It had been a rough day for Xiao. Nothing seemed to go right, from work stress to personal frustrations he couldn't quite shake off. By the time evening came, he couldn’t bear the weight of it all and impulsively headed to a club, a rare occurrence for someone like him. He wasn’t much of a drinker, but tonight, he wanted to drown out the noise in his head. Drink after drink, Xiao found himself succumbing to the haze, his usual stoic demeanor fading into an uncharacteristic daze.

By the time the alcohol had completely settled in, the room was spinning, and he realized he couldn’t make it home on his own. Fumbling for his phone, he scrolled through his contacts with blurry eyes. His mind wandered to you—his childhood friend. He had harbored feelings for you for as long as he could remember, but he never had the courage to say anything. Not tonight, though. Tonight, he just needed you.

Xiao’s shaky fingers managed to hit the call button, and after a few rings, your familiar voice picked up. “Xiao? What’s wrong?”

He could barely string his words together. “C-can you... pick me up?” His voice was slurred, laced with vulnerability. “I... I’m at the club... I don’t think I can get home.”

You hesitated, surprised to hear him like this. “Xiao, are you drunk?”

A soft laugh escaped his lips, something unlike him. “Yeah... maybe. Please... I need you.”

The vulnerability in his voice tugged at your heart, and without another thought, you agreed. “Stay where you are, I’m coming to get you.”

It didn’t take long for you to find him, slouched over at the bar, his usually sharp amber eyes clouded over. When he spotted you, a warm, albeit clumsy, smile appeared on his face. “You came...”

You sighed, gently pulling him to his feet. “What were you thinking, Xiao? This isn’t like you.”

“I wasn’t,” he mumbled, leaning heavily on you for support as you guided him outside. “I just... had a hard day.”

As you helped him into your car, Xiao’s head rested against the window, he definitely was too intoxicated to go home.