Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, and am making no money off of this fic.
AN: Written for the April 13th Cocktail Party prompt found here: gwcocktailfriday . tumblr .com (/)image/172759013991. (Without the spaces and parentheses.)
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This Place About To by luvsanime02
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"What's your poison?" Duo asks, waving a hand casually towards the nearest wall.
Relena follows the line of his fingers, and there, in the corner, is an array of different sizes of bottles and glasses, all ready to be poured and mixed at a moment's notice. She blinks. "That's a lot more choices than I was expecting," she admits, walking over and making herself a gin and tonic.
"I'm sure it's all expensive as hell, and no one will want to look at the room's bill by the end of the night when we're all piss drunk, but hey, it's convenient," Duo says. He's holding a glass of some darker liquid in one hand, and while Relena's not sure, she thinks it might be bourbon. Her brother drinks that, and it looks to her like a similar color.
"Thanks for setting this all up," Relena says, taking her glass and walking back across the room to sit down on the couch. Duo is straddling the armrest, his legs dangling over both sides. Relena almost admonishes him for keeping his boots on while one foot's resting on the couch cushion next to her, but reminds herself in the next moment that she's there to have fun. She doesn't really care about the cushion, and so she keeps quiet.
"You're getting married, Relena," Duo points out, nudging her side gently with his leg. "As your best man/bridesmaid/whatever the hell label it is we're using today, I'm supposed to be the one throwing this little party." He pauses to take a drink from his glass. "Besides, if I'd left Wufei in charge of everything, you'd be sitting at a nice restaurant right now, and trying to come up with polite things to say about the centerpieces, or something else equally boring."
Relena laughs. That's probably accurate. "So, instead, I get my own, private strip show?" she asks, gesturing towards the stage in front of them, and especially at the dancing pole that the performer will be using later, once the party starts.
Duo winks. "No reason this party can't be for everyone," he admits shamelessly. Relena giggles into her drink, feeling halfway to tipsy already, but that's just the relief of being in her best friend's company, and not having to put on her public face tonight.
The rest of her friends will be arriving at any minute, Relena's sure, but she's glad that she decided to come here a little early. The atmosphere is relaxing, and she needs a few moments of that quiet before the fun begins. Feeling more energetic now, Relena tosses back the rest of her drink.
Duo grins, and copies her. "I knew that planning this party for two days before the wedding was a good idea," he says, taking her glass and getting up off of the couch. "You'd kill me if you spent your wedding hungover."
"I wouldn't," Relena protests, even though she definitely would. "Make mine a double," she adds, not even caring what Duo ends up pouring for her. Relena fully intends to get drunk tonight. This weekend, and the week after the wedding, which is scheduled for her honeymoon, are probably going to be her last free days for quite a while, what with her campaign for senator beginning in earnest once she gets back.
Duo returns with both of their glasses significantly fuller than they were before, and they clink them together before drinking. Tonight's not about worrying if she's ready, if she's really good enough to be a senator. Tonight is about friendships and celebration and enjoying herself, and that's exactly what Relena intends to do.
