Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, and am making no money off of this fic.
AN: Written for the May 31st Cocktail Party prompt found here: gwcocktailfriday . tumblr .com(/)post/185129901391/cocktail-friday-post-responses-on-friday-may. (Without the spaces and parentheses.)
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One Night Only by luvsanime02
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Relena probably shouldn't be at this party.
She's got studying to do. She's got undergrad papers to help grade. She has a long list of things to clean around her apartment, and Relena hasn't started on any of them. Instead of a quiet night in, though, Relena is here.
Here being at a girls-only party with her fellow grad students. Here being tilting her head back and letting Hilde pour wine down her throat. This is so totally not her fault, though. The others should have known better than to challenge Relena to drink an entire bottle of wine in under five minutes. That's not even a proper challenge, really. She's drank far more than that in far less time.
Sally's dutifully keeping track of the minutes, which is good because Relena definitely can't tell what time it is right now, and Hilde's just a little bit busy, too. Noin said that she'll keep the way to the bathroom clear, just in case, but Relena feels fine. She'll need to wash her face after this, and her clothes are getting soaked, but she's not yet at the point of being so drunk that she needs to throw up.
It takes a lot of wine to get Relena to that point anymore. Possibly, she has a problem with alcohol, but she'll worry about that after she's submitted her thesis.
Eventually, Hilde lowers the empty bottle, and everyone else claps and cheers. Relena finished the bottle in less than three minutes, of course.
"Want another one?" Hilde asks teasingly.
Relena laughs. She could have another bottle of wine, really, but she shouldn't. Relena is still going to need to do actual, responsible things once she gets back to her apartment. Or at least pretend that she's going to do something productive before she passes out on her couch.
She shakes her head. "Maybe later," she says with a wink.
Everyone needs this party, truthfully. That's why Relena came, instead of begging off. They all need to relax, just for one night. This is the first time in weeks that Relena hasn't felt like death itself, dragging her tired body from building to building in a daze of stress and caffeine. This is the first time that she's felt alive since the semester started, and she can't bring herself to regret that.
"I've got the popcorn," Dorothy announces, and there's a rush as all of them try to grab some of the buttery, salty goodness, and then everyone's settling down to watch a trashy movie and make fun of the plot and characters, and this is exactly what Relena needs right now. She's going to enjoy tonight, before she has to get back to reality later. All of her pressures and expectations can wait, at least for one night.