Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, and am making no money off of this fic.

AN: Written for the May 10th Cocktail Party prompt found here: gwcocktailfriday . tumblr .com(/)post/184643223251/cocktail-friday-post-responses-on-friday-may. (Without the spaces and parentheses.)

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Picturesque by luvsanime02

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"I'm not drinking this," Trowa says flatly.

Duo snickers. "Just close your eyes and swallow," he says teasingly.

Hilde laughs and elbows Trowa's side. "He's right," she cajoles. "It's easier that way."

Trowa rolls his eyes. "I know," he deadpans, before pushing the glass in front of him away resolutely. "I'm still not drinking that."

Heero walks over at that moment and raises an eyebrow. "You're not supposed to," he says dryly. "They're only for decoration."

"Are you sure?" Hilde asks, leaning forward to peer at the drinks closer. "Why do they have fruit in them, then?"

"Or sugar crystals around the rim," Trowa points out. "I never said they weren't for drinking, just that I'm not drinking mine specifically."

"Wuss," Duo retorts, before plucking the pine branch out of his glass and then taking a large swallow of his drink. Everyone watches him intently, waiting for his reaction. Eventually, Duo shrugs. "It's not bad," he allows.

"I can't tell if you're being serious, or if you just want to see all of us choke on our own drinks," Hilde complains.

"The only way you'll find out is if you drink yours," Heero says. "They're still only meant to be decorative, though, not consumed," he continues, before grabbing a glass. Heero holds it up carefully to the light to see its contents better. "I don't think anything in here is poisonous, at least."

"Way to reassure someone," Duo says. "You sound real certain there."

"You're fine," Trowa says idly. "Sally and Noin wouldn't serve poison at a party."

"...Are you sure about that?" Hilde asks.

Trowa obviously thinks that over for a minute, and then turns to Duo. "Let us know if you start feeling dizzy or nauseous," he says.

Heaving a sigh, Duo takes another sip of his drink. "I'm telling you, it's fine," he insists. "It's got a cinnamon aftertaste."

"Hm," Heero says, and finally takes a sip of his own drink. He obviously likes the taste, because he gulps down the whole thing in under ten seconds.

Duo chuckles at Hilde's surprised expression. "That could have been filled with absinthe, and he still would have drank it all," he confides in her.

Trowa nods. "In fact, he probably would have drank it faster, so that he couldn't taste it as much," he says.

Sighing and giving in, Hilde plucks out her pine branch and takes a very cautious drink from her glass. "Oh, that is good," she says quietly, looking pleased, and happily brings her drink closer.

Trowa looks down at his own glass. "I'm still not drinking mine," he announces.

Wordlessly, Heero grabs his glass and empties that one too, and Trowa resigns himself to the fact that he's going to have to deal with three very drunk friends by the end of the night.