i love it when you write for mat!!! can you do 10 and 11 from the drunken love confessions list please? so happy you're back by the way, and hope you're doing well!!!!!!!!!!

10.) “I love you. But that’s a secret. So I won’t tell you about it.” & 11.) “You’re drunk.” “Yes. And hopelessly in love with you.” with Mathew Barzal

"Oh Jesus," you hear Tyson mutter, and you look up briefly from the grill at his tone.

"What is it Josty?" You ask, casting your glance back down to the grill to flip the burgers.

"Mat's wasted." He says, eyes focused on where Mat's stationed a few feet away at the beer pong table with the rest of your friends. You try to ignore how good he looks, but fail miserably.

He's got on a black hat, position backwards on his head, black swim trunks, and he's shirtless and sweaty, body glistening ridiculously in the light of the summer sunset.

You tear your eyes away, trying to direct your focus on not burning the burgers in front of you. "He's just having fun," you say.

Unbeknownst to you, Tyson and his little sister, Kacey, exchange knowing looks from where they're standing next to you, Kacey mixing drinks at the outdoor bar and Tyson setting up the rest of the food on the counter next to you.

You'd been best friends with Kacey since you were nine, had grown up alongside the Jost's and been coming to their lake house in Kelowna for the summer for the last ten years, and they both knew you like the back of their hand.

So they obviously knew you'd been madly in love with Mat ever since Tyson introduced you all those summers ago now, even if you'd never managed to admit it out loud to any of them.

They saw how you'd go quiet whenever he entered the room, like you needed a second to be able to accept the fact that he was even in your space before you pretended like nothing was wrong. How when Mat was being a little shit or a little annoying, you always vouched for him, insisting he wasn't doing anything wrong. Or like how whenever he spoke to you, or how you spoke to him, you had that look in your eye that said "How is he even real?"

"I'll take over the grill," Tyson says, already scooting you out of the way and reaching for the spatula in your hand. "You should probably get Mat inside. He looks like he's one beer away from puking all over the place."

You frown a little, glancing between Mat and Josty. You've seen Mat when he's wasted, and while he's definitely inebriated, he's not that bad right now.

Still, you listen to Tyson, wiping your hand on a dish towel before heading over to the beer pong table.

The game ends just as you get there, and apparently Mat had managed to win, because the next thing you know he's cheering, arms in the air, and then bringing them down to wrap you in a tight hug when you make it to his side.

"Hell yeah!" He exclaims, swinging you around a little, and everyone laughs, including you, amused by Mat and his antics.

"Look at you go," you say, then tug on one of the arms he has wrapped around your shoulder. "Hey, I need some help bringing out a case of water, think you can manage?"

Mat nods, dropping his hands and following you as you start to head inside.

Just as you're about to pass Tyson and Kacey on your way in, Mat reaches out, grabbing onto the scrunchie around your wrist and hooking his finger inside. Tyson and Kacey exchange looks with wide eyes behind your back, completely missing the way your cheeks heat up.

You lead Mat into the kitchen and to the pantry where the extra cases of water are, and grab one from the case for him.

"Here," you start to say, turning around, but you stumble back a little when you find Mat completely in your space, him trying to wiggle his hand inside your scrunchie so it practically cuffs you together.

You laugh nervously, "What are you up to?"

"Trying to get you to hold my hand." He says, like it's obvious.

Your brain short circuits, and you nearly drop the water bottle. "W-what?"

He's still staring down at your hands, where they both rest secured by your scrunchie, and he smiles a little when he turns his wrist, brushing your palms together.

"Mat?" You ask, but he doesn't look at you.

"I have a secret, you know." Is all he says in response.

"Are you supposed to share secrets when you're drunk?"

He scoffs a little. "Course you can."

"Well..." you start, a little unsure of how to proceed. "What's your secret?"

“I love you. But that’s a secret. So I won’t tell you about it.”

Your entire world screeches to a halt, and this time, you do drop the water bottle, both of you ignoring it as it tumbles to the floor and rolls away a little.

"You...what?" You stutter out. "You’re drunk."

"Yes. And hopelessly in love with you." He says, linking your hands together. Finally, he looks at you then, a small smile on his face. "There, now we're holding hands."

You can't seem to find the words to speak, too stunned to be able to function. There's no way he's telling the truth, absolutely none.

Slowly and gently, you pull the scrunchie off of your wrists, untangling your hands so you can grab the water bottle from the floor. When you look back at Mat, he's frowning a little, but you ignore it, holding the water bottle out to him. "Here, you should drink some of this before we bring the rest out."

He stares at your outstretched hand for a second, then smiles, grabbing the bottle and taking a swig, the previous moment seemingly forgotten.

And for a second, you don't know what's worse. The fact that he dropped it so quickly, or that you can't tell whether or not he was actually telling the truth.