Author's notes: FINALLY, THIS IS DONE. I'm so sorry for the delay. I originally wrote another similar chapter on someone on the team being drunk, but ended up reserving it as the last chapter of 'moments with you' instead. I nearly completed it yesterday, but felt that the characters were too OOC and my writing was becoming too sloppy instead. I'm still trying to polish my writing skills after having not practiced it for quite a few months. If you have any feedback, observations or comments, do include it in your review!
That aside, thank you very much for your patience, lovely comments and support. They honestly mean the world to me.
16.
There's a party on Friday - a gathering of university graduates - and Honey Lemon has encouraged the Nerd Lab's occupants to attend, as a break from their examinations. After refusing for 12 hours, GoGo gives in when Honey Lemon promises not to make her dress ridiculously. That, plus the fact that she's pretty worn out by her best friend's tireless begging. And maybe a party would be a good break, GoGo reasons silently. The recent examinations and lessons have been harder than usual, and the atmosphere in the nerd lab is tensed and dreary. She keeps that last thought to herself.
However, Honey Lemon evidently has a different definition of 'ridiculous', compared to her. GoGo stares at her reflection in the mirror distastefully. She's dressed in a large grey hoodie - that much she can accept - and a black skirt. A skirt.
"I look–" GoGo's about to say stupid, but Honey cuts her off with a beaming smile.
"Great! You look so cute, GoGo!" Her enthusiasm, while endearing, is not contagious towards GoGo. The dark-haired girl shoots her best friend a look that can rival the 'chilly autumn wind, whispering outside the window'. (At least, that's how Honey refers to it. GoGo prefers the descrition 'swirling depths of hell, screaming death in the vast unknown. When she complains to Honey as much, she begrudgingly admits that she really hates the cold, and that line may or may not come from a book of poems).
"How do you suppose I survive in this–" GoGo indicates her knee-length skirt sharply, "In the cold, windy depths outside?"
"You're being dramatic," Honey Lemon admonishes, refusing to be disheartened. She's rummaging for a thick pink cardigan to match her grey sundress. GoGo finds herself wondering how Honey's legs can keep warm in the cold outside, but supposes that the tall pale stockings she's wearing helps a bit. That and the fact that Honey Lemon never seems too bothered by the cold. "Besides, the party house will be warm, and you can wear shorts under your skirt–" GoGo heaves a silent sigh of relief.
"And if you're that cold, Tadashi can keep you warm!" Honey Lemon finishes cheerfully as she turns to face GoGo, simultaneously draping her cardigan over herself. Her golden hair has been arranged into a fluffy bun, and it complements her clothes well. GoGo narrows her eyes in response.
"You better be referring to his cardigan," she snarks grumpily. Taking one last glance at the mirror, GoGo runs a hand through her short hair, tries to tug the hem of her skirt down a little more, and prays that no one would laugh at her appearance. Not that she cares if they laugh, of course. She just doesn't want to get reported for slugging them in the face when they did.
When they arrive, Tadashi, Wasabi and Fred are already present. GoGo knows because they're right in front of her the moment she opens the door. "What took you so long?" Fred wants to know, until he catches sight of GoGo in a skirt, and his mouth falls open.
"GoGo? Are you wearing a–" GoGo whacks the side of his head sharply before he can continue.
"Yes, I'm wearing a skirt, genius," she informs, "And if you have something to say about that, I suggest you keep it to yourself." She doesn't realise how edgy she sounds until she sees Tadashi's look of mild surprise. It's discomforting even amongst the loud music blaring in the background, and the ceaseless chatter surrounding them. Suddenly, GoGo can't wait to get out of here.
She moves to get a drink - something to keep her mouth busy, lest she start spewing insults again or craving bubblegum - mumbling an excuse as she leaves. Tadashi's immediately behind her, and she tries to ignore that. Until he starts talking.
"What drink are you getting? Alcohol?"
GoGo relaxes a little. He's not going to make fun of her appearance or say something that will make her feel awkward. "No, I don't usually drink that. Hangovers are kind of hard deal with when you're living alone."
"I could change that–" Tadashi says, until he realises the implications of it and flushes. "I mean, I could have helped you deal with your hangovers, and, uh," and there he goes, running his mouth off in a fit of fluster. If it wasn't so awkward (maybe less awkward than endearing, which GoGo will never let anyone know) to listen to, GoGo would have found it funny.
"Wait," Tadashi stops suddenly, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Aren't you underage for drinking?"
"I turn 18 in two months," GoGo shrugs, biting back a grin. "Think I can afford to speed up the process."
"Two months?" Tadashi registers skeptically.
"Sixty-three days, to be exact." She's counting down because that's when she can legally afford a driving license.
"Perfect, now I know your birthday," Tadashi is saying cheerfully. This time, GoGo really does smile.
"... Wait, so technically, you weren't old enough for a driver's license when you drove Wasabi's minivan last week?"
Surprisingly, the party turns out fun. GoGo does not have to slug anyone in the face for laughing at her, and Tadashi is around. Not that him being around is what makes it fun, it just coincides, GoGo clarifies mentally.
She doesn't drink because she still needs to drive home later (So she doesn't have a driving license officially. Yet. It's not a big deal. GoGo just hopes Wasabi never finds out that she drove his minivan around without a license. The lecture she will receive won't be worth it).
Tadashi, on the other hand, is either clueless or incapable of rejecting the drinks being passed around. On occasion, said drinks are pressed into his hand by a simpering female student whose skirt is half as long (or short, depending how you look at it) as GoGo's. She only leaves when GoGo glares at her in suspicion after she eyes Tadashi's lips way too suggestively.
By nine, two hours into the party, Tadashi's already downed far more than he can manage. His cap is lopsided, his face is perpetually flushed, and his speech is slurred and punctuated with hiccups. GoGo eyes his sorry state for a few minutes, debating whether to douse him in water to wake him up. She's halfway through her decision to do so when she catches sight of the female student from earlier whispering to her friends, gesticulating in Tadashi's direction rather conspicuously. GoGo narrows her eyes. If they think she's going to leave Tadashi here for them to flirt and simper over when he's drunk, they're wrong. Not that she's jealous, of course, as Honey Lemon would imply. It's just her duty as his best friend.
"Honey," GoGo hauls Tadashi along with her until they reach the dancing blonde, "I'm going home."
"But GoGo, the party's just getting started!" Her best friend pouts, imploring her to stay. GoGo sighs wearily and wishes she still has a pack of gum left.
"And I'm already out of energy," she points out. "Plus, I'm bringing Tadashi home, he's drunk." Honey Lemon takes one look at the state of the red-faced Hamada standing behind her – mumbling a string of words fervently with his eyes half closed – and concedes. GoGo promises to make it up to her on another day, when she no longer has a drunk Tadashi to take care of.
"GoGo?" Fred appears just as GoGo starts to sling one of Tadashi's arms around her neck. He's still talking to himself. "Where are you going?"
GoGo's about to answer 'home', but Tadashi beats her to it.
"GoGo and I are going to bed," He slurs.
GoGo Tomago has never moved faster than she did to get out of the room.
She arrives at the Lucky Cat Cafe in ten minutes. Upon realising that the door is locked, GoGo sighs and searches for the key in Tadashi's pockets. There's no way she's leaving Tadashi at the door step, and no way she's bringing him over to her apartment. When she finally does find the key in Tadashi's cardigan, GoGo lugs the sleeping Tadashi into the cafe, wondering how to explain the situation (or rather, the concept that Tadashi actually got drunk, or even consumed alcohol at all) to Aunt Cass without incriminating her nephew. She doesn't want to get Tadashi in trouble, even though that's what he's causing her right now. Turns out, she doesn't have to think of what to say, after all. Aunt Cass has a yellow sticky-note tacked to the refrigerator, informing Tadashi that she and Hiro are staying over at a friend's house, and that he should take care of himself. GoGo casts one look at the figure she has left on the cafe floor, and doesn't think he'll be doing that anytime soon.
GoGo drags Tadashi up to his room, swearing that he owes her at least five rides on his scooter for all this. As physically fit as GoGo is, she's not exactly strong, and Tadashi's not exactly light. His entire body is almost draped across her, and he smells heavily of alcohol and faintly of coffee. GoGo remembers thinking that Tadashi must have changed cardigans, since this one doesn't smell of the usual singed fabric from Baymax's short-circuits, until Tadashi starts stirring.
"I know you said to keep my thoughts on your appearance," Tadashi mumbles, only half-awake, "To myself. But I think you look good."
The red in her face is from the exertion of hauling her best friend up the stairs, GoGo insists, not anything else.
She hopes Tadashi will nod off again after she puts (or pushes) him in bed, but her luck has long run out. Tadashi is awake, intoxicated and acting even stranger than usual. GoGo makes her final, internal debate on whether to just leave him in his room. That debate is followed by another one on whether her conscience will forgive her or not if Tadashi actually hurts himself in his drunken state.
GoGo ends up fetching a glass of water and a bucket from the kitchen. She's decided that she might as well stay until Tadashi is close to passing out again, just in case. Fortunately, Tadashi seems a lot closer to falling asleep when he sees her again. He's seated on his bed, his eyes half-closed, and GoGo takes the opportunity to place the water glass and bucket beside his bed. But when she turns to go, Tadashi wraps his arms around her all of a sudden. GoGo barely has time to utter a protest when her best friend pulls her onto his bed.
"HAMADA!"
"I've always wanted to do this. I'm cold, but you're warm," Tadashi mumbles sleepily into her hair. GoGo squirms in discomfort, struggling to get out of his grip. She's never been one for physical contact. Not even - no, especially - with Tadashi Hamada.
"Let go, Hamada." GoGo wonders why she's the one with the headache when she's not had a drop of alcohol.
"Nope," Tadashi interjects cheerfully. In any other scenario, GoGo would have believed that he was sober. "It's your fault I'm so drunk."
He's clearly very drunk. GoGo purses her lips and decides to humor him and herself. "And why's that? I think the girl that kept passing drinks to you was more at fault."
"No, I only drank them all cos' of you." He was starting to slur again. "You were so pretty that it was distracting. So I drank the alcohol to get over it cos I know you don't like it when people call you pretty…"
GoGo freezes. She does hate being called pretty, as if it's her only winning attribute. That, plus the fact that she isn't pretty - not in the general or traditional way, by any means - or charming, or graceful, or sweet, or attractive in any way. But Tadashi sounds sincere. And genuine.
Then she hears him snoring and sighs loudly in relief.
GoGo leaves a note in Tadashi's room to inform him that she has his keys. She departs from the Lucky Cat Cafe after checking that he is well and truly asleep, securely locking the doors before she settles into her rented vehicle. She's tired, the hoodie is making her uncomfortably warm, and her head hurts. From thinking about Tadashi's words
Tadashi is drunk. That explains everything. That explains why he wasn't making any sense with his words, why he was slurring or mumbling when he spoke, and why he hugged her out of the blue.
But it doesn't explain why GoGo has a warm, mushy feeling inside her chest when she thinks about what he said.