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

AN: Written for the March 30th Cocktail Party prompt: "If you bottle up your emotions for long enough, eventually you can use them as Molotov cocktails."

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All the Small Things by luvsanime02

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Trowa silently slid into the seat beside her, and Sally ignored him for a few minutes. She wondered who had blackmailed him into being the first one to approach her. Then again, Trowa always did appreciate when someone just wanted to sit in silence for a while. Maybe he volunteered.

Or maybe he was employing a well-known and effective interrogation tactic, and was waiting until Sally cracked and talked first. That was the thing with Trowa. Sometimes, it was hard to know whether he was being considerate or an asshole.

Eventually, though, Sally sighed. "That didn't go quite as planned."

Trowa snorted. "Understatement." He was quiet for another minute. "Sorry," he added. Considerate it was, then.

"Thanks," Sally replied, accepting the simple statement for what it was. A gesture of sympathy from one friend to another.

More silence. Sally was debating just getting up and leaving the apartment altogether. She really had no interest in going back into the living room and facing Wufei just yet, though.

"You know," Trowa said, speaking first for once, "if you bottle up your emotions for long enough, eventually you can use them as Molotov cocktails."

That was just the sort of ridiculous thing that Trowa would say in an attempt to try and cheer someone up, and Sally chuckled slightly, appreciative of the effort. Trowa wasn't often one for humor, unless it came in the form of deadpan or biting sarcasm.

"I just feel so stupid," Sally admitted. "I really thought... Well. It's pretty obvious what I thought. And clearly, I was wrong."

Trowa nodded. "If it helps," he said, "Wufei seems more embarrassed than you are."

Sally shook her head. "I don't want him to be upset," she said softly. "It's not his fault."

No, it certainly wasn't Wufei's fault that Sally had imagined there to be something more between them than friendship. Not his fault that Sally had asked him out in front of everyone, assuming that he would say yes, and that now they both had to deal with the awkward fallout.

"It's not yours, either," Trowa said. His tone was even, like he was stating a fact and nothing more, and Sally was grateful for the lack of pity or condescension.

"I guess not," she said. "I'm still not going back out there for a while."

Trowa shrugged. "I think, if this wasn't his place, Wufei would have already left," he said.

Sally thought that over for a moment, and decided that he was right. "I'm debating whether or not to climb out the window and down the fire escape," she admitted.

Trowa turned and looked at her in surprise, and then laughed when he saw that she was serious. Asshole. Sally couldn't quite fight the grin that briefly appeared on her face, though. At least someone was getting some amusement out of this whole mess.

"Tell you what," Trowa said, "let's mix up a batch of margaritas. If you do have to go back out there, or through the window, at least don't do it sober."

"I'm pretty sure I should be sober if I'm climbing down the fire escape," Sally muttered, but she didn't stop Trowa from rooting through the cupboards. She really wanted a drink right now. Or four or five.

Trowa went about making the margaritas, while Sally sat there and thought about how much of a mess she'd possibly just made of her friendship with Wufei, and also conceded that there were worse things than being rejected in front of the majority of her friends. She'd be fine. Eventually.

Until then, Sally accepted the first margarita from Trowa and started drinking. Whichever exit she ended up actually using later, Sally absolutely wasn't leaving this room sober. Trowa sat down again beside her with his own drink, and the two of them emptied the blender in companionable silence.

This evening could have gone better, but it definitely could have been much worse, Sally admitted to herself as she stood up to make the second batch. She wasn't drinking alone, at least, and that was something. Sally decided that she was glad Trowa had followed her into the kitchen.

Getting drunk with a friend wasn't such a bad way to end her evening, really.