cheeks red and a goofy smile plastered on his face.

You felt the irritation growing within you. Saki annoyed the hell out of you in almost every way possible, but the kicker came with her obvious attraction and closeness with Yuto. It made you jealous. So jealous, that it was painful sometimes to see the two of them together.

You didn't know when exactly you started developing feelings for Yuto. Maybe the past two years living with him made you realize that his strange quirks were actually rather adorable, that his warm personality always made you feel at home, that his handsome looks made you feel flustered when he looked at you directly in the eyes. Or maybe you were always in love and refused to admit it.

"Are you really going home? I'll be so lonely without you!" Yuto pouted, taking your hand and holding it tightly.

You blushed briefly at the contact and shook his hand away. "I've made up my mind. Send me a text when you're on your way back so I know you're safe. You've had a lot to drink, you should stop soon too."

"I'm totally fine! See, let me get up," Yuto said, almost falling as he attempted to walk around the table.

Saki laughed hysterically, downing the rest of her drink. "I think it is about time to get going. Come on Yuto, I'll help you out," Saki said.

After paying the bill and shuffling out of the bar, you watched as Saki struggled to keep Yuto up in her own drunken state. You felt yourself wanting to explode with anger, observing Saki flirting so aggressively with Yuto.

"Ah, why don't you come back to my place, Yuto? It's really close to here! We can have more fun," Saki said, pulling at Yuto's jacket.

"Really? More fun? Yay!" Yuto replied like a child, clapping his hands.

Your frustration then finally reached its limit and you approached the two, interrupting the conservation.

"Saki, I appreciate it and all but I think I’d rather take him home myself. I can handle him in this state. Get home safely, goodnight," you said curtly, leading Yuto by the arm as you started making your way to the car.

“Ugh, whatever. Poor Yuto getting stuck with such a lame roommate. Have fun boring him to death for the rest of the night!” Saki called out loudly behind you.

It took every ounce of strength within you to not turn back and punch her promptly in the face. You tried to convince yourself over and over that she was still extremely drunk and thus prone to such blatant rudeness.

No, she’s just that unbelievably ty of a person, you thought to yourself.

You opened the car door and made sure that Yuto was settled in on the passenger side. You reached into your bag and sighed in relief as you realized you still had a water bottle from work.

“Here, Yuto. Drink as much as you can of this. Trust me in that it will make you feel better, okay?” you said.

“I trust you completely! You’re always so great to me,” Yuto replied happily, taking the bottle.

You sighed as you put the key in ignition and began driving back home. The bar was a bit far from where you and Yuto lived, giving you plenty of time to be lost in your own thoughts as you drove. You wondered how you could still be so in love with this drunken fool, despite having to act like his mother for most of the night. You also wondered how much regret you might have felt if you hadn’t stopped Yuto staying the night at Saki’s place.

It was only until you snapped out of your thoughts that you realized that the turn for your neighborhood was just approaching. You looked over at Yuto, who had passed out not even halfway through the ride back.

“Yuto, we’re home,” you said, gently shaking his shoulders. His eyes slowly fluttered open, realizing his surroundings.

“Oh God, my head is pounding. How much did I drink? Did I cause too much trouble for you guys? Did I end up paying at all?” Yuto asked frantically.

“Don’t worry about it right now. I drove us back and you’re here safely. Try to get some rest,” you replied, opening the car door to make your way into the living room.

“I--- I’m so sorry about this. Thank you. Seriously, I’ll find a way to pay you back,” Yuto said. You simply smiled in response, throwing your keys on the counter.

You were beginning to turn the knob on your bedroom door when you felt two arms hug you from behind. You stopped in your tracks and turned your head to face Yuto.

“I don’t think I can say it enough. Thank you. Not just for tonight, but for all the times when you were practically the only one who gave a damn,” Yuto said, his dark eyes searching yours.

You stayed silent for a moment. “I’m----- I care a lot about you. I consider you not just my roommate, but one of my dear friends. We look out for each other,” you finally responded.

Yuto’s face moved closer, making the space between you two even smaller.

“Is that really all you feel?”

Your breath hitched at his words. Turning your body to face him, you looked directly into his eyes.

“No. It’s not. You’re the person that lights up my days, and the person that I feel the most comfortable around. Sometimes when there’s a rough day at work, knowing that I’ll see you when I come home keeps me going. Your jokes are cheesy as hell, and I laugh at every single one of them. When I see you sad or in pain, a part of me feels that way too. Even the quiet nights spent in comfortable silence are enough for me. No one makes me feel the way you do. I’m in love with you, Yuto.”

You stared at each other for what seemed like forever, before you felt a pair of lips pressed against your own.

“You’re in luck, because I’m pretty much completely in love with you too,” Yuto said, grinning at you.

You had barely processed his words before you felt him kiss you again, this time much longer. You raised your arms to rest your hands on his neck, pulling his face closer. Yuto’s arms circled around your waist as he smiled in the kiss.

The two of you broke apart after another long kiss. Yuto embraced you, your head buried in his chest. You could feel his heart racing as he began to speak.

“Sleep with me tonight, won’t you?”